Iver Village Infant School

Iver Village Infant School Grange Way, Iver, Buckinghamshire, SL0 9NT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 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

 School leaders and governors have successfully raised standards and improved the quality of teaching since the previous inspection. There is now a culture of continuous improvement among staff and governors.  Pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has improved year on year. It is now above average in reading and mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make as good progress as other pupils. This is because they receive good support from skilled staff.  The quality of teaching is good. Teachers have high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour.  Teachers plan exciting learning that stimulates pupils’ interest and inspires their curiosity. This promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very effectively.  Pupils’ behaviour is good, both in class and when they move around the school. They are polite and friendly and get on very well together regardless of

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

background. They feel safe in school because they trust adults and know that they care for them.  Staff have created a warm and vibrant learning environment that makes pupils feel valued. Inclusion is a strength of the school.  Children get off to a good start in the early years. Staff know the children well and plan activities that build on what they already know and can do.  School leaders are ambitious and have created an ethos of high expectations for both staff and pupils. They have developed a strong team of staff who work closely together to secure a good quality of education for pupils.  Governors know how well the school is performing. They use performance information well to hold school leaders to account.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Pupils’ standards in writing are lower than in reading and mathematics. Pupils do not have a secure enough grasp of basic skills to help them to write fluently and confidently.  There are times when the work teachers plan for writing is too easy or too hard for pupils.  The priorities in the school improvement plan do not all focus enough on the areas that the school most needs to improve. Some targets are too broad and general so it is not easy for governors to check on the extent to which they have been achieved.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils working in nine lessons or parts of lessons, two of which were observed jointly with the headteacher. They looked at work in pupils’ books and they listened to pupils in Year 2 read. Inspectors observed the activities that pupils carried out as part of a Maths Week that was held during the week of the inspection. They attended one assembly and observed pupils in the playground and around the school.  Meetings were held with school leaders, pupils, and the Chair of the Governing Body and three other governors. The lead inspector met a representative from the Buckinghamshire Learning Trust which provides support to the school on behalf of the local authority.  Among the documents inspectors scrutinised were school improvement plans, minutes from governors’ meetings, and pupils’ assessment information and attendance data. Inspectors also examined information showing how the school keeps pupils and staff safe.

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Information about this inspection

 The views of parents and carers were considered by analysing 62 responses to the online survey, Parent View. Inspectors also spoke informally to parents and carers during the inspection. The views of staff were taken into account by analysing 10 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Joy Considine, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized infant school and has two classes in each year group. Pupils are taught in groups based on ability for English and mathematics.  The proportion of pupils who receive pupil premium funding is lower than average. This is additional funding provided by the government to support disadvantaged pupils: those who are eligible for free school meals and looked after children. (There are no looked after children in the school).  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is broadly average and very few speak English as an additional language.  There is provision for children in the early years in the Reception classes. These children attend full time.  There is a breakfast club and an after-school club for pupils known as the Sunrise and Sunset Clubs.

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Information about this school

 There have been significant changes to the teaching team since the previous inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ achievement, particularly in writing, by ensuring that:  work provided for them is neither too hard nor too easy  pupils respond to teachers’ marking by correcting and improving their work  pupils develop handwriting, spelling and punctuation securely so that they write fluently and confidently.  Improve leadership and management by simplifying the school improvement plan so that targets are more specifically focused on the areas the school most needs to improve.

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The leadership and management Good

 ‘Caring, growing, learning in the heart of our community’ underpins the work of the school. Since the previous inspection, school leaders, supported by an effective governing body, have brought about significant improvements by generating a culture in which teaching has improved and pupils’ achievement is good. Pupils’ attitudes to school are positive and their behaviour is good owing to the high expectations of staff and governors.  Leadership of teaching is good. Leaders visit classrooms formally and informally to check teachers’ work. They look at work in pupils’ books and hold regular meetings with teachers to see how well pupils are doing. This gives them a clear picture of where teaching is strong and where further support might be needed. Leaders have put into place an effective programme of professional development, including coaching and mentoring, to help improve teachers’ skills.  Subject leaders are enthusiastic and share leaders’ ambitions. They have benefited from training that has

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The leadership and management Good

enabled them to start checking colleagues’ work. They visit classrooms and make helpful suggestions about how colleagues can improve their skills.  Leaders are ambitious and provide a clear direction to the work of the school. Although they know precisely what it is they want to improve, their written plan is much too long and the key priorities are not identified clearly. The targets for improvement are too broad and general and the actions to be taken are not always clear. This means that it is not always easy for leaders and governors to check on how successfully they are improving the school.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs progress well from their respective starting points. This is because leaders ensure that their progress is closely checked and that support is of the right quality to address their particular difficulties.  Pupil premium funding is targeted very effectively to meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils.

