Rollesby Primary School

ROLLESBY FIRST AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 30 April – 1 May 2002

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ROLLESBY FIRST AND NURSERY SCHOOL

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

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ROLLESBY FIRST AND NURSERY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: First and Nursery School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Main Road Rollesby Great Yarmouth Norfolk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

E-mail address: head@rollesby.norfolk.sch.uk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs. T. Brown

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 4 – 6 June 1997 Rollesby First and Nursery School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 18645 C.D. Loizou Registered inspector A. Anderson Lay inspector 21074 K. Williams Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Sandfield Educational Consultants Limited 16, Wychwood Drive Trowell Park Nottingham

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Rollesby First and Nursery School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a small First and Nursery School in the village of Rollesby near Great Yarmouth. It was formerly a self-governing school and is now a Foundation school. It has increased its capacity due to the high demand for places. The governors have responded to this by building extra classrooms and have recently opened a new school hall. The school has an established reputation for achieving high standards and parents have responded by choosing to send their children to the school even if this means travelling considerable distances to do so. The school has 138 pupils on roll between the ages of three and eight years, which is below average in size. Approximately half of the pupils live close to the school and the rest come from other villages in the area. The school was last inspected in 1997. Since then, there have been many staff appointments as a result of the increase in pupil numbers. The

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

headteacher was at the school at the time of the last inspection and all the teachers currently in the school have been appointed since then. The school introduced its part-time Nursery class five years ago, just after the last inspection, and this admits up to 52 children (26 full-time equivalent). Four per cent of the pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is below the national average. Twenty-five per cent are on the special educational needs (SEN) register, which is average. Less than three per cent of the pupils have a Statement of SEN, which is low compared to most schools. Very few (two per cent) of the pupils are learning English as an additional language. Every year the school admits up to 30 four-year-olds into the Reception year and most have attended the Nursery class. The initial assessments of the pupils when entering the Reception year show that their attainment is in line with

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

the standards expected of children this age.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides a very good education and the pupils achieve very well in relation to their prior attainment on entry to the school. The teaching is very good. Standards are well above those expected in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 3. The National Curriculum test results for seven-year-olds show that standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science have been rising steadily and consistently over the last four years. The pupils achieve very well and children in the Nursery and Reception year get a very good start to school because the teaching is particularly effective in establishing a very good grounding in the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy. The headteacher and governors provide very good leadership. Teachers provide a very good range of practical tasks for the pupils and computers are used well to support their learning. There are strong links with parents and the local community who play an important part in the work of the school. The

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science are well above those expected by the end of Years 2 and 3 because the teaching is very effective. • The teaching and the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception years) are very effective and well managed. • The school is very well led and managed by the headteacher and governors. They have made significant improvements to the school building in response to the increase in demand for places and they manage the school’s resources very well. • The headteacher and staff monitor and assess the pupils’ academic and personal development very well. There are clear learning targets set for every pupil and effective tracking procedures in place to ensure that the pupils reach their targets. • The curriculum is very good. It provides practical and relevant tasks for the pupils with very good use made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’ learning.

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What the school does well

Rollesby First and Nursery School - 7 • There are strong links with parents and the local community.

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What could be improved

• Improve attendance. Attendance rates are well below the national average and ought to be a lot higher. The rate of authorised absence has been increasing over the last three years. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in June 1997 and has made good progress since then addressing the issues raised in the last inspection report. The school now provides more demanding practical tasks for the pupils. The governors and staff use the priorities identified in the school development plan to achieve the school’s aims which are primarily to achieve high standards and provide a broad curriculum. The establishment of the school’s part-time Nursery class has been very well managed and this has improved the school’s provision considerably, offering more choice for parents whose children benefit from the continuity offered as their children transfer from the Nursery to the Reception year. Standards are rising consistently each year, but more could be done to improve attendance rates which have been falling over the last three years. Most of the authorised absence is caused by the fact that families take holidays during term time. This is an area identified by the school,

