Grange First School

GRANGE FIRST SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 29 th – 30 th January 2001

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GRANGE FIRST SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Grange First School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Norham Road Gosforth Newcastle upon Tyne Postcode: NE3 2NP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Ms H Jackson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 13 th January 1997

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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. Grange First School - 3

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Team members

10347 Mrs R Rodger Registered inspector 12536 Mrs S Bullerwell Lay inspector 30202 Mrs P O’Connor Team inspector

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Team members

Bench Marque Limited National Westminster Bank Chambers Victoria Street Burnham-on-Sea Somerset TA8 1AN

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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 Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Grange First School - 4

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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

Grange First School is situated in an area of mixed housing on the north western side of Newcastle upon Tyne. There are 143 pupils on roll and 45 children attending the nursery part time. Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. The majority of pupils come from the local community, with 16 per cent coming from further afield. The pupils are taught in single-aged classes from the nursery to Year 4. Fifteen pupils (nine per cent) are from minority ethnic cultures and includes pupils from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Japanese heritages. Four pupils are in the early stages of English language acquisition. They speak Arabic, Punjabi, Japanese and Bengali. Thirty-five (24.5 per cent) pupils are entitled to a meal they do not pay for which is above the national average. There are 25 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs (17 per cent), including one pupil with a

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

statement of special educational need. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is below the national average. Attainment on entry to the reception class, based on a national assessment scheme used by all schools in the local education authority (LEA), is just below average in reading and mathematics in relation to other Newcastle schools.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Grange First School is a very effective school. Standards are above average in reading and mathematics throughout the school. As a result of the very good teaching, the pupils make very good progress in all areas of the curriculum. By the end of Year 2, pupils achieved above average results in last year’s National Curriculum tests for reading and mathematics in relation to all schools. Compared to similar schools results are well above average in reading, writing and mathematics. At the end of Year 4 there are high standards in English and mathematics when the results achieved in the non statutory tests are compared to similar schools in the LEA. Teaching overall is outstanding in 5 per cent of lessons, very good in 45 per cent of lessons, good in 35 per cent and satisfactory in 15 per cent. The school is led very effectively by a hardworking and conscientious headteacher. He has created a strong community

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

feeling in the school; all pupils achieving as well as they are able is a strong feature. The school has improved the quality of teaching since the previous inspection and maintained the high standards achieved by its pupils. Taking account of the high standards achieved, the very good teaching, the very good leadership and management and the overall high level of effectiveness, the school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards throughout the school are high in all subjects, but particularly in English and mathematics. • Literacy and numeracy skills are taught very well. • All the staff are keen to achieve the best for their pupils. • The headteacher and senior staff very effectively provide a clear vision for the improvement of the school and are well-supported by the governors. • The school community is strong and racially very harmonious, reflecting the inclusive ethos promoted by the headteacher.

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What could be improved

• Raise the quality of all teaching to the level of the best. • Increase the frequency with which parents are formally informed of their child’s progress. 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 last inspected in January 1997. The overall quality of education was found to be good and high standards were promoted effectively by the teachers. Since then it has continued to improve. The results achieved by pupils in last year’s National Curriculum tests at the higher levels (Level 3) rose in reading and mathematics. The previous inspection identified three key areas for improvement. Subject co-ordinators now take a good level of responsibility for their subjects. They have time to support Grange First School - 6 teachers and to check pupils’ work and carry out lesson observations. All co-ordinators have received training in their role. ICT is taught in every class now that there are two computers in each classroom. Teaching plans include planning for ICT. Assessment opportunities are included in the planning for the foundation subjects which is an improvement since the last inspection. In addition, the playground has

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

been resurfaced and no longer constitutes a safety hazard. The very good overall rate of improvement has been sustained.

