Albrighton Primary School & Nursery

ALBRIGHTON INFANTS SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 03 April – 07 April 2000

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ALBRIGHTON INFANTS 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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ALBRIGHTON INFANTS 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. Albrighton Infants School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Newhouse Lane Albrighton Nr Wolverhampton

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr R Stanton

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 21/01/1997 Albrighton Infants School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities Peter Howlett Registered inspector English History Geography What sort of school is it? What should the school do to improve further? How well are pupils or students taught? How well is the school led and managed? Michael Freeman Lay inspector Equal opportunities Pupils attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils or students? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Phillip Crookall Team inspector Science Mathematics Physical education Art How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils or students?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Susan Wilkinson Team inspector Under fives Special educational needs Design and technology Music Religious education

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: PkR Educational Consultants Ltd 6 Sherman Road Bromley Kent BR1 3JH

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Albrighton Infants School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 - 10

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 Paragraph

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 1 - 16

The school’s results and achievements 1 - 12 Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development 13 - 16

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is situated close to the Royal Air Force base at Cosford in the attractive Shropshire village of Albrighton, north east of Wolverhampton. About sixty per cent of the pupils attending the school are from service families. The school is a smaller than average infant school for boys and girls aged four to seven years old. It has 138 full-time pupils currently on roll. This figure is subject to frequent change due to the high mobility rate caused by the regular movement of service families. Children start school at the beginning of the term in which their fifth birthday occurs. At the time of the inspection there were 10 children aged under five in the school.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The frequent movement of pupils makes a significant impact on the life of the school and considerable demands upon its administration, organisation and financial resources. Pupils’ attainment on entry to full- time education varies, though overall it is similar to that found nationally. Approximately sixteen per cent of pupils are considered by the school to have special educational needs. This is lower than most schools but is subject to frequent change. Less than four per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals. This is below the national average. Nearly all pupils come from a white ethnic background and English is their first language.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is an orderly and happy place where pupils have a clear sense of community. It has many good features and provides its pupils with a sound quality of education. By the time pupils leave school, overall standards are at expected levels despite the frequent movement of pupils. Pupils achieve particularly well in their early years at the school. Teaching is satisfactory overall; though there is much good and very good teaching, there is also some unsatisfactory teaching. There are weaknesses in the leadership of the school, though its financial management is good. Taking all these factors into consideration the school provides satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Pupils’ personal development is good and they are confident and articulate with good speaking skills. • Relationships among pupils, their behaviour and attendance are good. • Teaching is good in the Reception/Year 1 classes and pupils achieve well in these classes. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Arrangements for promoting pupils’ behaviour and attendance are good. • Provision for pupils’ social, moral and spiritual development is good. • The school provides good support for the welfare and well-being of its pupils; in particular its induction arrangements for pupils new to the school are good. • The school manages its financial resources well.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The school is not good at keeping track of how well pupils are doing in their work. • The educational leadership of the school is unsatisfactory and subject co-ordinators have little influence on the development of their subjects. • There is an absence of a whole-school approach to teaching and learning across the school. • The school’s planning of the curriculum does take sufficient account of the needs of pupils in mixed- age classes. • The higher-attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged in Year1/Year 2 classes. 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 has made insufficient improvement since the previous inspection in January 1997. Overall standards of pupils’ work remain sound and the school has maintained most of the good features in its provision since the previous inspection. The quality of teaching has improved but curriculum planning has not been sufficiently modified to reflect the school’s mixed-age composition of the classes. Behaviour of a minority of pupils was an issue at the previous inspection. This is no longer the case and the school has effective arrangements in place to deal with the isolated examples of inappropriate behaviour. However, the school has not adequately addressed the other two key issues from the Albrighton Infants School - 7 previous inspection. Its assessment procedures are still unsatisfactory. It still does not have in place effective systems for monitoring pupils’ progress and teachers still do not make effective use of the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

results of assessment in planning work appropriate to pupils’ needs. In addition, subject co-ordinators still have too few opportunities to manage developments in their curriculum areas. In consequence, the school does not have adequate schemes of work for most subjects, there is little sense of teamwork across the school and insufficient planning of work between the two teaching teams.

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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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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

reading B B C B well above average above average A B writing C C D D average below average C D mathematics D C D C well below average E

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STANDARDS

This table shows that results in the national curriculum tests (1999) at the end of Key Stage 1 were average in reading but below average in writing and mathematics. In these tests the proportion of pupils reaching or exceeding the expected levels was close to the national average in reading and writing and above the national average in mathematics. However, the proportion of pupils that exceeded the expected levels were below average in writing and mathematics though similar to the national picture in reading. When results are compared with those of schools deemed to be similar, performance is better than average in reading, below average in writing and average in mathematics. The high rate of pupil mobility reduces the value of making judgements on the school’s performance based on trends in test results. However, the evidence suggests that the school has maintained overall sound standards in

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STANDARDS

English and mathematics since the previous inspection: for example, taking the last four years together, overall test results are close to the national average.

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STANDARDS

Currently pupils achieve well in the three Reception/Year 1 classes because teaching is consistently good, while pupils in the Year 1/Year 2 classes make satisfactory progress in lessons. Scrutiny of pupils’ work since the beginning of the academic year indicates that pupils make satisfactory progress over time. In information technology, music, art, design and technology, physical education, history, geography and religious education pupils’ standards are at nationally expected levels.

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STANDARDS

The school does not put too much reliance on setting targets for future years because of the high rate of pupil mobility. Nevertheless, the school has set targets for English and mathematics for 2000. These are appropriate for the current Year 2 cohort and are in line with the inspection evidence. Albrighton Infants School - 8

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils like coming to school and their attitudes to learning and to school are good. In most lessons pupils listen carefully and show a willingness to learn. When lessons are good pupils respond very positively and this strongly impacts on their learning. They take pride in their work.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils’ behaviour is good. Although some pupils enter the school with challenging behaviour, the school is a quiet, orderly place. Pupils behave well at lunch-times and break-times and they move around the school in a sensible and orderly manner. Pupils are polite and generally show respect for each other, their teachers and other adults.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships The personal development of pupils is good. Many show a good capacity to take on responsibilities. Relationships within the school are good. Pupils are kind and caring of one another.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good. Attendance is better than average and the school has effective procedures for monitoring and improving attendance. Punctuality is good and the school day gets off to a prompt start.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall good satisfactory 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 AND LEARNING

Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory. In more than half the lessons observed teaching was good. Teaching was very good in a quarter of lessons but there was unsatisfactory teaching in 8% of lessons. Teaching is consistently good in the three mixed Reception/Year 1 classes, where the teaching of English, mathematics and science is good. Teaching of children under five is good though planning does not contain clear learning objectives linked to the desirable learning outcomes. Teaching is satisfactory in the three mixed Year 1/Year 2 classes. Teachers use the national literacy and numeracy strategies effectively.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Good features of most lessons include teachers’ knowledge and understanding of how to teach basic skills, their relationships with pupils and effective use of time. Where teaching is good or very good lessons have been well prepared and planned. Teachers manage their pupils’ learning very well as they have a range of strategies to promote good participation by all pupils. Teachers have a clear picture of what is to be taught and how to teach it and their expectations of what pupils can achieve are good. However, in some instances, lesson objectives are not sufficiently thought out and are not always made clear to pupils. There is little consistency in the use of assessment in planning future work. This effects the progress of the more able pupils in particular because expectations are not set high enough. Although teachers plan different tasks for pupils in these mixed aged classes, these are not always sufficiently

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

challenging for the higher-attaining pupils. Albrighton Infants School - 9

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Aspect Comment The quality and range of the curriculum Curriculum provision is satisfactory though there is a lack of appropriate outdoor facilities for the under fives. The school provides a broad curriculum but there are shortcomings in the school’s approach to planning. Few subjects have appropriate schemes of work to provide guidance for teachers. Teachers plan within their teams but there is not a complete curriculum framework for the whole school that adequately meets the needs of pupils in mixed aged class. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Provision is well managed. The school is effective at identifying pupils with special educational needs. Teaching in withdrawal groups is good and teachers take appropriate account of their needs in lessons. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall and contributes effectively to the good general ethos of the

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

school. Teachers and other adults set good examples and teach the difference between right and wrong at every opportunity. The school effectively promotes pupils’ good self image, self confidence, tolerance, independence and initiative. However, there could be more opportunities to develop pupils’ appreciation of cultural diversity. How well the school cares for its pupils The school provides good pastoral care. There is a strong atmosphere of care and concern for pupils’ welfare. Arrangements for welcoming new pupils to the school are good. Procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare are good and for child protection are satisfactory. There are good procedures in place to promote positive behaviour and discourage unacceptable behaviour. However, the school does not have a systematic approach to the ongoing assessment of pupils and its arrangements for tracking judging pupils’ progress are unsatisfactory.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Aspect Comment Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher is a caring person, committed to providing a secure and happy environment and a broad educational experience for each pupil. The headteacher and staff have established a very caring ethos. He gives careful thought to how the school receives new pupils and the induction arrangements are good. However, the educational leadership of the school is not robust enough. The overseeing of the curriculum and assessment arrangements is not effective. The delegation of management responsibilities including the curriculum are not fully in place. Although the headteacher encourages teachers within each team to work together there is not a coherent sense of teamwork within the school and consequently there is an absence of whole school approach to important aspects of teaching and learning. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The governing body fulfils its statutory responsibilities. Governors play a supportive and active role in the management of the school. They have established effective ways of conducting affairs and it has appropriate involvement in planning and decision-making. However, governors do not monitor the work of the school with sufficient rigour. In particular, the governing body has failed to ensure that the school addressed the key issues from the previous inspection. The school’s evaluation of its performance The school is at the early stages of using assessment data to evaluate how well it is doing. The development of the school’s assessment procedures are unsatisfactory and the school does not make effective use of assessment information to track pupils’ progress and set future targets for individual pupils. The strategic use of resources The school manages its finances well. Educational priorities are

