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Strengths
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- This is because teachers are very well supported by a knowledgeable special educational needs co-ordinator and the good deployment of knowledgeable learning support assistants. p.13
- Pupils with special educational needs, and those in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language, achieve very well because of the high quality support they receive. p.7
- There are strong links between the nursery and reception classes to ensure that as they grow older the children learn and achieve very well. p.33
- Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress, and those in the early stages of Roe Green Infant School - 41 April 2001 learning with English as an additional language achieve very well by the time they are seven because of the very good support they receive. p.40
- school other than at the usual time in Year 1, are also very well provided for and the high quality learning support they receive contributes significantly to these pupils' very good achievements. p.41
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- A weakness is the absence of clubs and other activities at lunchtimes. p.20
- In the less successful lessons, the pace of learning lacks challenge and so does not inspire the pupils. p.41
- When the teaching is less successful, although satisfactory and pupils behave well, time is not always used well. p.43
- successful, but nevertheless satisfactory, lessons are not always taught at a challenging pace and work for higher attaining pupils does not consistently challenge them. p.47
Next steps
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- There is good improvement since the last inspection in March 1997. p.8
- There is very good improvement in the provision for pupils with special educational needs. p.8
- These pupils' learning is now assessed very well through the use of individual learning targets. p.8
- Improvements in the provision for higher attaining pupils, and in opportunities for them to be more independent learners, are satisfactory. p.8
- However, work for these pupils is not yet consistently demanding enough. p.8
- The table shows the standards achieved by 7 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. p.8
- Performance in: all schools similar schools Key p.8
- English C C D C well above average above average A B mathematics C C D C average below average C D science B B B B well below average E p.8
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Full report text
ROE GREEN INFANT SCHOOL
Dates of inspection: April 30 th - May 3 rd 2001
p.1
ROE GREEN INFANT SCHOOL
Full 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. 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. Roe Green Infant School - 3 April 2001
p.1
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
School address: Princes Avenue Kingsbury London
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Appropriate authority: The Governing Body
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Name of chair of governors: Mr George Montgomery
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Date of previous inspection: 10 th March 1997 Roe Green Infant School - 4 April 2001
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 7704 Mike Phillips Registered inspector History Religious education Special educational needs English as an additional language What sort of school is it? School’s results and achievements How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 9457 Gillian Bindoff Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 21893 Vivien Brittain Team inspector Science Design and technology Physical education Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage 23290 Ros Wilson Team inspector English Geography Music How well are pupils taught? Roe Green Infant School - 5 April 2001 26514 Amanda Tapsfield Team inspector Mathematics Information technology Art and design Equal opportunities
p.4
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 1BB
p.5
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:
p.5
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division
p.5
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Roe Green Infant School - 6 April 2001
p.5
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
p.6
HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
p.6
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
The school has 439 pupils from the age of three to seven drawn from a rich diversity of ethnic backgrounds. It is bigger than most infant schools. In the school, 29 languages are spoken and just over half the pupils are from Indian or Pakistani minority ethnic heritages. Eighty children attend the nursery part time. Most pupils live near to the school in owner occupied housing with some in rented or social accommodation. When children enter the reception classes, their standards of attainment in literacy and numeracy are below those expected for their age. For about a third of the children, who did not attend the nursery, their standards of attainment are well below those expected. There are five children in the nursery from asylum seeking and refugee families, and there are 31 others in the rest of the school, mainly from Somalia. Eight out of ten pupils learn with English as an additional language and this is high in comparison with other schools. About a quarter of the pupils are eligible
p.7
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
for free school meals, which is above the national average. Two fifths of the pupils have special educational needs, mainly for learning difficulties. One in 10 pupils has a statement of special educational needs and this is above the national average. During 1999-2000, 29 pupils entered the school other than at the usual time of admission when they were five, and 22 of them were in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language and had not been to a school before. Twenty-five pupils left the school before they were seven. In March 2001, the school received a national Achievement Award for rising standards.
p.7
HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS
Roe Green Infant School is a very good school and provides good value for money. The headteacher's strong leadership provides a clear sense of educational direction for the school and ensures all who work here share her firm commitment to high standards. The headteacher and her deputy work very well together to support teams of teachers with management responsibilities. The school respects and celebrates the rich diversity of faiths and cultures very well, and this contributes significantly to the school's very good learning atmosphere and pupils liking school, behaving well and wanting to learn. Secure foundations for successful future learning are laid in the nursery where very good teaching results in children's high achievements. Almost all the pupils make good progress by the time they are seven because of the high proportion of good and better teaching they receive. By the time they are seven, pupils achieve well so that standards of attainment in reading and in science
p.7
HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS
match those expected nationally for their age, and for mathematics standards of attainment exceed those expected nationally. Standards of attainment in religious education are above those expected for seven year olds as set out in the locally agreed syllabus. In all other subjects, apart from information communication technology, by the time they are seven the pupils' standards of attainment match those expected nationally. About 80 per cent of pupils learn with English as an additional language and achieve well by the time they are seven. Pupils with special educational needs, and those in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language, achieve very well because of the high quality support they receive. The progress and achievements of pupils from refugee and asylum seeking families is similar to other pupils. Most governors are well informed and work well with the school to shape its future. School finances are managed very well.
p.7
HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS
What the school does well • Very good leadership ensures that all who work here share a strong commitment to high standards. • Very good provision for pupils in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language, and those with special educational needs, contribute to their very good achievements. • The school ensures seven year olds' attainment in mathematics and religious education is high. • The achievements of children under five are very good and they are good by the time pupils are seven. • Well informed and deployed learning support assistants work well with teachers to help pupils learn. Roe Green Infant School - 8 April 2001 What could be improved • Raise standards of attainment in information communication technology by the time pupils are seven. • The leadership roles of teachers with management responsibilities need improving. • The attainment of higher attaining pupils and provision for talented and gifted pupils need
p.7
HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS
improving. • Provide more interesting activities for pupils at lunchtimes. • School attendance needs to improve. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.
p.8
HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION
There is good improvement since the last inspection in March 1997. There is very good improvement in the provision for pupils with special educational needs. These pupils' learning is now assessed very well through the use of individual learning targets. Improvements in the provision for higher attaining pupils, and in opportunities for them to be more independent learners, are satisfactory. However, work for these pupils is not yet consistently demanding enough.
p.8
STANDARDS
The table shows the standards achieved by 7 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.
p.8
STANDARDS
Performance in: all schools similar schools Key
p.8
STANDARDS
English C C D C well above average above average A B mathematics C C D C average below average C D science B B B B well below average E
p.8
STANDARDS
The 2000 national test results for reading and writing were below the national average but match those for similar schools across the country. In mathematics, the 2000 national test results were above the national average and those for similar schools nationally. Over the past four years, reading standards have risen. They fell sharply in 1997, rose even more sharply in 1998 and continued to rise in 1999. Although reading standards fell a little in 2000 to be below the national average, they matched those of similar schools across the country. Inspection evidence indicates satisfactory improvements in standards of attainment for seven year olds since the 2000 national test, with a good improvement in reading where attainment matches the national average. Pupils now read with better understanding by using different strategies well to make sense of unfamiliar words and phrases. In writing, the trend over the past four years is similar to that for reading. Inspection findings show
p.8
STANDARDS
improvement in the writing of pupils with different learning needs, but the indications are that improvements have not yet raised standards for most pupils above the results of the 2000 national tests, with more improvement needed in pupils' skills to develop and then extend their ideas. In mathematics, there is a four-year trend of steady improvement. Inspection evidence shows standards matching those of the 2000 national test results, with good skills in using mental strategies to solve problems. In science, by the time they are seven, pupils have good knowledge of their environment and how it functions and they understand scientific skills of observation well . In information communication technology, pupils' standards of attainment are below those expected nationally by the time they are seven because there are too few opportunities for them to extend their skills as they learn in other subjects. In religious education, standards of attainment are above those expected in
p.8
STANDARDS
the locally agreed syllabus. In all other subjects, standards of attainment match those expected nationally. Eight out of 10 children enter the nursery with little or no spoken English. Very good teaching lays secure foundations for their future learning and results in high achievements for these children by the time they leave the reception classes. Roe Green Infant School - 9 April 2001
p.8
PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES
Attitudes to the school Pupils like school, are very eager to learn and they take a pride in their work.
p.9
PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES
Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The pupils behave well in class and around the school.
p.9
PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES
Personal development and relationships Personal development is good and pupils work and play well together. They respect traditions and beliefs different to their own and they understand the impact of their actions on others well. Race relations are very good.
p.9
PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES
Attendance Despite the very good efforts of the school, attendance is well below that of other schools nationally.
p.9
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years
p.9
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Lessons seen overall Very good Good Not applicable 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.
p.9
TEACHING AND LEARNING
One hundred per cent of teaching is satisfactory or better, of which 69 per cent is satisfactory or good and 31 per cent is very good. Very good teaching of numeracy and literacy skills in the Foundation Stage contributes to the children's very good achievements. Numeracy and literacy skills are taught well throughout the rest of the school. Where the teaching is satisfactory, pupils of higher attainment are not always given enough challenging work. Learning support assistants are well informed and deployed to help pupils learn. Teachers' good subject knowledge and management of behaviour ensures pupils learn well. The very good teaching of pupils with special educational needs, and those who are in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language, ensures their very good achievements. The good and very good teaching measures pupils' progress against the lesson's learning targets and gives pupils very good advice on how to improve. Apart from the Foundation
p.9
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Stage, pupils' computer skills are not consistently reinforced in other subjects, although, as the result of training, secure plans are in place to raise standards of attainment by the time pupils are seven.
p.9
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL
The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides the full range of National Curriculum subjects and religious education. Good use of educational visits and visitors to the school reinforces pupils learning well.
p.9
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL
Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good.
p.9
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL
Provision for pupils with English as an additional language There is very good provision for pupils with English as an additional language throughout the school.
p.9
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL
Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for pupils' personal development, including health education, is good. Provision for pupils' moral, social and cultural development is very good. Provision for spiritual development is good. Roe Green Infant School - 10 April 2001 How well the school cares for its pupils Very good care of pupils underpins all the school strives to achieve. Assessment information is not always used well to challenge higher attaining pupils.
p.9
HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED
Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Strong leadership by the headteacher and senior managers ensures all who work here share a commitment to high standards. Teachers with management responsibilities have too few opportunities to increase their leadership skills.
p.10
HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED
How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities well and work very well in partnership with the school to help shape its future.
p.10
HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED
The school’s evaluation of its performance The school is committed to continuous improvement. It does this very well in order to maintain the pupils' good achievements and improve them where necessary.
p.10
HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED
The strategic use of resources Very good financial planning and day to day financial management of the school ensures all spending decisions follow the principles of best value.
p.10
HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED
There is a very good match of teachers to the demands of the curriculum and the learning needs of pupils. Good accommodation and resources are used well to help pupils learn.
p.10
PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL
What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • They think teaching is good and are pleased their children make good progress and behave well. • They are well informed, are comfortable about approaching the school and are pleased the school expects their children to work hard. • They are pleased their children like school and that the school helps them to mature. • Nearly one in five who replied to the pre- inspection questionnaire thought the school did not provide enough interesting activities outside lessons. • A few parents think there is not enough homework.
p.10
PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL
Inspectors agree with most parents' views. They disagree that the school does not provide enough homework. Inspectors consider that the school provides too few interesting activities for pupils at lunch times. Roe Green Infant School - 11 April 2001
p.10
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements
1. The 2000 national test results for reading show that, by the time they are seven, the percentage of pupils reaching the nationally expected levels of attainment was below the national average. In comparison with all schools nationally and similar schools across the country, the percentage of pupils whose attainment is at Level 2a, which is at the top end of the level expected of them, is below the national average. In addition, in comparison with most schools across the country, too few pupils exceeded the national level of attainment expected of seven year olds by reaching the higher Level 3.
p.11
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements
2. In writing, the 2000 national tests show that, by the time they are seven, the percentage of pupils at the top end of the level expected of them nationally was larger than most schools nationally and for similar schools across the country. The reason the national test results were below the national average, and those for similar schools, was because only three per cent of the pupils exceeded the national level of attainment compared to nine per cent for most schools across the country.
p.11
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements
3. The mathematics 2000 national test results reveal a different picture because the percentage of seven year old pupils reaching the top end of the level expected of them nationally exceeded that of most schools nationally and for similar schools across the country. In addition, the percentage of pupils exceeding the level expected of seven year olds was above the national average.
p.11
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements
4. The results of the 2000 national tests for reading, writing and mathematics show no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls.
p.11
Trends over time
5. National test results show a rise in standards of attainment in reading and writing over the past four years, with a slight decline in 2000. This decline is due to two factors. The first is that a few pupils entered the school in Year 2 in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language and with no, or very little, previous schooling. The second is that this group of Year 2 pupils had the highest proportion of special educational needs pupils than the previous four years, almost all of them with literacy difficulties.
p.11
Trends over time
6. In reading, national test results over the past four years show that standards of attainment have risen well. National test results show that, after a decline in 1997, they rose sharply in 1998 and rose again in 1999. They fell back a little in 2000. Inspection evidence closely matches the results of the 2000 national tests for reading, with a slight increase in the percentage of pupils reaching the top end of the level expected and exceeding the national level of attainment expected of them.
p.11
Trends over time
7. In writing, the upward trend of the national test results over the last four years is similar to those for reading. Inspection evidence closely matches the 2000 national tests for writing, but there are fewer pupils reaching the higher levels of attainment than for reading. The results of the 2000 national tests matched those of similar schools across the country. Roe Green Infant School - 12 April 2001 8. For mathematics, despite a small dip in 1997, national test results over the last four years shows a trend of steady improvement. The percentage of pupils reaching or exceeding national levels of attainment is consistently above the national average.
p.11
Standards of attainment
9. Inspection evidence does not closely match the results of the 2000 national test results for reading because standards have improved, but it does for writing, mathematics and for science.
p.12
Standards of attainment
10. By the time they are seven, standards of attainment in reading match the national average. The proportion of seven year old pupils, whose reading standards are at the top end of the level expected nationally and who exceed this national level of attainment, is close to the national average.
p.12
Standards of attainment
11. By the time they are seven, pupils’ standards of attainment in writing are below the national average. Inspection evidence shows that, whilst writing is improving for lower and average attaining pupils, the proportion of seven year old pupils exceeding national levels of attainment is below the national average and this matches the results of the 2000 national tests.
p.12
Standards of attainment
12. In mathematics, by the time pupils are seven, standards of attainment are above the national average. This matches the results of the 2000 national test results.
p.12
Standards of attainment
13. In science, teacher assessments in 2000 show that the percentage of pupils reaching or exceeding the nationally expected level of attainment matched the national average.
p.12
Standards of attainment
14. In religious education, seven year old pupils reach standards of attainment that are above those expected for their age as set out in the locally agreed syllabus. By the time they are seven, the pupils' standards of attainment in information communication technology (ICT) are below national expectations. In all other subjects, standards of attainment for seven year olds match those expected nationally.
