Balfour Infant School

BALFOUR INFANT SCHOOL

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

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BALFOUR INFANT SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Balfour Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Pattens Lane Rochester Kent Postcode: ME1 2QT

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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: Miss B Trollope

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 24 February 1997 Balfour Infant School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

12155 Peter Payne Registered inspector Art and design Geography Music Equal opportunities What sort of school is it? How high are standards? School results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 9588 Anthony West Lay inspector How high are standards? Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 7084 Jack Haslam Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Design and technology How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

18824 John Heap Team inspector English Physical education Special educational needs English as an additional language 14732 Enid Korn Team inspector Science History Religious education Education in the Foundation Stage Balfour Infant School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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 Balfour Infant School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Balfour Infant School is a three-form entry primary school serving the southern part of Rochester and neighbouring communities. The area has mainly owner occupied housing with some rented accommodation and pupils are drawn from a wide range of educational and economic backgrounds. The school is larger than other primary schools with 276 pupils aged 4 to 7 in 10 mixed ability classes. The attainment of children when they start their school careers indicates a full range of ability, including children with special needs and potentially high achievers. The school is popular and oversubscribed. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals (10.5 per cent) is broadly in line with the national average and the percentage of pupils speaking English as an additional language (13.0 per cent) is high. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs (17.4 per cent) and with statements of special educational need (0.7 per cent) are both below the national

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Balfour Infant is a very good school. Children enjoy interesting lessons and they play together harmoniously. The quality of teaching is good and, because of this and the very high standards of attitude and behaviour, standards are improving. The leadership and management of the school are excellent. All of the staff have a sense of the vision and purpose for the school and share a commitment to develop and succeed. The school gives good value for money

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Leadership and management are excellent. • Teaching is consistently good. Teachers teach interesting lessons. • Relationships at all levels are excellent. • Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. • There is a rich and varied curriculum that makes good use of the local area and community. • Children in the Foundation Stage make a very good start to their education. • Provision and support for pupils with special educational needs and for those with English as an additional language are very good. • The very good relationship between the school and parents underpins the good progress of pupils.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • No significant issues have been identified.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in February 1997. The good practice in assessment in the core subjects has been developed and it has been extended to the other subjects of the curriculum. Opportunities for assessment are identified in the lesson planning and an assessment sheet has been agreed for each unit of work. There has been a considerable and imaginative investment of time and resources to extend and develop the standard of teaching, including opportunities to observe colleagues teaching to their strength or specialism. Training has been provided for individuals and groups. The success of this programme is demonstrated by the quality of teaching observed during this inspection, where more than eight out of ten lessons were at least good. Opportunities for informal contact between teachers and parents have been extended and strengthened. They are now very good. The standards in mathematics, science, information and communication technology,

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

design and technology, geography, history and music have been improved and the good standards in English, art and religious education have been maintained. The governors have made strenuous efforts to improve the poor quality of the accommodation. Balfour Infant School - 8

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by seven 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 B B well above average above average A B Writing A C A A average below average C D Mathematics B C B C well below average E

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STANDARDS

When children start at school, they have the full range of abilities. They make good progress and achieve the national Early Learning Goals by the age of five. At the end of Key Stage 1 in 2000, pupils achieved standards that were well above average in writing, above average in reading and mathematics and about average in science. Over the last five years, the performance of seven year olds has been consistently above the national trend with the exception of mathematics in 1999. Challenging targets have been set for seven year olds in 2001. Standards in the other subjects are above expectation at the end of the key stage in art, history, geography, music and religious education. They are as expected in information and communication technology. It was not possible to make a judgement for design and technology or physical education because of the small number of lessons that could be observed during the inspection.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils approach their work with interest and enthusiasm and take a pride in all they do. They participate eagerly in all the activities that the school offers.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils respond positively to the school's high expectations of them and they behave very well in lessons and around the school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils act responsibly and have a very good understanding of how their actions affect others. They show respect for the values and beliefs of others and form excellent relationships with each other and with adults.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory. Attendance is broadly in line with the national average and the great majority of children arrive punctually for lessons, settling quickly into established routines. Balfour Infant School - 9

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching is a considerable strength of the school and has improved since the last inspection. Teachers provide interesting lessons and, because of the good teaching, learning is effective. Teaching of the basic skills of English and mathematics is consistently good. Particular strengths of teaching include confident knowledge of the subject, very good management of the pupils and a very high expectation of them. Time is used very effectively and the objectives of the lesson are shared with the pupils so that they are clear about what they are going to learn and how successful they have been. Pupils of all ages are able to increase their knowledge and understanding and develop their skills. The provision made for pupils with special educational needs is very good. Particularly effective teamwork between teachers and learning support assistants ensures that these pupils make very good progress. There were no unsatisfactory lessons. Of the

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

lessons observed during the inspection, 84 per cent were graded as good or better, 24 per cent very good or better and 9 per cent were excellent.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum provides very good opportunities for learning. There is a broad range of worthwhile activities that meet the interests, aptitudes and needs of the pupils. The national literacy and numeracy strategies have been implemented very successfully.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special needs is very good. Their teachers and learning support assistants know them well and provide clear individual education plans and effective support. These pupils make very good progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The support and care provided for pupils learning English as an additional language is exemplary. They make very good progress. There are good links to the specialist support services.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The good provision for pupils' spiritual development is reflected in aspects of the life and work of the school and is a variable element in acts of collective worship. The very good provision for pupils' moral and social development is reflected in their good social skills and behaviour. Good provision for cultural development enables pupils to experience and appreciate the richness of the cultural diversity of British society.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school has excellent procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and good procedures for health and safety. There are very good procedures for assessing pupils' attainment and progress and for monitoring their academic progress and personal development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has a very good relationship with its parents and carers and maintains a very effective partnership with them. They are particularly supportive of the school and comment on the high expectation of work and behaviour. Arrangements for sharing information about work to be covered and progress and achievements made are excellent. There is a genuine open-door policy and the school welcomes parents in to share information and to ensure that their children are happy and Balfour Infant School - 10 learning effectively. The procedures for monitoring the pupils’ personal and academic development and progress are very good. It is a particularly inclusive and caring community.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Excellent. The headteacher provides the strong and inspirational leadership that has ensured the success of the school. She is very well supported by her deputy headteacher and staff.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is effective. Governors play an active part in the school life and provide strong and highly committed support.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school uses the performance data produced by national tests and its own internal testing to establish realistic and challenging performance targets at the end of the key stage.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. Decisions on spending are linked to educational priorities and the principles of best value are applied. The school makes imaginative and effective use of its very limited accommodation.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

There are sufficient suitably qualified and experienced teachers to deliver the National Curriculum and religious education in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. The very effective team of learning support assistants plays an important part in ensuring the good quality of learning and behaviour. The accommodation is unsatisfactory and some elements are poor, although the staff and governors have made imaginative use of the spaces available and tried to sustain a good quality of internal decoration. The outdoor play areas are good, although there is no ready access to a grassed field. Resources for teaching are good in most subjects and satisfactory in history, physical and religious education, although some specialised books and artefacts are needed to support some of the new topics in the history programme of study. Financial management is good. Good use is made of information technology to monitor the performance of the budget. The governors have a

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

policy of achieving best value in their transactions.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Management and leadership are excellent. • The school has high expectations of their children. • They feel comfortable approaching the school with questions or problems. • Their children enjoy school and make good progress. • The teaching is good. • The school helps their children to behave in a mature and responsible manner. • No significant issues were raised.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team fully supports the parents’ very positive view of their school.

