Kingmoor Nursery and Infant School

KINGMOOR INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 25 and 26 September 2001

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KINGMOOR INFANT SCHOOL

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

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KINGMOOR 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. Kingmoor Infant School – page 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Hether Drive Lowry Hill Carlisle Cumbria

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body at the above school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs K Bainbridge

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 09/06/1997 Kingmoor Infant School – page 4

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Team members

4293 C Warn Registered inspector 12277 K Halden Lay inspector 17226 P McNamara Team inspector

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Team members

The Kingston Centre Fairway Stafford ST16 3TW

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Team members

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Kingmoor Infant School – page 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 - 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Kingmoor Infant School is a purpose built school for pupils aged between five and seven years. It is located in the residential area of Kingstown in north Carlisle and shares a site with a junior school. It has 167 boys and girls, many of whom live in nearby privately owned houses. The reputation of the school in the community is high, and this is leading to increasing numbers of pupils choosing to come here from further away. The area that the school serves is moderately advantaged in terms of social and economic circumstances. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is in line with the national average, but the proportion of pupils with identified special educational needs is higher than average. Most pupils are of white ethnicity and only a handful come from homes where English is spoken as an additional language. Pupils’ attainment on entry into the school is just above average

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

in literacy skills, but no more than average in numeracy skills.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school. It fully deserves the high reputation that it possesses. The standards attained by pupils at the age of seven are well above the national average. Pupils enjoy their learning and make good progress. They are very well cared for and supported. The quality of teaching and learning is good and the school is very well led and managed. There is a culture of hard work and continuous improvement that is shared by all members of staff. Substantial additional improvement has been made since the last inspection in 1997. It is a very effective school that provides very good value for money. The school has many strengths and no area that is unsatisfactory.

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What the school does well

• The overall standard of attainment of pupils who are aged seven is very high. • Consistently good teaching creates numerous high quality learning opportunities. • Pupils behave and attend well and enjoy their learning. • Pupils are greatly encouraged to develop their thinking skills, to work independently and to accept responsibility. • A very good curriculum provision and highly effective systems for tracking progress and measuring attainment help pupils to succeed. • Thanks to a very strong partnership with parents, a lot of valuable additional learning takes place at home. • Very effective leadership and management produce a strong sense of purpose and a drive for continuous improvement.

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What could be improved

• More boys could reach Level 3 in most subjects by the age of seven. • There is scope for extending further the use of new technology to support learning. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Kingmoor Infant School – page 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The improvement since the last inspection in June 1997 has been very good. Very high standards of attainment by pupils at the age of seven have been maintained in reading and writing, as have good standards in mathematics. Standards of attainment in the other subjects of the curriculum have risen considerably and are in most cases now above the national average. Pupils’ standard of behaviour is now good. The overall quality of teaching has risen from being satisfactory to good, with many more instances of very good teaching than in 1997. The previously reported problems with the curriculum and assessment arrangements have been addressed so well that these aspects are now notable strengths. Difficulties with staff appraisal have now been rectified with the successful introduction of a performance management scheme.

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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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schools

1998 1999 2000 2000 within the top 5% A*

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schools

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

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schools

The overall standards of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics have remained well above the national average since 1997. The standard achieved in writing put Kingmoor Infant School amongst the top 5% of schools nationally. This represents an exceptionally rapid rate of progress for pupils between the ages of five and seven as this is not a school that draws from a strongly advantaged area and the overall attainment of pupils on entry is near to the national average. The standard of attainment in the other subjects of the curriculum is also above the national average. Recently a great deal of work has been successfully undertaken to raise the level of attainment in information and communication technology (ICT), which is now in line with expected standards. The school’s results for 2001 are even better than those achieved in 2000.

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schools

The overall proportion of pupils reaching Level 3 in English, mathematics and science is well above average, although in English and science far greater numbers of girls than boys achieve this level. This gender difference is also evident in history, geography, design and technology, art and design and music. A very high proportion of pupils in all subjects reach Level 2, indicating that support for pupils with learning difficulties is very effective.

