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Other · Ofsted report

Radcliffe-on-Trent Infant and Nursery School

Inspected — · published 29 Nov 2001 · URN 122669

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Summary

No overall grade in this framework

Wendy Sheehan (lead), Higherland Bridge, Mike Wehrmeyer, North Yorkshire

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  • Inspectorssingle source

    Higherland Bridge, Mike Wehrmeyer, North Yorkshire, Wendy Sheehan

  • URN verified

    122669

Page 1 of 22
Page 1 of the report

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Tone of the report

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+85Very positivemore positive than 88% of reports of this type

Reads more warmly than most reports of this type.

Praisevery wellexcellentgood progressstrongvery effectivehigh qualityskilledclear
Criticismpoorweaknesseslackbelownot yetdelayedmissednot effective

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FindingsAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improveLeadership positive critical
  • Findings1288w+64
  • Leadership319w+92
  • What needs to improve3999w+88

Strengths

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Concerns

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No strong criticism found.

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Pages
22
Words of findings
5,565
longer than usual (typical 1049)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 50, typical 45
Average sentence
20 words
Next steps
8
typical 5
Hedged sentences
3%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 21%Leadership 5%What needs to improve 66%About the inspection 7%

Full report text

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19 – 21 September 2001

p.1

SCHOOL

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

p.1

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. Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Bingham Road Radcliffe-on-Trent Nottingham

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Brian Hollis

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19 May 1997 Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 4

p.3

Team members

25372 Mike Thompson Registered inspector 19374 Wendy Sheehan Lay inspector 15015 Mike Wehrmeyer Team inspector

p.4

Team members

Higherland Bridge 49 West Street Gargrave Skipton North Yorkshire BD23 3RJ

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 15

Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Radcliffe-on-Trent Infant and Nursery School is situated within the village of Radcliffe-on-Trent, close to the eastern outskirts of Nottingham. The buildings date from the 1960’s, with an adjacent nursery unit added in the 1970’s. At the time of the inspection, there were 135 pupils on roll with a further 78 children attending the nursery unit on a part time basis. Almost all of its pupils come from the village and the surrounding area. The number on roll increases during the course of each academic year because children are admitted to the main school on a full time basis at the beginning of the half term in which they become five. Shortly after their full time admission, children are assessed, using a nationally accredited ‘baseline assessment’. Results of assessments administered show that attainment on entry is above average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Almost all of the pupils are of white, UK heritage and none have English as an additional language. Seven per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals. This proportion is less than in most infant schools. Nineteen per cent are identified as having special educational needs, which is broadly in line with the national average, and one pupil has a statement of special educational needs.

p.6

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school that gives very good value for money. It is very well led and managed, the curriculum is rich and varied, and pupils are very well taught. As a result, pupils display high standards of behaviour, are enthusiastic, and achieve standards of work that are well above average by the end of Year 2.

p.6

What the school does well

• Pupils make very good progress and achieve standards in English, mathematics and science that are well above average; • Teachers are particularly skilled in providing achievable challenges for pupils. This results in pupils being very interested in their work and sustaining high levels of concentration; • Standards of behaviour and pupils’ personal development are high; • The headteacher, her senior staff and the governors provide very good leadership; • The school has been particularly successful in responding to the challenges presented by staff absences and changes in teaching personnel.

p.6

What could be improved

• The criteria used to measure the success of the school development plan. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made very good improvement since its last inspection in 1997. The key issues for improvement identified in the inspection report have all been successfully addressed as follows: • teachers’ planning and the way in which assessments are used are much better; • the development of pupils’ spiritual awareness has a much higher priority; • new schemes of work have been introduced, and their implementation is carefully monitored.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

In addition: • standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science have risen; • the curriculum is better; • the quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 has improved; • the high standards reported in pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development, and the quality of leadership and management have all been sustained. Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 7 A very clear commitment to further improvement is evident in the challenging targets set for achievement in Year 2, the way in which curriculum developments are managed and in the very good way in which additional, specific support for pupils is carefully targeted.