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

consequently, the governors and headteacher are putting in place more effective measures to improve attendance.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools Similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The children start school in the Reception year with a wide range of ability but standards overall are in line with those expected for their age. They make very good progress because the Foundation Stage curriculum is very well planned and taught. By the end of the Reception year most of the children reach or exceed the expected levels for children of this age in all areas of learning. They make particularly good progress in their personal, social and emotional development. In the national test results at age 7 in 2001, standards were well above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Compared with similar schools, standards were also well above average. Inspection evidence reflects last year’s test results with the large majority of pupils in Year 2 achieving standards that exceed the levels expected for their age. Speaking and listening standards are high, the pupils can

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STANDARDS

communicate their ideas very well and clearly. By the end of Year 3, standards are well above average in English, mathematics and science. Standards in information and communication technology are well above those expected by the age of seven and eight. Computers are being used very well to Rollesby First and Nursery School - 8 support the pupils’ learning in most subjects. The pupils with special educational needs make very good progress towards their individual learning targets.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school The pupils’ attitudes to learning, to school and to each other are very good. They enjoy their lessons and the challenges presented to them.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The pupils’ behaviour is very good. This is helping them to learn in an orderly and supportive learning environment. There have been no exclusions from the school.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships This is very good. The pupils show initiative and enjoy taking responsibility. Relationships are very good across the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance levels are unsatisfactory because authorised absence rates are too high. There is no unauthorised absence. Most of the absences recorded are a result of families taking holidays during term time.

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

Quality of teaching Very good Very good Good

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

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

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

The teaching is very good overall and ranges from satisfactory to very good. This is a good improvement since the last inspection. The teaching is consistently very good in the Foundation Stage and the planning for teaching and learning in the Nursery is excellent. Throughout the school the teachers prepare very good lesson plans that are adapted according to the progress that the pupils make. Very good and regular assessments are made of the pupils and lessons are planned to take account of their abilities ensuring that every pupil has appropriate learning targets. The pupils with special educational needs (SEN) make very good progress because their work is well planned and they receive very good support from the teaching assistants. Computers are very well used and the good number of computers in each class are used to teach a range of subjects and skills. In the Nursery and Reception years, the teaching is very effective in developing early speaking, listening, reading and

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

numeracy skills. The skills enable the pupils in the rest of the school to make very good progress in other subjects and this is reflected in the high standard of writing evident in pupils’ workbooks and on displays. Teachers choose topics that have very good cross-curricular links across a range of subjects and this makes lessons practical, enjoyable and relevant to all the pupils. Rollesby First and Nursery School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is very good. There is a very good range of practical and relevant tasks with regular opportunities for the pupils to use information and communication technology to support their learning. Provision for pupils with special educational needs The pupils receive very good support. The pupils with learning difficulties are identified early and make very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language A very small number of pupils speak an additional home language. Good assessments of their needs are made and they are supported very well in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision is good and is supported by a broad range of activities in school and outside school times. These include music, sport and French club. They make a significant contribution to the pupils’ social and cultural development. Very good provision is made for the pupils’ personal development. The pupils are also developing a good understanding of other cultures and customs. How well the school cares for its pupils There is a very good level of care provided for all pupils. The school has very good procedures to assess how well the pupils are doing. Teachers’ marking is supportive and helps the pupils to improve their work.

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Aspect Comment

Parents believe this to be a very good school because it sets high expectations and achieves high standards. Regular information about the curriculum and school events are welcomed by parents and the large majority are pleased with the range of work their children do.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very good and effective leadership. There are very effective routines and policies that help the school to run smoothly and efficiently. The subject leaders work closely with the headteacher to monitor lessons, teachers’ planning and pupils’ work regularly. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body provides very good support. They work closely with the school and its staff and fully understand their roles. They have a very clear strategic view of the school’s needs and this is reflected in their commitment to the school and the way they have responded to the increasing demand for places. The school’s evaluation of its performance This is very good because the staff and governors have established clear priorities in the school development plan. There are very good arrangements in place for governors and staff to monitor and evaluate

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Aspect Comment

how well the school is doing. The strategic use of resources There are very clear spending priorities. The school manages its finances very well. The governors and headteacher have a good understanding of how to measure cost effectiveness and have been successful in their plans to expand the school building and improve resources. Rollesby First and Nursery School - 10 The governors and headteacher manage the school’s resources very well and there have been very good improvements to the school building including the recent opening of the new hall. This has improved and enhanced the school’s provision for indoor physical education and other activities that require a large indoor space.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children make good progress. • The teaching is good. • The behaviour of the pupils. • The school expects children to work hard. • They feel comfortable approaching the school. • The school is well led and managed. • The school is helping their child become mature and responsible. • The school works closely with parents.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents are very pleased with the way the headteacher manages the school. They find that the staff are approachable and keep them well informed about the progress their children are making. Inspectors support the positive views expressed by parents. There is a good range of activities provided outside lessons, some of these take place at lunchtimes. There were no significant concerns raised by parents. Rollesby First and Nursery School - 11

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Standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science are well above those expected by the

end of Years 2 and 3 because the teaching is very effective.

