Dropmore Infant School

DROPMORE INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 6 th – 7 th March 2000

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DROPMORE INFANT SCHOOL

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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DROPMORE INFANT 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. Dropmore Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Littleworth Road Dropmore Burnham Buckinghamshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs. C.A. Dymoke-Bradshaw

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 25 th November 1996 Dropmore Infant School - 4

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Team members

Alan W. Perks Registered inspector Keith Ross Lay inspector

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Team members

6 Abbey Close Alcester Warwickshire B49 5QW

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Team members

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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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Dropmore 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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Dropmore Infant School has a much smaller than average pupil population of 58, some of whom attend part-time. The school accommodates a few children from Dropmore village and a majority who travel in from Burnham, Farnham Common and Beaconsfield. The school retains its popularity because of its family ethos and the high standards pupils attain, and remains oversubscribed. The average class size is twenty- nine. Admissions normally take place in September. The school’s baseline assessments show that children have skill levels that range from below average to well above average, and taken together above average for their age. There are 5 pupils on the school’s own special educational needs register, one of whom is statemented, which is well below national average. Two pupils have English as an additional language and no pupils take up the free-meal entitlement, which makes the school much lower than the national average

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school that achieves high standards in national tests at the end of the key stage, as a result of the good teaching and effective leadership and management. A good education is provided for the needs of all pupils through the dedicated commitment of all associated with the school. It continues to give good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The school is a place where all work together to successfully create a secure, caring and harmonious environment, which produces very good pupil attitudes to school. • There is a strong commitment among all governors and staff to the promoting of high standards. • Results in national tests and tasks at the end of the key stage were well above average overall. This is a direct result of the quality of teaching. It is regularly good and frequently very good, and successfully encourages pupils to improve their work. • The school enjoys very strong parental support and deserves its high level of parental satisfaction with the values and standards that it achieves.

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What could be improved

• Except in literacy and numeracy, the implementation of target setting, which recognises individual pupils’ attainment for each subject, is progressing too slowly. • In subjects other than literacy and numeracy, teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils, especially higher attainers, to think and learn for themselves, or to extend their work beyond that identified in the teachers’ planning. • Although the governing body is an active, highly committed group, not all members are sufficiently aware of actual classroom practices and their effect on standards. • Despite the strong commitment to caring for all individuals pupils, there has not been sufficient emphasis on the training of support staff members to improve their knowledge of child protection procedures. 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 previous inspection of November 1996 stated that this was a good school and this continues to be so. There have been changes in practices since 1996 and standards have improved steadily, showing a good level of improvement in many areas of school life. For example, the qualities of writing, teachers’ planning and the time allotted to science all show improvements. There have been significant improvements in the quality of teaching, which have ensured that standards of English, mathematics and science have risen and have been sustained at a level well above national average. Consistently good teaching has produced good pupil learning. However, the issue of implementing systematic monitoring and evaluation of standards and the quality of teaching and learning have only been partially met. The new headteacher has already identified best practices and shows strong determination to improve these further. Communication with

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

parents has now reached a very good level, which provides a strong sense of partnership between home and school, to the benefit of pupils’ attainment and progress with learning. Dropmore Infant School - 7

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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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schools

1997 1998 1999 1999 very high A* Reading A A A* A well above average above average A B Writing A A A B average below average C D Mathematics A B A A well below average E

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schools

Although some caution should be exercised because of the regularly small cohort taking annual national tests, the table identifies a commendable set of results. Standards achieved in reading are especially noteworthy as they identify the school’s performance as being in the highest 5 percent nationally. Inspection evidence confirms these high standards in English and mathematical work produced by current Year 2 pupils. Pupils’ work in science is of a similarly high standard but does not show the individuality of approach that is identifiable in literacy and numeracy work. Trends over time show early improvement following the last inspection and sustained high standards in recent years. The performance of boys has been very similar to that of girls. The school’s targets in these subjects are realistically high. Having analysed these latest test results, the school identified the writing of non-fiction text as an area for

