Calcot Infant School and Nursery

CALCOT INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24 – 28 January 2000

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CALCOT INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 182370 Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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CALCOT INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary 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. Calcot Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Calcot Infant School and Nursery Curtis Road Calcot Reading Berks

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Karen Snewing

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 26 th June 1995 Calcot Infant School - 4

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs Janet Sinclair Registered inspector English, Design Technology, History, Music Teaching, Pupil achievement, Assessment, Leadership and management Mr Ken Parsons Lay Inspector Equal opportunities Attitudes, behaviour and personal development, Care of pupils, Partnership with parents Mrs Thelma Edwards Team inspector Mathematics, Art, Religious education Children under five, Special educational needs, English as an additional language Curriculum

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr Alan Giles Team inspector Science, Information Technology, Geography, Physical education. Leadership and management (support)

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

8/9 Herringston Barn Herringston Dortchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Calcot Infant School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

The school’s results and achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This infant and nursery school is situated in a pleasant, residential area of Calcot and pupils mainly come from the immediate area. There are, however, some pupils who come from the town of Reading due to parental preference. There are now 183 full-time pupils on roll in the main school and 71 part-time children in the nursery and rising fives class. The number on roll has risen in the last two years and the school is larger than the national average primary school. Pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds, which includes some from both more and less privileged background. Most pupils transfer at seven to Calcot Junior School, which shares the same site. There are two pupils who come from homes where English is spoken as an additional language and this is broadly similar to most schools. The number of pupils receiving free school meals is eleven per cent, which is below the national average. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

(22 per cent) is broadly in line with the national average. There are three pupils who have a statement of special educational need and this is in line with the national figure. The baseline assessment tests show that most pupils’ attainment on entry is broadly in line with the local education authority’s average, although there are fluctuations year on year.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Children enter the nursery with broadly average levels of ability The children both in the nursery and the rising five class make satisfactory progress and meet the recommended learning outcomes in most areas of learning, and exceed them in their personal development, by the time they are of statutory school age. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils achieve high standards in English and science, very high standards in mathematics and appropriate standards in information technology and religious education. They make sound progress in Year 1 and good progress in Year 2. Their attitudes to school are good and most are keen to attend. The quality of teaching is good overall but much of the good teaching was seen in Year 2. The leadership and management of the school are good and the headteacher shows a determination to raise standards and improve the quality of education within a caring, supportive environment. The school’s socio -economic factors are average, standards in English, mathematics and science

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

have improved since the last inspection and are high, there is good provision for pupils with special educational needs, and the costs per pupil are broadly average. Taking all these factors into consideration, the school provides good value for money

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What the school does well

• The school achieves good standards in English and science and very good standards in mathematics. • The quality of teaching is good overall. • Subject co-ordinators fulfil their roles very well. • The head teacher provides good, clear educational direction for the work of the school and is ably supported by the deputy headteacher and governing body. • The pupils behave well and there are good relationships throughout the school. • The school makes good provision for pupils with special educational needs.

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What could be improved

• The match of work to pupils of differing prior attainment particularly in science, history and geography. • The quality of teaching in Year 1 so that best practice is extended across the school. .

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What could be improved

The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was inspected in June 1995 and has acted well on all of the key issues identified in the last report. There is now a good school development plan with clear priorities and whole school targets, the budget for special educational needs is closely monitored and teachers plan in year groups to ensure equality of curricular provision. Standards have improved significantly in English, mathematics and science since the last Calcot Infant School - 7 inspection. There is good leadership with a clear focus on raising standards. The school has made good improvement since the last inspection and has a good capacity for further improvement under the current leadership

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 7 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

Reading C C B B well above average above average A B Writing C C C C Average below average C D Mathematics C B A A well below average E

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Key

The table shows that standards in reading and mathematics have risen over a three-year period and standards in writing have remained static. In comparison with both national averages (based on national tests) and similar schools (based on the number of pupils having free school meals) the school is achieving well above average in mathematics, above average in reading and average in writing. The school has set appropriate and realistic targets for improvements in standards The school has identified writing as a key priority for improvement and there is a programme of staff training in place as well as the provision of greater opportunities for extended writing in Year 2

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have good attitudes to school. They are keen to attend and willing to learn

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is good in classes and around the school. Pupils are polite and courteous

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships There are good relationships throughout the school and pupils take responsibility for their actions.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Pupils come to school on time and levels of attendance are good. Calcot Infant School - 8

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

good good good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

The quality of teaching in English and mathematics is good and the basic skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well throughout the school. Pupils are managed well and teaching methods effectively engage and stimulate pupils. Resources and support staff are used well to support the delivery of the lessons. Assessment is well used to inform planning for pupils who learn at different rates in English and mathematics but is not used well otherwise. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The quality of teaching is good overall. Fifty-four per cent of the teaching was good or better and of that 14 per cent was very good or excellent. Most of the good and very good teaching was seen in the rising- fives and Year Two classes. However eight per cent of the teaching was unsatisfactory and this was linked to unsatisfactory management of pupils, weaknesses in subject knowledge and lack of provision for pupils who learn at different rates.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good quality and range of curriculum with good strategies for the teaching of literacy and numeracy.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision is good and is well matched to pupils’ needs.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language There are two pupils with English as an additional language but they do not require support as they have sufficient understanding of English

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good provision for moral and social development

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Aspect Comment

Satisfactory provision for spiritual and cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school provides a caring, supportive learning environment in which pupils thrive.

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Aspect Comment

The school works well to develop a good partnership with parents. They are given good information about their children’s progress and they contribute well to their children’s learning through the school’s homework policy. There are no extra curricular activities but Year Two pupils have the opportunity to participate in a variety of clubs, in school time, on a weekly basis. Calcot Infant School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The head teacher provides a good educational direction for the work of the school and is ably supported by the deputy headteacher, subject co-ordinators and governing body.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body fulfils its statutory duties well and there is an effective committee structure in place with good working practices.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school effectively monitors its performance and sets targets for improvement

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes good use of its resources.

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Aspect Comment

There is a good level of staffing in place, with support staff being particularly well trained for their role. The accommodation is spacious and there is a good level of resources to support the curriculum. Leadership is clear about the school’s educational direction.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school • Their children are making good progress • Behaviour is good • The teaching is good • The school is well managed • More information on progress in the nursery • Provision of extra-curricular activities • Closer links with the school

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Only a small proportion of parents attended the parents’ meeting or returned the questionnaire so the information above reflects the views of a small sample. We agree with the aspects of the school, which please parents. There are issues in what parents would like to see improved. Children attend the nursery for two terms only and parents receive a report at the end of this time and this is satisfactory. However, due to the fact that the nursery doors do not open till the start of each session, in contrast to the rest of the school, there are limited opportunities for parents to discuss or see their children’s work and progress on an on-going basis. The school does not provide extra- curricular activities The school provides a satisfactory level of information to parents and, through its structures, provides effective links. Calcot Infant School - 10

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The school’s results and achievements

1. The attainment of pupils when they enter the nursery is broadly average. Pupils make satisfactory progress both in the nursery and in the rising fives class and by the time they are of statutory school age have reached the recommended learning outcomes in language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative and physical development and exceeded them in their personal and social development. Pupils’ behaviour is good and they enjoy good relationships with adults and each other. They work well in groups sharing materials and equipment. Their skills in speaking and listening develop appropriately and many of the pupils in the rising fives class have a good grasp of letter sounds and recognise some individual words. They recognise numbers to 10 and count sets of objects showing a good understanding of the concept of “more” when adding on.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. The end of Key Stage 1 National Curriculum test results for 1999 were above the national average in reading, average in writing and well above average in mathematics. In reading the proportion of pupils achieving at the expected level 2 was well above average and above average at the higher level 3 (above average overall). In writing the proportion of pupils achieving at the expected level 2 was above average and close to the national average at the higher level 3 (average overall). In mathematics the proportion of pupils achieving at the expected level 2 was above the national average and well above average at the higher level 3. These results are better than those of similar schools, based on the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, except in writing at the higher level 3. The results show improvement year on year except in writing where standards have remained steady. There is no significant difference overall

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The school’s results and achievements

between the attainment of boys and girls. The school has set modest targets for improvement this year but they are realistic and sufficiently challenging.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. Current standards based on lessons seen pupils’ work and displays, mainly reflect the test results. It is still early in the school year but indications are that the upward trend will be maintained in reading and mathematics and writing standards are improving. The school has placed great emphasis on the provision of a variety of extended writing activities, on a weekly basis, for pupils in Year 2 and this is having a good impact already.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Attainment in English is above expectations overall. Speaking and listening skills are good. By the end of the key stage pupils listen attentively to the teacher and by their responses show they have clearly understood. Most respond in sentences that are clearly and competently delivered and relevant to the subject. Attainment in reading is above expectations. By the end of the key stage higher attaining pupils read with a good level of fluency. They use information books confidently, using correct terminology such as “contents” and “index” appropriately. They explain why they like particular books and characters in stories they have read. Attainment in writing is above expectations. Many pupils write well-structured stories with a clear beginning, middle and end and some higher attainers use imaginative and interesting vocabulary. They write appropriately in a variety of forms such as poetry, instructions and stories.

