St Mary's CofE Aided Infant School, Frensham

ST MARY’S INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 27 th – 28 th May 2002

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ST MARY’S INFANT SCHOOL

Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Crown copyright 2002

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ST MARY’S INFANT SCHOOL

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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ST MARY’S 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. St Mary’s C of E Infant School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Frensham Road Frensham Farnham Surrey

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Sue Keogh

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1997 St Mary’s C of E Infant School

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Doug Hayward Registered inspector English Information and communication technology Art and design Special educational needs What sort of school is it? The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Brian Gilbert Lay Inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Gail Robertson Team inspector Foundation stage Science Design and technology Physical education How well is the school led and managed?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Katherine Spencer Team inspector Mathematics Geography History Music Equal opportunities How good are curricular and other opportunities? How well does the school care for its pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

TWA Inspections Ltd 5 Lakeside Werrington Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE4 6QZ

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Mary’s C of E Infant School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Mary’s is a small infant school situated next to the village green in Frensham, about two miles outside Farnham in Surrey. It has close links with St Mary’s Church in Frensham. Parts of the building date back to Victorian times, but in the last two years much of the accommodation has been greatly improved to provide good facilities. Some of this work has been done on a voluntary basis by parents. The school is very popular and is oversubscribed each year. About half the pupils come from the immediate area and the remainder travel from further afield. Most pupils live in private housing. Almost all the pupils are white and they all speak English as their first language. There has been an unavoidably high turnover of staff in the past two years.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Currently there are 90 pupils on roll. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs and with Statements of Special Educational Need is below the national average. The school admits children to the reception class at the beginning of the year in which they have their fifth birthday. Most children attend on a part-time basis at first, but all are full-time by Easter following their admission. Assessments of children shortly after they start in the reception class show that their attainment on entry is average overall, although many have very good speaking skills that have been developed at home.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a happy and caring school that has become increasingly effective in helping pupils to make good progress. It is very highly regarded by parents and it forms outstanding links with the community. The headteacher and governors provide strong, clear leadership. The school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • It forms very strong links with parents and the wider community. Parents like the school and think that it does a good job. • It helps children in the reception class to make a good start to their schooling. • It is improving pupils’ results in reading, writing, mathematics and science in national tests and assessments at the age of seven. • It helps pupils to work independently on a wide range of subjects and provides good opportunities for them to carry out investigations. • The headteacher provides good leadership and clear educational direction for the school. Governors support the school very well. They are well informed and decisive. • It is very good at developing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. • It helps pupils to develop very enthusiastic attitudes to learning. They really enjoy their work and like coming to school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The quality of pupils’ writing throughout the school. • The role of subject co-ordinators. • The way in which classroom assistants are used most effectively to support pupils’ learning. • The way in which attendance registers are completed to comply with national requirements. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. St Mary’s C of E Infant School

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in 1997, when it was judged to provide satisfactory value for money. All the key issues from that inspection have been successfully dealt with. For example, pupils’ work in information and communication technology is much better now and they use computers confidently in many areas of their work. Their work in design and technology has also improved considerably and the school recently won a county-wide competition when pupils designed a ‘Millennium Window’ , which has been installed in the hall. The school has developed good, new planning systems, which meet requirements, and has successfully implemented a new marking policy. It has also improved in areas that were not identified as weaknesses in its previous report. For example, it has worked hard and successfully to improve links with parents, including the information it provides about pupils’ work. It has also introduced new and effective procedures for assessing what pupils can do and tracking

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

their progress as they move through the school. The quality of the school accommodation is much better now and offers better learning opportunities. The school is in a good position to continue to improve.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on National Curriculum test results.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Pupils’ results in national reading tests at the age of seven have steadily improved in the last three years. This year’s national tests and assessments show that the school has managed to maintain the high number of pupils attaining Level 2 1 in reading and science and has increased the number attaining Level 2 in spelling and mathematics. There has also been a continued improvement in the number of pupils attaining the higher Level 3; for example, in mathematics and spelling it has increased by 10 per cent this year. This shows that the school is consistently challenging pupils of all abilities, including those who are more able, to achieve the best level that they can. During the inspection standards were judged to be well above average in reading and science, above average in mathematics and average in writing. In the foundation subjects, standards are higher than those usually expected in information and communication technology. This is a major improvement on

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STANDARDS

standards seen during the last inspection. Standards in art, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education were in line with those expected nationally for seven-year-old pupils.

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STANDARDS

1 Levels – by the end of key Stage 1 pupils are expected to attain Level 2 in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Those who attain Level 3 are, therefore, attaining above nationally expected levels. St Mary’s C of E Infant School PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES Aspect Comment

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STANDARDS

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils like coming to school and have very positive views about it. They say, ‘St Mary’s is a lovely school. We never get bored because there’s lots to do’ .

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STANDARDS

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils are usually polite, friendly and courteous to each other and to adults. They are well behaved in lessons and around the school at playtimes and lunchtimes. Pupils say that bullying is not an issue at St Mary’s.

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STANDARDS

Personal development and relationships Good. There are many opportunities for pupils to take responsibility, to develop in maturity and to look after each other. Teachers often plan very well for pupils to work independently. Pupils say, ‘We are able to go off to work in little groups by ourselves. Teachers trust us to be sensible’.

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STANDARDS

Attendance In line with that in most other primary schools. Most pupils arrive punctually for school.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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. During the inspection 17 lessons were observed. Good teaching was observed in all classes. All lessons except one were at least satisfactory. In that instance lesson pace was slow and pupils did not work hard enough. In just over a third of lessons throughout the school teaching is good. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is consistently sound. There are good relationships between pupils and teachers. Pupils feel that their work is at a suitably challenging level and that they can rely on their teachers to help them. They say, ‘Work is just about right. We have to use our brains. If you get

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

stuck teachers don’t tell you the answers. They help you to work things out’. Teachers’ planning is good and there is a range of challenging activities for pupils of different abilities. In good lessons, the pace is ‘sharper’ and resources are used more effectively to help pupils learn.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Aspect Comment The quality and range of the curriculum Good. Teachers plan a wide range of subjects thoroughly. Pupils say, ‘It’s really fun at this school. It’s really exciting. There are quite a lot of surprises here and we go to really interesting places on trips’. There are good opportunities for pupils to solve problems in mathematics and carry out investigations in science. Very good opportunities are planned for them to become increasingly responsible for working independently. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils’ special educational needs are identified early and the school keeps careful track of the progress they make.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The school helps pupils to develop high levels of understanding and respect. It provides very good opportunities for them to learn about their own culture and about the wider world.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Pupils say, ‘St Mary’s is a really caring school. You never get lonely because there are lots of people you can go to’ . Pupils and adults get on well together. The school has improved the ways in which it finds out what pupils can do. St Mary’s C of E Infant School The school has worked very hard and successfully to form an extremely strong and effective partnership with parents. Parents hold the school in very high regard and many of them have helped to improve the appearance of the school and the facilities it offers.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher is well respected and provides good leadership and management. She has a clear idea about how to improve the school still further. Teachers are relatively new to the school and have many responsibilities. They have not yet taken full responsibility for managing all subjects.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are very supportive and knowledgeable. They have a very good understanding of what goes on in school and fulfil their role as ‘critical friend’ to the school very well. They are keen to support the school in introducing new ideas and facilities that will help to improve pupils’ education.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has become much better at looking for ways to continue to improve; for example, it now uses data effectively to show the progress that pupils make in school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. A great deal of hard work has gone into improving the school building and, in turn, the effectiveness of pupils’ learning. Pupils say, ‘The school is better now because there is more space’, and, to help them with their learning, ‘There is lots of really good equipment’.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Thirty-four parents attended a meeting with the registered inspector before the inspection started and 57 (63 per cent) returned their pre-inspection questionnaires. This is a very good response and attendance rate.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• They say that their children like school and make good progress there. • They feel that teaching is good and that teachers expect their children to work hard. • They feel that the school listens to what they have to say and that it is well led and managed. • A small number think that the school does not provide an interesting range of activities outside lessons.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team agrees that pupils make good progress and that there are very good links between the school and parents. Good teaching was observed in every class, although the quality of teaching overall is satisfactory. Inspectors feel that the ways in which the school makes the curriculum more exciting and interesting through visitors and visits and its links with the community are outstanding. St Mary’s C of E Infant School

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Children in the Foundation Stage

1. Children enter the reception class at the beginning of the year in which they have their fifth birthday. Many of them start by attending on a part-time basis, according to how old they are. All children attend full time by the Easter following their admission, in line with the local education authority’s admission procedures. During the first few weeks of starting school, they are given tasks to find out how much they know about language and books, their mathematical skills and their early social skills. The amount that children know varies from year to year but, overall, is in line with the local authority average score and the level expected of children at this age. However, many children start school with a level of language maturity that is higher than in many other schools. They are able to hold interesting conversations with each other and with adults and many possess a wide vocabulary.

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Children in the Foundation Stage

2. Children in the reception class make good progress and the teaching makes the most of the skills and attitudes that children possess when they start. Most will attain the Early Learning Goals 2 in all areas and in some areas they will exceed expectations, for example personal, social and emotional development, physical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and early reading. All children in the Foundation Stage benefit from the care and support they receive from the teacher and classroom assistants and from well-planned lessons and activities.