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

sufficiently supported by competent financial planning. The school has a tight control on its finances. Resources and accommodation are used well. Staffing levels are appropriate and the school benefits from experienced teaching staff ably supported by classroom assistants. The school has a sound understanding of the principles of best value. It gives satisfactory value for money. Albrighton Infants School - 10

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children like to come to school • Their children make good progress • The good behaviour in the school • Good teaching • Parents are well informed about their children’s progress • The school expects their children to work hard and do their best • The close links between parents and the school • The school is well led and managed • The school helps their children to be mature and responsible • the range of activities outside lessons • the amount of homework

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are very supportive of the school. The very positive responses to the parents’ questionnaires were also reflected in the comments at the parents’ meeting. In general, the inspection teams agree with positive views of the parents but there are shortcomings in the educational leadership of the school. Homework arrangements are similar to other infant schools but the school offers a limited range of extra- curricular activities. Albrighton Infants School - 11

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The school’s results and achievements

1. Standards in English, mathematics and science are in line with national standards at the end of Key Stage 1. There is no significant variation in the relative performance of boys and girls.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. The results in the 1999 national curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 1 were average in reading but below average in writing and mathematics. The proportion of seven-year- olds reaching or exceeding the expected levels was close to the national average in reading and writing and above the national average in mathematics. However, the proportion of pupils that exceeded the expected levels was below average in writing and mathematics though similar to the national picture in reading. Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas indicate that the proportion of pupils that reached the expected levels was above average, but the per centage of pupils achieving at the higher levels was below average.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. There are difficulties in making valid judgements on the school’s performance in comparison to similar schools. Specifically, nearly sixty per cent of pupils come from services families and there is a high turnover of families, resulting in high mobility rates at the school. These unique circumstances reduce the value of comparison with other schools. When results are compared with those schools deemed to be similar, performance is better than average in reading, below average in writing and average in mathematics. In science, teacher assessments indicate that performance was average.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. There are also difficulties in making valid judgements on the school’s performance based on trends in test results. The high rate of pupil mobility reduces the value of making judgements on how effective the school is in improving pupils’ standards over time. For example, twenty five per cent of pupils who took the 1999 tests only started in the school in Year 2. During the academic year 1998/99 there was a 36 per cent change in the school population. However, the evidence suggests that pupils make satisfactory gains. For example, the overall performance of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics tests over the last four years was generally in line with national averages. Currently pupils in the Reception/Year 1 classes make good progress and pupils in Year 1/Year 2 classes make satisfactory progress in lessons. The scrutiny of a sample of pupils’ work since the beginning of the academic year indicates that all ability

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The school’s results and achievements

groups in all classes make at least satisfactory progress over time.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. The school’s approach to target setting is underdeveloped. The school does not put too much reliance on setting targets for future years. Nevertheless, the school has set targets for 2000 for English and mathematics. The percentage of pupils likely to achieve at expected levels are appropriate for the current Year 2 cohort and are in line with the inspection evidence. However, the school does not set targets for pupils likely to achieve at the higher levels.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. Children enter the reception classes with attainment levels that are broadly average. They made good progress in their learning during the inspection week. By the time they reach five their attainment is in line with the nationally specified desirable learning outcomes. Albrighton Infants School - 12 7. In English, standards are in line with expected levels by the end of Key Stage 1. The national literacy strategy is having a positive impact on standards and pupils are making appropriate gains in their literacy skills. Pupils’ speaking skills are above average though their listening skills are average. Pupils express their ideas and opinions confidently and most pupils listen carefully. Reading skills are average. Most pupils read at appropriate levels, have a sound sight vocabulary and can predict what will happen next in stories. The higher-attaining pupils read fluently with appropriate confidence and expression. However, while some pupils use their knowledge of sounds

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The school’s results and achievements

to help them read unknown words, in general pupils, including the higher-attaining pupils, do not have the range of skills to decipher unknown words. Library skills are below average.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. The school has identified the improvement in pupils’ writing as one of its priorities and teachers provide a good range of writing opportunities. Standards in writing are in line with those expected of pupils of this age. Since the start of this year pupils' work shows a steady improvement in the quality and range of writing and in the technical skills of spelling and grammar. Pupils make satisfactory progress, although expectations of higher-attaining pupils are not high enough. Pupils construct simple sentences correctly, spell simple words accurately and use basic punctuation properly. Higher- attaining pupils write extended pieces of work with imaginative use of vocabulary and appropriate variety of sentence structure. Presentation is good and most pupils’ handwriting is clear and legible, though too few pupils use a joined script.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. In mathematics, standards are average by the end of the key stage. Pupils' achievements are sound and sometimes good, particularly in the lower age groups. Pupils make appropriate gains in the development of skills, knowledge and the use of key vocabulary. Pupils add and subtract single figures to tens and units, count on and back in tens and add three single-figure numbers. They use a variety of strategies in their mental calculations. The national numeracy strategy is having a positive impact on standards. For example, the daily class sessions of mental arithmetic and problem solving activities are effective in helping pupils to rehearse and apply knowledge. The grouping of pupils in mixed-age classes results in tasks not always being sufficiently challenging for the higher-attaining pupils.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. In science, pupils’ achievements are satisfactory. Year 2 pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of facts and processes and know how to conduct investigations. Pupils hypothesise and test considering likely outcomes developing the principles of the fair test. They can investigate the properties of materials and determine the use of materials according to their properties. Year 2 pupils investigate the properties of leaves by touch and observation, sort by binary tree and display results on a Carroll diagram.

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The school’s results and achievements

11. Pupils’ achievements in information technology, religious education, geography, history, art, music design and technology and physical education are satisfactory.

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The school’s results and achievements

12. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and achieve well in respect of their prior attainment. This is particularly the case where pupils receive extra support in withdrawal groups for the development of literacy and numeracy skills, but also within other subjects in class where work is appropriate for their capabilities. Where progress is good it reflects good teaching in which planning and activities take account of the individual needs of the pupils. The school has not identified gifted and talented pupils. Albrighton Infants School - 13

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES, VALUES AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

13. Pupils' attitudes to school are positive. Attitudes to learning are good and most pupils work hard and show interest and enthusiasm in attending school. Pupils are polite and helpful. They value and support each other and collaborate well and take pride in their work. They listen carefully to their teachers and to other pupils. For example, in religious education lessons there is a good sense of mutual trust and respect as other pupils discuss their experiences and express their feelings. The under-fives adapt well to school life and older pupils care well for them.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES, VALUES AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

14. Pupils’ behaviour is good, and the few incidences of bad behaviour are dealt with swiftly and effectively by staff. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. At the time of the previous inspection pupils generally behaved well but a small number of pupils were poorly behaved. In addition, there was no school policy to support behaviour management and this led to inconsistencies in the way teachers managed unsatisfactory behaviour. There is now a well-written and comprehensive behaviour policy in place. The headteacher and staff value each pupil and take considerable pains to praise and encourage pupils and reward good behaviour and good work. This clearly contributes to the overall good behaviour in school. Pupils move around the school in a safe and orderly manner and display respect and care for the school environment. There have been no exclusions for some years. Relationships with each

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES, VALUES AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

other and with adults are good - a strength of the school. During the inspection no instances of bullying were observed and the school has good measures in place to deal with any such cases. Parents report no incidents of bullying or misbehaviour and believe that pupils behave well.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES, VALUES AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

15. The personal development of pupils is good. Pupils undertake a range of tasks - such as register monitors - eagerly and do these jobs well. Their personal development is enhanced by the recently introduced school council system, called “Helping Hands”, which gives pupils, mainly Year 2 at present, good opportunities to undertake responsible tasks, show initiative and develop independence. “Helping Hands” has, for instance, commissioned the artwork in the school lobby and is working on anti-litter drives, planting arrangements and the drawing up of school rules. Many pupils are well travelled and they bring maturity and confidence into school life. Pupils are self-assured and confident in their relationships.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES, VALUES AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

16. Attendance is good. It is above the national average and it is improving steadily. Punctuality is generally good and lessons start and finish on time. There are few authorised absences (mainly due to the exigencies of service life) and practically no unauthorised absence. The school takes a positive stance on attendance and punctuality and parents understand well and support the school’s effective policy.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory and shows improvement since the previous inspection. There is a higher proportion of very good teaching, which has risen from 6 % to 25% and fewer instances of unsatisfactory teaching, which has fallen from 13% to 8%. In more than half the lessons observed the teaching was good, this also represents some improvement on the previous inspection. However, there is still undue variation in the quality of teaching within the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The school has changed the composition of classes since the previous inspection. In order to address the frequent movement of pupils in and out of the school the school has reorganised its class structure to give it greater flexibility. There are now two teaching teams: a lower team with three classes of Reception and Year 1 pupils and an upper team of three classes of Year 1and Year 2 pupils. This brings with it certain advantages but also a number of issues, not all of which the school has successfully Albrighton Infants School - 14 addressed. For example, there is a striking difference in the quality of teaching and learning between both teams. The grouping of pupils in the mixed age classes promotes opportunities for differentiated tasks but these are not always sufficiently challenging for the higher-attaining pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teaching is good in the three mixed Reception/Year 1 classes. The quality of teaching is good in two of out three lessons and very good in three out of ten. Teaching of English, mathematics and science is good. Teachers manage pupils’ learning very well using a range of strategies to promote good participation by all pupils. For example, in one English lesson pupils sort out jumbled sentences in such a way that challenges the more able while enabling the less able to also contribute. One very good feature is the frequency in which teachers allow pupils to demonstrate what they know and can do. For example, in one lesson as pupils write a story together on a storyboard, the teacher’s good questioning skills encourage pupils to practise their skills and show her what they can do. In the plenary session of mathematics lessons, teachers revise and summarise learning inviting the pupils to display and describe their work for the benefit

