Rose Green Infant School

ROSE GREEN INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 20 th – 24 th November 2000

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ROSE GREEN INFANT 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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ROSE GREEN INFANT SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Hawkins Close Bognor Regis West Sussex

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 4

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responsibilities

Mrs J Nelson Registered inspector Mathematics Art Design & technology The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils’ taught? Mrs J Baxter Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Mr M Ward Team inspector Science Information and communication technology (ICT) Physical education Religious education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

Mr R Allen Team inspector English Music How well is the school led and managed? Ms H Rask Team inspector Foundation Stage Geography History Special educational needs Equal opportunities How well does the school care for its pupils?

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responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 5 WES World-wide Education Service Canada House 272 Field End Road Eastcote Middlesex HA4 9NA

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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 Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 6

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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? 12

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 28

Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Rose Green Infant School serves its local community on the western outskirts of Bognor Regis. It is a school of average size with 203 pupils attending full-time and a further 49 four year olds attending part-time. Seventy-two pupils under six started the Foundation Stage of their education this September. The children are of broadly average ability when they start school. They usually have pre-school experience and assessments show that their literacy skills are less advanced than the local authority average and their number skills a little better than the average. Pupils are mainly of white and European origin and come from a broad mix of social and economic backgrounds, with below average eligibility for free school meals. Just over a fifth of pupils are on the school’s special educational needs register which is in line with the national average. These pupils mainly have difficulties with literacy skills and one

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

pupil has a Statement of Special Educational Need.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Rose Green Infant School is very effective and provides very good value for money. High standards are achieved through very good teaching, hard work and high expectations. The school’s very special community ethos is fostered through exceptional leadership from the headteacher, excellent teamwork and exceedingly good care for pupils’ welfare.

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What the school does well

• Standards are consistently above average in English, mathematics and science assessments when pupils reach age seven. Standards are better than expected in many other subjects. Pupils’ use of literacy skills in other subjects is very good. • Teaching is very good overall with some outstanding teaching in Reception and Year 2. • A very good curriculum is provided with stimulating activities and visits that capture pupils’ interest. • The headteacher provides excellent leadership with a very clear vision for the direction of the school’s work, resulting in high standards and the development of a learning environment of exceptional quality. • Pupils are extremely well cared for and very good support is provided for their personal development. • The involvement of many of its parents in school, and the warmth of partnership between school and home, are important strengths.

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What could be improved

No major matters related to standards of achievement or the quality of education have been found for improvement. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in April 1996 when it was found to be a very good school. Standards in national tests over a period of several years have exceeded the national average for both boys and girls, although last year there was a slight dip in English standards in tests, and boys did not perform quite as well as girls in these. The school has made good improvement on the matters that were identified as issues in 1996. Handwriting skills are now of a good standard when pupils reach seven years old. The school has a detailed science portfolio of pupils’ work, as was required by a key issue, that shows the standards achieved. The provision for information and communication technology (ICT) has been improved and pupils are taught the full range of applications expected in the National Curriculum. The quality of teaching has risen since the last inspection. Most recently the school has been Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Page No: 8 concentrating on further improving writing and spelling standards. Inspection evidence notes that useful new initiatives are under way for this.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Similar schools are those with up to and including eight per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals

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STANDARDS

By the end of the Foundation Stage at age five, most children are achieving as expected in literacy and better than expected in early mathematics development. Their personal and social development, creative and physical skills are better than average. The results of national tests for seven year olds in 2000 were above the national average in reading and writing and well above average in mathematics. Pupils achieved the targets set by the school for English and exceeded the targets for mathematics. Comparisons with similar schools show that results were close to the norm in English but well above average in mathematics. Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ science skills indicated that these too were well above the national average. Pupils’ performance in tests at the higher Level 3 was above the national average in reading and writing and well above it in mathematics. Reading and writing standards, although above the national average, have declined over the past four years

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STANDARDS

compared to a nationally improving trend. The reasons have been analysed and robust new strategies have been established to reverse the trend. In mathematics the trend is a rising one and similar to the national picture. Many pupils now in Year 2 are achieving well in English, mathematics and science, and are on track to gain the expected standards or better in 2001. There is a significant minority of pupils with special educational needs in this cohort and the school recognises that this will have an impact on the overall standards it achieves next year. Pupils make particularly good progress in using their reading skills to find out facts in other subjects. In mathematics, they learn well, become quick at adding small numbers together and show a good ability to explain the way they have worked out answers. Year 2 pupils are reaching standards better than those expected for their age in art, history,

