St Peter's CofE Infant School

ST PETER'S C of E INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 26 th – 27 th February 2002

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ST PETER'S C of E INFANT SCHOOL

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

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ST PETER'S C of E INFANT SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Tandridge Lane Tandridge Surrey Postcode: RH8 9NN

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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: Mrs V Cannings Knight

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: September 1997 St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 2

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Team members

20451 Brenda Spencer Registered inspector 9219 Anne Ferguson Lay inspector

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Team members

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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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 St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Peter's C of E Infant is a small, mixed school in Oxted, Surrey, for pupils aged four to seven years. Most of the pupils have advantaged socio-economic backgrounds and their attainment on entry to school is good. There are 80 pupils attending full time; 42 are boys and 38 are girls. Nine pupils left and none joined the school last year outside the normal times of transfer. There are no pupils from ethnic minorities. There is one pupil for whom English is an additional language. Nine per cent of pupils are on the special educational needs register, which is below the national average. One per cent has statements of special educational needs. No pupils are eligible for free school meals. This is below the national average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an excellent school. The ethos enables boys and girls of all abilities to flourish. Children in the Foundation Stage are on track to achieve beyond the recommended goals in most aspects of their learning by the end of the reception year. Pupils at the end of Year 2 achieve standards well above national averages in the English, mathematics and science national tests. The quality of teaching, leadership and management in the school is excellent overall. While costs are high because of the size of the school, given the factors above, the school achieves very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and science. • The leadership provides excellent direction for the continuous improvement of the pupils' education. • The very high quality of monitoring, evaluation and school planning for improvement ensures that high standards are maintained in provision and learning. • The excellent quality of teaching challenges and inspires pupils to work at a high standard with great enthusiasm. • There is a broad and stimulating curriculum which gives pupils many rich opportunities to apply their skills and knowledge. • Pupils show high levels of interest in their work, behave very well and have excellent relationships. • The school enjoys a high level of support and approval from parents.

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What could be improved

• Success in persuading some parents of the benefits to pupils of parking safely outside school. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in 1997. Recommendations made at that time have been met in full. The accommodation has been extended significantly with very positive benefits for standards in physical education and for the general community life of the school. Parents now receive useful information concerning their children's learning for each term.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

In addition, many strengths in the provision have been maintained since the last inspection. Most significantly the leadership, management and teaching are now excellent. Impressive standards continue to be achieved in English, mathematics and science. The curriculum provides much better opportunities for children in reception class to explore their learning outside. The application of information and communication technology and writing is much greater across the curriculum. Pupils' attitudes to their learning and their behaviour are even more positive than before. St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 5

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Overall standards achieved in reading, writing and mathematics in National Curriculum tests in 2001 were well above the national average. The school's performance in reading was in the highest five per cent nationally. Compared with similar schools and the national average, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standards in all three areas and in science was in the top five per cent. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels was well above the national average for reading, writing, mathematics and science and was in the top five per cent for reading. Compared to results in similar schools, the school's results were well above average in reading, writing and science and above average for mathematics. Trends over three years show that pupils' performance is rising in line with but well above the national trend. Both boys and girls exceed the national average for their groups; however, in

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Key

reading boys do so to a far greater extent than girls.

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Key

Pupils by the end of Year 2 are on track to maintain the high standards achieved in previous years in English, mathematics and science. They also develop impressive skills in using and evaluating historical artefacts. Their planning skills in design and making are very effective. In science they show well above average ability to consider and record their evidence and draw valid conclusions. Children in reception develop their reading and writing skills very rapidly and show strong phonic knowledge which they use well to attempt independent spelling. Given the pupils' good starting points and the high standards they reach, they achieve very well. Pupils with special educational needs also make very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils come into school happily and settle to their work with evident enthusiasm. They work with impressive concentration and enjoyment and strive to meet their targets for learning.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils are very well behaved. They show great courtesy to one another and to adults. They treat their belongings and the school environment with respect.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships are excellent. The pupils have many opportunities to take on responsibilities and do so conscientiously. Younger pupils particularly appreciate the care and concern shown towards them by older pupils at lunchtime and in the playground.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance The attendance rate for 2000/2001 was well above the national average and the rate of unauthorised absence was below the national average. St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 6 St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 7

