Dersingham Primary School

DERSINGHAM INFANTS SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 28 th February to 2 nd March 2000

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DERSINGHAM INFANTS SCHOOL

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

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DERSINGHAM INFANTS SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Lawrence Avenue Manor Park LONDON Postcode: E12 5QP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr. A.J. Twyman

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 10 th to 13 th June 1996 Dersingham Infants School - 4

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Geoff Jones Registered inspector Mathematics Under fives Music How high are standards? How well are the pupils taught? Christine Haggarty Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. Ian Lloyd Team inspector English History Geography English as an additional language Equal opportunities Diane Conway Team inspector Art Physical Education Religious Education How well is the school led and managed?

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mike Wehemeyer Team inspector Science Information Technology Design and Technology How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Special Educational Needs. Assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Schoolhaus Limited Riverbank Station Road Old Ollerton Nottinghamshire NG22 9BN

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 - 10

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11 - 14

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is a larger than average infants school, having doubled its size during the last ten years. There are three classes in each of the year groups with one class comprising both Year 1 and Year 2 pupils. The school’s previous very old building was replaced in 1998 and the process involved extensive demolition and re-building. The school has a very large proportion of pupils, approximately 85 per cent, for whom English is an additional language. Almost 40 per cent of the pupils leave the school within two years. When pupils are admitted to one of the Reception classes, their levels of attainment are usually well below the national average. The school population is made up of pupils from diverse ethnic origins with the largest groups being Bangladeshi or black African children. In addition to ten class teachers, the school has 1.4 full-time equivalent teachers who support pupils with learning English. Many pupils who are admitted to the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

have severe problems, some arising from being refugees, and most cannot speak English. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is 52 per cent and 37 per cent of the school roll is represented on the register of special educational needs. Both of these proportions are very high compared with national averages. Five pupils have statements of special educational need.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Although the pupils’ standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science are below national expectations they make good progress in their learning. Pupils’ levels of attainment improve from being well below national average when they are admitted to the school to just below average by the time they leave at seven years of age. The pupils’ attitudes are very positive and they show respect for the feelings, values and beliefs of others. Most behave very sensibly and relate to others well. The pupils’ independence is developed strongly in the Reception classes but this is not continued during Key Stage 1. The quality of teaching within the school is good overall. The leadership and management provided by the head teacher and the deputy head teacher are good and they provide a clear sense of direction for the work of the school. The school has improved its pupils’ standards since the last inspection in reading, writing and mathematics. Levels of

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

attainment in information technology now meet national expectations and pupils’ knowledge and understanding in religious education have improved to an extent where they now meet the requirements of the locally Agreed Syllabus. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The very good use of support staff and learning resources to enhance pupils’ learning; • The pupils’ highly enthusiastic attitudes to leaning fostered by the school; • The good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; • The profitable way it has enhanced pupils’ personal development and relationships; • The very good efforts made to serve the needs of pupils from diverse cultural backgrounds; • The highly successful way it has fostered links with the community for mutual benefit; • The head teacher’s rigorous procedures for improving the pupils’ attendance; • The successful way it has promoted pupils’ good behaviour and eliminated oppression; • The good leadership and clear sense of direction provided by the head teacher and deputy; • The hard work and effective teamwork of the staff and a shared commitment to improvement; • The very good provision for supporting newly qualified teachers.

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What could be improved

• The standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science which are below national expectations; • The insufficient analysis of the relative attainments of boys and girls; • The use of assessment information to improve the curriculum; • The school’s financial planning;

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What could be improved

The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Dersingham Infants School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The latest results in the annual national assessment tests in reading, writing and mathematics have improved greatly when compared with the results of tests taken in the same year as the last inspection. The pupils’ progress is now good overall throughout the school. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when the satisfactory progress made by children in the Reception classes was not maintained throughout Key Stage 1. Levels of attainment in information technology and religious education have also improved from being below average to in line with national expectations. The previously poor accommodation has now been improved by brand new and extensive additions to the buildings. Schemes of work have been drawn up which include all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. More opportunities for pupils to carry out investigations are now offered to pupils and this has helped their progress in science and

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

mathematics. Standards of behaviour have been enhanced from good to very good and the provision for the pupils’ spiritual and cultural development has also improved since the previous inspection. The quality of teaching has risen from satisfactory to good overall. Punctuality and the attendance rate have also improved since 1996 when it was affecting standards of achievement adversely but remains below national average. Assessment procedures that help teachers plan the next step in pupils’ learning were not rigorously applied during the last inspection. These have improved and are now satisfactory. However, a systematic analysis of assessment information and data is still not used regularly to identify areas of the curriculum for development. Provision for the physical development of the under fives has improved through the introduction of tricycles, scooters and small climbing apparatus. A stronger partnership with parents has been

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

developed and this has benefited the pupils’ progress.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 7 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

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

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Key

The school’s latest results in the annual national assessment tests show that levels of attainment are below national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. This reflects the findings of the current inspection. When the school’s results are compared with similar schools the pupils’ standards in writing and mathematics are above average. Considering the very high percentage of the pupils attending the school for whom English is an additional language the results are good. Standards in English, mathematics and science have improved over the past four years. The school is successful in meeting its National Curriculum targets for literacy and numeracy. Pupils’ standards in science are also below average and this is substantiated by teachers’ assessment of the pupils’ attainments during the previous year. Pupils’ levels of attainments in information technology meet national expectations and standards in religious education meet the

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Key

expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Dersingham Infants School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils enjoy coming to school.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Nearly all pupils behave well during lessons. They show self-discipline by lining up quietly for lunch.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal relationships with others are very good. Reception class pupils develop independence. Pupils respect the views and beliefs of others.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Although this has improved, attendance is unsatisfactory and is below national average.

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Aspect Comment

The pupils’ good behaviour and attitudes towards their work has a positive impact on their progress in learning. The pupils’ attendance rate has improved since the last inspection resulting from much hard work from the head teacher but the level remains below the national average.

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

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

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

The strengths in teaching lie mainly in Year 2. The very good lessons result from high expectations of the pupils, very good management of the pupils’ behaviour and an infectious enthusiasm. Where there are weaknesses these are centred around insufficient attention to ensuring that all pupils are listening to what is being said. Numeracy and literacy skills are taught well. Pupils’ reading, writing and number work have improved since the time of the previous inspection and this is due to better quality teaching. Teachers plan lessons to meet the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs, higher attaining pupils and those with English as an additional language. Eight per cent of the lessons were very good or better and 48 per cent were good. Three per cent of the lessons seen during the inspection were unsatisfactory. This is a great improvement over the last inspection where twenty per cent of the lessons were judged to be

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

unsatisfactory. Dersingham Infants School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality and range of learning opportunities are sound. All National Curriculum subjects and religious education are covered.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Learning assistants provide good support and the pupils’ individual educational plans are carefully constructed and implemented but are not monitored often enough.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Pupils are supported very well in classrooms and the rapid development of their speaking, reading and writing in English has a positive effect on their learning in all subjects of the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Pupils’ personal development is good. Their self-esteem is raised but opportunities for initiative and responsibility occur less often in Key Stage 1 than in the Reception classes. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils welfare are good. Pupils’ good behaviour is promoted very well and procedures for eliminating oppressive behaviour are very good. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are sound but the use of assessment information to develop the curriculum is unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s partnership with its parents is good. The annual written reports provide good information and information evenings are held to provide help and advice for parents. Complaints and concerns are dealt with sympathetically and parents think highly of the school. The school uses the community well to enrich the curriculum of the school. It uses a wide range of organisations, including the church, police and fire brigade as well as its good relationships with local schools to benefit the pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The head teacher and deputy work closely together and provide a clear direction for the work of the school. The senior management team meet regularly to discuss the running of the school and subject co- ordinators manage the development of their subject well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The Governing Body is very supportive of the school. The Governing Body's annual reports are informative although there are some omissions which are legally required. The composition of the Governing Body does not assist critical analysis of the school, since a significant number are employed within the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school evaluates this satisfactorily. It keeps track of its overall performance regularly by comparing results with previous years and with similar schools. It strives continually to improve year-on-year.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school’s budget is used wisely but the amount not spent is too large. Resources for learning are used well and enable the pupils to make good progress. Dersingham Infants School - 10 The teachers have sufficient expertise to cover the National Curriculum satisfactorily. The number of teachers and learning assistants is very good and enables all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language to make good progress. The accommodation of the school is good and provides spacious areas for group, whole class and whole school teaching. However, objective consideration of value for money and impact on learning are not fully developed. Systems for financial management are unobtrusive and the inspection team is confident that the needs of the pupils are met.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school • The teaching is good • Children make good progress • The school expects children to work hard • Children are helped to become responsible and mature • The way the school works with parents • The range of activities provided outside of lessons • The information they receive about how their children are getting on

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with all of the parents’ positive comments about the school and also their view on extra-curricular activities. The inspectors disagree with the parents’ views on the way the school works with parents. Many parents feel their views are listened to and are invited into school to see the literacy hour in progress. Initial assessments of children’s attainments when they are admitted to the school are discussed with parents. The inspectors judge that the quality of information supplied to parents on pupils’ progress is satisfactory. Nevertheless, the team partly agrees with the parents’ view because pupils’ annual reports identify strengths but not always weaknesses and they do not have targets for improvement. Dersingham Infants School - 11

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

1. When children are first admitted to the school initial assessments carried out by the teachers show that their attainment is well below the average level expected for their age. They make good progress in the Reception class because of effective teaching. When they are five approximately half of the children are ready to move on to the National Curriculum. By this time they have made very good progress in their personal and social development and their development is good in language and literacy, mathematics, creativity, and knowledge and understanding of the world. The children’s physical development is sound. The Reception class teacher and learning support assistants work closely together in planning lessons and assessing pupils’ achievements and this ensures that the children make good progress in most areas.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

2. The school’s results in the annual national tests in 1999 at the end of Key Stage 1 show that the pupils’ reading, writing and mathematics standards were all well below the national average. The percentages of pupils achieving higher levels than expected for their age group were close to the average in writing and below average in reading and mathematics. Teacher assessments of the levels of attainment in science were well below the national average but the percentage of pupils achieving higher levels was close to the average. When these results are compared with similar schools, Dersingham Infant School’s results are above average in writing and mathematics and below average in reading. Over the past four years the school’s results have improved consistently in reading. Although the results have fluctuated slightly in writing and mathematics there has been an overall improvement in both. An analysis of the

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

test results over this period shows that the boys’ performances have consistently been worse than the girls’ in each of these main areas of the curriculum. This is also evident during the lessons involving these subjects.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

3. The findings of the inspection show that at the end of the Key Stage, pupils’ standards in speaking, listening, reading, writing, mathematics and science are below national expectations. This is an improvement since the previous report when pupils’ results in the annual national tests in reading, writing and mathematics were very low in comparison with the national average. The school has worked hard at providing good quality support for the very high percentage of pupils for whom English is an additional language and for the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

4. At the end of the key stage pupils’ listening and speaking skills are below national expectations overall. Many pupils speak in short sentences containing grammatical errors. Although pupils’ reading and writing standards have improved since the last inspection, they are still below national expectations. A greater emphasis on teaching phonics has enhanced pupils’ reading skills and teachers also support reading progress by including discussions on words in other subjects of the curriculum. Year 2 pupils attempt to write short stories with a definite structure and most know when to use full stops and capital letters to punctuate sentences. Conversely, many pupils are still struggling with letter formation. Their spelling is often inaccurate although the increased concentration on phonic skills is having a positive effect and incorrect spellings are less common. Pupils’ standards in literacy are below national

