Ranvilles Infant School

RANVILLES INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 3 - 6 December 2001

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RANVILLES INFANT SCHOOL

Inspection number: 194708 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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RANVILLES 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. Ranvilles Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Oldbury Way Peak Lane Fareham Hampshire

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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 K Davies

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 1997 Ranvilles Infant School - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

21596 Andrew Clark Registered inspector Science Design and technology Information and communication technology The Foundation Stage Equal opportunities. How high are standards? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed?

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Aspect responsibilities

9306 Barbara Moore Lay inspector How high are standards? Pupils, attitudes, behaviour and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 19388 Mike Williams Team inspector English Geography History Religious education How good are curricular and other learning opportunities?

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Aspect responsibilities

25340 Robert Franks Team inspector Mathematics Art Music Physical education Special educational needs. Ranvilles Infant School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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Aspect responsibilities

Cambridge Education Associates Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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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 Ranvilles Infant School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7 - 11

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? 12 - 14

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Ranvilles Infant School serves the town of Fareham. There are currently 156 boys and girls on roll aged between four and seven. The school is smaller than the average school of this type. It serves an area of private housing and homes for naval personnel and their families. Cuts to the numbers of naval personnel have led to a fall in roll from 230 at the time of the last inspection. This has had a significant impact on the number of classes and teachers. The number of pupils eligible for a free school meal is low and almost all the pupils are from white United Kingdom backgrounds. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs, 24 per cent , is similar to the national average. Overall, the children’s attainment on entry to the school is slightly above typical levels for their age. Approximately 17 per cent of pupils do not start or finish their education at the normal starting points at the school. This is well

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

above average. The school is presently led by a headteacher who is on temporary secondment from her own school for two terms, for up to four days a week; a new headteacher starts in January.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Ranvilles is a sound school. The school is going through significant changes of leadership and the majority of staff have taken on new subject management roles over the past year. Standards are similar to the national average but could be higher, particularly for English. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall and good for children under 6. Pupils’ personal development and behaviour are good. The acting headteacher and deputy headteacher have established a clear direction for school improvement and they are given sound support from the governing body. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• The pupils’ standards in information and communication technology are above average. • The quality of teaching and learning in the reception classes. • Very good relationships and good behaviour encouraged by good procedures for the pupils’ personal development. • The commitment of staff and the good leadership of the acting headteacher, with support from the deputy headteacher, in respect to school improvement. • Parents give very good support to the school.

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What could be improved

• Standards in English, especially writing. • Systematic observations of teaching to share good practice and address weaknesses. • Use of the teachers’ knowledge of pupils’ attainment to make sure that what is to be learned is appropriate for all pupils, particularly the more able. 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 1997 and overall improvement has been satisfactory since that time. However, standards could be higher, particularly in English where leadership in the subject has not been consistent. Standards of information and communication technology are now above average as a result of good teaching and resources. There are now satisfactory curriculum plans in place to make sure pupils make effective progress. Teaching and learning for the youngest children is good. Over the last two terms the school has established appropriate procedures to monitor teaching and learning but because almost all subject leaders are new to their roles these have not yet been applied rigorously enough to make sure consistent standards of teaching and planning are applied. The library has been relocated and CD ROMS are used well for reference skills.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The commitment of staff and the guidance by the acting headteacher and local education authority means the school is ready for future improvement. Ranvilles Infant School - 8

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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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Key

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

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Key

Since the last inspection in 1997 standards have been above average overall. However, they have declined, particularly in 2001, which is partly because of the attainment of the pupils when they started school, and because of the changes to the school. The standards in reading, writing and mathematics are at the national average but below and well below those of schools with similar free school meal characteristics though these comparisons are not particularly helpful given the circumstances of the school community. However, in reading and mathematics the large majority of pupils achieved satisfactory standards based on their attainment on entry to the school. Standards could be higher for writing, particularly for handwriting and presentation and as a result too few pupils attained higher levels in 2001. Over the last three years both boys and girls’ attainment exceeded the national average.

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Key

The work of current pupils in reading and writing is also average. This could be higher. The weakness in presentation persists for the pupils and there are not enough opportunities for pupils to extend their literacy skills through extended and imaginative writing in all subjects. The school is taking steps to improve this. Overall, pupils of all abilities make at least satisfactory progress in reading. There is a significant proportion of very fluent and expressive readers in Year 2. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well by classroom assistants and often make good progress. However, word- building skills are not consistently taught and some average attaining pupils could achieve better as a result.

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Key

The work of current pupils in mathematics is at a higher standard than last year. Pupils have quick recall of addition and subtraction facts as a result of a good emphasis on number, calculations and problem solving.

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Key

Standards in science are average overall and pupils have largely developed a good approach to experiments and investigation. Current attainment in information and communication technology is high with pupils showing good skills in communication and word-processing skills. In music standards are above average, particularly for composition. Standards in art and design, design and technology, history, geography, religious education and physical education are about average. The achievement of pupils of all abilities is at least satisfactory overall.

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Key

Children are making good progress in the reception classes. They are likely to achieve at least the expected goals for their age in communication, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development. They are likely to exceed expectations for personal and social and physical development.

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Aspect Comment

Ranvilles Infant School - 9 Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils are enthusiastic and keen to participate in day-to-day activities. They enjoy taking simple responsibilities.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms This is good. Pupils are well behaved at play times and lunchtimes. Occasionally there are lapses in behaviour when teachers do not follow the school’s behaviour code or lessons lack the right challenge.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Older pupils are successfully encouraged to set a good example to younger ones. In the best lessons, pupils take responsibility for selecting and organising their own resources.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Well above the national average. Pupils arrive promptly and prepared to work.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour is good and pupils follow established routines for conduct in and around school. Pupils with special educational needs for behaviour are given good support overall. In a small minority of lessons teachers let activities or introductions continue for too long and pupils are distracted.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

Quality of teaching Good Satisfactory 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 in: Reception Years 1 – 2

The vast majority of lessons observed were at least satisfactory with a significant proportion good or better. Very few lessons were unsatisfactory. However, there are significant variations between the work of different teachers and as a result learning is inconsistent. The teaching of English and mathematics is satisfactory. Numeracy is often well taught and literacy is taught satisfactorily. There is not enough emphasis on basic writing skills throughout the school day. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is at least satisfactory and teachers’ assistants often give them good support. In the best lessons teachers plan very carefully to motivate and inspire pupils by good story telling skills in English or through the good use of computers. They use their knowledge of pupils well to make certain that work is suitably challenging and make sure pupils know what they are trying to achieve by careful

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

questioning. Teachers’ challenge the pupils by modelling high standards for pupils or using other pupils to demonstrate, for example, in very effective dance lessons in Year R and Year 2. In these lessons there is significant challenge for the more able. Weaknesses occur where teachers plan activities but do not clearly identify what pupils of all abilities are expected to learn. They do not use their knowledge of pupils’ achievement to make sure there is appropriate challenge. Behaviour is generally well managed, but some teachers are not consistent in demanding pupils’ attention. In these lessons the concentration shown by most pupils is lost. A particular strength of teaching in Year R is the high expectations for pupils to listen and settle quickly and effectively to their work.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The curriculum is broad and balanced and planning has improved since the last inspection. There is insufficient planning for teaching English outside of literacy lessons. There is a good range of visits and visitors to enrich pupils’ lives. Provision for activities out of school time is appropriate for the type and size of school.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with This is satisfactory overall and there is good recent improvement. There Ranvilles Infant School - 10 special educational needs are good individual plans to guide pupils’ learning and specialist teaching is good. Teachers do not always plan accurately enough for individual needs. Ranvilles Infant School - 11 Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Not applicable to this report.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. Inspiring assemblies and opportunities for reflection support spiritual development. Moral development is underpinned by a caring ethos. Cultural development, including the awareness of cultural diversity is promoted well through many subjects.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils It is a very caring school, built upon sound procedures. There is a generally satisfactory range of means of measuring and recording pupils’ attainment but they are not sufficiently used to make sure pupils make the best possible progress.

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Aspect Comment

There are very good links with parents that consolidate and support pupils’ learning. Information for parents is good.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The acting headteacher has had a significant impact on recent improvements by quickly identifying strengths and weaknesses in school provision and taking strong action. Subject co-ordinators are enthusiastic and generally have a clear idea how to improve provision. Many have been in post for a short period of time and they are not consistently involved in assessing the quality of work in their subjects.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors fulfil their statutory requirements. They support the work of the school, but do not have enough first hand knowledge of school provision to always make the best-informed critical decisions.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance This is satisfactory. The school makes an analysis of national test results to identify the strengths and weaknesses of core subjects. More use could be made of measures of pupils’ attainment at different stages to set targets. Observations of teaching are developing well but are not yet regular or rigorous enough to address the weaknesses in teaching and learning.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources School improvement planning is very focused on the most important needs of the school and reflect the inspection findings. Teachers are effectively deployed and there are sound procedures in place for their professional development. There is good provision and use made of modern technology and good use of the school website to inform and train

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Aspect Comment

There are good levels of staffing to meet the needs of the pupils. The accommodation provides good learning areas and is used well. There are sound resources for most subjects. The school effectively applies the principles of best value.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children enjoy school. • Pupils are taught well. • The range of activities for pupils outside lessons. Ranvilles Infant School - 12 • The teachers are approachable and friendly. • Pupils are helped to become mature and responsible. • The links with parents and the information received.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the positive views of parents. They disagree with the concerns. The extra-curricular activities, which include dance and singing, are fairly typical for an infant school. However, in view of the extent of parents’ views the school may wish to explore this area further. The quality of information for parents is good. Reports on pupils’ progress contain useful targets for improvement and there is regular information on the pupils’ areas of study through newsletters and the website. Ranvilles Infant School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Since the last inspection standards have been generally above the national average for reading, writing and mathematics. However, in the last two years there has been a fall in standards compared to schools nationally. They are still at least at the national average, but there have been fewer pupils achieving the higher levels in the tests and assessments at the end of Year 2. This was particularly the case for writing in 2001 and reflects a lack of development in the English curriculum and inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and learning in English overall. The significant fall in the number of pupils on roll over the last three years and the subsequent reduction in staff, particularly senior staff, have been an important feature in delaying progress. However, the staffing is now in a stable position and the good initiatives taken by the acting headteacher are beginning to reverse the trend and secure improvement. More work needs to be

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

done on closer monitoring of pupils ’ work and the quality of teaching to fully address this. The standards in 2001 were well below the average for schools with similar free school meal ratios. However, this is not a helpful comparison because the community is largely military based. The significant proportion of pupils who start their education at times other than the normal points and the impact of a naval community are not accounted for in this comparison.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The children make a good start in the reception class and are given a good foundation to their future learning. The children’s personal and social development is particularly good and they are likely to exceed the normal expectations for their age. There is a good emphasis on basic skills and children are on course to attain the expected targets for communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development. The children are also likely to achieve very well in aspects of physical development. The progress is a result of good teaching and planning. There have been significant changes to the staffing over the last two years and the two teachers are working effectively as a team to raise standards. Standards are at least as high as they were at the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Standards of attainment in reading and writing, by the end of Year 2, are in line with those found in most schools nationally. This is a drop in standards relative to the last inspection when attainment was reported as above average. The school’s National Curriculum assessment results have also fallen over the same period. In 1997, the school’s performance was above average nationally. In the latest tests (2001), attainment in reading and writing was average compared to all schools nationally, and below average in relation to schools of similar background. However, the proportion of pupils who achieve the expected level 2 is above average, but those achieving higher levels is average in reading and below average in writing. Improvements since the last inspection have been hindered by weaknesses in the school’s policy for handwriting and spelling and limited experience of the new subject leader. Effective measures to tackle these