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Key Stage 1

3. The results of the 2001 national tests and assessments for seven-year-old pupils show that the percentage attaining Level 2 was very high in science, well above average in reading, average in mathematics, but below average in writing. In comparison with those in similar schools, results were well above average in reading, average in writing and below average in mathematics. Results in the last two years show a trend of improvement in pupils’ results in all subjects compared with the national trend. The percentage of pupils achieving the higher Level 3 was well above average in reading, above average in writing and average in mathematics. On the basis of the school’s results over the past two years the headteacher and staff have targeted improvements in spelling, in writing at Level 3 and, like many other schools nationally, boys’ performance in English.

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Key Stage 1

4. Results from this year’s tests and assessments suggest that the school’s focus has been very worthwhile. Although there are no nationally validated results against which to compare, it does appear that there have been significant gains in some areas. For example, in spelling, where the school focused additional resources such as differentiated spelling homework groups, results at Level 2 have improved from 50 per cent last year to 60 per cent this year. At the higher Level 3, results have also improved from 22 per cent to 33 per cent. The school’s very high results at Level 2 in reading last year have been maintained this year. In mathematics, the percentage of pupils attaining Level 2 and above has increased from 97 per cent to 100 per cent, and at Level 3 it has also improved from 26 to 36 per cent. In writing, the percentage

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Key Stage 1

2 Early Learning Goals – these are targets for children by the end of the reception year. They refer to personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy skills, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and physical and creative development. St Mary’s C of E Infant School of pupils attaining the higher Level 3 has increased from 15 per cent last year to 20 per cent this year. The current year’s results and the trend of improvement over the last two years are the result of much better tracking of pupils’ progress and more focused teaching through the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy. They reflect the greater challenge now to pupils’ work to ensure that they are achieving their highest levels.

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Key Stage 1

5. During the inspection standards were judged to be above average in English overall, but well above average in reading, speaking and listening. Standards in mathematics were judged to be above average, which is an improvement on last year and the result of the successful use of the National Numeracy Strategy. Of particular note, however, are the time and opportunities that the school allows for developing pupils’ very good understanding of using and applying mathematics. Standards in science were judged to be very high, with all pupils in Year 2 assessed to be achieving Level 2. Once again, the experimental and investigative elements of science are particularly well planned. These judgements suggest that the pupils’ own perceptions of having good opportunities for ‘independent work’ are well founded and that teachers plan well to allow pupils time and resources to carry out investigations of their own.

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Key Stage 1

6. Standards in the foundation subjects are at least those expected of pupils in Year 2, and in information and communication technology they are above those found in most schools. The school has done very well to address this key issue from the previous inspection so successfully. There are many very good, planned links between information and communication technology and other subjects, for example mathematics and English. Standards in art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education are in line with those expected at the end of Year 2.

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Key Stage 1

7. The school plans good links between many subjects. The curriculum is very broad and pupils are able to put their literacy and numeracy skills to good use in other subjects. For example, in history pupils study the life and work of Florence Nightingale. Using their very good knowledge of non-fiction books they are able to make their own ‘books’ about her life, including a contents page and a glossary. The quality of writing in these books is often good. Pupils combine good use of punctuation in their historical perspectives; for example, ‘….the hospital was full of rats! The floors were very dirty and the soldiers were sleeping on them! ’

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Key Stage 1

8. The school makes good use of visits to places of interest; for example, a visit to Frensham Church resulted in pupils sketching and making clay tiles of patterns they had found. One of the elements of pupils’ geography work is a study of the seaside. The school has set up e-mail links with a school in Portsmouth as part of that study. Pupils use the Internet and CD-Roms regularly to find information that they can use in their studies. Of particular importance are the ways in which the school enriches the curriculum it offers through its outstanding links with the community and by visitors to the school, for example artists in residence and theatre companies.

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Key Stage 1

9. The school has worked hard to develop systems that can be used to track pupils’ progress as they get older. The first stage in this process is the assessment that takes place within a few weeks of children starting school in the reception class. The results are shared with parents, and home-school targets are written as a result of meetings with parents. Pupils have individual termly targets in mathematics, literacy and personal and social development. They are agreed with parents, written in pupils’ easily accessible home-school contact books and reviewed each term or whenever a pupil thinks that he or she has achieved a target. While some of these St Mary’s C of E Infant School targets are very useful and pertinent, some older pupils have too many targets to meet. Additionally, targets for writing are not kept in pupils’ exercise books so that they can be reminded about how they can improve their work. Although results in

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Key Stage 1

writing have improved over the last two years, there are still weaknesses in the range and style of pupils’ written work (see paragraph 84). The school’s own targets, together with national data, inform whole-school targets for end-of-key stage tests. Improved results this year show how effectively target setting is used at St Mary’s.

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Key Stage 1

10. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in mainstream classes and many attain the standards expected of pupils in Year 2. The school is very good at identifying pupils with special educational needs, a very small number of whom have significant learning and behavioural problems. The school ensures that they are successfully included in all aspects of its work. The co-ordinator is proficient at organising support for them. The number of classroom assistants has gradually increased, although their work is not always focused purposefully in classes. There is regular written recording of the impact of their work with individuals or small groups of pupils to help monitor their progress and to ensure that work is suitably challenging. Pupils’ individual education plans and statements of special educational need contain clear and measurable targets for improvement. The school has

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Key Stage 1

reviewed the impact of the national Early Learning Support strategy and is planning to extend its use to benefit a wider range of pupils. It also identifies able and talented pupils and maintains a register of them and their particular strengths and this helps to raise standards.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ attitudes to the school and what it stands for are very good and are strengths, as they were at the time of the last inspection. This confirms the view of parents before and during the inspection. The school’s Christian values are promoted by all members of staff and supported by the whole school community. The children go to school happily and enthusiastically. They are ready and willing to learn and they enjoy their time there. This has a positive impact upon their learning and contributes well to their personal development.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. In the classroom, pupils are attentive and interested in their lessons. They are keen to respond to teachers’ prompting and questioning, and are pleased to express their own thoughts and ideas. Out of the classroom they happily talk about their life and friendships in and out of school, for example while eating their lunch, or in the playground.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. From their earliest days at school, pupils settle well into its routines and expectations. During the inspection, pupils across the whole age range were invariably polite and welcoming to visitors. Their behaviour is good overall, both in lessons and during playtimes. The emphasis of the teaching and support staff is on praise and encouragement rather than punishment. There is an absence of oppressive behaviour throughout the school. There was one fixed-term exclusion from school during the year prior to the inspection and there has been one in the current school year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Relationships in the school, between adults and pupils and between the pupils themselves, are good. All members of the staff are polite and respectful to the children, who learn to accept this as the normal way to behave. During playtimes, normal friendship groups are established and boys and girls play happily with each other. Pupils in all year groups learn to value each other as individuals and respect St Mary’s C of E Infant School each other’s opinions. They also co-operate with each other, when, for example, three were sharing tasks while building a ‘Buckingham Palace’ sandcastle.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The personal development of pupils is very good. It is supported by personal and social education sessions, which are integrated across the curriculum. From the reception year to the time they leave the school, children are given increasingly responsible tasks to carry out. These are readily taken up and undertaken with common sense. For example, from their earliest days, children take attendance registers back to the office, and all pupils are encouraged to use the computer to scan-in their own library books. Pupils are encouraged to observe social conventions, such as queuing for their lunches in an orderly fashion. The very good range of extra-curricular activities, school trips and visitors to the school also enhance pupils’ social awareness. One of the comments made by pupils in Year 2 in discussion with inspectors was, ‘It’s a fun school because we have lots to do’ .