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schools

Governors have set ambitious targets for pupils’ future levels of attainment. Inspection evidence indicates that the school has the capacity to raise standards of attainment still further. Many pupils entering Year 2 are at a higher level than similar pupils were in Kingmoor Infant School – page 8 September 2000. New curriculum arrangements and very good quality teaching in the reception classes give pupils a “flying start”.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good Pupils are co-operative and eager to learn. They respond well in lessons. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good Pupils are generally considerate, polite, thoughtful and responsible. No pupil has been excluded in recent years. Personal development and relationships Very good Pupils are very well cared for and supported in their personal development. Relationships between pupils and teachers are very warm. Attendance Very good The overall attendance rate is well above average. Pupils arrive at school punctually.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

Since 1997 the overall quality of teaching has improved from being satisfactory to good. There were seventeen lessons seen in this inspection. In all of these lessons the quality of teaching was satisfactory or better. In fourteen lessons it was good or better and in six lessons it was very good or excellent. Teachers have successfully adapted the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies to meet the needs of the pupils, often by building upon previously successful approaches (such as a local reading scheme) and developing key skills through all subjects. In the great majority of cases teachers have high expectations of their pupils and manage their learning and behaviour well. They assess pupils’ progress frequently and accurately and use the information gathered to help all pupils to improve further in specific ways. Teachers work very hard as a team and pay great attention to detail. They are keen to improve their expertise further as shown by the way in which they

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

have undertaken training to use new technology and have developed new schemes of work based on recently published national guidelines. Kingmoor Infant School – page 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good A broad and balanced curriculum is offered to all pupils. ICT is being used more widely now to support learning, though there is scope for using the potential of new technology still further. A new Foundation Stage curriculum for children in the reception classes has been successfully launched. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good Appropriate and imaginative support is provided for pupils with identified learning difficulties. This helps them to progress very well, with almost all reaching Level 2 in most subjects. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good Specific and effective help is provided on an individual basis for the relatively few pupils involved.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good There are notable strengths in the support given for moral and social development and in appreciating cultures outside their own direct experience. The arrangements to promote pupils’ spiritual development are satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good A high priority is placed on ensuring the personal well-being, safety and happiness of all pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good There is a very strongly shared commitment to securing high standards and to adopting improved ways of working. The headteacher and governors continue to take appropriate action to achieve further school improvement.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good Governors have considerable expertise and a high level of commitment as critical friends and supporters of school improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good This is a developing strength of the school, assisted by better planning arrangements, the extensive use of data and the successful introduction of performance management arrangements.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good Resources are carefully purchased and are used well to extend and enrich learning opportunities. Best value approaches are carefully followed. Improvements to the building have been made possible through imaginative uses of the school budget and external grants. Kingmoor Infant School – page 10 The high quality of the leadership and management of the school is a significant factor in its success and improvement.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The impressive test and teacher assessment results for pupils aged seven • The many ways in which their children are helped to learn and make good progress. • The ways in which positive attitudes, good behaviour and values that they support are promoted. • The dedicated work of teachers. • Arrangements for supporting learning at home. • The high quality of information provided for parents. • The effective way in which the school is led and managed. • Possible ways of helping gifted and talented children to be extended further in some lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The views of parents as expressed in a meeting and on questionnaire forms were exceptionally supportive of the work of the school and the standards reached. Whilst there is inevitable scope for talented pupils to be stretched further, the proportion of pupils reaching Level 3 (especially girls) is already considerably above the national average. Kingmoor Infant School – page 11

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The overall standard of attainment of pupils who are aged seven is very high.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. The overall standard of attainment of pupils at the age of seven is well above average compared both to all schools and to similar schools nationally. This fact is made particularly remarkable as the area that the school serves is only moderately advantaged and the overall standard of attainment of children on entry into the school at the age of five is only slightly above average. The school also has a higher than average proportion of pupils with identified special educational needs. In comparison to both similar schools and all schools nationally, the standards achieved in writing put Kingmoor Infant School in the top 5% of schools in England. This extremely impressive record has been maintained consistently from 1997 to 2001. Standards of attainment in reading are also impressive with results that have been consistently well above average for the last five years. Parents are extremely pleased with the

