Hartsfield Junior Mixed and Infant School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 15 – 17 October 2001

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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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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. Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Clothall Road Baldock Hertfordshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr V Bagnelle

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 23 rd June 1997 Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 4

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Team members

2616 Mr P H Cole Registered inspector 14404 Mr A V Rolfe Lay inspector 16447 Mrs R D Grant Team inspector 4303 Mr S R Reynolds Team inspector

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Team members

Peak Education Partnership 19 Huddersfield Road Barnsley South Yorkshire S70 2LT

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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 Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 16

Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School is a very large primary school with 408 pupils currently on its roll. Pupils start school in the Reception class at the start of the year in which they become five. Twelve pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds with the largest group being from families of Indian origin. Although five of these pupils speak English as their second language all speak English well. The proportion of pupils who are entitled to free school meals is below the national average. Close to 20 per cent of pupils have special educational needs, which is about average for primary schools. Two of these pupils have statements to support their particular needs, which is below the national average for a school of this size. Almost all of the special educational needs are related to different forms of learning difficulties. The attainment of pupils when they enter the school is broad

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

and overall it is in line with the local education authority’s average and a little above that found in schools across the country.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school. It has many strengths that enable its pupils to achieve well. Teaching is good. The school benefits from very strong leadership and management and provides very good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The school achieves impressive results in the national tests. • All pupils in infant classes do well, with very many achieving above expectations; pupils make even more rapid progress in junior classes and by Year 6 pupils are achieving very well. • Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning, they get on very well with each other and with adults and their behaviour is very good. This reflects the good provision that is made for their personal development. • Overall teaching is good and it is very good in junior classes. • The leadership and management of the headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior staff are very strong and they are well supported by the school’s governing body.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • There are no significant areas in which the school needs to improve.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in June 1997 and since then it has made very good progress in tackling the weaknesses that were identified and in improving further other aspects of its life. It has continued to improve results in national tests, reflected in its success in gaining a national achievements award. Standards in English were not considered to be good enough but are now high. The shortcomings identified in information and communication technology (ICT) and music have been very successfully addressed. The weaknesses found in teaching in some junior classes have been effectively rectified and teaching in this key stage is now very good. The school now promotes pupils’ personal development well with particular strengths in encouraging their moral and social development. Very good use Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 7 is now made of information about pupils’ learning to help them to improve. At the last

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

inspection this was judged to be a key issue for improvement. The school continues to enjoy strong support from its parents. The strengths identified in the leadership and management have been built upon and weaknesses in the monitoring and evaluating of teaching and in the contributions made by teachers as subject managers, have been effectively tackled.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

compared with Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The results for 2001 in both mathematics and science were exceptionally good, being in the top five percent of all schools in the country, and in science they were in the top five percent of similar schools to Hartsfield (based on levels of entitlement to free school meals). Results have been impressively high over recent years with a slight dip in the results in English in 2001, when many pupils narrowly missed the higher level 5. However, far more pupils achieved the expected level 4 in English than was the case nationally and in similar schools, and when compared with the results they achieved in Year 2 these pupils achieved better than expected. In mathematics, three pupils even managed to achieve level 6, which is the level expected for pupils who are starting their fourth year in secondary school. The standards in the current Year 6 are high in both science and mathematics. In English, pupils are also on course to achieve equally impressive results with real strengths

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STANDARDS

evident in their reading and writing skills. Their speaking and listening skills are also very well developed with, for example, almost all pupils confidently using Standard English. The results and the standards found during the inspection show that all pupils, including higher attaining pupils and those with special educational needs, achieve well by the time they come to leave the school. The results achieved in the Year 2 tests last year were also impressive, being well above the national averages in reading, writing and above them in mathematics. They were also better than those achieved by similar schools in reading and particularly so in writing, and were in line with the average in mathematics. These results represent a clear improvement on those in previous years which have been in line with and sometimes better than those in schools across the country. The current Year 2 pupils are

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STANDARDS

achieving well in English, mathematics and science. The pupils in the Reception class are achieving appropriately given their starting points when they came into school. In a short inspection it is not possible to judge standards in all subjects but it is clear from the pupils’ work that good achievement is not limited to the core subjects and that pupils do well in other subjects, such as art, music and ICT. The school has comfortably exceeded its formal targets and achieved the internal targets it has set for itself. Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 8

