Other · Ofsted report

Blackmoor Park Infants' School

Inspected — · published 9 May 2002 · URN 104592

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Full report text

BLACKMOOR PARK INFANTS SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 4 th -7 th February 2002

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BLACKMOOR PARK INFANTS SCHOOL

Inspection number: 221384 Full 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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BLACKMOOR PARK INFANTS 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. Blackmoor Park Infants - 3 - February 2002

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: 45/65 Leyfield Road West Derby Liverpool Postcode: L12 9EY

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Peter Killeen

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January, 2000 Blackmoor Park Infants - 4 - February 2002

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Aspect responsibilities

3108 E. Jackson Registered Inspector Special educational needs; English as an additional language; English; Geography; History; French. What sort of school is it school? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements; How well are pupils taught; How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? A09593 B. Sinclair Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development; How well does the school care for its pupils; How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 29504 S. Herring Team inspector Foundation Stage; mathematics; art and design; design and technology; music. 17767 S. Power Team inspector Equality of opportunity; science; information and communication technology; physical education; religious education. How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Assessment of pupils’ progress. Blackmoor Park Infants - 5 - February 2002 The inspection contractor was:

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Aspect responsibilities

Nord-Anglia School Inspection Services Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle SK14 1RG.

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Aspect 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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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Blackmoor Park Infants - 6 - February 2002

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 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? 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

Blackmoor Park Infants - 7 - February 2002

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Blackmoor Park Infants is a large school for its type, with 303 pupils on roll. There is a 30 place nursery, with separate morning and afternoon groups. There are more boys than girls, and the Year 1 classes have 55 boys and only 38 girls. There are 17 pupils from minority ethnic groups, most of Chinese heritage. Thirteen of these pupils learn English as an additional language. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is about average. There are 35 pupils on the school’s register of those with special needs, one of whom has a statement of special needs. These needs vary from minor learning difficulties to emotional and behavioural needs, and physical needs such as hearing impairment and dietary concerns. Attainment at entry is broadly average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Blackmoor Park Infants is an improved and improving school. It has recovered from having serious weaknesses in its last report in aspects of leadership and management, and in the quality of teaching at Key Stage 1. It maintains high standards by the end of Year 2, because the teaching and learning are good. Results in national tests at seven are now well above the national average, and well above those in schools in similar circumstances. The staff create a good atmosphere for learning, and the pupils respond very well to this by working hard and behaving well. The school provides rich learning experiences, so that all pupils enjoy coming to school. The parents think well of the school, but a number of them are rightly critical of the way they are sometimes dealt with when they approach the headteacher with concerns or complaints. Leadership and management by the headteacher, the Governing Body, and key staff are now satisfactory, although the headteacher and governors do not

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

yet provide clear enough direction to the school’s work and development. The school gives good value for money, because it uses average funding to provide high standards of attainment and good teaching, ensuring that the pupils make good progress in their learning, have very good attitudes to their work, and behave very well.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • It maintains high standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 in English and mathematics, and in teachers’ assessments of science, which compare very well with results in similar schools. • It provides a good quality of education for children in the nursery and Reception classes. • The teaching and support staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and work-rate, leading to their having very good attitudes to learning and behaving very well. • The quality of teaching is good, based on very good relationships between staff and pupils, leading to good progress in pupils’ learning. • The school provides good learning opportunities for all its pupils, enriched by such activities as French and drama. • It promotes pupils’ personal development well, with strong development of their moral understanding.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The effective use of information gained by the headteacher and governors through their evaluation of the school’s work to provide clear educational guidance for its further development. • The clarity and implementation of role descriptions for all staff, including an understanding of how these roles combine to deliver efficient school management. • The school’s relationship with parents. • The use of the computer suite. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in January 2000, when it was found to have serious weaknesses in teaching, and in leadership and management. Good improvements have been made in a number of Blackmoor Park Infants - 8 - February 2002 areas since then, and it no longer has serious weaknesses. This is because the headteacher and the chair of governors have worked closely and in most cases effectively with local education authority staff to make important changes. Although there were three temporary teachers during the inspection, the quality of teaching and learning has improved from being unsatisfactory to being good in all year groups. A new and potentially influential deputy headteacher has been appointed recently, and the Governing Body is now established and working effectively. This has helped to improve management and leadership so that it is now satisfactory. Other key improvements include the number of pupils

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

achieving high levels by the end of Year 2, wider learning opportunities, including in ICT, and improved subject information to help teachers plan their lessons. There have been good improvements in the standards attained, and in pupils’ attitudes to learning and behaviour. Staff are now more involved in development planning, and subject co-ordinators take a more active role in overseeing standards and teaching. However, there are significant areas of improvement in management that still need attention. Chief amongst these are the requirements to provide clear direction for the school’s development, and to work more closely with parents.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. compared with