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

weaknesses have now been taken by the acting headteacher. There are variations, but no significant differences over time, in boys and girls attainment.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In mathematics, last year’s 2001 tests results showed a significant drop in the number of pupils attaining their higher than average grades which contributed to overall attainment in mathematics being average. In the previous two years, attainment was above and well above national averages. In comparison with similar schools, the 2001 results were well below what you would expect pupils aged seven to achieve. However, after careful analysis of the National Curriculum levels pupils achieved in 2001, against attainment on entry to the school in reception, many pupils made at least satisfactory progress and some pupils made good progress. Year on year, there are significant fluctuations between boys’ and girls’ attainment in mathematics. Overall, as a group boys would appear to be out performing girls. However, the school identified that some boys were not achieving their anticipated results and teachers have focused on improving this. Boys and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

girls are given fair, equal access and opportunity to the mathematics curriculum. This is evident from the work in their books, teachers’ strategies used in the classroom, and the way adults supervise and monitor pupils’ work. Ranvilles Infant School - 14 5. In the current work seen standards in reading and writing are similar to last year. Standards of speaking and listening are at least average, but vary depending on the quality of the teachers’ questioning skills. In Year 2 a significant proportion of boys lack confidence to speak clearly and audibly. In reading a large majority of pupils read accurately and fluently. They generally enjoy reading. Most pupils make at least satisfactory progress but some are uncertain as to how to break words into syllables and this reduces their ability to learn new words. In writing, standards are sound overall. Most pupils can write in full sentences with appropriate regard to punctuation.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

However, they do not do this consistently. Handwriting also varies and some teachers accept too low a standard of presentation. Pupils could achieve higher standards if given more opportunities to write imaginatively and use the extent of their skills. This needs close monitoring by the subject co-ordinator and teachers.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In mathematics, standards are at least average for the current pupils and there is higher achievement in Year 1 indicating improvements to the subject are having a positive impact. Pupils have quick recall of number facts and they are developing good skills in tackling mathematical problems. There is not always enough emphasis placed on using a good mathematical vocabulary and this could improve progress further.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In science standards are average overall and pupils make satisfactory progress. There is a good approach to investigative work and pupils are developing appropriate knowledge and understanding. However, teachers do not always plan carefully enough, using the guidance within the school scheme to ensure work is consistently challenging. This could be addressed through more precise monitoring of planning to improve learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Standards in information and communication technology are above average. Pupils have good communication skills, making very effective use of the internet and e-mail. They have good basic skills in managing and using computers. Technology is used well across the curriculum. This is a direct result of good training and improved resources as a result of the subject leader’s commitment. This is a very significant improvement since the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In the few lessons observed there are strong indications that standards in music are good as a result of specialist teaching and sound planning. In particular, pupils’ composition skills are good. Standards in other subjects are at least average and have been maintained since the last inspection. However, standards in art are now average whereas before they were felt to be above. However, there are still many good features to the pupils’ work.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Pupils identified as having special educational needs, including those with statements, make at least satisfactory progress. Some lower attaining pupils make good progress over extended periods of time. The classroom support assistants are generally well prepared and offer good support. There are many examples of thorough and careful planning to enable classroom assistants to give the required support, but very occasionally the teacher does not make it clear what is expected of the assistant and progress particularly of the less able is affected.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Although there are some variations in the attainment of boys and girls this fluctuates significantly year-on year and the school is effectively monitoring progress and working with the local authority to ensure the needs of all pupils are met. The school is fully inclusive in its teaching and learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Standards and achievement are at least satisfactory. The school is taking effective and appropriate steps to raise standards further. This is reflected in the priorities of the school improvement plan. There needs to be continued development to teaching and learning in English in particular and close monitoring of this to make further improvements certain. The school is making satisfactory progress towards targets set for pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. At the time of the last inspection, there were no significant weaknesses in this aspect. Attitudes to work in over half the lessons observed were very good. Pupils are enthusiastic about their Ranvilles Infant School - 15 school and are keen to participate in school activities and the day to day life of the school. Roles such as class helper are undertaken with quiet efficiency. Through the introduction of a new behaviour policy there has been an improvement in behaviour, which is now good overall. However, in lessons where work is less challenging for pupils of all abilities there are lapses in behaviour and concentration. This is also linked to times when the teacher does not establish clear routines such as where the pupils should sit or how they should move for different parts of the lesson. Overall, there is no significant difference in the attitudes of boys and girls.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Overall, pupils with special educational needs are positive towards school. Pupils with special needs are included into all class activities and take an active full part in lessons. When lessons lack pace and introductory activities go on for too long, a minority of pupils become distracted and lose their focus. They often work well alongside their peers and with appropriate learning support complete tasks successfully .

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. From early in their school life, children form good relationships with one another and with adults. They are courteous and polite, very welcoming to visitors and eager to share their achievements with others. The personal development of pupils is good They are willing to undertake tasks such as preparing the hall for assembly and collecting and returning class registers to the office. Older children are encouraged to set a good example for the younger children. School assemblies and circle time encourage the pupils to think positively about their actions and the actions of others. In some lessons children are able to select their own resources and personal responsibility is being developed through the simple day-to-day tasks introduced through the system of class helpers.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The children’s attitudes in the reception classes are good and often very good. They concentrate and work hard for good periods of time and are highly motivated. They are polite and friendly. The good levels of personal and social development are a result of the teachers’ motivating use of stimulating drama and role-play and high quality resources.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Attendance levels at the school are good and well above the national average and the levels of unauthorised absence are broadly in line with the national average. Children are happy to come to school and the school day starts promptly. Through the daily life of the school, pupils’ understanding and respect for others reflect the aims of the school in creating an ethos where everyone is valued.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. There have been improvements to teaching in several areas, but in one key area, English, improvements have not been as good as often found. There are several reasons for this including staff changes, particularly affecting the leadership of the subject, and the significantly falling roll. Recent developments are having a positive impact but there are still improvements to be made.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The quality of teaching and learning for children in the reception classes is good overall and often very good. The key strengths are that lessons are imaginative and motivating. For example, there is regular use of puppets and teachers act in different roles such as ‘Granny Smith’ to interest children. Resources are often attractive and well made so that children want to handle them and learn more. In general, activities are planned very precisely for children of different abilities and this is reflected in the resources and instructions to all staff. The management of behaviour and relationships with children is very good because clear routines are established and there is a good balance between work directed by the teacher and that chosen by the pupils. The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are systematically developed and work is planned well. The classroom assistants often make a good contribution to pupils’ learning by monitoring their

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

achievement closely and recording significant aspects of the children’s progress. Good support is given to children with special educational needs who have individual educational plans to guide their learning. As a result of the quality of teaching the children show good levels of concentration and persevere on even difficult tasks. Ranvilles Infant School - 16 20. The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2. As a result pupils make sound progress. There are very few examples of unsatisfactory teaching and a significant proportion of good and very good teaching. However, there are inconsistencies, which limit pupils’ learning overall. For example, although pupils are generally well behaved some of the teachers have not established clear and effective routines to make sure pupils concentrate hard and lessons can be conducted at a quick and effective pace.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. The teaching of literacy is satisfactory overall. Lessons tend to lack the liveliness and imagination which are necessary to really grab the pupils’ attention. The teachers tend to follow the guidance of the National Literacy Strategy very closely and they are not flexible enough to adapt to their class’s needs. In the best lesson teaching was very imaginative, making very good use of information and communication technology for example. The teacher had very high expectations in the lesson, which was not always evident in all aspects of English teaching. For example, teachers accept written work which is not neat or accurate enough with mis-spellings, and this is not consistently picked up in the marking. The teachers do not make it clear to pupils what is acceptable and how to improve their performance. As a result, pupils do not take the pride in their work that they should. Teachers do not give enough opportunities for pupils to use

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

the writing skills they already have, particularly the more able.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Overall the teaching and learning of numeracy and mathematics is satisfactory. There is a significant proportion of good teaching and signs of improvement overall. Lessons are generally well planned and teachers make good use of games and practical activities to stimulate the pupils. In the good lessons teachers use good questioning skills to make the pupils use their knowledge of number and think about their learning. A weakness in lessons is that teachers do not regularly reinforce the main points of the lesson and ensure pupils have achieved what is expected of them. The role of support assistants is not always clear from the teachers’ planning which reduces their effectiveness.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Challenge for all abilities is generally at least satisfactory. However, as can be seen in English, teachers do not always use their knowledge of pupils’ learning effectively to challenge the most able pupils. Conversely, teachers occasionally demand too much of less able pupils and this does not allow them the success they need to improve. In both instances, better use could be made of the assessments made of pupils’ attainment. Overall, the teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs is at least satisfactory and sometimes good. They have sensitive classroom support. Assistants know pupils well and work effectively with the teacher to provide a breadth of learning experiences. However, there is often a missed opportunity by teachers to use the skills of the support assistant to record individual progress during lessons. This is very effectively done in the reception classes but not overall. The majority of pupils make

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

at least satisfactory progress during lessons and some pupils make good progress across a range of subjects. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in music because of the good quality additional teaching support provided by the peripatetic music specialist. The good knowledge the school and the special educational needs co-ordinator have of the pupils ensures that each pupil’s priority teaching targets are relevant. The specialist teaching observed during the inspection by the special needs co-ordinator and the support worker in charge of implementing a phonologically based programme for pupils with reading difficulties was good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Teaching and learning in information and communication technology are good. The pupils’ skills are effectively developed through other subjects and teachers make good use of challenging questions to develop pupils’ skills. They seek interesting opportunities to use computers in the suite and classroom.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. Teachers have good relationships with their pupils and overall this creates a pleasant and friendly environment where pupils are happy to learn. However, the pace of some lessons is too slow because routines are not clearly established and pupils spend too much time moving from carpet to chairs and back and this leads to some fidgeting and silliness. Ranvilles Infant School - 17 26. Inadequate planning marked the two unsatisfactory lessons, so they lacked a clear focus and lacked challenge, particularly for the more able pupils. In a Year 2 religious education lesson the lack of purpose led to poor concentration from the pupils and little was achieved. More adherence to planning procedures within the subjects and to the behaviour policy would improve the teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. Teaching in music is often good because of the teacher’s specialist knowledge. In all other subjects teaching is at least satisfactory. 28. The school is very aware of the need to fully involve both girls and boys and give them the best opportunities. Teachers make certain that all pupils are involved in introductory sessions and support assistants often watch out for this.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

29. Teachers support pupils well in their lessons by giving appropriate praise and acknowledging their achievements. However, the written marking for older pupils is inconsistent and does not always offer enough guidance for improvement.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The provision made for the reception children is good, and satisfactory for Years 1 and 2 pupils. This matches the findings of inspectors in 1997. Strengths on that occasion were the provision for pupils with special educational needs, and the planning for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Areas for development included the provision for information and communication technology, which was inadequate, and the need to improve the quality of the school’s plans for many of the subjects taught. Good progress has been made in ensuring that the provision for information and communication technology is now satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs continue to be appropriately provided for, and the school’s promotion of pupils’ personal development remains good. Subject plans have improved significantly for mathematics and several other subjects, but a few, such as English, still need further

