Albany Infant and Nursery School

ALBANY INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 12 th –13 th February 2001

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ALBANY INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Short 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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ALBANY INFANT AND NURSERY 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. Albany Infant and Nursery School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Grenville Drive Stapleford Nottinghamshire

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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: Mrs Teresa Stoney

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 13 th January 1997 Albany Infant and Nursery School - 4

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Team members

8710 Julie Moore Registered inspector 13395 Joanna Illingworth Lay inspector 22182 Fiona Robinson Team inspector

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Team members

Arden Inspections University of Warwick Science Park Unit 2, Barclays Venture Centre Sir William Lyons Road Coventry CV4 7EZ

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Team members

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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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Albany Infant and Nursery 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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Albany Nursery and Infant School is an average sized school with 160 pupils on roll in the main school. There are 78 girls and 82 boys in the main school, and 80 part-time children in the nursery. The school is situated in pleasant grounds in a residential suburb of Nottingham. There are no pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds. One percent of pupils do not speak English at home but they are fluent English speakers. 24 percent of pupils have special educational needs, which is about average, and one percent of this group have extra support from outside agencies. The percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational need is very low. The school estimates that it has around 20 percent of higher attaining pupils. When the children start school their attainment is about average. Fourteen percent of pupils are known to be entitled to free school meals, and this is about average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The inspection of this school included a detailed inspection of its provision for pupils with special educational needs.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Albany is a very effective school. Pupils make good progress so that by the time they are seven they reach standards that are above, or well above, average. This is because they are well taught, right from the start of their time in school. The headteacher has not been in post very long. She has taken over a successful school, and is demonstrating high quality leadership that is guiding the school to be even more successful than it already is. All the staff and governors work together effectively, and they are fully committed to building-on their previous successes and moving the school forward. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The children get an excellent start to their education in the nursery and reception classes. • Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they are seven - school is enjoyed and they have positive attitudes towards learning. • The headteacher provides very good leadership; her deputy ably supports her. • Good teaching, alongside a vibrant and rich curriculum, means that learning is effective.

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What could be improved

• Target setting in Year 1. The curriculum co-ordinators do not have a sharp enough focus on teaching and learning at the beginning of Key Stage 1. 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 January 1997. At that time it was judged that the school had many strengths but there were three key issues for improvement. These all related to the nursery and reception classes and were based on providing a suitable curriculum for the reception children by:

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

q developing a policy and scheme of work for the reception class; q ensuring that the nursery and reception staff plan the curriculum together; q reviewing the current curriculum plan to ensure better provision for reception-aged children in all classes.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Four years later the school has made very good progress in tackling these issues, so much so, that the nursery and reception classes are now one of the school’s main strengths. Policies and schemes of work are in place for the three to five year olds. These are successfully based on the most recent curriculum guidance for the age group. Nursery and reception staff plan the children’s work together so they have a joint understanding of the most successful ways that young children learn. All the reception children are now in classes with other children of similar ages to themselves. All of them, no matter what their starting points, make very good progress. Albany Infant and Nursery School - 7

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 7 year-olds based on National Curriculum test results.

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Key

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

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Key

High standards are one of the school’s main strengths and the teachers get the very best from their pupils. Good progress is made by all groups of pupils including the higher and lower attaining pupils as well as those with special educational needs. The children get off to an excellent start in the nursery. When they join the nursery standards are about average; progress is speedy, and many children reach above average levels in all areas of their learning 1 by the time they are ready to move into Year 1. These achievements are consistently maintained, both in lessons and over longer periods of time, so that by the time the pupils are seven their standards are above, or well above, average in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Their test results are also at these levels, but standards are even better when compared to those in similar schools 2 - as indicated in the above table. The occasional slight dips in