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils take pride in what they do, work very hard and try to improve.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is very good generally, both in class and around the school, and is excellent in some lessons.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Pupils get on very well with each other and the adults in the school and they willingly accept responsibility.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Very good and reflects pupils’ enthusiasm for school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

In almost all the lessons seen pupils’ behaviour and involvement were at least good, and they were excellent in Year 6 where pupils respond very positively to teaching that is exceptionally strong. Pupils are eager to do their best and many do more than has been asked of them, for example producing polished versions of the notes they had made for homework. In all classes pupils work very well in pairs and groups and this benefits their speaking and listening skills as well as their social skills. This is true of even the youngest pupils in Reception who can already work well with partners in, for example, numeracy lessons. Older pupils in school respond very well to the responsibilities they are given, such as being ‘buddies’ to the youngest pupils.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Overall teaching in the school is good. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed and most lessons were well taught or better. Consistent strengths, found across the school, include: teachers explaining clearly what they want pupils to learn in a lesson and what they need to do to achieve it; meeting the needs of all pupils well, including those with special educational needs and those who are capable of achieving very high standards; using time and resources, including teaching assistants, to good effect to support successful learning; teachers managing pupils’ behaviour well, making full use of their good relationships with pupils to support this and establishing clear routines for pupils to follow (started effectively in Reception and continued across the school); using effective strategies, such as ‘talking buddies’, to successfully promote pupils’ involvement in learning; and providing pupils with

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

guidance on how to improve what they have done. Both English and mathematics are taught effectively, with more of the well and very well taught lessons being in junior classes. In the very best teaching, which was seen in Year 6, high quality marking ensures that pupils are unusually aware of what they need to do to get better. These teachers’ expectations are particularly high and their subject knowledge, for example in ICT and science, is very strong. In their lessons pupils respond enthusiastically to the challenges Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 9 that they are set. Very good relationships in these classes, often enhanced by skilful use of humour, ensure pupils are enthusiastic learners. In other lessons that were very well taught in other parts of the school, teachers also have high expectations, ask challenging questions and maintain a lively pace which ensures that pupils are fully involved and

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Well-planned, broad and balanced curriculum that provides rich learning opportunities in all subjects and is enhanced by visits.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The support given to pupils with special educational needs is very good, and ensures that they make good progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The few pupils in the school who speak English as an additional language need no special help and are achieving equally as well as other pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Good overall, with particular strengths in the provision made for pupils’ moral and social development and good support for their cultural development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Pupils are well cared for both in school and when they are out on visits.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents support the school well, for example through fundraising and helping in classes. The school encourages them to become partners in the learning process by sharing with them their children’s individual targets, providing information on what is to be taught and setting regular homework. Planning for the different groups in classes, including the most able and those with learning difficulties, is good. Effective and detailed systems for tracking pupils’ progress are in place. The information gained is used well, for example to group pupils in lessons and to set realistic targets for them to improve their work. Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 10

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher, very well supported by the deputy headteacher and senior staff, provides very effective leadership and management.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors know the school well and contribute effectively to its development.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school looks carefully at information about how well it is doing and uses this information very effectively to bring about improvements.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school’s budget and funding for special educational needs are used very well to provide for the pupils in school. Teachers make very good use of resources, including support staff to support pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The high quality of leadership and management in the school has ensured that it has not only coped very well with the continuous growth in its size, and the associated disruptions caused by building projects, it has at the same time steadily improved standards to the very high levels that are now being achieved. The school makes effective use of the principles of best value when making decisions about its future development and spending plans.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Children’s behaviour, attitudes to school and their personal development.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Their children are expected to work hard.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• The school is well led and managed. • The information they receive about how well their children are doing.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• The range and amount of extra- curricular activities that are available.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspectors agree with the strengths identified by parents in the survey of their views and the pre-inspection meeting that was held with them. The inspectors judge the reports to parents to be detailed, informative and helpful but understand that a number of parents Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 11 would like more opportunities to discuss these at the final consultation evening held late in the summer term. Inspectors feel that there is a satisfactory range of out-of-class activities, including ICT and music clubs, as well as sporting opportunities but agree with parents that these are almost all open only to the older pupils in school. Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 12