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schools

improvement and this has been improving recently.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. A large majority of pupils are keen to come to school. They are interested in their work and eager to improve.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Many of the pupils are very well behaved and have a clear sense of right and wrong behaviour, following school rules closely. However, a minority require regular supervision and firm management to retain their good behaviour. Teachers frequently have to remind this group about best behaviour.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good overall. The provision for pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. Some opportunities for them to take on minor responsibility and to show initiative are provided. Too much is done for them rather than letting them show initiative and self-sufficiency as they become trustworthy. Relationships between pupils are very good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Almost all pupils attend regularly and are punctual. Statistically, the few occasions when pupils are not at school has a significantly negative effect when comparing actual attendance figures to national average. There are no unauthorised absences recorded.

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

Lessons seen overall Good Good NA 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. Dropmore Infant School - 8 Overall, the quality of teaching across the school is good. In the relatively few examples of teaching seen, it was never less than good and 42% was very good. From these lessons and the analysis of pupils’ work, it is regularly good and frequently very good in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Teaching of under-fives shows good levels of teacher knowledge of the six areas of learning. Across the school, the skills of literacy and numeracy are taught competently, with clear teacher understanding of individual pupil needs and attention to their learning of basic skills. Teachers successfully meet the needs of all pupil groups

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

in these lessons, using assessment data to best effect. Pupils acquire new knowledge, develop skills successfully and increase their understanding, making good progress. Good provision is made for those pupils who have identified special educational needs. Support staff and voluntary helpers are briefed conscientiously so that they aid pupils’ rate of learning. As a result of good teaching, standards have improved over time, pupils show interest in their work and understand what they are doing.

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

Even though the quality of teaching is regularly good, there are areas for improvement. For example, pupils are not always given sufficient opportunity to develop ideas into practice. The very good examples of individual target setting seen in literacy and numeracy sessions based on teachers’ extensive records of previous achievements, are having a very beneficial effect on pupils’ standards of attainment. Records in other subjects often identify what has been covered during lesson time without expanding into how successfully the work has been carried out, and the ways in which improvements might be made. This information is frequently known by teachers but not always used to best effect. Some pupils are not always given work that challenges them sufficiently in work across the curriculum, beyond literacy and numeracy which are good.