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

standards reached. More parents want to send their children to this school than there are places for as a consequence.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. In the last inspection, standards of attainment in the foundation subjects were judged to be satisfactory. Now they are as good as in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. A great deal of work has been successfully undertaken to raise standards of attainment in ICT in the last two years. It is evident that the standards in reading, writing and mathematics being reached by pupils in the current Year 2 in September 2001 are higher than those reached by the equivalent pupils in the previous cohort in September 2000. This shows that recent improvements to the curriculum and teaching approaches are making an extra impact and that the fine results of recent years are likely to be replicated, and possibly exceeded, next year.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. The progress made by pupils from the ages of five to seven is excellent in writing, very good in reading and science and good in mathematics. Pupils are progressing faster now than at the time of the last inspection and more are reaching Level 3 at the age of seven. They make a very rapid start to their school education in the two Reception classes. Pupils are therefore provided with a very secure foundation for continuing progress in Years 1 and 2. A new nursery provision is about to be opened within the school site from October 2001. Detailed plans are in place to enable this new nursery to boost children’s levels of attainment on entry into the Reception classes, especially in numeracy skills.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. In every subject the proportion of boys reaching level 3 is at or above the national expectation for boys aged seven. However, in all subjects other than mathematics and physical education, girls achieve exceptionally high standards at this age. In mathematics and physical education girls achieve comparable standards to boys. There is therefore a notable gender difference in the relative attainment of girls and boys at Level 3 by the age of seven that is mostly created by the outstanding performance of girls. The most able boys also achieve well. In writing, science and geography girls do exceptionally well by national standards. At the time of the last inspection it was reported that teachers’ expectations of more able pupils were sometimes too low. Evidence from this inspection demonstrates that this is no longer the case and that pupils are now routinely given sophisticated and challenging things

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Kingmoor Infant School – page 12 to do. There is a very strong emphasis on using demanding literacy skills in all subjects. For example, Year 1 pupils were able to talk confidently about placing historical objects in chronological order and Year 2 pupils could follow a detailed recipe for making egg fried rice.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. Baseline assessment information for children entering the school close to the age of five indicates that the majority have speaking and reading skills that are just above the level expected of them at that age. However, they have numeracy skills that are just below the expected level for their age. That difference between literacy and numeracy ability persists throughout the school even though pupils progress well in both areas. The proportion of pupils reaching Level 2 is well above average in all subjects. This demonstrates that pupils with special educational needs and other learning difficulties are enabled to progress very well to reach this standard. This was readily seen in action during the inspection where pupils who needed additional help were given tuition in small groups with appropriate tasks to do. For example, Year 2 pupils with identified learning needs were able to prepare and cook a very tasty pizza with the

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

active help of a support assistant. They gained a great deal of help from her in developing their speaking, reading and measuring skills as they proceeded. The pupils were rightly proud of their finished pizzas.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Consistently good teaching creates numerous high quality learning opportunities.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

6. The overall quality of teaching in the school is good, with much that is very good. There are especial strengths in the teaching of children aged under five. There have been significant improvements in the overall quality of teaching since the last inspection in 1997 when it was judged to be satisfactory. There were seventeen lessons seen by inspectors in this inspection in September 2001. In all of these lessons the quality of teaching was satisfactory or better. In fourteen lessons the quality of teaching was good or better and in six lessons it was very good or excellent. In a third of lessons it was very good or excellent. It is clear that the most important factor in the achievement of the impressive results is the high and rising quality of the teaching.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7. All of the teachers in the school are highly experienced and have good technical expertise. They prepare their lessons very thoroughly, paying close attention to ensuring that pupils have valuable learning experiences. They understand the learning needs of their pupils very well, and adapt to them imaginatively. Each of the three year groups (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) is taught within a self-contained unit that includes two classrooms, a practical area and two study areas with computers. This arrangement allows two class teachers and their support assistants to work as a team. Often Year 1 and 2 pupils are divided into activity groups depending on their ability and learning needs and are given different levels of tasks to undertake. This makes it possible for more able pupils to be given activities that make greater demands on them. At the same time, pupils with specific learning needs are given suitable support.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Sometimes pupils are further helped during lessons by volunteer parents. Occasionally when pupils are divided into groups, some groups have much more teacher time devoted to them than others. Pupils make much better progress in the groups that have more direct teacher help.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