p.12
Analysis of work and pupils’ achievements
15. When considering the achievements of pupils by the time they are seven a very positive picture emerges. Most pupils achieve well by the time they are seven and, for a significant minority, their achievements are very good. This is because the achievements of almost 40 per cent of the pupils with special educational needs are very good. Children’s’ achievements are very good in the nursery and reception classes, which is the Foundation Stage of their education. Eighty per cent of the children are in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language when they enter the nursery. Very good teaching in this Foundation Stage of their education makes sure that, when they enter the main school in the term they are five, they have made very good progress in learning with English as an additional language. It is mostly these pupils who, by the time they are seven, reach the top end of the levels of attainment expected nationally in reading and writing and who also
p.12
Analysis of work and pupils’ achievements
exceed the national level of attainment expected of them in mathematics. However, about one third of pupils enter the reception classes in the Foundation Stage not having attended pre-school groups and they are in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language. These pupils achieve as well as other pupils by the time they enter the main school in Year 1 because of the good teaching and support they receive. Despite their very good achievements and progress, there is too little time for many of these pupils who did not attend the Foundation Stage, to Roe Green Infant School - 13 April 2001 match the levels of achievement of most other pupils by the time they are seven. Nevertheless, good foundations are laid for their future successful learning in the reception classes and throughout the school.
p.12
Analysis of work and pupils’ achievements
16. The achievements of pupils who join the school other than at the usual time in Year 1 are very good. Twenty-nine pupils entered the school other than at the usual time in 1999-2000, and twenty-two had no experience of school and spoke no English. These pupils’ learning needs were swiftly identified so that they received very good support for their learning. High quality support for their learning is contributing to their very good achievements.
p.13
Analysis of work and pupils’ achievements
17. Analysis of pupils’ work shows that, by the time they are seven, their levels of attainment in literacy match those expected nationally. Writing standards are improving, although pupils of higher attainment are capable of achieving more through better use of their good range of vocabulary. Whilst lower and average attaining pupils do not develop and then extend ideas well when writing, almost all of them achieve well because they are extending their English vocabulary all the time. In reading, pupils of different levels of attainment, and of diverse ethnic backgrounds, make good progress. Over 80 per cent of pupils learn with English as an additional language and they make good progress. The third of pupils who enter the reception classes in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language achieve very well throughout the school. Inspection evidence indicates that over 90 per cent
p.13
Analysis of work and pupils’ achievements
of seven year old pupils reach or exceed standards of attainment expected nationally for their age in reading. This represents good progress since the last inspection. Two-thirds of all pupils read simple texts accurately and make good use of strategies to make sense of unfamiliar words and phrases. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress. By the time they are seven, these pupils retell stories well and explain satisfactorily why they prefer one character to another or like certain types of books. They know how to make sense of words unfamiliar to them by sounding out parts of these words, but they do not always do this well and some need help to succeed.
p.13
Analysis of work and pupils’ achievements
18. By the time they are seven, pupils’ attainment in mathematics is above the national average. Inspection findings match the results of the 2000 national tests. Analysis of pupils’ work shows that, by the time they are seven, they have good knowledge of place value to 100 and they make good progress in using two, five and 10 times tables when making written and mental calculations. They count in twos up to 100 and then make good use of this knowledge to halve and double numbers. They know the basic properties of two and three-dimensional shapes. They estimate length of objects well before carefully and accurately measuring them. They gather and classify data, presenting their findings well in simple block graphs and pictograms.
p.13
Analysis of work and pupils’ achievements
19. In science, by the time they are seven, pupils have good knowledge of the environment and how it functions and of living and non-living things. They understand well why some foods are healthy or unhealthy and they make good progress in understanding the need for exercise and a balanced diet. Pupils understand and use scientific observations well. They are good at sorting and classifying information and making scientific predictions based on everyday experiences. Their understanding of the need for fair testing is good.
p.13
Analysis of work and pupils’ achievements
20. Analysis of the work of pupils with special educational needs shows that, throughout the school, they make very good progress when measured against their individual learning targets. This is because teachers are very well supported by a knowledgeable special educational needs co-ordinator and the good deployment of knowledgeable learning support assistants. For these pupils, numeracy and literacy skills are very well reinforced in other subjects. When special educational needs Roe Green Infant School - 14 April 2001 pupils receive additional provision away from the classroom, good planning makes sure that they do not miss out on the learning other pupils’ do. These pupils take a pride in their work. They have good knowledge of what they need to do to improve. Homework is matched to their individual learning needs so that they are well prepared for their next lessons.
p.13
Analysis of work and pupils’ achievements
21. The analysis of work for pupils who learn with English as an additional language shows that they make good progress and, for pupils who learn in the early stages with English as an additional language, their progress is very good. A well trained learning support assistant provides very good support for Year 1 pupils who are under achieving and for those in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language, through the trialling of a national Early Learning Skills national project. She works in partnership with a class teacher, so that these pupils quickly learn to spell everyday one and two syllable words correctly, punctuate short sentences and read simple texts with understanding. For these pupils, numeracy skills are also reinforced well, so that progress is very good in naming numbers, counting in twos, adding and subtracting two digit numbers, learning two, five and ten
p.14
Analysis of work and pupils’ achievements
times tables and working out mathematical problems mentally. This provision lays very good foundations for future learning and contributes significantly to the high achievements of pupils who are in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language and to the very good progress of under-achieving pupils.
p.14
Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
22. Pupils enjoy school and have very good attitudes to learning. Pupils from diverse social and ethnic backgrounds feel valued.
p.14
Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
23. Pupils are eager to learn and work hard. When lessons are interesting and challenging they take an active part and are keen to contribute their ideas. By the time they are seven, they have developed some mature attitudes; they listen to each other well and are good at explaining their learning. When discussing the nature of friendship and the qualities of their friends, Year 2 pupils used these typical phrases: ‘they respect you’, ‘they help you’ and ‘they’re kind’.
p.14
Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
24. Very good attitudes to work are established in the nursery and reception classes and this provides a very good foundation for future learning. The youngest children sit still and listen to each other and they sustain their concentration very well. They develop independence and choose to change activities only when they have fully explored them, for example investigating resources linked to a topic on sight including binoculars, magnifying glasses and cameras. Pupils of four and five years old took great care in designing, colouring and printing fish shapes. They were very proud of their high quality, finished work.
p.14
Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
25. Year 2 pupils are enthusiastic about varied activities the school provides. They sing in their year groups with great enjoyment and keenly talk about educational visits. Year 2 pupils who had recently visited Kew Gardens were very impressed, and learnt a lot about the banana and coconut palms they had seen.
p.14
Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
26. Pupils’ behaviour is good. They are polite and friendly and treat the school and their learning resources with care. In lessons, pupils behave well as a result of the high expectations of teachers. They respond very positively to the praise and encouragement they receive and have a good understanding of the behaviour expected. They are justly proud of the certificates they are awarded for working hard and being a good citizen. Behaviour at playtimes is good most of the time, but some pupils bring minor complaints to the supervisors, such as pupils pushing, playing roughly or spoiling their games. Incidents of bullying or other oppressive behaviour Roe Green Infant School - 15 April 2001 are rare and are promptly dealt with by the school. Pupils' behaviour was excellent during an unplanned emergency evacuation of the building during the inspection, when they looked after pupils from another school with great care. The school places
p.14
Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
strong emphasis on its policies for the inclusion of all pupils and no pupils are excluded.
p.15
Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
27. Pupils retain a strong sense of their own identity in the school whilst showing great respect for the faith and cultural traditions of others. Throughout the school, pupils make good progress in understanding the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of their community by learning about, and celebrating together, the religious festivals of different faiths. They learn from their early years in school how their actions affect other people, and they learn to share, co-operate and help each other well.
p.15
Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
28. All the pupils have good opportunities to take responsibility for some classroom tasks, which they take seriously. Pupils in the reception year proudly wear their ‘leader’ and ‘door keeper’ badges and know the routines to follow. Pupils in Year 2 are given additional responsibilities as prefects. There are now some good opportunities for pupils to develop their role as citizens in the school community and this is a satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. However, the lack of challenge for higher attaining pupils limits opportunities for them to take even more responsibility for their own learning. In a few lessons there are too few opportunities for pupils to work and learn together.
p.15
Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
29. Levels of attendance for 1999-2000 were well below the national average. The rate of unauthorised absence for the same year was broadly in line with the national average. There is an established pattern in the school’s catchment area of extended family holidays to visit relatives, especially in India and Pakistan. The school is sensitive to the needs of the families in its community and authorises holidays for up to fifteen days each year and this adversely affects the school’s attendance figures. It works well in partnership with the Education Welfare Service to encourage families not to take their children out of school in term times, especially pupils in Year 2. Partly as the result of this, the number of younger pupils accompanying their parents when they visit other countries is increasing. The school has very good and sensitively managed procedures to explain to parents their legal obligations
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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
concerning their children's absences from school. When parents decide to visit other countries with their children the school has very good arrangements to provide each pupil with a ‘trip book’ of school work to do throughout their time away. Parents and carers ensure this work is completed well. When pupils return to school there are very good arrangements to make sure they settle swiftly and happily into school work, catching up as best they can on work missed by using work completed in their Trip Books. It is due to these very good arrangements that, despite the higher than average rate of authorised absence, most pupils achieve well. However, the progress of the few pupils who are way from school for long periods of time does suffer, and this contributes to standards of attainment in writing when they are seven not being as high as most school’s nationally.
p.15
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
30. There is a high proportion of good and better teaching. One hundred percent of teaching is satisfactory or better, of which thirty-one per cent is satisfactory, 38 per cent is good and 31 per cent is very good. The headteacher and her deputy evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning very well and this has resulted in the good improvement in teaching since the last inspection. This high quality teaching contributes to the good achievements of most pupils. Pupils with special educational needs, and those who learn in the early stages with English as an additional language, achieve very well. Good and better teaching also contributes significantly Roe Green Infant School - 16 April 2001 to the good achievements of pupils who learn with English as an additional language. The high proportion of good and very good teaching contributes significantly to the very good learning atmosphere in the school, the pupils’ eagerness to learn and their
p.15
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
good behaviour in and around the school.
p.16
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
31. The good and very good teaching results in children in the nursery and reception classes achieving very well and pupils throughout the school learning well. About 80 per cent of the children who enter the nursery class to begin the Foundation Stage of their education are in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language. As the children move into the reception classes, and then into the main school, the very good teaching they receive enables them to build upon their very good achievements and continue to be successful learners. By the time pupils are seven, about half the pupils achieve well and, for the rest, their achievements are very good. This is seen in the high proportion of seven year old pupils reaching standards of attainment in reading that match those of most other schools nationally, exceeding standards of attainment expected nationally in mathematics. Very good
p.16
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
teaching results in seven year olds exceeding the standards of attainment expected of them in the locally agreed syllabus for religious education.
p.16
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
32. The reason why so many pupils achieve well, and a significant minority achieve very well, is because teachers have good subject knowledge and their planning is good for almost all the pupils. Throughout the school, teachers plan carefully to improve pupils’ use of English so that by the time they are seven they have a wide enough vocabulary to explain their learning clearly when speaking and writing.
p.16
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
33. The headteacher and her senior colleagues evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning very well and use information gathered to advise and support teachers. This has contributed significantly to the good improvement in teaching since the last inspection, when there was very little very good teaching and some unsatisfactory teaching. The last inspection judged teaching in the Foundation Stage to be good and since then it has improved to include 15 per cent of very good teaching. Newly qualified teachers, and those new to the school, settle swiftly and effectively into their tasks because of the very good support they receive from senior colleagues and subject co-ordinators. This was seen in the good planning and management of pupils’ learning by newly qualified teachers in Year 1 and in the Foundation Stage.
p.16
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
34. Teachers plan together well in year and subject teams. They make good use of planning guidance contained in schemes of work for subjects that are securely based on national recommendations for the amended National Curriculum, 2000. This good practice makes sure that, as pupils grow older, they increase step by step their knowledge, skills and understanding. This is seen in the careful planning of literacy and numeracy lessons, where the particular learning needs of pupils, who need support to learn with English as an additional language, are very well provided for. For example, in Year 1, a learning support assistant, who is qualified to support the learning needs of pupils who are in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language, works very well in partnership with the class teacher. Together they plan work for these pupils to do when they are away from other pupils learning
p.16
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
with the support assistant. Meticulous planning ensures that numeracy and literacy work for these pupils is similar to the rest of the class, with a strong emphasis on improving the pupils’ use and understanding of English, so that when they return to work with the class they successfully learn alongside other pupils. Throughout the school, teachers make very good use of guidance from the well informed special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), by using learning targets in the education plans of pupils with special educational needs when planning. This results in pupils with special educational needs making very good progress because they consistently receive challenging work that matches their learning needs. The headteacher and Roe Green Infant School - 17 April 2001 her deputy also provide very good advice to help teachers plan equally challenging work to meet the learning and language needs of pupils who learn with English as an
p.16
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
additional language. Consequently, these pupils’ achievements are good by the time they are seven.
p.17
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
35. Progress since the last report is satisfactory in planning to meet the learning needs of higher attaining pupils. Whilst teachers have high expectations about what most pupils are able to achieve, throughout the school some higher achieving pupils do not receive consistently challenging work. Where demanding work is planned for these pupils, they make very good progress. This was seen in a Year 2 geography lesson, when pupils used photographs to identify geographical features and types of weather in three countries. The teacher’s probing questions not only inspired higher attaining pupils but also increased the eagerness of other pupils to learn.
p.17
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
36. Teachers use good ranges of resources well most of the time to help pupils with different levels of attainment learn. For example, good, and sometimes very good, use is made of puppets to interest and inspire pupils. This was seen when a well- qualified learning support assistant used Spike, a ‘talking dog’ hand puppet, to teach very well Early Learning Strategies to a small group of Year 1 pupils. Throughout the school, teachers use puppets very well in literacy lessons to teach pupils to make sense of unfamiliar words by sounding out their parts. The pupils talk to the puppets to find out the meanings of words and phrases they are unsure of. This good humoured and very successful approach was seen in a Year 2 geography lesson, when Barnaby the Bear talked about his travels to far off places. He showed photographs of himself accompanying governors and teachers on their travels to Scotland and New York. This approach enthralled the pupils, who listened wide eyed
p.17
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
to Barnaby and then shot their hands in the air to answer questions before swiftly going to their places and eagerly working hard for the rest of the lesson. This very good use of a resource contributes to the pupils’ good progress and the good achievements of pupils who learn with English as an additional language.
p.17
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
37. At the time of the inspection, teachers had just completed training to make good use of computers to help pupils learn. Many of the computers are new to the school. Whilst teachers have satisfactory knowledge of how computers can be used to help pupils learn, planning to do so using new equipment is in its early stages. Consequently, at the time of inspection, planning was not fully in place to improve pupils' ICT knowledge and skills by using computers to learn in other subjects. The headteacher and senior staff have plans securely in place to raise standards of attainment by the time the pupils are seven.
p.17
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
38. Throughout the school, teachers establish good relationships with the pupils because they are very good at managing behaviour and organising pupils’ learning. Teachers make sure that at the start of lessons pupils know what they have to learn and they receive good advice to improve. The very good teaching uses time very well at the end of lessons, not only to review learning with the class, but also to identify how pupils can improve. This very good practice was seen in numeracy and literacy lessons, and in a very good geography lesson in Year 2. Throughout the school, teachers skilfully manage pupils’ behaviour by the very good use of praise. This was seen in literacy and numeracy lessons throughout the school, and in the teaching of religious education.