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

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Key

Attainment on entry to the nursery is just below average, but due to the very good teaching pupils receive in the nursery and reception class they are likely to exceed the early learning goals by the time they leave the reception class. Standards achieved in the national tests at the end of Year 2 in reading and mathematics are above average in relation to all schools and average in writing. However, in relation to schools in similar circumstances standards are well above average in reading, writing and mathematics. The number of pupils achieving the higher levels is higher than average. Teacher assessment in science is below the national average overall, but is above the national average in relation to the proportion of pupils achieving the higher level (Level 3). Standards are above average throughout the school in lessons. Standards continue to be high in Year 4, particularly in reading and mathematics

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Key

based on the results of non-statutory assessment tests and a standardised reading tests used by the LEA to assess progress over time. The progress throughout the school is very good. Achievement in Years 3 and 4 is good. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in their learning. Pupils with English as an additional language make very good progress. Standards in lessons are high, particularly in reading which is given very high priority.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are keen and interested: they enjoy school.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils conduct themselves well, in and around school.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships A strength of the school. Relationships are excellent.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Attendance is slightly above average.

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Aspect Comment

The pupils in the school are polite, friendly and welcoming. They have good attitudes to learning. For example, in the nursery, pupils were keen to sing and choose what to sing. Pace in lessons is generally good and pupils take a high level of responsibility for their own learning. Behaviour is frequently very Grange First School - 7 good, particularly in the whole-class discussions in mathematics and English in Years 1 and 2. Pupils enjoy school. Older pupils in Year 4 sometimes lose interest when work provided for them lacks challenge.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years Aged 5-7 years Aged 7-9 years

Lessons seen overall Very good Very 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 7-9 years

The quality of teaching and learning is very good in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2. In the 20 lessons seen, 5 per cent of the teaching was judged to be excellent, 45 per cent was very good, 35 per cent was good and 15 per cent was satisfactory. There were no unsatisfactory lessons. All teachers teach the basic skills of literacy and numeracy very well. Staff have very good subject knowledge of the most effective ways to teach literacy and numeracy. The children learn effectively because they are well taught: planning is very detailed and pupils are interested and keen to learn in most classes. There is good provision for high attaining pupils. Teachers ask pupils challenging questions and have very high expectations. Consequently, pupils are very interested and keen to contribute. Occasionally, in Year 4 some pupils distract others in lessons due to their inattention. Pupils with special educational needs are

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years Aged 5-7 years Aged 7-9 years

generally taught effectively and make good progress when they work with the special needs support teacher. However, in some lessons they are less well provided for. Teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is very good. Very good use is made of additional classroom support assistants; they are well briefed and have a significant impact on the work of the school. Staff make excellent use of praise to motivate and encourage pupils. Relationships are very good. A small minority of lessons in Years 3 and 4 are only satisfactory because pupils are less involved in their work due to a lack of challenge and minor misbehaviour by a small group of boys. The purpose of silent reading sessions in Year 3 is unclear and the pupils do not spend their time as productively as they might.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. All subjects of the National Curriculum are taught with very high priority given to the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. The curriculum is enhanced by a wide range of out of school activities and lunchtime clubs such as netball, football, gymnastics club and a French club.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good: they make very good progress and are well supported throughout the school.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. Teaching very effectively includes pupils who have English as an additional language and they make rapid progress. Provision is particularly effective in the nursery class.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development A strength of the school. All aspects of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development contribute very well to the overall personal development of the pupils.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. All systems are effectively in place for child protection and staff know what to do. Health and safety matters are effectively carried out. Grange First School - 8 Partnership with parents and carers Good. Parents are pleased with the standards the school achieves, the strong family atmosphere, the ways in which awareness of other cultures is promoted and the excellent relationships between staff and the parents.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a very caring ethos. This is reflected in all aspects of the work of the school. Pupils work together very harmoniously and enjoy school life. For example, in the nursery all pupils celebrated the success of a bilingual pupil’s good attempt to count to 20. Parents are welcome to come into school at the beginning and end of each day. They particularly appreciate the more flexible time to come into school in the mornings.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher, co-ordinators and administrative staff are committed to raising standards. They are hardworking and dedicated to providing the best for the pupils.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governors are fully involved in the work of the school. They have a good grasp of its strengths through their checking of teaching and reports from the headteacher. They have a good understanding of their role in identifying future developments and priorities for the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school gives a high priority to analysing pupils’ achievements and to making sure that teaching is of the highest quality.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. Time, money, staff and resources are used to the benefit of all pupils and to maintain high standards. The school takes every opportunity to ensure that they achieve the best value when deciding what to purchase.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The standards the school achieves. • The accessibility and friendliness of staff; their commitment and dedication. • The family atmosphere created by the headteacher. • The support for pupils with special educational needs throughout the school. • Good behaviour throughout the school. • Improvement in the use of, and resources for information and communication technology. • Provision and support for high attaining pupils. • The addition of another consultation meeting in addition to the one held in February each year.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the views of the parents about what they like about the school. Generally, most other schools have, at least, two formal opportunities each year for parents to discuss their child’s progress; the inspection team tends to agree with the parents on this issue. The inspection Grange First School - 9 team is aware that parents can see teachers after school at any time if they have a concern about their child. Grange First School - 10