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

The very best teaching showed clear aim and purpose, with pupils knowing precisely what was expected of them. They were successfully encouraged to offer their own solutions to problems and make reasoned responses to the very good quality questions raised by staff and voluntary helpers. The pupils found the teacher’s own enthusiasm for the subject infectious and they settled to task quickly, curious to find out more, as seen in one particularly good literacy session. Staff ensured that they moved from group to group, efficiently checking on progress and responding sensitively to difficulties that the pupils encountered. Praise and other comments were carefully considered at an individual level, so that they were meaningful and relevant to the situation.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The curriculum is sufficiently broad and balanced over time. All subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are covered sufficiently and given appropriate weighting in teachers’ planning, thus meeting statutory requirements. It does not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and show initiative. Strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy are very effective.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The needs of the few pupils with special educational needs are effectively supported by the care and attention given to them by staff and voluntary helpers.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. There is no significant alternative provision for the two pupils for whom English is an additional language.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. Social and moral guidance has a high profile and does much to promote the strong family ethos that pervades the school. Pupils know right from wrong. Spiritual and cultural developments are satisfactorily planned for.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. There is a high level of care and consideration for pupils’ welfare, health and personal safety given by governors and staff to all pupils. However, there has been insufficient training of support staff to ensure that Dropmore Infant School - 9 all are sufficiently aware of child protection procedures. There are effective measures to promote regular attendance.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory. The new headteacher has made a sound start, although she has had insufficient time to make a significant impact on standards and quality of provision. There is a clear intent to retain best practices and sustain high standards. She has already developed a good insight and has clear ideas on how the school can be further improved.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The school has a committed and active group of governors who fulfil their responsibilities with conviction and sharing a determination to improve the quality of education and raise standards. They form an effective team, working in close consultation with the headteacher, staff, parents and local education officials. Some governors do not yet have a deep enough understanding of how the curriculum works in practice.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. Effective consideration of school strengths and areas for development. Governors make effective use of information given by the headteacher and staff, and carefully consider community views. The headteacher has already identified some areas for improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. There is effective distribution of financial resources and close financial control. Due consideration is given to the use of time, deployment of personnel, expansion and maintenance of teaching materials, accommodation issues and use of the environment. Principles of best value are upper-most in governors’ minds in all of their forward planning. Development planning is limited to one academic year, which does not offer a long-term strategic over-view.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The family ethos and community spirit that is promoted through school activity. • The way in which pupils are valued as individuals and known by all. • The ways in which their children are taught about good behaviour. • The good quality of teaching and the staff commitment to high standards. • The ways in which the school works in close partnership with its parents. • The way in which teachers plan to meet the needs of all children of different ages and aptitudes within the class, so that they all make sufficient progress in lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The large response from the parents’ questionnaire and from those parents at the formal meeting show that parents are very supportive of the school and its work. • The inspection team strongly supports the views of the large majority of parents about the many strengths of the school, but also finds that there are areas that require improvement. • A concern was expressed about the difficulties of providing for three different age groups in one class, which involved the mixing of pre-key stage children and key stage 1 pupils. The inspection Dropmore Infant School - 10 team concludes that the teaching seen was good or better and that the school now provides a good range of activities that meet the needs of all age groups. Very recent lesson reorganisation gives significantly extended opportunities for pupils to be taught in year groups for much of each week. However, the needs of higher attaining pupils are not always met through teachers’ planning. The

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

headteacher is aware of this issue and intends to improve practices as part of a firm commitment to improvement. Dropmore Infant School - 11

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The school is a place where all work together to successfully create a secure, caring and harmonious

environment, which produces very good pupil attitudes to school.

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The school is a place where all work together to successfully create a secure, caring and harmonious

1. There is a strong sense of community that permeates through the school, creating a close family atmosphere. The very caring and sensitive relationships that staff and other adults working in classrooms create with all of the pupils give pupils a feeling of confidence and security. Courtesy and mutual respect for the views of others is evident throughout the school day. The few pupils who come from different ethnic backgrounds work and play in harmony with classmates and others in the school, and those with English as an additional language are fully involved in lessons. Classmates and friends help those with special educational needs so that they take a full part in all school activity.

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The school is a place where all work together to successfully create a secure, caring and harmonious

2. Relationships between pupils and pupils with adults are very good. Staff are polite and sincere when talking to the pupils, rightly expecting mutual respect in turn, and successfully give information or raise questions at a level of individual pupil’s understanding. Older pupils look after and show concern for younger ones. For example, when someone is hurt in the playground, they show real concern and support for each other. Pupils are friendly towards each other and to all adults working in the school. They make visitors feel very welcome and take great pride in being part of the family ethos. There have been no exclusions and there is no evidence of harassment. During lesson time, they share materials without fuss and are conscious of the need to share fairly. All pupils are known to each other and when anyone is injured or unhappy, all show great concern and are anxious to help.

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The school is a place where all work together to successfully create a secure, caring and harmonious

3. The pupils and children who are under five are keen and eager to come to school. They feel valued and enjoy the activities that are set for them. Almost all show interest and enthusiasm for the whole range of activities provided for them. They respond to the enthusiastic teaching by showing similar levels of enthusiasm and show curiosity for learning more about everyday life.

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The school is a place where all work together to successfully create a secure, caring and harmonious

There is a strong commitment among all governors and staff to the promoting of high standards.

