William Lilley Infant and Nursery School

William Lilley Infant and Nursery School Halls Road, Stapleford, Nottingham, NG9 7FS

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress throughout the school. This is particularly true in reading. Progress has improved steadily since the last inspection and attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 has risen to be broadly average.  Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They quickly develop the confidence to find out things for themselves because they are very well cared for and feel happy and secure.  Teaching is good and motivates pupils to do their best. Teachers, skilfully supported by well-qualified and experienced teaching assistants, establish a purposeful and productive atmosphere in lessons.  Improvements to the curriculum have provided interesting learning experiences which successfully promote pupils’ excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The school is a safe and harmonious community where pupils’ behaviour is consistently outstanding. Pupils thoroughly

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

enjoy school and feel very safe, valued and well looked after. Pupils report that bullying and racism are very rare.  Leaders across the school, including governors, want the best for their pupils. They use data to identify who could be making better progress and provide them and the staff with support to increase their rates of progress.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not consistently use pupils’ learning targets and their next steps for improvement, when planning or marking pupils’ work.  Pupils are not given enough challenge or opportunity to work on their own or find things out for themselves, especially in mathematics.  The role of the subject leaders has not yet fully developed in all subjects. They do not take sufficient responsibility for improving pupils’ achievement and evaluating the effectiveness of their work.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 19 lessons, four of which were observed jointly with the headteacher. In addition, inspectors made short visits to three sessions where teaching assistants were supporting small groups in literacy.  Meetings were held with pupils, governors, the headteacher, and the teachers with specific responsibilities. The lead inspector also had a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of five letters to inspectors, the 49 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) as well as consulting informally with parents before and after school. Additionally, 30 responses to the staff questionnaire were considered.  Inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at a range of documents including the school’s improvement plans, information on pupils’ current progress, planning and minutes of the governing body’s meetings. They also examined records relating to special educational

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Information about this inspection

needs, behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors heard pupils read, talked to them in lessons and evaluated samples of their work.

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Inspection team

Andrew Stafford, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Elizabeth Needham Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-size school where most pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic or mixed heritage backgrounds is below that found in most schools.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding from the government for children in local authority care, those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those from service families, is average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is increasing year-on-year. The proportion supported at school action, and the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  There is a nursery class, which children attend either in the mornings or afternoons only, and two Reception classes in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The headteacher provides support for a number of headteachers in local primary schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good and the majority is outstanding, particularly in mathematics, by:  setting real-life problem-solving tasks that provide appropriate challenge to all pupils and more opportunities for them to find things out for themselves  ensuring that all teachers refer to pupils’ learning targets and their next steps in learning when planning and marking their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the role of subject leaders by ensuring that they take greater responsibility for improving pupils’ achievement in their subject areas and that they evaluate the effectiveness of their work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the Nursery class with skills that are well below those expected for their age, especially in personal development, communication, literacy and mathematics. They leave Year 2 with attainment that is broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils achieve comparatively better from their starting points in reading and writing than in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement has improved steadily over the last five years. The school has experienced some turbulence and weaker teaching in the past as a result of many staff changes. However, staffing is now more stable, progress is accelerating rapidly and standards have risen markedly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ work in books and lessons show that the improvements are being well maintained. The progress of pupils in all year groups is consistently good.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The reading screening check in Year 1 last year showed that children were learning to link sounds and letters. However, they reached levels below others of their age. Listening to pupils read during the inspection confirmed that those who had fallen behind in Year 1 were now attaining the same average levels as their classmates at the end of Year 2. Regular reading is a feature in all classes so that pupils are developing good fluency and understanding in their reading.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are well supported. The progress of pupils on the school’s special needs register is in line with that for similar groups nationally. This is because pupils’ needs are identified quickly and they are given extra support from skilled teaching assistants.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The few pupils who speak a first language other than English make progress in line with their classmates. This is due to clear expectations and additional activities used by teachers and teaching assistants to develop these pupils’ spoken and written English.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils eligible for pupil premium support make similar or better progress to others because they receive help from teaching assistants in reading, writing and mathematics. Skilled classroom assistants ensure that pupils are challenged well in lessons. Their attainment is in line with that of their classmates because their progress is accelerating this year. They also benefit from support which gives them access to trips, sport and a variety of clubs after school. This ensures they are included well, promotes equality of opportunity and broadens the experiences they bring to their learning in the classroom.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Good systems to track progress are well established and are used effectively to provide targeted support and programmes that meet pupils’ specific needs well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are good. A wide range of well- planned learning activities and skilful teaching by all adults supports children’s progress very well. Many excellent opportunities are provided for children to follow and learn from their own interests in both indoor activities and from the very extensive experiences outdoors.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching has improved since the previous inspection because of good training opportunities for staff including teaching assistants. This has had a positive impact on pupils’ learning and progress because pupils find the things they do in lessons motivating and inspiring.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A strong feature of lessons is teachers’ secure subject knowledge that they use well to plan activities that interest pupils but also build carefully on what has been done before. A very good example was seen in a writing lesson for pupils in Year 1 where the teacher’s good questioning skills helped pupils to write sentences adapting the story they had been read. This prepared pupils well to use their imagination and to write creatively themselves.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Detailed assessment of pupils’ needs is used in the majority of lessons to plan tasks that match those needs. While all teachers plan lessons conscientiously, sometimes they do not check that pupils’ learning has the correct level of challenge for each group. Occasionally, they do not accurately judge the level pupils are working at, so that the work set is either too difficult or does not challenge the pupils enough. In these cases the rate of progress is reduced.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers do not routinely challenge pupils’ understanding by providing real-life problem-solving tasks for pupils to tackle independently. This is particularly the case in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils have targets which set out clearly the next steps in learning in both English and mathematics, but these are not routinely referred to when their work is marked, or when it is planned, especially in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Classrooms are attractive. The teachers create lively and well resourced rooms for the children. In many cases, useful prompts and reminders are interestingly displayed on the classroom walls.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage enables children to make good progress. As well as effective teaching of key skills, children are helped to think about what they are learning and to develop the skill of working by themselves.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning in lessons and around school are outstanding and this contributes very well to their good and improving achievement. Pupils are extremely polite, kind and thoughtful. They demonstrate a strong desire to ensure they live up to the high expectations of staff and the key messages of respect, teamwork and being the best you can be, contained in the William Lilley Golden Rules. They play together happily and harmoniously.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils quickly develop a sense of trust, care and respect due to the excellent relationships they form with all adults in the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils demonstrate a real pride in the quality of the work they produce and in being a member of the school community. A typical pupil comment is ‘Our school is a great place to come to, to have fun, learn new things and make friends’. Their eagerness to attend school is shown by their consistently above-average attendance.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils have an excellent understanding of bullying and the different forms it can take, such as cyber-bullying and bullying as a result of prejudice. The pupils were eager to tell inspectors that bullying or racism of any kind is not tolerated. Pupils are highly confident in staff dealing with any problems that may arise. Minor misbehaviour is dealt with exceptionally well by staff.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils say they feel safe and have an excellent understanding of healthy lifestyle choices and how to stay safe. Parents are very happy with behaviour at the school and confirm that pupils feel safe.