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Standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science are well above those expected by the

1. Inspection findings confirm that standards are well above those expected by the age of seven and eight. In last year’s National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds, the results show that standards were well above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers’ assessments in science also indicate well above average standards. Compared with similar schools, the results were also well above average. The teaching is particularly effective in improving the pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. By the time the pupils start Year 1, they read and write with confidence and have a very good understanding of numbers. For example, Year 1 pupils can use their knowledge of number facts to quickly work out the difference between two numbers up to 20. In English they are making good progress in their writing skills and are beginning to write in full sentences independently. In the lessons

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Standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science are well above those expected by the

observed, the teacher used good techniques to encourage the pupils to use word banks and “try it” cards to help them improve their spelling and this was successful. In a very good English lesson, Year 2 pupils were revising basic spelling rules to help them improve their independent writing. The teacher used an interesting range of tasks to keep the pupils focused on reading and writing skills. One pupil was asked to read out a Vietnamese story called, “The Brocaded Slipper” and then other pupils were asked to re-tell the story or continue explaining the next part of the story. Using individual white boards, the pupils enjoyed spelling out words and suggesting conjunctions to sentences. Throughout the lessons it was clear that the pupils had been very well taught and this was demonstrated in their confidence in reading aloud as well as writing their own versions of stories clearly with accurate spelling and

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Standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science are well above those expected by the

sentence construction. In a very good mathematics lesson in Year 3, the pupils could choose the most appropriate number operation to solve a range of problems. They can quickly use multiples of numbers to calculate, for example, how many tickets worth £6 can be bought with £49. The teacher had previously taught the pupils to self-correct by reversing multiplication and division and this has improved their confidence when attempting to solve problems independently.

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Standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science are well above those expected by the

2. The pupils’ good knowledge of basic skills, such as reading, writing and numeracy are helping them to make good progress in other subjects, including science. This is also reflected in last year’s teacher assessments in Year 2 where the pupils achieved well above average standards in science. This has been a consistent improvement since the last inspection, reflecting how well the teaching has improved and also underlines the effectiveness of the curriculum and the teachers’ planning. In the science lessons seen in Years 1 and 3, the pupils could demonstrate a good understanding of parts of flowers and plants. Their recorded work includes detailed and well labelled drawings of plants and good quality writing about observable similarities and differences when classifying plants and living things. Year 3 pupils offered sensible reasons about how and why water travels through plants. One pupil asked if the roots

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Standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science are well above those expected by the

would change colour after adding food colouring to the water. Year 1 pupils understand that the roots of a plant help to stabilise and feed the plant. The teaching has clearly developed the pupils’ understanding of scientific properties of plants from a basic understanding of root growth in Year 1 to more advanced hypotheses in Year 3, with searching questions about the most effective conditions in which plants grow and thrive. The pupils’ reading and writing skills help them to record their findings clearly and when asked to read information from non- Rollesby First and Nursery School - 12 fiction texts during science lessons they are able to understanding the main points very well because of their advanced reading skills.

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The teaching and the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and

Reception years) are very effective and well managed.