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

5. When pupils are seven, most recall addition and subtraction facts to ten and many understand the place value of digits in numbers up to 100. Pupils calculate halves of quantities by sharing an even number of cubes into two equal groups. They know the difference between odd and even numbers and measure the lengths of lines accurately in centimetres. Pupils’ standards in numeracy are below average. They recognise reflective symmetry and gather information to produce tally charts and use the data to draw block graphs. Pupils’ standards of science have improved since the last inspection. This has resulted from a greater emphasis on an experimental and investigative approach in Key Stage 1 classes and the provision of a much firmer foundation to science work in the early years.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

6. The introduction of the literacy hour each day has had a positive effect on reading standards. A stronger emphasis on the pupils’ acquisition of phonic skills and spelling patterns has had a good impact on their reading skills and on their ability to spell correctly. The focus on phonic work starts right from the Dersingham Infants School - 12 Reception classes where children are introduced to individual letters and the sounds they symbolise. However, pupils do not find the use of phonic skills easy and they are still likely to make an incorrect guess at words using the context of the writing. Pupils nevertheless show clearly that they are aware that the text should make sense. The introduction of the numeracy strategy has also had a marked and positive impact on standards in mathematics. The inclusion of mental arithmetic in lessons has improved the pupils’ understanding and recall of number facts. Standards in science are below national

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

expectations. Pupils are good at exploring and observing materials but are not as good at making predictions of the outcomes of their investigations nor recording their observations accurately.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

7. Pupils’ levels of attainment in information technology have risen and now meet national expectations at the end of Year 2. Pupils use basic editing skills during word processing activities and these are also helping them to understand where capital letters and full stops are needed in sentences. Pupils use information technology to compliment and support other subjects, such as English, mathematics and art. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding in religious education meets the requirements of the locally Agreed Syllabus. Pupils have a good awareness of a range of religious beliefs and respect these in other people.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

8. Pupils’ levels of attainment in art, design and technology, geography, physical education and music are all in line with pupils’ of a similar age. Pupils also make sound progress in each of these subjects. Owing to the arrangement of the school timetable it was not possible to observe a sufficient number of lessons in history to make a judgement on the pupils’ levels of attainment.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

9. A large proportion of the pupils speak English as an additional language and many enter the Reception class speaking no English. Bearing in mind the pupils’ under-developed initial skills in speaking English, they make good progress which results from the hard work and effective support provided by teachers and learning assistants employed by the school for this purpose. The progress of these pupils is often rapid and this enables them to reach levels of attainment which are appropriate. The girls show higher levels of attainment than the boys in mathematics and literacy. This is evident in the high percentage of boys in the lower attaining sets in mathematics and in the results in the annual national tests. The school does not monitor or analyse this sufficiently to enable it to find out how to make the curriculum more interesting for boys. Pupils who have special educational needs are well supported by

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

teachers and learning assistants and make good progress towards the literacy targets in their individual education plans. Higher attaining pupils make good progress in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Teachers plan work that meets their needs and they are challenged and extended in their learning.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

10. Children are admitted to the school in the Reception classes with levels of attainment that are judged to be well below the national average overall. Teachers in the early years section of the school plan work that is very relevant to all the children’s needs and this is continued in Years 1 and 2. By the time the pupils leave the school at the age of seven, they have improved their knowledge, skills and understanding to an overall level which is much closer to the national average. The level is still judged to be below national expectations but represents good progress in pupils’ learning. This is corroborated by comparing the school’s results with those of similar schools as cited above.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

11. Pupils are given many opportunities to speak during whole class discussions and are encouraged and praised very frequently for their efforts. There is a good emphasis on the teaching of phonics and this has had a positive impact on the pupils’ progress in reading and spelling. Progress has improved since the last inspection and progress in these two areas is now good. Their writing has been developed effectively through a range of opportunities to write more lengthy items. Pupils’ progress in mathematics and science has also improved since the last inspection and is now good. The progress of the higher attaining pupils was judged to be unsatisfactory at the time of the last inspection because the work planned for them was insufficiently challenging to meet their needs. The school’s present arrangements whereby pupils are grouped according to their levels of attainment for mathematics lessons has been beneficial in raising standards and improving pupils’ progress. The school is on course

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

to reach its targets for literacy and numeracy this year. Dersingham Infants School - 13

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils are very keen to come to school. They join in classroom activities with enthusiasm and pleasure. They play well together before school begins and during breaks. All parents who responded to the questionnaire report that their children like school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils including those with special educational needs and with English as an additional language have very good attitudes towards learning. Pupils learn well through being fully involved. For example, during a mathematics lesson when pupils were working on number bonds to ten, the immediate excitement about getting the correct answer was very motivating for them and this heightened their interest. In lessons where teaching is good and the activities are appropriately matched to pupils needs, the pupils are enthusiastic and concentrate for appropriate lengths of time on their activities. This has a positive effect on their attainment and progress. Pupils are keen to ask and answer questions and this is encouraged by members of staff who acknowledge pupils’ responses very sensitively. This has a positive effect on pupils’ learning and on their self-esteem. Pupils work together co-operatively and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

concentrate well when working in small focus groups, particularly when using the computer. They wait for their turn patiently when not under direct teacher supervision. However when the whole class session is too long, it is difficult for pupils to retain concentration and they become restless and call out. This does little to promote the pupils’ progress and this becomes unsatisfactory for this small group. Pupils respond well to encouragement from teachers and support staff. They also react positively to the class reward system for good work and good behaviour. Parents support the school wholeheartedly through the home school agreement and by helping with homework.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The behaviour of pupils is good overall. This has a positive effect on their learning and on the standards they achieve. Behaviour in the classroom is generally good. Pupils are fully involved when working in small groups and work sensibly in pairs. They work conscientiously and make good progress in understanding new ideas. Members of staff have very high expectations of behaviour and the rewards and sanctions policy is implemented consistently across the school. Pupils respond well to this. However, on a very few occasions when teachers do not match the activities closely to pupils’ needs then behaviour deteriorates. Pupils contribute to class rules at the beginning of the academic year and this makes them more personally involved. They show good self-discipline by lining up quietly and walking to the hall for physical education or lunch. Pupils respect the grounds, the buildings and the furniture, which show no sign of graffiti or vandalism. They are polite, inquisitive, friendly and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

welcoming to visitors. The school operates as an orderly community. Behaviour at lunchtimes in the dining hall and during break times is very good. There is no recent history of exclusions and parents are happy with the behaviour of the pupils. Where there are concerns about a pupil’s behaviour the school involves parents at an early stage. The parties involved work together closely to bring about improvements in behaviour and attitudes to school. Any isolated incidents of unacceptable behaviour are dealt with immediately and parents are involved very quickly.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Overall pupils’ personal development and relationships with others are very good. Relationships between pupils and between adults and pupils are very good. Pupils are involved in the daily routines of the class. For example, Year 2 pupils put chairs on the table at the end of the day. Pupils who are group leaders help to organise discussions and assist in keeping pupils on task. In Year 1 pupils can nominate another pupil for recognition for being kind or helpful. This has a positive effect on pupils’ personal development. Pupils in the Reception classes are given opportunities to develop independence. They choose their activities for the day and record their choices on a card. This helps them to gain in maturity and confidence. Pupils form very good relationships with each other. During breaks and at lunch there is a very good mix of pupils of different race and gender sitting and playing together. All members of

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

staff act as good role models. They speak to pupils respectfully and pupils respond to this and try to do their best for their teacher. Pupils respect the views of others even if they differ from their own. The school works hard at ensuring pupils have a mutual respect for each other’s religions by planning relevant lessons carefully. For example during a religious education lesson a story from the Bible about a miracle was read in a way to make it accessible to pupils with different religious beliefs, ensuring that social and personal development are continuously enhanced. This helps pupils show respect for religious views different from their own. Dersingham Infants School - 14 16. The school has worked successfully to bring about improvements in rates of attendance since the last inspection and have improved this overall by four percent. However, the attendance figure is still below the national average, although it is in line with other schools in the area. The effect on the attainment and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

progress of those pupils who attend the school regularly has been very positive. The school has worked hard on reducing the number of weeks schooling which is lost as a result of extended holidays in term time. The very high unauthorised absence figure is due mainly to parents not providing reasons for their child’s absence from school. There is some parent-condoned absence of which the school is aware and it is taking the appropriate action.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. There are few incidents of minor lateness, which are recorded in the school late book. Registration is taken quickly and efficiently. Pupils enjoy coming to school and lessons generally begin and end on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The quality of teaching is good overall throughout the school. Eight per cent of the lessons were very good or better and all of these occurred in Year 2. Only three per cent of the lessons seen during the inspection were unsatisfactory and 48 per cent were good. This is a great improvement over the last inspection, where twenty per cent of the lessons were judged to be unsatisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Lessons for children who are under five are planned effectively and include a wide variety of activities. The teachers expect children’s work and behaviour to be good and encourage them to plan their own activities under the guidance of an adult. Literacy and numeracy lessons are provided daily for groups of children where there is good quality direct teaching of phonic work and familiarity with counting and the number system. The learning support assistants are used very well and, together with the teachers, they work very effectively as a team. They meet together before the school day begins and discuss the activities and the objectives planned for the children. The Reception class teachers have a very good knowledge of how young children learn and children’s confidence and independence are promoted strongly. The class is highly organised by the class teachers, and the room provides an attractive and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

stimulating learning environment. Children are given a very good start to their schooling, are very well managed by the teachers and have a firm foundation on which to build their National Curriculum work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Literacy and numeracy lessons in Key Stage 1 have been implemented according to prescribed guidelines and have enhanced pupils’ learning. Of particular note is the good impact on progress made by regular mental mathematics sessions that improve the pupils' quick recall of number facts. The quality of teaching in English is good and contributes strongly towards the pupils’ good progress in writing. Mathematics lessons are also good quality and pupils’ understanding of the place value of numbers have developed strongly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Examples of very good teaching in the school have two factors in common. Firstly, the teacher has an infectious enthusiasm that motivated the pupils to learn and do well in the lesson. This is linked with very good management of the pupils’ behaviour both of which result in enhanced progress for the pupils. For example, pupils respond immediately when the class teacher gives them instructions during a very good dance lesson and this enables a brisk pace throughout the lesson. Because of this the short lesson covers more useful activities than would have been possible otherwise and empowers positive progress. The pupils learn quickly the movements of a South American dance and respond very energetically. Secondly, teachers have high expectations of what the pupils are able to do. For example, in a high quality religious education lesson the teacher expected the pupils to value the customs and faiths of others and respond to a wide range of abstract ideas. The pupils did not disappoint the teacher

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and responded both positively and intelligently. This has a very positive impact on the pupils’ progress. In addition, when pupils were asked to reflect whilst listening to music they responded in a very positive way by reflecting calmly for several minutes creating an oasis of stillness at the end of a very busy day. Another example of the teacher’s high expectations occurred in a mathematics lesson when pupils began to learn about multiplying comparatively large numbers through the use of real items. Pupils produced tally charts of the number of toes in the whole group of pupils sitting at a table, followed by the total number of toes in two groups of pupils. Pupils were able to count in fives to calculate the answers and, whilst carrying out the exercise, learned the pattern within the five times Dersingham Infants School - 15 table resulting in a good understanding of the relationships between numbers. Such experiences enable