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The school’s results and achievements

1. The levels of attainment of the children upon entry to the Foundation Stage are consistent with the full range of ability, including children with learning difficulties and potentially high attainers. Children make good progress in Year R and, by the age of five, most of them have achieved the national Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning and are ready to begin the National Curriculum. Because of their positive attitudes and the commitment and expectation of their teachers and learning support assistants, children in the Foundation Stage work at, or very near to, their capacity.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. At the end of Key Stage 1 in the 2000 SATs tests, the percentage of seven year old pupils achieving the expected level in reading was above the national average, in writing it was well above the national average and in mathematics it was above the national average for all schools. The pattern was the same when compared to the performance of similar schools with the exception of mathematics, which was close to the national average. The percentage of pupils achieving the higher than expected standards was above the national average in reading and mathematics and well above the national average in writing. Performance in science was in line with the national average for the expected standard, but well above the national average for pupils attaining the higher than expected standard. Over the last three years, the performance of seven year olds has consistently exceeded the national trend. The relative performance of boys and girls over this period shows no significant

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The school’s results and achievements

3. The performance in mathematics has been the focus of attention and inspection evidence suggests that the number of pupils reaching the higher than expected standard will be improved. The school has set challenging targets for seven year olds in 2001. These were carefully established and reflect the performance of the year group through the school, including the proportion of pupils with special needs. Inspection evidence suggests that they will be achieved.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress in learning and achieve standards that are at least in line with their individual abilities. The significant factors that enhance their progress are the early identification of need, the very effective support provided by teachers and learning support assistants and the quality of the individual education plans. Although attainment is often below that expected from pupils of a similar age, the majority of pupils meet the targets set in their individual education plans. Pupils with statements of special educational need meet the targets established in the annual reviews. Pupils learning English as an additional language make very good progress. Basic skills are learned very quickly, particularly when they are related to practical activities.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. In the other subjects of the National Curriculum, standards are above expectation at the end of the key stage in art, history, geography, music and religious education. They are as expected in information and communication technology. Because of the way in which the timetable is constructed, it was not possible to see enough lessons to make a judgement for design and technology or physical education. Although the overall standards in information and communication technology have improved, some pupils have developed skills that are well above the national expectation and recent Balfour Infant School - 12 investments in new equipment and training mean that the school is well placed to improve standards still further.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. The impact of the literacy hour on the development of basic skills is evident across the curriculum. There are impressive examples of speaking and listening skills used to promote and extend thinking and to clarify the pupils’ understanding of their work. Good quality discussion takes place, particularly in science, history, geography, religious and personal and social education where the thoughts and ideas of the pupils are developed and valued. Pupils use their numeracy skills in the production of graphs in science and geography. They use computers for data handling. As the facilities have been extended, pupils have been able to make increasing use of information technology to support their learning. They use the Internet and CD-ROMs to find information for a growing range of subjects.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. The attitudes and behaviour of the children continue to be strengths of the school. All pupils are very enthusiastic learners. They remain on task and take pride in their work and their school. Interest in their work is excellent and this contributes significantly to the progress they make. Pupils listen attentively, follow instructions carefully and settle quickly to the tasks given. They show very good levels of concentration for their ages, work independently as well as in group situations, share views and value each other’s work. When the children are at play and at lunchtimes, they socialise and get on very well together, sharing games, resources and helping one another.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. There is a very pleasant, caring and happy atmosphere in the school, with members of staff providing excellent role models for the children. As a result, pupils of all abilities are interested in each other, their work and the life of the school. They behave very well, complying with school and class rules, forming excellent relationships with each other and adults. Throughout the school, children know right from wrong and are polite and courteous to all members of the staff, their peers and to visitors. Pupils form orderly queues, wait their turn and open-doors for others. Behaviour at lunchtime, during assemblies and while moving about the school is very good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Throughout the school children show care in their support for each other. They willingly participate in the “friendship” scheme in the playground and look after their peers. For example, in a Year 1 lesson where pupils were given the opportunity to choose the group that they wished to work with, two pupils saw that another, with English as an additional language, was looking dismayed and isolated. They immediately formed a group with him and moved to a workplace together. In lessons, children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning; they also act as monitors, raise money for charities and help in the classroom. No examples of any oppressive behaviour, bullying, sexism or racism were seen during the inspection and the great majority of the children understand very well the impact of their behaviour on others. During lessons, they discuss varied topics, express their opinions openly

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

and accept that others may have a different view or belief from their own.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. In a Key Stage 1 literacy session the pupils worked conscientiously. In their groups they shared resources, willingly contributed their ideas and co-operated very well. In another literacy lesson, there were very positive relationships and lots of laughter. In Balfour Infant School - 13 this lesson the inspector noted that “attitudes were excellent – everyone was eager to take part and the groups worked hard”. 11. During the inspection resources were handled carefully and no examples of damage or graffiti were seen during the inspection. On visits to places further afield, pupils are praised for their good behaviour, when they represent their school very well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Attendance of pupils at school continues to be satisfactory. It is in line with the national average, as are numbers of unauthorised absences. Few pupils are late for school. Registrations at the start of sessions are efficient and welcoming. As a result, children settle down to work promptly and with little fuss.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13. The overall quality of teaching is good. No unsatisfactory lessons were observed. Eighty-four per cent of lessons were graded good or better, 24 per cent as very good or better and 9 per cent as excellent. This is an improvement from the last inspection where there was a small amount of unsatisfactory teaching and two thirds was good or better. Analysis by year groups shows that the percentage of lessons judged to be good or very good was the same.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the curriculum is good in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1, which is an improvement since the last inspection. Corporate planning from schemes of work based on the latest advice from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority ensures good coverage of the other subjects of the National Curriculum. Teachers make the objectives of lessons clear to pupils. They manage lessons well through good preparation and organisation and deploy a range of teaching strategies to interest the pupils, extend their knowledge and skills, sustain their concentration and reinforce their learning. At the end of the lesson, opportunities are taken to confirm what pupils have learned. In all lessons the pace is very good and teachers’ expectations of pupils are very high. Lessons are very well organised and resourced.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. A consistent strength of the teaching is the way in which the teachers allocate pupils of different abilities and origins to groups and the way in which they ensure that all pupils in the class or group are involved in discussions and encouraged to give their ideas.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. A major factor responsible for the good quality of teaching is the consistent and effective management of the pupils and their behaviour. The small number of pupils who find it difficult to apply themselves or to sustain concentration are reminded calmly but firmly about the way they are expected to behave and are not allowed to distract other pupils from their tasks. This places a considerable additional demand upon teachers at times. Praise is used to reinforce positive behaviour and sanctions are applied, if necessary, to remedy unacceptable behaviour. There is a warm and mutual respect between adults and children.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The school’s teaching of English is based on the National Literacy Strategy and lessons benefit from the detailed planning and appropriate setting of pupils. The quality of teaching is good or better in the majority of lessons. Teachers demonstrate a good knowledge of phonics and phonemes. In the majority of lessons, good, interactive whole-class teaching is followed by appropriately differentiated tasks and pupils with special educational needs are well supported. At the end of the lesson, pupils of all abilities show their work and are encouraged to explain what they have Balfour Infant School - 14 learned. Attainment in English is as expected in the Foundation Stage and above average in Key Stage 1. Pupils learning English as an additional language are taught well and make good progress. A suitable emphasis is placed on speaking and listening activities by an experienced teacher and learning support assistant. Pupils

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

have opportunities to use their literacy skills across the curriculum and good use is made of information and communication technology to support literacy.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The teaching of mathematics has been enhanced by the adoption of the National Numeracy Strategy, with good planning, a high proportion of whole-class, interactive teaching, clear, shared objectives and systems for summative assessment in place. The good use of day-to-day assessment and use of examples from the strategy framework to inform planning enable suitably challenging work to be provided for more able pupils. Information technology tools are used appropriately to support learning. Inspection evidence shows that pupils’ attainment in mathematics is above expectation in the Foundation Stage and well above average in Key Stage 1.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. In the best science lessons the pupils are challenged by high but realistic expectations. A consistent feature is the quality of questioning used to confirm what pupils know and to encourage them to think. Tasks are constructed in a way that gives opportunity for independent or group investigations, which enables pupils to explore, predict and even to make mistakes. They are able to learn about the concept of a fair test and to develop skills in devising them. Information technology is used to assemble and display data. Pupils’ attainment in science is about average, although the proportion of pupils achieving the higher than expected levels is well above average.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The quality of pupils’ learning is good in the Foundation Stage and very good in Key Stage 1. Their acquisition of skills, knowledge and understanding is very good. From the time that they join their Year R class, pupils begin to respond positively to the opportunities that are given to them to play and form relationships during their group activities. During lessons, the intellectual, creative and physical effort that they make is very good and by the end of Key Stage 1 they work very well on their own and during collaborative activities, sustaining concentration and interest in their tasks. They listen attentively to their teachers and to each other, contribute confidently to class discussions and readily help one another. In all of the lessons observed, the very clear establishment of what was going to be studied in the session and what was expected of them was a significant feature enabling learning to take place. The

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

learning by pupils for whom English is an additional language is very good, particularly in Key Stage 1, because of their application to their work and the very careful attention to their needs by teachers and learning support assistants.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported. Their teachers know them well and integrate them into whole-class lessons with suitably modified tasks and increased levels of support from their teachers and learning support assistants. Very good use is made of individual education plans and there are excellent links between class teachers and those who support pupils’ learning. Learning support assistants make a confident and effective contribution by giving encouragement and unobtrusive support. Pupils with English as an additional language are given good support when they need it. Their teachers make sure that they know what they are expected to do.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The strong emphasis upon learning objectives enables teachers to assess the pupils’ learning effectively both on a day-to-day basis and at the end of subject units. They Balfour Infant School - 15 use this information to adapt future plans to match pupils’ needs, which ensures that the pupils can build on previous work and develop their skills, knowledge and understanding. Marking is effective. Teachers encourage pupils to evaluate their work and share their observations with others. This challenges them to think about what they are trying to achieve and improves the quality of their work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The use of homework to support pupils’ learning in school is good. Pupils take their reading books home regularly. Parental involvement in reading contributes to the good standards that the pupils achieve. Homework supports their literary and mathematical development and learning in the foundation subjects, particularly in history and geography.

