Other · Ofsted report

Nursery Hill Primary School

Inspected — · published 13 Sept 2002 · URN 125500

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Full report text

NURSERY HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 27 th – 30 th May 2002

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NURSERY HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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NURSERY HILL PRIMARY 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. Nursery Hill Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Ansley Common Nuneaton Warwickshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1997 Nursery Hill Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

21114 Malcolm Johnstone Registered inspector Science Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology Equal opportunities What sort of school is it? How high are standards? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

09942 Susanna Stevens Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 20911 Judith Dawson Team inspector Mathematics Music Religious education Foundation Stage How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

23566 John Iles Team inspector English Geography History Physical education Special educational needs English as an additional language How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: SES Ltd. 132 Whitaker Road Derby DE23 6AP

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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: The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Nursery Hill Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6-9

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10-12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is situated in Ansley Common, a former mining community on the outskirts of Nuneaton in Warwickshire. In 1996, the school changed from a First School with pupils up to the age of eight years to a Community Primary School for pupils aged three to eleven years. An Early Years Unit was created in the year 2000 to include nursery children. The area has features of social deprivation and most pupils enter the nursery with attainment that is well below average. The pupils’ families live in mainly rented and housing association properties. There are 172 pupils on roll consisting of 78 boys and 82 girls attending full-time and 23 children who attend part-time in the nursery. This is smaller than other primary schools. Sixteen per cent of the pupils are eligible for free school meals and this is similar to the national average. Thirty per cent of the pupils have special educational needs, which is above the national average. Most of these pupils have learning difficulties. Two

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

pupils have a statement of special educational need. Almost all the pupils are of white United Kingdom heritage although four per cent of the pupils have English as an additional language. Two pupils are at the early stages of English language acquisition. The number of pupils entering and leaving the school other than at the usual times (pupil mobility) is much higher than in most primary schools.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is effective in many aspects of its work. Although overall standards are below the national average, the school does well to help the large majority of pupils achieve the national level in English and mathematics. Standards in Year 6 have improved markedly over the last two years. Teaching is excellent in the nursery and reception classes and is consistently good in Years 5 and 6 and this is helping to raise standards. The headteacher, staff and governors are committed to improvement and work well together. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The headteacher has led the school well through some difficult times. • Children are given a flying start to their school life in the nursery and reception classes because the teaching is excellent. • Teaching is consistently good in Years 5 and 6 and is raising standards and pupils’ achievements. • There is a good range of learning opportunities including a very good range of interesting activities outside lessons • The work seen in art and design, design and technology and physical education is better than that normally seen • The school is working very effectively to develop pupils’ personal, social, health and cultural education

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Attainment in English and mathematics by the age of eleven. • Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and the use of computers to support learning in all subjects. • Provision for the small but significant minority of pupils with emotional and behavioural problems. 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

There have been a number of major changes, some of them disruptive, since the last inspection in June 1997. The school has converted from being a first school to a primary school and has added a nursery to its provision. Following a hydrogen gas scare it has had to move to a nearby primary school for two terms. There have been a number of staff changes with only two teachers remaining since the last inspection. Despite these events, progress has been satisfactory. Standards and the quality of teaching have improved and the key issues identified at the last inspection have been tacked satisfactorily. Good schemes of work have been developed in all subjects and support teachers’ planning effectively. The governing body is developing its strategic role satisfactorily and is more involved in the life and work of the school. The school development plan is now more focused and effective and the Annual Parent’s Report contains all the required information. The capacity for

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

further improvement is good. Nursery Hill Primary School - 7

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 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

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

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STANDARDS

Despite excellent teaching and learning in both the nursery and reception classes, this cannot fully compensate for the well below average attainment of most children when they begin school. By the time they enter Year 1, most children do not attain national expectations in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. They do, however, reach the expected standard in personal, social and emotional, creative and physical development.

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STANDARDS

In the national tests at the end of Year 2, most pupils do well to achieve the level expected nationally in reading and mathematics and come close to this in writing. Overall, however, the school’s performance in last year’s tests was well below the national average in reading and writing and below average in mathematics because too few pupils attained the higher levels. Inspection evidence for pupils in this year’s Year 2, paints a better picture of standards, although in reading and writing, standards are below rather than well below average. In mathematics there are more pupils likely to reach the higher level and standards are now similar to the national average.