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The teaching and the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and

3. Initial assessments of the children when they first join the Reception class show that their attainment in language, communication and mathematics is in line with that expected of four- year-olds. From an early age the children in the Nursery and Reception year are taught the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy very effectively. The children make very good progress so that by the time they start Year 1 they have achieved the early learning goals in all of the areas of learning. In the Nursery, the teacher and nursery nurse work very well as a team to prepare activities and plan what the children are going to experience each term. The planning is excellent because it breaks down from the long term objectives planned in each area of learning to relevant short term learning goals which are achieved through practical and interesting tasks and activities. The Nursery classroom is very colourful and provides

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The teaching and the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and

stimulation. Every area of the room is filled with children’s work, colourfully displayed labels and prompts, for example, the “Café” role play area and an “Office” writing area as well as a painting and craft table where the children make animal masks or sculpt their own farm animals using coloured dough. The teacher regularly takes the children in another part of the school called the Trinity room, where she organises whole class activities. For example, a very good shared reading session was observed with parent volunteers. The children sat in a circle and started by singing “Hello” to each other. The teacher used a large cardboard “pointy finger” to count how many children were present and the children joined in by counting aloud together. The teacher used a soft toy to focus the children’s attention and asked the children to chat to a friend before reading them a story using a large book displayed on an

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The teaching and the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and

easel. The children were invited to offer ideas and suggestions with one child looking at the illustrations in the book and calling out spontaneously, “he’s (rabbit) found a box to sleep in”. Another replied, “I like rabbits”, and then other children began to talk about animals and pets that are familiar to them. In this way the teacher evoked meaningful discussion and taught the children to listen to others and wait their turn when talking together as a group.

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The teaching and the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and

4. The teaching in both the Nursery and Reception classes is very effective because it allows the children to choose activities and then to complete a range of tasks that relate to a topic or theme. In the Nursery, the children were fully involved and absorbed by a range of tasks related to animals. The children happily play in the role-play area which is set out as an animal hospital or veterinary surgery. In previous work, the teacher used familiar topics to help the children develop an understanding of time and sequences of events during the day. Very good pictures and writing are displayed on theme of “Night and day” where the children draw pictures of what they do at night and during the day. Seasonal differences are covered so that the children learn to sequence the seasons and months of the year as well as days of the week. The teaching uses very good techniques to improve the children’s knowledge of shape

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The teaching and the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and

and colour, again, this is linked to a sequence, for example, when learning about the colours on traffic lights the children arrange these in “Red, Orange and Green”, so that they learn the sequence. This is reinforced when they play outside, learning to ride their wheeled toys on the imaginary road and waiting for the correct sequence of lights when the traffic lights are used. The teacher uses “Polly and Boy”, two soft toy characters, as a focus for the children to help them complete a diary. This is very effective as the children take turns to take the characters home and then explain to the rest of the class what they did and how they looked after them. A diary is kept in the Nursery and this is kept up to date so that the children learn to read and write about their time with “Polly and Boy”. Rollesby First and Nursery School - 13 5. Reception children can distinguish larger and smaller numbers when comparing these on a

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The teaching and the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and

number line. Their workbooks show that they have a very good understanding of the properties of shapes and in one very good lesson observed, the children explored symmetry in shapes. The teacher and teaching assistant engaged the children in a range of activities that included a treasure hunt around the school where they looked for symmetrical shapes; painting butterflies and observing the line symmetry as they unfold their patterns to produce coloured patterns using paints and crayon. Another group of children use construction blocks to produce symmetrical models and they enjoy discussing the features of each model to determine why they are or are not symmetrical.

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The teaching and the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and

6. The teaching of letter sounds in reading and letter formation in writing is very effective in the Reception year. The children can distinguish words and sentences from illustrations in books and from the beginning of the Reception year can read and write high frequency words such as “the” and “is”. By the middle of the Reception year, the children’s independent writing has improved very well and their very good grounding in letter sounds has helped them to grow in confidence when attempting to spell unfamiliar words. For example, one child wrote, “I went to the shop to get some ‘yogert’…”The sentence was well punctuated and the attempt at spelling “Yoghurt” was very good. Other children in the Reception year make very good attempts at spelling words like “bought” with one child writing “bort”. It is clear that the sounds of letter blends have been well taught and this is reflected in the confidence the

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The teaching and the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and

children show when reading and writing independently or when reading aloud together as a group. Teachers use very good marking techniques to assess the children’s writing and also explain to the reader, whether they are parents or other teachers, the context of the children’s writing. For example, when one child attempted to write, “I went on a bumper car”, the teacher’s marking praises the child for completing the sentence accurately and then added a footnote, “This was done independently but I helped her to spell ‘bumper’”. In this way the teachers record how the children are learning their spellings and improving their independent writing in order to plan appropriate support in future lessons. This is very effective as the children’s books clearly show very good improvement in writing skills from the start of September through to the end of the Reception year.