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The school is a place where all work together to successfully create a secure, caring and harmonious

4. All governors and staff work diligently to the benefit of all pupils. The new headteacher has quickly realised the strengths in her team and has sensibly allowed time to assimilate the changes brought about by her appointment. Nevertheless, although she realises that standards are high overall and that the school has many strengths, she has accurately identified areas for development and is instigating new initiatives that show clear commitment to improvement. For example, she has correctly identified that the physical needs of under-fives are not being fully met. She has a large teaching commitment in the reception class, which she is conscientiously attempting to balance alongside whole school management. This will take time and she has made a sound start. In class, she plans activities that are successfully raising children’s curiosity and preparing them thoroughly in almost all areas of learning for entry into compulsory education at the age of five.

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The school is a place where all work together to successfully create a secure, caring and harmonious

They respond well to her enthusiasm and brisk pace of working.

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The school is a place where all work together to successfully create a secure, caring and harmonious

5. The other teaching staff also show high levels of commitment to improve all pupils’ standards of learning and achievements. There is firm determination that on the few occasions when individual pupils show less socially acceptable behaviour that this will not affect the learning of others in the group or class. Long and medium term planning is closely aligned to the National Curriculum. This is effectively translated into weekly lesson plans that offer pupils a broad curriculum that is generally appropriately balanced. They have successfully assimilated the skills required to teach literacy following the recommendations of the National Literacy Strategy and pupils are benefiting from the clear understanding of individual target setting. Working with the National Numeracy Strategy began in September 1999 and knowledge, skill and understanding of the structures are developing with a high level of success. In literacy and numeracy lessons especially, pupils are

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The school is a place where all work together to successfully create a secure, caring and harmonious

supplied with work that is stimulating, personally challenging and thoughtfully structured. They Dropmore Infant School - 12 respond by structuring their own work, which is attractively and accurately presented. In other subjects such as geography and history, less emphasis is placed on individual needs in teachers’ weekly plans and pupils frequently start from the same point, which does not take account of their previous level of achievement. However, teachers or helpful classmates respond quickly to any difficulties encountered by struggling pupils.

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The school is a place where all work together to successfully create a secure, caring and harmonious

6. Classroom support assistants and those who are specifically employed to support pupils with special educational needs show the same high levels of commitment to the benefit of all pupils. They work in close consultation with the class teachers and are clear about the role expected of them. They are enthusiastic and willing to support the teachers and pupils in any way that promotes learning. They confidently help individuals and small groups with tasks set up for pupils to tackle. After creative activities, such as art and technology work, they willingly help clean up classroom materials and sometimes the pupils! Teachers are helped in other ways by their skills. For example, in the reception class, the youngest children are helped with structured play during longer assemblies that are attended by the remainder of the pupils. Their language is sensitively and imaginatively developed in such sessions, as when mixing blue and yellow dyes in the water

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The school is a place where all work together to successfully create a secure, caring and harmonious

7. The school secretary was new to the school in November 1999. She has quickly established herself as an effective aid to the headteacher, other staff, pupils and parents. There is a high commitment to learn new systems, create accurate documentation and balance budget heads. Effective systems are in place for efficient tracking of spending, for successful maintenance of documentation and for backing up computerised data. When dealing directly with pupils, she is suitably sensitive and they return her politeness of questioning with equal politeness when answering.

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a direct result of the quality of teaching. It is regularly good and frequently very good, and

successfully encourages pupils to improve their work.

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a direct result of the quality of teaching. It is regularly good and frequently very good, and

8. The results of the 1999 national tests and tasks for 7 year olds showed that reading skill was very high. In writing and mathematics they were well above average. Against all schools nationally, and against schools having a similar intake, the statistics were well above the average overall. Although the cohort taking the tests is regularly very small, results in these tests have improved significantly since the last inspection and continue to be held at a high level. This is the result of consistently good teaching. As the pupils progress through the school, they are taught to take pride in their achievements, to concentrate on their allotted tasks, improve their presentation and strive to improve their knowledge, skill and understanding of literacy and numeracy. The pupils have responded to this regular prompting by attaining high levels in these subjects, showing keen participation and interest in their work.

