Radcliffe-on-Trent Infant and Nursery School

Radcliffe-on-Trent Infant and Nursery School Bingham Road, Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottingham, NG12 2FU

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The acting headteacher has strengthened the leadership team and leaders and managers supported by governors have improved the quality of teaching through regular checks on learning.  All groups of pupils make good progress and reach standards which are significantly above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2.  Teaching is good and staff use resources exceptionally well to capture pupils’ interest.  Governors understand the school’s needs and offer good levels of support and challenge.  Children join the Nursery and Reception classes with skills and knowledge in line with those expected for their age. They quickly settle into the stimulating environment, make rapid progress and become keen learners.  Pupils’ behaviour is good, their positive attitudes and regard for each other add to the warm ‘family’ atmosphere. Pupils and parents agree that school keeps everyone safe.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils enjoy learning about different topics and themes and extra sporting and musical events contribute well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always use information about pupils’ progress to plan lesson activities which push them even further.  Teachers do not always make sure that pupils make improvements to their work following teacher feedback and marking.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 16 lessons and part lessons, nine jointly with the acting headteacher and deputy headteacher. They also observed support sessions for pupils at risk of falling behind and visited a school assembly.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and looked at work from a selection of their exercise books.  Inspectors spoke with pupils throughout the inspection and met formally with a group of current Year 2 pupils and a group who have recently moved to the junior school. They talked about their work and experiences in the school.  Inspectors held meetings with several staff, including subject leaders, the Early Years Foundation Stage and special educational needs. They spoke with a group of governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body and had a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and reviewed a range of documents. This included information on

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Information about this inspection

pupils’ progress, planning, leaders’ checks on effectiveness and school records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors noted the contents of four staff questionnaires and the views of 64 parents and carers who responded to the online, Parent View survey.

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Inspection team

Aune Turkson-Jones, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Stuart Pearson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized infant school and the vast majority of pupils have White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs on the school roll is well below that found in most schools.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional government funding provided for pupils who are looked after by the local authority and those known to be eligible for free school meals, is well below the national average.  The acting headteacher, who is also the headteacher of the junior school, has been in the post for a year and will be leaving at the end of the current term.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, to raise the achievement of all pupils by:  making sure that all teachers challenge pupils of all abilities so that every pupil makes very rapid progress and learns successfully in every lesson  ensuring that teachers make sure that all pupils can regularly make amendments and improvements to their work following feedback from teachers and other adults and firmly establishing the new feedback and marking policy throughout the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership and management are good and the acting headteacher has added his experience to strengthen the leadership team and the union with the junior school. Staff expertise is shared and the quality of teaching is good across the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders benefit from better access to good quality training and the appointment of a mathematics co-ordinator since the previous inspection, has contributed to raising the profile and standards in the school. The deputy headteacher has risen to the additional challenges of leading the school and been instrumental in driving forward improvements, such as the setting up of the foundation unit.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders at all levels, including those responsible for subjects and areas of the school’s work, understand the school’s strengths and have accurately identified where further improvements are needed. They make regular checks on the quality of teaching and how information is used to plan stimulating and challenging activities for all pupils. They work closely with staff and are improving school tracking systems.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is being revised to extend how subjects are taught using interesting themes and topics based on pupils’ interests. A rich variety of additional experiences through visits and trips enhance pupils’ enjoyment, knowledge and understanding.

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The leadership and management are good

 Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development permeates through all aspects of the school. Pupils are actively taught to be tolerant and understanding of each other and to become more reflective in lessons and assemblies. They have good links with a school in Africa and see how this contrasts with life in Britain.

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The leadership and management are good

 The pupil premium is used effectively to provide extra support staff, nurture groups, access to clubs and trips and gaps in attainment for the small number of pupils eligible have closed considerably in the last year and progress is accelerating. There is very little difference in the attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils and others in the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and governors keep a close eye on the impact of the additional sports funding and check that more pupils than previously are actively involved in sports. Specialist gymnastic and dance coaches also help class teachers to develop their own coaching skills raising the quality of their teaching for future classes.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents are very happy with the way that the school is changing and the acting headteacher and leaders have managed improvements in the last year without unsettling the children or disrupting their learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding procedures are well established and there are effective checks to ensure that recruitment of staff is secure. Equal opportunities are rigorously followed and no pupil is denied access to anything the school has to offer.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority recognises the school’s effectiveness and has offered appropriate support accordingly. It is well positioned to offer what is required in order that the school continues to improve.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Since the previous inspection, several new governors have joined and the governing body has been transformed. Governors appreciate the new presentation of the headteacher’s reports and make regular visits to check on the quality of learning and teaching.  Governors understand the school’s strengths and areas where it could improve further and have sharpened their skills through training, so that they offer an improved balance of support and challenge. They have a good understanding of school performance information and are more adept in questioning why dips occur. They know how the school is performing and make comparisons with others nationally.  Governors ensure that extra funding is managed effectively and question the impact of pupil premium and sports funding on achievement and lifestyles.  Governors see that targets to improve performance are reviewed and that teachers’ pay is linked with