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

Reading B A A A well above average above average A B Writing B B A A average below average C D Mathematics A A A A well below average E

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STANDARDS

Attainment at entry to the reception classes is broadly average. Due to the good teaching and progress in learning, by the end of the Reception year the children attain above average levels for their age in language and mathematical development, and in personal, social, emotional and creative development. They attain average levels in their knowledge and understanding of the world, and in their physical development. Good progress is maintained in Years 1 and 2, so that by seven pupils attain well above average levels in reading, writing and mathematics in national tests. The improving trend in the school’s results is above the national trend. The number of pupils achieving above average levels is much improved in the last two years. Although the school is not obliged to set targets for improvement, it does so. These are demanding year-on-year, and have been achieved. Pupils attain above average levels in art and design, geography and religious education. They attain

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STANDARDS

as expected in the other subjects, although there are weaknesses in skill development in design and technology. Pupils also attain well in oral French for their age. Pupils with special needs make similar progress to their peers, as do those learning English as an additional language. In general, pupils achieve levels above those that might be expected, based on their attainment at entry to the school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils have very good attitudes to their work, and to all the school’s activities.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils behave very well: their calm, well-controlled acceptance of wet weather preventing outside play reflected their response to the school’s high expectations of them.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships The staff foster very good relationships, and the pupils respond very well. Personal development is good, although there are insufficient opportunities for independent learning. Blackmoor Park Infants - 9 - February 2002 Attendance Below average, and improved since the last inspection: systems to promote better attendance are in place, but the parents’ response is variable year-on-year.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching 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 AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching and learning has improved significantly to be at least satisfactory in all 57 lessons seen. It was good or better in two thirds of these lessons, and very good in almost one in five. In the nursery and Reception classes, the children have good opportunities to experience all the areas of learning recommended in the Foundation Stage curriculum. The skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well across the school, so that pupils make good progress in acquiring and using them. In Years 1 and 2 literacy skills are reinforced well in other subjects such as science and geography, and numeracy skills are satisfactorily promoted. The teaching of science, information and communications technology (ICT), art and design, physical education and religious education is good. In most lessons the good relationships established give all pupils confidence to answer the teachers’ questions and to attempt the tasks prepared for them. There are insufficient opportunities, however,

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

for pupils to decide for themselves how they might solve problems, or take the initiative in their own learning. Those teachers on temporary contracts made a good contribution to the pupils’ learning during the inspection. Support staff also support pupils’ learning well in the main, including those pupils with special needs, or learning English as an additional language. Occasionally, support staff are not deployed effectively during whole class work in literacy and numeracy lessons.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The learning opportunities provided are broad and varied, and the curriculum fully meets statutory requirements. It is enriched by such activities as French, drama, and tennis.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good: it is good for pupils withdrawn for extra support by the special needs co-ordinator. Support for pupils with special needs is less effective in lessons other than literacy and numeracy, however.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Those few pupils learning English as an additional language receive good support, particularly that given by a bilingual teaching assistant to pupils of Chinese heritage. Occasionally, some of these pupils are grouped inappropriately for extra language support with pupils with special educational needs.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good: it is very good for pupils’ moral development. There are good opportunities for pupils to grow in understanding of themselves and others, and to work in varied social groups and settings.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Health and safety and general care procedures are good. The assessment of pupils’ progress and the use of the information gained to plan new work for them are satisfactory. A significant group of parents feels that the school does not work hard enough to involve them. New initiatives to improve this situation have begun recently, such as seeking ‘Investors in People’ status. Blackmoor Park Infants - 10 - February 2002

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory: all the staff work hard to maintain the high educational climate. Further improvements are needed in determining clear direction for the school’s work.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory: all statutory requirements are fulfilled, and governors have overseen good improvements since the last inspection. They do not yet provide sufficiently effective evaluation of the management of the school, however.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Improved to be satisfactory overall, and good in the evaluation of teaching and pupils’ standards of attainment. Results of monitoring are not used with enough determination to set development priorities.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Staff and learning resources are generally used effectively. The school’s finances are generally deployed to meet agreed priorities.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Above average number of teaching and support staff to meet the pupils’ needs. The accommodation has been improved, although the library and ICT suite are very small. The playground is oddly shaped and poorly surfaced. The school has begun to compare its results with other similar schools, and to check that its resources are purchased astutely and used effectively for their purpose. However, they have only recently begun to consult parents and pupils for their views on the school’s provision.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• That their children like school, and it has high expectations for them. • That the teaching is good and leads to good progress in learning for their children. • That behaviour is good. • That children are helped to become mature and responsible. • The information they receive about their children’s progress. • The headteacher’s approachability. • How closely the school works with them. • The range of activities provided outside lessons.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection results support the parents’ positive views of the outcomes of the school’s work on behalf of their children. Inspection findings are that the information provided is satisfactory, as is the range of activities outside lessons. However, the inspection findings in part support some parents’ concerns about the headteachers’ approachability, and about the closeness of the school’s links with them. Blackmoor Park Infants - 11 - February 2002