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The school achieves impressive results in the national tests.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1 The school has sustained impressively high results in the Year 6 tests over the last four years. There was a slight dip in the results in English in 2001, when a significant number of pupils missed the higher level 5 by a few marks. In English, mathematics and science, results have almost without exception been well above the national averages and often in the top five percent of schools in the country. Overall, the gap in the results of boys and girls has been small, with girls achieving slightly better than boys in English and boys slightly better than girls in mathematics. This is a similar pattern to that found in most schools but both boys and girls have achieved noticeably better than their peers across the country. The results are also impressive when compared to schools that are similar to Hartsfield in terms of pupils’ entitlement to free school meals. In 2000, they were above the

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

average for similar schools in English, and well above average in both mathematics and science. In 2001, they were in line with the average for similar schools in English and well above average in mathematics and they were in the top five percent of similar schools in science. Three pupils even succeeded in achieving level 6 in mathematics, which for primary age pupils is exceptional. When the results for 2001 are compared to the results that the same pupils achieved when they were in Year 2 then in English they achieved above expectations and in both mathematics and science they achieved very high results.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2 Results in Year 2 have been less impressive over the same period. In reading and mathematics they have usually been in line with the national average and in writing above average. Compared to similar schools they have been appropriate in writing but sometimes below average in reading and mathematics. However, the 2001 results show a marked improvement, with reading and writing being well above the average for all schools and mathematics being just into this category. Compared to similar schools, results in writing were well above average and in reading they were above, while those for mathematics were in line with the average for similar schools. What was particularly impressive about these results was the improvement in the proportion of pupils achieving the higher level 3, both compared to schools nationally and to similar schools. The results of boys have not been quite as good as those of girls in reading and writing over the last few years but the

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

gap has been less noticeable than that found in most schools and, as in the Year 6 tests, both boys and girls have achieved better than boys and girls in other schools. In mathematics, boys have done better in the tests than girls and noticeably better than boys in other schools, whereas girls have achieved results in line with the girls in schools across the country.

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pupils make even more rapid progress in junior classes and by Year 6 pupils are

3 Overall, pupils currently in Year 2 are achieving above the national expectations for their age in English, mathematics and science. As most of them come into Year 1 with knowledge, skills and understanding close to average they are making good progress and achieving well. In English higher attaining pupils and many average attaining pupils read confidently and can tackle words such as ‘grease’ without any problems. Above average pupils’ understanding of what they read is good and they can, for example, explain the need to change tenses when a text is rewritten in a different form, such as when they changed descriptive accounts into sets of instructions. They are able to write at length, Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 13 using simple spelling and punctuation accurately as they retell stories well. Although it is early in the school year their reading and writing skills are already at the level expected by

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pupils make even more rapid progress in junior classes and by Year 6 pupils are

the end of Year 2. Average attaining pupils are achieving comfortably in line with, and sometimes above, what is expected for their age. They also write confidently, spell words with reasonable independence, are able to punctuate sentences and some even use commas. By Year 4, higher attaining pupils are beginning to make inferences from texts and almost all other pupils read aloud with expression and tackle unfamiliar words such as ‘signalling ‘ and ‘occasional’ with confidence. Almost all of these pupils use punctuation accurately and spell well for their age. Pupils in Year 5 use reference books, such as thesauri, skilfully, and are able to read unusual words, such as ‘ghoul’ and ‘spectre’, without difficulty. Even lower attaining pupils can read ‘howling’ and ‘shrieking’ accurately and can choose the most appropriate one to use in their own writing. They have well-established skills in redrafting their work, which they present well with neat joined handwriting. By Year

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pupils make even more rapid progress in junior classes and by Year 6 pupils are

6, many pupils naturally use paragraphs and other appropriate forms of punctuation to organise their writing. Pupils show a good sense of audience and use mature and sophisticated phrases that are well matched to the particular purpose of their writing. Examples from some or their recent reviews of films include: “Matilda is a sweet innocent child played by the young Mara Wilson. … … .As Matilda’s mind grows stronger, she finds a power inside herself, which gives her the strength to lift objects with her eyes.” (Matilda). “In a daring mission of adventurous comedy, Buzz Lightyear, played by Tim Allen, sets out to save him (Woody). Woody helps Buzz to realise that life is only worth living if you’ve got an owner to share it with.” (Toy Story 2). Many of these pupils are already working above the level expected by the end of the school year.