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils’ attendance at school was judged to be very good at the time of the last inspection, but this has not been maintained. The last full year’s figures, for 2000/2001, show that attendance was below the national average for primary schools and even further below that for the Surrey Education Authority area. An analysis by the school showed that parents taking their children out of school during term time accounted for 18 per cent of the total absences of school-age children. In the current year the overall position has improved to a satisfactory level. The incidence of unauthorised absence is well below both the county and national averages. Children’s punctuality in the mornings is good. Teachers complete the class attendance registers efficiently at the beginning of each morning and afternoon session, but legal requirements are not fully met because in one class many entries have been made in pencil.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. During the inspection 17 lessons were observed and only one was unsatisfactory. Just over a third of lessons were good. Teaching was good overall in the reception class and satisfactory overall at Key Stage 1. In their pre-inspection questionnaires, 96 per cent of parents thought that teaching was good. They said that teachers were welcoming and that they were happy to arrange to see parents at short notice if they had any concerns.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The quality of teaching is very similar to that seen in the previous inspection, although over twice as many lessons were observed in 1997. Since then the entire teaching staff has changed and two of the present staff are in their first or second year of teaching. In both inspections the incidence of unsatisfactory teaching was small and the reasons in both inspections are very similar; for example, unclear lesson objectives and a lack of challenge to pupils’ work. Interestingly, the strengths found in both inspections are also very similar; for example, good and effective planning, good lesson pace and good relationships between teachers and pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Satisfactory and good teaching contain both strengths and areas for development. Good teaching is usually ‘sharper’ than satisfactory teaching . There is usually more pace to good lessons and pupils are more involved, often practically. Satisfactory lessons can often mean the pupils sitting and listening for too long, rather than doing. Lesson planning was usually good in both types of lessons, but clearer opportunities to assess how pupils are learning in lessons often differentiates good from satisfactory teaching. For example, well-planned plenary sessions in good lessons provide valuable feedback to the teacher and pupils about the success of the lesson. In less effective lessons plenary sessions can be rushed and do not provide pupils St Mary’s C of E Infant School with a clear idea about the success of their work or how the activity will develop in future lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teachers plan well for all abilities in their classes. Work is carefully staged to provide additional challenge for more able pupils and often includes good opportunities for investigative and independent work, for example using the Internet or CD-Roms to find out information. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to express their own opinions, for example, in a good art and design lesson when pupils were able to evaluate their own work and that of others.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The quality of teaching observed during the inspection, even considering the small sample of lessons, did not altogether match the consistently good progress that most pupils make, judging by their improving results in national tests at the end of Key Stage 1. Nor did it match the good samples of work that were scrutinised or the consistently good and very good quality of teaching usually observed by the headteacher and local education authority adviser on their regular monitoring visits.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teachers usually manage their classes well and make clear their expectations. There are a handful of pupils throughout the school with specific and severe behaviour problems who are on the register of special educational needs. Teachers are invariably very positive about how all pupils behave. There is a clear emphasis on promoting good behaviour and rewarding pupils who respond to this, rather than ‘telling pupils off’ . Parents at the pre-inspection meeting were very enthusiastic about this approach to managing behaviour in school. On rare occasions, expectations of good behaviour are not made clear and pupils have to be reminded of the inappropriateness of their actions.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The effectiveness of classroom support assistants varies from class to class and from lesson to lesson. In the reception class, the work of the support assistants is well focused. In other classes, although classroom support assistants are conscientious, keen to become involved and care very much for pupils’ welfare, they are not always fully briefed about the specific role that teachers expect them to play in particular lessons. Nor are they as fully involved as they should be in monitoring the impact of pupils’ individual education plans or the work or behaviour of individual pupils or groups of pupils. There is, for example, no established means of written communication between teachers and classroom support assistants that could form part of an assessment portfolio.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good overall. Teachers have good knowledge of pupils and their specific needs. They usually plan tasks that are appropriate for the ages and abilities of pupils and that will challenge and extend their skills and abilities. The headteacher has introduced good positive behaviour strategies to encourage pupils to learn and make progress. The co-ordinator for special educational needs has worked hard to improve the quality of provision for pupils. Their individual education plans are precise, targets are easily measurable and all staff and parents are fully involved in their review.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. The quality of teachers’ marking is sound overall. It follows the school marking policy in its approach to positive comments about pupils’ work. Teachers often write sensitive, supportive comments that show that they know their pupils well and are fully aware of the effort that they have made with a specific piece of work. Work is marked regularly. However, it does not refer specifically to pupils’ individual targets to give them an idea of how well they are progressing towards achieving them or to the learning objectives of a lesson. For example, there were no references to pupils using punctuation correctly, even though that might be their individual writing target. St Mary’s C of E Infant School

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PUPILS?

26. The school offers a good range of experiences and opportunities for all pupils. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is wide, varied and securely based on the Early Learning Goals. Statutory requirements are met for all subjects in the National Curriculum.

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PUPILS?

27. The previous inspection found that there were significant weaknesses in aspects of information and communication technology and design and technology, but this is no longer the case. The school has addressed these issues successfully and curriculum planning is now good for all subjects. Schemes of work have been written, which enable a systematic build up of skills as pupils progress through the school. Planning takes account of all abilities and appropriately challenges higher attaining pupils.

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PUPILS?

28. The school has implemented the National Literacy and the National Numeracy Strategies successfully. The steady rise in standards in national tests for seven- year-olds is evidence of this. Good opportunities exist for pupils to apply the skills they have learned in mathematics and science to investigate and solve problems. They draw accurate graphs in their science lesson to show how their bodies change with exercise during physical education. Information and communication technology is used effectively across a number of subjects. For example, pupils in Year 2 have recently written stories about a programmable robot. In determining a route for their 'fire engin e' robot to travel they had to work out the distance travelled, plan the route and provide instructions for the computerised vehicle. Independent research is greatly encouraged when pupils carry out history and geography topics. The newly

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PUPILS?

installed library system contributes well to this where pupils select books and scan their bar codes to be recorded on the computer system.

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PUPILS?

29. The way in which the school involves the community in its work is outstanding. The links formed with organisations, industries, other countries and schools provide excellent opportunities for pupils to acquire first-hand experiences. Visits to places of interest and visitors to the school provide pupils with a wealth of experiences connected with their work. Pupils say, 'We go to really fun places on trips and there's really good equipment in school ’. Visiting engineers and scientists provide pupils and their parents with a series of workshops. The local area is used very well to stimulate ideas for artwork and geographical studies, whilst visiting artists provide pupils with very good creative opportunities. The newly installed Millennium Window involved every pupil in the school embarking on a large-scale design and technology project, with a superb end product. Pupils collect money for charities and recently organised

p.15

PUPILS?

a bring and buy sale to raise money to buy books for their link school in Zambia, as well as organising a collection of old shoes to send to another African school. The very good link that exists between the school in Zambia and St Mary’s has greatly enriched pupils' understanding of the world and has made a valuable contribution to the curriculum on offer at the school. A very good range of activities outside lessons is offered, for example a recorder club, chess and football. The playground is a particularly stimulating environment and all pupils are given the chance to learn to swim before the end of Key Stage 1.

p.15

PUPILS?

30. Provision for the development of pupils' personal, social and health education is sound. Discussions about healthy eating, medicines and keeping safe are carried out as part of science work. The school has yet to develop its policy and scheme of work for this area of study. St Mary’s C of E Infant School 31. The school includes all pupils in its work. Boys and girls work well together and systems for choosing pupils to take part in school events are even handed. Able pupils have been clearly identified and challenging work is matched to their needs. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils’ special educational needs are identified early and their individual education plans and statements of special educational need clearly identify measurable steps to help them make progress.

p.15

PUPILS?

32. There is good provision for pupils' spiritual development. A period of time called 'Star of the Day' occurs at the beginning or end of the day in each class. The sessions allow the personalities of individual pupils to be praised by the rest of the class. A candle is used effectively to focus pupils' attention and creates a distinct atmosphere of spirituality. Close links with the church foster a Christian ethos throughout the school. At present, however, there are insufficient opportunities across the curriculum for pupils to write from personal and emotional viewpoints.

p.16

PUPILS?

33. Very good opportunities are provided for pupils to develop morally and socially. A clear behaviour policy ensures that pupils know the difference between right and wrong. Rules are agreed and a good system of rewards and sanctions means that pupils work hard to earn points for their ‘Gold Card’. Completion of a gold card earns them a certificate of merit, which they proudly accept in assembly. Older pupils take care of younger ones and, on several occasions, take responsibility for jobs around the school. Pupils regard their school as a very caring place and say, 'You never get that lonely because there's lots of people you can go to'. The ‘ friendship bus stop’ on the playground is particularly effective in helping pupils form friendships at playtimes, whilst personal achievements are recognised on the ‘ Achievement Tree’ , which is displayed in the school hall.

p.16

PUPILS?

34. The development of pupils' cultural awareness is very good and is a strength of the school. Pupils are made aware of their own culture through celebrations of major festivals and events, for example the May Day and Golden Jubilee celebrations. Musicians, theatre groups and artists regularly contribute to the life of the school and broaden pupils' horizons. Pupils also take part in local events and celebrations, such as carnivals, concerts, and entertainment for senior citizens. Pupils' awareness of people from other countries and cultures is also very good. They develop empathy for the people with whom they correspond in Zambia. As pupils in Year 2 commented, ‘They do have electricity because they have a television but it is very precious to them '. A teacher exchange programme with a school in China has brought to life pupils' understanding of life in other countries. Daily registration

p.16

PUPILS?

responses are regularly answered in a variety of different languages. St Mary’s C of E Infant School

