Earls Barton Primary School

EARLS BARTON INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 10-12 December 2001

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EARLS BARTON INFANT 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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EARLS BARTON INFANT 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. Earls Barton Infant School - Page 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Broad Street Earls Barton Northampton

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 23 June 1997 Earls Barton Infant School - Page 4

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

21552 P B McAlpine Registered inspector English Art and design Design and technology Foundation stage English as an additional language What sort of school is it? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed?

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

9399 R Watts 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? 29381 A Brangan Team inspector Mathematics History Geography Religious education Special educational needs How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

15011 M D Wallace Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Music Physical education Equal opportunities Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education Assessment

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

PBM Inspection Services Limited PO Box 524 Cheadle Staffordshire ST10 4RN

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Earls Barton Infant School - Page 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This average sized infant school has currently 227 boys and girls on roll, organised into eight classes. The number on roll has not changed significantly since the previous inspection. All but one of the classes are single-aged, which is different to the previous inspection when all classes were mixed-age. The mixed age class contains the oldest reception year and about a third of the Year 1 pupils. Fewer than three per cent of the pupils are eligible for a free school meal; this is very low. The backgrounds of the pupils cover a typical range but with few pupils who are significantly disadvantaged. The school serves the village of Earls Barton and is attracting pupils from nearby Wellingborough and from surrounding villages because of its good test results. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, principally white European and black Caribbean, is very small; although English is an additional

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

language for a few, it is spoken fluently by the pupils concerned and extra support is not needed. The proportion with special educational needs, 17 per cent, is below average. One child has a statement of special educational needs and, proportionally, this is well below average. The difficulties faced by pupils on the special needs register are varied. They are mainly linked to literacy but also include moderate learning; behavioural; speech and language; physical; and autism. There are no pupils from refugee backgrounds. Three pupils from Traveller backgrounds attended during the inspection and were supported by the local Traveller support service. Pupil mobility is low. The proportion of pupils with typical or better attainment for their age on entry is above average in early literacy skills and marginally above average in numeracy. Standards on entry have not changed since the previous inspection.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Admission to Year R, the reception year, for all pupils is in September.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school. Standards are high. In broad terms, the teachers raise the above average standards of the four-year-olds to well above average by the age of seven. Pupils with low attainment on entry and those with special educational needs are well supported and almost all of them eventually attain national expectations. Pupils with average and high attainment are stretched and more pupils exceed national expectations at the age of seven than do so at the age of four. The teaching is effective and consistent in quality throughout the school. Leadership and management are very good. Income and expenditure are relatively high compared to most other schools; even so, educational value for money is good.

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What the school does well

• Standards in reading, writing, and science are well above average and standards in mathematics are above average. • The pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good; their behaviour, relationships, and attendance are excellent. • The teaching is very good throughout the school. • The provision for moral development is excellent. • Leadership and management are very good. • The school’s links with parents together with the impact of parents’ involvement on the work of the school is very good.

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What could be improved

• The provision for outdoor play in the Foundation Stage is poor. • The achievement of the pupils in physical education in Years 1 and 2 is not as good as it should be. • The safety of children and adults when using the shared vehicle and pedestrian access to the school. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was previously inspected in June 1997. Improvement since then has been good. Standards have risen in line with the national trend and, because of this, high standards relative to other schools have been sustained. The response of the headteacher, her staff, and the governors to the key issues arising from the previous inspection has been excellent. The underachievement found in 1997 of the more able pupils has now been remedied. Standards that were below average in information and communication technology are now above average; the expertise of teachers in this subject has been considerably improved. Standards that were below average in design and technology are now average. The teaching, supported by improvements to the yearly, termly, and weekly planning, now focuses sharply on providing work for pupils with different levels of attainment. This, together with the reorganisation of pupils

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

into single age classes where practicable, is leading to all pupils having work that is, in the main, well matched to their learning needs. Schemes of work for all subjects are now in place. Assessment procedures are now rigorous and used to provide support and raise expectations. The library has been developed. The roles and responsibilities of Earls Barton Infant School - Page 7 the senior management team have been successfully clarified, with increased delegation, and all those with management responsibility are carrying out their work appropriately. Monitoring and evaluation of teaching are now regular and effective practices. Provision in the Foundation Stage for physical activity has not improved sufficiently. This is unsatisfactory given the poor provision. Standards in physical education for pupils in Years 1 and 2 have fallen from well above average to average; this, too, is unsatisfactory.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on National Curriculum test results.

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Key

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

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Key

Standards in the core subjects among the oldest pupils are generally well above average. In the 2001 national tests in reading, writing, and mathematics, nearly all pupils attained the expected national level and a larger proportion exceeded expectations than is found in most schools. The standard of current work in Year 2 is high in the core subjects and pupils are on course in 2002 to improve on the 2001 standards. Over recent years, the overall trend of improvement in standards has kept pace with the national trend. The school is matching the standards found in similar schools in reading and mathematics and is exceeding them in writing. In all of the non-core subjects, standards are at least average and in art and design, history, music, information and communication technology, and religious education, standards are above average. In design and technology and in information and communication technology, standards have been raised significantly since the previous inspection. The achievement

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Key

of the pupils by the age of seven is good when compared to their attainment at the age of four. Standards in the Foundation stage are well above average in personal, social and emotional development; above average in communication, language and literacy, and in mathematics; and average in each of the other nationally agreed areas of learning except in physical development, where the evidence is limited.

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Key

The provision for outdoor physical activity in the Foundation Stage is seriously diminished by a lack of resources, preventing the curriculum for this age group being taught in full. The opportunity that four-year-olds have to explore a full range of physical activity is very narrow and insufficient for their needs. The opportunity to extend their knowledge and understanding of the world and their creative skills is also restricted by the lack of outdoor provision and this is one reason why standards in these areas of learning are not as high as in literacy and numeracy. In Years 1 and 2, a hall that is too small for physical education and a lack of a suitable playing field are preventing standards being as high as they should be in games.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are eager to come to school, respond to the teaching with interest and enthusiasm, concentrate and work hard. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Excellent. A high standard of behaviour is maintained in lessons, assemblies, at playtimes and midday. Personal development and relationships Personal development is very good. Relationships are excellent. Pupils are courteous, considerate, and show good levels of initiative. The excellent relationships enable pupils to work with confidence and to give of their best. Attendance Excellent. Punctuality is good. Earls Barton Infant School - Page 8

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

The overall quality of teaching is very good and has improved significantly since the previous inspection. The teaching is systematic, rigorous, and motivating and the learning needs of all pupils are, in the main, well met. The management of pupils and of discipline is very effective. The teaching is very good in English and mathematics and good in all of the other subjects except in design and technology and in physical education, where it is satisfactory. No teaching was seen in geography. Literacy and numeracy are well taught. The teaching of phonics is very effective and there is a strong emphasis on teaching basic skills in all subjects. In physical education, some lessons contain too much sitting and listening and not enough physical activity. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good in personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; and mathematics. Teaching is

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

good in creative development; little teaching was seen in physical development. Homework arrangements are typical of most schools with pupils of this age.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. All subjects are taught. Statutory requirements are met. Learning experiences are mainly rich in quality and deepen knowledge effectively. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The recommendations of the Code of Practice are met. Individual education plans are of satisfactory quality and used effectively by teachers and by support staff. Parents are kept appropriately informed and involved in decisions. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory given that the very few pupils involved already speak English fluently.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. Provision for spiritual development is good. A strong sense of community is developed. Collective worship is appropriate and meets requirements. Provision for moral development is excellent and the difference between right and wrong is well taught. All staff are excellent role models. Provision for social development, including opportunities to acquire skills of cooperation and teamwork, is very good. Provision for cultural development is satisfactory. How well the school cares for its pupils Good overall. There is a strong ethos of care. Child protection procedures are appropriate. All staff have been trained in emergency first aid. Pupils receive good guidance on personal safety. The procedures for monitoring and assessing the attainment and progress of pupils are satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

Appropriate schemes of work have been written and implemented successfully in all but physical education, which has a scheme but the implementation is constrained by space that is limited, indoors and out. With only minor exceptions, the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been implemented successfully. Extra curricular provision is typical of most schools with pupils of this age. Teachers acknowledge the limited extra curricular provision for sport and have plans to remedy this soon. The school’s social and moral values permeate its work. Provision for cultural development is satisfactory but more needs to be done to extend pupils’ knowledge of minority ethnic cultures. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and eliminating oppressive behaviour are very good. Pedestrians and vehicles from the both the infant and the junior schools share the same access to the site and at peak times there are significant risks to the safety of children and adults.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The school is led and managed for the benefit of all pupils. The headteacher provides a strong, clear sense of direction. She is ably supported by the deputy headteacher. Delegation is good and those with management responsibility work effectively. A high performing team of teachers has been established. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. Governors have well delegated roles and responsibilities, a good policy for visiting the school, and appropriately hold the school to account for the standards achieved. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The arrangements for monitoring and evaluating the work of the school are effective and instrumental in its improvement over recent years. The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. The school plans its expenditure sensibly to achieve its goals and lives

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Aspect Comment

Best value principles are applied to major purchases at the point of supply, though not always retrospectively when evaluating the impact of developments compared to their cost. Staffing is adequate in terms of teachers. The number of hours of learning support provided is less than most other schools. The accommodation has unsatisfactory aspects. The hall is too small; there is insufficient outdoor provision in the Foundation Stage; the temporary classroom does not have toilet facilities; there is no suitable playing field. Resources are satisfactory for nearly all subjects. There are deficiencies in the space and the resources for physical development and learning through outdoor physical activity in the Foundation Stage; deficiencies in the space for physical education in Key Stage 1, indoors and out; and some shortcomings in the provision of books and computers.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The good overall standard attained by pupils. • The good standard of behaviour. • The provision for pupils with special educational need. • The limited extent to which the pupils that are more able are stretched by the teaching. • The lack of information sent to parents about homework. • The annual pupil reports. • The narrow range of extra-curricular activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents are mainly very well satisfied with the school and the standards achieved. Links with parents are very effective. The inspectors agree with parents that standards are high, behaviour good, and that the provision for pupils with special educational needs is effective. Inspectors do not agree with parents that the extent to which high attaining pupils are extended by the teaching is limited; this was a problem at the time of the previous inspection but has now largely been remedied. Inspectors partly agree with parents about homework; the school policy is clear, the quantity and range is typical of most schools, but day-to-day communication is hampered by an absence of an effective home-school diary or comparable record system. Inspectors do not agree with parents about the annual pupil reports; these are of good quality and better than most schools. Inspectors recommend, however, that the

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

school include comparative information in the reports so that individual attainment can be linked to national expectations. Inspectors agree with parents that the range of extra-curricular activities is narrow, particularly sporting activities, but point out that although the range is narrow it is nevertheless similar to the majority of schools with pupils of this age. Earls Barton Infant School - Page 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The standard of current work in Year 2 is well above average in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and science and above average in mathematics. In the non-core subjects, standards in Year 2 are above average in art and design, history, music, information and communication technology, and religious education. Standards in design and technology, geography and physical education are average. The achievement of the oldest pupils in speaking, listening, reading, writing and science, when compared to their attainment on entry to the reception year, is often better than expectations and is good overall. In broad terms, the teachers raise the above average standards at the age of four in these subjects to well above by the age of seven. Achievement is good in art and design and is satisfactory in all of the other subjects except physical education, where constraints caused by the design of the hall and a lack of a suitable field are restricting the pupils’ scope to

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

excel in games and aspects of gymnastics. The pupils’ progress in physical education is unsatisfactory.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Since the previous inspection, standards have risen in writing, reflecting the considerable efforts made to improve both the teaching methods and the curriculum, primarily through the effective implementation of the National Literacy Strategy. Standards in reading have, in broad terms, been sustained. The guided methods for teaching reading that are part of the National Literacy Strategy have not been implemented. Instead, the school continues to use individual methods, which are less efficient and less effective in developing comprehension skills and this is why standards in reading, although well above average, have not improved as sharply as standards in writing. Standards in mathematics have improved since the previous inspection in line with the national trend, reflecting the successful implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy. In reading, writing, and mathematics, the underachievement of the more able pupils that was found at the time of the previous