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made significant improvements to the school building in response to the increase in demand

for places and they manage the school’s resources very well.

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made significant improvements to the school building in response to the increase in demand

7. The headteacher provides very good and effective leadership. She is an experienced headteacher who is highly valued by the parents, admired by the pupils and respected by the staff and governors. This accounts for the popularity of the school and its good reputation. The headteacher and subject leaders regularly monitor the teachers’ planning and the pupils’ workbooks and this helps them to be clear about how well the pupils are doing and how effective the teaching is. In addition, the headteacher regularly teaches classes. All the staff have responsibility for at least one subject of the National Curriculum and they share responsibility for monitoring standards and planning as well as maintaining resources and producing action plans for each subject. These action plans are included in the overall school development plan and, together, they form the basis for whole school improvement and development of the school’s curriculum.

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made significant improvements to the school building in response to the increase in demand

8. There is a good balance of expertise amongst the staff and their good subject knowledge enables them to review the impact each subject is having on the pupils’ achievements and progress. The headteacher, staff and governors have undertaken a school-wide evaluation Rollesby First and Nursery School - 14 with the focus being on improvement. This has given a clear educational direction for the work of the school. Parents are pleased with the personal contribution the headteacher has made in establishing the school’s good reputation for achievement and rising standards. All of the staff, both teaching and non-teaching, work together as a team and this is effective in developing a strong sense of purpose and a determination to maintain standards and set high expectations. The supportive ethos of the school, which is encouraged and nurtured by the headteacher and the staff, is a characteristic of the school which the parents are very pleased

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made significant improvements to the school building in response to the increase in demand

9. The governors are knowledgeable and experienced and very committed to the needs of the school and its pupils. They are provided with regular reports by the subject leaders and headteacher. This helps the governors to monitor the work of the school along with the headteacher and subject leaders, giving them a clear insight into the work being done and the progress that the pupils are making. The resources of the school are very good. They are well used and easily accessible. In particular, the resources for ICT have been improved so that all the pupils have regular access to computers and use new technology such as the Internet and electronic mailing facilities. The governors have been particularly diligent and forward looking in their response to the increase in demand for places as the school’s very good reputation has grown. In the last five years school numbers have increased from 57 in

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made significant improvements to the school building in response to the increase in demand

1990 to the current number on roll which is nearly a three-fold increase. This has led to a significant increase in the school’s admission number and the need for governors to expand the school site. The school has responded to this extremely well and efficiently. At the time of the last inspection the school did not have a hall large enough for indoor physical education and other activities that require a large indoor space. There were limited teaching areas and spaces for the pupils to work in. Since then there has been a carefully thought out process of improvement which has culminated in the building of new and improved classrooms and a hall. The governors have carefully planned for the growth in pupil numbers and at the same time established a part-time Nursery class which has offered more choice for parents. There is now continuity for parents if they choose to send their children to the Nursery and then into

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made significant improvements to the school building in response to the increase in demand

the Reception year. During this inspection, the school hall had recently been opened and the pupils observed during an indoor physical education lessons were clearly impressed by their new facility. The class teacher had to keep reminding the pupils to “spread out….there’s a lot more space now children!”

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made significant improvements to the school building in response to the increase in demand

10. The school development plan is very well set out, showing priorities for further improvement. These priorities have been arrived at through careful audits, reviews and monitoring, led by the headteacher and guided by local and national initiatives. The headteacher and governors, together with the subject leaders set appropriate targets with clear terms of reference for the governors and staff to be able to measure how well each area is progressing. In this way the school makes efficient use of its funds ensuring that spending provides value for money. This is very much driven by the headteacher’s determination to provide high quality resources and the very best learning environment for all the pupils. Parents say how pleased they are with the way the school has grown and improved. They are particularly pleased with the management of the school and say that the headteacher and governors keep them very well

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made significant improvements to the school building in response to the increase in demand

informed about future plans and the progress being made during the recent building work. All of the issues raised in the last inspection have been successfully addressed. Most of these relate to improving the school’s facilities and preparing for the new Nursery which, at the time, had not been in place. The headteacher staff and governors have been successful in improving the school and adapting and improving its resources and facilities in response to the increasing demand for places at the school. Rollesby First and Nursery School - 15

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development very well. There are clear learning targets set for every pupil and effective

tracking procedures in place to ensure that the pupils reach their targets.