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pupils make even more rapid progress in junior classes and by Year 6 pupils are

4 Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are good across the school, reflecting the importance that teachers attach to these key aspects of English. For their ages, pupils give extended answers to questions and explain their ideas clearly with a high proportion consistently using Standard English, both when speaking to adults and to each other.

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pupils make even more rapid progress in junior classes and by Year 6 pupils are

5 In mathematics, pupils have good computational skills. Pupils in Year 1 are able to use number bonds to 10 to perform additions and subtractions. By Year 2, pupils can count in fives and higher attaining pupils use their knowledge of adding 10s to work out and explain more complex calculations, for example, “I added 10 then another 7”. Year 3 pupils are developing a good understanding of place value and can, for example add 10 to 199 accurately, as well as being able to count forwards and backwards in 10s and 20s. By Year 6 pupils have developed a very good understanding of mathematical language and can work out equivalent fractions, express them as percentages and reduce them to their lowest forms. They have a good understanding of probability and higher attaining pupils are beginning to use formulae to express and calculate probabilities. Higher attaining pupils are already working within the higher than expected level 5. One of the real

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pupils make even more rapid progress in junior classes and by Year 6 pupils are

strengths in pupils’ learning, particularly in junior classes, is their ability to use a range of different methods to work out answers to mathematical questions. Other aspects of mathematics, such as knowledge of shapes and measures, are equally as strong as pupils’ knowledge and skills in using numbers. Overall, pupils are clearly on course to comfortably achieve and many to exceed expected levels by the end of the current year.

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pupils make even more rapid progress in junior classes and by Year 6 pupils are

6 Progress in science is very good across junior classes and it is at least satisfactory in infant classes. By Year 2, pupils demonstrate level 2 understanding of how materials change, for example when they are heated, and higher attaining pupils are beginning to realise that heating materials can lead to changes that cannot be reversed. They have satisfactorily developed observational skills and use appropriate scientific language when talking about what they are doing. In their work on teeth, most Year 4 pupils show achievement that is in line with the expectations for the end of the junior stage. They can, Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 14 for example, explain the different functions of their own teeth and then apply this to unfamiliar situations, such as the teeth in different animals and decide whether they are carnivores or herbivores. By Year 6, almost all pupils have good knowledge of technical

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pupils make even more rapid progress in junior classes and by Year 6 pupils are

vocabulary and the factual content of the strands they have covered, such as the names and functions of parts and systems within the human body. Their skills in scientific investigation are well developed. They can suggest how to carry out an investigation, and skilfully use a range of methods to accurately record what they have found, including tables, diagrams and graphs. Many are already showing clear evidence of level 5 in their work and are on course to achieve very well by the end of the year.

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pupils make even more rapid progress in junior classes and by Year 6 pupils are

7 Good standards are also being achieved in other subjects. Work, in a range of media, in art is good ranging from the vibrant ‘self-portraits’ in reception to the good quality silk paintings done by older pupils in the art club. Good quality is seen in work based on direct observation as well as that inspired by the work of famous artists, such as Picasso and Nevelson. In music, all pupils are achieving at least the expected standards and many pupils benefit from the extensive programme of additional instrumental tuition and extra- curricular clubs and are developing good performance skills and technical knowledge of music. In common with music, ICT was judged to be a weakness in the last inspection and pupils across the school are now making very good progress in developing their skills in using computers. They have many opportunities to practise and refine their skills when working in other subjects and pupils make particularly good progress in the discrete ICT

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pupils make even more rapid progress in junior classes and by Year 6 pupils are

lessons that are now taught. Pupils in Year 5 can search a database using two fields and they can make logical modifications to their searches using ‘and’ and ‘or’. In Year 6, pupils have a very good understanding of how to use the World Wide Web to find information and they are developing very good skills in creating their own ‘webpages’. They can insert objects, including animations, pictures and sounds, change backgrounds and the appearance of text, and create ‘buttons’ that make hyperlinks to related pages. These are sophisticated skills for Year 6 pupils to have. There are examples of work above expectations in other subjects such as history, and design and technology in the displays around the school. It is clear that pupils in the school are expected to achieve well across the different subjects of the curriculum and their work shows that this is the case.