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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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Key

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

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Key

Overall, the attainment of children on entry to the school is above average. The school improves further on these standards and, by the end of Year 2, the proportion of pupils achieving or exceeding the expected target of Level 2 in the National Curriculum tests is well above average. Standards have been sustained at this level since Nottinghamshire schools first took part in the National Curriculum tests in 1998. Results of the test for the year 2000 show that, when compared to schools with similar intakes, standards are also well above average. Particularly noteworthy is the high proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 3 in the tests for reading, writing and mathematics and in teachers’ assessments for science. Results of the most recent tests, taken by Year 2 pupils towards the end of the previous school year, show that yet again high proportions of pupils achieved Level 2 and Level 3. However, national test data for 2001 is not yet available and so these results

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Key

cannot be compared with those of other schools. Inspection findings confirm the high standards achieved in the national tests.

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Key

Even though the inspection took place early in the school year, a high proportion of pupils in Year 2 are well on course to achieve or exceed nationally expected levels in writing. They are confident and expressive when reading and are developing a very good range of vocabulary. Year 2 pupils show good skills in computation and in working with numbers. In science, their skills in first posing questions and then finding the answers are better than those normally found in pupils of a similar age. High standards of behaviour and keen interest in lessons are significant factors contributing to the good progress made by pupils. The school is on course to achieve the demanding targets that it has set for improvements in spelling, writing and science.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy being at school. They remain involved in their activities for long periods of time, and work busily and purposefully. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils respond to the school’s very high expectations of their behaviour. There is no evidence of bullying. Personal development and relationships Relationships within the school are very good. Pupils make rapid progress in developing social skills and confidently work by themselves. Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 8 Attendance Satisfactory. Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 9

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Years 1 – 2

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

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Years 1 – 2

Of the 16 lessons or parts of lessons observed, two were of the highest quality, six were very good, six were good and two were satisfactory. There were no unsatisfactory lessons. Evidence from these observations, together with a close scrutiny of work previously completed by pupils clearly indicates that teaching is very good overall. The teaching of skills in English and mathematics is of high quality. Even though the inspection took place early in the school year, and pupils were in new classes, routines were becoming established and pupils were responding to teachers’ very high expectations of their work and behaviour. Particular strengths of teaching lie in the quality of teachers’ planning, which sets out a clear structure for what is to be taught, and in the very good preparation and use of equipment and materials. Teachers are skilled in giving clear explanations of what pupils have to do and, because class routines are good and materials are easily accessible,

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Years 1 – 2

pupils quickly set to work on their tasks.

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Years 1 – 2

In the short period of time from the start of the school year, teachers had got to know their pupils well. This is due to the high quality of liaison that takes place when pupils are transferred from one class to another, and to the teachers’ very good skills in questioning. The information collated by the teachers helps them to pitch the work at the correct level for pupils, so that it is suitably challenging. The clear structure provided by the teachers’ lesson plans also sets out the way in which the level of challenge is to be increased during the course of the lesson to further develop pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding. The result of this high quality of assessment is that pupils are keen to learn and sustain very good levels of concentration, because they are encouraged by the success that they achieve. Learning support staff also make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning.

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Years 1 – 2

They are well prepared for what they do, and provide skilled help when working with individuals identified as having special educational needs, or with small groups of pupils in lessons. The strong emphasis placed on developing pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy, teachers’ very good subject knowledge in these areas, and the excellent integration of the teaching of literacy and numeracy into other subjects are important elements in the success of this school.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good overall. The activities planned for nursery and reception children are varied and interesting, and a good balance between all areas of learning is achieved. The needs of reception children are fully met within a mixed-age class alongside Year 1 pupils. In Years 1 and 2, good progress is being made in reviewing the curriculum and in adapting national guidance. Very good links are made between subjects. All statutory requirements are fully met. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. These pupils are fully integrated into all aspects of school life. Teachers plan very well to accommodate their needs and they receive sensitive help from skilled learning support staff. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The provision for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is very good. Arrangements for promoting pupils’ spiritual awareness are