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Where the teaching was good or satisfactory lesson planning is very clear with lessons having a distinct focus. The objective of the lesson is sometimes shared with the pupils so that they are aware of what they should be aiming at by the end of the lesson. All teachers have good relationships with pupils but in some lessons this has a far greater impact than in others. Where there are weaknesses these are centred around the class teacher not paying sufficient attention to ensuring that all pupils are listening to what is being said. Some talk between themselves and others behave in an unacceptable manner. This results in pupils missing important aspects of the lesson. Resources are used effectively to enable pupils to understand new ideas, particularly in mathematics where pupils use, for example, empty egg boxes, plastic cubes and number lines to help them understand number bonds and how to use their knowledge

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The teaching has improved greatly since the previous inspection. The unsatisfactory teaching at that time was partly the result of the teachers’ insufficient subject knowledge in information technology and aspects of mathematics, art, religious education and physical education. This has now been overcome and the teachers’ expertise in these areas have improved. The use of time was also cited as unsatisfactory during lessons in the previous inspection. At that time many introductions to lessons were too lengthy resulting in restlessness among the pupils. Again, this is no longer a fault with many lessons now having a very brisk pace.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

24. The school offers a good range of learning opportunities for children who are under five and a sound range for pupils in Key Stage 1. It is particularly good at taking account of the needs of pupils with English as an additional language and for those with special educational needs. Since the last inspection the school has raised its awareness of curriculum issues and by determined development planning has remedied all the shortcomings identified previously. Provision for pupils in their early years is good. All subjects now have schemes of work which ensure that they meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and of the locally Agreed Syllabus of religious education. Overall the breadth, balance and relevance of the whole curriculum is satisfactory. The effective introduction of the literacy hour has promoted consistent teaching and eliminated weaknesses, with the exception of relatively weaker

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

arrangements for improving the standards of reading. Similarly the effective adoption of the numeracy strategy has removed shortcomings from the programmes of study for mathematics. Provision for information technology now appropriately covers the required strands.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

25. The school makes good provision for learning opportunities for pupils with special educational needs. All pupils on the register of special needs have individual education plans which contain appropriate targets for language and mathematics development, although these are not always as detailed as they could be. The targets for behaviour improvement are particularly good, with clear and precise programmes for action for pupils to work on. These have improved since the previous inspection in that the quality of the education plans is more consistent, and the pupils’ targets are more clearly defined. The targets contained in the five pupils’ statements of special educational need are met appropriately.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

26. The school has planned a good programme for personal and social education. Many opportunities are provided for personal development and for education in health matters and a suitable level of awareness of drugs misuse. In keeping with the school’s policy, sex education is undertaken only on an informal basis.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

27. Teachers use the school’s schemes of work effectively to guide the day to day planning of the curriculum. They are particularly adept at building links between subjects. Often this creates a strong pattern of relevance with one subject reinforcing another. For instance, information technology becomes the vehicle for strengthening pupils’ learning in art, but develops their computer capability skills at the same time. However not all of this kind of planning is as effective. Where several cross- curricular links are forged, the objectives for some become obscured. Although the subjects are now Dersingham Infants School - 16 well managed by co-ordinators, no-one has overall responsibility for the curriculum as a whole, to monitor and evaluate this aspect. This slows pupils’ progress in learning when this occurs.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

28. The school succeeds in ensuring equality of access to the curriculum. This may take the form of planning to ensure that pupils with special educational needs going to their groups outside the classroom do not repeatedly miss important lesson introductions. Or it may lie in the planning of work suitable for particular ability groups. The senior management team analyse the information from the standard tests. They do not look sufficiently rigorously at the differences in results of boys and girls to identify particularly what steps are needed to improve the performance of boys.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

29. The school is very good at enriching the curriculum by drawing in the potential of the local communities. Links with local organisations of many kinds enhance pupils’ contact with the world outside school. Visitors from the local churches, mosque, gurdwara and temple bring a living dimension to religious education. The fire brigade, community policeman and a visually impaired lady with a guide dog introduce pupils to local events and services and widen their experience effectively. Similarly the school values and contributes to good relationships with neighbouring schools. These are constructive and work to the benefit of pupils, by easing the infants’ entry into junior education, and providing a good training ground for the next generation of educational staff.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

30. At the time of the previous inspection the school had not implemented a systematic approach to spiritual awareness, and opportunities for whole school reflection on experiences and beliefs were lacking. The provision for pupils' spiritual development now is good. Collective worship takes place five days a week in class and focussed recently on enhancing the pupils’ sense of 'awe and wonder'. These sessions provide good opportunities for silent reflection and empathy in a calm atmosphere. One class reflected sensibly on the affects of weather in some countries and the difficulties refugees faced. Other more immediate issues are also considered such as what we value in a friend. Teachers create effective moods using expressive reading of appropriate stories and evocative music. This time is an effective and quiet time for reflection in an otherwise busy day. On Fridays, there is a whole school

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

assembly, taken by the head teacher but it was not possible to observe this owing to the timing of the inspection.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

31. Festivals from different religions are celebrated as a school. Recent examples are the Chinese New Year, Diwali, Eid and Christmas. These involve drama, art, music and dressing up in traditional costumes. Parents help in class with preparatory activities and also attend the assemblies. Virtually all pupils participate and all show insight into the values and beliefs of others and also respect for these beliefs. Support assistants bring in items to serve as examples of their own faiths and cultures.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

32. Provision for pupils' moral development is also good. Pupils are involved in setting class rules and understand the need for them. These are displayed in each class and pupils who break the rules are clearly shown why their behaviour infringes the class rules. The ethos of the school and its behaviour policy encourage pupils to consider the implications of their own behaviour. The behaviour policy is mostly applied consistently and pupils are developing a good sense of the difference between right and wrong.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

33. Provision for pupils' social development is good. Pupils generally co-operate well with each other and there are some opportunities for them to take responsibility, for example by being a group leader, tidying away resources and some children taking messages to the office. Times when pupils sit in a circle to discuss issues are used effectively for developing social ground rules. Pupils learn to listen to others with respect and to take their turn. Good behaviour is recognised and explained so that all pupils may learn from good examples. The head teacher presents awards for good behaviour at the Friday assembly, including a good behaviour cup. The quality of relationships between staff and pupils is good. Members of staff greet pupils politely and pupils respond in a similar way. Very good relationships exist between pupils of all ethnic groups.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

34. Provision for pupils' cultural development is good. Cultures are celebrated throughout the school in festival assemblies, art, literature, music and geography. Pupils have studied Rangoli and Mehndi patterns and responded creatively with their own designs. Reception children have created a collection Dersingham Infants School - 17 of animals including a Chinese Dragon using brightly coloured tissue paper. Year 1 pupils have thought about toys from around the world. Drawings and writing are displayed, annotated to a world map. Year 2 pupils have considered the transport used around the world. This too is annotated on a world map. Photographs of people from many cultures involved in family activities can be seen throughout the school. In one class pupils greeted the teacher using their first language, and said their country of origin. The teacher respectfully repeated this and showed the pupils where their country of origin could be

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

found on a world map. Visitors are greeted at the entrance with welcome in the main languages of the area. The school invites parents in to share their knowledge and experiences with the pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare, health and safety are good. The recently appointed named person for child protection is booked to attend the appropriate training course in the next few weeks. There are good procedures in place for child protection which meet legal requirements and all members of staff are regularly updated on child protection awareness. Health and safety procedures are good. The caretaker is very conscientious and is a member of the governing body. He makes careful risk assessments of the school premises regularly. Legal requirements are met with fire regulations and electrical testing of appliances. Very good procedures are in place to attend to pupils’ medical conditions and all first aid incidents are dealt with appropriately. Pupils are well supervised at all times by a committed and caring staff. The school liaises regularly with outside agencies to ensure

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

appropriate support is available to pupils and parents are kept well informed of developments.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school’s procedures for promoting attendance are very good. It has introduced an appropriate promotion to reward one hundred percent attendance over the academic year. This has been very successful in improving attendance with six pupils achieving a certificate in 1998 and thirteen pupils achieving certificates in 1999. The school discourages parents from taking pupils on extended holidays during term time, and pupils are taken off role if they take a holiday during school time which is over too long a period. This means that parents must re-apply for their child’s place on return from holiday. The school arranges home visits if there are concerns about a child’s attendance and the head teacher monitors all pupils with attendance below eighty per cent on a weekly basis. However, the school does not contact parents on the first day of absence if they do not know the reason for a child’s non-attendance at school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

The school has now addressed this matter.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are very good. The school uses a range of strategies to promote good behaviour. These include a cup presented weekly to the class in Years 1 and 2 which has shown the best behaviour. A range of stickers, petals and stars are given to encourage good behaviour, effort and good work. This is very effective and pupils are proud of their achievements. There is regular contact with parents who are informed of both good and poor behaviour. The ‘step chart’ is used as a sanction for poor behaviour and pupils understand the rules well. Pupils who show good behaviour throughout the term are awarded a certificate. Those who exhibit more challenging behaviour are monitored via individual behaviour plans and regular contact with parents. This is proving to be effective in bringing about improvements in pupils’ behaviour. Pupils’ records contain a range of academic and

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

pastoral information. Procedures for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour are very good. Midday assistants liaise daily with class teachers or the head teacher if there are concerns about a pupil. All serious incidents are recorded on pupils’ files and parents are informed as a matter of course.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Assessment procedures have improved since the previous report when it was a key issue. Teachers now use assessments rigorously to allocate, for instance, the most appropriate set for the pupil for mathematics, or the groups in their classes. They use the information appropriately to set work which matches pupils’ levels of attainment. They are particularly thoughtful in preparing work for pupils with English as an additional language based on their assessments of these pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The school is good at identifying pupils with special educational needs at a very early stage so that work can be planned to improve basic skills. The staff in the early years section of the school uses the information gained from the initial assessments when children are admitted to the school carefully for this purpose. Pupils are then monitored regularly until their progress suggests they are ready to be taken off the register. If progress is felt to be slow, specialist help is sought from the Local Education Dersingham Infants School - 18 Authority. The time period between reviews of the progress made on pupils’ individual plans is too long at present to ensure that appropriate progress is being made. Teachers do not have clear criteria on the plans to judge whether a child has achieved the targets or not. The school has very good relationships with many specialist agencies, particularly the educational psychology service and the Learning Support