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Key

performance year-on-year are due to a higher percentage of pupils with special educational needs in a particular year group. Slightly lower achievements for some Year 1 pupils are because their teaching does not always have a crisp focus. One thing that the school is especially good at is bringing on its higher attaining pupils so that many of them reach well above average standards for their age. Over the last three years high standards have been maintained and increased. The school has set some challenging targets for its Year 2 pupils in reading, writing and mathematics. These have been exceeded significantly and this year’s targets are even more challenging.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy learning and all of them try hard to do their best – they are successful.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils behave very well during lessons and at break and lunch times. This is one of the key reasons why standards are so good.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent. Pupils have high levels of respect for each other and for adults. Their mature approach to their work is another key factor in achieving high standards for their age.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Just below average last year, otherwise above average. Pupils are

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Aspect Comment

1 The areas of learning are the whole curriculum for the three to five-year-olds in nursery and reception classes. This is called the Foundation Stage. 2 Schools with similar percentages of pupils known to be entitled to free school meals. Albany Infant and Nursery School - 8 punctual and lessons start on time.

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Aspect Comment

Last year there was more illness about, and this is why attendance was lower than in previous years. Albany Infant and Nursery School - 9

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall Very good Good Not applicable Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

There are many strengths in the teaching, which is good overall. In 50 percent of lessons the teaching was very good or better. It was good in 33 percent and satisfactory in 17 percent. There was no unsatisfactory teaching. This is a considerable improvement since the last inspection when 15 percent of teaching was very good, and the remainder was satisfactory or better. This time around the strongest teaching was in the nursery and reception classes, but there were a number of very good lessons in both the other year groups as well, especially in Year 2. Learning is effective because the teaching is good. Pupils make good progress in lessons and over longer periods of time because work is planned at the right levels for them and most teachers have very high expectations of what their pupils can achieve. Pupils readily rise to the challenges set for them. Higher and lower attaining pupils are well catered for,

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

as are those pupils with special educational needs. Their tasks are challenging and they get extra support to make sure that they achieve as well as they can and don’t fall behind. Basic reading, writing and numeracy skills are taught extremely well throughout the school and this is why standards are so good. In the weaker lessons, which were not unsatisfactory, there were two main points for refinement:

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

q introductions were too long and some pupils began to lose interest; q the teacher did not ask sufficiently challenging or probing questions so pupils’ learning did not progress as well as it should have done.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. There are good links between the subjects, and the whole curriculum is rich and vibrant. The curriculum for the three to five-year- olds is excellent and this is why achievements are so good.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils’ needs are identified straight away; both the higher and lower attainers have good levels of targeted support that enables them to make good progress like their classmates.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Pupils are especially good at supporting and helping each other. They are sensitive to each others needs and they are happy to help. Pupils clearly know right from wrong and their understanding of their own and other cultures is good. They are keen to talk about the wonder of the world about them.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, are cared for extremely well. The environment is safe and secure.

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Aspect Comment

The school is committed to providing a rich and vibrant curriculum, and it is successful. Art and drama have a high profile and standards are very good. Sport is encouraged, and there are many good opportunities for all the pupils to learn successfully and to achieve high standards. Parents are very pleased with the school and what it provides for their children. Albany Infant and Nursery School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The leadership of the headteacher and her deputy is very good. There is a strong team spirit and everyone is determined that the school will do well. Subject co-ordinators do not have a sharp enough focus towards improving the good standards in Year 1.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors work closely with the headteacher and the staff. Responsibilities are carried out effectively and they have a secure grasp of strengths and weaknesses in the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. A wide range of information is analysed and acted upon so that areas of weaknesses can be identified quickly and appropriate action planned and put in place.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. Finances are well managed and governors follow the ‘best value’ principles when deciding how to spend money. The school gives good value for money.