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Standards throughout the school are high in all subjects, but particularly in English,

1 The school achieves above average standards in English and mathematics. In the 2000 national tests for Year 2 pupils the school’s performance in reading and mathematics was well above the national average for pupils attaining the higher level (Level 3), and in line with the national average in writing. In relation to similar schools standards in reading, writing and mathematics were well above the national average. The inspection judgements confirm the standards achieved in the national tests, apart from writing where standards are higher in lessons than in the national tests. The standards in writing appear lower in the 2000 national tests because there were a significant number of pupils with special educational needs in the year group. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher level (Level 3) in writing is well above the national average.

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Standards throughout the school are high in all subjects, but particularly in English,

2 Good use is made by the school of a national standardised assessment test to measure the progress pupils make during their time in the school. This is particularly important for pupils in Years 3 and 4. The pupils also take non-statutory national tests in Years 3 and 4. The results of these are analysed in great detail to identify areas of underachievement. Teachers have worked hard to ensure they have a good understanding of what should be expected of pupils at different ages. Samples of pupils’ work helps teachers to understand what their pupils are expected to achieve as they go through the school. All staff analyse their half termly mathematics assessments to inform the following term’s work. All these activities contribute well towards the appropriate grouping of pupils for teaching. Meetings are held with co- ordinators and staff and the governors are well informed of the standards achieved by the

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Standards throughout the school are high in all subjects, but particularly in English,

pupils and the steps needing to be taken to improve them.

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Standards throughout the school are high in all subjects, but particularly in English,

3 The LEA provides the school with useful data to enable the school to compare themselves with other similar schools in the authority. This data demonstrates very clearly the value added by the school in terms of the good progress made by pupils as they go through the school. The school effectively supports pupils with special educational needs who need extra help. Generally this takes place out of the classroom. The support is particularly effective when it is linked to the work the rest of the class is doing. The targets set for the pupils are appropriate and regularly reviewed. A recent innovation in school has been the creation of a register of gifted and talented pupils who receive additional support and work planned to match their needs.

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Standards throughout the school are high in all subjects, but particularly in English,

4 By the time they are in Year 2 pupils can read well. They use a range of strategies confidently to read unknown words because they are taught how to do this well in literacy lessons. Pupils understand how to use a glossary and know what purpose it has in an information book. They successfully applied this knowledge in their topic files where all words included in the glossary were highlighted. Handwriting is well formed and pupils use a number of props, such as individual whiteboards, successfully to help them write a story. Pupils also make good use of the literacy displays in classrooms to find out how to write unknown words. Many opportunities are provided to encourage pupils to write in other subjects, such as recording science investigations and explaining the reasons for the Fire of London. An example of a conversation between two older nursery pupils shows high levels of communication as they

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Standards throughout the school are high in all subjects, but particularly in English,

discussed similarities and differences between two dolls: There’s a twin to match with that. Look they are the same. They have different coloured hair, and how can we connect them together, as two boys puzzled over linking together construction equipment. Grange First School - 11 5 Standards in mathematics are high by the time the pupils leave the nursery. Reception pupils learn to write numbers. High attainers know that eleven is more than 10 and 7 is less than 8. Year 1 pupils are taught effectively to double numbers and to count in tens and twos. They learn how to describe three-dimensional shapes and once again make very good progress due to effective teaching. By the time they are in Year 2 high attainers are provided with more difficult work which helps them to achieve well. Standards in science are above average in lessons. Because of very good teaching which encourages pupils to think about the

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Standards throughout the school are high in all subjects, but particularly in English,

investigations they carry out and well focused questions, pupils learn how to predict. For example, pupils suggested several plausible reasons for particular vehicles travelling the furthest and showed a good understanding of how to make an investigation fair.