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Pupils say ‘St Mary’s is a really caring school’ and inspectors agree with this sentiment. The previous inspection report also commented on the school ‘providing a caring and supportive environment’. Teachers and learning support assistants know the pupils well. Although there is no designated medical room, first aid procedures are satisfactory, with proper records being maintained. First aid boxes are well maintained with the correct contents. Pupils who are unwell or suffering minor injuries receive appropriate treatment and parents are properly notified when necessary. The school’s system of using digital photographs to make visiting staff aware of pupils with potential medical problems is very good.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Teachers keep satisfactory records of pupils’ academic achievements so they are able to monitor their progress and set targets for future improvement. Procedures for monitoring pupils’ personal development are a little less formal, but are also satisfactory. There is a ‘bus-stop bench’ in the playground for children to sit on when they have no one to play with. This works well and ensures that both adults and children can see when there is someone on their own. It is a useful monitoring tool for teachers and is effective for children, as those who use it are not alone for long. Pupils say, ‘ You never get lonely because there are lots of people you can go to’.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. There are effective measures in place to promote good behaviour, and teachers and support staff are consistent in applying them. Praise and encouragement play an important part in this, and teachers emphasise the positive rather than the negative. There is a good award card system, from which all children can benefit, not just the most academic. For example, in Year 1, a child who had done particularly well that day was chosen to sit in the centre of the other children, who offer comments about why they think that pupil deserves the honour. This has the effect of helping to raise pupils’ self-esteem.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The previous inspection report noted that there was no written policy on discipline. There is now a behaviour policy and guidelines for staff and information for parents support this. No oppressive behaviour by children, including bullying, racial incidents or exclusion, was seen during the inspection. Lunchtime supervisors have received training in behaviour management and in developing a range of play opportunities. This has resulted in the lunch period being a calm and pleasant occasion.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are satisfactory. The school has recognised the need to increasingly encourage parents not to take their children away for holidays during term time. This is necessary because of the high level of such absences. The school has been successful in reducing the number of absences during term time.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Health and safety issues are taken seriously by the governing body and the headteacher, and the school is a safe place for the pupils to be. The playground has been developed well to provide opportunities for a variety of activities, including a quiet area giving shade in hot, sunny weather. Risk assessments are made at regular intervals with the assistance of a nominated governor and action is taken as required. Routine checks of fire alarms and equipment are regularly carried out. There are fire evacuation drills every term with proper records maintained. The inspection team identified no health or safety hazards.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Child protection procedures are satisfactory and the school follows the local education authority guidelines. The headteacher, as the designated person, is fully trained and well versed in the procedures. All members of staff know the basic rules St Mary’s C of E Infant School and who to approach if they have any concerns. Because many of the staff are relatively new to the school further training is scheduled for next term.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school has sound procedures for finding out what pupils can do. Records of pupils' attainment are kept which relate directly to the lesson objectives of each unit of work in most subjects. Teachers use the information gathered from the assessments made at the end of lessons well in order to plan the next stages of learning for all pupils. This is particularly evident when teachers plan work that is suited to the different needs of pupils. Lower attaining pupils are well supported and higher attaining pupils are suitably challenged and this has been a factor in raising standards throughout the school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. A useful form of assessment used by the school to assess pupils' attainment in writing is the 'First of the Month' writing book. An ongoing record such as this is often helpful in determining pupils' progress in developing skills for different forms of writing, especially when the marking and levelling of work according to National Curriculum levels are clear. However, the school has not yet established a clear focus for different types of writing tasks and no National Curriculum level is awarded. Marking is not constructive enough to identify targets for improvement. Pupils have individual targets for their English, mathematics and personal and social development based on teachers' everyday observations of them. However, this is at an early stage of development and they are sometimes vague and too broad to successfully measure the rate of each pupil's progress. There is also inconsistency

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

across the school in the way in which the organisation of these targets are managed, which means that some pupils are unsure of what their targets mean. This inevitably means that pupils do not focus as well as they should on improving particular aspects of their work.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The headteacher has carried out a very useful analysis of previous National Curriculum test results, which has identified specific areas for development. These have been implemented across the school during the past year and have been effective in raising standards. A whole-school tracking document enables teachers to make predictions about individual pupils’ level of attainment based on the outcomes of the baseline assessments carried out when they first start school. This useful document also allows teachers to target pupils for specific support in English and mathematics. Teachers have also carried out an exercise referred to as 'work sampling'. This means that samples of pupils' work have been collated and teachers have come to a mutual agreement about a National Curriculum level awarded for each piece of work. The outcome of this work sampling is not yet sharp enough in terms of National Curriculum levelling to accurately guide teachers' assessments in

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The strong partnership between the school and parents was recognised in the last inspection report and has been more than maintained. It is now very good and is a strength of the school. It enhances the children’s overall educational experience. The school works hard to foster good relations with parents and they willingly give their time to provide good support for the school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parents are very positive about the school, what it stands for and the education it provides. There was a very good response to the pre-inspection parents’ questionnaire, with 57 forms returned, representing 63 per cent of the number of pupils at the school. In addition, 34 parents attended the meeting, which was a very good attendance rate. Parents find the school very welcoming and their help is St Mary’s C of E Infant School always appreciated. They also feel that the school listens to what they say. The headteacher is on hand at the school gate for 15 minutes at the beginning of the day to greet parents and children. This provides a good opportunity for parents to chat to her briefly about anything to do with school, and can often prevent a minor worry becoming a matter of real concern.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The assistance given to teachers by parents in the classrooms, and in other areas of the school, is very good. For example, two parents used their skills to computerise the library lending system. One of them then ran a training session with staff on how to use the library software system. Parents, including fathers, have also formed working parties to carry out maintenance jobs and improve the playground area.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Parents give a high level of support to their children’s learning at home. Most hear them read regularly and encourage them to do their homework. The homework diaries are a very effective means of communication between home and school and a good educational tool. Many comments by parents in the diaries are evaluative and very helpful to the teachers.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. An active parents and friends association runs various social and fund-raising events and provides valuable additional resources for the school. The main money-making event, the Autumn Fair, raises about £2,000. A recent initiative is a weekly meeting for coffee at a local hotel, which all parents and friends can attend. Its main purpose is a social one, but it gives parents a chance to explore any concerns about the school or their children in an informal setting.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The information provided for parents is very good overall. There is a notice board for parents in the playground. Frequent newsletters provide general information and give a good picture of what is happening in school. Other letters are sent home for specific or class items, such as head-lice. In addition, the friends’ organisation issues a separate newsletter to update parents on its activities. Parents also receive a curriculum map to show the topics to be covered that term. Consultations with parents about their children’s progress are held in the autumn and spring terms and there is an open evening in the summer. The annual school reports fully comply with the regulations. They cover all subject areas and include targets for individual areas for development. A general remarks section covering each pupil’s progress and personal development brings the reports ‘alive’ .

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The prospectus is a very useful source of information about the school. It is very readable, with many photographs and drawings. However, neither the prospectus nor the governors’ annual report to parents comply fully with the regulations since they omit one or two minor items of information.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The headteacher provides good leadership, management and clear educational direction for the work of the school. Since her appointment standards have risen in English and science, they have been maintained in mathematics and all the key issues from the previous inspection have been successfully addressed. In addition, the school buildings have been extended to provide much improved accommodation. The school is popular and oversubscribed each year. The headteacher is enthusiastic and is committed to improving and developing St Mary’s school. This is shared by all those who work in it. In their pre-inspection questionnaires, 92 per cent of parents quite rightly acknowledge that the school is well led and managed. The staff and governors share the headteacher’s view of the school’s direction. The school has a mission statement, which was drawn up by the present headteacher, St Mary’s C of E Infant School

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

staff and governors, stating that ‘learning is fun at St Mary’s’ . The pupils and parents know this to be the case.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. There has been an unavoidably high turnover of teachers in the last two years. The headteacher is successful in quickly settling in new teachers to minimise the effect of this turbulence. There is no deputy headteacher and staff movement has restricted the amount of additional responsibility that subject co-ordinators can take on for managing subjects. This has made it more difficult for the headteacher to address any concerns about raising standards in some subjects, for example physical education.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The headteacher monitors teaching and learning effectively by reviewing teachers’ plans, regularly observing teaching and monitoring pupils’ books to check on standards of work. She regularly discusses the results of her observations with teachers, pupils, parents and governors. The information from this process is used effectively to inform the training needs of staff and school development needs. Information from external and internal test and assessment results is analysed and evaluated to measure the extent of the school’s improvement.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The leadership and management of pupils with special educational needs are good. Pupils’ individual education plans are very precise with clear targets that can be assessed to gauge the progress made. The governor for special educational needs is involved in the provision for special educational needs and gives good support to the school. All school staff contribute towards the schools’ positive ethos for the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs, which has a considerable impact on maintaining their self-esteem and confidence.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. There have been many new appointments on the governing body. Governors are keen, enthusiastic and well led by the chair. They have established an effective committee structure to oversee the work and life of the school. Meetings are well organised and efficient. Governors use e-mail effectively to send minutes and agendas to all members, thus saving time. Governors make very good use of their experience of management outside the world of education, for example in personnel, finance and management, to help them make decisions. They act well as ‘critical friends’ to the school.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The involvement of the governing body in the management of the school is very good. Governors are very supportive of the school, the headteacher and the staff. They are knowledgeable, enthusiastic and well informed about the work of the school, recognising areas in need of improvement as well as its many strengths. They are active in monitoring standards, as well as in taking full account of information that is provided by the headteacher. The close understanding between the governors and the headteacher on how to develop the building has made a significant contribution to the improvements in the learning environment.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The good school development plan is the result of wide consultation. All staff, governors and members of the community make valuable contributions. All priority areas are closely linked to provide a successful education for all pupils. Items are costed and have a completion date and criteria for judging success. There is an ongoing review of the targets.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The school is making good use of all available resources. There is a relatively large underspend, but the governors and headteacher have justifiable reasons for this; for example, some has been earmarked for maintaining the building and outside areas. The school administrator ably supports the headteacher and governors in ensuring St Mary’s C of E Infant School that day-to-day accounting is competently managed. The office staff are most efficient administrators and provide a warm welcome for visitors to the school. The school receives financial grants under the standards funds for schools and for the next three years a grant from the Frencham School House Trust. These are used well to enhance the quality of education that the school provides. The governing body is fully aware of ‘best value’ principles in making decisions about all its activities and especially about how it manages its financial resources.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The match of teachers and support staff to the requirements of the National Curriculum is sound. The teachers are relatively new to the school and many are relatively inexperienced. There has been a high turnover of teaching staff, but the governors and headteacher have put together many strategies for managing staff retention well, particularly through performance management. There are good procedures to help teachers who are newly qualified and there are also good opportunities for the professional development of staff. The national performance management policy is implemented effectively. Class assistants in Key Stage 1 are not always effectively used, particularly at the lesson introduction and plenary sessions. They are insufficiently involved in ensuring that pupils are on task and making assessments of their ability to contribute to the lesson. Lunchtime staff talk kindly to the pupils, support them well and follow the schools’ policy for managing

