Market Drayton Infant School

Market Drayton Infant School Inspection report

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123382 Unique Reference Number Shropshire Local Authority 327895 Inspection number 26–27 February 2009 Inspection dates Rajinder Harrison Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Infant Type of school Community School category 2–7 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 320 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 57 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Steven Boughey Chair Samantha Scott Headteacher 17 January 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Longslow Road School address Market Drayton TF9 3BA 01630 652909 Telephone number 01630 656185 Fax number

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2–7 Age group 26–27 February 2009 Inspection dates 327895 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Market Drayton Infant School, 26–27 February 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a larger-than-average-sized infant school. Almost all pupils are of White British origin but a small proportion represents a diverse range of other mainly White ethnic backgrounds. A small number of these pupils speak English as an additional language and a few are at an early stage of learning English. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average. These pupils' needs cover a wide range, but are mainly in the category of speech and language, emotional and behavioural and moderate learning difficulties. Children start in the Nursery class of the Early Years Foundation Stage at the age of three. The school also manages its own playgroup (Longslow Ladybirds Playgroup) on site. An independent children's centre that serves the local community is located on the school site.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Market Drayton Infant School, 26–27 February 2009

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school. Pupils attend regularly, enjoy learning and are happy at school. Their personal development is satisfactory. Most behave well, are kind to others and enjoy taking responsibilities. They feel safe at school because they form good relationships and trust all the adults who work with them. They understand why it is important to stay safe, fit and healthy and many enjoy the clubs and activities the school organises. Parents say they feel welcome in school and comment favourably about the improvements over the last year. Good provision in the playgroup, where children learn well the skills they need to relate to others and to learn, prepares them well for school. As a result of satisfactory teaching, pupils' achievement is satisfactory throughout the school. Children start in the Early Years Foundation Stage classes with levels of attainment that are generally below those expected for their age,

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Grade: 3

particularly in literacy and numeracy. Satisfactory teaching and curriculum provision result in children attaining broadly average standards at the end of the Reception Year. Their literacy and calculation skills are often still less secure. Pupils in the current Year 2 are working at broadly average standards. This is better than the performance of Year 2 pupils in 2008 and reflects that the school has a satisfactory capacity to improve in future. While progress is satisfactory overall, it is not consistent in every class. Literacy standards are lower than those in mathematics and the school is successfully addressing this through more emphasis on developing pupils' word building skills and giving more time to writing. Pupils who need extra help with their learning achieve well because they are identified early and receive good support. Children who need help with their speech and language development or in learning English as a new language receive specialist support from an early

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Grade: 3

age and this enables them to work confidently alongside their classmates. Teachers' knowledge of teaching basic skills is sound and some teaching is good. However, in too many lessons, teachers' expectations are not high enough, particularly of the more able. Often, pupils of all abilities do the same tasks, resulting in overall achievement being no better than satisfactory. The curriculum is satisfactory. While enrichment activities are good, pupils have too few opportunities to discuss their work and write in subjects other than literacy. Care arrangements are good, as are the procedures to safeguard pupils' welfare. While pupils' progress is monitored satisfactorily to set individual targets, pupils do not understand these targets or how to attain them. Teachers do not always use assessment information to match work to pupils' needs accurately. Satisfactory leadership and management have brought about appropriate improvement since

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Grade: 3

the last inspection. Staff and governors have established a friendly environment where pupils feel safe and valued. Good leadership from the new headteacher has led to the right action being taken to check pupils' progress and raise standards, particularly in literacy. She has a satisfactory leadership team to support her in monitoring the school's performance. While monitoring takes place regularly, it lacks rigour in checking that all pupils work to their potential in every class and that teachers are held to account regarding the progress pupils make in their classes. The school's self-evaluation is too positive. The school's overall contribution to community cohesion is satisfactory. There are very good relationships with parents, the local community and nearby schools but leaders recognise that they need to do more to promote links with communities that represent other ethnic and religious backgrounds.

