Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School

SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mrs Christine Huard

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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. Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Normansfield Avenue Teddington Middlesex

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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 A. Davies

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: April 1997 Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 4

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Team members

27290 Mrs Christine Huard Registered inspector 9092 Mr Ron Elam Lay inspector 31862 Mrs Julia Coop Team inspector

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Team members

Cambridge Education Associates Ltd Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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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 Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 - 9

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 17 - 20

Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery school is situated in the attractive Outer London suburb of Teddington, near Richmond upon Thames. There are 145 girls and boys in this small infant school with a further 49 children attending part time in the nursery. A number of pupils come from ethnic minority backgrounds and there are 30 pupils (19.4 per cent) for whom English is not their first language. This is above the national average. There are 19 pupils on the school's register of special educational need, at 13 per cent this is well below the national average. A very few pupils receive specialist help for educational and behavioural problems and moderate learning difficulties. No pupil has a statement of special educational need. There are 14 pupils who are eligible for free school meals, this is broadly in line with the national average of 10 per cent. When pupils enter the reception classes in the year of their fifth birthday, attainment is above average

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

and most pupils are well within the final stepping stone on their way to meeting the Early Learning Goals in all areas.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery school is a very good school with a great many strengths. It has successfully maintained high standards in national tests over the last four years. The provisional results of this summer's tests show that the areas identified as relative weaknesses last year have shown significant improvements. This is due to the prompt and effective action taken by the school. Teaching is very good and care is taken to make appropriate provision for pupils of all abilities and for those at an early stage of learning English. The management of the school is very good and the headteacher has a very clear vision for the future, which is shared by staff, governors and parents alike. The school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an effective governing body. • Standards achieved by pupils in reading, writing and mathematics are high. • The progress made by children in the Foundation Stage is very good. • Pupils have very positive attitudes to school and reach high standards of personal development. • The teaching is very good and encourages efficient learning. • The school provides a wide range of learning opportunities and ensures that the needs of all pupils are met.

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What could be improved

• A small number of individual education plans are too broad and are not easily understood by parents, or easy to share with pupils who have special educational needs. • Attendance levels have been steadily slipping over the last four years. • There are elements of the accommodation which are unsatisfactory. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in April 1997. Since then it has made very good progress on the issues which were identified for improvement and in other key areas. It is very well placed to continue to improve. The results achieved by the oldest pupils in reading, writing and mathematics, which have been consistently high, have continued to rise in excess of the national trend. Children in the Foundation Stage exceed the requirements of the Early Learning Goals in all areas by the time they reach the end of the Reception year. The most important key issues for improvement from the last inspection centred on how the curriculum was planned and how pupils' attainment was assessed. The school took appropriate and successful action to write schemes of work and policies, which fully cover the National Curriculum. It provides a very good programme of learning that consistently builds upon pupils' prior attainment. Good systems for assessing

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

pupils' attainment have been introduced which enable the school to identify areas which require development and so further improve standards. The good standards identified in the last report in teaching, pupils’ response and the very good standards in school management have been maintained. Standards in information technology continue to be good. However, although most issues concerning the accommodation have been addressed, there has been little progress in resolving the issue of a suitable area for the staff. It Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 7 is still situated in a through corridor from the nursery affording neither privacy nor sufficient space in which staff can meet. It remains unsatisfactory.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 7 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

Reading A* A* A A well above average above average A

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Key

B Writing A A A A Average below average C D Mathematics A A* A A well below average E

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Key

The majority of children in the reception class are exceeding the Early Learning Goals for their age in all six areas. At seven years of age, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are well above the national average and well above that achieved by pupils in similar schools 1 . Results in mathematics fell in 2000 but have recovered well as a result of action taken. The work pupils were doing during the inspection confirmed that standards continue to be high and the provisional results of this year's national tests show that the challenging targets set for this year have been exceeded. Teacher assessments in science also show standards to be well above average. Pupils achieve standards which are good in relation to their attainment when they first enter the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils’ attitudes towards their work and the school are very good. They are very attentive and responsive and show a delight at being in school. They display an eagerness to learn.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good overall in lessons, in the playground and around the school

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent. Pupils develop very high levels of initiative and personal responsibility for their age. They show great respect for others.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Satisfactory overall, but this has shown a considerable drop over the last few years.