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development very well. There are clear learning targets set for every pupil and effective

11. The school has very good and effective systems to identify, assess, and monitor the pupils. The pupils make very good progress because the school monitors their work. Parents are kept very well informed about their children’s progress. The pupils’ targets, progress and achievements are shared with parents in order to maximise their support and co-operation. The school also identifies those pupils who have a particular talent in an area or subject or are gifted. Learning support for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) is well targeted in lessons and the school’s teaching assistants are timetabled to work with individuals and groups of pupils who are identified as in need of additional support. This ensures effective support for SEN pupils in class and when they are withdrawn. Teaching assistants often sit with a group of pupils during class discussions, ensuring that they all participate and contribute. This is

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development very well. There are clear learning targets set for every pupil and effective

particularly effective in enabling those pupils identified with learning difficulties to participate in all parts of lessons and class discussions. In the Nursery, the staff have displayed an achievement board for the children to read which includes comments and handprints representing how each child has achieved a particular task and then praising them for their efforts. These are accompanied with tick lists which the staff use to monitor and support every child.

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development very well. There are clear learning targets set for every pupil and effective

12. Lessons are planned so that the pupils are grouped by prior attainment, especially in English and mathematics lessons, to help identify those pupils who are capable of achieving high standards and those who need additional support. Extension work and homework are provided to complement what has already been covered in lessons. The parents commented on how useful the homework diaries are in helping them to contribute to their children’s learning at home. Teachers plan work for individuals and groups of pupils based on their assessment of the pupils’ progress. Teachers’ marking is often sharp and analytical with descriptions about the context of the lessons or the work being done by each pupil. For example, in response to some independent writing, one teacher wrote, “this work was done unaided with some help with spellings”, and then wrote what she plans to do in future lessons for that particular pupil.

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development very well. There are clear learning targets set for every pupil and effective

Formal assessments of every year group are made at the end of each term using standardised assessment tasks and National Curriculum tests. The headteacher tracks and monitors the progress of the pupils using the results of these tests with sharp and thorough analyses of predicted targets and outcomes for every pupil throughout the school. These analyses include trends in the pupils’ performance, including cross references to gender, age groups, SEN needs and the predicted targets for higher attaining pupils who are predicted to exceed the levels expected for their age in national tests by the end of Years 2 and 3.

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development very well. There are clear learning targets set for every pupil and effective

13. The school successfully monitors and improves the pupils’ personal development and ensures that the pupils are well cared for and supported. Provision for this is very good. There is a very good and positive working environment which is underpinned by a strong social moral code that is respected by the pupils, staff, parents and the community. Teachers, teaching assistants, administrative staff and all those involved in the upkeep and maintenance of the school demonstrate a sensitive and caring attitude towards the pupils. The procedures for ensuring the welfare of pupils are very good and the school has been successful in maintaining this since the last inspection. All the pupils have equal access to the school’s curriculum and teachers are also effective in improving the pupils’ self-esteem. School assemblies have a strong moral theme which is helping the pupils to relate to familiar situations in their own lives

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development very well. There are clear learning targets set for every pupil and effective

and apply these in school. Health and sex education are well taught and dealt with sensitively. Visitors are often invited to talk to pupils or prepare work for them as part of the school’s Rollesby First and Nursery School - 16 health education programme or to present an assembly. Relationships are very good. Older pupils support younger ones at break-times and during lessons in the mixed age classes.

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very good use made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’

14. The curriculum is very good and is enriched by the breadth of activities and experiences provided for all the pupils. Teachers are particularly successful in linking topics and themes across a range of subjects. This makes learning meaningful and realistic for the pupils. In history for example, Year 3 pupils write about how it must have felt to have lived in settlements and communities during the Viking invasions. Information and communication technology (ICT) is usually linked to other subjects involving key skills in English, mathematics and science. Computers are well used so that, for example, the pupils use the Internet which opens the wider world to all the pupils. In another lesson, the pupils were observed improving and editing their writing using word processing skills. The teachers make very good use of a program that sets up a writing frame for the pupils to construct different phrases and

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very good use made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’

sentences and then to plan how to write their stories.

