Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 26 th – 29 th June 2000

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SCHOOL

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. Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Hetts Lane Warsop Mansfield

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Anne Chambers

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: December 1997 Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 2

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responsibilities

Margot D’Arcy Registered inspector Music Under-fives The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Teaching and learning How well the school is led and managed Michael Hammond Lay inspector Equal opportunities The school’s partnership with parents How well the school cares for pupils Jack Haslam Team inspector Mathematics Information technology Design and technology Martin James Team inspector Science Art Geography History Physical education Special educational needs Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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responsibilities

Valerie Ives Team inspector English Religious education The curriculum and other learning opportunities

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responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street BRISTOL BS1 5RW

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 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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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 8 - 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is an average sized nursery and infant school catering for boys and girls aged between three and seven. There are 164 full-time pupils and another 80 attend the school’s nursery on a part-time basis. Most pupils are of white ethnic origin and only one has English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is broadly average, but the proportion with special educational needs is below average. For its size, a fairly large proportion of pupils enter or leave the school at points other than the usual admission and depart times, mostly as a result of pupils’ parents seeking employment. Although there is a range of attainment on entry to the school, most children’s knowledge and skills are below average when they begin nursery, particularly in language and literacy and personal and social development.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Hetts Lane is a good school with many strengths; it serves its pupils and community well. Standards have risen continually in the last four years and pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. Much of the teaching is good or better and none is less than satisfactory. The school is led and managed very effectively. Parents and taxpayers get good value for the money invested in the school.

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What the school does well

• The headteacher, deputy and governors provide good leadership and a good all-round education for children, which helps them achieve well. • The basic skills of reading, writing and number are taught well and allow children to make good gains in learning in these subjects. • The school engenders very good relationships with pupils and continually shows them that they are valued; this excellent ethos underpins successful learning. • Very good learning opportunities are provided to help pupils understand spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues and appreciate people’s differences and the beauty of the world around them. • Pupils behave very well and have very good attitudes to school and work. • Standards in swimming are high. • The school encourages and welcomes parents’ involvement in supporting work in classrooms.

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What could be improved

• More opportunities could be provided to foster children’s independent learning skills. • Subject co-ordinators could be more involved in checking on standards and teaching. • More time is needed for teaching and learning in religious education. • More computers are needed to promote even better learning in information technology. 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

When the school was last inspected in December 1997, serious weaknesses were found in reading and writing standards as a result of unsatisfactory teaching and a narrow English curriculum. Improvement since 1997 has been very good overall. The serious weaknesses have been eliminated and good improvements have occurred in many other aspects of the school’s provision at the same time, including the curriculum, assessment and management. Standards in science have also improved. Most notable, however, have been the elimination of unsatisfactory teaching and the continued rise in reading and writing standards, to the point where most pupils now achieve the levels expected for their age. The role of subject co-ordinators in influencing improvement still needs developing, but the school’s management has ensured that this is in hand. The school has very good capacity to continue to improve. Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 5

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 7 year olds based on National Curriculum test results.

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Key

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

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Key

The above table shows that although the standards achieved in the 1999 tests were below average compared to all schools, pupils’ performance was average compared to similar schools. Though not immediately apparent in the above table, the school’s results in reading and writing tests have risen year on year and significantly so since the last inspection. The trend in both is most definitely upward and is moving at a faster rate than the national trend. The most recent, and as yet unpublished, results show that this upward trend is continuing. Although standards in mathematics tests fell in 1999, the most recent tests show that they have climbed again, and significantly. In particular, standards in mental mathematics have improved since the last inspection, as have standards in science. The school analyses pupils’ results in detail and uses the information to set suitably challenging targets for pupils to achieve. This work has underpinned the improvements to standards.

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Key

Overall, pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. Inspection evidence shows that by age seven, pupils’ standards in reading and writing are now mostly average. This is also the case in mathematics, with a significant minority of pupils achieving beyond the average level expected. Average standards are also achieved in science, art, design and technology, geography, history and information technology. There was insufficient evidence to make secure judgements about standards in religious education, music and physical education, although standards in swimming are above average. The youngest children in nursery and reception achieve well in all aspects of their work and most reach the standards expected by age five.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are keen to learn, show good interest in lessons and try hard.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils work and play together amicably. There is no evidence of bullying.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils show respect for each other, their teachers and the things around them. They have a good awareness of right and wrong and are keen to take on responsibility and help others. Pupils’ limited independent learning skills are more to do with lack of opportunities rather than any reluctance on their part. Attendance Satisfactory. The rate of attendance is similar to that found nationally. Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 6

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

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

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

All teaching is at least satisfactory and 61 per cent is better than this; 14 per cent is very good. This represents a significant improvement since the last inspection. Good quality teaching ensures that the needs of all pupils are effectively met. Teachers have good knowledge of how to teach English and mathematics and teach the skills of literacy and numeracy well, both in these lessons and in other subjects as opportunities arise. This results in pupils making good gains in learning basic skills of reading and writing and how to manipulate numbers mentally. In all subjects, a specific strength lies in teachers’ very good relationships with pupils and the way in which they work hard to make their lessons interesting, creating a sense of awe and wonder that captures pupils’ attention and makes learning enjoyable. In Year 2, nursery and reception, teachers’ high expectations of what pupils can do provide good challenge and promote very effective learning. Teachers’ planning is another strong

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

feature and one that has improved much since the last inspection. Throughout the school, teachers make very good use of support staff who make an extremely positive contribution to pupils’ learning.

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

Although there is no unsatisfactory teaching, teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to initiate learning or make decisions about aspects of their own learning. In some lessons, teachers dominate lesson time or direct learning too rigidly, which occasionally leads to pupils losing interest or becoming frustrated as they are keen to begin work.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory for six and seven year-olds and good for children up to five. Even though the main emphasis is on the basics of literacy and numeracy, pupils continue to study a wide range of subjects. However, not enough time is allocated to teaching religious education. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils’ needs are identified early and specific work programmes are drawn up so that teachers can address their needs in lessons and every child’s progress can be tracked. Parents are kept informed and involved and specialist help is provided where necessary. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. All elements of this are well promoted and cultural development has improved considerably since the last inspection. Staff have a good understanding of spiritual development and there are many opportunities in lessons and assemblies for pupils to reflect

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Aspect Comment

and wonder at the world around them. The sharp intake of breath is not an unusual occurrence at Hetts Lane. How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Standards of care, welfare and safety are all strong features. Pupils’ personal and academic progress are well supported by effective assessment, which has improved since the last inspection.

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Aspect Comment

A good range of after-school activities is provided that support pupils’ learning in literacy and physical education and contribute to their personal, social and cultural development. Much of the time allocated to physical education is taken up by swimming provision which, although producing good standards, is not a requirement for pupils this age and limits the time available for following the required curriculum in gymnastics, dance and games. The school continues to enjoy a good partnership with pupils’ parents. Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 7

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good leadership and direction from the headteacher who has quickly established herself as a central figure in the school with good knowledge of its strengths and weaknesses and a clear vision of what needs to be done to further its improvement. A good partnership has been established with the deputy who has played an effective role in the school’s improvement since the last inspection. The management role of co-ordinators needs to be extended.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors take their place at the centre of what the school does and know its strengths and weaknesses. They are keen to continue the development of their role, which has improved since the last inspection, and are determined to keep the school on track in striving for improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school is aware of its strengths and not afraid to admit its weaknesses. The effective forms of self-evaluation that have been set up provide the necessary information to give the school a good sense of direction.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. Support staff are used very well and good use is made of the accommodation. However, too much of the money allocated to the school has remained unspent, despite significant shortages in resources for information technology.

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Aspect Comment

The number of teachers is satisfactory and there is a good number of trained support staff. The accommodation is adequate and learning resources are at least satisfactory in all subjects except information technology where more computers are needed. Governors are committed to the principle of ‘best value’ and strive to achieve this in all the school’s work.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• That their children enjoy school. • The good teaching and good progress made by their children. • The way the school involves them in daily ‘Start-Up’ activities. • The way the school promotes positive attitudes to learning and reading in particular. • That the school helps their children become mature and responsible. • That staff are approachable and ready to listen and help with any concerns. • Continuity and stability of teaching staff in one Year 1 class. • More time at midday for children to eat their meal and enjoy a playtime. • More information about their children’s progress and how they can help at home, including more homework in Year 1 and more mathematics homework in Years 1 and 2.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors support parents’ positive views and are sympathetic to their concerns about the effects of staff absences. However, parents can be reassured that the school is doing all it can to address the issue. There is justification in parents’ concern about limited time at midday for children to fit in both eating and playing; the school accepts this and is reviewing lunchtime arrangements. The school is also reviewing the quality of homework and the information sent to parents so improvements to both of these aspects are planned. Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 8

