Lyndhurst Infant School

Age group 4−8 Inspection date(s) 20−21 June 2012 Inspection number 381158 Lyndhurst First School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 125960 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 381158 Inspection dates 20−21 June 2012 Lead inspector Janet Sinclair

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Type of school First School category Community Age range of pupils 4−8 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 367 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Donna Felstead Headteacher Diane South Date of previous school inspection 13 May 2009 School address Lyndhurst Road Worthing BN11 2DG Telephone number 01903 235390 Fax number 01903 823627 Email address head@lyndhurst.w-sussex.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 pe ople. 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 You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspectors spent nine hours observing teaching and learning in 21 lessons or part lessons. They observed 13 teachers and several teaching assistants. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online Parent View survey in planning the inspection. They observed the school’s work, listened to a sample of pupils read and looked at examples of pupils’ work. They considered a wide range of documentation, including: school policies, particularly for safeguarding, the school development plan and records of pupils’ progress. The inspectors also held meetings with members of the governing body, senior staff and groups of pupils. They considered the 78 responses from questionnaires returned by parents and carers.

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Information about the school

Lyndhurst is larger than the average-sized primary school. Most pupils are White British. There are an average proportion of pupils of minority ethnic heritage, an above average proportion of whom are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is average; these are mainly speech and language or emotional and behavioural difficulties. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly above average. There is a below average proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. The children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are in three classes. The school has a Special Support Centre (SSC) that caters for up to eight pupils with autistic spectrum disorder.

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Information about the school

The school has experienced a range of staffing difficulties, including the long-term absence of senior staff, since the last inspection. A new deputy headteacher was appointed in September 2011. 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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Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school but one that is on an upward trajectory. It is not yet good because achievement and teaching and learning are not consistently better than satisfactory. It has a strong, caring ethos that supports all pupils well. Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged as satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.  Achievement is satisfactory because although children enjoy their learning and make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, in Years 1 to 3, progress is typically satisfactory. Attainment by the end of Year 2 and when pupils leave the school in Year 3 is average in reading, writing and mathematics. A good focus on improving attainment in mathematics has been largely successful, although there is still not enough consistency in using and applying mathematics skills in real-life situations.  Lessons are well planned and organised and relationships are good. This

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Key findings

ensures that pupils enjoy their learning. However, work is not always well enough matched to pupils’ needs, occasionally teacher talk goes on too long in whole-class introductions, and the pace of lessons is sometimes slow. The quality of marking and targets and the extent to which pupils are involved in their learning, while good in some classes, are inconsistent.  Behaviour is good and the school has a consistent approach to behaviour management. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning, feel safe in school and say that there is very little bullying; only some arguments that are quickly resolved.  Senior leaders are committed and determined to bring about further improvement. They have successfully led initiatives to improve performance in both mathematics and science. This has been achieved against a background of significant staffing issues. Rigorous tracking of pupils’ progress and targeted

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Key findings

interventions are improving rates of progress for all pupils. Teaching is monitored carefully and performance management systems are effective. These have been important factors in promoting improvement. 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?

 Raise attainment and accelerate progress further by improving the consistency of teaching and learning so that practice is at least good by March 2013, by:  matching work more closely to the differing needs of pupils, so that all pupils learn well in lessons  reducing teacher talk during introductions to lessons and increasing the pace of lessons so that the rate of learning is accelerated  improving the consistency in the quality of marking, the use of targets and pupils’ involvement in their learning so that all pupils benefit.  Provide more opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills to real- life situations.

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Achievement of pupils

Children start in the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and abilities that are mainly below those expected for their age and are low in aspects of communication, language and literacy and number development. Children make good progress overall and excellent progress in their sounds and letters work (phonics) and reading. Current end-of-year assessments show that children mainly achieve at the expected level on entry to Year 1.