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. After the last inspection, in January 2000, the school needed to raise the number of pupils achieving higher than expected levels by age seven in speaking and listening, reading and science, and to raise standards in general in ICT. This has been achieved. Indeed, in reading the school’s results are now well above the national average in national tests, and well above average when compared to those in schools in similar circumstances based on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals. Drama classes taken by a skilled teacher have also been effective in improving the pupils’ confidence in listening carefully to others, and in speaking out in front of a group, so that standards in speaking and listening are above average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In the national tests in reading, writing and mathematics in 2001, the school’s results were the highest achieved so far, well above the national average, and well above the average in similar schools. Based on teacher assessments, the results in science were in the highest five per cent nationally. However, pupils need more opportunities to plan and carry out practical scientific experiments and investigations. The number of Year 2 pupils achieving higher than the expected Level 2 is well above average currently in speaking and listening, reading, mathematics and science. It is above average in writing. However, in all except mathematics, fewer Year 2 pupils are on track to reach the above average Level 3 than last year’s average. As the pupils enter the Reception class with average levels of attainment in general, these levels of attainment represent good achievement for the current Year 2 pupils since entry to

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Children achieve well in the nursery through good teaching and careful monitoring of their progress. The standard assessments administered by the staff towards the end of the Reception year, together with inspection evidence, indicate that pupils are likely to exceed the nationally expected levels in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematics, physical development and creative development by the time they start in Year 1. Pupils are likely to reach the expected level in their knowledge and understanding of the world. This also represents good progress in these classes, and across the Foundation Stage in the Nursery and Reception classes. Those children with special educational needs are identified early and make good progress alongside their peers. Children learning English as an additional language also achieve well through the good level of individual support from staff.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The achievement of pupils with special needs is generally satisfactory. They make steady progress towards the targets set for them, particularly when supported by the teacher who manages this aspect of the school’s work. Pupils in both Year 1 and Year 2 are withdrawn in groups during literacy and numeracy sessions for specific support. This is generally well-planned to follow the same pattern of learning as that for the rest of their class. The best work takes place in withdrawal sessions led by the special needs co-ordinator, and in group early literacy sessions led by specially trained support staff. A large group of pupils with special needs in Year 1 works in the library with a support teacher during some sessions, but the group is too large for the teacher to provide effective support in the small space available.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The small number of pupils learning English as an additional language are involved in all the school’s activities. In general they achieve well in all their lessons. A Blackmoor Park Infants - 12 - February 2002 Chinese-English bilingual support worker helps many of these pupils to develop their language skills effectively. This was very effective, for example, when she translated from the book of a boy of Chinese heritage the English phrase, ‘Look out!’, into Cantonese, so that he could read the English phrase with good expression, which he then did. However, some of these pupils are withdrawn from some lessons for extra help alongside pupils with special educational needs. This is not appropriate unless they also have special needs beyond their need for support in learning English. One Year 2 girl, for example, learning English but without special needs, worked in a withdrawal group for pupils with special needs. She coped very well with the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

mathematics tasks, making progress at a rapid pace, far speedier than the rest of the group who needed more time and practice to secure their learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Standards in literacy and numeracy are high, and reflect the concentration the school places on teaching them. The last inspection report found that this often had a detrimental effect on pupils’ attainment and progress in other subjects. There has been an improvement since then, so that the balance between subjects allows pupils sufficient time to reach at least satisfactory levels across the curriculum, and to achieve well in art and design, geography, and RE.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in speaking and listening, reading and writing are above average currently for pupils in Year 2. Almost all of them are engaged in tasks and activities at the levels expected, and about twenty-five per cent at above average levels. They listen well to their teachers and each other, helped by such activities as drama sessions with a professionally trained teacher. In discussions at the beginning and end of lessons, they are increasingly confident in stating their views and opinions. They read a variety of texts with good concentration on the meaning, particularly when finding out information. Because the staff focus on developing the pupils’ skills in sounding letters and building up letter and sound patterns, the pupils often know how to work out how to read unfamiliar words for themselves. Most of them use their knowledge of the alphabet successfully in finding words in a dictionary, although some higher