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STANDARDS

Inspection evidence for pupils in this year’s Year 6 indicates a level of performance higher than that in last year’s national tests due to good teaching in Years 5 and 6. Standards remain below average in English and mathematics but are now closer to the national average. In science, standards are now similar to the national average. About a quarter of the pupils are on course to reach the higher level (level 5) in science but not as many pupils are likely to achieve this in English and mathematics. The school has only had a Year 6 since 1999 but since that time there has been an upward trend in results with a marked jump in the last couple of years. In Year 2 and 6 standards in ICT are below expectations. In religious education, standards meet the requirements of the local agreed syllabus. Pupils achieve higher than expected standards in art and design, design and technology and physical education.

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STANDARDS

Most pupils who have special educational needs make good progress and achieve well, although for the small minority who have emotional and behavioural needs, progress is unsatisfactory. The very small number of pupils who have English as an additional language make good progress and achieve well.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good: pupils enjoy school and the large majority are eager to learn. Pupils are friendly and polite to visitors. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory overall: most pupils are well behaved in class and around school. They have good understanding of the impact of their actions on others. Personal development and relationships Relationships are very good and pupils enjoy taking on responsibility. Most pupils do not show enough initiative and independence in lessons Attendance Satisfactory: similar to the national average. Nursery Hill Primary School - 8 Children in the nursery and reception classes have very good attitudes to learning and their behaviour is often excellent. For a small but significant minority of pupils with emotional and behavioural needs, behaviour is poor in some lessons and this has a detrimental effect on their learning.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching in the nursery and reception classes is often excellent and never less than good. There are excellent systems to support learning and relationships are excellent. There is a very happy and productive learning environment and activities move at a rapid but appropriate pace. The teachers and support assistants have a very good knowledge of how young children learn. The teaching of English and mathematics and the teaching of basic literacy and numeracy skills is satisfactory overall with examples of some good, very good and excellent teaching. In Years 1 to 6, strengths in teaching and learning are: • classroom management, relationships and high expectations that develop a strong work ethic, an eagerness to learn and mutual respect • subject knowledge that results in good questioning of pupils and the development of key subject vocabulary • meaningful links between subjects that add relevance to learning for the pupils

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

• the use of resources in and out of the classroom that enhances understanding and makes learning more enjoyable and • the opportunities for pupils to work on practical activities linked to a real-life outcome • most pupils who have special educational needs receive good support from teachers and classroom support assistants and make good progress. Areas for improvement are: • the work provided for the above average pupils does not often provide enough challenge and as a consequence, they do not achieve as well as they might • not enough opportunities are provided for pupils to develop initiative and independence in their work and • in year groups where there is a relatively high proportion of pupils with emotional and behavioural needs, teaching does not meet their needs effectively. This is particularly marked when additional support is not available.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Excellent for children in the nursery and reception classes and good in all other year groups. There is a very good range of interesting activities outside lessons and these enhance and enrich pupils’ learning. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good for most pupils but unsatisfactory for pupils who have emotional and behavioural needs in lessons where additional support is not available. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language For the very small number of pupils, support is good and the pupils achieve well.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall: spiritual, moral and social development is good and cultural development is very good. There is strong emphasis on the development of pupils’ understanding of a range of cultures, including suitable emphasis on their own. How well the school cares for its pupils Procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare are good. Procedures for finding out how well pupils are doing are good and the information is used satisfactorily to guide curricular planning. Nursery Hill Primary School - 9 In almost all areas of its work, parents have positive views of the school. Strong links are established with parents of children starting school and these are maintained as pupils move through the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory overall: the headteacher has led the school well through some difficult periods. A new senior management team is being built and is beginning to have more influence on school improvement.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors fulfil their statutory duties effectively and are beginning to hold the school more accountable for the quality of education it provides.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance There are effective systems for finding out what is working well and what is not. These have resulted in several good initiatives aimed at raising achievement in literacy and numeracy.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Resources are used well overall and all specific grants are used for their designated purpose. The principles of best value are applied satisfactorily.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The match of teachers and support staff to the demands of the curriculum is adequate. Not enough additional support is available for classes where there are pupils with emotional and behavioural needs. This has a detrimental effect on their learning. Though accommodation is satisfactory overall, the quality of the two temporary classrooms is poor and has a negative effect on the pupils’ learning. Learning resources are satisfactory overall.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Their children like school and are making good progress. • The teaching is good and children are expected to work hard. • The school is well led and managed. • Behaviour is good and the school is helping children become mature and responsible. • The amount and consistency of homework