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PUPILS?

24. The curriculum provides very good opportunities for learning. It provides a broad range of worthwhile opportunities that meet the interests, aptitudes and particular needs of pupils, including those having special educational needs. The school meets the statutory requirements for teaching the subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. The school plans very good provision for the less and more able pupils in all subjects including English and mathematics. This has improved since the last inspection. Subject policies and schemes of work are in place for all subjects. They are sufficiently detailed and provide appropriate guidance. The literacy and numeracy strategies are established and provision is made within these subjects for pupils of all levels of attainment. The strategy for teaching literacy has been implemented and has been effective in raising standards, because the teaching

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PUPILS?

of basic skills has been sufficiently rigorous and there is a whole-school approach to developing what pupils have learned across the curriculum. The use of information and communication technology to support learning in other areas of the curriculum is good. There are adequate numbers of computers for pupils to use and teachers plan for the use of computers in lessons.

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PUPILS?

25. The schemes of work guide curriculum planning and clearly identify the skills, knowledge and understanding to be covered. There is a level of high expectation defined in the schemes of work as to what should be achieved by the end of each year. This is a contributory factor to the continuity and progression in learning. The role of the subject co-ordinator is fully developed and this is having an effect on the progress made with the quality of teaching and learning. Medium-term planning has sufficient rigour and plans are prepared in standard formats by teachers. The monitoring of subject planning by co-ordinators is in place and smooth progression is assured because of the consistent styles of their presentation.

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PUPILS?

26. The curriculum meets the requirements of all pupils on the register of special educational needs. Pupils have full access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum, matched to their needs. Factors that promote the effective inclusion of pupils in lessons and other aspects of school life include the very high quality of planning, the system of allocating buddies and golden time, which is a reward. These enhance self-esteem and the wide range of activities that caters for the interests and aptitudes of all pupils.

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PUPILS?

27. The provision for personal, social and health education is very good. There is a very good structure provided to ensure equality of provision, while also allowing class teachers to respond to the needs of their classes. The programme includes circle time Balfour Infant School - 16 and golden rules. The provision for sex education and drug awareness is satisfactory. The school has a good awareness of child safety issues and appropriate provision for child protection.

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PUPILS?

28. The curriculum is adequately supported by links with the local community and relevant visits. Provision is supported, for example, by visits to local museums. A variety of visitors share their expertise and effectively support learning in some subject areas. The provision of extra curricular activities is satisfactory and supports an appropriate range of pupil interests. Sporting activities that are offered are well supported by the pupils. There are links with a school in Italy and pupils communicate with each other using a range of media including audiotapes, e-mail, videotapes and written letters.

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Spiritual, Moral, Social And Cultural Development

29. The provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good Spiritual development is good. Through religious education and assemblies, children learn about world religions, although the spiritual element in assemblies seen during the inspection was variable. There is a real sense of happiness in the school and in one classroom there is a prayer tree where pupils are able to leave prayers for forthcoming assemblies. Pupils are encouraged to develop an appreciation of, and to wonder at, the natural world during science and art lessons. They experience the pleasure of making music and are able to join the singing during assembly.

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Spiritual, Moral, Social And Cultural Development

30. The very good provision for the children’s moral development has been improved since the last inspection. This is founded on the very high expectations that staff have of them. All members of staff provide very good role models for the pupils and are very consistent in the way they show respect towards pupils and other adults. The school has a very positive approach to the management of behaviour. This includes the use of the golden time system that parents confirm has a very positive effect on the pupils’ behaviour. The well-planned personal and social education of the children, including the use of circle time, together with the positive attitude of staff, all help to build the pupils' self-esteem and respect for others. Sensitive handling of pupils by staff and the opportunities for discussion and reflection during personal, social and health education lessons and on an individual level, supports moral

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Spiritual, Moral, Social And Cultural Development

development and suitably echo the aims of the school. Pupils become aware of what is acceptable and they soon develop an understanding of what is right and wrong. Moral issues are taught very well and pupils are well-behaved in and around the school, working and co-operating very well. Pupils discuss and decide on their own class rules. These are displayed in the classrooms and are adhered to very well. The children contribute to charities and provide materials for the shoebox appeal each year.

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Spiritual, Moral, Social And Cultural Development

31. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social development. The school creates a strong sense of identity as a very caring community in which everyone is respected and supported very well. Pupils' achievements and efforts are recognised informally by class teachers and support staff, and formally by the celebration of effort and achievement in assemblies each week. Pupils throughout the school are given daily responsibilities in class. Older pupils have beneficial opportunities to take on extra responsibilities. They are also given regular monitorial duties, such as supervising the movement between lessons and during assembly. The school has many visitors to talk to pupils and to enhance the curriculum. Parents are welcomed into school to help and to accompany school visits in the locality and further afield. Balfour Infant School - 17 The school association organises very successful social events for the children

p.16

Spiritual, Moral, Social And Cultural Development

including discos and games evenings. The school has strong links with the neighbouring day care centre, pre-school groups and the receiving junior school. Future teachers in training are welcomed to the school, which has established systems to support them.