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. All subjects of the National Curriculum meet statutory requirements, and the provision for religious education meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. Personal and social education is timetabled for each class, enabling pupils to discuss issues as well as being taught about personal care. All pupils enjoy equal access to the curriculum. The school is careful to ensure that girls and boys are treated equally, and that pupils who need extra help receive it.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. Overall, the time allocated to the various subjects is appropriate. Although the majority of the time is spent on literacy and numeracy, the school has maintained its commitment to the other subjects. The curriculum is enriched by the use of visits, and visitors to school. The arts subjects are well served in this respect through the visits of musicians and dance groups. The visit to Oxleys Coppice in support of pupils’ learning in geography and science, and the visits of older members of the community to help Year 2 pupils with their history topic, are good examples of the positive contributions that such additions make to pupils’ learning. The school offers few after- school clubs for pupils. Inspectors nevertheless feel that the provision made is satisfactory given the age of the pupils and size of the school, and the fact that teachers spend a lot of time, inside and outside lesson times, helping to promote pupils’ interests and personal development.

p.17

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The curriculum for the reception children is well planned. All areas of learning prescribed within the national guidelines for children under five are effectively incorporated into teachers’ planning. Assessment is appropriately linked into planning to enable teachers to make swift adjustments to the curriculum as and when this is needed. Basic skills are well planned for in reception and teachers and support staff have a very clear focus on developing personal and social, language and mathematical skills throughout all lessons.

p.17

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The curriculum for Years 1 and 2 has undergone a lot of change and development since the last inspection. National strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy have now become part of the Ranvilles Infant School - 18 school’s planning and are satisfactorily implemented. However, in the case of the literacy strategy, its implementation has not been satisfactory until very recently, with insufficient attention paid to how the school’s overall provision for English would be catered for outside the daily literacy hour lessons. Lack of training for teachers, coupled with unsatisfactory arrangements for assessing and monitoring standards across the school, meant that little action was taken until very recently to evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s teaching of basic skills. Swift, and increasingly effective, action has been taken to rectify the weaknesses in English, such as improving the quality of planning guidance for teachers, adopting a spelling scheme and

p.17

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

making a start on monitoring the standards of provision.

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The provision in the other curriculum subjects is satisfactory. In most subjects the school has elected to base its subject planning on the nationally recommended schemes of work. This process is at various stages of evolution. There has been particularly good improvement to planning for information and communication technology so that teaching and learning are promoted through all subjects in clear and progressive steps. The subject plans for science and design and technology are successfully established. They effectively indicate what pupils are expected to achieve, across the full ability range, as they move up through the school. Other subjects, notably geography and history, have not yet reached this stage and are in need of continued development to make sure that the individual units selected from the national schemes are developed into coherent plans for progressing pupils’ learning throughout the school.

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The provision for linking aspects of pupils’ learning in one subject with their learning in other subjects is also satisfactory, but tends to rely on the planning and decisions of individual teachers rather than on overall school plans. For example, the school has no central plan for providing guidance about how pupils’ personal education fits into teachers’ planning, or for developing specific links between the teaching of basic skills and teaching and learning in other subjects. Where good practice has been developed by individual teachers, and in the reception classes generally, pupils make better progress.

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. The school provides its pupils with a sound inclusive curriculum. There is full access to the curriculum and pupils with special educational needs work well alongside their peers. All pupils with special educational needs have individual education plans which clearly state each child’s priority learning objectives in areas like speaking and listening, reading and basic number skills. The school has good links with the adjacent junior school. Although some aspects of evaluating and assessing pupils’ achievements are new, the school has long been aware of any differences between progress for different groups such as boys and girls. For example, previous school improvements focused on raising speaking skills, particularly for boys to ensure full access to the curriculum.

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. There are a number of inter-school activities such as the summer dance sessions and the Christmas carol service. A prime purpose of these links is to ensure a smooth transition for pupils between the infant and the junior schools. This is successfully achieved. Links have now been developed with the local pre-school although these are not yet strong. The community plays an appropriate part in the life and work of the school, including the regular visit of a governor connected with the local church to take assembly, and visits from members of the local community to support pupils’ work in lessons.

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. The school continues to make good provision for promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Each of these areas is a strong and effective feature in the school’s aims and is well developed through the school’s policies, curriculum plans and teachers’ own commitment to pupils’ personal development. Pupils’ spiritual development is well served in assemblies where reflection on their own lives and the lives of others plays a prominent part. There is very stimulating use made of projectors and lights to give pupils a sense of awe and wonder supported by good story telling. Provision for pupils’ moral development is effectively underpinned by the caring ethos developed within the school, including the personal examples set by staff. Each class has a timetabled lesson devoted to the discussion of topics connected with moral issues. All staff talk to individual pupils about the effect of their behaviour on others and

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

help them to improve their understanding. The provision for pupils’ social development has been Ranvilles Infant School - 19 strengthened by greater emphasis on good behaviour, effective relationships and increased responsibility for pupils, in and outside lesson times. In many lessons pupils are given the opportunity to work collaboratively, for instance in design and technology and science. As a result most pupils work well together and establish a good understanding of their role in a group. Pupils’ cultural development continues to be well catered for through the curriculum. Religious education, art, music, history and geography lessons all provide an effective platform for increasing pupils’ awareness of the cultural diversity represented in the different communities and peoples they learn about, including their own. Ranvilles Infant School - 20

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Since the last inspection report the school has maintained its good support for ensuring pupils’ welfare. Teachers understand their pupils well. They know the procedures to be followed to ensure that pupils are well protected and the level of welfare is good overall. However, the school is aware that they need to produce a new policy for child protection. The governing body ensures that effective procedures are in place to promote all related matters of health, safety and security. Parents appreciate the way staff care for their children.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Procedures for the monitoring of pupils’ personal development and for monitoring and supporting their academic progress are satisfactory overall. Personal support and guidance for pupils are good and staff work hard to ensure that everyone in the school community is valued. In the best lessons there is a consistent approach, which ensures the good behaviour of pupils and the elimination of oppressive behaviour. The recently introduced behaviour policy, led by the headteacher, is having a clear impact on the monitoring and promoting of good behaviour. This effective support makes a positive contribution to pupils’ well being, and enables them to take full advantage of the educational opportunities offered. In the less successful lessons teachers fail to establish clear routines and ignore the structures of the behaviour and teaching and learning policies.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Pupils with special educational needs are well cared for. There are sound procedures established to identify any concerns and these are highlighted from the reception class and developed into early individual education plans. Progress is monitored well. In Year 1 and 2 their progress is also carefully monitored and the special needs co-ordinator works closely with teachers to identify strengths and weaknesses in the pupils’ learning..

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Overall, there are satisfactory procedures to monitor and assess pupils’ progress and attainment and there is a clear policy to manage this. However, this is not yet fully implemented throughout the school and individual teachers make variable use of their knowledge of pupils. This sometimes results in a mis-match between the work set for pupils and their ability. For example, in mathematics in Year 1 the challenge for a pupil with special educational needs was too hard and the steps were not small enough to allow for the success he needs. Through some of the more open-ended activities in design and technology and information and communication technology, very able pupils are well challenged. However, some teachers do not use their prior knowledge of pupils effectively enough and do not plan sufficiently. For example, the science planning process very clearly identifies challenge for the different ability groups but in one Year 2

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

lesson the challenge for all pupils was the same. This was in complete contrast to another Year 2 lesson where the pupils were very rigorously challenged by ability and the procedures used effectively.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The school has a very good relationship with parents; this has improved since the last inspection report. Parents have a very positive view of the school and this very good relationship is now a strength of the school. Approximately one third of the parents returned questionnaires prior to the inspection. These were very positive overall.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The school has very good links with parents to consolidate and extend pupils’ learning. Several parents help in school. Parents are very keen to be involved in the life of the school. Each class send a newsletter every term informing parents about what their children will be learning and other school activities. This ensures all parents have an opportunity to be involved in their child’s learning at home.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parents are kept well informed of the progress of pupils with special educational needs. The individual education plans are sent home regularly, and there are annual review meetings for pupils with a statement of special educational needs, and regular parents’ meetings and the Ranvilles Infant School - 21 yearly school report. Parents are encouraged to come into the school to discuss any concerns they may have about any aspects of the school’s practice or their child’s progress.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The information provided for parents is good overall. Home - school agreements are in place. Reports on pupils’ progress give a good indication of what pupils should do next to improve. The school’s documentation gives a clear indication of the life of the school. Newsletters are clear and helpful; these newsletters are posted on the school web page in order that parents serving in the Royal Navy have an opportunity to share in the life of the school even when serving abroad.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Parental contribution to pupils’ learning at home and at school is good. Parents read with their children, helping them choose their books and also help with spellings. Several parents and grandparents help in classrooms and on other school occasions. Staff appreciated the strong contribution parents made to the role-play areas in the reception classes; this has greatly enhanced learning opportunities for these young children.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The school is well led by the acting headteacher. An enthusiastic and committed staff supports her. There has been significant change to the staffing over the last few years, which has had an impact on improvements that the school has been able to make and almost all subject co- ordinators and senior staff are either new to their post or to the school. However, they have made good inroads into developing their roles, particularly through the support of the headteacher and local education authority advisors. The governing body fulfil their statutory requirements. Overall leadership and management are satisfactory and since the last inspection is sound.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The overall management of the school is sound. Following a period of considerable transition the school is making progress at an acceptable rate and the enthusiasm and professionalism of all staff place the school in a good position to regain some lost ground in terms of the recent decline in standards, particularly in mathematics. The management of the education of the youngest pupils in the reception class is good. Subject co-ordinators are making useful analyses of assessments in their subjects and there have been significant improvements to the monitoring of teaching overall through the acting headteacher, key staff and the local education authority. These developments need to be maintained and developed to raise standards. Steps taken to monitor and assess the work of individual teachers are improving. They are beginning to have a good impact in mathematics in ensuring implementation of the curriculum. However, more

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

focused observations of all aspects of learning are still to become routine. For example, more could be done through monitoring the pupils’ work to make sure that agreed policies such as marking and teaching and learning are carried out. Although teachers’ planning is collected in by some co-ordinators there is not enough clear guidance to make certain that such issues as planning for different abilities are in place for all teachers. This is very evident in science where the guidance is strong but planning sheets are occasionally ignored.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The school has made good improvements to analysing information on pupils’ performance and this is beginning to have an impact on standards in mathematics and science. Better use could be made of assessments made by teachers of pupils’ attainment. The monitoring of teaching and learning has highlighted the need to improve routines for the management of behaviour and this has had a very good effect although there are still some inconsistencies in approach. The school improvement plan is brief and succinct and very effectively prioritises the most important areas for development. There is increasing involvement from all members of the school community. The current plan does not express the expected results as clear quantifiable outcomes as this has been a temporary plan to address the most significant needs. It needs to more precisely state how the initiatives will impact on standards. Previous school improvement plans contained this