p.17
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
39. Learning resources are well organised and easily available for teachers, their assistants and the pupils. This means that, as pupils move from learning together as a class to working in small groups, no time is wasted looking for resources. In addition, the very good deployment of well informed classroom assistants, who work very well in partnership with teachers, means pupils do not waste time in lessons Roe Green Infant School - 18 April 2001 unsure of what they need to do next. Where the teaching is good or very good, well managed and purposeful lessons result in pupils with different learning needs working hard and producing a lot of work.
p.17
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
40. When the teaching is good or very good, lessons are exciting and move forward at a brisk pace so that pupils’ interest is sustained. There are many examples of pupils referring to their learning objectives whilst they worked. In a Year 1 literacy lesson, opportunities were well provided for pupils to identify which of their answers is their best attempt, and then they were asked, “Have you reached your target?” Some teachers make very good use of physical activity to prepare pupils for learning, saying, “Let’s warm up our brains!” In some lessons in Year 1, good use is made of music to help pupils learn, for example when they sing jingles to remind them to sit correctly when practising handwriting. When the teaching is satisfactory, the pace of lessons does not consistently challenge pupils of higher attainment and so some of them become restless and do not produce enough work. This was seen in a Year 2
p.18
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
lesson when pupils made electrical circuits.
p.18
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
41. Planning identifies opportunities well for pupils to reinforce numeracy and literacy skills in mathematics and English lessons, and in other lessons throughout the school. Teachers use the literacy hour well to teach basic skills, and good use is made of additional time to extend literacy skills. Literacy and numeracy teaching is lively, taught at a brisk pace to which the pupils respond cheerfully and it is often challenging for pupils with different levels of attainment. There is a good emphasis in teaching throughout the school on improving the pupils’ vocabulary, with an insistence in the best lessons that pupils speak in sentences, and they spell and punctuate their work correctly. This good practice reinforces literacy skills well.
p.18
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
42. Assessment information is used well to plan work that matches and challenges the learning of most pupils. There are good systems, used consistently well throughout the school, to gather assessment information in order to place pupils in groups for English and mathematics according to their prior attainment. This practice has a significant and beneficial effect on pupils' progress and achievements. However, not all teachers use this information well to plan work that consistently challenges pupils of higher attainment. In a Year 1 science lesson about pushing and pulling, higher attaining pupils became restless because they spent too long on repetitive activities.
p.18
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
43. Teachers question pupils skilfully to find out how well they are learning and what needs to be done to improve their skills, knowledge and understanding. In most subjects, work seen throughout the school showed that pupils develop good skills, but do not always have enough opportunity to apply them independently. When Year 2 pupils were learning about the Great Fire of London, teachers and their learning support assistants provided too few opportunities for the pupils to use the Internet, under adult guidance, to do their own research.
p.18
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
44. Homework is used very well to reinforce pupils learning and to prepare them for their next lessons. It includes pupils in Year 1 finding out in geography about journeys people make, pupils throughout the school learning spellings in preparation for tests, completing mathematical problems, finishing written work begun in class, and undertaking research from books. From the age of five in Year 1, pupils take books home to read with a home/school book so that parents can record their comments and seek advice on how to help their children learn. Homework is not the same for all pupils in each class, and this good practice means that work is amended to match the different learning needs of the pupils. For example, pupils with special educational needs do homework that is based on learning targets in their education plans. Homework becomes progressively more challenging, as the pupils grow Roe Green Infant School - 19 April 2001
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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
older, in preparation for the homework demands in their junior school. Inspectors disagree with the few parents who say their children do not get enough homework.
p.19
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
45. The school meets its statutory requirements to teach the full range of National Curriculum subjects. The teaching of religious education meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus.
p.19
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
46. Provision for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is very good and is a strength of the school. Provision for pupils to develop spiritual aspects of their lives is good, although some daily acts of collective worship are very brief. However, the very good teaching of religious education ensures pupils are taught how important faith is to many people. In these lessons, there are good opportunities for pupils to think about how different faiths influence peoples' lives ways and they learn about the many faiths represented within their school community. Pupils have opportunities to reflect on the nature of love in the songs they sing, for example ‘Love is something if you give it away’. They also have good opportunities to experience the wonders of nature, especially through educational visits to Kew Gardens and a local education centre, the Welsh Harp Centre. Aspects of wonder are also included in lessons of
p.19
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
art and music. For example, pupils in Year 1 were amazed at the barely audible sounds a tambourine can make.
p.19
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
47. Pupils have very good moral guidance about how to behave towards each other and to be good citizens in the school. They have very good opportunities to think about the people who care for them and to be aware of the needs of others. They understand why caring for each other is important. The whole school became very involved in supporting the appeal to help families in Gujarat after the recent earthquake, and pupils learnt about the impact of the disaster on the people there.
p.19
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
48. Pupils have very good opportunities to develop social skills, although at times they are too few opportunities in some lessons for pupils to work together. They are encouraged to share books and equipment from their earliest years in school and to develop personal responsibility through a range of classroom tasks. Class teachers set very good examples of politeness and consideration of others for their pupils. Pupils have good opportunities to meet visitors to the school and to ask them questions. Older pupils have responsibilities as prefects and they take leading roles in school productions and concerts.
p.19
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
49. The school celebrates the cultural diversity within its community very well, and this has a significant beneficial effect on the school's very good learning atmosphere and the good relationships between pupils, adults and between pupils and all adults who work in the school. It also contributes greatly to the harmonious race relationships in the school. Parents, staff and members of the community contribute to the cultural life of the school, and pupils have very good opportunities to gain an understanding of the many different cultural traditions represented in the school. The whole school celebrates at special assemblies Diwali, Eid and Christmas. Displays around the school reflect the family backgrounds of the pupils and learning resources are carefully chosen to promote positive role models based on people from different ethnic and cultural heritages. Pupils sing songs from many different countries and
p.19
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
use artefacts from around the world in their work in art.
p.19
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
50. Provision for the pupils' personal, social and health education is good and every class has time set aside each week for discussion about aspects of their personal development. Health education is covered in several different subjects, including Roe Green Infant School - 20 April 2001 Science, but it is not fully integrated into the teaching of personal education. Aspects of drug awareness is taught in science; sex education is taught when these issues are raised by the pupils, with knowledge about their ethnic and faith backgrounds used sensitively. A planned review of provision for personal, social and health education is providing well managed opportunities to improve further pupils' learning so that, as they grow older, learning increases step by step.
p.19
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
51. The school provides a satisfactory range of activities outside lessons. There is some very good provision for educational visits and for the use of visiting groups and individuals to improve pupils' learning. For example, a theatre in education group works with pupils to teach them about the Fire of London. A weakness is the absence of clubs and other activities at lunchtimes. Inspectors agree with the parents who expressed concerns about this in their pre-inspection questionnaire. Pupils have few resources for constructive play or other activities at lunchtimes and this is unsatisfactory. This is most apparent during the long wet lunchtimes, when pupils have to sit quietly in the hall watching videos.
p.20
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
52. Parents and other members of the community make good contributions to the pupils’ learning. In the Nursery, for example, there are visits by a police officer to talk about safety, a dentist to talk about health and hygiene. A parent brought in her new baby to teach pupils about the child's needs. These visits contribute well to the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world and to their personal and social development. The school's good links with the community attracted funding from a local super market.
p.20
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
53. The headteacher and staff have a very good relationship with Roe Green Junior School, which contributes well to preparing seven year old pupils for their transfer to this school. However, opportunities are missed to establish greater contact between pupils from both schools in order to extend further the pupils' learning. The school has good links with teacher training institutions and several students are placed in the school each year. There is a good partnership with Harrow College to organise English classes at the school for parents.
p.20
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
54. The use of information from the analysis of national and other tests has improved well since the last inspection, so that pupils throughout the school are placed in groups according to their prior attainment in English and mathematics. This contributes well to the good learning of almost all the pupils. Information is used well to monitor progress and evaluate the attainment of pupils, including those learning with English as an additional language, boys and girls, and pupils with special educational needs. The school provides very good guidance for teachers on how to gather and then make the best use of assessment information when planning. Information is used well by most teachers to inform parents about how well their children are getting on, and to set group and individual learning targets. Teachers talk with pupils constantly and mark work accurately, so that they have a clear picture of what pupils know and can do in lessons. Assessment information is used very
p.20
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
well to provide challenging work for almost all the pupils, including those with special educational needs and pupils with English as an additional language. However, it is not always used well to provide consistently challenging work for higher attaining pupils and, as a result, not all pupils have similar opportunities to achieve well. The school development plan recognises this an area for improvement. As a result, curriculum co-ordinators are beginning to use portfolios of pupils' assessed work in each subject in order to improve provision for these pupils as well as to ensure all pupils receive challenging work.
p.20
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
55. The provision for equality of access and opportunity is good and the school’s successful commitment to inclusion of all pupils is reflected in all it provides. Pupils Roe Green Infant School - 21 April 2001 enjoy full access to the curriculum and other learning opportunities provided. Teaching methods promote the involvement of all pupils to make sure they have equal opportunities to learn successfully. There is very good provision for pupils from asylum-seeking and refugee families, those who learn with English is an additional language and for pupils with special educational needs. The school successfully reflects, in the education it provides, the rich diversity of cultures and faiths in the school. For example, in the teaching of history, pupils not only learnt about Florence Nightingale but also about a Jamaican nurse alive at about the same time, called Mary Seacole.
p.20
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
56. The school identifies the needs of most individuals and specific groups well and plans good levels of support to help them learn. The school has not formally identified talented or gifted pupils, despite being aware of, and providing for, a few of these pupils. There is no policy or guidance to make sure talented and gifted pupils are identified early in order to provide more effectively for their particular talents and gifts.
p.21
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
57. The timetabling of additional provision for pupils with special educational needs away from the classroom is managed well to make sure they do not miss out on learning they are entitled to. There are similar good arrangements for the additional provision pupils receive who are in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language, and for the pupils in Year 1 who follow the Early Learning Strategies (ELS) pilot scheme. The ELS pilot scheme was introduced in 1999, when the school received permission from the Department for Education and Employment for small groups of pupils to follow this scheme for a limited time each week during times set aside for literacy. The pilot scheme uses many literacy strategies and a learning support assistant works successfully with a Year 1 teacher to ensure the pupils are not disadvantaged by their absence away from the rest of the class.
p.21
PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
58. Resources show no bias in favour of any one ethnic, gender or socio-economic group, and they are equally accessible to all. Books in the classrooms and in the library reflect good cultural diversity.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
59. Very good care of children under the age of five, and for all other pupils, underpins all the school strives to achieve. Provision for pupils’ welfare is very good. The pupils and their families are well known in the school and relationships between the pupils, the teachers and the other adults in the school are good. There is a particular strength in the understanding of the diverse family backgrounds of the pupils and the school’s sensitivity to families with different faiths and cultural traditions.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
60. A recent building programme at the school provides a safe and secure environment for teaching and learning. The school pays good attention to aspects of health and safety. Very thorough risks assessments cover most aspects of the school’s work. There is good provision for the treatment of minor accidents and for reporting children's injuries to their parents. The excellent arrangements for the emergency evacuation of the premises were tested during the inspection.
p.21
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
61. Arrangements for child protection are in line with local requirements. Very good systems are in place to record and monitor concerns. There is a good partnership between the deputy headteacher, who has responsibility for child protection, and members of staff. There is a need for further staff training in order to ensure that all staff recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse and know how best to respond to any disclosures the pupils may make. Pupils are made aware of the need to keep safe and to look after themselves. Roe Green Infant School - 22 April 2001 62. Very good strategies are in place to promote good behaviour. Teachers expect pupils to behave very well all the time, and almost all the pupils do because teachers manage behaviour consistently well throughout the school. Through the teachers' good use of praise, pupils are encouraged to behave well in and around the school. Many opportunities are taken to value the diverse cultures and faiths of pupils. This
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
is seen in the good displays of work around the school, and is evident in the special assembly books used to record the names of pupils rewarded for their achievements each week. All this good practice contributes to the very good learning atmosphere of the school.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
63. Very good systems are in place to record, monitor and encourage good attendance. Analysis is made of the impact of patterns of absence and lateness on pupils’ achievements. The school makes good efforts to work with parents to improve attendance and also works closely with the Educational Welfare Officer to achieve this.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
64. Children are very well supported when they enter the Foundation Stage. Although about 80 per cent of children enter the nursery in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language, they settle into learning routines quickly and achieve very well. There are some excellent features of the school’s provision for children who learn with English as an additional language. These children's language needs are assessed and discussed with parents before the children begin school in order to make good use of the considerable specialist expertise of the teachers, nursery nurses and learning support assistants. This provision is typical of that throughout the school and it contributes very much to the educational inclusion of all the pupils in all the school offers, including children under five years old. Teachers and learning support assistants use the first language of almost all the children, when
p.22
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
necessary, to make sure they know what to do to learn. This good practice shows the children that they are valued and gives them the confidence to work hard and achieve very well. An area to improve practice further, and so raise attainment by the time they are five, is the provision of learning games and activities for parents to share with their children at home to improve basic skills and spoken English.
p.22
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
65. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs make very good progress because of the very good support they receive for learning. Teachers make good use of advice from the well informed special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) in order to plan, with learning support assistants, challenging work based on individual learning targets in these pupils' education plans. In addition, the school works very well in partnership with the education authority’s Education Psychology Service, the Speech Therapist and other outside agencies. Consequently, very good use is made of advice and support from outside agencies in order to plan work that matches the learning needs of these pupils and to work closely and successfully with parents to help their children learn.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
66. Arrangements for monitoring pupils’ personal development are satisfactory. There are no systematic procedures for monitoring the personal development of all pupils but there are very good procedures in the nursery and reception classes. Good procedures are also in place for recording the personal development of pupils with special educational needs.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
67. The school has very good links with parents who are very supportive of the school. Parents are pleased that their children like school. They think that the teaching is good and their children work hard and make good progress. They think behaviour is Roe Green Infant School - 23 April 2001 good and that the school helps their children to mature. They feel confident in approaching the school and consider that they are well informed. A small number of parents think there is not enough homework, and one in five who replied to the pre- inspection questionnaire think that the school does not provide enough interesting activities outside lessons. Inspectors agree with most parents’ views. They disagree that the school does not provide enough homework but support parents’ concerns that there are not enough additional activities, especially at lunchtimes.
p.22
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
68. Parents receive useful information before their children begin school and are given good guidance about how to help them learn. Contact between parents and the teachers of children under five years old is very good and contributes very well to children settling quickly into school. Although written information from school is in English, there is very good personal contact with parents whose first language is not English and they all have equal opportunities to get information from the school.
p.23
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
69. Termly newsletters are well written and presented with plenty of information giving a good picture of the day to day life of the school. Parents have good opportunities, both formal and informal, to find out how their children are progressing. End of year reports include useful information about the skills children have gained and their achievements. The good practice evident in most of these reports has yet to spread throughout the school in order to provide, consistently, clear information about pupils' levels of attainment and details of what they must do to improve, and how parents could support their children’s learning at home.
p.23
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
70. Although parents do not receive regular information about what their children will learn, they have good opportunities to attend evening sessions to find out about this, including the literacy and numeracy skills pupils will be taught. Parents of children attending the nursery have very good information about learning activities provided each week so that they are able to support their children’s learning well. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are also closely involved in their children’s learning and contribute well to their achievements.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
71. Information provided for parents since September 2000 about homework is good because it explains the purpose of homework and how important it is for parents to help their children learn. This good practice contributes greatly to homework ensuring pupils achieve well. However, an area for further development is to spread throughout the school the good practice found in some classes of teachers and parents using homework and reading record books to comment on the pupils’ efforts, and for parents to receive advice on how they can help their children learn. However, throughout the school time is used well at the start and at the end of the day for teachers to meet informally with parents so that they learn how their children are getting on and how they can help them to improve. At the meeting with parents before the inspection, and in responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire, parents said they felt very comfortable approaching the school and received good information
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
about how their children were getting on.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
72. Very good initiatives are being developed to improve links with parents throughout the school. In particular, the group meetings for the parents of pupils in Year 1 who are considered to be underachieving is having a good impact on these pupils’ learning and is raising their standards. The school has also responded well to parents’ needs and has arranged for Harrow College to provide classes in English for adults on the school premises.
p.23
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
73. Parents are valued in the school and contribute well to its daily life. Several parents help as volunteers in the classroom. They are very well directed and supported and make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. The celebration of religious Roe Green Infant School - 24 April 2001 festivals throughout the year gives parents a very good opportunity to share assemblies with the pupils and staff. These very special occasions reflect the inclusive nature of the school and contribute greatly to the very good race relations by bringing the whole school community together.
p.23
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
74. The school is very well led by the headteacher and senior staff. The headteacher provides a very clear sense of educational direction with a strong commitment to high standards, which is shared by the governing body and all who work in the school. This is achieved by the very good partnership between the headteacher and her deputy. They evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and the curriculum in order to set school improvement targets, as well as learning targets for pupils, and to provide advice and support for teachers to develop good practice throughout the school so that these challenging targets are met. This self-evaluating school has the capacity for further improvement so that standards continue to rise.