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The leadership and management Good

Consequently, the gap between their attainment and that of their classmates has closed considerably in the past two years.  The school is implementing the New National Curriculum requirements through well-planned links between subjects. All learning and topics capture pupils’ imagination and interest. During the inspection, pupils thoroughly enjoyed the wide range of activities and games provided as part of Maths Week. One boy commented, ‘It’s the best ever! I love maths.’  Pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is promoted very effectively in many ways. During the inspection, pupils were spellbound as they watched chicks hatch from eggs in an incubator. This prompted some deep questions from pupils such as, ‘How did the chick get inside the egg?’  The school rightly prides itself on being inclusive. Staff exploit opportunities to include resources such as images of travellers’ caravans to demonstrate that not everybody lives in a standard house. This helps to

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The leadership and management Good

increase pupils’ understanding of different cultures and beliefs.  The school instils a strong respect for others, preparing them for life in modern Britain. The school promotes equality of opportunity for all pupils in all aspects of its work. It does not tolerate discrimination under any circumstances. Consequently pupils from all backgrounds feel valued and safe in school.  The school has used the primary sports funding to recruit a specialist coach for sports. He trains staff and works with pupils to develop their skills. Consequently, pupils’ enjoyment of sports has improved and they actively take part in a wide range of physical activities that keep them fit and healthy.  The Buckinghamshire Learning Trust has reduced the level of support it provides as its checks on the school’s performance show that the school is improving. The school has improved quickly owing to the good support provided by the Trust in the past, particularly in reading and mathematics.

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The leadership and management Good

 The school meets all statutory requirements for ensuring the health and safety of pupils and staff. Its policies and procedures are effective.

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The leadership and management Good

 The governance of the school:  Governors share leaders’ ambitions. They have a wide range of professional skills and expertise that strengthen school leadership. They provide a good level of challenge to school leaders by analysing a range of information and they ask searching questions to ensure the accuracy of information provided by school leaders.  Governors have benefited from training and are well placed to support school leaders to further improve the school. They visit school regularly to see for themselves how well the school is doing. They seek the views of pupils and of parents and carers to identify where further improvements can be made. Understanding information about the school’s performance, they know that pupils’ achievement has improved but know that writing remains an area for further improvement.  Governors know that teaching is good and ensure that decisions about teachers’ progression on the

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The leadership and management Good

salary scale is linked to pupils’ progress. They know that underperformance in teaching is tackled and that good teaching is rewarded. They monitor finances carefully and ensure that additional funding, including pupil premium and sports funding, is used well. Governors ensure that all arrangements for safeguarding, including child protection, are met and that they follow safer recruitment processes when appointing new staff.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are happy and they enjoy school. This is reflected in their above average attendance. In class, they listen well to teachers and respond to instructions. Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and they implement the school’s behaviour policy consistently so that pupils understand what is expected of them.  Pupils are polite, friendly and very welcoming to visitors. They go out of their way to help each other and are considerate to the feelings of others. They are highly positive about all aspects of school and say, ‘It’s the best school ever.’  Pupils behave well in classrooms, during assemblies and at lunchtimes. They play well together at break times and get on well together regardless of background. Just occasionally, when not under direct supervision by adults, a few can become boisterous and run in school when they know they should walk.

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Behaviour

 Pupils have a clear understanding of the difference between right and wrong. They say that most pupils behave well and there are very few occasions when lessons are disrupted by poor behaviour.  Pupils know that adults care for them and they trust them. They know that staff are approachable and will listen to their concerns. Parents and carers who spoke to inspectors praised the quality of care given to their children.  The Sunrise Club provides pupils with a nourishing start to the school day and has helped to increase their attendance. The Sunset Club provides pupils with a wide selection of activities that help their social and emotional development.  Parents and carers, governors and staff agree that pupils are happy, well looked after and behave well.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. The school site is secure and very well maintained. The safety of pupils is a priority for staff. Pupils say they feel safe in school because adults are kind and helpful.  Records kept by the school show very few reported incidents of poor behaviour or bullying. Pupils and parents and carers are not aware of any bullying.  Pupils have a good understanding of everyday risks and dangers. They know that it is dangerous to give out any personal information when using computers and they know about the dangers associated with roads.  Pupils are well supervised at break times. The playground is well equipped with games and equipment which pupils use sensibly on their own or under the supervision of midday supervisors. Any incidents or minor injuries are promptly recorded and dealt with. The school ensures that risk assessments and all safeguarding procedures are in place and meet statutory requirements.