p.17

Spiritual, Moral, Social And Cultural Development

32. There is good provision for pupils’ cultural development. The school draws on examples from many cultural traditions in the work of most of the foundation subjects. This helps pupils to appreciate the ethnic and cultural diversity of British life. The quality of art and music is high in the school and these subjects enhance pupils' cultural awareness and knowledge. In art, pupils are introduced to the work of established artists. Pupils experience and learn about the culture and religions of India as part of topic work. They learn about a variety of music, not only during music lessons, but also as an accompaniment to dance and during assemblies. There are opportunities through the curriculum and from the many visitors to the school to learn of the cultural and faith traditions of Britain's multicultural population.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school continues to provide good care for its pupils. The environment is safe and members of staff care for pupils well. The quality of information kept on each pupil is detailed and comprehensive and members of staff know pupils and their medical and personal needs very well. The school identifies and deals effectively with any hazards found on site and health and safety inspections are regularly undertaken. The school governors are in the process of redesigning a detailed health and safety policy based on a model provided by the local authority. They are aware of a small number of administrative items that require improvement in this area. There are good arrangements for first aid. Despite not having a designated first aid room, pupils who are feeling unwell or are injured are cared for very well. Two responsible persons are trained to administer first aid and first aid kits are located throughout the school.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school’s policy and procedures for child protection follow the guidelines of the local committee for the protection of children. The headteacher is the designated person responsible for child protection and other members of staff understand the school’s arrangements and procedures.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The school has excellent arrangements in place for the monitoring and elimination of any oppressive behaviour and the school is very aware of any groups of children who might be at risk. Parents and pupils confirm that the children feel safe in the school. Parents confirm that there are few incidents of racism or bullying and that members of the school staff deal with them speedily and sensitively when they arise.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Very good procedures are in place for the early identification of pupils with special educational needs. The school judges and monitors the rate of progress and achievement of targets for all of the pupils but the strategies are more intense for pupils with special educational needs. The progress of pupils with statements of special educational need is monitored termly and provision is reviewed annually.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. In the context of a school that provides very good support for all its pupils, the care shown for pupils learning English as an additional language is exemplary. Pupils’ needs are identified early, and there are appropriate procedures in place to track their progress at regular and appropriate intervals. There are good links with the Balfour Infant School - 18 appropriate support services and these have a very positive impact on the support and achievement of the pupils.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The school has been successful in maintaining pupils’ punctuality and attendance and limiting the number of unauthorised absences. It complies with statutory requirements for registration, coding and recording attendance. Procedures for analysing, monitoring and following up absences are good and the educational welfare service supports the school in this area. Attendance records are regularly examined to identify patterns of absence and any noticeable trends among particular groups of pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Arrangements for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are excellent. Rewards and sanctions for pupils’ behaviour are applied consistently by all staff. In addition to the school’s detailed behaviour policy, pupils are encouraged to devise their own class rules. At lunch and break times, any instances of poor behaviour are recorded and staff consistently apply the strategies available to them, including the awarding or removal of golden time to diffuse any disagreements between pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. There are very good procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils' personal development. The members of staff and the teachers have very detailed knowledge of pupils’ needs and the school’s provision for personal, social and health education make a very good contribution to this aspect. Pupils participate in circle time, when they discuss a wide variety of issues and are given opportunities to take responsibility and to use their initiative.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The quality and use of ongoing assessment is very good. Children under five are accurately assessed on entry to the school to determine their level of development and the skills that they have acquired. Good use is made of the information to guide the work that is planned for them. Throughout the school, their achievement is assessed against set learning objectives. The information is used to set further learning objectives for individuals, and to plan programmes for groups and lessons. Very good use is made of assessment data to set targets in individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The results of national testing in English and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 are analysed carefully to identify the strengths and weaknesses of performance in order to inform future planning and priorities. This led to the most recent focus on improvement of performance in the higher levels of mathematics.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. The parents consider the school and its relationship with them to be excellent, which is a marked improvement since the last inspection. The school works very well with parents. There is good communication between the school and parents. They are made to feel welcome, are able to discuss issues or concerns, can contribute to the work in classrooms and support the school in a variety of ways. Parents confirm that the school’s open-door policy works well.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The impact of the parents’ involvement on the work of the school is very good. Parents support the school and contribute very well to their children's learning at home. They have mixed opinions about the work their children are given to do at home; however, the great majority do help to ensure that this is completed. The school association raises large sums of money to purchase materials and resources Balfour Infant School - 19 for the school and parents organise social events and assist with extra-curricular activities. They attend assemblies, performances, social and curricular events, briefing meetings and parents’ evenings. Parents were seen helping in school during the inspection and are encouraged to play a full and active part in school life.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The information provided for parents is excellent. They receive information on work that can be done at home, newsletters, day-to-day class and school information and end-of-year reports on their children's progress. Details of the curriculum to be taught are sent home every half term. Parents attend curriculum evenings, topic focus weeks such as arts week or book week, celebratory assemblies and sports day. The school’s documentation for parents is very informative and fulfils all statutory requirements. The induction process for children starting school is very good. The parents speak very highly of the home visits for children in the Foundation Stage that are made by the staff. There are good arrangements for involving the parents of pupils with special educational needs in reviews of their children's progress.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Pupils’ annual reports are detailed. They describe what children have achieved and include information on how pupils can improve. Parents are able to discuss their children’s progress at consultation evenings twice a year and are able to view pupils’ work in the classroom on open days. The headteacher and staff are always willing to discuss any parent’s concerns. This is strongly confirmed by parents. They say that the school responds positively to any suggestions or complaints. Parents have confidence in the school, the headteacher and staff and are very pleased with the school. In the last inspection, criticism by parents of their limited access to members of staff was reported. In this inspection there was praise from parents for the accessibility of staff and the headteacher at the beginning and end of the day and the very good information on pupils’ progress.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The leadership and management of the school are excellent. The headteacher provides the strong and inspirational leadership that has ensured the success of the school. She is supported by the staff and governors who share a very positive commitment to the development of the school and raising of standards. There is a clear sense of direction and purpose.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The school’s aims and values are published and widely distributed. The behaviour, diligence and high quality of relationships at all levels about the school demonstrate the commitment of pupils and adults to live up to them. A significant feature of the aims is an explicit commitment to realise each pupil’s potential and to foster positive attitudes and values.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and the subject co-ordinators monitor the quality of teaching in classrooms by observation or by evaluation of the work of pupils. Outside agencies are also brought in to validate the quality of work in the classrooms. This is a significant development since the last inspection. The school evaluates the performance data produced by national tests and its own internal testing. This information is used to establish realistic and challenging performance targets at the end of the key stage.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The day-to-day management of the school is good. All staff have current job descriptions which establish their roles and the expectations of them. The headteacher is supported by an effective deputy who has clearly defined areas of Balfour Infant School - 20 responsibility. There is very good delegation of responsibility to the subject co- ordinators, enabling them to manage and develop their own areas of operation. They are beginning to develop the monitoring of standards in their subjects. The programme of performance management for teachers is in place. Their targets are reviewed and agreed. Training needs are identified with regard to both the individual and the school’s needs.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The governing body is effective. Governors play an active part in the school life and provide strong and highly committed support. The committee structure is logical and well organised. Committees have clear terms of reference which are regularly reviewed to confirm their continuing effectiveness. The governors have a clear vision for the development of the school and make an appropriate contribution to the construction of the school’s development plan and priorities. They receive good quality information about the school’s performance.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. Educational priorities are established by staff and governors in the development plan and supported by the prudent use of funds. There is a well-established process for constructing the plan and a number of strategies are used to identify priorities for future years.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The school is well staffed and there is a very good match of qualifications and experience to deliver the curriculum. Very good induction processes are in place to support teachers and learning support assistants who are new to the school. Learning support assistants and mid-day supervisors are effectively trained and deployed. They play an important part in ensuring the quality of learning and good behaviour. A strength of the supervisors is their ability to help pupils to structure their play activities.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The overall quality and extent of the accommodation are unsatisfactory and some elements are poor. It is a great credit to the staff that they have created positive learning environments from some very limited spaces. The outdoor play spaces are satisfactory, although there is no ready access to a grassed play area. With the exception of some additional information resources for the new history programme of study, resources for teaching are satisfactory and readily accessible. The quality of the learning environment and the school surroundings owe much to the standards achieved by the caretaker and her staff and to the care and pride in their school shown by the pupils and adults.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The financial management of the school is good. The finance committee of governors is provided with good quality information through analysis of the monitoring statements provided by the local authority, suitably annotated by the administration officer. Good use is made of new technologies to track and monitor the budget and for other administrative purposes. When it is necessary, firm action is taken to avoid overspending. The governors have a policy of achieving best value in their transactions, although there are no systematic procedures to evaluate and confirm the impact of spending decisions on the standards of achievement and the quality of education.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school has been successful in attracting additional funding and specific grants, such as the New Opportunities Fund and the National Grid for Learning. Additional funds and grants are wholly applied to their designated purposes and usually supplemented from the school’s budget. The members of the administrative staff are effective, enabling the day-to-day procedures of the school to operate smoothly, Balfour Infant School - 21 allowing the headteacher and staff to focus upon teaching and learning. The school gives good value for money.

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

57. The school has many strengths. Inspectors identified a number of minor areas that could be improved further, but these have been recognised by the school and there is evidence that they are being remedied. There are no key issues for the governors and staff to address. Balfour Infant School - 22

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 34

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

9 15 61 15 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y2

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/a 276

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/a 29 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y2

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/a 2

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/a 61

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 36

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 15

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

p.22

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Balfour Infant School - 23

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 43 45 88

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 37 39 38 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 41 44 43

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 89 (88) 94 (92) 92 (89) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 39 38 39 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 43 43 43

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 93 (89) 92 (89) 93 (89) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Balfour Infant School - 24

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 2 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12 Financial year 2000-2001

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total expenditure 570,024

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 10 Expenditure per pupil 2,066

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 265 Balance brought forward from previous year 23,284

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance carried forward to next year 35,359 Balfour Infant School - 25

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 68 30 1 0 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 51 44 3 0 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 43 43 11 0 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 43 51 4 1 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 70 27 2 0 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 60 38 1 0 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 50 45 4 0 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 64 32 2 0 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 51 46 1 0 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 25 34 23 3 15

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects its pupils to work and play very hard during the school day, and has a policy of not offering additional extra-curricular activities. The parents’ response to the last question is understandable, but the inspectors confirm the very high degree of intellectual and physical application and engagement during lessons. They do not feel that additional programmes of extra- curricular activities would be appropriate for this school.

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

No other issues were raised by the parents. At their meeting with the registered inspector, they were very positive in their support and praise for the school and for the strong partnership that had been built between them. Balfour Infant School - 26

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. At the time of the inspection there were 90 children, mainly aged five, but with a few aged four, in three Reception classes. It is the Local Education Authority’s policy that children enter the Reception year in two separate intakes. Older children start in September and the younger children, born before March 1st, enter in January. The induction process for the latter group is lengthy and is detrimental to the youngest children as their full-time education effectively starts halfway through the school year.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59. Classrooms are brightly decorated with children’s work and this effectively disguises the shortcomings in the buildings. Since the last inspection the lack of outdoor play area has been addressed. Children now have a small, self-contained and attractively planted play space. This is effectively used in dry weather as an outdoor extension of the teaching space and as a space for children to use large pedal toys.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. Most children attend a playgroup before entering the Reception class and communication with these feeder institutions is in its initial stages. Teachers visit every child at home as a part of the induction process. This initiates a good relationship between parents and Reception staff and gives a personal start to the ongoing communication system. Teachers ensure that parents are kept very fully informed of their children’s learning and progress.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. Children are assessed on entry to establish a baseline profile of their abilities and the majority enter with average skills in all the six areas of learning of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Children make good progress overall and are achieving the Early Learning Goals across the full spectrum of the curriculum. They make particularly good progress in their personal, social and emotional development and in their mathematical development. By the end of the Foundation Stage, attainment in these areas is better than that usually seen.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. Baseline information is not yet used as a tool to predict attainment at the end of the Reception year or to measure progress and evaluate the teaching over this year. However, it is well used to set initial short-term learning targets for English, mathematics and personal, social and emotional development. These targets are used well to identify children with special needs. Consequently, these children make similarly good progress, in relation to their ability, to the majority of the class.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. Children with English as an additional language are usually assessed on entry, to identify their language needs. These children make satisfactory progress in the Foundation Stage because the general class teaching is good.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. The co-ordinator has successfully established a shared philosophy and approach throughout the Foundation Stage. Good use has been made of recent in-service training to establish the “plan, do and review” approach to interactive and self-initiated learning. This enriches the curriculum and has a very positive impact on children’s learning. Good decisions have been taken in relation to the development of the curriculum and the balance between teacher-led and child-initiated activities. Teachers work as a team in the initial stages of the planning process but the co- ordinator has not, as yet, sufficiently developed monitoring procedures to be aware of the provision across the Foundation Stage. Balfour Infant School - 27 65. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good with some very good features. Teachers have very high expectations, particularly of children’s behaviour. They manage their pupils very well and children’s response to the positive assertive discipline policy is