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils There are very good procedures for child protection and ensuring pupils’ welfare, including responses to any instances of bullying. Overall, the school provides a very caring environment in which its Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 10 pupils flourish.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very clear direction for the school. She is well supported by her very able deputy and by all staff. The work of the school is closely monitored to ensure high standards through effective teaching and learning. Some improvement is needed in the school development plan so that its effectiveness can be monitored more objectively. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is well organised, and this enables the governors to fulfil their responsibilities very effectively. They are very supportive, and many have close day to day contact with the work of the school. Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s priorities because they are well informed and monitor the work of the school carefully. The school’s evaluation of its performance The school is good at reflecting critically on its work and shows a

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Aspect Comment

clear commitment to continuous improvement. The strategic use of resources The school uses its staff and accommodation very well. Funding is carefully spent and good use is made of grants allocated for specific purposes, such as special educational needs.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher, senior staff and governors apply the principles of ‘best value’ well when making decisions.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school • Their children are well taught and make good progress • Behaviour in the school is good • Staff are approachable • Teachers have high expectations of what their pupils can achieve • The school is good at helping their children to develop socially • There is a close partnership between the school and parents • The school is well led and managed • The information that they receive about their children’s progress • The range of activities provided outside lessons

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors’ judgements support all of the positive views expressed.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

With regard to the areas that some parents would like to see improved: • The information provided is better than that provided in many schools. • In common with many infant schools, activities are difficult to organise at the end of the school day; therefore, the range of activities provided is broadly typical of most infant schools. At Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 11 lunchtime, staff are very busy preparing for the afternoon session in order to maintain the high quality of lessons. Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 12

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mathematics and science that are well above average

1 In the national tests for Year 2 pupils in the year 2000, the school achieved standards that were well above average in reading, writing and mathematics. This performance continued the trend of above average results that began in 1998, when Nottinghamshire schools first took part in the Year 2 tests. Closer scrutiny of the results shows that more than a half of pupils exceeded the national target of Level 2 in reading, and achieved Level 3. In writing, over a quarter of pupils achieved Level 3, and in mathematics almost half were at this higher level. In science, where results are determined by the teachers’ own assessments, the school’s performance was also well above the national average and almost a half of pupils achieved Level 3. At the time of inspection, no national comparative data was available for the tests taken by Year 2 pupils towards the end of the 2000-2001 school year. However, the proportion of pupils

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mathematics and science that are well above average

achieving or exceeding Level 2 in all areas tested was as high as in the previous year. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 3 in reading and writing was about the same as in 2000, but increased by about 20 percentage points in mathematics and science.

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mathematics and science that are well above average

2 The standards achieved in the tests and teacher assessments were confirmed by inspection evidence, which shows that pupils’ skills in all elements of English, mathematics and science are systematically developed as pupils progress through the school. Teachers make good use of pupils’ previous learning as a firm base for the teaching of new skills and very good opportunities are provided for pupils to use their skills in numeracy and literacy across all areas of the curriculum.

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mathematics and science that are well above average

3 Great emphasis is placed on the development of children’s language in the Foundation Stage 1 . Nursery staff, in particular are skilled in encouraging children to talk about what they are doing, and wholeheartedly join in children’s role-play activities to help extend children’s range of vocabulary. In reception and Years 1 and 2, teachers do not shy away from using the appropriate technical terminology in all subjects, and pupils respond very well. For example, pupils in a Year 2 religious education and art lesson were confidently using terminology such as Rupa when referring to the different forms of the Buddha, and Mudra when focusing on the Buddha’s posture and hand position.

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mathematics and science that are well above average

4 Reading skills are carefully developed throughout the school, so that by the time pupils are in Year 2, they use a good range of strategies to decipher unfamiliar

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mathematics and science that are well above average

1 The Foundation Stage begins when children reach the age of three. Education in this stage may be part-time or full-time. At Radcliffe School, children in the nursery and the reception year are in the Foundation Stage. Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 13 words. For example, in a mixed-age class of reception children and Year 1, pupils very effectively used their skills in rhyming to help them to read the text of Each Peach Pear Plum , when sharing a ‘big book’ version of the story along with their teacher. Older pupils in Year 2 use their knowledge of initial letter sounds and the sounds made by combinations of letters such as ch or sh , and also know how to break words down into smaller pieces, when attempting to read new text. An enjoyment of stories is encouraged, and very good use is made of children’s literature in many subjects.