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a direct result of the quality of teaching. It is regularly good and frequently very good, and

9. The headteacher shows firm levels of knowledge and understanding of the six areas of learning for children under five. As a result of the good provision in their early education, by the home and school, these children speak spontaneously and with growing confidence to familiar children and adults, enthusiastically wishing to share their knowledge. They are beginning to listen with increasing patience but rely heavily on adults to clear up after them and listen less attentively when asked to help.

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a direct result of the quality of teaching. It is regularly good and frequently very good, and

10. Across the school, pupils’ work is marked up-to-date and written developmental comments are used effectively in English work especially. This successfully encourages pupils to produce neatly presented work that shows good progress. Teachers’ regular use of verbal praise, prints and stickers also raises pupils’ self-esteem. Expectations of good behaviour are very high. Firm and fair management of any off-task behaviour allows the remainder of pupils to work successfully. Effective use is made of the time available. Lesson objectives are clearly identified through the appropriate reference made to current National Curriculum and religious education documentation. Materials are thoughtfully provided and there is some effective use made of information technology. Teachers make some good use of homework, such as reading, spelling and minor Dropmore Infant School - 13 research assignments. All pupils are encouraged to help and learn from each other, and they

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a direct result of the quality of teaching. It is regularly good and frequently very good, and

produce substantial and attractive amounts of work, some of which adorns the walls.

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a direct result of the quality of teaching. It is regularly good and frequently very good, and

11. Those pupils in Years 1 and 2 with special educational needs, and the two with English as an additional language, make progress at the good levels of other pupils in literacy and numeracy. Work is effectively targeted to their needs and support staff are at hand if the teacher is busy elsewhere in the classroom. All adults who support literacy and numeracy lessons were seen to have a very positive effect on pupils’ rate of learning. For example, complex tasks are explained in greater detail or simpler language is used until there is complete understanding. This is carried out with great sensitivity and pupils feel no embarrassment nor do they suffer ridicule from classmates.

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a direct result of the quality of teaching. It is regularly good and frequently very good, and

12. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is a strength and leads to good pupil progress. It is regularly good and frequently very good, especially at the end of the key stage. Teachers and support staff work successfully to establish each pupil’s level of understanding and set tasks that are very closely related to individual needs. In reading, extensive records are maintained about which books have been read within a highly structured programme wherein no pupil is kept longer than necessary on each piece of text or book. In writing, pupils are successfully taught to build attractive script by carefully considered development of handwriting skills. Their work is neatly presented and shows care for detail and effective adult monitoring. Pupils write for a range of purposes, extending their vocabulary and style through regular and structured practices. This high level of neatness and accuracy is successfully carried over into their mathematical work. They

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a direct result of the quality of teaching. It is regularly good and frequently very good, and

quickly learn the need to keep column accuracy when carrying out the four rules of number, for example. They discuss simple numerical calculations with growing confidence. Previously attempted work shows high levels of computational accuracy and also sufficient mistakes to indicate that the tasks are at suitable levels of challenge.

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a direct result of the quality of teaching. It is regularly good and frequently very good, and

13. The curriculum is suitably broad and balanced over time. Emphasis is placed on the development of literacy and numeracy, which results in high standards by the end of the key stage. Assessment data is used efficiently in these subjects so that individual pupil tasks are appropriately challenging, so avoiding boredom and frustration. Suitably high standards are achieved in science. The last inspection reported that less than recommended time was spent on scientific activity but this is no longer the case. Some teachers take opportunities to encourage pupils to observe closely and to pose their own questions that stimulate their scientific curiosity. This means that these pupils clearly appreciate the need to investigate and experiment from the start of their school careers, although teachers’ overly rigid planning does not always allow for this. Young children in the reception class begin to build productively on their initial knowledge and understanding of the

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a direct result of the quality of teaching. It is regularly good and frequently very good, and

world because of the effective provision of appropriate activities associated with the achievement of the desirable learning outcomes at age five. For example, they play with sand, water and other materials, following a carefully considered programme that responds to their developmental needs. Throughout the structured play sessions, they are successfully encouraged to expand their vocabulary and sentence construction, whilst being taught to predict and explain their reasoning behind the answers they give.