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Unit which have helped to raise pupil welfare to a high level. The school uses its knowledge effectively to give guidance on behaviour and academic improvement for pupils with special educational needs. The pupils are well prepared for their transfer to the junior school through the good links established.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The use of assessment information to help to plan the next step in pupils’ learning is generally satisfactory, although the recording of this process is not consistent. The school has developed a new arrangement for assessing carefully and tracking closely significant aspects of pupils’ progress. The benefit of this is that pupils get immediate information on their progress. Also, certificates are awarded which are taken home in order to involve the parents in the celebration of pupils’ achievements.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Arrangements for recording pupils’ progress according to National Curriculum levels meet legal requirements. The school is able to track progress in reading through teachers’ reading records, but there are no regular standardised tests in reading or other areas to give an exact picture of the value added by the school. At present, the school does not use standardised tests to keep a track of the older pupils’ progress nor as a benchmark for setting targets for their improvement.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Teachers keep formal and informal records of pupils’ social and personal development. More detailed records are kept for those pupils with behaviour targets on their individual education plans. Co- ordinators monitor planning well, but do not take sufficient account of assessment information to identify trends which have implications for development of particular elements of their subjects.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Overall, the effectiveness of the schools links with parents and the impact of their involvement in the work of the school are good. Parents regard the school highly and are very happy with what the school provides and achieves. They report that their views are listened to willingly and sympathetically. The quality of information supplied to parents on pupils’ attainment and progress is satisfactory overall. Pupils’ annual written reports identify strengths but insufficient weaknesses and they do not consistently set targets for improvement. Comments on some foundation subjects report what the class has studied but do not say what a child knows, understands and can do. However the school reports and parents confirm that very detailed information is given to parents at the parent teacher consultation meetings. Initial assessments are discussed with parents approximately two months after a child’s entry

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

to school, but children’s targets are not shared with parents. The school uses home- contact books for pupils who have special educational needs and these are also used to monitor pupils with challenging behaviour. However, parents do not always return the books to the class teacher. Parents are well represented on the governing body and some attend staff inset days. The governors’ annual report to parents and the school prospectus are well presented and have an easy-to-read style, but they do not carry all the required information. For example, it doesn’t provide details on school’s results in the latest annual national tests or the rates of authorised and unauthorised absence.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. Parents are not given advance notice of the topics which pupils will be studying. This makes it difficult for parents to help their child at home if they wish. Conversely, the school encourages parents to become closely involved in their child’s education and they do this by inviting them into school to see the literacy hour in progress. At the induction evening, parents are told clearly about the school’s policy on homework. Interpreters are appropriately available on request at parent meetings and reports are also available in home languages if parents would like this to be arranged. Very good links are established with parents of pupils with special educational needs. They are fully involved in identifying pupils with special educational needs and are kept well informed of their children’s progress on the individual education plans.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The contribution of parents to pupils’ learning at home and in school is good. The school responds very positively to suggestions from parents and uses many strategies to improve parents contribution to their children’s learning. The Bangladeshi Project is extremely well organised and has been very successful Dersingham Infants School - 19 in involving parents in their children’s learning and in raising standards. A Bi-lingual teacher explains the homework policy in community languages and parents make resources to use with their children at home. Each pupil takes a book home to share with parents and many books are in home languages. This is a very effective means of involving parents. The school introduced school uniforms in response to parental requests and more recently the school have introduced a free fruit day in response to parental and staff requests for healthy food to be available in the tuck shop. There is no parent teacher

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

association but parents respond generously to requests from the school. There are some parent helpers in the classroom and on occasions they act as translators for other parents.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The leadership and management provided by the head teacher and deputy head teacher are good, and give a clear sense of direction for the work of the school. The senior management team meets weekly and has an overview of the planning and teaching in the school and determines curriculum spending. All teachers, other than newly qualified teachers, have responsibility for overseeing a curriculum subject and these are generally managed well. Good subject management includes, monitoring the teaching and planning, leading staff meetings to discuss changes and improvements and ensuring that resources are readily available. Monitoring of pupils’ work is inconsistent and areas where coverage of aspects of the curriculum have been insufficient are not identified so that these deficiencies can be addressed. All members of staff have a shared commitment to enable pupils to make appropriate progress and for the school to succeed.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. Members of staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. One of the strengths of the school is that teachers work together very effectively in year group teams. There is a close liaison with support staff to plan lessons so that all adults involved are aware of the lessons objectives. Communication between the head teacher and deputy is very good, ensuring the smooth day to day running of the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. A good ethos has been created with positive attitudes, good behaviour and supportive relationships found throughout the school. There are good expectations for pupils' personal and academic development and a firm commitment to an appreciation of the rich cultural diversity within the school and the provision of equality of opportunity for all.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The Governing Body is enthusiastic and supports the school well. The school prospectus and Governing Body's annual reports are informative although there are some omissions. The school’s results in the latest annual national tests and the overall rates of authorised and unauthorised absence are not reported. Details on the school’s arrangements for the admission of pupils with disabilities, including their access, and information about the professional development undertaken by the teaching staff during the previous year are not provided. In addition, information about the Governing Body’s implementation of the school’s policy on pupils with special educational needs is not included.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The composition of the Governing Body does not assist critical analysis of the school, since most governors are employed within the school. The Governing Body has not reviewed the school grouping, nor set performance targets for the head teacher. A committee has recently been formed to address these two matters.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The Governing Body and staff are aware of the school's strengths and weaknesses. An analysis of the 1999 key stage test results, showed a comparative weakness in reading. A reading recovery programme has been introduced by the special needs co-ordinator and supported by the deputy head teacher. This is being monitored throughout the year and test results will be analysed to evaluate its effectiveness. The school development plan sets out appropriate priorities across the whole curriculum but it lacks sufficient details of costs and success criteria are not always easy to evaluate. Not all items are completed within the time scale intended. The plan is appropriate for the needs of the school and is an effective mechanism for improvement. The implementation of the National Literacy Hour and Numeracy Strategy are examples of recent development initiatives that have been introduced successfully and are contributing to raising standards.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Dersingham Infants School - 20 52. Provision and support for newly qualified teachers is good. All statutory requirements are met and extra provision has been made. These teachers have a mentor who monitors their plans and observes lessons giving guidance for improvement. They attend a local support network and appropriate training courses and good opportunities are provided for professional discussion. For all staff there is an effective structure, providing opportunity for development and responsibility. Members of staff are encouraged to attend courses connected with the school development plan and their own developmental needs. The structure of staff development meets the needs of the school and staff well, through staff meetings, team discussion, monitoring and courses. However, strengths and weaknesses in teaching are not identified through a system of monitoring lessons so that these can be highlighted for the professional

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. There has been good improvement in the management of the school since the last inspection. The Governing Body has been successful in achieving the rebuilding of the school. Schemes of work to guide and focus planning and teaching are now in place and these are having a positive effect. The Governing Body ensures that performance of pupils from ethnic minority communities is effectively monitored. The School Development Plan does not yet have analytical success criteria although developments are appropriately prioritised. The school's capacity to continue to improve is good.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The governing body fulfils its statutory duties and keeps itself well informed of the way the school is performing and how it is improving. Governors help to set the overall direction of the school and are active members of a number of committees. The finance committee has sound systems in place to monitor the budget regularly. Day to day management of finances is undertaken effectively by the school secretary who has a very good knowledge of current levels of expenditure and balances. Each year the Governing Body discusses the school’s results in the annual national assessment tests and compares these with national averages and with the averages for similar schools. This enables the members to compare the work of the school year on year with other schools and with its own performances. If the school falls below expectations, action is taken to address relevant issues. As yet, the school does not analyse pupils’ answers in these tests so that weaker areas in the curriculum can be

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

identified, nor are samples of pupils interviewed for the same purpose. The Governing Body ensures that every pupil has an equal opportunity to participate in all the school’s activities, including every curriculum subject, religious education, extra-curricular activities and educational visits.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school does not carry out regular appraisals of teachers according to the local authority’s policy. Performance management is at an early stage of development. There is, as yet, no performance management policy and teachers have few ways of knowing the extent to which they have managed to improve the overall levels of attainment of the pupils in their class or set. There are no targets for improvement set for individual teachers.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The management of special educational needs has established a very effective and caring provision, but it is supported insufficiently by the named governor. The co-ordinator has organised the provision capably and the complex timetable of support by the large number of ancillary staff runs smoothly. The dedication of these teaching and classroom assistants to the support of both teachers and pupils, and their increasing expertise, contributes greatly to the ethos and quality of provision. The co-ordinator of special educational needs is constantly evaluating the provision to find areas for improvement. However, the period of time between reviews of each of the pupils’ individual education plans is too long to ensure that pupils’ progress is fully ensured. For instance the administration of the register is carried out efficiently by computer and the education plans are neatly word-processed. The funds

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

available to the school for special needs are very efficiently used for maximising the provision, and resources are placed to achieve the most beneficial effect.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school is staffed by an appropriate number of teachers who are all suitably qualified to teach infant school age children and the relevant sections of the National Curriculum including religious education and special educational needs. There is sufficient knowledge and expertise to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum in all subjects. This is an improvement since the last inspection when a lack of subject knowledge in some areas of the curriculum limited the progress made by pupils. Teachers are well deployed in the school and meet regularly to provide for the needs of all the pupils in the school. They are dedicated and show care and concern for the pupils. Classes have additional support and there Dersingham Infants School - 21 are specialist teachers who support pupils with English as an additional language. This has a positive effect on the level of support which staff can offer.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The number, qualifications and experience of the support staff are very good. Learning support assistants and classroom assistants know pupils and staff well. They regularly attend training courses and also receive additional in-house training. The classroom assistants are highly skilled in supporting targeted pupils with special needs, they meet regularly with the teaching staff for training, advice and to share ideas. This ensures consistent practice across the school. The classroom assistants work under the direction of class teachers and exchange information daily on an informal basis. Members of staff who speak other languages are well used to support pupils’ learning. For example, a teacher attached to the Bengali Improvement Project works in school on a full-time basis. Administrative, cleaning, midday staff and the caretaker work very effectively and contribute to the smooth running of the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The school’s accommodation has been rebuilt since the last inspection and is now very good. All classrooms are of a generous size for the number of pupils. The school has a large room which is used effectively as a parent toddler room and provides a very valuable service for the community. Pupils in the reception class also use the room which is well resourced and has large play equipment such as a home corner. The spacious hall is well used for assemblies, physical education lessons and for school meals. The school is aware of health and safety issues with a potentially hazardous drainage grid which has been put in the playground to reduce the build-up of rain water. The access for disabled pupils is very good, with a chair lift, ramps and toilets. Displays around the school are of good quality, stimulating and motivate pupils to learn and celebrate their achievements. The school has sufficient

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

outside soft and hard play areas. The accommodation provides for effective teaching and has a positive impact on the quality of learning.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Overall resources for learning are satisfactory. Resources in mathematics are very good. The literacy hour is well resourced with ‘Big Books’, whiteboards, flip charts and sets of books. Resources in science, design and technology, physical education and music are good. In all other subjects resources are satisfactory. Good use is made of visitors to the school to enhance pupils’ personal, social and health education. These resources are used well and enable the pupils to make good progress in their learning.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The Governing Body and head teacher are effective at bidding for extra funding. Matched funding was achieved for information technology plans, funding for an environmental garden and the Business Partnership Mathematics Project have all been successful bids. The school is to be part of an Education Action Zone and the head teacher has participated fully in planning in order that the pupils should benefit from available services. Funding for the support for pupils with English as an additional language is used very effectively. Governors were successful in achieving the rebuilding of most of the school and the refurbishment of the remaining old school. There was a large under-spend at the end of the previous financial year that was partly anticipated. As yet the Governing Body has made no firm decisions about how best to allocate this money. Extra funding has also been used for classroom support