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

attaining pupils have not been shown how to speed up their search. Almost all pupils use the contents page of non-fiction texts well, and some use the index effectively. Most of them read regularly at home, although the quality of the books they take home is unsatisfactory. Year 2 pupils have not used the school library since September, and see it as a place where younger pupils go for extra reading help. This is unsatisfactory, and results in their book search and retrieval skills being underdeveloped. Pupils write for a number of purposes, including writing letters, retelling stories, making up poetry, and composing lists, titles and captions, sometimes using ICT. Most of them write in complete sentences when required, and higher attainers include good character descriptions in their stories, such as in retelling ‘Cinderella’. Spelling is about average, although is often careless. Handwriting improves in Year 2, and most pupils write with reasonable style and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

fluency, although the staff do not remind the pupils sufficiently about correct pencil grip and posture when they write. Pupils use their literacy skills effectively in other subjects such as history, geography and RE.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. In mathematics, by age seven, most pupils have a good understanding of place value to a hundred. Higher attaining pupils are confident in using numbers to a thousand. Attainment is well above average, and all pupils in Year 2 are working at least at the expected level with nearly half working beyond the average. They gain a good understanding of the meaning of multiplication tables, and link this well to number patterns on a 100 square. Lower attaining pupils learn to double through counting the number of wheels on sets of bicycles, and the good use of counters and bricks helps pupils to work out different ways of making 12. The vast majority reach the level expected in their understanding of shape, space and measures, though few of them Blackmoor Park Infants - 13 - February 2002 exceed this average level. Most pupils tell the time accurately using o’clock and half past and solve simple time problems. They measure competently in centimetres, but

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

there is little evidence of weighing or measuring capacity. Most pupils correctly identify and describe simple two-dimensional shapes but many have difficulty in naming three-dimensional shapes or in identifying their properties. They have a sound understanding of right angles through programming a floor robot to perform quarter, half and full turns.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In science, by the end of Year 2, the pupils have good understanding of how humans grow, and seasonal change and its effects on growing plants. They use the appropriate scientific vocabulary to describe which materials are suitable for different purposes, such as glass for windows, bricks for walls, and different fabrics for clothes. They show very good levels of understanding about the changes they observe in heating such things as chocolate or bread, and record their observations well. In their scientific investigations, they make predictions about what they think will happen but are not often asked by staff to explain their predictions. However, their understanding of fair testing is not sufficiently well developed.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Standards in art and design are above the expected level by the end of Year2, maintaining the high standards identified in the last inspection. Pupils achieve well through the systematic teaching of skills and through the good opportunities to experiment with colour and materials from the earliest age. Standards in ICT are much improved since the time of the last inspection and are now in line with those expected for the ages of the pupils. Pupils at all levels of ability make satisfactory progress in developing their skills but the small size of the computer suite impedes their progress, and pupils do not use ICT sufficiently in other areas of the curriculum. Standards in RE exceed the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus and are better than at the time of the previous inspection. By the end of Year 2, the pupils show a good understanding of the basic beliefs and traditions of Christianity, Judaism

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. In geography, pupils’ standards of attainment are above average, and Year 2 pupils not only know the countries of the British isles and their capital cities, but point out all the continents accurately on a world map, and locate the village they are studying on a map of Mexico. Standards are as expected in history, and some pupils retell the life stories of such famous people as Helen Keller well. In one class, pupils have made a good study of the Second World War, and their writing evokes some of the characteristics of the period well for their age. In music and PE, pupils achieve average standards. Standards in DT have improved to be average, although there is no systematic development of pupils’ skills in designing and making models and artefacts.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ attitudes to school are very good. Since the last inspection, the school has consistently provided a learning environment that enables pupils to benefit from sustained concentration and interest in their work. Children in the Foundation Stage settle quickly into the routines of school life because of the good induction procedures that are in place. All adults within the school seek every opportunity to increase and develop the pupils’ social skills. The large majority of them listen attentively to their teachers and carry out work and tasks purposefully. They try hard and seek constantly to improve. However, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to take initiative in deciding for themselves what they wish to find out, or how to solve problems in their own way. Blackmoor Park Infants - 14 - February 2002 13. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around all areas of the school is very good. They