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Aspect Comment

The new headteacher is a very effective manager who is quietly determined that a good school will get even better. She is well supported by everyone. There are very good systems for monitoring the work of the school, as well as strong financial management. The only significant weakness is linked to the co- ordinators’ role, which does not have a strong focus on identifying targets and improving standards in Year 1. Money for specific grants is well used, progress is at least good for all groups of pupils, and standards are high. Specific plans are in place to tackle the under-spend in the school’s budget.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like coming to school and they make good progress. • Behaviour is very good and children work hard. • Teaching is good. • Parents are well informed about how their children are getting on. • Parents are pleased that the school helps their children to become mature. • There are no significant negative comments about the school.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agree with parents’ views of the school. This is a very successful school. Albany Infant and Nursery School - 11

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The children get an excellent start to their education in the nursery and reception

1. Weaknesses identified in the previous inspection report concerning the curriculum in the reception classes have been thoroughly and effectively tackled. Very good progress has been made. The three to five-year-olds now have a suitable curriculum, which is well planned to meet their learning needs. All the staff are involved in planning the joint curriculum for the Foundation Stage. Work in the reception classes is firmly based on the appropriate areas of learning for reception aged children. It is also closely linked with the teachers’ day-to-day assessments of the children’s learning and progress, and it is these assessments that guide teachers’ planning so successfully.

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The children get an excellent start to their education in the nursery and reception

2. The teaching is very good in both the nursery and reception classes. This holds good for those pupils with special educational needs as well. All the children have a well-planned range of learning activities, which develop their skills effectively. Learning is fun, and the staff have created an exciting learning environment which makes the children want to take part and to be involved. Children are always encouraged to make choices, take turns and to share things with their friends, which develops their confidence and their self-esteem. This has a significant impact on their learning, and the children make good progress all round. In a good example in the nursery the children were playing outside with a range of different wheeled toys. A small group played on a two-seater tricycle, waiting their turn, and steering out of the way when other children were playing on their route. Their obvious awareness of other people shows that these children are

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The children get an excellent start to their education in the nursery and reception

fully aware of the consequences of their actions if they collided with other children. They have a well-developed sense of others’ needs indicating a much higher than average standard for three to four-year-olds.

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The children get an excellent start to their education in the nursery and reception

3. Most of the children are on course to achieve or exceed the Early Learning Goals 3 by the time they move into Year 1. Early writing skills are developed well in both the nursery and reception classes. In the nursery the children can draw, paint and identify straight, curly and zig-zag lines. These develop into recognisable letters and words as the children move through the reception classes. Stories of two or three sentences are accompanied by lively pictures, with standards above average for the age group. Many children have excellent imaginations. They draw on their feelings when talking about characters in their books, or what they have done at school or at home.

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The children get an excellent start to their education in the nursery and reception

4. Mathematics is enjoyed and standards are above average by the time the children reach the end of the reception year. Higher attaining reception children can successfully add two numbers together which total more than 10. Explanations are good, with the children demonstrating a secure understanding of counting larger numbers up to 20+. Nursery children enjoy number songs and games, most of them eagerly demonstrating that they know nine comes after eight when they are counting.

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The children get an excellent start to their education in the nursery and reception

5. All the children are curious about the world around them. The nursery children enjoy talking about the chocolate cakes they have made. They tell the rest of the class what the ingredients were, and they explain as best they can what happens when the cakes are baked in the oven. Most of the reception children are competent at using the computer. They use the mouse accurately to move the cursor around the screen, choosing the correct letters to complete the words.

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The children get an excellent start to their education in the nursery and reception

3 Standards set for most children to reach by the end of the Foundation Stage. Albany Infant and Nursery School - 12 6. Staff work together as an effective team, planning a lively and stimulating curriculum for the three to five-year-olds. One main strength is the way that staff interact with each other, relating positively to the children. They know when to stand back and let the children explore for themselves, and when to interact and give support so that the children’s learning moves on at a good pace. All of the boys and girls, including those with special educational needs make rapid gains in their learning because of the high quality teaching, the very good planning and the positive relationships between adults and children.

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Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they

are seven - school is enjoyed and they have positive attitudes towards learning.