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Achievement of pupils

Attainment is average by the end of Year 2. Attainment in reading is average at the end of Year 2 and Year 3. Pupils make satisfactory and sometimes good progress in reading due to effective letters and sounds (phonics) work and appropriate attention to reading through regular guided reading sessions. There has been a good focus on improving mathematics, where gaps in pupils’ learning were identified. Staff training, setting for some year groups and small-group targeted work are all helping to accelerate progress. There are examples of pupils being challenged well to solve problems in their mathematics and higher-attaining pupils in particular, relish this. However, this is not consistent practice across the school so not all pupils have the opportunity to apply their problem solving skills. Good attention to writing is ensuring that the proportion of pupils making good progress is increasing. There has been

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Achievement of pupils

good attention to improving science, which was a key issue at the previous inspection, with many opportunities for science investigations that engage pupils and promote effective learning.

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Achievement of pupils

Effective small group and individual support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs enables them to make satisfactory and increasingly good progress. Pupils in the SCC unit make good progress towards the targets set in their individual education plans due to a high level of adult support and good attention to their specific needs. 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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Achievement of pupils

Although the vast majority of parents and carers who responded to the inspection questionnaire consider that their children achieve well, the inspection evidence shows that this is satisfactory overall.

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Quality of teaching

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, excellent relationships, work that is well matched to children’s needs, effective staff interactions in child-led activities and careful monitoring of progress ensure effective learning for children.

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Quality of teaching

In Years 1 to 3, most lessons are well planned and organised with a good range of resources so that pupils enjoy their learning. Staff make good use of interactive whiteboards for whole-class introductory sessions and pupils regularly use laptops in their work. However, teachers do not always ensure work is well matched to pupils’ needs and this slows progress. For example, in a mathematics lesson in Year 2, the problem solving task challenged and engaged more-able pupils, but lower-attaining pupils had difficulty accessing the work and did not make enough progress. Teachers plan well for targeted phonics groups and as a result pupils’ phonic skills are developing well and support their writing and spelling. Alongside this, reading skills are taught appropriately and help pupils develop an enjoyment for reading. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs get effective support from teaching

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Quality of teaching

assistants through resources targeted at their needs and effective one-to-one support. Additionally, there is teacher support for interventions such as Every Child Counts and Reading Recovery, that are accelerating learning. Pupils at an early stage of learning English get good support through specialist teaching that helps them to develop their spoken and written English rapidly.

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Quality of teaching

In some lessons, too much teacher talk in whole-class introductions and a slow pace mean pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable. There are examples of marking, targets and self-assessment being used extremely well to identify next steps in learning and therefore to promote better achievement, but this is not yet consistent practice across the school so not all pupils benefit.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching in the special support centre is calm and well organised and relationships are good, thus enabling pupils to make good progress towards their learning targets.

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Quality of teaching

The curriculum is broad and balanced and topics are used well to engage pupils and provide effective cross-curricular links, for example, writing a recount of a visit to Arundel Castle. It also provides opportunities for collaborative work, for example, in designing a computer game. Lessons often provide opportunities for pupils to develop their social skills by working together on tasks, and events such as International Day promote their awareness of different cultures.

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Quality of teaching

Although the vast majority of parents and carers who responded to the inspection questionnaire consider that their children are taught well, inspection evidence shows that teaching is satisfactory. 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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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Behaviour in lessons and around the school is mainly good and occasionally excellent. Behaviour over time has also been good. On a small minority of occasions, usually when the pace of the lesson is too slow, pupils become talkative and lose interest in the learning. The vast majority of parents and carers who responded to the inspection questionnaire agree that there is a good standard of behaviour. A small minority felt that there were some behaviour issues in lessons. The school is inclusive and does have some pupils with identified behaviour issues. These are well managed by the school with a high level of skilled adult support. Attendance is average but showing clear and compelling evidence of sustained improvement over time.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils say that they feel very safe in school and the overwhelming majority of parents and carers who responded to the inspection questionnaire agree. The school provides a safe environment for pupils who are fully aware of the safety procedures in place and how to keep themselves safe through, for example, ‘Stay Safe’ week, where they look at many aspects of safety including how to deal with bullying.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Discussions with pupils, their questionnaire returns and school records all confirm that bullying of any kind is rare. Pupils are well aware of different forms of bullying and are confident that the rare instances of bullying would be dealt with swiftly. The vast majority of parents and carers who responded to the inspection questionnaire agree that bullying is not an issue at the school. Play leaders also say that they have never had to deal with any bullying. The school has a ‘friendship bench’ where pupils can get help and support should they need it and play leaders who help to sort out minor disagreements, which increases their feelings of safety.

