Wood End Infant & Pre-School

Age group 4–7 Inspection date(s) 3–4 July 2012 Inspection number 378087 Wood End First School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 110368 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 378087 Inspection dates 3–4 July 2012 Lead inspector Jacqueline Marshall

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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 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 88 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Bob Gregitis Headteacher Jacqueline Baron Date of previous school inspection 29–30 September 2008 School address Redbridge Stantonbury Milton Keynes MK14 6BB Telephone number 01908 316424 Fax number 01908 316424 Email address WoodEnd.School@Milton-keynes.gov.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 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

Jacqueline Marshall Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspector observed teaching and learning in 13 lessons and part lessons, taught by four teachers, amounting to approximately five hours in total. For all of the lessons, the inspector was accompanied by the headteacher. Some teaching assistants were also observed at work with pupils. The inspector held meetings with staff, school leaders and representatives of the governing body as well as talking informally to staff and pupils. The inspector took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work and looked at the school’s documentation: policies, including those relating to safeguarding; data on pupils’ progress; attendance figures; and the school’s improvement planning. She scrutinised pupils’ work and evaluated 15 questionnaires received from parents and carers.

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Information about the school

This is a smaller-than-average-sized infant school. Half the pupils come from White British families, a fifth from Black African families, with the other pupils coming from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds. An above average proportion of children are learning to speak English as an additional language and of these a few join with little or no English. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average, and a below average proportion is at school action plus or has a statement of special educational needs. These needs include moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs and social, emotional and behavioural issues. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. In some classes a higher proportion of pupils than usual join or leave at times during the school year. All teaching staff have changed since the

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Information about the school

The school shares the site and buildings with a children’s centre and pre-school. These were not part of this inspection. 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 good school. By Year 2 pupils are articulate and thoughtful and are well prepared for the next stage in their education. It is not outstanding because, whilst pupils achieve well, this is not yet consistently good enough in writing and mathematics to match the above average levels seen in reading. In addition, most teaching is good rather than outstanding.

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Key findings

 After a really good start in the Reception class, pupils continue to achieve well overall in Key Stage 1. Current Year 2 pupils are working at the expected levels for their age in writing and mathematics and above in reading,this represents good progress given their starting points.

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Key findings

 Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are good in lessons. Pupils are enthusiastic about all the school has to offer and are keen to learn. Attendance has risen and is now above average.

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Key findings

 Teachers ensure that work is put into a context that interests pupils and makes work relevant to them. Teachers make effective use of assessments to track pupils’ progress and set targets. Where teaching is outstanding teachers have high expectations and every opportunity is used to engage and challenge all the pupils. Where this is not yet a consistent feature, the pace of learning slows. Marking is generally good, although it does not always set out how pupils can improve their work and pupils are not always given the opportunity to respond to the comments their teachers make.

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Key findings

 The school is well led by senior leaders. Leadership of teaching and the management of performance of staff are good and have been successful in developing teachers’ skills in teaching reading and improving pupils’ attainment. Whilst other leaders play their part checking how well the school is doing, these checks are not always regular or rigorous enough to ensure all lessons consistently match the best and pupils’ progress is accelerated. 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 standards in writing and mathematics so they consistently match those in reading by:  ensuring teachers always have the highest expectations for pupils’ achievement, especially the most-able  regularly including clear guidance when work is marked so pupils know what to do to improve their work  involving pupils more fully in assessing their own work and providing the opportunity to reflect and act on teachers’ comments.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate the progress all pupils make and secure outstanding teaching overall by:  increasing the pace of lessons so that all pupils are actively engaged and involved in their learning at all times  improving the skills with which middle leaders systematically and regularly check and evaluate the actions taken to raise the quality of teaching and accelerate learning.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils respond with enthusiasm to interesting and engaging tasks that are usually well matched to their abilities. They talk eagerly about what they have learnt and about what strategies they might need to solve problems. For example, Year 2 pupils, after tasting a series of different fruit-based drinks, generated their own reports on taste, texture and look. More-able pupils were challenged to create their own way of recording which drinks were the class’ favourites. Drawing on their knowledge of tallying and the number of pupils in the class, they worked with their partners to check that everyone had voted and the final result was accurate. Pupils make good, rather than outstanding, progress because they are not always given work that will enable them to reach the highest levels quickly enough.