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The National Curriculum test and assessment results for seven year-olds in 1999 were below the national average at the expected level in reading, writing and mathematics. At the higher level, pupils’ results in writing and mathematics were above the national average. In reading, standards remained below the national average at the higher level, but were similar to the national average in the upper two categories of Level 2, (which is the expected level for seven year-olds) and, overall, represented an improvement on the previous year’s results. Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ skills in speaking and listening and their standards in science were well below the national average at the expected level, but, at the higher level, they were well above. In relation to similar schools, pupils’ performance was broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics. Test and assessment results show no significant differences between boys’ and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Despite overall standards in reading remaining below the national average, good improvements have occurred in this aspect of English and in writing. The serious weaknesses identified by the last inspection in both reading and writing have now been eliminated. Since 1997, pupils’ test results in reading and writing have risen year-on-year and at a significantly faster rate than the national trend. The most recent, and as yet unpublished, results (2000) show that this upward trend is continuing. Alongside the continued improvement in reading and writing, pupils’ performance in mathematics has generally been sustained at the average level for the past four years. Although mathematics standards fell somewhat in 1999, they have risen again, and significantly, in the most recent tests (2000). Science results have fluctuated since 1997, mainly because the school has concentrated much of its time and effort on raising standards in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

reading and writing. However, pupils’ improved writing skills now enable them to record their science work satisfactorily and this represents an improvement since the last inspection. Improvements have also occurred in the teaching of and curriculum for experimental and investigative science, which is allowing pupils to achieve sound skills in this key aspect of the subject.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Inspection evidence shows that by age seven, most pupils achieve the expected standards in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Average standards are also achieved in mathematics, with a significant minority of pupils achieving beyond the level expected. Pupils achieve the expected standards in science, art, design and technology, geography, history and information technology. There was insufficient evidence to make secure judgements about standards in religious education, music and physical education, although standards in swimming are high. Children under five achieve well in all aspects of their work and attain the standards expected by age five. Overall, all pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment, which is generally below average when they enter the school, particularly in language and literacy and personal and social development.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. By age seven, standards in literacy are mostly average. In contrast to the last inspection’s findings, most pupils are now able to use their reading and writing skills to research and record work in other subjects. Pupils have gained a range of useful strategies to help them read, including recognising common words instantly, blending sounds together to help read long or unfamiliar words and thinking about whether what they are reading makes sense. Pupils’ good efforts at understanding what they read comes through in their efforts to include expression and their appropriate response to punctuation, such as raising their voice in response to an exclamation mark or emphasising words in bold or upper case text. They read a good range of fiction and non-fiction, know a range of authors and have gained a good technical vocabulary to talk about books. Pupils now write for a range of purposes, including stories, lists, poems, book

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

reviews, instructions and letters. They are aware of how words can be used to make writing more interesting and try hard to apply this in their own writing. Pupils’ knowledge of various spelling, grammar and punctuation rules has improved and is reflected in their writing. Handwriting varies considerably, with some pupils producing work in a neat joined hand, whilst Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 9 others do not join letters and work untidily.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Standards in numeracy are average. By age seven, pupils’ counting skills are good and they have a good working knowledge of numbers, including strategies for manipulating them mentally. This includes skills in using the four mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They know the value represented by each digit in three-figure numbers, accurately name and describe a variety of shapes and represent data in different ways.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Standards in science have improved since the last inspection. Specifically, pupils now record their work satisfactorily. They have sound knowledge of various aspects of science, such as materials, forces and electricity, and they are developing simple, but appropriate, skills in investigative and experimental work, such as predicting, testing and interpreting what they find out. They know that tests must be fair.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In information technology, the pupils communicate with words and pictures, control the movements of a floor robot and use CD-ROM and the Internet to find out information. Most make satisfactory progress, but achievement could be better if the school had more computers for them to practise their skills. In religious education, seven year-olds have learned about some principal festivals celebrated by major world faiths, such as Christianity and Islam. They are interested in this subject, but do not have enough time to study it in sufficient depth because the school allocates too little time to religious education.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. There are no significant differences between the standards achieved by different groups of pupils, mainly because the teaching and curriculum are planned to take account of all pupils’ needs. Since the last inspection, the school has made good use of the significant amount of assessment data it has about pupils to gain a clear picture of standards, particularly in reading and writing, and set targets for improvement. This is working well and has been reflected in the continually rising literacy standards over the past four years. The school is not complacent, however, and is committed to improving standards further. The good leadership and improved teaching put them in a good position to achieve this aim.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils' attitudes, behaviour and relationships are very good and remain one of the school’s strengths. Personal development is satisfactory, but pupils have limited skills in taking initiative for aspects of their work. However, this is more to do with lack of opportunities rather than any reluctance on the part of pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils enjoy coming to school and put in good effort with their work. They listen carefully in lessons and do their best to participate by answering questions, demonstrating what they can do and showing respect for the views of others. In practical and written tasks, pupils begin work quickly, concentrate well and do their best to complete the work set in the time allowed. Most show a satisfactory degree of pride in how they present their work, although some are less careful and their written work is untidy. Pupils’ good attendance at after-school activities is testament to their interest and keenness to learn.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils' very good behaviour in and around school makes a positive contribution to their learning and the happy atmosphere. No pupils have been excluded from school in recent years. Pupils are polite and considerate to one another, as well as to staff and visitors. They are well behaved during lessons, assemblies, at meal times and when moving around the school or on outside visits. They have gained a good understanding of right and wrong and know that their actions are likely to affect others. Playground behaviour is also very good, with pupils of all ages playing amicably together. There is no evidence of harassment or rough play. Pupils show respect for the school building and grounds and treat equipment and property, such as special things on display, with care.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The very good quality of relationships is evident in the mutually caring ethos that is prevalent everywhere in the school. Pupils respond very well to the good role models set by teachers and other staff, and do their best to please them. Pupils know that they are valued and try very hard Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 10 to repay teachers’ trust in them. In class, pupils work well collaboratively when the occasion arises, supporting each other and sharing resources and ideas. Pupils are polite when listening to one another, readily recognising and sometimes applauding each other’s efforts.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils are very willing to take on responsibilities both in class and around the school and carry these out very efficiently. Whenever the chance arises to help either the headteacher or other members of staff, all pupils are quick to offer their services and carry out the tasks with pleasure and pride. However, pupils’ independent learning skills are not well developed and many have come to rely too heavily on teachers to direct their work. In other areas, personal development is strong, for instance, those pupils who participate in the after-school chess club show very good levels of concentration and perseverance whilst developing a healthy competitive spirit. Pupils’ involvement in collecting money for charities and caring for the environment, through collecting paper and other recyclable materials, gives them a valuable insight into what it means to be a good citizen.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Children under five settle quickly into school life, learning to work as part of a large group and consider the needs of others. They, too, behave very well and sustain their attention for increasingly longer periods as they get older.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils’ attendance is satisfactory, being slightly below the national average for primary schools. Pupils’ keenness to participate, with their parents or accompanying adults, in the start-up activities that occur before morning registration, promotes good habits of punctuality.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the last inspection and is now good. Teaching is at least good in over 60 per cent of lessons and in 14 per cent it is very good; there is no unsatisfactory teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Teaching quality in the nursery and reception classes is good, with 75 per cent of lessons being at least good and over a quarter very good. Teachers and nursery nurses in both settings have a good understanding of the specific learning needs of very young children. They plan interesting and relevant activities that involve children in practical work, including play that has a clear educational purpose. This ensures children’s motivation and enthusiasm and makes their learning more meaningful. Teachers are also successful in linking learning in different areas through a single theme. For example, in connection with the theme of ‘Special Journeys’, nursery children explored different ways to make a vehicle move and used their senses to explore a variety of shells and other natural materials from the seaside. Reception children, working towards a special picnic journey, wrote invitations and name-labels for their teddies and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

printed tablecloths for the teddy bears’ picnic that would be held at the end of the week. The basic skills of language, literacy, mathematics and personal and social development are continuously promoted, both specifically, in lessons, and incidentally during the course of each day and result in children making good gains in these areas. Another effective strategy is the way teachers provide different learning activities and levels of challenge, for the different ages and abilities within the year groups. This works very well and ensures that all children make the progress of which they are capable. The team-teaching approach in the reception year is particularly effective in promoting good learning. For example, in a numeracy lesson, the youngest children were learning to count in ones to 60, whilst older children were being taught skills in counting in two’s, five’s and ten’s to a hundred. The only real area of weakness is in the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

balance between teacher-directed and child-chosen activities. Overall, teachers direct much of the work children will complete and the resources they will use which stifles, somewhat, the development of independent learning skills. This weakness is apparent, even in the nursery, where there is much scope for independent learning to be nurtured. Despite this, teaching in the nursery and reception classes promotes good learning and provides a strong platform for children to access the National Curriculum at the beginning of Year 1. 18. At Key Stage 1, teaching is good or better in just over half the lessons and is satisfactory in the rest. Teaching is particularly strong in Year 2 where most of the teaching is good. The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well in most classes, however, and are supported by teachers’ good subject knowledge and implementation of the teaching strategies recommended

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

by the National Literacy and Numeracy Frameworks. Teachers also seize every opportunity to Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 11 promote literacy and numeracy skills within a wide range of subjects so that skills in reading and writing are continuously reinforced in lessons other than English and mathematics.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The good lesson planning for literacy and numeracy is also evident for other subjects. For example, teachers always identify clear learning objectives and provide good detail about the activities, teaching methods and resources that will enable pupils to achieve them. This good structure provides a firm basis for effective teaching and learning and is an area that has improved much since the last inspection. Lessons generally begin with teachers sharing the objectives with pupils so that everyone is clear about the purpose of the lesson. At the end of lessons, objectives are revisited so that teachers and pupils can evaluate whether learning has been successful. This works well because teachers have further opportunities to assess pupils’ learning, as well as the effectiveness of their teaching, whilst it gives pupils a good insight into their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. In the best lessons, teachers make good use of their written reflections about the effectiveness of previous lessons to support them in tailoring work to suit all pupils’ needs. This is particularly effective in promoting good learning because it results in adjustments to initial planning so as to ensure that demanding work, at the right level, is set for all pupils. In contrast, lessons that were satisfactory, overall, had less difference in the level of demand for average and higher attainers, which resulted in slower progress for the more able pupils. Other features of the most effective lessons are teachers’ skills in moving lessons along at a brisk pace, so that much is accomplished in the time available, and their very good management of pupils. For example, although all teachers have good relationships with pupils, some are more successful in making it clear that they expect them to concentrate, behave well and make a good effort with their