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors are in broad agreement with the parents’ positive views. The amount of homework provided for the pupils is similar to that found in most primary schools. There are inconsistencies in the amounts given in the various classes. Nursery Hill Primary School - 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Most children enter the nursery class with attainment that is well below average, particularly in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. The excellent teaching in the nursery and reception class and the rapid pace of learning cannot, however, fully compensate for this very low starting point. By the time they finish the reception year, most pupils do not achieve the national targets that children are expected to reach by that age (the Early Learning Goals) in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. Most children are likely to reach these goals in personal, social and emotional, physical and creative development.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In the 2001 National Curriculum assessments at the end of Year 2 most pupils did well to achieve the level expected nationally (Level 2) in reading and mathematics and to come close to this in writing. When compared to all schools, however, standards were well below the national average in reading and writing and below average in mathematics. This was because too few pupils achieved the higher levels in the tests. When compared to the results achieved by similar schools, standards were below average in reading and writing and comparable in mathematics. There was no significant difference in the standards attained by boys and girls. Inspection evidence and provisional indications from the 2002 tests, suggest that one or two more pupils should reach the higher levels in reading and writing, enough to raise standards but not to the national average. In mathematics, inspection evidence indicates that enough pupils are likely to

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

reach the higher levels to lift overall standards to the national average. Given their well below average attainment on entry to the school, this represents satisfactory achievement for pupils, although still more could be expected of the above average pupils, particularly in writing where standards are not as high as in reading. Inspection evidence also indicates that the speaking and listening skills of most pupils are below average. Many do not speak clearly or confidently in front of others and, while most pupils appear to listen attentively, instructions often have to be repeated. Teachers judged standards in science to be above the national average in the 2001 statutory assessments and this is supported by inspection evidence. This represents good achievement for the pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In the 2001 national tests for pupils in Year 6, standards were well below the national average in English and mathematics and below average in science. When compared to similar schools, standards were below average in English and mathematics and comparable in science. There was no significant difference in the performance of boys and girls in the tests. Consistently good teaching in Years 5 and 6 is bringing about steady but clear improvement in all three subjects. For pupils who are now in Year 6, overall standards remain below average in English and mathematics but are now closer to the national average. In science, standards are now similar to the national average. About a quarter of the pupils are on course to reach the higher level (level 5) in science but not as many pupils are likely to achieve this in English and mathematics. Since the school has only had a Year 6 since 1999, comparison with any national

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

trend is not yet reliable. However, since 1999 there has been an upward trend in results with a marked jump in the last couple of years.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. There are other factors that have had a detrimental effect on standards. There is a very high level of pupil mobility. In the current year, over a quarter of the pupils have joined or left the school other than at the normal times of entry. The school has produced a useful analysis of the impact of this factor. For example, the number of pupils who have joined or left the Year 6 Nursery Hill Primary School - 11 cohort since Year 3 represents 75 per cent of those on roll. In addition, the analysis shows three pupils who left the school were expected to achieve the higher levels and more pupils entering the school had special educational needs than those who had left. There have been periods of staff instability. A range of teachers has taught some year groups. Added to this, the disruption caused by a gas scare when the school was evacuated for two terms to a different location, although managed well, had an unsettling effect.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Most pupils achieve satisfactorily in reading. They develop sound reading skills and use phonics (the sounds made by letters) to help them read unfamiliar words. Some above average pupils are able to read around a sentence in order to predict what an unknown word might be. Achievement in writing is satisfactory given pupils’ prior attainment and most are able to write for different purposes. Comprehension, spelling, grammar and punctuation are, however, below average for most pupils. The school has targeted literacy as a priority for development and involvement in local education authority writing and oracy schemes is helping to raise standards. The National Numeracy Strategy has given greater consistency to the teaching of mathematics and standards in all aspects of the subject are improving gradually. In science, most pupils have satisfactory understanding across all the required aspects of the subject and develop a sound

