Carr Green Primary School

NURSERY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mrs Barbara Doughty

p.1

NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 3 rd – 4 th December 2001

p.1

NURSERY SCHOOL

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

p.1

NURSERY SCHOOL

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

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Carr Green Lane Rastrick Brighouse West Yorkshire

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Wendy Fitzgerald

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 2 nd June 1997 Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 4

p.3

Team members

22261 Mrs Barbara E Doughty Registered inspector 9952 Mrs Lillian Brock Lay inspector 22059 Mr Neil Wales Team inspector 18505 Mr David Matthews Team inspector

p.4

Team members

Schoolhaus Ltd Suite 17 BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Walesby Nottinghamshire NG22 9HQ

p.4

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:

p.4

Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

p.4

Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 5

p.4

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

p.5

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 17

Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 6

p.6

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a large primary school for boys and girls aged three to eleven. There are 357 pupils on roll, 160 boys and 148 girls including 49 children part-time in the Nursery. Children start Nursery at the beginning of the school year in which they reach four years of age. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is just below nine per cent, which is lower than the national average. Nearly all of the pupils are from white, English speaking families. All pupils speak English fluently and less than one per cent have English as an additional language. There is a below average percentage of pupils with special needs, 13 per cent, but a high number with statements of special need, nearly four per cent. Currently, children’s attainment on entry is typical of that found nationally and their socio-economic backgrounds are broadly average. However, the overall profile of children on entry has changed over time. Each year, there is an increasing number of summer-born children,

p.6

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

those eligible for free school meals, and a wider range of attainment represented in each year group.

p.6

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This school gives a good education to its pupils. By the time they leave the school, pupils achieve high standards in English and science, and very high standards in mathematics. They do well over time and better than those in most other schools, mainly because of good teaching in the infants and juniors and, especially, the implementation of booster classes in Years 3 to 6 and setting in mathematics in Years 5 and 6. Leadership and management effectively help to promote high standards by identifying those pupils who need additional support outside lessons, and giving it to them. The school gives good value for money.

p.6

What the school does well

• By the time they leave the school, most pupils have done well and achieve high standards in English and science and very high standards in mathematics. This is because teaching is good, particularly in the juniors, where the work is adapted to meet the needs of different attaining pupils, sometimes in lessons, but mainly in booster classes and attainment sets in mathematics. • Brighter pupils do exceptionally well by the end of the infants and juniors and the school gets many more pupils to the higher level than most other schools nationally, including those with similar characteristics. • Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are rising rapidly because of excellent facilities, good teaching throughout the school, and additional ‘catch-up’ sessions for those who struggle in the class lessons. • Pupils’ attitudes to school are very good and pupils get on extremely well with their schoolmates and

p.6

What the school does well

adults. This is because staff create a caring atmosphere; they have excellent relationships with pupils and one another, and celebrate the uniqueness of each child through quality displays which value pupils’ achievements.

p.6

What could be improved

• Children in the Nursery and Reception classes often make slower progress than they should because of some weaknesses in teachers’ planning to meet the needs of different abilities. • The lower attaining pupils in Years 1 and 2 do not make as good progress as the brighter ones because the work is not always planned to meet their needs. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

p.6

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

This school has made good improvement since its last inspection in 1997. Attainment in ICT has improved in both the infants and juniors. Standards in English, mathematics and science have risen from average to well above by the time the pupils leave the school. The rate of improvement has been greater than the national trend because junior teachers have good regard to pupils’ previous learning when setting work for those of different abilities and there are better systems in place to identify and deal with those pupils who need extra help with their work. Brighter pupils do much better than they used to by the end of the infants and juniors because teachers’ expectations are high and work is very challenging. However, information from the school shows that there is an increasing number of children coming into Nursery and Reception with below expected attainment. This is reflected in the infant test results, which have fallen closer to the national picture from well above

p.6

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

average in 1996, as the range of attainment on entry widens and includes more lower ability children, whose needs are not always met well enough in the infants. Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 7

p.6

STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

p.7

Key

English A A* A A well above average above average A B Mathematics A A A* A* average below average C D Science A A A A well below average E

