St James' Church of England Aided Infant School

SCHOOL

Acting headteacher: Mrs Pauline Richardson

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SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 8 th -10 th July 2002

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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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SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Rev. Alan Messom

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 16 th June 1997 St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery 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

21581 Mrs M Speakman Registered inspector Science Information and communication technology Music Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Information about the school The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well the school is led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 13786 Mrs S Walsh 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? 22397 Mr S Fowler Team inspector English Design and technology Geography Physical education Equality of opportunity How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

29261 Mrs P Ward Team inspector Mathematics Art and design History Areas of learning for the children in the Foundation Stage Provision for pupils with special educational needs St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Grasshoppers 1 Anglesey Close Chasetown Burntwood Staffordshire WS7 8XA

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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 St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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? 12

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 27

St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School is near to the centre of Derby in an area of high social and economic disadvantage. There are 69 pupils on roll in Reception, Years 1 and 2. This is very small for an infant school. There are 39 children who attend nursery on a part time basis and one who attends full time. Children are admitted into nursery class during the school year in which they are three and into reception either in September or January of the school year in which they are five. Thirty-one per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is higher than average. Just over half of the pupils are of non-white ethnic origin and seven different first languages are spoken. The majority of pupils come from a Pakistani background and others are from a wide range of heritages, including Indian, Caribbean and Bengali. There are two pupils from refugee families. Over sixty-five per cent of pupils speak

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

English as an additional language, thirty six per cent receive additional support. This is a very high proportion of pupils when compared nationally. Thirty-three per cent of pupils are identified as have special educational needs, with one pupil having a statement of special educational need. These figures are above average. The majority of pupils with special educational needs have speech or communication difficulties or moderate learning difficulties. Children's attainment on entry to the nursery varies from below to well below what is expected for their age. When the children who are currently in the nursery class started school, their attainment was well below what is expected.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School is a very effective school with a positive Christian ethos. The excellent leadership of the acting headteacher and very good teaching are instrumental in engendering pupils’ very positive attitudes and impressively high levels of achievement. Standards are above average in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT) and average in all other subjects by the end of Year 2. The school gives very good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The acting headteacher’s excellent leadership ensures that all members of the school community work in unanimity to realise the aims of the school. • Teaching is very good. • Standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT are above average at the age of seven. • Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good and is instrumental in promoting pupils’ very positive attitudes, behaviour and relationships. • The school’s provision ensures that all pupils have equal opportunity to take advantage of everything the school has to offer. The learning and personal needs of all groups of pupils are well catered for.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in all subjects except English are not systematic enough. • The time allocated to the teaching of art and design, design and technology, history, geography and music is low and co-ordinators of these subjects have insufficient opportunities to monitor standards in teaching and learning. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made very good improvement since its last inspection in June 1997. Arrangements for managing the behaviour of pupils have improved considerably. The quality of teaching has improved. Standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT are higher than at the last inspection. The very good quality of provision for personal development and the secure systems for the care and welfare of pupils have all been maintained.

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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 C A C A well above average above average A B writing B A A A* average below average C D mathematics C A C A well below average E

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STANDARDS

Scores in the 2001 tests in reading and mathematics were lower than in 2000 although attainment in writing remained the same. Pupils do very well in the national tests in comparison with similar schools. Over the last five years girls overall have done better than boys in reading and writing tests and boys have done better in mathematics tests. No difference in attainment between boys and girls was seen during the inspection. Standards seen in the school in English, mathematics and science are above national averages. In ICT pupils attain above the expected standard. In art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education pupils attain at the expected standard for their age. Taking into account the pupil’s starting point they achieve very well. Progress over a longer period of time in art and design, design and technology, history, geography and music, is not as fast as the learning that takes place in individual lessons because of the

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STANDARDS

limited time allocation these subjects receive. Children between the ages of three and five make a secure start to school. They achieve well in nursery and very well in reception. By the age of six, at the end of their time in reception, the majority of children are achieving the expected standard in communication, language and literacy, mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development. They are achieving above the expected standard in personal, social, emotional and creative development. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress towards the targets in their individual educational plans. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make very good strides in learning English. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 9

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. They listen carefully, and show high levels of concentration and perseverance.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils understand and conform to school rules. They behave impeccably both in lessons and around the school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Relationships within the school are very good both among pupils and between pupils and adults. Pupils show very high levels of independence and initiative both in lessons and around the school.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching overall is very good with a significant amount being excellent. The best teaching and learning is seen in English, mathematics, science and ICT.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The key elements in the most successful teaching are the very effective teaching of basic skills; teachers’ extremely high expectations of what children may achieve, the stimulating and challenging activities they offer pupils, and the management of and relationship with them. Pupils respond very well to the demands made on them, they work hard, give of their best and approach new challenges with confidence. Pupils who have special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language are very well catered for. Literacy and numeracy is very well taught and every opportunity is made to reinforce these basic skills in other subjects. Learning support staff make a very positive contribution through their support for groups and individual pupils. Because of the very high quality of teaching rates of learning are overall very good. This is particularly the case in English, mathematics,

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

science and ICT. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 10

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is broad and meets all statutory requirements. It is relevant to the needs of all pupils. There is an appropriate emphasis on literacy and numeracy but insufficient time is allocated to some other subjects. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils receive carefully planned work and help from teachers and support staff. Pupils’ needs are identified accurately and they are set appropriate targets to achieve.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very effective support and teaching enables pupils to make rapid progress in learning English. Pupils with very little English benefit from receiving support in their first language.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school makes excellent provision for pupils’ spiritual and moral development. Provision for social development is very good and for cultural development it is good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Procedures for child protection are very good and the school cares for the social and personal welfare of it pupils well. Formal procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress are very thorough in English but arrangements in other subjects are slight or not in place at all.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school works in partnership with parents The school has an effective partnership with parents and provides them with good quality information. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 11

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The acting headteacher gives outstanding leadership. She has managed the school efficiently whilst continuing to maintain her role as an accomplished class teacher. The staff work closely as an effective team and manage their many responsibilities well. However, they have insufficient time to monitor the quality of teaching, learning and standards in their subjects. The school has a reasonable number of experienced teachers and support staff to meet the demands of the curriculum.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory overall. The governors are supportive of the school and some are very involved in its life and work. The lack of working committees reduces their efficiency in overseeing the curriculum. They have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school evaluates its own performance well and has the ability to identify appropriate areas for future development. The school’s priorities for improvement and the action taken have been instrumental in raising standards particularly in literacy.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school uses its resources well. Finances are managed and administered with care and efficiency. The school seeks good value for money when taking spending decisions. Specific grants are spent appropriately. Time and resources are used very well, particularly the ICT resources. The accommodation is satisfactory and in the main well organised. However, accommodation in the nursery is cluttered and space is not used as well as it could be. The level of resourcing is satisfactory overall with good provision for ICT.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children like school • They would be comfortable approaching the school with problems or difficulties. • The school is well managed and led • The school helps their children become mature and responsible.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents hold the school in very high regard. The inspection team supports their positive views. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. When children start in nursery many are in the very early stages of learning English. Children make a positive start to their school life, they achieve well and make good progress in nursery. When they move into reception their levels of achievement increases further and overall, they achieve very well. By end of their time in reception children are attaining the expected standard in communication, language and literacy, mathematical, physical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. Their personal, social, emotional and creative development is above that expected for their age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The previous inspection judged that standards in English, mathematics and science were average. Results in the National Curriculum tests and tasks taken by pupils at the end of Year 2 have shown improvement over the last the last four years. Test and task results of pupils in 2001 showed standards in reading and mathematics that were average and in writing that were well above average. Standards in relation to similar schools were well above average in reading and mathematics and very high in writing. The number of pupils who reached the higher level (level 3) was well below average in reading, well above average in writing and average in mathematics. In relation to similar schools, the number of pupils reaching the higher level was below average in reading and well above average in writing and mathematics. In the science teacher assessments, pupils reached average standards overall, with an above average number attaining the higher level in comparison with similar

