Published: 14 July 2005
Ofsted Sports Report
Government funded sports programmes are helping our pupils work towards their Olympic dreams, but all schools are yet to benefit from the programmes
Schools' involvement in the Physical Education School Sport and Club Links Strategy (PESSCL) has made a positive difference to PE and sport in schools according to a new report by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).
The overall objective of the strategy is to increase the percentage of 5 - 16 year old children in England who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum to 75% by 2006 and to 85% by 2008.
But inspectors found the strategy has yet to reach all schools, particularly those where provision for PE and sport are at best satisfactory.
The Physical Education School Sport and Club Links Strategy (PESSCL), one of three subject-focused reports published by Ofsted recently, evaluates the School Sport Partnership Programme and Support for Gifted and Talented Pupils in Physical Education Programme.
Leadership and management of the programmes were found to be good in only half of schools and the quality of teaching observed was also generally good - this gave a slightly more positive picture then Ofsted's previous reports in 2004.
But the proportion of very good teaching remained disappointingly low and assessment was also often weak.
Whilst the majority of schools visited were committed to providing two hours of PE, inspectors found considerable variations between schools.
In primary schools Key Stage 1 pupils received less PE than those in Key Stage 2. More time was allocated in Key Stage 3 in secondary schools.
In the School Sport Partnerships Programme improved development planning and enthusiastic leadership by key staff were important factors in bringing about a climate of change in schools. (Nothing new there and it applies in every subject, not just sport).
Specialist Sports Colleges had successfully adopted the Gifted and Talented Pupils in Physical Education Programme's mentoring scheme for talented pupils and in all schools visited at least one teacher had attended the Junior Athlete programme training.
The second subject-focused report published - Implementing Languages Entitlement in Primary Schools: An Evaluation of Progress in Ten Pathfinder LEAs, found there has been a significant expansion in modern foreign languages in primary schools.
The expansion follows the introduction of the Government funded 'Pathfinder' Initiative, which was set up to develop ways of teaching languages in primary schools.
Inspectors found modern foreign language provision was satisfactory or better in nearly all of the 60 primary schools visited during the survey and attributed the quality to the leadership and management of the 'Pathfinder' Initiative by the Local Education Authority (LEA).
However, few Pathfinder LEAs had communicated adequately to secondary schools the potential implications of primary modern foreign languages for them. Inspectors found tracking pupils' progress from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 was generally at a very early stage.
Few secondary schools used information from Key Stage 2 to plan for year 7 and beyond. In a great majority of Pathfinder LEAs, links between primary and secondary schools were not sufficiently developed.
Of the Pathfinder Initiatives inspected in 2004, 43% of schools offered primary modern foreign language provision at Key Stage 2. Strong, clear leadership and management and good communication underpinned the most successful initiatives.
The quality of teaching was almost always at least satisfactory and usually better. The inspectors also found that although teachers' linguistic competence was at least adequate, many needed further training to teach at a higher level.
The third report published - Could They Do Even Better? The Writing of Advanced Bilingual Learners of English at Key Stage 2, identified that fewer pupils from minority ethnic groups achieved the higher levels in writing.
Expectations of bilingual pupils' achievement at the end of Key Stage 2 were too low in around two thirds of schools visited.
All the schools visited had a positive ethos and valued pupils' cultural and linguistic diversity. However, only half took steps to build on such diversity when teaching writing.
One of the most significant findings, from this survey of 21 schools, is the need for schools to be aware of the specific linguistic needs of bilingual learners.
Together with the effective use of specialist EAL knowledge these are major factors in developing the writing skills of bilingual pupils.
Schools also need to make better use of data and undertake careful analysis of pupils' writing to identify specific language needs and then provide appropriate teaching and support for these pupils.
All in all hardly a 'ringing endorsement' in any of the three reports!
Further information
The Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links Strategy(PESSCL)
Implementing Languages Entitlement in Primary Schools: An Evaluation of Progress in Ten Pathfinder LEAs
Could They Do Even Better? The Writing of Advanced Bilingual Learners of English at Key Stage 3
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