p.7

Key

Standards are broadly as expected by the end of Reception, above average by the end of the infants, and well above average by the time the pupils leave the school at the age of eleven. Children make sound progress in Nursery and Reception and standards are broadly as expected by the time pupils start Year 1, with most attaining the early learning goals in communication, language and literacy, and mathematics. However, in both of these areas of learning, children of all abilities could do better if the work was more closely matched to their needs. Last year, standards at the end of the infants were above average in writing and mathematics because an exceptionally high number attained the higher level. Whilst the school does a very good job getting the brighter pupils to the higher level, the lower attaining pupils make slower progress than they could because the work is not always suitably adapted to meet their needs. It intends to deal with this by targeting infant pupils for

p.7

Key

additional support outside of lessons. This has proved very successful in the juniors, where some pupils in Years 3 to 6 attend booster classes. High standards have been maintained at the end of the juniors for the past three years and the school usually exceeds its targets; the rate of improvement over time has been more rapid than that found nationally. In 2000 nearly all of the Year 6 pupils and in 2001 a high percentage of them, did better than expected between Years 2 and 6 and much better than pupils in most other schools. Over the past two years the school’s performance in mathematics was in the highest five per cent nationally. By the time they leave the school, pupils have a good awareness of number patterns and rules and work competently with four- digit numbers to three decimal places. Their handwriting is fluent and legible. They use well-chosen, adventurous words to make their writing lively, varied, and interesting. Most pupils are confident and fluent

p.7

Key

readers, with preferences for particular types of novels and different authors. Although standards in ICT are broadly in line with the nationally expected levels, they are rising because of good teaching and ‘catch-up’ sessions outside lessons. Pupils have a good understanding of control technology in particular and their keyboard skills are developing well.

p.7

Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy their work and concentrate well in lessons. They listen to adults and classmates and willingly answer questions and respond to comments.

p.7

Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils of all ages show respect for others. They are good-natured and behave very well. They are polite to visitors and courteous to others.

p.7

Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent. Pupils are very proud of themselves and their school. They work together extremely well and take responsibility for jobs around the school enthusiastically. They understand the impact their behaviour has on others and, because of this, avoid upsetting schoolmates.

p.7

Aspect Comment

Attendance Pupils are enthusiastic to come to school and this is reflected in the very good attendance rates. Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 8 Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 9

p.7

Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Satisfactory Good 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.

p.9

Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teaching and learning are good overall. Teaching is stronger in the juniors and, as a result, pupils of all abilities, including the lower attaining, usually do well in lessons. Throughout the school, high expectations mean that the work challenges many pupils to attain high standards, reflected in the above average number of infant and junior pupils attaining above the expected level in English, mathematics and science by the ages of seven and eleven. The teaching of ICT is good and standards are rising because of this. In all subjects, teachers throughout the school manage pupils well. They have excellent relationships with their pupils and value the contributions pupils make to discussions. Effective questions often challenge the brighter pupils in particular to think harder, and support staff successfully help those pupils with statements of special needs to do the work. Homework is used effectively to support work in lessons. Lessons are prepared well and teaching promotes

p.9

Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

subject vocabulary successfully. English and mathematics are taught well, but more effectively in the juniors than in the infants because the teaching more closely meets the needs of all pupils. In most lessons, and consistently in booster classes and attainment sets for mathematics, suitably adapted work for different attaining pupils ensures all of them are challenged. Teaching and learning are good in the infants where the brighter pupils do exceptionally well. However, not enough is done in some lessons to meet the needs of the few lower attaining pupils in the classes, who are too often asked to do the same work as the brighter ones. Teachers accept that these pupils will not always get as many correct answers as their brighter classmates or manage to complete the worksheets, but this does little to promote better standards. The teaching and learning in Nursery and Reception are satisfactory overall, but there are some weaknesses in planning, assessment and

p.9

Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

the use of what teachers know children can already do, to set suitably challenging work for those of different abilities. For example, some children are asked to trace over letters, words and sentences before they can draw recognisable pictures. Teaching does not focus on which movements or letter formation patterns particular children need to practise. In mathematics, brighter children often repeat work because not enough notice is taken of what they can already do and consequently, progress is slower than it should be.

p.9

Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good in the juniors, where there is a good range of after-school and lunchtime clubs. Satisfactory from Nursery to Year 2, where there are sometimes weaknesses in planning to meet the needs of some of the pupils. Involvement with charity work, and visits to places of educational value for all pupils, and visitors to school, enrich the curriculum further. Pupils are given good opportunities to develop their ICT skills because of excellent facilities and good teaching.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good provision is made for those pupils with statements of special need and satisfactory support is given to the few pupils on the earlier stages of the special needs register.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language All pupils speak fluent English in school and their rate of learning is no different to that of their classmates.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development This is very good. Teachers have high expectations about how pupils should behave and pupils respond extremely well. Older pupils are given opportunities to take responsibility for younger ones and pupils are encouraged to work together in class. Teachers set good examples in their relationships with one another for pupils to copy.