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

inspection has now been remedied. In science, in design and technology, and in information and communication technology, standards have risen significantly since the previous inspection, from average to well above average in science, and from below average to average in design and technology and to above average in information and communication technology. In all three subjects, the curriculum is now well organised and the teaching is systematic and purposeful and this is why standards have risen. Standards in history are now good and the curriculum has been substantially developed. Standards in art and design, music and religious education have been sustained. Relative to the national picture, standards in physical education, although average, are no longer as good as they were at the time of the previous inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The 2001 national tests for seven-year-olds were well above average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics. In these tests in reading, nine out of every ten pupils attained or exceeded the expected national level, which was better than the typical school. Almost half the pupils exceeded expectations in reading, which is much better than most schools and the main reason for standards overall being well above average. Results in reading in 2001 were not as good as 2000; the proportion of pupils attaining the national threshold fell by eight percentage points. The proportion at this level also fell slightly in 2000 but proportions exceeding expectations has increased since the previous inspection. Current standards in reading are on course to improve on the 2001 results. In writing in 2001, every pupil attained or exceeded national expectations, with substantially more than the typical proportion exceeding them. The overall trend in writing over recent years has

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

been one of steady improvement. In mathematics in 2001, all but two children attained or exceeded national expectations, including more than a third who exceeded them. More pupils exceeded expectations in mathematics than did so in 2000 and the overall trend in the subject is one of steady improvement.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Girls are currently doing better in reading, though this present difference in attainment between girls and boys is not as great as in the 2001 national tests. Girls are currently doing better in mathematics although in most of the previous years the boys have done better. The differences between the genders in writing and science are not significant. Girls and boys are equally represented in the high attaining groups but there are more boys with relatively low attainment, particularly in reading, and this partly reflects methods for teaching reading that are not as efficient or effective as they could be in extending comprehension skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Pupils with special educational needs mainly have difficulty with literacy. The school identifies these pupils soon after admission, generally at the age of four, and provides effective support. Nearly all of them make good progress, sufficient to attain national expectations by the age of seven, albeit a couple of months behind the average child. The few pupils with other types of special educational need, and one with a statement, also make good progress in relation to the difficulties they face and generally attain or get close to national expectations by the age of seven. Pupils with behavioural difficulties, for example, are settled and their Earls Barton Infant School - Page 11 behaviour is generally as good as their peers.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The attainment and progress of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is consistent with national expectations throughout the National Curriculum programmes of study. The attainment of pupils from Traveller backgrounds is broadly consistent with expectations in literacy and numeracy. Records show that their progress is uneven. The additional support provided is very effective and progress since rejoining the school a few weeks ago has accelerated in core subjects. Evidence of the attainment and progress of Traveller pupils in non-core subjects is limited.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Nearly all pupils in the Foundation Stage are on course to attain or exceed the nationally agreed Early Learning Goals in all but physical development by the time that they enter Year 1. In personal, social and emotional development, a high proportion are likely to exceed the Early Learning Goals and standards are well above average. In communication, language, and literacy, and in mathematics, standards are above average. In knowledge and understanding of the world and in creative development, standards are average. In physical development, the evidence is limited because the outdoor provision has a significant lack of resources and is not used every day; where attainment can be evaluated, such as pencil control and use of scissors, standards are average. In personal, social and emotional development, in communication, language, literacy, and mathematics, the pace of learning is good, reflecting the strong emphasis placed on these aspects in the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

teaching. In the other three areas of learning, including those aspects of physical development where provision is made, the pace of learning is satisfactory.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. The oldest pupils are well launched into reading. All of them are developing appropriate phonic skills, reflecting the strong emphasis on this aspect in the teaching. Many of the pupils are already confident and successful when tackling unfamiliar words and the most able are independent readers. Low attaining pupils can blend the sounds of simpler unfamiliar words but do not know how to find clues in the text or illustrations to help them predict meaning and this is slowing their development slightly. Although the chosen method of hearing individual pupils read can be used to extend comprehension skills, resources usually do not allow teachers to do so as often as the guided methods, for example, or as regularly as is necessary for pupils whose progress in these skills is slower than expected. Individual methods also prevent pupils from learning from the good practice of others or from common errors. All pupils in Year 2 are able to write simple sentences and four-fifths

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

of them can write short stories with ideas appropriately organised. Shared and guided methods are used well to teach writing, together with a good emphasis on composition and independence in writing, and this is why standards have risen since the previous inspection. In mathematics, almost all of the pupils have a well developed knowledge of number, which they can apply appropriately for their age to problem solving, and a sound knowledge of shape, space and measures. Priority in the teaching is given to mental work and to structured problem solving and this is why standards in these aspects of mathematics have improved considerably since the previous inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In science, the teaching develops very well the pupils’ investigative and observational skills. This is a big improvement since the previous inspection, reflecting the effective development of yearly and termly planning leading to greater consistency in the quality of teaching. In design and technology, pupils are acquiring satisfactory planning and making skills. The teaching is organised so that knowledge and skills are developed appropriately over time, which is a big improvement since the previous inspection. In information and communication technology, all pupils in Year 2 have a satisfactory knowledge of the keyboard and of programs such as word processing and graphics, and use programs tailored to support learning in other subjects. They can print and save their work and are developing appropriate knowledge of control technology. The methods for teaching the subject have improved and are now consistent with national guidelines.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Standards in physical education are mixed, with development being restricted by the design of the hall, lack of a suitable grassed area for games, and a sloping hard surfaced playground. Aspects of the subject, such as dance, are adequately taught and the pupils’ attainment is generally average. Spatial awareness and games skills are not as developed as they should be.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. The achievement of nearly all pupils is consistent with or better than national expectations. Although there are variations in achievement between core subjects, the differences are not great. Baseline assessments conducted within eight weeks of entry to Year R show that in most years about one in five pupils might find it difficult to attain expected standards by the age of seven. In most years, national tests show that nearly all pupils attain or exceed the expected level, demonstrating that pupils with average or low attainment on entry make the progress they should over the three years at the school. Baseline assessments show an average proportion of pupils with high attainment on entry, about one in five, yet in recent years the proportion that has exceeded national expectations has generally been significantly larger than the typical school. This shows that Earls Barton Infant School - Page 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the pupils who are more able are stretched appropriately and that many with average attainment on entry do better than expected. In reading, for example, twice as many pupils in 2001 exceeded expectations at the age of seven as were predicted to do so by baseline assessments at the age of four. In both writing and mathematics, the proportion exceeding expectations is generally about a third greater than the average proportion nationally. The unsatisfactory achievement in writing at the time of the previous inspection has been remedied and all pupils in Years 1 and 2 are making the progress they should in this aspect of English. The results in 2001 in reading and mathematics were as good as most schools with pupils from similar backgrounds and better than them in writing; this indicates that the amount of educational value added by the school is at least satisfactory in relation to attainment on entry.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ attitudes to school are very good. Pupils come to school in the morning bright and eager to learn. At the end of break times, they line up quickly and are keen to get started. Responses to the parents’ questionnaire show that virtually all pupils enjoy school, a view that is consistent with discussion with pupils. Pupils respond to the teaching with interest and enthusiasm. The good attitudes enable teachers to start lessons promptly. After lesson introductions and shared work, pupils move quickly to begin their individual and group work because they want to put into practice what they have heard. Pupils concentrate well and work hard. They recognise when things need to be done, like tidying up, and get on with it often before they are asked.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Behaviour is excellent. In lessons, a quiet word is all that is occasionally necessary to keep pupils focused on their activity. The high standard of behaviour means that teachers waste little time on discipline, enabling them and their pupils to concentrate fully on teaching and learning. This has a very positive impact on the good rate of learning seen in most lessons. In assemblies and around the school, pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. The youngest children quickly learn the discipline of only answering questions when asked. When pupils eat their lunches in the dining hall, they behave in a civilised way and this enables midday to be a valuable social experience. Pupils have the opportunity to discuss the reasons behind class rules and fully accept their validity. They are very clear about the differences between right and wrong. There were no exclusions of pupils from the school during the latest reporting period. Pupils treat the property of others and all the resources they

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The personal development of pupils is very good. Pupils willingly accept responsibilities when offered. They often identify what needs to be done and do it; they compete to be allowed to help. Relationships between pupils and with adults at the school are excellent. In class, the strong rapport between adults and pupils is a very noticeable feature of almost all lessons. Pupils respond by giving of their best. Within lessons, pupils show respect for others and help them when necessary. In the playground, pupils of all ages play well together and older ones respect the needs of younger pupils. Within lessons, pupils work well to support each other, sharing resources well, discussing problems and making suggestions to each other about improving their work. They recognise that, although theirs is largely a mono-cultural school, there are other ways of life and beliefs. Pupils participate with good maturity and insight in the circle times in which a whole class explores feelings

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

and responsibilities towards others. No incidents of racism, bullying, or social exclusion were observed during the inspection and much less is reported than is typically found. Pupils confirm that such incidents are very rare; minor incidents are handled with sensitivity and rigour by the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The overall attendance last year was very high in comparison with the national average for primary schools and there is very little unauthorised absence. A few pupils sometimes arrive after the official start time, but rarely late enough to miss part of a lesson. This excellent attendance has a very positive impact in the progress that pupils make.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. The overall quality of teaching is much better than is typically found and constitutes a significant improvement on the previous inspection. Almost all of the teaching, 83 per cent, is good or better; including more than a quarter that is very good. There is no teaching that is unsatisfactory and the consistent quality between the classes and year groups is a strong characteristic of the provision. One of the main reasons why the teaching is consistent is the effective monitoring and evaluation of teaching that has been introduced since the previous inspection. This is helping to share good practice and reduce ineffectiveness. Since the previous inspection, the termly and weekly planning has improved, the use of assessment is now better, curricular guidance is clearer, and these are leading to a sharper focus on individual learning needs and a better match of work to pupil ability. Earls Barton Infant School - Page 13

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The skills of literacy and numeracy are effectively taught. The teaching in English is very good overall. It is well planned, purposeful, and motivates all pupils appropriately. Writing, spelling and phonics are particularly well taught; not enough time, however, is given to guided methods when teaching reading and this is leading to the few low attaining pupils extending their comprehension skills less quickly than their phonic skills. The teaching is very good in mathematics and good in science, art and design, history, information and communication technology, music, and religious education. The teaching is satisfactory in design and technology and in physical education; in geography, no teaching was seen. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good in all of the nationally agreed areas of learning except creative development, where it is good. No teaching was seen in physical development. Within the Foundation Stage, there is an appropriate balance between directed and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The teaching for pupils with special educational needs and those with low attainment who are not on the special needs register is effective. All lessons, apart from a few in physical education, make effective provision for pupils with different learning needs. Teachers and support staff are familiar with individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs and take them into account. Learning assistants provide good levels of support. The provision for pupils from Traveller backgrounds is good. The teachers and the staff from the Traveller support service work closely together.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Where teaching is very good, teachers have a strong mastery of the subject, enabling them to make full use of resources and present the lesson in a stimulating and imaginative manner, challenging and involving all pupils. In a very good history lesson in Year 2, the pupils’ knowledge of seaside resorts, transport and entertainment at the end of the Victorian era was efficiently extended. Three short videos were used; each followed by discussion that masterfully extended understanding through carefully worded questions that required reasoned answers and promoted eager participation. Tasks were matched to ability and made good use of photographs to consolidate research skills. By the end the lesson, the pupils had detailed knowledge of transport such as early bicycles, including the penny-farthing, bathing machines, and Punch and Judy shows and knew how artefacts from the period could be used as primary sources of information. In a very good literacy lesson in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

Year 1, the pupils worked collaboratively in small groups to compose an ending to a story. The teacher had read part of a story to motivate the pupils and had left it at a particularly exciting point. The class then shared for a few minutes the writing of the next episode in the story, with individuals writing sentences on a white board for others to comment and learn from. Finally, groups were formed to compose an ending, taking turns to suggest ideas and sentences and to scribe. The teacher and her assistant guided two groups, enabling all pupils to keep up and to consolidate knowledge where necessary.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Teachers’ subject knowledge is generally good. It is strongest in the core subjects and weakest in physical education. Subjects that had weaknesses at the previous inspection, particularly information and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history, now have adequate levels of expertise, reflecting the improved curricular guidance and the training that has been provided. Phonic skills are well taught and this is a strong aspect of the teaching. There is a good emphasis on teaching basic skills in all subjects and this is the main reason why standards are as high as they are. The teachers now plan in year group teams, with guidance provided by subject coordinators, and this is leading to systematic and effective teaching in classes with pupils of similar age. Methods follow national guidance in the main, particularly the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, though the school has retained a policy of listening to individual

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pupils read in preference to guided reading methods. Senior management is now reconsidering this policy because it is too dependent upon teachers giving of their own time at midday and because a small number of low attaining pupils are not increasing their comprehension skills as quickly as their phonic skills. Teachers manage the pupils very well and high standards of discipline are consistently maintained. Support staff are appropriately deployed and used effectively to support pupils’ learning. Good use is made of time and resources. The teachers monitor the pupils’ work and remedy misconceptions quickly. The effectiveness of lessons is regularly evaluated and conclusions are used to inform planning. Arrangements for homework are satisfactory. The quantity and range is limited, mainly reading at home, learning spellings, plus occasional written tasks, but is typical of most schools with pupils that are aged seven or younger.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. The pace of learning is consistent throughout the school and is very good overall. In the vast majority of lessons, all pupils acquire new knowledge or skills at a satisfactory or better pace and pupils with different levels of attainment and ability are appropriately challenged and extended by the teaching. This is particularly the case in core subjects. Occasionally, in information and communication technology and in physical education, all pupils are given the same tasks and this insufficiently extends the more able pupils. Levels of intellectual, physical and creative effort are very good. Teachers manage lessons well, in the main, and pupils generally complete their work in the time available. The teaching promotes very good levels of interest and this Earls Barton Infant School - Page 14 helps pupils to concentrate and engage intellectually with the new ideas and knowledge being taught.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

22. The quality and range of learning opportunities is good overall including those for children in the Foundation Stage, though the provision for physical development and for physical education is restricted. Apart from the latter, all pupils from the ages of five to seven, including those with special educational needs, experience the broad range of National Curriculum subjects and religious education, all of which are taught in depth and through worthwhile learning experiences. The curriculum helps to develop the social, moral and personal skills that are prominent in the school’s aims. Priority is appropriately given to the core subjects of English, mathematics, and science. In practice, the length of the taught week is about 30 minutes less than government recommendations, with the impact being most noticeable in physical education. More time will need to be given to geography if standards are to rise beyond the average. The teaching of religious education follows the

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locally agreed syllabus and the daily act of worship meets requirements. Health education, drugs education, and sex education are provided within the framework of science teaching.