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The school’s results and achievements

Standards of handwriting are good with most pupils writing in a neat, legible hand. The quality of presentation of written work is good. These good standards reflect the good levels of planning in place for the development of literacy and the good quality of teaching in Year 2, which contributes significantly to pupils’ progress.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. Pupils achieve well above expectations in mathematics. By Year 2 they have a very good understanding of addition and subtraction and successfully multiply given numbers by 2,3,4 and 10. They double numbers successfully and identify odds and evens. They estimate and measure carefully, collect and interpret data and identify lines of symmetry. All pupils are developing their ability to recall number facts and carry out mental calculations with increasing speed and accuracy. These high standards reflect the good planning for numeracy and the good quality of teaching in Year 2 that contributes to standards achieved. Calcot Infant School - 11 6. In science, pupils achieve above expectations. Year 2 pupils have a good understanding of food groups and their technical names. Most have a good understanding of light sources. Higher attaining pupils make accurate predictions and record their results. Lower attaining pupils complete simple tables of their results.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. Standards in information technology are similar to expected levels. Pupils make sound progress and by Year 2 they word-process their work, handle colour to create illustrations and use information technology to sort and classify information.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Standards in religious education are at the expected level. Pupils know that the bible is a special book for Christians who worship in churches. They consider issues such as why obedience to God is important to some people.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. Pupils’ literacy skills are satisfactorily developed through other subjects. However, due to shortage of time in the curriculum, written work in history, geography and religious education is limited overall. Computers are used appropriately to support the development of word processing skills. Numeracy skills are not used regularly or systematically in other subjects although there are some opportunities for measuring in design and technology lessons.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. In physical education and design and technology pupils make good progress and many exceed the expected levels. Standards in all other subjects are broadly in line with the levels expected of pupils of a similar age.

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The school’s results and achievements

11. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well, in line with targets in their individual education plans, and they make good progress.

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The school’s results and achievements

12. Pupils achieve very well in relation to their prior attainment in mathematics and achieve well in English, science, design technology and physical education. They make good progress in these subjects, especially in Year 2, and this is linked to the good and sometimes very good teaching they receive. They make sound progress and achieve appropriate standards in all other subjects of the curriculum.

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13. Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The pupils have good attitudes to school. They are happy coming to school, arriving in a cheerful and purposeful manner. The children under five are keen to hang up their coats and change into plimsolls without adult help, before going quickly to their classrooms ready for the start of the school day. They move around the school calmly and with purpose. Pupils respond well to what the school provides for them. They are usually interested and involved in their work. In well-taught lessons, most display a positive and enthusiastic attitude, assisting their learning. Pupils of all levels of attainment put forward their ideas and points of view in lessons. They show an interest in their work during whole class discussions, group work and when working individually across the range of subjects, except in a few less satisfactory lessons where there is insufficient challenge to retain their attention. They are proud of their

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13. Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

work. Pupils in Year 1, for example, were enthusiastic in pointing out their personal New Year resolutions in the wall display and discussing how well – or not - they had kept to them.

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13. Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupil behaviour in the school is good. There have been no exclusions in the last year. During lessons most pupils are polite and treat each other, and adults, with respect. There are clear expectations within the school on how to behave, which pupils are aware of and respect. There is a happy atmosphere during break and lunch times. Behaviour in the dining hall and playground is very good, with pupils organising their own games and co-operating well together. They show an awareness of those around them. No incidents of bullying or other oppressive behaviour were seen during the inspection and it is not a common occurrence in the school. Pupils are trustworthy and use the school facilities and resources with care.

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13. Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The personal development of pupils is good. They are very polite, being punctilious in holding doors open for adults and each other, for example. Pupils help with the day to day running of the school in a number of ways, such as taking registers to the office, and classes have rotas to involve all pupils in day-to-day classroom tasks. This applies equally to the children under five years old as well as Key Stage 1 pupils. There is good co-operation between pupils. They help each other in group work and they have an Calcot Infant School - 12 appropriate awareness of the achievements of others. They have a good understanding for their age of the impact their words and actions have on other people. Pupils show that they can take some responsibility for their own learning when given the opportunity, for example, in a mathematics lesson when each pupil decided for themselves whether they needed more help from the class teacher before starting work.

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13. Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Relationships across the school are good. Even the youngest pupils under the age of five are capable of demonstrating a good level of confidence in their relationships, both with each other and adults. Pupils with special educational needs have positive attitudes to learning and respond well when praised by class teachers and support staff. All staff provide positive role models and pupils generally reflect the respect they are shown. Pupils share resources amicably, for example, in the playground, where the school provides play resources. Relationships in the school have a positive impact on pupils’ personal development and create a good climate for learning. The pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds work well with other pupils. Pupils with special educational needs are also integrated well in classes.

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13. Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. The attendance by pupils is good. The level of pupil absences is below the national average for a school of this type, and the level of unauthorised absences within this figure is negligible. These figures reflect the high priority parents place on the need to get their children to school on a regular basis. Very few parents bring their children to school late and there is an efficient start to the school day.

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13. Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. The school’s standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teaching is good overall. It was satisfactory or better in 92 per cent of lessons and was good in over half of the lessons seen. Teaching was very good or excellent in 14 per cent of lessons. Many of the strengths noted in the last inspection, such as stimulating lessons, good use of resources and good management of pupils, have been maintained. The quality of pupils’ learning is good overall, although less so in history, geography and information technology.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The quality of teaching of children under five is good overall, with some particularly good teaching of the youngest and oldest children in the age group. Overall the teaching in the nursery is satisfactory and it is consistently good in the rising fives class. Teachers, nursery nurse and support staff share their observations of what children can do and carefully assess the progress they make. Detailed records are kept. Teachers know what they want the children to learn and use effective methods to teach them. Their expectations of these young children are appropriate and they manage small groups and large numbers of children very skilfully. In all classes there is a clear routine which makes children feel safe and secure. Classroom resources are used appropriately. The outside areas contribute to the children’s learning but teachers do not consistently plan how they will be used. In the nursery there is little evidence of children’s

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

work being displayed and some work areas are not organised well. There are limited opportunities for children to solve problems or investigate their world.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. In the two reception classes where pupils are of statutory school age and in Key Stage 1 the teaching is good overall, but there are wide variations between year groups. Teaching in Year 2 is almost always good or very good, in Year 1 it ranges from good to unsatisfactory, and in the reception classes it is never less than satisfactory. The teaching of English and mathematics is particularly strong, although even here two unsatisfactory lessons were seen in Year 1. This was due in one lesson to lack of subject focus, which meant pupils gained very little new knowledge, and, in another lesson, a protracted session on the mat causing pupils to lose interest. Planning is good in English and mathematics; it is firmly based on guidance from the national strategies and ensures that pupils’ skills are developed sequentially. High expectations lead to a good level of challenge for high attaining pupils while maintaining a supportive