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and for those for whom English is an additional language. The recent auditor’s report had a comprehensive list of recommendations, most of which have been addressed, but a policy for writing off assets has still not been addressed. Some attention is given to value for money with the application of the local education authority’s best value principles. However, objective consideration of value for money and impact on learning are not fully developed. Systems for financial management are unobtrusive and members of staff are confident that the needs of the pupils are met.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The aims of the school are fully met. Pupils are considerate to others and behave in a way that is not upsetting to others. The vast majority of pupils speak politely to one another and move quietly about the school. They listen without interrupting and help to keep the classrooms, toilets and playground clean and tidy. Dersingham Infants School - 22

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

monitoring teaching of these subjects to identify the strengths that can be shared and points for improvement that can be addressed; (52) using the above information for the professional development of teachers; (52) using standardised tests to keep a careful track of pupils’ progress and to set realistic targets for improvement; (41)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Use information arising from assessments to improve the curriculum for the pupils by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

analysing the answers in the pupils’ annual assessment tests to identify weaker areas in the curriculum; (54) interviewing samples of pupils to identify weaknesses in their knowledge and understanding; (54) monitoring pupils’ work to identify areas where coverage of aspects of the curriculum has been insufficient; (46)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Analyse more rigorously the relative attainments of boys and girls in order to take steps to improve the performance of the boys by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Find out how to make the curriculum more interesting for boys and take positive steps to improve it; (9) (85) Test pupils’ attainments and progress regularly to ensure that boys are making better progress in order to redress the gap between boys’ and girls’ achievements; (28)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Ensure that the school’s financial planning is more rigorously managed to take account of the school’s long-term goals; (61)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(5) Introduce a performance management policy so that teachers and head teacher are provided with targets for improvement to enable the school to make further progress in its developments. (55)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the key issues above, the following less important weaknesses should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Raise the school’s levels of attendance even further. (16)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensure that the governing body meets statutory requirements by including the following items in the governors’ annual report to parents: the school’s results in the latest annual national tests; (49) the overall rates of authorised and unauthorised absence; (49) details on the school’s arrangements for the admission of pupils with disabilities including access; (49) information about the professional development undertaken by the teaching staff during the previous year; (49) information about the governing body’s implementation of the school’s policy on pupils with special educational needs and any changes to the policy during the last year. (49)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Take steps to shorten the period of time between reviews of the individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs. (56) Dersingham Infants School - 23

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 42

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 263

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 137

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 67

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 192

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 79

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 60

p.23

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.23

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Dersingham Infants School - 24

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 51 47 98

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 30 34 42 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 30 39 38

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 61 ( 68) 74 ( 73 ) 82 ( 87) at NC level 2 or above National 82 ( 80) 83 ( 81) 87 ( 84)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 33 40 39 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 33 39 39

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 67 ( 68 ) 81 ( 87) 80 ( 64) at NC level 2 or above National 82 ( 81) 86 ( 85) 87 ( 86)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 13 Black – Caribbean heritage

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 55 Black – African heritage

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Dersingham Infants School - 25

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 15. 4 Financial year 1999

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y7 Total expenditure 479084

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 19 Expenditure per pupil 1614

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 518 Balance brought forward from previous year 32342

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 32368 Dersingham Infants School - 26

p.25

Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category

p.26

Questionnaire return rate

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

p.26

Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 66 32 2

p.26

Questionnaire return rate

Behaviour in the school is good. 60 34 4 2

p.26

Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 43 48 4 4

p.26

Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 59 33 9

p.26

Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 55 40 4

p.26

Questionnaire return rate

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 62 34 2 2

p.26

Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 38 47 13 2

p.26

Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 51 40 2 2 4

p.26

Questionnaire return rate

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 54 41 2 2

p.26

Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 28 43 11 2 15 Dersingham Infants School - 27

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. The quality of education provided for children under five is good and provides children with a good foundation for the next stage of their education. Children under five are catered for in three reception classes. Children are admitted to school either in September or January of each year. At the time of the inspection, the majority of children were still under five. The curriculum offered includes all the areas recommended by national guidance for young children’s learning, and includes parts of the literacy and numeracy strategies.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. Some children have attended the local nursery school but the attainment levels of children on entry to school show well below national average levels except in their physical development where it is sound. Teachers carry out a detailed assessment during the first few weeks after children are admitted. Overall, children make good progress, including those with special educational needs and benefit from a caring and supportive environment and the structured learning opportunities provided. All children make very good progress in their personal and social development and good progress in other aspects of their learning except in physical development where it is sound. By the time the children are five years old their attainment levels in all six areas of learning, namely personal and social development, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

creative development are all below nationally expected levels. However, they have made good progress overall in their learning.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. Children make very good progress in personal and social development, and by the time they are five most attain national expectations. The majority of children are well behaved, learn to take turns and share resources with others. Children work sensibly in small groups supported by adults. They are familiar with both class and school routines. They have a growing awareness of the difference between right and wrong. The children are encouraged to be as independent as possible. They plan their own activities each morning by choosing activities from a wide range of choices and enter them on a planning card. They choose the order they undertake the activities. All children cope very well with this organisation as well as clearing away all resources and equipment at the end of each session. The quality of teaching is consistently very good in this aspect of the children’s development. Members of staff raise children’s self-esteem at every opportunity, discuss how to build relationships and encourage

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

children to appreciate the work of others.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Children make good progress in language and literacy and by the time they reach the age of five they express their thoughts fluently and a significant number are on course to achieve what is expected at that age. Children listen well in small groups and as a whole class for an appropriate period of time. They enjoy singing songs and rhymes as a group activity. They recognise their own name in writing and begin to identify the sounds symbolised by individual letters. They are beginning to develop an understanding that print is read from left to right. The children also are starting to associate sounds with letters and familiar words and a small number of pupils are able to read a range of common printed words. Children are encouraged to write their own names by practising daily using templates provided by the class teacher. They write imaginary letters to their parents and this reinforces the idea that words

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

and pictures carry meaning. Their writing is emerging gradually from random marks on paper to recognisable words. The quality of teaching in language and literacy is good. Teachers use good strategies to interest and motivate the children. For example, one teacher builds good suspense during an activity designed to familiarise the children with the initial sounds of words. She held objects in a small bag and withdrew these separately with a suitable build up of tension to promote the children’s interest. Teachers also assess children’s achievements systematically in language and literacy. For instance, the teacher of the older Reception children checks regularly their knowledge and understanding of phonics by assessing their ability to spell some of the more simple commonly occurring words. Higher attaining children also make good progress with reading and recognise and read a suitably wide range of words. They write simple sentences with correctly spelt words and well

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

formed letters. Dersingham Infants School - 28 67. Pupils for whom English is an additional language are supported very well in the Reception classes. Learning support assistants provide help and assistance throughout the school day so that no child is unable to understand what to do. Furthermore, Bengali speaking children in the early stages of learning English are supported very well through a full-time language support teacher who is part of the Bengali Achievement Project.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68. By the time the children are five their progress in developing knowledge, skills and understanding in mathematics is good but their levels of attainment are still below what would be expected at this age. Children are beginning to count small numbers of objects accurately. They play simple number games with a learning support assistant to develop skills at matching numerals with appropriate numbers of objects. Most pupils can count to ten and are beginning to sequence numbers in the correct order. The children recognise the common shapes of circle, square, triangle and rectangle. They are able to continue simple repeating patterns and this helps their progress in understanding the patterns contained within the number system. Teachers use number rhymes effectively to teach children to count and to subtract one successively. Children with special educational needs are supported well. For example,

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

during one interesting session the teacher used a whole range of techniques to enable the small group of children to count to five. She used number cards; counting on fingers; jumping and hopping a certain number of times; and throwing quoits at targets and counting the number of successes. Higher attaining children are also well supported and are challenged and extended appropriately. They count to at least fifty and are beginning to understand the different place values of numerals in the number system. For these reasons the quality of teaching mathematics is good overall.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

69. Children make good progress in knowledge and understanding of the world. By the time they are five many children reach the expected levels. They use their senses well to notice similarities and differences when conducting investigations such as comparing the properties of raw and cooked pasta when soaked in water. They name what they pass on their journeys to and from school, including shops, park, different types of building and other interesting items. They build a knowledge and understanding of the world through planned play. For example, they use a table-top imaginary town comprising roads, tunnels, railway lines, traffic barriers and houses. This enables children to develop knowledge of the man-made world. Activities such as making models of houses out of construction equipment, model making with ‘play dough’ and other items and the use of other materials to join, cut, fold and build results in the development of relevant skills. Children explore and recognise features of living things.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

They can name the main parts of the human body and compare and contrast shells found at the seaside and the shells of snails found in the garden. They have opportunities to use information technology to help them build skills of recognising letters and to develop skills at using a computer mouse. For example, they move objects around the computer screen and create coloured patterns with the help of an adult. The teaching in the Reception class is good in this part of the curriculum and enables pupils to make good progress.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

70. Children make sound progress in their physical development, and by the time they are five most reach the expected standards. Most children develop increasing control of their own bodies. They benefit from using tricycles and scooters regularly in an enclosed area outside the Reception group of classrooms. Children use a good range of small equipment, scissors, paint brushes, crayons and pencils appropriately. Most show reasonable control, and members of staff provide regular opportunities for children to develop these skills. The development of their physical skills has been maintained since the last inspection when it was judged to be sound. At that time the children’s development was restricted by lack of space to use large toys and equipment. During the present inspection the children do not have sufficient opportunities to use gymnastic and other equipment in the school hall to develop skills such

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

as balancing, jumping and hopping. The quality of teaching in this area is satisfactory. Children are provided with opportunities to develop physically but are not challenged and extended and are not expected, for example, to sequence a series of physical activities in order to develop their skills and thinking. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Children are not physically challenged and extended sufficiently for their progress to be similar to other areas of the curriculum for the under fives. 71. Children make good progress in creative development. By the time they are five the majority meet the expected levels. Children are beginning to know their colours and select different coloured paints and crayons during their activities. For example, they produce symmetrical patterns by folding the paper in half and pressing the side with wet paint on to the other. They make interesting patterns by cutting and

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Dersingham Infants School - 29 sticking coloured paper. A good variety of both two-and three-dimensional and mouldable materials are used to make, build and model items such as puppets created from malleable material and a wooden spoon. They are encouraged to experiment with a range of percussion instruments such as castanets, maracas, triangles and finger cymbals to make simple music. They sing musical rhymes and nursery songs enthusiastically and have committed the words to memory. The children’s levels of attainments have been maintained since the previous inspection. The quality of teaching in the present Reception classes is good overall. Teachers plan a range of experiences for the children that allows them to develop skills which are satisfactory for their age.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72. The quality of teaching in the under fives classes is good. Planning is good with a wide range of activities that meet the needs of the children arranged every day. Liaison between the class teachers and learning assistants is good. There is a daily meeting before school starts so that everyone concerned is aware of the objectives of each of the activities planned for the children. This has enabled the teachers and support assistants to be really focused on the needs of the pupils undertaking the activities. Teachers have good relationships with the children. They are very positive and concentrate on raising the children’s self-esteem. However, they are very firm when necessary so that children clearly learn the difference between right and wrong.