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

children’s behaviour. Pupils are secure and play happily during lunch-break under their careful supervision.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The much improved accommodation allows the curriculum to be taught effectively. Classrooms are large and the Foundation Stage room is big enough to accommodate all the activities necessary to teach the Early Learning Goals successfully. The new school hall is well used for lessons and at lunchtimes. The new library is an asset to the school. It is well organised and computerised. The school lavatories have been refurbished and are now bright and clean. The school roof is to be replaced during the summer holidays. Pupils commented to the inspection team about the improvements, ‘ The school is better now because there is more space’. Playtimes are fun with pupils using the trim trail, playhouse and other equipment well. The children in the reception class have immediate access to the playground for their outdoor education. The school also uses an adjoining field for athletics and science exploration.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The range and quality of learning resources are sound and meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. The library is well stocked with a good range of books and there are plans to substantially increase the number. Some of the equipment in the Foundation Stage is old, particularly the role-play materials, and are at the stage when they require renewal.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. Taking into consideration: • the progress pupils make, the standards achieved in English, mathematics and science at the age of seven and the sustained trend of improvement; • the pupils’ very good attitudes and behaviour; • the breadth and balance of the learning opportunities and the outstanding contribution of the community to pupils’ learning; • the very good provision for pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development; • the very good links with the parents; • the quality of leadership and management; St Mary’s C of E Infant School the school provides good value for money.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to maintain and improve the quality of pupils’ learning and the standards they attain the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.22

(1) develop the quality of pupils’ writing still further throughout the school by:

a. ensuring that there is a wide range of writing opportunities, including opportunities to write about personal experiences and verse, in order to encourage pupils to use their good vocabulary in written work; b. ensuring that pupils’ good handwriting skills are transferred to their writing; c. ensuring that pupils have opportunities to draft and redraft written work;

p.22

(2) improve management and monitoring responsibilities by:

a. ensuring that co-ordinators have regular opportunities for managing all aspects of their subjects including budget responsibility and communication with governors; b. ensuring that co-ordinators have regular opportunities to monitor lessons and pupils’ work to help raise standards;

p.22

(3) review the role of classroom support assistants to ensure:

a. that they are deployed in classes to have the maximum impact on pupils’ learning; b. that they play a full part in the assessment of pupils’ progress; c. that an evaluation of their training needs is carried out;

p.22

(4) ensure that statutory requirements regarding pupil registration are met by:

a. completing all attendance registers according to legal requirements.

p.22

action plan:

a. ensuring that the information in the school prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents meets statutory requirements.

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

St Mary’s C of E Infant School Number of lessons observed 17

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 12

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 0 0 35 59 6 0 0 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 more than six percentage points.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 90

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 7

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 15

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 5

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 3

p.23

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Mary’s C of E Infant School

p.23

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 14 20 34

p.24

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

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

Boys 13 9 13 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 20 20 20

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 97 (97) 85 (93) 97 (97) at NC Level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.24

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

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

Boys 12 13 14 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 20 20 20

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 94 (97) 97 (97) 100 (100) at NC Level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.24

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Mary’s C of E Infant School

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4 Financial year 2000 - 2001

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 235,371

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 221,052

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 79 Expenditure per pupil 2,512

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 5,022

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 6

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 6

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. St Mary’s C of E Infant School

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 65 31 2 0 2

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 69 21 8 0 2

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 52 38 8 0 2

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 83 15 0 2 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 69 27 2 0 2

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 58 36 4 2 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 81 11 6 2 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 71 29 0 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 52 33 13 2 0 St Mary’s C of E Infant School PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. The quality of education for children in the Foundation Stage is good and provides them with a good base for the next stage of their education. The school has maintained its good provision since the previous inspection. Children are admitted into school in the September in the year that they are five, some on a part-time basis, and transfer into Year 1 in the September in the year that they are six. The induction into the reception class is a very good feature of St Mary’s school. Parents and children are very well prepared for starting school. Home visits by the teacher and visits to the school for parents and children are well organised and help to develop good relationships with the children before entry.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. The newly extended classroom opens out on to the playground and offers an immediate and secure area for adventurous play. It is well resourced with climbing frames, a playhouse, quiet areas and a space for wheeled toys. Children also play in the playground at playtimes and lunchtimes. The classroom is large enough to accommodate the six areas of learning and is well organised. There are one teacher, two class assistants and further learning support assistants for children with special educational needs. They work very well as a thoughtful, caring team of professionals providing children with good first-hand experiences. It is a fully inclusive reception class, catering well for children who have special educational needs. The curriculum offered is good. It is broad and balanced, comprehensively covering all areas of learning, and includes parts of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies as appropriate for this educational stage. Children learn to

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67. Children have a wide range of abilities and the Surrey Baseline Assessment is carried out within the first seven weeks of entry to the reception class. The results show that children are in line with the local education authority average attainment. However, children’s listening and speaking skills are better than in many schools. They have a good range of vocabulary and a mature level of conversation. The results of these assessments are shared with the parents, as is the good progress children make. At the end of the school year parents receive a school report in a similar format as that for the rest of the school. By the time children come to the end of the Foundation Stage almost all will have reached the Early Learning Goals and a few will exceed them, especially in communication, language and literacy, and knowledge and understanding of the world.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

68. The majority of children are developing appropriate personal, social and emotional skills. Most will attain the expected levels and some will exceed them. Children play and work well together and are polite to adults. They work on tasks as a group, for example at clearing away time. They also work in pairs, for example playing a game, and they show good attitudes to their work. This is particularly true when resources are well organised in advance and when the children have the benefit of additional adult support. They concentrate for long periods, for instance when they are involved in the literacy lesson. They are able to work independently on the computer or in pairs, taking turns, and they communicate well with each other. They show very good attitudes when engaged in practical tasks, such as working in the sand and in the playground on the trim trail. Role-play in ‘ the farmshop ’ is appropriate and

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Personal, social and emotional development

children hold imaginative conversations with each other. The staff have set these St Mary’s C of E Infant School areas out well, but there is not always enough adult input to further develop children’s conversation and play. Children learn to explore their feelings; for example, they told the teacher, ‘ My mummy makes me happy ’ and ‘ I was sad when I got my fingers shut in the door’.

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Personal, social and emotional development

69. Children behave well because the staff have clear expectations of good behaviour. There are class and school rules clearly displayed and often referred to. Children are well aware of the reasons why they should wash their hands before lunch and tidy away their belongings. They walk quietly to the hall so that they do not disturb others and know the routines for lunch and snack times. They eat their lunch with the rest of the pupils in the school hall. They have good table manners and respect the lunchtime staff. A strong emphasis is given to this area of learning and children are clear about what is right and wrong, and why.

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Communication, language and literacy

70. Children enter school with attainment that is expected for their age overall, although their conversational skills and range and depth of vocabulary are better than expected. All children make sound progress and most will reach the expected levels by the time they are ready for Year 1. Children listen well in a small group situation and as a whole class for a good period of time. Their vocabulary develops well; for example, one talked about what she enjoyed in school. ‘ Well I really like to read. I have lots of interesting animal books on my shelves at home’.

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Communication, language and literacy

71. Children learn to recognise and write their names. They learn the necessary skills for reading and, on many occasions, children were observed reading and handling books. They love listening to the taped stories after sharing the humour and enjoyment of a book. The designated book area and soft furnishings successfully entice children to enjoy reading in comfort. Most children re-tell a simple story using picture clues and act out stories they have been read. Many can read a simple text. Children are expected to take home a book to read and enjoy with an adult. The home-school diaries contain lots of good information to guide parents to help their children develop their reading skills. Parents write back to the staff and a very useful diary is maintained. One parent wrote, ‘ She was very keen to read her book! We have looked and read it quite a few times. Also she has learnt the tricky words.

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Communication, language and literacy

More please’. Many children will exceed the Early Learning Goals for reading.

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Communication, language and literacy

72. In their writing children use pictures, symbols and familiar words to communicate meaning. Many are beginning to form upper and lower case letters correctly. Some children copy words and have started to write independently. Computers are used effectively to encourage children to enjoy reading and writing.

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Mathematical development

73. Children’s mathematics levels on entry are in line with this age group. Children use a wide range of equipment to develop their understanding of mathematics, and no opportunity is lost to reinforce number work in a variety of ways. Children make sound progress in counting skills, number recognition and mathematical language. Most are able to count to 20 and some can count further. They know the names of common shapes, such as ‘ triangle’, 'circle’ and ‘square’ . They begin to use non- standard measures in capacity and volume and learn to compare size, for example the length of fruits and vegetables, and can grade them from smallest to largest. When supported by an adult they can play simple number games appropriately. Children’s mathematical vocabulary is built up quickly and the teacher works hard to St Mary’s C of E Infant School get the children to understand number concepts. Most will reach the expected levels

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Mathematical development

by the time they come to the end of the Foundation Stage.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

74. Children’s attainment in this area of learning on entry is better than expected and the majority will reach the Early Learning Goals by the end of the reception year. A small number will exceed the expectations for this age group. There are many good opportunities for the development of children’s knowledge and understanding of the world. For example, early morning registration, break times and lunchtimes are used effectively as an opportunity to talk about family, home, the past and different activities in their lives. Children learn to explore their world and further afield. They enjoy the topic of the ‘Farmyard’ , learning about all the animals and produce from this country and further afield. They learn about the life cycle of a swan and watch ‘Buddy’ , a puppy belonging to one of the children, grow. They keep a record of the puppy’s weekly growth and write down the measurements on a chart. They are also

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

learning about the passing of time by doing this activity. Children have valuable experiences of using technology. They use the computer and demonstrate how to use a mouse to match a ‘letter’ to a ‘sound’ . All children have e-mailed ‘Berty Bear’ and have compiled their messages into a book. The teacher consistently provides opportunities for children to understand their world through well-planned, creative activities that stimulate their senses.