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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
75. The school’s aims and values underpin the work of the school well. They are to provide a curriculum that challenges pupils with different levels of attainment, and from diverse ethnic backgrounds, so that they become successful, high achieving and independent learners. These aims are to be achieved by working closely with the junior school, valuing the individual contributions of each pupil, positively reinforcing their good efforts and behaviour and by working closely with parents so that they help their children learn. Replies from parents to the pre-inspection questionnaire, and from the responses of parents at their meeting before the inspection, showed that parents and carers are highly satisfied with the quality of education their children receive. They greatly appreciate the ways the school works in partnership with them to help their children learn.
p.24
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
76. The headteacher delegates management responsibilities very well to leaders of the nursery and reception classes in the Foundation Stage, and to leaders of Years 1 and 2, but delegates too few leadership responsibilities to these senior colleagues. These teachers comprise the senior management team, who support teachers responsible for subjects. Teachers with management responsibilities have clear and annually reviewed job descriptions with improvement targets linked to those in the school development plan, all with a focus on maintaining high standards and improving them where necessary. Teachers with management responsibilities work under the guidance of the headteacher and her deputy who consult them about the strategic development of the school, for example, by analysing the results of national tests and tests set by the school in order to improve. The quality, accessibility and use of resources are also analysed with subject co-ordinators to help pupils with
p.24
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
English as an additional language achieve well. Subject co-ordinators are held accountable for spending decisions, with effectiveness measured against improvement targets for teaching and learning. There are many very good strategies in place to manage the school very well. Whilst the headteacher and her deputy enjoy very good relationships with teachers who have management responsibilities, they do not provide enough opportunities for senior managers to increase their leadership skills. This is because the headteacher, especially, does too much by leading on the many initiatives for school improvement when some of these could be delegated to others, for example, year targets to improve writing.
p.24
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
77. There are very good arrangements to support teachers new to the school, and those who are newly qualified, so that they settle swiftly and effectively to their tasks. These arrangements are managed by the deputy headteacher and trained teacher mentors for newly qualified teachers. Roe Green Infant School - 25 April 2001 78. There are very good strategies in place to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and to undertake performance management. Governors set challenging and realistic targets to be met each year by the headteacher, which they formally review annually when deciding on the level of salary to be awarded. The headteacher and her deputy, supported by senior teachers, evaluate the effectiveness of teaching. The headteacher agrees with teachers their strengths and areas for improvement. Teachers receive advice and support for improvements. This information is used in the formal appraisal of each teacher and informs the school development plan so that
p.24
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
best practice is spread throughout the school.
p.25
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
79. The school is very good at involving teachers and governors in monitoring and evaluating its performance in order to identify priorities for school improvement and to take effective action. The school agrees with the local education authority challenging numeracy and literacy targets. The school just missed meeting the literacy target for 2000. This was because in Year 2 there were a few pupils new to the school in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language and there were more seven year old pupils with special educational needs than the previous four years. The school has agreed equally challenging and realistic numeracy and literacy targets for 2001-2002. The means to do this is set out as a priority in the school development plan. There is a well developed procedure in place, overseen by governors, to involve senior and other teachers in analysing the achievements of pupils and the quality of teaching to make sure pupils receive
p.25
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
challenging work matched to their learning needs. Teachers are consulted about priorities for school improvement and the budget allocated to them. There are very good strategies in place to ensure the good involvement of most governors in this process. There are regular reports for school governors, evaluating progress towards school improvement priorities, provided throughout the year by the headteacher. Consequently, most governors are well informed about the strengths of the school and areas for further improvement. This helps them work closely and successfully with the school during the annual review of the school development plan in order to set the next priorities for action.
p.25
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
80. The school development plan has very good strategies to evaluate school improvements. It has financially costed priorities for action, success criteria to measure the effectiveness of improvement strategies, a time to complete each priority, dates to review progress and identified governors and teachers to lead on the improvements. As a result, there is very good progress since the last inspection in the use of assessment to improve the learning of pupils with special educational needs. The school identifies improvements needed in pupils’ speaking and listening, reading and writing skills, especially of those pupils who enter the school when they are five in the early stage of learning with English as an additional language. Good progress towards similar priorities over the past two years has resulted in the school receiving a Department for Education and Employment’s ‘National Achievement Award’ in the spring term, 2001.
p.25
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
81. A very experienced and able chair leads the governing body well and successfully ensures that governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities. This is evident in the meticulous way they oversee the safety and security of the school site as the school prepares for the next phase in its building improvement plan. It is also seen in the ways it meets its legal requirements in the information it sends to parents and carers, in holding the school to account for the standards pupils’ achieve and in the quality of education it provides. Annual reports are sent to parents and carers about how their children are getting on. However, the best practice evident in most reports has yet to spread throughout the school in order to provide clear information to parents about their children’s progress, achievements, standards of attainment reached, what needs to improve and how parents can help their children learn.
p.25
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
Roe Green Infant School - 26 April 2001 82. Governors are well organised into committees, each with a clear description of responsibilities. Most governors are responsible for the oversight of a school subject. There is a governor who oversees the effectiveness of the school’s assessment systems. There are governors responsible for numeracy, literacy and special educational needs. Good use is made of the skills and experiences of governors in helping to improve the school. For example, during the past year a governor with a great deal of experience as a senior manager in a national construction company led on building extensions to the school. Another uses her experience as a bank employee to lead on evaluating school improvements to ensure educational priorities adhere to the principles of best value. As a result of this good practice, most governors provide good, critical support for the school. However, a few governors
p.26
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
are not as well informed as most others and so they are not fully involved in helping their colleagues shape the future of the school.
p.26
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
83. The school has very good financial monitoring and evaluation procedures. The bursar expertly uses very well managed and secure systems, through the very good use of computers, to ensure the efficient day to day financial management of the school. The school’s budget is constantly up-dated so that the headteacher and governors are able to receive a clear statement of current finances. With the headteacher, the bursar used the few recommendations in last year’s auditor’s report to improve further the systems in place.
p.26
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
84. The school makes good use of specific grants and other funding to improve the school. All grants and other funding are used for their intended purposes, for example to furnish new buildings and to provide for pupils with special educational needs. Expenditure is very well considered for best value, for example when buying resources to improve further the learning of pupils with English as an additional language. The school has good ICT resources to help pupils learn. ICT is used well in the Foundation Stage to help pupils with different levels of attainment learn well. In the rest of the school, the use of ICT to help pupils learn is unsatisfactory. This is because teachers did not have time to put into practice the results of training they received a few weeks before the inspection to improve pupils’ ICT skills through the better use of equipment new to the school. All other learning resources are used
p.26
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
well, with good practice seen in the use of literacy and numeracy resources. Time is a well managed resource. This is seen in the ways well informed classroom learning support assistants are deployed to help pupils learn, particularly those who are in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language and pupils with special educational needs.
p.26
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
85. There is a very good match of teachers and learning support staff to the demands of the curriculum and the learning needs of almost all pupils. For example, a well trained and informed bi-lingual learning support assistant works closely with a Year 1 teacher to support very well the learning of under-achieving pupils and those in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language. There are trained teaching assistants in the nursery and reception classes who work very well in partnership with teachers to help pupils learn. Learning support assistants are very well deployed to support pupils with special educational needs. The SENCO is well qualified and experienced and provides very good advice and support to teachers. There are many opportunities provided for teachers to develop professionally, which they eagerly take advantage of. As the result of ICT training completed a few weeks
p.26
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
before the inspection, the school is planning improvements in the use of computers to help pupils learn.
p.26
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
86. The school’s accommodation and learning resources provide good support for pupils’ learning. The school makes good use of accommodation, taking full advantage of Roe Green Infant School - 27 April 2001 spacious and new premises for pupils in the Foundation Stage to provide a variety of challenging learning activities that interest the children. The school hall is used well to display pupils’ art and to teach physical education, religious education and dance. Outside classrooms no longer used for teaching provide accommodation for English language classes for parents. Good use is made of the small hard surfaced play area and larger grassed areas to teach physical education and science.
p.26
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
87. The school enjoys good relationships with teacher training institutions and supports trainee teachers well through the good use of teacher mentors. The school is capable of being a very good provider for trainee teachers for the following reasons:
p.27
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
• the high quality of leadership and its commitment to high standards which is shared by all who work in the school; • the way the school evaluates all it does to ensure best value; • the ways the school values and respects the rich diversity of cultures of the pupils; • the good care for its pupils which underpins all the school strives to achieve; • the high proportion of good and better teaching; • high expectations for most pupils about what they can achieve; • the good achievements of most pupils; • the very good achievements of pupils in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs; • very good curriculum planning.
p.27
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
88. It is because of the above listed strengths that the school provides good value for money. Roe Green Infant School - 28 April 2001
p.27
WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?
89. The headteacher, senior management team, governors of the school and teachers need to:
p.28
WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?
1) raise standards of attainment in information communication technology by the time pupils are seven, by planning to improve pupils’ skills and reinforce them when they learn in other subjects. (Paragraphs 14, 37, 113, 123, 151, 157, 159, 162)
p.28
MINOR AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
There are a few minor areas the headteacher, senior management team, governors of the school and teachers need to improve. They are:
p.28
MINOR AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
(1) to improve the leadership roles of teachers with management responsibilities, by providing more opportunities for them to lead on school improvements; (Paragraph 76)
p.28
MINOR AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
(2) to improve the achievements of higher attaining pupils, and the provision for talented and gifted pupils, by providing guidance for teachers when planning; (Paragraphs 17, 35, 40, 42, 54, 56, 112, 121, 128, 148)
p.28
MINOR AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
(3) to improve the range of interesting activities for pupils at lunch time; (Paragraphs 51, 67)
p.28
MINOR AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
(4) to consolidate existing very good practice to improve school attendance. (Paragraphs 29, 63) Roe Green Infant School - 29 April 2001
p.28
Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection
Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 43
p.29
Summary of teaching observed during the inspection
Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor
p.29
Summary of teaching observed during the inspection
0 31 38 31 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.
p.29
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y2
p.29
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 40 359
p.29
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 10 86 FTE means full-time equivalent.
p.29
Information about the school’s pupils
Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y2
p.29
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 4
p.29
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 10 86
p.29
Information about the school’s pupils
English as an additional language No of pupils
p.29
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils with English as an additional language 357
p.29
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils
p.29
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 29
p.29
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 25
p.29
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. Roe Green Infant School - 30 April 2001
p.29
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 54 63 117
p.30
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics
p.30
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Boys 46 44 49 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 56 54 57
p.30
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Percentage of pupils School 87 (87) 84 (91) 91 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)
p.30
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science
p.30
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Boys 46 48 51 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 56 57 54
p.30
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Percentage of pupils School 87 (91) 90 (93) 90 (90) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)
p.30
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Roe Green Infant School - 31 April 2001
p.30
Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year
Black – Caribbean heritage 6 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0
p.31
Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year
Black – African heritage 23 Black – African heritage 0 0
p.31
Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year
Any other minority ethnic group 37 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.31
Teachers and classes Financial information
Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12 Financial year 1999-2000
p.31
Teachers and classes Financial information
Number of pupils per qualified teacher 28.9
p.31
Teachers and classes Financial information
Education support staff: YR– Y2 Total expenditure 971,040
p.31
Teachers and classes Financial information
Total number of education support staff 13 Expenditure per pupil 2,510
p.31
Teachers and classes Financial information
Total aggregate hours worked per week 254 Balance brought forward from previous year 143,298
p.31
Teachers and classes Financial information
Balance carried forward to next year 87,095
p.31
Teachers and classes Financial information
Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery
p.31
Teachers and classes Financial information
Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2
p.31
Teachers and classes Financial information
Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20
p.31
Teachers and classes Financial information
Total number of education support staff 1
p.31
Teachers and classes Financial information
Total aggregate hours worked per week 18
p.31
Teachers and classes Financial information
Number of pupils per FTE adult 13.3 FTE means full-time equivalent. Roe Green Infant School - 32 April 2001
p.31
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF PARENTS AND CARERS
Percentage of responses in each category
p.32
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF PARENTS AND CARERS
Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know
p.32
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF PARENTS AND CARERS
My child is making good progress in school. 67 29 2 0 2
p.32
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF PARENTS AND CARERS
Behaviour in the school is good. 66 30 1 1 2
p.32
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF PARENTS AND CARERS
My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 47 36 4 4 8
p.32
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF PARENTS AND CARERS
I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 64 32 2 1 1
p.32
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF PARENTS AND CARERS
I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 63 32 4 0 1
p.32
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF PARENTS AND CARERS
The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 72 24 1 0 3
p.32
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF PARENTS AND CARERS
The school works closely with parents. 64 29 4 1 2
p.32
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF PARENTS AND CARERS
The school is well led and managed. 57 31 3 1 8
p.32
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF PARENTS AND CARERS
The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 61 34 2 0 3
p.32
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF PARENTS AND CARERS
The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 45 23 14 3 14
p.32
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF PARENTS AND CARERS
Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses
p.32
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF PARENTS AND CARERS
Inspectors agree with most parents' views. They disagree that the school does not provide enough homework. Inspectors consider that the school provides too few interesting activities for pupils at lunch times. Roe Green Infant School - 33 April 2001
p.32
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
90. On entry to the nursery, at the beginning of the Foundation Stage of their education, the attainment of almost all the children is well below that expected nationally for their age in most areas of learning. About eight out of ten of them are in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language. Attainment for almost all the children is well below that expected of them nationally in their mathematical and in their personal and social development. On entry to the reception classes, the attainment of children who attended the nursery class has improved and all of them achieve very well, but their attainment is still below that expected nationally in all areas of their learning. A third of children enter the reception having had no pre- school experience and almost all these children are in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language. They are also well below the levels of
p.33
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
attainment expected nationally for their age.