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

element, for example, describing how steps to improve boys’ writing and speaking skills generally would impact on the percentage of pupils achieving higher levels in the tests.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The performance of teachers is soundly managed and all teachers are beginning to benefit from this through a clearer idea of their role in the school and improved structures for monitoring and Ranvilles Infant School - 22 observing pupils’ work. The school’s aims underpin any developments and the overall ethos. Teachers are very aware of the transient nature of the community and other features arising from the military nature of the community and give pupils a strong feeling of care and belonging.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The management of special educational needs is good. The school employs a part-time special educational needs co-ordinator for one day per week. She is a committed, knowledgeable and enthusiastic professional who is developing good systems for providing support and reporting to parents. She recognises the need to up-date the school’s policy to pay due regard to recent changes in special educational needs provision outlined in the soon-to-be-introduced Code of Practice for special needs pupils. The co-ordinator also sees the need to state more clearly how the effectiveness of the policy will be monitored and evaluated. She understands the need to develop more effective whole school tracking systems to enable pupil progress during lessons and over time to be quickly accessed by staff, parents, and senior managers. The co-ordinator’s responsibilities are clearly defined and understood by her and she has made very good use of

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

available time and resources, since being appointed in September 2001. The school’s current action plan is thorough and extremely detailed. The most urgent areas for development require prioritising with the impact on pupils’ learning and teachers’ knowledge stating clearly.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. There are sound procedures for financial management and grants are generally used effectively. For example, funding for information and communication technology has had a significant impact on standards. Grants for special educational needs are also effectively managed. The governing body has always maintained sound financial control, but they have been too reliant on information from the headteacher to ensure that they are giving the best value and to challenge and support finances independently. This situation has improved significantly through training and support from the current headteacher and by the development of the deputy headteacher’s role in monitoring and evaluating performance.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The governors are bringing creative ideas to ways in which they can obtain further first hand information through closer links with the subject leaders and taking a more active role in this side of management. The governors have had a difficult job in maintaining adequate staffing levels with suitably experienced staff against the fall in finances following falling rolls. However, that situation has been addressed and both teachers and support assistants are improving their levels of training and experience and are in a good position to support further school improvement. The subject co-ordinators are becoming increasingly responsible for managing funds available for their subject, but they do not yet all play a role in tendering for funds within the school budget. Staffing levels are good overall, because of the provision of support staff and special educational needs time. Resources are good for information and communication technology and generally sound for

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

all other subjects. The accommodation is bright and spacious. Good use is made of space created as a result of falling rolls for the teaching of pupils with special educational needs, library facilities and a good quality computer suite.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school makes good use of technology, not just for general school administration, but through its web-site to inform parents and the wider community of the work of the school. The school administrator is new this term but has quickly established herself and day-to-day routines are efficient and understated.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The expenditure per pupil is higher than average because of the small size of the school. However, the satisfactory standards, sound quality of teaching overall and good in Year R and the high standards of care means the school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

58. In order to raise standards and to continue to improve the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Raise standards in English by: [Paragraphs: 3,5,12,21,34,71,72,74] Ranvilles Infant School - 23 • fully implementing the handwriting policy and closely monitoring its impact on learning; • raising awareness of the need for good presentation in all the pupils’ written work with particular regard to handwriting, spelling and punctuation; • creating more opportunities for pupils to write imaginatively and to ensure they use the full extent of their writing skills regularly in all subjects.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Improve the quality and range of the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning by subject co-ordinators and other senior staff by; [Paragraphs: 5,7,26,36,43,50,85,91,97,111]

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• establishing clear and focused procedures to analyse samples of children’s work and teachers’ planning in different subjects. Where appropriate share the process with other teachers and school governors; • rigorous, but supportive, procedures to monitor the implementation of current and new policies such as behaviour, marking and teaching and learning to ensure they are consistently implemented.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Continue to develop existing assessment procedures and use the information provided by the monitoring of teaching and learning to make sure work is consistently set to challenge pupils, particularly the more able. [Paragraphs: 19,43,51,85,87,97,129]

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

As well as the key issues the school should consider the following lesser issues:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Behaviour management in some lessons. [Paragraphs: 13,20]

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

All of the issues have been successfully identified as priorities for improvement by the school. Ranvilles Infant School - 24

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 23

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.24

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 represents three percentage points

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 156

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 37

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 14

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 16

p.24

Attendance

School data 4.1 School data 0.2 Ranvilles Infant School - 25 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.24

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Ranvilles Infant School - 26

p.25

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 28 30 58

p.26

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.26

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

Boys 25 25 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 28 28 29

p.26

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

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

p.26

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

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

Boys 26 27 27 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 27 26 27

p.26

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

Percentage of pupils School 91 (98) 91 (98) 93 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.26

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

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

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.26

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. Ranvilles Infant School - 27

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6.8 Financial year 2000/2001

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.4

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y2 Total income 375312

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Total expenditure 362112

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 144 Expenditure per pupil 2118

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 3024

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 16224

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Ranvilles Infant School - 28

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 60 38 2 0 0

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 29 62 2 0 7

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 21 60 10 0 10

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 31 48 14 5 2

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 62 36 2 0 0

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 40 48 2 0 10

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 43 38 14 2 2

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 48 38 2 0 12

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 45 45 10 0 0

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 7 14 31 10 38 Ranvilles Infant School - 29

p.28

Personal, social and emotional development

59. The quality of teaching and learning is good in the reception classes and consequently most children are likely to achieve the early learning goals and many exceed them. The children know the routines well and are quick and eager to settle to their work. They are very attentive to the teacher and other adults because they make activities enjoyable. For example, teachers make very good use of different puppets to interest pupils and help them to develop relationships and express concern for others. The children concentrate very hard on their work, often for long periods. This applies equally to tasks the children choose themselves as well as those set for them. For example, four pupils were engaged for over twenty minutes in enacting domestic scenes using model characters. They relate well together and mix in both large and small groups. The children learn to express their own views and describe preferences. This was very

p.29

Personal, social and emotional development

noticeable when children were buying objects from the Christmas ‘shop’ as they had a wide array of glittering decorations to choose from. Adults observe the children working and keep detailed records of how they relate to each other and other aspects of their personal progress so they can ensure they make consistent progress. The teachers set individual targets for children who give any cause for concern in their personal and emotional development and plan well for their individual needs. As a result these pupils make good progress.

p.29

Personal, social and emotional development

60. Adults set good role models, treating pupils with politeness and consideration. They encourage the children to take turns on outdoor play equipment for example. As a result pupils are polite and considerate to each other and grow more aware of others’ needs. The teachers’ manage behaviour very well.

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

61. Children make good progress and the majority are on course to achieve the expected targets for their age. Teaching and learning are good. Children’s speaking and listening skills are encouraged by good routines at the start of sessions involving whole class and group activities. Improvement since the last inspection is good. They are encouraged to answer questions with increasing detail, and adults make sure all children are involved. By the time they start full time schooling most children express their ideas in full sentences using a generally rich vocabulary. They develop their language through topics that are interesting and relevant to their everyday lives. In the best teaching, the teacher makes good use of drama and role-play to encourage children to engage in lively discussions. For example, the teacher often ‘visits’ the children in the character of a friendly old grandmother. They are totally engrossed and talk freely about themselves and

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

concerns. There is sometimes a lack of deeply probing questions to children involved in role-play and creative activities to make sure they develop and reinforce the language used in these areas. Teachers give regular praise to children for the quality of their speech and place a strong emphasis on clear pronunciation.

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

62. Children make good progress in reading. They learn to enjoy books, familiar stories and rhymes, which are incorporated into many activities. The children have regular literacy lessons that focus on developing reading and writing skills. The lessons are well planned to meet the needs of pupils of different abilities and good links are made between aspects of the lesson. For instance, whilst the less able pupils learn to recognise, write and repeat the letters ‘f’,’l’ and ‘b’ through letter matching games the more able are writing their own Christmas sentences building words using those initial sounds. The more able children in the reception classes make good progress in recognising the structure of a book and describing the story from illustrations and known key words. They make appropriate predictions as to what will happen next. They are well supported by the good probing questions asked by the classroom assistant such as ‘Why do you think

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

Ranvilles Infant School - 30 that…’ and ‘what do you think he is doing….?’ , so that the children look more closely at the features of the story. Occasionally, the teacher does not give clear enough instructions to other adults as to how word games should be played and as a result there is sometimes a lack of challenge. The children make sound progress in writing. It is good for the early stages of handwriting skills as they often start the morning with tracing and overwriting activities based upon the new school handwriting scheme. In both classrooms children make use of an office or writing corner to experiment with their own writing. However, further use could be made of the role-play corner, such as the ‘vets’, to encourage the children to ‘write’ bills and prescriptions.

p.30

Mathematical development

63. Children are likely to achieve the early learning goals for mathematics. The teaching and learning are very good in the reception class. Bright and imaginative resources encourage the children to want to count and work with numbers. For example, very large coins, which need two hands to hold, are taken from a giant purse as the children learn about the values of coins. Most children count to ten and beyond. They recognise coins of different values to 10 pence and the more able beyond that. The teachers make good use of songs and rhymes to reinforce children’s ability to count backwards and take away. Again the teachers make good use of quizzes and games to check the children’s understanding. Boys and girls make equally good progress. In the best lessons, all mathematical activities have very clear targets for different abilities and these are clear to staff and children. For instance, in the ‘Christmas Shop’ the values of the coins and the

p.30

Mathematical development

expectations for how much is written down are changed for each group. The classroom assistants keep detailed evaluations of the most significant progress or lack of progress for individual children.

p.30

Mathematical development

64. The children have a sound understanding of what a simple graph or pictogram shows, and answer simple questions appropriately. They make good use of computers to further their understanding of graphs and shape and measures. They learn to write numbers accurately. All pupils make good progress towards adding and subtracting from 10. The children are very eager to take part in activities and show good concentration as a result of the stimulating and well-made resources and the sense of fun in their learning.

p.30

Knowledge and understanding of the world

65. Most children are likely to attain the expected levels for their age by the time they leave reception. They make sound progress. Teaching is at least satisfactory and good for some aspects. There are well-established routines so that children learn about the days of the week, months of the year and the weather and seasons. At this stage of the year a reasonable proportion of pupils know the days of the week and are making good progress. They use computers well by controlling events on the screen with the mouse and opening up simple menus to find their activities. They follow stories on the computer and control the activities of little animated babies. The activities are made more interesting by being closely linked to role-play activities. The children have a good knowledge of pets and animals and conduct simple investigations to find out which is the most popular. They have a good knowledge of how they have grown from babies and

p.30

Knowledge and understanding of the world

the teachers make good use of digital photography to help them to link themselves to their homes. Sometimes the demands in science are too high for the children as activities are planned too closely to the National Curriculum for older pupils. As a result the children were trying to understand that humans are animals too through worksheets which had little meaning to them. This was in contrast to the many good first hand experiences the children have. Only the more able pupils gained much understanding from the experience. They enjoy using construction toys and many of the pupils plan out what they are going to make in advance. Children have a good understanding of the Christmas story and put the events in Bethlehem in the correct order.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

66. As ‘Granny Smith’ the teacher used role-play very effectively to further the pupils’ historical knowledge as they examined artefacts from the early 20 th century. The children were confident to ask questions to discover how a flat iron is heated, for example and were developing a sound understanding. Ranvilles Infant School - 31

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Physical development

67. Children’s physical development is good and many are likely to exceed the expectations for their age. This is through the challenging dance and gymnastics activities. Their achievement in outdoor play is satisfactory overall. The children have regular opportunities through the day to use the outdoor play area but the range of wheeled vehicles and climbing equipment limits activities. The children ride the cycles and scooters with appropriate control. They make good progress in controlling pencils and crayons and handle paintbrushes well.