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

work, including presenting it neatly. In response, pupils comply willingly and enthusiastically and this supports their learning. Where these expectations are not as clear, the pupils sometimes become distracted and do not pay sufficient attention or take enough care over how they present their work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. In the best lessons, teachers employ a good range of strategies that capture pupils’ interest and motivate them to work hard. These include instructing, questioning, demonstrating, encouraging and advising. However, as in the nursery and reception classes, to varying degrees, teachers at Key Stage 1 do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to show independence or make decisions about aspects of their learning. Where this is most evident, teachers’ instructions, explanations and demonstrations tend to dominate much of the lesson so that pupils have little scope to show creativity, for example, in the use of resources or in how they will approach a task. Occasionally, this leads to pupils becoming frustrated and losing concentration.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Throughout the school, teachers use all forms of resources very well in lessons, although there were some missed opportunities to use computers to support learning during the inspection. Support staff, in particular, are used very effectively and are a valuable and extremely capable element of the teaching force. These, and the numerous other additional adults that work in classrooms, such as parent helpers, are always well briefed by teachers about their role and provide very good support for pupils’ learning. The learning of pupils with special educational needs is promoted especially well from the small group support they receive from additional adults. In particular, the target literacy groups taught by knowledgeable nursery nurses is very effective in helping these pupils to make good gains in reading and writing skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Teachers give useful ongoing verbal feedback to pupils about how well they are learning. However, although teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is always encouraging, they do not always provide clear messages to let pupils know how well they are doing and how they could improve. Overall, homework is used satisfactorily to support the work pupils do in class.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The school has worked hard and successfully to improve the quality of teaching since the last inspection and had already identified all of the weaknesses noted by this inspection.

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PUPILS?

25. The school provides a broad and mainly balanced curriculum for pupils at Key Stage 1 that Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 12 includes all the relevant subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. The curriculum meets statutory requirements, including providing a daily act of collective worship. The school offers children under five a stimulating programme of learning experiences that provide a good balance between play that has a planned educational purpose and more formal work. The curriculum in the nursery and reception is based on the six recommended areas of learning and gives the children a secure foundation, positive attitudes to learning and good preparation for work at Key Stage 1. A good start has been made in the reception classes in implementing the National Literacy and Numeracy strategies.

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PUPILS?

26. The school has taken advantage of the current flexibility to allocate more time to subjects where improvements to standards are needed. Accordingly English and mathematics receive a significant amount of curriculum time and this is paying dividends in terms of improved standards. The time allocated to most other subjects is sufficient to provide pupils with worthwhile experiences, but not enough time is allocated to the core subject of religious education and, consequently, the programmes of study from the locally Agreed Syllabus cannot be covered in sufficient depth. Similarly, much of the time allocated to physical education is taken up with swimming, with all Year 1 and 2 pupils receiving swimming instruction virtually each week of the year. This provision results in the achievement of very high standards, but is not a statutory aspect of the Key Stage 1 curriculum and limits the time available for teaching

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PUPILS?

27. Curriculum organisation and planning has improved since the last inspection. In particular, the statutory requirements for geography are now met and the curriculum for English is now broad and gives pupils good opportunities to read a range of texts and to write at length and in a range of forms. The school has successfully implemented the National Strategy for Literacy and planning in other subjects makes good provision for literacy skills to be developed across the curriculum. Similarly, there is good planning and implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, which has been influential in supporting raised standards in mathematics this year and ensured specific time for the development of pupils’ skills in mental mathematics. This too represents an improvement since the last inspection. Teachers plan collaboratively across year groups, which ensures learning experiences build upon what has been learned previously.

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PUPILS?

28. Provision for pupils’ personal and social education, including health education, is good. In addition to successfully promoting personal and social education within the general day-to-day incidents that occur, specifically planned activities, such as assemblies, make a very good contribution. Health education is well provided for within the science curriculum and the school’s good links with the local community also contribute well, with visits from the school nurse, community police officer and British Transport Police. The governors have determined that pupils are too young for specific sex education, but ensure that any issues or questions that arise are dealt with sensitively. Pupils are sensitively made aware of the dangers of drug misuse in ways that are appropriate for their ages, for example, through drama.

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PUPILS?

29. The curriculum provided prepares pupils effectively for the next stage of education and, working within the constraints of the local education authority’s provision for children under five, the school is successful in ensuring all pupils have equal access to it and equal opportunity to learn and make progress. (Depending on their age, some reception children receive three terms of full-time education in reception classes, whilst others receive only one or two before beginning Year 1, receiving part-time education in the nursery for the other terms). The curriculum instils tolerance, respect and good behaviour, provides appropriate opportunities for pupils to listen courteously to each other and promotes their understanding of right and wrong. The Code of Practice for pupils with special educational needs is firmly in place. Work for these pupils is carefully planned and based on good assessment of their specific needs. Each

p.14

PUPILS?

has an individual education plan that identifies their needs and sets specific targets for improvement that are reviewed formally each term.

p.14

PUPILS?

30. A good range of after-school learning activities is provided. These include clubs in literacy, chess and gym, plus a summer sports club. Teachers give generously of their time to run these and many pupils attend. Thoughtfully planned educational visits and visitors enrich learning opportunities. For example, there are visits to places of historical, geographical and cultural interest such as Southwell Minster, where Year 2 pupils learned much about church buildings Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 13 and how people from different religions and cultures pray. They have vivid recollections of the architecture, remembering the barrelled roof, Indian cross and Gargoyles, and how they looked for mice on the carvings and made brass rubbings. Visitors to school have included theatre groups, a local rector, the school nurse and police teams who have talked about rail and water safety.

p.14

PUPILS?

31. The school cultivates pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well. The good provision noted by the last inspection has improved even further. It is very evident that staff have a good grasp of what spirituality is all about. In lessons, teachers give pupils very good opportunities to pause, reflect and wonder at their work and the things around them. There is a richness about the school’s ethos that ensures all pupils will find something uplifting during the day. Assemblies are wonderful experiences, eagerly anticipated by pupils and adults alike. The sharp intake of breath is not an unusual occurrence at Hetts Lane.

p.15

PUPILS?

32. Pupils’ moral development is well provided for. All staff provide very good role models and the school’s strong moral code, consistently emphasised, provides the basis for acceptable behaviour and developing pupils’ understanding of right and wrong. Role-play is often used to help pupils understand moral issues and pupils are held individually responsible for their behaviour, being encouraged to solve their own problems and arguments during class discussions. Social development stems from the very good relationships between pupils and adults. Pupils know that they are valued and are given very good examples of how to treat others kindly and with tolerance and respect. The school’s good range of after-school clubs also enhances this aspect of development.

p.15

PUPILS?

33. Cultural development has improved considerably since the last inspection. Pupils are given very good opportunities to learn about their own and other cultures. Rich opportunities exist for pupils to enhance their awareness of literature, music and art, for example, through visits from local musicians, theatre groups, drama workshops and when visiting museums or taking local walks. Out-of-school visits, together with occasional talks from those representing different cultures, further enhance pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the diversity of cultures represented in the area and the wider world. Attractive displays and a range of appropriate books, artefacts and other learning resources contribute towards pupils’ understanding and respect for multicultural customs and beliefs.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school continues to provide a caring and supportive environment. The governors monitor an effective health and safety policy and a full audit of the site has recently been completed, which has led to planned action to improve the playground surface. Arrangements for child protection are good. There is an effective policy and staff are aware of their responsibilities. Procedures for the supervision of the children during lunchtime, playtime and on visits outside school are very good. As an example, whilst walking to the local church on a special project visit, all the children wore florescent tabards and were very carefully supervised. A significant number of parents were concerned that the school’s short lunch break did not give their children enough time to eat in comfort and have time to play. Inspectors agree that an allowance of 45 minutes is rather tight for pupils to fit in both.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. There are good procedures for monitoring and promoting pupils’ attendance. Those experiencing difficulty with attendance or timekeeping are given meaningful targets and are praised for meeting them. The school’s policies and practices are very successful in promoting good behaviour and as a result it functions as an orderly and very caring community. Pupils know the school’s expectations and respond well to them; very good behaviour is both a characteristic and expectation of the school. If problems arise, parents are involved and there is good encouragement for them to contact the school if they have concerns. There are appropriate procedures to discourage and tackle incidents of bullying or harassment should these occur. Pupils are commended for their achievements in assembly and appropriate emphasis is placed on celebrating good behaviour.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The teachers and support staff have a very caring attitude towards children. They know them well and this helps them monitor their progress and personal development. Procedures to ensure a smooth transition from home to nursery and subsequently to the reception classes are still very Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 14 effective. Relationships between pupils and adults are very good and provide a secure basis for pupils to ask for help or confide in these adults if necessary. Children with special educational needs are very well supported. Parents are kept fully informed and included in all decisions and reviews of their children’s progress. There are good relationships with external support agencies such as the Educational Welfare Officer and Educational Psychologist who are involved when necessary.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Following the last inspection, the school has made good progress in improving its assessment procedures. Good systems now exist for assessing pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science at Key Stage 1 and in all the areas of learning for children under five. A highly structured and successful approach has been introduced for assessing reading and writing, which has supported the raising of standards in literacy. Specifically, the school has successfully introduced ‘Pupil Progress Trackers’ to keep an on-going record of pupils’ progress in English as they proceed through the school. This ensures that individual needs are identified early so that target groups can be set up to support those pupils who are underachieving. This system is working well and there are plans to extend it to include mathematics and science. Currently there are no formal assessments made in the core subjects of information technology