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

environment for pupils with special educational needs. Some lessons, but particularly those in Year 2, are presented in an interesting and stimulating manner to which pupils respond with high levels of interest and enthusiasm. The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught in all classrooms. Good assessment and record keeping in English ensures that teachers track pupils’ levels of attainment well. In English, teachers ask good focussed questions during lessons to ascertain pupils’ understanding and to clarify explanations. This enables pupils to gain new knowledge and skills. In mathematics pupils are encouraged to suggest answers to problems and explain how they have thought them through which develops their understanding and requires intellectual effort on their part. Calcot Infant School - 13 22. Teaching is satisfactory and sometimes good in all other subjects with much of the good teaching seen in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Year 2. Planning in these subjects is less rigorous and not always clearly focussed on subject specific learning. There is some lack of clarification in teachers’ interpretation of the newly adopted Qualification and Curriculum Authority’s schemes of work. Where teachers are not so experienced or confident, this lack of sharp focus on key objectives for learning leads to lessons which lack challenge and teaching which occasionally falls into the unsatisfactory category. There is often little variation in what has been planned or provided for pupils who have different learning needs.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Good teamwork between the class teachers, special educational needs co-ordinator and support staff ensures those pupils with special educational needs make good progress. All staff are clear about their needs and make good provision for them in lessons. Pupils who have English as an additional language are competent in English and do not need additional support.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Classrooms are well organised and resources are well prepared. Bright stimulating displays enhance the environment and there is an air of purposeful activity throughout the school. In most lessons teachers ‘ enthusiasm and lively, brisk manner engages pupils. In these lessons pupils sustain good levels of interest, keep up a good work pace and are well motivated to learn. The management of pupils is mostly good. In almost all classes, clear expectations are set for behaviour and reinforced positively. Relationships are good and mutual respect is promoted well. In the few lessons where teaching is unsatisfactory, however, behaviour sometimes deteriorates.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

25. The curriculum planned for children under the age of five is satisfactory, it appropriately includes all the areas of learning. The opportunities provided effectively promote the pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills so that they are ready to move on as full-time pupils of the reception classes.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

26. The provision for the rest of the school meets statutory requirements for the National Curriculum and religious education well. The quality and range of learning opportunities is good. The school has a good, broadly based and balanced curriculum, which reflects the aims of the school and this is a similar finding to the last inspection. Planning combines work in topics, where many different areas of the curriculum are taught, and work in separate subjects. The development of literacy and of numeracy is satisfactorily supported, both in separate lessons and in work across the curriculum. The strategies for teaching the skills of literacy and numeracy are good and are reflected in the good achievements of the pupils. Due attention is given to pupils’ personal development. Sex education is not formally taught but the school has a good personal, social and health education programme with links to its work in science.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

27. All pupils have equal access to the curriculum and the opportunities offered by the school. There are no groups of pupils whose performance differs significantly from the norm for the school.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

28. There is particularly good provision for pupils who have special educational needs and pupils benefit from sensitive teaching and consistent support and this is an improvement since the last inspection when provision was satisfactory. The Code of Practice is being followed well. Programmes of work in individual education plans define the work to be done and the targets for improvement are clear and assessable. Regular reviews are undertaken to assess progress. The school ensures that all pupils have equality of access and every opportunity to succeed. There are no extra-curricular clubs but provision is made within the school day for older pupils to participate in a range of extra activities, such as music, dance, art and technology.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

29. The school has schemes of work for all subjects. It is currently reviewing some schemes as it incorporates the new Qualifications and Curriculum Authority schemes of work into existing programmes. The curriculum is planned well and teachers ensure that the work they do is carefully linked to the requirements of the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. The school plans for progression in the work and ensures that activities are interesting for the children. Pupils take books home to read each day and this encourages the development of reading. Members of the community coming into school to talk to the pupils enhance their understanding of history and of different cultures. Pupils also visit museums and local places of worship. Calcot Infant School - 14 30. Good relationships exist with the local junior school. The two headteachers meet together every half term

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

to discuss issues of interest to both schools. Records and examples of work are passed on to the junior school. Every effort is made to ensure the transition of pupils from infants to juniors is as comfortable as possible, both for the pupils and the teachers. Junior teachers come to meet the children they will be teaching in the next school year, talk to them about the junior school and see some of the work they have been doing. The practice of bringing with them some Year 3 pupils, who had transferred in the previous year, to talk about the things they have been doing, has been found to be particularly helpful. The help given by the Year 6 junior pupils on Sports Days is much appreciated.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

31. The school’s provision for pupils’ moral and social development is good and for their spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

32. Spiritual development is effectively promoted within the curriculum by the ways in which teachers give pupils time to think about the work they have been doing, to wonder about the passage of time and the changes it can bring about and to reflect on stories they have heard. For example, pupils are beginning to understand how human beings grow and develop by studying photographs of themselves as babies, toddlers and, now, school children. They consider long journeys people have made because they had faith in God. The school meets legal requirements to provide a daily act of collective worship. Pupils attend quietly in assemblies and take part in the collective worship, listening and sometimes joining in a prayer. However, they have too few opportunities for quiet reflection of their own during collective worship.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

33. The school places a strong emphasis on developing a sense of right and wrong and pupils respond well. Adults are good role models. Pupils see them helping children who need support and caring for those who are hurt. They do the same. They respond with concern to people who come to talk to them about children in need and, through their parents and carers, engage in fundraising. They have discussed feelings and issues of bullying and have produced colourful posters illustrating the right way and the wrong way to behave.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

34. Pupils’ social development is good. From the youngest age pupils work well together, sharing materials and taking small responsibilities within the classroom. They are welcoming to visitors. They hold doors open and speak politely when addressed. They are very ready to show their work and explain what they are doing. In the lunch hour they behave properly when dining, waiting their turn to select a meal and speaking together quietly. The discussions they have in school, the visitors to the school and the outside visits made by pupils, enhance their social development because they are gaining a good knowledge of the world in which they live.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

35. The curriculum contributes satisfactorily to pupils’ cultural development, particularly through religious education and the festivals, which are celebrated at various times in the year. Pupils listen to music when they enter the hall for assemblies enjoy singing the traditional songs and nursery rhymes and have opportunities to sing with others in the choir. Some children learn to play the recorder. Pupils study and copy the paintings of well-known artists such as Monet. They have looked at puppets and seen a shadow puppet show produced by a theatre company. Resources are well used for attractive displays celebrating, for example, the Chinese New Year, and its activities. Pupils enjoy drawing and painting pictures about other countries, but sometimes portrayals are rather stereotypical.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school provides a high standard of care for its pupils and this is an improvement since the last inspection. The staff are genuinely concerned about the pupils’ wellbeing and they provide both personal and academic help when they need it. The school has a strong sense of community and it is an emotionally secure environment within which pupils can feel respected and valued. Outside professionals, such as the school nurse, are used well to support the school’s own provision. This support is provided sensitively and pervades the work of the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Appropriate steps have been taken to ensure that the school provides a safe environment. All required safety tests are carried out and safe practice was seen in all lessons observed during the inspection. Staff Calcot Infant School - 15 are aware of their responsibilities under local child protection guidelines, and the school is working very well to fulfil its responsibilities, liaising appropriately with social services. This is very good.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The school has all necessary monitoring and recording procedures in place. There are good procedures in place for monitoring attendance, staff and pupils are clear about the school’s approach to promoting good behaviour and the anti-bullying policy is appropriate.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The school has good procedures in place for assessing what pupils know on a regular basis and this is similar to the last inspection. However not all of the assessments are dated or give the standard achieved and this affects their usefulness in charting pupil progress. The school carries out useful assessments in the foundation subjects. Baseline assessments are used well to identify high and low attainers and provide appropriately for them. Good use is made of assessment in English and mathematics to provide work for pupils of differing ability. Assessment is not used well in other subjects to provide work for pupils of differing ability and this means that not all pupils make the progress of which they are capable. All teachers complete weekly evaluations of their work, some of which are lengthy and informative. This is time consuming. The school needs to evaluate this in terms of how it ensures that work is clearly targeted