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

schools. Early indications from the as yet unpublished test results for 2002 show that a greater number of pupils have attained the higher levels in reading and mathematics than in 2001 and inspection evidence supports this.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills develop at a fast rate as they get older. Some of the youngest pupils are still in the early stages of learning English. However, they listen carefully to their teachers and maintain concentration for a good length of time. They are keen to talk in informal and formal situations and try very hard to answer teachers and classmates in full sentences. The sensitive and well-targeted teaching and encouragement of pupils enables them to grow in confidence as speakers. All the pupils respect the schools rule about using calm, quiet tones of speech (referred to as “partner voices“) and share their ideas and opinions with each other sensibly. By the end of Year 2 most read fluently and with enjoyment. They have a good range of opportunities to write for different purposes both in English lessons and other subjects. Spelling and punctuation become more accurate.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In mathematics, pupils achieve very well because of very high quality of the teaching. By the end of Year 2, pupils have received a broad experience of mathematics. They use a good range of methods to solve number problems, developing mathematical vocabulary and an understanding of time, fractions and shape.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Pupils also achieve very well in science, and by the end of Year 2, standards are above average. Pupils have a good understanding of the importance of making tests and investigations fair. They express their findings in different forms including grids, graphs and factual writing. Pupils have a thorough understanding of the work they have covered.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In ICT, by end of Year 2, standards are above expectations. This is because of the good quality teaching and the regular and frequent opportunities that pupils have to work with computers. This is an improvement since the last inspection when standards in this subject were average. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 13 7. As at the time of the last inspection by the end of Year 2, standards in art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education are similar to those expected for the pupils’ age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Throughout the school, pupils achieve very well. Because of the very effective provision for supporting and teaching pupils who speak English as an additional language these pupils make very good strides in their acquisition of English. As they get older they grow in confidence and their skill in the use of English. The school monitors pupils’ data by ethnicity and gender to judge the progress of individuals and groups. The high levels of expertise offered by teachers and support staff working with pupils identified as having special educational needs enables pupils to make very good progress towards achieving the targets in their individual education plans. Higher attaining pupils progress very well because teachers know these pupils’ capabilities well and ensure that the work set for them is challenging.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Although over the last four years there have been differences in the attainment of boys and girls in the reading, writing and mathematics national tests with boys doing better in mathematics and girls doing better in reading and writing, there is no obvious difference in the attainment of boys and girls in lessons.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The school has thorough systems for tracking pupils’ progress and for setting targets for attainment at the end of Year 2 in English but not in other subjects. In the main, pupils met their individual targets this year and some exceed them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils have very good attitudes and are very enthusiastic about coming to school. Pupils are encouraged to be punctual by a stimulating start to the day where they choose activities to share with their parents. Pupils’ enthusiasm for using the computers was very evident during these sessions, others were observed looking very carefully at snails through magnifying glasses. Pupils are able to choose their own lunch and have the responsibility of telling the secretary whether they want a school dinner or have brought a packed lunch. This aids their personal development well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils work very hard during lessons. There are one or two children in nursery that find it difficult to concentrate, but they are well supported by staff. During sharing time, pupils are encouraged to talk about the experiences they have out of school. They listen respectfully to the contribution of others. The “audience” is encouraged to ask questions and they do so with a great deal of confidence. Activities, such as the early morning activities are often planned to promote pupils’ independence. Pupils really enjoy their lessons because of the exceptionally high levels of expectation and challenge provided by the teachers.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Behaviour is very good and has improved substantially since the last inspection. The very good behaviour of pupils in lessons ensures that all get on with their work and make very good progress. Pupils respect resources and treat school property carefully. Behaviour at lunchtimes was criticised in the last inspection report; it is now very good. Playtimes are sensibly structured and well supervised. At lunchtime pupils have access to a wide range of activities. Quieter children can sit and make things or play with large cardboard boxes, some listen to a story. Other children who enjoy physical activities can play football, basketball or play with giant balls. There is a very high level of interest and involvement. The pupils behave exceptionally well in assemblies and listen carefully to contributions from their classmates. Parents, pupils and staff do not perceive bullying to be a problem. There have been no

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

exclusions. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 14 14. Relationships are very good both between pupils and staff and pupils. The school is a harmonious multi-ethnic community where pupils from a wide range of backgrounds mix well. Pupils respond very well to the excellent role models provided by staff. They learn to respect differences in feelings, values and beliefs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Personal development is very good. Pupils who start school with poor social skills quickly learn self-discipline and how to behave in social situations. They start to understand the impact of their actions on others. Pupils are very willing to take responsibility and are especially helpful to pupils with special educational needs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Attendance rates have improved substantially since the last inspection. Although last year’s attendance rates exceeded ninety per cent they were still below the national average for primary schools. The school has worked hard to encourage parents to bring their children to school regularly and to avoid extended holidays in term time. Attendance rates have increased and this year are slightly above the national average and unauthorised absence has reduced. The attendance of some children under the age of five is still erratic and this effects their progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The quality of teaching is, overall, very good. This is a considerable improvement since the last inspection. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen. Twenty-two per cent of the teaching was excellent, thirty-one per cent was very good, forty-one per cent was good and six per cent satisfactory. Excellent teaching was seen in reception and in the Year 1 and 2 classes. Very good teaching was seen in all classes. In reception, all the teaching was either very good or excellent. It is this very high quality of teaching throughout the school that enables pupils to achieve very well and to develop high levels of independence and enthusiasm for learning. The key features of the effective teaching are high expectations of what pupils may achieve, the very effective teaching of literacy and numeracy, the interesting and effective methods teachers use and the very positive relationships with pupils, including

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

their management of pupils’ time and behaviour.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The quality of teaching for the children between the ages of three and five is very good overall. Good assessments are made of children’s progress and teachers and nursery nurses ensure that work meets the varying needs of children in their care. The well-planned activities make a very good contribution to learning especially where children are supported by adult intervention. The teaching of personal and social skills is very good in the nursery class and the teaching of communication, language, literacy and mathematics is excellent in reception.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. In Years 1 and 2 teachers have very high levels of subject expertise in most subjects. The school makes good use of staffs’ individual subject strengths. For example, a part-time teacher teaches much of the music in the school. A member of staff with a high level of expertise in ICT oversees the use of the computer suite, during the activity time at the beginning of the school day and during some lessons. The impact of this effective support was seen at many points of the inspection. For example, as part of a history lesson in Year 2, pupils were given the opportunity to use the program “Dazzle“ to depict the Fire of London. They demonstrated considerable confidence and skill in managing the program, producing some creditable pictures of the burning buildings. They then went on to access a research program to find additional pictorial information about the Great Fire. They were given very effective support and were encouraged to try out and solve any difficulties they might have for

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

themselves. Consequently, pupils are developing as confident and skilful users of these programs and their use of ICT is supporting their understanding in history very well. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 15 20. A considerable amount of time is allocated to literacy and numeracy and the quality of teaching is outstanding. Teachers’ very high levels of expertise and their very high expectations of what pupils may achieve are the key elements in the consistently rich experiences they provide. These elements are seen in the skill with which teachers promote all pupils’ speaking and listening skills, and the constant drive in both literacy and numeracy to encourage pupils to apply what they have been taught. For example, in numeracy by using different problem solving approaches and in literacy by making full use of all the supports such as the “Try it!” spelling books to promote independence and confidence. Development

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

in approaches to literacy and numeracy has been a major feature of the school’s priorities for improvement over the last year. This has certainly paid off. Lessons are planned with clear achievable learning objectives, which are made known to the pupils. At the end of the lessons pupils and teachers discuss what has been learnt and teachers’ give them an indication of what they are going to do in the next lesson. In literacy, teachers make imaginative use of a variety of interesting texts and traditional stories. Work on sentence construction, grammar, punctuation and spelling is linked well to these texts. In numeracy, very pacey lessons, which make skilful use of a range of resources, enable pupils to make considerable strides in learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. A considerable strength of teachers’ work, is the effectiveness of the methods and strategies used to motivate pupils and to teach new skills and knowledge with clarity. Sometimes pupils’ work in groups organised according to ability, sometimes they work co- operatively in mixed ability groups. Teachers plan work for different groups very carefully. They build in different levels of challenge and support, taking careful account of pupils who have additional learning needs or who need additional support in understanding English. Teachers’ presentation of new knowledge or skills are always clear with relevant demonstrations of what pupils are required to do. For example, in geography, when using an ICT program that shows how the environment is changed by addition of roads and buildings. Effective use is made of questioning which enables pupils to demonstrate their understanding and extend it further. Teachers’ s questioning is fully inclusive and targeted, to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

ensure that pupils of all abilities and temperaments are motivated and able to take part. There is an expectation and insistence that pupils will answer in full sentences and teachers are well rewarded by pupils’ efforts.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Throughout the school, teachers manage pupils very effectively. At the time of last inspection some incidences of challenging behaviour were noted. The staffs’ positive and consistent approach to behaviour management is very effective. Relationships between adults and pupils are very good and pupils are far too interested in their work to misbehave. Teachers maintain control of their classes in a friendly, calm and purposeful manner.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Teachers give pupils good support and advice while they are working and adjust the lesson content for individual pupils if they need additional challenge or practice. Teachers give pupils good quality feedback about their work during and at the end of lessons. Written work is annotated by the teacher to show how far pupils have fulfilled the objective of the activity. However, pupils are not usually set individual targets or given suggestions about how they could improve further.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. The quality of teaching for pupils with special educational needs is very good. There is a strong commitment to meeting the needs of pupils and to raising standards of teaching and learning. Teachers and the co-ordinator are involved in the planning of individual education plans. Classroom assistants are kept well aware of the targets and are provided with the appropriate training to enable them to support teaching and learning. Teachers use praise, which helps to sustain enthusiasm and enables pupils to feel confident enough to ask for help when they do not understand. Pupils’ learning is reviewed regularly, their progress evaluated and decisions are then made as to the next step in learning. Teachers plan carefully to St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 16 provide work that ensures that pupils succeed and make good progress. One pupil receives specialised teaching in line with the requirements of the statement of special need.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. The teaching of pupils who speak English as an additional language is very good and enables pupils to make very good strides in their acquisition of English. All staff have a thorough understanding of the language needs of these pupils as well as their other learning needs. The school assesses pupils when they are first in the schools and tracks their progress, with careful records being kept. Bi-lingual support staff are very well used to enable pupils who are in the earliest stages of learning English to have access to the full curriculum. Most support takes place within the classroom, which enables pupils of all ages to benefit from interaction with their classmates, whilst receiving additional help. Support is planned and integrated into whole-class lessons very successfully. Some pupils have additional sessions in small groups in a quiet area away from the classroom. These sessions are very

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

beneficial in extending their understanding of and confidence in using English.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. The classroom support staff are all well qualified and make a very good contribution to teaching and learning. Bi-lingual support staff make full use of their knowledge of the community languages to help pupils in the early stages of learning English. They know the pupils well and are very skilful at encouraging and supporting the more reticent pupils. Good use is made of support staff to monitor pupils’ responses to whole class teaching and encourage all pupils to participate fully in this aspect of the lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. The use of homework is satisfactory overall. Pupils are set interesting and practical activities to undertake and to share with their families.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. The quality of pupils’ learning is very good. Pupils work extremely hard in most lessons because they are so well motivated. They concentrate for considerable periods, achieve very well and develop high levels of independence for their age. Pupils levels of concentration and self discipline benefit not only from all teachers’ insistence on hard work but also from the silent reading or writing session that takes place at the beginning of the afternoon. During that time, not a sound could be heard throughout the school as all pupils concentrated on the tasks set until the bell marking the end of the session was rung.