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The quality of teaching Good

 Pupils make good progress because the teaching of reading and mathematics is good. The teaching of writing is weaker so that pupils do not have a secure grasp of the basic skills of spelling and punctuation. Many do not form their letters correctly and this prevents them from writing clearly and fluently.  The teaching of phonics has improved through staff training and regular assessment which allow staff to match activities better to pupils’ levels. This has led to an increase in the number exceeding the expected levels in the most recent phonics screening check.  Teachers know pupils well. They give clear explanations and introductions so pupils know what they are expected to learn. Teachers show pupils how to do things and they pose questions which help to deepen pupils’ understanding.  Teachers have created an attractive and stimulating environment in which there are plenty of well-chosen

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The quality of teaching Good

resources to support pupils’ learning. Books are used effectively to increase pupils’ vocabulary. There are plenty of times in class for pupils to discuss their work and share their ideas and this helps them to progress well. Just occasionally the level of work provided for pupils in writing is too hard or too easy and this slows their progress.  The activities provided during Maths Week contributed well to pupils’ understanding of number. They worked in mixed-age groups so that some older pupils became ‘teachers’ by explaining to younger pupils what is was they were to do. This in turn clarified their own understanding and helped them to make good progress.  Wherever possible teachers try to link different subjects together to deepen pupils’ understanding. This was particularly evident in a mathematics investigation in which pupils were learning to estimate the number of apples needed to make the water in a bowl overflow. They watched in fascination while one by

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The quality of teaching Good

one they carefully counted the number of apples into the water until finally the water spilled over the edge of the bowl. This activity combined science with mathematics and inspired a lively debate about forces, measuring and numbers.  Teachers’ marking has improved and most of them provide comments to pupils about what they need to do to further improve their work. However, there are too few occasions when pupils respond to these comments, particularly those about their writing which are not followed up as a matter of course. Consequently pupils repeat the same errors and do not progress as fast as they should.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress. This is because staff are skilled at recognising where they need extra help and ensuring this is provided. Sometimes this happens in lessons where an individual pupil is given help by either the teacher or the teaching assistant. At other

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The quality of teaching Good

times, these pupils may be given a planned programme of work to help them to catch up with their classmates.

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Good

 Pupils’ achievement has improved and is now good. Children start school with skills that are broadly as expected for their age, although they are weaker in literacy than in other aspects of their development. Records kept by the school and scrutiny of pupils’ work show that pupils make good progress, particularly in reading and mathematics. By the end of Year 2, their attainment is at least above average in reading and mathematics, and above average in writing.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make progress in line with that of their classmates and reach levels of attainment that are above those attained by similar pupils nationally. This is because they receive targeted support that provides for their specific needs and enables them to make good progress from their respective starting points.  The school’s work to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils has been particularly effective. The gap

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Good

between their achievement and that of their peers has narrowed considerably in recent years. In Year 2, the gaps in reading, writing and mathematics are now less than a term behind other pupils in the school and other pupils nationally. When compared to other pupils nationally, disadvantaged pupils do better at Iver Village Infant School in all subjects.  Teachers plan work that builds on what pupils already know and work is usually adapted to meet pupils’ varying abilities. Work is provided for different groups, even when pupils are set for mathematics and English. This enables all pupils, including those from minority ethnic groups and those who are most able, to be challenged and progress well.  Pupils enjoy reading and read both for pleasure and to find information. They use their knowledge of letters and sounds well to read unfamiliar words. They answer questions about what they have read by

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Good

using the text to support their answers. Just occasionally they forget to use punctuation and so they sometimes miss the meaning of some parts of what they have read.  Pupils’ writing is improving although it does not yet match the standards reached in reading and mathematics. They use a wide range of vocabulary to express their ideas and use a range of increasingly complex ways in which they join together two sentences. Their progress is hampered by their relatively weaker development of basic skills including handwriting, spelling and punctuation.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy mathematics and in particular the activities included in Maths Week. These gave them plenty of opportunities to investigate numbers, carry out practical activities and apply their number skills to solve problems. Staff used every opportunity to extend their knowledge and skills by asking questions to deepen their understanding.

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Good

 Children make good progress in the early years because they are taught well. The proportion reaching a good level of development was above that seen nationally in 2014. Most reached the expected level of development in reading, writing and mathematics. Children are well prepared for Year 1.  The early years leader has a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development in the Reception Year. She checks that planning is rigorous and that all staff understand their role within this stage. She has ensured that the environment is bright and attractive and well equipped with good quality resources.  Children behave well. They settle very easily into the routines of school and get on very well together. They share and take turns and look out for each other if someone is upset. They feel safe in school and have developed confidence and resilience when tackling problems. They respond well to teachers’

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Good

questions and suggestions and are proud of their efforts in early writing.  Teaching is good. There are plenty of activities for children to choose from in the classrooms and outside. Staff are skilled at intervening by asking children questions which develop their language and their understanding. Just occasionally, children spend too long trying to carry out an activity that they do not fully understand; this inevitably slows their progress. The most able do not always work as hard as they could because there are too few occasions when they are given work that challenges them.

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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 110374 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 453737

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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 Infant Age range of pupils 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 162 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joyce Young Headteacher Sam Woodcock Date of previous school inspection 6 February 2013 Telephone number 01753 655104 Fax number 01753 630840 Email address office@iver-inf.bucks.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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