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23. The quality of curriculum provided for children in the Foundation Stage is good and effectively supports their brisk rate of learning and the standards they achieve. Schemes of work cover the six nationally agreed areas of learning for this age group and effectively support the teaching. Opportunities for structured outdoor play in a safe environment are still limited. This was the case at the time of the previous report and the lack of improvement is unsatisfactory.

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24. The previous inspection found that curriculum planning had a number of weaknesses, all of which have since been remedied. The quality of the planning has improved significantly. Developments in long term planning ensure a better balance than before in terms of coverage. Medium term planning is now more consistent across the school and is monitored by coordinators. There are now agreed criteria for short term planning. Emphasis is now on separate subject planning instead of the previously broad topic approach. The current planning ensures that all subjects feature regularly on the timetable. Schemes of work have improved since the previous inspection and formal monitoring of lessons is now in place. Planning for physical education follows national guidelines and is satisfactory but the implementation of the planning is limited by inadequate accommodation for gymnastics, dance, and games. There is keen awareness of the need to review the way subjects are taught

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and staff meet regularly to discuss curricular matters and improve their expertise.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

25. Provisions for pupils with special educational needs is good; it meets the requirements of the Code of Practice and ensures pupils make good progress, guided by helpful individual education plans focusing on the pupils’ specific needs. Detailed records are kept and parents are fully involved in the process. Targets are set for each pupil, and they are provided with work suitable to their particular needs, both within the class and in withdrawal groups. The plans are reviewed every half term with new targets being set if appropriate. The needs of the higher attaining pupils are not included in this planning. The policy for gifted children is part of the special educational needs policy and is in need of updating. Extension work is provided in most classes and the few pupils that are gifted generally fulfil their potential in the national tests. The school is successful in ensuring that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum. All staff provide very good role models for pupils to follow

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and lessons proceed in a harmonious atmosphere where all pupils’ efforts are appreciated and respected.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

26. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have both been fully implemented, with the exception of guided reading noted elsewhere, and are contributing to the rising standards in English and mathematics throughout the school. Teachers use the strategy Frameworks well to set progressively demanding work, and to ensure that the needs of all pupils are met, including those with higher attainment and those with special educational needs. In the wider curricular context, pupils have many opportunities to use their literacy skills in other subjects. For example, in history, they write about a day at the seaside ninety years ago; they develop their speaking and listening skills by questioning a visitor about the holidays of fifty years ago.

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27. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ personal, social, and health education. Weekly circle time is timetabled throughout the school. Lessons are well planned and provide very good opportunities for pupils to develop an understanding of important issues such as caring for others and the exploration of personal feelings. In one very good lesson, pupils talked well about leisure activities and about making independent choices. These lessons effectively support their personal development.

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28. The school makes satisfactory provision for enhancing the curriculum beyond statutory requirements. Most Year 2 pupils learn to play the recorder at lunchtimes. The school is planning to provide gymnastics and Earls Barton Infant School - Page 15 football clubs in 2002. There is a good range of educational visits within the locality and sometimes further a field. In the summer, Year 2 pupils planted shrubs and other plants in a new pocket park recently set up as a wildlife area.

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29. The quality of the curriculum is enhanced by very good links with the community, which make a very effective contribution to pupils’ learning. Pupils have the useful opportunity to visit the four churches in the village, enriching their religious and history studies. Pupils regularly visit the local museum and borrow artefacts when required. Visitors come in to talk about the past, helping to extend understanding of chronology. One grandparent compared a seaside holiday when he was young with a typical modern holiday. Very good links with the fire service, community police, and the school nurse effectively develop the pupils’ understanding of the broader community. The pupils are actively involved in raising money for a variety of charities. This year the school has nominated the NSPCC as their special charity. Within these activities, the pupils gain a good understanding of the needs of others. The school is an integral part of most village activities and takes an active

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part in many local celebrations. Pupils sing Christmas carols for the elderly at the village luncheon club. Relationships with the school’s partner institutions are good. Most of the pupils have attended a playgroup or nursery before their induction into the school. Links with the nearby junior school are very good. Staff show a high degree of awareness of the need to provide continuity in the education of their pupils and the two schools have planned aspects of work in subjects jointly to ensure that this happens. There is a good exchange of information on transfer and the Year 2 teachers of the infants meet with the Year 3 teachers in the juniors to discuss each pupil’s strengths and weaknesses. The Year 2 pupils spend two afternoons at the junior school before they transfer so that they can meet their new teachers and see their new classrooms. The school is host to a number of students from the local secondary school for work experience.

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30. The curriculum provides good equality of access for all pupils to learn and make progress. There is a strong policy and guidelines for equal opportunities. Teacher’s planning takes appropriate account of pupils’ age, attainment, and special educational needs. Pupils with special educational needs are very well considered and gain access to all areas of the curriculum and participate fully in the life of the school. The school works hard to ensure all pupils are included in activities, for example all Year 2 pupils are encouraged to learn the recorder at a lunch time club. Most pupils take advantage of this opportunity. They are all encouraged to develop their confidence and performance skills through participating in concerts, performances, and special events. All pupils are encouraged to sing in small groups and perform solos. Traveller pupils are very well considered and every opportunity is taken to ensure their education is maintained through special work and support in the

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classroom and from the local support services. The current organisation of classes and teaching groups ensures equality of access and opportunity for pupils of all abilities.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

31. The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The provision for spiritual development is good. The school is successful in fostering a sense of belonging and of community. A strong ethos permeates throughout and this has a positive impact on attitudes and behaviour. Assemblies are well planned and fulfil statutory requirements. They provide a time for quiet reflection through prayer which is closely linked to consideration of others and aspects of every day life. During one instance of collective worship, the headteacher and local vicar described the events of the Christmas story in an interesting and enthusiastic way, making it accessible through everyday experiences. The headteacher talked about sweet smelling hay in the manger that helped Mary and Joseph choose a bed for baby Jesus. As pupils left the hall, they were all eager to smell and touch the hay for themselves. The headteacher has good awareness of

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spiritual development and an emphasis and appreciation of the beauty of natural things and the natural world is frequently shared with pupils. A strong aspect of spiritual development is the way individual achievements are valued, shared, and celebrated, which helps pupils to understand themselves and human nature better.

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32. Provision for moral development is excellent; pupils have regular opportunities to reflect on their own experiences and to clarify their understanding of right and wrong. Teachers have established a supportive atmosphere in which to cultivate pupils’ moral development. From the time they enter the school the pupils are expected to behave sensibly, take care of resources and tidy up at the end of lessons. All staff are excellent role models and expectations are shared with parents. All parents receive a copy of the behaviour policy. These clear guidelines form the bedrock of moral development and are successfully implemented and reinforced by all adults. Clear guidelines for positive behaviour are evident in all classes, for example, in a Year 1 class a poster summarises effectively but simply the message we are a happy class and we share, smile, do a lot of work, behave well and help each other . Pupils are responsible for equipment and resources on the playground and

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the code of conduct is well known by the mid-day supervisors.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

33. The provision for social development is very good. The school places an emphasis on caring for and considering others and respecting their views and values. The positive quality of relationships within the school supports Earls Barton Infant School - Page 16 social development. Pupils have regular opportunities to work with a partner or alongside others in a larger group to develop skills of cooperation. There is a positive atmosphere at playtimes, with pupils actively encouraged to join in each other’s games. The school has a range of resources for use during the lunchtime, helping pupils to develop appropriate skills of sharing and of teamwork. These skills are extended through drama and school productions, where success is dependent upon individual performance within a team setting. Pupils are encouraged to show initiative and anticipate the needs of others through tasks such as getting the

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hall ready for assembly, setting out chairs, overhead projector and taking responsibility for taped music.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

34. Provision for cultural development is satisfactory but with aspects for improvement. Through involvement in charities, the pupils are learning about the economic and cultural circumstances of others such as through a shoebox appeal for children abroad needing help. The local and immediate cultural heritage of the pupils is explored through educational visits, such as a visit by Year 1 pupils to the local fire station, later enriched culturally through a study of the Fire of London. All four local churches have been visited, extending knowledge of denominational traditions within the Christian church. Provision to extend knowledge of various minority ethnic cultures and of Traveller culture is, however, limited and not evident as you walk around the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The school has good procedures for promoting the care of its pupils. Teachers and assistants are trained in first aid. If pupils are ill or have accidents at school, they are well looked after. Child protection procedures meet local guidelines. The designated teacher and the rest of the staff have been trained in their use. In the few cases where child protection has been necessary, the school has received appropriate support from welfare agencies. Pupils receive good guidance on awareness of personal safety through the personal and social education programme. Good behaviour is promoted very effectively, mainly by use of praise and reward for those who behave well or show improvement. Sanctions are rarely required. The absence of bullying is a consequence of the school’s very good promotion of a caring ethos, fostered by discussion with pupils in assemblies and whole class discussion of personal feelings and the effect of actions on others. Governors have

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

carried out systematic health and safety risk assessments of the premises but these are not frequent enough. Fire, electrical and physical education equipment is checked as required. The school is a generally safe environment but pedestrians and vehicles share the access to both the infant and the junior schools and to playgrounds and car parks. At peak times, vehicles enter the site at the same time as pupils and parents, often with small children, and this is unsafe. The area designated for outdoor play for pupils in the Foundation Stage is also unsafe because of unguarded steps.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The monitoring of attendance is satisfactory but with aspects for improvement. Registers are completed correctly at the start of each session and reasons for absence recorded appropriately. Parents are required to account for sickness and holidays in writing. Although absence is, in fact, very low, until last year the school had not for several years calculated its overall annual absence or made the required statistical returns and hence was unable to make the statutory reports on attendance to parents. The school has not followed official recommendations to adopt a system of first day contact of parents when no reason for absence is given or to monitor formally the comings and goings of pupils between registrations. Although pupils in the age groups enrolled at the school are invariably accompanied to and from school by a responsible adult, there is nevertheless an element of risk in not having a first day contact arrangement. There is a similar risk in not

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keeping a register of pupils who leave the site during the school day. Both risks, no matter how small, should be eliminated.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress and for monitoring academic performance are satisfactory. The use of assessment to inform planning is currently satisfactory overall. Procedures for monitoring pupils’ personal development and supporting academic progress are satisfactory. Since the last inspection, the school has made satisfactory progress in refining and developing its assessment and monitoring procedures. Assessment procedures are consistent across the school and all teachers are using the same formats. The school has improved the way they plan work in year groups and assessment information is used to inform these sessions. This is effective in English and mathematics but is not fully developed in the other subject areas.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Procedures for assessing attainment are satisfactory overall with good procedures evident in English, mathematics, science, and information and communication technology. There are no assessment systems in the other subjects. Teachers use the information well in English and mathematics to identify strengths and weaknesses and to inform planning. Pupils have targets in English and mathematics and this has been effective in helping to maintain standards in test results. Reading and spelling records are of satisfactory Earls Barton Infant School - Page 17 quality. Progress is recorded on class sheets and this is continuous throughout the year. Nevertheless, the school has yet to develop fully an effective system to track the progress of individuals over time. There are satisfactory assessment procedures in the Foundation Stage. Results are used to forecast performance and attainment by the age of seven. Pupils with special educational needs are identified early in the reception year