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mathematics and science that are well above average

5 Children in the Foundation Stage are encouraged to think of themselves as writers through good use of ‘emergent writing’ techniques in which they communicate their thoughts and ideas by using marks on paper. For instance, children in the nursery were observed busily writing and addressing postcards to friends or relatives. By observing their attempts and having them share their work with her, the teacher was able to assess their understanding of simple writing conventions, such as the spacing between words, and their knowledge of initial letter sounds. In Years 1 and 2, pupils frequently practise handwriting skills, so that by the end of Year 2 they produce writing which is generally well- formed and of consistent size. Teachers are very good at developing a wide range of pupils’ writing for different purposes and in different forms through all areas of the curriculum. For example, work produced by pupils from Year 2

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mathematics and science that are well above average

during the previous school year contained poetry as part of science work about leaves and trees, lists of the features of different places as part of geography studies and letter writing in history lessons. School visits, such as a trip to Newstead Abbey, inspire pupils to write lengthy, detailed narrative of their experiences. Written work produced by many pupils at the end of Year 2 is of a standard more usually expected of pupils in the middle of Year 3.

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mathematics and science that are well above average

6 Skills in numeracy are very well developed throughout the school and, as with literacy, the teaching of these skills is very well integrated into other activities. For instance, having made ‘sausages’ from modelling material, children in the nursery then attempted to simply measure them, while Year 1 pupils quickly worked out how many were present in class when the register was taken. A very strong emphasis is placed on young children learning through their enjoyment of practical activities, such as when reception children became ‘measuring detectives’ and needed to put on their ‘cube measuring hats’. The important skill of estimation, which underpins all work in mathematics, is also carefully developed. For example, pupils in Year 2 first estimated and then measured the length of various parts of the school. They clearly learned from the inaccuracy of some of their guesses and applied this learning well when giving, for instance,

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mathematics and science that are well above average

estimates of their own height. The result of the very good curriculum in mathematics and the inventiveness shown by teachers in making tasks interesting and exciting is that, by the time pupils leave the school at the end of Year 2, their attainment is at a level usually seen in Year 3.

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mathematics and science that are well above average

7 Teachers promote pupils’ skills of scientific enquiry very well. A strong emphasis is placed on the use of correct scientific vocabulary and scientific method, and work in science is very well integrated into other areas of learning. For example, a design and technology task, which was the focus of a literacy lesson, also Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 14 involved pupils in applying their knowledge of how to construct simple electrical circuits to light bulbs on models which they were planning. Teachers in all classes are very good at encouraging pupils to find out why they think things might happen, so that by the end of Year 2 pupils are able to make simple hypotheses and then test out their ideas. Very good skills in numeracy and literacy contribute strongly to the very good progress made in science.

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mathematics and science that are well above average

8 Good use of information and communication technology helps pupils to further develop their skills in English, mathematics and science. Throughout the school there is very good evidence of pupils’ competence in word-processing and presenting data in a variety of ways, such as the results of a traffic survey. The careful use of cassette tape players helps to improve pupils’ skills in reading as well as adding to their enjoyment of books as they listen to stories while following the text on the page. Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 15 Teachers are particularly skilled in providing achievable challenges for pupils.