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

or religious education. The school is aware of this shortcoming and has plans to address it. Assessment is built into teachers’ daily lesson plans, and their evaluations of lessons, which include the information gained from formal and informal assessments, are used effectively to plan work that meets all pupils’ needs, challenging them to make progress. The results of National Curriculum tests and assessments are thoroughly analysed to identify weaknesses and plan action for improvement. Graphs and analytical tables produced from the data, give a very clear picture of progress and where improvement is needed and provide a good basis for action planning.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. The good partnership between parents and the school noted by the last inspection has been maintained. Parents’ views of the school are very positive. They are happy that their children are receiving a good education and that they are well cared for. In particular, many said how much they appreciated the ‘start-up' period before morning registration, which allows them to settle their children in, work with them and talk to teachers about their progress or any concerns. At the parents’ meeting, many spoke highly of the quality of relationships between themselves and the staff and expressed appreciation of the accessibility of staff and their openness and approachability.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. Parents are provided with satisfactory information about their children’s progress, but some parents of Year 1 pupils rightly complained that they were not given the opportunity to discuss their children’s progress with their class teacher last year. This proved to be correct. Although this resulted from the staffing disruption experienced by pupils in this year group, inspectors support parents’ concerns and feel that alternative arrangements should have been made. Generally, parents are kept informed about their children's progress through two formal parents’ evenings each year and a written annual report. Reports are positive, but too many do not give clear information about what pupils can and cannot do well or give enough information about how they can improve. Moreover, they do not report separately on history or geography, which is a legal requirement. Reading diaries give good information about progress in this aspect.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

These are used by many parents to comment on their child's progress and act as a good vehicle for ongoing dialogue between teachers and parents. The governors’ annual report provides all the statutory information required, but is not sufficiently explicit in telling parents about the extent of the surplus budget held. A bright and attractive termly newsletter gives lots of information about what is happening in school, with good contributions by pupils. Parents say they look forward to this.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The impact of parents’ involvement with the school is very good. Parents are genuinely welcomed by the staff and many work in classrooms, making a positive impact on supporting pupils’ learning. Parents continue to play a valuable role in supervising pupils on swimming lessons, school trips and through effective fund raising. Funds have been used to improve resources, for example, the recently purchased ‘Mega-Chess’ set. Overall the contribution of parents to children's learning at school and at home is good. In addition to the large number of volunteers in the school, many parents help their children at home. A number have asked for more details of what is being taught so that they can be of more help in supporting their children’s progress. Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 15 41. Support for children with special educational needs is very good, with parents being fully involved. They are all kept well informed of their child's progress through regular meetings and reports.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. The quality of leadership and management provided by the headteacher is very good and is one of the school’s strengths. Although only in post for a matter of weeks, at the time of the inspection, the headteacher already had a very sharp insight into the school’s work. She has quickly and accurately identified the school’s main strengths and weaknesses, prioritised areas for improvement and produced detailed and relevant plans to support these. Moreover, in her short time at the school, she has been very successful in gaining the respect of staff and governors and is clearly, and deservedly, very popular with the children.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. Since the last inspection, the school’s management has undergone considerable turbulence due to extended periods of absence, through illness, of the previous headteacher. This, understandably, placed substantial constraints on the school’s development, but the current deputy, acting as headteacher, ably led the school forward, receiving good support from the local education authority and the school’s governors. All but one of the previous inspection’s key issues for development have been successfully addressed, the most notable being improved standards in reading and writing and the significant improvement in teaching. More work is needed to improve the management role of subject co-ordinators so that they have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects. Some developments have occurred, however, including co-ordinators monitoring colleagues’ planning and holding half-termly ‘surgeries’ with year-group teams to discuss developments and

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

concerns and share good practice. Many co-ordinators have recently been allocated new roles in line with their interests and expertise. The school recognises the crucial role of effective subject co-ordination in raising standards and already has firm plans for intensive training in this aspect of management, which will include monitoring teaching, learning and standards.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. There is good monitoring and evaluation of the school’s performance that leads to effective action to secure improvements. During its period of management instability, the local education authority worked closely with the acting headteacher and the school’s governors by regularly monitoring teaching quality and the school’s improvement in other key areas of weakness. Recently, the deputy, acting as headteacher, also monitored teaching quality, and over a longer period has completed extensive analyses of assessment data. This has provided a clear picture of improvement in standards and identified areas that needed, which subsequently led to the setting of realistic, but challenging targets for raising standards. Governors too play their part in monitoring. For example, with a specific focus on science, many have visited classrooms to observe teaching and learning, thereby gaining a deeper insight into the school’s work and

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

executing their management role effectively. All of these measures have been successful in promoting the school’s overall very good improvement since the last inspection. Moreover, this looks set to continue, with the new headteacher losing no time in reviewing the school’s aims, to ensure everyone is clear about the purpose of the school’s work and visiting classrooms to gain an immediate picture of the effectiveness of teaching. This, along with a review of the role of subject co-ordinators and the school’s results over time, has provided the basis for the formulation of a very good development plan that will lead the school forward. The priorities identified in the plan are the right ones for the school at this time and are mapped out in detail showing step-by-step action, the individuals responsible for securing it, the costs involved and the criteria against which success will be measured and evaluated.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. Supporting all of this is the excellent ethos of the school. A visitor to Hetts Lane is immediately stuck by the friendly and caring atmosphere, which is also fused with the anticipation of exciting and enticing experiences to come. The clear philosophy that children come first is evident everywhere and it is very apparent that every individual is valued and loved. This human dimension to management puts great value on the all-round development of the pupils and inspection evidence shows it pays off, with many strengths noted in the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Running parallel, however, is the firm belief that the children can and will achieve highly; the continuously rising standards in reading and writing, together with the improvements to standards in numeracy and science are testament to this. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school’s development that has raising standards and

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 16 the success of pupils at its heart; moreover her input is providing very good educational direction to help the school achieve its targets. The new headteacher is receiving strong support from the deputy and this partnership has begun to work very effectively in a short time. In conjunction with the improvements noted since the last inspection, the dedication and commitment of the headteacher, deputy, governors and staff show that the school has very good capacity to improve further.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. Governors are very supportive and fulfil all their legal obligations. They endeavour to ensure the principles of ‘best value’ are applied in all aspects of the school’s work, for example, by using the detailed analyses of assessment results to compare the school’s performance with other schools and, thereby, challenge itself to improve. They consult appropriately before making major spending decisions and the overall quality of financial management is good. However, governors have been somewhat over-cautious in holding onto a large surplus budget when urgent spending was needed to improve resources for information technology. It is accepted, however, that the governors were keen to ensure the new headteacher was fully involved in spending decisions and the excess surplus has now been targeted effectively to address the priorities in the school’s development plan. Appropriate use is made of additional

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

funds, such as those for pupils with special educational needs and staff training, and day-to-day administration is unobtrusive, providing very good support for the running of the school.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. There are adequate, appropriately trained, teachers to teach the National Curriculum, religious education and areas of learning for children under five. However, there has been some extended staff absence, which is continuing. The school has tried hard to minimise the impact of this, but the education of some pupils in Year 1 has been disrupted whilst being taught by a number of temporary staff. Parents are understandably concerned about this and inspectors sympathise with them. The school is doing all it can to improve the situation.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. There are a good number of trained support staff who make a very positive contribution to promoting pupils’ learning. In particular, good quality nursery nurse support for literacy target groups continues to help raise the reading and writing standards of less able pupils and their role in running the after-school literacy club maintains the school’s drive to push up standards in this area. Resources to support teaching and learning are at least satisfactory in all subjects, except information technology where there are insufficient computers to promote the progress pupils are capable of making. The accommodation is adequate, with some strengths and weaknesses. Classrooms, corridors and annexes are bright and stimulating environments that entice pupils and whet their appetite for learning. Moreover, very good use is made of all the available space and there is a working-buzz wherever one is in the school. The hall is an

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

attractive venue for assemblies, lunchtime eating, physical education lessons and other teaching activities such as music, drama and literacy. It is only just big enough, however, and older pupils’ activities in physical education lessons are hampered somewhat because a shortage of storage space results in large equipment, such as lunch tables and audio-visual resources, being housed in the hall.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. Since the last inspection, the quality of leadership and management has shown good improvement, its impact being reflected most significantly in the school’s raised standards and improved teaching. Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 17

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

50. To continue on its very good course of improvement, the headteacher and governors should now:

p.19

(1) Throughout the school, broaden the range of teaching strategies to include more

opportunities for pupils to take greater responsibility for their own learning.

p.19

teaching and learning through:

• providing the training identified in the school’s development plan;

p.19

teaching and learning through:

• implementing systems for rigorous and systematic analysis of pupils’ work;

p.19

teaching and learning through:

• involving them in the analysis and interpretation of assessment data and the monitoring of teachers’ planning; and

p.19

teaching and learning through:

• providing opportunities for them to observe teaching and learning.

p.19

(3) Allocate more time to religious education to ensure that the programmes of

study in the locally Agreed Syllabus can be covered in sufficient depth.