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and appropriate individual education plans are identified. This is a strength and has been effective in raising standards and improving both the progress and self-image of the children concerned.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The assessment coordinator has worked very hard establishing improved procedures for assessment and monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress. All subject coordinators monitor their subject and record their observations after each half term, the observations are then monitored by the headteacher. There are clear guidelines on assessment and classroom practice and a clear policy for the development of assessment.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. Parents are generally well satisfied with what the school provides and the standards it achieves. The views expressed by parents in the parents’ questionnaire were very positive. Parents say their children enjoy coming to school; that it is well led and managed; teaching is good and pupils are expected to work hard. There are concerns amongst a few parents about the range of extra-curricular activities, information about their child’s progress and how well the school works with parents. Parents at the meeting held before the inspection were very positive and had few concerns. The positive views are confirmed by the inspection. In each of the areas of concern, the findings are that the provision made by the school is at least satisfactory.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The school’s links with parents are very effective. When children start in the reception class, parents are given good information about what school life will be like for them and how they can help their child at home. They are kept well informed about what is happening in school with regular newsletters and curricular information. Evening meetings to discuss various aspects of the curriculum have been organised and, according to parents, are very well attended. The home-school agreement was issued after extensive consultation with parents. It is a positive document, which clearly lays down the responsibilities of all parties. The homework policy, which is attached to the home-school agreement, tells parents about the work they should expect. Because attendance had not been calculated until recently, the required attendance figures were not included in the prospectus or the Governors’ annual report. The latter document also omits reference to provision for people with disabilities.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Pupils’ annual reports meet statutory requirements and give good information about what the pupil has achieved that year in the main subjects; they are better than those found in most schools. They report fairly but sensitively on the progress of low attaining pupils. Comments about non-core subjects are appropriate and the reports give good insight into the pupil’s personal development. However, they do not always give a clear view of individual attainment compared with national expectations except at the end of Year 2. Written targets to aim for in the following year are included, this is good practice. Parents are able to support their child through extensive discussion with the class teacher at which targets are discussed. Most parents take advantage of this, indicating the good level of support they provide.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are properly involved in identifying those needs. They are invited to, and usually attend, meetings to review progress and set new targets. In most cases, the parents provide good support for these pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Parents have a very good impact on the progress of their children at school. Most parents support their child’s learning by hearing them read at home, although the impact of this is not as effective as it could be because there is no formal means of communication, for example a reading diary, with parents. The pupils’ education benefits from a very large number of parents who give regular support to teachers. This support is reliable and enables their work to be planned by the teacher. Consequently, they provide a very valuable additional teaching resource. Selected ‘Parent Partner Helpers’ give targeted support to an individual pupil twice a week, which improves both the academic and social development of the selected pupils. There is a strong ‘Friends’ association that raises substantial amounts that have been used to provide, for example, playground games and information and communication technology equipment. They also organise social events, which are

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generally family occasions, which help to make parents feel welcome.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. Leadership and management are very good. The educational direction of the school is clear and firmly established by the headteacher for the benefit of all the pupils. Management is appropriately concentrating on Earls Barton Infant School - Page 18 creating an effective school that learns from experience and strives to improve. Action taken over the past four years has been effective and the school is now significantly better than it was at the time of the previous inspection. The aims of the school appropriately emphasise the provision of a full curriculum and the achievement of high standards, aims that are being successfully achieved. A full range of policies reflects these aims and provides clear guidance to teachers. The deputy headteacher and the senior management team ably support the headteacher. Together they have created a high performing team of teachers and this is leading to the high standards attained by the pupils. Commitment to shared goals and the capacity to succeed are high.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. Delegation and the effectiveness of subject coordinators have improved since the previous inspection. Roles and responsibilities are well established and well understood. The coordinators have between them improved the curricular guidance, both documented and through advice and training. They are appropriately involved in monitoring and evaluating performance and what should be tackled next. The work of the coordinators feeds through to the overall school development processes. This good practice is leading to a cycle of continual improvement.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The governing body has satisfactory oversight of the work of the school and holds it appropriately to account for standards achieved. The governing body has a full complement of parent governors but not of local authority governors. The chair of governors has established a good range of delegated governor responsibilities and an appropriate committee structure that make full use of the expertise that governors bring to the school. The governors visit regularly, have good guidelines to provide a framework for their visits, and are aware of the main strengths, weaknesses, and development priorities; their regular visiting is good practice. Governors are satisfactorily involved in shaping the direction of the school, primarily through their approval of policies and of the school development plan, but could be more involved in strategic financial planning. Most relevant statutory requirements are met, though requirements in relation to statutory attendance data and to the content of the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

annual report are not met in full through oversight rather than design.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The arrangements for monitoring and evaluating the practice of the school are good. The teaching is observed regularly by the headteacher and by subject coordinators. A programme of classroom visits is agreed with the teachers and followed diligently. Observations are rigorous and the findings shared with teachers to support their professional development. Strengths and areas for improvement are identified for individual teachers and for the staff as a whole, and this is good practice. Action is taken to remedy relative weaknesses. A common area for improvement, for example, was teachers’ questioning skills. Inspectors now find that teachers’ questioning skills are of above average quality and instrumental in promoting much good learning. The pupils’ work is regularly scrutinised by the senior management team and compared with teachers’ planning and this informs judgements about teaching and curricular effectiveness. Targets for improvement are set for each class

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and year group in each of the core subjects and this helps to evaluate the progress made each year and identify where improvement might be necessary. Writing, for example, was raised as a concern at the last inspection and progress since then has been carefully checked in each class and year group and the findings used to fine-tune developments.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The school development plan is of good overall quality. It contains a clear statement of main aims and an evaluation of progress on implementing the previous plan. The evaluations are to the point and include weaknesses as well as successes; this is good practice. The objectives are carefully worded and a few are linked to specific targets for attainment and are measurable; this practice of making targets measurable should be extended to include most targets. The priorities are relevant to development needs and the plan provides appropriate direction to the development of the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. Income and expenditure per pupil are higher than is usually found. The school makes satisfactory use of the funds allocated. The budget is set each year using the effective method of targeting priorities identified in the school development plan. This is mainly done by the headteacher in discussion with governors. Although governors approve the budget, as they should, they do not yet play a sufficiently active strategic role. Funds allocated for pupils with special educational need have been spent for that purpose and other grants, including that for professional development of teachers, have been used appropriately. Once set, the progress of the budget against expenditure is well monitored by the headteacher and governors, using information from the authority. The school secretary makes good use of information and communication technology to manage the whole budget and is efficient in ensuring that accounts are reconciled with the authority’s system. The

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

recommendations of a recent audit report have mainly been implemented. The headteacher and governors, using the principles of best value, have considered the value for money in the supply of the various services for which funds have been devolved by the authority. Governors and senior management are not yet evaluating major school developments by comparing improvements in standards with capital and other costs to see whether best value is obtained. Earls Barton Infant School - Page 19 50. The school has an adequate number of appropriately qualified teachers and class sizes are kept within the statutory limit of 30. Subject coordinators are generally well qualified or have gained suitable experience. The number of teaching support staff is rather low and although there is usually plenty of voluntary support, this is not suitable, for example, for the supervision of outdoor play for reception children. The accommodation has

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unsatisfactory aspects. The main building is well maintained and clean, and made attractive by displays. Classrooms have adequate water and electrical supplies and are suitable for most teaching purposes. The school hall, however, is small, even for pupils of this age, and unsuitable for most aspects of physical education. The temporary classroom, which stands alone, is unsuitable in that it has no toilets and tends to be very cold on winter mornings. The area of the yard allocated for outdoor play for pupils in the Foundation Stage imposes considerable limitations on their physical development. Although resources for most subjects of the National Curriculum and most areas of learning in the Foundation stage are at least adequate, they are unsatisfactory for physical education in Years 1 and 2 and for outdoor physical activity in the Foundation Stage. There are some shortcomings in the book stock, particularly multiple copies for guided reading

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purposes and challenging books for the most able readers. There are insufficient computers, there being only one in each class apart from Year 2. This is inadequate to allow pupils to develop the skills expected. Earls Barton Infant School - Page 20

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

51. Response to the previous inspection was very positive and because of that, the school has improved significantly. One aspect where the response has been insufficient, that of outdoor provision in the Foundation Stage, should now be addressed by all concerned with the governance of the school if the nationally agreed areas of learning for that age group are to be taught in full. Improving outdoor provision should provide a bedrock of experience that will help to raise standards in non-core subjects in Years 1 and 2 that are currently only average and not as high as core subjects. Provision for physical education in Years 1 and 2 should also be improved so the pupils have the opportunity to excel in all aspects of the programme of study for that subject. The risk to the safety of pupils when entering and leaving the site should be remedied as soon as possible. To remedy these major shortcomings, the headteacher and her staff, with the support of all those with governance

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q improve the provision for outdoor physical activity in the Foundation Stage by: ° providing appropriate training for all relevant staff so that they have the knowledge, expertise, and awareness of current good practice to implement the nationally agreed Foundation Stage curriculum for physical development in full and to teach other areas of learning through physical activity; ° providing daily access for all pupils in the reception year to a safe and appropriately equipped outdoor area; ° increasing the range and quality of the resources for use outdoors and the number of properly trained classroom assistants to work with the pupils outdoors and extend learning rigorously; ° planning meticulously to make full daily use of the outdoor area; ° setting relevant, measurable targets for improvement and regularly monitoring progress towards their achievement; (Paragraphs 7, 22, 50, 53-55)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q increase the achievement of the pupils in physical education in Years 1 and 2 by: ° providing relevant training for teachers to increase their knowledge of current good practice in teaching physical education; ° planning rigorously to make best use of the resources currently available; ° improving the accommodation for indoor physical education, or using nearby alternatives if these are both better and practicable, as soon as resources allow; ° introducing arrangements to evaluate the attainment of pupils; use the findings to set targets for improvement and to measure progress towards their achievement; (Paragraphs 1, 2, 10, 20, 21, 22, 24, 50, 119-124

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q improve the safety of pupils and their parents when entering and leaving school by providing separate access for vehicles and pedestrians. (Paragraph 35)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

52. In addition, the governors should consider including the following minor issues in their action plan: • extending the use of guided reading methods (paragraphs 52, 64, 70, and 72); • increasing the quantity and range of resources for guided reading (paragraph 50 and 73); • increasing the range and challenge of resources, particularly books, for gifted readers (paragraph 67 and 73; • eliminating the risks to pupil safety of some forms of unauthorised absence by introducing first day contact arrangements for all non-notified absences (paragraph 36); • ensuring that the annual attendance statistics are calculated and despatched in accordance with requirements (paragraph 36); • the introduction of annual assessments in all non-core subjects (paragraph 37); • increase the number of computers (paragraph 50 and 111); • give more time to the teaching of geography so that the average standards can be improved to the same

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

level as most other non-core subjects (paragraphs 98-101). Earls Barton Infant School - Page 21

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 31

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 227

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 39

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 13

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Earls Barton Infant School - Page 22

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 32 31 63

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 27 32 30 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 30 31 31

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

Percentage of pupils School 90 (98) 100 (98) 97 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 29 29 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 30 30 30

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

Percentage of pupils School 94 (99) 94 (98) 97 (99) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 98 (88) 89 (88)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Earls Barton Infant School - Page 23

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.4 Financial year 2000-2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.15

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR-Y2 Total income 441323

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Total expenditure 435315

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 80 Expenditure per pupil (222 pupils on roll) 1960.88

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 9650

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 15658

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Earls Barton Infant School - Page 24

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 46 48 1 0 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 34 60 0 0 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 28 56 10 0 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 29 49 11 5 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 63 29 6 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 55 39 4 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 35 45 11 3 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 58 35 1 0 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 39 53 1 0 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 8 26 31 19 16

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Other issues raised by parents