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

at the differing needs of pupils across the curriculum.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school effectively gives personal and educational support to its pupils and this makes a good contribution to raising achievement in the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. Only a small proportion of parents completed the Parents’ Questionnaire or attended the meeting with the Registered Inspector. It is therefore impossible to reach a statistically valid evaluation of the parents’ satisfaction with the school. However, based on the limited sample available, parents appear to hold a positive view of the school. They believe strongly that their children like school, that teaching is good, and that they themselves could approach the school with problems. They agree the school expects children to work hard and is well led. In three areas parents are somewhat lukewarm in their support, only “tending to agree” that the school is doing a good job in terms of children’s progress, supporting good behaviour, and helping children mature. There is a minority of parents who are concerned about homework, a lack of extra curricular activities, the quality of information to parents and whether the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

school is working closely enough with parents. In general, inspection findings suggest that parents perhaps have overly high expectations in some areas. Homework provision is actually good for an infant school. Extra curricular activities however are light,

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Overall, parents are provided with satisfactory information about the school. Both the prospectus and the annual governors’ report to parents are readable documents that give a good picture of the school. There are regular newsletters to keep parents in touch with the life of the school. The written reports on pupils’ progress, sent to parents in the summer term, are satisfactory, with a useful shorter document sent to parents in the other two terms. This level of provision is better than many schools. The full reports contain sufficient details of pupils’ attainment and personal development. Some parents would appreciate more information on a regular basis about what is being taught and this communication could be improved.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. The involvement parents have with the school is good. Most parents assist their children’s learning through support at home for reading and more formal homework. The school has provided home link books to encourage parental involvement and these are used as a two-way means of communication with many parents. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are involved well in the reviews of progress and contribute to the setting of targets for these pupils. The majority of parents have signed the home school agreement, although there are no discernible effects from this initiative. The school, through regular questionnaires, seeks parents’ views, which represents a useful link between home and school. A good number of parents help in school on a voluntary basis, and they are briefed and deployed well by teachers to support children’s learning. The school values their help. There is an active Parents’

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Association run jointly with the junior school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The quality of the school’s partnership with parents has been maintained since the last inspection. Calcot Infant School - 16

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. Overall the leadership and management of the school is good. All issues raised in the last inspection have been successfully dealt with through the implementation of the school’s subsequent action plan. The school has maintained the quality of its teaching and improved the quality of learning. There is now a good school development plan in place with clear priorities and appropriate whole school targets. There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs and pupils in parallel classes are ensured equality of provision through the year group planning. The most significant achievement has been to raise pupils’ standards of attainment in English, mathematics and science. The head teacher, governors and staff have very successfully moved the school forward since the last inspection and it is well placed to continue its improvement.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The head teacher provides good educational direction for the work of the school. She has a clear vision that is well rooted in raising standards within a supportive and caring environment. This reflects the school’s aims very well. She has ensured that subject co-ordinators have clear, delegated responsibilities and give clear, very effective support to their colleagues although some are less effective in supporting the development of their subjects. All staff share a commitment to continued improvement. The head teacher, who is the special educational needs co-ordinator, is very effective in monitoring the needs of pupils with special educational needs and in managing their support. There is a good, effective management structure in place comprising several layers covering management and curricular development. The governors effectively fulfil their responsibilities. They meet regularly and work effectively through a number of

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

committees who report back, at termly meetings, to the full governing body on their involvement in the work of the school. As well as a nucleus of governors of long standing, the school has a large number of newly appointed governors. All are committed to fulfilling an effective role within the governing body and some have already taken on responsibility for areas such as special educational needs, language and literacy and numeracy. Governors are fully aware of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and support the school well in addressing these. They need to further develop their role in shaping the direction of the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The school development plan is a good working document and the driving force for all major initiatives. The plan clearly identifies priorities and includes detailed information on the process involved in the areas for development. There are annual review meetings with all staff and governors to discuss their success in meeting targets. Professional development, through the appraisal process, is linked well to the school’s priorities. The governors, through the finance committee, agree the priorities for the school and effectively link costings to the budget.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. There is good monitoring of teaching and curriculum development both by the head teacher, deputy head teacher and mathematics co-ordinator. Recent monitoring has effectively focussed on classroom observations of the introduction of the literacy and numeracy strategies and there is well-documented evidence to support this. Good financial planning and an appropriate allocation of non-contact time fully supports this system. All monitoring work is documented thoroughly and systematically. The school now needs to identify key areas for improvement with staff in order to improve teaching and learning further. The school has clearly identified priorities for development that are appropriate to the school’s needs. There is a strong whole school commitment to improvement and the school’s success.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The school has a very good ethos. It reflects the school’s commitment to high achievement and equality of opportunity whilst providing a purposeful and stimulating environment in which pupils can flourish.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The school’s budget planning is secure and monitored well by the head teacher and governing body finance committee. Decisions on spending relate closely to the school’s identified priorities for school improvement and benefits all pupils. The school has secured improvements in the playgrounds, staffing levels and literacy hour materials. The principles of best value are assured through the systems in place and there is a good ratio between the standards achieved by the pupils and the costs incurred. However, the school has a very large under-spend with no clearly defined long-term view of its management and this Calcot Infant School - 17 is a weakness. The school’s information technology software is used effectively to provide the head teacher and governing body with information on any aspect of the school’s financial position but there is still a significant amount of manual administration in place.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The school has good staff/pupil ratios and relevant subject expertise. Procedures for staff appraisal and professional development are good. The management and deployment of staff training is part of some very good forward planning and closely linked to the school development plan. Very good mentoring procedures help the induction of new staff as well as playing a positive role in classroom appraisal. Support staffing levels are high, they are well qualified, keen to attend all relevant courses and make a significant contribution to many areas of the curriculum, especially working with pupils with special educational needs 52. The accommodation is good. It is spacious and classrooms are well arranged by teachers to enhance learning, especially by the use of display, resourcing arrangements and the use of shared teaching spaces. Recent work has improved the décor of the school and provided stimulating play areas for the younger

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

pupils. The library is well resourced and conducive to learning. However, the older pupils are isolated from this area and this limits the opportunity to develop independent research skills. Additional classroom space is used for small group work and the good levels of subject resources are well organised and accessible.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to improve further, the headteacher, staff and governors need to:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve the match of work to pupils of differing prior attainment particularly in science, history and geography to enable pupils to make better progress. (Paragraphs: 22, 39, 78, 92, 97, 98, 109)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve the quality of teaching in Year 1 so that best practice is extended across the school. (Paragraphs: 21, 68, 78, 92, 97)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition, the minor weaknesses mentioned in the following paragraphs should be considered by the school: (Paragraphs: 20, 50 58, 59, 78, 97) Calcot Infant School - 18

p.17

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 23

p.18

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

2 12 40 38 8 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery Y[R] – Y[2]

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 193

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 21 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Y[R] – Y[2]

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 4 31

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 18 Calcot Infant School - 19 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 7

p.18

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 50 49 99

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Boys 47 45 47 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 45 45 46

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Percentage of pupils School 93 91 94 at NC level 2 or above National 82 83 87

p.19

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 47 49 50 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 44 48 44

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 92 98 95 At NC level 2 or above National 82 86 87

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

No of pupils Fixed period Permanent Calcot Infant School - 20 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.20

Qualified teachers and classes: Y[R] – Y[2]

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8 Financial year 98/99

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Qualified teachers and classes: Y[R] – Y[2]

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17.6

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Qualified teachers and classes: Y[R] – Y[2]

Education support staff: Y[R] – Y[2] Total expenditure 413540

p.20

Qualified teachers and classes: Y[R] – Y[2]

Total number of education support staff 8 Expenditure per pupil 1648

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Qualified teachers and classes: Y[R] – Y[2]

Total aggregate hours worked per week 137 Balance brought forward from previous year

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Qualified teachers and classes: Y[R] – Y[2]

Balance carried forward to next year 36850

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Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE)

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Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.3

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Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

Total number of education support staff Calcot Infant School - 21 Total aggregate hours worked per week

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Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

Number of pupils per FTE adult 15.2 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 41 55 4 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 43 55 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 32 45 9 2 13