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Literacy and numeracy skills are taught very well

6 Literacy and numeracy skills are taught well partly because the teaching makes sure that pupils know what they are expected to learn: the objectives for learning are clearly displayed and phrased in terminology which pupils understand. The planning distinguishes what is to be learnt in the different parts of the literacy hour. Very good teaching strategies are used to encourage pupils to listen to the sounds made by different letter combinations. For example, to use ‘listening ears’ and to speak quietly so all the pupils listen intently to what is being said. Unfamiliar letter combinations are effectively demonstrated so that the teacher checks the pupils understand one idea before moving on to the next.

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Literacy and numeracy skills are taught very well

7 The teachers make good reference to wall displays of sounds to give pupils useful additional support. The final full circle game very effectively involves all the pupils and helps to instil a very good sense of achievement as they successfully complete the game. The pupils’ progress is very good. In literacy lessons the work on teaching pupils how to read words by blending and combining letters takes place at the start of the lesson and is then effectively applied when the pupils read a book together. As well as checking that the pupils recognise the new words they have learned the teacher in Year 2 very skilfully explains the purpose of the emboldened words in the text. Pupils are questioned and encouraged to provide a definition of a known word to include in the glossary. A very high level of application of the skills taught in understanding information texts is evident in pupils’ own writing, for example,

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Literacy and numeracy skills are taught very well

8 Literacy skills are applied well in other subjects. Pupils demonstrate an excellent use of language. For example, a Year 4 pupil wrote;

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Literacy and numeracy skills are taught very well

The sea is a slithering snake Rolling and polling against the pebbly sand And when the bright yellow moon is high in the sky He catches yummy fish.

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Literacy and numeracy skills are taught very well

Diary extracts are written in Year 2 to explain what happened during the Fire of London. Written accounts are generally continuous with accurate spelling. A clear, consistent handwriting style is common and pupils understand the structure of a story and can write fluently. Older pupils in Year 4 used a more advanced range of punctuation strategies to record the play scripts they wrote after seeing a live performance of ‘Puss in Boots’. 9 Many opportunities are provided to encourage pupils in the reception class to use and to understand mathematical vocabulary. For example, ‘more than’, ‘bigger than’ and ‘smaller than’ are taught to the pupils. Practical activities are used well alongside well planned whole class sessions to develop children’s understanding of number. Additional adults in classes are effectively deployed and support pupils well as they learn to share and take turns when playing mathematical games, such as matching the spots on a ladybird to the number on the

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Literacy and numeracy skills are taught very well

Grange First School - 12 dice. Mathematical lessons are brisk and purposeful in the reception class and throughout Years 1 and 2. Pupils are helped to learn how to count in 2s and 10s in Year 1 using very appropriate resources, such as a counting stick supported by a ‘toy action man’. Because instructions are clear and resources support pupils’ understanding of different tasks the rate of learning is very good. For example, pupils in Year 1 sat in a circle and used three large dice to assist their understanding of doubling numbers and adding one more. Questions are used effectively to involve individual pupils and to encourage them to explain how they solved a problem. Pupils are encouraged to think before answering questions, so, for example, in Year 2 when the pupils made various shapes on a shape board they were encouraged to explain why some shapes were symmetrical and others were not. In doing this they used a

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Literacy and numeracy skills are taught very well

good range of mathematical vocabulary such as edge and face, as well as the name of the shape. Sessions at the end of lessons are used to encourage pupils to explain their understanding. They can describe their method of calculation.

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Literacy and numeracy skills are taught very well

All the staff are keen to achieve the best for their pupils .