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Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they

7. When the children start school at Albany nursery their standards are about average. Most of them make speedy progress, so that by the time they leave the reception class their standards are above average in all areas of learning. This gives them an excellent start to their school life, providing a strong base for all their future learning. Teachers make the lessons exciting and interesting, and these are the main reasons why children enjoy coming to school and they are happy there.

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Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they

8. In Years 1 and 2 this rate of progress is maintained consistently, with the occasional dip in one of the Year 1 classes. When this happens the pupils’ progress slows down, but it soon picks up again as the teaching becomes crisper and the momentum is maintained. One of the strengths of the school is the way that teachers plan work effectively so that higher, average and lower attaining pupils make good progress. Previous learning is built-on and extended successfully for all the pupils, and especially for those with special educational needs, so that there are no gaps. Another reason why standards are so high is because the pupils’ progress and attainments are rigorously tracked by the headteacher and senior managers. Individual pupil’s achievements are assessed and recorded at regular intervals during the school year. Staff are then quickly alerted to any slippage in either attainment or progress so that additional support can be put in place

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Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they

9. Results in the most recent national tests and assessments for the seven-year-olds show that standards are above average in reading, mathematics and science, and well above average in writing. More pupils are gaining the higher levels year-on-year. When compared to similar schools standards are even better, with well above average standards in reading and writing and above average standards in mathematics.

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Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they

10. By the time they are seven, pupils are confident speakers. They use a wide vocabulary as observed in one lesson where they were reading the story of The Owl and the Pussy Cat . Here the pupils competently used different tenses for the verbs in both their speaking and in their written work. This included regular and irregular verbs, and pupils’ final piece of written work was well above the standard expected for their age. Reading standards are also above average; the more capable readers reach standards that are well above average. Pupils love to read; many of them read fluently and they use different tones and expressions effectively to indicate anger, ask questions or to make a funny joke.

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Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they

11. In mathematics standards are above average for the seven-year-olds. Higher attaining pupils are secure in their understanding of place value in three and four digit numbers. This group can add and subtract three digit numbers and they are fully conversant with the four rules of number. Average attaining pupils work competently with numbers, and many of them are beginning to understand that multiplication is continuous addition. They use a good range of strategies to work out their results, for example 200+80+6, adding 80 and 6 together to make 86, and then adding 86 to 200 to reach 286. Lower attainers are counting, ordering and adding numbers to 20. Some of them need help with two digit numbers.

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Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they

12. Science standards are also above average. Pupils in Year 2 have been investigating the ways in which bulbs work in various electrical circuits. The more capable pupils know that the bulb does not light if the circuit is incomplete. All of the pupils are fully aware of the importance of a Albany Infant and Nursery School - 13 complete circuit, knowing that the wire has to be connected to the bulb and the battery in order for the bulb to light. Pupils’ written skills are used well in recording their science investigations. Diagrams and charts are clear, and explanations are recorded effectively in note form. This indicates that all pupils are developing their skills of scientific enquiry successfully.

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Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they

13. All of the pupils are highly motivated. They enjoy their work and they always try hard to do their best. Behaviour is very good. Teachers are skilled at capturing the interest of their pupils. They achieve this by using a range of teaching methods, having very good relationships with their pupils as well as having high expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving. All of this combines together to make learning fun and exciting.

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Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they

The headteacher provides very good leadership; her deputy ably supports her.

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Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they

14. The headteacher has only been in post for one term prior to the start of the inspection. She has had a positive impact all round – quite a challenging task in such a successful school where standards are high, progress is good and teaching is good or better. The headteacher and her deputy work together very successfully. They have a shared vision of the way forward so that Albany school continues to improve from its already high starting point.

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Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they

15. Everyone connected with the school - parents, staff and governors - work together effectively. There is a strong team spirit and everyone wants the school to do well. High standards are achieved, and standards continue to improve for all groups of pupils. The higher attaining pupils achieve well above average standards; the school is very good at bringing the best out of these capable pupils. There are many successes with the other groups of pupils as well, mainly because there is a quiet determination that every child will reach the highest standard they are capable of achieving in every aspect of school life. This is especially so for those pupils with special educational needs, who learn successfully because of well-targeted support. The very good leadership, as well as the high quality teaching ensures that this happens.