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

always good and sometimes excellent. Teaching of basic skills is very good and lessons are well planned with very good use of time and resources. Support staff are well used and work as a team with the class teacher, but they are not directly involved in the assessment procedures and this sometimes leads to duplication of tasks.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

66. Children enter the Reception year with average ability, although some have immature skills. By the time they leave the Reception year the majority are exceeding the Early Learning Goals for this aspect of the curriculum. Many children make good progress as a result of the considerable emphasis that is placed upon this aspect of learning and the teaching of these basic skills is very good. Teachers organise most activities so that children participate as part of a group and in this way children are taught to communicate and work with others, to take turns and to work co-operatively. By the end of the Reception year, children confidently move from the relatively small environment of the classroom to the larger dining hall and playground without concern. They have learned to respect the needs and feelings of others, to independently manage their own possessions and physical needs and to select and

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

67. All staff constantly encourage the children, developing their confidence and a good self-image, to establish the children’s self-esteem. They have a courteous manner as they continuously interact with children, reinforcing rules and social behaviour, establishing good relationships and providing good role models. They very successfully develop children’s security and independence. Teachers encourage all the children to make decisions, to become involved in their tasks and to concentrate purposefully in order to complete their work. When in discussion with children, teachers give them time to express their thoughts, thereby developing confidence to communicate. Activities are made fun and interesting and children are very keen to learn and their ability to remain attentive and involved is frequently excellent.

p.27

Language Literacy and Communication

68. Children make good progress with their spoken language. Most enter the Reception year with average ability and by the end of the year the majority are achieving all the language goals. Teachers encourage them to use technical vocabulary accurately as part of their normal speech. Children for whom English is an additional language are able to follow the class teacher and to respond to instructions, to participate in simple conversations and answer specific questions. Higher achievers use language to negotiate, clarify and organise their play, taking part in earnest conversation. Occasionally they create their own words to name and describe objects they have made. Listening skills are good. Children listen to their teachers with sustained concentration and answer questions in an appropriate manner. They listen with enjoyment to stories and respond well to songs and music. Balfour Infant School - 28

p.27

Language Literacy and Communication

69. Most children are meeting the Early Learning Goals for reading and writing. They all recognise the direction of print in English. They make satisfactory progress with their reading and staff maintain reading records well. All children have a developing sight vocabulary and recognise the sound of most letters and some combinations such as ‘ch’ and they can use this knowledge to read simple unknown words. Higher achievers read simple books and fluently move to a more varied range of texts. Teachers extend children’s understanding of literature well, enabling them to identify many conventions of stories such as character, setting, title and author.

p.28

Language Literacy and Communication

70. All children can write their own names and mostly letters are clearly formed and legible. Most children can write the first letter of words independently using their phonetic knowledge. Higher achievers can write short sentences clearly and independently using some punctuation.

p.28

Mathematical development

71. Pupils are attaining the Early Learning Goals and many are exceeding them. Teachers provide opportunities for good mathematical learning to take place and children experience the excitement and enjoyment of mathematical challenges. They have the opportunity to solve simple problems. Consequently, children want to participate and they make good progress in their learning. All children recognise numbers to ten and can count to 20 and above when supported by adults. Higher achievers count much higher than this independently, sometimes up to 100 when fully engrossed in purposeful play. Others count forwards confidently as they play board games, taking turns and solving problems. In teacher-initiated activities many children identify that ten is a two-digit number and they use mathematical terminology such as zero with confidence. Through well-planned activities and appropriately challenging questions adults have developed in the children a secure understanding

p.28

Mathematical development

of number, basic shapes and comparative size and the confidence and vocabulary to express themselves in mathematical terms .

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

72. Children are attaining these goals through a wide range of activities provided by teachers in a well-structured manner that encourages children to make decisions for themselves and to be creative, exploring their own ideas. In response to teachers’ questions children explore materials such as fabrics, identifying their properties and using vocabulary such as rough, smooth and soft. They make models from construction sets and a range of boxes, selecting what they need, planning their task and using scissors and tape to cut and join their work. They confidently use tape recorders and computers, manipulating the controls as they work. They can remember and talk about their birthdays as special events in their lives and in the lives of their family and friends.

p.28

Physical development

73. Children are attaining these Early Learning Goals. They have a good control of their bodies and appreciation of the space around them. They move with confidence as they balance beanbags on their heads or potatoes in spoons as they practise for sports day. They climb and balance on gymnastic apparatus and run and pedal smoothly, but some find a skipping action difficult to achieve. Teachers provide a range of activities including expressive and imaginative movement to music to develop children’s skills, but they do not emphasise sufficiently the relationship Balfour Infant School - 29 between exercise and health. Children’s manipulation of small objects and tools is satisfactory. They can hold a pencil correctly and control it with increasing precision. They apply glue accurately and pour dry sand into a narrow tube.

p.28

Creative development

74. Children are attaining these Early Learning Goals. Teachers provide many good opportunities across most areas of the curriculum for children’s creative development. Children have a satisfactory ability to interpret music, representing high and low sounds through movements of their body. They sing action songs in tune and can beat the rhythm with simple untuned percussion instruments. With support from teachers they use their senses well, for example when choosing and describing fabrics. Adults provide a varied range of opportunities for children to participate in imaginative role-play and a few children are able to assume a character on these occasions. Teachers have introduced children to the work of famous artists and some well-known paintings, such as Van Gogh and his ‘Sunflowers’ picture and in response children made their own sunflower paintings.

p.29

ENGLISH

75. The attainment of pupils aged seven is above average and they achieve well. The results of the 2000 National Curriculum tests for seven year olds were above average in reading and well above average in writing when compared to all schools. In comparison to similar schools, results are average in reading and well above average in writing. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher Level 3 was above the national average in reading and well above the national average in writing. Taken across the three years from 1998 to 2000, attainment consistently exceeded the national average in reading. The writing results are more inconsistent but, nevertheless, above average. There was no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls.

p.29

ENGLISH

76. Attainment in speaking and listening is above the national expectation by the age of seven. Pupils listen for long periods, show understanding of the main points in discussions and often make very appropriate responses. For example, in Year 2, pupils demonstrated very good recall of earlier work when they were looking at the writing of Anthony Browne. Pupils engage willingly and enthusiastically in conversations and answer questions well. Speech is clear and thoughtful and the higher attainers are beginning to adopt the tone and breadth of vocabulary to suit a range of different circumstances.

p.29

ENGLISH

77. Standards in reading are above the national expectation by the age of seven. The majority of pupils are accurate, fluent readers who understand the books they are reading. They read expressively, and change the tone of their voice at appropriate times and when changing characters. Attitudes to reading are good and positive. This reflects the interest and example shown by parents. Higher attainers read challenging books well. For example, one pupil is reading accurately and fluently from “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”. The highest attainers give simple, but clear, explanations of how to find reference materials in the library, using an alphabetical index. Lower attainers have adequate skills, but they do not always use them. For example, they know the sounds of letters and how to use them to build words but sometimes tend to wait for adults to give them the word. Balfour Infant School - 30

p.29

ENGLISH

78. In writing, attainment is above expectations by the age of seven. The vast majority of pupils write extended pieces of prose, with sentences marked out appropriately with capital letters and full stops. Stories are interesting and often words are chosen well to create the desired effect. Spelling and handwriting are generally good. Higher attainers are ambitious in their choice of vocabulary, such as 'designed'. They use effectively a range of punctuation, for instance direct speech and exclamation marks. Style of writing is effective. Attitudes to writing are good, most particularly the willingness to produce long pieces of work and the perseverance to improve work.

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ENGLISH

79. Good use is made of other subjects to help develop literacy skills. In science, pupils recorded their findings accurately in sentences. In history, they wrote vividly about the Great Fire of London and used this material to make a presentation using the PowerPoint program. Information and communication technology is also used to communicate with children in Italy using e-mail and in the writing of letters.