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Physical development

68. They show very good control of their bodies in dance work. This is a direct result of very good teaching. The teacher selects stimulating music from the ‘The Lion King’ to tell the story of the nativity. The music is well chosen to allow children to express many different moods from travelling on the journey to walking like a king. The children demonstrate very good levels of stamina and make good use of the available space. They rise to the teacher’s expectations to make strong expressions. They control their movements very well and stretch and twist their bodies well. They make their own suggestions to improve their ideas.

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Creative development

69. Children are on course to achieve the goals expected for their age. There are regular opportunities for children to work with different art materials and to express themselves in both large and small ways. They paint, draw and photograph themselves as part of their topic work. The paintings indicate confidence in painting both large and bold faces and also showing some fine examples of careful detail in the eyes and hair. Children mix their own colours appropriately as well as using ready mixed paints. They draw and paint well on the computer revealing some carefully planned designs. Children also work well with material they can mould such as playdo. For example, children followed made models of the historical artefacts mentioned above. Activities are generally well planned. However, sometimes when the activities are part of a literacy session the teachers’ expectations are not always made clear enough to challenge the

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Creative development

most able. On the whole, however, progress is supported by careful but manageable recordings of children’s significant achievement by all staff.

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ENGLISH

70. Standards by Year 2 are average overall. They are similar for the current pupils to last year’s levels. The majority of pupils make satisfactory progress but there are weaknesses in the teaching of writing in particular which limit the progress of some pupils. There has not been enough improvement since the last inspection overall, linked to staffing changes. However, the school has taken significant steps to overcome these difficulties through the current headteacher and the new subject co-ordinator provides enthusiastic and increasingly focused leadership.

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ENGLISH

71. Attainment in speaking and listening is satisfactory overall. However, standards range quite sharply between different classes depending on the quality of teaching and the attention paid to promoting speaking and listening skills. In the main, pupils have learnt how to listen by the end of Year 1. They are attentive to adults and to each other and take turns in contributing to discussions. As a result, they are used to thinking and reflecting before answering questions, as, for example, in their responses to a series of portraits presented to them in an art lesson. When telling the whole class what they thought, they articulated their own ideas and opinions with considerable confidence and composure. They also saw the need to use a slightly louder voice and speak clearly in this situation. These qualities are not as consistently evident in Year 2 classes. Examples of very good listening and speaking were observed; for instance, when pupils

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ENGLISH

responded to the question, “What is history?” Pupils showed considerable perseverance when trying to explain what they meant by responses such as, “When you die, you’re history”. In contrast, there were frequent examples of Year 2 pupils being reluctant to speak at all. Lacking confidence and skills, they either produced inaudible responses, or when offered the choice of whether to speak or not, chose not to do so. In these lessons, a significant minority of pupils, especially boys, found listening difficult, a weakness identified by inspectors at the time of the Ranvilles Infant School - 32 last inspection. The school has no overall policy and scheme of work for guiding teachers’ planning and expectations in this area of the subject.

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ENGLISH

72. Standards in reading by Year 2 are satisfactory overall. A lot of pupils read well for their age, both in Year 1 and 2. They read accurately, and with increasing fluency and expression. They are building up a good range of vocabulary and enjoy reading. From an early age pupils are able to choose books to take home to read with their parents. This serves as a considerable stimulus to their interest in books and the progress they make in reading. Pupils know how to use a dictionary and that books have contents pages and are written by authors. The more able pupils confidently express their opinions about the stories they read, while other pupils can recall what happened in the story. Although most pupils make satisfactory progress, many could make better progress if their knowledge of letter sounds and letter patterns was more secure. Few pupils are fully sure about how to break words down into syllables in order to identify them.

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ENGLISH

Average and lower ability pupils are good at using illustrations to provide clues about the story or identify unfamiliar words, but tend to rely upon guesswork when this strategy does not work. However, there was abundant evidence of classroom assistants successfully helping lower ability pupils to develop these skills.

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ENGLISH

73. The school has a range of reading resources, but these are not always sufficiently well catalogued and monitored to support pupils’ reading needs. The school library is stocked almost entirely with reference books and has few storybooks. It has no seating and is not designed to encourage pupils to browse or read by themselves. Books in classrooms are mostly storybooks and while they are colour coded in relation to difficulty, pupils do not always select the most appropriate books for their reading abilities. The lack of regular assessment of pupils’ attainment in reading, until very recently, has made it difficult for teachers to keep accurate records of what books pupils read, what progress they make and what books are suitable for them. About a half of all the books available for shared and guided reading in literacy lessons are not catalogued and remain unused. No new books have been ordered in almost a year. All of this is unsatisfactory and

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ENGLISH

significantly hampers the appropriate development of teaching and learning in the subject. The new subject co-ordinator has made a sound start in rectifying this situation.

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ENGLISH

74. Standards in writing are sound. Most pupils can write in sentences using full stops and capital letters appropriately, but do not do so consistently in all of their work. Their handwriting is often of indifferent quality, except when they take the time and trouble to do their best. Most are capable of doing joined-up writing, but frequently choose not to do so because they are given the choice. A few pupils do not hold their pencils correctly and this hampers their progress. All too often pupils’ written work is casually presented. The more able pupils spell commonly used words correctly, while other pupils struggle. The latter have not been helped by the school’s lack, until this term, of a consistent approach to the teaching and assessment of spelling. Evidence from the results of spelling tests by last year’s pupils shows considerable variation in pupils’ performance, depending on whether or not they have bothered to learn the spellings as part of

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ENGLISH

their homework. More encouraging is the range of pupils’ writing. They write letters, stories, poems, narrative accounts, reports and book reviews, occasionally word-processing their work. They successfully learn how different writing styles are used in different contexts, and are helped in this by teachers’ good use of models for structuring stories, and in the provision of useful starting points for different writing contexts; for example, the use of, “I like it because”, for starting book reviews.

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ENGLISH

75. Although pupils in Year 2 achieve satisfactory standards in writing overall, several of the more able do not make the progress they should. By the end of Year 1, a significant minority of pupils are already confident writers, especially the more able pupils, but they are not consistently given enough opportunities in Year 2 to extend their skills. Capable of developing sequences of sentences and developing their ideas more imaginatively, including the use of dialogue to give greater characterisation to their stories, they do not do so. In Year 2 pupils produce a lot of writing, often very imaginatively, as in their accounts of Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk or the Mermaid story, but it shows little advance in writing skills on the better Year 1 stories about the Tiger and the Jackal. Pupils’ written work in other subjects reflects similar rates of learning. There are good examples of pupils beginning to acquire and use appropriate subject vocabulary;

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ENGLISH

Ranvilles Infant School - 33 for example in science. In history and religious education lessons, they write extended accounts of people’s lives and deeds; for instance, Florence Nightingale, and Rama and Sita. But these accounts invariably focus on pupils’ recalling what they have learned. They are rarely invited to “imagine”, or “explore” their own ideas and feelings.

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ENGLISH

76. The quality of teaching is sound overall. Of the four literacy hour lessons seen, one was very good and the rest satisfactory. This is not up to the standard found in most schools. Apart from the one very good lesson, the teaching tends to lack spark and buzz. The National Literacy Strategy is closely followed, but has not been sufficiently adapted to ensure that pupils’ literacy needs are fully addressed beyond the literacy hour lessons. The school has no up-to-date policy for teaching English. Until this term, teachers had received no literacy training since the introduction of the national strategy. Although better guidance is now provided about how to organise teaching and learning to meet the needs of all pupils in the class, some teachers still find it difficult to be absolutely clear what they want pupils to learn, rather than what they want them to do. This applies less to pupils with special educational needs. The use of classroom

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ENGLISH

assistants to support these pupils is much improved, and is a good feature of the teaching and learning in virtually all classes. In the very good lesson seen, the planning was highly imaginative and challenging, and the expectations of pupils were in most respects good. This was not typical of teachers’ expectations generally. Teachers are too ready to accept work of poor quality, a tendency highlighted in teachers’ marking of pupils’ work. Teachers do not make it sufficiently clear to pupils what is acceptable and what is not, or how they could improve their performance.

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ENGLISH

77. There has not been enough improvement since the last inspection. After the initial introduction of the National Literacy Strategy the school has not taken enough steps to develop this to its own needs and to thoroughly address the teaching of English outside the literacy lesson. However, the staffing has changed significantly during this period. The school development plan for 2000-01 identifies achievement targets for the Year 2 pupils in the National Curriculum tests, but three of the four targets set were not achieved, by a wide margin. Class, group and individual target setting arrangements are now being introduced, but are not yet linked to precise enough information about pupils’ prior attainment and progress to be soundly based. A satisfactory start has been made in developing systems to provide such information about pupils’ achievements in writing, but not in reading.

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ENGLISH

78. The school is making a serious attempt within the current school development plan to tackle its weaknesses. There is no lack of commitment on the part of teachers to succeed in this task, especially the new subject co-ordinator who has worked tirelessly since her appointment to improve the provision. The school now has the capacity to raise standards, but there is a lot of lost ground to make up.

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MATHEMATICS

79. Standards are average by Year 2 and this is similar to last year’s (2001) results indicating a halt to the downturn from very high standards two years ago. There are signs of improvements to the standards throughout the school as teachers become more effective in teaching and planning within the national strategy. The majority of pupils make at least satisfactory improvement from their earlier achievement.

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MATHEMATICS

80. There has been good progress in the development of the subject since the last inspection. Over recent months the school has looked closely at its test results, and reviewed its provision for mathematics with good support and advice from the local education authority. It has made good use of last year’s assessment data to identify pupils’ strengths and weaknesses in the subject and is currently working on improving pupils’ skills in using a variety of written and mental calculation strategies in problem solving activities. Focussed lesson observations have taken place by the subject co-ordinator and the local education authority’s mathematics consultant. This has resulted in changes to the way staff plan and deliver their lessons. The school is developing more effective teaching strategies for meeting the needs of pupils of all levels of ability. Although current action plans focus on developing the attainment of more able pupils the school

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MATHEMATICS

Ranvilles Infant School - 34 recognises the importance of ensuring that expectations and work are appropriately matched to all levels of ability, including pupils with special educational needs. Extra hours have been allocated to support assistants who work with lower attaining pupils, and the school has recently appointed a part-time special educational needs co-ordinator who writes individual learning programmes for pupils in numeracy when appropriate. This support is beginning to have a positive effect on raising pupils’ achievements across all aspects of mathematics and staff are gaining more confidence in delivering the three part lesson which is the main structure of the National Numeracy Strategy.

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MATHEMATICS

81. At Key Stage 1, all teachers show good commitment to the implementation of techniques from the National Numeracy Strategy and this is having a positive impact on pupils' attainment. For example, in a Year 1 lesson that focused on place value, the teacher made very good use of whiteboards as a teaching and assessment aid when working with more able pupils to develop their understanding of tens and units. The lesson was delivered at a brisk pace and higher attaining pupils were able to say and record how many ‘tens and ones’ were in different two digit numbers up to 100. Lower attaining pupils worked with a classroom assistant and concentrated on identifying numbers to 20 and used unifix cubes to build a tower of 10 and recognize this as ‘one ten’. Younger pupils use money to develop their number skills. They choose up to three items costing under 10 pence and added their numbers together using a number line to support

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MATHEMATICS

their written calculations. The highest attaining pupils can add four numbers together using a 100 square to count on.