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 45 39 14 0 2

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 59 38 4 0 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 46 45 5 0 4

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 38 41 16 0 5

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 48 48 4 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 43 54 0 0 4

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 16 36 21 4 23

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Other issues raised by parents

• More information on progress in the nursery. • Provision of extra-curricular activities • Closer links with the school

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

53. Most children enter the school at the age of four, with a few three-year-olds if space permits. Many have had some experience of working with other children by attending local playgroups. The children enter the nursery class on a part-time basis, mostly for two terms. There is a morning class and an afternoon class. In addition, a class for older children who are not yet five, has been opened in the main school, as a part- time rising fives class. When they become five, they will move to the reception classes and attend full- time. There are two teachers who job-share in the nursery and a newly appointed teacher in the rising fives class

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

54. Children’s attainment on entry to the nursery is broadly average. The children make sound progress. By the time they are five, most have reached the recommended learning outcomes in language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative and physical development. They exceed the expected level in their personal and social development. Teachers and support staff in each class work well together. They monitor children’s progress carefully and plan work, which is interesting for them. Children who have special educational needs make good progress due to the help and support they receive. Similar to the last inspection, the teaching in the nursery is satisfactory and good in the under-fives class.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. The personal and social skills of the children in the nursery and as rising fives are good and exceed the recommended learning outcomes for five-year-olds. They make good progress in this area of learning. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection. They relate well to other children and to the adults who work with them. They are polite to visitors and, in the rising fives class, search to find an appropriate badge in their office for a visitor to wear. They clearly enjoy coming to school and have good attitudes to learning. New entrants settle in happily with even the youngest nursery children showing that they can work on their own or in groups, sharing materials and equipment. Most can manage to undress and dress themselves when changing for physical education lessons. At the end of each session children competently tidy away equipment. They behave well and know the difference between right and wrong. The teaching is

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

good. Classrooms are well organised and managed in order to enable children to develop personal and social skills.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

56. Language and literacy standards are, overall, at the level expected for the children’s age and they make satisfactory progress. The skills of listening are developing well and children in all three classes speak to adults and one another very readily. Some children express themselves clearly but, overall, listening is better developed than speaking. The children enjoy listening to stories and rhymes and to the sound of a word; finding another which rhymes with it. All enjoy books and handle them with care. From an early age they understand that print as well as pictures carry meaning. By the time they reach rising fives they have a good grasp of letter sounds and can recognise some individual words. Some older children are able to read a small book unaided and to answer questions about the story. Younger children make their first attempts at writing in the nursery, showing increasing control as they get older, writing lists or an account

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

of the things they have been doing. Children enjoy singing rhymes and sometimes this helps with their enjoyment of mathematics. In their language and literacy development, children make sound progress. In the rising fives class, the teaching is good. The teacher makes good use of skilful questioning and careful teaching to develop understanding. She has good subject knowledge. In the nursery, the teaching is Calcot Infant School - 23 satisfactory. Teachers provide sound opportunities to develop literacy skills through the reading, writing and listening activities on offer and children’s interactions with adults. However the classroom environment is not used well to celebrate the children’s developing literacy skills

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. Children make sound progress in their mathematical development and standards of attainment are at the level expected for their age. Many can recognise numbers up to ten and some can count sets of objects, showing an understanding of “more” when adding on. Younger children know that some shapes are round and some are long. Older children are able to name them correctly. Children sort objects and count them, as when a nursery group did stocktaking of their shop. They can count numbers in sequence, sometimes in singing rhymes. When using sand and water they know that containers can be of different weights as they fill and empty them. The teaching is good. Teachers in the nursery use a variety of interesting activities to encourage counting and in the rising five-class work is well matched to children’s ability levels enabling them to make good progress.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. Children are developing a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the world around them and meet the recommended learning outcomes by the time they are five. They are increasing their understanding of how to use computers. Many children successfully use the mouse and keyboard to move through the pages of a program or to ‘dress the Teddy’. Older children have been thinking about how they, themselves, have changed by studying photographs of themselves as babies, toddlers and as they are now. Children in the nursery have planted bulbs for the spring. In this wide-ranging area of their work the children are making sound progress. Teachers use a good balance of activities to enable the children to explore the world around them but there is scope for more problem-solving and investigative work, particularly in the nursery.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59. Children’s physical development is at the expected level. In the nursery and rising fives class children learn to handle tools competently and confidently and are developing their fine motor control satisfactorily. They move confidently around the hall during movement lessons, with an increasing awareness of space and of the different movements they can make with their bodies. Nearly all can travel forwards and backwards with different speeds and in different ways, stopping quickly with control. In this kind of lesson some of the younger pupils demonstrated good progress. In all of these ways children are successfully developing increasing control and co-ordination. The teaching of planned lessons in the hall is very good, well planned and managed. However, too often the outdoor area is not well used to develop pupils’ physical skills systematically and this important area of nursery provision is not consistently

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. Creative development is at the expected level for the age of the children. They produce bright and colourful pictures. They use their mathematical knowledge when they make pictures from shapes of coloured paper and a range of different materials. In selecting materials to use, nursery children considered colours and textures as they assembled and secured them to produce bright pictures. All the children enjoy singing. In the rising fives class children particularly enjoy singing rhymes and action songs, sometimes making their own rules about which actions to leave out and in which parts there will be actions without song. The progress pupils make in this area of their development is sound. Teachers provide good opportunities for the children to develop their imagination through art, craft and musical activities.

p.23

ENGLISH

61. Attainment in English has improved since the last inspection. In the national tests for seven-year-olds in 1999 the proportion of pupils reaching the average level 2 in reading was well above average and the proportion reaching the higher level 3 was above average. When compared with similar schools pupils’ performance is above average. Results in writing were well above the national average at the expected level 2, but below average at the higher level 3. When compared with similar schools pupils’ performance is average. There are no significant gender variations.

p.23

ENGLISH

62. The inspection findings show pupils’ attainment in reading and writing to be above expectations by the end of the key stage, although writing remains lower than reading. Progress is good overall but pupils make better progress in Year 2 and this is related to the consistently good or very good teaching they receive. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress through the good level of support they Calcot Infant School - 24 receive.

p.23

ENGLISH

63. Standards in speaking and listening are good. Pupils enter school with satisfactory speaking and listening skills and all pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in developing them through a variety of class and school activities. Throughout the school they listen well to their teachers and each other during whole class and group sessions. Pupils in Year 1 respond to teacher questioning on the story of the Gingerbread Man clearly and confidently. Most answer in sentences relevant to the subject matter. By Year 2, they confidently answer questions on the themes and characters in stories. Most pupils can adapt their talk to the required purpose and listen with good levels of concentration. In group sessions in the literacy hour they discuss their work carefully and share their ideas with each other.

p.24

ENGLISH

64. Standards in reading are above average by the end of the key stage. Pupils make a good start to reading in the reception classes. They enjoy reading books and know that print carries meaning. They make sound progress in Year 1. By Year 2 the higher attaining pupils read confidently and with a good level of accuracy. They recount enthusiastically the content of the stories they have read and are keen to explain who their favourite authors are. For example, they find Roald Dahl’s books’ funny, particularly the strange things that are put into the medicine in “George’s Marvellous Medicine”. They distinguish between fact and fiction and know how to use contents and index pages appropriately. They read and extract information appropriately from non-fiction books. Lower attaining pupils read appropriately at their level using their phonic skills well. They talk about their favourite characters and many enjoy the

p.24

ENGLISH

humour of the stories in the reading scheme.