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a direct result of the quality of teaching. It is regularly good and frequently very good, and

14. Pupils in Year 1 and 2 continue to predict, experiment and investigate with growing confidence. They are successfully taught how to present their findings in written and pictorial form, creating appropriate, neatly presented graphs and tables of outcomes. These recordings show an appropriate blend of writing, use of number and the results of reading factual text. Some of the work is carried out using information technology and more frequently at the end of the key stage. Word-processing and graph producing software enables pupils to display results in an alternative form.

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a direct result of the quality of teaching. It is regularly good and frequently very good, and

15. Work in other subjects closely follows the requirements of the National Curriculum. Teachers’ planning follows the recommendations of recently produced government documentation that ensures that all subjects are covered through suitably planned programmes of study. Work in religious education is awaiting a revised version of the local Agreed Syllabus. This means that almost all work associated with the development of pupils’ learning in religious education is Dropmore Infant School - 14 carried out by taking parts of the current syllabus and considering them through listening and discussion. This produces insufficient evidence to confirm that all pupils have clearly understood the facts and interpretations of meaning. Teachers’ records usually identify the topics covered and which pupils were present, without including how effectively pupils have learned facts and considered beliefs.

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The school enjoys very strong parental support and deserves its high level of parental satisfaction

with the values and standards that it achieves.

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The school enjoys very strong parental support and deserves its high level of parental satisfaction

16. A major strength of the school is the way in which it works in close partnership with parents and carers. They are involved in their children’s progress and the way that the school develops them as individuals. Almost all pupils travel a significant distance from home to attend this school each day, admirably illustrating the strength of feeling about what the school provides. Parents’ views provide clear evidence that there is a high level of satisfaction with the quality of teaching and learning. Parents particularly praise the social and moral education that their children receive, which is very good. Those with children identified as having special educational needs are especially pleased with the support that their children receive and the way that other pupils are taught to understand and respond to the difficulties encountered by others in school.

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The school enjoys very strong parental support and deserves its high level of parental satisfaction

17. Some parents, including those who are governors, work successfully with pupils in lessons. They give their time freely, and enthusiastically support teachers and classroom assistants with small groups or individuals. This is especially noteworthy in literacy sessions, where pupils are heard reading more frequently because of this additional adult support. This has had a positive effect on the standards reached.

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The school enjoys very strong parental support and deserves its high level of parental satisfaction

18. There is an effective group of parents that form the committee of the “Friends of Dropmore”. This energetic group are instrumental in successfully encouraging other parents to become directly involved in assisting teachers and pupils in lessons, and to help raise substantial sums of money in support of pupils’ learning. Many events are arranged that include social gatherings like quiz evenings and treasure hunts, and annual events such as the summer fete and Christmas bazaar. These further strengthen links between parents, pupils and with the local communities.

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Except in literacy and numeracy, the implementation of target setting, which recognises individual

pupils’ attainment for each subject, is progressing too slowly.

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Except in literacy and numeracy, the implementation of target setting, which recognises individual

19. Overall, the quality of teaching is good. This is particularly true in English and mathematically based activities. Recent changes in the ways in which literacy and numeracy are taught have led to implementation of individual target setting. This has taken time to set up and administer but has provided a clear structure for skill development that meets the needs of all pupils in these subjects. Talking with pupils and analysis of previously completed work shows that, throughout the school, pupils are attaining high standards when compared to schools nationally in these subjects.