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Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they

16. Very good management systems are in place and these enable everyone to work efficiently. Ideas are shared and new initiatives are taken on board and evaluated thoroughly so that standards do not slip. Effective monitoring of teaching and learning takes place so that weakness can be identified promptly and dealt with. All of this ensures that the school is an effective working environment, with the positive and caring ethos being maintained in every class. Targets are set for the older pupils and progress towards meeting the targets is carefully monitored by the headteacher and the senior management team. This helps all the boys and girls, whatever their attainment or background, to have a secure understanding of what they have to do in order to improve. Target setting is not as firmly embedded for all the Year 1 pupils and this an area for further development.

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Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they

17. Governors have many strengths and are rightly proud of their school and the children in it. They are involved in planning the way forward and they know about the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Systems for monitoring the work of the school are effective. Questions are asked and different points of view put forward so that governors’ own analysis of the school’s work is accurate. Governors work closely with the headteacher, staff and parents to make sure that there is no slippage in the school’s work. The budget is well managed and care is taken to make sure that funds are targeted so that priorities can be achieved. A good example is the position paper that has been prepared to target the under-spend in the school’s budget. Governors are keen to make sure that the school gets the best return on its expenditure, and that this is focused on the maintenance of high standards, promoting very good behaviour and attitudes, as well as the

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Good teaching, alongside a vibrant and rich curriculum, means that learning is

18. There are many strengths to the teaching across each age-range and teaching is good overall. First of all the children in the nursery and reception classes are very well taught, providing some Albany Infant and Nursery School - 14 of the strongest teaching in the school. Lessons are planned carefully and based on the Early Learning Goals. The curriculum for the reception children was a weakness at the last inspection. This is no longer the case. The development of the whole curriculum for the three to five age group has been very well tackled. The curriculum is lively, interesting and vibrant, so that the children are keen to learn. At times they choose what they want to do themselves, whilst at other times they work at tasks which their teacher wants them to do. This helps both their social and personal development as well as their academic learning.

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Good teaching, alongside a vibrant and rich curriculum, means that learning is

19. All the staff working with the younger children in the school work together as a team very well indeed. This includes teachers, parents, the nursery nurses and the classroom assistants. All the nursery and reception staff are involved in planning the daily, weekly and half-termly curricula - also an issue in the last inspection report which has been effectively tackled. From the start of their time in school the children’s needs are assessed thoroughly and accurately. This allows their activities to be pitched at the right level for them. It also enables pupils with special educational needs to be identified right from the start of their time in school so that the staff working with them can provide the appropriate support. This means that learning is effective, not only for the pupils with special educational needs but for all the others as well.

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Good teaching, alongside a vibrant and rich curriculum, means that learning is

20. In Years 1 and 2 almost every teacher taught at least one very good lesson during the inspection, and the teaching in Year 2 was especially strong. Teaching has improved significantly since the last inspection when15 percent of teaching was very good and the remainder of the teaching was satisfactory or better. This time 50 percent of teaching was very good, 33 percent was good and 17 percent was satisfactory. Lesson planning is thorough, and lessons build on previous work very effectively indeed. The best use is made of all the assessment information about the pupils, making sure that progress does not slip. All of this enables the pupils to work at the right levels whether they are higher, average or lower attaining pupils, as well as those with special educational needs. The strengths in this approach have already been referred to in paragraph 8 of this report. Throughout the school pupils are supported

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Good teaching, alongside a vibrant and rich curriculum, means that learning is

and challenged by their activities and the classroom assistants play a valuable role in this process. Learning is extended and supported very effectively indeed, another reason why the pupils achieve the highest standards they are capable of achieving at Albany school.

