Rowner Infant School

ROWNER INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 4 - 7 February 2002

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ROWNER INFANT SCHOOL

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

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ROWNER INFANT SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Copse Lane Rowner Gosport Hampshire Postcode: PO13 0DH

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr R Robertson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 12 May 1997 Rowner Infant School - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

23630 J Palk Registered inspector English Information and communication technology Design and technology Special educational needs The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well pupils are taught? How well the school is led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 9837 R Walsh Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 26519 M Hatfield Team inspector Art and design Geography History Music Foundation Stage Pupils’ attitudes values and personal development

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Aspect responsibilities

20752 J Collings Team inspector Mathematics Science Religious education Physical education English as an additional language Equal opportunities How good are curriculum and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Aspect responsibilities

Full Circle The Brow 35 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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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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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Rowner Infant School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a small infant school with 149 pupils aged from four to seven years old. The school draws its pupils from a mixture of local authority housing and Ministry of Defence owned housing. There is above average movement of pupils in and out of school. The economic profile of the area is average. There are broadly average proportions of pupils entitled to free school meals. Thirty one per cent of the pupils are on the register of special educational needs, which is average. Eighteen of these receive additional support from outside agencies for their particular difficulties that include speech and communication, profound learning difficulties and emotional and behavioural needs. Very few pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and one child who speaks Gujarati is learning English as an additional language. Children’s attainment on entry to the reception class is broadly typical of most

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

schools. Pupils are taught in year groups and class sizes are small. Five of the eight staff have joined the school in the last two years.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school. Pupils achieve well and high standards are reached by seven year olds in reading and writing. The teaching is good and the systems for checking children’s progress are very effective. Pupils behave and work very well together. The headteacher is very good at identifying what needs to be done and carrying out the action that ensures pupils reach their potential. She has managed the recent changes in staffing very well. There is a strong commitment to maintaining successful practice and raising standards further. The school gives good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Standards of reading, writing and science are well above average. • The teaching is good; support staff work very effectively to help pupils learn. • Staff in the infant classes collect very good information on how pupils are learning and use this information when planning their work. • Pupils have very good attitudes to their work and benefit from the very good relationships with the staff; moral and social values develop very well. • There is very good academic and personal support for pupils, and those with special educational needs make good progress. • The school is very well led and managed by the headteacher; good procedures are in place for evaluating effectiveness and there is determination by all staff to do their very best for pupils.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Tracking of children’s progress in the Foundation Stage 1 . • Time available to consolidate and extend pupils’ mathematical knowledge and skills. • More information and communication technology (ICT) equipment. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in May 1997. Since then it has made very good progress in dealing with the key issues. Standards in reading and writing are now much higher. Teaching and learning are better; teachers have high expectations and work is closely

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

1 Foundation Stage: there are three stages identified in the primary phase of education. The Foundation Stage begins when children reach the age of three and finishes at the end of the reception year; typically before the child’s sixth birthday. Rowner Infant School - 7 matched to pupils’ needs. The headteacher and subject managers have established good systems for identifying the action needed to improve the school and have the ability to continue improving very quickly.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The numbers of pupils reaching above average attainment in reading and writing are much better than similar schools and the school reached its demanding targets in reading and writing. The number of pupils above average in mathematics tests is similar to that of similar schools but girls are not achieving as well as boys. The school is taking action to address this imbalance and to reach its targets for above average attainment next year. Teacher assessments in science show attainment to be above average.

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STANDARDS

Inspection found that overall standards are good. Seven year olds are achieving very well in reading, spelling and handwriting. Pupils’ writing is above average. The school has made these areas a priority since the last inspection and the action taken has been very successful. Standards in mathematics are average but there is insufficient attention given to consolidating and developing number skills at the higher levels.

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STANDARDS

Standards are well above average in science and pupils think and reflect critically. Standards in history, geography and physical education are above average. Art and design skills and religious education are meeting expectations. Information and communication technology skills are as expected but the shortage of computers limits the development and use of these skills.

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STANDARDS

Children enter school with literacy, language and numeracy skills that are typical for their age. They are making satisfactory progress in all areas through the Foundation Stage and most reach expected standards by the time they leave the reception class.

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STANDARDS

Lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress in basic skills as a result of the well-targeted support.

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STANDARDS

The presentation of work throughout the school is of a high standard and encourages pupils to do their best. Rowner Infant School - 8

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are attentive and enthusiastic.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good behaviour in and around the school. School is calm and pupils play and work happily together.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils show pride in their work and take care of each other.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory. There is a prompt and efficient start to each day.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

The pupils are particularly respectful and accept each other’s views and opinions. Relationships between pupils and adults are very good and this gives pupils confidence to give their best.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The teaching is good overall. Thirty six lessons were seen during the inspection, the majority of which were good with a small number that were very good. The very best teaching inspires pupils with the confidence to share their thinking.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teachers’ planning is very thorough; they prepare well and they know the needs of the pupils. Work is marked well. Records are detailed for all subjects. The smooth organisation and very good management of lessons ensure there is little time wasted. Teaching assistants 2 are involved in lesson planning and recording pupils’ progress. They support pupils very well during the lessons and this is helping the rate of learning.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Literacy is taught very well. Reading and writing skills are taught systematically. Teaching of numeracy is satisfactory. The strategies are taught well but not enough opportunity is given to develop or consolidate these. There is good teaching of investigation work in science.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching in reception is satisfactory. Basic skills are taught well. Relationships are very good and a lively choice of activities is provided through which children learn. Tracking children’s learning is improving but is not sharp enough to help plan what needs to be taught next.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Those with special educational needs are taught well. Information about their progress is shared effectively and good strategies are in place to meet their needs.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

2 Teaching assistants: refers to those members of staff not qualified as teachers but who work with children individually or take charge of small groups. They work under the direction of the class teacher and headteacher and receive appropriate training. Rowner Infant School - 9

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good curriculum which is very thoroughly planned. There is very strong emphasis on providing opportunities for reading and writing.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Individual education plans are clear and support is frequent and available in most lessons.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language There is good provision for pupils needing to learn English as an additional language. They receive the attention and support needed.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good moral and social provision and the very good community encourage pupils’ personal development. Spiritual development is well provided for through assemblies. Cultural development is developed well through visits and visitors.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Very well indeed. Very good use is made of information to track pupils’ achievements and give necessary support. Health and safety standards are high.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Not enough time is given to consolidate and extend mathematical skills. Pupils’ reports are of good quality and tell parents exactly what their child has to do to improve. Parents make a good contribution through work they do at home in spelling and reading. The open afternoons strengthen the links between home and school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher gives decisive leadership. She is very effective in sharing responsibilities so that all staff are making a contribution to improving children’s education.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities This is done well. Governors are well informed. They maintain good links with the community.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Effective procedures have been established for checking on how well the school is doing. Very good use is made of performance data and other checks on standards to set the school’s strategic development.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good use is made of funds to train staff to improve the quality of pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Additional rooms and areas are used well. There is not enough ICT equipment for pupils to extend and use their skills in other subjects. The school building is well maintained and Rowner Infant School - 10 displays encourage high standards. The school uses its funds wisely and seeks to give best value.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The standards children achieve. • The school knows their children well and gives their children lots of help and support. • Pleased with the annual reports on their children’s progress. • Children learn to behave well. There were no significant concerns. A few parents would welcome more after school clubs. Some were concerned about the recent changes in teachers.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team agreed with parents about the strengths of the school. In common with many other infant schools there are no after school clubs but children’s experiences are extended by regular trips. Recently appointed teachers have settled in quickly and make a good contribution to the school’s continuing development. Rowner Infant School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The 2001 National Curriculum test results for seven year olds in reading and writing were well above the national average and when compared to similar schools. Spelling test results were also above average. Pupils’ performances in these tests have continued to improve each year over the last four years with a particular improvement in the proportion of pupils achieving above average reading and writing results. Boys have done particularly well in reading, responding to the school’s strategies for teaching sounds and the provision of books with greater appeal. The 2001 mathematics test results were average compared to all schools and those of a similar characteristics. The school has made good improvement in raising the proportions each year of those reaching average levels in mathematics but proportions reaching above average are below similar schools. In the main, higher attaining boys have done better than girls over the years; a trend the school is keeping

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Teacher assessments indicate well above average scientific knowledge and also investigation skills. Last year’s pupils made good gains on their scientific knowledge and understanding from baseline. The school has successfully exceeded the challenging targets set for reading and writing and mainly achieves those set for mathematics. Targets for next year reflect the aim of the school to challenge higher attaining pupils in mathematics, by ensuring better match of work to pupils’ potential. However, more teaching time will be needed if pupils are to reach these targets.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Inspection evidence largely confirms last year’s test and task results for seven year olds, and the school is continuing the upward trend in standards. Children enter with broadly average speaking and listening skills, make satisfactory gains and by the age of seven these are broadly typical. Reading skills are well above expectations with very nearly all pupils accurate and enthusiastic readers. Pupils have a very good understanding of how to tackle new words and seek for meaning when they read. They know how to use information books and many read critically. Pupils’ standards of handwriting are very high. Their letters are formed correctly, with clear joins. The writing is, after the initial first steps, always legible and makes an outstanding contribution to pupils’ overall presentation skills which are high. Spelling strategies are used well by pupils and most pupils exceed the expectations of typical seven year

