Carlisle Infant School

Carlisle Infant School Broad Lane, Hampton, TW12 3AJ

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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.  Pupils achieve well. They make good progress from their starting points to reach standards that are significantly above the national average by the end of Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teaching is good. Teachers make lessons fun and exciting so pupils are keen to learn. They check pupils’ progress regularly so that they can put measures into place to ensure none fall behind.  Pupils have plenty of opportunities to practise key skills across the curriculum.  Teachers have positive attitudes to their own development, seeking out feedback and acting upon it with clear effect on the quality of their performance.  Pupils are keen to come to school. Attendance figures have improved over the last three years and are now above average.  Pupils behave well and are courteous and helpful, for example taking care with resources and showing good manners to each other and to staff.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have successfully instituted a range of key improvements since the previous inspection.  Governors play a major role in ensuring standards remain high and the quality of teaching continues to improve.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 There is not enough outstanding teaching to ensure all pupils make and sustain rapid progress.  Teachers’ questions are not sufficiently pitched at the right levels.  Marking in mathematics is not as effective as it is in writing.  Targets are not as well used to drive progress in mathematics as they are in writing.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 18 lessons, including the teaching of phonics (letter patterns and the sounds they represent). Three of these observations were conducted jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in lessons and work pupils have completed over time in their books.  The inspection team heard pupils read, attended an assembly and held meetings with staff, pupils and representatives from the governing body and the local authority. Pupils were observed at play and during lunch and informal discussions were held at these times.  Inspectors took account of the 95 responses to the online Parent View survey as well as other communications from, and discussions with, parents and carers during the course of the inspection. They also took account the 30 questionnaires returned by staff.  The inspection team looked at a range of documents including those relating to safeguarding

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Information about this inspection

and child protection, logs of attendance and behaviour incidents, the school’s self-evaluation and development planning and checks made on the quality of teaching.

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Inspection team

Jeanie Jovanova, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Olson Davis Additional Inspector Kate Robertson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This infant school is slightly larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional funding for children in local authority care, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children from service families) is much smaller than average. Currently there are no looked after children or children from service families on the school roll.  The proportion of disabled pupils and/or those with special educational needs supported through school action is much lower than average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below the national figure.  Two-thirds of pupils are from White British backgrounds, which is slightly lower than the national average. There is a range of ethnic minority groups which are represented in varying numbers.  A few pupils speak English as an additional language but none are at the early stages of learning

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching so that pupils make and sustain rapid progress in all year groups by ensuring that:  all teachers target their questions more accurately according to the varying levels of understanding of their pupils  marking, including high-quality verbal feedback, and target setting are used as effectively in mathematics as they are in writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children join the Reception class with skills typical for four-year-olds. The Early Years Foundation Stage prepares children well for moving on to Year 1 because children gain the appropriate skills and understanding they need to access the more formal learning required.  This positive start is built upon further across Key Stage 1. This means that, by the end of Year 2, the proportions of pupils reaching the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics are significantly above national averages.  The introduction of a new programme has greatly improved the teaching of phonics and seen the school’s Year 1 results in the phonics screening check rise from below average in 2012 to well above in 2013. The excellent management of the programme, coupled with the highly skilled delivery by teachers and teaching assistants, means that all pupils make rapid gains in key reading skills.  The achievement of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs shows that they

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The achievement of pupils is good

make appropriate progress from their starting points. Teaching assistants are adept at meeting the range of needs and adapting activities so that pupils can access them more easily.  More-able pupils make good progress. While they may have more well-developed skills in some areas of learning when they start school, for example in spoken language, their skills in reading, writing and mathematics are commonly typical for their age. Teachers create opportunities for these pupils to make rapid progress from their average starting points to reach above average levels ready to transfer to junior school.  Measures to improve the achievement of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium are successful. The small numbers in the school mean that national comparisons are not wholly representative. The gaps between them and other groups in school were wider than national in 2012 and 2013. However, the achievement of pupils supported by this funding currently in

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The achievement of pupils is good

school is much better and gaps are narrowing. For example, in reading, writing and mathematics in 2013, the group were approximately four terms behind other groups. This is two terms wider than the national gap. However, figures for the current Year 1 show that this differential has narrowed to only just over two terms, far nearer to the national.  Pupils from other groups, such as those from ethnic minorities and those who speak English as an additional language, make equally good progress because the school is firmly committed to ensuring equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 By providing pupils with opportunities to practise key skills, such as reading and writing, as often as possible across the school day, teachers ensure that good progress is made. Teachers create clear links between subjects which strengthen pupils’ understanding. For example, pupils doing a topic on castles were measuring and working out dimensions which really engaged them during their mathematics lesson. Pupils in another class had enjoyed a particular book and so were very keen to write well-constructed stories taking the key characters’ adventures further.  Teachers regularly provide the most able pupils with tasks that require them to apply their skills in a new situation and stretch their thinking. For example, in a writing lesson, pupils were asked to generate words with prefixes. Several complicated words (such as ‘disintegrate’) came up and the teacher encouraged the most able to explain these words clearly to the rest of the class.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of phonics is effective. Teachers carefully target their explanations so that all pupils, irrespective of their starting points, make rapid progress in understanding the links between letters and sounds. Levels of pupil engagement are, consequently, exceptionally high in these lessons.  The targets that teachers set for pupils in writing are well-phrased, very clear and are exactly what each pupil needs to improve his or her work. Pupils find it easy to use them when they are writing. This means that they remember to, for example, leave finger spaces or use a full stop and a capital letter and so these quickly become second nature to them, leaving them ready to move on to the next step. Pupils do not use their mathematics targets as regularly and effectively.  Marking has improved since the previous inspection. In pupils’ written work, the school has devised a simple code which, along with high-quality oral feedback, has proved effective at