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STANDARDS

geography, physical education and religious education. Pupils build up their art skills particularly well and older pupils’ observational drawings are very precise and pictures carefully painted. Attainment in design and technology, and ICT skills are as expected for pupils of this age. Not enough music activities were seen in the inspection to make a fair judgement on standards.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Aspect Comment Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 9 Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are attentive and enthusiastic about their lessons. They settle quickly to work, collaborate well and are keen to do their best and please their teachers.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils understand how the school expects them to behave and teachers rarely need to intervene to remind them about behaviour. They are exceptionally sensible during wet play and lunchtimes when they have to remain in class.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Excellent. Pupils have extremely good relationships with each other, their teachers and all the other adults who care for them and work with them in school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Lessons start promptly and no time is wasted. Important strengths are the confidence, initiative and independence that pupils develop as they move through the school. This is seen in the way all pupils use the library independently and older ones work collaboratively, taking responsibility to manage aspects of the school environment.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall: Very Good Very Good

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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 is very good overall and is a key factor in the success pupils have in their learning. There was no unsatisfactory teaching, and 89 per cent was good or better. Forty-eight per cent was very good or excellent. Some outstanding teaching was seen in the reception classes and Year 2. Teachers have successfully developed new approaches to teaching literacy and numeracy and the results can be seen in the standards pupils are achieving, for instance in the development of writing and spelling skills. The teaching of English through other subjects, such as history and geography, is particularly skilled and is leading pupils to good gains in knowledge, high standards of writing and very good development of speaking and listening skills. Older pupils are encouraged to find information, present this orally with confidence and to question each other about the findings. Pupils who are capable of higher attainment are well challenged in their lessons and particularly in the

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

sets for spelling development and ICT. Individuals who have particular talents, such as in art, make very good progress as the skills of the subject are carefully taught. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported by knowledgeable assistants who help them focus on activities suited to their needs. Teachers have excellent class management skills and this is reflected in calm yet busy classes where pupils are learning very well. Teachers plan and evaluate pupils’ learning very thoroughly in year group teams. They prepare interesting activities and present new ideas in lively ways that make pupils enthusiastic about their learning.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Aspect Comment Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 10 The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The Foundation Stage and the Key Stage 1 curricula are broad, very interesting and very well organised. Important strengths are the very good links that teachers make between subjects, and the visits and visitors that enrich the curriculum.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. These pupils’ needs are well met with support in class and, where appropriate, with individual teaching. The organisation of the documents relating to special educational needs requires some improvement.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Very good provision overall. A warm family atmosphere is apparent across the school enabling young pupils to gain confidence in their dealings with each other and adults. Provision for social development is excellent, through initiatives that help pupils care for the environment and others less fortunate than themselves.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Pupils are extremely well cared for. Problems are dealt with sensitively and swiftly. There are good procedures for tracking pupils’ progress in learning.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school places a very high priority on working in partnership with parents. They have confidence in the school and a large number regularly help in classes. There are frequent, well-supported events for families, as well as meetings about children’s progress. An important strength is the way the school’s Eco-School status permeates all it does. This special environmental focus, established by the headteacher, enriches the curriculum and involves pupils, parents and the community to great effect. The organisation of visits to places of cultural and religious interest, and of artists and visitors to the school, all play a significant part in promoting citizenship and pupils’ spiritual, cultural and multi-cultural understanding .