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

olds in accurate spelling. The key words identified in the National Literacy Strategy are learnt and applied accurately. Routine spelling practice and very good teaching of sounds has helped to raise attainment. Pupils’ writing is above average. They write well for a range of purposes including diaries and playscripts. Creative writing lacks individual style but is, none the less, accurately punctuated and grammar is consistently applied. All pupils by the end of Year 2 write with correct use of full stops and a good choice of language. Lower attaining pupils and those with average attainment are achieving very well in English, whilst other pupils make good progress. The curriculum is challenging and there is very careful matching of work to pupils’ previous attainment.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Standards by the age of seven in mathematics are average. Lower and average attaining pupils have achieved well in their knowledge of number facts and also in learning strategies for addition, subtraction and multiplication. Work is carefully matched to pupils’ needs, and higher attaining pupils are expected to work with three Rowner Infant School - 12 digit numbers. The school is providing intensive support in lessons for girls as a response to the trend in test results. However, the challenge for higher attaining pupils to use their skills in problem solving or to explore and explain number is not sufficient to ensure that more pupils reach a higher standard. The opportunities to develop mathematical thinking and consolidate their skills is limited by insufficient planned time and not a clear enough expectation that numeracy skills should develop alongside other subjects. There is not enough data handling or mathematical

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

challenges provided for pupils. Girls, in particular, may be affected more by this lack of opportunity than boys; a possible reason for not achieving at a higher level.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Standards in science are well above the expectations of seven year olds. In particular, pupils’ science investigation skills are good because they are challenged to think about their findings and apply their scientific knowledge. Pupils with special educational needs have help with their writing so that they are not disadvantaged when it comes to writing down their ideas and hypotheses. Standards in ICT are meeting expectations. Their learning is satisfactory due to a more organised and systematic approach to teaching the skills. However, there are not enough computers to allow for pupils to use them independently for research or to support other subjects. The lack of computers impedes pupils learning the skills to achieve the higher levels.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The pupils identified as having special educational needs achieve well. Of last year’s group all but one pupil achieved average standards in reading, writing and mathematics and a small proportion achieved above average results in reading and writing. The intensive support is firmly focused on developing basic literacy and numeracy skills and is well matched to the work of the class so ensuring complete inclusion. Those with specific emotional and behavioural difficulties have regularly reviewed plans which help them make good progress towards developing the social skills required to work co-operatively and independently.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The impact of good writing and very good reading skills is seen in pupils’ attainment in geography and history, which are above expectations. In these subjects, pupils extend their writing for a range of purposes and also develop reading for meaning. Independent working is well planned and good quality resources, trips and visitors contribute to raising the achievement of pupils. Work is well presented and lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs get help in discussions and when carrying out research. Physical development is above average. Pupils are well co-ordinated with good techniques for controlling balls. Pupils achieve average standards in art, design and technology and religious education. Pupils are familiar with prayer and have an acceptable knowledge of a major world faith and the symbolism of Christianity.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Children enter the reception class with reading, writing and number skills that are broadly typical for their age. Most achieve the Early Learning Goals 3 by the time they leave the reception class in all areas and they are generally above in physical development. They make good progress in personal and social skills as result of warm relationships they develop with teachers and teaching assistants, and the care shown them. The classrooms are lively and inviting and there are many opportunities for them to learn and play together. Acceptable progress is made in all areas of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 Early Learning Goals: these are the expectations for most children to reach by the end of the Foundation Stage. They refer mainly to achievements in children made in connection with the six areas of learning: communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; personal, social and emotional development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development. Rowner Infant School - 13 learning but more challenge is required in the work expected of them and a closer attention paid to the small steps leading to the Early Learning Goals. 9. The school has made very good progress in raising standards in reading and writing since the last inspection, when this was a key issue. Strategies to improve reading and writing have been developed very well, such as spelling, handwriting and grammar as well as more opportunities to write for different purposes. Achievements

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

in other subjects are also good overall. There is an understanding of what pupils have achieved and what they need to learn next. Systems for recording and tracking pupils in Years 1 and 2 are now well established. There is very good attention given to individual needs and intensive support for those underachieving and lower attaining pupils. Higher attaining pupils and those with particular talents are identified early on and the attention teachers give to challenging thinking skills is effective.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Since the last inspection pupils’ attitudes have improved and are now very good. Children and pupils are eager to come to school and are very well motivated in lessons. Pupils respond eagerly to challenge and are attentive, enthusiastic, sustain interest and concentrate very well in class. This makes a positive contribution to their progress and achievement. Pupils react positively to the encouragement offered by all staff who are consistent in the way they manage the pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Behaviour at the school is very good. Pupils know what is expected of them and the great majority follow the school rules which are displayed in each class. They take great pride when they are awarded the ‘behaviour cards’, and ‘stickers’ for good achievement and behaviour. In the dining hall at lunch times, around school and outside in the playground, where some lively play is enjoyed, behaviour is also very good. Parents are happy with the standards of behaviour and are very supportive of the school’s behaviour management systems. The school has a strict anti-bullying policy and the rare instances of unpleasant behaviour or bullying are dealt with firmly and swiftly. Pupils understand about ‘bullying’ and know exactly what to do if an incident occurs. Children in the reception classes learn to respect others and they understand the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. There

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

have been no exclusions during the past year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ personal development is good, overall, an improvement since the last inspection. Pupils are friendly and confident amongst adults and willingly take responsibility for tasks they are given in class and around the school. They relish acting as register and tidying up monitors, clearing away after assemblies, putting out and putting away playtime equipment and helping younger children. They respond very positively to the ‘helping hands’ scheme 4 which forms part of the anti-bullying policy. The Year 2 children, wearing their badges as the ‘helping hands’, take responsibility every playtime for a week, for making sure that other children who sit at the ‘Friendship Stop’ area always have someone to play with or share any worries. Pupils think of others in raising funds for a good number of charities, such as the National Society for the Protection of Children. They are developing a good

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

understanding of citizenship and community awareness through positive links with the police, fire service and the local naval establishments. Relationships are very good. Staff are very good role models, always treating the pupils with courtesy and respect. Pupils respond very well to this and they like their teachers and teaching assistants and feel that they are very well cared for. Pupils are comfortable about chatting to any

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

4 These ‘helping hands’ are Year 2 children who take responsibility at playtimes for making sure that other children who sit at the ‘Friendship Stop’ area always have someone to play with or share worries. Rowner Infant School - 14 adult in school, about work and personal issues and there are high levels of mutual respect. Relationships within peer groups are friendly and positive and the girls and boys get on very well together.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Attendance rates are satisfactory (at present 94.1 per cent) and are in line with the national average for a school of this type and size. The rates have continued to improve since the last inspection and the school is working hard to improve them still further. Registration is prompt and efficient, pupils answer their names politely and there is an orderly start to daily lessons. In Years 1 and 2 the registration process is used as a short mental arithmetic activity, pupils being asked to calculate permutations on the numbers present and absent, which sets a good tone for the whole day. Pupils settle to work quickly and quietly at the start of sessions and teachers treat lateness seriously, with any disruption being kept to a minimum. Timekeeping during the school day is generally good, with lessons starting and ending promptly. Registers are meticulously maintained and controlled, and comply fully with

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. The quality of teaching is good. No lessons were unsatisfactory and there were a few that were very good or excellent. A number of good improvements have been made since the last inspection. Teachers’ knowledge is much better particularly in teaching literacy, numeracy, science and art. The last inspection found that teachers in Year 1 and 2 did not challenge the pupils sufficiently and expectations of what they could achieve were not high enough. This has been fully addressed through rigorous planning linked to assessments, sharp targets for pupils in English, mathematics and science, and well-organised individual support.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. Planning is of a very high standard in Years 1 and 2. Teachers’ expectations of pupils are high and particularly well matched to pupils’ needs. The careful monitoring of teachers’ planning and the rigorous tracking of pupils’ performance has improved teachers’ knowledge of the next steps needed to develop pupils’ skills. This knowledge has been acquired through training and sharing of teachers’ expertise. Learning objectives are very clear in all lessons and there is good emphasis on language to challenge pupils’ thinking and develop vocabulary. Plenty of support is given for pupils’ reading and writing in all lessons and the new vocabulary to be learnt is emphasised well. Teachers plan thoroughly together, making use of each other’s expertise but also in evaluating what teaching strategies were most effective. Teachers’ preparation is thorough. For example, before a field trip to the park the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

pupils considered what questions they might ask of the park keeper that would help them learn more about the use of the park and how it is laid out.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Literacy is taught very well. Individual support is very good for English and based on thorough tracking of pupils’ attainment. Very high expectations of pupils raise the challenge, for example, to use the correct vocabulary, grammar and punctuation skills. Literacy is taught well through other subjects. For example, pupils are expected to research into subjects by reading non-fiction books and writing for different purposes is encouraged in all subjects. The teaching of reading is very well structured without losing sight of reading for pleasure. Pupils are taught a full range of strategies. Lower attaining pupils benefit from daily teaching of these basic skills during the literacy lesson and at other times. Pupils are fully aware of their literacy targets, which are regularly shared with them and successes celebrated. This is helping accelerate the progress they make. Rowner Infant School - 15