p.33
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
91. Teachers and other staff support children very well who learn with English as an additional language. As a result, these children quickly develop their confidence to speak English and their achievements are very good by the time they leave the reception classes. The achievements of children with special educational needs are also very good because their learning needs are identified early and they receive very good provision to help them learn.
p.33
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
92. Children begin the Foundation Stage of their education in the nursery in the September of the year in which they are four. They attend part-time, for the morning or afternoon sessions. They enter reception classes in the following year. Relationships with parents are good in the nursery and this helps children to settle in quickly and begin to learn and achieve very well. Teachers, nursery nurses and learning support staff forge good, trusting relationships with parents and carers who receive good information about what their children will learn. Parents are welcomed as partners in the education of their children. They are welcome to work alongside teachers and to participate each week with their children in learning activities.
p.33
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
93. The Foundation Stage is very well lead and managed. There are strong links between the nursery and reception classes to ensure that as they grow older the children learn and achieve very well. Detailed planning ensures that the new early years curriculum, introduced in 2000, is securely based on the nationally recommended six areas of learning for nursery and reception children. The plans for each term show what will be taught for each area of learning. Assessments made early in the year in the nursery and in reception classes are used to plan work that matches the children’s learning needs. The achievements and progress of the children are continuously assessed and monitored and the information gathered is used very well to plan work that challenges and interests children with different levels of attainment. This results in weekly planning that has learning objectives matching the learning needs of the children for each planned activity, enabling staff to focus
p.33
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
their work sharply on developing the identified skills. This very good practice continues when the children leave the nursery. Information from the formal assessment of the children's attainment when they enter the reception classes is used very well to set individual learning targets for literacy and numeracy, which are reviewed each term. Resources are good for all the areas of learning. They are used well to provide very good learning activities and this contributes significantly to the very good achievements of the children by the time they leave the reception classes. Roe Green Infant School - 34 April 2001 94. There is a high proportion of very good teaching in all the areas of learning in the Foundation Stage. This represents a satisfactory improvement on teaching seen during the last inspection because there is now some very good teaching. Teaching is now good in 70 per cent of lessons, very good in fifteen per cent and satisfactory in
p.33
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
the remainder. Teaching in the nursery is consistently very good. A strength of teaching is the way teachers, nursery nurses and learning support assistants work as a formidable team to plan, teach and evaluate the children's learning. They know the children well and understand their needs. The children's achievements are very good because staff place a high priority when planning to improve their spoken English so that they soon learn with English as an additional language. The children are provided with very good opportunities to practise English speaking skills as they learn to work independently, as well as with each other. Staff speak most of the first languages of the children which they sensitively and skilfully use when they realise the children are not sure what they have to learn. There is a good balance between teacher directed learning and ‘free choice’ activities, which are structured well to
p.34
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
allow children to increase their creative, imaginative and physical skills.
p.34
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
95. Inspection evidence shows that, by the end of the Foundation Stage when the children leave their reception classes, almost all of them will reach standards expected nationally for their age in the early learning goals in all six areas of learning. All pupils achieve very well, including those who entered the reception classes in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language and have not reached the national levels of attainment expected of them. For all children, teaching in the Foundation Stage lays very good foundations for future successful learning.
p.34
Personal, social and emotional development
96. The provision for personal, social and emotional development is very good. It is given a high priority by staff whose very good assessments of learning means that they swiftly get to know the children and respond expertly to their learning needs. Very good provision for learning needs contributes significantly to the children settling swiftly into the nursery and working happily, independently and with increasing confidence. Routines are well established so that pupils know what is expected of them. As a result of this good and better practice, and of the staff’s high expectations, children's behaviour is very good. In the nursery, children concentrate for increasing lengths of time in groups and whole class sessions as they grow older, and many soon do so when working independently at a chosen activity. They learn to co- operate when, for example, they play together with construction kits or in the sand.
p.34
Personal, social and emotional development
Milk time is used very well to develop social skills. Children willingly take turns to distribute drinks and are learning to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ Staff use this time well to sit with the children and talk to them informally, and this contributes to the excellent relationships between staff and children. Children make good progress in understanding the effect of their actions on others. This was seen when a teacher said, ‘You are making me very sad’. The glum face of the teacher soon made them realise that she was sad because some children were calling out and using their ‘shouting voices’ to sing. They decided to make the teacher happy again. With no other encouragement from the teacher they changed to their ‘quiet’ and ‘singing voices’ and as the teacher's face broke into a smile the children beamed with pleasure.
p.34
Personal, social and emotional development
97. Almost all children are on course to achieve the early learning goals in their personal and social skills. This is due to the skilful teaching in the nursery and reception classes, which encourages pupils to develop these skills in a secure environment. About two thirds of the pupils in the reception classes are confident about their ability to learn. They respond well to rewards and sanctions. They know the difference between right and wrong and this contributes to them working and achieving very Roe Green Infant School - 35 April 2001 well together. Assembly times contribute to the children's good understanding of other people's feelings because this time is used well to increase the children’s understanding of their own and others’ feelings and to explore relationships.
p.34
Communication, language and literacy
98. On entry to the nursery, well over half the children have poorly developed communication skills and 80 per cent of them are in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language. The development of their speaking and listening skills is a planning priority throughout the Foundation Stage, and this contributes enormously to the children's very good achievements by the time they enter the reception classes. Words children need to know are identified and used to increase their spoken vocabulary. When a teacher in the nursery discussed how they were going to make a cake, she named some of the ingredients in several languages so that children who learn with little English as an additional language were fully included in the activity. This is typical of the sensitive ways teachers, and other staff, make sure children learn so that their first languages are valued. The singing of Nursery rhymes is a regular activity in all classes. When they learn through play with
p.35
Communication, language and literacy
staff, the children are very skilfully encouraged to talk about what they are doing. This was seen when children talked whilst blowing bubbles with the nursery nurse, whose questions and explanations expanded the vocabulary of the children. The structured play area in the nursery is used well to develop spoken language. Nursery children listen to stories with wide-eyed interest and, as their vocabulary increases, so does their concentration. They eagerly take home storybooks to ‘read’ with their parents. Children practise writing patterns and they make good progress as they proudly write their own names. They make very good progress in their language skills when they bake cakes and biscuits in the ‘Bakery’ play area.
p.35
Communication, language and literacy
99. This good practice is carried through to the reception classes, where the children are taught using the national literacy strategy. During these sessions, pupils enjoy listening to stories and join in the reading of the ‘Big’ Book’ together. Soon after entering the reception classes, well over half the pupils make good progress in recognising many every day words and phrases. They enjoy discussing the story and what might happen next. Some higher attaining pupils reached their early learning goals for reading and for writing at the time of the inspection, and this represents very good progress. Higher and average attaining pupils read simple books by themselves. They learn new words using sound and picture clues. Lower attaining pupils make very good progress recognising words that are important for them to know, and they know the sounds of some letters of the alphabet. They enjoy ‘reading’ books and use pictures to tell a story. There are very good opportunities for children
p.35
Communication, language and literacy
to learn the early stages of writing sentences. Good and better teaching results in pupils having the confidence to ‘have a go’, and learning from their mistakes. The children work very hard and want to do well because the quality of teaching is consistently high and encouraging. Good teaching helps them make sense of unfamiliar words by sounding out their parts and this has a very good effect on the children's achievements. They are encouraged to tackle unknown words when reading and writing and they show a high level of independence when learning new skills. They soon learn to form letters correctly. Higher and average attaining pupils achieve very well as they learn to write simple sentences by using the strategies they are taught to spell accurately. An inspector asked a girl what she was doing as she slowly sounded out each part of the word she wanted to write. 'I'm streeeaaacchhhing the word so that I can hear the sounds I have to write. I can't just
p.35
Communication, language and literacy
ask the teacher.' A few minutes later she proudly tugged the sleeve of the inspector, thrust her page of writing towards him and proudly announced, 'I wrote angel fish.' And she had. The visit to the London Aquarium inspired the children to work even harder when writing. One child wrote, “I saw a octps’ and another ‘I liked the anjl fes’. Roe Green Infant School - 36 April 2001 They respond well to the high expectations of staff of what they can achieve. Inspection evidence indicates that, by the time they enter Year 1, standards of attainment for almost all the children will be at the expected levels for this area of learning, and for a few they will be higher.
p.35
Mathematical development
100. As the result of good and very good teaching, inspection evidence indicates that over two-thirds of the pupils will reach the levels expected nationally for their age in this learning goal by the end of the year. By the time the children leave the reception classes they have achieved very well. Number recognition and counting is taught very well in small groups in the nursery, and assessment is used equally well to build upon pupils’ previous learning. Number songs and rhymes are used well and frequently to reinforce learning and most pupils enjoy joining in. The good use of sand and water play successfully increases the children's mathematical understanding as they make good progress in the correct use of words, such as ‘full’ and ‘empty’. In one activity, children investigated a variety of objects and good teaching led them to understand the meaning of ‘heavy’ and ‘light’ as they put the objects on a balance. Children have a good sense of achievement because they are
p.36
Mathematical development
well taught, and this contributes greatly to their eagerness to learn.
p.36
Mathematical development
101. The teaching of mathematics is either good or very good. The National Numeracy Strategy has been successfully introduced into the reception classes. Teachers carry out day to day assessments very well and they are very good at using the information gathered to plan challenging learning activities that match the different learning needs of the children. Very good teaching strategies interest the children and help them learn. This was seen when teaching linked learning in art with learning in mathematics, so that the children learnt to number and organise fish they drew and coloured in mathematical patterns. As the result of the teachers' very good subject knowledge, and the high quality support of other staff, higher attaining pupils order numbers to 20 and beyond. They work accurately and confidently adding numbers beyond ten and they calculate simple subtraction sums. Average attaining children add correctly to ten and they make good progress in understanding the
p.36
Mathematical development
meaning of ‘one more.’ Almost all lower attaining children count and order numbers to five. Nearly all the children recognise and make simple 1 to 1 patterns. They know when an object is taller or smaller than another and when a container is half full.
p.36
Knowledge and understanding of the world
102. Inspection evidence indicates that, by the time the children leave the reception classes, the very good planning and teaching of this area of learning may lead to well over two-thirds of the them reaching the level expected nationally in this early learning goal. Provision for the development of children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is very good and it ensures that children with diverse learning needs are provided with a good, wide and challenging range of learning opportunities. At the time of inspection, learning was planned around the theme in the nursery of 'Senses'. Children learnt their colours, and what rainbows are, when they made rainbow cakes. They observed them and tasted the differences before and after baking. This activity made a significant contribution to children’s spiritual development as they gasped with delight when the cake was cut and some rainbow colours were revealed. Pupils play in soapy water, under the direction of a nursery
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Knowledge and understanding of the world
nurse, to investigate and then learn how bubbles are formed. Another learning activity gave pupils opportunities to look through binoculars and other lenses and to talk about what they could see. Good use was made of an unplanned opportunity when a child found a worm on the grass and the teacher fetched a magnifier to allow the children to observe it closely and talk about what they had found. Roe Green Infant School - 37 April 2001 103. Children in the reception classes are finding out about animals this term. During the inspection they were stimulated by a visit to the London Aquarium. They talked knowledgeably about this educational outing and the different types of sea creatures there. They talked excitedly about the divers they saw swimming amongst the fish. Very good teaching before and after this educational outing contributed to the pupils' very good knowledge of sea creatures. Nearly all the children know the names of the
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Knowledge and understanding of the world
fish they saw and some important facts about them, for example what they eat, where they live in the sea and how big they grow. They have good knowledge of wild and farm animals and they classify them by their ability to fly, walk or swim. Good use is made of visits in the locality for pupils to learn about differences between the seasons of the year. In an earlier topic, children made houses from reclaimed materials, investigating well the best ways to join and stick them to make doors and windows that open and close. They use tape recorders and computer programs on their own to record and reinforce their learning.
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Physical development
104. Although no teaching of physical education was seen, children were observed playing outside and in the classrooms. Planning and the provision for physical development are good. Inspection evidence indicates that almost all the children will reach the national level expected for their age in this learning goal by the end of the year. Nursery children have access for most of the day to a secure outdoor area. Good opportunities are provided for them to climb, jump and balance. Reception children have outdoor play sessions each week and they are also taught gymnastics and dance. Reception children ride tricycles, with good co-ordination and balance, in the small area provided for them. They make good progress when learning to throw, stop and control balls. Children are taught to hold and use pencils, paintbrushes and scissors well. They make good progress using these resources in art and in literacy
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Physical development
lessons when they cut out their pictures of fish they have written about. Teaching builds well upon these skills first taught in the nursery when the children learnt to use scissors correctly by cutting dough before transferring their skill to the harder task of cutting paper.
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Creative development
105. Provision for creative development is very good and a good range of stimulating activities is provided to help children learn whilst they explore and create. Inspection evidence indicates that well over half the children are on course to reach the standards expected of them nationally in this early learning goal. Throughout the Foundation Stage, planning provides good opportunities for children with different learning needs to work with staff to improve their knowledge and understanding when they act out plays they make up. This very good practice not only improves the children's use of their imagination but also expands their spoken vocabulary so that, by the time they leave the reception classes, they explain clearly what they are learning. Boxes, other resources and materials are also used well for the children to make imaginative models and collages. For example, reception children used a good
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Creative development
variety of different types of material to produce imaginative fish collages of a high standard. There are good opportunities provided for painting and drawing. After experimenting with a variety of brushes, nursery children collaborated to produce a painting in the style of Monet. They use powder paints to mix their own colours when painting independently. Children sing regularly, listen to music and play musical instruments. Reception children sing many songs and rhymes, showing a good sense of rhythm. In a reception class, children use instruments well to make loud and quiet sounds. Satisfactory teaching allowed pupils to choose instruments and explore them in a ‘free noise’ session before reviewing the correct way to play them. Roe Green Infant School - 38 April 2001 However, at times in the reception classes, opportunities are missed to extend the children's learning by teaching them about musical patterns or pace.
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ENGLISH
106. Inspection findings match most of the results of the 2000 tests, which showed standards in reading and writing to be below the national average, but matching those of similar schools across the country. The results of national tests for reading and writing fell slightly last year. This was because the school had a larger proportion of pupils with special educational needs than the previous four years, almost all of whom had literacy difficulties. In addition, a few pupils entered Year 2 with little or no previous schooling and in the very early stages of learning with English as an additional language. Over the last four years, national test results have risen steadily and improved satisfactorily since the last inspection. Analysis of pupils’ reading skills shows a good improvement since the 2000 national tests because the proportion of seven year olds whose reading is above the national level
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ENGLISH
of attainment expected for their age has increased significantly. By the time they are seven, pupils reach standards of attainment above those expected nationally in speaking and listening. Although improving, standards of attainment are below the national average in writing. However, there is a satisfactory improvement in the achievements of seven year olds in standards of attainment reached in writing since the last inspection.
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ENGLISH
107. There are no significant differences in the standards of attainment between boys and girls and between pupils from different ethnic backgrounds. Pupils with special educational needs and those who learn with English as an additional language make good progress because of good learning support they receive. Pupils in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language achieve very well. The achievements of pupils from refugee and asylum seeking families are similar to that of pupils of the same age, apart from those who enter the school other than at the usual time and whose achievements are very good.