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Aspect Comment

The school functions very well as a friendly and orderly community. The attitudes of the oldest pupils show that the school successfully develops responsible individuals who are aware of their own learning. The school council is effective and concerns itself with appropriate matters. For example, their views were taken into account when considering the home-school agreement. The pupils develop maturity and responsibility as they progress through the school.

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Aspect Comment

1 Similar schools comparisons are made between schools which have a similar percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals. Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 8

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years Aged 5-7 years

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

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years Aged 5-7 years

The teaching seen was very good overall and evidence from pupils’ previous work indicates that standards in teaching have improved over time. All lessons seen were at least satisfactory. Sixty-four per cent were very good or better and a further 21 per cent good. Teaching in the key skills of literacy and numeracy is very good and the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy have been well implemented. The school has taken effective action to improve the teaching of mathematics in Key Stage 1 following relatively disappointing test results last year, and the decision to group pupils according to their ability for mathematics has helped address identified weaknesses. Teachers provide activities which enable individuals to achieve well in their academic work and, most notably, in their personal development. Pupils’ learning is aided by their attitudes, which include listening carefully to the teacher and each other,

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years Aged 5-7 years

enthusiasm for the tasks set and the good match of tasks to pupils’ individual abilities.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The school continues to offer a broad range of interesting and relevant activities to pupils of all ages.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good provision both for pupils who need additional support with their learning and for the most able pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. Pupils are effectively assessed and very good quality teaching and support is provided for them within the classroom.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good provision overall with particular strengths in the promotion of pupils’ moral and social development. Acts of collective worship successfully promote pupils’ spiritual awareness.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good overall provision for pupils’ well being. The school has a caring ethos. There are a few weaknesses in procedures.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s curriculum is enhanced by many opportunities, which broaden and extend the pupils' experiences in a wide range of areas. For example, the school has recently been awarded The Gold Artsmark award by the Arts Education Council. A cross-curricular approach to many aspects of learning ensures that pupils understand the relevance of their work and the links between subjects. This contributes well to the quality of their learning. The good support for pupils with special educational needs is based on detailed individual education plans and regular assessments of progress; however a few individual education plans are not specific enough and are difficult for parents to understand. Procedures for monitoring attendance are not always rigorous enough and there is insufficient co-operation between the school, governors and parents to discourage term time holidays. The parents are generally very supportive

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Aspect Comment

of the school and receive high quality information about the curriculum and events. Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher provides very effective, caring leadership and is supported well by an able deputy. There is a strong spirit of teamwork and commitment among staff.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors are knowledgeable and work efficiently. They manage the school well. They are actively involved in the school and support its development. They question sensibly what it does and are aware of its strengths and weaknesses.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance This is excellent. The school analyses its results, teaching and curriculum very thoroughly and takes effective action to improve. It consults widely on its further development. The written development plan is particularly clear, outlines current priorities very well and effectively communicates the long- term vision.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good overall. Funds are directed to priority areas and their use is controlled and monitored well.

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Aspect Comment

The management of the school is effective in seeking to ensure best value in its spending decisions by questioning what it does and ensuring that funds are spent wisely.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children love coming to school. • The teaching is good and their children make generally good progress. • The behaviour is mostly very good and any misbehaviour is dealt with very appropriately. • The school has high expectations, promotes positive values and gives pupils a high level of responsibility. • The school is very approachable and willing to discuss any problems. • The parents generally feel well-informed about what is happening at school. • All the parents felt the school was well led and managed. • A small minority of parents are concerned about the identification and provision made for pupils with special educational needs. • Some parents are concerned about the school's policy of teaching a cursive script, and feel it is too difficult for the children to master and slows progress. • A few parents are concerned about the staggered intake into the reception classes.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Twenty-nine parents attended the parents' meeting and 73 returned the questionnaire. The great majority of parents wholeheartedly supported the school. The inspection team endorses the positive views of the parents. The provision for pupils with special educational needs was closely examined during the inspection. The inspection team found that the overall provision was very good with pupils being identified early, plans drawn up, outside agencies consulted at an early stage and good focused teaching provided. However, a very few individual education plans contained targets that were too broad and worded in such a way to make them too complex for parents to understand, and difficult to share with the pupils themselves. The team observed and talked to pupils of all ages practising their handwriting. All seemed to enjoy it and few had any particular difficulties. The range of methods employed by teachers to give pupils practice was

