Setting

Below is the summary of the 2000 report.

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BARNETT WOOD INFANT SCHOOL

The school was inspected by 3 inspectors, led by Dr John Hill. This is a summary of the full inspection report, which is available from the school.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Barnett Wood is a small infant school situated to the west of the village of Ashtead. It serves a mainly local population, although some pupils travel from other nearby districts. The area is mainly residential and acts as part of the commuter belt for London. There are at present 129 pupils on roll with the majority attaining well on entry. There are 30 pupils on the special educational needs register of whom 2 have a statement of special educational needs. There are a few pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds with one pupil having English as an additional language.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Barnett Wood is a very effective school. It achieves very high standards and provides extremely well for pupils of all ages and abilities. Teaching is of a very high standard and the school is exceptionally well led. The school gives very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Attainment in the school is very high. Pupils attain well above national averages in English, mathematics and science. Pupils of all abilities and from all backgrounds achieve very well throughout the school. • Teaching is very good throughout the school and teachers constantly look towards further improvement. • The pupils’ behaviour is excellent. They get on very well both with one another, the teachers and other staff. All adults within the school provide very good role models. • The school is a very caring establishment and caters very well for the personal and academic needs of all its pupils. The school also provides excellent opportunities for pupils to develop their social and moral awareness. • The headteacher provides excellent leadership. She is very well supported by the senior staff and governing body. • The school’s partnership with parents is outstanding. Parents make a substantial contribution to the life

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What the school does well

of the school and are very satisfied with the education their children receive.

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What could be improved

• The school development plan has been successful in determining the action plan following the previous inspection. However, it is now in need of updating to ensure that it has clear procedures for identifying, monitoring and reviewing its aims. 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 last inspection in November 1995 found Barnett Wood to be a good school. Since then the school has continued to improve in many areas. The results in national tests have risen over the last three years and are now of a very high standard. Pupils achieve very highly in English and mathematics and science. This was confirmed by observations during the week of the inspection. New teaching staff have been appointed and are benefiting from working alongside more established teachers. Together they have made a significant contribution to the rise in standards. All key issues previously identified have been effectively met and the school is very well placed to continue improving.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 7 year olds in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

Reading B A A A Well above average above average A B Writing C A A B Average Below average C D Mathematics B A* A* A Well below average E

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Key

*Pupils’ results are very high in comparison with the national average for similar schools.

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Key

The pupils attain very well in national tests. Compared with all other schools they attain well above the national average in reading, and mathematics and above this level in writing. In teacher assessments, pupils attain above what may be expected nationally in science. The percentage of pupils attaining at a higher level than may be expected nationally is also very high compared to the national average in all these subjects. Compared with schools of a similar nature the pupils attain very well in reading and mathematics and well above the national average in writing. In terms of the higher National Curriculum levels, the pupils attain amongst the top 5% nationally in all these subjects as well as in science.

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Key

In terms of average points in national tests there has been a marked improvement in results over the past four years. Here pupils perform well above average in all these areas. There is little difference between boys and girls in the standards that they achieve. Value added data collected from the local education authority also shows that the school is attaining very well in comparison to similar schools within the county. Evidence collected during the week of the inspection both through lesson observations and in the sample of pupil's work confirmed these very high standards. This is especially the case in literacy and numeracy.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils are very keen to learn. They do their best at all times and have excellent attitudes towards school. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour throughout the school is excellent. Pupils mix very well with each other and show respect for all adults in the school. There have been no exclusions during the past year. Personal development and relationships Excellent. Pupils respond very well to the encouragement of the staff and develop a very positive set of values and beliefs. In Year 2 they readily accept a wide range of responsibilities. Attendance Attendance is excellent and pupils enjoy coming to school.

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Aspect Comment

There is a very strong community ethos within the school. Pupils respond very well to the positive and caring atmosphere that surrounds them and feel safe and secure in their relationships with both adults and each other. This is reflected in the good levels of attendance and in the excellent standards of behaviour around the school.