p.9

Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils This is a very caring school, reflected in staff’s treatment of pupils and the respect they show for them. Consequently, pupils feel valued and secure. The Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 10 school works well with parents.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff This is good. Senior managers are very supportive of colleagues and have a secure idea of how well pupils do through tracking their progress in the juniors; similar procedures have started in the infants. They ensure that those pupils needing additional support receive it in booster classes and ‘catch-up’ sessions. The leadership and management of ICT are good; there is a clear plan for improvement.

p.10

Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors know what is happening in school through their discussions with the head teacher and staff and visits to classrooms. They know where improvements need to be made and support the head teacher in bringing these about.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory overall. The school identifies relevant areas for development and has brought about good improvement to standards in the juniors. The senior managers work hard to raise morale through praising what works. They know that more effective planning and assessment is needed in Nursery and Reception and that something needs to be done to meet the needs more effectively of the lower attaining infant pupils in the infants. Following observations of teaching, the feedback given to teachers does not give guidance on what needs to improve.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Funding and resources are used satisfactorily. However, whilst the school applies the best principle of value through effective tendering procedures and comparing costs and results with other schools, it does not ensure that suitable improvement is made to teaching before putting in additional support and extra teaching.

p.10

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • The good progress their children make and the way they behave in and out of school. • The quality of teaching and that the school expects children to work hard and achieve their best. • The way they feel comfortable talking with staff and that the school is helping their children to become mature and responsible. • The way in which the school is led and managed and the improvements that have occurred since the last inspection. There are very few concerns. A very few parents: • are unhappy about the amount of homework; • do not think that the school keeps them informed well enough about how their children are doing; • do not feel that the school works closely enough with them.

p.10

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents are very happy with the work of this school and believe their children do well here. Inspectors agree with their positive comments. Homework supports learning in school well. Parents are kept appropriately informed about how well their children are doing through written reports and meetings; this is similar to what happens in most other schools. The school provides adequate information for parents about what is happening in school. Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 11

p.10

attaining pupils, sometimes in lessons, but mainly in booster classes and attainment sets in

1. Standards in the juniors have risen rapidly since 1998, when they were below average, and at a much greater rate than nationally. This is partly because teachers take pupils’ previous learning into account to set different work for different attaining groups; consequently, they meet the needs of all pupils well. For example, in a Year 6 science lesson, involving pupils grouping living things according to what they could see, because the teaching involved questioning at an appropriate level for different ability pupils, most were able to progress at their own level. In addition to this, teaching Year 5 and 6 pupils in attainment sets in mathematics ensures that pupils are given work relevant to their learning needs. Teachers also have regard to the variety of ability represented in each of the two sets and adapt the work more carefully so that the brighter ones in the less able set are not held back by doing the

p.11

attaining pupils, sometimes in lessons, but mainly in booster classes and attainment sets in

same work as their lower ability classmates. In one lesson, for example, pupils were measuring angles in equilateral, isosceles and scalene triangles. The lower attaining were well supported by a learning support assistant, and so they improved their ability to use protractors accurately. The brightest pupils, having completed their work, went on to more a difficult task, whilst the teacher, realising that the ‘middle’ group were struggling with identifying different types of angles in triangles, went over this with them to secure their understanding.

p.11

attaining pupils, sometimes in lessons, but mainly in booster classes and attainment sets in

2. In addition to the junior teachers taking good notice of what pupils already know, understand and can do, the school provides good support for those pupils in Years 3 to 6 who are not doing as well as they could as they move through the school. Effective analyses of how well pupils do from the Years 2, 3, 4, and 5 tests identify those pupils who would benefit from additional support in English and mathematics in order to attain higher levels than those predicted. These pupils are taken out of class lessons to be taught by the head teacher and special needs co-ordinator in ‘booster’ and ‘catch-up’ sessions, benefiting greatly from the individual and small group work they get at these times. This also means that, in turn, back in the classroom, class teachers can give more attention to the remaining pupils, and enhance the quality of their learning. As a result, in the 2000 national tests for eleven year olds, all pupils

p.11

attaining pupils, sometimes in lessons, but mainly in booster classes and attainment sets in

reached at least the expected level from their attainment at the end of Year 2, and just over 30 per cent of them did better than could reasonably be expected in English, mathematics and science. In 2001, again, a high percentage did better than expected.