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

interesting and fun for them. The team concluded that the school's policy is not detrimental to the progress of the pupils. The staggered intake into the reception classes is county policy and something that the school is looking into. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 10

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

1. The headteacher provides strong leadership and has a clear vision for the continuing development of the school. She is supported well by an able deputy and the two of them were described by parents as 'being inspirational in their ideas and leadership' with which judgement the inspection team agrees. In addition, the leaders of the younger and older teams make a valuable contribution to the leadership and management of the school. The staff work very well together in a spirit of teamwork and show commitment to the overall approach of the school with the welfare and progress of pupils at the centre of their work. Areas of responsibility are delegated well and all the teachers manage a subject or aspect of the school’s work, ensuring that the load is shared widely. Over the past few years, there has been considerable staff turnover, changes to areas of responsibility and periods of extended staff

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

absence but the disruption caused by these has been minimised and pupils’ continuing progress ensured.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

2. The governing body is effective. The governors bring to the school a wide range of professional and personal skills and a high degree of commitment to their role. Although many of them are comparatively new, they have received a good programme of training which enables them to be actively involved in the management of the school and contribute confidently and effectively to its stability at a time of staff change. There is a well-developed committee structure, which works efficiently for all major aspects of school life. In addition to their contribution to their regular meetings, most governors visit the school regularly and make themselves available to speak to staff, pupils and parents. They are supportive of the school but also question sensibly what it does. They are well aware of its main strengths and relative weaknesses.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

3. The senior management team takes a lead in the monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching and learning. Information from the school’s results in national and optional tests is increasingly analysed to set future targets for development. The headteacher and deputy head are particularly well informed about the quality of teaching and the curriculum. They work closely together and with the staff team to focus efforts on improving weaker areas and maintaining high standards. The deputy headteacher provided a detailed analysis of last summer's results in the national tests. This resulted in pinpointing several areas for development in spelling, extended writing and mathematics. The provisional results of this summer's tests show that the action taken has had a positive impact on standards and results have shown significant improvement in all of these areas. The school improvement plan sets out priorities and targets well for the current year. It is the product

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

of detailed discussions between staff and governors and underpins development initiatives well.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

4. Financial planning by the headteacher and governors is detailed and thorough and enables the school to make very good use of its resources. Financial regulations and controls are fully in place and the most recent auditors’ report was positive. The earmarked funding for special educational needs, staff training and other national and local initiatives is carefully targeted, managed and documented. The school increasingly seeks to ensure best value in the use of its resources by comparing its performance with other schools, by questioning the effectiveness of what it does, by consulting on its further development and by carefully comparing prices and contracts.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

Standards achieved in reading, writing and mathematics are high.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

5. The school has very effectively implemented the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy since their introduction three years ago. The staff have examined and reviewed the structure of these, discussed them fully at staff meetings and adapted the frameworks to meet the needs of the pupils at Hampton Wick on an on-going basis. For example, it was decided to place pupils in groups for spelling and extended writing activities as a result of areas identified for improvement after last summer's national tests. Planning for literacy is of a high quality, it provides for the appropriate extension of skills, knowledge and understanding as pupils move through the school. There is very good consistency in the implementation of the school’s strategy across parallel classes to ensure that all pupils are being taught the same thing. The quality of teaching is uniformly good across the school, with no real weaknesses. This means that all pupils are assured of equal access to the

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

curriculum and equal opportunities to succeed. Work is carefully differentiated within groups and lessons to ensure that all pupils are challenged to achieve within their own ability levels. Literacy is Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 11 effectively implemented into other subject areas, which further extends pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