• A few parents raised concerns about the school’s reading scheme. The inspection team has investigated these concerns. The school uses books from several schemes and has organised them according to their level of difficulty; this is good practice. Senior management and the subject coordinator are aware that the content and methods underpinning some of the books are now dated. A programme of book replacement has been devised and relatively large sums of money have already been spent. The current organisation of structured reading material is satisfactory and very similar to most schools. The inspectors, however, are concerned about a lack of resources for guided reading and have brought this to the attention of senior management. They are also concerned the a small number of very high attaining pupils, capable of reading material suitable for a typical eleven-year-old, do not have regular access to such material in school; this, too, has been brought to the

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Other issues raised by parents

attention of senior management. Earls Barton Infant School - Page 25

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

53. The provision is very good for personal and social development, good for language, literacy and communication, mathematical development and creative development, satisfactory for knowledge and understanding of the world but poor for physical development. The high standards found at the time of the previous inspection have been sustained. The 66 Year R pupils are organised into three classes, two containing pupils all of whom are of reception year age and one class of mixed Year R and Year 1 pupils. The mixed age class contains the oldest Year R and about a third of the Year 1 pupils. The majority of the Year R pupils were still four years of age at the time of the inspection. Admission for all pupils is normally in the September of each school year.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

54. Baseline assessments show that the proportion of pupils entering Year R with typical or better attainment for their age is above average in speaking and listening and in writing, slightly above average in mathematics, and average in reading. Standards on entry show little annual variation. Current standards on entry have not changed since the previous inspection. Few pupils enter with significantly low attainment and the proportion with higher than expected attainment is about the same as most other schools.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. Teaching is very good. The teachers are very experienced and have a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and the needs of pupils of this age. They provide a balanced and well-matched range of both teacher-directed activities and independent choice activities that interest and motivate the pupils and promote a quick pace to learning. The curriculum is satisfactorily planned and there is good emphasis on evaluation and improvement of lessons to make them as effective as they can. Regular assessments are conducted and the teachers know the pupils well. Teacher staffing levels are satisfactory but the hours for which classroom support staff are employed are low in comparison with most other schools. The teaching space is adequate and the resources for learning are good indoors. Outdoors, resources are poor.

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Personal, social and emotional development

56. Standards are well above average. All pupils are on course to attain the Early Learning Goals by the end of Year R, with a high proportion set to exceed them. Pupils have formed good relationships with the adults and with each other. The ability to maintain attention and concentration for relatively lengthy periods is greater than expected for many pupils. Nearly all children respect the needs of others, take turns, share, and have a good understanding of right and wrong. Good independence is shown when choosing activities and when carrying out personal tasks such as dressing. The teaching is very good and promotes awareness of self and others very effectively through the strong emphasis on independent learning. Directed activities, such as shared discussion of personal thoughts and feelings, called circle time, helps to increase knowledge and understanding of individual responses and how others might experience similar feelings. Teaching is very good. All of the

p.25

Personal, social and emotional development

Reception teachers have high expectations of behaviour and conduct and have appropriate assertiveness when managing the pupils.

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Communication, language and literacy

57. Standards are above average. Almost all pupils are on course to attain or exceed the Early Learning Goals for this age group by the end of the school year. Children are confident listeners and speakers in the various situations that they find in the reception year. All pupils know to look at the person speaking and are able to follow teachers’ instructions carefully. When playing independently, or in role-play, they talk readily to each other, for example, negotiating what each of them do and who takes on a particular role. They speak clearly and generally with good detail for their age. The more able pupils are becoming aware of listeners’ needs and will sometimes provide extra detail that they think will help. Pupils generally have no problems talking to familiar adults, either to groups or in front of the class, and about three-quarters of them have developed sufficient confidence to talk with visitors. Literacy skills for all pupils are developing in line with, or better than,

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

expectations. All pupils know that print carries meaning. They are steadily learning to hear, and recognise in print, the initial sounds of familiar words. The high attaining pupils recognise a small number of words by sight and can write their name. The teaching is very good and gives strong emphasis to literacy and particularly to phonics, and good use is made of incidental opportunities that arise from independent learning to promote awareness of sounds and letters. Good opportunities to use information and communication technology to support the development of phonic knowledge are built into the programme of work. There is no significant difference in the quality of provision or in the pace of learning between either of the two reception classes or between them and the mixed Year R and Year 1 class. Earls Barton Infant School - Page 26

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Mathematical development

58. Standards are above average. There is a strong emphasis on counting, number recognition, and early computational skills and this is helping all pupils to be on course to attain the Early Learning Goals by the end of Year R. All pupils say and use number names and generally get them in order. The vast majority are using numbers to count, with high attaining pupils already able to do this to 10 using objects and able to recognise numerals. Activities such as filling containers are appropriately used by teachers to extend pupils’ knowledge of full, empty, and half-full and half-empty. Good use is made of resources such as puzzles and dice that extend recognition of sets of objects, numbers and numerals as well as opportunities that arise in everyday activities, such as taking the register. The teaching is very good and adequately balances directed learning and independent learning through a good range of well-chosen activities. In a very good shared session, for

p.26

Mathematical development

example, the teacher used registration to practise counting the number of children in class, then extended the activity by adding on or taking away one number, to which the children responded very eagerly. They became involved in problem solving and resources, in the form of Simon silly sausage , to explore simple computations, including wrong answers and the use of zero, the latter being ahead of expectations.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

59. Standards are average and could be higher. Good use is made of role-play to explore indoor aspects of the everyday world. In one lesson, for example, several girls consolidated their knowledge of an office environment and their organisational skills by acting out roles of secretaries, using rubber stamps, printing, writing and filing away paper into trays and onto shelves. Skills of observation and investigation are broadly satisfactory. Pupils for example, noticed reflections produced by different surfaces and were fascinated by the patterns created by a kaleidoscope. They know what a mirror is, that it has two sides, and that mirrors with bumps in them can show objects upside down. The pupils are given opportunities to construct using commercially produced kits and toys and most pupils can use these successfully to create vehicles or houses, for example, to extend their play and explore previous experiences such as journeys or events seen on television. Opportunities to make

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

and join using card, paper, and glue are also provided and pupils’ skills with these materials and with tools such as scissors are typical for their age. No opportunities are provided, however, for pupils to extend their knowledge of materials such as wood or house bricks through physical activity outdoors. Pupils are acquiring an appropriate knowledge of information and communication technology. Few have problems using buttons or headsets, or operating a computer program to extend knowledge of shapes in mathematics and of phonics in literacy. The teaching is generally good, with frequent use made of challenging questions, but the provision overall is only just satisfactory because it is not extended systematically through physical activity outdoors.

p.26

Physical development

60. The evidence is limited because provision for outdoor physical activity is poorly developed. The provision has not improved since the previous inspection and this is unsatisfactory. Because of this shortcoming, pupils are being denied access to the full Foundation Stage curriculum. Through limited indoor provision, pupils are acquiring typical dexterity and proficiency when handling tools such as scissors and pencils and when engaged with construction toys and other activities that help develop making skills. In these aspects of physical development, the vast majority of pupils are on course to attain the early learning goals by the end of the reception year.

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Physical development

61. The pupils do not have daily access to an outdoor area with the proper resources that help them develop running, climbing, balancing, skipping and other large-scale movements and this is a serious deficiency. The playground adjacent to the reception classrooms has steps and fencing that are unsafe. Access from this area to a busy village road is too unrestricted. Not enough has been done by all those with governance of the school to remedy these hazards since the previous inspection and the teachers, rightly, are reluctant to make use of this area. The few resources that have been purchased for outdoor use are insufficient to provide a full range of appropriate physical challenges and have not been developed to support learning through physical activity in other curricular areas. Storage facilities are inadequate for the few outdoor resources that are available. The lack of physical resources is compounded by insufficient provision of teaching assistants to support learning in

p.26

Physical development

the Foundation Stage. Earls Barton Infant School - Page 27

p.26

Creative development

62. Standards are average. The provision is stimulating and appropriately contains a wide range of activities including opportunities for role-play. Current standards are typical for the age and the substantial majority of pupils are on course to attain the nationally agreed Early Learning Goals by the end of the reception year. The pupils are generally able to explore paint and colour and to draw and paint representations of people and objects that they know. In collage work, they show recognition of colours and choose particular materials because of their texture and composition. Many of them are beginning to use information and communication technology to draw and create images, for example, of faces. The teaching is good.

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ENGLISH

63. Standards in Year 2 are on course to being well above average in speaking, listening, reading, and writing by the end of the school year. Standards on entry to Year 1 are above average. Achievement is good throughout the two infant years and the proportion of pupils attaining the expected national levels increases as pupils get older. Pupils with lower attainment on entry, who might not be predicted to attain the expected national level by the age of seven, are well supported and almost all of them catch up with expectations before they transfer to the junior school. Pupils whose attainment is only slightly better than average on entry often extend their reading skills quickly and end up exceeding expectations by the age of seven. Most pupils with special educational needs in literacy make good progress, attain national expectations, and are removed from the special needs register.

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ENGLISH

64. Differences in attainment between boys and girls vary between reading and writing and from year to year. In the 2001 national tests, the typical girl was almost a year ahead of the typical boy in reading whereas the difference was negligible in writing. In 1999 and 2000, the differences in attainment between boys and girls was only a few months and not significantly different to the national picture in either reading or writing. In reading in 2001, all but five pupils attained the expected level for their age, four of the five were boys; all pupils attained expectations in writing. The five pupils not attaining expectations in reading had had difficulty with literacy from the age of four and had received considerable extra support, which helped them to catch up with expectations in writing. Currently, 80 per cent of the pupils on the special educational needs register are boys, almost all of

p.27

ENGLISH

them because of difficulties with literacy. Currently in Year 2, boys and girls are evenly represented in the high attaining group, which is relatively large, but there are more boys with comparatively low attainment, particularly in reading; the low attaining group is small. The shared writing methods used in lessons are effectively helping low attaining boys to overcome their difficulties. In a good lesson in Year 2, the teacher targeted questions at the low attaining boys to extend specifically their composition skills and their knowledge of story structure. Not enough use, however, is made of guided reading methods and this is leading to the few low attaining pupils in reading not catching up with expectations as quickly as they are in writing.

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ENGLISH

65. Pupils with special educational needs in literacy are identified early and given extra support until they catch up with expectations and no longer need it. Effective extra literacy support is provided for low attaining pupils, some of whom have special educational needs. Much of this support is provided to small groups of pupils withdrawn from the classroom, which is appropriate, and is systematically extending knowledge of phonics, writing and spelling patterns. In a withdrawal session for seven Year 2 pupils, the work targeted phonics linked to their main class work, consolidated reading knowledge of specific key words and extended knowledge of story writing, word building, and word processing, through good links with information and communication technology.

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ENGLISH

66. Pupils from Traveller backgrounds receive extra support in the classroom. The support is appropriate and effective. In a very good lesson in the mixed Year R and Year 1 class, a teacher from the Traveller support service worked with a small group, some being Travellers. The teaching was systematic and made very good use of simple resources such as an individual white board to write key words and to compose sentences. By the end of the lesson, the six-year-old Traveller was independently writing and spelling words such as mother , and composing short sentences, using well formed letters, at a level that was consistent with the national expectations for that age group.

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ENGLISH

67. Pupils in Year 2 are well launched into reading. They read familiar texts confidently and are beginning to tackle unfamiliar words independently with good levels of success. They know all of the letters and the sounds they represent and can confidently blend sounds to make simple words. They use illustrations to help them understand the meaning of unfamiliar words but do not always look for clues in the text. A few pupils still need some support with unfamiliar words, particularly in predicting the meaning of these words, but are on course to Earls Barton Infant School - Page 28 attain expectations by the end of the school year. Higher attaining pupils, about half the year group, read a range of text, including reference books, fluently and with expression. They have good understanding of the main themes, characters, and events and are able to read silently for study purposes, which are skills normally

p.27

ENGLISH

associated with typical nine-year-olds. Although standards are high and achievement overall is good, standards could be even higher. A few of the most advanced pupils, for example, can read books such as the BFG by Roald Dahl but are not given books as challenging as this by the teachers, partly because there are insufficient books of this level of difficulty, and this should be remedied. All pupils in Year 1 read simple sentences and have an appropriate vocabulary of words they recognise by sight. High attaining pupils are already reading at a level comparable to the typical child in Year 2.

p.28

ENGLISH

68. About 80 per cent of the Year 2 pupils are able to write short stories and accounts with ideas logically related. They mainly use full stops and capital letters accurately and spell simple words correctly. High attaining pupils are beginning to extend sentences by adding clauses. The highest attaining pupils use a variety of beginnings to sentences and display a broad vocabulary. A few pupils have trouble with writing, particularly forming letters uniformly in shape and size. They tend to put their ideas in an unconnected list and do not use punctuation. Nearly all pupils in Year 1 are able to write short phrases and sentences independently. The pupils that are more able can write short accounts, such as a diary of events during a holiday.