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Numeracy teaching is satisfactory. Good emphasis is given to learning mathematical language and strategies for working with numbers. Teachers have high expectations and set work that is challenging. For example, Year 1 pupils are counting back in fours. The teachers do not allow enough time at the end of lessons to share and consolidate pupils’ thinking and not enough mathematics teaching occurs outside the numeracy lesson to extend and develop pupils’ use of number.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Teachers keep very good records of pupils’ attainment in all subjects. Teaching assistants keep the records updated of those pupils for who they have provided intensive support in literacy and numeracy and are regularly involved in tracking groups of pupils’ attainment in subjects like physical education. The teachers regularly evaluate examples of each pupil’s work in a range of subjects and this sharpens lesson objectives.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Very good relationships help to motivate pupils. Pupils benefit from being well challenged when taught as a class or set individual tasks. Teaching assistants are fully involved in supporting pupils in lessons. The regular training they receive helps them support lessons very effectively. They have clear objectives and are well prepared with resources. This helps maintain pupils’ very good attitudes to learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Time is used well to teach skills and knowledge, although it is limited for allowing more creativity in subjects such as art and design and technology. Information and communication skills are taught satisfactorily and teachers plan time in the week for pupils to work and consolidate their skills. However, there are not enough computers to allow pupils to follow up the taught skills and explore these skills fully.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Marking is satisfactory and particularly good in writing, history and geography. It is very helpful and specific to the needs of the pupil. It tells pupils what they have achieved and also to what they need to do next. Good emphasis is placed on thinking in the way teachers extend and develop their questions. Good routines are established for homework. It is regular, matched to pupils’ needs and the teachers and assistants maintain a careful record of what has been done. The teachers value what is done by pupils, and this serves to establish positive attitudes towards homework.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Lessons are well organised. For example, teachers will ensure those needing support are correctly sat next to teaching assistants. Additional intensive support, for example speech and language therapy or the early literacy strategy, is managed to create as little disruption to other pupils’ learning as possible. Teachers develop opportunities for literacy and numeracy in physical education and at registration. Once a week Year 2 pupils are grouped by their ability in mathematics to ensure all pupils are given challenging work based on their prior attainment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Pupils with special educational needs are taught well. They gain from the thorough planning of the support teacher and teaching assistants. The chance to work in small rooms, which are well equipped and stimulating, adds value to their response and enthusiasm for the group teaching. Praise is used constructively.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Overall teaching is satisfactory in the reception classes. Some very good teaching was observed, particularly in the personal, social and emotional development and physical development areas of learning, where very good relationships resulted in good achievement for the children, including those with special educational needs. Teachers’ knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum is appropriate. Teachers and other adults are well organised and manage children very well. The range of Rowner Infant School - 16 activities is chosen well to stimulate and engage children’s thinking but lack a sharp focus on what is to be learnt. Consequently there is some lack of challenge in some areas or tasks are too difficult for others. Taking turns, imaginative requests and well- established routines add to overall security and confidence of the pupils. Teaching assistants are deployed fully with small groups, which benefit their learning in reading

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and writing and number but on the whole means there is little other impact into other areas such as the role play. Planning is detailed as to the activities but learning outcomes are not specified. It does not identify specific details of the small, structured steps in progression to help children with different levels of understanding to move more rapidly towards the Early Learning Goals. This means that some sessions run on too long as they lose their focus, so reducing the time adults could usefully spend with other groups. Where there is a lack of intervention by adults in, for example, creative areas, opportunities to develop children’s skills and knowledge are missed.

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PUPILS?

25. The school has made significant improvements since the last inspection in the quality and organisation of the curriculum. It has developed the role of curriculum managers, particularly in literacy and numeracy, to ensure that the planning and teaching of their subjects are monitored. Planning for all subjects is very clearly linked to the Programmes of Study of the National Curriculum and the school has developed a senior management team that reviews the curriculum regularly. The curriculum continues to be broad and balanced and meets the agreed syllabus for religious education and has developed an appropriate curriculum for the personal, social and health education of its pupils. However, the school has limited resources to support ICT and this restricts pupils’ progress and the ability to use it as a tool to support other subjects. The school makes very good use of classroom assistants who are well

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PUPILS?

trained and experienced. They make a significant contribution not only to planning, but through systematic recording of assessment during lessons which ensures work is challenging and meeting pupils’ needs, particularly those who have been identified as having special educational needs.

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PUPILS?

26. Since the last inspection the school has implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies effectively. The National Literacy Strategy has had a significant influence on raising standards in reading and writing. English is very well used across all areas of the curriculum. For example, the writing of prayers to God to thank him for Christmas, recording investigations in science and mathematics, recording past lives of people in history. However, the amount of time spent on English is significantly higher than that found in most schools and this has resulted in, for example, less time being spent on mathematics. Consequently, standards in mathematics, although in line with that found in most schools, is significantly below English. The limited time attributed to mathematics means pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to practise, consolidate and apply the work they have done within the mathematics curriculum or in other subjects such as science or ICT.

p.16

PUPILS?

27. The Foundation Stage curriculum is broad, balanced, covers all the recommended areas of learning, and links smoothly with the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum. It is still being developed in the absence of a permanent Foundation Stage manager. The school has identified that planning for progression needs to be firmly based on small, structured steps in learning to help children of different levels of attainment towards achieving the national Early Learning Goals in all the areas of learning. Although appropriate opportunities are provided to develop children’s skills and knowledge Rowner Infant School - 17 through a balance of adult-directed and self-chosen activities, the organisation of too many activities at one time limits the effectiveness of direct teaching, and makes it difficult to focus on a given area of learning. The full involvement of adults in planning ensures that provision for children with special educational needs, and those children

p.16

PUPILS?

who speak English as an additional language is very good.

p.17

PUPILS?

28. The school has a similar provision for extra-curricular activities to that found in most infant schools. Pupils make regular visits to support work in history and geography. A good range of visitors supplements pupils’ experiences in history, religious education and the arts. The school has a range of playground games and equipment that provides more challenge and creativity during break and lunchtimes.

p.17

PUPILS?

29. The curriculum provides equal opportunities for all. Any pupils needing help are appropriately supported to ensure they have equal access to the curriculum. The school monitors pupils’ progress very carefully against the predictions identified when they first come into the school.

p.17

PUPILS?

30. The overall provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, an improvement since the previous inspection when it was judged to be satisfactory.

p.17

PUPILS?

31. The provision for spiritual development has improved since the school was last inspected and is now good. Well-planned acts of worship meet statutory requirements and make a very positive contribution to pupils’ spiritual development. Pupils learn about Hinduism in religious education, giving them an insight into other people’s beliefs. Very good opportunities are provided in assemblies, circle time and lessons for pupils to reflect on feelings. For example, in a very successful assembly about ‘People who help us’, pupils reflected thoughtfully on ways in which their grandparents cared for them and how they felt about them. Pupils’ ideas are valued. The majority of parents are happy with the values and attitudes the school promotes. Foundation Stage children are given very good opportunities to appreciate the wonders of nature, for example, during a ‘bear hunt’ around the school grounds.

p.17

PUPILS?

32. Provision for moral development is very good. School places a high priority on teaching moral values. The school’s clear and positive approach to managing good behaviour ensures that teachers and teaching assistants have a consistent attitude towards, and high expectations of, pupils’ involvement in lessons and of their behaviour. Parents are very supportive of the way the school fosters good behaviour and most are happy with the school’s standards of behaviour. Pupils are taught to distinguish between right and wrong through sensitive discussion of incidents in the class and playground, through stories and assemblies. Many activities and stories teach Foundation Stage children to respect others and to know the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. School rules are displayed in classrooms and pupils know and follow these. The topic of ‘bullying’ is addressed regularly with staff and pupils who know exactly what to do if an incident occurs.

p.17

PUPILS?

Adults are very good role models and pupils learn by example that it is important to value and respect people.

p.17

PUPILS?

33. Very good provision is made for social development. The headteacher is a very good role model for staff, in giving responsibility to pupils. Class lists of pupils’ responsibilities are displayed in classes. Very effective opportunities are provided for pupils to take responsibility in class and around school, an improvement since the last inspection. For example, pupils act as milk, register and tidying up monitors. They clear away after assemblies and put out and put away playtime equipment and they help younger children. Very positive strategies to promote pupils’ social development Rowner Infant School - 18 include the ‘helping hands’ scheme that forms part of the anti-bullying policy. The school keeps a record of good achievement to encourage and celebrate good behaviour, politeness and consideration. Very good opportunities are provided for pupils to think of others in raising funds for charities, such as the ‘Elizabeth

p.17

PUPILS?

Foundation’ for deaf pre-school children. Pupils’ understanding of citizenship and community awareness is fostered very well through very positive links with local organisations.

p.18

PUPILS?