6. Pupils have many chances to write for a range of purposes and an examination of previous work showed they write stories, reports, descriptions, reviews and play scripts amongst other things. The school has recently won a competition to place a time capsule within Kingston Bridge as a result of their original and innovative writing about objects which are representative of life in 2001. The quality of written work is enhanced by the good spelling which was evident across the school. This is as a result of work put in after the national tests last year showed some weakness in this area. Pupils have been taught in groups at the appropriate level and using words which contain sounds relevant to those being taught in literacy sessions. They then practise the words learned in a meaningful way within classwork. Sounds are taught systematically and imaginatively, for example, in one reception class pupils acted out words containing particular sounds. This approach clearly caught the children’s

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

imagination and thus aroused their enthusiasm. Handwriting is taught very well. The school uses a cursive script. Insistence on correct letter formation is apparent in all classes and there is careful monitoring of this which is built into all areas of the curriculum. There is ample time for practice and a range of methods is used including the use of sand trays, tracing and underwriting. Although some parents expressed concern that the style may slow pupils' progress the inspection team found no cause for concern and found that pupils generally mastered the script quite quickly and effectively. Handwriting and presentation are part of the whole school curriculum not separate entities; pupils are encouraged to take a pride in the appearance of their work.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

7. The successful teaching of reading starts in the foundation stage. In the nursery and reception classes, children and teachers share books and stories with joy and enthusiasm. As pupils progress through the school, the teachers’ own love of stories and literature shows through in the way that texts are shared with pupils. A range of styles is shared with the pupils and pupils in Year 2 are encouraged to write their own play scripts after experiencing some with their teacher. Pupils learn the structure of books and stories and talk confidently, not only about the author and illustrator, but they also discuss the purpose of the contents and glossary. They use these effectively to discover information for themselves and thus develop effective independent research skills from an early age. When pupils read aloud it is with enjoyment and expression. They show a good understanding of texts read and enjoy sharing books within group reading sessions.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

8. Standards in mathematics are high because the numeracy strategy has been adopted with great enthusiasm by all staff and well implemented to meet the needs of the pupils. There is a very good emphasis on the development of mental arithmetic skills and knowledge and pupils are taught to enjoy playing with numbers and learning strategies to find answers quickly. For example, when counting in 2s, 5s, and 10s, pupils in Year 1 were using counting sticks and target cards. They could explain clearly how they calculated the answers to various problems their teacher set them. In Year 2 pupils working on money problems were set a range of tasks all very well matched to their abilities. For example, the highest attainers were using money up to £50-00 and could use skills of multiplication and division well to help them solve problems. Lower attaining pupils were working out simple multiplication problems to find the cost of objects they needed to buy to take on a summer

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

The progress made by children in the Foundation Stage is very good.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

9. Children entering the nursery at three years old receive a highly appropriate and well thought out programme of activities. All children attend part time before moving to the reception classes in the year in which they are five. There is a staggered entry into the reception class and some pupils attend part time initially. They spend time on a range of structured and free play activities during each session, most of which are linked to the term's central topic theme.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

10. The two reception classes currently provide education for 59 children. Nearly all have had pre-school experience in the school's nursery before they begin school in the September prior to their fifth birthday. There is excellent liaison between the nursery and the school and the children make frequent visits to the school and share play apparatus with the reception class on a regular basis. Children's attainment on entry is above average and most are well on their way to meeting all of the Early Learning Goals shortly after entry. They settle quickly into school and make good progress in all the areas of learning moving on to some National Curriculum programmes of study before the end of the year. Those who find aspects of learning more difficult are quickly identified and offered good programmes to support their learning and they too make very good progress. Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 12

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

11. The personal, social and emotional development of children in the Foundation Stage is very good. Many of them enter the school with well developed skills in this area of their learning, so teachers ensure that they provide a climate in which children can enhance these skills and develop them further. The children are confident in whole class discussions and enjoy working on their own or in a group. When working together in a group, they communicate well, enjoy each other’s responses and display very high levels of concentration. They persevere with their tasks, and demonstrate an impressive ability to become absorbed in their tasks when not under direct teacher supervision. They learn to consider the needs of others, and are polite and pleasant. Through the very good opportunities offered by teachers, they develop a sense of wonder and appreciation of what the world around them has to offer. They gasp at the wonders of plant and animal life as instanced by their