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Leadership and management

Strong collegiate leadership ensures the school stays focused on its key tasks in spite of past and ongoing staffing disruption. The school strategic plan is used well to identify key improvement targets that continue to be focused on raising attainment and accelerating progress in English and mathematics. Senior and middle leaders monitor pupils’ progress carefully with the most recent assessments showing greater proportions of pupils making good progress. This strong drive to ensure all pupils make good progress demonstrates a positive commitment to promoting equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination. Good professional development has included effective training for the mathematics coordinator and support for the acting special educational needs coordinator.

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Leadership and management

Regular monitoring of teaching and learning takes place and the headteacher has an accurate view of its quality. Where there are areas for improvement, staff have opportunities to observe good practice or have action plans put in place. The school has fully addressed the key issues related to science and the role of the governing body from the previous inspection and there is an overall picture of accelerating 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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Leadership and management

progress, showing that the school has capacity for further improvement. School leaders and managers ensure there is good attention to safeguarding ensuring the safety of pupils within the school and on site.

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Leadership and management

The governing body provides effective support and a good level of challenge and is rigorous in its commitment to the school. This is a good improvement since the previous inspection.

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Leadership and management

There are good links with parents and carers, through, for example, phonics workshops and reading booklets to help with reading at home. Additionally, there are ‘Thinking Thursdays’ and ‘Phonic Fridays’ where parents and carers are invited into school to support their children with activities. This ensures that they are fully involved in their children’s learning and the positive responses to the inspection questionnaire reflect this.

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Leadership and management

The school has developed a good curriculum which is enhanced well by special events, for example, Art week and Filipino day. There is also a good range of after- school clubs which are well attended by pupils.

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Leadership and management

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through, for example, visits to the theatre and Forest Schools work, where pupils learn to respect their local environment. Additionally, pupils are encouraged to be kind and supportive of each other through the school’s shared core values.

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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 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data 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. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include se condary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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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

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and 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

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and 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.

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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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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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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 Lyndhurst First School, Worthing BN11 2DG

I am writing to tell you how much we enjoyed our visit to your school. We enjoyed talking to you, and thank you for being so polite and friendly. Your school is giving you a satisfactory education. This means that it does some things well but some things still need to be improved.

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Inspection of Lyndhurst First School, Worthing BN11 2DG

Here are some of the best things about your school.  You make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Pupils who need support are given lots of extra help.  Your headteacher and all the staff are working hard to make your school better.  You behave well in lessons and around the school and you all get on well together.  You feel very safe in school and confident that adults will take good care of you.

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Inspection of Lyndhurst First School, Worthing BN11 2DG

These are the things we have asked your school to do to help you learn even more.  Ensure that all teachers always provide work that is at the right level for you, that lessons keep you interested and you do not spend too long on the carpet.  Ensure that all teachers give you feedback and involve you in your learning so you know how to improve.  Give you more opportunities to use the skills you learn in mathematics in tackling real-life problems.

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Inspection of Lyndhurst First School, Worthing BN11 2DG

You can help by continuing to work hard and enjoying your learning.

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Inspection of Lyndhurst First School, Worthing BN11 2DG

Janet Sinclair Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available 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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