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

scientific vocabulary. In both mathematics and science, pupils find difficulty in working out problems for themselves and in drawing conclusions from their investigations. Pupils’ below average literacy and numeracy skills place some limitations on their work in other subjects, although teachers provide good opportunities for them to develop these skills through effective linking of learning between subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Most pupils who have special educational needs achieve well. They are supported sensitively and effectively in classes and when withdrawn from the class for individual and small group support. The small but significant minority who have emotional and behavioural needs are sometimes disruptive in lessons and make unsatisfactory progress. This happens most often in Years 3 and 4, when additional support is not available and the teachers’ classroom management skills are not effective enough.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The very small numbers of pupils who have English as an additional language receive good support and achieve well. Considering that they speak no English when entering the school, they attain a level of understanding in spoken and written English to enable them to participate in lessons and keep up with the work being done by most pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. In information and communications technology (ICT) there is evidence of some good pockets of work across all year groups. Evidence from a scrutiny of pupils’ past work and discussions with pupils, however, indicate that key skills are not developed consistently from year to year and pupils’ progress has been patchy and generally unsatisfactory. Computers are not yet used enough to support learning across all subjects and to help pupils consolidate and extend their computing skills. Standards are below average in Years 2 and 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, standards in religious education meet the requirements of the local agreed syllabus and pupils achieve well in their knowledge and understanding of the subject. In art and design, design and technology and physical education, pupils of all abilities achieve well and the work seen in the three subjects is better than that normally seen. This is because teachers have a good knowledge of the subjects and teach key skills well. By the end of Year 2, pupils achieve well in music and the work seen is better than expected for pupils of this age. The work seen up to the end of Year 6 is similar to that expected in the subject. By the end of Years 2 and 6, pupils’ achievements are satisfactory in history and geography and the work seen matches that expected for pupils of this age. Nursery Hill Primary School - 12

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The good quality of pupils’ attitudes to school and their very good personal development and relationships have been maintained well since the last inspection. Pupils enjoy coming to school and value the friendships they develop with other pupils. Their enthusiasm for school is apparent as they talk about their favourite lessons, for example during circle time in the reception class children chattered animatedly to the large glove puppet about ‘doing lots of painting’ as the class teacher held a doll on her lap. In the large majority of lessons, when teachers’ expectations are high and work is well planned to take account of their short attention spans, pupils are eager to take part, work hard and concentrate well. Most pupils with special educational needs enjoy their lessons and show positive attitudes to their work. However, a small but significant minority of pupils who have emotional and behavioural needs sometimes

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

disrupt lessons and undue time is spent trying to control the poor behaviour of these pupils. This happens when no additional support is available in the small cramped temporary classrooms for Years 3 and 4.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The behaviour of the large majority of the pupils is good. They settle quickly to their work, listen attentively and follow instructions well. The behaviour of the children in the nursery and reception classes is very good and they are full of enthusiasm for the activities set by their teachers. They develop their personal and social skills well and particularly enjoy the practical and creative work. They get on well with each other, are warm and friendly towards the adults who work with them and are keen to show a visitor how, for example, to treat a sick pet in the pretend animal hospital. They feel happy and secure in the familiar and carefully structured environment and are showing increasing confidence in the routines of the classroom.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Many of the older pupils provide good role models for the rest of the school and help them at playtimes. Pupils believe that their teachers and other members of staff handle incidents of poor behaviour fairly and they understand the difference between what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. They know that they are expected to behave well and to take responsibility for their own actions. There have been no exclusions. The school is fully committed to inclusion for all its pupils, functioning well as a structured and caring community. Pupils participate fully in school clubs and residential visits.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The pupils get on well together and develop very good relationships with their teachers and other adults in the school. Neither pupils nor parents express concerns about unkind behaviour or bullying and the pupils know staff and older pupils will listen to them and help them with any problems. Pupils help one another willingly. One pupil, for example, assisted another to dry out a soaking sweatshirt with paper towels after a heavy rainstorm. Many pupils have a well- developed awareness of other’s needs and feelings. Older pupils feel a genuine responsibility for younger ones. Pupils in Year 6, for example, put themselves forward for selection and training as volunteer play leaders. During playtimes, they lead games and instruct younger pupils in the rules of fair play. Pupils are keen to accept responsibility and carry out their class and school tasks conscientiously. The members of the school council have been involved in