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Except in literacy and numeracy, the implementation of target setting, which recognises individual

20. The practicalities of extending this approach to other areas of the curriculum is being considered by the school’s management but the time-scale for implementation is not clear. Teaching staff are very knowledgeable about each pupil’s level of knowledge, skill and understanding in other subjects but frequently plan a common start point to lessons and then intervene to support those pupils who have difficulties. Insufficient account is taken of previous attainment. This is successfully managed in many cases but does not offer the same high level of provision as in literacy sessions.

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Except in literacy and numeracy, the implementation of target setting, which recognises individual

21. The maintenance of written records on individual pupil progress and attainment is variable between subjects. Recorded information about how well the pupil has read, or difficulties that they encountered are often omitted from written records, but teachers are confident that they know this information, which test results show to be correct. Pupils are assessed regularly through good quality questioning by teachers in lesson time, but information collected in this way is not recorded Dropmore Infant School - 15 with consistency for every age group. It is very thorough in parts of the school for identifying these levels and using this information in future planning. The governors and headteacher have recognised the value of building up its store of information to create profiles of development and records of achievement. However, there is a lack of whole school agreement to extend the good practices associated with individual education plans for those with special educational needs to

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pupils, especially higher attainers, to think and learn for themselves, or to extend their work beyond

that identified in the teachers’ planning.

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pupils, especially higher attainers, to think and learn for themselves, or to extend their work beyond

22. Pupils’ development has good elements and is satisfactory overall. For example, some pupils are given chances to collect the bell to signal the end of break-times, which successfully develops their independence in finding their way through the buildings. When given such tasks, they show enormous pleasure in being chosen and when praised for successfully carrying out the task. From discussions, almost all pupils are very willingly to take responsibility for helping with daily classroom routines. However, during the short inspection period insufficiently few examples of pupils being allowed to show initiative and take on responsibility were evident, even though many show reliability and that they are capable of being more self-sufficient.

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pupils, especially higher attainers, to think and learn for themselves, or to extend their work beyond

23. One of the issues raised at the last inspection was the need to improve the quality of planning of the curriculum, including the provision of policy statements and the completion of schemes of work, so that there was sufficient structure for achieving continuity and appropriate progress in all subjects. That improvement has been made but in so doing has created an overly rigid approach that does not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to follow up and extend activities if the teachers’ planning does not identify this course of action.

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pupils, especially higher attainers, to think and learn for themselves, or to extend their work beyond

24. Except in literacy and numeracy lessons, pupils frequently cover the same work as all others in the class regardless of their previous attainment. The higher attaining pupils are given suitable extension work if they finish a lesson early, but this is insufficiently planned into original task setting. There are too few occasions when pupils are allowed to think for themselves by starting work without materials selected by adults and ideas put forward by whole group discussion. This means that those who find learning easier are given insufficient opportunity to show initiative and test out their own ideas.

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Although the governing body is an active, highly committed group, not all members are sufficiently

aware of actual classroom practices and their effect on standards.

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Although the governing body is an active, highly committed group, not all members are sufficiently

25. There is a highly committed group of governors who give freely of their time to support their own children and other pupils through active participation in managing the school’s resources. Overall, their leadership and management is good. They meet all statutory responsibilities, with the exception of child protection training requirements and some minor omissions in the school prospectus. Their management of financial resources is very good. They monitor the budget regularly and ensure that financial control is secure.

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Although the governing body is an active, highly committed group, not all members are sufficiently

26. As part of the monitoring process, some of the governors have regular contact with the school during open hours and so have a firm knowledge of teaching practices and learning opportunities from first-hand experience. The small and close nature of the local communities offers governors the opportunity to test opinion about decisions that they have to make. Parents and other carers approach parent governors, especially, and they feed back suggestions at committee meetings. These are effective forms of informal monitoring and supports the decision-making processes. However, some governors have correctly identified that they do not have enough direct contact with the school whilst staff and pupils are at work. This makes it more difficult for them to understand the full implications of headteacher reports. Consequently, it is harder for governors to distribute resources or make savings with full knowledge and well-informed confidence.