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They have positive attitudes to learning and treat each other with kindness and care. Adults in the school display these good qualities and are excellent role models for the children.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school celebrates pupils’ success through special assemblies and pupils talk excitedly about the ‘sparkly book’ where their achievements are mentioned each week. They treasure reward stickers and the governors’ attendance cup is keenly sought.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils mix and play happily together and the playground is a hive of physical activity. Pupils appreciate the good range of resources and the pirate ship is especially popular.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Older pupils pair up to read with younger ones and lunchtime volunteers help to clear away dishes and check that their classmates have finished all of their food before they leave. This is typical of the warm, nurturing atmosphere of the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say that behaviour is good and bullying, such as ‘saying mean things’ is rare and quickly resolved by adults. There is no discrimination and people from all backgrounds get along well with each other. School records support this and there are very few incidents of poor behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel well looked after and for their ages, have a good sense of how to stay safe in school and outside. They are becoming more aware of using the internet safely and this is picked up when they move to the junior school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents are fully supportive of the school and agree that their children are safe and secure. They are confident that behaviour is good, everybody follows the school’s ‘Rainbow Rules’ and rare incidents of more serious concerns are swiftly dealt with.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has returned to average after a dip the previous year when there was an outbreak of a virus which also affected other schools locally.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour is not outstanding because pupil’s attitudes to learning have not yet helped to raise their achievement so that all reach their full potential.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching in all areas of the school is good. Adults foster excellent relationships within the school and learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. Classrooms are bright, vibrant areas with colourful resources used to stimulate and enhance learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils eagerly grasp all opportunities to work according to any methods adopted by teachers or by themselves and relish sharing information and helping each other to learn. In most lessons, pupils are eager, show great enthusiasm for their learning and try hard when faced with difficult problems.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers and teaching assistants know their pupils well and several additional sessions are led effectively by support staff. As a result, pupils with disabilities and special educational needs, make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use their expertise well to plan for a variety of activities which stimulate and motivate pupils. Two Year 2 classes learning about London were offered different tasks to use their persuasive writing skills to produce leaflets and brochures. For groups using computers, the teaching assistant with computer expertise moved deftly between the classes, providing good support for developing research skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All groups of pupils achieve well and the most able reach high standards compared with others nationally in all subjects. Teachers know their pupils well and are successful in engaging and motivating them to work hard.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Homework has been focused on reading in the past and this has helped to sustain and promote a love of books across the school. The school increasingly sets work linked to topics where appropriate and actively involves parents through workshops, so that they are well placed to help their children learn.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers provide good feedback on learning verbally, during lessons and pupils are receptive, acting on their advice. This is not always the case, however. Some teachers do not provide clear enough advice for pupils about how to further improve their work and do not always make sure that pupils follow up this advice by applying it and showing their teachers that they have understood.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Although teachers use assessment information to plan lesson activities, they do not always use it sharply enough to ensure that the full range of abilities are effectively pushed and challenged. On a few occasions, pupils readily complete their work because they find it easy and can become restless while waiting to be given more to get on with. Pupils do not always achieve the very best that they are capable of in every lesson.

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is good

 Children join the Nursery and reception classes with skills and abilities seen typically for those of their age. They settle quickly, adapt to routines and develop a keen interest in learning.

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is good

 Pupils’ progress is consistently good through each year in the school and by the end of Year 2 they reach standards which are significantly above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. This pattern of achievement has been sustained for several years.

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is good

 Progress is good for all groups of pupils and the most able continue to be significantly above national levels for reading, followed closely by writing and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 1. Recent national test results indicate that pupils are making good progress in all subjects.

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is good

 School checks on progress in each year show that the proportions of pupils making better than expected progress are high in all subjects. Most pupils are meeting or exceeding the ambitious targets set for them by their teachers

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is good

 Improved teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) and focus on blending skills has raised test results to above average levels. By the time they reach Year 2, they confidently tackle new texts and talk about their favourite books and authors.

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is good

 Pupils with disabilities and special educational needs make the same good progress as their classmates because they receive good support with their learning from teachers and markedly, teaching assistants. The work set for them is pitched at the right levels.

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is good

 The small number of pupils eligible for additional pupil premium funding make good progress and in the last year, attainment gaps in school have closed rapidly and Year 2 pupils outperform their peers nationally. Previously they were approximately two terms behind their classmates in all subjects. In 2014, this had reduced to half a term in reading and a term in writing and mathematics.

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is good

 Children joining the Nursery and those entering Reception classes, including those who have come from other pre-school settings, make rapid progress. By the time they leave the Early Years Foundation Stage the majority have reached a good level of development and around a third exceeded this.

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is good

 The small proportion with disabilities or special educational needs are identified early on and receive good support from the Early Years staff, so that they also make good progress in all areas of learning.

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is good

 The most able children have exceeded the national early learning goals by the end of their time in Reception and are moving towards Year 1 levels ahead of their peers. This is because teachers and assistants begin to assess and note what children can do as soon as they enter the unit and within the first few weeks organise them into groups for early teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) and number skills.

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is good

 Staff expertise is high and adults collaborate to form a cohesive and flexible team, quickly identifying and responding to children’s interests and needs. The quality of teaching is consistently good. Adults make learning fun and children quickly develop their enjoyment and love of learning. From their first days in class, they learn about the ‘Rainbow rules’ and begin to develop their care and concern for each other, which are echoed throughout the ethos of the school.

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is good

 The indoor and outside spaces are filled with a good variety of resources and a real boat provides an example of how the youngest children’s creativity and imagination are stimulated. During a storytelling session, children had learned the story of the week, ‘the three little pigs’ and excitedly re-told it through their own activities after seeing the teacher bring it to life with real straw and a hairdryer transformed into a wolf.

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is good

 The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led and all staff gather and share assessment information, so that they have current and accurate views of how well children are learning. This is readily communicated with parents, who say that they value the openness of this approach and the termly newsletters which they receive.

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is good

 Good transition is in place and pupils are prepared well for their move into Key Stage 1. Staff accept that there are times when individual children could achieve more and are committed to refining learning activities so that more children exceed the level of skills and abilities expected for their age.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 122669 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 448688

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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 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 248 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mary McCarthy Acting Headteacher Steve Arnold Date of previous school inspection 29 April 2010 Telephone number 0115 9112991 Fax number 0115 9112830 Email address office@radcliffe-on-trent-inf.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 and 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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