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

various initiatives, such as the Campaign for Clear up Ansley Common. This resulted in the local council providing litter bins in the area around school. The council has also suggested new school rules. There have been many opportunities for pupils to learn about the lives and cultures of others and most pupils are aware of the need to be tolerant of differences and understanding of the plight of others less fortunate than themselves. The school’s resources, the various attractive displays in the classrooms and the extensive grounds are treated with respect and care. Pupils are involved in many sporting activities and represent their school with pride.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Attendance at the school is satisfactory. Attendance figures have been distorted by the poor attendance patterns of a very small number of families, resulting in a higher than average Nursery Hill Primary School - 13 unauthorised absence rate and a slightly below average attendance figure. Parents are generally conscientious about notifying the school of reasons for absence and there is no truancy. Most pupils arrive at school in good time and lessons begin promptly, following a quick and efficient registration session.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. While the overall quality of teaching has been maintained since the last inspection, there is a higher percentage of excellent and very good teaching in the lessons observed during this inspection. Based on a scrutiny of pupils’ work over the past year and observations of 48 lessons across all year groups, the overall quality of teaching is sound and meets the needs of all pupils satisfactorily. There are marked variations between year groups and this leads to some uneven quality of learning that ranges from a small amount that is unsatisfactory to some that is excellent.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. Teaching is excellent in the nursery and reception classes and, as a result, pupils’ learning moves at a rapid pace. Teaching is satisfactory and sometimes good in Years 1 and 2. In Years 3 and 4, while most of the teaching is satisfactory, a few lessons are unsatisfactory. This is usually caused by disruption to learning due to the inappropriate behaviour of a small but significant number of pupils who have emotional and behavioural needs. The teachers’ classroom management is not strong enough to cope with the needs of these pupils when additional support is not available. Teaching in Years 5 and 6 is consistently good, sometimes very good and occasionally excellent. This leads to good learning and improving standards across all subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is satisfactory overall. All teachers are technically competent in teaching phonics and basic numeracy skills and help pupils learn the correct subject vocabulary. The national literacy and numeracy strategies are well established and have given a consistent structure to lessons. The recommended three-part structure of a whole-class input followed by group and individual work and a final whole-class review session is embedded in all lessons. More could be expected of the above average pupils in both literacy and numeracy work. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of science are well taught, although not enough attention is given to the development of independent enquiry, particularly for the above average pupils. Too little direct teaching of ICT was happening during the inspection. The scrutiny of work and discussions with pupils, however, indicate that teachers do not use

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

computers enough to develop learning across all subjects. Art and design, design and technology and physical education are well taught and teachers help all pupils to learn key skills effectively. The teaching of religious education, music, history and geography are mostly satisfactory. The topic cycle approach to the planning of history and geography means that the development of key skills from year to year cannot be guaranteed since there are long breaks between the teaching of key subject skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Key strengths in the teaching in all subjects are: - Classroom management, relationships and high expectations. These support learning effectively through the development of a strong desire to work hard and please the teachers. In a Year 5 numeracy lesson, for example, these strengths and the excellent role model provided by the teacher led to pupils’ rapid progress. - Subject knowledge that results in good questioning of pupils and the development of key subject vocabulary. In a Year 6 design and technology lesson where pupils were experimenting with various ways of joining materials together, the teacher asks ‘In evaluating your work, how might you have improved your joining technique to make it stronger?’ Nursery Hill Primary School - 14 - Meaningful links between subjects that add relevance to learning for the pupils. In a Year 2 lesson linking art and science, for example, pupils were encouraged to use their

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

knowledge of life cycles to develop sculptures in clay to represent them. - The use of resources in and out of the classroom that enhance understanding and make learning more enjoyable. Pupils in Year 4, for example, used their knowledge in design and technology to make a real shelter in the wildlife area of the school using materials that they found there. - The opportunities for pupils to work on practical activities linked to a real-life outcome.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Areas for improvement are: - The work provided for the above average pupils does not often provide enough challenge and as a consequence, they do not achieve as well as they might. There is evidence for this both in the scrutiny of work across all subjects and in some lessons. Often, the work produced by above average pupils is very similar to what is produced by average pupils. - Not enough opportunities are provided for pupils to develop initiative and independence in their work. In subjects such as mathematics and science, pupils are not encouraged enough to select their own resources and equipment to solve a problem or to work out problems for themselves and draw their own conclusions from investigations.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of pupils who have special educational needs is good for the majority of the pupils. Teachers are careful to target them for inclusion in whole-class sessions, often designating a support assistant effectively to help with this. They are given effective focused support by classroom assistants or the teacher when working as a group and receive sensitive support when working individually. Teaching assistants are fully briefed and know exactly what they have to do in the classroom. They work quietly and effectively with pupils supporting them to succeed and building on their successes. In literacy sessions, for example, pupils are well supported with additional resources. They share similar activities to other pupils but teaching assistants provide further word clues to compensate for low level language skills. Frameworks for writing allow pupils to work at a similar level to the average pupils. The individual education

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

plans for pupils with special needs are satisfactory. They identify small steps in learning that enable them to be successful in literacy and numeracy but teachers’ planning does not clearly identify how these will be met in general classroom work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. In year groups where there is a relatively high proportion of pupils with emotional and behavioural needs, teaching does not meet their needs effectively. This is largely due to lack of additional classroom support, particularly in the current Year 3 and 4 classes and behaviour management strategies that are not always effective.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. The teaching of the very few pupils who have English as an additional language is good and helps them to participate in all lessons and achieve well. The local education authority provides support with specific learning resources and extra specialist teaching is provided for a short period. All teachers are sensitive to the needs of the pupils and ensure that they are involved in whole-class activities and given work that matches their ability.