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

The quality of teaching is excellent for English and mathematics and skills in literacy and numeracy are developed exceedingly well. Particularly impressive features of teaching include the warmth of relationships which contribute to the pupils' self confidence, the challenge of questions, the high expectations teachers have of pupils and the excellent pace and rhythm to lessons which ensure that pupils' attention is always captured.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

Teaching meets the diverse needs of pupils very well. Explanations and work set take full account of pupils' different starting points. Consequently, higher attaining pupils are challenged and extended and those who need to take their learning at a steadier pace are supported well. Strengths in the teaching inspire pupils to work extremely hard and with enthusiasm. They concentrate well and work well together. The presentation of pupils' work reflects the pride they take in what they do.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum very successfully develops pupils' skills of literacy and numeracy. It covers the requirements of the National Curriculum subjects in a stimulating and challenging way. The reception class curriculum is sympathetic to the needs of young children.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Pupils' progress is very carefully monitored. Appropriate targets are set and regularly reviewed and consequently pupils make very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good encouragement is given to participate in class discussions. Classroom assistants monitor progress in lessons very well.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Pupils have many opportunities to reflect on their experiences. They are encouraged to work together and develop their social skills. Adults provide excellent role models for moral and social behaviour. Pupils have good opportunities to become aware of cultures, including those of others, through performers visiting school, in dance, literature and studies in geography.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Pupils' academic progress is monitored very well. There are very well known procedures for ensuring the pupils' protection. St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides excellent leadership. The school team is very strong, working well together to ensure the pupils have a very good education. The school's aim to have Christian beliefs and values at the centre of its work are evident in all its activities.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are entrepreneurial, ambitious and energetic in the way they fulfil their statutory responsibilities. They have a strong strategic view for school improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Performance data is analysed thoroughly to identify any areas for improvement. Each year, the whole school team, including governors, is involved in auditing the success in meeting the school's plans for improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The budget is carefully targeted to priorities for school improvement. It is monitored appropriately. The school applies the principles of best value very well. In particular, it compares its performance rigorously to similarly advantaged schools and explores the impact of its spending decisions.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• How much their children like school. • How well the school is led and managed. • The high expectations the school has for their children. • The quality of teaching. • The children's good behaviour. • The range of activities outside lessons. • The information they receive about their children's progress. • A closer working relationship with parents.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the parents' positive views. However, the range of activities outside lessons is good for an infant school, the information parents receive on their children's progress is detailed and informative and the way the school works with parents is in line with good practice. St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 9

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Pupils achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and science.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. Pupils enter school with well-developed skills in communication, mathematics and personal and social development as shown by baseline assessment. They make very good progress and go on to achieve standards in national tests at seven which are well above the national average. Pupils achieve at above average levels at both the expected and at the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics. Impressively, their performance in reading is in the top five per cent of all schools and has been for the last three years. Of more importance is the comparison with schools with pupils of similar advantage. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected level in reading, writing, mathematics and science is in the top five per cent of similar schools. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels is well above average in reading, writing and science and is above average in mathematics. Both boys and girls do well compared with the respective

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

national averages for boys and girls and boys excel particularly in reading.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. The scrutiny of pupils' work reveals that basic skills are taught very well indeed. Pupils' work is marked in a constructive way to help them to improve. There are also many opportunities for pupils to apply their skills and understanding across the curriculum in interesting ways. These factors all contribute to the very high standards achieved. Observations in lessons and the sample of work show many pupils are operating at the higher levels of expectation. In science, pupils in Year 1 and 2 use a variety of ways of presenting scientific findings and are able to draw valid conclusions. These include bar charts, pie charts and tally charts. They develop a good understanding of fair tests. In history, pupils use their literacy skills to identify and describe differences between artefacts such as toys used today and those played with by their parents, grandparents and even great grandparents. In writing stories, pupils are able to engage the reader

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

very quickly through effective simple opening sentences which paint a vivid picture such as 'one Autumn morning mother duckling was sitting on her eggs'. Some openly address the reader: for example 'Gran always had a surprise for Tommy. I wonder what she would have in store today?' Measuring skills are used in science to plot the growth of plants grown in different conditions using standard units of centimetres.