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levels of concentration

9 The school has made very good progress in making use of assessment information, which was one of the areas for improvement highlighted in its previous inspection report. It has developed very effective procedures for regularly assessing pupils, for example in its assessment weeks, and teachers carefully evaluate the outcomes of these assessments when future work is planned. In addition, teachers are very skilled in using information from their day to day observations and questioning of pupils. Teachers’ very good understanding of the way in which pupils learn, together with their skills in assessment, enable them to find the right starting point for each of their pupils. Teachers evidently keep one another very well informed. Even though the inspection took place early in the school year, the teachers already knew their pupils well. Consequently they were able to base what they intended pupils to

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levels of concentration

learn on what they already knew that the pupils understood, and showed particularly skill in adjusting the level of challenge as each lesson developed. Teachers are also very good at exciting and interesting their pupils, and use a wide range of strategies to sustain a crisp pace throughout their lessons and to keep all pupils actively involved. For instance, the appearance of ‘Rebecca Rabbit’ the puppet, together with carefully targeted questions, ensured that all pupils in a Year 2 literacy lesson were concentrating and enjoying their work. Learning support assistants are also very well deployed, and were observed making notes about the response of pupils during times when the teacher was working with the whole class. These notes provided useful records for the teacher to use. Especially good practice in questioning, observation and the provision of achievable challenges for pupils was observed in the Year 2 classes

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levels of concentration

and in the nursery. As a result, pupils in these classes are particularly well motivated, work very hard and sustain high levels of concentration in lessons. The very good attitudes of pupils resulting from teachers’ skills in motivating them make a significant contribution to the quality of learning throughout the school.

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levels of concentration

Standards of behaviour and pupils’ personal development are high.

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levels of concentration

10 The school’s very effective arrangements for promoting pupils’ moral and social development result in high standards of behaviour and very good relationships between pupils, a situation similar to that reported at the time of the previous inspection. The school council, established about five years ago, meets regularly. It is made up of representatives from reception, Year 1 and Year 2, and is a very good way of developing a sense of community, giving pupils responsibility, and allowing them to become involved in activities such as the formulation of rules. Teachers are very good at valuing what pupils do well, and when praise is given for positive aspects of individual pupils’ conduct, such as sitting quietly when they come into lessons from playtime, it in turn results in others copying their good behaviour. This particular feature of the way in which Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 16

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levels of concentration

good behaviour is encouraged is greatly appreciated by parents. The school is also particularly good at promoting tolerance and valuing everyone equally. Pupils with special educational needs are, therefore, fully integrated into all activities and their classmates show high levels of patience and understanding of their needs. One of a group of pupils interviewed about their perceptions of the school not only knew clearly what to do if any disagreements occurred during playtime, but also knew that the pupils themselves had a responsibility to try to resolve any conflicts before turning to adults for help. The good emphasis placed on the spiritual development of pupils also contributes strongly to the quality of behaviour and relationships. For instance, regular opportunities are provided for pupils to reflect on their own and others’ contributions to the school community during group discussions in ‘circle time’ and in weekly assemblies to

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The headteacher, her senior staff and the governors provide very good

11 The school is very well led and managed by the headteacher, who is very ably supported by her deputy, senior staff and governors. She regularly monitors the quality of teaching and learning in the classrooms, knows her pupils and staff well and has a very clear view of the future development of the school. Teachers are committed to improving pupils’ attainment and are good at critically analysing the effects of their teaching. There are very good relationships within the school and a strong sense of teamwork among all staff. The work of the staff is clearly guided by shared values. The deputy headteacher provides an inspirational and professional role model for staff and has herself made a significant contribution to the school’s success. The very strong partnership between head and deputy is a particularly noteworthy feature of this school and is one of the reasons why the school has continued to achieve highly during a period of considerable

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The headteacher, her senior staff and the governors provide very good

12 A very strong focus has been placed on raising standards of literacy and numeracy, reflecting national initiatives in these areas. The success of the school’s efforts is seen in the high standards achieved in the national tests for Year 2 pupils. A very clear commitment to further improvement is evident in the challenging ‘aspirational targets’ set for achievement in Year 2, the way in which curriculum developments are managed and in the very good way in which additional, specific support for pupils is carefully targeted.

p.16

The headteacher, her senior staff and the governors provide very good

13 The governing body is very well organised, and its committees enable it to provide effective support for the school. Governors are strongly committed to the school; many have very regular contact and all are kept very well informed about its work. Discussions with representatives of the governors showed that they have an excellent understanding of its strengths and of its priorities for future development. Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 17

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The school has been particularly successful in responding to the challenges

presented by staff absences and changes in teaching personnel.