8. Teachers work very hard as a team and pay great attention to detail. They prepare their lessons very carefully and often use resources that they have produced Kingmoor Infant School – page 13 themselves at home. They have successfully adapted the national literacy and numeracy strategies to meet the needs of the their pupils, often by upgrading previously successful approaches such as a local reading scheme. They actively promote key skills though all subjects. In the great majority of cases teachers have high expectations of their pupils and manage their learning and behaviour well. They assess pupils’ progress frequently and accurately using National Curriculum level descriptions and use the information so gathered to help all pupils to improve further in specific ways. These strengths contrast with areas of weakness related to lesson planning, expectations and assessment identified in the last inspection report.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

9. Teachers are keen to improve their expertise further, as shown by the imaginative and prompt way in which they have responded to new national requirements for the Foundation Stage, information and communication technology, literacy, numeracy and performance management. They have developed detailed new schemes of work based on recently published national guidelines by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

10. In the lessons seen in the two Reception classes there were many examples of good practice. Big books were used well to develop understanding and knowledge. Numeracy work was structured well to enable children to explore number patterns in a range of ways within a very well organised classroom environment. Some children were only in school for their second or third day when they were seen by inspectors. Here the teachers were enabling them to explore their new learning environment and giving them tasters of the activities that they would soon be doing. The friendly, outgoing style of the teachers provided reassurance and encouragement. At the same time, even these very new entrants were being mentally stimulated and challenged from the very start of their time in school.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

11. In the lessons seen in Year 1 there were also many highlights. In a history lesson dealing with family trees and chronology the quality of teaching was excellent. Very well chosen resources coupled with work that pupils had been encouraged to do at home combined to produce a very powerful learning experience. The end product was some very sophisticated reasoning about what “old fashioned” meant and which possessions might have been used by which generation of a family. In a numeracy lesson there were well-designed practical activities that enabled pupils to strengthen their understanding of numbers 1 to 20. In a music lesson all pupils were able to participate together with percussion instruments. In a religious education lesson the theme of personal talents was well explored.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

12. Equally, there were many strengths in the teaching in Year 2. Some very good teaching was taking place in a lesson where pupils were putting sentences into the correct order to explain how to make sandwiches. Some pupils in an art and design activity had brought in natural materials that they assembled into sculptures with the active help of the teacher. In a design and technology activity the teacher had made it possible for pupils to construct model vehicles using commercially produced components in a very effective way. In a science session team teaching enabled ideas about the nature of ice portrayed in a video programme to be interpreted into imaginative activities that pupils could do together in class. In a physical education lesson all pupils participated well in throwing and catching exercises as a result of thoughtful teacher direction. Kingmoor Infant School – page 14 Pupils behave and attend well and enjoy their learning.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

13. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Pupils understand what is expected of them when working in class, moving around the school and playing together. They seldom deliberately breach the established codes of conduct. Very thoughtful support is given to pupils who have special educational needs that include behavioural difficulties. There has not been the need to exclude a pupil for any reason in the last few years. Pupils are taught right from their first days in school about courtesy, kindness and respect for others. These messages are sensitively reinforced in assemblies, circle time and at the start of many lessons. In many of the lessons seen pupils treated each other with warmth and respect. Relationships between pupils and adults were invariably very positive and friendly. The provision for pupils’ moral and social development is therefore very good. At the time of the last inspection

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

behaviour was judged to be satisfactory, so this is another aspect of the school that has improved since 1997.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

14. The vast majority of parents feel that pupils’ behaviour in the school is good and that teachers and support staff are helping their children to become mature and responsible. Parents also have full confidence in the arrangements for handling any forms of bullying or other forms of harassment. No parent could think of instances where the behaviour of some pupils disrupted the work of others. Teachers often place pupils in groups that contain individuals who will work well together. Sometimes boys and girls are deliberately put together to work in pairs. This generally works effectively, although a few cases were seen where the girl did most of the work and the boy simply looked on.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