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and with adults and their behaviour is very good. This reflects the good provision

that is made for their personal development.

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and with adults and their behaviour is very good. This reflects the good provision

8 Of the 220 parents who responded to the pre-inspection survey of the school only one thought that behaviour was not good enough. All other parents consider the children to be well behaved or very well behaved. The parents who attended the meeting held with them before the inspection considered behaviour to be very good and many thought it was excellent. The parents’ views are confirmed by the inspection. Behaviour in lessons is consistently very good and where teaching is particularly strong, especially in Year 6, it is excellent. Dinner times are sympathetically supervised and as a result are calm and civilised. Adults’ expectations of behaviour are high and pupils respond well to this by moving around the school quietly and sensibly, listening attentively in assemblies and joining in enthusiastically, but appropriately, when invited to.

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and with adults and their behaviour is very good. This reflects the good provision

9 A real strength of the school is the pupils’ attitudes. Most clearly enjoy learning and are keen to come to school and this is reflected in the very good attendance rates. Pupils want to do their best and consequently work hard and take pride in what they do. Many do more than their teachers ask, for example the Year 6 pupils who were asked to make notes on a film they watched for homework and then went on to type them up on their computers so that they were tidy and well presented. Pupils who are learning to play instruments Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 15 practise regularly and as a result are able to perform to a high standard. Again, this reflects teachers’ high expectations and the positive and constructive feedback that they give to pupils.

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and with adults and their behaviour is very good. This reflects the good provision

10 Relationships are very good across the school. The teachers and other adults expect pupils to get on well with each other and actively promote this through the ‘buddy system’, the consistent use of ‘talking partners’ in lessons and the emphasis they place on social responsibility, for example in assemblies. The ‘buddy system’ gives older pupils real responsibility for younger ones and encourages them to be caring and understanding, while strengthening the social bonds between pupils. Many parents commented on the family atmosphere in the school, which is unusual in a school as large as this. The ‘talking partners’ strategy, used in lessons across the school, successfully promotes collaborative working and the exchange of ideas, as well as contributing well to the development of pupils’ speaking and listening skills.

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and with adults and their behaviour is very good. This reflects the good provision

Overall teaching in the school is good and it is very good in junior classes.

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and with adults and their behaviour is very good. This reflects the good provision

11 There is now greater consistency in the quality of teaching across the school than was the case in the last inspection. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen and by far the largest proportion of lessons were taught well or were even better than this. The majority of lessons in junior classes are very well taught and in Year 6 some of the teaching is excellent.

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and with adults and their behaviour is very good. This reflects the good provision

12 There are many strengths found in teaching across the school. Teachers explain to pupils what they will be learning in the lesson and make it clear to them what they will need to do to achieve this learning. As a result, pupils are able to work with their teachers towards the same goals. Through the regular assessments that teachers make, they get to know their pupils well and are able to group them according to their different learning needs. They plan activities that are well matched to these needs and use their own time, resources to support the activities, and the work of teaching assistants well to ensure that these needs are effectively met in lessons. This leads to all pupils, including those who have special educational needs and the high attaining pupils, almost always being able to achieve the learning that has been planned for them. All teachers manage pupils’ behaviour effectively, usually with out any fuss because relationships are strong and

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and with adults and their behaviour is very good. This reflects the good provision

routines and expectations are well established. The school’s teaching and learning policy has been consistently implemented and this ensures that effective strategies are used across the school, such as the use of ‘talking buddies’ and ‘talking partners’, which play an important role in developing pupils’ thinking and social skills.