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very good use made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’

15. In the Nursery, the curriculum is very well planned to involve experiences that are familiar to the children. On the subject of “Our Pets”, the children have painted pictures and brought in photographs of their pets from home. The theme is used very well so that the children develop early writing and drawing skills, making marks on paper alongside pictures of their pets. This is extended to the role-play “Vets” area where they have painted black and white pictures representing “X-Rays” of their pets after receiving “surgery”. Very good multi-cultural topics have been used to help the children celebrate “Chinese New Year”, making Chinese “moon cakes” and they have used the Internet to look at information about this festival. Imaginative writing is very well presented with a range of related tasks related to a theme called “In Wibley’s Garden”. Each child has produced an imaginative tale about the adventures and

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very good use made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’

discoveries in a special garden. The work is attractively displayed with pop-up books and the children’s own “flap books” so there are very good links across a range of areas related to animals, special gardens, ICT and writing about their own made up characters. They dress up as characters, such as “Bruno the Bear” and this is extended into role-play performed by children and staff. In a Reception class, the children have drawn pictures and written about “Growing up”. Their work is typed on computers or hand written and displayed alongside photographs of them as babies and then with more recent pictures. This represents very good cross-curricular work involving writing, ICT and science. The children in the Reception year have also used a graphics program, “Dazzle”, to produce different two-dimensional shapes as part of their mathematics work. This is very well linked to other topics and subjects involving

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very good use made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’

symmetry, art and design and design and technology.

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very good use made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’

16. Every pupil in the school has produced a self-portrait which is displayed in the corridor. Some of these have been produced using a computer graphics program. Other pictures use textiles and a range of media. These are displayed to represent the theme of “Sharing” and working together. Very good cross-curricular work is being planned to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. The work being planned involves art and design, design and technology, music and drama as well as writing. Very good work in Year 3 shows how some mathematics investigations and surveys have been combined to produce ideas about the school’s outdoor play areas and school field. The pupils have produced graphs representing the most popular playground equipment, such as swings and see-saws. Every class takes turns to review books and these are displayed in the school’s library. There are very good examples of the pupils

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very good use made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’

Rollesby First and Nursery School - 17 producing their own books and illustrations, combined with art and design work and writing. Year 1 pupils have produced art and design weaving patterns using natural materials and textiles and have then evaluated their designs by using a word processor to write about how they achieved their designs and how they made their products. One child wrote, “These took a long time to make….and we could have used more coloured paper.” Their writing is printed and displayed alongside their designs. Older pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 have produced some very good extended writing about safety signs in and around the school. These are linked to a range of topics involving symbols, signs and health and safety with one class linking this to their science work. In Year 2, a teacher has challenged the pupils to think about traditional and modern stories. Using Anthony Browne’s “Piggy Book”, the pupils have written some

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very good use made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’

interesting accounts explaining why they think the typical role models in a family, for example, the father figure and children, are not being fair to their mother. The pupils have clearly enjoyed the challenges presented and this has been linked to moral and social themes about individual and group responsibilities in families and communities. One Year 2 child wrote, “I think they treat the mummy badly because she shouldn’t’ be doing everything….this is why I think they turn into pigs.” Other writing is linked to themes about animals as the pupils write in the style of Anthony Browne, the author who has written books such “Stories in the Style of Gorilla”. Other work done by pupils in Year 2 has used ICT very well, for example, where the pupils have cut out and displayed newspaper and magazine headlines alongside their own computer printouts of different styles of text. These are aimed at demonstrating how the

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very good use made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’

pupils have experimented with different fonts and printing styles using colour and black and white images and a range of word processed printing fonts.

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very good use made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’

There are strong links with parents and the local community.

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very good use made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’

17. The school has a positive and purposeful relationship with parents and its community. The school has gained a good reputation in the community for its high expectations and achievement. The overall contribution by parents and the impact of parental involvement on the progress and achievements of the pupils is very good. Homework diaries are a regular means by which teachers and parents can communicate with each other. Class teachers also send out newsletters each half-term explaining the topics their children will be covering and inviting suggestions from parents about how they can help with each topic. For example, in the Nursery, the teachers were planning a visit to a Garden Centre, explaining to parents in their letters that the topic is changing from “Growing Up” to “Growing Plants”. The newsletters explain how parents can help at home and how they can use visits to shops and garden centres to prepare their children for the visit.