15. Pupils are generally enthusiastic learners and show an obvious enjoyment in their work. They are proud of what they achieve, especially when they do things that they have never done before such as making a sculpture in playdough or baking a pizza. Teachers thoughtfully reward pupils for good behaviour and for reaching personal learning targets. Teachers are often taking photographs of pupils’ completed work with a digital camera and then displaying it electronically in recognition of what they have done. There is an evident “can do” spirit amongst both staff and pupils which frequently makes learning adventurous and fun. Pupils often show considerable curiosity, as in science work where they have investigated what types of food different birds eat or the factors that determine how quickly ice melts. Increasingly, pupils are also becoming enthusiastic users of new technology once they have overcome initial problems of using the keyboard and mouse.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

16. The attendance rate at the school is well above the national average. Equally, the rate of unauthorised absence is well below the national average. Any cases of unexplained absence are very quickly followed up. Pupils arrive at school punctually in the mornings. This all means that relatively little learning time is lost. This is another contributory factor to the high standards of attainment. Parents and members of staff co-operate well together to create this situation. Parents said that teachers and support assistants are very good at comforting any pupil who may be upset by events at home, such as the illness of a mother or family disputes. Teachers are also good at helping pupils who have been away to settle in again on their return and to catch up with any lost work. Kingmoor Infant School – page 15

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Pupils are greatly encouraged to develop their thinking skills, to work independently

17. The schemes of work and lesson plans produced by the teachers frequently make reference to opportunities for pupils to discover things for themselves, apply their skills to new situations and to do some additional learning at home. The science coordinator has customised the schemes of work for the subject produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to include additional opportunities for experimental and investigative work. Displays in the Year 1 classrooms revealed some very thoughtful fieldwork in geography where pupils had added captions to photographs they had taken of buildings along a main road into the city centre. They revealed a surprisingly advanced appreciation of the changes in the ages and use of buildings that can be seen on a journey from the outer suburbs to the city centre of Carlisle. In history the effective use of family possessions, personal memories, diagrams and skilled questioning led to very advanced reasoning about the sequencing

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Pupils are greatly encouraged to develop their thinking skills, to work independently

of events within a timeline. Older pupils sometimes provide friendship support in the playground for any younger pupils who feel lonely or who need some encouragement.

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A very good curriculum provision and highly effective systems for tracking progress

and measuring attainment help pupils to succeed.

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A very good curriculum provision and highly effective systems for tracking progress

18. A broad and balanced curriculum is provided in an imaginative way. This curriculum fully meets all current statutory requirements. Children aged under five are now following a fully revised curriculum that enables them to meet the early learning goals of the Foundation Stage. The National Literacy And Numeracy Strategies for pupils aged between five and seven have been incorporated into the successfully established approaches for English and mathematics already in use. Opportunities for pupils to gain and use information and communication technology skills have greatly increased since September 2000. Work is in hand to improve this provision further in 2002. There is a strong and effective approach towards promoting skills of reading, writing, speaking, listening and using number across all subjects. This was well illustrated in a science lesson where pupils were making accurate measurements, in design and

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A very good curriculum provision and highly effective systems for tracking progress

technology where they were interpreting and writing instructions and in religious education where they were discussing thoughtfully how each person has valuable talents that are to be treasured.

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A very good curriculum provision and highly effective systems for tracking progress

19. The curriculum for each subject has been systematically interpreted into detailed schemes of work and lesson plans. The learning outcomes for lessons are often very ambitious. Teachers have used the model schemes of work recently published by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to good effect by thoughtfully adapting them to meet the needs of the pupils and incorporating successful features of the topic- based curriculum established prior to 2000. In science additional investigative and experimental activities have been introduced. A reading scheme produced for Cumbrian schools by Peter Hatcher continues to be used because it yields very good results.

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A very good curriculum provision and highly effective systems for tracking progress

20. Different learning outcomes are planned for pupils of differing abilities within lessons. Pupils who have special educational needs benefit from regular assessment and review systems and have specific individual or group education plans. Effective support for such pupils takes place in the classroom and is matched to clear, realistic and achievable targets. Progress towards these targets is regularly reviewed so that new Kingmoor Infant School – page 16 and more challenging targets can be set. This process constantly moves pupils on in their learning so that almost every pupil reaches Level 2C by the age of seven in most subjects. Able pupils also benefit from having specific and demanding targets to achieve, with the consequence that a far greater than average proportion of pupils reach Level 3 by the age of seven. Whole-class activities tend to be pitched towards the upper end of the ability range, so stretching and challenging pupils well. Pupils

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A very good curriculum provision and highly effective systems for tracking progress

are encouraged to have a try at something difficult to see how near they can get. Many are encouraged to find out more about a topic and to use relatively sophisticated sources of information from the library or from computers. Homework is regularly set and pupils are encouraged to read at home nightly. Success is celebrated well and finished work is imaginatively displayed on walls, in folders and electronically.