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Literacy and numeracy skills are taught very well

10 The commitment and hard work of the staff is recognised and valued by parents. This is very evident throughout the school, most obviously in the ‘we mean business’ observation made by one parent describing the strong work ethic throughout the school. Teaching in the nursery and throughout Year 1 is always very good and excellent in Year 2. The high quality of literacy teaching throughout the school is acknowledged by the LEA: one teacher is to become a leading teacher for literacy, which means that teachers from other schools will observe her teaching to help improve their own teaching. Pupils are praised and encouraged to succeed. Consequently they learn at a very good rate because they are confident, enjoy their work and strive to achieve a high level of success to please their teachers.

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Literacy and numeracy skills are taught very well

11 In the nursery there is a lot of interaction between the adults and the pupils. Their learning is very effectively fostered in a wide range of activities: many planned with particular learning intentions in mind and in some instances the teaching builds on the pupils’ experiences during their play. A memorable activity was that of a teacher encouraging pupils to count the correct number of bottle tops into various sized egg cartons. This activity was planned and resourced to meet the needs of all pupils. Younger pupils learned how to count a few bottle tops, but older, more able pupils were expected to count to 15. Very good use of mathematical vocabulary and many reinforcement activities helps to promote a very good rate of mathematical learning throughout the nursery and the reception class. Behaviour and learning expectations are high and all additional staff are well deployed to support small

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Literacy and numeracy skills are taught very well

groups and individual children. They work very effectively encouraging pupils learning to speak English to join in with games and to talk about their work. Staff are very enthusiastic and committed. Resources are excellent indoors. They are satisfactory outdoors, but due to inclement weather there was no opportunity to see pupils in the outdoor area during the inspection.

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Literacy and numeracy skills are taught very well

12 Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are encouraged to take part in whole class sessions because of the careful way in which questions are adjusted to take account of the range of abilities in the class. Lessons are planned well: intentions for learning are included and activities are matched according to the pupils’ abilities. In Years 3 and 4 high achieving pupils are well provided for in the challenges provided for them in lessons and in the direct questioning during whole class sessions. As a result, pupils are keen to learn and very interested, for example, in an English lesson the teacher used her good knowledge of their high abilities to check the meaning of unknown words in the dictionary. However, the needs of pupils with special educational needs are not met as well in lessons as in the specialist groups, particularly in some of the whole class sessions. When work completed by the pupils lacks Grange First School - 13

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Literacy and numeracy skills are taught very well

challenge, such as the ICT activity in one lesson pupils lose interest and begin to be inattentive.

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The headteacher and senior staff very effectively provide a clear vision for the

improvement of the school and are well-supported by the governors.

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The headteacher and senior staff very effectively provide a clear vision for the

13 The headteacher is keen to support his staff and ensure they are not over-burdened in their roles and responsibilities. This attitude results in staff who are very committed and hard- working, seeking at all times to provide the best for their pupils. The headteacher has a very clear vision for the educational direction of the school. He has a high profile around the school and frequently works in classrooms to support his colleagues. He is well respected by parents and pupils, parents spoke in glowing terms of their own children’s admiration and respect for him. He is a very good role model. The deputy headteacher leads well by example, both in her management role and as a teacher of the pupils in the reception class.

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The headteacher and senior staff very effectively provide a clear vision for the

14 Curriculum co-ordinators have worked hard to improve their curricular roles and responsibilities since the last inspection. Responsibility for raising standards is effectively delegated to all staff, as well as those with coordinator responsibilities. Key Stage 1 national test results are analysed and half-termly mathematics tests are completed by all pupils to provide evidence for analysis. To help teachers to raise their expectations of pupils’ achievements examples of pupils’ work at different levels of achievement are available to support them. Co-ordinators have all been trained in their role by the LEA. They have some time away from their classes to support colleagues and to check standards in subjects. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have received useful training in classroom observation and they regularly check the teaching and planning.

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The headteacher and senior staff very effectively provide a clear vision for the

15 The headteacher is effectively supported by the governing body. The governors for literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology have all spent time in school observing the improvements in their subjects. They have been consistently involved and informed of the progress on the key issues following the previous inspection. The chair of governors works with the senior management team to assist in deciding the future priorities for the school. Governors have been perceptive in their observations and fed back their views to the full governing body.