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ENGLISH

69. The teaching is very good overall. All of the lessons are satisfactory or better. More than four-fifths of lessons are good or better. Half the lessons are very good. This is much better than the typical national picture and a significant improvement since the previous inspection. All teachers have good subject expertise. The teaching is well planned and purposeful. The extensive planning, particularly through year group teams, is leading to effective practice in teaching being shared rigorously, to good progression in learning and to consistency between classes. The objectives for each lesson are clear and achievable. The needs of pupils with different attainment are recognised in both planning and teaching and work is well matched to ability and needs. Teachers convey interest and enthusiasm for the subject. In a very good lesson in Year 2, for example, the teacher selected a shared text that contained considerable humour and this enticed the pupils into wanting to

p.28

ENGLISH

read more while enabling the teacher to communicate essential knowledge and make it memorable.

p.28

ENGLISH

70. The National Literacy Strategy has been effectively implemented although guided reading methods are not used. The implementation of shared literacy work is rigorous and of a very good overall quality. This is leading to all pupils developing a sound knowledge of the language, an appropriate technical vocabulary, and good comprehension skills. Strong emphasis is placed on phonics and on shared and guided writing, with the latter methods being major reasons for the improved standards in writing.

p.28

ENGLISH

71. The teaching of writing is particularly systematic, placing appropriate emphasis on independence in writing from the earliest age while providing just enough relevant support for all pupils to achieve success. In a very good lesson in the combined Reception Year and Year 1 class, the teacher wanted children to learn that stories had a beginning, middle, and end. The class shared the composition of three sentences, with children from both age groups and of different abilities helping to write contributions on a white board. Between them, they wrote on the white board an opening sentence, a second sentence that said what happened next, and a concluding sentence. In the process, they extended their knowledge of sounds in words, spelling patterns, letter formation, punctuation, and capitalisation, and broadened their vocabularies. Attention throughout was riveted on the task and the actions of the scribes and ended with the pupils being eager to go and write for themselves. The pupils’

p.28

ENGLISH

knowledge of story organisation is progressively extended as pupils get older. In Year 2, the pupils have recently been learning to develop characters in their stories and to include dialogue. They have learnt to start their stories with an unusual and interesting event involving at least two characters and to then develop their story by including actions between the characters. They are beginning to make their writing more precise using adjectives and adverbs and to link ideas with conjunctions.

p.28

ENGLISH

72. The methods for teaching reading are effective but could be even better. The school still relies on listening to individual pupils read to an adult to develop the application of reading skills acquired through shared work. This method, however, uses too much of the teachers’ time and is inefficient. The school has been successful despite the inefficiency of this method because of the conscientiousness of teachers, who give up part of their lunch break to listen to individual readers. The school is also successful because of the very strong support from parents, many of whom help in school and almost all of whom help at home. The absence of guided reading methods is leading to inconsistencies in the way pupils try to establish meaning when reading unfamiliar words, a necessary skill for full independence in reading. Currently, nearly all pupils attempt to pronounce unfamiliar words, often with good success, which reflects the strong and effective phonics teaching.

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ENGLISH

They do not, however, consistently search for relevant clues in the text to help them predict meaning. These skills are taught in shared work but need to be practised with adult support to check that the application is Earls Barton Infant School - Page 29 accurate and consistent, which is one of the purposes of guided work.

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ENGLISH

73. The subject is well managed overall. The national Framework provides documented guidance for teaching, supported by the school’s policy. Weekly planning is effective. Monitoring of teaching and the pupils’ work are strong aspects of management, with the former in particular helping to achieve a united approach and consistently high quality. Procedures for assessment are satisfactory. Progress is monitored and individual targets for the end of Year 2 are set. Short-term curricular targets have recently been introduced, and this is good practice. Resources are satisfactory in the main. Texts from a range of contemporary reading schemes together with some that are now dated in content and methodology are organised according to their level of difficulty. This is good practice. An adequate range of big books is available for shared reading during the literacy hour. Multiple copies of texts for guided reading purposes, however, are insufficient and this should be

p.29

ENGLISH

remedied. The level of difficulty generally catered for in the book stock peaks at about the age of nine, which is too low for the small number of gifted readers; this, too, should be remedied. The library has been satisfactorily reorganised and the stock of information books is now classified appropriately.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

74. Current standards are above average in Year 2. The previous inspection found that the standards were average and that too few pupils exceeded expectations. Current standards in Year 2 are a good improvement on the previous inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

75. The results of 2001 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, and the findings of the inspection, show that the proportion of pupils attaining or exceeding national expectations is above average. The proportion of pupils exceeding expectations is also above the national average and much higher than four years ago. Girls performed marginally better than did the boys in 2001. Between 1997 and 2000, however, boys outperformed girls in the national tests. Standards in the 2001 tests were about the same as schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. The overall trend over the past four years has been one of steady improvement. Improvement has been most noticeable since 1999, reflecting the impact of the successful implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, an increasing use of target setting, and the organisation of pupils into single age classes.

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MATHEMATICS

76. The rate of learning is good for pupils with average attainment and those with special educational needs. The last inspection identified that higher attaining pupils do not make sufficient progress. This position has improved significantly. The pace of learning for the more able pupils is now satisfactory but could be further improved.

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MATHEMATICS

77. In Year 1, pupils add and subtract mentally numbers to 10. They count confidently to 100 but are less certain in counting back. Those with higher prior attainment have secure understanding of mental recall and the addition and subtraction facts to 20. They make good progress in practical mathematics, using measuring strips and judging which strip is longer or shorter. Most pupils are able accurately to continue patterns of shapes and colours. Year 1 pupils have a basic understanding of Venn diagrams, sorting domino spots and playing card colours. They can count in twos, threes, and fives and are making good progress in counting forwards. They can solve simple problems.

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MATHEMATICS

78. By the end of Year 2, most pupils have gained a good knowledge and understanding of number and place value. They are familiar with the language and symbols of addition and subtraction. Year 2 pupils can count with confidence up to 100 and back. They count in tens, and add and subtract to and from two-digit numbers. They are developing mental strategies for adding two-digit numbers together. Higher attaining pupils can explain the mental process they use to arrive at the correct answer. Pupils order numbers to 100 and complete and explain simple number sequences. They recognise odd and even numbers. Most are secure in their mental recall of addition and subtraction facts to 20. Pupils in Year 2 can sort objects based on two non-distinct criteria using a Carroll diagram. They identify and name flat and solid shapes such as pyramids, hexagons, and pentagons and sort them according to the number of corners, edges, and faces.

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MATHEMATICS

79. The majority of the pupils, including those with special educational needs in mathematics, make good progress and gain in understanding and skills in all aspects of the subject. Pupils’ are interested and involved. They listen carefully to explanations and instructions and are keen to answer questions. Most are willing to explain how they worked out the answer to the problem. They readily settle to work and cooperate well in pairs when required to do so. For example, in a Year 2 class they collaborated well when sorting food into two non-distinct groups for their Carroll diagram.

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MATHEMATICS

80. The quality of teaching is very good overall; it is good or better in all lessons and very good in about one in five. Earls Barton Infant School - Page 30 Lessons are well planned and well prepared. Teachers share the lesson objectives with the class, which gives a clear focus to the work. All teachers have secure subject knowledge, give clear explanations and instructions, and make good use of questioning. Teachers build upon pupils’ previous knowledge and understanding. For example, a Year 2 teacher’s revision of Venn diagrams was illustrated by using two plastic hoops on the floor before introducing the new topic of Carroll diagrams. Where teaching is most effective, teachers set a brisk pace to the lesson; they have high expectations, both of behaviour and of the challenge of the work and set appropriate tasks to cater for the different levels of attainment in the class. They make good use of the end of a lesson to discuss what has been learnt and to share the work of different groups with the

p.29

MATHEMATICS

81. A satisfactory policy was written in 2000 and is to be reviewed in 2002. The school has adopted the medium term planning from the National Numeracy Strategy. The staff plan collectively in year groups and work on the same topic at the same time. Most staff have received adequate training. The subject is well coordinated. The coordinator monitors teachers’ planning and observes classroom practice. Assessment procedures are satisfactory. Targets are given individually to pupils underpinning their learning; these targets are shared with parents. Homework is not given on a regular basis but occasionally parents are asked to help their children with oral mathematics. The use of information and communication technology is not systematically included in the mathematics programme. Resources are good and readily available.

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MATHEMATICS

82. Positive changes in the school’s curriculum, including the National Numeracy Strategy, have established a course for improvement. There is a powerful commitment amongst the staff to raise standards of attainment. The management, planning, and assessment of the subject have improved greatly since the time of the previous inspection.

p.30

SCIENCE

83. Current standards are well above average overall. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. There is no significant difference in attainment between boys and girls. Standards of investigation and observation are very well developed. Pupils know and understand the significance of a fair test and can explain how to conduct such a test. The recording of experiments and investigations is a strength. In the 2001 teacher assessments at the end of Year 2, attainment in science was well above the national average. Pupils achieved high standards in life and living things and materials and their properties. Pupils excelled in their knowledge of physical processes. Standards are comparable with those of schools with pupils from similar backgrounds.

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SCIENCE

84. Since the last inspection the quality of teaching has improved and is now consistent. This has contributed to the improved standards. Achievement is now good. There has been a significant increase in the number of pupils exceeding expectations. Lower attaining pupils are very well supported and are achieving well. The quality of investigative work has improved together with the planning and the way that science is taught as a subject in its own right. Since the last inspection, the profile of the subject has improved throughout the school.

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SCIENCE

85. Teachers promote observation and the development of scientific enquiry through a range of interesting tasks such as observing and investigating different foods . Pupils in Year 2 have a good understanding and knowledge of different food groups. All pupils in Year 2 have a very good understanding of foods that are good for you and foods that are not so good for you. High attaining pupils know milk contains calcium. High attaining pupils can identify different teeth and their function. For example, they know that incisors are for cutting, canines for tearing the food and molars for grinding the food. There are very good opportunities for pupils to think and make independent choices. Pupils had the opportunity, for example, to decide whether to group food substances into two, three or four categories according to criteria of their own. Average attaining pupils decided on groupings such as cereals; high-energy foods; meat; fish; dairy produce; and fruit and vegetables. The teacher challenged

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SCIENCE

the pupils well with questions such as which food group does a sausage roll belong . Average pupils knew that the pastry belonged to the high-energy group but that the sausage meat belonged to the meat, fish, and dairy section. All pupils have a very good understanding of safety in dealing with household substances. Lower attaining pupils correctly group substances in the high locked cupboard and sensibly decide which substances can be placed in the cupboard that is near to the floor and is easily accessible to children.

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SCIENCE

86. Pupils in Year 1 have a very good understanding of what is needed to keep oneself healthy. They can identify, for example, food, drink, and exercise . Interest is stimulated by resources such as magnets and a range of objects that give pupils the opportunity to investigate for themselves. Pupils in Year 1 make very good progress describing materials. One high attaining pupil wrote windows are made of glass because it is transparent and Earls Barton Infant School - Page 31 you can see through it .

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SCIENCE

87. The quality of teaching is good overall with instances of very good teaching. In the better lessons, resources are used effectively to stimulate interest and enhance learning. Pupils in a Year 2 lesson were fascinated looking at the effect of vinegar on the shell of hard-boiled eggs. A large model tooth was used very well to show how decay, similar in effect to the vinegar on the eggshell, could spread through a tooth. The pupils gasped as they saw how the black decay had spread to the centre of the tooth. In a very good lesson, the teacher used the pupils’ contributions very effectively to extend learning and this contributed to high levels of interest and enthusiasm. The pupils reflect the teacher’s enthusiastic manner and attitudes to learning were very good. In the very good lessons, joy and excitement in learning are evident. Higher attaining pupils could be challenged further, for example pupils write about the results of their investigations but do not always write about why the

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SCIENCE

results happened or give reasons for the conclusions.

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SCIENCE

88. Teachers assess pupils’ work at the end of every unit of work and these assessments are retained alongside national test results. All teachers keep records and comment on any pupil doing exceptionally well or under- achieving. There is currently no portfolio of assessed work. The use of literacy and mathematics is good. Pupils write independently about their work. Pupils measure and record their findings. The use of information communication technology is limited and could be better used. Good links with literacy were observed when pupils described and recorded their observations of changing materials.