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The quality of teaching is good

making sure pupils know what they have done well and what they need to do to improve. The marking links well to their individual targets and, together, drive good progress because they enable pupils to edit their work, thinking about areas for improvement. Marking is not as well developed in mathematics and is, therefore, not driving such rapid progress.  Teachers are good at formulating questions that require long, well-thought-out answers and, therefore, make pupils think. However, teachers do not always ensure that they target their questions across the range of levels of understanding in their class. This means that occasionally, some pupils do not come across questions that they can answer in lessons, which limits their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They behave well around the building, line up well, walk sensibly to lunch or assembly and tidy away equipment responsibly. Positive relationships are fostered well and pupils from different backgrounds play harmoniously.  Older pupils are given roles of responsibility ranging from looking after the school’s chickens to supporting the youngest children in their work and play. They take their responsibilities very seriously and develop a sense of pride in their ability to contribute to the smooth running of the school.  Attitudes to learning are positive. Pupils are keen to learn and participate, particularly where there are strong links to other subjects and where the learning matches their level of understanding well.  Behaviour is well managed, pupils know the ‘Golden Rules’ and teachers refer to them and give examples of behaviour that reflects those expectations so that pupils are clear what is

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

acceptable and what is not. Pupils say that teachers deal with behavioural incidents very well and feel that they can go to them to sort out any problems.  Exclusions are rare because pupils who have particular behavioural needs are well supported to develop strategies which help them manage their behaviour well.  Behaviour is not outstanding because, where questions are too difficult or too easy for them, the attention of a few pupils can wander. Although this does not distract others from learning, it does not show exemplary attitudes.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Trips are carefully assessed so that all risks are managed well. Documents related to safeguarding and child protection show that pupils’ safety and welfare are paramount. The overwhelming majority of parents and carers agree that their children are safe and well looked after.  Pupils have an appropriate understanding of how to stay safe for their age. For example, they

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

know what to do in the event of fire and not to talk to strangers. They also know what bullying means and are clear that those sorts of things, for example persistent name-calling, do not happen in their school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership and management are good because the actions of leaders, including governors, ensure that pupils make good progress and leave well prepared for junior school. They are not outstanding because outcomes for all learners are not yet high enough and there is further improvement needed to teaching in order for this to be the case.  Self-evaluation is accurate and this means leaders know what development needs are. They make detailed plans to address identified points and implement changes thoroughly and effectively. The success with the new phonics scheme is a clear example of this.  Performance management has improved since the previous inspection. Teachers have very clear targets which relate to pupils’ academic progress and expectations of how much pupils will achieve are high for all groups. Lesson observations identify areas for improvement and appropriate training is then given to ensure those points are met. Good practice is shared in

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The leadership and management are good

school, for example, teachers have opportunities to watch each other teaching. Crucially, teachers have very positive attitudes to improving their practice and warmly welcome feedback on their performance.  Leaders, including governors, have ensured the school has made key improvements since the previous inspection, for example, in narrowing gaps for pupils eligible for the pupil premium, in improving pupils’ phonic skills and in reducing absence rates for pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.  Leaders are using the sports funding well. They have arranged for Year 2 pupils to take part in swimming lessons. This not only contributes to raising their fitness levels but also gives them a useful life skill. Further uses of the monies will see the school becoming far more involved in local tournaments and enhancing the teaching of dance, an area in which the school recognises teachers are less confident.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Assemblies are an opportunity to reflect on moral and spiritual matters, stories have moral messages in them and these are explored in lessons. The broad coverage of the curriculum ensures pupils get to learn about other faiths and cultures. In this way, they are well-prepared for moving on to junior school.  The local authority has a positive relationship with the school. Support is light touch because the school is good. Recently, the school has used this support judiciously to provide training for middle leaders which has helped them to manage the subjects that they are responsible for more effectively. This has increased the school’s capacity to make further improvements to the quality of teaching although the impact has yet to be felt.  The governance of the school:  Governors are integrally involved in driving improvements. Governors use a range of sources

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The leadership and management are good

to identify how well the school is doing compared to other schools both nationally and locally. They use this information to challenge school leaders to continually improve provision. For example, they look closely at figures related to pupils’ academic performance and question where they perceive there are discrepancies. Governors are passionate advocates for narrowing gaps between different groups in school and have been instrumental in ensuring this is now happening through judicious use of the pupil premium. Governors are briefed well about key issues, including the quality of teaching and the impact of measures to improve it. They know that senior leaders set targets that are fair and manageable yet hold teachers to account for the progress of all pupils. Governors clearly understand the link between meeting targets set and receiving a pay rise and therefore withhold such an increase where targets are

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The leadership and management are good

not met. They would also reward exceptionally good performance by awarding a higher sum. In terms of their own development, governors are acutely aware of what skills different members have and allot roles accordingly. They have identified gaps and sourced appropriate training needs. 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 102883 Local authority Richmond Inspection number 431304

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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 Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 270 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alison DeLord Headteacher Claire McCann Date of previous school inspection 20 January 2009 Telephone number 020 8979 2270 Fax number 020 8941 8559 Email address info@carlisle.richmond.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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