Barwell Infant School

Barwell Infant School Townend Road, Barwell, Leicester, LE9 8HG

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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 Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The headteacher, senior leaders and governors have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. The actions they have taken this year have improved teaching and the progress pupils make.  Good teaching is the norm at the school. The teaching of reading has improved as a result of well-chosen staff training.  Across the school all groups of pupils, regardless of background or ability, make good progress and achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils have made particularly rapid progress in reading this year.  Staff morale is high and they work well as a team to secure improvement.  Additional adults give good support to pupils who need it. The school is a welcoming community where everyone is valued.  Pupils behave well. They are polite and well mannered. They feel safe in school and know who to turn to if they have a problem.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

social and cultural development well. They develop positive attitudes to learning and strive to achieve the school’s aim to be a ‘Brilliant Barwell Infant’ and ‘the best that we can be’.  The school has the confidence of parents and carers, who consider staff to be caring and approachable.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The range of punctuation and vocabulary used by pupils in their writing is often limited, and they have too few opportunities to solve mathematical problems.  Teachers’ marking does not give pupils clear information about how to improve their work.  Occasionally, pupils’ learning slows in lessons when the time allowed for activities is too long or too short.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 15 lessons, three of which were seen together with the headteacher.  Inspectors heard pupils from Years 1 and 2 read, examined pupils’ work in their books, observed playtime and attended an assembly.  Meetings were held with pupils, senior and other leaders, and governors.  A telephone discussion was held with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 27 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), the school’s own most recent questionnaire and the views expressed by parents at the start of the school day and in letters.  The views of staff, including those expressed in the 23 responses to the questionnaire, were considered.  Inspectors examined a range of documents, including a summary of the school’s analysis of its strengths and weaknesses and the school development plan. Information on pupils’ progress and records relating to pupils’ attendance, behaviour and safety were also reviewed.

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Inspection team

Alison Cogher, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Westall Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is similar in size to other schools of its type.  The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is average. The school receives this additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and a very small number who are looked after by the local authority or from a service family.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The school runs a nurture group each morning which supports pupils with a range of particular needs including learning, behavioural or emotional needs.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching from good to outstanding by:  ensuring that teachers’ marking always gives pupils specific guidance about how to improve their work  improving the management of the time allowed for each part of every lesson to ensure that all pupils stay fully engaged in their learning throughout.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase pupils’ progress in writing and mathematics by ensuring that they:  use a wider range of punctuation and more varied vocabulary in their writing  have more opportunities to use their mathematical knowledge and skills to solve problems.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start at the school with skills and knowledge that are lower than those expected nationally for their age. Their early reading and writing skills are often particularly low. Good teaching and the range of resources and opportunities provided allow them to investigate and explore ideas and to make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 1 and 2 to reach broadly average levels of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ progress is accelerating in all subjects but is particularly strong in reading. This is the result of a fresh approach taken by the school to promote reading as a fun activity, and because the teaching of reading has improved.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Daily phonics (the sounds that letters make) sessions, where pupils are grouped by ability, have been a key factor in securing pupils’ very good progress in reading and the confidence they have to write independently.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Good links between subjects help to show pupils the relevance of their learning. For example, when writing a tourist information leaflet to persuade someone to visit a Scottish island pupils were encouraged to use words linked to geographical features such as beach and coast. Pupils are not always challenged in this way to use a wide variety of vocabulary in their writing. Similarly, they are not encouraged to use a variety of punctuation to enliven and improve the overall quality of their writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When challenged to investigate and solve problems in mathematics, pupils make particularly good progress in their learning. This approach is not fully explored in all classes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupil premium funding is used well to provide extra help for pupils on a one-to-one basis or in small groups with teachers, learning support or teaching assistants. Pupils who are known to be eligible for this funding are typically on average less than a term behind other pupils at the school in English and mathematics. This gap is currently much smaller than last year, reflecting the good impact of the additional support pupils receive.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to their classmates as a result of the well-chosen support they receive. The school’s nurture group provides particularly good support to meet the individual needs of a small group of pupils in the morning. They are helped to engage positively in their learning and to develop the social skills they need to interact constructively with other pupils and adults. As a result they often transfer successfully back into their class on a full-time basis.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Typically teaching is good, including that of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and those attending the nurture group. Parents spoken to during the inspection, and those who completed the school’s own and the online questionnaire, agree that teaching is good.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Well-chosen and effective training has secured key improvements to teaching. This is particularly evident in the effective teaching of phonics and reading.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers capture pupils’ interest by using a wide range of resources, and so keep them engaged in learning. For example, using real money to purchase items helped pupils in Year 1 to see how they could use different coins to make the same total. In the reception classes children have access to many activities, both inside and outside the classroom, which support all areas of their learning well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make good use of probing questions to check pupils’ understanding in lessons. They are skilled at spotting when pupils are having difficulties and provide additional guidance so pupils quickly get back on track with their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good relationships ensure that pupils are keen to learn, value the opportunity to work together and are prepared to ‘have a go’ with their learning. Teachers, learning support and teaching assistants consistently model this approach very well. In this way teaching makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour, and manage them well in lessons. Generally lessons move at a good pace. Occasionally teachers do not ensure that the time allowed for separate activities within a lesson is appropriate, and pupils’ learning slows as a result.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ work is regularly marked by teachers. Comments often tell pupils what they have done well, but not how to improve their work. Teachers generally make good use of the information they gather from marking, and from their observations in lessons and more formal assessments, to modify the planning of the next lessons.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy being there. They are enthusiastic learners and work hard. They respond well to the advice and guidance they receive from adults.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 When working together, pupils listen to each other and take note of each other’s ideas and views. They are keen to take on responsibilities and carry out their duties, such as acting as school councillors, in a mature manner.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in lessons and as they move around the school. They have access to a wide range of activities at playtimes and a trained group of pupils are responsible for ensuring other pupils’ experiences are happy during this time. The result is that behaviour during playtimes is often exemplary with pupils demonstrating high levels of respect for each other.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour is managed effectively. The pupils who find it most difficult to behave consistently well are supported successfully so they are able to engage positively with others during lessons and when at play. There is some very minor disruption in lessons that is often linked to the time given for activities being too long, or too short.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel safe in school. They understand how to manage personal risk such as that linked to using the internet and bullying. They are confident that any issues will be dealt with appropriately by adults. Parents and carers are also confident that the school keeps their children safe and deals with unacceptable behaviour effectively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is broadly average, although it is improving as the school works hard with families to reduce absence.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has successfully communicated a vision for school improvement. She is ably supported by the governors and all staff. This strong commitment to school improvement means that all pupils are helped to achieve as well as they can.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s development plan is based on an accurate evaluation of its work and clearly identifies main priorities for improvement. Frequent checking of the progress towards achieving these priorities ensures that the good pace of improvement is maintained.