34. Provision for cultural development has improved since the previous inspection and is good. Pupils’ appreciation of their own culture is developed well through literature, music, art, geography, history, religious education, assemblies and stories. Pupils’ multicultural understanding is promoted satisfactorily through learning about festivals in other cultures, and through the organisation of an ‘African Week’. Reading books and displays add to pupils’ awareness of other cultures and multicultural themes are regularly included in the collective worship. Given the mono-cultural background of the pupils, more needs to be done to teach pupils the knowledge and understanding needed for life in a multicultural society.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Overall assessment procedures are very good and have improved since the last inspection. In Years 1 and 2 procedures are very good in English, mathematics, and science and good in the remaining foundation subjects. Consequently, work in these subjects is challenging and appropriate to the age ability of pupils. Very clear targets are set for all pupils in English, mathematics and science and progress is very rigorously monitored. The targets are made clear to pupils in their English books, which help to remind them and their teachers, of what has been agreed. However, this beneficial practice is not found in mathematics. The school analyses the tests in English and mathematics very carefully to identify weaknesses in pupils’ knowledge and understanding to ensure future teaching addresses any issues raised. For example, the differences between girls’ and boys’ attainment in mathematics has

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

been identified and a number of strategies implemented to establish the reasons. A good range of other tests is used; for example, to check pupils’ reading, spelling and mental ability in mathematics.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. There are sound procedures in the Foundation Stage to clearly identify children’s ability when they enter the school. All adults play a part in checking progress but systems lack a sharp focus on the small structured steps in learning. The school is aware of this and plans are in place to improve this aspect of the provision in the Foundation Stage.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The support for those with special educational needs is very good. The teaching assistants are well trained. The progress and achievements are reviewed fortnightly and parents are kept regularly informed. The support is invariably provided for other subjects, which is of particular benefit in subjects such as science and design and technology. Here pupils can make the same progress as other pupils because they receive individual attention at important times such as evaluating their models or writing up their scientific findings. The intensive support for literacy and numeracy works well, and pupils benefit from small group work. The satisfactory individual education plans for numeracy are underpinned by the teachers’ assessment records for mathematics but lack the sharpness of the English plans.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. There is a reliable child protection policy in place, with the headteacher taking responsibility for this aspect. Staff are aware of the policy and know how to recognise Rowner Infant School - 19 abuse, but as yet have had no formal training. Pupils feel safe and secure and arrangements for recording medicine administration, minor accidents and illness are very good, with clear documentation. The school has a purpose related medical room, and sufficient number of staff have current first aid qualifications.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Health and safety arrangements in school are very good. Risk assessments of the buildings and equipment take place on a regular basis and are well documented, and all equipment and appliance inspections are up to date. There are clear procedures for evacuation in the event of fire, with practice fire drills taking place each term.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school’s procedures for monitoring the performance and personal development of pupils are very good. The pupils’ annual academic reports are informative and comprehensive, and contain areas for future development. Teachers and support staff know the pupils and their families extremely well, and deal sensitively with any problems. Classroom assistants are enthusiastic and committed to improving attainment levels, and they provide invaluable support to individual pupils, especially those with special educational needs. Discussion groups are used effectively throughout the school to encourage pupils to take responsibility for their own actions, and also as a vehicle for communicating any fears or concerns. The school also takes advantage of contributions from other professionals including a nurse, a speech therapist, and an educational psychologist.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Since the last inspection, the school’s procedures for monitoring and improving attendance have been strengthened and are now very good. The attendance policy is well written and comprehensive. The school actively promotes good attendance in its prospectus, in its parents’ induction programme and by inclusion in regular newsletters. The school has now set itself some demanding attendance targets for 2002 and with the support of parents these should be achieved.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school has a comprehensive and effective behaviour policy, which is applied consistently by staff. The policy contains a balanced range of rewards and sanctions, well understood by pupils. The anti-bullying policy is well thought out and pupils are made fully aware that any signs of harassment or aggression will be dealt with firmly.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Parents are very positive and supportive in their views of the school. The only area of concern raised at the parents’ meeting was the change of staffing in the last two years particularly affecting education in the reception classes. Evidence from the inspection suggests that this is not having an adverse impact on educational standards. Response to the parental questionnaire indicates that parents support the school strongly, but that some feel that the school does not provide a range of interesting activities outside of lessons. All the parents spoken with during the inspection agreed that Rowner Infant School is a good school and that a number of them had chosen to send their children to it despite it being some distance from their homes.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The school has very effective links with parents and they feel comfortable approaching staff with any concerns. A comprehensive induction course is run for parents of new pupils and this activity, much appreciated by parents, has been very useful in establishing good relationships between staff and parents. Wednesday afternoon open sessions after school allow parents to visit the class teacher on an informal basis and view current work. Parents appreciate these sessions because it helps to involve them further in the educational process. Nearly all parents listen to Rowner Infant School - 20 their children reading and make comments in the reading diaries. The support for the termly parent-teacher consultation sessions as well as for the governors’ annual meeting is good.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Written information provided for parents is good and there are regular informative newsletters, which keep parents up to date with events in the school calendar and with current activities. Pupils’ annual reports are good also with details on individual progress and suggestions for future development, however they do not contain space for any comments from parents. The school prospectus is comprehensive and well written, although rather light on detail on ways in which parents can increase their involvement in the life of the school.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. A small number of committed volunteers listen to children reading, but this does not involve many parents. There are plans to start a parent-teacher association and the headteacher sees this future development as a way of gaining greater involvement in school life from what is already a very supportive parent body. Parents of pupils with special educational needs work closely with the staff in helping to draw up the individual education plans. The school values its good links with all parents and now plans to increase further their involvement in school life.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The school is very well led and managed by the headteacher. She is decisive when taking action and very clear about what she is seeking to achieve. Continual school improvement is based around a careful consideration of strengths and weaknesses and rigorous monitoring of the impact of action being taken. The headteacher consults widely and includes all staff in managing change.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. Governors make a good contribution to the work of the school. They are kept very well informed through regular reports and updates from subject managers about progress of the school’s priorities. They are involved in setting academic targets and also are fully conversant with the impact being sought through teachers’ performance management. Action planning and the review of the school strategic plan is largely carried out for the governors by the headteacher and subject managers. The governing body has not developed strategies for independently checking on the successes of action or helping the school determine future action. They have a realistic approach to best value; consulting widely with the local education authority and subject managers, comparing their performances year on year with similar schools and looking for best value in expenditure. The budget has been well managed through a period of falling rolls. They have been frugal without putting a

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

check on developing teachers’ expertise and bringing staffing levels up to meet the demands of the curriculum. Resources for ICT have lagged behind other schools, although steps have been taken by the subject manager to ensure standards have not fallen.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. There are good links between teachers’ performance management and the school’s strategic development. For example, training teachers in teaching reading skills and teaching assistants in using intensive strategies has had a very good impact on reading standards in the school. Subject managers have regular opportunities to check and monitor standards through evaluating teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. This is helping them to carry out their roles effectively and raise standards in their subjects. Assessment strategies have been strengthened to help sharpen up attainment targets for individuals and help improve the effectiveness of teachers’ planning. Teaching assistants also benefit from performance management. They Rowner Infant School - 21 have clearly defined roles and responsibilities for the academic and pastoral support of pupils linked to pupils’ targets. 50. The headteacher, governors and staff make full use of data on pupils’ achievements

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

to ensure that standards are the best they should be. This data is very useful to the headteacher and staff when monitoring standards and maintaining high expectations. A comprehensive set of policies has proved valuable tools in maintaining the good achievement of pupils during a time of significant staff change. The headteacher is regularly monitoring the teaching in the reception class to ensure continuity of children’s learning. This has been effective and teachers working in the Foundation Stage have received sensitive guidance that has ensured that their practice has developed in keeping with the high standard of provision the school sets.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Delegation of responsibilities is highly effective. Systems have been established that are sufficiently robust to ensure that the new staff quickly fit into their roles and continuity in subject development is maintained. The generous time given to subject managers for managing their subjects has helped them gain a good understanding of strengths and weaknesses in their subjects. The good quality of positional statements reflects this. The headteacher has established effective systems for teaching assistants to play a full part in assessment and lesson planning.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. Strategic planning is strengthened by very good information on pupils’ performance. In the main, this is done through regular assessments and moderating of pupils’ work, the setting of targets in reading, writing and mathematics. Planning is regularly reviewed by subject managers as are the routine end of unit assessments. This allows the headteacher and senior staff to keep a very close eye on the progress pupils are making. The advantages of new technologies to speed up the accessibility of data has yet to be developed.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. Levels of staffing are good. The school has a very good number of suitably qualified and experienced staff to teach the National Curriculum and give very effective learning support for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and children in the Foundation Stage. Teachers and teaching assistants are effectively deployed and work very well together as a team.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. Local education authority guidelines are followed for the induction of newly qualified teachers and of early entrants to teaching who are very well supported. Staff who are new to the school are very well supported to help them settle in quickly. The organisation and well managed support for pupils and staff would ensure that the school could provide a very good experience for teachers new to the profession. Administrative staff and lunchtime support staff contribute very well to the smooth running of the school.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The accommodation is very good, overall. Extra rooms are used very well for individual and group work, particularly for special educational needs, music, and for learning support in the Foundation Stage. Staff have worked hard to create a stimulating learning environment, enhanced by effective displays of work and artefacts. The school is meticulously clean and tidy. The caretaker and cleaning staff work hard to maintain high standards. The large playground, with seats and shaded areas, and the surrounding areas are suitable for play and as a learning resource, for example when Foundation Stage children go on a ‘Bear hunt’. Two valuable, new outside areas have been created, a mathematics garden, shared with the junior school, and a ‘quiet garden’. These enhance both the curriculum and pupils’ personal development. Rowner Infant School - 22

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

56. In order for the school to continue to build on its many strengths the headteacher with governors and staff should:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1) Build into the week more teaching time for mathematics to: a) ensure pupils, particularly girls, are given opportunities to practise and apply what has been learnt; b) make greater use of the time at the end of lessons to review the lessons’ objectives and consolidate learning; c) make more use of ICT to practise and apply learning and to record investigations through word processing, tables and graphs; d) identifying where mathematics can be used in other parts of the curriculum. (Paragraphs 4, 17, 85)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2) Increase the number of computers and ICT equipment to: a) allow more pupils more practice of basic skills; b) improve the teaching of basic skills; c) allow for more independent use; d) ensure more use is made of computers to research and find information. (Paragraphs 5, 20, 26, 91, 114, 118)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3) Improve teachers’ planning in the early years by: a) giving more direction in developing and extending children’s speaking and listening skills; b) using information on the small steps children have achieved to place the pitch in communication, language and literacy lessons accurately; c) planning more closely for the Early Learning Goals in mathematics; d) managing the time to maximise learning. (Paragraphs 8, 24, 27, 62, 63, 65, 69)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Enrich provision for teaching the knowledge and understanding needed for life in a multicultural society. (Paragraphs 34, 97, 106) Rowner Infant School - 23