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

settle into their morning and afternoon sessions in a bright, lively but orderly manner. They behave very well during lunchtimes and playtimes, and show high levels of care and concern for each other. They are developing good social skills and enjoy talking about their work and interests, with many showing a high level of articulate speech and a widely developed vocabulary. Most parents expressed the view that they had no concerns about the behaviour of pupils and if, on rare occasions, incidents of unacceptable behaviour occur, they are dealt with quickly and sensitively by the staff.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils’ personal development is good. The mutual respect between pupils and adults supports this personal development effectively and consistently. The pupils show enjoyment and enthusiasm for the routines of their daily school life, such as collecting and distributing fruit and milk during breaks. However, although the pupils accept such responsibilities willingly, they have limited opportunities at present to use their initiative. Pupils are made to feel valued and their achievements, both in and out of the school, are acknowledged and celebrated on a regular basis in class and whole-school assemblies. There have been two exclusions within the last year. There are seldom exclusions, but in this case the school took appropriate action to ensure other pupils’ safety.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The attendance rates have improved from well below to just below the national average. The rate of unauthorised absences is below the national average. Since the last inspection the school has instigated and tried diligently to maintain effective systems of monitoring the attendance rates. The headteacher acknowledges that this is an area for further development. Registration periods are carried out in a pleasant and purposeful manner and all lessons begin on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. The quality of teaching and learning is good across the school, founded in the whole staff’s expectations that the pupils will work hard and behave well. This is a very good improvement since the last inspection, when teaching and learning in Year 2 in particular were unsatisfactory. The shared teaching in the nursery provides a good start for those children who transfer to the Reception classes. In Reception, the children continue to make good progress in their learning in most areas of experience, because the teaching is good. This good teaching continues in Year 1, and is strongest in Year 2, where children make rapid progress in a number of areas of learning. Homework is usually based on reading and number work, and supports pupils’ learning effectively. However, the quality of the home reading books is often unsatisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The issues from the last inspection have been dealt with successfully in the main. This is in part because there have been significant staff changes, but also because measures are now in place to allow key staff to influence the work of their colleagues across the school. Performance management has been successfully introduced for the headteacher and other staff, and subject leaders monitor the standards of attainment and teaching in their areas of responsibility. This has led to improvements in the use of assessment data, and in teachers’ confidence in using and teaching ICT. There are plans for the continued improvement of classroom delivery, and staff make better use of assessment data in planning further learning for the pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Those pupils learning English as an additional language are generally well supported, particularly by the bilingual support worker. Occasionally, some of them are inappropriately withdrawn from class lessons to work with pupils with learning Blackmoor Park Infants - 15 - February 2002 difficulties. Pupils with special educational needs are included in the full curriculum. In class lessons, the teachers often give them specific support and tailor the tasks and activities to help them make appropriate progress. When they are withdrawn from English and mathematics lessons, they make better progress when working with the special needs co-ordinator than in the group led by a support teacher working in the library.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The quality of teaching is good overall in the Nursery and Reception classes, with examples of very good teaching in the morning sessions and in the Reception class taught by the Foundation Stage co-ordinator. Relationships are strong and supportive, led well by the co-ordinator, and the strong teamwork is effective in ensuring that the children make good progress. In the very good lessons, teachers used their knowledge of how young children learn to provide a range of interesting, first hand experiences which excite and interest the children, motivating them to work hard and make good progress in their learning. Occasionally, however, the pace of lessons is too slow and children are insufficiently engaged in active learning. In one Reception class, for example, the teacher’s management of children’s activities and behaviour allows a high noise level that disturbs many children’s concentration.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

Teachers plan to cover all the Foundation Stage curriculum areas of learning and support staff are suitably deployed, enabling them to give the children good support. There is a good balance between direct teaching and allowing the children the freedom to learn through play. Nursery Nurse students in training make a good contribution to the quality of education provided, as do the parents who help in the Nursery.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Teaching in English and mathematics lessons is good overall, though it is generally stronger in Year 2. A strong feature of all lessons is in the teachers’ good questioning skills, which encourage pupils to think and explain their answers, improving their understanding, particularly in mathematics. In most classes, good routines have been established for the literacy and numeracy sessions. These allow the pupils to work independently, choosing resources for themselves when they need them. In literacy lessons, teachers use very good texts to interest and enthuse the pupils. For example, the teacher used a ‘big book’ dictionary to illustrate how word meanings are explained. The format was replicated in the pupils’ resources, and as they worked, a number referred independently to the model prepared by the teacher. However, the choice of stories for Year 1 and 2 pupils to retell drew heavily during the inspection

