John T Rice Infant and Nursery School

John T Rice Infant and Nursery School Braemar Road, Forest Town, Mansfield, NG19 0LL

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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.  Children are well prepared for their future learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They enjoy learning and are curious about the world around them.  Pupils of all abilities make good progress in reading, writing, mathematics and other subjects throughout their time in school.  The most able pupils achieve well. They are taught to think for themselves.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. They respond well to teaching and support that are carefully tailored to their individual needs.  The quality of teaching is good overall and is sometimes outstanding. Teachers have high expectations and lessons cater well for all abilities. Teaching assistants and other adults make a good contribution to pupils’ learning.  Pupils are well behaved and feel safe. They are proud of their school and take their responsibilities such as being school councillors

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and playground pals seriously.  The pupils’ personal development, including their health and well-being, is promoted well throughout a wide range of visits, visitors and clubs.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide a clear direction for improvement and rigorously review of all aspects of the school’s performance. They receive strong support from subject leaders and an effective governing body.  The quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement have improved since the last inspection. The school is well placed to continue this improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally teachers do not make certain all groups of pupils are fully engaged in the lesson and achieving the best they can.  Teachers do not always ensure pupils follow the guidance they are given in marking and feedback to improve their own work and accelerate their progress.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 12 lessons including a joint observation with the headteacher. The inspectors also made a number of shorter visits to classrooms. The inspectors also visited a number of the pupils’ seasonal activities such as their Christmas parties.  Discussions were held with groups of pupils, the Chair and other members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and members of staff, including senior leaders and other leaders with particular responsibilities. Inspectors also heard pupils read.  Inspectors took account of 14 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), the outcomes from the school’s own annual consultations with parents and several discussions with parents during the inspection.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including information on all groups of pupils’ current progress, the school’s plans for improvement, the

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Information about this inspection

management of teachers’ performance, the use of pupil premium funding, and documentation and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