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff There is an outstanding, professional team that is very well led by an excellent headteacher and her able deputy. There is a sense of common purpose, and new initiatives and challenges are tackled very positively.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is very supportive. It fulfils its role well, gathers information through its committee system about the school’s performance and identifies areas for improvement. A high number of governors gain insights into the school’s work by helping in classes.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has successfully used a range of measures to reflect on its performance and achievements. Good use has been made of the school development plan to organise improvements but its format needs some refinements; for instance, the budget implications of its priorities for improvement are often omitted.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school’s finances are used well to meet its priorities, and money is set aside for major projects. The governing body ensures that the school gains best value when new resources are purchased.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school is justifiably proud of its Eco-School status and its grounds are a testament to the work that has been undertaken to achieve this. The accommodation is sufficient and the learning environment is of exceptional quality with delightful displays that stimulate pupils’ Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 11 interest and celebrate their work. There is a very good range of resources for all subjects. Key reasons for the school’s success are the headteacher’s vision for the direction of its work and the way all staff work together with clear purpose, as a team, for the good of the pupils. The school community is highly successful in meeting all its aims for pupils’ academic and personal development.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The good teaching • It is easy to approach the school when there are problems • The school is well led and managed • Pupils are well cared for, behave well and are expected to work hard • The school works closely with parents and pupils get the right amount of work to do at home Three parents had concerns about: • The West Sussex admissions procedure • The times of meetings for working parents • The expense of school activities

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with all the positive views held by parents. The team found that the school is consulting with other local schools in preparations for alterations to the admissions procedure in September 2001. Parents’ views about meeting arrangements have been canvassed in the past and the preference found was for afternoon meetings. Parents are informed of the policy for charging for activities and visits in the prospectus and the school makes similar arrangements to those found in most schools, which meet statutory requirements. Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 12

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The school’s results and achievements

1. Children start school with broadly average abilities compared to others in West Sussex. Assessments made soon after the start of the reception year indicate that speaking and listening skills are usually quite good but early reading and writing skills are less advanced than average and early number skills are a little better than average.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. Progress in the reception classes is generally very good as the teaching is usually very good. The partnership between support assistants and teachers is very effective in providing interesting activities. At this early stage in the academic year, when two- thirds of pupils are still attending school part time, most are on course to achieve the Early Learning Goals in reading and writing and many have already achieved these in mathematics. The children’s personal and social development is good. Most demonstrate greater levels of independence and confidence than are typical for children of this age.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. Very good practical activities and excellent relationships between the children and the adults encourage the children to explore the world around them and to reach or exceed these Early Learning Goals. The children’s creative development is good and they achieve well in their art and craft. The children enjoy their sessions in the hall with small apparatus, and make good progress in their physical development. The excellent outdoor facilities and equipment for outdoor activities enable the good progress.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. In the year 2000 tests the school’s results were above the national average in reading and writing and well above the national average in mathematics. The pupils achieved typical results in reading and writing compared with pupils in schools that have similar characteristics, and they reached much higher standards in mathematics. All pupils reached the level expected of seven year olds (Level 2) in mathematics, and in reading and writing 88 per cent and 89 per cent respectively achieve the expected level. In reading and writing the proportion of pupils who reached a higher level (Level 3) was above the national average and well above average in mathematics. In both reading and writing the girls outperformed the boys, as is the case nationally, although the boys still did better than the boys in most other schools. Pupils’ performance in the statutory assessments in reading, writing and mathematics has been above the

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The school’s results and achievements

national average over the past five years. However, the trend over that time has been for reading and writing standards to decline from very high standards achieved in 1996, unlike the national trend that is rising. Mathematics standards have fluctuated between above average and well above average over this time, but the overall trend is rising and similar to the national one. The school has identified several reasons for the declining standards in reading and writing.

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The school’s results and achievements

More pupils start the school with limited early literacy skills than used to be the case and there has been an increase in pupils moving to the school part of the way through Key Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 13 Stage 1; the school changed its way of teaching reading to match national guidance two years ago, but is now using new approaches in order to reverse the trend.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. There are no statutory tests in science for seven year olds and teachers make the assessments. In 2000, this showed that almost all pupils reached Level 2, which was a much higher proportion than in most schools. The proportion who reached the higher Level 3 was also well above the national average. Overall, in science, pupils in Rose Green had the typical performance of pupils in similar schools.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. Inspection, including scrutiny of folders from last year and portfolios, found standards of pupils’ work to be above average. The school sets challenging targets in English and mathematics, based on a suitable analysis of assessment information, for its pupils. Last year these were achieved in English and exceeded in mathematics. In order to raise standards further in English it has reverted to previous practice where pupils read frequently and individually to adults. Teachers have also been trained to teach a more intensive phonics programme than that in the National Literacy Strategy and pupils have been set by ability for these sessions.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. In English, standards are, overall, above average. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are very well developed. In lessons they listen attentively to teachers and follow discussions carefully. In all lessons there are frequent opportunities for oral work and pupils show good confidence in expressing their views and joining in discussions. Pupils achieve well in reading, and standards for the present Year 2 are above average, and often very good. They read widely and competently, and they are enthusiastic about the stories and books they read. A particular strength is the amount of reading they do to gather information in geography and history. Progress in writing is good and the pupils achieve well by the age of seven, with some examples of outstanding work seen. Pupils understand how different styles of writing are used for different purposes, and there are many examples in the books, of pupils who