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Good teaching, alongside a vibrant and rich curriculum, means that learning is

21. Lessons always start briskly, especially literacy and numeracy, frequently with a quick question and answer session to find out how much the pupils have remembered since last time. No time is wasted as the pupils are alert and keen to answer. Teachers know their pupils very well indeed. This enables them to ask specific questions that either reinforce what has been taught or extend pupils’ understanding just that little bit more. A good example occurred in a Year 2 information and communication technology lesson when the pupils were asked to identify different ways of controlling a computer without using a mouse.

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Good teaching, alongside a vibrant and rich curriculum, means that learning is

22. Teachers have high expectations of what their pupils are capable of achieving, and the pupils rise to the challenges set for them. This happened in a very good Year 1 music lesson where the teacher’s use of praise encouraged individual pupils to try that little bit harder to achieve the correct pitch in their singing. This was challenging for many pupils. They eventually achieved good standards through careful listening and specific practise, ably led by their teacher who used her own voice very effectively to demonstrate the correct pitch.

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Good teaching, alongside a vibrant and rich curriculum, means that learning is

23. All of the teaching takes place in a rich and varied curriculum, and this is extremely important to the school. Great store is set on achieving high standards and this has been exemplified earlier in this report. The senior managers, staff and governors are all fully committed to the provision of a stimulating and challenging curriculum, which excites children’s imagination and makes them want to learn.

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Good teaching, alongside a vibrant and rich curriculum, means that learning is

24. The best use is made of visits to places of educational interest, and the many visitors to school add an extra dimension to the whole curriculum. An excellent example is the involvement of the Kidstory team from Nottingham University. The project aims to encourage the pupils to work collaboratively together, and it is very successful. It has been in place for three years, giving the pupils an opportunity to use a range of new technologies for communication. In the lesson seen Albany Infant and Nursery School - 15 pupils worked very effectively to create different parts of their story, using new technology. Art, sport and drama have a high profile, and this is another strength. The standard of art-work is very good, with some excellent displays throughout the school and in the teaching areas as well. Pupils take a great deal of pride in their work, which covers two and three-dimensional tasks using a range of media including paper, fabric, collage, clay, paint and pastels. Work from

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Good teaching, alongside a vibrant and rich curriculum, means that learning is

different cultures and periods is studied and explored effectively. Drama and sport are enjoyed to the full.

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Target setting in Year 1. The curriculum co-ordinators do not have a sharp enough

focus on teaching and learning at the beginning of Key Stage 1.

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Target setting in Year 1. The curriculum co-ordinators do not have a sharp enough

25. Very good progress has been made since the last inspection in tackling the issues linked to the curriculum provided for the reception children. A great deal of attention has been focused on Year 2 pupils so that they achieve the highest standards they are capable of achieving. What is missing is the same focus on the work of some of the Year 1 pupils. The monitoring of progress and achievement of some Year 1 pupils is more effective then others. The school has begun to identify this as an area for further development, but what is currently missing is a consistent approach towards setting targets for all Year 1 pupils. The next stage is to extend the role of the curriculum co-ordinators so that they have a greater input into monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning across the whole curriculum.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Provide more time for the curriculum co-ordinators to monitor teaching, learning and standards in their subjects in Year 1. Sharper, more focused targets for improving pupils’ attainment can then be agreed and acted upon. Albany Infant and Nursery School - 16 Albany Infant and Nursery School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 8

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 40 160

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 47

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Albany Infant and Nursery School - 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 25 40 65

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 23 24 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 40 40 40

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 97 (93) 98 (93) 100 (93) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 24 25 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 40 39 39

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 98 (88) 98 (86) 97 (90) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Albany Infant and Nursery School - 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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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.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17: 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 370056

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Expenditure per pupil 1505

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 66 Balance brought forward from previous year 56894

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 86421

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 40

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 50

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Albany Infant and Nursery School - 20

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 66 34 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 62 36 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 37 4 0 21

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 51 40 9 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 66 34 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 72 28 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 55 43 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 62 36 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 57 41 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 30 26 12 2 30

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Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

Parents are very positive about the school and its work, and there were no significant concerns at all.

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