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PUPILS?

23. The school provides its pupils with a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum that meets all statutory requirements. At the time of the last inspection there were some weaknesses in the planning and some subjects did not have complete schemes of work to enable the teachers to ensure that pupils made progress throughout the school. These weaknesses have now been addressed successfully. All subjects have appropriate schemes of work and the religious education curriculum meets the requirements of the Warwickshire Agreed Syllabus. A strength Nursery Hill Primary School - 15 of the curriculum for Years 1 and 2 is the way the teachers plan to include several subjects within themes or topics while still ensuring that pupils have access to the full curriculum for each subject. There is a weakness in the use of ICT across the curriculum and the provision for ICT is still not as good as it should be. The curriculum for the nursery and reception children [the

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PUPILS?

Foundation Stage] is excellent, providing rich, interesting and relevant experiences for the children while maintaining rigour in the pursuit of the early learning goals. All adults within the unit are involved in the planning, which is carefully matched to the needs of the children based on day-to-day assessments of their achievements.

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24. Pupils with special educational needs take part in all areas of the curriculum and there is a strong belief in the ideals of inclusion. A good example of this is the work shared with a pupil referral unit. Pupils attend the primary school under supervision in a bid to integrate them into mainstream education. Supervised time is decreased as the pupil shows signs of successful integration. Even when pupils are not able to integrate, the teacher from the Pupil Referral Unit still visits the school with primary aged pupils to ensure that they complete their primary education and have contact with pupils of the same age within a primary school framework. This very valuable link is useful to both institutions. This ideal of inclusion is somewhat compromised by the lack of support for the small but significant numbers of pupils with emotional and behavioural problems. Because of the low level of additional support, these pupils

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PUPILS?

do not make the progress that they should and sometimes disrupt learning for other pupil in the class.

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PUPILS?

25. The National Literacy Strategy is well founded throughout the school. There is an appropriate balance between the different elements of the curriculum and the good cross-curricular planning ensures that the pupils practise their literacy skills in relevant and purposeful ways. The daily reading sessions have had a positive impact on standards in reading. Numeracy is also provided for appropriately and the work in the numeracy lessons is often applied to other subjects. For example, pupils plot changes in plant growth in science and use co-ordinates to draw plans in geography. A weakness in both literacy and numeracy provision is the lack of appropriate planning for the above average pupils that results in too few achieving the higher levels.

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PUPILS?

26. The provision for extra-curricular activities, limited at the time of the last inspection, is now very good. There is a full range of sporting activities, [the girls’ football team retained their title in the inter-schools’ championship during the inspection] cookery, keep fit, choir and recorders, chess and gardening as well as the pre-school, lunchtime and after school clubs. The “Children’s University” on Saturday mornings, part of a business enterprise and funded by a government initiative, provides the pupils with a very good insight into business issues. This makes a very effective contribution to their early understanding of citizenship.

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27. The community plays an active role in the life of the school. A local firm provided funds for the secure outside area for the Foundation Stage. Pupils visit local places of worship, museums, galleries and farms. Years 2 and 3 use the local swimming pool. Parents readily support the work in school and accompany the pupils on school visits and walks. During the inspection a visitor representing “Kerb craft” spoke about road safety in assemblies. There are good sporting and curricular links with local schools. There is also a very good link with the pre- school playgroup, run in school during the afternoons by the non-teaching nursery and reception staff. This provides continuity in early years education.

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PUPILS?

28. All pupils have appropriate access to the whole curriculum and the other activities provided by the school although their working conditions vary from year to year because of the poor accommodation provided by the mobile classrooms. Nursery Hill Primary School - 16 29. The school’s provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is very good. Various schemes have been assessed for suitability and a scheme of work has been produced, incorporating the elements most appropriate for the pupils. It is planned to link with other subjects and provides teachers with a good structure for their planning. Personal, social and health education lessons, including “circle time” (activities where pupils sit around in a circle to discuss issues involving feelings and emotions) are included in the timetable each week. The teachers have the flexibility to respond to day-to-day issues as well as following the scheme of

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work. Parents and governors have contributed and parents have had input in the way sex education is taught. Healthy living and safety are strong features of the curriculum and pupils are aware of the appropriate use of drugs and the dangers of misuse.

