Silsden Primary School

Aire View Infant School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 107273 Local Authority Bradford Inspection number 356125 Inspection dates 20–21 October 2010 Reporting inspector Marie Cordey

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 273 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Jackie Hale Headteacher Mrs Vicky Bottomley Date of previous school inspection 26 September 2007 School address Elliott Street Silsden, Keighley West Yorkshire BD20 0AW Telephone number 01535 653290 Fax number 01535 653290 Email address office@aireviewinf.ngfl.ac.uk

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Age group 3–7 Inspection dates 20–21 October 2010 Inspection number 356125 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 1234 234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. The inspectors visited 13 lessons and observed 8 teachers. They held meetings with a member of the governing body, staff and groups of pupils. They observed the school's work and looked at documentation, including the school's self-evaluation evidence, the school improvement plan, internal and external monitoring of the school and 56 returned questionnaires from parents and carers, as well as returned questionnaires from staff. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. Inspectors looked in detail at the following.  Pupils' achievement and attainment, particularly in reading and for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The effectiveness of the quality of teaching in engaging and challenging all pupils.  The quality and effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The contribution of leadership and management to improving pupils' outcomes,

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Introduction

particularly in reading and for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about the school

The school is larger than most infant schools. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The vast majority of pupils are White British. A small number of pupils are at an early stage of learning to speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average. The school has achieved Healthy School status, Investors in Families and the national Sing Up award. It provides extended services including family learning classes and a toddler group. These are managed and run by the governing body.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main findings

This is a good school. The school is highly regarded in the local community. Pupils' contribution to the school and wider community is outstanding. They thrive on the many opportunities to take on positions of responsibility and they know that their views will be acted upon. The promotion of community cohesion is excellent, in the school, the local community and further afield. Pupils value and greatly respect people from a wide variety of backgrounds and welcome visitors with first-rate courtesy and enthusiasm. This reflects their outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Parents appreciate the school and make comments such as, 'All my children love going to school' and 'I am particularly impressed with the parental involvement activities at school'. Pupils feel well cared for and very safe and this characterises the school's commitment to their well-being and achievement. The Early Years Foundation Stage provides well for children. The

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Main findings

children enjoy playing and learning in a secure setting. Overall, pupils' attainment is above average overall. It is lower in reading than in other subjects and this is a priority for school improvement. Achievement is good. The large majority of pupils make good progress overall although the progress of the small number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is satisfactory. This is because in the past the needs of some pupils have not been identified accurately enough and therefore resources have not been targeted to best effect. The school has recognised this issue and has begun to address it. The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is sometimes not matched closely enough to individual needs and learning targets are not always sufficiently precise and challenging. Leaders and managers acknowledge this and are working to improve their systems for monitoring the progress of

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Main findings

this group of pupils to ensure that planning is clearly based on pupils' needs. The school's capacity for further improvement is good. Successful action has been taken to improve the attainment of more-able pupils, identified as an issue at the previous inspection. Lesson planning is now more sharply focused on extending the achievement of these pupils and there are higher expectations of their performance. Self-evaluation is accurate and effective. As a result, leaders have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and where improvements are needed. For example, they have put in place a number of strategies to improve attainment in reading. These are showing early signs of success although it is too soon for them to have had full effect on raising pupils' attainment. Teaching quality is good overall and assessment information is mostly used well. It is less effective in the teaching of reading because it is not always planned well enough to

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Main findings

engage pupils' interest to develop their skills.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils' achievement, especially in reading and for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, by: ensuring that identification of pupils deemed to have special educational needs and/or disabilities is accurate sharpening the focus of systems used to track the progress of pupils with special educational needs and to identify targets for them ensuring support and teaching for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is clearly planned to build on their previous knowledge and understanding, and that their learning targets are measurable, precise and challenging ensuring that the teaching of reading consistently engages and interests pupils to develop their skills.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils achieve well and enjoy school life. They are eager and work hard in lessons particularly when they are captivated and challenged. For instance, in pupils' work on small creatures, they relished the chance to look at insects and understand their role in the environment. As a result, pupils deepened their understanding of the world. They met the challenge to learn independently and in small groups and worked with great enthusiasm and commitment. Children start in the Nursery with skills mostly typically for their age. By the time they enter Year 1 most children's skills are above expectations in most areas of learning. Pupils, including those at an early stage of learning to speak English as an additional language, sustain the good progress made in the Early Years Foundation Stage and at times exceed it by the end of Year 2. Attainment in mathematics and writing has been well above average but it has not been as high in reading. The strong focus on developing pupils'

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

speaking and listening skills leads to delightful, imaginative writing. Pupils' comprehension is weaker because reading skills are less secure. Learning and progress for the small number of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. Pupils' excellent spiritual, social, moral and cultural development, their attendance and their outstanding contribution to the community reflects their strong sense of care. Pupils' good behaviour is evident in their care for each other and the value placed upon each of them by adults. Pupils feel very safe, are knowledgeable about potential dangers and know who to turn to if they are worried. Pupils develop a good awareness of how to lead a healthy lifestyle, especially through sport. They particularly enjoy football, dance and the wide range of well-organised activities which involve most pupils in physical activities at lunchtimes.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 2

Taking into account: Pupils' attainment¹

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 2

The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 2

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 2

The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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2

Taking into account: Pupils' attendance¹

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The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4

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How effective is the provision?