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ENGLISH

80. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets set for them. This is due to the good support they receive, both within the classroom and when they are taught outside the classroom by visiting specialist teachers.

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ENGLISH

81. Pupils learning English as an additional language make good progress towards the targets set for them. This is due to the effective support they receive and the high expectations of them. This is particularly noticeable in the work of the learning support assistants who are particularly skilled in the use of well-chosen questions.

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ENGLISH

82. The quality of teaching is good. In the highest quality lessons, the particular strengths included effective planning which has clear objectives that require pupils to meet high expectations and very good teacher knowledge and understanding of the subject. For example, in an excellent lesson in Year 2, every opportunity to use precise technical language was explored. Consequently, pupils' responses were also precise, confirming their knowledge and understanding. The pace of lessons, range of resources and support for pupils are very good. As a result, pupils concentrate hard for long periods, often producing long pieces of work that are accurate and interesting. In the majority of lessons observed, the planning had clearly stated objectives. Teachers have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and the pupils respond very well. There is a wide and varied range of displays throughout the school

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ENGLISH

that promote literacy. Classrooms and resources are well organised to promote effective learning and all pupils benefit from full and equal access to all activities and expectations.

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ENGLISH

83. Management of the subject is good. Monitoring is effective, particularly through the scrutiny of pupils' work and the observation of teaching. Shortcomings and areas for development are identified appropriately, for example the need to motivate boys to read more. As a result, the school has acquired a range of books that interest boys increasingly. The curriculum is broad and balanced and there is an appropriate amount of drama included. The judging of pupils' attainment is satisfactory and this is supported by regular whole-staff work on agreeing judgements about the quality of pupils' work. The range of resources is wide. The subject meets statutory requirements. Balfour Infant School - 31

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MATHEMATICS

84. The 2000 test results for seven year old pupils were above those achieved by most schools and were above those achieved by similar schools. The number of pupils achieving higher levels is good. The three year trend is consistent relative to national standards and overall standards are above the national average. The 2001 results for seven year olds exceeded the targets set at the national level and the higher level showing a significant improvement. The school has rightly identified the need to raise the proportion of pupils achieving Level 2c in mathematics and the present system of target setting, tracking and grouping of pupils is having a positive effect on raising standards

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MATHEMATICS

85. The inspection findings are that attainment is presently above the national averages at the end of Year 2 with an above average proportion of high attainment. The more precise use of target setting for numeracy, the good teaching seen in lessons and the teachers’ familiarity with the National Numeracy Strategy is having a significant impact on pupils’ learning. Pupils respond very well to the teaching in numeracy lessons.

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MATHEMATICS

86. The work of pupils at the end of Key Stage I is very good. In Year 1 the majority can quickly recall the numbers that make ten. They understand the operations of addition, subtraction and multiplication. They can calculate the difference between numbers; for example, they know the difference between 9 and 4. Higher attaining pupils can calculate the difference between numbers up to 30. In Year 2 pupils can count correctly to and from 200 in 2s, 3s, 5s, 10s and 20s, for example, and can also calculate mentally problems such as 37 – 8, using appropriate strategies, and explain how they do it. They can measure time in hours, minutes and seconds and enjoy problem solving games about the calculation of time. Higher attaining pupils can calculate unknowns in number problems using division, for example ? divided by 10 = 17. They show a high level of awareness of numbers and their present level of skill is

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MATHEMATICS

better that that expected for their age.

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MATHEMATICS

87. In the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 the pupils' learning is very good overall. The target setting in each class is having a positive impact on the progress of all pupils. All the pupils benefit from sessions of mental number work based on the National Numeracy Strategy because the oral questions challenge pupils at several different levels. The work of the pupils in both key stages shows good rates of achievement because of the good planning, preparation and good teaching. For example, higher attaining pupils in Year 1 progress from completing sums such as adding 9p and 7p to calculating the change from 30p if two items cost 11p. In a lesson in Year 2 pupils learnt well how to tell the time using analogue and digital clocks and how to measure time using a stopwatch and timers. In a similar lesson the Year 2 pupils quickly used their greater knowledge of estimation to calculate the number of movements that could be carried out in a set time and arrived at answers

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MATHEMATICS

88. The quality of mathematics teaching is good. This has a positive effect on pupils' learning. Teachers follow the National Numeracy Strategy and use the higher levels of work in Key Stage 1 to challenge their potentially higher attaining pupils. They make consistent progress. In their oral work, pupils are effectively challenged. Teachers have a secure knowledge of the subject and give clear explanations. In the lessons seen, teachers challenged pupils to give examples of estimation, used strategies to challenge pupils’ thinking and maintained very positive relationships so Balfour Infant School - 32 that a secure learning environment was created within which pupils could learn effectively.

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MATHEMATICS

89. In the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 teachers have good questioning skills that enable pupils to articulate their thoughts. For example, pupils in a Year 1 class could easily use number bonds to ten and thereby complete the number calculations they were given. Time is used effectively, especially in the mental mathematics sessions, and this contributes to the pupils making good gains in their learning. In mental number sessions, teachers pay good attention to the different attainment of pupils in each class. This provides appropriate challenge for all the pupils. In classes, different worksheets were given to children according to their ability. Teachers use data from assessments to help match the work correctly.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Teachers' planning takes sufficient account of what pupils have already learnt and they use higher objectives on occasions from the National Numeracy Strategy based upon pupils’ prior attainment. Learning objectives are clear. For example, lessons were planned for learning at three different levels of addition: counting on, counting two more and counting numbers to 50. The methods used are good. For example, the use of the whiteboard to provide prompts helps the pupils to focus on the significant issues that they need to take into account. They are able to demonstrate their mental reasoning, showing how they have worked things out. Pupils maintain a high level of interest and their behaviour is good. Pupils with special educational needs are offered effective individual support and make good progress. Teachers' marking is good and suggests ways to improve. There are sufficient opportunities

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MATHEMATICS

provided for pupils to use computers to support their learning.

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MATHEMATICS

91. Support staff are well trained and qualified. A good system to chart the progress of pupils following the results of their assessments at age five through Key Stage 1 has been established. This is beginning to impact on monitoring and target setting across the key stages. It is used diagnostically to identify the needs of groups of pupils of different prior attainment. The National Numeracy Strategy is providing helpful developments such as oral number work. The school provides an appropriate balance of time for the teaching of the subject. There is adequate time for the co-ordinator to monitor the pupils' standards and the quality of teaching. Teachers set targets for individual pupils' improvement. The school has improved standards at the end of the key stage and is well placed to raise standards further using target setting in each year group and the good quality of teaching.

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SCIENCE

92. In 2000, teacher assessments showed that the number of pupils achieving the nationally expected standard of Level 2 was around the national average and the average for similar schools. The number of pupils achieving the higher Level 3 was well above the national average and the average for similar schools. Teacher assessments for 2001 show that the percentage of pupils achieving Level 2 has risen slightly and the percentage of pupils achieving Level 3 has declined slightly.

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SCIENCE

93. The school has maintained the good standards found at the time of the previous inspection. Pupils’ attainment across all areas of the science curriculum are good, with the exception of their knowledge and understanding of electricity and circuits, where attainment is below the national expectation. The co-ordinator has identified the investigative aspect of science, particularly at the higher levels of attainment, as a Balfour Infant School - 33 priority. This has been addressed through staff training and by placing additional emphasis on teaching investigative skills.

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SCIENCE

94. Pupils aged seven have a good understanding of forces having an effect on a moving object. They can generate ideas for an investigation and know that, to make a test fair, variables need to be similar. They measure distances various vehicles travel from a ramp and record these findings in a table. In previous work they have observed and recorded the properties of many materials and the effect of simple changes such as melting chocolate. In their study of living things they are familiar with the life cycle of animals and have observed insects in their habitats. Pupils make good progress throughout the key stage. In Year 1 pupils confidently recognise forces such as pushes and pulls and higher achievers identify the wind as a force that pushes and changes the direction and speed of objects.

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SCIENCE

95. The teaching of science is good. Teachers extend their pupils’ learning and enable them to observe phenomena, such as cars rolling down a track, to make simple predictions and to provide explanations. Because lessons have a good pace and teachers are skilful at questioning, pupils are very interested in the work and their learning is good. Teachers involve all pupils equally and consequently all pupils make similarly good progress in their scientific understanding and knowledge.

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SCIENCE

96. Pupils’ attitudes to science are good. They are interested in the subject and concentrate on their work. When working outside, in situations which present many distractions, they remain focused on their tasks and are keen to extend their ideas and discuss their observations with each other. Pupils listen well to each other and accept each other’s instructions and suggestions.