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and with adults and their behaviour is very good. This reflects the good provision

13 Marking was a weakness in the last inspection and is now a strength, particularly where teaching is very good. The best marking in the school is in Year 6. It is very detailed and gives pupils very clear guidance on what they need to do to improve. As a result pupils in Year 6 have a very good understanding of their own learning and this makes a significant contribution to the high standards they are achieving. Elsewhere in the school marking is usually good and, together with the regular setting of targets, moves pupils forward with their learning.

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and with adults and their behaviour is very good. This reflects the good provision

14 Characteristics of the very good lessons seen in Years 2, 4, 5 and 6 were the teachers’ high expectations of pupils, reflected in the challenging questions they asked, and the demanding pace that was maintained throughout the lessons. Very good subject knowledge, giving pupils opportunities to think for themselves and to be independent, and the use of humour that enhanced involvement and relationships, were additional strengths in the lessons that were excellent in Year 6. Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 16

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The leadership and management of the headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior

staff are very strong and they are well supported by the school’s governing body.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior

15 The headteacher, who joined the school shortly after it opened and when it had far fewer pupils than it does now, understands its strengths and weaknesses very well. She has high expectations for the school and a strong desire to continue the process of improvement that has produced a school with many strengths and no significant weaknesses in which pupils achieve very high standards. She is very well supported by an energetic deputy headteacher, who leads by example with his excellent teaching and his very successful leadership of ICT and music. Senior teachers and the management team also make a strong contribution through their involvement with organisational issues, the school’s development planning, and in communicating information. Teachers have been given responsibility to manage subject budgets and to contribute, through their action plans, to the overall school development plan and they have responded very well to this. In

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The leadership and management of the headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior

some subjects, such as science, they have also made effective contributions to the monitoring and development of teaching.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior

16 Governors know the school well through their ‘link class’ visits and regular meetings with staff during the year. Their involvement in setting the school’s budget and in deciding its priorities is satisfactory and steps are being taken to develop these aspects of their role further by enabling them to become more fully involved at an earlier stage in the planning processes.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior

17 The headteacher and senior staff make good use of test information, the tracking of pupils’ progress and performance management, to identify and tackle weaknesses in pupil’s achievement and in teaching. This school year, extra attention is being given to writing in order to turn around the disappointing results in English in the Year 6 tests in 2001. The evidence in pupils’ current work indicates that this emphasis is being successful as much of the Year 6 pupils’ writing is of a high standard. This effective aspect of management could be extended to cover other areas of the school’s life, such as collective worship to ensure it consistently successfully promotes pupils’ spiritual development.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior

18 The quality and usefulness of the school’s development plans are good, although the headteacher is working on making them even more helpful with clearer commentaries on what needs to be done to bring about improvements. The planning of developments and the setting of the school’s budget are closely linked and appropriate use is made of the principles of best value to inform decision taking, for example consulting with parents and pupils to gain an understanding of what they think can be improved in the school. A particular strength of management is the very effective use that is made of expensive resources, such as computers and teaching assistants.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

19 There are no significant areas in which the school needs to improve.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

20 Because there are no significant weaknesses there are no key issues that the school needs to tackle. Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 7

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 8 30 37 25 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 four percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 408

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 17 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 78

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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 5

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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 12

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 15

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Attendance

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. Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 18

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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 23 55

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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 30 31 32 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 21 22

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

Percentage of pupils School 93 (90) 95 (94) 98 (96) 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 31 32 32 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 21 22]

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (90) 96 (96) 98 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 83 (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.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 27 30 57

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 27 27 27 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 29 27 30

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 98 (91) 95 (89) 100 (98) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 26 27 27 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 28 29 30

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 95 (91) 96 (88) 100 (95) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 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) 16 Financial year 2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 769,830

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Total expenditure 776,052

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 192 Expenditure per pupil 1,852

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 36,290

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0 Balance carried forward to next year 30,068

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 0 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 6

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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 FTE means full-time equivalent. Hartsfield Junior Mixed Infant School - 20

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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. 45 50 4 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 47 50 0 1 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 30 55 9 2 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 29 51 16 1 2

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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. 50 40 6 2 1

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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. 65 33 1 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 32 54 10 2 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 44 50 2 1 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 46 49 2 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 15 31 29 8 17

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