p.11

attaining pupils, sometimes in lessons, but mainly in booster classes and attainment sets in

3. By the time they leave the school, most pupils achieve particularly high standards in mathematics and do much better than those in most other schools. For example, the greatest majority of Year 6 pupils can already change fractions to decimals or percentages correctly They talk confidently about what they are doing and explain accurately and precisely how they have done their calculations, using correct mathematical terms. They show good understanding of the process when, for instance, carrying out a long division sum by showing how they have worked it out bit by bit. They understand decimals and work confidently adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing four-digit numbers to three decimal places. They measure and draw angles and identify all lines of symmetry of two-dimensional shapes. They understand the scale of probability, and can convert grams into kilograms, knowing, for example, that 1960 grams is the same as 1.960 kilograms. By the time they leave the school,

p.11

attaining pupils, sometimes in lessons, but mainly in booster classes and attainment sets in

pupils have a good awareness of number and many more attain above the expected level than in most other schools. Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 12 4. Pupils do well in English. By the end of Year 6, their handwriting is fluent and legible. Well- chosen, adventurous words are used to make writing lively, varied, and interesting and to convey meaning well. For example, when writing play scripts in a Years 5/6 literacy lesson, pupils used dictionaries to check their spellings and thesauruses to find alternative words. They showed good awareness of speaker, stage directions, and direct speech when writing for example, “With false sensitivity”, and “With panic in his voice”. This is because teachers explore words that they and the pupils come across in shared texts. For example, when looking at an extract from Anne Frank’s diary, the teacher talked about the meaning of the word ‘annexe’ and how and why it was used. He then went on to compare the style of an

p.11

attaining pupils, sometimes in lessons, but mainly in booster classes and attainment sets in

autobiography with a biography, extending pupils’ understanding of writing in the first and third person. Teachers draw pupils’ attention to the layout of different texts and because of this, pupils set out their own work according to the audience for which it is intended. They use, for example, paragraphs and sub-headings effectively in order to gain maximum impact, and columns in newspaper articles to make reading lengthy reports on large sheets of paper easier. Most pupils read well, explaining the characters and setting of the books; they are confident and fluent readers who have preferences for particular types of novels and different authors. They use the library confidently, locating books quickly and easily using the classification system. The pupils use the content pages, indices and glossaries very well to find the appropriate sections and, by skimming and scanning the text, they extract relevant

p.12

gets many more pupils to the higher level than most other schools nationally, including

5. There is a culture of high expectation in this school. Staff have worked hard to increase the number of pupils attaining the higher level by the end of both the infants and juniors. For example, last year:

p.12

gets many more pupils to the higher level than most other schools nationally, including

• in English, over 40 per cent attained the higher level in both Year 2 and Year 6; • in mathematics 45 per cent of the Year 2 pupils and 55 per cent of the Year 6 pupils reached the higher level; • in science, over 50 per cent attained the higher level by the end of Year 2 and nearly 60 per cent attained it by the end of Year 6.

p.12

gets many more pupils to the higher level than most other schools nationally, including

6. Teachers aim high, and most pupils respond well to their demands; work is often taken from the higher levels and this meets the needs of most pupils well.

p.12

gets many more pupils to the higher level than most other schools nationally, including

7. Teachers encourage pupils to work hard and try their best. They ask challenging questions that make pupils think hard and they wait patiently for the answer. For example in Reception, when reading the story of the ‘The three little pigs’, the teacher asked, “Could he blow the house down?” The unanimous reply was a very firm “No!” She followed this quickly with, “Why not?” When no answer was forthcoming, she patiently asked, “Was it strong … or was it too weak?” In Nursery, the nursery nurse asked children to find things of a similar colour, challenging them with, “Is this is same colour?” and in the sand play, the teacher asked, “What does this (toy concrete mixer) do?”

p.12

gets many more pupils to the higher level than most other schools nationally, including