p.19

favourable ratio of computers to pupils thereby allowing more frequent access

In addition to the key issues above, the following less important weaknesses should be considered for inclusion in the governors’ action plan:

p.19

favourable ratio of computers to pupils thereby allowing more frequent access

• improve the quality of marking (23, 73, 78, 83, 97); • improve the presentation of pupils’ work (20, 70, 77, 83, 97); • implement individual target setting in numeracy (78); • improve the quality of annual reports on pupils’ progress and ensure they meet legal requirements (39); • review the balance of time between the different elements of the physical education curriculum (26,107); and • review the storage of equipment in the hall (48). Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 18

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 14 47 39 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y2

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 40 164

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/A 34 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y2

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 0

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 5 18

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 29

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 25

p.20

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. Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 19

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 33 32 65

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 24 25 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 27 27 25

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 78 (64) 80 (78) 77 (87) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 22 25 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 24 25 25

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 71 (77) 77 (91) 78 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 86 (85) 87 (86)

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 20

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7 Financial year 1999/00

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.4

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total expenditure 407,512

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 1,828

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 67.5 Balance brought forward from previous year 38,691

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 46,001

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 40

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 65

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 13.3 FTE means full-time equivalent. Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 21

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 48 47 2 0 2

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 45 47 3 0 5

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 25 33 19 5 3

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 36 39 22 3 0

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 73 22 2 3 0

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 55 38 0 2 3

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 45 38 11 3 3

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 58 30 2 0 11

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 47 44 3 2 5

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 36 39 9 0 9 Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 22

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

51. The school admits children to its nursery on a part-time basis in the term after they turn three. Children remain in the nursery until the beginning of the term in which they turn five, when they begin full-time education in the school’s reception classes. Thus, entry to the reception classes occurs at three points in the year. At the time of the inspection there were 103 children under the age of five. Eighty were attending the school’s nursery and there were 23 in the reception year. Most children in the reception classes have attended the school’s own nursery. There is a range of attainment on entry to the school, but, overall, standards are generally below those expected, particularly in language and literacy and personal and social development.

p.24

Personal and social development

52. From a low starting point, children’s progress in this area is good overall and most achieve the standards expected by age five. In both settings, the children settle well to school life and gain confidence in leaving their parents for increasingly longer periods. They have trusting relationships with adults and have learned to share and take turns, thereby beginning to appreciate the needs of others. Reception children are happy to attend assemblies, eat their lunches and play in the playground with older children. They understand and observe the simple rules set, such as walking sensibly around the school. Teachers and other adults set good role models and their high expectations of children’s behaviour are rewarded. In both settings, children’s behaviour is very good. They work happily with others and there are no major conflicts or unwillingness to share. Although many aspects of teaching in this area are

p.24

Personal and social development

good, overall teaching is satisfactory. This is because teaching organisation does not make sufficient allowance for children to initiate ideas, or demonstrating independence, for example by selecting activities or resources. Overall, a better balance between teacher directed and child-chosen activities could be achieved and so promote children’s independent learning.

p.24

Language and literacy

53. Children make good progress in this area and most achieve the standards expected by age five. Many opportunities are provided for children to talk and gain confidence in speaking. For example, in question and answer sessions, role-play and sharing news with their teachers and friends. Speaking and listening are constantly encouraged and the good number of support staff enable lots of opportunities for children to interact and talk with adults. Children take pleasure in hearing stories and rhymes and join in with enthusiasm. They enjoy role-play activities, such as working in the reception class travel agents’ office, and enact scenarios that incorporate booking a holiday and discussing the transport and number of tickets needed. As they get older they become increasingly confident in speaking to adults and each other, informally and in more formal contexts, for example as they answer questions or tell the class

p.24

Language and literacy

54. Early reading skills, begun in the nursery, continue to develop well in the reception classes. By age five, children know that print is read from left to right and most understand the difference between words and letters. They have good attitudes to reading and good teaching has given them an impressive technical vocabulary to talk about books. For example, the children can say that the ‘blurb’ on the back of a book tells you what it is about and they point out and name the title, barcode and ISBN number. Many know that books are written by people called authors and that an illustrator is someone who draws the pictures. Children’s knowledge of letters and the sounds they make develops in the nursery where each week a letter and its sound becomes the focus of many activities and displays, thus reinforcing the children’s understanding in relevant and interesting contexts. This work continues in the reception classes so that, by age

p.24

Language and literacy

five, the children know many letter sounds and easily identify the difference between capitals and lower case letters using this vocabulary to do so. Higher attainers make good use of key reading strategies, such as blending sounds together to help with words of which they are Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 23 unsure. Teachers have high expectations of children’s ability to learn about how words are constructed and this meets with good success. For example, they teach children to identify the onset and rime in words, using this technical vocabulary in their explanations and demonstrations and expecting children to do the same. Many children identify full stops and question marks and higher attainers identify exclamation marks and speech marks. By age five, the children have developed good skills in identifying, by sight, a range of common words.

p.24

Language and literacy

55. Many opportunities are provided for children’s early writing skills to emerge in interesting and relevant contexts. For example, nursery children write in their pretend passports and in both settings the children make lists of the things they would take on holiday and write pretend postcards to friends. Role-play areas are constructed to promote literacy skills and the children are keen to ‘read’ brochures and ‘write’ notes in response to telephone messages or ‘customers’ making holiday bookings. Writing skills are also developed in more formal contexts, for example, when teaching staff show children how to form letters correctly and gain control over size and orientation through writing over and under the teachers’ own writing, then eventually copying from a model. The children are given good support in composing their own words and short sentences and by age five most are confident to have a go at this themselves.

p.25

Language and literacy

56. Teaching in this area is good. All teaching staff continuously reinforce children’s language and literacy skills and there is a good team approach that works well in supporting children’s different needs. The literacy hour is being implemented very effectively in the two reception classes where children are organised into three teaching groups according to their age and abilities; the teaching and work provided are planned at different levels of challenge according to the children’s needs. This is proving very productive in promoting children’s progress and there is very good teaching by both teachers and nursery nurse staff.

p.25

Mathematical development

57. Children make good progress and achieve the standards expected by age five. Teachers and nursery nurses ensure that numeracy activities permeate all areas of learning. Every opportunity is used to encourage children to count, sort and recognise numbers of objects. In the nursery, for example, registration times are used very well to promote numeracy skills; with support, the children count the number of boys and girls in their group and place relevant number cards on a board to show how many are present. Through this they also learn how numerals represent a real quantity and learn to recognise the numerals from one to ten. They can say if there are more boys or girls and which of three groups has the most children present. Early data handling and understanding of shape occur through sorting activities; for example, as the children collect all things blue for a display or cut different shaped sandwiches for a

p.25

Mathematical development

58. Reception children are receiving a daily numeracy lesson and the organisation of children into three teaching groups is working very well, allowing teachers to plan work that is well matched to their different ages and needs. For example, younger reception children were gaining a good awareness of measurement and the mathematical language associated with it through practical activities in which they compared pairs of items that were either heavy or light, long or short, full or empty. The teacher provided good demonstrations and modelled the language required, which helped the children recognise what to do and provided good guidance for parent helpers. All these adults worked very effectively with the smaller groups in the practical work that followed. Older and more able reception children were beginning to gain a good understanding of place value, because of the teacher’s high expectations for their learning and very good

p.25

Mathematical development

teaching of this fairly complex idea. By the end of the lesson, many were able to say that the digit one in the numerals 11 to 19 represented ten. Another group was playing a game with real coins that helped them recognise coins of different value. Reception children accurately name common two-dimensional shapes such as circles, squares and triangles, and, through practical activities such as artwork, they are beginning to understand the idea of symmetry. Role-play areas in both settings contain resources that promote the development of numeracy skills. Counting skills and appropriate mental calculation strategies are practised every day in novel and interesting ways that maintain children’s enthusiasm whilst they learn. The quality of teaching in this area is consistently good and sometimes very good. Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 24

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

59. Children make good progress in this area, which includes scientific, technological, historical and geographical learning. By the time they are five, they achieve the standards expected. The quality of teaching is imaginative, challenging and based upon relevant and meaningful experiences. Children’s scientific skills of enquiry, observation, description and comparison are meaningfully developed in a range of activities. For example, nursery children tried to find ways of making their toy cars move without pushing them, whilst reception children sorted foods into groups, focusing on healthy foods with which they made a ‘healthy sandwich’ for the headteacher. In the first activity, a well-briefed helper worked productively with small groups, allowing children to experiment with different ways of moving the cars before introducing a sail and demonstrating how blowing could move the vehicles along. The children delighted in this

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

and learned that the harder they blew the further the car travelled. In the second activity, the children were prompted by the teacher to comment on the look, smell and feel of the sandwich ingredients and predict what the different vegetables would look like when cut open. This created a genuine sense of awe and wonder as the children were told that they would be the first people ever to see inside a particular tomato! Teachers ensure that work in science allows children to gain skills in handling equipment, such as the magnifiers used to look closely at shells and seaside objects in the nursery, and in recording what they have learned in pictures and words.