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

of the class. Mathematics and English lessons are successful because they have good pace and tasks are appropriate and sufficiently challenging for pupils of different abilities. In consequence, pupils of all abilities make good progress as pupils respond well to focused teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teaching of children under five has improved since the previous inspection and is now good in all the areas of learning. However, planning does not contain clear learning objectives linked to the recommended areas of learning. Nevertheless, teachers have a good understanding of how young children learn and match tasks appropriately to children’s abilities. Except for outdoor play facilities, resources are adequate. Teachers brief learning support assistants well so that they are effective in supporting learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory in the three mixed Year 1/Year 2 classes. While some lessons are very good and more than four in ten lessons good, there are also some unsatisfactory lessons. There is appropriate focus on developing pupils’ basic skills and pupils make appropriate gains. Teachers’ planning is satisfactory but pupils themselves are not always clear on the learning objectives of lessons. Some lessons do not have a brisk pace and in the few unsatisfactory lessons this leads to some inattentiveness among some pupils and insufficient progress. For example, in the few less successful English and mathematics lessons the teacher gave excessive time to the oral parts of the lesson and failed to challenge the high attainers. Likewise in the less successful science lessons she dwelt on directed teaching limiting the time available for pupil investigations. Pupils were keen to respond and contribute but had

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Most teachers use the national literacy and numeracy strategies effectively to keep lessons purposeful and pupils respond by trying hard and often making good progress, particularly in the Reception/Year 1 classes. Attention to supporting progress in basic skills is thorough and pupils make appropriate gains in the development of skills, knowledge and understanding. In nearly all lessons the teaching of literacy is at least satisfactory and appropriately matched to the structure of the literacy hour. The daily class sessions of mental arithmetic and problem-solving activities are effective in helping pupils to rehearse and apply their number skills. Albrighton Infants School - 15 23. Most teachers are good at asking questions in a way that encourages extended discussion. In consequence, pupils in these lessons have good attitudes and show responsibility towards their own learning. For example, teaching is good in religious

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

education lessons because there is good sensitive questioning of pupils, which encourages them to think carefully about how they feel. As a result, an atmosphere of caring exists, where pupils feel able to express their deepest thoughts and feelings. Good questioning in design and technology lessons helps to elicit ideas from pupils as they discuss what shape and colour the sweets may be before experimenting with different shapes.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Where lessons are good or very good, it is often because teachers have prepared and planned the lesson well. Teachers have a clear picture of what to teach and how to teach it. Expectations of what pupils can achieve are good and made clear to them. For example, in science lessons in the Reception/Year 1 classes, while teachers link experiments to the nursery rhyme themes, the science focus of lessons is clear to pupils. In design and technology lessons, good planning and preparation help pupils to establish clear routines for working. Pupils are clear about why it is necessary to evaluate their designs and products, and can talk about what they have done to improve them.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. However, in many lessons teachers do not identify specific learning objectives or make the purpose of the lesson clear to pupils. For example, the two teams of teachers plan science, geography and history lessons using inadequate schemes of work with little co- ordination between teams. The plans lack learning objectives and they tend to be activity based without a clear focus on what pupils will learn in terms of skills and knowledge.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Teachers know their pupils well and their assessment of how well their pupils are doing in lessons is satisfactory. However, there is no consistency in approach to ensuring that future lesson planning is based upon a thorough knowledge of pupils’ individual levels of attainment. This effects the progress of the more able in particular, because some teachers do not set expectations high enough, as for example, in developing pupils’ writing and reading skills. Another weakness in teaching lies in the lack of constructive comments in pupils’ books. Teachers do not provide sufficient guidance to pupils on how they might improve. Teachers give homework regularly and they are confident in their use of information technology to support pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. In lessons there is a close relationship between the quality of teaching and the extent to which pupils acquire new knowledge and skills. Pupils have positive attitudes towards their work and they make good gains in learning. Teachers are better at matching work for the lower-attaining pupils that for the higher attainers. Teaching of pupils with special educational needs in withdrawal groups is good. Teachers base learning objectives on targets identified in pupils’ individual education plans. The learning support assistants structure the sessions well and manage pupils’ learning effectively so that pupils make good gains in small steps towards their individual targets.

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HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES?

28. Curriculum provision for children under five is satisfactory. There is no early years policy and teachers’ planning shows insufficient reference to the Desirable Learning Outcomes. Nevertheless, there are appropriate opportunities for children to experience almost the full range of the experiences considered desirable for children of this age, though the school does not have appropriate facilities for outdoor play. Albrighton Infants School - 16 29. At Key Stage 1 the school provides a broad curriculum that meets the requirements of the national curriculum. The curriculum includes all subjects of the National Curriculum and a religious education programme that follows the locally agreed syllabus. The school has successfully implemented the national strategies for literacy and numeracy and ensures that there is sufficient time to teach both literacy and numeracy. All classes have daily literacy and numeracy hours and in most lessons teachers use this

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES?

30. Curriculum planning is unsatisfactory. There is no overall curriculum statement agreed by the governing body or overall curriculum plan. The school does not have a coherent framework that helps teachers plan for mixed-age classes in such a way that programmes of work consistently build upon prior learning. The recent change in the structure of classes involving a move to vertical grouping makes this weakness all the more crucial.

p.16

HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES?

31. The school has made a sound start in planning for English and mathematics due to the introduction and development of the national strategies. There is a consistent format for weekly planning for literacy and numeracy that all teachers use appropriately. There are separate planning frameworks for each of the two teaching teams but no overall scheme that links them together. The school intends to have an overall scheme that brings together the planning frameworks for each of the two teaching teams.

p.16

HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES?

32. In science, teachers plan from a scheme of work but there is a lack of co-ordination between the two teams. So there is no guarantee that lessons build upon pupils’ knowledge and skills in a way that gets progressively harder. In information technology, religious education, design and technology and music the school has chosen model schemes of work but has not adapted them to the specific circumstances of school, namely the mixed-age composition of the classes. There are no schemes of work for physical education, history, geography and art, and the two teaching teams plan separately with little overall co-ordination.

p.16

HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES?

33. The role of the subject co-ordinator remains underdeveloped since the previous inspection. The co-ordinators have very little influence on the development of their subjects. The lack of communication between planning teams and the absence of opportunities to monitor classroom performances inhibit progression in pupils’ learning.

p.16

HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES?

34. There are limited extra-curricular activities, but the curriculum is enriched by visits to Stapely Water Gardens, museums and other schools. Visitors include local members of the clergy, representatives from the local community and artists from the Shropshire Gallery Network, which also loans pictures and sculptures to enhance the learning environment. No extra-curricular activities take place during the long lunch-hour break or after school.

p.16

HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES?

35. There is equality of access and opportunity for all pupils and the school provides good opportunities in personal and social education. Health and sex education adhere to the school policies and teachers address the issues where appropriate in science and physical education lessons. There are strong links with the neighbouring junior school.

p.16

HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES?

36. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. They receive their full curriculum entitlement and are fully integrated into all aspects of school life. All staff understand the school’s staged approach to special educational needs and take this into account when planning work for these pupils. Albrighton Infants School - 17 37. Provision that combines together pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is at the centre of the school’s work and is good. It contributes effectively to the ethos of the school and to the quality of the education provided.

p.16

HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES?

38. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. Teachers encourage pupils to think about the deeper meanings of life in religious education, in assemblies and in collective worship. Local clergy regularly visit the school to take assemblies and there are services held in the local Christian churches for festivals such as Christmas, when pupils chose their own songs to tell the Christmas story. Teachers encourage pupils' sensitivity particularly during religious education lessons when pupils have the opportunity to share their own experiences and feelings. For instance, teachers encourage pupils to discuss how they feel when a class pet dies. They are able to compare these feelings with the loss of a grandparent or other relative which has affected them deeply. The quality of collective worship is mainly Christian and meets statutory requirements.

p.17

HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES?

39. The school provides good opportunities for pupils’ moral development. There is an unwritten ‘moral code’ in the school that the staff reinforce in classrooms and around the school. The school’s values and expectations form a sound basis for pupils’ moral development. These include the school’s expectations on the way pupils behave with regard to each other, and in terms how they value the books and equipment that they use. There are suitable rewards for good work through ‘well done’ assemblies, where there are good opportunities for pupils to talk confidently about their work. Teachers and other adults set good examples of personal behaviour and teach the difference between right and wrong at every opportunity.

p.17

HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES?

40. Provision for pupils’ social development is good. Older and younger pupils work in partnership in activities and tasks. For instance, in a numeracy lesson older pupils help younger ones make good progress in understanding of number games. The relatively new school council provides good opportunities for pupils to understand and take responsibility within school. For example, they consider how to spend money to improve the school environment, through designing a display and providing posters for the cloakroom area. Fund-raising for charities such as Blue Peter appeals and the NSPCC provide opportunities to show wider social responsibilities. The school presents concerts such as a spring festival and invite parents to attend. The school provides other opportunities for pupils to widen their appreciation of the responsibility of taking care of the environment. Pupils take part in a ‘book week’, a sports day and visits to

p.17

HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES?