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

absorption in their current topic about mini-beasts. They show that they can take turns and share, and willingly observe the conventions of school routines. They show much personal independence and self-sufficiency in their ability to find and use equipment, to prepare themselves for their physical education lessons or when tidying up after a lesson. Children with special educational needs are carefully helped to integrate with the other children.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

12. Children's levels of linguistic development are above average. They all make very good progress, and develop skills effectively. Children with special educational needs make good progress due to the specific tasks and support planned for them. They are confident with their speaking skills. Teachers challenge them to think for themselves, and they use the new language they meet to describe what they have learned and explain their work. For example, when talking to children about mini-beasts they could describe accurately the main features of the creatures they had made. They use their new language to effectively communicate during role-play in the Flower Shop, or Mole's House. Their early writing skills are sound, and they show confidence in their approach to writing. Their handwriting is carefully formed and well presented. They make recognisable attempts to spell words, and the higher attaining children are developing good independent writing skills. They recognise key words

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

from their reading books, and enjoy learning to recognise and read key words from their current topic and literacy.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

13. The children make very good progress in mathematics. In the nursery children learn to match numbers and objects to 10 and some can count much further than this. They count the number of children in class each day and the number of drinks needed each session. In the reception most count and match to ten competently, and many go further. They show that their understanding is very good. Many can count in tens to 100 and identify numbers on a number square. They can solve simple problems with numbers to ten using mini-beast models which they have made. Through the lively strategies employed by teachers, such as the use of their Literacy Big Book, they are able to order according to ordinal numbers such as first, second or third.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

14. Most children enter the school with a fairly wide knowledge of the world in which they live. During their time in the Reception classes, the children broaden their understanding of the world around them considerably. They have the advantage of an excellent environmental resource in 'The Wilderness.' 2 Their knowledge and understanding is fully developed through an interesting range of activities linked to a topic theme. They can identify the parts of a mini-beast and many can say what their function is. The children’s handling of practical equipment develops well. For example, during the inspection a group of children were observed using play dough, card and scrap material to make three- dimensional animals. They explore the properties of sand and water, and link this to their topics. The exciting areas created for role-play, help to reinforce children’s awareness of different environments.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

They use the computers to design and make their own symmetrical mini-beasts and show they can use the equipment competently.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

15. Children's physical development is good. The children know they have to 'warm-up' before activity and understand that exercise helps to keep the body healthy. They show a very good awareness of space and body control. Children in the nursery show good control when climbing the apparatus outside. They can make their way along, under and over the frame and show confidence and agility in their manoeuvres. They are well co-ordinated and can perform confidently a range of movements. They can control the large wheeled toys very well and enjoy the sessions when they can use these on the whole of the playground affording them plenty of space for more adventurous play. Within the classroom, the children manipulate and handle small tools well. Their more precise skills, for example, when using pencils or scissors are good. They use pencils correctly when they write, and demonstrate good control when using paint and malleable materials.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

2 The Wilderness is a conservation and wild life area within the school grounds which the Infant and Nursery School shares with the neighbouring Junior School. Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 13 16. During the inspection there was little opportunity to see children involved in much creative activity. However, from the displays around the classrooms it is clear that there are plenty of opportunities for children to experiment with a range of media and ideas. They have designed and made bees in the nursery, using papiermache and balloons, which the children have painted imaginatively and colourfully. Children in the reception classes have created mini-beasts and painted them as authentically as possible. Children show they have an awareness of pattern, and symmetry when creating their mini-beasts on the computer. They are particularly creative when engaging in role-play, and co-operate together well in this, suggesting ideas and listening to the ideas of others. They write

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

invitations for Mole's birthday party and design and make party food out of salt dough. When singing they join in with good pitch and timing, This aspect is a particular strength in their creative development. Their singing during assemblies and with other pupils is very good.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

The teaching is very good and encourages efficient learning.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

17. Teaching in the school is very good. All the lessons seen were at least satisfactory. Sixty-four per cent were very good or better and a further 21 per cent were good. The school has maintained and further improved the strengths in teaching which were identified at the time of the previous inspection.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