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on the traditional fairy stories of princesses and girls lost in the woods. This narrow range does not appeal equally to all pupils, and more variety is needed to ensure that all pupils, and particularly boys, are motivated to work and learn.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. An important feature of the teaching and learning is the good relationships fostered by the staff. These give the pupils the confidence to ask for help when needed, and encourage them to try hard without worrying about making mistakes. During one literacy lesson, for example, members of the Liverpool Football Club arrived, bearing the FA and UEFA Cups, and the Charity Shield. After a short but exciting opportunity for pupils to appreciate and be photographed with the trophies, the teacher allowed them sufficient time to talk about the experience and calm down. She then used refocusing techniques skilfully, and because of the strong teaching-learning relationship between her and the pupils, they returned to the original lesson focus with concentration and renewed interest.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. In the lessons which are less than good, activities are not always well matched to the age and understanding of the pupils. For example, in a Year 1 mathematics lesson, the problem-solving activity was too abstract and insufficiently practical. The pupils lost interest and concentration, which slowed their progress. Similarly, the work in Blackmoor Park Infants - 16 - February 2002 pupils’ science books shows that there are variations in the quality of teaching across the classes and year groups, including too much reliance on commercial worksheets.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. In the best science lessons, however, good teaching sets the learning within contexts that have meaning for the pupils, and the lessons include good opportunities for them to develop their scientific enquiry skills. In a lesson about the strength of materials, for example, pupils had to find a suitable material to protect a compact disk, by finding their own ways of testing the different materials’ strength. The teacher supported them effectively to decide appropriate criteria for their choices.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. The staff know their pupils well, and their day-to-day decisions based on their understanding of pupils’ progress help them set appropriate tasks to continue their learning. However, the marking of pupils’ recorded work is inconsistent. Some teachers make good use of written comments to note pupils’ achievement and progress but most marking makes little direct response to the work and does not always say what pupils need to do to improve. Consequently, the pupils and parents do not always have a clear idea what progress is being made in the subject.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. The quality of teaching in art and design lessons is good, as at the last inspection, with a good emphasis on the direct teaching of skills. Good use is made of sketch- books for pupils to practise and learn different techniques. Sound use is made of ICT to enhance pupils’ learning by using a paint program to design Mexican masks for their geography topic. In ICT, the teachers have worked hard in training sessions to be able to support their pupils well in all aspects of the subject. However, most of the teaching of ICT takes place in the computer suite, where there is insufficient room for more than half a class at a time. The school has not yet worked out how best to allow the pupils appropriate access to this resource, and to continue to make good use of the classroom computers. Music lessons are delivered through a programme of taped lessons in order to support staff who are not musicians. Pupils often become

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

restless in these lessons, and many lose interest when the teacher does not intervene to emphasise the musical language and to move the lesson on.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. All teachers ensure the safety of their pupils in PE lessons, and manage the pupils well. They ensure that the pupils value exercise, and have a good range of activities to strengthen and improve their skills. However, in some lessons, the teachers do not have high enough expectations of the pupils’ performance.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The school provides a good curriculum. It is broad and balanced and emphasises sufficiently the development of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. The curriculum in the Nursery and Reception classes is well planned to support the children’s progress towards the nationally agreed early learning goals for each area of learning, with appropriate emphasis on personal, social and emotional development. In Years 1 and 2, the school provides a good quality curriculum, which provides appropriate opportunities for pupils to make good progress in most areas of the National Curriculum programmes of study. However, in ICT, the opportunities offered to the pupils are restricted by the way in which the computer suite is used. In PE, the curriculum has some imbalance and provides insufficient opportunities for pupils to use the large apparatus. Design and technology is still a low priority, as it was at the

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last inspection, although pupils’ standards have improved.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The school has made considerable improvements to curricular planning since the last inspection but there are still deficiencies in some subjects. The planning systems for Blackmoor Park Infants - 17 - February 2002 literacy and numeracy work well to provide appropriate breadth and balance to meet all pupils’ needs. Although a nominal scheme of work exists for all subjects, the schemes of work in subjects such as science and PE are still not specific enough to ensure that pupils in all classes receive the same opportunities to help them build on previous learning. This is because there is no overview of the whole curriculum structure to ensure that all pupils cover all subjects and skills consistently.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. Since the last inspection, the school has done a great deal to improve and enrich curricular provision. Drama workshops are of good quality and greatly enhance the pupils’ speaking and listening skills. In a dramatic interpretation of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’, for example, the pupils learned very effectively how to narrate, and how to vary their voice level and tone to create dramatic effects. The introduction of French lessons throughout the school has had the effect of broadening the pupils’ awareness and understanding of other cultures. Tennis coaching in Year 2 has extended the breadth of experience provided in games, and has given the pupils access to good quality equipment.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The curriculum now places more emphasis on challenging higher attaining pupils, particularly in literacy and numeracy lessons. The improvement in standards of reading, writing and science, particularly in the number of pupils reaching higher than expected levels, owes much to the improved curriculum provision. At the time of the last inspection, the National Numeracy Strategy was still not satisfactorily implemented. This situation has now been rectified and both the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are fully in place. Literacy skills are promoted well in other curriculum areas, but there is still scope for improvement in the promotion of numeracy skills, particularly measurement and data handling, through subjects such as science, design technology and geography. The school makes satisfactory provision for health and drugs education. The policy for sex education has now been completed and submitted to parents for approval, receiving a largely positive

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31. The committed and hardworking teaching staff give much of their own time to provide the pupils with a good programme of extra-curricular activities which appropriately complement learning in lessons. These activities are planned in response to the interests of the pupils and provide an appropriate balance of music, science and computer groups. The school goes to great lengths to provide access for all pupils who wish to be involved, creating extra sessions as the need arises.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The school extends pupils’ learning very effectively through a comprehensive and well-balanced programme of visits. The visits to a Synagogue and St Paul’s Roman Catholic Church successfully promote a better understanding of contrasting belief systems. Year 1 pupils visit Alder Hey Children’s Hospital ‘Well Teddy’ clinic; this makes a very strong contribution to their personal and health education. Pupils in Year 2 gain greatly from their visit to the John Moores’ University ‘PE day’ and the whole school’s visit to the Formby Squirrel Sanctuary makes a valuable contribution to their awareness of environmental concerns. In addition, the wide range of visitors invited into school gives the pupils a broader social and cultural view of their world. These have included police and fire personnel, railway safety promotion and a puppet theatre group.