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SCIENCE

97. The co-ordinator has good subject knowledge and shares this with colleagues through demonstration lessons and in-service training. The medium-term planning has recently been revised and includes enrichment through visits and good links to health education. The co-ordinator intends to further develop the planning to meet the specific needs of the school and to provide more support for teachers. Assessment procedures are well organised. Subject monitoring has taken place but does not have sufficient impact on consistent provision within the parallel classes. There are sufficient resources and some of the interactive displays are very good.

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ART AND DESIGN

98. The standards achieved in art and design by the end of the key stage are above expectations, and pupils make good progress. Art is a strength of the school and the good standards achieved in the last inspection have been maintained. Some of the work seen was of a very high quality. Children in the Foundation Stage have explored the possibilities of a very wide range of media and simple techniques. They use paint extensively and have, for example, produced sunflower paintings that Van Gogh would have recognised. Pupils in Year 1 have observed the nature and shape of faces in detail and then drawn and painted self-portraits. They have created and printed pictures on computer using appropriate painting programs. In Year 2 there is a good development of skills with some striking examples of observational drawing with very close attention to details of shape, colour, light and shade, using pencil and

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ART AND DESIGN

pastels. Pupils have used photographs as the primary sources and developed their own illustrations alongside them. Art techniques are used throughout the school to support and enhance the work in other subjects. Sketchbooks are used but the quality of work in them varies. Balfour Infant School - 34 99. Only one lesson could be observed during the inspection, which was in Key Stage 1. However, this, together with evidence from teachers’ planning, scrutiny of work displayed in classrooms and the very extensive range of original artwork displayed about the school, indicates that the quality of teaching is at least satisfactory and that most has been good. In the lesson seen, the quality of teaching was satisfactory. The teacher had a good understanding of the activity and challenged the pupils to reflect upon their work and to discuss it with others in the class. The pupils were keen to succeed and all of them, including the higher-attaining pupils and those with

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ART AND DESIGN

special needs, were able to do so because the work was carefully chosen and they received good support. Their response to the tasks set and their ability to co-operate with one another were good.

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ART AND DESIGN

100. The leadership and management of art and design are good. The scheme of work is based on a logical progression of acquisition and development of the various skills of the artist. Planning across the key stage is clear and well structured. The co- ordinator provides good support to the non-specialist staff, but is not able to monitor the quality of teaching in classrooms. Resources are adequate for drawing, painting, sewing, weaving and printing, but are limited for three-dimensional work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. Only one lesson was observed in Year 2 during the inspection and it is not possible to make a judgement about the quality of teaching and the attainment of the pupils. However, their displayed work shows that a range of media has been used and design technology skills have been taught. In discussions with the pupils they say they have opportunities to plan and evaluate their products. In the one lesson seen the pupils displayed sound skills in design and construction of chassis frames for model vehicles and had opportunities to develop their creativity and imagination to produce designs for different types of models. They were taught how they might improve their designs. The majority of pupils were successful and were confident when given the opportunity to discuss the skills and techniques used. Pupils explained the choice of material and how the finished product could be improved upon. Annotated designs were seen for models and these were clearly labelled.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Pupils know that both the function and appearance of a product are important.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. The scrutiny of work reveals that pupils are taught specific skills, processes and knowledge based upon consideration of the needs of consumers. For example, in Year 2, pupils designed glove puppets and used different fabrics to make them. Consideration was given to the way that materials were joined and pupils were able to use their creativity and imagination in their designs. In Year 1 they had designed and made Christmas decorations. They have also been involved in a project investigating different types of vegetables, the colour, shape, texture and taste, what they like and dislike. In Year 2 pupils are familiar with the use of wheels and axles. They have constructed models using pulleys to illustrate a nursery rhyme.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. The subject is well co-ordinated. There is a sound policy and the school has produced a scheme of work based on the QCA guidance that outlines the key elements of the subject and provides guidance for teaching. The work seen indicated that a range of activities had been taught, fulfilling the requirements of the curriculum. The pupils are well aware of the safety issues in using various tools and materials and this is stressed in teaching. Pupils with special educational needs are offered extra help if needed and make progress. The school has a good set of tools and materials to enable an appropriate range of techniques to be taught. Balfour Infant School - 35

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GEOGRAPHY

104. Attainment in geography is broadly in line with the national expectations for seven year olds. In some lessons, particularly in Year 2, some pupils are able to demonstrate higher standards and a well-developed understanding of geographical concepts. By the time they are seven, pupils have a developing knowledge of the world beyond school and are beginning to understand aspects of different environments from their own.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. In Year 1 pupils have developed simple mapping skills centred upon their home and school experience. They have produced thematic route plans and identified some of the geographical features encountered. They have conducted a simple traffic survey to discover if the road outside the school is always so busy and investigated the pattern of car parking around the school.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. Year 2 pupils have carried out surveys of the countries visited by other children on holiday, and used ICT skills to show the results in graphical form. They have considered the ways in which the climate of a country would influence the clothing and other equipment that a visitor should take. They are currently studying the variety of facilities and features that are necessary for a seaside town to be an attractive holiday resort, and have very well-developed understanding of the nature of natural and man-made features in such a town. Throughout the school, their appreciation of the wider world is developed through studies of the extensive travels of Barnaby Bear.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. The teaching of geography was consistently good and one lesson observed was excellent. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The teachers’ own knowledge and understanding of the subject was impressive and enabled them to talk confidently and accurately about the topic of the lesson. Particularly skilful exposition and use of questioning engages the pupils and enables them to think for themselves. The secure environment allows them to offer ideas confidently, knowing that they will be listened to. Planning and resources were both good. In all lessons, the teachers had clear learning objectives and explained these to the pupils so that everyone knew what they were aiming to achieve. In the best lessons, the class was able to choose from a number of options the way in which they managed the task. ICT tools are now used effectively to find information and to process data, which is an improvement

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GEOGRAPHY

108. In all lessons the pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, were able to make good progress. Their attitude to their geographical tasks and their behaviour in lessons were excellent. They are particularly impressive listeners and are able to recall their learning from previous lessons well so that they can develop their knowledge and understanding. They are very confident and willing to contribute ideas and concentrate very hard on the tasks that they are set. When working in groups, they do so constructively and co-operatively. Geography makes a positive contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Balfour Infant School - 36 109. The subject is effectively led and managed. The co-ordinator has produced a comprehensive policy document that gives the non-geographer a clear structure for the subject, including differentiated tasks and opportunities to involve the use of ICT

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GEOGRAPHY

tools. The focus is on the teaching of geographical skills and opportunities for assessment of attainment and progress are identified. Resources for geography are good and very good use is made of the local environment.

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HISTORY

110. Standards in history are above the national expectation for seven year olds, which is better than they were in the previous inspection when standards were satisfactory. This is due to consistently good teaching, clearly focused planning and purposeful leadership from the co-ordinator.

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HISTORY

111. By the age of seven, at the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment in history is above that expected nationally. They have a good understanding of the Great Fire of London, the event in the period of history that they are currently studying. They are sure of dates, the causes of the fire and how people reacted. They know many aspects of life during this period and the style of the buildings and confidently represent these in detail both visually and in written form. They use timelines, demonstrating a good understanding of the passage of time and know that a good source of information is a first-hand account through a diary. These pupils’ previous learning of the life of Florence Nightingale was also to a good standard. Pupils’ historical enquiry skills are well developed throughout the key stage and they make good progress. For example, younger pupils, as part of their study of seaside holidays in the past, are able to formulate good questions to ask grandparents. Their

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HISTORY

observational skills are good and they use them well when photographs are provided as a source of evidence for finding differences between now and one hundred years ago.

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HISTORY

112. History teaching is good throughout the school. Teachers motivate pupils well and they apply themselves with considerable vigour and enthusiasm, giving their best effort to their tasks. Planning is good. Teachers make good use of the Internet as a resource and of their pupils’ computing skills for consolidating learning and recording work. Teachers have high expectations and extend pupils’ knowledge through skilful questioning and development of their responses. They ensure that all pupils make similarly good progress in their knowledge and understanding and in their historical enquiry skills.