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A very good curriculum provision and highly effective systems for tracking progress

21. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are grouped according to ability in the core subjects, so enabling staff to target their progress more effectively and to offer them individualised help. The only group of pupils who do not appear to benefit from these arrangements as fully as they might are middle ability boys.

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A very good curriculum provision and highly effective systems for tracking progress

22. The curriculum provision for personal, health and social education is very good. Pupils gain a great deal from discussions held in circle time and assemblies. Parents are very pleased with the arrangements for health and sex education. At playtimes and lunchtimes many pupils make use of well resourced and well planned informal games activities. All pupils benefit from the large and varied range of learning opportunities that are provided, both within lessons and at other times of the day. The governors, headteacher and staff are committed to treating all pupils equally and fairly.

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A very good curriculum provision and highly effective systems for tracking progress

23. The provision for supporting pupils’ moral and social education is very good. Particularly outstanding is the way in which pupils are encouraged to take a high level of personal responsibility for their actions and their learning. Parents warmly approve of this. There are also notable strengths in the ways that multi-cultural understanding is promoted, as shown in the superb displays associated with a recently held India Week . There remain some uncertainties amongst the staff about how to support pupils’ spiritual development and how to help them appreciate their own culture.

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A very good curriculum provision and highly effective systems for tracking progress

24. The assessment of pupils’ progress and attainment is a great strength of the school. As children enter the Reception Year they are assessed accurately so that reliable baseline data is obtained. This data is methodically analysed and is used to predict targets for future attainment throughout the school. Pupils’ work is assessed at the end of each week and a record is kept of the week-by-week progress that each pupil is making. End of term and end of year assessments are carefully moderated to ensure their precision. Inspectors also checked the assessed standards closely and found them to be very accurate. The proof of the strength of these assessment arrangements is the close match between National Curriculum test scores and teacher assessment scores for pupils aged seven.

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A very good curriculum provision and highly effective systems for tracking progress

25. The arrangements for ensuring that pupils build constructively on their infant school learning once they transfer to the neighbouring junior school are good. Joint assemblies with pupils from both schools and joint curriculum planning activities between teachers in the two schools help to ensure a smooth learning progression for pupils moving from Years 2 to 3. Kingmoor Infant School – page 17 26. At the time of the last inspection in 1997 a number of weaknesses related to the curriculum provision and the assessment arrangements were reported. The inter- linking of topic themes to National Curriculum programmes of study was weak. Assessment arrangements were unsatisfactory, as were arrangements for the monitoring and evaluation of the curriculum provision. Since then improvements have been so thorough and far-reaching that these weaknesses have been turned into considerable strengths.

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Thanks to a very strong partnership with parents, a lot of valuable additional

27. Reading at home is encouraged right from the start. Parents can borrow appropriate learning resources along with guidance notes about how to use them. Pupils can improve their spelling at home by using spelling books and games. Mathematics games are also available for use at home. Pupils are often encouraged to undertake enquiries at home, such as finding out about life fifty years ago. Parents of children ready to enter the Reception classes are given useful guidance about how to prepare their children for school. When their children are at school, parents can attend briefing evenings about curriculum issues such as the application in the school of the national literacy and numeracy strategies. Parents were very appreciative of these briefing sessions.

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Thanks to a very strong partnership with parents, a lot of valuable additional

28. It is clear from what parents have said and written that the large amount of learning done in the home under the direction of the school is another contributory factor to the high standards achieved.