41. Provision for pupils’ cultural development through the curriculum is satisfactory. The school promotes aspects of pupils’ cultural knowledge and understanding through art and music. In addition, it organises relevant visits, such as to performances of ‘Wizard of Oz’ and ‘Jungle Book’ at the nearby junior school and visits to local museums such as the Museum of Childhood and the airforce museum. Further opportunities for enrichment occur through the display of paintings and sculptures from the ‘Valuing the Arts’ scheme and through working with artists visiting the school. Close links with the RAF, and family ceilidhs and barbecues further enrich pupils’ learning. Pupils have experiences of multi-cultural aspects of the curriculum through visiting an inner city school to join in their Diwali celebrations and visiting a nearby Sikh temple. Pupils listen to a variety of music from Africa, India and the Caribbean in assemblies, but pupils’

p.17

HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES?

experiences of other cultures and traditions is underdeveloped. Albrighton Infants School - 18

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. At the time of the previous inspection the school provided good pastoral support and guidance for all pupils in a safe and caring environment. This is still largely the case. Albrighton school is a caring, harmonious place providing good support for the welfare and well-being of its pupils. This is feature of the school much appreciated by parents. Staff know their pupils well and provide a good level of pastoral care, centring around the role of the individual class teacher. The headteacher and staff value each pupil and take considerable pains to praise and encourage pupils and reward good behaviour and good work. The school has a very high turnover of pupils and makes good efforts to help pupils new to the school settle quickly. The school has good induction arrangements for pupils new to the school, particularly bearing in mind the frequency and unpredictability of new arrivals. Effective child protection measures are in place.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The school pays good attention to the health, safety and welfare of pupils. For example, there are good systems in place to log accidents and inform parents. There are sufficient well-maintained first aid boxes and fire safety equipment is appropriately located and maintained.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. At the previous inspection there was no school policy to support behaviour management and this led to inconsistencies in the way teachers managed unsatisfactory behaviour. The school has successfully addressed this weakness, identified as a key issue in the previous inspection report. There is now a well written and comprehensive behaviour policy in place and there is a good reward and sanctions system in operation. The school makes appropriate use of external support agencies, such as the county behaviour support service, on the rare occasions that it is necessary.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The school takes positive steps to promote good attendance and punctuality and parents understand and support this effective policy. Arrangements for promoting and improving attendance are well organised and effective. The school stores registers safely in the school office and teachers complete them in accordance with statutory requirements. The school and the educational welfare officer monitor registers regularly and effectively. In spite of the high turnover of pupils, teachers know their pupils well though there is limited recording and monitoring of pupils’ personal development. Information is specific to each teacher; teachers seldom record this information other than in the annual assessment of personal development that forms part of each pupil’s individual report to parents. There is no ongoing, regular and formalised system of recording and monitoring pupils’ personal development.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The monitoring of pupils’ academic performance is unsatisfactory. At the previous inspection assessment procedures were judged inconsistent and limited. They did not provide an effective means of tracking the individual progress of pupils. Despite the identification of these weaknesses as a key issue in the inspection report, the school still does not have appropriate arrangements in place for assessing pupils’ attainment and monitoring their progress. Nevertheless, the school meets the requirements to assess pupils’ levels of attainment in English, mathematics and science at the end of the key stage. The school uses a formal baseline assessment for pupils starting school in the reception classes but there are no effective arrangements to assess pupils’ attainment on entry at other times. This is a weakness especially considering the high per centage of pupils joining the school during the school year.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school has developed a bank of pupils' profile statements. Teachers use these to annotate pupils’ work and to inform end of year reports to parents. While useful in providing an annual summary of achievements, they do not provide useful ongoing information on individual progress. This is because they do not sufficiently reflect key learning objectives based on literacy and numeracy strategies and level descriptors from the National Curriculum programmes of study. In addition, there is no common Albrighton Infants School - 19 format for regular recording these assessments. Also these written comments do not provide any guidance for pupils on how they might improve their work. Teachers mark pupils’ work conscientiously but make few constructive comments or suggest targets for improvements. The procedures for the identification and assessment of pupils’ with special educational needs are satisfactory. The school produces well written and clear

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

individual education plans that effectively support their learning. The school is less successful in identifying the educational needs of the higher-attaining pupils.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. In the last inspection report a key issue pointed to the requirement to establish an effective system to monitor pupils’ progress in their learning. The school appears to have ignored this finding until the start of recent trials. Currently there is no whole school system in place to track progress in English, mathematics or science. Some teachers are trialling methods that link assessment to progress in units of the numeracy strategy so that more immediate information can help in future planning. Trials also include examining ways of assessing pupils who join the school during the course of the year. In English some teachers assess spelling, phonics and reading each term. However, all these practices are arrangements adopted by individual class teachers and are not part of school policy or shared with colleagues. The school is still at the early stages in its formal analysis of previous national test results, in setting targets to

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

improve performance or identifying pupils with particular needs. The school has responded to the below average results last year’s writing tests by setting individual writing targets for those pupils on the borderline of achieving at the expected level. This is a sound start. There are no established assessment procedures in information technology, religious education and all foundation subjects.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The school’s partnership with parents is good, well structured and productive. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Parents are supportive of the school and speak warmly of the openness, helpfulness and general good accessibility of the headteacher and the staff. Parents receive regular high grade information from the school: readable, helpful and clear newsletters and letters, for instance, and good advance notice of forthcoming curriculum topics. Parents value and appreciate this helpful information. The school provides good, helpful information for parents of pupils with special educational needs. The school fully involves parents of these pupils in discussions regarding the planned work and keeps them informed of the progress made by their children.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. Although the parents and friends association is currently dormant, parent/teacher meetings are well attended. Parents welcome the useful and up to date information provided to them at these events. The annual report of the governing body to parents and the school prospectus are well-structured, readable and informative and meet statutory requirements. The annual written report to parents on their children’s progress is clear and informative.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The school involves parents in supporting their children’s learning at home and parents are generally happy with the amount and level of homework set by the school. Homework arrangements are satisfactory. Parents use their children’s reading diary as an additional communication system with the school. A few parents help in school on a regular basis but it is proving difficult to attract more parents to help in classrooms and on visits. Very few parents have complaints and the school staff deal courteously and helpfully with any such matters. There is appropriate involvement with the local community, for example, in village events and festivals. There is, however, a good, supportive and very appropriate relationship in place with the nearby RAF Cosford base. The school makes appropriate use of external resources to enhance learning, such as the Ironbridge Industrial Museum and the Air Museum at Cosford.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Albrighton Infants School - 20 52. The previous inspection noted strong and positive leadership. This inspection judges that there are shortcomings in the educational leadership of the school. The leadership of the school has some sound features but also some weaknesses. Despite some sound developments, the school has not made sufficient efforts to secure improvements in its educational provision since the previous inspection. In particular, the school has not effectively addressed two of the three key issues from the previous inspection. The previous inspection noted strong pastoral leadership. This is still the case. However, the educational leadership of the school is unsatisfactory because it is not robust enough and fails to give clear direction to staff.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The headteacher provides effective leadership in many aspects of the life of the school. In the previous inspection the ethos of the school was good. It still remains so. The headteacher sets a good example in this and successfully promotes a calm and caring atmosphere. There is a very positive attitude in the school towards parents and pupils. The school enjoys the support of its parents who feel welcome in the school. The school works hard to support all its pupils. There is a strong commitment to creating a supportive and secure environment for pupils and warm relationships exist throughout the school. Procedures for ensuring equal opportunities are generally satisfactory. The headteacher and staff try to provide equality of opportunity to all pupils with some success, in a low key, unobtrusive manner. There is no written equal opportunities policy, however, and there is some concern regarding provision for the higher-attaining pupils. Management of the

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school’s provision for pupils with special educational is good. There are good arrangements to ensure that all pupils with special educational needs receive the help and support they require, including support from agencies outside the school. Learning support assistants work well alongside teachers in supporting pupils with special educational needs both in the classroom and in withdrawal groups for specific teaching of literacy and numeracy. The school does much to create a good welcoming ethos that encourages pupils’ good attitudes and behaviour and their willingness to learn. For example, its arrangements for welcoming pupils new to the school are good.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The reorganisation of classes since the last inspection provides the school with the flexibility to accommodate the fluctuating numbers on roll. The school has carefully considered the composition of classes and the creation of two teaching teams provides a sensible solution to a difficult problem. It enables teachers to work co-operatively in their respective teams and promotes a consistent approach to what is taught in each team. However, there are weaknesses. While there are opportunities for staff to work together in discussing curriculum matters, there is a lack of overview and continuity between both teaching teams. A whole school approach to planning is not yet in place, though the school has made a sound start with the implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategies. The school has not been successful in ensuring that all staff work broadly in the same way. For example, assessment and recording procedures differ between teams.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

This is due mainly to the failure of the school to provide subject co-ordinators with sufficient opportunities to fulfil their curriculum management responsibilities. This was a key issue at the last inspection and the school has done very little to rectify this.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The management of the curriculum is therefore unsatisfactory. The development of most subjects has suffered from insufficient delegation of responsibilities to co-ordinators. The school has not given sufficient attention to curriculum development. For example, subject co-ordinators do not draw up development plans for their subjects. Effective methods to enable subject co-ordinators to develop monitor and evaluate their subjects are not yet in place. The arrangements for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching are not yet rigorous enough or embedded in school procedures. Albrighton Infants School - 21 56. The school has not been sufficiently proactive in analysing information to judge its performance and to identify areas for improvement. For example, the school gives insufficient consideration to the proportion of pupils likely to achieve at the higher levels. It does not monitor individual or group performance against set targets, or monitor the

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

achievements of those pupils who complete the whole of their infant education at the school. It is now correctly focusing its priorities on raising pupils’ attainment. For example, the school has identified the improvement in pupils’ writing as one of its priorities. However, its use of data analysis is still at an early stage of development

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The governing body plays an active role in the management of the school and it has established an appropriate committee structure to conduct its affairs. Governors have a sound understanding of the school’s priorities and they are appropriately involved in planning and decision-making. For example, it is fully involved in the strategic development and financial planning for the school. The governing body values the professional leadership of the headteacher and there is an effective and open working relationship between the professional management and the governing body. However, the governing body does not have the required strategies in place for effective monitoring of the work of the school. For example, it has not checked that the school has fully addressed the key issues from the previous inspection. The school meets its statutory requirements.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. Management of the school’s financial resources is good. Budget planning is difficult because the fluctuating numbers on roll make forward planning difficult. However, financial planning is prudent and the school spends its funds wisely and appropriately. While the principles of best value are still new to the school, spending decisions are appropriate, carefully considered and based on a sound analysis of school needs. The budget is informed by the school’s development plan that identifies appropriate priorities for developments. The governing body is fully involved in the process of drawing up the budget. The headteacher and governing body choose the budget priorities but there is insufficient involvement by staff. For example, co-ordinators do not manage their own budgets or draw up spending priorities for their own subjects. The school maintains tight control of finance and it seeks best value constantly, with the headteacher and the

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

governing body playing the major role in this area.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The headteacher has been instrumental in introducing a systematic approach to development planning and ensuring full consultation with governors. School development planning is satisfactory and provides a useful means to improve the school. It is comprehensive, written in a clear format and identifies realistic and relevant priorities. However, reviews of the plan are not evaluative because the school does not have effective ways of judging the effectiveness of its actions, particularly in terms of improvements in pupils’ attainment. In addition, staff are not sufficiently involved in its construction.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The school is well organised and school administration is good. The school secretary is efficient and runs the school office well. Day-to-day administration is effective. There are satisfactory procedures in place for routine financial management and the monitoring of expenditure, using the computerised financial information system provided by the local education authority. The school uses new technology where appropriate and has plans, in consultation with the local education authority, to further develop information technology for use in administration as well as in the classroom.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. Overall, there is an adequate match of teachers and support assistants to the demands of the curriculum. The school’s programme of professional development provides balance between individual professional needs and the needs of the whole staff team. Arrangements for the appraisal of staff are appropriate. There are sufficient suitably qualified staff to support pupils with special educational needs.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The accommodation is adequate and enables the school to deliver the full curriculum. The school is in good decorative order. The variety, quantity and quality of the displays Albrighton Infants School - 22 of pupils' work in classrooms help create a stimulating learning environment. Learning resources are broadly satisfactory in number, quality and range to teach the subjects of the National Curriculum. There is a lack of outdoor play equipment for the under-fives. The school library is barely adequate.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER ?