p.29

ENGLISH

73. Overall attainment in English is below national averages at the end of Key Stage 1. This represents an improvement on the standards at the time of the last inspection when attainment was well below national standards. Test results in both reading and writing have improved although the greatest gains have been made in writing. Reading remains relatively weak. Over a third of pupils fail to reach the national standard in reading. On the other hand, higher attaining pupils are doing well and their results are better than those for similar schools. Girls have consistently outperformed boys over the last four years and this is also apparent in the classroom.

p.29

ENGLISH

74. Two thirds of the school’s pupils speak English as an additional language and many enter the reception class speaking no English. In addition, recently arrived pupils who are new to English are admitted to Year 1 and Year 2 and others return from extended visits to their family’s country of origin. All these pupils are assessed to determine their level of English acquisition on a four-stage scale. Analysis shows a close correlation between levels on this scale and test results at the end of the key stage. Bearing in mind the low baseline from which the majority of pupils begin their study of English, they make good progress. Pupils who have special educational needs make good progress towards the literacy targets in their individual education plans. Many of these pupils also have English as an additional language but a clear distinction is drawn between a general language need and a specific learning need and support is

p.29

ENGLISH

75. Speaking and listening skills are below national expectations. Many pupils find it difficult to express themselves clearly although there is no lack of encouragement. Drama is included in the curriculum and in most subjects there are opportunities to develop pupils’ skills. ‘Circle time’ in particular provides a specific focus. Although pupils quickly gain confidence in speaking, both in small groups and to the whole class, their sentences are simple and short with many grammatical errors. However they listen well and can often demonstrate by a single word that they have grasped a key idea from the lesson. In most classes there are groups of pupils whose proficiency is much higher. They speak clearly, have a wide vocabulary and explain ideas well. These pupils provide good language models for their classmates.

p.29

ENGLISH

76. Reading, although improved since the last inspection, is still below national standards. The introduction of the national literacy strategy, including a stronger focus on phonic skills and spelling patterns is beginning to have an effect on reading standards. Basic letter sounds are introduced in reception classes and word building activities and games are effectively used in Year 1. Information technology is also used to good effect, especially in support of spelling. Other subjects support the development of reading for example in geography when ‘weather words’ are discussed. However, the majority of pupils are not able readers by the end of Key Stage 1. Although their sight vocabulary is fair, it is particularly noticeable that pupils lack ‘attack skills’ for dealing with unknown words, a weakness identified in the Dersingham Infants School - 30 last inspection report which still persists. The use of phonic clues does not come easily to them. Instead

p.29

ENGLISH

they are more likely to guess words from the context, for example reading ‘reached’ for ‘arrived’. Pupils who do this nevertheless demonstrate their awareness that the text should make sense.

p.30

ENGLISH

77. Again there is a minority of pupils who are able readers. At the end of the key stage they read fluently and accurately and with a degree of intonation that shows they are making sense of what they read. They know that words in italics or bold type must be emphasized. They can retell a story, demonstrating that they have understood the main points, for example by outlining the plot or speculating on the motives of the characters. Similarly they are able to extract key items of information from simple non- fiction texts. However even the more able readers display difficulties of understanding when the language of the text is highly figurative or contains cultural references with which they are unfamiliar. Most pupils have a good idea how to find information in non-fiction books. They understand how books are arranged in the library and know how ‘contents’ and ‘index’ can help them to find specific

p.30

ENGLISH

information. This was a weakness in the last inspection report and has been effectively addressed.

p.30

ENGLISH

78. Although writing remains below national standards, there has been a marked improvement since the last inspection. As early as Year 1, pupils begin to think of more imaginative ways to describe characters in a story, for example when they talk about the ways in which the ‘Three Bears’ are different from each other and what words best describe their features. In Year 2 pupils think carefully about the structure of their stories and try to write short pieces with a definite beginning, middle and end. Most pupils understand the use of full stops and capital letters to mark a sentence. Higher attaining pupils can use question marks appropriately. On the other hand many pupils are still struggling with uniform letter formation. Spelling is haphazard although the increased concentration on phonic skills is having a positive effect and incorrect spellings are at least plausible.

p.30

ENGLISH

79. There is a good range of writing. Pupils make lists and label pictures, plans and maps, compose stories and poems, and describe people and places. They learn how to put sentences in a correct sequence and use this skill when writing a set of instructions. They understand the layout of letters, for example when they write a letter from Goldilocks to the Bear family, apologising for trespassing in their home!

p.30

ENGLISH

80. The teaching of English is satisfactory overall and is often good. The national literacy strategy has been implemented in full and the training programme included the monitoring of teaching by the literacy co- ordinator and local education authority consultants. Teacher and classroom assistants also attended the National Literacy Strategy training sessions. When classes have support from specialist language development teachers, specific language objectives for additional language learners are also included in the planning.

p.30

ENGLISH

81. Teachers are familiar with the content of the literacy strategy and have sound knowledge of the subject in general. A good feature of whole-class sessions is the teachers’ use of questioning. A mixture of ‘open’ and ‘closed’ questions is well used to clarify pupils understanding, provide them with language models and encourage them to explain their own ideas. Teachers manage pupils well. Interaction with pupils is positive and energetic and aims to ensure that all pupils are fully involved in lessons. The great majority of pupils respond well to this approach. Praise is used liberally, for appropriate behaviour as well as for thoughtful or imaginative answers to teachers’ questions. This raises pupils’ self-esteem and has a good impact on their progress in learning. Pupils are regularly reminded how good behaviour and compliance with class ‘ground rules’ benefits everyone. When this is insufficient, effective sanctions

p.30

ENGLISH

are imposed through a discipline procedure that all pupils understand.

p.30

ENGLISH

82. The planning for group work generally ensures that tasks are appropriate to the pupils’ level of language development. Occasionally reading and writing tasks are insufficiently challenging for higher attaining pupils but this is not common. More often the success of group activities depends on the quality of support from teacher and classrooms assistants. In the school context, this is a sound strategy and these people are effectively deployed. They are well briefed by teachers and have a clear understanding of their role. Given the large number of pupils with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs, their support, which may be provided in community languages as well as English, makes a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. Dersingham Infants School - 31 83. Since the last inspection, the school has taken steps to address under-achievement in reading. For

p.30

ENGLISH

example it has implemented its own ‘reading recovery’ style programme that supports a large number of weaker readers. Classrooms have a good selection of reading books; book sets for guided reading in the literacy hour and books for shared reading that pupils are allowed to take home in their ‘book-bags’. The latter includes dual-language texts in the main community languages to encourage pupils and parents to read together. The school has set up a ‘reading recovery’ type of programme where pupils attend regular one-to-one sessions and progress towards specific reading targets. Teachers comment on pupils’ reading progress but parents are not encouraged to do so. To support the Local Education Authority’s ‘Bangladeshi Achievement Project’ additional resources, in Bangla and English, have been purchased for both pupils and parents.

p.31

ENGLISH

84. The assessment of reading ability in English remains imprecise. Pupils are regularly tested on their ability to recognise words from the National Literacy Strategy ‘high-frequency’ word list for Key Stage 1 and there are some tests to determine pupils’ knowledge of common phonic blends. The school has not adopted standard texts, in which these key phonic patterns may occur. Standardised reading tests are not used either, although some staff do know how analysis of pupils reading behaviour can help to identify specific needs, for example through analysis of pupils’ reading mistakes. Testing of sight vocabulary does not provide information about pupils’ comprehension skills. This may be important for additional language learners whose decoding skills may be well in advance of their ability to make sense of what they read. Diagnosis of pupils’ needs and predictions of their future performance tend to

p.31

ENGLISH

be based on subjective impressions. While the school is undoubtedly working hard to monitor reading and improve standards, the assessment procedures lack sufficient rigour to effectively inform the strategies.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

85. The school's results in the 1999 annual national tests showed that the proportion of pupils achieving what is expected for seven-year-olds was well below the national average. However, the proportion of pupils attaining higher levels in the number aspects of the National Curriculum was just below the national average. The boys’ performance overall was much worse than the girls’ but both are below the national average. The inspection findings broadly reflect the above test results and standards are judged to be below national expectations. There are considerably more boys in the lower sets for mathematics than girls and indicates that the provision for boys needs attention. The school has not yet found out how to make the mathematics curriculum more relevant to the boys. When compared with schools serving pupils from similar backgrounds the school's performance is above average.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

86. By the time pupils reach the end of Key Stage 1 they can recall addition and subtraction facts to ten and understand the place value of digits in numbers up to 100. Pupils can count competently in twos, fives and tens and calculate halves of quantities by sharing an even number of cubes into two equal groups. They identify successfully odd and even numbers up to 100 and are aware of the number patterns when two odd numbers are added together, when two even numbers are added and when one odd and one even number are totalled. Pupils measure the lengths of lines accurately in centimetres. They recognise reflective symmetry when it occurs in two-dimensional shapes and classify three-dimensional shapes according to their properties. They gather information, produce tally charts and use the data to draw block graphs of the results.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

87. At the time of the last inspection the school’s results in the annual assessment tests in mathematics showed that the pupils’ levels of attainment were nearly one year behind the national average for pupils of the same age. Since that time standards in mathematics have improved and the latest test results show that the pupils are now the equivalent of one term behind the national average. This increase in standards is reflected by an improvement in the quality of teaching since the previous inspection. The quality of mathematics lessons was satisfactory during the last inspection but it is now good overall. Progress made by pupils, including those with special educational needs, was also satisfactory whereas progress is now good. The progress of the higher attaining pupils was judged to be unsatisfactory at the time of the last inspection because the work planned for them was insufficiently challenging to meet

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MATHEMATICS

their needs. The school’s present arrangements whereby pupils are grouped in different sets according to their levels of attainment has been beneficial in this respect. Higher attaining pupils are able to make Dersingham Infants School - 32 good progress because of the greater focus on more challenging and appropriate work. Likewise, pupils with special educational needs also have work that is matched to the level of their needs. A further reason for the pupils’ improved progress is a sharper focus on mental arithmetic in lessons. The previous report stated that there was insufficient emphasis on mental arithmetic with teachers very often not including it in their planning.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

88. The quality of teaching is good overall. Teachers generally have high expectations of the pupils’ knowledge and understanding. The content of the lessons is usually challenging for pupils and is based on assessments of what they already have achieved. Planning is sound with a small range of activities identified clearly but often there are no distinct objectives for what the teacher intends pupils to learn by the end of the lesson. This makes assessment of what the pupils have achieved during the lesson more difficult. Teachers plan the content of the individual education plans of pupils with special educational needs carefully. The targets in the plans are very relevant to their needs and as a result the pupils make good progress. All teachers have good relationships with the pupils. This usually leads to good management of pupils’ behaviour which emanates from mutual respect. However, on the very few

p.32

MATHEMATICS

occasions when the teaching is unsatisfactory the teacher’s management of pupils’ behaviour is not secure. During these lessons the teacher is not sufficiently firm, pupils begin to act in an unacceptable manner and progress in learning becomes unsatisfactory. When the teaching is very good the objectives for the lesson are written on the blackboard and shared with the pupils. This gives a clear focus to the lesson for pupils and as they know clearly what they are intended to learn their progress is much enhanced. The teacher is also very enthusiastic about the lesson and learning becomes very enjoyable for pupils. There is excitement about what they are learning and there is a brisk pace to the lesson resulting in hard work and deep interest.

p.32

MATHEMATICS

89. Although the pupils’ progress in learning is good the promotion of independence developed in the Reception classes is not continued. There is an over-reliance on worksheets for the pupils to use and these give few opportunities for pupils to set out their own work. The school’s arrangements for teaching Key Stage 1 pupils in groups according to their levels of attainment has been successful. Pupils’ progress has improved overall but the level of classroom support for the sets containing lower attaining pupils needs to be greater throughout the whole school year rather than sharing with the higher attaining sets of pupils. This results in extra support for the lower attaining pupils for only certain periods in the year.

p.32

SCIENCE

90. Pupils’ standards in the 1999 teacher assessments were below the national average. When compared to schools serving pupils of a similar background the standards were in line with the average. Standards at the end of the key stage are below national expectations as observed during the lessons and in the pupils’ work.

p.32

SCIENCE

91. Pupils are good at exploring at first-hand the materials and substances related to their topic, and observing closely. They are not as good at formally stating what they are looking for, predicting a likely outcome or recording their observations. Pupils’ progress in learning is sound overall and is underpinned by teachers having a clear focus on the use of scientific vocabulary during lessons. First- hand experience also enables pupils to gain a better understanding of scientific ideas. For example, they begin to understand forces through pushing and pulling objects and pliable materials such as clay or plasticene and experience the forces in action. Pupils’ vocabulary is also improved through the use of activities such as a dice game that introduce relevant words during the course of the game.