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SCIENCE

89. The coordinator has monitored lessons and has a good overview of progress in teaching and learning throughout the school. Plans are monitored regularly and assessment is thorough and informs general planning. Standards could be higher if there was a closer match of work to individual ability; some higher attaining pupils are not always challenged as much as they could be. Resources are good and easily accessible; they are used well by teachers to enhance learning. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and conscientious, and has made a significant impact on developing more consistency throughout the school by ensuring that whole school planning guides the teaching and learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

90. Standards are above average and have been sustained at this level since the previous inspection. Nearly all of the pupils are acquiring an appropriate knowledge of the subject and of the language necessary to talk about and improve their work and they are on course to attain the expected national level by the end of Year 2. The achievement of the seven-year-old pupils is good when compared with attainment on entry. The above average standards and good achievement of the pupils reflect good teaching, which places strong emphasis on basic skills and techniques and is appropriately supported by a well organised curriculum and the very effective leadership of the subject coordinator.

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ART AND DESIGN

91. In a good lesson in Year 2, the pupils learnt about marbling techniques and about silhouettes. The lesson was well prepared, with all resources to hand. The teacher skilfully used questions and demonstrations to engage the pupils’ minds. She showed them how to use the materials and the range of effects that could be achieved and placed a strong emphasis on acquiring the specific terminology necessary to talk about the technique and evaluate their work. All of the pupils were surprised by the manner in which the ink floated on water and were delighted with the images printed on the paper. The pupils already had some knowledge of silhouettes and had the opportunity to combine their new knowledge of marbling with that of silhouettes to create an imaginary landscape. Pupils in Year 1 have the skills to observe and draw objects, include details of features that they particularly like, and talk about their drawings, saying which aspects they like best. In a good lesson in the

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ART AND DESIGN

combined Year R and Year 1 class, the Year 1 pupils’ drawings of babushka dolls included details such as the headscarf, hair, and floral patterns on the old woman’s dress and apron. Many of the pupils were particularly pleased with the way that they had been able to replicate the floral patterns. Knowledge of famous artists is also being steadily acquired. In a very good lesson in Year 1, for example, the pupils knew about Kandinsky and were busy emulating his style.

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ART AND DESIGN

92. There is a strong emphasis on two-dimensional work and pupils’ knowledge and skills in this aspect are particularly broad. Work in three-dimensions is provided and pupils are developing a satisfactory knowledge of modelling using malleable materials such as play-dough, clay, and clay substitutes. Some constructional activities using recycled materials such as boxes and tubes are provided and pupils have satisfactory making skills with these materials. The pupils do not, however, have sufficient opportunities to construct and create using wire, for example, or natural materials such as wood. The pupils have no opportunity to experience simple carving techniques at a level suitable for their age. Earls Barton Infant School - Page 32 93. Information and communication technology is regularly used to support the subject. Most pupils have knowledge of a graphics program that enables pictures and designs to be created. Year 1 pupils, for example,

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ART AND DESIGN

are able to select the particular tool they wish to use, such as airbrush or paint brush, and vary the thickness and colour. They can use the mouse to control the movement and direction of the chosen tool, fill in the spaces, and modify or correct errors in their creations.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. Teaching is good. All of the lessons seen were good or better in quality; one lesson was very good. Lessons are well planned and prepared; methods are effective; relationships are very good. The curriculum provides clear, practical guidance, is consistent with national requirements and optional guidelines, and documentation is regularly reviewed and updated. The time allocated to the subject is consistent with national recommendations. Curriculum planning has improved since the previous inspection and shortcomings in documentation identified then have now been remedied. The teaching is regularly monitored. Subject management is very good. The coordinator is enthusiastic and well organised. She has a clear understanding of what constitutes good practice in the subject. Through both the detailed, systematic guidance in the curricular documentation and her comments from monitoring, the coordinator is effectively helping her

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ART AND DESIGN

colleagues to raise the quality of their work. A portfolio of pupils’ work is being brought together to help teachers improve their practical application of the national expectations to specific year groups. No system of assessment has yet been established, however, which is a shortcoming that should be remedied over the course of the next school development cycle. Resources for two-dimensional work are good. Resources for three-dimensional work are narrow in range.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

95. Standards are average and pupils are increasing their knowledge at the expected rate. This is a significant improvement since the previous inspection when standards were below average and the subject undeveloped. The pupils are acquiring satisfactory designing and making skills and beginning to think how products can be improved. They have an adequate knowledge of joining techniques, of simple mechanisms, and of materials such as textiles, paper and card. They can use tools such as scissors and rulers with confidence. Even so, the pupils have insufficient experience of materials that need to be sawn, shaped, filed and smoothed, or of materials that are joined with nuts, bolts, screws and nails, and this should be remedied.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

96. In a good lesson in Year 2, the pupils quickly extended their knowledge of nets when making box shapes that could be cut from one piece of card and assembled by folding. They learnt to cut, scribe, and fold accurately and to leave a glue tab as part of the net to facilitate joining when assembling the box. They had sufficient knowledge and skills to explore alternative net shapes and by the end of the lesson were able to make predictions about whether nets would or would not fold into a box. Although glue was their preferred method of joining card, they were able to suggest several practical alternatives. Previous work in Year 2 shows understanding of simple winding mechanisms and good knowledge of terminology such as axle and handle . In a satisfactory lesson in Year 2, the pupils showed a good knowledge of different papers and how they could be used for specific purposes when making a party hat. Their designs were, however, not extended beyond a

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

picture of the finished product and insufficiently took into account the need for measurement and fastenings. Year 1 pupils, in a satisfactory lesson, showed appropriate knowledge of sliding mechanisms, which they were using to make novelty Christmas cards. In another lesson in Year 1, the pupils demonstrated knowledge of a range of materials when designing and assembling Christmas cards, selecting materials to suit the purpose, and making relevant changes to improve the quality of their finished work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. The teaching is satisfactory. It is appropriately guided by the curricular planning, and by the subject management, and these are effectively leading to the systematic teaching of basic skills and subject vocabulary. The teaching appropriately concentrates on specific skills and is successful in motivating and extending pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Methods are appropriate and give priority to practical activity. Safety is to the fore. A strong aspect of the subject is the collective planning by year group teams of teachers. This is helping all teachers acquire a basic knowledge of the subject, particularly of making processes. The joint planning has remedied the shortcomings in planning found at the previous inspection. There is, however, room for further improvement in teachers’ knowledge of design. The subject is well led. The scheme of work is well documented and the amount of time allocated to the subject is consistent with national recommendations;

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

these aspects are a good improvement since the previous inspection. The coordinator has time to observe the teaching and to evaluate and identify development priorities. Assessment, however, is underdeveloped and this should be remedied. Resources such as tools and construction kits are satisfactory in quality and quantity but the range is narrow and should be extended to include materials that are challenging to cut, shape, and fasten Earls Barton Infant School - Page 33 together.

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GEOGRAPHY

98. During the inspection, no lessons were seen. However, scrutiny of pupils’ completed work, together with discussions with pupils and a study of the teachers’ plans, show that standards are average. This is the same as the previous inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

99. Pupils successfully identify physical features of places, such as roads and houses. They undertake fieldwork in the local area and have successfully draw simple maps of their routes to school. Year 1 can illustrate successfully what they see on their way to school. They express preferences for their favourite places, for example, the park and playing on the slide and seesaw. One pupil dislikes the frozen food department in the local supermarket she says that it’s shivering cold . They know about jobs in the locality. One boy says he could be a police officer but not a footballer because the village has not got a team. These writing exercises improve pupils’ literacy skills. When discussing maps and plans, many pupils are confident in using expressions such as ‘left’ and ‘right’ and ‘near’ and ‘far’. Year 2 pupils are starting to use appropriate geographic vocabulary. They use atlases with adult help to locate inland and coastal places. The higher

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GEOGRAPHY

attaining pupils know the countries of the British Isles. They are able to discuss advantages and disadvantages of living in a seaside town and record their findings. They are developing awareness that the world reaches beyond their locality by following Barnaby Bear’s travels on a world map.

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GEOGRAPHY

100. All appropriate aspects of the programme of study are covered and a range of fieldwork is provided to help the pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. The work is well planned and the teachers have a secure understanding of the subject. The pupils take care with their work, and make every effort to complete the tasks set, for example, drawing maps and plans neatly.

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GEOGRAPHY

101. The school has adopted national guidance for the subject and this ensures a reasonable range of topics and themes are covered. However, if standards are to rise to the same level as in the core subjects, then more time will need to be given to the teaching. The coordinator is recently appointed to the post and hopes to have further training to improve her expertise and gather ideas about modern trends in the subject. The schemes of work are new but the policy is outdated and needs reviewing. The coordinator is in the process of sorting all relevant resources. The coordinator undertakes monitoring of lessons. All staff are monitored at least once a term; this is good practice. Good liaison is in place with the coordinator at the junior school, with meetings throughout the year. No formal assessment is in place. Resources are satisfactory.

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HISTORY

102. Standards are above average, reflecting significant improvements in the provision. There is now a structured scheme of work to ensure pupils study the required units in a logical order. Pupils are introduced to a range of stories, people, and events so that they develop an understanding of change over time. A range of interesting resources is in the process of being built up to support the programme of work. The coordinator appropriately monitors provision to ensure work develops progressively. The school’s focus on writing is contributing to improvement in recording historical work. Information and communication technology is only just beginning to contribute to the history curriculum with CD-ROMs to enable pupils to access information. Overall, pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress.

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HISTORY

103. Pupils’ factual knowledge is good within the areas they have studied. Year 1 pupils are beginning to make inferences and identify differences between their home life and those of Victorian counterparts. They dramatise washday ninety years ago using a washtub, washboard, and mangle loaned from the village museum. A Year 1 class has set up artefacts to represent a Victorian kitchen in their classroom activity corner. Year 2 pupils further develop an understanding of change over time by studying seaside holidays in the past. They know by reading books, watching videos and studying old pictures and photographs that these sources provide information about periods in the past. The school welcomes visitors to enhance the curriculum, benefiting the pupils by their retelling stories about the past. During the inspection, a governor shared his account of a seaside holiday from his childhood days. The visitor used good resources to compare the past with the

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HISTORY

present; for example, pupils were shown photographs of steam trains and modern trains. Another Year 2 class studies transport, the beach, and entertainment 100 years ago. All pupils are improving their knowledge of past times. All pupils work well together and are beginning to develop the idea of independent research. Most pupils can confidently produce structured work using different sources. All classes display time lines depicting Earls Barton Infant School - Page 34 chronology; Year 1 from dinosaurs to the present day, Year 2 from 1000 to now.

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HISTORY

104. The quality of teaching is good overall with one very good lesson observed. Teachers’ expectations are high, the pace is brisk, resources are used well to stimulate and sustain pupils’ interest, and teachers’ questions are challenging. Everyone can concentrate and learn in a quiet, purposeful atmosphere. Pupils maintain their interest very well throughout the lessons. This is because the carefully planned range of activities gives pupils the knowledge and confidence they need to evaluate information from different sources and to question them.