18. A high priority is given to teaching key skills in English and mathematics. The school has effectively implemented the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy by adapting them appropriately to match the needs of the pupils and the philosophy and ethos of the school. This has been very successful, and the attainment of nearly all pupils in these subjects is at an above average level. The school successfully blends a range of teaching methods and combines whole class, group and individual teaching across a range of subjects linked to a topic theme. This approach is successful in making relevant links for pupils between subjects and enhances their understanding of their learning.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

19. Teachers’ planning and organisation are thorough and detailed. For much of the work in English and mathematics, pupils are set in groups according to their ability. Teachers plan together to ensure consistency in what is taught and this helps maintain the high standards achieved throughout the school. Lessons are carefully sequenced to ensure full coverage of a topic or programme of study. Plans outline clear learning objectives for each lesson, and teachers tell the pupils exactly what they are going to learn and how they are going to learn it. The objectives are reviewed at the end of the lesson. Grouping is carefully considered and teachers ensure that activities are planned which match the attainment level of all pupils. A brief recap at the start of each lesson prompts pupils’ memories and allows some useful assessment to take place. The pace set is lively throughout and lessons are well structured and relevant to sustain pupils’ interest. For example, in history, pupils in Year 1 were

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

animatedly discussing similarities and differences between holidays now and in the past. Written tasks are fully explained to pupils before they carry them out and pupils record work in a variety of appropriate ways.

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

20. Teachers use questions effectively to extend knowledge and to provide explanations. For example, in a mathematics lesson the teacher asked ”Who can tell me how to find out the missing number?” "What are you going to do next?" By using open questions in this way pupils were forced to think through their strategies for problem solving and articulate them in a way that others could understand. Questions used in sessions at the end of the lesson provide effective re-inforcement and assessment opportunities. "Remind me of our target", says the teacher, "What were you trying to do?" Questions asked are challenging but always carefully worded and graded to match the ability of the pupils being asked. Thus one pupil may be asked about the characters within the story of '10 in a Bed' and another "who do you think will fall out of bed next?" this last requiring the child to have taken note of the order the animals lay in the bed. Quick fire questions are used to good effect within numeracy

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The school is led and managed very well by the senior management team and by an

sessions to assist pupils’ development of mental arithmetic skills. Resources are used effectively to back up the use of skilful questioning to allow the questions to be answered in a number of ways, for example, through the use of target cards and whiteboards..

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to school and reach high standards of personal

21. Pupils are very enthusiastic about school. They are keen to learn and most bring very positive attitudes about the value of learning from home, which are built on and extended by their experiences in school. There is an equally positive atmosphere for learning created by the headteacher and the Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 14 staff. The combined approach of pupils, parents and teachers in partnership results in effective learning and pupils who show high levels of personal development.

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to school and reach high standards of personal

22. Pupils appear comfortable and relaxed in school. They grow in confidence and maturity as they move through the school and respond well to the many opportunities to take initiative in their learning. The school’s ethos and approach are built on the joint principles of teamwork and independence in learning and are successfully communicated to the pupils through its 'I can' approach. A notable feature, especially among the pupils in Year 2, is the extent to which they sustain concentration in their work and show the capacity to work both independently and as part of a small or large group. Pupils from the earliest time in school are enabled by staff to organise their own work where this is appropriate, for example by choosing their own characters and settings for their play scripts and deciding how the play should be presented. Often, when working in groups, they show that they are successfully working as a team as was shown when they won the time capsule competition.

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to school and reach high standards of personal

23. Relationships between pupils and teachers are very good. Adults and children show respect for each other and are polite in their conversations. Examples were seen of high quality discussions between teachers and pupils about planned activities; this even extended to working with visiting staff such as the artist in residence. Pupils also relate well to each other. They appreciate and cultivate their friendships and care well for others on a daily basis. Older and more able pupils support and encourage those who need help.