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MATHEMATICS

82. In Year 2, frequent practice during mental mathematics sessions ensures that most pupils in Year 2 can partition in tens and units accurately and some of the more able in hundreds, tens and units. Most pupils are beginning to quickly recall addition and subtraction facts within twenty. They are gaining confidence in the use of the two, ten and five times table to work out multiplication problems. Most pupils can determine which coins will add up to a given number of pence up to one pound. They use practical methods to identify and recognize simple fractions like a quarter and a half. Most pupils begin to recognize that two quarters and one half are equivalent. Higher attaining pupils use doubling and halving methods to work out the correct answers to challenging fraction problems like ‘If half of 8 is 4, what is a ¼?’ The most able pupils can identify complex fractions like 1/8 th’ , 1/16 th and 1/32 nd when participating in group problems like ‘How

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MATHEMATICS

would you go about sharing a cake that would give each person in the class a piece of equal size?’ They recognize two and three dimensional shapes, using the correct terminology. All pupils are showing a growing understanding of mathematical vocabulary like clockwise, anti-clockwise, greater than and less than. Pupils know and use standard units of measurement like centimetre, litres and millilitre. They write simple instructions to make a computer toy move in different directions to a given point. Although there is evidence in displays of pupils presenting their information from investigations in a variety of ways like pictograms and block graphs, there is limited evidence of pupils using a computer to present their results in chart form.

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MATHEMATICS

83. Overall, pupils’ progress in Years 1 and 2, including those pupils with special educational needs, is at least satisfactory and often good, compared with their attainment on entry and their previous year’s work. All areas of mathematics are covered, with an emphasis on number, calculation and problem solving. Progress is maintained through good adherence to the national guidance for the subject that includes beginning lessons with appropriate mental and oral starter activities. Pupils are encouraged to share and compare their methods with others, which makes their emerging knowledge more secure. There is some effective use of information and communication technology, but computer work is not routinely included in planning, and more use could be made of this, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and to develop the independent learning skills of the more able pupils. There has been increased emphasis on improving all

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MATHEMATICS

pupils’ mental strategies that have given many pupils confidence in responding. Some, however, still require support in applying their developing knowledge to problem solving or worded questions. In order to increase pupils’ attainment further, there needs to be a greater focus on identifying the actual skills that are being targeted for different ability levels of children within the general areas of calculation and problem solving to enable assessment activities to be more meaningful. In addition, key subject vocabulary is insufficiently stressed during lessons to Ranvilles Infant School - 35 facilitate pupils in communicating more effectively the mental strategies they are using to solve problems.

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MATHEMATICS

84. Pupils have positive attitudes towards the subject. They are keen to answer questions and developing more accurate verbal skills in explaining how they arrived at their answers. When working in groups pupils collaborate well and persevere with tasks that initially appear difficult. In Year 1 pupils enjoyed solving real life money problems with support and in Year 2, pupils liked how the teacher explained complex fractions, because they all received an equal slice of cake. Behaviour was generally good throughout the school in mathematics lessons.

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MATHEMATICS

85. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory. During the inspection there were examples of good teaching methods and no unsatisfactory lessons were observed. Good teaching was characterized by thorough planning and lesson preparation, which involved using games and practical equipment to simulate interest and reinforce basic number skills. Teachers make effective use of on-going assessment to match tasks appropriately to the needs of different types of pupils, including higher and lower attaining pupils. In some lessons, support assistants’ time is used well and they are deployed effectively to give focused support to small groups of pupils of similar ability. Teachers demonstrate good questioning skills. They use open- ended questions like how and why to encourage pupils to think for themselves and give pupils time to reflect on the answers to challenging questions. Weaker aspects of teaching occurred

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MATHEMATICS

when teachers did not regularly reinforce the key learning objectives to ensure all pupils understood what they were expected to learn by the end of the lesson. In a minority of lessons, the role of the support assistant was underdeveloped and it was unclear from the teachers’ planning what was the intended focus for their support. In some lessons learning objectives for lower attaining pupils were too challenging and pupils were unable to achieve prescribed tasks independently without a lot of extra support from the classroom assistant. This resulted in some pupils getting frustrated and losing concentration that affected their overall progress during the lesson.

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MATHEMATICS

86. The co-ordinator provides sound leadership in the subject and has been well supported by the local education authorities mathematics consultant. Long term planning and monitoring procedures are now secure. She has begun to observe and evaluate the teaching of mathematics throughout the school and this is beginning to have a beneficial effect on raising standards. Assessment procedures for the subject are improving through the use of moderation portfolios and focused whole school investigation activities. These could be improved further by more regular use of a range of assessment instruments and greater use of assessment data. This would facilitate staff in using predictive target setting strategies to maximize individual and group progress and allow for challenging performance targets to be set for end of key stage attainment. Pupils have limited involvement in setting their own targets for improvement and this is an area that could be

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MATHEMATICS

further developed. Teachers’ marking is inconsistent and comments do not always inform the pupil what they need to do to improve their attainment. The school’s policy is satisfactory but requires updating to meet the requirements of National C urriculum 2000. Current monitoring and evaluation procedures require stating in detail to ensure all staff are aware of how the aims of the policy will be regularly reviewed. Other subject policies do not refer to the mathematical skills they are developing in their particular subject and these cross-curricular links are underdeveloped in lessons. Resources are good overall and are used well to assist pupils’ learning . There is a long term plan to develop the subject which recognizes the on-going need for further staff training and to identify priority areas for development. The staff are reflective and very committed to improving their skills and this is a good foundation for future development.

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SCIENCE

87. Standards in science are at average levels by Year 2. Pupils of all ability make satisfactory progress against their earlier attainment. Although standards are not as high as those reported at the last inspection there have been significant improvements to the planning guidance for teachers. Ranvilles Infant School - 36 88. By Year 2, pupils generally have a good approach to experimenting and investigating. For example, when working on making electric circuits the pupils explore different ways to make connections using bulbs with and without holders. They have a good understanding of how electricity travels in a circuit and use this knowledge well. In particular, the more able pupils find their own efficient ways of joining wires and bulbs. This is an improvement over last year’s standards when understanding of physical processes was poor. However, there is a significant difference in the progress the older pupils make as a result of very different quality of teaching. In

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SCIENCE

one lesson observed good use was made of planning guidance to ensure that work challenged all ability groups and that interesting and thought provoking follow up work was available for the more able. In the other lesson, the teacher did not use the guidance given and work was aimed only at the middle ability. Consequently, the more able pupils did not have the opportunity to make their own investigations but followed the teacher’s over structured direction.

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SCIENCE

89. Pupils are good at recording information. For example, in their work on forces the pupils make carefully observed diagrams of cars on ramps and how a bicycle moves. The circuit diagrams in the work on electricity are detailed and pupils develop their ideas from simple illustrations to using keys and codes well. Year 1 pupils make good use of their knowledge of light to make pictures showing light and reflection and are beginning to make simple diagrams.

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SCIENCE

90. Pupils develop a good understanding of life and living processes and in the 2001 assessments they were well above the national average. The pupils build on their work on themselves in the reception class to learn about conditions for growth and different habitats of plants and animals. They understand that plants need water, soil and sunshine for healthy growth and that they will die without such conditions. They conduct simple experiments to prove this and keep records through graphs and charts, sometimes using computers. In Year 1 pupils know that light can come from a variety of sources such as the sun, fire and electricity. They have a good understanding that where there is more light they can see more.

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SCIENCE

91. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory as it was at the last inspection. It could easily be of a much higher quality if all teachers followed the suggested guidance in the school scheme of work . Learning was particularly effective when the teacher involved the pupils from the start in sharing the purpose of the lesson and being very clear about what was expected from them. The teacher did this by drawing the pupils into his confidence as if sharing a secret but wasting little time. A common strength, even in unsatisfactory teaching, is the use of an interesting technological vocabulary such as ‘battery terminals’. In general the needs of pupils with special educational needs are met effectively. The tasks are explained clearly and extra guidance is given. In Year 1, this was very good as the support assistant had a very clear idea of what was expected from the pupils in their light work and questioned them closely to make sure they

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SCIENCE

understood. Teaching is unsatisfactory when the lesson is not planned in sufficient detail and tasks do not challenge the most able pupils. The teacher does not use the experiences of the pupils effectively, f or example, when pupils who knew how to make and draw electric circuits did not add to their understanding by creating switches or identifying circuits which will not work as the next stage in the school’s scheme suggests. Behaviour management is good overall and pupils are interested in their work. However, sometimes the teacher does not establish clear expectations for all pupils because the routines are not established well enough. This leads to an acceptance of poor listening and concentration by a few pupils. They are praised for the occasions when they do listen but this is not sufficiently balanced by comments directing them to better behaviour. The teachers are careful to involve both boys and girls in answering questions

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SCIENCE

and showing good work and classroom assistants ensure that this is the case.

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SCIENCE

92. Leadership of the subject is good overall. The co-ordinator has made strong improvements to planning procedures with support of the local education authority and made some observations of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. However, this needs to be more rigorous to make sure all staff are appropriately following the scheme of work and preparing effectively for all abilities. There are increasing links with information and communication technology and the subject makes a satisfactory contribution to the development of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. There are good links with subjects such as design and technology. Ranvilles Infant School - 37

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ART AND DESIGN

93. Although only one lesson of art and design was seen during the inspection, additional evidence was taken from a scrutiny of work on display and through discussion with staff and pupils. Overall, attainment for pupils aged seven is broadly in line with national expectations. Throughout the school, pupils. i ncluding those with special educational needs, often make satisfactory and often good progress This is similar to the findings in the last inspection report. No secure judgement can be made on teaching over time as only one art was seen and this concentrated on pupils constructing a computerised portrait. The quality of display work across the school continues to be good and pupils record their first hand experiences in sketch books.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have experienced a range of media, styles and materials. Pupils have the opportunity to make a self-portrait and investigate a variety of natural and man made materials. For example, in Year 1, pupils discuss how to make a face look happy and sad and understand that individual features on a person’s face can convey moods and feelings. They use appropriate computer software with confidence to construct a portrait. Pupils finish off their pictures by adding additional features using chalk, pastels and crayons which adds life to their picture. Pupils observe themselves in mirrors and paint realistic faces that demonstrate good brush skills and sensible choice of colour to represent hair and skin tones. They learn simple weaving skills and gain a greater understanding of colour and texture. Pupils decorate fabric and card with felt tips and crayons. They weave these different materials together to produce large

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ART AND DESIGN

95. Older pupils develop their understanding of natural forms by observing natural objects and using this as the basis for a collage work and textile design. In Year 2, they use questioning statements like ‘It started with a leaf’ to produce relief collages that are imaginative and display a good use of a variety of materials like buttons, cloth, and sequins. Pupils have planned opportunities to learn how to use a viewfinder to help them draw things in greater detail. They observe natural patterns in nature, like wood grains, and enlarge these to create a textile picture that uses a single continuous stitch as a way of representing the lines of the grain. They look closely at cherry trees outside the school and paint these accurately in bold autumn colours, like peaches and browns. Higher attaining pupils pay good attention to the shapes of the leaves and trunk. Older pupils use appropriate computer software to paint in the style of Mondrian. They draw a grid and

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ART AND DESIGN

fill simple shapes like rectangles and squares with bright colours to create an attractive geometric composition.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. Although the current schemes of work refer to all pupils developing their three dimensional skills by arranging a variety of materials to make different types of sculpture, there was limited work available for scrutiny. However, one large piece of work on display in the entrance hall was of excellent quality. It was a Christmas display and depicted the three wise men bearing gifts. Younger pupils displayed very good making skills using textiles, plaster, and polystyrene imaginatively to construct realistic solid structures with life like qualities. The use of subject vocabulary continues to be underdeveloped throughout the school.