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Although the governing body is an active, highly committed group, not all members are sufficiently

Dropmore Infant School - 16 27. This inspection team agrees with the governing body’s view that there is a need for a more structured policy and development of routines that will provide a more efficient, formal monitoring programme for governors, as identified in the previous report.

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emphasis on the training of support staff members to improve their knowledge of child protection

28. The emphasis placed on caring for each individual pupil is immediately evident upon entering the school. All adults associated with the teaching and learning processes strive to provide a safe and secure environment where pupils can develop appropriately. The governing body, headteacher and other staff make regular risk assessments to confirm that conditions are maintained at a satisfactory or better level. There are effective measures to promote pupils’ regular attendance.

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emphasis on the training of support staff members to improve their knowledge of child protection

29. The governing body is required to provide training for all staff in child protection procedures. This has happened in the distant past but not recently. As support staff are not sure of what to look for should suspected cases of child abuse arise, the governing body is not fulfilling its responsibility to raise staff awareness.

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emphasis on the training of support staff members to improve their knowledge of child protection

30. As part of their responsibilities, the governing body is required to nominate a child protection co- ordinator. This has been done but not all staff, governors, parents or carers are aware of the designated person. Consequently, there is an element of insecurity in knowing whom to approach in the event of concern.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

31. In order to improve upon the generally good standards, the school should now:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• increase the rate of implementation of target setting at a more individual pupil level across the whole curriculum; (Paragraph No. 19 – 21 inc.)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• offer more opportunities for pupils, especially higher attainers, to show increased independence and initiative as they become confident with their work; (Paragraph No. 22 –24 inc.)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• extend the involvement of some governing body members, so that all are plainly aware of actual classroom practices and their effect on standards; (Paragraph No. 25 – 27 inc.)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• provide early training to ensure that all support staff members improve their knowledge and understanding of child protection procedures. (Paragraph No. 28 – 30 inc.) Dropmore Infant School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 13 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 14

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 0 42 58 0 0 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 YR – Y2 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 52 Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y2 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of 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 Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 3 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 3

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 4.1 School data 0 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. Dropmore Infant School - 18

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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 6 7 13

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Boys 6 6 6 Numbers of pupils at NC Girls 7 7 7 level 2 and above Total 13 13 13 Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 100 (100) 100 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (77) 83 (81) 87 (84)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 6 6 5 Numbers of pupils at NC Girls 7 7 7 level 2 and above Total 13 13 12 Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 100 (94) 92 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Dropmore Infant School - 19 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year No of pupils Fixed period Permanent

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0 Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 0 Black – other 0 0 Indian 3 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 0 Chinese 0 0 White 43 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 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.

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Teachers and classes Financial information Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y2 Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2.3 Financial year 1998/9

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.2

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Average class size 29 £ Total income 111 138

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total expenditure 111 873 Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 2 137

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Total aggregate hours worked per week 55 Balance brought forward from previous year 11 050

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Balance carried forward to next year 10 315

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) [ ]

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Number of pupils per qualified teacher [ ]

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Total number of education support staff [ ]

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Total aggregate hours worked per week [ ] Dropmore Infant School - 20 Number of pupils per FTE adult [ ]

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

FTE means full-time equivalent. Dropmore Infant School - 21

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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. 73 17 3 7 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 70 30 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 63 34 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 80 13 3 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 83 17 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 87 10 0 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 77 23 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 73 20 3 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 80 20 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 47 37 3 3 0

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Other issues raised by parents

There was an overwhelmingly positive response from parents about school provision. A concern was raised about the difficulties of having several age groups in each class. • A concern was raised that one child born late in the academic year had a significantly shorter time in school because of previous school admission arrangements.

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