Phoenix Infant and Nursery School

Age group 3–7 Inspection date(s) 10–11 November 2011 Inspection number 380486 Phoenix Infant and Nursery School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 122532 Local Authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 380486 Inspection dates 10–11 November 2011 Reporting inspector John Paddick

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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 Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 161 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Doreen Leighton Headteacher Sue Sprengel Date of previous school inspection 13 May 2009 School address Phoenix Avenue Gedling NG4 4EL Telephone number 0115 9539927 Fax number 0115 9871866 Email address office@phoenix.notts.sch.uk 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

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. 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 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. They visited 12 lessons taught by eight different teachers. Inspectors scrutinised a wide variety of pupils’ work, especially in writing and mathematics. They held meetings with the headteacher, the Early Years Foundation Stage leader, the special educational needs coordinator and three members of the governing body. Inspectors also met with groups of pupils from Year 2. They observed the school’s work and looked at minutes of the governing body meetings, the school development plan, records of pupils’ progress and safeguarding documentation. Inspectors analysed 88 questionnaires from parents and carers and 22 from members of staff.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 What standards are pupils in Year 2 reaching in reading, writing and mathematics?  Do pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those from minority ethnic backgrounds make progress at the same rate as other pupils?  Are pupils now provided with more opportunities to speak and listen?  Do children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make at least average progress towards all of the early learning goals?  Are members of the governing body keeping a better check on the school’s progress than they did at the time of the previous inspection?

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Information about the school

The school is smaller than the average primary school. Most pupils are White British and very few are from minority ethnic groups. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average but rising. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make up around a tenth of the school roll. This is below the national average. There are no pupils with statements of special educational needs. The proportion of pupils who join part way through their primary school education is below average.

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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

Phoenix Infant and Nursery School provides its pupils with a good standard of education. It is a happy and welcoming school where care, guidance and support for pupils are outstanding. There is an exceptionally good and extremely productive engagement with parents and carers who are full of praise for the way that the school educates their children. One parent wrote, ‘I could not ask for a better start to my child’s education.’ Teachers and teaching assistants know all of the children extremely well and ensure that their needs are fully met. This ensures that all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those from minority ethnic backgrounds make good progress. Managers check on progress regularly and effectively so they have an accurate picture of how well pupils are getting on. When tracking data indicate that pupils have problems or that they are underachieving this triggers effective extra assistance. However, the attainment

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Main findings

targets that the school sets for its Year 2 pupils are largely based on expected or average rates of progress from the beginning of Year 1 to the end of Year 2 rather than having more of an element of challenge. This results in the school exceeding its targets rather than actively seeking to raise attainment into the above average range by the end of Year 2.

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Main findings

The school runs very smoothly on a daily basis and it is characterised by a good atmosphere for learning, pupils who behave well and good quality, interesting and varied lessons. Pupils say that they feel perfectly safe and that they enjoy the activities that the school provides for them. The Early Years Foundation Stage provides children with a good start to their education and they make good progress in most areas of learning. The main exception is writing where progress has recently been satisfactory rather than good and where attainment has been below the expected levels on transfer to Year 1. However, in their four years in school pupils achieve well overall because they start in Nursery with substantially below average stages of development for their ages and reach average standards by the end of Year 2. The school’s capacity for further improvement is good because it is well led and there has been an effective focus on the areas for improvement identified at the

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Main findings

previous inspection. For example, there are now many more opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills and the governing body keeps a far more rigorous check than previously on the quality of education that the school provides. The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and planning for improvement is carried out with precision.

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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’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics to above average by the end of Year 2 by:  setting more challenging targets for pupils to achieve  rigorously monitoring these targets throughout Years 1 and 2.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attainment in writing to at least average levels by the end of Reception by:  providing more adult-led and child-initiated opportunities for the development of writing throughout the Early Years programme.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Over the last two years, assessments for pupils at the end of Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics have been broadly average and much better than in 2009 when they were below average. Classroom observations and scrutiny of pupils’ written work during the inspection confirm that these standards are being maintained. In class, inspectors observed pupils of all abilities making good progress in response to work and explanations that were matched well to their needs. For example in lessons on telling the time in Year 2, all pupils rapidly picked up the meaning of the large and small hands on a clock face and many were confident with ‘half past’, ‘quarter past’ and ‘quarter to’. Currently in Year 2, pupils’ written work in English and mathematics is extensive, generally neatly presented and logically set out. Pupils are developing their handwriting, sentence construction, spelling and basic numerical skills well.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The school’s accurate and extensive tracking records show that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are currently making progress at the same rate as other pupils in the school. Inspectors found may examples of these pupils making good progress in class in response to effective and often imaginative approaches.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils display good attitudes to learning and behave well. They are polite, cooperative and keen to do as well as they can. As they move through the school, the development of their confidence and self-esteem is impressive. Pupils have a good understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet and know why it is important to be involved in activities which include physical exercise. They engage enthusiastically in a wide range of activities, especially music, sport and visits. Their attendance is above average and persistent absence has recently reduced to very low levels. Pupils are eager to take responsibility and speak enthusiastically about the efforts they have made to raise money for charities and especially for children in other countries.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes

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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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Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning

Taking into account: Pupils’ attainment 1 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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contribute to their future economic well-being

Taking into account: Pupils’ attendance 1

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How effective is the provision?