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Physical development

75. Children are well developed physically. Their attainment on entry to school is appropriate for their age and most will attain the Early Learning Goals by the time they come to the end of the Foundation Stage. They have immediate access to the well resourced playground to help their physical development further. Their ability to control their limbs and movement is well developed in activities such as climbing and jumping. By the time they are ready for Year 1, most can run, jump, climb and skip safely and confidently. They are aware of space and rarely bump into each other. Most show reasonable control of equipment, for example small balls. Children use scissors carefully to cut different materials. Staff provide good daily opportunities for children to develop skills using small equipment.

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Creative development

76. On entry to school most children attain the level expected of children at this age. They explore sound, listen intently to their teacher sing or to taped music and join in enthusiastically, often with actions. In a good range of creative activities, children show evident enjoyment and developing skills in their responses to what they see, hear, touch and feel. They explore a wide range of materials, for example sand, paint, crayons, felt, pastels and glue, when they draw, colour and stick. Children use their imaginations and paint bold pictures. They draw farmyard animals and an elephant in the zoo. They try to mix paint together to match their skin colour when painting a self-portrait. There are many opportunities for children to experience role- play and their play is imaginative and collaborative. They talk and play well. Most children are on target to attain the expected levels by the time they finish the

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Teaching

77. The teaching of children in the Foundation Stage is good overall. The teacher and support assistants are happy and enthusiastic and help the children to make good St Mary’s C of E Infant School progress. They work very hard. There are many good working relationships between staff and children. Staff provide good role models and have appropriate expectations of children’s work and behaviour. Activities are well planned and tasks well matched to the needs of all the children. Activity plans build well on what children already know and can do. The teacher has a clear understanding of how young children learn and knows what will interest them. Clear assessments are made of how well children carry out tasks and of their personal development. These are used well to inform future planning and to help set groups for work.

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ENGLISH

78. The school has worked very hard to improve pupils’ attainment in English and has been rewarded by a steady climb in results in national tests for pupils in Year 2. Careful identification of weaknesses has led to clear progress in those areas; for example, in pupils’ ability to spell correctly. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress and attain standards above those expected nationally. Although the most recent test results have not yet been confirmed, the very high percentage of pupils attaining Level 2 in reading has been maintained this year. The percentage of pupils attaining Level 2 in spelling has increased significantly. The school feels that maintaining high standards in some areas and improving standards in others are due to the success of the National Literacy Strategy and the introduction of early reading material that stresses the importance of

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ENGLISH

children learning letter and word sounds at an early stage of reading.

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ENGLISH

79. Many children start in the reception class with well-developed speaking skills. The school works hard to give them good opportunities to develop these skills even further. Pupils’ attainment in speaking and listening is well above average. In discussion, pupils articulate their ideas confidently and thoughtfully. They usually listen to others’ opinions and wait their turn to put forward their own ideas, for example, in assemblies and lesson introductions. They make good use of ideas and knowledge that they acquire at home or on visits further afield. For example, they spoke knowledgeably about the Queen’s forthcoming Golden Jubilee celebrations and about their own plans for the Bank Holiday weekend. They understand and use a wide range of vocabulary that becomes increasingly sophisticated as they get older.

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ENGLISH

80. Pupils in Year 2 explain in detail the causes of ‘The Great Fire of London’ and talk at length about how they appreciate the opportunities ‘to work independently’. They are able to make reasoned and intelligent guesses at words they do not know the meaning of, but might have heard in another context. For example, in a discussion about Victorian school days several of them knew that if children were naughty they were sometimes hit with a cane or, ‘made to stand in the corner with a cone shaped thing on their head’. Several pupils had heard the word for the old-fashioned hat but could not remember it. One knew it started with the letter ‘d’ and others made informed guesses at words beginning with ‘d’ until, finally, one remembered the word ‘dunce’ .

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ENGLISH

81. Standards in reading are well above average. Pupils receive a good start to their reading in the reception class, where they quickly learn the basic features of books and that words and pictures carry meaning. Pupils’ very good knowledge of books is not confined to fiction material. Many pupils read non-fiction books regularly and have definite preferences in non-fiction content. Many pupils of average and above average attainment read fluently and expressively. Even pupils identified with special educational needs talk enthusiastically about their reading and develop good skills. More able readers have a wide interest in books and some have started to collect St Mary’s C of E Infant School books written by the same author. They are able to remember story lines and can recollect details about different characters in stories. Pupils are beginning to compare different types of book and express preferences for particular books. They

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ENGLISH

enjoy reading aloud to visitors and are starting to assess their own reading ability. For example, one pupil quite justifiably felt that she had already achieved her reading target of, ‘trying to add more expression when I am reading aloud’ , by responding, ‘I think my reading is already quite expressive and I don’t know how to make it any better’ .

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ENGLISH

82. The new school library has certainly helped to develop an even greater love of books amongst the pupils. Some older pupils took it upon themselves to devise a list of rules for pupils to follow when using the library and word-processed the list for display. Pupils regularly read non-fiction books and have particular interests, for example books about animals or science. They know about different parts of books, such as index and contents pages and the glossary, and use these categories when they write their own books linked to their class topics. Pupils’ reading records are regularly completed by parents and teachers and help to foster an interest in reading. Comments are detailed and shared with the pupils, who then know exactly how adults rate their progress and proficiency in reading.

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ENGLISH

83. Standards of writing in Year 2 are average overall and pupils make sound progress as they move through the school. A scrutiny of work shows that pupils’ writing gradually becomes more accurate and informative as they get older. For example, in the reception class one pupil wrote, ‘on Sunday i went to hocome stem fer. and i went on a traine. and i went on sum rids. and then we went home’ . By the middle of Year 2 the same pupil is able to write, showing greater attention to spelling and punctuation, ‘During the Easter holidays I went on a skiing hoiday. On our first day we were just going on two drag lifts. The next day I had my first skiing lesson. We went up to the top and skid back down the slope’ . A pupil who had only recently started in the reception class showed a good awareness of letter sounds when she wrote, ‘it is mi Bifday (birthday) arfd (after) for sleeps’ . A year later she was able to

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ENGLISH

write, ‘Chinese New Year. In China they have selebrashons of animols. This year the animal is a dragon. People go outside. Some hav puppets of dragons. Some pepol hold lanterns’ .

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ENGLISH

84. Although the percentage of pupils attaining Level 2 and Level 3 has gradually increased over the last two years, there is room for improvement in the range of writing that pupils experience. There are few occasions when the range of vocabulary that many pupils use regularly in conversation is evident in their writing. There are limited opportunities for them to write complex sentences or to vary their length for effect. Chances for pupils to write sensitively about personal experiences are rare and there is little evidence of any ‘spirituality’ in their writing; for example, describing personal feelings about themselves, their families, the seasons or moving experiences. There is also, on occasion, too much dependence of pupils filling in worksheets. The good quality of handwriting that can be found in pupils’ handwriting books is not usually transferred to descriptions or accounts they write. Pupils do

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ENGLISH

have good opportunities to word-process their writing, changing the font and size of their work.

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ENGLISH

85. Based on the very limited evidence seen during the inspection pupils respond well in their lessons and have real enthusiasm for literature. They readily discuss their enjoyment of reading with visitors, talking about their favourite books and authors. Their behaviour is usually good and they are anxious to learn and to make progress. On the rare occasions that they are not fully involved, it is as a result of the teacher not telling them what the lesson will be about and what they are expected to learn. St Mary’s C of E Infant School 86. Only two lessons were observed and, therefore, care should be exercised when interpreting judgements. One lesson was satisfactory overall and the other unsatisfactory. Neither lesson fully demonstrated the quality of pupils’ work that is more evident in their enthusiasm for English in discussions, the obvious progress that they are making or the high standards that are being consistently achieved and

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ENGLISH

improved upon at the end of the key stage. Planning in both lessons was thorough, but not fully followed. Although teachers regularly share the ‘intended learning objective’ of the lesson with pupils, during the inspection this did not take place. Consequently, the plenary sessions were not focused enough; for example, there were too few opportunities to highlight successful learning, and teachers did not prepare pupils for the next lesson.

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ENGLISH

87. There are extensive procedures for the assessment of pupils’ reading and writing. The pupils’ ‘contact books’ are regularly completed in school and at home and provide a detailed and constructive record of pupils’ progress. Pupils’ personal targets for improving elements of their English work are not sufficiently well linked to teachers’ marking. Although marking is supportive, often with thoughtful comments about how hard the pupil has worked, it is not usually diagnostic and does not tell the pupil how well he or she is progressing to meeting the target: for example, using punctuation regularly and correctly.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Pupils' attainment in mathematics is above that expected nationally. There has been a steady trend of improvement in mathematics results in National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds over the past three years. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher Level 3 in this year's tests has increased from 25 per cent to 36 per cent. The introduction of new planning documents and the successful implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy since the previous inspection mean that teachers' planning is focused, challenging and appropriate to the needs of all pupils. As a result, all pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress.