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Grade: 3

4 of 11 Inspection Report: Market Drayton Infant School, 26–27 February 2009

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Grade: 3

Provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage is satisfactory. Procedures to ensure children's safety and well-being are good. Children settle quickly and form good relationships.This helps them gain confidence successfully. Their personal and social skills are developed well. Consequently, they work and play together happily. Most cooperate well with others and enjoy learning. A few become easily distracted and restless when asked to concentrate for too long or work independently and so their behaviour lapses. Liaison with parents is good. Many attend the curriculum workshops offered by staff, so that they can support their children's learning at home. Leadership and management are satisfactory and so an appropriate balance is in place between adult-guided activities and those that children select. Children who have specific needs are identified early and supported well to ensure they are fully involved in all that their friends do.

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Grade: 3

Teachers ensure that the teaching and curriculum meet most children's needs appropriately. In light of children's lower starting point in literacy and numeracy, these areas are given more emphasis. The work on learning letters and sounds already shows marked improvement in children's current progress. Children's physical development is good because they love the outdoor area, for example to explore and to ride their wheeled toys. Satisfactory teaching develops children's basic skills appropriately. Staff check that children explore everything but, occasionally, in the more informal play sessions, a few are less sure about what they have to do and often avoid options, for example writing, that they find more challenging. Teachers assess children's progress regularly but do not use the information to extend the more able enough.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise teachers' expectations for all pupils, but particularly the more able, and provide pupils with more opportunities to write in subjects other than literacy. ■ Ensure that teachers use assessment information to plan activities that match pupils' needs accurately and that they show pupils how to improve their work. ■ Improve monitoring and evaluation procedures so that every teacher is held to account regarding progress their pupils make. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Children make satisfactory gains in the Early Years Foundation Stage and this level of progress is maintained in Years 1 and 2. Progress is better in the classes where teaching is good. In the teacher assessments of 2008, pupils in Year 2 attained standards that were below average in reading and writing and broadly average in mathematics. This year group was a particularly low attaining cohort. Pupils in the current Year 2 are working at broadly average levels, although a smaller number than would be expected are working at the higher levels. Standards are lower in reading and writing but, as a result of the extra emphasis on developing word building skills consistently in every class, standards are rising. Throughout the school, there is insufficient challenge to ensure more able pupils achieve more and hence raise standards further. Pupils 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Market Drayton Infant School, 26–27 February 2009

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Grade: 3

who find learning difficult and those who have speech and language difficulties or are learning English achieve well because they receive good individual support.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' spiritual, moral and social development is good because staff guide them thoughtfully through assemblies and other activities. Pupils are polite and friendly. They love helping around the school and look after others kindly. Most behave well and work hard but a few lose interest when lessons fail to challenge or involve them enough. Consequently, their behaviour lapses and they achieve too little. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the need to stay safe and healthy. Despite occasional boisterous behaviour, most feel safe in the playground and go confidently to teachers if problems arise. They enjoy their exercise and fitness sessions, although not all select healthy meal options. Pupils make a satisfactory contribution to the community. For example, school councillors decide on fundraising and playground activities. They look after their environment and know about recycling projects. Pupils' cultural development is satisfactory.

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Grade: 3

Visits and visitors extend pupils' awareness of the world of work and leisure and they gain a good understanding of their local community. Pupils' understanding of the other cultures and traditions represented in Britain today is less well developed. Attendance is satisfactory. The progress pupils make in their basic skills prepares them satisfactorily for the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 3

Pupils achieve well in the good lessons where the work is suitably matched to their needs. Pupils particularly enjoy lessons that involve practical tasks, for example in science and mathematics, and where teachers ask questions that make them think about their learning. Teachers use computer facilities well to present information so that pupils can understand more clearly what they are learning. Support staff help individual pupils and small groups well to ensure they participate fully and learn effectively. Most teachers involve pupils in question and answer sessions well, but their expectations are not always high enough. A few therefore lose interest and contribute little unless directly asked. In too many lessons, teachers spend too long in presenting their lessons, thus giving pupils too little time to contribute or ask questions and thus learn effectively. Consequently, a few pupils find it hard to retain information in order

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Grade: 3

to complete work successfully when working independently. Teachers have information about pupils' attainment and most use this appropriately to plan teaching and learning. Occasionally, all pupils experience the same presentation and complete the same tasks and so teaching does not always meet the needs of all pupils effectively.