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The headteacher and senior staff very effectively provide a clear vision for the

16 The areas for improvement identified at the time of the previous inspection have all been successfully tackled: good progress on the roles of the curriculum co-ordinators has taken place; assessment is now built into the foundation subject schemes of work; the playground has been resurfaced and provides a safer play area; and substantial improvements have been made in the provision and standards in information and communication technology. Grange First School - 14

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The school community is strong and racially very harmonious, reflecting the ethos promoted

17 There is a strong community spirit in the school. The caring ethos is strongly promoted by the headteacher. Parents commented that he is dedicated to the pupils’ welfare and happiness. The ethos of care and concern about all pupils is a very strong feature of the school. There is good integration of pupils from a range of backgrounds and cultures. Pupils are confident and secure: they enjoy school and show high levels of interest in learning. Pupils from a range of cultures is seen as a strength of the school. All pupils are encouraged to celebrate the cultural diversity of society through such events as ‘World Day’ where pupils learn about different cultures. Parents from racial minority groups spoke very positively of the lack of discrimination throughout the school. Their requests in relation to exclusion from some aspects of school life are dealt with very sensitively. Teaching effectively provides for

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The school community is strong and racially very harmonious, reflecting the ethos promoted

pupils with English as an additional language. For example in the reception class a child in the very early stages of English language acquisition was encouraged to join in singing and saying the names of parts of a car. Improvements to the accommodation are planned to enable pupils with physical disabilities to attend. Pupils are actively encouraged and taught to understand the diversity in society.

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Raise the quality of all teaching to the level of the best

18 The quality of teaching is very good overall, but it is better in the nursery through to the end of Year 2 than in Years 3 and 4 where some teaching is judged to be only satisfactory due to unclear explanations as to the purpose of tasks and no review of pupils’ learning in the last part of the session. At times, pupils distract other pupils when sitting on the carpet which leads to minor misbehaviour which is not as effectively checked as it should be. The level of challenge in an information and communication technology activity to support mathematical learning was, at times, too low. The use of time allocated to silent reading is not used productively in one class in Years 3 and 4. Pupils involved in independent reading do not effectively develop their reading skills, as their free choice of books is often unsuitable and is not checked by the teacher to ensure that the chosen book is appropriate.

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Increase the frequency with which parents are formally informed of their child’s

19 Parents are formally invited into school to discuss their child’s progress once a year. The school offers two different times in the same week for this to give parents working during the day time to get to school in the evening or immediately after school. While the headteacher has moved the time to earlier in the school year, parents are of the view that they would like to have the opportunity to talk to their child’s new teacher in the autumn term as well as towards the end of the school year. Parents are welcome to talk to teachers after school on an informal basis as often as they wish. However, they either do not know they can do this, or prefer to have a more formal opportunity to discuss their child’s progress. A twice yearly formal meeting with teachers is generally the practice adopted in most other schools. Grange First School - 15

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The headteacher, staff and governors should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Raise the quality of teaching in Years 3 and 4 to the level of the best by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

monitoring teaching more rigorously so best practice is disseminated;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ensuring that all teaching time is used to the maximum benefit of all pupils, particularly the time allocated to silent reading.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Increase the frequency with which parents are informed of their child’s progress

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by:

providing more formal opportunities for parents to discuss their child’s progress. Grange First School - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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 – Y4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 23 143

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals n/a 35

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 24

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 15

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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 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 6

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Grange First School - 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 17 13 30

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 14 14 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 11 10

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 80 (90) 83 (93) 87 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 14 16 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 11 11 11

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 83 (90) 90 (97) 83 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Grange First School - 18

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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 2 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 4 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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 and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7 Financial year 2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.8

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y4 Total expenditure 325,840

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 1,831

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 51 Balance brought forward from previous year 20,697

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 17,551

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 30

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Grange First School - 19

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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. 61 34 4 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 53 41 1 3 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 29 28 10 4 29

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 53 34 6 4 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 73 23 3 1 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. 62 25 4 1 8

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 54 35 6 3 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 68 25 1 3 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 59 35 0 3 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 37 35 6 1 20

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Other issues raised by parents

Parents spoke very positively of the dedication and hard work of all the staff and the headteacher. They appreciate the high quality of the displays around school.

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