8. Teachers in all years encourage pupils to use correct subject words to explain clearly and accurately what they are doing and why. For example, teaching encouraged the use of words such as ‘invertebrates’ in a Year 6 science lesson, and Year 5 pupils were expected to talk about ‘the process’ of how to program the computer to build a bridge. In a Year 2 mathematics lesson, the teacher used correct terms, such as ‘pattern’, to develop pupils’ understanding of joining vertices to create shapes. Consequently, pupils are confident speakers, who talk about their work and accurately explain what they are doing. Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 13

p.12

throughout the school, and additional ‘catch-up’ sessions for those who struggle in the

9. Although broadly in line with the nationally expected levels, standards in ICT are rising rapidly. They have improved significantly since 1999, when just 23 per cent of Year 6 pupils were assessed by their teachers as having attained the expected level by the time they left the school. This year, 80 per cent are likely to reach the expected level, and many are already working on aspects of the higher level. This is because of greatly improved facilities and better teaching.

p.13

throughout the school, and additional ‘catch-up’ sessions for those who struggle in the

10. The computer suite is an excellent resource, particularly the interactive screen, which pupils and teachers use well. It has already had a significantly positive impact on improving pupils’ attitudes to the subject. Pupils are eager to work on the new equipment and they show this by sustaining excellent concentration for long periods of time. For example, Years 5 and 6 pupils worked for over an hour writing programs to build a bridge and manoeuvre a canoe up a river, and using sensor equipment to find out what pipes contained before risking jumping into them in a simulation program. Although they have not yet used electronic mail, pupils search the Internet to find out about, for example, their history topics. They access and download information safely, protected by the school’s Internet security installation.

p.13

throughout the school, and additional ‘catch-up’ sessions for those who struggle in the

11. Year 6 pupils talk enthusiastically about their work in ICT, particularly in the computer suite, but also using the classroom computers. They know that it is important to be able to type quickly so that they can get information down on paper before they forget it. They use the ‘spell check’ facility to edit their work and scanners to copy pictures and writing to the screen. Although they have not yet used them, they have watched the teachers use the digital and video cameras and they understand how useful these can be. They present information on spreadsheets, showing, for example the income, expenditure, profit and income of Cornish pasty sales. They produce bar graphs of the hair colour, weight, and height of pupils in the class and have some understanding of the use of technology in the wider world, such as security cameras to help prevent crime, speed cameras to reduce traffic accidents, and bar codes to make shopping

p.13

throughout the school, and additional ‘catch-up’ sessions for those who struggle in the

12. Those pupils who struggle with the work in lessons attend ‘catch-up’ sessions with the ICT technician to practise their skills further. This is having a good impact on standards and pupils see it as useful in catching up with their classmates, so that they can start the next lesson on an equal footing.

p.13

throughout the school, and additional ‘catch-up’ sessions for those who struggle in the

13. Teaching is better than it was, partly because of improved teacher knowledge and understanding and partly because an ICT technician supports teaching and learning in all lessons in the computer suite. This means that more pupils get support and help using the computers and if teachers do not know what to do when programs go wrong or pupils are unsure about how to use them, then the technician helps them. The interactive computer screen is used well, for example, to show pupils how to access programs, save their work to disk and close programs. Computers are used to support work in other subjects, for example, in a Year 2 mathematics lesson when the teacher used the interactive board to demonstrate how to split a whole into four sections, and in art to produce Christmas cards.

p.13

throughout the school, and additional ‘catch-up’ sessions for those who struggle in the

14. Control technology is taught particularly well. For example, Year 6 pupils explored a model of a fairground ride that the class teacher had made, to see how it worked. They then used their newly acquired knowledge to program the same model to do a different series of movements in a one-minute ride. Prompts to get pupils to find out for themselves such as “Press the buttons and see what they do”, aroused their curiosity and made them think. Very focused questions encouraged the pupils to work out how the program worked, such as “Anything happened? … What? … Why did that happen?” Once the pupils had got the carts of the Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 14 model to tip whilst rotating, the teacher said, “Now, use that information to see if you can get it to go back up”.

p.13

throughout the school, and additional ‘catch-up’ sessions for those who struggle in the

15. The subject leader has led voluntary staff training sessions, that many staff have chosen to attend, and these have led to more confident and competent teaching of ICT. There is a very clear plan of action to develop the subject further and bring about more improvement through, for example, greater teacher knowledge and command of ICT processes and a wider range of software to support work in lessons and across all subjects. The subject co-ordinator, who is responsible for all the developments so far, knows what to do to raise standards further and, most importantly, has a clear idea of how to do it.