Teachers and classroom assistants manage pupils well so there is always a good learning atmosphere in lessons. They provide plenty of interesting and challenging activities which usually sustain pupils’ engagement and interest. In the best lessons, teachers present concepts and develop pupils’ understanding of topics in an imaginative variety of ways to ensure that learning is secure. Usually teachers employ a compelling style which fully engages pupils’ attention. However, there are occasions when some pupils are not fully engaged by teachers’ explanations and questioning. Teachers plan well for pupils of all ability and ensure that classroom assistants have a clear and effective brief with which to assist groups of pupils or individuals with work at a specific level. Teachers generally mark pupils’ work well but there are some instances of errors not being corrected. The school’s very good tracking systems clearly show the standards pupils are reaching and the amount of

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How effective is the provision?

progress they are making, and they identify those who need extra help to enable them to reach their targets.

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How effective is the provision?

The combination of good teaching, good curricular planning and excellent care, guidance and support enables all groups of pupils to make good progress with their learning and personal development. Pupils recognise that they benefit from a wide range of extra-curricular activities and speak enthusiastically about visits arranged for them. A strong and effective emphasis on music and performance helps to promote pupils’ confidence and self-esteem. Pupils say that they get plenty of help when they need it. Often this is on a one-to-one basis and involves a variety of effective techniques that enable them to catch up when it is evident that they are falling behind. Excellent transition arrangements with local junior schools mean that pupils

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How effective is the provision?

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

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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

are extremely well prepared for their transfer to year 3. The school can point to many examples where high quality support for some of its more vulnerable pupils has enabled them to overcome very significant barriers to learning and progress. Parents and carers recognise that the school will ‘go the extra mile’ to ensure that their children achieve 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

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher provides the school with strong and effective leadership. She is very ably supported by her senior team and has the full confidence of staff and parents and carers. All members of staff think that their contribution to the school is fully valued and consequently their collective morale is excellent. Governance is good. Members of the governing body have a good understanding of the school’s strong features and know what still needs to be improved. Since the previous inspection, they have probed much more deeply than previously and have become much more involved in obtaining first-hand experience of lessons, assemblies and other activities. Members of staff have been successful in developing an exceptionally productive partnership with parents and carers who have a high regard for the school and attend functions and meetings about their children’s progress in unusually large numbers.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Good safeguarding systems are firmly in place and have a high profile in the daily running of the school. Procedures for checking the identities of all of the adults admitted to the site are extremely rigorous. The school promotes equal opportunities well. There is little difference between the performance of groups of pupils and no evidence of any discrimination. Good partnerships with outside agencies and specialists help to ensure that the school provides effective extra help for the pupils who have the greatest level of need. Strong partnerships with local schools mean that a smooth transfer of pupils from Year 2 to Year 3 is managed well. The school promotes community cohesion well. Pupils are involved in many productive activities which help to draw the local community together and there are developing arrangements to give them greater first-hand access to people from other cultures. Links with countries in Africa provide pupils with good opportunities to learn about

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How effective are leadership and management?

how other people live and to raise money for worthwhile projects in other lands.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management

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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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driving improvement

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

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children in Nursery and Reception benefit from a welcoming and safe environment, and excellent personal support. Good, imaginative and often personalised teaching enables each cohort of children to make good progress by the end of Reception. The majority of children reach most of the statutory early goals by the time they transfer to Year 1 but for many, attainment in writing is still below average at this stage.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The inside and outside areas are imaginatively laid out and provide children with a good environment in which to learn, play, make friends, investigate and explore. Teachers and their assistants ensure that the atmosphere for learning is good and they take every opportunity to develop children’s speech and vocabulary by engaging them in conversation about what they are doing. Occasionally, however, the approaches used in ‘circle time’ do not fully engage the attention of the whole group.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Good leadership and management ensure that staff morale remains high and that there is an effective focus on learning and personal development. There have been many staff changes over the past two years but a much more settled team is beginning to have a positive impact on children’s progress. A good balance between adult-led and child-initiated activities ensures that children progress well in response to a wide variety of approaches. Accurate and regular assessment quickly identifies children who are making good progress and those who need extra help to overcome barriers to learning. This extra assistance is frequently provided on a one-to-one basis. Parents and carers are very happy about the way that members of staff look after their children and provide them with a good quality of education

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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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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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

Parents’ and carers’ views are almost entirely positive about all aspects of the way that the school provides for their children. These positive views very closely match the findings of the inspection team.

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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 Phoenix Infant and Nursery 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. The inspection team received 88 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 161 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 73 83 15 17 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 75 85 12 14 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child’s progress 51 58 34 39 2 2 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 60 68 27 31 0 0 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 59 67 24 27 0 0 0 0 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 57 65 27 31 0 0 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 65 74 21 24 1 1 0 0 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) 55 63 24 27 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child’s particular needs 54 61 28 32 1 1 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 53 60 30 34 1 1 0 0 The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 54 61 29 33 2 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 65 74 21 24 0 0 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 71 81 16 18 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. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. 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

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5

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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 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 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. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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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.  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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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

Inspection of Phoenix Infant and Nursery School , Gedling , NG4 4EL

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

Thank you for making me and my fellow inspectors so welcome when we came to inspect your school recently. We were really impressed by your good behaviour and the way that you relate to visitors. A particular thank you goes to those of you who met with us at lunchtime to talk about your school. Another thank you goes to those of you who were so keen to show us your work in class. We were very pleased to know that you really enjoy being at school and that you are so keen to do well.

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

We found that your school is providing you with a good quality of education. Most of you are making good progress because teaching is good and you receive excellent support from all of the adults who work with you. Your teachers use a very good system for finding out how well you are doing and the school provides you with extra help if you fall behind.

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

Your school can still improve further and we have asked the governing body, headteacher and staff to make some changes to help you make even better progress. These are to:

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

 help the older pupils to reach higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics  provide more activities for younger children to help to improve their writing.

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

You can all help by continuing to behave well and work hard.

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from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy

of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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