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ART AND DESIGN

97. Teaching in the one lesson of art observed during the inspection was judged as very good and all pupils made good progress constructing computer portraits. The good or better aspects of teaching occurred when the teacher used a highly imaginative approach to deliver an art topic that many pupils find difficult. The lesson was well structured and focussed on pupils increasing their observational skills by looking closely at the main features that make up the human face. There was a good choice of appropriate computer software which developed pupils’ understanding of the size and relationship of key features like the nose, eyes, and mouth. The teacher used good questioning skills to get pupils to consider what makes a face look happy and sad. Overall, although the lesson was well structured, pupils of all ability levels were able to explore their own ideas independently. The majority of the pupils were eager learners during the lesson and

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ART AND DESIGN

responded well to questions and instructions. Ranvilles Infant School - 38 98. The co-ordinator has only recently been appointed and is enthusiastic and committed to developing the subject. However, because of constraints linked to staff changes and the school’s identified priority areas for development, overall progress in developing the subject since the last inspection is judged as satisfactory. There are still weaknesses in the monitoring of teaching and assessment. Since the last inspection, the school has established more secure schemes of work by implementing the national guidelines for the subject. The new co-ordinator has undertaken some monitoring of teachers’ planning, and recognises the need for monitoring and evaluation procedures to be more rigorous and thorough. She understands that the existing assessment statements for the subject could be expanded to demonstrate more precisely pupils’ attainment

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ART AND DESIGN

across a broader range of artistic skills. Overall, resources for the subject are satisfactory but require auditing to ensure all aspects of the planned programmes of study can be taught effectively. The school has an adequate selection of posters and prints, which are displayed, around the school providing sound cultural development to the curriculum. There is a missed opportunity in the display work to reference the work of other artists.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. Standards in design and technology are at least average by Year 2. Pupils of all abilities make sound progress. Only one lesson was observed during the inspection so it is not possible to evaluate the overall quality of teaching and learning. In the lesson observed the quality of teaching was very good. There is a well thought out school plan for the subject to make certain pupils make suitable progress.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. By Year 2, pupils show sound design skills for their age. They make carefully observed designs, for example, of moving vehicles to identify the moving parts and key features. Design work is successfully incorporated into other subjects. For example, the Year 1 pupils designed and make very effective decorated hands as part of their work on Hindus in religious education. Pupils are developing the skills to consider their designs before hand and judge whether they are suitable for their purpose. For instance, in Year 2, pupils realised that their lighthouse drawings had to be possible to make and could not be too elaborate. Pupils work both collaboratively and individually on their tasks with success.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. The quality of the pupils’ making skills is often good. In the lesson observed, Year 2 pupils of all abilities were skilful in folding and joining card to make their illuminated pictures. They knew a good range of different ways to join materials and could select the most effective. The teacher gave the pupils the confidence to select their own materials to create the electric circuits for their pictures and for the more able to go on to create switches.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. There are successful links with other subjects. For example, in Year 1 the pupils wrote clear instructions for making a jam sandwich and this was linked to their literacy work. There are several good links with science and history and the curriculum is designed to encourage that to make learning more meaningful.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. In the lesson seen the teaching was very good because of the very clear way the teacher explained precisely what the pupils were expected to learn from the lesson without dictating exactly how to do it. There was good support and guidance for the less able and opportunities for the more able to extend their work. All pupils were expected to work with a good level of independence and had been well prepared to do so.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. Overall standards are at least as high as they were at the last inspection and there has been a good improvement to the quality of planning for the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. Attainment is similar to that found in most schools nationally by the end of Year 2, and is in line with the standards reported at the last inspection. A key area for development noted in the 1997 Ranvilles Infant School - 39 inspection report, the need to establish arrangements to enable the subject co-ordinator to check standards of teaching and learning across the school, has not been adequately tackled. This is a major reason why standards of attainment overall, though satisfactory, have not improved since the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. By Year 2, most pupils have a sound knowledge for their age of maps and the globe, and of simple plans, to locate and talk about places in the local environment and around the world. Many can point to England on a world map, as well as to countries they have visited on holiday, or heard about from their families, many of whom are employed in the navy. In Year 1, pupils successfully learn that maps show their “Journey to school”. They draw maps of the local area, identifying the roads and labelling the main shops and features of the locality. By Year 2, they have a basic grasp of scale and can use simple grid references to find places on an island map – their “Island Home”. They know that some places are very distant, and also very different, from their own; for example Africa. On their maps of Africa, they accurately locate the Sahara Desert and the Atlantic Ocean, and understand the concept of climate and how some countries are very

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GEOGRAPHY

hot and others very cold. They begin to relate different climates to different physical features and seasonal changes; for example, when exploring the physical environment of Oxleys Coppice in Year 1.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. No teaching was seen during the inspection. Evidence from pupils’ completed work, teachers’ plans and class displays, indicate that pupils achieve appropriately for their age and abilities, including pupils with special educational needs. Some of the work is very imaginative and fires pupils’ interest and enthusiasm; for example, when following the travels of Barnaby Bear. One Year 1 pupil was sufficiently inspired by this topic to undertake a research project entirely of her own volition at home. The use of internet links with pupils in Japan and New Zealand in Year 2, has had much the same effect, encouraging pupils to compare their own communities and cultures with those of children in other countries, and at the same time, extending their literacy and computing skills in very meaningful and practical ways.

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GEOGRAPHY

108. However, pupils tend to make significant progress in some areas of the subject, but less progress in others. There is little evidence of pupils collecting and recording findings from simple fieldwork studies and investigations. The normal practice is for pupils to draw pictures and record observations in writing; for example, following the visit to Oxleys Coppice. Not enough emphasis is given to extending pupils’ skills in other methods of collecting and recording evidence; for instance, in making use of their numeracy skills to record weather patterns by means of simple tally or bar charts. In this respect, the school has not been well served by its relative failure to develop arrangements that would enable it to know where its strengths lie and to identify which areas of teaching and learning need further development

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HISTORY

109. Attainment by the end of Year 2 is similar to that found in most schools nationally. This matches the standards reported at the time of the last inspection. One of the weaknesses highlighted then, the insufficient use of stories to introduce pupils to the past, has been remedied. Stories now play a prominent part in the teaching of the subject. The other highlighted weakness, the need for an overall planning framework to ensure greater consistency in the way pupils develop skills and understanding as they move from class to class, has not been as successfully tackled. This continues to limit the overall progress pupils make, albeit that they make satisfactory progress.

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HISTORY

110. By Year 2, pupils can distinguish the present from the past; for example, when identifying what is different about the toys young children played with in the past. They effectively connect the past with the present. Pupils understand that Remembrance Day and the wearing of poppies commemorate the lives of real people taking part in real events. Pupils know that these people and events are distant in time, but they also realise that they are still with us in the form of people who personally fought in the wars, and in the form of evidence from photographs and artefacts. The more able pupils accurately relate these events to the different generations within their own Ranvilles Infant School - 40 families, while the average and lower attaining pupils can sequence events in their personal lives to illustrate their own past. Pupils remember factual information; for example, the background to the Fire of London and the life of Florence Nightingale. They also develop a strong sense of

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HISTORY

“feeling” for the different experiences and conditions that the past presents for them. This was well illustrated in the sensitivity shown by pupils in their “How I Feel” letters about the treatment of soldiers at the time of Florence Nightingale. Many pupils are good at imaginatively recreating the past when given the chance.

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HISTORY

111. No history lessons were seen, although there was a strong feature of history in a literacy lesson, during the inspection so it is not possible to judge the overall quality of teaching. However, the evidence suggests in some instances, the teaching is especially stimulating and challenging. The emphasis, in many teachers’ plans, on posing key questions is effective in getting pupils to see history as a journey of exploration and excitement. The impact of this approach was highlighted in a literacy lesson that took the world wars as its focus. Pupils’ eagerness to learn was impressively promoted through some judiciously chosen questions, the use of photographic evidence and a bank of factual information that pupils had built up on their own web site. Levels of motivation and achievement were good, not just in history, but also in literacy, information technology and in developing pupils’ wider thinking and independent learning skills. However, this

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HISTORY

lesson was the inspiration of the individual teacher, not the product of school policy or planning. Although work has been done on developing the subject there is still insufficient guidance for teachers about what pupils, across the full ability range, are expected to learn and achieve in each topic, and how this learning can be linked to the development of pupils’ basic literacy and numeracy skills. Nor are arrangements sufficiently in place to ensure that the subject co- ordinator, and teachers, know what pupils have already achieved and still need to achieve. These constraints continue to limit the school’s capacity to raise standards further. Ranvilles Infant School - 41

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112. Standards have improved significantly since the last inspection and are above average by Year 2. Pupils of all abilities make good progress and there is no significant difference between the achievement of boys and girls.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. A particular strength in the pupils’ learning and attainment is the way in which information and communication technology is used in other subjects to make the work meaningful. For example, pupils readily use the Internet to research for geography and history and art and design programmes in art and design and technology. English and mathematics lessons regularly contribute to learning in information and communication technology.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. By Year 2 the majority of pupils have good basic skills in using both the keyboard and mouse to control events on the keyboard. They switch on the computer and load programmes from a menu. They connect to the Internet and know how to send e-mails with little or no support. They save work as appropriate. They have a good understanding of the role of computers and other technology such as tape recorders and digital cameras in school life.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. The pupils make very good use of the Internet to find out about Remembrance Day for example in their history and English work. They solve problems set by the teacher to find specific information. Pupils with special educational needs also make good progress by being partnered with a more experienced pupil but are carefully monitored to ensure they contribute fully. The pupils are successful at finding their way around the school’s own web-site which provides opportunities for pupils to contribute.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116. The pupils use art and design programmes well and combine text and illustrations effectively. The Year 1 pupils, for example, select different art tools from the menu to create their own Christmas cards. The standard of drawing is high and represents good control. The pupils have a very good idea how to use the programme because of the skilful questioning of the teacher. She asks questions which allow pupils to explore their understanding such as, ‘How would you…..?’ and ‘What happens if you click on……’ Some Year 2 pupils show good levels of skills in their designs for science projects on slopes and ramps. From Year 1 pupils print off the finished result and store their work in class files.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. Pupils develop a sound understanding of how to handle data to produce a range of graphs and charts and to ask simple questions. They make a good start in reception and Year 1 through creating pictograms and leading on to bar graphs and charts for science and mathematics. However, pupils’ experience in this seems to vary from teacher to teacher.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

118. The pupils’ attitudes to using computers are very good. They enjoy talking about their skills and knowledge and are very matter of fact about them. They concentrate hard on producing a good quality finished product.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

119. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and sometimes very good. The teachers make very good use of the computer suite, which is timetabled for use in different subjects. Teachers demonstrate tasks in small and clear steps and build systematically on pupils’ earlier learning that they know well. They ask good questions to make pupils think. They carefully group the pupils together so that they share skills and support all abilities. Many of the activities enable pupils to explore and investigate at their own level. However, some opportunities are missed to challenge the most able pupils. For example, some of the Year 1 pupils completed their designs to a high standard and very quickly and could have explored the capabilities of the programme further if this had been suggested. Relationships with the pupils are very good and behaviour is well managed. Tasks are carefully chosen to appeal to both boys and girls. Very

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

good use is made of information and communication technology in generating a sense of awe and wonder, particularly in assemblies. The use of digital photography is fast becoming an important tool both to record events and to generate interest, for example through links with art in reception. Ranvilles Infant School - 42 120. The provision for the subject has greatly improved since the last inspection as a result of good quality and regular training and significant improvements to resources and planning. Grants for the subject have been used well to effect these improvements. The subject co-ordinator is knowledgeable and enthusiastic with a good grasp of teachers’ skills and needs. There is an excellent interactive web-site which acts as a positive learning tool for pupils and also as a means of sharing good practice in the subject with teachers nationally.