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Achievement of pupils

Children in the Reception class achieve particularly well both academically and in their personal, social and emotional development as a result of the varied learning environment and very highly skilled staff. They successfully develop basic skills and learn to work and play productively together. Consequently, the gap between their low starting points and that of their peers nationally narrows considerably, especially in communication, language and literacy, personal, social and emotional development and problem solving, reasoning and number skills.

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Achievement of pupils

Throughout Years 1 and 2 pupils make good progress overall. Standards by the end of Year 2 are rising and are now broadly average. Progress in writing and mathematics is not yet as consistently strong as in reading because a minority of 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

pupils are not always stretched to achieve the highest levels and the rate of progress can vary between the classes. Pupils have responded very positively to the school’s focus on promoting and developing reading and, as a result, attainment is above average. Their considerable enjoyment of reading is a result of the engaging activities planned during group reading sessions and whole-school events such as the family reading breakfast held during the inspection. Pupils also make very good progress in learning to read because staff pay careful attention to developing pupils’ understanding of phonics (sounds that letters make). Pupils who are disabled and those with special educational needs learn well in small groups or individually, such as the targeted reading sessions, because the work is closely matched to their needs and the staff are highly skilled.

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Achievement of pupils

Parents and carers overwhelmingly agree that children make good progress. Pupils, including those eligible for free school meals, from different minority ethnic backgrounds as well as those with English as an additional language also achieve well. Those who have joined the school part way through the year achieve similarly in lessons to their peers. However, they do not always attain the same levels as they have not had sufficient time in the school to narrow the gap.

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Quality of teaching

The teaching observed on the inspection was good, and outstanding in the Reception class. Records of the school’s monitoring of teaching and information about pupils’ achievement over time show that the quality of teaching overall is typically good. The overwhelming majority of parents and carers agree that this is the case. Pupils too are happy about the teaching they receive. They are particularly positive about the way teachers choose activities that interest them. Along with good relationships between staff and pupils and effective behaviour management, pupils are very focused and well supported in their learning. Disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and those at the early stages of learning English are well taught, both in class and in extra support sessions. Teaching assistants and additional teachers make an important contribution to this effective support.

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Quality of teaching

Pupils are enthusiastic about reading because teachers consistently promote reading and reading skills effectively, using texts to enhance learning in other subjects as well as English. Teaching of basic skills is effective and pupils are regularly given opportunities to use and develop these literacy and numeracy skills as they work in other subjects. For example, in a Year 1 lesson as part of Well-Being Week, pupils discussed the importance of keeping safe and healthy. They drew upon their literacy skills to devise and write a series of instructions for how to wash hands.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers often use paired work which promotes pupils’ speaking and listening skills and their social development well. Occasionally, when talking to the whole class together, teachers keep pupils listening too long when they are keen to be actively involved and learning and, as a result, learning slows. Teachers typically use regular assessments to set tasks that challenge all groups within their classes, including those newly arrived in the school. However teachers’ expectations in writing and 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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Quality of teaching

mathematics of the levels pupils will reach by the time they leave are not always sufficiently high. This means pupils are not always taught the skills needed soon enough to enable them to have time to practise and securely demonstrate the proficiency needed to achieve the next level. Where teaching is best, such as in a Reception literacy lesson, children are fully involved in evaluating and improving their work. When several descriptions of different fruits were displayed on the visualiser screen, children read each one before commenting thoughtfully why it was good or could be improved. Comments such as, ‘I think it’s good because she’s done finger spaces,’ or, ‘He hasn’t put in all the full stops,’ helped improve their efforts and reinforce the features of good writing. Elsewhere, marking mainly gives pupils positive praise. It sometimes gives guidance to pupils on how to improve it. However, this is not yet consistent practice and pupils do not always have time to