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Grade: 3

The basic curriculum guides teachers appropriately in planning what pupils need to do from year to year but it lacks challenge. The school is adopting a more creative approach so pupils learn through more practical activities but this practice is not embedded in every class. Suitable intensive support programmes provide a good framework to support teaching and learning for those who find learning difficult or who fall behind in their learning. Following the decline in 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Market Drayton Infant School, 26–27 February 2009 reading standards in 2008, all classes now follow the same word building programme and standards are rising. Pupils still have too few opportunities to write in subjects other than literacy. Standards have improved in mathematics because more time is devoted to calculation and problem solving activities. A good personal, social and health education programme is

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Grade: 3

being introduced to enhance pupils' personal development so that it is good in all aspects. Visits, visitors and many out-of-school activities, for example the computer club, add to pupils' enjoyment and give them good opportunities to extend their skills.

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Grade: 3

The school takes good care of its pupils. Child protection and health and safety procedures all meet requirements. All adults who come into contact with pupils are vetted appropriately. Sensitive support for pupils who find learning difficult mean they are included in lessons appropriately, with external agencies involved effectively where necessary. Pupils say that they can go to their teachers if they have any concerns and that problems are dealt with effectively. Children are supported well when they first start school and when they prepare to move to their junior school. Academic guidance is satisfactory. Achievement is tracked regularly and teachers set pupils individual targets. These are not always appropriately challenging, however, and pupils do not always understand what they have to do to attain these targets. Most teachers mark work regularly and offer detailed supportive comments but do not give pupils enough

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Grade: 3

guidance as to how they can improve their work.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher and her staff ensure that the school runs in an orderly manner and that pupils feel happy and secure. She involves all staff and governors in monitoring the work of the school in order to secure higher standards. Monitoring now takes place regularly but it lacks rigour both in checking that all pupils work to their full potential and that all lessons are consistently good in every class. Subject leaders review their subjects and offer colleagues valuable guidance and support but do not check carefully enough that teachers challenge pupils fully through their planning. However, the school has taken the right action to improve mathematics and reading and standards have improved since 2008. Governance is satisfactory. Governors support the school well. Their role in challenging the school and ensuring that all teachers perform effectively in every class is less well developed. Through guiding pupils in forming harmonious

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Grade: 3

relationships with the local and wider community, the school's contribution to community cohesion is satisfactory. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Market Drayton Infant School, 26–27 February 2009 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Market Drayton Infant School, 26–27 February 2009

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

3 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 3 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 3 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Market Drayton Infant School, 26–27 February 2009

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 3 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 3 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 3 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Market Drayton Infant School, 26–27 February 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

2 March 2009 Dear Children Inspection of Market Drayton Infant School, Market Drayton, TF9 3BA You may remember that three inspectors came to visit your school recently. I am writing to tell you what we found out. Thank you for making us so welcome and for being so friendly. We enjoyed talking to you about school, the good friends you make and the work you do. It was really good to see so many at the computer club doing some very interesting work. From the way that most of you try your best, we know you like school. It was good to hear that you feel safe at school and that you are confident staff will help you if you have any concerns. Although most of you always try your best in lessons, a few of you could do even better if you listened more carefully to what teachers ask you to do. We know that the school is a happy place. We liked the kind way you help each other, for example when someone falls over in the playground

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you find an adult to help out. You know how to look after yourselves and understand the need for regular exercise. We asked you about healthy eating and many of you said you like fruit and yoghurt in your lunch-boxes. While most of you said behaviour was good, a few said some children did not behave well. We think most of you do try to behave well. While we think most things in your school are satisfactory, some things could be better. We think that you could achieve higher standards. To help with this, we have asked your teachers to make sure you have more time to write in your lessons and to give you harder work so that some of you learn even more. We have asked teachers to make sure that all your lessons are good and that they use the information they have about how well you are doing to plan the right work for you and to show you how to improve your work. We have asked your school leaders to check that all your lessons are good in every class.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

There are things you could do to help, too; for example, you can make sure you always do your best work. I hope that you will all do well in the future. Yours sincerely Rajinder Harrison Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Market Drayton Infant School, 26–27 February 2009

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