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ENGLISH

65. Pupils achieve good standards in writing. They make sound and sometimes good progress as they move through the school. They make good progress in Year 2. Evidence from pupil’s work shows steady gains in their writing in reception and Year 1 both in terms of accuracy and quality of writing. In Year 2 pupils further develop their writing through a variety of activities such as poems, writing instructions, stories and comprehension activities. By the end of the key stage, the higher attaining pupils write imaginative stories using capital letters and full stops. Some make good and vivid vocabulary choices. For example, in one book a pupil had written, as part of her story, “This is scary shivered Henny Penny”. The school places appropriate emphasis on the development of handwriting skills through regular practice and by Year 2 handwriting is joined and letters are well formed and consistent in size. Standards of handwriting and

p.24

ENGLISH

presentation are good throughout the school and this is an improvement since the last inspection.

p.24

ENGLISH

66. Pupils have spellings to learn on a regular basis and, as a result of this, and a good focus on spelling within the literacy hour, most pupils spell well for their age. Standards in literacy are good and literacy skills are used appropriately across the curriculum, although due to some restrictions in the time spent on foundation subjects, such as history and geography there are fewer opportunities for extended writing in these areas. However, pupils in Year 2 use their literacy skills to accurately record factual information on the life of Mary Seacole. Information technology is used satisfactorily to word process information such as pupils’ New Year’s Resolutions.

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ENGLISH

67. Pupils enjoy their work in English and their response is almost always good. They listen well in lessons and are keen to take part or answer questions on the lesson content. They stay on task extremely well and are keen to complete their work accurately. Behaviour in lessons is good and there are good relationships with their teachers and each other.

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ENGLISH

68. The quality of teaching in English is good overall but it varies between unsatisfactory and very good. The quality of teaching in Year 2 is consistently good or very good. All teachers have secure subject knowledge and use the National Literacy Strategy well in order to provide work at appropriate levels for pupils who learn at different rates. This is an improvement since the last inspection when there was insufficient provision for this. Teachers plan lessons well and questioning is used effectively to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Lessons generally have a brisk pace and learning resources are used well to support the lesson content. In all lessons pupils are managed well and this contributes effectively to their learning. In the very good lesson seen in Year 2 the teacher provided a good level of challenge and inspiration, basic skills were very well taught and the lesson was presented in an interesting

p.24

ENGLISH

and stimulating manner to which the pupils responded with great enthusiasm and high levels of concentration. Where teaching is unsatisfactory in Year 1, there is limited questioning to extend skills, Calcot Infant School - 25 the whole class sessions last too long, pupils become fidgety and there is a lack of pace overall. Teachers, in general, do not celebrate pupils writing well through displaying examples of good work so models of good writing are not identified or recognised. Marking is generally sound although variable across the school and rarely sets targets for improvements that are shared with pupils. Parents make a good contribution to pupils’ developing reading and writing skills through an effective homework partnership.

p.24

ENGLISH

69. The curriculum for English is based on the National Literacy Strategy, which the school has very successfully implemented. There are good procedures in place for assessment and the school charts pupil’s progress over time well. There is a good portfolio of moderated work, which has been agreed by the whole staff, and this is very useful in identifying levels of attainment in writing.

p.25

ENGLISH

70. The co-ordinator has very successfully assisted staff in implementing the literacy hour and has ensured it is effectively in place. She has effectively monitored the implementation of the literacy hour but, as yet, has not shared specific targets for improvement with individual teachers as a result of monitoring. There are good resources to support literacy and a good level of texts for guided reading sessions. There is a small library within the school, which contains an appropriate number of books. However, this is not well sited for access by the Year 2 pupils and is underused by them except for timetabled sessions. The school has set targets to improve standards in writing across the school. As a result Year 2 pupils have regular opportunities for extended writing. Additionally all staff are due to receive in service training on the development of writing. Regular book weeks are used effectively to promote reading within the school.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

71. In the 1999 end of Key Stage 1 National Curriculum tests, pupils’ performance was well above the national average in the number reaching the national standard, level 2 or above, and for those pupils reaching the higher level, level 3. Over the four-year period, 1996 to 1999, the school’s performance in mathematics has improved steadily, with no significant differences in the achievements of boys and girls. In comparison with the results achieved in schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, pupils’ performance in the tests was well above average. Teachers’ own assessments closely match the test results. Since the last inspection standards have improved. The school has made good progress in raising and maintaining high standards.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

72. The evidence of schoolwork seen during the inspection shows that by the end of the key stage pupils are performing well above expectations. Pupils are confident in handling numbers and can recognise patterns. As an example, within a square with numbers in rows of ten up to 100, most pupils confidently add and subtract one digit and two digit numbers. They have a very good understanding of addition and subtraction and successfully multiply given numbers by 2,3,4,5 and 10. They are able to double numbers and identify those, which are odd and even. Older pupils know how to add and subtract money to one pound and how to work out the change. By the time pupils reach the older classes, the majority have a good understanding of place value to three figures. In other areas of mathematics, pupils of this age, successfully identify two and three-dimensional shapes and can find the line of symmetry. They measure carefully large and small

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MATHEMATICS

objects, such as a table or a hand, and in doing so use both standard and non-standard units. Many are able to estimate quite accurately and then check results to see if they were right. They collect data and interpret it. Pupils measured and recorded the size of hand spans in class looking to see the broadest and narrowest. As they move through the school, pupils learn to tell the time, progressing to reading the quarters as they reach the older classes. Pupils use their knowledge of mathematics in their work in some other subjects, such as design and technology. This is not consistent, however, across all subjects.

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MATHEMATICS

73. The quality of teaching is good, overall, though satisfactory in Year 1. Only one unsatisfactory lesson was seen. The teaching is sometimes excellent in Year 2. Overall this is an improvement since the last inspection. Pupils of all abilities make good progress in mathematics, particularly in their number work. Pupils with special educational needs also progress well because they are well supported in the school by class teachers, specialist teachers and educational support staff. Pupils enjoy their mathematics work. They respond positively, particularly when the teaching is interesting and challenging, as it usually is. They listen attentively to the teacher and to one another and most are eager to suggest possible answers to problems and to describe how they have thought them through. It is indicative of the good relationships in class and pupils’ good personal development that no one minds if the answer is wrong, but use it to take

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MATHEMATICS

the discussion further. Teachers’ management skills are nearly always very good and they have high Calcot Infant School - 26 expectations that their pupils will understand and achieve. Lessons are well planned, with teachers identifying what they intend pupils of different abilities in mathematics to learn. This helps them when they assess achievement. The best lessons move at a good pace, with pupils eagerly practising their mathematical skills, discussing together problems posed by the teacher and increasing their knowledge and understanding. The basic skills are well taught and the teaching methods used are very effective.

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MATHEMATICS

74. The successful introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy into the school and the careful monitoring by the subject co-ordinator, through classroom observation and scrutiny of planning, have been significant and positive factors in pupils’ very good achievements.

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SCIENCE

75. Teacher assessments in 1999 show pupils' attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 to be well above the national average. There is no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls. The school achieves very well compared with similar schools, based on the number of pupils having free school meals. Attainment in science was judged to be average in the last inspection. The school has made good progress in raising and maintaining standards since then.

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SCIENCE

76. The evidence from work seen during the inspection shows that pupils are performing above expectations in Year 2. Attainment is sound in the early part of Key Stage 1. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. In Year 1 pupils learn about the characteristics and uses of a range of common materials such as paper. Most are able to describe the materials and the higher attaining pupils describe similarities in their characteristics. Year 2 pupils have a good understanding of food groups and their technical names and they associate these with the need for a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. They observe changes in materials, such as ice melting, and the higher attaining pupils effectively predict the outcome and describe the results of their experiments .whilst lower attaining pupils devise simple charts to explain their work Most have a good understanding of light sources and sounds as signals

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SCIENCE

77. Pupils have good attitudes to their work in science They are interested in their lessons and are keen to answer questions in whole class sessions. They settle well to their group activities and stay on task well to complete them. Pupils are confident to answer, as they know their response will be valued.