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ENGLISH
108. Throughout the school, teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to improve speaking and listening skills. They make good progress by the time they are seven and many pupils reach standards of attainment above those expected nationally for their age. Pupils listen attentively in order to understand what they need to do to learn. They answer questions clearly and confidently, often providing detailed and interesting information. By the time they are seven, they listen carefully to others in order to discuss ideas when talking in a group. Teachers plan well to provide good opportunities for pupils to extend their vocabulary and to ensure that pupils with different learning needs understand unfamiliar words and phrases. For example, they use hand puppets to encourage pupils to discuss ideas and explain their learning in sentences. This good, and at times very good practice, has a significant
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ENGLISH
beneficial effect on the achievements of pupils who require additional support to learn with English as an additional language.
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ENGLISH
109. Inspection evidence indicates that over 90 per cent of seven year old pupils reach or exceed standards of attainment expected nationally for their age in reading. This represents good progress since the last inspection and an improvement on the 2000 national test results. Nearly all seven year olds pupils read accurately, confidently and with good understanding. When they read out loud they do so with good expression that interests the listener. They enjoy reading and they handle books with care and pleasure. Higher attaining seven year old pupils reach standards well above those expected nationally for their age. They describe main characters in detail, explain clearly what has happened in the story, and they make sensible, thoughtful suggestions about what might have gone before and what might happen Roe Green Infant School - 39 April 2001 next. They know the difference between non-fiction and fiction books well, and make
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ENGLISH
good progress explaining why they prefer certain types of stories and books. Pupils of average attainment correct their own mistakes when reading and they talk about books they like. They suggest what might happen next in a story, giving their reasons by referring to the text. These pupils name the title and author of a book, and explain what a contents page is. In a Year 2 lesson, higher attaining pupils read challenging words without difficulty, such as ‘official’ and ‘rummaging’, and all pupils laughed at the humour in the story. Lower attaining pupils enjoy reading, and have good strategies for working out unfamiliar words and phrases by sounding out parts of words and by getting information from pictures in the book.
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ENGLISH
110. In writing, by the time they are seven, about four out of five pupils reach the level of attainment expected for their age. Inspection evidence indicates an improvement in attainment compared to the 2000 national test results. This is partly due to there being fewer seven year olds than in 2000 with special educational needs, but it is mainly due to teaching raising attainment in response to a school improvement priority. Nevertheless, the proportion of seven year old pupils exceeding the national level of attainment remains well below the national average. The 2000 national test results showed that only three per cent of the seven year olds exceeded the national level of attainment expected of them, compared to 30 per cent nationally. Pupils write satisfactorily for many purposes by the time they are seven, including diaries, poems, stories, letters, reports, lists, recipes, rules, and instructions. In addition, average
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ENGLISH
attaining and almost all lower attaining pupils write answers to questions in extended sentences that are well punctuated. Higher attaining pupils use a very good range of punctuation to make their writing more meaningful for the reader, including question marks, exclamation marks and speech marks. The highest attaining pupils organise written work into paragraphs. Higher attaining pupils have a good range of vocabulary, which some of them use well to interest the reader when writing. When compared to the attainment of these pupils when in Year 1, school records show that they have achieved well, and those who entered the school in Year 1 in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language achieve very well. Whilst the achievements of the pupils who learn with English as an additional language are good, their skills in expressing ideas in writing does not always match their speaking
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ENGLISH
skills. This difference in attainment between speaking in English as an additional language and writing in English as an additional language is not unusual. Nevertheless, for some higher attaining pupils there are at times too few opportunities for these pupils to extend further the language they use to make their writing more lively and interesting for the reader.
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ENGLISH
111. A high proportion of teaching is good. Seventy-five per cent of teaching is good and the rest is satisfactory. It is due to this high proportion of good teaching that most pupils learn and achieve well by the time they are seven. Teachers manage pupils learning and behaviour very well. They share the learning objectives for each lesson with pupils to make sure they know what they have to learn and what they need to do to improve. Teachers use a good variety of teaching methods well to interest and inspire the pupils. These include the humorous use of hand puppets to extend pupils’ vocabulary, pictures and big books to improve reading skills, whole class teaching of spelling and grammar, probing questions to find out how well pupils learn, and praise to make sure pupils are valued and want to do well. The national literacy strategy is taught well and, as a result, throughout the school pupils are taught well to make
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ENGLISH
sense of words unfamiliar to them by sounding out their parts. Teaching is also good at teaching similar strategies to improve the pupils’ spelling, with homework that is set each week used well to reinforce these skills. Pupils understand and use words well to explain their learning, such as ‘phoneme’ and ‘blend’. The school makes good use of additional time set aside each week as part of the national trial of Early Learning Strategies that is to improve reading and writing skills of under achieving Roe Green Infant School - 40 April 2001 pupils. These well managed and well taught strategies use many of the national literacy strategies and contribute to the very good achievements of the selected Year 1 pupils. Planning and organisation makes good use of assessment information to provide often challenging and interesting work. Work is marked carefully, although pupils are not always given enough information in some classes about how they can
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ENGLISH
improve. The very good use of the individual learning targets of pupils with special educational needs contributes to these pupils very good progress. Pupils with different learning needs throughout the school enjoy their work and they find the lessons interesting because teachers use their good subject knowledge well to teach at a challenging and lively pace. Pupils are encouraged to think carefully about their learning. This was evident when a Year 1 pupil asked how the teacher knew the animal in the picture was a donkey and not a horse. In a Year 1 reading lesson, the teacher’s probing questions and good deployment of the learning support assistant ensured no time was wasted as the pupils were carried along at a brisk pace in their learning. In this lesson, the teaching of reading to lower attaining pupils in a group was very good. They confidently made good progress when they read a new page
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ENGLISH
because their learning was well supported by questions such as, “Are there any words I can help you with?” They referred to the text well to reach conclusions, for example when answering the question, “What do you think he’s going to eat?”
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ENGLISH
112. Teachers make good use of the school’s analysis of the year 2000 national test results, and other tests they give the pupils, to plan work that challenges nearly all pupils with different levels of attainment. However, assessment information gathered from marking work, tests and the questioning of pupils is not always used well in some classes to make sure that higher attaining pupils have work that consistently challenges them. At times, some teachers’ expectations of what higher attaining pupils can achieve are not high enough. As a result, occasionally these pupils become restless and this interferes with the usual good learning atmosphere in the classroom. This was seen in a Year 2 lesson when two higher attaining girls completed their work with little effort and then spent much of the rest of the lesson talking about other things.
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ENGLISH
113. Teachers make good use of resources to help pupils learn, although pupils there are too few opportunities planned for pupils to improve their computing and word processing skills whilst improving their literacy skills at the same time.
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ENGLISH
114. The management of English is very good. Homework is very well used to reinforce learning at school and to prepare pupils for their next lessons. The very good practice of matching homework tasks to the learning needs of pupils contributes to the good achievements of most pupils, and the very good achievements of pupils who need additional learning support. The co-ordinator evaluates the effectiveness of teaching, learning, resources and the curriculum very well in order to advise and support colleagues. As a result, very good systems are in place to maintain high standards and improve them when necessary.
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MATHEMATICS
115. By the time they are seven, the proportion of pupils reaching or exceeding levels of attainment expected nationally is above the national average. Inspection findings match the results of the 2000 national tests for seven year olds which showed that the proportion of pupils reaching or exceeding the level of attainment expected of them nationally was above those of similar schools across the country.
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MATHEMATICS
116. There are no significant differences between the achievements of boys and girls and between pupils of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress, and those in the early stages of Roe Green Infant School - 41 April 2001 learning with English as an additional language achieve very well by the time they are seven because of the very good support they receive. Pupils who learn with English as an additional language achieve well by the time they are seven. Teachers are good at ensuring that most pupils with different levels of attainment receive challenging work that matches their learning needs, with the work for higher attaining pupils lacking in demand at times. Teachers make very good use of special educational needs pupils’ learning targets in their education plans when planning lessons. Pupils from asylum seeking and refugee families, and those who join the
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MATHEMATICS
school other than at the usual time in Year 1, are also very well provided for and the high quality learning support they receive contributes significantly to these pupils' very good achievements.
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MATHEMATICS
117. By the age of seven, pupils have good knowledge of place value to 100 and make good progress in using two, five and ten times tables when making written and mental calculations. For example, pupils count on in twos and then make good use of this knowledge to halve and double numbers. They know the basic properties of two and three-dimensional shapes. They estimate the length of objects well before carefully and accurately measuring them. They gather and classify information, presenting their findings clearly in simple block graphs and pictograms. Good teaching expands pupils’ use and understanding of mathematical language, which is good by the time they are seven. For example, pupils in Year 1 were required to use mathematical language accurately to compare and contrast the sizes and numbers of different shapes by using phrases such as, ‘bigger than’, ‘smaller than’, ‘more than’ and ‘ less than’.
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MATHEMATICS
118. This emphasis throughout the school on improving the pupils’ vocabulary and the requirement for them to speak in sentences, and to spell and punctuate their work correctly, reinforces literacy skills well.
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MATHEMATICS
119. There is a high proportion of good and very good teaching. The teaching in five out of eight lessons was either good or very good and there was no unsatisfactory teaching. Good questioning provides teachers with information about how well pupils are learning. They present lessons in ways that capture pupils’ interest, making them enthusiastic about number and giving them confidence in their own abilities. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils of different levels of attainment to solve problems in their own way, using practical apparatus of their own choice if they need to. For example, in a Year 2 class, when identifying missing numbers in number sentences, several pupils chose to make use of a number line, a ruler or plastic cubes. In the less successful lessons, the pace of learning lacks challenge and so does not inspire the pupils.
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MATHEMATICS
120. The teachers have good subject knowledge and teach national numeracy strategies well. Learning objectives for each lesson are clearly identified in the teachers’ planning. They are shared with pupils at the start of lessons so that they know what they have to learn, with a reminder displayed on the classroom whiteboard. In the best lessons, these learning objectives are reviewed at the end of sessions with very good use of questions to assess pupils’ understanding and to provide advice for improvement. This very good practice is not used consistently enough throughout the school and so not all pupils have a good understanding about what they have to do to improve.
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MATHEMATICS
121. Mental mathematics is taught well using a variety of good teaching methods so that pupils improve their problem solving strategies successfully, step by step as they grow older. The teachers use a good range of mathematical vocabulary so that pupils with different learning needs explain their learning clearly, in their learning groups and to the whole class. This provides teachers with plenty of information so that they Roe Green Infant School - 42 April 2001 give good advice to pupils about how they can improve. Planning is good so that almost all the pupils with different levels of understanding receive challenging work that matches their learning needs. Throughout the school, teachers work well in partnership with well informed and deployed learning support assistants to provide for the learning needs of pupils with English is an additional language and those with special educational needs. Whilst teachers gather assessment information well in
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MATHEMATICS
order to plan work for pupils with different learning needs, work planned for pupils of higher attainment throughout the school does not consistently challenge them. At times, some teachers’ expectations are too low about what pupils of higher attainment are capable of achieving.
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MATHEMATICS
122. Teachers manage pupils’ learning well. They make good use of well-managed learning resources so that no time is wasted. Throughout the school, the pupils’ regular completion of homework is used well to prepare them for the next lesson. Homework is not the same for every pupil, with challenging work set to do at home that matches the pupils’ individual learning needs well. The beginnings of lessons are based securely on prior learning because, throughout the school, homework is referred to at the start of lessons to find out how well it has helped pupils learn. The best teaching refers to completed homework throughout the lesson when reinforcing learning. Learning support assistants know what pupils have to learn and they quickly know when they need to help them. The good relationships between staff and pupils make many mathematics lessons fun and this contributes greatly to the pupils’ enthusiasm for the subject.
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MATHEMATICS
123. As pupils grow older, unsatisfactory planning provides too few opportunities for them to improve their ICT skills by operating computers themselves in order to improve both their computing and mathematical skills. For example, in a Year 2 mathematics lesson, pupils understood that by putting information into a computer program it arranges it into a graph for them to study. However, they do not know how to perform this simple operation themselves.
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MATHEMATICS
124. Pupils’ numeracy skills and understanding are reinforced well in other subjects and this contributes significantly to rising standards that are above those of most schools across the country. For example, in a Year 1 music lesson they count beats and rhythm in music, and in Year 2 they do mathematical calculations to reach conclusions about science experiments. They produce tables and graphs in geography and they make simple calculations when comparing British and American coins and in history they calculate the time between significant events.
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MATHEMATICS
125. Teachers use good strategies well to assess pupils’ attainment and to evaluate their understanding against the learning objectives planned for each term. Information gathered is used well when teachers plan in year and subject groups for the year, the term and then for each week. Good use of assessment information is used to place pupils in groups according to their prior attainment and this has significant and beneficial effects on their achievements and attainment.
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MATHEMATICS
126. There is good progress since the last inspection. The acting co-ordinator is good at supporting and advising colleagues. She advises them how to use and manage the easily accessible resources well to help pupils learn. The effectiveness of teaching, learning and the curriculum are evaluated well, with good use of information gathered to set improvement targets so that high standards are maintained and improved where necessary. Roe Green Infant School - 43 April 2001
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SCIENCE
127. The 2000 teacher assessments of the attainment of seven year olds show that the proportion of pupils reaching and exceeding the nationally expected levels of attainment matched that of most schools across the country. The proportion of pupils exceeding the nationally expected level of attainment level was above the national average. Inspection findings match the 2000 teacher assessment results and also reveal no significant differences in attainment, progress or achievements between boys and girls or between pupils of different ethnic backgrounds. The achievements of pupils from refugee and asylum seeking families is similar to that of pupils of the same age, apart from those who enter the school other than at the usual time and whose achievements are very good. Pupils with special educational needs and those who learn with English as an additional language make good progress because of good learning support they receive. Pupils in the early stages of learning
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SCIENCE
with English as an additional language achieve very well. Inspection evidence shows satisfactory improvement since the last inspection, with good improvement since then in the attainment of some higher attaining pupils. Since the last inspection, pupils continue to achieve well throughout the school.