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The leadership provides excellent direction for the continuous improvement of the pupils'

3. The headteacher provides excellent leadership to the school in a calm and purposeful manner. The quality of leadership is highly valued by parents. She carries well the full leadership and management responsibilities of headship common to all schools with the additional weight of a two-day teaching commitment. The impact of her high quality leadership was instrumental in the school being awarded the DfES School Improvement Award for sustained high level performance. The headteacher's goals for the pupils' education are broad. These include achieving high standards in areas assessed through national tests, but not at the cost of a full curriculum. It is important to her that pupils thrive and achieve their best through a strong partnership between the school and their families.

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The leadership provides excellent direction for the continuous improvement of the pupils'

4. St Peter's C of E infant is a small school at the heart of the local community. Relatively few people shoulder many responsibilities. The school has been awarded the Investors in People standard. This reflects the importance placed on effective partnership of all staff in providing a good education for its pupils. Central to this is an entitlement of all members of staff to continuous professional development. Statutory management systems, which support teachers in performing effectively and in improving their skills, have been extended to other staff with a teaching role. Teamwork is particularly effective in deciding the priorities for school improvement on an annual basis. All staff and governors are involved in an audit of what has been achieved in the previous year and in identifying what needs to be done next. St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 10 5. The governing body is dedicated to the school's wellbeing and is entrepreneurial in achieving its

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The leadership provides excellent direction for the continuous improvement of the pupils'

aims. The members have a wide range of experience and skills and a shared motivation to support their school wholeheartedly. They show an enlightened and perceptive understanding of the impact of their actions. For example, in evaluating the benefits of the extension to the school building they refer not only to the improved standards in physical education but also to broader outcomes. They recognise that the sense of a school community has been heightened by the availability of a suitable hall for assembly and extra-curricular activities. The use of the school hall for lunches means that the village hall is now available for other use by the community. This includes valuable provision for children too young to attend school. They understand that improved playground facilities have led to better behaviour, more purposeful play and hence pupils with better attitudes when they return to lessons. They talk about the benefits to relationships between

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The leadership provides excellent direction for the continuous improvement of the pupils'

boys and girls gained through activities such as Maypole dancing.

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The leadership provides excellent direction for the continuous improvement of the pupils'

6. The governors are aware that small schools have particular pressures on their budget. In response they have invested imaginatively in developing the schoolhouse, using the ground floor to provide office space and the upper floor as rented accommodation. In a national climate where recruitment of teachers is problematic, they are aware that the availability of rented accommodation may be helpful in attracting high calibre staff in the future. All leaders of the subcommittees are members of the finance committee in order to ensure that the budget is driven by the priorities for school improvement. The finance committee reviews budget spending on a monthly basis and meets formally and informally to ensure it is on track.

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The leadership provides excellent direction for the continuous improvement of the pupils'

7. The headteacher and governors have a strong strategic vision for the school. They have created, in partnership with staff and parents, "a school with a future" responsive to community needs. They have achieved substantial physical improvement to the building, maintained high standards and motivation of staff since the last inspection. They are in tune with the strongly voiced opinion of parents that the pupils of St Peters would benefit if it were an infant and junior school. They see this as a future objective they would wish to pursue. Overall their leadership is energetic, ambitious and extremely effective.

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The very high quality of monitoring, evaluation and school planning for improvement ensures

that high standards are maintained in provision and learning.

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The very high quality of monitoring, evaluation and school planning for improvement ensures

8. The headteacher and governors have an accurate knowledge of the strengths of the school and where it could improve through detailed analysis of performance data. Careful comparison is made with schools with pupils of similar advantage to ensure that pupils at St Peter's are achieving highly enough. Assessment data taken on pupils' entry to school is used as a starting point to track their progress year by year. Comparison is made of the achievements of boys and girls to ensure there is no bias in the curriculum or styles of teaching which disadvantage any group. The school carefully analyses the achievements of pupils of different attainment levels and identifies where there may be under performance - for example, in spelling or by some pupils in mathematics. The culture is one of doing the best by all the pupils and never being complacent.