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The school provides a wide range of learning opportunities and ensures that the

24. The school provides a wide and interesting range of learning opportunities. The requirements of the National Curriculum and the local Agreed Syllabus for religious education are met. While the school has reacted positively to the recent national emphasis on literacy and numeracy; it has sought to ensure that its pupils continue to be provided with a broad range of activities in all subjects and to maintain its commitment to providing a variety of stimulating activities to enhance and enrich the curriculum. Not all subjects were seen being taught during the inspection but the numerous lively and interesting displays of work in all subjects throughout the school and evidence from pupils’ work indicate that the school is successful in retaining the breadth of its curriculum. There are good policies to underpin provision and a clear overall statement of the school’s curricular aims. Consistency and depth in teachers’ long-term planning is ensured by agreed procedures and a shared

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The school provides a wide range of learning opportunities and ensures that the

approach to the work of both teams. The quality of some long-term curricular planning was a key issue at the time of the last inspection and has been significantly improved.

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The school provides a wide range of learning opportunities and ensures that the

25. The school has few pupils with special educational needs, however the provision for these pupils is highly effective. Pupils are identified early and activities in lessons cater for the full range of abilities including those with special needs and the most able. There are clear individual education plans for pupils who need extra support in their learning, although some aspects of a few of these require some modification. Throughout the school, support for special educational needs is good. Parents are interviewed regularly by the special needs co-ordinator and the special needs teacher in order to review individual education plans. There is very good support by auxiliary staff, which enables the pupils to make very good progress. The co-ordinator has a very good relationship with outside agencies including the psychologist with whom she has regular meetings to prioritise appointments and discuss individual needs. The teaching staff have good relationships with their support

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The school provides a wide range of learning opportunities and ensures that the

assistants and use them effectively in classrooms.

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The school provides a wide range of learning opportunities and ensures that the

26. The school is also well aware of its most able pupils and provides work, which both challenges them and seeks to improve on any areas of relative weakness. As a result, pupils learn at a rate which is appropriate to them and maintains their interest in their work. Teachers’ planning effectively builds on what has gone before so that they efficiently recap, reinforce and extend pupils’ learning in ways which ensure that their retention and recall are very good. The school's policies and resources for able pupils and differentiation define the approach of the school as well as providing a myriad of practical suggestions and extension materials. The school has an effective strategy for offering meetings and workshops to help parents deal with the needs of more able pupils.

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The school provides a wide range of learning opportunities and ensures that the

27. Pupils for whom English is an additional language receive good quality, focused support from a designated teacher from the local authority. Although she only attends for half a term each term, she works with the school to provide an appropriate programme, which matches well with the work being carried out in class. There is an appropriate emphasis on oral work. For example, pupils in the Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 15 reception class were working with the teacher in the class role-play area, a flower shop, and learning the intricacies of shopping and becoming familiar with the money used. The school continues with the programme in the half term when the specialist teacher is not available and pupils clearly make very good progress.

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The school provides a wide range of learning opportunities and ensures that the

28. The staff place great importance on pupils’ personal development and this is evident in their planning and provision. The curriculum for pupils’ personal and social education is considered as a thread which runs through all subjects. This is reflected in the overall approach to teaching and learning which values the importance of pupils being actively involved in their own learning and co-operative effort. The school's 'I can' policy is reflected in the positive emphasis placed on all aspects of learning. Adults act as good role models for pupils and give consistent, fair guidance based on sensible rules. The school actively participates in a number of outside activities which enhance and enrich the pupils' education. These include competitions and in the last year the school has won the 1 st prize for 'Richmond in Bloom', 2nd prize for 'London in Bloom', and a competition to place a time capsule in the recently renovated Kingston Bridge. In addition it has participated in many initiatives

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The school provides a wide range of learning opportunities and ensures that the

such as that to promote 'Healthy Eating Schools'. The school heard it had gained the Gold Artsmark Award, from the Arts Education Council during the inspection and it was one of the few gained by an infant school. The school also places a strong emphasis on music and this is promoted through entering Richmond School's Singing Festival, the provision of music lessons in school and a school choir which is open to all pupils regardless of ability.

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understood by parents, or easy to share with pupils who have special educational

29. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good overall and they receive well thought out and focused help, well matched to their particular needs. The school's policy is comprehensive and easily understood. The requirements for individual education plans are fully met. However, in a very few cases the targets set for the pupils are too broad and occasionally worded in such as way as to make them difficult to understand for parents and to share with pupils. For example, a target to 'Learn 100 CVC 3 words' seems somewhat intimidating, and, for someone who does not understand the abbreviation CVC, incomprehensible. All the class-teachers' plans show how the targets are broken down into small, easily attainable parts, but this intention is not made accessible to parents by being part of the education plan itself. Similarly, using terminology such as 'developing fine motor skills' is not only an unnecessary use of jargon, but again the language could

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understood by parents, or easy to share with pupils who have special educational

be unfamiliar to parents who may be reticent in asking for guidance.