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The leadership and management are good

 A variety of support provided by the local authority has helped to ensure that leaders are confident in evaluating the effectiveness of the school’s work, and that governors are well placed to contribute to the school improvement process.

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The leadership and management are good

 Improvements have been secured in teaching, the progress made by pupils, particularly in reading, and in reducing the attainment gap between those eligible for pupil premium funding and other pupils. These are the consequence of decisions made by leaders to focus on good training and coaching for staff, and good use of funding to address pupils’ specific needs.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils from all backgrounds and of all abilities are afforded equal access to opportunities to support their learning so they can do as well as they can. The school works well with outside agencies to support pupils with particular needs.

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The leadership and management are good

 Procedures for the management of staff performance are clear and rigorously implemented. Teachers receive feedback on their work that is a good balance of constructive criticism and support. This is ensuring that the quality and consistency of teaching are improving across the school. Learning support and teaching assistants also receive support to improve their practice.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subjects and topics are enriched by visits, visitors and a good range of after-school clubs. This helps to broaden pupils’ experiences and give them a wider understanding of the world.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Adults are good role models, with respect and trust underpinning the way pupils are managed and valued. This contributes significantly to the orderly happy atmosphere that is evident in the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They understand how its performance compares to other schools nationally, and how the spending of the pupil premium and additional funding for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs improves the achievement of eligible pupils. Governors make regular visits into school to help the headteacher and other staff to check on the quality of its work. They ensure that the school complies with national requirements such as those linked to safeguarding and the performance management of the headteacher and teaching staff. They are well informed when considering pay awards for teachers’ performance. They are clear about the quality of teaching, what is being done to make it even better and how any underperformance is tackled.

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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 119930 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 412646

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 183 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Nick Lucas Headteacher Sarah Carey Date of previous school inspection 23 June 2010 Telephone number 01455 842310 Fax number 01455 845806 Email address admin@barwell-infant.leics.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

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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School details

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

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