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SCIENCE
128. A high proportion of teaching is good. It is good in 60 per cent of lessons and satisfactory in 40 per cent. This is a good improvement since the last inspection when some teaching was unsatisfactory. By the time they are seven, the pupils sort and classify information well. They make good scientific predictions based on everyday experiences, and have a good understanding of the need for fair testing. Pupils with different learning needs in Year 1 make good progress when learning about ‘forces’. They know that objects move when pushed or pulled. Well planned lessons provide challenging work that matches most of the learning needs of pupils with different levels of attainment. Throughout the school, teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to improve their vocabulary. Teachers’ good emphasis on the pupils’ correct use of scientific vocabulary reinforces their literacy skills well when writing scientific reports. Pupils explain their learning in writing and are required to
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SCIENCE
spell correctly and punctuate sentences accurately. All this good practice has a beneficial and significant effect on the achievements of pupils who need support to learn with English as an additional language. Pupils in all classes are actively involved in their own learning. Their good achievements reflect the quality of the teaching they receive. Where the teaching is good, learning objectives are shared with pupils so that they know what they have to learn. Teachers good subject knowledge contributes to the good use of assessment information to plan challenging work that interests pupils with different learning needs. However, the very good practice in using assessment information to challenge pupils of different levels of attainment has yet to spread throughout the school so that higher attaining pupils in particular are consistently challenged. Information about pupils’ progress and achievements is gathered after the completion of each topic in order to plan for the
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SCIENCE
next, and records of the pupils’ attainment are passed on to the pupils' next teachers. Information is used well by most teachers to set individual learning targets. Where the teaching is good or better, probing questions are used well to gather information about how well pupils learn and then to extend their learning. This contributes to the good opportunities provided for pupils to undertake scientific investigations. It also contributes to most teachers having good knowledge about what pupils can and cannot do. For example, a Year 2 lesson was modified well when the teacher’s observations of learning showed that pupils had not fully understood how to make electrical circuits. Teaching revisited the pupils' learning and, as a result, they eventually made good progress. When the teaching is less successful, although satisfactory and pupils behave well, time is not always used well. This was seen in a
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SCIENCE
Year 1 lesson, when too much time was spent, for part of the lesson, finding out how objects move. Well over half the pupils had understood this part of the lesson and Roe Green Infant School - 44 April 2001 were ready to move onto the next stage in their learning. About a third of the pupils lost interest and so were unclear about what to learn next. In another satisfactory but well planned Year 2 lesson, the purpose of a learning activity was not explained well to all the pupils. Pupils held each other’s hands as they sat in a circle to represent an electrical circuit. The purpose of this was not well explained to average and lower attaining pupils. Consequently, they did not fully understand what a circuit was, and when they did their investigation they thought that the bulb had to be next to the battery for the circuit to work.
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SCIENCE
129. Literacy skills are reinforced well and numeracy skills are satisfactorily reinforced. An example of the good reinforcement of literacy skills was when a Year 2 teacher taught the meaning of ‘circuit’ by linking the words ‘circle’ and ‘circus.’ Pupils then wrote about a circuit with good attention paid to their handwriting, spelling and punctuation. There is room to improve further opportunities to improve pupils’ writing in science in Year 2, by spreading to each class the good practice of high expectations about what pupils will achieve so that they consistently produce plenty of written work. The satisfactory reinforcement of numeracy skills was seen when Year 2 pupils were required to measure and record results using simple charts and graphs. Planning does include the use of computers by pupils to record their work, find information and undertake research, but there are too few opportunities provided
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SCIENCE
for pupils to improve their computer skills whilst also extending their learning about science.
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SCIENCE
130. The high proportion of good teaching contributes significantly to the pupils’ wanting to learn and do well. In most lessons there is a real sense of enjoyment and enthusiasm for work when pupils carry out scientific investigations. Seven year old pupils in Year 2 were interested in finding out how electricity was used for heating the school. They proudly showed adults how they were able to make an electric bulb light up. Although most pupils co-operate well, a few have difficulty sharing resources. Nevertheless, behaviour is good for almost all pupils and when a few pupils become restless teachers do not allow this to interfere with the learning of others.
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SCIENCE
131. Good management of the subject, and a commitment to maintain high standards and improve them where necessary, has contributed to rising standards of attainment throughout the school and good improvements in academic standards since the last inspection. The well-informed and knowledgeable co-ordinator makes good use of training opportunities for professional development and this contributes to her good advice to, and support for, colleagues. Good evaluations of the effectiveness of teaching, learning, the curriculum and the use of good resources to help pupils learn, have resulted in the identification of further improvements to the ways assessment information is gathered and used. Already a portfolio of completed work produced by pupils with different levels of attainment is used to guide colleagues when assessing pupils’ attainment. A good range of non-fiction texts is used well in literacy lessons to
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SCIENCE
support pupils’ learning in science. Regular and well planned educational visits to places, such as those to Kew Gardens and the Welsh Harp Centre, reinforce and consolidate pupils’ learning well.
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ART AND DESIGN
132. Few lessons were planned during the inspection. Judgements are based on the lessons seen, analysis of pupils’ work in displays around the school, discussion with teachers and the subject co-ordinators and analysis of teachers’ planning.
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ART AND DESIGN
133. By the time pupils are seven, they reach the national level of attainment expected. A third of the pupils exceed the national levels of attainment for seven year olds in observational drawings. However, since the last inspection there is a decline in the Roe Green Infant School - 45 April 2001 proportion of pupils exceeding the national levels of attainment expected of seven year olds and this represents unsatisfactory progress. The reason for this decline is because, at the time of the last inspection, more time was provided to teach art. Some of the time that used to be for teaching art is now used to teach literacy and numeracy skills.
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ART AND DESIGN
134. There is no significant difference in attainment, progress and achievements between boys and girls and between pupils of different ethnic backgrounds. Children with special educational needs make good progress because of the good support they receive. Pupils who learn with English as an additional language receive good support and make good progress. Pupils from asylum seeking and refugee families achieve as well as other pupils of their age. However, those pupils who enter school other than at the usual time in Year 1, and who have no previous experience of school achieve very well. Pupils who are in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language also achieve very well by the time they are seven.
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ART AND DESIGN
135. By the time pupils are seven, they mix paint to vary shades and tints well. They work well with a range of techniques such as ‘wax-resist’. A good example of this is was seen in the interesting scraffitto pictures made in Year 2, where they scratched imaginative designs out of a layer of black wax to reveal the colours below. They studied their own and each other’s faces before creating good self-portraits in paint, pastel or collage. Attractive examples of these were seen when a Year 2 class used torn pieces of magazine paper to create skin tones. In the part of a lesson observed in Year 1, good teaching and the good subject knowledge of the teacher skilfully helped pupils produce self-portraits that had realistic skin tones. Three-dimensional materials, such as clay and salt-dough, are used well to increase pupils’ understanding of portraiture. Well planned work with textiles led to a very successful
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ART AND DESIGN
class weaving project in Year 1. This resulted in high quality work combining a range of materials and colours, accurately woven, to produce an imaginative piece of art.
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ART AND DESIGN
136. Art is used very well to support and celebrate work in other subjects. For example, the good number of very attractive friezes about books studied during the literacy hour contribute well to the good progress of pupils learning with English as an additional language and the reinforcement of the literacy skills of other pupils. Some very good displays about recent educational visit to Kew Gardens by pupils in Year 2 contained some high quality observational drawings and attractive collages of pupils’ favourite plants. Numeracy skills are reinforced well, for example when pupils in Year 1 learnt about different types of coins and calculated the cost of fruit and vegetables they were painting as part of a café and garden centre scene.
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ART AND DESIGN
137. Pupils respond positively to challenging work and proudly showed their work to inspectors. Their eagerness to learn and do well is seen in the ways pupils throughout the school sustain concentration well and pay good attention to teachers’ advice on how they can improve.
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ART AND DESIGN
138. Good teaching uses probing questioning to extend pupils’ observation skills so that they learn well the importance and the significance of shape and colour within the compositions of pictures. The good teaching and planning provides well chosen opportunities for the pupils to examine elements of texture, as well as colour and shape, before making their own observational drawings, as was seen when Year 2 pupils worked with small sculptures. Many of the drawings gave a good sense of the sculptures' materials.
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ART AND DESIGN
139. Pupils have satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the work of other artists, by producing work in the style of artists such as O’Keefe, Monet and William Morris. Roe Green Infant School - 46 April 2001 This contributes satisfactorily to their spiritual development and well to their cultural development.
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ART AND DESIGN
140. The co-ordinators have considerable enthusiasm for the subject and very good subject knowledge, which they use well to advise and support colleagues. They offer advice on the best use of resources to help pupils learn. They assess pupils’ attainment well in order to provide advice for colleagues when planning, by analysing the work completed in lessons, much of which is displayed to good effect around the school. The co-ordinators have few opportunities provided to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
141. Little teaching was seen during the inspection. Judgements are based on teaching seen, models completed by the pupils, photographs of models completed, written work in the pupils' design books, discussions with the co-ordinator, pupils and their teachers.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
142. Standards of attainment in design and technology are at the expected national level for pupils at the age of seven. This matches the finding in the last inspection. Pupils with special educational needs, and those who need additional support to learn with English as an additional language, progress as well as other pupils. These pupils receive good support for their learning. The achievements of pupils who enter the school other than at the usual time in Year 1, and those from refugee and asylum seeking families, achieve very well because of the good support for learning they receive.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
143. By the time they are seven, pupils in Year 2 satisfactorily use their own experiences and those gained by research to design and make working models using a range of materials and assembling techniques. Teaching is satisfactory and uses probing questions to ensure pupils plan designs carefully and think about the work they do in order to improve. There are too few opportunities provided for pupils to make two- dimensional designs in order for them to analyse their intentions before moving onto the making stage. Teaching makes sure materials are well organised and easily accessible and that well managed use of equipment is used safely. An area for improvement is in the use, throughout the school, of learning objectives for making and evaluation skills, rather than relying on those that are only about the finished product, as was evident in the work of pupils in Year 2. Well planned work set pupils
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
of different levels of attainment the challenge of making a piece of playground equipment strong enough to hold ‘play people.’ They undertook research by visiting a playground to investigate the design and movement of play equipment. After designing their own model, the pupils experimented with different techniques to join materials and to incorporate movement. One pupil successfully made her roundabout move by inserting a ‘split pin’ into a cork. Pupils chose from a variety of materials to make their finished products where they used satisfactory cutting and measuring skills, which reinforced their numeracy skills well. They tested and evaluated their own and others’ work satisfactorily, explaining which worked best and why.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
144. From the age of five to seven, pupils make satisfactory progress in the use of construction kits to make models with movement. They design and make bookmarks using simple running stitches to make fabric finger puppets. In a Year 1 lesson that combined geography and design and technology, good teaching resulted in the pupils' good knowledge of the types of buildings suitable to put on a three dimensional map of a town. They used Lego and other materials to make their buildings, achieving standards of attainment expected for their age. In this lesson, Roe Green Infant School - 47 April 2001 pupils worked enthusiastically and were inspired to try out different ideas and designs. They behaved and co-operated well when sharing equipment.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
145. Management of the subject is satisfactory. In the work seen, pupils' literacy skills of handwriting, spelling and punctuation are satisfactorily reinforced when they write about their designs. A new scheme of work for the subject has been in place since September 2000. This provides teachers with good support and guidance for planning and for teaching. The co-ordinator is new to the role and subject management has not yet been developed sufficiently to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching, learning, the curriculum and the use of resources to help pupils learn. However, there is an improvement plan in place that identifies the strategies to further improve teaching and standards of attainment.
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GEOGRAPHY
146. By the time they are seven, pupils reach the national level of attainment expected for their age. These standards of attainment are the same as those at the time of the last inspection. Pupils with special educational needs, and those who need additional support to learn with English as an additional language, make very good progress and achieve very well by the time they are seven. There is no difference between the achievements of boys and girls and between pupils from different ethnic backgrounds. Pupils from asylum seeking and refugee families achieve as well as other pupils of the same age. Pupils who enter the school other than at the usual time in Year 1, and who are in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language, achieve very well by the time they are seven.
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GEOGRAPHY
147. Seven year old pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the weather in different seasons of the year. Most pupils satisfactorily compare different places in this and other countries and higher attaining pupils do this well. Throughout the school, pupils with different learning needs make satisfactory progress when using geographical language, for example when pupils in Year 1 talk about their journeys to school. By the time they are seven, they have satisfactory knowledge about different types of houses, shops and roads by exploring the school's locality with teachers. Good foundations for future learning are well provided for in Year 1, through the pupils learning to use books well when comparing geographical features of different locations in this and other countries. As a result, by the time they are seven, they recognise mountains, rivers, and coastlines on maps and in pictures and higher
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GEOGRAPHY
attaining pupils know that rivers rise in higher ground and flow into the sea.
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GEOGRAPHY
148. A high proportion of teaching is satisfactory. Sixty per cent of teaching is satisfactory and 40 per cent is good. Teaching is good for seven year olds in Year 2. Teachers have good subject knowledge and they make sure that at the start of lessons pupils know what they have to learn. Good planning improves pupils' vocabulary as they grow older so that those who learn with English as an additional language have a good understanding of the language special to geography by the time they are seven. In a Year 2 lesson, the teacher's probing questions resulted in the pupils' good progress when challenged to describe differences between a village and a town. In this lesson, the learning support assistant helped pupils in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language by speaking in Gujerati and Panjabi, so that these pupils achieved as well as the others. Where teaching is less
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GEOGRAPHY
successful, but nevertheless satisfactory, lessons are not always taught at a challenging pace and work for higher attaining pupils does not consistently challenge them. The good planning and teaching uses the varied experiences of pupils who visit other countries well, to help other pupils learn. For example, good use is made throughout the school of the ‘Trip Book’ of school work pupils complete when away from school visiting far off countries. The good knowledge of some pupils about Roe Green Infant School - 48 April 2001 other countries was evident in the Year 2 lessons, when pupils used specialist language well to identify and talk about geographical features in other countries seen in photographs. They gave satisfactory reasons why they would like to live on the Isle of Struay, and why they would not. Good use of resources contributes to good achievements. This was seen in the teachers' use of a well travelled hand puppet
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GEOGRAPHY
bear who ‘talks' to pupils about his photographed visits with teachers and governors to different parts of the world. They talked to Barnaby the Bear as they identified, in post cards, skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty in New York, the snow capped mountains of Scotland and the countryside of Brittany. Pupils sat wide-eyed listening to the bear's stories of his travels, and they eagerly responded to his questions. They enthusiastically correct his mistakes when naming geographical features and when he uses the incorrect vocabulary. Good management of pupils’ learning and behaviour in Year 2 sweep them cheerfully along in their learning. This challenging teaching resulted in seven year old pupils using maps of Europe to locate and learn about cities and countries. They proudly point out to inspectors the place where they live in London on a map of the British Isles.
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GEOGRAPHY
149. Teaching consolidates learning in history well, whilst reinforcing literacy and numeracy skills. When talking and writing about geography, pupils are required to make references to their learning in history. For example, in Year 2 seven year old pupils locate Turkey on a map and suggest different ways of travelling there, and then they are reminded of their learning in History about Florence Nightingale and the part she played in the Crimean War. They make comparisons between coins from other countries, doing mental calculations about the cost of presents, and they calculate how long various types of transport may take to reach different parts of the world. There are many opportunities for pupils from the age of five to seven to write about their learning whilst paying close attention to improvements they need to make in handwriting, spelling and punctuation. All this good practice reinforces numeracy
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GEOGRAPHY
and literacy skills well and pupils taking a pride in their neat work.
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GEOGRAPHY
150. Visitors to the school are used well to help pupils learn. For example, a local police officer answered Year 2 pupils' questions about the local area to increase their understanding of important geographical features. In Year 1, a well travelled visitor helped pupils increase their understanding about how different climates in other countries influence the ways people live and dress.