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

The headteacher, staff and governing body should: -

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Improve the school’s assessment practices by:

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

• setting targets to improve performance (Paragraph 56), • assessing pupils’ work regularly and recording their progress against key objectives (Paragraph 48), • agreeing a common format for recording the results of teacher assessments (Paragraph 47), • developing ways of assessing pupils’ attainment on entry (Paragraph 46), • involving pupils in assessing their own progress by setting and sharing individual targets with them (Paragraph 48), • using assessment data to help plan the next steps in pupils’ learning (Paragraph 26).

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Improve the management of the curriculum by:

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

• delegating specific responsibilities for managing the development of subjects to staff (Paragraph 55), • providing planned opportunities for subject co-ordinators to manage developments across the school (Paragraph 54), • requiring all co-ordinators to draw up development plans for their subjects and incorporate these into the school development plan (Paragraph 59), • developing the monitoring role of the headteacher and subject co-ordinators so that a clear check can be made upon the progress made in developing the curriculum, improving teaching and monitoring standards. (Paragraph 55.).

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Provide more coherence and structure to the curriculum to meet the needs of mixed aged classes by:

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

• finishing the work currently underway on detailed planning for numeracy and literacy (Paragraph 31), • putting schemes of work in place for all subjects that clearly state the knowledge, skills and understanding required for each year group (Paragraph 32), • ensuring that planning in the Reception/Year 1 classes takes account of the Desirable Learning Outcomes/Early Learning Goals (Paragraph 28). Albrighton Infants School - 23 Provide more challenge for the higher-attaining pupils by:

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

• ensuring that teachers have a sound understanding of the expectations of the higher levels in the National Curriculum programmes of study (Paragraph 18), • ensure that lesson plans have clear learning objectives and that these provide sufficient challenge for all pupils (Paragraph 25), • setting individual and group targets (Paragraph 48).

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

• Provide more curriculum opportunities for pupils to appreciate non-western culture. • Improve pupils’ library skills. • Provide pupils with more opportunities for dance as part of their physical education lessons. • Improve the format for the school development plan to enable the school to evaluate the impact of its actions. • Develop an early years policy. • Provide inservice training in teaching music. • Enhance the library. Albrighton Infants School - 24

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 26

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 10 12 15 3 0 0 The table gives the per centage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y2

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 138

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 5 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR– Y2

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 15

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 39

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 31

p.24

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the per centage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Albrighton Infants School - 25

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 35 28 63

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 27 26 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 28 28 28

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Per centage of pupils School 87 (88) 86 (84) 94 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 81 (84)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 28 31 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 28 27 27

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Per centage of pupils School 89 92 92 at NC level 2 or above National 82 86 87

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Per centages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

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. Albrighton Infants School - 26

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7 Financial year 1999

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19.7

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total expenditure 270715

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2.0 Expenditure per pupil 1631

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 0 Balance brought forward from previous year -1960

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year -6100 Albrighton Infants School - 27

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Per centage of responses in each category

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 63 29 6 0 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 42 56 0 2 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 44 42 13 2 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 42 46 13 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 73 25 2 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 71 27 0 0 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 54 38 6 2 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 65 31 0 2 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 58 35 4 0 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 34 40 15 6 4 Albrighton Infants School - 28

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Children start school at the beginning of the term in which their fifth birthday occurs. At the time of the inspection there were 10 children under five in the school. It is also likely that a number of children will arrive outside the normal pattern of admission. There is a high rate of mobility, a consequence of the transient nature of their parents’ employment at the nearby RAF base. The current reception children are in three classes together with Year 1 pupils. As the majority of reception children have turned five, the inspection reports on the quality of provision for the incoming four year olds and the readiness of the five year olds to embark upon programmes of study for the National Curriculum. Children enter the reception classes with attainment levels that are broadly average. By the time they reach five, their attainment is in line with that expected nationally.

p.28

Personal and Social Development

67. Children’s personal and social development is satisfactory. They feel secure and are confident with familiar adults within the school. All children cope with personal hygiene. They behave well and follow routines confidently. They play well alongside each other and are able to talk about their feelings and experiences. All adults relate well to the children. Teaching to develop children’s personal and social development, which underpins all the other areas of learning for young children, is good. It gives children sufficient opportunities to develop their independence, understand what they can do, and develop confidence in their abilities to explore and develop a variety of learning situations.

p.28

Language and literacy

68. Children’s attainment in language and literacy is average overall. They talk about things they bring to school and about what has happened to them at home. When playing with construction toys they can describe simply what they have made. Some children play enthusiastically in ‘Grandma’s House’ as part of their topic on Red Riding Hood. They enjoy listening to stories and answer questions about the characters in the stories. Focused teaching in reading is good. Children make good progress in reading the ‘Big Books’ and respond enthusiastically to the shared books. Their interest, effort and understanding in learning enable them to make satisfactory progress in writing. They explore and write letter sounds. Children explore different ideas of writing, for instance through writing in prepared bubbles to show when somebody is speaking. Learning- support assistants skilfully help children with their work in class. All children can write

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Language and literacy

their name. They develop correct letter formation as they trace over the teachers’ writing and they are beginning to write underneath the teachers’ writing. Children make good progress and the majority reach the national standard by the time they are five. Teaching in language and literacy is good.

p.28

Mathematics

69. Children’s attainment is average. They are in line to achieve the national average by the time they are five. Children’s mathematical development in number work is satisfactory. They count and order numbers from nought to 10, beginning to use their fingers successfully as their co-ordination improves when working mentally as part of class sessions. They enjoy singing number rhymes. Working in partnership with older children in the class, they are able to throw dice to make up numbers to six by placing counters over shapes on the cards. Teaching in mathematics is good.

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Knowledge and Understanding of the World

Albrighton Infants School - 29 70. This area of learning provides a foundation for historical, geographical, scientific and technological learning. It focuses on children’s developing knowledge and understanding of their environment, other people and features of the man-made world. When using the computer, children already have good control of the ‘mouse’ and can use it to draw a picture on the computer screen. Teachers encourage children to feel and describe different materials such as felt and plastic when experimenting with water, or to touch and stroke hamsters. They successfully design a picture using sticky paper in order to show themselves playing in the playground as part of recognising a map of their school. Attainment overall is average. Teaching is good because it allows children to develop their senses and natural curiosity as they explore new experiences by handling, using and listening.

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Physical Development

71. In the area of physical development, children move confidently within the classroom and the school. They handle scissors well and enjoy cutting and sticking. They build models with a range of table top and floor construction toys. In physical education they move confidently, show a good awareness of space and can run, jump and hop. Teaching is good in the areas covered. However, there is no provision of outdoor play equipment and no outdoor play area for younger children under five. In addition, the curriculum does not include planning or provision for children’s physical development within the classroom or outdoors and they do not have an afternoon break from learning.

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Creative Development

72. In this area children learn to express ideas and feelings in creative ways through art, craft, music, storymaking and imaginative play. Teaching is good because it allows children to explore different creative skills in a structured way. Children use their imagination when role-playing ‘Grandma’ in her house. As part of their work based around ‘celebration’, learning-support assistants help children to use a selection of colours to paint a picture of a celebration or party. Children have also sewn a party bag that has been decorated with felt shapes. They enjoy singing a song about a party and control their voices well as they sing quietly or loudly to fit the words.

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ENGLISH

73. Overall, standards of attainment are line with expected levels by the end of Key Stage 1. In the 1999 national tests in reading, results mirror the national picture quite closely and were a little better than average. In writing, the proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standard was above average but the percentage of pupils exceeding this level was lower than average.

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ENGLISH

74. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils’ speaking skills are above average though their listening skills are average. Teachers provide appropriate opportunities for pupils to develop these skills and pupils make satisfactory progress. Pupils speak well, expressing their ideas and opinions confidently. Many can express themselves at length and most pupils listen carefully. For example, in a geography lesson, pupils made thoughtful and relevant comments during a discussion on ways to improve their playground. In a science lesson the younger pupils became engrossed in their discussions about how to test the material in table clothes because the clumsy wolf was coming for tea! They listen carefully to other pupils as they discuss their experiences and express their feelings in religious education lessons. Albrighton Infants School - 30 75. Reading skills are average. Most pupils read at appropriate levels, have a sound sight

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ENGLISH

vocabulary and can predict what will happen next in stories. The higher-attaining pupils read fluently and with appropriate confidence and expression. They are aware of their own mistakes and make attempts to self correct. However, while some pupils use their knowledge of sounds to help them read unknown words, in general pupils, including the higher-attaining pupils do not have the range of skills to decipher unknown words. Library skills are below average. While Year 2 pupils can use the index and contents pages of a book to find specific information, they have little understanding of how books are organised in a library. They cannot use a library index to find specific books. The school gives appropriate priority to developing pupils’ reading skills. The home diary system enables parents and teachers to make useful comments about pupils’ reading and to keep track of pupils’ reading habits. Parents provide good support with their

p.30

ENGLISH

children’s reading. Pupils make satisfactory progress.

