The recent audit revealed a number of
indicators of significant progress in the teaching and learning
of French. Pupils attitudes were positive with evidence of a readiness
to use and enjoy the language. Standards are pleasing with pupils
achieving the national average or above. Observations during the
audit revealed a good variety of teaching and learning strategies
in all skill areas.
Successful teaching partnerships have
increased the confidence and ability of some non-specialist classroom
teachers and has increased the opportunities available for the
children. It is intended that such work will continue enabling
more class teachers to be involved in or take over the teaching
of French.
Quality Assurance issues will be further
addressed with more focused differentiation and the tightening
of the use of target setting and review. This will increase pupil
awareness of progress made. Further development of resources is
recommended with increased use of I.T. and video. Greater emphasis
will be placed on the exploration of French culture and France
as a country in a wider European context. Additional work will
be done on French provision at Key Stage 2.
Developmental work on the benefits of an immersion programme is soon to be carried out. Evaluation of this work is intended to point towards possibilities for quality improvement and the continual raising of achievement in this curriculum area.
Claire Jones
Children interviewed for the audit showed
a positive attitude towards P.E. There is a consistent use of
the timetabled allocation for the curriculum area ( two hours
per week - this exceeds the minimum outlined in the N.C.) The
school is well equipped, although there needs to be a reappraisal
of the arrangements for the storage of resources. There is a consistent
application of the school's safety guidelines by all staff. It
is pleasing to note that In-Service training arrangements, including
partnership teaching and a staff INSET session, have had a positive
impact on the teaching of Gymnastics in school. This work is to
be followed up with the implementation of new K.S. 3 units of
work for Gymnastics. Regular liaison between partnership schools
continues.
In order to ensure further developments in this curriculum area, elements which need Quality Assurance consideration include, the balance between the different P.E. activities, assessment and record keeping and progression in the teaching of games. The evaluation of P.E. would be enhanced by greater use of videoing for this purpose. Consideration of equal opportunities issues has led to a need to address an imbalance in the provision of competitive sports, as extra curricular activities, for girls. It may also lead to improvement if there is an assessment of Special Needs Provision in Physical Activities.
Chris Robinson
The recent audit revealed that most
teachers and children spoke confidently and enthusiastically about
History. They have access to a wide range of resources including
artefacts and primary sources of evidence. In some areas these
sources are used keenly and to good effect.
In order to support the History themes taught in school, where ever possible, children are taken on study visits, both day trips and residential. Visitors are invited into school to enhance experiences provided for the children. There is an active liaison group which enhances the work of the partnership schools involved.
Drama and role play enhance the children's
understanding of historical issues and where this teaching style
is being used it is having a positive effect on children's learning.
An ongoing development in History will be that of Quality Assurance
practice in school, so that 'key' forecasted activities are available
to all children. The main avenue for this will be through teaching
partnerships and regular monitoring. Quality Assurance will ensure
continuity in the children's learning within each year group and
progression throughout the school.
In order to further promote a 'Quality History Experience' it is desirable to raise the profile of History in school. A possible route for this could be through high quality teaching partnerships. These would move History into a 'quality improvement' mode, thus raising its profile for both teachers and children.
Gaynor Crute
The recent Drama audit revealed that
children are enthusiastic and appear to enjoy drama work in school.
Although staff were mostly positive about the benefits of educational
drama/role play, there was a lack of confidence in using this
way of working expressed by the majority of staff. Working in
the classroom, as opposed to the non-carpeted environment of the
Music and Drama room, was preferred by most staff. Ensuring the
availability and appropriateness of resources for drama work,
including the Drama and Music room itself, needs further consideration.
The majority of teachers showed a sound theoretical understanding of drama as a learning tool, whilst children highlighted drama as a valued and effective learning method. Those teachers who have in the past worked alongside others confident in the use of drama, or who have recently taken part in a teaching partnership, showed greater confidence and appeared to use drama techniques more often. A number of teachers expressed a desire to extend the range of drama teaching and learning strategies they are able to use. Drama is at present used successfully along side a number of curriculum areas, particularly History, P.S.E., English and R.E.
Although there are examples of some high level commitment and practice in school, the audit highlighted quality assurance as the priority area. Drama needs to be used as a learning method in all classrooms, at the present time drama is not widely or regularly used. There is considerable variation in the use of forecasted drama structures. Addressing these issues will involve further teaching partnerships and other INSET opportunities, additional forcasted drama activities and a closer monitoring of the use of drama methods in each year group.
Claire Trott.
Work on the music audit revealed a high
level of enjoyment of musical activities in school. Enjoyment
and continued efforts to develop quality have been observed in
the Christmas Concert presentation and on a regular basis in assemblies
and music sessions. Enthusiasm has also been apparent in the willingness
of staff and pupils to work on musical projects in their own time.
There has been a growth in skills and pupils individual compositions
and performances.
Mereway Middle school pupils have achieved
high standards in instrumental music exams this year. All have
passed and the majority have done so with merit or distinction.
Further areas of development include
raising the confidence and ability of class teachers to teach
their own music, particularly in Key Stage 2. This is likely to
involve the acquiring of more resources for non-specialist classroom
music. Forecasted music work will be revisited and new schemes
which take into account National Curriculum updates will be produced
where needed.
The acquiring of steel drums to continue the work started at Simon de Senlis lower school, will necessitate staff training, this is certain to be an exciting development.
Karen Neal
The recent audit revealed that children
and teachers have a positive attitude to English work in school.
This is displayed in a variety of ways with confident speakers
in all year groups, confident readers who are extending and supplementing
material with their own books and the variety of writing opportunities
available in school. The school library is well resourced and
maintained and has an appropriately high profile in school. This
profile is confirmed by successful events such as our annual Bookweek.
Examples of high quality writing can be found, with teaching partnerships
and the support of NIAS advisory staff contributing to creating
opportunities for the achievement of excellence.
Some Quality Assurance issues now need to be addressed. These mainly relate to reading and record keeping. Developments will focus on broadening the reading material selected by children, monitoring children's reading, In-Service training on teaching techniques and raising the achievement of children who read below their chronological age. Wider use of I.T. will also be encouraged.
Alison Hawkes