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Quality of teaching

respond to teachers’ comments which hampers opportunities to accelerate learning further.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils report feeling safe in school and parents and carers agree that this is the case. They understand that falling out with friends is not bullying whilst explaining that calling unkind and hurtful names or making fun of someone because they are different is. As a result pupils acknowledge that although they sometimes misbehave there is very little bullying of any type in the school. They commented on how good the school is at sorting out problems and all knew who they could turn to for help and any bullying that occurs is dealt with promptly. All agreed behaviour is typically good in lessons.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are polite and thoughtful in the way they interact with adults and in the way they move around the school. Attendance is above average, illustrating the pupils’ liking of school. A small number of pupils who have difficulty in managing their behaviour are being gradually assisted to improve their self control. Parents, carers, pupils and most staff feel these pupils are managed well and staff are good at minimising any disruption to learning their behaviour may cause.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Due to school leaders’ effective promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, pupils get on well together and show considerable support for one another, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity. Opportunities to take responsibility in class and in the playground, contribute positively to pupils’ moral and social development.

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Leadership and management

The school is well led and managed by the headteacher and governing body. There is a clear, shared vision that is focused on improving the school’s effectiveness. Members of the governing body have developed their role since the last inspection and are now proactive in moving the school forward and in holding the school to account. Regular checking of the provision by senior leaders, especially the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress, accurately informs school improvement planning. The 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

rigorous use of data to promote the progress of every pupil ensures that there is equality of opportunity and that discrimination is avoided. There are good links with teacher performance management and professional development that ensure all staff are both held to account and appropriately supported. Increased progress and standards in reading and the rising attendance are examples of the success of recent school improvement work. This track record of improvement demonstrates the school has good capacity to ensure this continues. Middle leaders are involved in monitoring how well the school is doing in their areas. However, they do not always plan opportunities to systematically follow up actions that have been taken to check their effectiveness or use the information they gather to accelerate progress further. All leaders, managers and members of the governing body are effective in ensuring that arrangements to keep pupils safe are rigorous, including the vetting of new staff

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Leadership and management

appointments. Very close links with the children’s centre and pre-school who share the site mean all are vigilant in ensuring pupils are kept safe. Statutory requirements concerning safeguarding are met.

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Leadership and management

The school provides a broad and interesting curriculum. This has a strong focus on the development of literacy and numeracy skills, but also includes a wide variety of other subjects and activities. Pupils speak highly of the trips and visitors to school that both enliven the curriculum and give it relevance by linking it to real life. Providing memorable first-hand experiences are key to pupils’ enjoyment and keenness to learn. The ethos of the school, alongside the curriculum, actively promotes pupils’ social, moral, cultural and spiritual development.

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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 secondary 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 Wood End First School, Milton Keynes MK14 6BB

Thank you so much for welcoming me so warmly when I visited your school recently. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with you and hearing how much you enjoy school. I was impressed with hearing about how much you appreciate all the interesting activities, experiences and extra clubs the school provides for you, such as all the fun you had joining in with ‘Lets chill’ sessions and exploring the fire engine during Well-Being Week. I am not surprised that you enjoy your time at Wood End as it is a good school. You told me that you get along well together and look out for one another and I agree. I think your school is good at making sure you know how to behave well and keep safe. You understand about different types of bullying, you know it sometimes happens but also know that if it does your teachers deal with it well.

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Inspection of Wood End First School, Milton Keynes MK14 6BB

The teachers plan a curriculum that helps you make good progress. Because of this more of you are reaching the expected levels than ever before by the time you leave the school and you are doing really well with your reading. Well done! The leaders in the school know what needs to be done to make sure your school keeps on improving and how they can be even better at checking that these happen. In order to help you to make even better progress and reach higher levels in mathematics and writing, we have asked the staff at your school to do two things.

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Inspection of Wood End First School, Milton Keynes MK14 6BB

 Make sure all of you are always stretched to do your best, that you are involved in improving your work by checking yourself what you need to do to get better and have time to respond to the comments your teachers make in your books.  Make sure all your lessons are as good as the best and that teachers do not spend too long talking when you are eager to get going and all of you are actively involved in your learning.

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Inspection of Wood End First School, Milton Keynes MK14 6BB

You can all help by continuing to try hard and working and playing really well together. Thank you again for helping us with our work.

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Inspection of Wood End First School, Milton Keynes MK14 6BB

Jacqueline Marshall 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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