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 45

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson observed represents more than two percentage points.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 149

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 20

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 46

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 1

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 12

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 14

p.23

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 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. Rowner Infant School - 24

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 20 24 44

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 19 20 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 23 23 23

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 95 (84) 98 (97) 98 (99) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 19 20 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 23 23 23

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 95 (96) 98 (99) 98 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Rowner Infant School - 25

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6.5 Financial year 2001

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 391,865

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 405,172

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 166 Expenditure per pupil 2,895

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 23,221

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 9,914

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5.4

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 5.4

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 2

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 Rowner Infant School - 26 FTE means full-time equivalent. Rowner Infant School - 27

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 78 22 0 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 54 41 2 0 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 61 37 2 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 63 35 2 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 91 9 0 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 78 22 0 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 67 30 3 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 85 15 0 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 72 26 0 0 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 28 39 13 2 17

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

2% is equivalent to 1 response Rowner Infant School - 28

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. The sound provision for children in the Foundation Stage has been maintained since the previous inspection. The quality of teaching ranges from satisfactory to very good and is satisfactory, overall. As a result, children do as well as can be expected.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. Children are admitted into the reception classes at the beginning of the year in which they are five. Fifty-one children attend school on a full-time basis in two reception classes. These teachers work very well together; successfully plan to ensure equal opportunity, continuity and progression. The well-qualified and experienced teaching assistants provide high quality support for all the children in the two reception classes. In the absence of a permanent Foundation Stage co-ordinator the headteacher monitors the work of the team.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59. When children start school, their attainment is broadly typical in all areas of learning. Generally children’s knowledge and understanding is better than their recognition of number. By the end of the Foundation Stage, most children reach expected standards in the areas of learning of communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and creative development. In personal, social and emotional development and in physical development, they exceed the expectations as a result of consistently good teaching in these areas. A significant number have speech problems, affecting not only language development but general development in other areas of learning. The school is addressing this by providing very good individual learning support.

p.28

Personal, social and emotional development

60. Teaching is good in this area of learning. By the end of the Foundation Stage most children are on course to exceed the Early Learning Goals. Staff value children, encouraging them to feel confident about what they can achieve. Adults provide very good role models, treating each other and the children with courtesy and respect. This leads to very good relationships between children and staff, contributing very effectively to the children’s development of positive attitudes to learning and very good response to well established routines.

p.28

Personal, social and emotional development

61. Staff encourage children to take responsibility, for example, by being milk monitors, register monitors and by clearing away equipment. Adults promote children’s personal development and independence very well, through ensuring resources are easily accessible to them. A good example of this was seen when children were able to get out their own resources when they chose to work with small water equipment to explore simple droppers and siphons. Children behave very well, are aware of what is acceptable behaviour in the classroom and playground and of what is right and wrong. Most enjoy school, are enthusiastic about learning, and play and work together well, for example, through learning to share constructional apparatus fairly and to take turns when playing ‘shape’ games. Staff provide good opportunities for children to talk about their feelings. For example, the children are encouraged to talk

p.28

Personal, social and emotional development

about how they felt when they went on a ‘bear hunt’. Most take part in discussions with growing confidence. Rowner Infant School - 29

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

62. Teaching is satisfactory, overall, with some good teaching seen in both classes. By the end of the Foundation Stage most children are on course to attain most of the Early Learning Goals, but a number lack confidence in speaking and listening. Some children are good at negotiating with others, for example, in the ‘Teddy Bears’ Hospital’, a group debated who would put Teddy into bed and who would give Teddy his medicine. More direction is needed to ensure children’s speaking and listening skills are extended, as well as their personal development.

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

63. Children enjoy stories and listen to them with increasing attention and recall. They become aware of story structure and soon pick up the key features of the story. Many begin to put the events into the right sequence and they handle books carefully. Staff use elements of the National Literacy Strategy effectively. Most children follow the text as they share the book ‘Going on a Bearhunt’, ‘reading’ aloud, with the teacher, knowing that print carries meaning. Organising a ‘Bear Hunt’ in the school grounds well-motivated the children in both classes, making a very good contribution to developing their sense of place and direction as well as their imagination and language. Teachers use language games and activities effectively in helping children recognise letters of the alphabet and initial sounds. Where the level of challenge is inappropriately high, for instance in some ‘word’ level work in literacy, children lose

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

interest and this has a negative effect on progress.

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

64. Some children ‘make marks’ and understand that these carry meaning. Most use pencils to form letters correctly and practise writing patterns in their books. Some higher attainers begin to write what they did on their ‘bear hunt’, with good support from staff.

p.29

Mathematical development

65. Teaching is satisfactory, overall, with some examples of good teaching seen. Children’s achievement is satisfactory, and some achieve well. Most are likely to attain average standards by the end of the Foundation Stage. Teachers have high expectations of children and very good class management, so that most children try hard to do their best. Although planning addresses the Early Learning Goals it does not show what children with different levels of understanding should learn to help them attain the goals. Elements of the National Numeracy Strategy are effectively used. Many begin to recognise numerals one to nine, some beyond this, with support. They are able to count to 20 as a group and count back from ten with much support. Children are interested in numbers, developing confidence in attempting to count, order and match, through the good provision and use of number games, activities and resources. Songs, such as ‘Six currant buns’ help their awareness of

p.29

Mathematical development

‘one less than’ and of ‘taking away’. Teachers organise purposeful practical activities in weighing and measuring. Children enjoy these experiences and soon learn the meaning of ‘heavy’, ‘light’, ‘balance’ and ‘long’, ‘short’. Through using shapes, structured apparatus, water and sand trays, they develop a sound understanding of space, shape and measures. When work is well matched to children’s level of attainment, learning is successful. Where learning is less effective, children spend too long at an activity, without adult support so that pace is lost, adversely affecting progress.

p.29

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Rowner Infant School - 30 66. Overall, teaching is sound. Most children achieve appropriately and are likely to attain most of the Early Learning Goals. To encourage the children to learn more about the world in which they live, staff provide a wide range of well-prepared, interesting and purposeful play activities, such as a ‘bear hunt’. This experience stimulated the children, contributing very well to their sense of place, direction, distance, imagination and language. However, planning is very broad and does not identify specific details of what children with different levels of understanding should learn. Teachers foster children’s curiosity and interest through good use of interesting resources. For example, using a pictorial map and then creating their own maps add to children’s ability to identify features in their environment. Daily use of the days of the week, the date and months of the year, help them to develop an appropriate sense of time.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

They use their sense of touch, to explore the difference between wet and dry sand. They investigate the use of small funnels and droppers to move small drops of water from jars on to a sponge, learn about the properties of things and develop their fine motor skills. Children choose from a variety of recyclable materials to make models, and use constructional apparatus to build towers safely, with growing skill and awareness of safety. Good opportunities to use computers help most children to develop basic information technology skills. Some already control the mouse and recognise some letters on the keyboard. The good use made of visits to places, such as Manor Farm, supports children’s understanding of their own culture and of the environment. They become aware of other cultures through stories such as ‘Handa’s Surprise’ and playing with multicultural toys.

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Physical development

67. Children achieve well, reflecting good teaching. By the end of the Foundation Stage, most are likely to exceed the expected outcomes for their age. Teachers encourage the understanding of positional language, for example, ‘along’, ‘across’, ‘under’, contributing well to children’s language development. Expectations of behaviour and involvement in lessons are high, with good levels of challenge in activities. For example, children were well challenged to learn to throw and catch a ball, with good success and improving co-ordination. They throw beanbags into matching coloured hoops, with developing accuracy, and control, using mathematical skills of colour recognition and sorting. They develop good awareness of space, showing respect for other people. Although a secure outside area provides ample space for the children to develop their large body skills, such as running, jumping, and to experience free

p.30

Physical development

play, this area is underused. School is already planning to address this and also to increase its range of wheeled toys and apparatus for the outside area.

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Physical development

68. Staff teach skills such as cutting and handling small tools to help children gain safe control of these finer movements. Children handle paintbrushes, glue sticks, writing tools, scissors and ‘small world’ activities with increasing skill. Some find this difficult but are very well supported by staff.

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Creative development

69. Most children are on course to attain the expectations of the Early Learning Goals. Their achievements, overall, are sound, as a result of satisfactory teaching in this area. With good support children create effective collage pictures, self-portraits, prints and paintings for ‘Our Teddy Bears’ Gallery’, exploring texture, colour and shape. Teachers plan and provide a range of creative activities but the organisation of too many activities at one time limits the effectiveness of direct teaching and makes it difficult to focus on a particular skill. There is mainly an appropriate balance of adult directed activities and activities of children’s own choice, but too often the lack Rowner Infant School - 31 of adult intervention hinders progress. Most children enjoy creative activities, gain confidence, and begin to differentiate colours. 70. Children join in singing familiar action songs and rhymes from memory, such as ‘If

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Creative development

you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands’. Through teachers’ very good questioning skills and effective use of chime bars, many children begin to recognise ‘high’ and ‘low’ sounds and a few higher attainers identify ‘medium’ sounds. They happily use untuned instruments to make sounds to match the ‘voices’ of the ‘Three Bears’. The lively use of the ‘The Teddy Bears’ Hospital’ in both classes provides good opportunities for children to develop imaginative role play but there is less intervention by adults than in other creative areas, and opportunities to develop children’s imaginative play and sustained conversation are missed.