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Very effective leadership and management produce a strong sense of purpose and a

29. This is a very good school with numerous strengths. There is a very strong sense of purpose about the learning mission of the school that is shared by staff, governors and parents. The standards of attainment are high across all subject areas. The quality of teaching is good with much that is very good. The standard of pupils’ behaviour is good and their attitudes to learning are very good. Pupils like coming to school and their parents are very supportive of all that the school does and stands for. There is a rich and balanced curriculum linked to effective means of assessing pupils’ performance. Arrangements for the safety and well-being of pupils are very good. The budget is used effectively to support the aims of the school. Since the last inspection in 1997 the school has improved significantly. Areas of strength in 1997 have been consolidated and areas of weakness have largely been addressed. In some

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Very effective leadership and management produce a strong sense of purpose and a

cases, such as the curriculum planning, assessment and appraisal, former areas of weakness are now notable strengths. The school provides very good value for money and has a deservedly high reputation in the community that it serves. Inspired and skillful leadership and management have enabled all of these things to happen. This has been a team effort by the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, governors and staff.

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Very effective leadership and management produce a strong sense of purpose and a

30. The former headteacher who was in post at the time of the last inspection retired in 2000. Between 1997 and 2000 a comprehensive action plan to address the areas for improvement identified in the last inspection was successfully put into place. The new Kingmoor Infant School – page 18 headteacher has accelerated the pace of school improvement through such means as upgrading the provision for information and communication technology, extending the library and rectifying building deficiencies. She has energised staff, pupils and governors and has shown outstanding leadership skills. Her work has been a vital factor in the continuing success of the school. The deputy headteacher has taken a very valuable lead in adapting the curriculum and assessment arrangements to meet the best of modern national standards for infant schools. Subject coordinators have worked hard to improve schemes of work in line with new national guidelines. They

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Very effective leadership and management produce a strong sense of purpose and a

produce innovative resources and offer detailed guidance to other teachers. The special educational needs coordinator has ensured that all pupils with identified special educational needs are able to reach suitably ambitious personal learning targets by the age of seven. The new Foundation Stage curriculum for children aged under five has been introduced well. The governors have played an increasingly active role in planning, monitoring and evaluation activities. The headteacher and governors know the strengths and development needs of the school very well, and have mapped out strategies for further improvement.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

More boys could reach Level 3 in most subjects by the age of seven.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

31. The staff and governors have been very successful indeed in enabling more pupils to reach Level 3 across all subjects by the age of seven. In 2001 a significantly greater proportion of girls than boys reached Level 3 in all subjects except mathematics and physical education. At this level girls did twice as well as boys in reading and writing and almost three times better than boys in science. There was also a significant gender difference in geography. The proportion of boys in Kingmoor Infant School who reach Level 3 is good by national standards, but this is to some degree overshadowed by the very high proportion of girls reaching Level 3. The challenge for the school now is how to enable more boys to reach similarly outstanding results to those of girls in the future.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

32. Evidence from observing lessons indicates that girls are more inclined to keep on task for longer and are often better at speaking and writing. In science whilst boys could demonstrate that they had understood key facts or had recognised processes at work, they sometimes found it difficult to express their findings logically and accurately in spoken or written form. Some boys spent less time reading than they should. When boys and girls worked together in pairs or in small groups, it was quite common to see girls take a lead in organising what to do and writing down the findings whilst the boys looked on.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

33. Teachers keep accurate and detailed records of how well each pupil is progressing. This information is not shared with pupils or referred to in lessons very often. It was clear that pupils benefited from praise and from acknowledging the successful completion of a task, such as the nature sculptures completed by Year 2 pupils where boys did especially well.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

34. In some lessons where pupils were placed in activity groups, the level of teacher supervision and intervention varied considerably between groups. In the more lightly supervised groups pupils (and especially some boys) were more likely to get distracted or frustrated. This was particularly noticeable amongst pupils left on their Kingmoor Infant School – page 19 own to operate computer programs. If things went wrong some pupils either gave up or became frustrated until help arrived. This delayed the completion of the task and meant that less work was done than the teacher intended.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

35. A considerable amount of thought has been given by teachers to ways of increasing the number of boys reaching Level 3. They are investigating ways of enhancing speaking and reading skills by using examples drawn from topical events and pupils’ hobbies. Lesson planning is making more reference to approaches that would interest and challenge middle ability boys. Useful ways of using ICT to offer more reading opportunities using the internet and educational games are currently being explored within staff meetings.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