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PUPILS?

29. Although the school’s curriculum is sufficiently broad to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum, the current time allocated to the teaching of most of the non-core subjects (art and design, design and technology, geography, history, and music) is low. Although pupils cover all the required aspects in these subjects their range of experiences in these subjects is often limited. There is a newly developed policy and planning for personal, social and health education which aims to help pupils to learn about themselves, to develop as individuals and to become effective members of the community. The provision for sex education is integrated very well into the planning for science and the school has enrolled in the “Drugs in the Community” project recently initiated by the local education authority to inform pupils about the dangers of drugs.

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PUPILS?

30. At the time of the last inspection, the breadth and balance of the curriculum were satisfactory and all policies and planning were closely linked to National Curriculum Programmes of Study. Since that time, most policies and planning have been updated to meet the requirements of Curriculum 2000, although some, such as those in design and technology and geography, are still in need of revision. Current planning which guides teachers aims to provide good quality learning opportunities for pupils. It takes account of the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 17 additional language. It is fully inclusive and contributes well to the standards that pupils achieve.

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PUPILS?

31. The good implementation and high priority given to the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies is making a strong impact on pupils’ learning and standards of attainment have risen consistently in these areas. Skills are reinforced regularly and are taught in a well-planned and structured way. Teachers plan collaboratively, which helps to develop a consistent approach to teaching. The thorough approach to monitoring in English ensures that teaching and learning are effective and are appropriate to the needs of all pupils.

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PUPILS?

32. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The policy provides a good overview of the new Code of Practice, sets out the school’s stance on ensuring the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs and outlines the schools arrangements for meeting their needs. Pupils follow the same curriculum as their peers through tasks that are generally well adapted to suit their needs. A very good range of opportunities is provided, to meet the interest, aptitudes and particular needs of pupils. The curriculum takes good account of what is in pupils’ individual education plans and statements of special educational need. National literacy and numeracy sessions are used effectively with support targeted to assist most pupils and to enable them to have the same opportunities as others to succeed.

p.17

PUPILS?

33. The school has developed satisfactory links with the community. For example, during the inspection, Year 2 pupils received a visit from the local fire safety officer which helped them to appreciate the hazards related to fire and to suggest ways of avoiding them. Pupils from the school participated in a Caribbean dance day initiated by a local arts group and talked enthusiastically about their train ride from Derby to Leicester and their visits to the local arboretum.

p.17

PUPILS?

34. The school has recognised the importance of pupils’ personal, social and health education by appointing a co-ordinator for this area. She has developed a policy and planning that is making a significant contribution to the good attitudes and relationships that are a strength of the school. Personal, social and health education is integrated very well into the curriculum, adds further structure to the very good personal support and guidance provided. There are good opportunities for pupils to take part in additional activities such as Story Club during break and lunchtimes.

p.17

PUPILS?

35. Overall, the school is effective in providing a fully inclusive curriculum, and all pupils are given equal access to the statutory curriculum and all other activities. The school has a policy for equal opportunities and each curriculum policy has within it a reference to equality of opportunity.

p.17

Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

36. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is excellent. The school provides an education that reflects the Christian faith and also respects the diversity of faiths and customs of pupils and staff in the school. A quiet respectful atmosphere for growing and learning pervades the school. Very good quality assemblies enhance pupils’ spiritual awareness. Very carefully prepared and effective acts of collective worship provide opportunities for quiet reflection and prayer. Pupils are encouraged to consider other people’s feelings and praise God for all the gifts pupils identify. Staff and pupils form a “Circle of Love” which encompasses the spirituality of the school. Music is used to enhance spirituality during the singing of well-chosen hymns. Displays including photographs, children’s work, together with the carefully prepared captions, are used very well to provide encouragement and praise and to promote friendship and a caring community. Pupils’ spiritual awareness is also raised

p.17

Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

in a wide range of lessons. A good example of this was in reception when children St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 18 investigated the taste of fruits, similarly there was obvious awe and wonder in Year 1 when pupils were involved in observation of snails.

p.17

Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

37. Pupils’ moral development is very well provided for within a strong moral framework where high expectations of behaviour self discipline and excellent relationships are fostered. All staff set a very good example for pupils through the quality of their relationships with each other and the pupils. The school rules, which are displayed in the classrooms and in the hall, are implemented well. Teachers take the time to explain the impact of behaviour on others and praise and stars are awarded to those who keep the rules well. Pupils therefore have a very full understanding of right and wrong.

p.18

Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

38. Provision for pupils’ social development is very good. Within classes pupils work together co-operatively taking on a variety of tasks. Pupils act as monitors, have responsibilities for collecting and returning resources and take messages to the office. They have responsibility for their own dinner tickets and choosing from the dinner menu. Because of these opportunities, pupils learn to work well together and to value each other’s work. They share games well at lunchtimes and confidently take part in assemblies, school concerts and other events. Pupils are also encouraged to participate in the community. For example, through raising funds for those less fortunate than themselves.

p.18

Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

39. Provision for cultural development is good. There are well-planned opportunities within the curriculum for pupils to develop and appreciation knowledge of their own cultural traditions. Educational visits to the museum and a science workshop as well as those to the arboretum and the shops in the locality increase pupils’ knowledge through first hand experience. However, the number and range of these experiences is limited because time allocation for non-core subjects is low. Provision for multicultural development is very good. This is reflected in the harmonious relationships that exist. Records of earlier work as well as that in displays, represents a good range of cultures celebrations and traditions, for example the celebration of Eid, Divali, Christmas and the Harvest festival. In art and design, pupils are introduced to the work of famous artists and music played in assembly includes a satisfactory range of styles. Pupils’ awareness of the multi-cultural nature of society is raised

p.18

Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

in stories and poems they hear and read and also when learning about similarities and differences in the major faiths in religious education lessons. Visitors to the school, including a Caribbean dancer, clearly enhance the quality of pupils’ multicultural development.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school keeps the promise it makes in its home school agreement and provides a very secure and supportive environment for its pupils. There are very good relationships between pupils and staff, pupils helped to gain self confidence, self discipline and to respect the needs of others This results in there being a most caring ethos which is very much appreciated by parents.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Arrangements for child protection are good overall. The school pays good attention to health and safety and provides a very cheerful bright attractive and safe environment. However, the nursery room is cluttered and when the blinds are drawn children do not have access to natural light and the room is too dark. There are many trip hazards and the entrance to the outdoor play area is crowded with toys.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The monitoring and promoting of attendance is good. The school keeps very good records of reasons for absence. Not all parents are contacted on the first morning their children are absent, but the parents of pupils who attend irregularly usually are. The school has run “Early Riser” initiatives in partnership with the education welfare officer where pupils St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 19 are rewarded for coming to school on time. This hard work has resulted in improved punctuality and attendance.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The school has very good procedures to encourage good behaviour. In response to criticism about pupils’ behaviour in the previous inspection the school sensibly reviewed and developed its policy for managing behaviour. In consultation with parents, five school rules were developed. Teachers have consistently high expectations of behaviour and employ the system well. This has resulted in much improved standards of behaviour. There are no formal procedures to deal with of incidents of bullying but rare occasions that arise are dealt with sensitively and appropriately by the acting head teacher and staff.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. There are satisfactory arrangements and systems to assess pupils’ progress and attainment. Assessments are carried out when children enter nursery and again on entry to reception. Careful analysis is made of National Curriculum tests and task results to identify patterns in pupils’ performance. The findings are used well to inform further curriculum planning and school development initiatives to raise standards. There are very precise systems for tracking pupils’ progress in English so teachers have a very clear view of how well their pupils are doing. However, arrangements for assessing pupils’ progress in other subjects are in the early stages of development and teachers’ views of pupils’ achievements are not so precise as in English.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Pupils with special educational needs receive a very good level of support. Pupils are taught by staff who know them and their individual needs well enabling them to participate in all aspects of school life. There is very good liaison with support agencies and good use of assessment procedures to identify pupils with special educational needs. The special needs co-ordinator maintains a detailed and comprehensive register of pupils and there are appropriate procedures for placing pupils on the register. Close liaison with the English as an additional language support team, enables pupils who need to, have access to special needs provision. The school meets the requirements outlined in pupils’ statements.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parents have very positive views of the school. Parents are welcomed into school each morning and have the opportunity to spend some time sharing an activity with their child or to talk to the class teacher. This is a valuable and informal opportunity for parents to have close contact with the school and each morning the school is full of cheerful parents chatting with pupils and staff. Reading books are sent home and are returned in good condition but the school does not use reading or home school dairies that might encourage parents to be more involved in their children’s education. There have been no recent courses for parents but the school does not have a room where parents, pupils and teachers could work together. The nursery has held activity afternoons for parents. There is no formal parents teachers association and few parent helpers in the classrooms, at present parents are quietly supportive but have a limited impact on the work of the school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The school supplies parents with good information. The reports on pupils’ progress are generally of very good quality. They inform parents clearly about what their children know understand and can do. The section that gives the key facts is very clear and some teachers produce very detailed explanations about what parents can do to help their children make good progress. The school has planned to produce a curriculum guide for parents but at present parents get limited information about what is taught. Parents are informed about events but the school lacks interesting newsletters that might better reflect the very good quality of the school. The prospectus is of good quality, while the Governors’ Report to Parents meets statutory requirements it does not give a real flavour of the high quality work of the school. Parents of pupils in the nursery receive limited written information prior to their