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

60. Teachers effectively exploit the links between different areas of learning so that the children see the relevance of activities. For instance, the theme of ‘Special Journeys’ has included work on transport and holidays, which has linked work in history, geography and both aspects of technology. Nursery children, for example, have compared past and present-day postcards of the same locations in seaside resorts, looked at photographs of their teachers when they were on holiday as children and made picnic baskets. Reception children have learned about the different types of transport used long ago and made model vehicles such as steam trains, using ‘junk’ materials, fixing the different parts together with glue and sticky-tape. They have also used computer art programs to produce recognisable drawings of vehicles such as bicycles, buses and boats, which show good control of the mouse. Nursery children have only just

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

acquired a computer, but are gaining simple skills in using the mouse to ‘dress a teddy’.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

61. Other than in science, little direct teaching in this area was seen. However, teachers’ planning is highly detailed and the work produced by the children shows that they receive very worthwhile experiences that promote good learning.

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Creative development

62. Very little direct teaching was seen in this area, but a large and impressive range of artwork was on display, particularly in the reception class, indicating that teaching is at least satisfactory and standards are at least in line with what is expected by age five. In addition to specific art and music lessons, children's creativity and imagination are effectively fostered through a range of activities, such as stories, role-play, poetry, baking and play in the nursery garden.

p.26

Creative development

63. A painting easel, brushes and ready-mixed paint are constantly available in the nursery and collage and other creative activities, such as modelling-doh, feature regularly. During the inspection, children worked happily in these activities, making, for example, blue collage pictures and free-paintings of people and objects, such as houses, vehicles and plants. Skills were developing satisfactorily and were supported effectively by adults assigned to specific activities or circulating the room. Singing occurs regularly in a range of contexts, but lessons in music-making and the exploration of sounds made by instruments are planned weekly. During the inspection it was not possible to observe the music lesson. Although pleasing work is produced and related activities are effective in developing skills, no provision is made for children to explore instruments freely during the course of the day or for them to mix paint and

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Creative development

organise their own art activities from a range of available resources. This limits their independent learning skills. Since no specific lessons were observed in the reception classes, it is difficult to determine whether these children have sufficient opportunities to show independence in creative activities. Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 25 64. During the inspection, reception children printed a tablecloth for their teddy bears’ picnic and marvelled at the shapes created by the different cut vegetables they were using as printing blocks and the vivid colours of textile paints available for the activity. These children have used charcoal to produce observational drawings of musical instruments and sketches of different views of cars. This work shows good development of the artistic elements of shape and form, clearly representing the children’s good observations of the different perspectives. The children

p.26

Creative development

are learning about well-known artists and their work, including Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet; the children use chalk, oil pastels and sponge-paint techniques to produce their own work representing a cottage on the cliffs and a seaside scene. It was not possible to hear or see reception children singing or engaged in music making activities during the inspection.

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Physical development

65. It was not possible to observe any physical education lessons for reception-aged children, but observations of children in the nursery show that they are well on target to achieve the standards expected by age five. The nursery outside play area is spacious enough to allow a wide range of outdoor apparatus and toys that develop children’s large physical skills. Here, children develop skills in riding and manoeuvring bicycles and other pedalling, pushing and pulling toys and gain confidence and skills in climbing, balancing and running as well as sending and receiving small equipment, such as balls. Teachers and nursery nurses provide good support for these activities, encouraging children to be adventurous and gain confidence whilst staying close enough to reassure them and ensure they are safe. In both settings, a range of thoughtfully planned activities promotes effective development of children’s small

p.27

Physical development

movements. They handle malleable materials and tools, such as pencils, paintbrushes, scissors and glue spatulas, with increasing accuracy and dexterity.

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Physical development

66. For all areas of learning, teachers' planning is well organised and detailed. The expected outcomes of lessons and activities are clearly identified and work that has different levels of challenge is provided for children of different ages and abilities. This allows for focused teaching and accurate assessment, which, in turn, promotes good learning. An effective balance between class and group teaching is achieved and very good use is made of additional support staff and parent helpers. However, children do not have enough opportunities to make choices about their learning in both the nursery and reception classes.

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ENGLISH

67. Inspection evidence shows that by age seven, pupils’ standards of attainment are broadly average in reading, writing, speaking and listening. This represents a considerable improvement since the last inspection, which found standards in reading and writing to be well below average. Since that time, pupils’ National Curriculum test results in reading and writing have risen year-on-year and at a faster rate than the national trend. Test results last year (1999) still showed standards that were below the national averages in reading and writing, but in comparison to pupils in similar schools they were average. The most recent test results (2000) show that the upward trend is continuing and support the inspection team’s judgement that standards are broadly average.

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ENGLISH

68. By age seven, pupils listen very well to their teachers and each other in a range of contexts. Most have developed confidence in answering questions, expressing opinions and explaining their work to the class and to visitors. A few pupils still have a limited vocabulary and find it difficult to explain their ideas in any detail, but overall progress across the key stage is good. Many opportunities are planned to improve pupils’ confidence and encourage them to increase their vocabulary and use of spoken English. For example, Year 1 pupils are asked to describe their favourite part of a book, while Year 2 pupils are encouraged to use their imagination to suggest reasons why a man is in a picture with a dinosaur. Throughout the school, teaching staff also make very good use of puppets to promote speaking skills, which encourages even the most reticent of pupils to speak. No answer or comment made by a pupil is ever dismissed

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ENGLISH

as useless, which produces an atmosphere of trust where pupils feel confident to express themselves. Nursery nurses and support assistants also make a valuable contribution, mirroring teachers in clarifying pupils’ questions, explaining new vocabulary and encouraging pupils to offer answers. Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 26 69. Standards in reading are broadly average by age seven. Most pupils read well enough to make sense of texts that are appropriate for their age and some higher attainers show very good understanding in the detail they provide about the characters and plot in the stories they read. Word skills and other reading strategies have been effectively developed and most pupils make use of a range of these when reading. For example, they sound words out, splitting them into syllables to help with long or unfamiliar words, and think whether what they are reading makes sense. The school is successful in promoting pupils’ very good attitudes to reading, which

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ENGLISH

provides effective support for their learning. Pupils know a range of authors and are able to express preferences in reading material, which includes stories, poetry and a comprehensive range of non-fiction texts. Library skills are developing well. Pupils know the function of contents and index pages and use these effectively to locate stories and poems in anthologies or to find specific information in non-fiction texts. They have developed a good technical vocabulary with which to talk about books and reading. Pupils’ progress in reading is satisfactory overall, but some good and very good progress is clearly being made as a result of good teaching, the school’s successful implementation of the National Literacy Strategy and its concerted effort to raise standards. Reception children, for example, are already making good use of phonic skills and other strategies, recognise many common words by sight and try hard

p.28

ENGLISH

to make sense of what they read. Consequently, as these pupils proceed through the school, standards look set to continue to rise.

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ENGLISH

70. The combination of a well-structured literacy hour together with overall good teaching is having a very positive effect on improving pupils’ writing so that, by age seven, most achieve the standards expected. Pupils write for a range of purposes, including stories, poems, letters, lists and instructions. In story writing, they sequence ideas logically and try hard to make their writing interesting. Simple punctuation, such as full stops and capital letters, are generally used correctly. Spellings of many common words are often correct, whilst others show pupils’ application of phonic skills, so that even if they are not correct they are plausible. Higher attainers write longer pieces and their writing contains good use of imaginative vocabulary, a greater range of punctuation and more accurate spellings. Handwriting varies considerably. Some pupils produce neat, well-formed letters that are joined, while others’ writing is untidy and

p.28

ENGLISH

shows no indication of joining letters. Notwithstanding, overall progress in writing is mostly good across the key stage. Pupils are taught to plan their writing and receive good instruction and support in this from teachers, either as a class or in a small group. In Year 1, there is a clear improvement in the amount of work completed and the appropriate use of simple grammar. In a Year 2 class, pupils produced some clear, descriptive writing after an out of school visit. For example, “... and we saw some little ducklings and one of the ducklings had yellow feathers like the ugly duckling.” Another wrote, “I like the way the grass rustles it looks like a thousand grasshoppers.”

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ENGLISH

71. In all aspects of English, pupils with special educational needs make good progress toward the targets in their individual education plans. Teachers are well aware of pupils’ targets and are successful in tailoring work and questions to ensure they achieve success. Group work for these pupils is always well supported by additional adults who have a very positive impact on promoting learning. The target literacy groups, in particular, are helping to raise lower attaining pupils’ standards in reading and writing.

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ENGLISH

72. Teaching has improved considerably since the last inspection. All teaching is at least satisfactory and much is good. This is having a very positive impact on pupils’ learning and is reflected in the school’s improving test results. Teachers have a good understanding of how to teach the different elements of the Literacy Hour and manage the time for each very well. Lesson planning is meticulous, with clear learning objectives and relevant detail about how these will be achieved. This provides an effective guide for teaching, as do teachers’ written evaluations of lessons, which sometimes lead to them modify future plans to ensure that all pupils are challenged. Overall, group activities are well matched to pupils’ needs. Teachers provide good role models for reading and make lessons lively and interesting. They use technical vocabulary to talk about books, reading and writing and they expect pupils to do the

p.28

ENGLISH

same. Individual targets for reading and writing are set half-termly and regularly (often daily) referred to by pupils and teachers. There are good assessment procedures and pupils’ progress is tracked and monitored regularly. These practices are contributing to the good progress pupils Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 27 are making.

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ENGLISH

73. Teachers are effective in making relevant links with other subjects so that literacy skills are constantly being promoted. Pupils write in a variety of forms within a range of subjects. For example, in religious education, pupils write clearly about their visit to a local church, while in geography they write about their walk around the local area. There are also good examples of extended writing in science, such as when Year 2 pupils wrote an account of how they made a circuit. Teachers promote pupils’ use of information technology to support their work in English, but during the inspection there were some lost opportunities in lessons that had good potential to promote skills in both subjects. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly, but there is inconsistency in the quality of marking. Most teachers comment encouragingly, but very few give points for improvement and ensure that pupils understand what to do next. Some teachers

p.29

ENGLISH

too readily accept work that is poorly presented.