p.14

excellent relationships with pupils and one another, and celebrate the uniqueness of each

child through quality displays which value pupils’ achievements.

p.14

excellent relationships with pupils and one another, and celebrate the uniqueness of each

16. This school has a welcoming atmosphere. Staff know the pupils well and take a personal interest in each one. The head teacher in particular extends a warm welcome to visitors and develops excellent relationships with staff, which leads to high morale. She uses praise to encourage hard work, listens to suggestions and concerns, and responds sensitively to what people have to say.

p.14

excellent relationships with pupils and one another, and celebrate the uniqueness of each

17. Because of this warm encouragement, the excellent relationships they enjoy with teachers and support staff, and the wide range of varied activities and experiences, pupils are eager to come to school. This is reflected further in the very good attendance rates and take-up of after-school clubs. Pupils concentrate very well in lessons. They work hard and help each other, for example, on computers and in mathematics groups. Older pupils support younger ones through the ‘play partner’ scheme and by listening to them read.

p.14

excellent relationships with pupils and one another, and celebrate the uniqueness of each

18. Pupils are given many opportunities to take responsibility, through the newly formed school council, for example, and as house captains. Four Year 6 boys run a chess club after school one night and others help the smooth running of daily routines by taking registers to the school office and tidying away resources at the end of lessons.

p.14

excellent relationships with pupils and one another, and celebrate the uniqueness of each

19. Pupils of all ages are extremely polite and courteous; they talked to inspectors enthusiastically about their past and present work, and share their thoughts confidently with their class and schoolmates.

p.14

excellent relationships with pupils and one another, and celebrate the uniqueness of each

20. Pupils’ achievements are celebrated well through high quality displays, which add to the attractiveness of the working environment. This instils a sense of pride and makes pupils want to work harder to achieve even better standards. The artwork, in particular, is of high quality and is displayed at its best because care is taken to mount it effectively and lighting is used well to show it off.

p.14

excellent relationships with pupils and one another, and celebrate the uniqueness of each

21. There is an atmosphere of calm and reverence created in assemblies through the lighting of candles, often to a hushed gasp. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on how they behave and, more importantly, what they want from life. A ‘wish tree’ in the school entrance hall contains statements such as “Today I am going to make a new friend”. This helps to make the school community strong. Pupils are expected to behave well and they rise to this. Their play is good natured and they behave very well in lessons and around the school. Any bad behaviour is effectively dealt with and then forgotten. Teachers get on well together and their relationships with each other provide a good model on which pupils can base their own relationships with others. Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 15

p.14

should because of some weaknesses in teachers’ planning to meet the needs of different

22. The idea of the Foundation Stage (the stage of learning for children aged three years up until they join Year 1 and begin the National Curriculum), is not yet embedded in the work of the school. Teachers in the Nursery and Reception classes do not work closely enough together. Nursery and Reception curriculum plans are written without sufficient regard to how children’s learning will be built over the two years. The teaching in both the Nursery and Reception makes insufficient use of the early stages of learning from the Foundation Stage curriculum document to measure children’s progress towards the early learning goals. This makes it difficult for teachers to plan what children need to be taught next and the experiences they need to develop their learning further. Although Nursery records of children’s achievements are passed to the Reception teachers, Reception teachers spend valuable time reassessing

p.15

should because of some weaknesses in teachers’ planning to meet the needs of different

children, but then take insufficient notice of what they have found out.

p.15

should because of some weaknesses in teachers’ planning to meet the needs of different

23. Nursery lesson plans describe the weekly activities, but do not make it clear what children are to learn from doing them. For example, it is difficult to see from ‘Number line to 10, selection of number activities, materials available for number formation and recording’, precisely which stage children are at in their learning and how their mathematical understanding is to be extended further. This means that whilst adults intervene in children’s play by asking questions and talking about things, their interventions lack specific purpose, and children’s learning becomes too incidental.

p.15

should because of some weaknesses in teachers’ planning to meet the needs of different

24. In Reception, pupils of all abilities usually rotate round the same activities over a few days or a week, with insufficient regard given to what they can already do. The work is too difficult for some children and too easy for others and, because of this, learning is not as good as it should be. For example, some children are expected to copy over teacher’s writing before they can draw recognisable pictures. There are insufficient opportunities or guidance for individual children to practise particular movements or to work on particular letters that they find difficult to form. All of the children work on the same number, from one to 10, each week, even though the Nursery records and the Reception teachers’ September assessments show that some of them already have a good grasp of counting and writing numbers up to 20. Consequently, some of them are doing work that does not build on what they already know and their progress

p.15

should because of some weaknesses in teachers’ planning to meet the needs of different