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HISTORY

113. The subject is well led and monitored. New planning and assessment structures have been introduced by the co-ordinator. Some new study units of the history curriculum are under-resourced and will require additional books and artefacts.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. Standards of attainment are in line with those expected nationally at the end of the key stage and pupils achieve as well as they can in relation to their prior achievement. An effective start has been made in using information and communication technology as an integral part of learning in all subjects. Standards are what might be expected nationally and there is a coherent approach in the planning to provide opportunities for ICT to be used. By Year 2, pupils have experienced elements of the required strands of the subject and have had sufficient opportunities to practise what they have learned in other areas of the curriculum. Balfour Infant School - 37 115. Pupils are able to demonstrate word processing skills that are satisfactory. Most can load, save and retrieve information and use the Internet and CD-ROMs to seek further information. They describe how they have used particular programs to handle

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

data and how they have used elements of control skills when creating pictures.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116. They also are aware of the uses of information technology in the wider world, such as e-mail and the Internet. Samples of work seen include examples of word processing, data handling, drawing pictures, control and the use of desktop publishing, demonstrating the full breadth of the programmes of study. There was evidence of information technology being taught or used to support other curriculum areas during the period of the inspection, for example in history and mathematics. In a history lesson about the Great Fire of London, Year 2 pupils created their pictures on screen and then used the computer to animate them, making the flames move. They used the word processor to write a brief description of the picture.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils know the function of various keys. They know how to enter, delete and change fonts. In Year 2 the pupils are able to use the mouse to select, drag and drop when creating pictures and when combining text with images. Pupils have access to computers in each class and they are used frequently. There is some work on display to celebrate pupils’ achievements.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

118. Pupils are interested in the subject and are very keen to use computers in their learning. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the computer and its uses. They are very willing to help each other. The school makes full use of the skills that pupils have acquired and the planned activities ensure that pupils are challenged.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

119. The teachers' own skills are good, enabling them to teach the whole of the programmes of study effectively. The quality of teaching is good, for example in a Year 2 mathematics lesson where the teacher successfully introduced the use of a program to extend and consolidate the pupils’ understanding of telling the time using analogue and digital clocks. Older pupils collected information to create a database and were taught how to access information from it and produce graphs and charts. In Year 2, teachers use the computer appropriately to support other subjects such as geography, where pupils use a CD-ROM to study maps of different parts of the world. Pupils used the Internet to research information for project work in history and geography to prepare information sheets combining text and images. Older pupils were taught how to programme a floor robot to move in a set direction and over a set

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

distance. Year 1 pupils were successfully taught how to compile a simple Logo program and given opportunities to demonstrate their work to the class.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

120. Some monitoring of planning, classroom practice and pupils’ work takes place. The co-ordinator is therefore aware of the standards achieved in the school. Skill progression is identified and linked to ages and stages of development. Planning is satisfactory and has been developed to teach pupils progressive skills that they can then practise and use across the whole curriculum. Resources across the school are satisfactory. There are computers in each classroom. There is a good supply of software, printers, scanners and access to the Internet. The QCA guidance has been adopted. This results in satisfactory planning because teachers have sufficient guidance on how to match tasks to pupils’ needs. The school has established links with a school in Italy and pupils communicate with each other using e-mail.

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MUSIC

Balfour Infant School - 38 121. The standard of music across the school is above expectation. Singing is good throughout the school, because of the quality and enthusiasm of the teaching and the wide range of opportunities that are provided to learn, refine and perform songs. The quality of singing, particularly in the Key Stage 1 assemblies, was very good. Pupils in Year 1 learn about the different types of percussion instruments and use these to accompany their singing. They show good rhythmic skills. For example, in a Year 2 lesson, pupils made up a rhythmic pattern based on two words and they successfully performed their ideas to the class. Musical terminology is introduced at appropriate times and pupils are genuinely interested in the technical aspects of the subject.

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MUSIC

122. The quality of teaching in music is good. Teachers have good levels of technical competence, plan lessons well, are able and prepared to perform credibly, have high expectations of what pupils can do and are prepared to take acceptable risks. Good relationships have been established and teachers ensure that music is fun. Because of the good quality of teaching in the majority of music lessons observed, the attitudes and behaviour of the pupils was either very good or excellent. This resulted, for example, in pupils understanding the importance of listening attentively and of repeating rhythms accurately.

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MUSIC

123. Pupils enjoy learning about and making music. They are eager to respond to questions, treat their instruments with respect and are able to demonstrate a high level of co-operation during group activities. Many pupils show a secure sense of pitch and they have a good memory for words. They show a satisfactory understanding of the way the instruments can be played to create an effect. They have opportunities to listen to music from a range of cultures, including their own. Pupils with special needs are fully integrated into musical activities and they respond well. Where appropriate, they are supported and encouraged by their learning support assistants. They are attentive, well-behaved and handle the resources with care. Opportunities are taken to introduce music from other cultures through recordings and live performances from visiting musicians, including the steel band of a local secondary school. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual,

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MUSIC

124. Music is well managed across the school. The co-ordinator has a good knowledge and understanding of music and provides support for her colleagues. Resources for music are good. Instruments are of good quality and are well maintained. They include some more unusual instruments. The opportunities to use information and communication technology tools, both to record performance and to play music, are good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. Only a very small part of the work in the subject could be observed: the development of games skills. Consequently, it is not possible to make a secure judgement about the overall standards of attainment. However, scrutiny of plans and discussions with pupils and staff indicate clearly that a broad and balanced programme is available for all pupils. Balfour Infant School - 39 126. By the age of seven, pupils' games skills meet expectations. Generally, pupils are agile, willing to provide constructive criticism about each other’s performance and they know and understand that exercise has an effect on their bodies. Throwing and catching skills are adequate, with the majority of pupils watching the ball into the hands and attempting to catch the ball against the body. This is good work and a strong foundation for activities such as rounders and cricket. Throughout the school, pupils are highly enthusiastic, listen carefully to instructions and try very hard to

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

improve their skills and techniques. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. Overall, the quality of teaching observed is satisfactory. All lessons begin with an appropriate warm-up. Pupils work hard in this opening session and the demands on pupils ensure that they are ready for the rigours to come. In a Year 2 lesson the teacher made the activity intellectually challenging by introducing a follow-my-leader format. Consequently, the follower did not know what to expect and had to react quickly and appropriately. Management of lessons is effective and this includes helpful reminders about health and safety concerns. Pupils benefit from seeing their peers perform skills and techniques, when the teacher identifies good practice. Occasionally, teachers remain in one place and have insufficient impact on pupils, because they cannot be heard. For example, in a Year 2 lesson on the playground in windy conditions the pupils furthest away from the teacher were unable to hear her

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

instructions and move appropriately to the next stage of the lesson. Consequently, the pace of the lesson slowed.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. Management of the subject is satisfactory. Lesson observations are carried out appropriately and the co-ordinator also monitors a sample of teachers' record sheets. Areas for development are identified annually and currently include revising the planning to ensure breadth and balance in the programme, investigating the replacement of large apparatus and continuing the development of playground activities. Resources are adequate, although the number of racquets in the school does not allow for each pupil to have one if the lesson requires it.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

129. The school has maintained the good standards reported at the previous inspection. There has been good leadership with the development of detailed medium-term planning to the newly revised Medway Agreed Syllabus that is very supportive to teachers and which promotes high standards.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130. By the end of the key stage pupils’ attainment is above expectation. They have a good knowledge of the religions that they study and how members of the faith groups act. They recognise some of the special symbols and artefacts for each religion and some of the basic beliefs. For example, they have learned the importance of prayer to Christians and that prayers can have several purposes. They link these ideas to their own experiences and, following discussions, have written their own prayers, based upon their own feelings.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131. Pupils follow the Medway Agreed Syllabus throughout the key stage and they all make similarly good progress. In Year 1 pupils reflected upon their own experiences and identified times when they had been brave. This is in response to their study of the bravery of Queen Esther, a personality in their Judaism module. Teachers developed this theme well, using shakers and percussion instruments to replicate the way in which the story is read in the synagogue. In these lessons pupils’ learning Balfour Infant School - 40 was good but teachers did not consistently emphasise the faith element within the story, to show how this had supported Esther in her act of bravery. In their study of Christianity these pupils have studied St Andrew and St Nicolas and the importance of advent as a preparation for Christmas.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

132. Teaching is good. Teachers have a good knowledge of Christianity. Their knowledge of Judaism is less secure and the school should consider providing additional support for them, particularly for the new aspects of the curriculum. Teachers use their overall teaching skills well, using pupils’ literacy skills and linking them with music and design technology to enhance the learning in religious education.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

133. Pupils’ attitudes are very good and they respond well to the range of activities provided. Younger pupils were excited and involved in their work related to Queen Esther. They enjoyed the activities and looked forward to role-play of the story. Older pupils concentrated well and listened carefully to others as they discussed prayers and read these confidently to the class.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

134. The knowledgeable co-ordinator provides good leadership. The newly planned curriculum provides a well-balanced programme with visits and visitors to enhance and enrich the experiences pupils receive. Assessments are well planned as an integral part of the provision. These are newly developed and have yet to be used to identify learning and as a tool to evaluate the curriculum and the teaching. Monitoring of the curriculum has taken place, but has not been effective in eradicating some of the differences in provision found within parallel classes. The school has a good supply of artefacts for each religion but there are insufficient resources as yet to support teachers in their delivery of the new aspects of the curriculum.

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