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ENGLISH

76. The overall standard of writing at the end of Key Stage 1 is in line with those expected of pupils at this age. This is an improvement on standards achieved in last year’s test results. Most pupils produce clearly organised pieces of writing that sustain ideas over appropriate length. They construct simple sentences correctly, spell simple words accurately, use basic punctuation properly and have a sound range of vocabulary. The higher-attaining pupils achieve standards above levels expected for their ages. They write extended pieces of work with imaginative use of vocabulary, accurate spelling of many words, increased use of punctuation and appropriate variety of sentence structure. Presentation is good. Pupils take pride in the appearance of their work and their handwriting is clear and legible though too few pupils use a joined script. The school has identified the improvement in pupils’ writing as one of its priorities. Teachers

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ENGLISH

provide good opportunities for pupils to write for a variety of purposes. Since the beginning of the academic year standards show steady improvement in the quality and range of writing and in the technical skills of spelling and grammar. Pupils make satisfactory progress, although expectations of higher-attaining pupils are not high enough.

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ENGLISH

77. The school has maintained standards of attainment at similar levels since the previous inspection and improvement is satisfactory.

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ENGLISH

78. Teaching is consistently good in the three mixed Reception/Year1 classes and sometimes very good. Learning objectives for lessons are clear and expectations of what pupils can achieve are good. Pupils of all abilities make good progress because the good teaching results in good learning as pupils respond well to focused teaching. Tasks are appropriate and sufficiently challenging for pupils of different abilities. Management of pupils is very good because teachers get all pupils actively involved. For example, they ask pupils to sort out jumbled sentences in such a way that they challenge the more able, while also ensuring the less able can also contribute. In consequence, pupils in these classes have good attitudes and show responsibility towards their own learning. One very good feature is that teachers allow pupils to demonstrate what they know. For example in one lesson as pupils write a story

p.30

ENGLISH

together on a story board, the teacher shows good skill in getting pupils to tell her what they know. She then uses this assessment information to make effective teaching points. Teachers are good at asking questions in a way that encourages extended discussion.

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ENGLISH

79. Overall, teaching is satisfactory in the three mixed Year1/Year2 classes and there is appropriate focus on developing basic skills. Teachers’ planning is satisfactory although pupils themselves are not always clear on the learning objectives for the lesson. Lessons do not have the brisk pace and where the lesson is unsatisfactory it leads to some inattentiveness among some pupils and insufficient progress. Pupils are keen to respond and contribute but teachers provide only limited opportunities. Lessons do not always provide sufficient challenge for higher-attaining pupils. Albrighton Infants School - 31 80. Teaching of pupils with special educational needs in withdrawal groups is good. Teachers base lesson objectives on targets identified in pupils’ individual education plans. The learning support assistants structure the sessions well and manage pupils learning effectively so that pupils make good gains in small steps towards their

p.30

ENGLISH

81. Teachers use the national literacy strategy effectively to keep lessons purposeful and pupils respond by trying hard and often making good progress, particularly in the Reception/Year 1 classes. Attention to supporting progress in basic skills is thorough. The main weakness lies in the lack of constructive comments in pupils’ books to help them improve. Although teachers’ assessment of progress in lessons is satisfactory, there is no consistency in approach to ensure that teachers base future planning upon a thorough knowledge of pupils’ individual levels of attainment. This effects the progress of the more able in particular because expectations are not set high enough for example, in developing their writing and reading skills. Teachers give homework regularly. Teachers make effective use of information technology to consolidate basic skills and enable pupils to word process their work.

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ENGLISH

82. The school is working hard to develop a coherent planning framework that helps teachers plan for mixed aged classes in such a way that lessons consistently build upon what pupils know and can do. It has made a sound start but whole-school planning is not yet secure. There is a consistent format for weekly planning that all teachers use appropriately. There are separate planning frameworks for each of the two teaching teams but no overall scheme that links them together and builds upon the early years’ curriculum. Individual teachers have their own ways of assessing pupils’ attainment but there is no whole school approach to tracking pupils’ progress. Management of the subject is unsatisfactory because the co-ordinator has little influence on the development of her subject. She is not sufficiently knowledgeable about the current picture in English across the school. There has been some monitoring of teaching by

p.31

ENGLISH

the headteacher but not by the co-ordinator. There is a sound range of books and appropriate resources to support the literacy strategy, though the library is barely adequate.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

83. Standards in mathematics are in line with national averages by the end of Key Stage 1 and pupils' achievements are sound and sometimes good, particularly in the lower age groups.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

84. In the 1999 national tests, the percentage of pupils achieving the expected level or above was better than the national average. However, the percentage achieving at the higher levels was below average. Overall pupils' performance in the mathematics tests was average in comparison with similar schools. The performance over the last four years was close to the national average. Since the previous inspection, and during the last three years, results have remained at similar levels. The performance of girls has been slightly better than that of boys over the same period.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

85. By the end of the Key Stage, pupils' achievements in all strands of the mathematics curriculum are sound and they achieve appropriately in investigatory activities and in developing problem solving skills. They add and subtract single figures to tens and units, count on and back in tens and add three single-figure numbers. They use a variety of strategies in their mental calculations including doubling and adding ten plus or minus one for operations involving eleven and nine respectively. They can tell the time by half and quarter hours, reinforcing other activities in simple fractions. They study number patterns and can readily identify odd and even numbers. They can name regular two and three dimensional shapes and are familiar with the language of Albrighton Infants School - 32 'vertices', 'faces', 'edges' etc. There are strong links with art through work on reflective symmetry and tessellations. Tallying activities lead to some good work in data handling

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MATHEMATICS

based on weather, birthdays and favourite foods. The occasional use of the computer enhances this area of the mathematics curriculum. Sorting activities and the use of Carroll and Venn diagrams in science give opportunities for links across the curriculum.

p.32

MATHEMATICS

86. Overall the quality of teaching is satisfactory but ranges from very good to unsatisfactory. The better teaching occurs in the Reception/Year 1 classes. All teachers are teaching according to the structure and principles of the numeracy strategy. The daily class sessions of mental arithmetic and problem-solving activities are effective in helping pupils to rehearse and apply knowledge. In the plenary session, teachers revise and summarise learning in the lesson, inviting pupils to display and describe their work for the benefit of the class. The progress in the pupils' learning is satisfactory overall, particularly in the development of skills, knowledge and the use of key vocabulary. A particular feature of pupils’ written work is their ability to express themselves in mathematical sentences. The grouping of pupils in the mixed age classes promotes opportunities for differentiated tasks but these are not always

p.32

MATHEMATICS

sufficiently challenging for the higher attainers. The more successful lessons have greater pace and teachers are better at managing the demands of the different ability groups in the group tasks. Less successful lessons tend give excessive time to the oral parts of the lesson and fail to challenge the high attainers.

p.32

MATHEMATICS

87. Management of the subject is unsatisfactory. The subject is managed by a co-ordinator and a teacher in support but the range of their management duties is severely limited. The school has no formal system in place to allow the co-ordinator to oversee the subject. The headteacher has undertaken some monitoring of the numeracy hour but the school does not have systematic and rigorous arrangements for monitoring teaching and the quality and range of pupils’ work.

p.32

MATHEMATICS

88. There is some guidance to support teachers’ planning, including a policy document. The school has devoted considerable time to incorporating the numeracy strategy into a draft scheme of work and planning appropriate activities for the different age groups in the school. For example, there is a consistent format for weekly planning and lesson planning occurs in the two teaching teams. However, there is little opportunity for interchange of information or moderation of standards. Whole school planning is not therefore secure because there is no overall scheme that links them together the planning frameworks for each of the two teaching teams. Assessment arrangements are unsatisfactory. Individual teachers have their own ways of assessing pupils’ attainment but there is no whole school approach to tracking pupils’ progress. Current assessment procedures are ineffective in informing future planning. Currently,

p.32

MATHEMATICS

individual teachers are conducting trials on ways to give more immediate feedback on pupils’ progress and on assessing those pupils who join the school at other than the normal times. Resources are adequate and in good condition but the co-ordinator has no budgetary control over new purchases. The mathematics games library is a central resource. It is a well-used resource in lessons to enrich activities and promote problem- solving skills. Teachers do not use information technology sufficiently to support pupils' learning, although the school has identified appropriate software that it plans to use in mathematics. Albrighton Infants School - 33

p.32

SCIENCE

89. Pupils’ achievements in science are satisfactory and standards of attainment are average. The results of teachers' assessments in 1999 were broadly in line with the national picture in terms of the percentage of pupils achieving at expected levels but below the national average at the higher levels. The school’s results based on teachers’ assessments have fallen since the previous inspection.

p.33

SCIENCE

90. By the end of the key stage pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of science facts and processes and a sound understanding of how to conduct investigations. Their skills of enquiry are at appropriate levels and they can relate their knowledge of science to home and the environment. The pupils hypothesise and test their hypotheses, considering likely outcomes. They have a satisfactory understanding of the principles of a fair test. They can make a simple circuit using a battery, bulb and wire and explore the effects of altering the variables, for example a length of wire. They investigate the properties of materials and determine the use of materials according to their properties. Experiments in the absorption properties of materials were particularly successful with younger pupils, especially when related to the visit of 'the clumsy wolf' spilling his drink on the tablecloth at granny's house. Year 2 pupils investigate the properties of leaves

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SCIENCE

by touch and observation before they categorise by a binary tree and display results on a Carroll diagram.