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ENGLISH

71. Standards exceed those expected for seven year olds. Raising standards in reading and writing was a key issue at the last inspection and this has now been very well addressed. Teaching is consistently good with particular strengths in the teaching of sounds and handwriting. There is a very clear teaching programme for developing basic reading and writing skills. Parents are fully involved. Knowledge about what pupils have attained and what they need to know next is very well shared between all adults. Plenty of time is given to pupils to learn and consolidate skills such as neat, fast handwriting, spelling and knowledge of sounds. The strategies being used are taught effectively by the teaching assistants whilst the additional support teacher plans with the teachers to ensure that lower attaining pupils keep up with their class mates. Texts are sometimes selected to ensure a greater success rate when

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ENGLISH

72. Pupils come in with broadly average speaking and listening skills. They acquire the necessary skills to respond to teachers’ questions and answer and to share ideas with each other. The majority reach expected standards by the age of seven with a small number able to talk at greater length about their reading books or work they have done. Lessons are structured well, introducing new vocabulary to the pupils and giving time for them to explain or justify their opinions. Pupils are keen to answer teachers’ questions and lower attaining pupils participate equally enthusiastically.

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ENGLISH

73. Pupils do very well to reach well above average reading standards. In particular, those lower attaining pupils on entry have a very good grasp of letters sounds and the strategies needed to tackle new words. Importantly, they really enjoy their reading and as with other average and higher attaining pupils know how to use information books to find information. Pupils in Year 2 commented critically on the author’s choice of language when introducing speech and quickly identified a number of stories that followed a similar pattern as Rumplestiltskin. Higher attaining pupils cope with most texts and have no trouble reading and understanding instructions.

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ENGLISH

74. Writing is above average. The higher attaining seven year olds write very well. Boys in particular respond well to the range of writing opportunities. They plan well for stories set in Africa choosing adventurous vocabulary such as ‘wrinkly’ and ‘pranced’ to describe their animals. The technical skills of describing characters and setting are well understood and lower attaining pupils succeed in weaving descriptions through their writing. Most of the pupils use a good range of forms appropriately, for example, when reporting on the dramatic rescue by Grace Darling or writing a letter of complaint to Mr Wolf. Punctuation skills are well above expectations for the six year olds and many already extend sentences imaginatively, for example, ‘In spring flowers grow but don’t pick them’. Rowner Infant School - 32 75. Standards of handwriting are excellent. Pupils learn the correct flowing style as soon

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ENGLISH

as they start in school and by seven write quickly, smoothly and legibly. This skill combined with very good standards of spelling gives pupils’ writing a maturity that far exceeds that expected of seven year olds.

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ENGLISH

76. Teaching is good with some very good features. In particular, the teaching of basic literacy skills is very good because teachers and teaching assistants are knowledgeable about how to teach reading and writing. Their planning is very detailed and the pitch of lessons and group work is sharply focused on what pupils need to know next. Marking is very helpful. ‘Well done. I have added full stops to your story. Do they fit there?’ This praises but also challenges the lower attaining pupil to look back at their work. Higher attaining pupils are regularly challenged to revisit their first attempt to see where a choice of vocabulary can be improved or two sentences connected to add interest. Teachers regularly use guidelines to help pupils’ learn how to structure and organise their writing correctly but this is inhibiting the development of individual style amongst the higher attaining pupils. Spelling is taught methodically,

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ENGLISH

grouping common words into families and breaking words down into their component sounds. In Year 1 simple but effective rhymes are taught to help learn the spelling of words that prove difficult for many pupils such as ‘purple’. The classrooms are rich in vocabulary that helps lower attaining pupils when trying to recall other words that have similar patterns. One pupil goes on to spot the word ‘spring’ when learning the sound ‘spr’ .

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ENGLISH

77. Joint planning with both the year group teachers for small group lessons with the support teacher is very effective, and particularly beneficial to lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs. These sessions reflect the same overall objects of the year group but allow texts to be selected to match best the needs of the pupils. A great deal is covered in these sessions, allowing the pupils to keep up with the rest of the class but also to consolidate basic reading and writing skills.

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ENGLISH

78. Teaching assistants are deployed very well to support English and literacy development, particularly in teaching pupils their sounds. They take charge of sound games, teach handwriting as well as giving individual support in checking word lists for spelling. Like the teachers, most model joined handwriting that is of benefit particularly to pupils newly arrived in the school. They play an important part checking on pupils’ progress in reading and writing.

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ENGLISH

79. The headteacher has taken over the management of English following the promotion of the previous manager. Management is very good. Challenging targets are set for higher attainers whilst lower attaining pupils are identified early and given all the support needed to bring them to an average standard by the time they leave Year 2. Action to raise test performance has been very well managed. Comprehensive training to improve lesson planning and improve learning has been monitored comprehensively. Assessment strategies are detailed and help identify underachieving pupils.

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ENGLISH

80. The development of guidelines on speaking and listening has been temporarily halted due to the promotion of the English subject manager. This is an area for development as there is little extra provided by teachers other than in the general discussion times in lessons to take pupils forward. The new library is inviting and offers pupils a good selection of non-fiction books. There is a regular review of book provision carried out by the library manager but the shortage of computers and software limits the Rowner Infant School - 33 development of their research skills. Most parents support the homework programme and this makes good contribution to pupils’ achievements in reading and spelling.

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MATHEMATICS

81. Pupils’ achievement in mathematics is satisfactory. Overall, pupils enter the school with similar attainment to that found in most schools. They then make sound progress and by Year 2 meet the standards expected for their age. This is true in numeracy and all areas of mathematics (number, algebra, space and shape and measures). Standards improved significantly between 1997 and 2000. In 2001 standards were average. This overall positive trend is due to the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy which has ensured the well structured progression of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. The good teaching challenges pupils to do of their best and the very good assessment and tracking procedures mean that pupils are consistently given work that is challenging and matched to their needs.

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MATHEMATICS

82. The results of national tests in 2001 show that boys do significantly better than girls. The school has made strenuous efforts to identify the reason for this difference through very detailed analysis of pupils’ records and test results, and lesson observations. The school has responded by placing more support for girls in lessons. Nothing significant was identified and no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls was apparent during the inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

83. By the age of seven pupils chant in fives, fours, threes and twos and begin to solve simple problems involving the three and four times tables, for example, ‘If I have three packs of four muffins how many do I have?’ They add tens and units, for example, 42 and 18, identify time to the half past, quarter past and quarter to the hour. Higher achieving pupils estimate length and measure using metres and centimetres. However, an insufficient number of pupils are able to work at this level to use numbers to 1000, tell the time to the nearest five minutes, explore and categorise shapes or use graphs to illustrate their findings.

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MATHEMATICS

84. The overall quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is good. In a lesson seen with Year 1 pupils, the very good knowledge and understanding of the teacher emphasised the use of mathematical vocabulary and challenged pupils through constructive questioning to compare the number patterns when counting in fives and tens. The very good relationships between pupils and teachers and the pace of lessons also ensured all pupils were involved, challenged and made good progress. To support the range of different learning styles of different pupils, teachers use a wide range of teaching methods. For example, reciting, encouraging pupils to identify the mathematical strategies they use to solve problems, use of work sheets matched to the needs of different pupils and the very good use of teaching assistants to support pupils’ learning.

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MATHEMATICS

85. Although the amount of time given to mathematics meets the recommended minimum, it is significantly less than the time devoted to English. However, teachers apply the National Numeracy Strategy effectively. The three-part lesson structure is soundly established and planning is good and very firmly based on pupils’ prior achievement. The vast majority of work is well matched to pupils’ needs through well- structured work sheets and/or tasks often specifically written by the teachers. They use a good range of mathematical vocabulary which results in pupils being able to explain their work using the correct terminology. The oral and mental sessions are delivered with enthusiasm, pupils learn quickly and show good mental ability. Teachers clearly identify and share with pupils what is to be learnt in a lesson. However, since the amount of time spent on mathematics is relatively short the Rowner Infant School - 34

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MATHEMATICS

middle and end parts of lessons are insufficient to enable pupils to consolidate and apply the knowledge, understanding and skills learnt. Pupils use mathematics appropriately to help learning in other subjects, for example; they use tables and measurement in science, a ‘Roamer’ in ICT to plot a route around a map and sequencing dates and events in history. In all the lessons seen, pupils were enthusiastic about mathematics and keen to learn.

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MATHEMATICS

86. The school has made good improvement since the last inspection because the National Numeracy Strategy is now fully integrated into the school’s practice that ensures progression in pupils’ learning. The role of the subject manager has been strengthened and through observation of lessons, teaching has improved. The subject is led by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic subject manager who has built up sufficient resources and overseen the development of good assessment procedures that ensure work is well matched to pupils’ needs.

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SCIENCE

87. Pupils’ achievement in science is very good. Overall, pupils enter the school in line with the level of attainment found in the vast majority of schools and by Year 2 have significantly improved and are above that found nationally. The number of pupils attaining higher than average expectations in 2001 was in the top five per cent in the country.

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SCIENCE

88. Standards have steadily improved since the last inspection. This is due to very clear planning so pupils acquire knowledge, understanding and skills systematically from one year to the next; good assessment to ensure work is well matched to pupils’ age and ability; and the good knowledge and understanding of staff to engage pupils in activities that stimulate their interest and involvement.

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SCIENCE

89. There has been good improvement in provision since last inspection. This is because the school now uses the nationally recommended scheme of work for science as a basis for their planning to ensure an accurate match between what is taught and what is expected for pupils of this age. There has been increased use of investigation to challenge pupils’ thinking and to consolidate what has been learnt.