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ENGLISH

74. The school library is currently being developed to include a greater range of books to support pupils’ independent research across the curriculum. The school is compensating for present book shortages in some subjects by taking pupils on fortnightly visits to the local library. A weekly after-school literacy club for Year 1 pupils provides further support for pupils’ developing skills and is very popular. During the inspection week, pupils were discussing the features of a variety of comics, noting the inclusion of puzzles, competitions and advertisements, the different ways stories are produced and who the comic might appeal to. This work provided a good foundation for the project of producing pupils’ own comics which was to follow.

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MATHEMATICS

75. Inspection evidence shows that by age seven, pupils’ standards are broadly average, with approximately a fifth of pupils achieving above average standards. Since the last inspection, pupils’ results in the National Curriculum tests have been fairly close to the national average, except in 1999 when they fell below. However, performance in these tests remained average in relation to pupils in similar schools. The most recent tests (2000) show a significant rise over the previous year.

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MATHEMATICS

76. Pupils make good progress in numeracy as a result of the school’s successful implementation of the National Strategy and, in particular, good teaching in reception and in Year 2. Satisfactory progress is being made in Year 1. By age seven, pupils have good skills in working with numbers mentally and know many number facts. For example, most give immediate examples of combinations of two numbers that add up to ten, whilst average attainers add and subtract two-digit numbers mentally; higher attainers are competent in using multiplication and division facts to make numbers up to a hundred. Counting skills are good. From different starting points, pupils count on and back to a hundred in twos, fives and tens. They are also adept at halving and doubling up to a hundred and in counting on and back in odd and even numbers to this figure. Their work on hundreds, tens and units shows they have gained a good

p.29

MATHEMATICS

understanding of the mathematical idea of place value. Pupils also have a good understanding of shape and measure. They name a variety of three-dimensional shapes describing distinctive features, such as the number of corners and faces, and measure accurately using standard forms of measure, such as centimetres. Pupils collect a variety of data and represent this in simple graphs and charts, with some good use being made of computer programs in this work.

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MATHEMATICS

77. Pupils clearly enjoy mathematics lessons and are confident to explain or demonstrate their answers and strategies to teachers and the class. They concentrate on written and practical tasks and work well co-operatively when there is a need. They are gaining skills in recording work in mathematics, although some present this rather untidily.

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MATHEMATICS

78. Teaching is always at least satisfactory and it is consistently good in Year 2. The principles of teaching the various elements of the daily numeracy lesson are thoroughly understood by teachers and good use is generally made of the time available for each part of the lesson. Direct teaching of mental skills at the beginning of lessons is having a good impact on pupils’ standards. Teachers maintain a brisk pace to this part of the lesson and provide good opportunities for pupils to explain their strategies, which allows teachers to spot and correct mistakes quickly. Lesson planning is good, with learning objectives clearly identified and shared Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 28 with the pupils. Lessons are evaluated daily and the information used to adjust subsequent planning and teaching so that pupils who find the work easy are given more challenging work, whilst those who have difficulty have additional opportunities to practise and acquire skills.

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MATHEMATICS

Following whole-class teaching sessions, teachers organise children into smaller teaching groups based upon their prior attainment, with work being well matched to what pupils have learnt before. This works well. Lower attainers work in smaller groups and are often supported by classroom assistants who have a good impact in supporting learning. As a result of this good provision, in every year group, pupils with special educational needs make good progress. Teachers plan a good range of investigative tasks that challenge pupils to use and apply mathematics in different ways, which is proving effective in supporting pupils’ learning. Day-to- day assessment is being used satisfactorily, but the proposed individual targets have not yet been set. Teachers give pupils good oral feedback on their work, but some work in pupils’ books is not dated or marked. Where marking is regular, there are few constructive comments

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MATHEMATICS

79. Since the last inspection, pupils’ progress in mental mathematics has improved considerably. There is now a structured approach to the teaching of this aspect and to teaching pupils how to use and apply mathematics to solve problems. Unsatisfactory teaching has been eliminated and teachers exploit opportunities to develop pupils’ numeracy skills in a range of subjects.

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SCIENCE

80. By the age of seven, pupils’ standards are broadly average. Similar standards were achieved at the time of the last inspection, but pupils’ progress was judged to be unsatisfactory because weaknesses in reading and writing prevented them from recording their knowledge and understanding. This issue has been successfully addressed and pupils now make satisfactory progress.

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SCIENCE

81. By age seven, pupils name the main external features of the human body and a flowering plant and identify the items needed to sustain life. In their work on food, they have learned which foods are required for a healthy diet; for example, they name vitamins. Pupils know they have five senses and name these accurately. They have a sound working knowledge of different materials and their properties, naming metal, plastic and wood, and explaining that some are found naturally whilst others are made. They give a range of examples of what these materials can be used for and know that forces, such as squashing, bending and stretching, can change the shape of some materials. They identify some different forces, such as pushes and pulls, and through their work with magnets they know that some metals are magnetic whilst others are not. The pupils confidently explain the role of batteries, wires and bulbs in an electric circuit and

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SCIENCE

know that a circuit will not work if it has a break in it. Pupils offer a range of suggestions to find things out and undertake practical work enthusiastically. They make predictions about what they think will happen and know that tests must be fair. Pupils’ written recording of their work has improved significantly. They now write accounts of experiments and learn the correct procedure to record scientific work.

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SCIENCE

82. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, with examples of good teaching in both Years 1 and 2. This represents considerable improvement since the last inspection, when teaching was judged unsatisfactory. All lessons are now planned well, with clear objectives and suitable challenge for pupils of different prior attainment. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and in the best lessons provide a good balance between explanation, demonstration, questioning, practical work and opportunities for pupils to record what they have learned, this latter task providing good support for the development of pupils’ literacy skills. Where teaching is satisfactory, instructions are not always clear, with the result that pupils are uncertain how to proceed. However, the good range of additional adults who assist in lessons ensures pupils receive adequate support and confusion is quickly cleared up. Teachers’ good use of these

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SCIENCE

trained assistants and parent helpers also ensures that pupils with special educational needs learn as effectively as others.

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SCIENCE

83. Pupils are very interested in the subject and they enjoy the practical work in particular. They concentrate well on the tasks, they try hard to find solutions to the problems set. They behave very well and work well with others, readily seeking advice from adults when necessary. Pupils Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 29 usually produce neat work, although a minority take insufficient care. Teachers provide much verbal advice for pupils, but few comments of this nature are added to written work.

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SCIENCE

84. In addition to the improvements noted above, the school is making good use of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s guidance to support teachers’ lesson planning and there are firm plans to use this in constructing their own scheme of work.

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ART

85. Only two lessons were seen, but analysis of pupils’ work shows that by age seven, they achieve standards that are similar to those found by the last inspection and in line with those expected for their age.

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ART

86. Progress is satisfactory. As pupils move through the key stage, they use pencils, pastels and paint effectively to produce a variety of pictures representing what they remember and observe; they produce insufficient imaginative work, however. Drawings and paintings, such as the portraits of their friends produced by Year 1 pupils and those of Warsop Parish Church by pupils in Year 2, demonstrate pupils developing skills in observational drawing in which they pay good attention to detail, shape and form. Pupils’ skills in using different types of pencils, brushes and tools to create a variety of effects are developing satisfactorily and they mix colours to achieve specific shades. Pupils also undertake work in three dimensions. For example, Year 1 pupils have used collage technique to represent faces, whilst in Year 2, pupils have worked creatively with clay to produce models of buildings. Pupils have learned about the

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ART

work of famous artists such as Vincent Van Gogh and Piet Mondrian and produce their own work in the style of these artists.

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ART

87. Only two lessons were seen, one of which was good and the other satisfactory. The analysis of pupils’ work shows that overall teaching quality is at least satisfactory. Lessons are generally well planned and resourced, with pupils being provided with a suitable range of items to observe and copy, together with appropriate materials with which to work. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure. However, in the satisfactory lesson there were insufficient opportunities for pupils to engage in practical work and many spent the whole lesson watching the teacher and a few pupils demonstrate the techniques of press printing. Understandably, some became frustrated and their attention wandered. By contrast, in the good lesson there was a good balance between explanation and practical work, with the latter motivating pupils and sustaining their interest. Good intervention from the teacher during practical tasks helped to sharpen

p.31

ART

pupils’ skills and got them to reflect critically on their work and think how they could improve it.

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ART

88. The school now has a suitable scheme of work, based on the Quality and Curriculum Authority guidance. Teachers value pupils’ work and take pleasure in displaying it attractively around the school, which enhances the learning environment. Art is used effectively to promote pupils’ cultural and spiritual development. For example, when pupils study the architecture of buildings and Eastern art, and when their excitement rises as they anticipate what will be revealed as a polystyrene tile, used to create a press-print, is lifted from the paper.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. All pupils make satisfactory progress and by the time they are seven achieve the standards expected for their age. Standards are similar to those found by the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

90. No lessons were seen during the inspection so it is not possible to provide secure judgements about the quality of teaching. However, by age seven pupils are accustomed to working from a design plan before making models. In these, they specify the tools and materials they will use and suggest methods for joining and fixing parts. Pupils have a good knowledge of these various methods, identifying techniques such as stapling, using paper clips, gluing, using sticky tape, string or thread.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

91. Pupils learn to measure, cut and join materials accurately, and to assemble different parts carefully. They show confidence and developing skill when using different tools and are aware Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 30 of the need to work safely. They investigate how they can use construction kits to build structures and wheeled vehicles and explore methods of making things move. For example, they introduce movement in model vehicles by constructing simple axles and use split pins to create joint movements in card figures. Practical work includes the use of a variety of materials. For example, following their design, pupils used plastic, fabric and card to make glove puppets, face masks and models of houses and monsters. They employ a variety of finishing techniques to decorate models and pay good attention to detail. All pupils appreciate the principle of evaluating their work to think about how it could be improved.