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The very high quality of monitoring, evaluation and school planning for improvement ensures

9. Governors take their role as critical friends to the school seriously. To this end they make monthly visits to the school with a focus for attention. Written reports are submitted to the governing body. These visits relate to the responsibility of individual governors for targets identified in the school improvement plan. Governors new to the role undergo specific training to help them make an effective contribution to the school as rapidly as possible.

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The very high quality of monitoring, evaluation and school planning for improvement ensures

10. The appropriateness of the curriculum is monitored by the headteacher by means of a scrutiny of planning. This is done for the overall plan for the term for each class and for the more detailed weekly targets for learning. Co-ordinators for all subjects have carried out observations of teaching and undertaken analyses of pupils' work. Monitoring of the pupils' work in mathematics revealed that they could benefit from more opportunities to solve problems and these are now evident in classrooms. Co-ordinators have accurately identified the strengths in the provision and where improvements can be made. This information is used well to inform the school development plan.

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The excellent quality of teaching challenges and inspires pupils to work at a high standard

St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 11 with great enthusiasm.

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The excellent quality of teaching challenges and inspires pupils to work at a high standard

11. The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now excellent overall. All teaching observed was in the range of good to excellent. There was no unsatisfactory or even merely satisfactory teaching. The excellent lessons were distinguished by the high level of challenge offered to pupils of all levels of ability. This was achieved in an atmosphere often punctuated by humour and which never felt unhealthily pressurised.

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The excellent quality of teaching challenges and inspires pupils to work at a high standard

12. The most effective features of teaching included:

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The excellent quality of teaching challenges and inspires pupils to work at a high standard

• clear learning objectives which helped pupils target their efforts profitably; • excellent pace and rhythm which ensured pupils' attention was always captured; • warm relationships which made pupils feel confident in making suggestions; • excellent use of resources which supported assessment and promoted pupils' understanding; • challenging questions and high expectations which led to high standards being achieved; and • excellent subject knowledge which provided for a stimulating curriculum.

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The excellent quality of teaching challenges and inspires pupils to work at a high standard

13. The targets for learning are communicated clearly to pupils at the beginning of lessons and are reviewed at the end. Pupils' mathematics and writing folders contain a record of the year's targets for learning and are regularly updated as pupils make progress. As a consequence, pupils have a strong awareness of what they know, understand and can do and what they would like to improve. For example, in Year 2, pupils were praised for the improvements in their stories achieved through the increasingly effective use of adverbs and development of characters. The target for improvement was now development of the settings in stories. Pupils are comfortable with the culture of continuous improvement because the progress they make is consistently recognised. There are examples of high quality marking which comment in detail on pupils' achievements and identify appropriate targets for improvement.

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The excellent quality of teaching challenges and inspires pupils to work at a high standard

14. The rhythm and flow of activity within lessons are extremely well judged so that pupils maintain high levels of engagement and interest. Initial introductions to lessons do not last for lengthy periods. In one mathematics lesson, these were carefully graded. All the class listened to the explanation of using a number square to count back ten. This was extended to explore how these facts could be used to subtract nine and 11. The higher attaining pupils then worked with 20 and used these facts to calculate using 21 and 19. At each stage, groups left to carry out their follow up work. In this way the explanations gradually built up in complexity. No pupils had their self- esteem or patience tested by sitting through teaching which was inappropriate for them. As lessons progress, pupils are drawn together to discuss their findings or complete some recording so that a stimulating pace is maintained. This makes a significant contribution to the high levels

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The excellent quality of teaching challenges and inspires pupils to work at a high standard

of interest and concentration shown by pupils.

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The excellent quality of teaching challenges and inspires pupils to work at a high standard

15. The curriculum is well resourced and these resources are used to excellent effect. They often support staff in making efficient assessments during lessons of pupils' understanding. For example, children in reception class wrote on individual white boards the initial letter of names of animals they were finding out about. These were raised so that the adults could quickly see which children had the required phonic and writing skills and who needed immediate support. Sometimes resources are provided through effective home links with learning. In an art lesson as part of their homework, pupils brought in natural objects to draw and use for design work in fabric. They completed a sheet detailing the list of objects, their textures and where they were found. In reception class, children brought in a colourful range of stuffed toys to fill their jungle role-play area. This added to their clear enjoyment of learning about jungles and the creatures found there.