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SCIENCE

91. The quality of teaching is good overall, although it ranges from very good to unsatisfactory. The better teaching takes place in the Reception/Year 1 classes where the experiments are imaginatively linked to nursery rhyme themes. Pupils enjoy the excitement of investigation and make good progress. The quality of learning is noticeably better in the Reception/Year1 classes which is a reflection of the quality of teaching. Less successful lessons tend to dwell on the directed teaching time limiting the time available for pupil investigations. Lesson planning focus on practical work outlining activities for pupils but does not indicate the purpose of these activities by identifying learning objectives. The quality of pupils' learning is good overall and attitudes range from very good to unsatisfactory. Pupils use science equipment, for example, magnifying glasses, with confidence and care. They record their experiments

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SCIENCE

with drawings and writing. Behaviour in science lessons is generally sound and pupils show interest in the experiments.

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SCIENCE

92. The science curriculum meets statutory requirements. All lessons take place at the same time in the week to give a 'whole school' impetus to the subject and stimulate discussion in common areas. Careful planning limits the strain on resources. Resources are generally adequate and used with care. However, there are shortcomings in the school’s approach to planning the curriculum. Teachers base their planning on a scheme of work developed by the local education authority that follows a two-year cycle. The activities follow an investigative approach with some differentiation according to ability. The two teams of teachers plan independently but there is a lack of co-ordination between teams. There are no apparent safeguards to ensure that lessons build upon knowledge and skills in a way that gets progressively harder. The school has not addressed the complications arising from Year 1 pupils in all six classes.

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SCIENCE

Assessment procedures are unsatisfactory. Teachers mark pupils' work in accordance with school policy; they write comments selected from a set of pupil profile statements and collate them at the end of the year for the annual report to parents. There are no teacher records of ongoing progress and no common strategies for using assessment data to inform future planning. The headteacher acts as the subject co-ordinator though he does not teach the subject. There are no formal procedures for monitoring standards or the quality of teaching. Monitoring is by informal discussions with staff and pupils and is not rigorous enough. Albrighton Infants School - 34

p.33

ART

93. Overall, standards are at expected levels. A scrutiny of pupils' work on display and in the observation of lessons shows that pupils' achievements are appropriate for their ages. There are some good examples of collage work on display using a variety of materials which in some cases include pasta, rice and sand as well as paint, paper and crayon. These examples reflect standards similar to those described in the previous inspection.

p.34

ART

94. In lessons, pupils develop good observational skills as they look at pictures to copy. In their good drawings of the local church pupils apply techniques of light and shade and perspective. They use collage techniques to make pictures of 'The Seasons' inspired by music of Vivaldi. Seascape pictures display a strong sense of colour and the effects it can produce. Pupils explore textures and patterns and make Easter cards by decorating egg shapes using resistant crayons and paint to create different effects. They use printing blocks to make patterns on paper and fabric and clay to make three dimensional models. There are strong links with mathematics through the use of symmetrical patterns and tessellations. The school has good quality pictures and sculptures on display produced by national artists. However, the work of famous artists does not appear in the school and pupils have limited opportunity to appreciate art work

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ART

95. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall but lacking in enthusiasm at times. Nevertheless pupils' responses in lessons are good. They are enthusiastic and keen to take part, taking pride in the quality of their work. Teachers place sufficient emphasis on teaching techniques so pupils are making satisfactory progress in developing skills, for example, in using simple art materials and tools. However, teachers in their lesson planning do not make sufficiently clear what they want pupils to learn. Plans focus on the activities that teachers want pupils to do without identifying the learning intentions behind these activities. There is little formal assessment. Teacher assessment is through observation only and they keep no records of achievement to inform future planning. Statements in pupil profiles help inform the annual reports to parents. Teachers make good links with mathematics but make limited use of information

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ART

96. The curriculum is broad but management of the curriculum is not effective. While there is a policy statement, the school does not have a scheme of work to support teachers in their planning. The two teaching teams meet to plan together. This helps ensure that pupils in the same teams do the same activities in the same week. However, there is little interchange of information between the teams and no means of ensuring that skills and techniques are build upon and that pupils do not repeat activities. There is no opportunity for the co-ordinator to monitor or evaluate the subject in other classes for example, through a moderation of standards. Resources are good and the classroom accommodation is satisfactory with wet areas and sinks in all classrooms.

p.34

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. Attainment by the end of Key Stage 1 is average in relation to the national picture. The evidence from the inspection shows that pupils have good understanding of the processes involved in designing, making and evaluating their work. They can use different practical skills to produce a range of products. These range from simple designs for cards, food technology, sewing with added applique using a range of textures, and three-dimensional models with moving parts. They are also able to program and manipulate a moving toy. Pupils have adequate knowledge of health and safety issues, for instance when an adult is heating and melting chocolate.

p.34

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. The quality of teaching is good because it enables pupils to fulfil a design brief, such as Albrighton Infants School - 35 practising with designs for Easter sweets or peppermint creams or by sketching simple drawings. Teachers have good subject knowledge, they give clear instructions and through good questioning elicit ideas from pupils, for example as they discuss what shape and colour the sweets may be before experimenting with different shapes. Good lesson planning and preparation help pupils to establish clear routines for working and provide different tasks to match the age and abilities of pupils. Pupils’ work shows that they make appropriate gains in learning over time, for instance by comparing vehicles made by younger and older pupils. The more simple designs have an axle and fixed wheels, whereas the more complex designs have a chassis and wheels that turn. In textiles work, pupils designed and made bags for a party. In all projects, pupils are clear

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

about why it is necessary to evaluate their designs and products. They can talk about what they have done to improve them. There is good oral assessment by all adults involved. Resources provided are appropriate to the project being studied. Pupils have good attitudes to the subject and they enjoy their work. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, are totally involved in their work, especially in food studies. They are eager to carry out their tasks and inquisitive when cooking. A learning support assistant ably assists different groups of pupils as they work outside the classroom. Lesson objectives are not sufficiently clear

p.35

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. Currently teachers plan in two teams so that the co-ordinator does not have a detailed overview of the planning and development of the subject throughout the school. The school provides no time to the co-ordinator to monitor the quality of teaching and learning. The previous inspection noted the same weaknesses. Assessment procedures do not provide clear information about the gains in skills that pupils make, although pupil profile statements provide good information for parents. However, they do not reflect learning objectives based on level descriptions linked to the programmes of study from the National Curriculum. The school has not adapted its scheme of work to reflect the mixed aged composition of classes.

p.35

HUMANITIES - HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

100. Pupils’ achievements are broadly in line with expected levels for their ages in both subjects. Standards in both subjects are similar to those at the time of the previous inspection.

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HUMANITIES - HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

101. No history lessons and few geography lessons were observed during the inspection. Judgements are also based on discussions with pupils and on scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning.

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HUMANITIES - HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

102. Pupils’ map reading skills are satisfactory. Year 1 pupils draw their own maps of the playground using symbols to represent common features. Year 2 pupils know many of the features of their immediate environment. They draw maps of their routes to school, identifying physical and human features. They show a satisfactory understanding of the uses of different buildings, such as the local shops, houses, church and services. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils show good awareness of places beyond their own area and have a sound notion of relative distances. They can locate Albrighton on a map of the United Kingdom and name the countries of the British Isles. By the time they leave school, pupils have sound information and knowledge about different places in the world. Year 1 pupils use information books to find out about hot and cold places. Pupils follow the travels of Barnaby Bear and mark the places he has visited on a world map. Many pupils are well

p.35

HUMANITIES - HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

travelled and they write appropriate accounts of the different places that they have visited. Albrighton Infants School - 36 103. Pupils can recognise the difference between the past and present and they have a sound sense of chronology. They can recognise some similarities and differences between their own time and everyday life in the past. They have appropriate knowledge of people and events in the past for example how people dressed in Victorian times. They can use a simple time line to sequence historical events in chronological order. Pupils are making satisfactory progress in developing their skills in using and interpreting historical evidence. They show the ability to find relevant historical information as they write good factual accounts of the life of Florence Nightingale based on research from books and a CD-ROM.

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HUMANITIES - HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

104. There was no teaching of history during the inspection. Teaching of geography is satisfactory. Teachers' subject knowledge is sound and they plan activities with a specific geographical focus. However, they do not always take sufficient account of the different attainment levels of the different aged pupils. Management of pupils is generally good. Teachers’ firm manner ensures that pupils respond well and listen carefully. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning, most listen sensibly and usually settle quickly to tasks. Teachers use a suitable range of teaching methods. There is a sound balance between whole class teaching, group activities and opportunities for discussion. In the best lessons, teachers use a range of questions to good effect and provide good opportunities for pupils to express their opinions. When this happens, pupils show good levels of confidence. For example, pupils talk enthusiastically about how they would like to improve their

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HUMANITIES - HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

playground. Teachers make effective use of information technology, for example, in helping pupils to plot routes through a computer generated map of a town, and to use CD- ROMs for research and to word process their work.