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very good use made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’

18. Parents find the staff helpful and approachable. The staff and governors are willing to listen to parents, often inviting their views and opinions, and the school considers the issues they raise carefully, responding swiftly to their concerns. The school holds regular workshops for parents so that they can share in the work of the school and are then able to contribute towards supporting their children’s learning at home and in school. The staff and governors work very hard to develop the links with parents and this is helping to raise the profile of the school in its community. The governors have set up a parents’ forum and the headteacher regularly surveys parental opinion on a range of issues, the most recent concerns attendance rates.

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very good use made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’

19. Parents and volunteers from the local community feel welcome in the school. The school encourages parents to play an important part in supporting their children’s work at home and this commitment has a positive impact on pupils’ attainment and progress. The school offers regular and effective communication with parents by way of newsletters and bulletins, keeping Rollesby First and Nursery School - 18 them informed of events in the school. The active Parents’ Association organises social and fund raising events for the school. Rollesby First and Nursery School - 19

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Improve attendance. Attendance rates are well below the national average and ought to be

a lot higher. The rate of authorised absence has been increasing over the last three years.

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Improve attendance. Attendance rates are well below the national average and ought to be

20. Four years ago, national statistics show that the school’s attendance rates were well above the national average. The last inspection reported on how good attendance rates were and that the school applied consistent procedures with no unauthorised absence and very little authorised absence. However, since 1998, attendance has consistently fallen from a very good rate to the current unsatisfactory attendance rates which are well below the national average. This has come about because authorised absences have risen each year. A number of factors have caused this, one being an increase in the number of families choosing to take holidays during term time. There are others, which of course include absences due to medical reasons, but on the whole the fall in attendance is an unacceptable pattern which the school and parents need to address.

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Improve attendance. Attendance rates are well below the national average and ought to be

21. The headteacher has produced an action plan and has begun to address the problem. This is a very clear series of statements which aim to communicate the school’s concerns to parents in order to improve attendance rates. The home-school agreement sets out the responsibilities required of parents but does not specifically refer to the prime responsibility for them to send their children to school regularly unless there is a temporary reason not to attend, for example, illness or special family occasions. There is a statutory period of ten working days that schools can give discretionary permission for absence each school term. It is not clear whether this has been monitored as sharply as other aspects of the school’s work. Rollesby First and Nursery School - 20

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* Improve attendance rates by:

- identifying the reasons for the high number of authorised absences and then put in place more effective procedures to reduce these;

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* Improve attendance rates by:

- using the home-school agreement to communicate to parents the importance of attendance and to impress on them their responsibility to ensure that their children attend school. (Paragraphs: 20-21) Rollesby First and Nursery School - 21

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 5

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 16 129

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 35

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 39

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 12

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Attendance

School data 7.2 School data 0 Rollesby First and Nursery School - 22 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Rollesby First and Nursery School - 23

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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 2001 18 19 37

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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 15 17 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 18 19

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

Percentage of pupils School 81 (89) 95 (94) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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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 17 18 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 19 18

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (94) 100 (100) 97 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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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. Rollesby First and Nursery School - 24

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6.6 Financial year 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y3 Total income 275,176

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5.5 Total expenditure 273,944

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 160 Expenditure per pupil 2,157

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: Nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 27,256

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0.6 Balance carried forward to next year 28,488

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 18

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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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) 1

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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 Rollesby First and Nursery School - 25 FTE means full-time equivalent. Rollesby First and Nursery School - 26

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 80 20 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 67 31 0 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 64 33 2 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 73 22 4 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 84 16 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 76 22 0 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 73 24 2 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 78 20 0 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 82 18 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 51 33 4 0 11

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The parents say that they choose the school because it provides a positive and supportive environment for their children. Many believe that this is a very good school where the staff work hard to provide a wide range of interesting activities and opportunities for all pupils. Many parents are delighted with the commitment of the staff and say that the school is popular with parents and has an established reputation for achieving very good standards.

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