25. These teachers have feedback on their teaching and planning, like their colleagues in the infants and juniors. However, here and throughout the school, this tends to focus on what works well, rather than points they need to consider to improve the teaching and provide a better match of work for pupils of different abilities.

p.15

The lower attaining pupils in Years 1 and 2 do not make as good progress as the brighter

ones because the work is not always planned to meet their needs.

p.15

The lower attaining pupils in Years 1 and 2 do not make as good progress as the brighter

26. Teachers in the infants do not always successfully build on what the lower attaining pupils already know, understand and can do. This is because they do not make sufficient use of what they know about these pupils’ previous learning to set appropriate tasks for them. Teachers purposefully aim high and, because of this, the vast majority of pupils do well and attain the expected level and above by the age of seven. However, too often in lessons, the less able pupils struggle to keep up with their brighter classmates. Question and answer sessions at the beginning of lessons usually provide some different questions for different attaining pupils, for example in a Year 2 mathematics lesson seen. However, pupils of all abilities are too often given the same work to do and the lower attaining do not always complete it as successfully as the brighter pupils or in the time given; consequently, they do not make as much progress.

p.15

The lower attaining pupils in Years 1 and 2 do not make as good progress as the brighter

Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 16 For example, a few of the less able Year 2 pupils struggled doubling 12 and 13, and they added instead of subtracted when finding the amount of change left from a given amount after buying something. In a literacy lesson, a small number of pupils had problems with spelling, punctuation and sentence construction, but they were given the same work to do as the brighter pupils, with less expected from them. Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 17

p.16

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

27. The head teacher, staff and governors should now:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve the progress made by lower attaining pupils in the infants by:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i) making sure lesson observations identify what is not working in teaching and learning before introducing other ways to ensure lower attaining pupils make as much progress as their brighter classmates; ii) ensuring that the information they have about the progress pupils make is analysed rigorously to identify what they are doing that means that some pupils make good progress and identify why it does not work for all pupils; iii) ensuring co-ordinators play an effective role in lesson observations and scrutinising pupils’ work so that they can identify what is and is not working and so influence improvements and bring about change.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve the progress made by children in the Nursery and Reception classes by:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i) making sure lesson observations pinpoint areas for improvement to teaching and learning; ii) ensuring that in Reception and Nursery, the Foundation Stage curriculum plans build children’s learning systematically during their first two years in school and that the teachers’ lesson plans identify more clearly what is to be learnt, through the Nursery activities in particular; iii) ensuring that teachers make use of the information in the Foundation Stage curriculum document about the stages of early learning that children move through to measure children’s progress towards the early learning goals; iv) taking more notice in Reception of what children can already do to adapt the work to suit their differing needs and ensure that it is suitably challenging for all pupils; v) making sure that teachers understand how to teach the early skills of writing effectively so that children are not asked to form letters and copy teachers’

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

writing before they are ready. Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 18

p.17

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 10

p.18

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.18

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 308

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 22

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 10

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 4 41

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 4

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 10

p.18

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.18

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 19

p.18

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 27 20 47

p.19

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.19

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

Boys 21 20 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 19 18 18

p.19

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

Percentage of pupils School 85 (91) 81 (91) 91 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.19

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.19

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

Boys 23 22 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 18 18 19

p.19

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

Percentage of pupils School 87 (91) 85 (91) 91 (77) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.19

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

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

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 20 25 45

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 18 19 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 23 23 24

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 91 (92) 93 (89) 98 (94) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 16 16 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 21 21 22

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 82 (83) 82 (89) 87 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 20

p.19

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12.2 Financial year 2000/01

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 27.5

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 676321

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 15 Total expenditure 647871

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 325 Expenditure per pupil 1996

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 44032

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 72482

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 46

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 21

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 62 36 1 0 2

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 62 34 1 1 3

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 37 46 8 2 8

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 40 47 9 0 3

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 73 25 2 1 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 92 21 0 0 1

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 47 46 6 0 2

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 74 25 0 0 2

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 67 31 0 0 2

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 57 24 4 1 14

p.21