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GEOGRAPHY

92. Only one lesson was seen, but analysis of pupils’ work and discussions with them show that by age seven they have made satisfactory progress and achieve the standards expected. There has also been improvement since the last inspection in that the curriculum provided now meets statutory requirements.

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GEOGRAPHY

93. Pupils learn to identify physical features of places, such as houses, roads and bridges. In their study of housing, Year 1 pupils confidently explain the differences between various house types, such as bungalows, terraced houses, detached and semi-detached. Pupils undertake much fieldwork to find out about their locality. This has resulted in Year 1 pupils producing plans of the school grounds, whilst Year 2 pupils have drawn maps of their routes to school. The oldest pupils show a concern for the environment and mention the number of boarded up shops in Warsop, which, they feel, reduces the town’s attractiveness. They have also produced a map of an island and gained simple skills in using co-ordinates to locate items of treasure! These pupils know that the weather differs in various parts of the world and that this affects the type of clothes worn by people in different countries. Pupils study a variety of contrasting areas,

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GEOGRAPHY

such as Tenby in Wales and the fictitious Isle of Struay, which is based upon an island in the Hebrides. In this work they have gained skill in identifying and comparing features, such as shops, housing and the general landscape.

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GEOGRAPHY

94. It is not possible to make secure judgements about the quality of teaching. However, teachers’ lesson plans identify clear geographical learning objectives and give pupils opportunities to write about their work, thus simultaneously supporting their literacy skills. Good literacy links are also made in the books chosen to stimulate pupils’ interest. For example, Barnaby the Bear is used to support work on Australia, whilst the Katie Morag stories support pupils’ understanding of features of remote islands and help them to contrast this sort of environment with their own.

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HISTORY

95. It was not possible to see any history lessons during the inspection. However, analysis of pupils’ work and discussions with them show that, by age seven, they have made satisfactory progress and achieve the standards expected. A similar picture was reflected by the previous inspection.

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HISTORY

96. By age seven, pupils have developed knowledge about the past and skills that help them find out about it. For instance, they investigate artefacts, such as pictures, photographs and domestic objects, to help them identify some of the changes that have taken place over time. They provide examples that contrast present-day appliances, such as microwaves, washing machines and electric lighting, with range-ovens, hand-washing and candlelight. Historical skills of chronology are developed through sequencing activities in which pupils make time-lines of toys from the past to present-day. Pupils knowledge and understanding of notable historical figures includes that of Florence Nightingale and Christopher Columbus and extends to knowing simple detail about the Crimean War and the discovery of America.

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HISTORY

97. It is not possible to make secure judgements about the quality of teaching, but teachers’ planning is detailed and provides an appropriate balance between developing knowledge and skills. Research tasks support the development of pupils’ reading skills, whilst pupils’ written recording of their work supports writing skills. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Overall, written work is presented neatly, but some is untidy. Marking is regular, but there are Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 31 few comments that tell pupils how they can improve.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

98. Pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve the expected standards by age seven. Pupils are confident and enthusiastic about the subject and use computers to communicate their ideas in a variety of ways. For example, Year 2 pupils use word processing programs to write stories and many have developed good skills in entering, amending, saving, printing and retrieving information without help from their teachers. In written work, they know how to use pull-down menus to change the style, colour and size of the text so as to enhance its appearance. They use art programs to produce pictures and patterns and also to produce designs for projects in art and design technology. Facilities such as clip-art are used creatively by pupils to illustrate their stories.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

99. Pupils’ understanding and skill in using control technology are developing well through good opportunities to construct simple commands that program a floor robot to move in different directions and for varying distances. Some pupils are adept at using these skills to make the robot move in ways that replicate different geometric shapes. Older pupils have opportunities to use CD-ROM encyclopaedia and the Internet to search for information to support project work. A good example was when pupils found the Qur’an.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

100. Pupils have particularly good attitudes to their work in information technology. They are well motivated, able to concentrate for suitable lengths of time and respond enthusiastically and with awe and wonder at the outcomes of their work. For example, they delight in making the floor robot move and in hearing the music that is played over the Qur’an text. Another strong feature is the way pupils are able to access the computer without help from the teachers and work independently. Pupils are very responsible when using computers and work together very well, for example, in pairs taking turns and supporting each other.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

101. Teaching is good. Most teachers have secure knowledge and understanding of the subject and their planning clearly identifies what they intend pupils will learn. Time is allocated for specific teaching of key skills and ideas and teachers do their best to ensure pupils get opportunities to practise these within a range of subjects. However, although learning is satisfactory, the limited resources reduce the scope pupils have for practising skills and prevent them from moving forward at the rate of which they are capable. The school’s resources for this core subject have been extremely limited and continue to be so despite acquiring two new computers just prior to the inspection. This means that despite good teaching, opportunities to practise skills are insufficient and as a result, progress, despite being satisfactory overall, is impeded.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

102. The school has generally maintained the standards and provision noted by the last inspection. Standards have remained much the same, keeping pace with national expectations and new innovations such as the Internet. However, there are still no formal assessment procedures for this core subject and the previous inspection’s note about some computers coming to the end of their useful life has not been picked up on quickly enough since resources remain limited and some old computers have only just been replaced.

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MUSIC

103. It was not possible to see any music lessons during the inspection and there was no supporting evidence, such as singing in assemblies, to make any judgements about pupils’ standards in performing. There is a well-planned curriculum, however, that incorporates a good balance between listening and appraising and performing and composing. In addition, pupils listen to a range of thoughtfully chosen music in assemblies to which they respond very positively. The lack of evidence also means that it is not possible to judge the quality of teaching or improvement since the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

104. Except for swimming, where standards are high by age seven, there was insufficient evidence Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery - 32 to make secure judgements about pupils’ standards and progress, but in the short Year 2 lesson seen, some weaknesses were noted in seven year-olds’ standards in gymnastics.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

105. By age seven, pupils have a satisfactory awareness of space and others and move around the hall in a variety of ways. They travel across simple apparatus structures on different parts of their bodies and incorporate a balance in this. Their movements show little creativity, however, and lack the precision expected after a two-year programme of lessons. Most show little awareness of how to land correctly when jumping from apparatus. Both Year 1 and 2 pupils attend swimming lessons throughout the year. As a result, all pupils develop confidence in the water and by the time they reach the end of Year 2, at least 90 per cent are able to swim 25 metres or more, unaided.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

106. Teaching in the lesson seen was satisfactory. Pupils were carefully supervised and encouraged and praised for their efforts. However, not enough was done to help pupils refine their skills, develop creativity and reflect upon how they could improve their performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

107. Since the last inspection, the school has developed a satisfactory scheme of work. Very little time is allocated to teaching the statutory aspects of the curriculum, however, whilst considerable time is allocated to swimming, which is not statutory for pupils this age. Although standards in swimming are high, the reduced time for other aspects was apparent in the limited gymnastic skills of seven year-olds, despite the class teacher explaining that the pupils were not ‘on form’ for the particular lesson seen. However, well-attended after-school activities, such as the gym club and summer sports, provide valuable additional input to support pupils’ skills in physical education.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

108. As at the time of the last inspection, there was insufficient evidence to make secure judgements about pupils’ standards and progress or the quality of teaching. However, it is clear that the amount of time allocated to the subject is insufficient to address the programmes of study in the locally Agreed Syllabus, which the school follows. Moreover, the time allocated does not reflect the subject’s core status.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

109. Improvements since the last inspection have included the production of a scheme of work that is suitably linked to the Agreed Syllabus and a recently revised policy, which is currently in draft form awaiting ratification by the governors. Resources have been increased and there are now more artefacts from the major faith communities for pupils to handle.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

110. From the very good lesson seen, and in discussions with pupils, it is evident that they are familiar with stories from the Bible, such as the Good Samaritan. They know about some religious festivals celebrated in the Christian calendar and by other major world faiths; they named Easter, Christmas and Diwali. Pupils say they enjoy the subject and Year 2 pupils were enthralled when their teacher dressed as a Muslim and graphically explained how people who follow the religious tradition of Islam are called to prayer each morning. They were also fascinated by hearing about how Muslims use a prayer mat and were keen to examine one provided by the teacher, treating it carefully and with respect. In this lesson, several pupils were able to make some comparisons with the Christian religion, noting that, for example, women are able to go into a Christian church, but not a Mosque.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

111. The curriculum is greatly enhanced by visits to places of worship. For example, all classes have visited the local church, while Year 2 pupils have made a memorable visit to Southwell Minster where a wide range of activities was provided. Pupils vividly remember this visit and what they learned about Islam. For example, they recalled that Muslims pray five times a day and that their holy book is called the Qur’an, explaining that there is a copy of this in the school.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

112. Currently, there are no procedures for assessing pupils’ standards. However, there are plans to address this shortcoming.

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