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MUSIC

121. Only two lessons were observed in music due to timetabling arrangements. On the basis of the evidence presented during the inspection, including work scrutiny and discussion with staff and pupils, standards in music are judged to be generally above those expected for the pupils’ aged seven by the end of Key Stage 1. This shows a significant improvement since the last inspection when pupils’ attainment was judged as broadly in line with national expectations. Inspection findings indicate that the quality of teaching and learning has improved to being good. A significant contributory factor in the development of teachers’ skills is the very good teaching and support provided by the peripatetic music specialist who works regularly with staff from Year 1 and 2. As a direct result of this additional support, pupils, including those with special educational needs, often make good progress during lessons.

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MUSIC

122. Music played in assemblies, and display work in Key Stage 1 demonstrated that pupils were familiar with the work of famous classical and contemporary composers and musicians. For example, they begin to appreciate famous musicals like Roger and Hammerstein’s The King and I. They listen to the work of rock artists like the Who performing well known 60’s songs Quadraphenia and become familiar with the classical compositions like The Four Seasons by Vivaldi. They learn the names of common stringed and unusual percussion instruments like the violin and Indian xylophone. Pupils in Year 1 and 2 follow the national guidelines for the subject and the school’s curriculum is enhanced by all pupils being given a broad range of opportunities to listen, perform and evaluate their own work. For example, they listen to older secondary aged pupils play brass band tunes, they learn how to play steel drums in Jamaican style, and they

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MUSIC

take an active part in music workshops involving outside professionals like the Odissi dance and Kala Arts group which extend all pupils’ musical knowledge of other faiths and cultures. All pupils have the opportunity to sing in the school choir and this enables them to play a lead role in key events such as concerts like ‘Cinderella’ and the yearly carol service.

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MUSIC

123. In the two lessons observed in music attainment was broadly in line with national expectations with many pupils achieving standards above. By the end of Year 2, many pupils are developing good skills at being able to read a musical score. They discuss the difference between long and short sounds, and know that silence plays an important part in every musical composition. They are aware that all performed pieces of work start and end with a silence. Pupils act as conductors and know when it is their time to perform by reading long and short symbols correctly linked to their group roles in the performance of a whole class composition. In Year 1, pupils learn the difference between a musical beat and rhythm. They listen to a piece of recorded music and demonstrate keeping a steady beat by humming at the same speed. Pupils understood that a steady beat is one that does not get faster or slower. Several pupils show an understanding of the

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MUSIC

term rhythm by clapping appropriately when the teacher places particular emphasis on key words, phrases or songs such as ‘Two , four , six, eight, who do we appreciate?’. Younger pupils use untuned instruments to reinforce their knowledge of long and short sounds. They play puzzle sound games that involve pairs of pupils listening to each other playing instruments like Indian bells and shakers.

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MUSIC

124. The quality of teaching and learning varied from satisfactory to good in the two lessons observed. In addition, there was a short observation of the peripatetic music teacher supporting Year 2 pupils. In this session there were several examples of good and very good music teaching. In all lessons, the majority of pupils made at least satisfactory progress and many pupils made good progress. Good and very good teaching was characterised by teachers displaying good subject knowledge and enthusiasm which kept the pupils motivated and interested during lessons. Ranvilles Infant School - 43 Effective teaching was based on thorough preparation and built on prior learning which ensured that lesson content was correctly matched to the ability levels of the pupils. Teachers made good use of a range of musical instruments and activities to develop good listening and performance skills. This increased pupils’ self confidence and was a valuable assessment tool. The weaker

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MUSIC

aspects of teaching occurred when the role of the support person, be it the class teacher, subject specialist, or classroom assistant was not fully utilised during the lesson to maximise the learning of all pupils. In addition, there were missed opportunities to reinforce at regular times throughout the lesson, key subject vocabulary and key learning objectives. During the inspection the majority of pupils demonstrated good attitudes towards the subject. They listened well to instructions and showed good turn- taking skills in practical activities.

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MUSIC

125. Overall, there has been good progress in the co-ordination of the subject since the last inspection. The co-ordinator has worked hard to address many of the issues raised in the last report. The findings of the inspection indicate that standards have improved and that there are more opportunities for higher attaining pupils to record their work independently. She has begun to develop aspects of her role such as monitoring teaching but recognises the need for this to be more rigorous. There is a good scheme of work for the subject but there are limited skill based statements that reflect all pupils’ achievements as they progress through each topic. Resources are good overall and would be further enhanced by increasing the range of musical instruments such as the addition of electric keyboards and increasing the amount of literature for research purposes on famous composers.. There is satisfactory use of information technology to develop

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MUSIC

pupils’ compositional skills. The co-ordinator has facilitated the good professional development of staff by enabling them to take part in a variety of music workshops linked to the school’s topics such as transport and water. This is beginning to have an impact on staff confidence and effectiveness in delivering the subject to pupils of all ability levels. Good links have been established with outside visitors and subject specialists and this contributes well to the good contribution the subject makes to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. During the inspection only two lessons, both in Year 2, were observed. One of these lessons was dance and the other focussed on developing pupils’ games skills. For the majority of pupils aged seven attainment is broadly inline with national expectations which is similar to the findings of the last inspection. Although standards have been broadly maintained there have been significant weaknesses in the overall development of the subject since the last inspection. The subject has lacked secure leadership from a member of staff with full co-ordinator responsibilities and there has been limited modifications made to the local authorities schemes of work to make them more skill centred. The acting head teacher is temporarily filling the post of co-ordinator and has a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the subject. Since taking over this additional post of responsibility she has made staff more aware of the health and safety requirements that

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

need to be adhered to both in and out of lessons. She has also allocated extra teaching time to delivering the subject. All pupils now have three lessons of physical education each week.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. In Years 1 and 2, pupils develop their hand and eye co-ordination by practising throwing and catching. Pupils perform basic travelling actions with an emphasis on control and balance. They are encouraged to take care when using small and large equipment. Both the youngest and oldest pupils are mindful of each other’s space when travelling at speed in games activities and performing a sequence of actions in gymnastics. All pupils follow structured lessons that begin with a warm up session and end with cooling down activities. They recognise the effects of physical activities on their bodies like their hearts beating faster. Pupils are encouraged to practise, refine and improve their performances based on self-evaluation and close observation of what other children are doing. In a Year 2 games lesson, pupils took part in a range of activities using hoops and a large parachute that focussed on developing their co-operative games skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

They had to solve problems that involve them working independently, in pairs and as a class. In dance activities, older pupils perform body actions with increased control and co-ordination. They use a variety of subtle body movements that display different dynamic qualities to present a dance that expresses an idea like ‘the religious journey of the three kings.’ Pupils show good Ranvilles Infant School - 44 skills at responding imaginatively to the mood and tempo of the music. Overall, behaviour in most lessons is good and pupils respond quickly to instructions. Teachers display very good relationships with children.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2; in reception it is often good or better . The one dance lesson observed in Year 2 was judged as excellent. In the lessons observed pupils, including those with special educational needs, often made good progress The best lessons move along at a fast pace, activities are demonstrated effectively and there is a good emphasis on warm-up and cool down activities. Teachers present pupils with challenging activities that develop pupils’ thinking skills and physical agility at the same time. Teachers deliver lessons using a range of behavioural and organisational skills that creates a positive working atmosphere where pupils cooperate well together. The weaker aspects of teaching occur when teachers do not share clearly the specific skills pupils will be developing and learning during the lesson. At times, insufficient time is given to enable pupils to say what they have learned from practising a

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

particular skill or taking part in an activity. In some lessons, safety aspects were not always stressed as important features of any physical education activity.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

129. At present the co-ordination of the subject is insecure as there is no permanent member of staff with designated responsibilities for fully developing the subject. Overall, since the last inspection there has been unsatisfactory progress in the development of a structured scheme of work for dance, and in ensuring that assessment procedures are secure in all areas such as gymnastics, games and dance. The school’s policy is brief and requires updating to the new requirements of National Curriculum 2000. It does not give sufficient detail about health and safety requirements and how the subject will be effectively monitored and evaluated. Although resources are satisfactory overall, there are significant weaknesses related to the age and appropriateness of some of the gymnastics equipment. For example, the climbing frame is more suited to the physical needs of older pupils and there are several nesting tables that are too high to be used

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

safely with younger pupils. There is also limited equipment to practise small games such as a variety of small balls and bats. The school is currently waiting on the local education authority’s new subject policy and intends to use this as the basis to improve existing provision. The acting head teacher has worked hard in recent months to establish more effective practices. However, the continued absence of a full time subject co-ordinator and the lack of secure schemes of work are limiting factors in developing consistently good teaching and raising standards further in all aspects of the subject.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130. Standards of attainment by the end of Year 2 meet the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. This was also the case In 1997, when inspectors found standards to be satisfactory and the quality of teaching to be good. Weaknesses identified on that occasion were the absence of clear guidance for teachers about what pupils are expected to learn in each year, and the absence of arrangements for knowing what pupils have learned and achieved. On current evidence, teaching is satisfactory rather than good. Though the school’s planning adheres to the locally agreed syllabus, the school still has no overall plan of its own to ensure that pupils’ knowledge and understanding are progressively and consistently developed from class to class. The effects of these shortcomings help to explain the less positive judgement about the quality of teaching.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131. By Year 2, pupils have satisfactory, and sometimes good, knowledge of the bible stories they learn about. They confidently recall the outline of the Christmas story and know that Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, and that this is the basis for their nativity play. Equally, they know and understand that Easter commemorates the death of Jesus. Other Christian festivals and stories are familiar to them; for example, harvest festival and the stories of Noah’s Ark and Jesus’ feeding of the multitude. They also understand that there are other religions in the world with different stories and special occasions. Pupils are knowledgeable about the festival of Divali, and make clay divas illustrating how light plays a part in the celebration. They recount the story of Rama and Sita, with the more able pupils producing very detailed accounts of their lives and Ranvilles Infant School - 45 experiences. From these stories, pupils begin to understand and develop the values and attitudes

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

represented in the stories they listen to; for example, trust, friendship and care for others. The more able pupils also understand that these values are common features in all the religions they learn about.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

132. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. The lessons had a strong focus on religious knowledge – the Christmas story. Significantly, there was very little difference in the intellectual demands made of pupils in the different year groups. This highlights the continuing impact of planning weaknesses on pupils’ progress. In the Year 2 lesson, pupils did not make the progress of which they were capable. Where planning is carefully thought through by individual teachers, pupils’ learning is appropriately developed, not just through religious education lessons, but also through class discussions on topics such as “Say something nice”, and through assemblies. However, without an overall school plan for this aspect of pupils’ learning, the outcome is often one of missed opportunities and a lack of clear strategies for ensuring that the different strands of the school’s religious, and personal, education provision lead to precise planning guidance for all

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

teachers. The management of the subject is satisfactory but until this weakness is properly addressed, the school’s capacity to make significant improvements in the quality of teaching and learning in the subject is limited.

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