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 20 children starting school. There is a very brief leaflet but no materials are supplied that might encourage parents and children to work together.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The needs of Asian parents are very well met. The school is fortunate to have the services of a bi-lingual instructor who translates documents such as the prospectus, the Governors Report to Parents, letters and reports into Urdu. He is available at parents meetings to translate into Punjabi and greatly enhances communication between parents who do not speak English as their first language and the school staff. He has been invaluable in encouraging parents to value education, including getting their children to attend school regularly and on time.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The school is very well led and managed. The acting headteacher gives excellent leadership the school, whilst maintaining an extensive teaching commitment conscientiously and to very good effect. By her daily example, she demonstrates the school’s strong commitment to the philosophy of providing an imaginative and high quality educational experience for all pupils within a Christian framework. She is unwaveringly supported by all the staff who pull together and consistently reinforce and enact the principles which drive the school. This common purpose is most effective in providing a caring, secure and stimulating environment in which all feel valued, develop confidence and give of their best.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The key issue from the last inspection which required the school to improve its support systems for behaviour management has been most successfully accomplished. Standards of attainment in subjects have risen or been maintained since the last inspection.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The school development plan is a useful document that has a long-term overview with detailed plans for current development. This is effective in putting current priorities for improvement within the wider picture. The school has rightly identified the need to raise standards in English and this has been the main thrust of improvement strategies during the current development cycle. As well as this, the school has not lost sight of the need to maintain and improve the school's accommodation, staffing levels and expertise. Priorities have been carefully costed with relevant success criteria, pupils' outcomes and responsibilities staff are identified. This allows the school management to evaluate how well it is doing. Arrangements for evaluating the quality of teachers’ work and enabling them to develop further are securely in place.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. There is a good match of experienced teaching and support staff to meet the demands of the curriculum. A number of curriculum co-ordinators are relatively new to their roles but they have already begun to evaluate curricular coverage and to produce action plans for future development. The school has yet to appoint a curriculum leader for design and technology. Most policies and planning have been updated and co-ordinators regularly monitor planning. However, the formal monitoring of teaching has been restricted mainly to English and to identify areas for further staff development. The leadership of all subjects is at least satisfactory, many are led well and some subjects, such as physical education, English and ICT, are led particularly well. The teaching of the curriculum for ICT has been improved considerably by the provision of a computer suite.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The school is fully inclusive and demonstrates its commitment to equality of opportunity both through a well-formulated policy and by providing additional support for pupils who require it.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The management and leadership of special educational needs provision is very good. Accurate records of pupils’ progress are well maintained. Appropriate arrangements for St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 21 pupils’ learning to be reviewed regularly, their progress evaluated and decisions made as to the next step in learning are ensured. Where external support is required the recommended procedures are followed. The newly nominated governor for special educational needs is kept well informed. Resources are satisfactory. An improvement since the last inspection is the increased opportunities for pupils to have access to ICT. Funding allocated for special educational needs provision is fully utilised to provide effective support and to ensure that pupils make very good progress.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The provision for pupils who speak English as an additional language is very well managed. Currently the member of staff overseeing provision is doing so on a temporary basis but has a good grasp of the requirements. Pupils are assessed when they first enter school and their progress in English language acquisition is very carefully monitored and assessed on a regular basis. All staff have a good grasp of the learning needs of pupils who are in the early stages of learning English and the school benefits from having a number of staff who speak the principle community languages.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school is accommodated in a pleasant building which is semi–open plan. Improvements have been made to securing the perimeter of the school and the nursery since the last inspection. Good use is made of all available space and the placing of the computer suite and a small library in the central area of the school offers good access to these resources for all classes. The nursery classroom is of reasonable size but its effectiveness is reduced because the organisation of furniture limits the free flow of movement across the room. The overall level of resourcing is satisfactory with there being good levels of resourcing for ICT.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school has good procedures for ensuring that the financial resources available to it are used to properly support the educational needs of its pupils. There is a clear cycle of financial planning, linked to the school's development plan, and the monitoring of expenditure is secure. Overall, the picture is much the same as when inspected previously, when financial planning and control were said to be good.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. Planned financial reserve levels are appropriate and the governors, well advised by the acting head teacher, have proper regard for the use of these reserves. For example, the school has a high surplus and is currently seeking to increase the number of teachers employed within the school and have financed a project to provide a canopy over part of the playground which will be effective in both inclement and sunny weather. These actions, and the prudent contingency planning that is in place, aim to make sure that, as far as possible, the school's finances will be sufficient to ensure the continuation of its present strategies. Expenditure has been targeted to benefit pupils' attainment and progress directly by increasing staffing levels, providing additional learning resources and creating an improved working environment.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The governors have a realistic view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and give the school good support. Some governors are very involved in the daily life of the school. The governors' involvement in the school's annual strategic planning enables them to be fully informed and to make a positive contribution. There is a good identification of priorities related to improving the quality of education and raising standards. At present, there are vacancies on the governing body and the school does not have either a Chair of Finance or a finance committee to monitor expenditure on a regular basis nor a curriculum committee to maintain oversight of the school’s curriculum developments. The efficiency of the governing body as a whole is reduced because of the lack of committees to deal with the detail of these aspects of their role. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 22 60. The use of the specific funds element of the school's finances, and other additional

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

funding, including a grant from the New Opportunities Fund, is well focused. It makes a positive impact on the quality of learning provision for the pupils who are supported, such as those who receive extra support to address educational needs.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The school’s overall arrangements, and the day-to-day control of its finances, are good. It was a strength at the time of the last inspection remains so. The school office is well equipped and makes very effective use of new technology to support its work. Effective use is made of the information available from the school's computerised management system for monitoring and there are good financial and administrative procedures in place that allow the very committed school secretary to make a significant contribution to the effective running of the school. Elsewhere, there is a strong commitment to the use of new technology. In addition to the support of financial activities, the school has moved to fully embrace the benefits of ICT across most aspects of school life, although computerised attendance records have yet to be introduced. There were only minor recommendations made as a result of the school's most recent audit, none of which remain a matter of concern. The

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

positive picture at the time of the last inspection has been maintained.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Within the governing body, effectively supported by the acting headteacher, the principles of best value are applied in a satisfactory manner. The proper implementation of these procedures means that the school's spending is evaluated and targeted to ensure that the quality of education provided for the pupils is consistent with the school's development planning. Governors have made good progress in their understanding of the principles of best value and are beginning to question the school's performance using a variety of information to assess how it compares with what is expected and what is achieved elsewhere. They are aware of the need to obtain best value in purchasing services and resources and have good procedures for ensuring that value is obtained.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

63. The headteacher, in partnership with the governing body should:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve provision in art and design, design and technology, geography, history, and music within the curriculum by: • Increasing the time available for teaching these subjects. • Giving curriculum co-ordinators of these subjects time to monitor the quality of teaching, learning and standards so that they may have a clearer view of the strengths and weaknesses in the provision of the subjects for which they are responsible. (Paragraphs: 29, 52, 82, 100, 106, 110, 119, 123, 127, 130, 135)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) In order that teachers can track pupils’ progress more accurately, devise and implement a system of assessment across the whole curriculum that accurately measures the progress pupils are making and informs the setting of their individual targets and teachers’ planning of the curriculum. (Paragraphs: 10, 23, 24, 44, 106, 110, 119)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to these key issues, the following less important weaknesses should be considered in the action plan: • The organisation of the nursery environment does not make the most effective use of the available space. Some of the resources in nursery are tired and need replacing. (Paragraphs: 41, 56, 82) • The efficiency of the governing body is reduced because there are no committees to oversee key aspects of their role. (Paragraph: 59) St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 23

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 30

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.23

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 three percentage points.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y2

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 20 69

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/A 28

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR– Y2

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 7 22

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 57

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 7

p.23

Attendance

School data 6.9 School data 1.2 St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 24 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.23

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 25

p.24

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 11 9 20

p.25

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.25

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 90 (93) 90 (93) 90 (89) At NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 90 (90)

p.25

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 85 (93) 85 (89) 90 (89) At NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.25

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

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

p.25

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

Where the number of boys or girls in the year group are ten or fewer the individual results are not reported St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 26

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 2 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.6 Financial year 2001/2002

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 15

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y2 Total income 340 965

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 330 529

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 133 Expenditure per pupil 3 516

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 31 310

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 41 746

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 27

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 0

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1.6

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 27 FTE means full-time equivalent. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 28

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 76 24 0 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 88 12 0 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 56 26 6 0 6

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 79 21 0 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 91 9 0 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 79 18 0 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 76 15 6 0 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 88 12 0 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 88 12 0 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 56 18 9 3 9 St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 29

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. The provision for children between the ages of three and five is good. All staff have established good caring relationships with the children. They work well together as skilful and very effective teams to the benefit of the children.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. There is a carefully planned induction programme. This helps the children to settle into the nursery and reception with ease. Parents are invited into school to learn about how children are taught and teachers and parents share information to ensure that individual needs are well met. Careful assessments in all areas of learning are carried out when children start nursery. These indicate that that when children enter the nursery class a small minority of children are achieving appropriately, but the majority are achieving well below average.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. The quality of teaching is very good overall. Planning, which is very good, follows the recommended areas of learning. The children who have special educational needs are very well supported to enable them to be fully included in all learning activities and to make very good progress. Children, for whom English is an additional language receive very good quality teaching and support. This enables them to be fully included, increase their knowledge of English and achieve very well

p.29

Personal, social and emotional development

67. Provision is very good. By the time they leave reception most children are achieving higher than the expected standard. When children enter the nursery, many have not yet developed the skills to participate in independent activities. They find it difficult to take turns and share equipment. Confidence and independence are developed as children are helped to understand the simple rules of the classroom and daily routines. Children learn how to find resources for themselves, to tidy up after activities and wash their hands before snack time. They learn skills of co-operation and are encourage to share and wait their turn. Children sit quietly when in the assembly. In reception, children assume additional responsibilities. They take the register to the office and carry simple messages. They show consideration for each other, work well co-operatively and grow in independence in dressing skills and personal

p.29

Personal, social and emotional development

hygiene. Children are almost always well behaved and have a good understanding of the difference between right and wrong. Personal and social development is given high priority. Relationships between adults and children are excellent and have a significant impact on the quality of teaching and learning. Activities promote self-esteem and encourage children to form good relationships.