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33. The links with other schools in the area are productive in supporting the pupils’ personal and social development. A satisfactory relationship exists with the junior school and this ensures that transition from Year 2 to Year 3 is as smooth as possible for the pupils. Good links have been developed between the special needs co-ordinators from the two schools and this facilitates the effective transmission of Blackmoor Park Infants - 18 - February 2002 information about pupils. The good links that exist with local secondary schools contribute well in areas such as sport and culture.

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34. The school is successful in implementing the governors’ policy for equality of opportunity. All pupils, regardless of gender, race, ability or background, have equal access to the curriculum, although full access to ICT still needs careful monitoring to ensure that all pupils have opportunities for direct access to computers. In lessons, teachers are particularly sensitive to equal opportunities issues. For example, in question and answer sessions they ensure that all pupils have opportunities to make a contribution, and are particularly careful to ensure that both boys and girls are equally involved in lessons. Pupils for whom English is not the home language are given good opportunities to share their ideas and the needs of pupils with special needs are taken into account.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The school makes good provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education. This is provided through personal, social and health education lessons, and through subjects such as science, healthy eating and religious education. The school handles the subjects of sex and drugs’ awareness sensitively and within a moral and social framework appropriate to the level of the children’s maturity. Assemblies and incidental opportunities that arise during the course of the day enhance and reinforce pupils’ personal development. The school has continued to work hard with some success since the last inspection to improve the provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, and has improved significantly since the last inspection, particularly provision for moral development, which is very good. Pupils’ spiritual development is very effectively promoted through assemblies, and some lessons, most notably English, science, music, PE and RE. There are good opportunities in lessons and assemblies for pupils to focus and reflect upon aspects of their own lives and those of others, and to consider things that are special to them. Pupils show very good levels of respect in collective acts of worship, and join in the singing of hymns and the recitation of prayers with thought and sincerity. A particularly sensitive occasion was observed when pupils were invited by their class teacher to choose the theme for the prayers and explain why these were important to them.

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37. Pupils’ social and moral development is successfully promoted in a number of ways. The school has a clearly stated code of behaviour that provides a useful framework to guide pupils’ actions. Most pupils have a very good sense of right and wrong, and occasional instances of unacceptable behaviour are handled in a firm but understanding manner: pupils are encouraged by the staff to acknowledge the consequence of their actions. Pupils in Year 2 are expected to look after younger pupils, and they generally respond very well.

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38. The school successfully raises pupils’ self esteem and this pride in achievement is evident when pupils receive either individual or class merit awards during assemblies. Pupils take responsibility from an early age in performing small tasks around the school, such as returning the registers to the office. Pupils support a wide range of charities and learn the importance of helping those less fortunate than themselves.