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SCIENCE

90. There are no marked differences between boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and also make good progress.

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SCIENCE

91. By the age of seven pupils construct simple circuits and then use these to identify materials that conduct and those that do not conduct electricity. They carry out a simple investigation to find out whether the largest car rolls the furthest when it reaches the bottom of a slope. They also predict and investigate where ice cubes will melt the fastest and understand that all the ice cubes must be the same size in order to make the test fair. They also recognise that placing the water back in the freezer can reverse melting. Pupils’ work is very well presented. Their recording of investigations makes a significant contribution to literacy and their tabulation of results and use of measurement supports their work in mathematics. However, pupils make insufficient use of ICT to support their work in reporting investigations or graphing their results.

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SCIENCE

92. As only one lesson was seen during the inspection it is not possible to come to secure judgement on the quality of teaching. However, from the lesson seen, a review of pupils’ books, teachers planning, assessment and the high standards achieved, teaching is at least good. Teachers have good knowledge and Rowner Infant School - 35 understanding and use this to emphasise the use of correct scientific terms and to challenge pupils’ thinking, for example, supporting pupils to develop a fair investigation to find out whether the volume of sound decreases the further away they are from the source. Work is challenging, for example, Year 1 pupils are aware that sound is produced by vibration and Year 2 pupils measure distances in metres and centimetres. Teachers are very enthusiastic and this generates pupils’ interest, and involvement. Pupils are eager to learn particularly through practical work and

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SCIENCE

93. The subject manager has only been in post a few months, however she has already identified the need to improve the use of ICT within science and to have make clearer links between the reception and Year 1 classes.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. The attainment of seven year olds is in line with that expected for their age, with some above average work in observational drawing. Standards of attainment have been maintained since the previous inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. Teaching is good and is reflected in the good progress most pupils make. This is a significant improvement since the previous inspection when teaching was unsatisfactory. Many older pupils are gaining confidence in their ability, for example, to use and apply their knowledge in creating collage pictures of leaves and trees. Classrooms are well organised for artwork and teachers’ planning enriches the curriculum. They present good levels of challenge in stimulating activities, enabling pupils to make good, and often, very good progress.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. Many pupils start school with below average skills in drawing. With effective practice and good teaching, pupils in Years 1 and 2 improve their skills and achieve well in investigating the art elements. Drawing skills are taught in a structured way and pupils’ work shows good progression across the key stage. Pupils explore ideas, working with a wide variety of materials, tools and techniques, recording their observations with increasing confidence, in a range of media. Year 1 pupils study the work of Vincent van Gogh and create effective self portraits, indicating good use of colour mixing to get just the right skin shade and tone for the faces. Pupils use their sketchbooks effectively to practise their skills, explore different media and demonstrate good use of texture, line and colour. Teachers have high expectations of their pupils and encourage them to closely observe their subjects and seven year olds

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ART AND DESIGN

use improving accuracy in attempting more detailed representations. For example, their sketches of houses, leaves and figure drawings show good use of shape, line and form, in a range of media. Pupils studied the work of Andy Goldsworthy, environmental sculptor, and created their own environmental sculptures in his style. Textiles are well developed. Year 2 pupils explore a range of materials to create effective collage pictures. The works shows that pupils have considered different colours and textures and have been able to use a variety of stitching to create a pleasing effect. They discuss their own and others’ work and talk about how it could be improved.

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ART AND DESIGN

97. Teachers use art well to support learning in history. Visitors, such as an architect who worked with pupils, linking both art and design and technology enrich the curriculum. Although art contributes well to the pupils’ cultural development, opportunities are missed for pupils to explore art in other cultures and thereby enhance their multicultural development. Little three-dimensional work was seen. These weaknesses have already been identified by the school as areas for Rowner Infant School - 36 development. The use of pupils’ sketch books in assessing attainment is used well and guides future planning effectively. Resources are very good, accessible and well used. The management of the subject is very good. The enthusiastic subject manager has good subject knowledge and has identified strengths and weaknesses in the subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. No design and technology lessons were seen. Judgements are based on discussions with pupils, a scrutiny of their work. No judgements on teaching and learning can be made, but indications are that it is at least satisfactory and the standard of work seen meets expectations for seven year olds.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. Pupils are taught the full range of design and making skills. They have the chance to work in a range of materials to develop their skills and this includes cookery. Teachers follow the guidelines careful and a particularly good feature of the work seen was pupils’ preparation for design and final evaluations. Pupils told how they had studied musical instruments before designing and making their own. The unit of work had concluded with a thorough evaluation both of the sturdiness of the finished shaker and the decorative techniques. The pupils said how they would make the sounds more interesting by changing the ‘skin’ on the ends or enclosing some flaps for the peas to bounce off.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. Pupils regularly evaluate their models and lower attaining pupils are well supported. Notes on pupils’ work identifies where they felt their designs had weaknesses. However, there is sameness about the work that leads all pupils to produce very similar shakers. This comes about because time is limited and there is concern to teach the skills. The newly appointed subject manager hopes to get around this by building up good quality prototypes and models that would show pupils the possibilities, so more time could be given to developing creativity. She has started to collect examples of prototypes of sliders some of which were used to encourage variety in Christmas cards. The co-ordinator has made a useful start on a portfolio and also in working with the reception class to ensure that creative skill is developed across both key stages.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. Resources are barely adequate and there is not enough suitable construction equipment to demonstrate simple mechanisms.

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GEOGRAPHY

102. Standards are better now than they were at the last inspection. Seven year olds attain standards higher than normally seen and they achieve very well. This better picture is largely due to a more confident approach to the subject, improved teaching, more purposeful leadership by the subject manager and very good planning.

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GEOGRAPHY

103. It was not possible to see any geography lessons during the inspection. Therefore no overall judgement can be made about the quality of teaching. Scrutiny of pupils’ work, teachers’ planning and displays and discussions with pupils and teachers reveal that pupils have a good knowledge of the topics they have studied.

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GEOGRAPHY

104. Teachers’ planning is very good, with very clear learning objectives. Scrutiny of Year 1 work at the beginning of the year indicates that many enter Key Stage 1 with broadly average knowledge and understanding of the world around them. By the end of the key stage pupils have a good knowledge of local places and have developed above average geographical enquiry and skills. Teachers’ expectations of pupils are high Rowner Infant School - 37 and pupils are well challenged. This has a positive effect on the high quality of their work and the development of very good attitudes. Pupils become aware of localities beyond their own, through visits to the village of Minstead in the New Forest which is used as a contrasting locality. Year 1 pupils make a detailed map of ‘Little Red Hen’s journey’, showing simple features. They go on to make a study of the school grounds and experience an ‘Autumn Trail’, following directions on a map of the school

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GEOGRAPHY

environment. They draw their own simple maps to show different places, which they have labelled, demonstrating good understanding of local scale studies.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. Scrutiny of Year 2 work shows that pupils achieve very well when investigating the use of the local park. This is because the teaching encouraged them to pose their own questions and make decisions about how to present the findings of a survey of the use of the park, after considering a range of factors. The teaching also stretched the higher attaining pupils by getting them to explain how they would improve the park. This led them to extend their geographical skills, developing good understanding about how and why people try to improve environments. They justify their observations and judgements about the local park. This is due to good teaching which strongly emphasises fieldwork. Pupils’ literacy skills are enhanced through very good use of geography to extend pupils’ writing, much of which is of high quality, a significant improvement since the last inspection. Numeracy skills of data handling

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GEOGRAPHY

are used very well in recording survey findings in charts and tables.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. Assessment is used very well to guide future planning in geography. Very good use is made of the local environment to support local studies, and of visits, for example, to Minstead, a village in the New Forest, used as a contrasting area. Geography contributes adequately to pupils’ cultural development, however opportunities are missed to further promote their multicultural understanding, through, for example, studying a contrasting locality abroad. Subject management is very good. The knowledgeable and enthusiastic subject manager has very good knowledge and has worked very hard in developing a subject portfolio of examples of pupils’ work, photographic records and has compiled many good quality topic resource packs, available to staff.

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HISTORY

107. Standards are better now than they were at the last inspection. Seven year olds attain standards higher than normally seen and they achieve very well. This better picture is largely due to a more confident approach to the subject, more purposeful leadership by the subject manager, very good planning and improved teaching.

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HISTORY

108. It was not possible to see any history lessons during the inspection. Therefore no overall judgement can be made about the quality of teaching. Scrutiny of pupils’ work, teachers’ planning and displays and discussions with pupils and teachers reveal that pupils have a good knowledge of the topics they have studied.

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HISTORY

109. By the age of seven, the pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of the lives of people in the past by re-telling stories to imagine how people lived in Victorian towns and villages. Some can take the work further, for example, by giving some examples of ways farming has changed in Britain since the Victorian era. It is evident that this work is successful because the teachers have a firm grasp of the subject, as shown by the high expectations of standards in work presented, which challenge the pupils and sustain their interest levels. Rowner Infant School - 38 110. Pupils have learnt about notable events in history and have studied the lives of famous people. Year 1 pupils study the life of Grace Darling. They find out how she lived, using a variety of sources, including books and videos. Teachers successfully develop pupils’ understanding of change over time by studying familiar everyday

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HISTORY

objects, such as a flat iron and a washboard found in a Victorian kitchen. Pupils talk about life ‘then and now’ enthusiastically and knowledgeably. By the age of seven, pupils develop an increasing sense of chronology and a good understanding of past events. For example, Year 2 pupils consider the Gunpowder Plot from different points of view and begin to explain its consequences clearly. Teachers encourage pupils to use correct terms to describe the past in their writing and in discussions. When Year 2 pupils sequence the events leading to the Gunpowder Plot they use words, such as, ‘first’, ‘next’, ‘then’, ‘now’, clearly indicating good understanding of the passage of time and a developing sense of chronology. Discussions with pupils indicate that they have a good knowledge of work studied earlier.