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HUMANITIES - HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

105. Management of these subjects is unsatisfactory because the co-ordinators do not have the appropriate delegated responsibility to influence the development of their subject. Although the curriculum is sufficiently broad there is insufficient detailed guidance to help teachers in their planning. For example, there is not the expected clarity about the specific emphasis on knowledge and skills in each termly topic nor any indication of how to accommodate the needs of pupils in mixed agreed classes. In addition, procedures for assessment and recording of pupils’ attainment and progress are unsatisfactory.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

106. At the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment is broadly average. There are some examples of above average achievements for some of the younger pupils, particularly in their use of an art programme. However, the school has not fully maintained the overall good standards from the previous inspection. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have good mouse and keyboard skills. All pupils know basic word processing functions and are able to print out and save their work. Pupils can change the font and size of text. Pupils develop their control technology skills by using ‘Pip’ the roamer successfully. The school has no software for adventure programs that could develop pupils' abilities to solve problems using modelling.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

107. The overall quality of teaching and learning are good, though the inspection team saw only one whole class session. Teachers' expectations on the use of computers are clear. Teachers give specific instructions to pupils and manage the one computer in each classroom well. All pupils are able to access it in turn and develop their individual skills. Teachers provide many different kinds of tasks so that pupils are able to exercise individual choice and develop at their own pace of learning. Pupils are well motivated and well behaved when carrying out their tasks. Pupils’ attitudes to using the computers and their respect for equipment are good. They listen well to the teachers and are eager to begin when it is their turn. The youngest pupils are thrilled with their success when working on art programs, although they sometimes become frustrated when the program does not allow them to reverse an action. Pupils automatically tick

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

the list to show that they have done their work on a particular program. Pupils are confident in using their skills because teachers support pupils well. Pupils in the Albrighton Infants School - 37 reception classes achieve well and use an art program to design a birthday cake with five candles, select different colours to fill the different areas of the ‘cake’ and print it out. They are aware of the ‘foibles’ of the printer when the quality it produces is not ‘up to scratch’. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in developing skills and using the computer, particularly to support their literacy and numeracy work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

108. The school teaches information technology as a discrete subject in whole-class sessions whilst at the same time teachers make effective use of it to support work in other subjects, particularly in literacy. Teachers also use information technology in history and geography, for example, in plotting routes through a computer generated map of a town and in using CD-ROMs for research on Florence Nightingale. The school misses opportunities for developing pupils’ information technology skills in music, art and mathematics. Resources for information technology are barely adequate although there are increasing difficulties with equipment breaking down. The school does not yet have access to the Internet, but plans to install the National Grid for Learning soon after the inspection; following which, the school plans a programme of training for teachers.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

109. Management of the subject is unsatisfactory. The curriculum is broad and meets statutory requirements but planning is unsatisfactory. The school has chosen a model scheme of work but has not adapted it to the specific circumstances of school, namely the mixed aged composition of the classes. The two teaching teams plan separately and there is no overall co-ordination. The co-ordinator has very little influence on the development of her subject because there are no arrangements for her to monitor and manage teaching and learning across the school. Assessment of pupils’ work was underdeveloped at the time of the previous inspection. Assessment procedures are still unsatisfactory. Current assessment practices do not measure achievements against key objectives linked to the National Curriculum programmes of study. There is no system to record pupils’ ongoing progress. The school requires teachers to make

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

comments at the end of the year as part of its reporting procedures. While these profile statements provide good information for parents, they do not provide the information required to monitor individual progress or help teachers to adjust teaching plans.

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MUSIC

110. Pupils’ achievements are broadly in line with expected standards by the end of Key Stage 1. This was also the case at the time of the previous inspection.

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MUSIC

111. Pupils sing appropriate songs with actions in their classrooms. These songs usually relate to the current topic. All pupils in the school sing together in assemblies where they learn to memorise the songs. However, although pupils’ singing is usually in tune, there is no teaching of vocal techniques that will improve the quality of the sound they produce. In addition, the songs they sing are not necessarily the most appropriate to develop pupils' musical skills. For instance, teachers do not choose a song because it has silences in it, or because it has larger jumps from lower to higher notes. For these reasons, songs do not often fit in with the musical planning for the curriculum. In composing pupils follow a varied range of tasks, which encourage their creativity and control of simple percussion instruments. These include sufficient good quality pitched instruments, so that pupils are beginning to understand the differences between high

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MUSIC

and low notes. Older pupils learn to play recorder and are making gains in learning in these sessions. Pupils do not assist in the audio-taping of their compositions and performances, so that they are not developing their information technology skills in music. Albrighton Infants School - 38 112. Teaching is satisfactory overall, with some good teaching. The quality of pupils’ learning is satisfactory. Pupils enjoy music and they have good attitudes towards music lessons and towards their singing in assemblies. They listen carefully and are confident to share their ideas. For instance, they can demonstrate how they would produce an appropriate sound to illustrate part of a story. In the Reception/Year 1 classes pupils respond enthusiastically to the words of a song as they sing quietly or loudly to represent the meaning of the words. Sometimes, the teachers change the words of a well-known song so that they are suitable to fit in with the topic being studied. There

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MUSIC

are sufficient different tasks for all abilities of pupils to make music, including those with special educational needs.

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MUSIC

113. Teachers provide a sound basis for learning as pupils learn how to produce different sounds from the same instrument. For instance they may hit it, shake it or ‘scratch’ it. Pupils show respect for their instruments, sharing them appropriately and working well with each other in small groups and as a class. Older pupils show that they can use these different sounds to produce suitable effects. For example, to illustrate a ‘sound picture’ as a stream develops in the hills and continues to make a large river before it travels along to meet the sea. Teachers carefully choose music from different countries in their assemblies so pupils can listen to music from Africa, the Caribbean, Asia and Europe. They ask appropriate questions relating to what pupils can hear. There are a variety of different musical skills within the teaching team at this school. However, there are weaknesses in the musical knowledge of teachers. Many do not fully understand the

p.38

MUSIC

elements of music, on which the development of musical skills depends. This is an area for development

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MUSIC

114. At the time of previous inspection the role of the co-ordinator was underdeveloped. This remains the case. Management of the subject is unsatisfactory because the co- ordinator has little influence on the development of the subject. She does not have a sufficient overview of the subject because teachers plan lessons in two separate teams. She does not have the opportunity to monitor teaching and standards across the school. For example, the school does not systematically retain audio-tapes of the work pupils have done in order to provide a good evidence base. A school scheme of work is currently being developed based on the local education authority’s own scheme but it does not yet take into account the vertical grouping and class structures of the school. Teachers attempt to assess pupils’ musical skills by reference to a set of profile statements. However, these statements do not refer clearly enough to the music

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MUSIC

programmes of study. This means that teachers’ assessments are not secure and they cannot measure pupils’ progress in developing their musical skills satisfactorily.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

115. Pupils are attaining at expected standards for their ages by the end of the key stage. This is the similar picture to that at the time of the previous inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

116. In gymnastics, pupils create sequences on the floor exploring ways of moving. They use apparatus and work in teams to explore ways of travelling using hands and feet to roll, zig-zag, jump, balance and climb. Although no outdoor games were observed, elements of games play were apparent in developing an awareness of space when running, chasing dodging and avoiding each other. They develop ball skills of catching and retrieving, working in pairs to develop and plan joint patterns of play. In the summer, Year 2 pupils have the use of the adjoining swimming pool to develop good standards of swimming in the school. Albrighton Infants School - 39 117. The quality of teaching overall is satisfactory with some good teaching. Teachers promote pupils' attitudes to safety during lessons and they keep firm control on the movements of the pupils. Teachers carefully arrange apparatus, supervise apparatus

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

work and ensure that pupils are properly clothed for the activities. Teachers plan the structure of lessons well and allow sufficient times for warming up and calming down. Pupils respond well to the instructions of the teachers because they enjoy their physical education lessons. Pupils have good attitudes to the subject and they willingly demonstrate to the class their successful ideas.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

118. There is insufficient guidance to support teachers’ planning. There is a school policy, based on the Shropshire scheme but the school has no scheme of work. Teachers prepare lesson plans from a published text. However, these plans provide activities for pupils rather indicate what skills they will learn. Lesson plans do not identify learning lesson objectives. Formal assessment consists of annual comments based on a set of profile statements. While useful for reports to parents, they do not provide a record of ongoing progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. The school offers insufficient opportunities for dance. The co-ordinator has little overview of the subject and does not have the opportunity to monitor what happens in other classes. For example, she has no knowledge of the content of colleagues’ lesson plans nor of pupils’ achievements. While she manages subject resources, the co- ordinator has no budgetary responsibility for them. There are no clubs nor extra- curricular activities. There is an annual sports day and occasional swimming evenings in the summer which are well attended by parents.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

120. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. In addition to the lessons seen, evidence comes from looking at pupils’ books and at displays of their work and from talking to teachers and pupils.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

121. By the end of Key Stage 1, teachers and pupils have thought about and discussed many aspects of pupils’ lives involving people, events, journeys and things that are special. Pupils have visited the local Christian churches; to take part in services and to study the buildings and how they are used. Pupils have also visited an inner city school and a Sikh temple to help them understand the differences between religions and places of worship. This is the same picture as at the time of the previous inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

122. Teaching is good, and sometimes very good throughout the school. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. The quality of pupils’ learning is also good. Teachers are good at questioning pupils and this encourages them to think carefully about how they feel. As a result, an atmosphere of caring exists, where pupils feel able to express their deepest thoughts and feelings. Teachers and pupils respect the beliefs of others for example, some pupils do not believe in God. An event such as the death of a class pet enables teachers to support pupils in their sadness. This helps pupils to express their feelings about other sad events such as the death of a grandparent. In contrast, pupils enjoy thinking about celebrations of different kinds. From their own experiences they are able to extend their discussions into their topic work, for instance producing colourful artwork such as a painting of a party. Some pupils design cards that

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

they might send to celebrate a birthday or the birth of a baby. As required by the local syllabus, from understanding their own feelings and experiences, pupils are beginning to develop an understanding of why people may believe as they do and why every body is different. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good. They listen carefully to the teacher and to others as they express their understanding, experiences and feelings. There is mutual trust and respect for others through sensitive responses and discussions. Teachers promote an ethos that values the contributions of pupils with special educational needs and ensures that they are fully involved in all discussions and Albrighton Infants School - 40 activities. One weakness in teaching is the lack of specific learning objectives in lesson planning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

123. There are close links with the local clergy who regularly visit the school to lead assemblies. The school celebrates Christmas in the local church, providing the music and songs to tell the Christmas story. Resources are adequate, although the school is planning to buy some of its own artefacts, and CD-ROMs are being built up as finance allows.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

124. The co-ordinator is not in a position to manage effectively developments within the subject. For example, the school does not allocate time to monitor teaching and learning. In addition, teachers plan work separately in their two teams. While there is a scheme of work in place, which follows the guidance in the locally agreed syllabus, the school has yet to update this to reflect the composition of the new class structure. As at the time of the previous inspection, assessment arrangements are unsatisfactory. Teachers use a bank of subject profile statements to provide good information for the annual report to parents, but they do not track individual pupil progress in sufficient detail.

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