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

68. By the end of the reception year, children have made very good progress and nearly all have achieved the expected standard. A significant number have begun to work within the early stages of the National Curriculum.

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

69. When children begin nursery, many can only give one or two word answers and find it difficult to express their thoughts and to talk about what they are doing. They make good progress, developing confidence to speak to each other and teachers. The good progress children make in the nursery is extended in reception. Because of excellent teaching in this class, most children show growing understanding of how to read expressively. They take good notice of the pictures and use these to assist them in reading and when answering St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 30 questions about the story ‘Handa’s Surprise’. Higher and average attaining children are able to identify the sounds of single letters and groups of letters and write simple sentences using capital letters and full stops.

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

70. Teaching is very good overall. In both settings the varied activities encourage children to communicate their thoughts and feelings. Good opportunities are provided for imaginative play. Very good opportunities are provided to increase children’s listening and speaking skills through the staff, talking with them, asking them to explain what they are doing and what they will do next. During the whole class sessions such as shared reading time, discussion is used well to increase children’s vocabulary, knowledge of letter sounds and simple rhyming words. Questioning is used well to challenge children to think and to share their knowledge. It is directed to ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, are fully involved

p.30

Mathematical development

71. Children make very good progress. During their time in reception class most children have attained the expected standard and lower attaining children are on track to do so. One third of reception, are working within the first level of the National Curriculum.

p.30

Mathematical development

72. Nursery children make good progress. They show interest in numbers. For example, when counting to five whilst playing with zoo animals. They play games and are beginning to use number names correctly in play such as when matching the animal number cards. In reception this good progress is built on. Children are able to count to and back from 30 with very quick pace. They are able to count in fives to 100. Lower attaining pupils use the 100 square to assist them and require more adult intervention to complete tasks. Higher and average attaining children recognise coins, explain their value and complete simple money sums involving addition and subtraction.

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Mathematical development

73. This area is particularly well taught. All staff make learning fun. Children are encouraged to learn about mathematics through a good range of activities including counting, number matching, painting, modelling and baking. Staff use every opportunity to develop children’s mental agility and mathematical language. For instance, in both classes, when registration takes place, children are included in counting the number present, absent and in calculating how many children are present in total. The excellent guidance in using relevant ICT programs, given by a member of the support staff in his role as bi-lingual instructor, reinforces children’s counting and number recognition skills.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

74. Children make good progress in the nursery and in reception make very good progress. By the end of their time in reception the majority of children are attaining the expected standard

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

75. Exciting and interesting activities enable children to investigate and explore their senses of smell and taste and develop their knowledge. For example, smelling, tasting and describing fruit. In the nursery, children show developing techniques and skills to build construct and join materials. They are growing in confidence, in using the listening centre and when using the computer are able to control the mouse and “drag” pictures to various parts of the screen. In reception, discussion of days of the week and weather conditions brings understanding of change in the different seasons. They are eager to learn and show an interest in events past and present in their own lives, in the lives of others and other children’s special moments. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 31 76. Teaching is very good with some teaching in reception being excellent. In both settings, the staff ensure that children’s own customs and faiths are celebrated to increase

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

knowledge and understanding about their own and other peoples culture and beliefs. A major improvement since the last inspection has been the high quality teaching of ICT. The bi- lingual instructor’s work with children is outstanding. He instructs very well and encourages children to work independently. In both nursery and reception children make very good progress in their use of computers to support learning.

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Physical development

77. Children make satisfactory progress and are on course to achieve the expected standard by the end of their time in reception. In the nursery they ride bikes, and use push and pull toys with increasing control. In reception, children are beginning to move with confidence and to show satisfactory awareness of space. In a physical education lesson, they enjoy the game of “traffic lights” but when using apparatus, a small number become too excited when passing balls and hoops to each other. In the classroom, children use a satisfactory range of small construction materials and handle tools and objects. For example, modelling tools and sticky tape with increasing control.

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Physical development

78. Teaching in this area is satisfactory overall. The teacher, nursery nurses and classroom assistants encourage children to try new experiences. Children are taught to move and play safely. They teach skills such as throwing, catching and how to use equipment safely for example scissors when cutting. Well-planned opportunities are provided for children to throw and catch, roll, run, jump, skip and learn to have consideration for others. In the nursery opportunities are missed to extend children’s dressing and undressing skills and their knowledge of the reasons for changing into different clothing for physical education.

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Creative development

79. Children make very good progress. Reception children are already achieving the expected standard in this area.

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Creative development

80. Children join in singing hymns and songs from memory. Nursery children have the opportunity to experiment with musical instruments, move in response to music and listen to music of different styles. In reception, children play percussion instruments to describe a butterfly, lightening and other elements of a story they listen to. They pay good attention to the rhythm and volume of their performances. Nursery children make marks on paper and enjoy experimenting with paint. Reception children pay close observation to the shape form and colour of the fruits that the draw. They feel and describe the texture and use pastels and pencils very well to record what they see. Children work with great care and demonstrate joy and pride in their achievements. Earlier work demonstrates that they are growing in knowledge of how to mix paint, and in cutting, tearing and sticking to create effective collage work.

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Creative development

81. Teaching is very good. A wide variety of activities are provided for children to develop their imagination. These include in the nursery, role-play in the imaginary rain forest. The displays of work and teachers’ planning, as well as earlier work, show that there are carefully planned opportunities for children to explore, experience and respond through their senses. For example, through feeling textures, mixing paints, experimenting with musical instruments and listening to sounds. In reception the quality of teaching is excellent. Staffs’ skilful intervention in children’s experiments enables children to extend their vocabulary, art and design skills and improve the quality of the work. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 32 82. The co-ordinator for the area is knowledgeable about the Foundation Stage. She provides effective leadership. However, her role does not include opportunities to directly

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Creative development

monitor the quality of teaching and learning. Although the accommodation in the nursery class has been improved by the provision of additional storage space and new sinks there is a need to continue this upgrading and the updating of some resources in order to provide a more spacious, light, airy and stimulating learning environment. All the staff who work with children between the ages of three and five have kept up to date with the changes in the curriculum by attending appropriate training. Satisfactory use is made of the locality and of a small number of visitors to the school. However, these valuable opportunities are limited in number.

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ENGLISH

83. Over the last four years, the overall attainment of pupils in the National Curriculum reading and writing tests at the end of Year 2 have risen consistently. The results of the 2001 National Curriculum tests show an attainment similar to the national average in reading and well above the national average in writing. This represents good improvement from the previous inspection in 1997 which showed standards in line with national expectations in both reading and writing. Inspection evidence confirms that overall standards have continued to improve for the current Year 2 with a significant increase in the number of pupils achieving the higher Level 3 in both reading and writing. The good support noted by the last inspection for pupils with special educational needs and those with English as additional language has been continued. As a result both these groups of pupils continue to make very good progress.

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ENGLISH

84. The overall quality of assessment within English is good. The school has analysed its test scores and other information about pupils’ progress carefully and has identified strategies to raise standards. For example, all pupils have individual targets in reading and writing and these are reviewed regularly. The school has introduced a daily silent reading session for all pupils and teachers carry out regular sampling and grading of pupils’ written work. The quality of assessment is improving and pupils’ written work is regularly and clearly marked. However, although marking is often supportive, it does not consistently include suggestions for future improvement. Teachers know their pupils very well, frequently assess pupils’ achievements and have a clear view of their progress.

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ENGLISH

85. Standards in reading are above average at the end of Key Stage 1 and many pupils have developed a high degree of reading skills as a result of the important part that books play in the life of the school. All pupils are given the opportunity to attend a Story Club that held during every playtime and lunchtime and many take advantage of this extra-curricular activity. The majority enjoy reading and can explain what they like about their books. One Year 2 pupil, for example, talked at length about his fascination for books about the Titanic and could describe the ship in detail. Many Year 1 pupils know the difference between story and information books and are aware of structures, such as an index and a glossary. Most pupils in Year 2 can differentiate between fiction and non-fiction books and are fully aware of how to use the school library. Pupils make very good use of this well-resourced library and

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ENGLISH

are encouraged to take books home each week in addition to those from the school reading scheme. Although all pupils have reading scheme books to take home, they do not have home-reading diaries that allow parents to enter into dialogue with class teachers and participate in their children’s learning.

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ENGLISH

86. Learning assistants are used well and contribute significantly to improving reading standards. For example, in a Year 1 lesson, pupils enthusiastically corrected the learning assistant when she read words incorrectly and this helped them to use a range of reading strategies, such as dividing words into parts, to read unknown words. The daily silent reading St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 33 session enables pupils to appreciate the importance of books and to develop reading skills. When reading aloud, pupils are encouraged to show an understanding of punctuation, for example, by taking note of an exclamation mark and raising their voice at the end of a sentence.

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ENGLISH

87. Attainment in writing is well above average by the end of Year 2. Inspection evidence shows that pupils are writing for a range of purposes, such as letter writing, explaining a process and giving instructions. Pupils are given regular opportunities to write creatively and at length. This is making a significant impact on standards, as it encourages pupils to enjoy the writing experience. One Year 2 pupil, for example, had written an extended story about a snowman, whilst another had spent part of the weekend voluntarily developing a book about animals which was produced attractively, included a contents page and was divided into sections. She was particularly pleased to be given the opportunity to share her achievement with her classmates and they were clearly impressed with what she had achieved. By the end of Year 1, most pupils are able to communicate meaning through simple sentences, letters are generally clearly shaped and they employ simple punctuation such as capital

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ENGLISH

letters and full stops. More able pupils are attempting to write independently and at length.