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understood by parents, or easy to share with pupils who have special educational

Attendance levels have been steadily slipping over the last four years.

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understood by parents, or easy to share with pupils who have special educational

30. At the time of the last inspection the school attendance figures were good and above the national average. In the years following, this has steadily declined so that in the Year 1999-2000 the level had slipped to below the national average. The school has appropriate policies in place regarding attendance and a range of strategies for monitoring attendance, including letters to parents should any pattern of non-attendance become clear or pupils have unauthorised absences. However, the main reason for low attendance is undoubtedly the taking of term time family holidays. Although the school has a system requiring parents to apply for these there is not enough done as a concerted effort to try and discourage families from taking holidays during times when the school is in session. As a consequence, holidays are taken without sufficient evidence being given as to how a pupil's education might be disrupted as a result of this action. Not enough is done to ensure that parents fully

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understood by parents, or easy to share with pupils who have special educational

understand that pupils may miss a vital part of their education during the time away which it may not be possible to catch up on because of the time restraints on the requirements to cover the curriculum. Governors and parents are not seen to be active enough in working with the headteacher and school in the drive to improve attendance.

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understood by parents, or easy to share with pupils who have special educational

There are elements of the accommodation which are unsatisfactory.

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understood by parents, or easy to share with pupils who have special educational

3 cvc stands for consonant, vowel, consonant and describes the construction of simple words, e.g. but. Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 16 31. At the time of the last inspection the poor condition of the outside fabric of the building was a cause for concern. This has been appropriately rectified, as has the provision for storage of the outside toys for the Foundation Stage children. However, the final issue concerning the staff room has not been addressed at all and remains unsatisfactory.

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understood by parents, or easy to share with pupils who have special educational

32. The staff area, it cannot be called a room, is merely a small area in a broader section of a small corridor running between the nursery and the school. In this area, to be shared with staff, is an urn and a photocopier as well as numerous resources. The nursery session times do not necessarily match with those of the main school which means that nursery children are frequently passing through the area when staff are on a well-deserved break. This interrupts and disturbs staff at a time when they should be able to relax. The position of the area also means there is a lack of privacy, which makes it difficult to hold a conversation without being inappropriately overheard.

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understood by parents, or easy to share with pupils who have special educational

33. There is an overgrown courtyard immediately adjacent to the nursery and staff area from which the school is anxious to develop and create a staff room. The school has set aside funding to help meet the costs of this project.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

34. Within the context of the school being very effective and to refine this still further, the governors, headteacher and staff should consider the following areas for development :

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve the quality of some individual education plans by making targets narrower and more easily understood by parents, and pupils with special educational needs. (Paragraph: 29)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Involve governors and parents more in the drive to improve attendance levels. (Paragraph: 30)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Explore ways, with the appropriate authorities, of developing an appropriate area for the staff facilities. (Paragraphs: 31-33) Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery 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 11

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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

7 57 21 15 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 145

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 14 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 19

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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 30

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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 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 9

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 35 28 63

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 33 33 33 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 27 27 28

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 95 (100) 95 (100) 97 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 32 33 35 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 27 27 28

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 94 (98) 95 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 1 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 3 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. Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 19

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7.8 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total expenditure 432511

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Expenditure per pupil 2031

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 83 Balance brought forward from previous year 0000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year -8923

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 33

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 13 FTE means full-time equivalent. Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School - 20

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 51 45 1 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 59 41 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 51 30 0 3 14

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 44 44 7 3 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 66 25 8 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 56 41 0 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 56 37 7 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 73 27 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 62 36 0 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 48 27 14 1 10

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Other issues raised by parents

A small number of parents raised issues about the provision for pupils with special educational needs, which the inspection team investigated thoroughly and found to be very good overall with a few adjustments required in order to make a small number of individual education plans clearer.

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