Andrew Clark, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lynda Townsend Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is above average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, from service families or looked after by the local authority.  The large majority of pupils are from White British families.  The headteacher was appointed to the post after the last inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching in order to raise pupils’ achievement further by:  ensuring pupils are fully engaged throughout the lesson and making the best rates of progress they are capable of  making full use of marking and feedback to accelerate learning and further involve pupils in improving their own work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and understanding which are well below those typical for their age, particularly their communication skills. All groups of children make good progress in the different areas of learning. Children’s early speaking, reading, writing and number skills are securely established. They become confident learners who are able to make their own choices, and are well placed for their future learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Throughout Key Stage 1 pupils continue to make good progress. They reach average standards in reading, writing and mathematics by time they leave Year 2, which is reflected in their results in national tests.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and supported by pupil premium funding make at least good progress. Well-planned initiatives, such as the weekly support of a speech and language therapist, boosts their learning. Consequently, many of these pupils work at standards which are similar to other pupils through school and the gap between them and their classmates is narrowing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those supported at school action and school action plus who have special educational needs make good progress. Their reading and writing skills are well developed and they learn to make good use of reference sources such as ‘word banks’ and ‘learning walls’ to help them improve their own work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils acquire good enquiry and thinking skills which contribute to the achievement of all groups, especially the most able pupils. Pupils apply their skills in reading, writing and mathematics well in different subjects such as history and science.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The effective promotion of equality of opportunity is reflected in the good progress made by the many different groups of pupils represented throughout the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ speaking skills are good by Year 2. They speak clearly about their work and explain their thinking well to others.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ reading skills are well developed. They tackle new and unfamiliar words well because they have a good understanding of letters and their sounds to help them. This is reflected in the results in national phonics (letters and sounds) checks for these skills. Pupils of all abilities read with expression and fluency because they are taught these skills well and have good opportunities to practise them.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in writing. The large majority of pupils are productive and write legibly, often at length. They spell accurately and make good use of punctuation and paragraphs to enliven their writing. Pupils’ handwriting is neat and legible because of the example set by teachers’ own writing in lessons and on displays. Boys’ writing, in particular, has improved well since the last inspection because written work is increasingly based on practical topics which engage their interest well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ progress in mathematics is good. Their counting and mental calculation skills are established well throughout Years 1 and 2 and they apply them well in solving mathematical problems.  There are examples of a good standard of work in art and design, information and communication technology, history and science throughout school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Although pupils of all abilities achieve increasingly well in a range of subjects, they do not always make the very best progress they are capable of. For example, on a few occasions teachers do not fully involve pupils in learning during the lesson or engage them in improving their own work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading and writing skills are taught well through sharply focused lessons with a strong concentration on basic skills and good opportunities to apply them. For example, teachers and teaching assistants skilfully model how letters are written and how they blend together to make new words sounds. The school makes good use of systematic reading schemes and a well- stocked library to further promote good progress in reading.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Mathematical skills are also taught well particularly through brief and challenging mental and oral activities carefully matched to the needs of different groups. Pupils then apply these skills well in problem-solving situations.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make good use of pupils’ previous knowledge and key information for further learning in literacy and numeracy. For example, pupils make good use of alphabet cards and word banks to help them when writing on their own. The teachers’ expectation that pupils will find things out for themselves makes a particularly strong contribution to the progress the most able pupils make.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ expectations are high. They set challenging targets for all pupils and are quick to intervene if achievement looks like it might fall below this standard.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants are well trained and effectively deployed to improve the progress of all groups of pupils. They are particularly skilful in encouraging disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs to learn without direct adult support and take part effectively in all subjects.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make good use of attractive resources, games, practical activities and songs to grab pupils’ attention and help them retain facts and new learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good and improving links with parents contribute to the effective use of homework to improve pupils’ basic skills and their learning in other subjects such as information and communication technology.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark work regularly in all subjects and identify the next steps in pupils’ learning. However, they do not always ensure that pupils follow the guidance given and strive towards improving their own work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers do not always ensure all pupils are fully engaged and actively learning at the best rate they can. For example, staff sometimes take responses to their questions only from those who volunteer to answer rather than encouraging all learners to participate.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Children settle quickly into the Early Years Foundation Stage because of the extremely good care and support they receive from all adults. The good relationships with parents and links with other Early Years Foundation Stage providers contribute to children’s strong sense of security and belonging.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are well behaved, polite and considerate. They establish excellent relationships with adults and other pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they feel safe because they are well cared for by teachers and other adults such as the personal care assistant. They say that bullying seldom happens and school records confirm this. They have a good understanding of different types of bullying through social education initiatives such as ‘Silver Seal’. If bullying takes place, pupils are confident that it will be quickly dealt with by staff.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy school. They have positive attitudes to work and want to do well. Parents and staff express very positive views on their children’s behaviour and the very positive relationships throughout the school. As a result, pupils are punctual and attendance is average and has improved since the last inspection.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Children take their roles as school councillors and playground pals seriously. They are involved in planning playtime resources and making school rules.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is not outstanding because, occasionally, the teaching does not inspire pupils to be as fully engaged in their learning as they could be.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher’s clear drive for high achievement is fully shared by all staff, the governing body and parents. There is a continuous pursuit of high standards and the school continues to build on strengths identified at the last inspection.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher are good role models for their colleagues and are skilled in assessing the quality of teaching and learning. They set challenging targets for teachers to aspire to in order to raise pupils’ achievement further.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has developed a strong collective approach to school improvement and, consequently, subject and other leaders are well informed and make a full contribution to the development of teaching and learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 Detailed analysis of accurate assessments of pupils’ achievement ensure senior leaders and the governing body are well informed about all aspects of the school’s work. As a result, the school’s view of its own performance is accurate and it is aware that the few inconsistencies in the quality of teaching are yet to be fully addressed to improve achievement further.

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The leadership and management are good

 This good school receives appropriately limited support from the local authority. Good partnerships with other local schools contribute to the continual professional development of all staff through a wide range of training opportunities.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff are held accountable for the progress their pupils make and have to meet challenging targets in order to achieve the next salary level.  The curriculum is well planned to promote all aspects of pupils’ learning including their spiritual, moral social and cultural development. For example, links between subjects and a range of visits and visitors, including a whole-school visit to the pantomime, make learning particularly relevant and memorable.

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The leadership and management are good

 There are regular sporting, artistic and musical events for all pupils to participate in. A clear policy for effective use of new primary sports funding to broaden these experiences and develop teachers’ skills is in place, although it is too soon to measure its impact.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school tackles any issues of discrimination effectively and promotes equality of opportunity well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors share the headteacher’s drive and aspirations for the school and pupils. Since the last inspection they have worked to further develop their own skills and develop an increasingly good understanding of information about pupils’ progress. They use a good range of available data to check that all groups of pupils are doing as well as each other and that none is disadvantaged. The governors see that targets to improve the performance of staff are reviewed carefully and that teachers’ pay is linked to how well the pupils in their class are doing. They ensure that financial resources are efficiently managed and know how they have an impact on pupils’ achievement. They successfully ensure that current statutory safeguarding requirements are met and based on rigorous record keeping.

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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 122452 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 433157

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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 175 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rob Routledge Headteacher Zoe Anderson Date of previous school inspection 10 November 2010 Telephone number 01623 465588 Fax number 01623 465460 Email address office@johntrice.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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