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ENGLISH

88. By the end of Year 2, the majority of pupils are using handwriting in a legible style and have been introduced to a range of writing experiences including book reviews, stories and letter writing. Year 2 pupils, for example, had written poems based on their experience of handling frog spawn and a series of instructions for making puppets. Pupils often work together to develop class storybooks which are then attractively produced and displayed. Year 1 pupils had, for example, written about their train journey from Derby to Leicester, whilst Year 2 pupils had contributed to a class story entitled “Mr Bitter Goes On Holiday”. These projects encourage co-operation between pupils and enable them to gain confidence by sharing in success. By the end of Year 2, many pupils are confident writers, use interesting vocabulary and spell most words correctly. In a Year 1 lesson, for example, nearly all pupils could spell the word “because”, whilst Year 2 pupils made commendable attempts

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ENGLISH

at spelling words such as “astonished” and “disappeared”. They are encouraged to look at words carefully to see how they are constructed, to recognise spelling patterns and to use their spellings in interesting sentences. Pupils recognise parts of speech and Year 2 pupils talked confidently about adjectives, verbs and prepositions, identifying them within their writing. All pupils make very good progress and those with special educational needs and pupils who are in the earlier stages of learning English as an additional language benefit from the good levels of support that they receive.

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ENGLISH

89. By the end of Year 2, standards in speaking and listening are in line with national expectation. This represents good progress, as many pupils enter school in the earliest stages of learning English or with very limited language skills. This is a similar picture to that seen at the time of the last inspection. Most pupils develop as confident speakers and benefit from the many opportunities that they receive to express their opinions and to listen to the views of their classmates. Most lessons begin and conclude with an opportunity for discussion. For example, when Year 1 pupils compared various different traditional stories. In Year 2, pupils were encouraged to share their weekend experiences with the class. This was a particularly effective strategy for developing speaking and listening skills, as it involved all pupils. Each pupil was invited to talk to the whole class and, although a small proportion of

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ENGLISH

them lacked confidence, they were encouraged to take their turn, thereby developing self- confidence. At the end of the session, the teacher asked a series of questions and pupils’ responses showed that they had been listening attentively. The pace of learning benefits from the many opportunities that teachers plan within their lessons for pupils to talk in pairs, small groups and in front of a larger audience such as the whole school. For example, during the inspection, Year 1 performed an assembly that involved all pupils in speaking to the whole school. Teachers take every opportunity to broaden pupils’ vocabulary by sharing technical St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 34 language and structuring their questions so that they promote pupils’ widening use of vocabulary.

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ENGLISH

90. Teaching is always good and often very good. This represents an improvement since the last inspection. In Years 1 and 2 teachers plan collaboratively and this ensures that they can share resources and that pupils receive consistency within their learning opportunities. Teachers have a very good grasp of the requirements of the National Literacy Strategy and use it very well to meet the needs of their pupils. Lessons usually proceed at a good pace and teachers endeavour to provide a range of interesting stimuli. This was particularly evident in the activity lessons at the beginning of each day when a wide range of interesting activities were available for pupils to select. In a Year 1 lesson, for example, pupils handled and observed a number of garden snails and this led to an interesting discussion on rates of progress and why the snails moved in different directions. Lessons are always well organised and teachers make good use of classroom assistants and language assistants to

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ENGLISH

support groups of pupils. Pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language derive particular benefit from this support and make good progress within lessons.

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ENGLISH

91. In the best lessons, teachers use challenging questioning to make pupils think and to stimulate discussion, pupils rise to these challenges. In a Year 2 lesson, for example, pupils were able to deconstruct a story, to identify the various problems that had occurred within the story line and solutions that had been developed. In another lesson, a pupil with special educational needs received a major boost to his self-confidence on being selected to hold the glove puppet and read the relevant text from a story. Teachers manage the time and pace of lessons effectively and use their detailed knowledge of individual pupil to tailor questions, to extend thinking and to teach new work. They are enthusiastic and have good subject knowledge. In almost every lesson, the attitudes and behaviour of pupils were a positive feature. Relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults are very strong and

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ENGLISH

contribute to the very good progress that pupils make. The good management of pupils ensures that they are attentive, keen to learn and settle to work quickly. They take turns, listen attentively, work productively and share resources. They benefit from opportunities of taking responsibility for their learning, such as when giving out or collecting resources. Instances of inappropriate behaviour are rare but when these occur, teachers handle them in a calm and quiet manner and this makes a significant contribution to the positive atmosphere within lessons.

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ENGLISH

92. The teaching of English is often strongly linked to other subjects. In almost every lesson, pupils have access to ICT and there are many examples of word processing and independent research both within pupils’ books and on the displays around the school. As part of their science topic on “Mini-Beasts”, Year 2 pupils have carried out research work on the Internet to find out about the lives and habitats of a range of insects such as spiders, dragonflies and butterflies. Year 1 pupils have written about themselves as babies as part of their work in history and made bread during a lesson based on the story of “The Little Red Hen”. These activities help to ensure that all subjects make a contribution to the development of literacy skills throughout the school.

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ENGLISH

93. English is managed well. The co-ordinator has done much to develop and refine approaches to the teaching of English since her appointment. As well as developing a policy statement and scheme of work in line with national guidelines, she has led in-service training, monitored teaching and planning; introduced focused reading and writing assessments; carried out regular sampling and levelling of pupils’ written work and introduced individual targets for pupils to achieve. In partnership with the acting headteacher she has analysed test results. She has ensured that the Literacy Strategy has been implemented successfully and that there are sufficient good quality guided reading books to resource it effectively. The co- St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 35 ordinator has a clear vision for the future and is committed to ensuring further improvement through a number of strategies. These include a greater emphasis on drama to develop

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ENGLISH

speaking and listening skills and a commitment to use the school library service to extend the provision of both non-fiction books and bi-lingual texts that reflect the different languages used by the school community.

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MATHEMATICS

94. Standards in mathematics have improved since the last inspection. The 2001 National Curriculum test results showed attainment that was similar to the national average. Pupils’ attainments in the tests were well above those attained by pupils in similar schools. Attainments in the recent 2002 tests show that standards in mathematics are rising. A higher number of pupils than previously achieving the higher level 3. Inspection findings confirm this pattern of improvement. For the current groups of pupils, evidence shows that standards of attainment are above average for pupils at the end of Year 2.

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MATHEMATICS

95. The very good quality teaching enables pupils to make very good progress. Pupils with special educational needs and pupils for whom English is an additional language receive very good quality additional support which enables them to be fully included in all aspects of the curriculum and to make very good progress. By the age of seven pupils confidently use a range of number skills to calculate. They are developing appropriate mathematical vocabulary and awareness and knowledge of time, fractions, shapes and their properties

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MATHEMATICS

96. In Year 2 pupils count, read and order numbers to 1000 and understand what each digit represents. Higher attaining pupils count forwards and backwards at speed from a given number showing good mental agility. For example, when counting in fours and tens. They demonstrate good understanding that subtraction is the inverse of addition and are able to estimate measure and compare lengths. They use a ruler accurately, measuring in centimetres. The higher attaining pupils understand that division is grouping as well as sharing. They recognise fractions and use units of time accurately. They are confident in work on symmetry and are developing skills of data handling, being able to construct and interpret simple graphs. The majority of pupils have a satisfactory understanding of shape, space and simple measures. Lower attaining pupils are following the same curriculum but require more teaching aids and adult intervention to aid their mathematical thinking and to

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MATHEMATICS

enable them to explain their strategies to others.

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MATHEMATICS

97. In Year 1 pupils use their knowledge of addition to solve simple mathematical problems. Pupils use counting, addition, subtraction and doubling. They are able to explain their methods and reasoning. Earlier work demonstrates that lower attaining pupils are able to work out simple money sums. The majority of pupils understand the operations of addition and subtraction. Average and higher attaining pupils apply their knowledge to ‘round up’ when adding or subtracting one and two digit numbers. They use money effectively and work out simple problems mentally. Lower attaining pupils do this with the aid of number square. Pupils with special educational needs receive more intensive adult support.

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MATHEMATICS

98. The quality of teaching and learning is very good with some excellent teaching in Year 2. The school is effectively implementing the National Numeracy Strategy. Teachers have a very good level of subject knowledge. Lessons are planned with clear, achievable, learning objectives, which are shared with the pupils. The imaginative use of resources make a significant contribution to learning, an example of this being the very good use of number squares and lines to ensure participation in mental activities. Teachers plan tasks to meet the needs of pupils of different attainments. A good example of this being in Year 1 where the work for lower attaining pupils was presented in small learning steps that provided success and build up confidence. Time is used well to allow the teachers to work with each group in St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 36 turn, guiding, supporting and intervening purposefully. This was evident during a lesson about

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MATHEMATICS

measuring. Teachers’ skilful questioning was very effective enabling pupils to participate fully and helping them to think about and explain their strategies. Teachers use the final part of the lessons effectively to provide useful consolidation and further practice in calculation. Pupils approach mathematics lessons with enthusiasm and show good levels of interest. They concentrate well and are keen to answer questions. In group activities, they work well together, discuss their work sensibly and respect one another’s views. Behaviour is very good and pupils look after the resources carefully

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MATHEMATICS

99. Since the last inspection the school has made very good progress. The quality of teaching has improved and this has been instrumental in raising standards. Mathematical skills are used more effectively in other subjects and good use is made of ICT. Pupils are beginning to use their skills of ICT to record and display data collected in surveys in geography and science.

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MATHEMATICS

100. The co-ordinator provides effective leadership and a high commitment to raising standards is clearly evident. There has been an appropriate training programme provided for teachers and support staff which has improved their skills in teaching the subject. Effective monitoring of planning and weekly record sheets, together with the termly evaluation procedures are having a positive impact on the quality of teaching and learning. Assessment is undertaken daily. However, apart from the tests taken at the end of Year 2 there is little other formal assessment taking place and target setting involving pupils is in its infancy.