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MATHEMATICS

89. Pupils in Year 1 use their knowledge of shapes to correctly identify specific properties. They use mathematical vocabulary to describe the number of sides and corners that different shapes have. They develop a good understanding of the differences between squares and rectangles. By the end of Year 2, pupils make particularly good progress in developing good levels of numerical competence and quickly and accurately recall multiplication facts in the two, five and ten times tables. Their understanding of doubling numbers to 20 helps them to find half of a quantity and apply the same strategy to find a quarter of an amount. Teachers encourage pupils to explain how they calculate an answer. During an observation, one pupil described finding a half of 24 by saying, ‘ You've got 24 bits. Divide it by 2, that's 12' whilst another pupil said, ‘ Half of 20 that's 10 and half of 4 is 2. That's 12 altogether' .

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MATHEMATICS

Lower attaining pupils develop strategies for finding fractions of shapes by folding, and for division of numbers by sharing practically. Higher attaining pupils are challenged to apply what they have learned to problem solving. For example, when sorting a set of numbers, pupils are encouraged to select their own criteria for each set of numbers. When practising the strategy of putting the largest number first to add, pupils have to select their own numbers to perform the calculations. Pupils make good use of information and communication technology to support their work in mathematics. Computer software is put to good use to generate graphs about data they have collected. Pupils in Year 2 use a programmable robot to aid their work on St Mary’s C of E Infant School angles and direction, which links well with their work in information and communication technology.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Pupils have very positive attitudes to their work and maintain good levels of concentration and pace throughout their lessons in most cases. They are eager to join in discussions and contribute their ideas. They work co-operatively and share resources when required to do so. Where pupils' behaviour is not as positive, it is a result of the lack of management on the part of the teacher. When teachers insist on pupils listening to instructions, they are clear about what is expected of them and they respond accordingly.

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MATHEMATICS

91. The quality of teaching is good overall. In the lessons where good teaching was observed, teachers recap on previous work and use questions well to find out what pupils have remembered. One particularly good example in Year 2 occurred when the teacher and the classroom assistant entered into some role-play about the equal sharing of toppings for a pizza. Pupils were excited at the banter that occurred and suggested many ways of sharing fairly. Activities then continued based on the problems of sharing into parts. Teaching is at its most successful when teachers share the learning intention of the lesson with pupils at the start. It provides a good focus for the lesson and is used by teachers and pupils at the end of the lesson to measure how much they have learned. However, this does not always happen and in the plenary, although pupils share the work they have done, teachers do not prepare them for the next lesson. Occasionally, pupils are asked to carry out tasks

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MATHEMATICS

that are not specifically related to the objective of the lesson. This leads to some confusion, particularly when specific vocabulary is required to complete the task that has not been introduced during the first part of the lesson.

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MATHEMATICS

92. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well in small groups and work is suitably matched to their needs. There are occasions, however, when classroom assistants are not fully aware of what is required and their work is not specifically targeted. Opportunities are also missed for teachers to focus on particular groups of pupils during a lesson to further extend learning.

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MATHEMATICS

93. The mathematics co-ordinator has recently produced a detailed analysis of previous National Curriculum tests to identify areas for development throughout the school. The implementation of these has clearly had a positive impact on standards. Planning for mathematics appropriately covers all areas of the mathematics curriculum and teachers' assessments of pupils enables them to plan work that is suitable to their needs. Each pupil has individual targets for improving their levels of competence. However, at present, some pupils have too many targets to realistically achieve, which are not specifically related to ongoing work in lessons.

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SCIENCE

94. Standards of attainment are very high at the end of Key Stage 1 and all pupils make at least good progress. This is a tremendous improvement since the 1997 inspection when attainment was in line with the national average and progress was sound.

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SCIENCE

95. At the end of Year 2 all pupils can use everyday terms, such as ‘ soft ’’ or ‘ hard ’’ as a basis for sorting materials. The more able pupils clearly explain why some materials are suited for specific purposes, for example wood, ‘ for making a manger for Christmas play. The animals eat from it’. Nearly all the pupils in Year 2 can explain the attributes of fair testing. Many make reasonable predictions about the outcome of a test. For example, when planting seeds to find out whether it makes any difference which way seeds face when planted, one pupil said confidently, ‘ I know St Mary’s C of E Infant School there is no difference because I have sprinkled seeds at home and they all come up’. Another was unsure and predicted that the shoot would come through the holes in the bottom of a plant pot if planted upside down. He knew that shoots would find the light. Pupils in Year 1 know that there are many different materials to be found.

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SCIENCE

They identify wood, glass, metal, brick and plastic and comment on their list of properties. They are also beginning to identify differences between the textures, for example, ‘ rough’ and ‘hard’ , or ‘ rough’ and ‘soft’ .

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SCIENCE

96. Pupils make rapid progress in science because work is planned to challenge them and they have good opportunities to carry out investigations. More able pupils progress extremely well, as can be seen by the number attaining the higher level in assessments at the end of Key Stage 1. The youngest pupils are encouraged to make simple predictions and to observe very carefully. They have good opportunities to experiment, for example making a simple circuit, and to give explanations; ‘ It lights up because you’ve got the battery power and it makes it go through the wire’. In Year 2, pupils build on these skills and make valid predictions, analyse information, use scientific vocabulary, make fair tests and then interpret the results. In their work on life processes and living things, pupils in Year 1 study ‘minibeasts’ . Pupils can identify many creatures they see on the school field, for example ‘centipedes’ , ‘stag beetles’ and ‘spiders’, and know that insects have only

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SCIENCE

six legs. Pupils in Year 2 learn the importance of a healthy diet and the need to exercise to keep fit and healthy. They keep a diary of the exercise they take, for example ‘ running in the playground ’, ‘ riding my bike ’. They look at the packaging of medicines and quickly learn the appropriate vocabulary, for example, ‘ prescriptions’ and ‘chemist ’. One wrote, ‘medicine is to make you better when you are ill. When I am ill I get annoyed, bored and grumpy ’. Pupils develop their scientific knowledge well and are adept at applying facts to situations they have not encountered before.

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SCIENCE

97. Pupils have good attitudes to science. They are interested, enthusiastic and keen to contribute ideas for discussion. Even if they do not know the ‘ correct ’ answer, they are good at making ‘ guesses ’. They work very well in small groups, listening to others and sharing equipment sensibly.

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SCIENCE

98. Overall, the teaching is good. Teachers have good subject knowledge and use correct scientific terminology, challenging and extending their pupils’ vocabulary. Teachers plan their lessons carefully, their lesson objectives are clear and they make very good use of resources. They plan good opportunities to develop an understanding of investigative work. Teachers consistently develop older pupils’ ability to predict what will happen and carry out fair tests by good questioning that makes pupils think very carefully about what has happened and what might happen. St Mary’s C of E Infant School

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ART AND DESIGN

99. Only one lesson was timetabled during the inspection. Judgements are made, additionally, on a scrutiny of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work on display in classrooms and around the school. The attainment of pupils in Year 2 is in line with that expected nationally. This is the same judgement that was made in the previous inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

100. Displays of pupils’ art work around the school and in their books are usually effectively linked to another curriculum area. For example, pupils in Year 2 have completed pencil sketches of churches as part of their geography topic. Although they have shaded areas carefully, they did not have opportunities to use or become familiar with ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ pencils, and this limited their sketching experience. Pupils painted colourful pictures of ‘The Great Fire of London’ to accompany their work in history, using red, yellow and orange imaginatively to try to capture the vivid flames. Younger pupils have used a range of fabrics to decorate ‘animals’ to accompany passages from well-known stories. Children in the reception class have painted colourful ‘butterflies’ to illustrate the story of ‘ The Very Hungry Caterpillar’.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. Pupils in Year 2 used clay to make individual tiles following their visit to Frensham Church. They first sketched patterns they found and then transposed them on to clay using modelling tools. Older pupils are familiar with the names and work of a few artists, for example Van Gogh, and have used a drawing program on the computer to make designs in the style of Mondrian .

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ART AND DESIGN

102. A recent visit by a local artist to Year 1 prompted some very good sculptures using natural material that the pupils collected. They carried out thoughtful evaluations of their own and other pupils’ work and had obviously been inspired by the artist’s advice and expertise. This work provided good opportunities for them to experiment with three-dimensional forms.

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ART AND DESIGN

103. Pupils are interested in art and colour. They like the fact that their school has been redecorated, speak of it now being ‘light’ and ‘bright’ and appreciate that it provides a much better working environment. Currently, they have no opportunity to develop work in a sketchbook to provide evidence of their development in art. Although pupils carry out a range of art activities, there are no shared displays around a central theme that show how they mature in style and expertise as they move through the school. They are limited to certain types of media; for example, they do not have opportunities to use charcoal or pastels in school to experiment with. Several older pupils said they had used these at home and knew that they had to be very careful, because they smudged easily.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. Pupils throughout the school attain the standards expected for their age. No judgement on standards was made in the previous inspection and the subject became a key issue for the school to address. There has been good improvement in this subject. Pupils in Year 2 design and make moving vehicles with wheels and axles. They have sound designing, cutting, joining and finishing skills, which they use well to design emergency vehicles such as fire engines. They learn about axles and know whether the wheels are fixed or not. They evaluate these models and are able to say how they could be improved by adding further features. The more able pupils are challenged to think of safety features. Pupils in Year 1 design a room. They cut and stick, using recyclable materials to decorate the finished room showing curtains, wallpaper and furniture. Pupils make satisfactory progress in design and St Mary’s C of E Infant School

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

technology. They gain confidence and competence in using different materials and in joining and finishing their models.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. Pupils enjoy design and technology. They listen carefully to the design brief and prepare their design with thought. Pupils work hard and take great care to produce work of a sound standard. They are proud of their finished products and are eager to talk about them.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. In the only lesson seen the teaching was sound. Planning is good, with a clear focus on the evaluation of work; for example, pupils are encouraged to explore their ideas and to use prior knowledge to discover how the axles work. The teacher encouraged pupils to think and to work things out for themselves. At all stages, pupils are required to show initiative and to make their own decisions, which gives them a sense of purpose in their work. There are good relationships between teachers and pupils, which motivate them to achieve well.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. During the Millennium year pupils entered a county-wide competition to design a stained glass window. Working with a visiting artist, the school won the competition. The result is a magnificent stained glass representation of Frensham Common in their school hall. This was a wonderful experience of learning about design and technology in action and has raised the profile of design and technology in the school.