There is scope for extending further the use of new technology to support learning.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

36. Until the summer of 2000 there were insufficient modern computers in the school to enable the National Curriculum requirements for information and communication technology (ICT) to be properly met. Since then three new computers have been installed in each classroom and digital cameras have been purchased. All teachers and support assistants have received appropriate training in the use of ICT. Teachers also use ICT much more for preparing learning resources, drawing up schemes of work, keeping records and display.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

37. There are many examples of the new computers being used well by pupils as a means of practising skills, finding out new information and presenting finished work well. Teachers have produced some specific learning activities on disk that pupils are making good use of to reinforce their literacy and numeracy skills, such as the sequence of instructions related to making a cup of tea or adding 10 to numbers between 1 and 9. Sometimes pupils achieve a great deal and derive much satisfaction from working on computers, but on some occasions they become frustrated by their inability to manipulate the controls to get the outcomes that they want. Teachers are concerned about technical difficulties that limit easy access to the internet.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

38. There is no question that the ICT work now being undertaken with pupils is valuable and effective. The school is now meeting statutory requirements for ICT in a satisfactory way. However, the school is on a rapid journey of improvement from a low starting point in 1999. As the current school development plan makes clear, there is more yet to do in order to become an example of a leading user of ICT. The evidence from the lessons seen by the inspectors indicated that some pupils needed more help with developing their skills in using the keyboard and mouse and would value more access to visual and factual information on screen. As yet there is no provision for whole-class interactive learning using ICT. There were a few instances of pupils needing more frequent intervention by teachers when working on their own at a computer. Kingmoor Infant School – page 20

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school has very many strengths and no areas that are unsatisfactory. In order to improve still further, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i. develop effective teaching and learning strategies that will enable more boys to reach Level 3 in most subjects by the age of seven. This would bring their performance more in line with the high standards already being achieved at Level 3 by girls aged seven;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ii. continue the work already in hand to improve opportunities for pupils to develop their ICT skills and to have greater access to electronically stored information and learning programs. Kingmoor Infant School – page 21

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 17 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 20

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor Number 1 5 8 3 0 0 0 Percentage 6 29 47 18 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than three percentage points

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y2 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/A 169 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/A 9 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y2 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/A 1 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/A 33

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 8 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 5

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence % % School data 7.4 School data 0.0 National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Kingmoor Infant School – page 22 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 32 28 60

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Boys 29 31 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 27 27 27

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Percentage of pupils School 94 (82) 97 (90) 97 (88) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 82 (83) 88 (87)

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Percentage of pupils School 97 (82) 97 (82) 97 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year [ie 1999].

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 0 Black – other 0 0 Indian 1 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 1 Chinese 0 0 White 105 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 Kingmoor Infant School – page 23 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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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Teachers and classes Financial information

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y2 Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7 Financial year 2000/2001 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.1 Average class size 28.2 £

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 341800 Total number of education support staff 4 Total expenditure 327872 Total aggregate hours worked per week 66 Expenditure per pupil 1976 FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year Balance carried forward to next year 19739

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0 Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) FTE means full-time equivalent. Kingmoor Infant School – page 24

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Number of questionnaires sent out 169 Number of questionnaires returned 55

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 48 44 0 0 8

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 46 50 0 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 48 0 0 13

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The teaching is good. 54 40 0 0 6 I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 40 50 4 0 6

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 75 23 0 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 56 40 0 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 50 40 6 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 50 42 0 0 8

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 44 50 0 0 6

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 18 31 27 6 18

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

39. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the achievements of the school and the way in which it is run. They have full confidence in the standards of attainment and behaviour, the teaching, the curriculum and the leadership and management. They confirm that their children enjoy coming to school and find the learning that they undertake interesting. Parents are grateful to teachers and support assistants for the care that they take to help individual children. They are pleased with arrangements to ensure the health and safety of their children whilst they are in school. The great majority of the responses listed in the “don’t know” column were received from parents of children who had only recently entered the school. Just one parent made the suggestion that there may be scope for able pupils to be extended further. Parents are kept well informed about the progress that their children are making and of new

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

curriculum developments. They confirm that the school has a high reputation in the locality.

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