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30. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social education is good and provision for cultural development is very good. The school places great emphasis in the development of pupils’ self- esteem. The quality of the displays throughout the school shows that effort is appreciated and valued. The work of different artists and their interpretation is an important aspect of the curriculum and pupils are encouraged to question why the artists paint the way they do and how the work makes them feel. This is often translated into the pupils’ own work. In lessons, the teachers are polite and listen attentively to their pupils. Pupils in their turn value each other’s opinions and respect the views of their peers, adults and the people they learn about. In a religious education lesson in Year 6, for example, pupils compared the way the major religions view charity. Because they have well-established respect for other faiths, some pupils showed

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real empathy with the rites of the different religions, understanding that the “giving” is often as important as the “receiving” and that charity is not just for the poor. Pupils are surrounded with living and growing things. In the Foundation Stage the children experience the wonder of tadpoles turning into frogs, caterpillars into butterflies and their seeds growing roots and shoots. High quality landscape paintings produced by Year 5 involve the pupils in observation and appreciation of the world around them and give them opportunities to respond to his through their artwork.

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31. From the time they join the nursery, the children are taught how their actions affect those around them. The children are encouraged to be independent and to make their own decisions, not only about their activities but also about whom they interact with and how they respond to others. They are encouraged to be sociable beings and are set very good examples by the staff. Each class has negotiated their own rules and there are systems to support these. The personal, social and health education curriculum plays an important part in the development of pupils’ moral and social education and pupils are encouraged to discuss issues that affect their lives. Older pupils study the work of influential figures such as Terry Waite, John Bunyan, and Martin Luther King. The school council is beginning to have an impact on the life of the school so pupils understand that their decisions affect others. Older pupils are trained as playground

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monitors, teaching playground games and acting as mentors in any disputes. The wide range of clubs, frequent team games, school visits and residential visits all help the pupils to interact outside the classroom and to share common aims. The links with industry help to provide an insight into the world of business. Pupils support charities such as Christian Aid and the Blue Peter appeals. The school is generally a sociable community with consistent values.

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PUPILS?

32. The school deserves its reputation for providing the pupils with a very good visual arts curriculum. Pupils are surrounded with a diverse range of artwork, sculpture, pattern, collage and paintings and their own work complements this. There are excellent paintings of lush rain forests and homage to the bike, based on Delauney’s “Homage to Bleriot”. Pupils create natural artwork in the style of Goldsworthy and have studied Aboriginal rock art. Pupils study the locality and the teachers are careful to preserve an insight into the local culture and history. Pupils have, for example, visited the site of a coal mine. Creation stories from different cultures and the celebrations associated with different religions provide pupils with a rich diet of multi- Nursery Hill Primary School - 17 cultural experiences. Literature and poetry are promoted effectively. The pupils’ study ‘Dahl’s magic’ in one class while in another they are encouraged to produce their own poetry in the

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style of Lear’s ‘Owl and the Pussycat’. The music curriculum contains a range of music from both western and other cultures and pupils have good opportunities to compose and perform their own music. Overall, the school prepares pupils well for life in a culturally diverse society. Nursery Hill Primary School - 18

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. All pupils, including the very young and those with special educational needs, are well cared for. Parents trust the school to take care of their children and speak of the warm and caring family atmosphere. The procedures for monitoring academic performance and personal development are satisfactory overall. Those in the nursery and reception classes are very good and provide a very high level of educational, personal support and guidance that enables the children to develop a very good foundation for learning. The strong relationships between pupils, their teachers and other members of staff are a major factor in the quality of care provided in the school. This quality of care has been maintained well since the last inspection.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school has good procedures to govern health and safety, including child protection. The governors fulfil their responsibilities covering risk assessment. The headteacher, who is the staff health and safety co-ordinator, works closely with the caretaker and other members of staff to maintain a safe and healthy environment. The provision for first aid is appropriate and fire drill evacuation is practised each term. The child protection co-ordinator has attended appropriate training courses and ensures that staff have up-to-date information and are vigilant in this duty of care. Teachers reinforce the safe use of resources during lessons, such as physical education, and the importance of good hygiene and diet are ensured through teaching and careful monitoring of, for example, washing hands before eating. Pupils receive appropriate drugs and sex education through the personal, social and health education programme and