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HUMANITIES

108. Standards in both history and geography are in line with those expected in Year 2 and all pupils, including those with special educational needs, make sound progress. Only one history lesson was seen during the inspection. In addition to this, evidence was collected from a number of sources, including an analysis of pupils' work, discussions with teachers and pupils and a scrutiny of teachers' planning documents.

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HUMANITIES

109. The quality of the curriculum has improved since the last inspection due to a rigorous system of planning that has recently been introduced. A long-term curriculum ‘map’ ensures that pupils' historical and geographical enquiry skills are systematically built upon as they move through the school. In addition to this, detailed mid-term plans allow teachers to plan a range of activities that develop pupils' understanding of the past and other places. As in many schools nationally, topics for history and geography are taught in units of work on an alternating cycle. This means that more time can be given to a particular subject at any given time.

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HUMANITIES

110. Pupils in Year 1 begin to compare their own lives with life in the past. They use historical sources to begin to draw conclusions about how people used to live. In history pupils learn about the lives of famous people from the past who are still remembered today for various reasons. Pupils in Year 2 use their literacy skills well to produce a non-fiction book about the life of Florence Nightingale. One pupil writes, 'Florence Nightingale was a young woman who had trained to be nurse. Florence Nightingale soon had to travel to Scutari to look after some soldiers who had been in war. Florence had to travel by boat, train and horse. The boat was smelly. There is a picture of her journey on the next page. ' She later writes the reason for her being famous today is, 'Because she changed hospitals into better places and she has been called the lady with the lamp' .

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HUMANITIES

111. In geography pupils begin to develop an awareness of the world through the study of other countries. Pupils in Year 1 begin their awareness of different countries through the travels of ‘ Barnaby Bear’ . The school bear travels to various countries with pupils St Mary’s C of E Infant School and teachers on their holidays. A book is collated with photographs and postcards to show the changing landscapes in different parts of the world. Links with schools in China and Zambia greatly enhance pupils' understanding of how people in other countries live. Pupils in Year 2 compare schools and homes in Zambia with their own. Pupils write, 'In Zambia they have different furniture. They sleep on the floor but we have beds. Their houses are made of mud but we build them with bricks. They have to collect their water from a tap in the village’. Pupils also use a computer program well to help develop their mapping skills.

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HUMANITIES

112. Insufficient lessons were observed to make a judgement on teaching. Teachers' planning and examples of pupils' work show that pupils are offered a wide range of opportunities throughout the school to develop their skills. Visits to places of interest and visitors to the school greatly enhance the experiences on offer to pupils and are a great strength of the school. Pupils in Year 2 have set up an e-mail link with a school in Portsmouth, a locality they are studying this term, whilst pupils in Year 1 correspond with an ex-pupil of the school now living in Australia. Planning is thorough and encourages pupils to develop independence in the course of their studies. For example, pupils in Year 2 use information books from the library to carry out research about Florence Nightingale. Pupils talk knowledgeably about the work they have carried out.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. Only one, very brief, lesson was timetabled during the inspection. Judgements are made, additionally, on the basis of discussions with pupils and staff and a scrutiny of planning documents and pupils’ work. Standards in information and communication technology for seven-year-old pupils are higher than those expected nationally at this age. Pupils throughout the school, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. There has been significant improvement since the previous inspection when standards were judged to be below average.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. Pupils in Year 2 have a wide experience of information and communication. For example, they use computers to word-process their writing and can, independently, load, retrieve and print their work, as well as save it to their individual floppy disks. They are very confident users of information and communication technology. A significant number of them have experience of using computers at home, as well as CD-Roms, video cassette recorders and other electrical equipment. Nevertheless, the school capitalises on their experiences to good effect and this is one reason why their progress is so good throughout the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. There are good links between information and communication technology and other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 2 learn how to give instructions to a programmable robot to make it move in different directions. This builds well on similar work that they have already done in Year 1. In order to make their work more interesting two pupils decorated their robot as a fire engine. They made models of ‘burning buildings’ so that they could give the robot different directions to reach its destination. Additionally, they wrote a poem to accompany the robot’s journey, using words to describe the ‘fire’ such as ‘hissing’ and ‘sizzling’ . In mathematics they use data handling programs well to construct graphs of holiday destinations. They use the Internet well to find out information for a range of subjects.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116. Pupils spoke about the opportunities they have in school to work increasingly independently, often on their own in small groups. The very recently installed computerised library system gives them ideal opportunities to use their knowledge of information and communication technology independently, thus helping to develop St Mary’s C of E Infant School their awareness of the uses of information and communication technology in the wider world. Classes have been allocated specific days to work in the library. Pupils operate the ‘book scanning’ system themselves and speak knowledgeably about its potential.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. Pupils’ attitudes to information and communication technology are very positive. They enjoy their work enormously and the links that exist between it and other subjects open up all sorts of possibilities that pupils are keen to try.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

118. Too little teaching was observed to make a judgement on its quality. However, opportunities are planned by teachers to include information and communication technology across the curriculum and to maximise its potential. Teachers have established e-mail links in all classes, for example to an ex-pupil now living in Australia and to a sick child who spends a great deal of time absent from school.

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MUSIC

119. Standards of attainment in music are in line with those expected of pupils in Year 2. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make sound progress. Since the previous inspection improvements have been made in terms of planning and resourcing. Teachers are gradually building up detailed medium term plans, which will eventually form a comprehensive scheme of work. The development of musical skills is clearly identified and is built upon as pupils move through the school. New instruments have been purchased and they are sufficient in range and number. They include a sound selection of multi-cultural instruments from around the world.

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MUSIC

120. Pupils sing songs tunefully and with enthusiasm. They accompany many of the songs they sing with tuned and untuned percussion instruments and maintain a good pulse and rhythm. In lessons they use the skills they have learned to compose their own music. Pupils in Year 2 compose music in groups to recreate the sounds of a storm. They use a variety of instruments to create a realistic atmosphere in their compositions. Pupils in Year 1 select and order sounds and use signs and symbols, which they record on a 'graphic score' . A recorder club for pupils in Year 2 adds to the enrichment of the music curriculum, as many of them learn to read standard notation and accompany hymns during assemblies. Information and communication technology also makes a significant contribution to the music curriculum. Pupils record their compositions in Years 1 and 2 and younger pupils use a computer program to compose different tunes.

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MUSIC

121. Pupils respond with eagerness and interest to their music lessons. They enjoy music and are often engrossed in their work. They listen carefully to each other and learn to take turns. In one good lesson in Year 1 pupils had composed a section of music in pairs to put towards a class composition. Whilst they were waiting for their turn to contribute, the group was silent and this added to the atmosphere of the piece of music. They also help each other to read the score by running their finger along the 'music line' .

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MUSIC

122. The quality of teaching is good. Learning objectives are shared and referred to at various points during the lessons to focus pupils' attention. Teachers intervene appropriately and pupils are given time targets for completing their compositions, which means they do not have a chance to lose concentration. Lessons move at a good pace and are well structured to maintain pupils’ interest and enthusiasm.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

St Mary’s C of E Infant School 123. Pupils of all abilities make satisfactory progress and reach the standards expected by the end of the key stage. This is the same judgement as the judgement in the last inspection report. Pupils perform basic skills safely and energetically in the warm-up session. All pupils know the effect that exercise has on their bodies and know that their heart beat gets faster the more energy they put into the movement. Although teachers plan for all the required elements of the National Curriculum and swimming, only one gymnastics lesson and a brief Maypole dancing session were observed during the inspection. Pupils listen to instructions and are aware of the safety rules when getting out and working on the apparatus.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. Pupils enjoy their physical education lessons. They work well independently or with a partner or as a whole class, although they work noisily in the school hall whilst performing on the apparatus. They can move around changing speed and direction, use different types of balance and can throw with a reasonable degree of accuracy. They can remember a sequence of moves in dancing that entails changes of direction and an ability to move safely and quickly, avoiding others. They are able to evaluate each other’s sequences and give positive ideas for improvement. The level of co-operation in the Maypole dancing lesson was good. Pupils helped each other to remember whether they went over or under with the ribbons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. Teaching is satisfactory overall. However, there is no co-ordinator and there is a limited understanding and knowledge of physical education, of how to plan activities and how resources can be best used to support them. Teachers did not intervene sufficiently to extend the level of challenge, and at times accepted too low a standard of movement. Further training is planned for next term, including the use of new gymnastics equipment. The new addition of the school hall is an asset. It is narrow but sufficient in size. The new gymnastics resources are good and pupils enjoy working on them and this helps to develop their confidence and agility, for example the new wall bars.

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