Strengths in the quality of teaching are evident in positive relationships, good subject knowledge and planning that includes pupils' own experiences, bringing their learning to life. Pupils enjoy these lessons and are very keen to participate. Careful planning based on each pupil's ability allows pupils to learn well and mostly achieve challenging targets. Support assistants are most effective when involved in lesson planning and when expectations of their work with pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very focused and precise. In a few lessons, however, support staff are under-deployed and there are fewer opportunities for them to provide focused support especially for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The teaching of reading is beginning to improve. Information and communication technology (ICT) is used effectively to interest and engage pupils in research and teachers are beginning to use a greater variety and

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How effective is the provision?

range of stimulating reading materials. The curriculum is broad and balanced. It is particularly rich in the scope and range of after-school activities. Pupils enjoy singing and relish performing locally, in the wider community and nationally. A strong focus on enrichment is reflected in much work across subjects where, for example, pupils use ICT to research biographies in history and English or look at the effects of geography on the environment. Provision for ICT is improving and enhanced ICT resources are used effectively across many subjects.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

The school works well with outside agencies such as speech and language therapists and the local authority to support the most vulnerable pupils and to improve attendance. Amongst many similar comments made by parents and carers, one parent wrote, 'Every child is important in this school.' Pupils are very well prepared when they move to Year 1 and for the next stage in their education. Strategies to improve attendance, such as calling home on the first day of absence, have improved attendance well.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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The quality of teaching 2

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

Leaders, managers, other teachers and governors are committed to improving pupils' attainment through challenging targets which mostly help pupils to make good progress. Governors are actively involved in school life and are shrewd in their management of finances. For example, the decision to employ a parental involvement officer has succeeded in involving 'dads at school' as well as providing a wide variety of family learning opportunities which have mostly impacted positively on pupils' attainment. Parents typically comment, 'The opportunities for families to learn and have fun are a strength of the school' and 'The school is always easy to approach and eager to hear about and act upon any problems we have.' The school's good promotion of equality of opportunity is based on respect and value for all people as individuals. Disparities in the achievement of different groups are narrowing. Leaders and managers are tightening their systems to track the achievement of pupils

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How effective are leadership and management?

with special educational needs and/or disabilities so that support can be better targeted to support individual needs. Clearer direction and accountability are now beginning to bring about improvements although it is too early to see the full impact on pupils' achievement. The school's procedures to tackle any discrimination are thorough and very effective. Safeguarding procedures go beyond national requirements. Systems to ensure pupils' health and well-being are well-developed. Excellent promotion of community cohesion is a cornerstone of the school's character. Local residents are regularly involved in the life of the school. The pupils develop a very good awareness of global and national issues and raise funds for a range of charities. Cultural diversity is evident through, for example, dance, art and geography. Visitors and parents share their cultures and extend pupils' understanding of the lives of others very effectively. The school provides good value for

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for leadership and management

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2

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress and achieve well from their starting points. Parents and carers appreciate the positive relationships with staff as well as the opportunities to be involved, particularly in the toddler group. Children's transfer from home to Nursery is very smooth and children settle down happily. They are also well prepared for school life in Year 1. A good range of prepared activities encourages children to enjoy their learning but there are some gaps in opportunities for outdoor play, for instance in developing children's independence. Good teaching ensures that children become keenly aware of counting, especially when they are counting insects into water buckets! They enjoy linking sounds and letters and take great pride in using this information to write their names and to begin to write in sentences. Leadership is committed to the children's achievement and well-

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Early Years Foundation Stage

being and their continued improvement. Staff work well as a team and are motivated and clear about their roles in engaging children's interests. Requirements for their safety, health and welfare are met well.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation 2

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Views of parents and carers

Almost one fifth of parents and carers responded through the completed questionnaires. Of these, the vast majority were happy with the school's provision and indicated that their children enjoyed school. These parents and carers also agreed that the school helped their children to have a healthy lifestyle and that the pupils' behaviour was good. Inspectors agree that these aspects are good. There was a very small number who had concerns about behaviour but inspectors found no evidence during the inspection to endorse these views. The school is working hard to involve parents and carers even more in their children's learning.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Aire View Infant School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The inspection team received 56 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 273 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 45 80 10 18 1 2 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 35 63 20 36 1 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My school informs me about my child's progress 27 48 25 45 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child is making enough progress at this school 25 45 28 50 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The teaching is good at this school 35 63 18 32 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps me to support my child's learning 34 61 21 38 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 35 63 19 34 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 35 63 18 32 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 26 46 28 50 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 21 38 28 50 3 5 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 21 38 30 54 1 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 30 54 24 43 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 37 66 18 32 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2009 to 31 March 2010 and are the most recently published data available (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). Please note that the sample of schools inspected during the autumn and spring terms 2009/10 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Secondary school figures include those that have sixth forms, and sixth form figures include only the data specifically for sixth form inspection judgements.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Aire View Infant School, Keighley, BD20 0AW

It was a great pleasure to visit your school. The inspection team enjoyed talking to you and listened carefully to what you had to say. You told us how much you enjoy school life. Yours is a good school. It is excellent in some areas. The Early Years Foundation Stage is also good. You are well behaved, very polite and welcoming. You made us all feel at home because you were so keen to speak to us and look after us. Your spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. This is based on your care for people as individuals, whatever their background, your enthusiasm for learning and your strong sense of right and wrong. Well done to each one of you! You help and care for each other. Younger children settle down well in the Nursery and Reception classes and you make sure that older pupils look after the younger ones. You particularly enjoy making your excellent contributions to the school and your local

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Inspection of Aire View Infant School, Keighley, BD20 0AW

community through all the jobs you do and by encouraging local people to come into your school to help you, as well as to learn themselves. I particularly enjoyed the pizza I ate in the community room. Thank you! You make good progress and you do your best work in mathematics and in writing. We would like those of you who find some work more difficult to make better progress and we have asked the school to help you all improve your reading. I have asked your headteacher and other staff to set targets that can be easily measured for those pupils who find some work difficult and to provide work that is more interesting for all of you in reading. You can help by continuing to do the best work you can and trying very hard in reading.

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www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please

telephone 0300 1234 234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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