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The leadership and management are good

 The indefatigable headteacher and the new deputy headteacher have an open, honest and determined approach to leading the school that has created an effective learning culture. As a result, rapid improvements have been secured and issues from the previous inspection successfully tackled.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff are united in applying the school’s commitment to improvement. Parents are well informed about the work of the school and are encouraged to be involved in supporting their children’s education. One parent described the school ‘as a true community school with a caring and nurturing ethos’.

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The leadership and management are good

 The systems to check and evaluate how well the school is doing are effective in both the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1. Information gathered from lesson observations, regular meetings with teachers to review the progress pupils have made, and looking at the work in pupils’ books provides leaders with an accurate picture of how well the school is performing. The findings are carefully considered and then used effectively to plan for future training and further improvements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher manages the performance of teachers well. This ensures there is a close match between how well teachers are paid and how well pupils learn. Targets set for teachers are accurate, focus on pupils’ progress and link to the Teacher Standards, as well as the priorities in the school improvement plan priorities and linked to training needs. All staff are now taking full responsibility for their performance and the performance of the pupils in their classes.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is interesting and reflects the needs and aspirations of the pupils. Topics, such as ‘Florence Nightingale’, develop pupils’ wider understanding of different cultures well, both around the world and locally. Careful planning ensures that pupils have plenty of opportunities to develop their writing skills. Planning for challenging opportunities to accelerate progress in mathematics is yet to be fully developed.

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The leadership and management are good

 Some subject leaders are new and are being guided and supported in developing their leadership skills and expertise. In some subjects, however, leaders do not yet take sufficient ownership for improving pupils’ achievement and do not do enough to evaluate the effectiveness of their actions and the quality of work in their subject areas.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents and pupils report that the school is effective in discouraging all forms of discrimination and works unstintingly to ensure equality of opportunity for all. To achieve the overarching aim for a truly inclusive school, the school works closely with a variety of external agencies to support those families whose circumstances may make them vulnerable, which helps them to overcome specific barriers to learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides effective ‘light touch’ support for the school. The local authority checks on the school’s progress carefully and routine visits and whole-school guidance ensure the right priorities are identified.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s partnership with the family of local schools broadens the range of additional activities which children can undertake and provides beneficial training opportunities for staff. Recent support for the staff has helped accelerate improvements in the quality and accuracy of assessment, so that it is now securely good. The headteacher acts as a ‘peer supporter’ for local headteachers and shares her expertise with other senior colleagues in working with families who need support in the ways parents can help their children learn.  The governance of the school:  The governing body works closely with all members of the school community in an open and approachable manner. This trusting relationship strengthens the overall leadership of the school. Governors pay regular visits to the school and play an active part in devising plans for improvement. They receive high-quality information about the performance of pupils and

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The leadership and management are good

teachers from the headteacher. This information is used well to ask appropriate questions and to challenge and support effectively. As a result, governors have a good grasp of how good teaching is in the school and how targets set for teachers are helping to make it even better. Governors carefully plan and approve spending of the additional pupil premium funding on strategies to help pupils catch up with their learning. They are aware that information on pupils’ progress shows the positive impact of this action. Governors ensure that safeguarding requirements are fully met.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 122551 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 412579

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 249 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kevin Snow Headteacher Jeanne Wilson Date of previous school inspection 12 November 2008 Telephone number 0115 917 9277 Fax number 0115 917 9277 Email address office18@williamlilley.notts.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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. 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

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School details

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School details

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

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