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SCIENCE

78. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. However, lessons in Year 2 have many good features. Good teacher knowledge and questioning is used to extend thinking and pupils are beginning to give their opinions regarding the correct food to eat. Teachers at this stage create a positive atmosphere, which promotes discussion and the sharing of ideas. Good progress is made in the use of correct scientific vocabulary. Early work in Year 2 gives pupils good opportunities for predicting and describing the effects of heat on ice cubes. Some lessons in Year 1 do not have the correct balance between teacher-directed tasks and pupil-led investigations, resulting in a lack of pace and challenge, and uneven standards. This is a similar finding to the last inspection when too few opportunities were provided for pupils to initiate and plan their own investigations. Work is not always sufficiently planned to cater for the wide age-range,

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SCIENCE

some of the more able pupils in classes are not sufficiently challenged with specific tasks and questions. All teachers consistently manage their pupils well and lessons provide very good opportunities for discussion. Extended whole-class sessions in some lessons results in a minority of pupils losing concentration and the pace of the lesson is affected. Work in pupils’ books does not reflect the suggested time allocation for science. New, long-term plans are effective in itemising the relevant National Curriculum Programmes of Study and this ensures good breadth and balance throughout the school. However, teachers have yet to prioritise relevant and progressive tasks within the new framework for planning and there are issues of effective use of time within lessons which need to be addressed.

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SCIENCE

79. There are effective procedures for the co-ordination of the subject and present curriculum monitoring is sound.

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ART

80. Standards of attainment in art by the end of the key stage are at the expected level for pupils’ ages

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ART

81. Pupils have experience of an appropriate range of media. They work effectively with paint, crayons, pencil Calcot Infant School - 27 and clay and sometimes produce pictures or free standing models using recycled materials. Pupils’ experiences include drawing, printing, collage, modelling, computer-generated artwork and copying the work of other artists.

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ART

82. Levels of attainment and confidence in using different media increase satisfactorily as pupils move through the school. Pupils select and mix paints and work with strong, bold strokes on patterns and figures. They produce lively pictures. A delightful example of this was pupils’ paintings of themselves in action, playing with a doll or working at a computer. The figures were well proportioned and the movement confidently expressed by the brushwork. Pupils work with clay, as when making a Gingerbread man or frogs and patterned snakes from a story, shows that they manipulate the medium well and tackle difficult procedures, such as extending ‘limbs’. Pupils have experience of drawing portraits, often of their friends, and of other close observational work, but skills do not reach a high level in this aspect of the art curriculum. They have studied something of the work of other artists and have successfully produced

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ART

colourful paintings in the style of Monet.

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ART

83. Teachers teach the subject well and pupils respond eagerly in lessons, persevering and evaluating their work as it progresses. The work with clay is well organised and the skills carefully taught. Pupils particularly enjoy this medium and it is one of the extra activities which Year 2 pupils may choose during the week. Teachers’ organisation and management of art activities are good and they have good knowledge of the subject. The school provides a reasonably balanced curriculum. However, the activities chosen link more to the class topic than to a systematic development of skills throughout the school. Nevertheless, pupils make satisfactory progress. Pupils who have special educational needs and especially those who have problems with motor control are very well supported and progress well.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

84. Only two lessons were seen during the inspection however, evidence from this together with a scrutiny of work and teachers’ planning indicates that pupils achieve above the expected standards by the end of the key stage and make good progress. Pupils with special educational needs make good gains in their learning and enjoy this area of the curriculum. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection and the school has done well to maintain this due to the many demands made on the curriculum in terms of literacy and numeracy provision.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

85. Pupils in Year 1 carefully select their resources in order to construct a bridge. They use a variety of materials and methods in order to create stable structures and some clearly explain their methods and why they chose particular materials. They measure, mark out, cut and shape the materials, some accurately cutting string to the same length. They use glue and masking tape appropriately to join materials. They follow the teacher’s instructions on the sensible use of tools. They make good use of the information gained from books to generate ideas for their own designs, for example, one pupil based his bridge on Tower Bridge in London.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

86. In Year 2, pupils design and make T-shirts. They accurately write a description of the process. Most learn to develop their design ideas well, use paper patterns and carry out sewing techniques in order to assemble the T-shirt. Some good examples of this work is on display in the school. They learn about how simple mechanisms in moving vehicles work and enthusiastically discuss parts such as the bonnet, dipstick, windscreen wipers and axle. They design their own vehicles by making labelled sketches to show the details of their designs.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

87. In the lessons seen pupils were very keen and well behaved. It is obvious they enjoy their work and are motivated to produce work of good quality. They put effort into their work, behave well and create something worthwhile.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

88. The teaching was good overall. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subject and resources are well chosen to help pupils achieve the aims of the lesson. Discussion is used well to develop pupils’ ideas and skills. Teachers support pupils well and ensure that they are given sufficient time to carry out their work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. The school is now using the Qualification and Curriculum Authority’s scheme of work for design and technology whilst still ensuring that the necessary skills and development in learning are assured. The Calcot Infant School - 28 school is sufficiently ensuring that a proper place is being made in the curriculum for the subject. The co- ordinator effectively monitors teachers’ plans and gives additional support to staff where necessary and termly cross-phase meetings are used well to identify resource needs for the subject. The subject is satisfactorily integrated into other subjects, for example, the work on bridges in Year 1 links to work in English based on the story of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff"

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GEOGRAPHY

90. Standards are in line with those of pupils of the same age by the end of the key stage. The school has maintained appropriate standards since the last inspection. It has successfully maintained the subject in the curriculum, although the more able pupils are not fully stretched. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory gains in their learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

91. Pupils are developing a satisfactory range of geographical skills. In Year 1 they recall fixed objects that they pass on their way to school. They plan a route to an imaginary school using directional skills appropriately. By the end of Year 2 pupils produce base-maps which identify major features of a model village. An understanding of environmental issues and descriptions of the buildings and their functions accompany this. Most pupils recognise a birds-eye view and relate it to a base map. Pupils make appropriate use of information technology to support their work. For example they use “My World Geography Plans” to match plan views.

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GEOGRAPHY

92. Standards of teaching are satisfactory overall. The teaching of geography at the end of the key stage is good, and provides a relevant basis for the development of discrete geographical skills and integrated thematic study. Lessons had map tasks that were suitable for all abilities. Map studies in these lessons make good use of pupils’ interpretations of town planning with good gains in map orientation and knowledge of mathematical shape and proportions. Teaching in Year 1 is unsatisfactory. The balance between teacher talk and pupil investigation is poor and tasks given were completed easily and lacked appropriate challenge.

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GEOGRAPHY

93. A new policy has set a good perspective for geographical study in the school. The newly adopted scheme of work, with relevant task setting, is not presently applied consistently across the school. Pupils are not always developing geographical skills specific to their level of ability, especially at the higher National Curriculum levels of attainment. There is a beginning of a whole-school approach to the monitoring and assessment in geography. However, the absence of lesson by lesson evaluations means that inappropriate teaching and learning is not immediately identified.

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HISTORY

94. Standards are broadly in line with those expected of pupils of the same age, which is similar to judgements made in the last inspection. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress.

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HISTORY

95. Pupils in Year 1 make drawings of old toys and make simple statements about their oldness. They know that Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament a long time ago. In their current work they are identifying common features of homes in order to compare them with features of homes in the past. By Year 2 pupils find out how food has changed over time. They ask their grandparents and parents to complete questionnaires on the food they ate and compare it with what they currently eat. Many are using terms such as “long ago” and “in the olden days” appropriately. They know history is about the past and we can find out about it from books and older people. Some higher attaining pupils are beginning to understand that the development of transport facilitated changes in our diet. Through their study of Mary Seacole they have gained a factual knowledge of famous people from the past. They develop a sense of

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HISTORY

chronology through completing a time line of the life of Guy Fawkes.

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HISTORY

96. Overall the pupils’ response to history lessons is sound. In some lessons they become fidgety and off-task when the lessons do not engage them. They enjoy being involved in discussions and explaining their opinions.

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HISTORY

97. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall but, in Year 1, is occasionally unsatisfactory. Unsatisfactory teaching occurs when the teacher’s knowledge and understanding of the subject is not strong, pupil Calcot Infant School - 29 management is weak and tasks do not challenge pupils. In some lessons good use is made of questionnaires to find out information about the past and resources are used satisfactorily to support the lesson. Lessons tend to be whole class sessions with one main objective. This does not challenge the high attaining pupils or provide support for the less able. In most of the history lessons seen history was allocated a maximum thirty-minute slot before lunchtime, which did not enable the development of ideas or themes appropriately.