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SCIENCE

92. Provision for science has improved since the last inspection, as has the pupils’ levels of attainment. The school has put in place a new scheme of work which ensures appropriate coverage of the National curriculum requirements. It has achieved greater consistency of teaching, with all teachers emphasising a practical, investigative approach within their lessons. A much firmer foundation to science work is achieved in the early years.

p.32

SCIENCE

93. Teaching is good overall, with roughly equal satisfactory and good lessons. All teachers plan interesting and often exciting lessons. Resources are well selected, always ready for use, and relevant Dersingham Infants School - 33 to the theme of the lesson. Teachers create good, practical learning conditions and explain the content and instructions clearly. They use questions well to develop interest and extend pupils’ knowledge. They range over the whole class to involve all pupils equally. They manage the class well to create calm working conditions where pupils can concentrate well.

p.32

SCIENCE

94. The difference between the satisfactory and good lessons often lies in the planning and organisation. In the lessons where teachers plan a single activity after the introduction, the lesson objectives are clearer and pupils know exactly what the teacher expects them to do. Year 1 pupils, for instance, can identify the different materials covered during a class discussion in the building outside. The rubbings made by pupils were used as a good basis for recording their observations resulting in a clear understanding of the nature of different materials and their properties. Where several activities follow a lesson, sometimes as many as five, the objectives are not always sufficiently clear to the pupils. When the activities are taken in turn, with pupils moving from one to the other, the teachers do not have time to observe the quality of work in every activity, or to assess the pupils’ progress adequately.

p.33

SCIENCE

Pupils with special educational needs and who use English as an additional language are well supported during lesson introductions and this has a good impact on their progress.

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SCIENCE

95. Teachers use information technology appropriately on occasion to learn about scientific subjects. Year 1 pupils, for example use a data-handling program as part of their study of birds. However, as yet information technology is not used sufficiently as a tool for the recording of results or compiling data. Pupils practise their literacy skills suitably to describe and discuss their work but not always with sufficient technical vocabulary. Teachers miss opportunities to develop a stronger emphasis on numeracy by not using computers sufficiently to draw simple block graphs of the results of investigations. The tracking of pupils’ progress is an improvement since the previous inspection, but it is not yet useful as a strategic guide to the rate of progress.

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ART

96. Overall the pupils make satisfactory progress in art in Key Stage 1. Standards of work are as expected for pupils of a similar age although there is some unsatisfactory work in all year groups. In Year 1, some pupils are able to observe carefully and draw, with attention to detail. In Year 2, pupils study Monet and produce vibrant colourful copies using wax crayons. However, some work lacks careful observation and attention to detail. There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to make a choice about the best media for activities. When sketching, only standard writing pencils are provided and this restricts experience and experimentation for pupils and slows progress. Pupils have opportunities to use clay for modelling and this widens their scope successfully for expressing themselves with three- dimensional material.

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ART

97. Pupils' attitudes to art are good. They listen well to the teachers' explanations and show interest in what they are learning. Pupils generally become quickly involved in the task, concentrate well, employ good creative effort, work quietly and take pride in the outcome. Pupils co-operate well on collaborative activities. They make sound progress in art and begin to acquire satisfactory skills in the use of tools, recording their observations, creating patterns and textures in their work and developing painting and drawing techniques.

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ART

98. Overall the quality of teaching is satisfactory. In just under half the lessons it was good. Teachers are well prepared and have clear objectives and plans. Plans have cross-curricular links, for example reproducing the style of Kandinski using an information technology program. The two are effectively linked with pupils learning about the style and life of Kandinski. In the best lessons, teachers have good subject knowledge, explanations are clear and expectations high. Management of the pupils is positive, with plenty of praise and positive reinforcement that creates good, calm learning conditions in which pupils are eager to try their best. Classroom assistants are deployed effectively and ensure that pupils with English as an additional language and pupils with special educational needs make good progress. The best lessons also have a good pace, based on a clear lesson structure and a variety of resources are

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ART

readily available. In less successful lessons the resources are limited. Dersingham Infants School - 34 99. At the time of the last inspection, a scheme of work and a policy were under development. The policy is now complete and is a useful document, but the scheme of work is not yet fully in place. It was introduced at the beginning of the year and is being developed each term. Two staff meetings have taken place and more are planned. The co-ordinator has a clear view of what needs to be done and how to achieve it. She has monitored in three classes to evaluate how effectively the scheme is being implemented. There is no budget specifically for art, but the co-ordinator finds out from teachers what is required for the work planned during the term ahead, and these requirements are met from a central budget. Resources are satisfactory and include provision for three-dimensional art, although there is a

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ART

need for more posters and culturally diverse examples of art. At present they are mostly European. Assessment charts of work generally record coverage and not quality of work. Work not intended for display is taken home by the pupils immediately.

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ART

100. The quality of display is good and adds considerably to the bright, pleasant environment. Collaborative displays are done regularly to link with the awe and wonder theme for the week. Displays are informative, for example pupils' mixing of primary colours using paint and a chart showing colours made from mixing.

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ART

101. At the time of the last inspection, art was not clearly linked with other areas of the curriculum. Links with other subjects are now good. Teachers develop pupils' knowledge of shapes when studying and sketching buildings. Art contributes well to the creative use of information technology by linking the style of Kandinski with the use of an art program. In science, learning about reversible and irreversible changes is linked with clay work when pupils are making pots. These links are effective and the quality of work in both subjects is maintained.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. No lessons were observed during the period of the inspection because none were available according to the school’s timetable for the week. However, pupils’ work is displayed in several classrooms and a judgement was made on this basis. The displays indicate that teachers give considerable thought to planning topics where the design and making of finished products have relevance to other areas of the curriculum. For instance the clay pots made in Year 2 were used for pupils to experience the forces of pushing and pulling in science. The moving puppets displayed in Year 1 demonstrate a good link with levers in science. The quality of work in both these projects demonstrates the care which pupils take. 103. During a discussion with the pupils they were able to explain how the products were planned and constructed, by referring to their design drawings. They are not sure how they set about modifying their

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

work if they encountered difficulties. Few could recollect evaluating their finished products, although examples of evaluations were displayed in some classrooms. However, the progress made by pupils is satisfactory overall. They produce sound designs of the products they intend to make and use a variety of materials in their work. They assemble, join and combine materials to produce satisfactory items and include movable parts in some of their work. They use simple finishing techniques so their products look interesting and presentable.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. The subject is considerably stronger than in the previous inspection. The new scheme of work provides the structure and continuity that was missing previously. The bright new classrooms have good space for working and display. Planning indicates that teachers are trying to include most of the curriculum requirements with work on structures, mechanisms, food and textiles. The work planned gets progressively more difficult. For instance the monster models in Year 1 use boxes and re-cyclable materials in a simple way, while Year 2 use them in a more complex way by turning them inside out. Information technology is used effectively as part of the design stage, particularly when teachers are able to give regular supervision to the children working at the computer.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. In geography standards are satisfactory. By the end of the key stage, the pupils’ knowledge and understanding are in line with national expectations, just as in the last inspection. For some pupils, limited capability in English hinders them when trying to express themselves in writing but their Dersingham Infants School - 35 responses in class and their day-to-day work demonstrate that geographical understanding is developing appropriately.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. Year 1 pupils are beginning to understand maps and plans. They make a plan of their own table showing where they and their friends sit. They can identify buildings in their local area from photographs and position drawings of buildings on a blank street plan, adding their own colour-coded key. They can locate the continent of Africa on a map and recognise many other countries from their shape. The wide range of backgrounds from which pupils come gives a boost to this work and they take an interest in the contributions of their classmates. The introduction of a new book about a world tour caused genuine excitement. Year 2 pupils study the weather. They understand how weather patterns vary in different parts of the world and are extending their vocabulary of ‘weather words’. They realise that climate strongly affects peoples’ lives; from the houses they live in to the clothes they wear.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in geography supported, for example, by word banks and pre-printed labels. They also receive good support from classroom assistants. Pupils with English as an additional language are encouraged to extend their vocabulary of geography words. Some classes benefit from the contribution of specialist English as an additional language teachers working in partnership with the class teacher. In many cases adult helpers share some children’s home language and are able to offer bilingual support. Pupils are also encouraged to translate for one another.

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GEOGRAPHY

108. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers inspire enthusiasm and are alert to opportunities to make the subject interesting and relevant. This stimulates the pupils desire to learn and has a good impact on their progress. They exploit pupils’ knowledge of the local area as well as encouraging pupils to share their personal experiences of different countries around the world. News coverage of serious flooding in East Africa around the time of the inspection was incorporated into year two’s study of weather. The heightened relevance for many of the pupils increased their concentration levels and improved their progress in this aspect of the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

109. Opportunities to study geography are not confined to specific geography lessons. For example a year two class used ‘Maps’ as an example of a non-fiction book in the literacy hour and this was a prelude to pupils making their own book of maps. Information technology is well used. Pupils can confidently search a CD ROM encyclopaedia for maps and information about different countries.

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GEOGRAPHY

110. Geography is also studied alongside other subjects. For example one lesson relating to weather also included the story of Noah’s Ark. In the same session pupils looked at pictures showing the effects of natural disasters and were invited to empathise with the plight of refugees as part of their reflection in collective worship. There are some obvious benefits to this holistic approach since pupils enjoy a range of learning experiences within each topic. However it is difficult to monitor the actual coverage of geography in different classes and year groups and the emphasis on different geography topics varies from class to class.

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HISTORY

111. During the week of inspection only one history lesson was observed because this was the only lesson available in the week. No samples of pupils’ written work in history were accessible for scrutiny. This made it very difficult to assess the overall standard in relation to national expectations.