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GEOGRAPHY
151. The subject is well led and managed, with opportunities well taken by the co- ordinator to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching, learning, the curriculum and the use of resources to help pupils learn. This is resulting in national guidance for planning and teaching being amended so that it more closely matches the diverse learning of pupils. Good use is made of homework, so that pupils are prepared well for their next lesson. There are too few planned opportunities for pupils to improve their computer skills whist extending their learning in geography. However, as the result of teachers' ICT training completed just before the inspection, the school has secure plans in place to improve the use of computers to help pupils to reinforce their computer skills whilst improving their learning in geography. The school makes very good use of a digital camera to build a bank of good photographic learning
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HISTORY
152. No history teaching was planned for the week of inspection. Judgements are based on teachers’ planning, analysis of pupils’ work, discussions with the co-ordinator and with seven year old pupils. Roe Green Infant School - 49 April 2001 153. By the time they are seven, pupils reach the national level of attainment expected for their age. This was the same standard of attainment at the time of the last inspection. Pupils with special educational needs, and those who need additional support to learn with English as an additional language, make good progress and achieve very well by the time they are seven. There is no difference between the attainment, progress and achievements of boys and girls and between pupils from different ethnic backgrounds. The achievements of pupils from asylum and refugee seeking families are the same as for other pupils of the same age. Pupils who enter the school other than at the usual time in Year 1, and who are in the early stages of
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HISTORY
learning with English as an additional language, achieve very well by the time they are seven.
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HISTORY
154. History is planned well alongside geography to make sure both subjects have the nationally recommended time for teaching over the course of a year. Planning demonstrates teachers' good subject knowledge. There is good guidance to help teachers plan so that challenging work is prepared for pupils with different learning needs, by using nationally recommended schemes of work well. Good opportunities are planned for pupils to use books, pictures and artefacts to find out about lives in the past and compare them with the ways people live today. Good use of a theatre in education company brings history alive for pupils by involving them in plays about Victorian life and The Fire of London. Analysis of pupils' work, and from discussions with seven year olds, shows that history teaching consolidates learning in geography well. This was evident when pupils described some geographical features found in
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HISTORY
and around the city during the Great Fire of London.
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HISTORY
155. Analysis of pupils' work show that literacy skills are reinforced well. Teachers mark work to provide advice on how pupils are to improve their writing skills. Pupils described how teachers provide advice on how to improve handwriting, spelling and punctuation. Pupils explained how they calculate the time between historical events and how long ago these events occurred.
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HISTORY
156. Higher attaining pupils use historical terms well, for example when comparing the lives of ordinary women in Victorian times with the lives of their mothers. Pupils with different levels of attainment have a good sense of time, as was evident when they placed events of the past in the correct order of occurrence when talking to inspectors. They satisfactorily find out about the past by using pictures, books, objects from the past and videos. Pupils understand that historical information can be obtained from some CD-ROMs, but few are able to explain how to do this. They recall well stories about Florence Nightingale and the Great Fire of London and higher attaining pupils know a little about ancient civilisations and name some past Kings and Queens of England.
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HISTORY
157. This subject is well led. The effectiveness of teaching, learning, the curriculum and the use of resources to help pupils learn are evaluated well. National guidance for planning and teaching is in the early stages of amendment in order to match more closely the different learning needs of pupils. There are too few planned opportunities for pupils to improve their computer skills whist extending their learning in history. There are plans in place to improve the use of computers to help pupils learn.
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
158. Few lessons were planned during the inspection. Judgements are based on the analysis of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning, observations of pupils using computers, discussions with the co-ordinator of the subject, pupils and other teachers. Roe Green Infant School - 50 April 2001 159. Although there is satisfactory progress since the last inspection, standards reached by seven year old pupils are below those expected nationally for their age. Several factors account for this. By the time they are seven, pupils have skills similar to those at the last inspection, but the national level of attainment for seven year olds has risen.
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
160. Throughout the school, standards of attainment are not consistently high enough. This is because some pupils with different learning needs receiving unchallenging work. Pupils are taught a satisfactory range of computer skills, but there are too few planned opportunities to reinforce and consolidate their knowledge, understanding and computer skills as they learn in other subjects. As they grow older there are too few opportunities for pupils to work independently with computers to improve their learning.
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
161. Nearly half the pupils aged seven ‘log on’ by switching on the computer and then entering their class and personal passwords. Pupils satisfactorily choose and use a chosen computer file and they save their completed work well. Almost all the pupils use the mouse well to select and move items around the screen. Year 1 pupils were seen practising these skills during the inspection. Work seen shows seven year old pupils in Year 2 add features to a map to match a written description accurately.
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
162. Throughout the school, pupils with different levels of attainment make satisfactory progress when learning to use word processing skills. By the time they are seven, they have satisfactory keyboard skills and they print their work carefully. They have satisfactory knowledge about what computers are able to do, for example turn information received into simple graphs. Too few opportunities are provided for the pupils to use ICT equipment themselves in order to learn what they are capable of and so increase their learning. For example, teachers plan well to teach pupils angles and directions through the use of floor robots, but when questioned few pupils remembered how to programme these machines. Seven year olds’ skills in changing the style, colour and size of print are unsatisfactory. As they grow older, pupils have too few opportunities to improve their work on the screen before printing off their best
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
work. Opportunities for the pupils to improve their research skills using computers, including CD-ROMS, by the time they are seven are unsatisfactory because pupils do not use the machines independently enough. Too few opportunities are provided for pupils to improve the presentation of their work by using different ways of adding pictures created by the computer.
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
163. The knowledgeable co-ordinator has secure plans, agreed by senior colleagues, to improve standards of attainment of seven year olds. Insufficient use was made of the school’s computers during the inspection for pupils to improve their ICT skills whilst learning in other subjects. This was because teachers had completed the nationally recommended training for ICT only a few weeks before the inspection and the school’s network is new. The school knows what needs to be done to improve attainment of seven year olds, by making better use of new equipment and systems. It has not had time to use new skills and knowledge to raise standards by the time of the inspection. However, teachers make very good use of the school’s digital camera to record pupils’ work and to improve learning in other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 1 use digital photographs of themselves alongside mirrors to draw self-portraits.
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MUSIC
164. By the time pupils are seven, they reach standards expected of them nationally. Pupils’ achievements and progress in musical knowledge, skills and understanding are satisfactory throughout the school, and these have been well maintained since Roe Green Infant School - 51 April 2001 the last inspection. There is no difference between the attainment and achievements of boys and girls and between pupils from different ethnic backgrounds. Pupils learning with English as an additional language achieve as well as pupils of the same age. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. Pupils from asylum seeking and refugee families achieve as well as other pupils of the same age. Pupils who enter the school other than at the usual time in Year 1, and those who are in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language, achieve very well by the time they are seven.
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MUSIC
165. Good teaching results in standards of attainment in singing being above the national level of attainment expected for seven year olds, which is a satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. Throughout the school, pupils sing clearly and in tune. By the time they are seven, they sing a range of familiar and traditional songs well, such as the Hokey Cokey and The Grand Old Duke of York, and songs from other cultures, such as the Maori Greeting Song. They sing confidently from memory, keeping time well whilst skilfully changing pitch and tempo. They perform with an awareness of others, and sing songs in rounds, for example, ‘I like the flowers’. About a third of seven year olds sing simple rhythmic parts well to form a harmony. Pupils compose short rhythms and sound patterns, using untuned percussion instruments, and they are good at performing simple accompaniments. Almost all the pupils recognise changes in sound and they copy loud, quiet and high sounds
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MUSIC
accurately. They remember and repeat rhythmic patterns well. Pupils talk about, and perform with enthusiasm, music from different cultures for special occasions and celebrations. Whilst there are too few opportunities for pupils to improve their composing skills and create their own music, good planning is in place to improve these skills.
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MUSIC
166. Teachers' good subject knowledge contributes to the pupils' good standards in singing, use of percussion and skills of listening and responding to sounds. Good planning identifies learning objectives for each lesson, and these are shared with pupils so that they know what they have to learn. Pupils learning and behaviour is well managed, enabling most lessons to be conducted at a challenging pace to which pupils respond cheerfully whilst sustaining their interest well. Satisfactory learning resources are used well to help pupils learn within well planned activities that inspire pupils, for example when they participate in sound games. Probing questions teach pupils with different levels of attainment how to create different effects through sounds well, and to analyse how sounds are changed. For example, in a Year 1 lesson pupils learnt how to vary the sound made with a drum because of the teacher's clear explanations and probing questions. The use of assessment
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MUSIC
information does not consistently match work to the different learning needs of pupils and so, at times, work is not challenging enough for pupils of higher attainment. Pupils are also provided with too few opportunities to work with other pupils on their own compositions and to reflect upon their work in order to decide how they can improve.
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MUSIC
167. The knowledgeable co-ordinator is committed to raising standards of attainment further and advises and supports colleagues well in order to achieve this. Good evaluation of teaching, learning and the curriculum has identified areas of improvement and plans are in place to improve pupils composing skills and teachers use of assessment when planning. Good use is made of a multi-cultural collection of music cassettes and compact disks for pupils to learn about music from around the world. Roe Green Infant School - 52 April 2001
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
168. By the age of seven, most pupils reach the national level of attainment expected for their age and about a third of them exceed national expectations. Almost all pupils achieve well by the time they are seven. Standards have been satisfactorily maintained since the last inspection. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is very good because of the high quality support they receive. Pupils who need additional support to learn with English as an additional language, and those from asylum seeking and refugee families, achieve well by the time they are seven. Pupils who enter the school other than at the usual time in Year 1 achieve very well by the time they are seven.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
169. From the age of five to seven, pupils make good progress when learning to throw and catch balls of different sizes. By the time they are seven, they are good at throwing and catching balls as well as receiving and controlling them with their feet before sending them accurately to a partner. By the time they are seven, over half the pupils exceed standards expected nationally for their age in dance lessons because they are taught well how to make up well co-ordinated movements of their own. However, a few boys are still unable to use a rope to skip.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
170. Pupils enjoy their lessons and participate enthusiastically. They behave well because teachers manage their learning well. Teachers are good at planning activities that match and challenge the different learning needs of the pupils. This was seen in a Year 2 dance lesson, when pupils persevered with challenging work, happily sustaining their concentration as they strove to improve. Pupils' positive attitudes contribute significantly to their good learning.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
171. Teaching is never unsatisfactory. Half the teaching is very good and the rest is satisfactory. All pupils wear clothes designed for physical education lessons, but not all staff change for these lessons. Well established routines contribute to pupils knowing what they have to learn and observing health and safety rules well. These rules include warming up and cooling down their bodies before and after lessons, and pupils understand the reasons why they do this. Learning support assistants are used well to include pupils with special educational needs, and those in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language, in all learning activities and this ensures that these pupils make at least good progress. When the teaching is very good, pupils understand their clear learning objectives. Assessment information is often gathered and used well to plan interesting and challenging work. In a Year 2
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
lesson, as the pupils danced, the teacher assessed the quality of their movements and made relevant teaching points to improve their performances. She used pupils and herself well to demonstrate how to improve the pupils' performances with good effect on their learning. In this lesson, pupil management and relationships were of a high standard, ensuring that pupils were actively involved in their learning throughout the lesson so that achievements were high. Where the teaching is satisfactory, there are numerous similar strengths to those seen in the very good teaching, but at times the mismatch of some activities to the pupils’ prior attainment led to four or five pupils not being challenged enough.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
172. A new scheme of work has been in place since September 2000 and will be evaluated next term. The good practice in the use of assessment information to plan has yet to spread throughout the school. Teacher assessments are not yet recorded formally. The co-ordinator is new to the role and subject management has not yet been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching, learning and the curriculum. Good resources are used well to help pupils learn. Roe Green Infant School - 53 April 2001
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
173. By the time they are seven, the level of attainment for almost all pupils exceed those expected for their age as set out in the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. This is a satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. Throughout the school, pupils who learn with English as an additional language, those with special educational needs and pupils from asylum and refugee seeking families make the same good progress, and achieve as well, as other pupils of the same age. Pupils who entered the school other than at the usual time in Year 1, and those who are in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language, achieve very well by the time they are seven. There are no significant differences in attainment, progress and achievements between boys and girls and between pupils from different ethnic backgrounds.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
174. The school meets fully the terms of the special permission from the local education authority and the Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education to teach this subject without a predominantly Christian focus. Nevertheless, planning for the year and then for each term identifies the main Christian festivals, the celebrations and the special times for Christians throughout the year and the significance of religious symbols and artefacts that are important to followers of this faith.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
175. A hundred per cent of teaching is satisfactory or better, of which 25 per cent is satisfactory and 75 per cent is very good. Religious education is taught during assembly time for each year group, with time set aside for reflection about a higher being incorporated into pupils’ learning about their own faiths and those different to their own. Teaching demonstrates very good subject knowledge in the ways it values and respects the beliefs of these pupils and their families. This means that the school achieves a school aim very well, which is for pupils to value and understand beliefs and traditions different to their own. It also provides very good support for the school policy of inclusion of all who work and learn here and contributes greatly to good race relations.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
176. Very good subject knowledge, lesson preparation and the behaviour management of pupils enables teaching to be conducted at a brisk pace to which pupils with different learning needs respond with cheerful interest most of the time. At the beginning of each lesson, teaching is very good at making sure pupils with different learning needs know what they have to learn. Despite the large number of pupils taught at one time, the probing questioning of individuals and groups of pupils, and opportunities for them to contribute to the achievements of others by demonstrating their learning, means pupils are constantly involved in their learning. However, despite the very good use of artefacts and other resources, and the variety of very good teaching methods used, after about 30 minutes of sitting about a dozen pupils sometimes begin to fidget and whisper to each other as the lesson draws to a close.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
177. The high quality of teaching contributes to the pupils’ great interest in the subject and it makes very good use of the importance of faith in the lives of very many of the pupils and their families. Teaching has high expectations about what pupils with different learning needs are able to achieve, and throughout the lessons almost all pupils listen intently all the time, their brows furrowed in concentration. On numerous occasions, the hall is alive with a forest of hands swaying in the air, so eager are the pupils to respond to questions. As the result of all this good practice, pupils achieve well by the time they are seven. Pupils from different faiths know who the Buddha is, and higher attainers know that Buddhism is centred on the teachings of Siddharta Gautama, who came to be known as the Buddha. They know that a Sikh believes in the ten Gurus and they have satisfactory knowledge of Guru Granth Sahib. During
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
the week of inspection, pupils with different levels of attainment made very good Roe Green Infant School - 54 April 2001 progress learning about Hinduism and the followers of Shiva, and well over two thirds of them know that Shiva is a Hindu God whose name means ‘kindly’. This lesson linked very well to the assembly theme of the week about caring for others. The need to understand and respect religious symbols and artefacts is reinforced well in lessons and assemblies. Pupils demonstrated their good knowledge when they eagerly explained the importance of the Bible for Christians and the Qu’ran for the followers of Islam. They know the story of Christmas well and they have good knowledge about the eight day Jewish festival of light of Hanukkah, as well as the festival of light called Divali celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
178. Almost all seven year old pupils exceed standards of attainment expected of them because they not only have very good knowledge of different faiths but they also demonstrate, through the homework they do and in response to questions, what it means to belong to a faith community. They make good progress, and achieve very well, in recognising that many different religions share similar beliefs. This was demonstrated clearly during assemblies about ‘caring’ and ‘belonging’. As a result, the pupils are not only learning about religions but also learning from them. It is this important feature of the pupils’ learning that contributes powerfully to the harmonious relationships in the school and its very good learning atmosphere.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
179. The subject is very well managed by the headteacher who does about half of the teaching. Resources are used very well to help pupils learn. Planning is meticulous and based on evaluations of pupils’ responses and the work they do, so that individual and group learning needs are met with challenge. Teaching such large groups provides well taken opportunities to extend speaking and listening skills, and satisfactory use is made of homework to reinforce literacy skills, but there are too few opportunities provided to reinforce numeracy skills.
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