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

Overall the teaching in the school is very good. During the two days of the inspection no teaching was observed to be less than good, with 58% of teaching found to be very good or better and 17% being excellent. Teaching for the children under-five is very good. Teaching throughout Key Stage 1 varies between good and excellent. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is of a very high standard and has a positive impact on pupils’ learning. In all classes teachers capture the attention of the pupils and make sure that they know what is expected of them. They plan exceptionally well and work at a good pace. The teachers know all their pupils very well and understand their individual needs. They make every effort to ensure that pupils of all abilities make the maximum use of their talents and maintain good progress.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Excellent. All subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are effectively provided for. A wide variety of field trips, extra-curricula activities and lunch-time clubs makes a significant contribution to the development of pupils’ knowledge and experience. Provision for pupils with special educational needs The needs of pupils with special educational needs are exceptionally well met. Very careful individual planning enables pupils who have come to the school with limited basic skills to gain much success as they go through the school. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The one pupil who has English as an additional language has made very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development All aspects of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are very well catered for within the school. The very strong community values of the school help pupils to develop an excellent understanding of moral and social values. Very good provision is made for spiritual development and for pupils to appreciate a variety of cultural traditions. How well the school cares for its pupils The school provides excellently for pupils’ academic and personal welfare and safety. Teachers carefully monitor the needs of individual pupils and support them to achieve their best. Systems for monitoring pupils’ personal needs, including child protection are carefully attended to.

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Aspect Comment

The curriculum is broad and balanced and fully meets the needs of all pupils. The school has introduced the national numeracy and literacy strategies very successfully and has integrated them in a very positive way within their own highly successful approaches to these areas. The way the school encourages the pupils to read as widely as possible and the promotion of extended writing in all subject areas is a particular strength of the school. The additional strong emphasis on music, art, technology and sports, both during and outside formal lessons provides pupils with a wider range of experiences than may normally be expected. The curriculum fully meets all statutory requirements. All pupils in the school are very well cared for. The excellent links with parents are very well established and they effectively support systems for monitoring pupils academic and social progress to ensure that the needs of all pupils are fully met.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The school is excellently led and managed. The headteacher and key staff work together to promote high standards and ensure that effective teaching and learning take place. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors fulfil their responsibilities effectively. They meet regularly and have appropriate committees that help oversee the running of the school. They successfully monitor different aspects of school life on a regular basis and fulfil all statutory requirements. The school’s evaluation of its performance The headteacher and staff very effectively oversee the school's performance. Very well established systems are in place to monitor both whole class and year groups and each pupil has individual targets that are regularly re-assessed. The strategic use of resources Resources including those for information technology are very well used

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Aspect Comment

throughout the school and are appropriately linked to the educational priorities outlined in the school development plan. Money is spent wisely for the benefit of all pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The is exceptionally well led. The headteacher has a very clear vision of how the school should be run school and has the full support and confidence of the governors, staff and parents. Governors play a major part in ensuring that the school is run effectively. Systems for planning and monitoring are very well established. Finance, although limited, is very wisely spent, including the application of the principles of best value. Resources including those for information technology are very well used and are kept up to date.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The very high standards that pupils achieve. • The very high quality of teaching throughout the school. • The way the school is led and run. • The 'community ethos' and welcoming atmosphere. • The information provided by the school. • The commitment and hard work of the staff. • The way the school supports the needs of individual pupils. • The wide variety of extra-curricula activities. • A covered area outside the pre-reception classroom for outdoor play.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the very positive comments of the parents. There is indeed a strong community atmosphere and parents are rightly very proud of the school. The addition of a covered area for the pre-reception children would be beneficial to the school.

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OTHER INFORMATION

The governing body is responsible for drawing up an action plan within 40 days of receiving the inspection report, showing how the school will tackle the improvements needed. This action plan will be circulated to all parents at the school.

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OTHER INFORMATION

The contractor appointed by OFSTED for this inspection was [name and address of contractor]. Any comments, concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made to the inspection contractor. Complaints which are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to: The Registrar, The Office for Standards in Education, Alexandra House, 33 Kingsway, London WC2B 6SE.

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OTHER INFORMATION

This document may be freely reproduced in whole or in part, for non-commercial purposes, provided the source and the date are acknowledged.

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