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HISTORY

105. History lessons provide a broad and varied range of interesting and challenging activities, which capture pupils’ imagination and build on their curiosity. Although the curriculum coordinator is new in the post and the policy and scheme of work has been introduced recently, history makes a good contribution to pupils’ general learning and development. Support for pupils with special educational needs is good. They work effectively in small groups and receive additional support from the teacher to ensure that they are able to participate fully. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The subject coordinator monitors classroom practice every term with a special focus, for example, use of time and resources, or pace of lesson. She checks planning including teachers’ evaluation at the end of each unit. This helps the class teacher and coordinator to see which work is successful and any remedies needed to improve the learning, for example,

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HISTORY

more appropriate resources. The school benefits from the expertise of the local community; for example, the vicar gives historical facts about his church. Last year all pupils dressed as characters from the past as part of their history studies. A variety of items borrowed from the local village museum are used to enrich pupils’ learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

106. The standard of current work in Year 2 is above average. All pupils including those with special educational needs achieve well and make satisfactory progress in their learning. Since the last inspection, the teachers have made very good progress in developing the subject. All pupils now have a taught lesson each week. Computer equipment and programs have been upgraded, though more needs to be done. All Year R and Year 1 classrooms have a computer and a printer and the Year 2 classrooms have two computers and printers. All classes have a programmable robotic toy. Clear guidelines for using the computer are carefully followed in all classes. The school follows nationally prepared schemes of work and incorporates them into its long term planning. Assessment procedures are in place and pupils are assessed regularly. Teacher subject knowledge and confidence has improved and all staff are currently being trained.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

107. Scrutiny of work indicates that standards rise each year so that by the age of seven, standards are above average. Standards in Year 1 are average. Attainment is higher in Year 2 because the quality of teaching and the teachers’ subject knowledge are slightly better. Pupils in Year 2 produce a greater volume and variety of work and they have access to more computers in the classroom.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

108. Pupils in Years 1 understand that information can be presented in a variety of forms and have a satisfactory knowledge of the keyboard. High attaining and average pupils identify the position of the space bar, enter arrows, delete key, backspace, and shift. They can describe the function of these keys. Word processing skills are developing well and pupils type simple sentences. They understand how computers can be switched on and off and can type using capital letters, full stops and commas.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

109. Pupils in Year 2 make good progress using the computer to enter text and to use software to reinforce reading and number skills. They use graphics programs and can confidently draw pictures, varying the program tools and colours that they use. Pupils can add text to pictures. They enjoy using word art to type their name in a variety of ways and colours. Pupils make good progress in word processing skills and type poems accurately with appropriate spelling, capital letters, and spacing. They make good progress searching for information. In one lesson, higher attaining pupils were able to type a detailed description of Queen Victoria, increasing the size of the text and using punctuation correctly. Year 2 pupils are confident when using the capital lock and shift key. All of them know how to use the delete key and direction arrows and can save and print their own work. In Year 2, there are good links with mathematics and pupils produce simple graphs. All pupils in Year 2

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

can produce planning instructions for controlling a robotic toy. Their work shows them capable of planning complex instructions to move the robot in a range of directions.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

110. Teaching is good overall; it is satisfactory in Year 1 and very good in Year 2. In the very good lessons, teachers’ use of questions is challenging and thought provoking. In a lesson linked to a study of newspapers, the teacher asked why newspapers used text in bold and large letters. The pupils showed a very good Earls Barton Infant School - Page 35 understanding of how text is used in newspapers to catch people’s eye and were able to talk about the effectiveness of different texts. They showed considerable excitement as the teacher demonstrated how to progressively increase the size of the text from 12 to 100. By sharing the pupil’s delight, the teacher effectively communicated his joy in using computers. When teaching is satisfactory and could be better, only two pupils use the computer during the lesson.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

111. Since the previous inspection, pupils receive one direct teaching lesson per week and tasks are set for completion during the week. This method is particularly effective and is a major reason for the rising standards. The relatively low number of computers, however, is restricting the opportunities that pupils have to apply knowledge gained during direct teaching sessions and is preventing standards from being even higher. The subject is used to support literacy and numeracy but it is insufficiently applied in other curriculum areas, partly reflecting the limited number of computers available. Pupils have good attitudes and work well individually and in pairs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112. Subject management is good. The coordinator is very well organised and has a clear vision for the development of the subject. Assessment procedures are in place and pupils are assessed regularly on their work. There is however no clear evidence that the assessment is used to plan work to match pupils’ ability. For example, all pupils complete the same task, higher attaining pupils complete it quicker and lower attaining pupils receive support. A closer match of task to individual ability would ensure higher attaining pupils were challenged more appropriately. The coordinator has monitored lessons and given written feedback to teachers and this is helping to increase effectiveness.

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MUSIC

113. By the end of Year 2, standards are above average. The progress made by all pupils including those with special educational needs is satisfactory. Standards and progress have been maintained since the last inspection. One of the main reasons why standards are good is because a high priority is given to music. All pupils including those with special educational needs are provided with good quality well-planned lessons and opportunities to extend learning in clubs and activities.

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MUSIC

114. By the end of Year 2, pupils can listen to and appreciate music very well and can respond accurately to rhythms and beats. For example, in a Year 2 class, pupils successfully copy and repeat a simple and a more complex four beat rhythm confidently and accurately. While sitting in a whole class circle formation, they manage to keep the beat going around the circle continuously. Pupils have a good knowledge of instruments such as a xylophone and can talk about the quality of the sound produced. Average pupils explain that the larger xylophone produces a deeper sound than the smaller one. High attaining pupils copy and play a simple graphic score on the xylophone following musical notation. All pupils follow a simple graphic score increasing and decreasing the sound over five beats. Learning is good and pupils remember the term hairpin and can explain the significance in notation. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported by learning

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MUSIC

support assistants and manage to perform alongside others. Listening skills are well developed. For example, in a Year 1 class, pupils listen to the 1812 Overture; they identify the sound of the cannon and the rhythm of the music. Pupils in Year 1 listen to a range of sounds from the environment and comment on the different quality of sound. Composition work is well developed. Pupils sing a song about farming and add the appropriate noises such as a tractor. Pupils understand the difference between sound, noise, and a tune because the teacher explains this very well.

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MUSIC

115. Singing throughout the school is of a good standard with evidence of very good quality in performance and recorded evidence. Pupils show that they have a very good understanding of tempo, rhythm, pitch and melody for their age. Pupils’ diction is clear and they know many songs from memory. They sing equally well accompanied and unaccompanied. The school is rightly proud of all its performances and musical events, which play a significant role in the life of the school. Pupils demonstrate mature confidence and performance skills beyond their years. This is because they are given continual feedback by all staff and encouraged to project their voices well. Their confidence is developed because the headteacher encourages all pupils to sing and to enjoy the experience. Pupils who want to sing in small groups or solo are encouraged and given the opportunity to do so. The range and quality of recorded singing is very good. Pupils sing a range of songs. The

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MUSIC

range is impressive for pupils of this age. There are good opportunities for higher attaining pupils to sing.

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MUSIC

116. Teaching is good overall. Teachers are confident and enjoy teaching music. Subject knowledge is good and this is reflected in the well-planned lessons. These provide opportunities for pupils to learn control, create and develop musical ideas, and respond and listen to music. They also contribute to the very positive attitudes Earls Barton Infant School - Page 36 pupils have about music. In a Year 1 lesson, the good subject knowledge and tuneful lead taken by the class teacher ensured learning was good.

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MUSIC

117. The use of information and communication technology is underdeveloped and this is a weakness. Pupils do not record their compositional work. The use of literacy and numeracy is not planned but is used when for example pupils evaluate and comment on the music and they count the number of beats. There is no ongoing assessment in music.

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MUSIC

118. The headteacher is currently acting as coordinator. Music makes a positive contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. For example, pupils sing a wide range of songs and the joy in singing is evident. All pupils are fully included within the music provision. All Year 2 pupils have the opportunity to learn to play the recorder and the majority of them take up this opportunity. The headteacher has monitored lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. Standards are average but could be higher. Standards in Year 2 are typical for pupils’ of this age in dance but are not as good as they should be in games. No gymnastics was seen. Pupils with special educational needs that are physical in nature are well supported and appropriately included; they make satisfactory progress in relation to their difficulties. Specialist facilities are limited and this is reducing the quality of the provision. In the last inspection, standards were well above average. Since then, improvements have not kept pace with national developments and relative standards have fallen back to average. The slip in standards is partly due to the reduced time pupils have for physical education, which is now consistent with national recommendations when previously it was almost double, but primarily because of limited facilities and teaching methods that do not always make the best use of the time available. The hall is too small for large classes of thirty. Pupils have

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

limited space to move and explore space and to practise skills such as kicking, throwing and catching; consequently, spatial awareness and games skills are not well developed.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

120. In dance, the pupils’ ability to respond imaginatively to a movement idea is well developed. In a good lesson in Year 1, the pupils could run, stop, and balance in a variety of shapes to the beat of a drum. They were able to respond to the sounds made by a tambourine and triangle and imaginatively linked these to falling rain and to people running in and out of raindrops. The spatial awareness of pupils in Year 2, however, is not as good as it could be because pupils do not have enough opportunity fully to extend and travel freely in space. In a lesson of games in the hall, the inadequate size meant that pupils could not accelerate and fully use the space. During a simple warm up chasing game, several pupils bumped into each other.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

121. Knowledge and awareness of basic skills are satisfactory. Pupils in Year 2, for example, know and can explain which part of the foot to use when passing a ball to a partner. Several higher attaining pupils are able to kick and receive a ball accurately when working with a partner though they are not always extended sufficiently by the tasks, which are mostly the same for all pupils. The majority of pupils are inconsistent in their ability to aim and direct a ball accurately to the same target and the opportunity to practise and improve such skills is restricted. The level and complexity of skill acquisition is impeded not only by the size of the hall but by too much inactivity in lessons. Pupils talk about the effect of exercise on the body but their responses are not as good as is typically found. They often need prompting and reminding of the effects such as red faces, heart beating quicker, and being hot and sticky. This is probably because in lessons the pupils do not experience

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

122. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall with instances of good teaching. Where teaching is good, the teacher adapts the activities to the limitations of the hall, gives appropriate coaching comments to pupils, and uses observation well to improve performance. In satisfactory lessons, adequate gains in knowledge occur but continual stopping and sitting to listen to the teacher or watch others means that pupils are unable to sufficiently raise their heart rate for the activity to be fully beneficial. This together with the constraints of the hall hinders progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123. Photographic evidence shows appropriate links with literacy in a Year 2 class when the pupils used the Snowman story by Raymond Briggs as a stimulus. The captions accompanying the photographs mention changes of speed and level and evidence that pupils evaluate their work and that of others. The teaching of the skills of numeracy could be stronger. There is no evidence that information and communication technology contributes to the subject, such as the use of video or recording scores on the computer for games.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. Subject management is satisfactory, though the coordinator has been responsible for the subject for only a few Earls Barton Infant School - Page 37 weeks and has not had time to bring about significant change. Lessons are monitored. A published scheme of work for games and gymnastics is being followed, and this is satisfactory, but there is currently no whole school planning for dance. The coordinator is aware of a lack of extra-curricular provision for physical education and plans to start a gymnastics and football club.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

125. Current standards in Year 2 are above average but lower than those of the previous inspection when they were well above average. By the age of seven, the pupils are familiar with two major world faiths, Christianity, and Judaism. Teachers follow the programmes of study outlined in the locally agreed syllabus. Pupils know familiar stories from the Bible such as those about Moses and Daniel. A member of the Jewish faith came in recently and talked about the celebration of Hannekah. They know about the Torah, lighting the menorah on Friday evenings and the barmitzvah ceremony. They do not know enough about beliefs and practices of other faiths. Other faiths written into the planning are those of Hindus, Sikhs, and Moslems but there is insufficient evidence in pupils’ books of these being taught. The pupils when questioned had little knowledge of aspects of other faiths. Teachers stress moral and social values through stories such as the Good Samaritan and pupils

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

continue to develop their understanding of thinking of others. Most pupils can use this to relate to wider aspects such as what is needed for peace in the world. The pupils recognise the importance of prayer in religion, and they readily join in prayers at mealtimes and during assemblies.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

126. Lessons are well planned and the quality of teaching is good overall with some that is very good. Teachers tell stories sensitively and provide interesting and thought provoking experiences for their pupils especially at collective worship or the visits made by the local vicar. Good cross-curricular links are made with history. Collective worship gives pupils opportunities to pray and reflect on events and their significance, such as the birth of Jesus. The teachers have good subject knowledge, and provide clear explanations for pupils, enabling them all, including those with special educational needs, to make sound progress. Pupils listen carefully and most are confident when responding. Year 1 pupils enjoy listening to the story of Babushka; most pupils are familiar with the story of the Three Kings and their presents. The teacher uses this opportunity to retell the Christmas story. Another Year 1 class listened to the teaching about an advent wreath and the significance of

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

the four candles, fir cones, and ivy leaves. However, few opportunities are provided for the Year 1 pupils to write about their work in religious education. Year 2 pupils discuss and appreciate the true meaning of Christmas and how it is celebrated. The teacher brings into her teaching the importance of spirituality in their lives. One pupil said you can be a king inside showing that she followed the teacher’s train of thought. There is evidence of good written work in Year 2 religious books. All teachers make good use of circle time where everyone in the class has an opportunity to contribute. Adults and pupils praise all contributions however short they may be. The pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are often very good and this helps them to make significant progress.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

127. The work strongly supports all aspects of the pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development. Many opportunities are provided for pupils to speak during lessons and their contributions are valued. The coordinator is enthusiastic and new to the post. A new policy was written in February 2001. She has written guidelines for the units of work in the locally agreed syllabus with level descriptors for the end of Year 2 and is highlighting any gaps in the scheme. The school has recently invested in a number of new resources including artefacts about other faiths. The school enjoys strong links with the local churches. The relationship established with the local vicar through his visits to the school is particularly effective in reinforcing a strong Christian ethos. Overall, resources are good throughout the school.

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