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HISTORY

112. The one lesson seen was a combination of history and art where pupils looked at portraits from the sixteenth century to the present day and considered what the objects in the paintings told the observer about the subjects’ lives. Although it is not possible to determine whether the coverage of history accurately follows the scheme of work, pupils have some knowledge of ways in which the past is represented. Dersingham Infants School - 36

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

113. Standards of attainment have risen since the previous inspection and are broadly in line with those expected for pupils by the end of Year 2. Pupils are good at working at computers independently. They understand the relevance of what they are doing in relation to the building of skills needed for other subjects. Year 2 pupils can explain how the basic editing skills they are learning for word processing are also helping them to see where capital letters and full stops are needed in sentences. Others can explain how the repeated patterns they make on the screen can link to their skills in art and mathematics. What is not so evident is close discussion in pairs so that the collaborative thinking strengthens the learning process. Pupils are able to use a key- board competently for their age and move objects around the screen using a computer mouse. They retrieve information and print their work with

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

adult help. Pupils use art programs to draw and ‘paint’ pictures and patterns using satisfactory skills. The progress made by pupils is satisfactory overall and results from the sound support provided by learning assistants and teachers when they are working at information technology.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

114. Provision for information technology has improved significantly since the previous inspection. More equipment is in place and it is of better quality. By determined and well-targeted in-service training for all staff, expertise overall has improved. The school’s aim to ensure the teaching of basic skills is being realised with greater consistency. Teachers make sure that all pupils get an equal opportunity to practice the skills taught in the lessons. A sound new scheme of work sets out the order of teaching computer skills and ensures progression and this has enhanced the pupils’ progress. A firm foundation is being laid in the early years.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

115. Teaching is good overall. Teachers teach skills effectively to groups of pupils or to a whole class. They give clear explanations and rightly use demanding technical language. This enables pupils to work confidently on their own and this has a positive impact on their progress in learning. Teachers set high expectations, both for pupils’ work and behaviour and give pupils challenging tasks to complete. Pupils respond well, by listening attentively and working sensibly. Pupils are encouraged effectively to solve problems using their own strategies so that independence in using computers is enhanced.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

116. There are lessons or parts of lessons where the computer could be used more. Though the school covers all the requirements of the National Curriculum, the school is not using the opportunity to accelerate its provision by utilising time effectively. Teachers make good use of information technology to enhance the progress of pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. Pupils also use computers to assist their progress in mathematics. For example, information technology is used to help them acquire important skills such as an understanding of symmetry when they are constructing patterns. The newly appointed co-ordinator has prepared a good development plan for the subject in order to extend staff training, improve the resources and provide more precise assessment of pupils’ progress.

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MUSIC

117. Standards of attainment in music meet national expectations and pupils make satisfactory progress. At the end of the key stage they distinguish between the different volumes of sound. For example, when walking round the school with the express purpose of listening to the variety of sounds they might be able to hear, they recognise whether the noises are loud or soft. They sing songs from memory, performing them with a satisfactory sense of pitch. However, their enthusiasm often results in shouting and in deterioration in the tone of their singing. Regular opportunities to clap in time to music, to replicate the rhythms clapped or sung by the teacher has enabled a gradual but firm sense of pulse and rhythm to be built. They also develop a good sense of pulse through dancing to music. For example, they learn to dance the ‘Maringa’ from Latin America and in so doing they develop gradually an ability

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MUSIC

to keep to the beat. When listening to different pieces of music, they are able to distinguish between the different moods of and, for example, can say whether the music is sad, happy or scaring.

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MUSIC

118. Compared with the last inspection the school’s music provision remains largely the same, as does the level of pupils’ standards. Pupils develop an appreciation of rhythm, melody, pitch and timbre in a Dersingham Infants School - 37 similar manner to the way they do in the present inspection. Pupils still have good attitudes towards the subject and are enthusiastic and keen to participate in music lessons.

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MUSIC

119. Pupils enjoy music lessons thoroughly and have opportunities to compose simple music and to a play a range of percussion instruments. They concentrate well during class lessons and as a result make sound progress. When all classes in a year group meet together in the hall to participate in a single music lesson they become restless and inattentive. This results in slower progress.

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MUSIC

120. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall with one example of very good teaching. Praise is used appropriately to motivate pupils and to promote an enjoyment in music. Good strategies are employed by teachers to help pupils understand different aspects of music. For example, pupils were asked to describe the feelings portrayed by pictures of a number of distinct facial expressions as a prelude to asking them to describe the emotions depicted by a number of different pieces of music. This helped pupils to understand and make progress in knowing how to describe and respond to the differing moods of pieces of music. Teachers manage the behaviour of the pupils very successfully. They are firm when necessary but consistently polite in their approach to the pupils. A specialist music teacher is used effectively to teach music to all pupils in each of the year groups in Key Stage 1. The teacher plans a

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MUSIC

wide range of very effective musical experiences for pupils to participate in during the lesson which enables them to satisfactory progress. The specialist music teacher teaches two lessons per week, one for each of the year groups, and covers all classes in the year simultaneously. This makes it difficult to build a rapport with all the children and consequently there is a degree of restlessness amongst the pupils. When the teaching is very good the teacher has an infectious enthusiasm which affects the pupils very positively. They respond well to the teacher’s very good knowledge of the dance structures from different countries of the world. This enables the class to make good progress in a variety of aspects of music.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

121. At the time of the previous inspection attainment in dance and gymnastics was satisfactory. During the inspection, two floor gymnastics lessons were observed and two dance lessons. There was no opportunity to observe a games lesson in the hall. It is, therefore, not possible to make a clear judgement about pupils' attainment in physical education overall.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

122. In the lessons observed progress was satisfactory. However, in a quarter of the lessons progress is very good but there are a very small number of lessons where it is unsatisfactory. In the best gymnastics lessons pupils use balance imaginatively, show control in linking actions together and use space well. Pupils’ attitudes to dance and gymnastics in the lessons observed were satisfactory although this has the same range as the progress made. In the best lessons pupils are very enthusiastic, listen well, concentrate on the task and work co-operatively together. This has a very positive impact on progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123. Teaching in lessons observed was overall satisfactory with some very good teaching and one unsatisfactory lesson. In the best lessons teachers use a well moderated, calm voice and create a sense of anticipation. The lessons are well planned with reference to previous learning including cross curricular links, for example music, from, The Carnival of the Animals. The lessons have clear structure, very good explanations, energetic demonstrations and the teachers have high expectations. Very good teaching about health issues is included in a natural way. Classroom assistants join in with equal vigour and assist pupils for whom English is an additional language and those with special educational needs to make good progress. In the lesson that is unsatisfactory, the content of the lessons does not interest the pupils, they consequently become inattentive, noisy and put little effort into the activity.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. The scheme of work for physical education was introduced in Spring 1999 although it was not fully applied until Autumn 1999. The introduction followed some staff discussion. It has appropriate skills identified for Years 1 and 2. Physical education is planned effectively by teachers in year group teams. However, it has not had a high profile and not all teachers are confident about how to teach it. The co- ordinator has recently monitored three classes and given advice about lesson structure and the importance of demonstration, particularly for pupils with English as an additional language. However, Dersingham Infants School - 38 there are no plans to monitor lessons systematically and provide professional feedback. The subject development plan identifies the development of games and dance. The development of dance is to be achieved through the residency of a dance group.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. At the time of the last inspection a shortage of resources limited the teaching of physical education and the large equipment was too heavy for pupils to move easily. These issues have been addressed satisfactorily and the resources are now good. Assessment and recording of skills development lacks judgements about the progress made by individuals and the quality of their work.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

126. At the time of the last inspection pupils' attainment was below the expectations of the locally Agreed Syllabus. There was very little direct teaching and no effective act of worship. There was insufficient attention to different beliefs and pupils were often passive listeners. All these issues have been successfully addressed and good improvements have been made.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

127. Throughout the school the pupils' learning in religious education is satisfactory overall and the levels of attainment achieved by pupils is also satisfactory. Religious Education frequently includes occasions when pupils sit in a circle to discuss moral or social issues. On these occasions pupils share ideas, feelings and experiences. Sometimes quiet thinking is appropriate following a time when pupils are filled with awe and becomes a special time for spiritual reflection. Pupils learn from stories by relating the ideas to their personal experience. For example the Genesis story is related to pupils' own creativity in art. Previous learning is effectively reinforced by reference to it as a basis for understanding the current theme. Pupils show an above average spiritual response and are able effectively to empathise. They have an above average awareness of a range of beliefs and respect for these beliefs.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

128. Pupils' responses are generally satisfactory with some good and very good. They listen attentively, respond confidently and respect each other's beliefs. In the best lessons pupils' concentration is impressive. They silently and calmly reflect, listen to evocative music and offer thoughtful reflections to class discussions. Occasionally pupils become restless when stories are less well read or overlong, or their questions are not addressed. When inappropriate behaviour occurs, teachers gently and effectively re- direct concentration. Cross-curricular links are often made with religious education themes. These are very effective where the links are natural, such as weather in geography, flooding in Mozambique and the story of Noah. However, sometimes it results in less focus on the religious theme, less thoughtful response and consequent learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

129. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall with examples of good or very good lessons. Teachers employ simple and effective strategies, such as a darkened room, in order to evoke atmosphere and use a voice full of heightened suspense to capture pupil’s attention and imagination. In the best lessons, pupils are encouraged to empathise and careful questioning techniques promote responses from personal experience. These are sensitively and appreciatively received. In a lesson on Noah's Ark, pupils were aware of the flooding in Mozambique and were guided to make logical connections between their own experience, that of others and the Noah's Ark story. Good use is made of resources such as photographs to aid understanding and discussion. The best lessons have a tightly controlled structure in which pupils have time for listening, questioning, reflecting and contributing ideas from all religious beliefs. In less successful lessons, story reading lacks pace and expression and pupils do not

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

have the opportunity to have their questions answered promptly.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130. Generally the pace of lessons is good with a succession of short units that slot neatly together. Support staff are well deployed in most classes, for example supporting pupils with special educational needs and those with individual education programmes, although in some classes, assistants are passive members of the group. Effective deployment of support staff has a beneficial effect on the whole class and allows development of ideas for the higher attaining pupils. Pupils are interested in religious education lessons and, coupled with the good support provided for pupils, progress in learning is satisfactory. Dersingham Infants School - 39 131. Following the previous inspection, emphasis was placed on development of religious education. This involved staff discussion of how to teach the Newham syllabus, creation of a scheme of work, raising of teacher expertise and monitoring by the co-ordinator. The actions taken have resulted in very good

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

improvement. It is intended that further monitoring will take place in the summer term. Eight teachers have joined the staff since the previous monitoring and training took place. Teachers now plan together, pooling expertise and resources and decide which religious celebrations to focus on each term. The subject development plan indicates areas for development in the future but the steps to be taken, the costs involved and success criteria, are insufficiently detailed for it to be a useful development tool.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

132. The scheme shows links between content, spirituality, moral issues and other subjects. For example, in reception classes, pupils learn the loaves and fishes bible story, reflect on the importance of sharing, giving at harvest and develop speaking and listening skills.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

133. Assessment during lessons is effective with teachers listening to pupils, encouraging and correcting misconceptions sensitively. The only longer term evidence of pupil achievement is in displays since all work not intended for display goes home immediately. The system of recording varies between teachers and is seldom evaluative, thus hampering longer term assessment of conceptual development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

134. Good links are made with the local community with pupils visiting a Mosque, the local Gurdwara, Hindu Temple and a Church. Pupils took part in the Christmas Service in the local Baptist Church and sang Christmas songs to the special needs patients at the local centre.

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