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HISTORY

111. Teachers’ planning is very good, with detailed learning objectives focusing on what pupils will learn. Talking with pupils reveals that many are very interested in history and have very positive attitudes. Pupils’ literacy skills are very well enhanced through teachers using history to give pupils opportunities to extend their writing, much of which is of very high quality. Numeracy skills are used well, for example, in a simple time chart about life ‘then’ and ‘now’ in work about the Victorians. Information and communication technology is in an early stage of development in supporting the subject.

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HISTORY

112. The curriculum is enriched by visitors who talked to pupils about the school in the past, and by events, such as a ‘Victorian Afternoon’. These occasions help bring history alive for the pupils as well as contributing to their social and cultural development. The management of the subject is very good. The knowledgeable, enthusiastic subject manager has very secure subject knowledge. She has worked very hard, compiling many useful topic resource packs, developing a subject portfolio of examples of pupils’ work and photographic records.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. Standards reached by pupils are broadly satisfactory. They are similar to those reported at the last inspection. In common with many schools, pupils in Year 1 are competent in using computers to play mathematics and word games and are familiar with how to use language centres. The subject is well planned and assessment is regular. This allows teachers to group pupils in order that they catch up on basic skills.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. Seven year olds have a secure grasp of how to move around the desk-top screen of a computer and understand how to use the task bar to instruct the computer to save and print and work. The teaching of new skills such as typing in text for labels and changing font size is taught effectively and pupils go on to make use of these skills. For example, in preparing the recipe for biscuits, six year olds set out clearly what was needed and typed in instructions on how to make the biscuits. However, there is a long time between the initial teaching input and when the pupil comes to practise or develop these skills and little chance to rehearse them further.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. In a Year 1 lesson the teacher skilful led pupils to understand how they had to use prediction skills before making choices as to the equipment to take with them on an adventure. The clever use of questions such as ‘Why would you take the stick?’ or ‘mistakes’ made when instructing the Rowner Infant School - 39 computer maintained the rapt attention of the pupils and reminded them of the procedures they would need. However, with only one computer available to the class it is a long time before all the pupils have a chance to apply what they learnt in this lesson and complete the adventure.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116. Limited numbers of computers restricts the amount of time pupils have on the computers and only the very necessary teaching of basic skills can be undertaken. For example, Year 2 pupils plotting a route for the ‘on-screen’ beetle to travel had to content themselves with a paper copy. This gave limited opportunities for trial and error as there was no instant feedback. Consequently those pupils unsure of their left and right or at estimating the length of each move could not improve. The teacher made the best of the situation. The lesson was well prepared and the work sheets were an acceptable alternative to the shortages of computers, with varied challenges for pupils of different abilities. Use of clearly marked arrow keys based on earlier work helped the lower attaining group set out the procedures they may use when it is their turn on the computer.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. In one lesson in Year 2 pupils confidently programmed a floor robot to reach a target. The group size was adequate for this basic task but time and shortage of equipment meant that supplementary challenges such as returning the robot to the square could not be carried out. It meant that the pupil who was still uncertain about the procedures was unable to get any further opportunity to try them out. In another class, similar tasks were set but with five pupils around one machine it meant that the task could not be completed to everyone’s satisfaction.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

118. The achievements of pupils are limited by the shortage of computers. The ratio is below the recommended levels and this is restricting opportunities for pupils to gain access to computers at other times. It also restricts the flexibility teachers have to allow pupils to go off and research information or work on more time consuming but worthwhile tasks, such as combining text and images or making links to the web sites to take their investigations forwards.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

119. The new subject manager is showing good leadership in developing staff confidence in teaching computers. He has set out a clear strategy for training all staff and also in developing the curriculum to ensure that ICT opportunities are now identified in different subjects. In geography and history ICT skills are used to develop data handling skills, comparing the means of travel 100 years ago. The school still has not identified how it is to resource computers or the development over the coming years to address the continuing change in expectations of pupils. This is a weakness. Teaching is not yet regularly monitored in order to assess how well the training has led to improved teaching. The subject manager guides teachers’ planning and has built up a good assessment process which includes the best type of questions to ask of children to ascertain their understanding. Software has kept up with recent

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

developments but the number of computers remains insufficient.

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MUSIC

120. It was not possible to see any music lessons during the inspection. Evidence was gathered from singing in assemblies, teachers’ planning documents and discussions with teachers and pupils. However, this was insufficient to make secure judgements about overall standards of attainment of music. Singing was judged to be broadly typical of seven year olds. Rowner Infant School - 40 121. By the age of seven pupils attain the standards expected for their age in singing and they enjoy music-making activities. These standards are similar to those found at the time of the last inspection.

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MUSIC

122. The quality of singing is similar to that of most pupils of this age. In assemblies it is tuneful and expressive. Most pupils follow and maintain the beat, with improving control of diction and phrasing. They sing songs from memory and are developing an appropriate repertoire. They sing such hymns as ‘He’s got the whole world in His hands’ with enjoyment and enthusiasm and an increasing understanding of tempo, pitch and duration. They are able to play untuned musical instruments, with developing skill and growing understanding of rhythm and beat. Assemblies provide good opportunities for the pupils to listen to, and appreciate music. They are familiar with the works of Mozart and they speak about his life knowledgeably, as well as about one of his compositions, the ‘Adaggio Concerto for Clarinet’, which they had listened to in Collective Worship. Talking to pupils revealed that they enjoy music and

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MUSIC

123. Music contributes well to the pupils’ cultural development and the musical instruments include an appropriate number from other cultures. Resources are good, with a wide variety of instruments that are well organised and accessible to all.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. Standards in physical education are above average and better than at the last inspection. There is no difference in standards between boys and girls. There has been sound improvement since the last inspection. Dance is now fully integrated into the curriculum and the new subject manager is monitoring planning through the introduction of a published scheme of work

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. During the inspection, teaching was good overall with some excellent teaching. Pupils in Year 2 worked enthusiastically to develop their game skills and successfully threw and caught balls over a challenging distance. They went on to pass balls to each other whilst moving. They enjoyed the activities and co-operated with each other well, respectful of each other’s space. Teachers plan lessons well, clearly identifying the progression of skills expected and the link between exercise and good health. Teaching assistants are very well deployed to assist and guide pupils. They make a significant contribution to attainment by assessing pupils’ performance during lessons. This, combined with good assessment records enables teachers to review planning in the light of pupils’ attainment to ensure subsequent lessons meet the needs of all pupils. For example, the emphasis on the development of ball skills was

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. Teachers have good control and pace in lessons. Teachers involve pupils in evaluating each other’s performance and in the getting out and packing away of apparatus. Pupils carry out these tasks responsibly and with enthusiasm.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. The accommodation and resources for physical education are good. Although there are no extra-curricular activities at the end of the school day, the school have recently introduced a range of playground games and supporting equipment to encourage physical activity during break and lunchtimes.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Rowner Infant School - 41 128. Sound progress has been made since the last inspection. Religious education continues to be taught regularly and effectively and seven year old pupils reach the standards expected in the locally agreed syllabus.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

129. It is not possible to make a secure judgement on the quality of teaching as only one lesson was seen. However, talking to pupils, looking at children’s books, reviewing planning and teacher assessments, teaching is at least good. Lessons are well planned to take account of the pupils’ knowledge and experiences. Consequently, by aged seven the pupils have good knowledge of Bible stories such as ‘The good Samaritan’ and ‘The five loaves and fishes’. They also study stories from Hinduism, for example, Rabsha and Bandon and the story of Rama and Sita leading to the celebration of Divali. Children retell these stories confidently. They are also confident to describe the symbolism behind the Christingle, identify where angels appear in different gospels during the Christmas story and relate some of the miracles that Jesus performed.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130. The pupils take pride in presenting their work and they enjoy a variety of approaches that teachers encourage them to use, for example, reorganising printed text to tell the story of Rama and Sita, retelling miracles in their own words and in writing down their thoughts about harvest and reflecting on the gifts and care Jesus has given us. A particularly touching example is where seven year old pupils wrote a thank you prayer to God for Christmas. Assemblies make a significant contribution to pupils’ religious education, for example, the whole school assembly with the theme ‘People who care for us’ where pupils considered the contribution grandparents make to their lives. They gave examples such as love, help with homework, cooking and caring for them.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131. The children respond well to the teachers’ expectations. For example, when considering sharing in a Year 1 class pupils discussed what they would do with a large bag of sweets; keep them all, share some keep the rest, or share equally. Lessons are very well planned, securely based on the agreed syllabus supported by very good assessment to ensure pupils make progress based on their prior achievement. The high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and responses are reflected in the very high quality presentation of pupils’ work. Religious education makes a significant contribution to literacy giving pupils the opportunity for some reflective writing. Pupils use ICT to retell the story of ‘The good Samaritan’ and use a graphics package to draw the symbolism surrounding the Christmas tree. Pupils are also aware of the symbolism related to light and Divali.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

132. Due to recent staff changes the headteacher currently co-ordinates the subject. This is likely to change in the near future. There are good links with local religious groups and the local church. The school uses the good support from the local education authority to ensure systematic coverage of the agreed syllabus. The school have very good assessment procedures to ensure pupils meet the standards expected.

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