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The school has been particularly successful in responding to the challenges

14 During the previous two years, for reasons beyond the school’s control, there has been a relatively high turnover of teaching staff and a number of long term absences. For example, at the end of the 2000-2001 school year, four out of the seven teachers based in the main school building were employed on temporary contracts. One of the consequences of this movement of teachers has been that some initiatives, such as staff training in information and communication technology, have been delayed. Another consequence has been that the school’s investment in developing some aspects of its work has not been as effective as intended. This is because not all of the teachers who took part in the initiatives are still working at the school. At one point, the school’s difficulty in finding high quality teachers to replace absent staff became critical. However, throughout this period, work in improving such areas as the curriculum and the

p.17

The school has been particularly successful in responding to the challenges

assessment of pupils, proceeded at a good pace. The pupils have continued to be well taught and to make good progress, and high academic standards have been sustained. To a large extent, this has occurred because of the commitment and professionalism of the senior staff, who have been willing to take on additional responsibilities at short notice. They have worked very well as a team to ensure that new teachers are quickly familiarised with routines and expectations and that planning sets out a clear framework for the development of pupils’ learning. The very good teaching staff appointments made by the headteacher and governors have also been crucial in enabling the school to continue to improve.

p.17

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The criteria used to measure the success of the school development plan.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

15 The school development plan provides clear detail about the way in which the school intends to improve further during the period 2001 to 2004. There are separate sections for each of the National Curriculum subject areas and for the Foundation Stage and, in addition, further sections covering other identified priorities such as special educational needs. The plan is easy to follow, and within each section there are details of the tasks to be carried out, the different personnel responsible for implementation and monitoring, the time planned for the tasks and an estimate of the likely cost. The heading for each part of the plan contains a brief statement of how success in completing the tasks is to be measured. However, these success criteria statements are, in many cases, far too broad. For example, the success criteria set out for one of the pages of the plan for the Early Years (Foundation Stage) is simply that the tasks on the page

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

will be completed. These tasks are: • To compile a student handbook • To improve resources by developing the outdoor play area • To monitor, review and intervene in the gender mix of activities in the nursery • To observe infant classes. Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 18 Without, for example, some information about the purpose of a student handbook and its likely contents and format, it is difficult to see how well progress in addressing the task can be monitored and success in completing the task can be measured. Sometimes the success criteria within the heading are more precise and measurable, such as the English target of 70 per cent of pupils achieving or exceeding the National Curriculum Level 2B in writing and spelling. However, the tasks planned to help achieve this aim include such targets as: ‘develop writing check lists’ without any indication of what these lists should contain or

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

how they are to be used. Lack of such detail means that objective monitoring cannot be carried out in these instances.

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Review the school development plan to ensure that the intended outcomes are set out in more detail, so that those responsible for monitoring progress in achieving the tasks are able to do this more easily and so that success in completing the tasks can be measured more objectively. Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 19

p.18

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 12 38 38 12 0 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 about six percentage points.

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 39 135

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 9 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y2

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3 25

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 5

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Attendance

National comparative data 4.1 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 20

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 36 34 70

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 33 32 35 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 34 34 34

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

Percentage of pupils School 96 (96) 94 (94) 99 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 32 34 32 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 34 34 34

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

Percentage of pupils School 94 (96) 97 (97) 94 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 21

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 1 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 3 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.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6 Financial year 2000-2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 457,264

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 443,179

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 120 Expenditure per pupil 2,216

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 25,179

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 39,264

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 39

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 72

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 13 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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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. Radcliffe on Trent Infant & Nursery School - 22

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 52 46 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 52 40 4 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 40 50 4 0 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 52 28 16 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 68 26 2 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 47 47 2 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 46 40 2 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 53 35 2 0 10

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 56 40 0 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 19 19 15 17

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Percentage of responses in each category

24 per cent of questionnaires were returned. 20 parents attended a pre-inspection meeting with the Registered Inspector. The views expressed at this meeting were overwhelmingly supportive of the school.

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