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SCIENCE

101. The results of the National Curriculum teachers’ assessments taken at the end of Year 2 in 2001, indicated standards that were similar to the national average with the expected number of pupils attaining the higher level (level 3). In comparison with results from similar schools, attainment was well above average, with the number of pupils attaining the higher level being above average. Teacher assessments taken in the current school year indicate higher standards than this with 100 per cent attaining level 2 or higher and 50 per cent attaining level 3. These higher standards reflect those seen in the school. Standards have improved since the last inspection.

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SCIENCE

102. In their current work all pupils demonstrate a good level of knowledge of basic life processes. They understand that living things will change if conditions around them change and identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environments. Pupils identify a wide range of categories for living things, perceiving quite subtle similarities and differences as they organise living things by habitat and animal types. In a lesson seen during the inspection, pupils were able to use their knowledge of living and non- living things to sort evidence associated with the different groups correctly. Pupils demonstrated very good recall of the features and functions of animals and plants, and were able to accomplish correctly what became an increasingly difficult task, using the wide range of reference books available to them to check the accuracy of their work.

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SCIENCE

103. In both Years 1 and 2 pupils have regular opportunities to undertake scientific investigation and experiments. In Year 1 pupils suggest how they can find out what food snails like best. They suggest a working method, put it into practice then reach conclusions from it, being very surprised to discover that snails seem to like chocolate! Their knowledge and understanding of the snails’ life cycle is enhanced by the independent work undertaken during the activity time at the beginning of the school day.

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SCIENCE

104. In both year groups, pupils have ample opportunities to record investigations in a variety of ways, using grids, block graphs and factual writing. Work is reasonably presented St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 37 and there is a strong emphasis on pupils writing independently about their findings. By Year 2 pupils are regularly making statements about what they have learnt from different activities. For example, explaining why changes take place when toast is made or commenting on the suitability of materials for building a house.

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SCIENCE

105. The quality of teaching is very good and this promotes very good learning. Teachers have a good level of subject expertise and consistently use appropriate scientific vocabulary. The teaching of scientific knowledge is undertaken through practical experiment and investigative work. Teachers have very high expectations of what pupils may achieve. This is demonstrated by the pace at which lessons move, the consistent use of correct scientific vocabulary and the setting of writing tasks that require pupils to apply the scientific skills and knowledge they are acquiring. Teachers use resources imaginatively, so pupils are constantly intrigued and eager to investigate. Provision for pupils who need additional support is well organised and enables them to make the same rates of progress as their classmates. Higher attaining pupils are challenged by the activities provided for them and benefit from the

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SCIENCE

good use of resources such as reference books and relevant computer programs.

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SCIENCE

106. The subject is currently being overseen temporarily until a permanent co-ordinator is appointed. This arrangement has worked well and the current “caretaker” co-ordinator has lead and managed the subject well. She is developing systems to record pupils’ attainment and progress. She works in close partnership with colleagues, which ensures a consistent approach to the teaching of the subject through the school. There are currently no opportunities to observe teaching and learning formally. Resources are satisfactory and used very well.

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ART AND DESIGN

107. Standards are in line with those expected of Year 2 pupils and have been maintained since the last inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

108. Pupils gain experience in using a satisfactory range of materials including pastel, paint, crayon, clay and collage. Photographs and displayed work shows that pupils in Years 1 and 2 have experimented with natural materials. Year 2 pupils have torn, cut and arranged paper in collage pictures. Others have used small card frames in order to focus on and develop part of a magazine picture further. Art and design is also used well to compliment work in other areas of the curriculum, a good example of this being in a history lesson where pupils illustrated the Great Fire of London.

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ART AND DESIGN

109. Pupils make satisfactory progress. This is because the well-planned activities build on pupils’ previous knowledge and skills and there are good opportunities provided for pupils to experiment with a wide range of media. However, the low amount of time allocated to art and design means that, although pupils achieve well and very well in individual lessons, progress over time is restricted because pupils have limited time to practice the skills they are acquiring. Pupils for whom English is an additional language and those who have been identified with special educational needs have carefully planned support, which is especially well organised to meet their particular needs. These arrangements ensure that all pupils are fully included and have equal opportunity to participate and make the same progress as their classmates. When discussing their work pupils show interest in what they have achieved.

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ART AND DESIGN

They present their work with care, demonstrate enthusiasm, enjoyment, appreciation of others' work and pride in their own achievements.

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ART AND DESIGN

110. No teaching of art and design was observed during the inspection week in Years 1 and 2. Discussion with the co-ordinator and scrutiny of teachers’ earlier planning, demonstrates that planning is of a very good standard and that they are implementing the St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 38 recommended curriculum well in individual lessons although the low time allocation constrains how far pupils can develop their work. The co-ordinator has only been in post for one term. She has already completed an audit of the current provision and recognises which areas need to be developed. She has started to collate a portfolio of work to assist teachers, but has not yet had the opportunity to formally monitor the quality of teaching and learning within classrooms. Assessment is in the early stages of development. The quality of displays in the school demonstrates how highly teachers value pupils’ work. These reflect the cultural

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ART AND DESIGN

diversity of pupils and have a positive impact on the learning environment. When pupils have had the opportunity to be introduced to the work of famous artists and observed works of art during educational visits these have enhanced learning. However, the range of visits linked with the subject is limited.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. As it was not possible to observe any lessons, judgements are based predominantly on discussions with pupils, scrutiny of their work and displays of pupils’ work. The last inspection judged that pupils’ attainment was in line with the expected standard at the end of Year 2 and this is still the case. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who are in the early stages of learning English, make good progress.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. The teaching of design and technology is often linked to other subjects and is usually taught as part of a class topic. A good example of this was in Year 2 where pupils had used a range of environmental textiles, including hessian and felt, to design and sew a range of insects as part of their topic on “Mini-Beasts”. A Year 1 geography topic enabled pupils to develop computer skills by designing and making costumes for their teddy bears that were appropriate for hot and cold climates. They also had the opportunity of making bread during part of a literacy lesson. Pupils’ often work together on design projects such as the attractive millennium drape that contained a contribution from all pupils and now forms an attractive part of the school display.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. No lessons in design and technology were observed during the inspection. However, it is clear from examining teachers’ planning and pupils’ work that teaching is at least satisfactory. Teachers place appropriate emphasis on the design process, as could be seen from the puppets made by Year 2 pupils from paper bags. As part of the process, each pupil had firstly to design his or her puppet, then write instructions for making it and finally evaluate the finished product. A similar process of development had been followed by Year 1 pupils whilst designing and constructing houses from card.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. Teachers’ subject knowledge and confidence have improved as a result of training, and they recognise the importance of the design element of the subject and now use a systematic scheme of work that ensures that skills are developed progressively. They make very good use of the daily activity sessions to ensure that pupils have regular opportunities to work with construction materials and have ensured that resources are appropriate for the subject. Although the school does not have a current co-ordinator for design and technology, all members of staff work together to ensure that the subject receives appropriate coverage. The curriculum has been adapted to take account of national planning guidance and this has strengthened the range of work that the pupils experience. However, the limited amount of time allocated to the subject means that it is difficult to cover all aspects of the subject in

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

depth. The school is aware of the need to raise the profile of design and technology by appointing a co-ordinator for this area of study and by ensuring that both the time allocation and breadth of study are appropriate. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 39

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GEOGRAPHY

115. Pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2. This is a similar standard to that seen at the time of the last inspection. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who are in the early stages of learning English, make good progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a very good knowledge of their local area and talk about the main features with confidence. They have begun to develop mapping skills and recognise roads, buildings and open areas within the locality. They talked enthusiastically about their involvement in a recent traffic census and were aware of the high numbers of cars that passed along certain main roads in the area. This work was linked effectively to road safety issues, and a number of pupils were able to identify and talk about road traffic signs. From looking at maps of the local area, they were able to identify where it might or might not be safe to play. Pupils use simple picture keys to portray and identify geographical features such as mountains, rivers and the sea.

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GEOGRAPHY

117. The work undertaken in geography is often linked to other subjects. A number of pupils in Year 2, for example, had used word-processing skills to write letters from the seaside, whilst Year 1 pupils had developed their knowledge of direction as a result of reading the story “Rosie’s Walk” in literacy lessons. The use of ICT is a strong feature of the geography curriculum. Pupils handle computers with confidence. Most Year 1 pupils were able to generate a map representing their local area and to label the main roads and buildings, whilst Year 2 pupils had used the Internet to research the origins and habitats of a number of insects as part of their project on “Mini-Beasts”.

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GEOGRAPHY

118. Teaching is good. Teachers benefit from a comprehensive policy and planning for geography, which is based on a national guidance and contains a clear structure for developing knowledge, skills and understanding. Teachers make good use of support staff and a range of resources. In a Year 1 lesson, for example, the teacher made use of a wide range of resources, including computers, materials, boxes and toy vehicles. This was a very well planned lesson, incorporating good opportunities for pupils’ speech and language development, strong cross-curricular links to literacy and good use of ICT. The lesson developed with good pace and pupils received good support from the teacher and a learning support assistant. This enabled one group of pupils to develop their research skills, another group to develop their mapping skills and another group to identify solutions to environmental problems. Teachers make good use of educational visits to enrich the curriculum, and pupils

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GEOGRAPHY

talked enthusiastically about their train ride from Derby to Leicester and their visits to the local arboretum. Pupils are enthusiastic about their local area and want to know more. They are motivated and listen patiently to each other’s descriptions and explanations. They share resources, work well both individually and in groups and maintain concentration. Pupils have good opportunities to write independently in geography and this makes a good contribution to developing their literacy skills although sometimes their work is untidily presented.

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GEOGRAPHY

119. The management of the subject is good. Although the co-ordinator has only recently been appointed, she has already updated the policy and evaluated the current curricular coverage. She has developed an action plan for the subject. She is aware of the need to raise the profile of the subject by updating the scheme of work, developing assessment procedures, monitoring teaching and ensuring that the time allocated to the teaching of geography is appropriate so that all aspects of the subject may be dealt with in sufficient depth.