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The excellent quality of teaching challenges and inspires pupils to work at a high standard

16. Pupils learn with enjoyment and challenge. Teachers have very high expectations of their capabilities but in an atmosphere of warmth and humour. For example, the children in reception class trekked happily to assembly behind their teacher armed with her jungle hat and binoculars. In an excellent science lesson, the teacher initially baffled the children by saying we are going to listen to the sounds that instruments make today in a classroom with a huge range available to explore. She sat down and listened. Eventually one horrified boy said 'we've got to control them'. 'How?' 'By blowing them'. She got up and blew a maracas very hard to no effect. Laughter peeled St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 12 out all around. The pupils told her to shake it. Then she picked up a milk bottle and shook it hard, again to no effect and the pupils' enormous amusement. In this humorous way they identified the different ways the instruments could be sounded. The lessons moved on to the

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The excellent quality of teaching challenges and inspires pupils to work at a high standard

pupils exploring the different ways the instruments were played and organising them into groups.

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The excellent quality of teaching challenges and inspires pupils to work at a high standard

17. Pupils' learning is often prompted by very challenging questions they are posed which reflect the excellent subject knowledge of their teachers. In a history lesson, it was clear that many pupils have a great deal of historical knowledge of the Fire of London: when it happened, where it happened, who owned the baker's shop and the reasons why the fire raged for so long and to such damaging effect. They were equally capable of tackling more complex ideas of whether there were advantages as well as disadvantages to what could be seen as entirely a tragic incident. The class, divided into groups of mixed ability, was asked to consider some contemporaneous evidence. They needed to decide and report back their findings to the class of what this evidence suggested about the fire and whether it provided a good source of historical insight. It included paintings of the fire, newspaper reports of the time, diary accounts and maps. Their responses

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The excellent quality of teaching challenges and inspires pupils to work at a high standard

were carefully considered and reflected the pupils' ability to meet their teacher's high expectations.

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Provides a broad and stimulating curriculum which gives pupils many rich opportunities to

18. The curriculum gives priority in terms of time allocation to English and mathematics. However, the overall curriculum remains broad and gives very good emphasis to the other subjects to enable pupils to develop their skills, understanding and knowledge in depth.

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Provides a broad and stimulating curriculum which gives pupils many rich opportunities to

19. Literacy and numeracy are taught extremely well. The curriculum is structured so that pupils' skills develop progressively at a rate appropriate to their individual abilities. There are many stimulating opportunities for pupils to apply these skills across the curriculum, for example by measuring and recording results and conclusions in science. In history, they use their mapping skills to compare modern maps of London with those of 1666 in order to identify how the city has changed. Pupils in Year 2 tackled bravely and confidently some difficult newspaper reports to find out about the Fire of London. Children in reception taped their choral story reading to provide the story for the end of the morning session. Pupils in Year 1 used their knowledge of grouping in sets to organise the instruments they examined into families of how they are played.

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Provides a broad and stimulating curriculum which gives pupils many rich opportunities to

20. There are particularly good links with pupils' families through homework. Reading is a consistent feature of this. There are also imaginative ways in which work at home supports learning in school. For example, pupils in Year 2 collected natural objects to be used as source material in art, listed their objects, where they were found and their description. On another occasion, pupils were asked to complete a worksheet showing their ideas for a felt puppet they would make in design and technology. Children in reception class bring in books and toys to share which link with themes in their learning.

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Provides a broad and stimulating curriculum which gives pupils many rich opportunities to

21. Pupils have many opportunities to marvel at insights that are revealed to them in their activities. In mathematics they enjoyed the enlightenment of patterns which emerged as they counted back 10 or 20 on a 100 number square. In art, they were encouraged to delight in the beauty of the natural objects they had collected, were to observe carefully and use as source material for their design work. In sorting instruments, one pupil was entranced by the rainmaker. In history, the pupils were captivated as they opened the envelopes to reveal the facsimiles of contemporary source material from the Fire of London. In physical education, they have time to reflect on what they have done well.