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

visitors attend school to talk to pupils about issues of personal safety. At break times throughout the day, the level of supervision is good with adults and senior pupils monitoring behaviour and assisting with games or mediating in minor disputes. The midday supervisors provide high quality care at lunchtimes.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The monitoring of personal development, both formal and informal, is good and is founded on the good relationships that teachers have with the pupils. In the nursery and reception classes, the very good level of individual support, which the children receive positively enhances their attitudes, behaviour and personal development from their earliest entry to the school. There are effective systems to monitor and promote pupils’ attendance. Class teachers alert the headteacher to any concerns over individual attendance and the registers are monitored weekly to note any emerging problems. The school receives close support from the educational welfare services where persistent non-attendance occurs. Morning and afternoon registration procedures comply with legal requirements and are prompt, efficient and friendly.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school prides itself on consistency and fairness in its promotion of good behaviour and the monitoring of its pupils to achieve high standards. All adults in the school endeavour to set high expectations for good behaviour. Most pupils understand what is expected of them and feel confident that the staff will support them in any worries they may have. Because staff have a good awareness of the needs of the pupils, any bullying or unkindness is picked up early and dealt with effectively before becoming a major issue. Pupils value the rewards for kind and caring behaviour and enjoy the whole-school recognition for their achievement, such as featuring on the ‘You’re a Star’ board in the main hall.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The school’s arrangements for assessing pupils’ academic progress are satisfactory. The school meets statutory requirements for testing pupils at the end of Years 2 and 6. Nationally used optional tests are used well to identify strengths and weaknesses in English, mathematics and science. Co-ordinators of these subjects review teachers’ weekly planning and identify pupils who are working well and those needing support. A good ‘Traffic light’ system indicates termly progress in mathematics and English. Good quality records of tests are kept and analysed by the headteacher and her staff and used to guide curriculum planning. Good new arrangements have been made to introduce individual tracking of pupils’ progress in order to Nursery Hill Primary School - 19 identify pupils’ needs more precisely. However, these are too new to judge their effect on standards. The system presently being used only gives an overall picture of pupils’ progress and

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

does not meet the school’s requirements to identify more specific targets. Teachers use a sound range of additional tests to assess progress in number and language skills throughout the year. New arrangements to assess pupils’ progress in other subjects are being piloted. These are manageable and appropriate but again have not had time to have an impact of standards.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. The parents who responded to the questionnaire prior to the inspection have very positive views about most aspects of school life. They feel that the school works closely with them and are comfortable about approaching staff with any concerns that they may have. This is reflected in the very positive views about the school and the care that it takes of their children expressed by the majority of parents during the inspection. This partnership between the school and parents has been well maintained since the last inspection. The school worked hard to ‘stay in touch’ during the recent two terms of enforced relocation due to gas problems on the site. Most parents appreciate the educational opportunities provided by the headteacher and teaching staff and value the care taken to consult with them over such matters as road safety, homework and the Code of Conduct.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. The school provides practical, comprehensive and informative documentation about the school and their children’s progress. The prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents contain useful information about the school and its achievements. The school has rectified the missed items noted in the governors’ annual report at the last inspection. The children’s annual reports provide satisfactory information on pupils’ achievements and written comments are pertinent to individual pupils. Areas of weakness and targets for improvement are given for some subjects but not all. There are three formal consultation opportunities during the year and parent assemblies once or twice a term. Parents can speak to the headteacher or class teachers at any reasonable time if they have any concerns. Many parents exchange brief information as they bring their child to school and just have a chat at the end of the day.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Regular newsletters are sent to parents to keep them up-to-date with activities taking place in the school. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are fully informed in all aspects of their child’s learning and are kept well informed about the needs of their child.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The school is fully committed to involving parents in their children’s learning and in the life of the school. Parent governors make a significant contribution to the decision making process and in seeking sponsorship for the school. The majority of parents willingly help their children with homework tasks, although there is an inconsistency in the setting and marking of regular homework. Reading books provide a useful regular link between school and home. A small number of parents help regularly in classrooms with reading and practical activities and volunteer to accompany the pupils on visits. This active involvement by parents has a beneficial impact on the work of a class and is appreciated by the school. The majority of parents have a more passive involvement in the daily life of the school but support the very active Parents’ Association in their fund raising events and social activities. The school places a high value on

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

parental involvement in its ongoing commitment to encourage a stronger and more active partnership between the school and parents.

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