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HISTORY

St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 40 120. By the end of Year 2 standards in history are in line with national expectation and have been maintained since the last inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make satisfactory progress. By the end of Year 2, pupils have an interest in and good recall of famous events and people they have been studying, including the life of Christopher Columbus. Through these studies pupils grow in understanding that life was different in the past when compared with life today. They show a developing appreciation of how our lives have changed. Through sequencing events they develop a satisfactory understanding of the passage of time.

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HISTORY

121. Pupils’ work also supports their writing development. For example they use historical vocabulary for talking about the past, such as when writing about the Great Fire of London. In discussion about their work, Year 2 pupils confidently use words such as “old” and “new”. They ask and answer questions in order to find out more information.

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HISTORY

122. Only one lesson was observed during the inspection and that was of a very good standard. Pupils achieved very well in relation to their prior knowledge and experiences. In the lesson observed the teacher showed secure subject knowledge and used this to plan interesting activities for pupils. At the start of lesson, objectives were shared with the pupils to enable them to have a clear understanding of the learning intentions. There were high expectations of good behaviour and this enabled pupils to concentrate on their work. Questioning was targeted cleverly to pupils of all attainments and this ensured they were fully included in the discussion about what was meant by an eyewitness. Teachers make learning fun. Pupils are fully involved in lessons. For example, by playing a whispering game that brings a greater understanding of how information can be misinterpreted. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are well supported

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HISTORY

to enable them to learn well. Very good use is made of ICT for pupils to record their work and research additional information. The quality of teamwork between the teachers and the other members of staff, together with the high quality relationships that exist with pupils, have a significant impact on learning. However, the low amount of time allocated to history means that not all aspects are dealt with in sufficient depth and there are few educational visits, such as that made to Pickford House, to enhance pupils’ understanding.

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HISTORY

123. A major improvement since the last inspection has been the introduction of national guidelines for the subject. This is beginning to assist teachers in their planning to enable pupils to build on previous work and improve progress. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable and provides effective leadership. She and the staff have sensibly evaluated the units of work and identified the areas where adaptations are needed to meet the particular needs of their pupils. The co-ordinator’s role does not yet sufficiently include the monitoring of standards of teaching and learning and assessment systems are in then early stages of development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. The findings of the last inspection were that standards in ICT were in line with national expectations. Since then there have been improvements to the provision and developments in the approach to teaching ICT. These have impacted on pupils’ learning positively and attainment at the end of Year 2 is now above the expected standard. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language, achieve well and make good progress.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. Throughout the school pupils have regular opportunities to work with computers, programmable toys, listening centres and tape recorders. They are able to load, open and save their work on a computer independently. In Year 1 they learn how to program the information they have gathered. For example, in science, organising information about snail’s eating habits and presenting it in the form of a block graph. During a lesson observed in the St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 41 inspection pupils concentrated very hard on the teacher’s demonstration and expressed the view that the computer program shows the information more clearly than their written form would. As one boy remarked ”You need skills to make it but then its quicker” By Year 2 pupils are able to use web sites to support their work in other subjects such as finding contemporary prints that depict the Great Fire of London linked to their work in history. They

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

use creative programs such as “Dazzle” to produce illustrations of high quality. They have a good understanding of the many artistic possibilities that this program offers. Their word processing skills are well developed. For instance, they know how to change the size of the font, move the text around the page and add text from one part of the program to another. They draft and redraft directly onto the screen.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. The quality of the teaching and support pupils are given is very good and use of ICT imbues many lessons. It always a useful supplement to what is being learnt and is organised so that it speeds up pupils learning. For example, the word processing program allows teachers to provide pupils with the key words they will need for the topic they are writing about. Pupils are then able to make use of these words in their word-processing. This speeds up their writing and extends the vocabulary they are able to use. Teachers are confident in their use of technology, plan it well into their work and have high expectations of what pupils may achieve. The school’s computer suite is continually in use, either being used to teach new skills or to support work in other subjects. It is very capably overseen by the school’s bi-lingual instructor who ensures that the programs and websites available to the pupils are appropriate to their needs. He gives very high quality support and judges very well

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

when to intervene and make teaching points and when to allow pupils to work independently and sort their difficulties out for themselves. The availability of the computer suite as part of the early morning activity session enables pupils to increase their skills. It is very well used by the pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. The subject is jointly co-ordinated by a teacher and the bi-lingual instructor; they give very good leadership and manage it most efficiently. They have developed useful planning and give their colleagues good support. They monitor the use and teaching of ICT informally and are monitoring the quality of pupils’ work through collecting of samples of work. Teachers’ have a good level of informal knowledge about the relative skills of their pupils in this subject. There is a system established were pupils register their use of computers so that the frequency of their take up can be tracked. There are no procedures to monitor or assess formally the pace of pupil’s progress. The co-ordinators are not complaisant about the current standards and provision and have detailed plans about extending the use of ICT further in other subjects

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MUSIC

128. Very little teaching of music was seen during the inspection. However, on the basis of the one lesson seen, conversations with pupils and the use of music and singing in assemblies it is evident that standards have been maintained since the last inspection and attainment is in line with national expectations at the end of Year 2.

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MUSIC

129. Pupils sing tunefully, with a good sense of rhythm. They demonstrate enjoyment in singing and by the end of Year 2 know a reasonable range of songs. By the end of Year 2, pupils have had experience of using an appropriate range of non-pitched and pitched instruments to accompany their singing and to compose their own sound sequences. They recognise long and short, loud and soft sounds and have devised their own compositions and written them using a simple notation. They can pick up the rhythm of a song and clap it accurately when singing. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 42 130. Only one lesson was seen during the inspection in which the main focus was singing so it is not possible to make an overall judgement on the quality of teaching as a whole. A part-time teacher oversees the subject and does the best she can to maintain standards in the time that is available. The school has piloted the national guidelines for music as a basis

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MUSIC

for a scheme of work and there are plans to evaluate its usefulness for this school next term. There is a reasonable level of resourcing for music. However, the time allocation for music is low and although the school has maintained the provision of the subject sufficiently to cover all the required aspects, opportunities for performance and listening critically to music by a range of composers is limited. This has been mitigated to a certain extent by visits of musicians and storytellers who illustrate their work with songs and musical rhymes. There are no systems in place for assessing pupils’ progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. During the inspection, it was possible to observe only a small number of lessons; a gymnastics lesson in Year 2 and a dance lesson in Year 1. As a result, like the last inspection, the range of judgements and comparisons, are limited in scope. However, based on discussion with pupils, observations and an interview with the subject co-ordinator, standards are judged to be in line with national expectations at the end of Year 2. Progress for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, is seen to be good. This is a similar picture to that at the time of the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. The pupils are taught well. Teachers are skilful at harnessing pupils’ enthusiasm for physical activity to enable them to acquire new skills. Year 1 pupils show a good awareness of space and already demonstrate good control of their movements in dance. They perform well to music and were able to develop a sequence of movements both as individuals and with a partner. In a very good lesson in Year 2, pupils were keen to travel on different parts of their body and then produced imaginative balances, showing good poise for their age as they held a variety of different positions. They produced simple actions with control and co- ordination. Pupils use a variety of apparatus with confidence and enthusiasm. They extend their floor movements to performance on the apparatus and achieve simple sequences of movement, both as individuals and with a partner. Pupils are beginning to be aware of the need for warming up and cooling down activities and can say why they are necessary.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. At the time of the last inspection, it was noted that a minority of disruptive pupils disturbed the flow of some lessons through their challenging behaviour and that this inhibited the progress of others. This is no longer the case. The behaviour of most pupils is good and they now demonstrate very positive attitudes in lessons. The standard of pupils’ behaviour reflects directly the standard and quality of teaching. Pupils observed being disruptive or failing to observe safety rules are spoken to immediately or made to sit out for short periods. Good class control has a major impact on lessons. In the Year 1 lesson, for example, the teacher was firm in her control, warm in her praise for good performance and clear in telling a pupil why she was displeased with what she had done. As a result, pupils had a very clear understanding of what was expected, responded appropriately and made good progress

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

during the lesson. Most pupils respond well and enjoy their lessons. They co-operate happily in paired and group activities and enjoy opportunities to perform. For example, pupils in Years 2 worked together well in group situations to develop a sequence of movements on the apparatus. They showed good awareness of the need to control their movements, and to hold balance and produce smooth landings. They concentrated well when others were demonstrating and, in listening carefully to the evaluations of their teacher and other pupils, made good progress in their learning. In a recent school assembly, Year 2 pupils were given the opportunity to demonstrate their physical skills to the whole school. All pupils make good progress across the key stage, including those with special educational and English as an additional language who are not constrained by weakness within their literacy skills. St James CE (VA) Infant and Nursery School - 43

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. In the two lessons observed, the quality of teaching was good in one lesson and very good in the other. Lessons are well planned and structured. In the very good gymnastics lesson, the teacher highlighted a series of developmental points and demonstrated the techniques that would lead to improvement in performance. Teachers set the right tone for lessons by changing into appropriate clothing and through being prepared to demonstrate. Lessons were conducted safely and effectively and teachers gave appropriate attention to health and safety aspects, such as warming up at the start of a lesson. Pupils show good awareness of how to move mats and put apparatus away safely.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. The management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator has developed new planning which gives a clear structure and covers all statutory aspects of the curriculum. She has considerably increased the range of outdoor equipment available for both lessons and for lunchtime activities. The co-ordinator has begun to monitor lessons, but has yet to develop formal procedures for assessing pupils’ skills. Although the school benefited from the recent visit by a Caribbean dance specialist, the co-ordinator has identified the need to develop dance within the physical education programme. With its hard-surfaced areas, grass playing areas and well-equipped hall, the school has satisfactory facilities for physical education.

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