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HISTORY

98. The school has recently implemented the Qualification and Curriculum Authority’s scheme of work for history. However, the school does not identify the specific skills to be acquired or build in appropriate extension and support activities to ensure all pupils are sufficiently challenged. The co-ordinator is aware of the issues arising in history and understands they will need to be addressed in order to provide a worthwhile curriculum. Good use is made of the visit to Blake Locks museum to support the history curriculum.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

99. Attainment is in line with national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1 and this is similar to the findings of the last inspection. The subject meets National Curriculum guidelines and statutory requirements. At the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are able to use appropriate programmes to create illustrations for story work and can word process examples of their writing. They use various programmes to make and label objects and to create plans in geography. Very good access to computers improves their lines of inquiry to explore information held on information technology systems. They have sound skills relating to keyboard and control of the mouse. Most pupils can, with help, use information technology to sort, classify and present information with a sound range of word-processing skills. The use of information technology in other subjects is restricted by a lack of planned activities. Although there are

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

good links with the ‘big book’ concept in literacy, computers are used minimally in literacy and numeracy hours and for structured work for pupils with special education needs. Standards are enhanced through the use of role-play and sequencing cards in the early years and by the use of other resources such as video, digital cameras, and control technology using a Roamer.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

100. The school has made satisfactory progress in raising standards in information technology, but these still remain lower than other core subjects. Excellent links with local businesses has resulted in the substantial donation of a large number of computers and the school now has a good pupil to computers ratio. This is an improvement since the last inspection when provision was adequate. The school has adopted a very good policy, which is beginning to impact on standards. Ongoing training is improving staff awareness and confidence in the subject.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

101. Pupils are enthusiastic and eager to learn when teachers plan for the use of information technology. In all sessions they are interested and well behaved and keen to help each other.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

102. In the lessons seen teachers have a sound understanding of National Curriculum requirements and clearly explain to pupils the skills required to save and retrieve their work. Where lessons are planned well pupils are keen to learn and make good progress in developing their skills and competence. However, this is not consistent across the school and teachers inconsistently use information technology to support other areas of the curriculum. Monitoring of pupils’ work is unsatisfactory and makes it difficult for teachers to assess where pupils are at in their learning or support them in achieving higher standards.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

103. Research using CD ROM facilities is unsatisfactory.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

104. The school has a very good development plan to prioritise and raise standards in information technology and curriculum guidelines to aid staff in their planning. Teachers have access to agreed tasks but not always use effective teaching strategies to extend pupils’ information technology skills. Learning opportunities through other subjects is presently unsatisfactory, teachers are not consistently making use of the good range of software to extend technology skills in other subjects.

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MUSIC

105. Standards are in line with those expected of pupils of a similar age and some pupils achieve above Calcot Infant School - 30 expectations. Standards are not quite as high as they were in the last inspection with fewer pupils achieving above the expected level. Provision for music is enhanced by its use in Assemblies, hymn practice, dance and as an aid to learning in some classes.

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MUSIC

106. Pupils sing very well in singing Assembly. They sing a large number of songs from memory and remember the words and melody accurately. Pupils show satisfactory control of the musical elements of dynamics, pitch and tempo and some higher attaining pupils understand the terms.

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MUSIC

107. In Year 1 pupils listen to extracts of music and respond to them in terms of feelings. They listen well and explain why the music makes them happy or sad. For example, some link slow music to sadness, some recognise waltzes which makes them want to dance. By Year 2 pupils use percussion instruments appropriately to create musical effects that simulate weather sounds well. When presenting their weather compositions to the class they perform well as a group with a good sense of audience. In particular, they control the instruments well to produce variations in pitch.

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MUSIC

108. Pupils enjoy the music sessions particularly when it involves playing instruments. They use them sensibly and enjoy performing to the class. Some younger pupils find listening to music for most parts of the lesson difficult and many lose concentration.

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MUSIC

109. The teaching seen was good overall. Where it was good teachers emphasised subject specific vocabulary, developed a good sense of audience and used resources well to meet the lesson objectives. These lessons had a good pace and provided good variety. In the less effective lessons the musical elements were not developed well and there was limited challenge in the activities provided. All teachers undertake some useful assessments of pupils’ achievement.

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MUSIC

110. The co-ordinator for music is well qualified in the subject and has recently produced an appropriate scheme of work to support staff in the delivery of the curriculum. She regularly checks plans to ensure appropriate coverage of the subject but, as yet, has not monitored the work of teachers in the classrooms. Good use is made of whole school productions, choir and recorder clubs to enhance the provision for music and this is similar to the findings of the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

111. By the end of the key stage standards in physical education are high, and above that expected nationally. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection. By the age of seven pupils have good skills in contrasting the shape, speed and levels of their movement in response to spoken and musical stimuli. They are refining sequence work systematically in dance and are practising their movements. Some work in gymnastics is characterised by a lack of reflection and practice, especially to improve quality of body form and movement within a complete sequence of movement.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

112. There have been good recent developments in physical education. Enthusiastic co-ordination of the subject has resulted in a policy that meets the latest curriculum expectations and promotes good learning. There is a good balance of games, gymnastics and dance activities planned in all years and recent initiatives such as ‘Top Sport’ have greatly improved the provision and resources for the subject. Upgrading of equipment means there is now an appropriate infant focus to the delivery of physical education.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

113. The quality of teaching is good. The lessons are well planned and teachers have a good understanding of the skills and concepts to be taught. Lessons have realistic target setting and learning outcomes that are related to the National Curriculum programmes of study. Tasks given to pupils in a year 2 class result in satisfactory progress in developing balances and movement at differing levels on apparatus. However, there is insufficient focus on extending the variety and quality of movement as well as the composition of refined sequences. In the dance lesson seen musical stimulus was used well to aid creativity of response and good development of rhythmic and timed movement. Pupils in this lesson were very enthusiastic to move and inspired by the teacher’s personal involvement in the lesson.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

114. Physical education is well co-ordinated throughout the school. Teachers have access to curriculum guidelines that ensure appropriate lesson content and continuity in learning. his is beginning to have a Calcot Infant School - 31 positive impact on provision and is an improvement since the last inspection. Good monitoring procedures ensure that all elements of the subject are given sufficient emphasis, but there are no extra- curricular activities for pupils to further develop their skills and interests. Resources for the subject are good and have a positive affect on standards. Recent developments have not finalised relevant assessment and recording procedures, and pupils’ progress is not sufficiently targeted and monitored.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

115. At the end of the key stage pupils’ attainments are in line with the expected standards of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. This is deterioration in standards since the last inspection but, overall, the quality of teaching is not as high as in the last inspection and this impacts on standards achieved.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

116. As part of their study of different journeys, pupils have heard the story of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son and have discussed the journey made by Abraham and his family. They are able to recall the details, and older pupils consider why obedience to God is important for many people. The work being done in classrooms links well with the themes for assemblies. Pupils know that the Bible is a special book and contains many stories. They know that churches are Christian places of worship and that people who have other religions also have places of worship. As part of their work pupils have visited the local church, the synagogue and the gurdwara.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

117. Pupils know about and celebrate the major festivals, such as Christmas, Easter, Eid and Divali. They have learned about the festival of Hanukkah, and a member of the Jewish community has been into school to talk to them about why and how it is celebrated. From time to time other members of the community, such as the vicar of St Birinus, have taken part in assemblies with the children. Children have enjoyed the Christmas celebrations and presenting the Nativity story. In one delightful piece of writing a child wrote about his journey as the donkey.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

118. The quality of teaching is sometimes good and never less than sound. Teachers follow thoroughly the school’s scheme of work, which interprets the locally agreed syllabus. The discussions are managed well and pupils enter into the feelings of others. Teachers enter into discussion about moral and religious issues, including others’ beliefs, at a level suitable for pupils’ ages. Pupils engage well with the lessons and enjoy their work in class and when the assemblies support it. They enter imaginatively into experiences, which raise questions about people’s reasons for doing things and the effect this sometimes has on others.

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