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39. Provision for cultural development is steadily improving. The school is aware of the need to prepare the pupils for life in a multicultural society, and every opportunity is used effectively during lessons to make pupils aware of cultural diversity. The school ensures that there are displays and artefacts available in classes and communal Blackmoor Park Infants - 19 - February 2002 areas. A particularly attractive display of multicultural development was illustrated by the wishing of a Happy New Year to pupils in a wide range of languages including French, Urdu, Chinese and Hebrew. The curriculum is extended to incorporate some very good examples of teaching pupils French, and learning dramatic techniques such as how to create sound effects and effective narration.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. This is a very caring and supportive school where pupils’ development is nurtured in a positive manner. There is a strong, positive ethos of care throughout the school. It is a high priority with all members of staff, both teaching and non-teaching, that pupils are known and valued as important individuals. These levels of care and guidance have been maintained and, in some instances, improved since the time of the last inspection.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Good arrangements are in place for child protection. The named teacher responsible undertakes this role in a professional, dedicated and sensitive manner. Clear systems are in place and all staff understand the procedures to be adopted as required. Regular health and safety audits are carried out throughout the year. Two members of staff hold first aid certificates which are updated on a regular basis. There is an appropriate, active and well documented procedure for contacting parents and carers in the event of accidents or pupils becoming unwell whilst at school. This was put into action smoothly and effectively during the inspection.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Pupils’ personal development is monitored satisfactorily on an informal basis, as teachers know their pupils well. However, the school does not have formal measures in place for monitoring and tracking pupils’ personal development, unless their behaviour or attitudes are a cause for concern , in which case they are carefully monitored by the special educational needs co-ordinator. Very good procedures are in place for monitoring and promoting good behaviour, and teachers make very good use of praise and sanctions in class. Pupils respond well to the system of merit points which are awarded for achievement, good behaviour or acts of kindness to others. The school’s system of rewards and sanctions is used consistently in all classes. This means that pupils know exactly what is expected of them, and what constitutes preferred or unacceptable behaviour.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The school provides good general levels of support for pupils with special educational needs, although targets in some individual education plans are not sufficiently precise, and this sometimes makes it difficult for teachers to match work closely to pupils’ individual needs.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The school’s overall rate of attendance is below the national average. The procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are satisfactory, and have led to improved attendance levels since the last inspection. The school is aware of the fluctuating rates of attendance and is treating this aspect of school life seriously.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Satisfactory procedures are in place for assessing the pupils’ attainment and progress. The arrangements for assessment in the nursery and reception classes, and in the key areas of literacy and numeracy in Years 1 and 2, are good. A carefully planned programme of statutory and non-statutory testing yields useful information about the effectiveness of curriculum provision and the progress made by individual pupils and groups. The results of statutory testing in English and mathematics are analysed carefully and used to set whole school targets and to make adjustments to the curriculum. However, there is scope for further improvement in the way assessment information is used, particularly in providing for pupils of lower ability. Blackmoor Park Infants - 20 - February 2002 The school has recently begun to use individual target setting in reading, writing and mathematics. Although these targets are shared with parents, they are not yet

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consistently shared with the pupils. This reduces the impact of the targets as the pupils do not have sufficient understanding of what they need to do to move forward. In Years 1 and 2, teachers’ marking is effective in recognising what pupils have achieved, but is less consistent in identifying areas for improvement and setting new challenges. In the core subjects, good use is made of information gathered from the lesson evaluations to inform the next stage of teaching and learning, but its use is inconsistent in other subjects.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The monitoring of pupils’ academic progress is satisfactory in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. The school has recently begun to explore the use of a computerised tracking system in order to monitor the progress of individuals more efficiently. There are satisfactory systems in place in some of the other subjects, notably science and information communication technology. However, there is scope for strengthening the current arrangements for recording pupils’ progress in the other subjects of the curriculum, where arrangements are not sufficiently systematic at present.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Overall, the partnership between the school and parents is satisfactory, and improved since the last inspection. Parents expressed their appreciation of the standards reached by pupils and the progress that is made. Views expressed in the pre-inspection questionnaire, at the meeting held prior to the inspection and discussions with parents during the inspection all support the view that there is a high level of appreciation for the dedication and effort shown by the teaching staff and support staff. However, many parents feel that whilst class teachers are easy to approach at any time, the headteacher is less approachable or accessible to them. This was investigated thoroughly by the inspection team and their findings support the views of those parents who feel that they are not listened to. This is an area that has still not been fully addressed since the last inspection.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Parents’ involvement in their children’s education is satisfactory, and there are instances where this has a positive impact on their attainment and learning. Many parents help in classrooms throughout the school and provide valuable support. Class teachers appreciate this commitment and parents confirm that they are well guided and supported in their efforts, and feel confident in the work they undertake. Many have undertaken ‘Parents as Educator’ courses within the school. These are popular and well organised. Parents feel that these courses help them in the work they carry out in school and at home with their children.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The quality of information provided for parents is satisfactory overall. The school keeps them informed of activities, news and general information by means of regular newsletters. The governors’ annual report to parents meets statutory requirements. Meetings for parents are held twice during the academic year and provide the opportunity to discuss their child’s progress. The end-of-year reports offer basic factual information on pupils’ progress. However, some of the comments are very general and could be improved to reflect individual children’s progress more specifically and include targets for improvement.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. There is a home-school agreement in place, which has been accepted by the majority of parents. A high proportion of parents who responded to the inspection questionnaire or attended the meeting held to discuss their views of the school felt that the school provided a satisfactory level of homework, although a small number of Blackmoor Park Infants - 21 - February 2002 parents voiced the opinion that they would appreciate more guidance about how to support their children at home.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. There is a very good Parents’ Council which has only recently been formed and to date has held three meetings. However, the Council has been extremely active and productive, and has established a valuable resource for the future in linking the concerns and requirements that parents present to the school. It is intended that these will all be given equal consideration and prioritised for discussion at each meeting. The results and actions will be published, in the initial stages, by means of an information from the Council sheet to all parents. This will eventually involve information technology in the access network for parents who may wish to gain updated information by means of the school’s website. The parents on the Council and the headteacher have done well to take this positive lead to improve their mutual understanding of important issues.

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