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Provides a broad and stimulating curriculum which gives pupils many rich opportunities to

22. Displays around the school reflect the breadth of experience the pupils enjoy. There is a rich variety of cultural experiences, including participation in music festivals, theatre visits, visits of performers to school and trips to museums. Pupils acquire deep historical understanding through the examination of artefacts from other times - for example, toys of 'now' and 'then'. Children in reception class have good opportunities to learn through play, particularly in role-play, for example in the animal hospital or jungle. They explore and express their ideas through free painting as opposed to following directed adult work. Older pupils complete beautiful observational drawings of St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 13 St Peter's Church to support their artistic as well as religious education. Older pupils develop a strong sense of responsibility for the environment by examining what is found in dustbins and what

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Pupils show high levels of interest in their work, behave very well and have excellent

23. Pupils' attitudes to school are excellent. They arrive promptly and have a very good record of attendance compared to the national average. They are eager to learn and respond very positively to the challenging expectations teachers have of them. They present their work attractively from an early age and master a well-formed cursive script. Pupils work with impressive application, both individually and when grouped with others. In a history lesson, groups of pupils discussed very well a range of contemporaneous source material to identify what it told them about the Fire of London and to evaluate its usefulness as a historical record.

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Pupils show high levels of interest in their work, behave very well and have excellent

24. Pupils undertake many different responsibilities with evident enthusiasm. Older pupils support younger children in the playground, giving the school a family atmosphere much appreciated by parents. They are involved in the smooth running of lunch and act as register monitors. Events such as the Easter fair involve them in advertising, sorting and pricing donated goods and setting up stalls. As a consequence of these rich experiences, the pupils are self confident and resourceful.

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Pupils show high levels of interest in their work, behave very well and have excellent

25. Behaviour is very good. This results from the clear expectations adults have that all members of the school community are considerate to one another. Class rules are prominently displayed and rarely need to be referred to because pupils generally live up to them.

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Pupils show high levels of interest in their work, behave very well and have excellent

The school enjoys a high level of support and approval from parents.

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Pupils show high levels of interest in their work, behave very well and have excellent

26. The parents were very supportive of the school both through the response to the questionnaire and at the parents' meeting before the inspection. The vast majority have a very high opinion of the standards that are attained, both in terms of behaviour as well as academic achievements. Generally parents feel that the level of homework is pitched about right and does not place inappropriate burdens on young children. Parents appreciate the caring ethos of the school. One remarked that the "school is small enough to be a family environment".

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Pupils show high levels of interest in their work, behave very well and have excellent

27. Parents feel very welcome and consequently enjoy carrying out the many voluntary services they offer in the classroom and on visits outside school. They appreciate the active parents' association and its effective role in establishing a strong social community for the school.

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Success in persuading some parents of the benefits to pupils of parking safely outside school

28. A handful of parents and carers put pupils at risk by stopping on the yellow lines, at the front of the school, to drop them off. This is despite clear and frequently repeated school guidance to use the rear car park.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

29. In order to improve the school further, the governors and headteacher should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• seek greater success in persuading some parents of the benefits to pupils of parking safely outside school by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- renewed efforts to communicate relevant aspects of the highway code; - maintaining vigilance of; and - giving feedback to those people who endanger the pupils. St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 14 St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 15

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 8

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 80

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 0

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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

School data 4.5 School data 0.0 St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 16 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 17

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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 16 9 25

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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 16 16 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 9 9

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (96) 100 (100) 100 (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 16 16 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 9 9

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 100 (96) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (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. St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 18

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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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 3.7 Financial year 2000-2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 200201

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 195325

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 68 Expenditure per pupil 2537

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year (661)

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 4215

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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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 St Peter’s C of E Infant School - 19 FTE means full-time equivalent. St Peter’s C of E Infant 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. 58 34 4 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 54 46 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 52 36 4 4 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 32 52 14 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 70 22 6 2 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. 70 30 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 56 32 10 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 66 28 6 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 56 38 0 4 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 56 30 10 4 0

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Other issues raised by parents

Parents very strongly voiced a wish for the school to become an infant and junior school because of the difficulties of getting their children into the junior schools of choice.

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