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The school’s results and achievements

completed Year 2 last year, of lengthy well-written factual accounts of events, as well as stories. In handwriting, standards are good. The development of cursive script was a key issue at the last inspection and now the oldest pupils usually have a confident cursive writing style.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Standards of numeracy are good because basic skills are well taught and by Year 2 pupils have a very thorough understanding of the number system. Their skills in mental calculation are developing particularly well and average and above-average pupils are adept at using these skills to perform calculations in their heads. Standards in other aspects of mathematics – shape, space and measures and handling information − judged on work from last year’s Year 2 pupils, are above average and teachers effectively develop pupils’ skills in these areas through other subjects such as art and science. For example, pupils measure, calculate and record their science investigations in tables and graphs.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. In science, many pupils attain standards that are higher than expected for their age and their work on the environment is a particular strength. In their practical work they are developing good skills of scientific enquiry as seen in the investigations they pursued on circuits. Pupils achieve the standards expected in ICT by the end of Year 2. Progress is satisfactory across all the elements of the subject. A good feature is the way pupils are using ICT to enhance work in other subjects, such as using an art package linked to work on famous artists.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. Pupils have very good opportunities to develop their skills and talents in art. The standards of work seen on display in art are better than expected for pupils for this age, because the curriculum is very well organised and pupils build up their skills Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 14 consistently, and very well, from their earliest days in Reception. Pupils’ artwork is lively, imaginative and demonstrates a very good achievement in the understanding of the use of colour, materials and techniques to produce different effects. In design and technology pupils produce designs that are thoughtful, take care in making models and learn to evaluate their work, all to the standards expected.

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The school’s results and achievements

11. In history, by the age seven, pupils’ work shows that they are achieving very well and have above average knowledge and understanding of how lifestyles have changed over time, and of the impact of changes, on the local area. Pupils’ long, well-written accounts of life in a past time are often exceptionally good for their age as they write with personal feeling about being chamber maids or gardeners. In geography, the standard of pupils’ work is better than expected for their age too and skills acquisition is very good. Year 2 pupils amass lots of knowledge about Africa. Teachers plan carefully to ensure that pupils make good progress in developing their skills in map- work, through field studies and looking at maps and globes showing places further afield.

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The school’s results and achievements

12. In the physical education activities seen, standards exceeded those usually seen for this age group. In gymnastic sessions, Year 2 pupils’ movements were agile and controlled and they were well motivated by lively teaching. They showed a good ability to evaluate their own work and that of others when answering questions to help them do better. Not enough variety of music, such as playing instruments or composition activities, was observed to make a secure judgement on standards. Standards of singing, are typical for pupils of this age.

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The school’s results and achievements

13. The school has maintained the good standards seen at the time of the last inspection in religious education. By Year 2, scrutiny of work shows that pupils have a good understanding of religious practices, and their knowledge of beliefs and values is appropriate for their age.

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The school’s results and achievements

14. Pupils are achieving well, and often very well as they move through the school, particularly because they are attaining better than expected standards by age seven in eight of the eleven subjects that they are taught. The achievements and progress of pupils with special educational needs are good overall. The support for them is usually well focused to complement whole-class teaching. A reflection of this success is that even though the school has a fifth of pupils on the special educational needs register, many of these gain the expected standards in English and mathematics at the end of Year 2. Pupils who have specific talents, for example in English and ICT, are being provided with demanding work.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Over the years the school has established some extremely sensitive and thoughtful induction arrangements for new children. These result in three reception classes of children who are keen to come to school, who make friends quickly, who soon adapt to routines and whose attitudes are positive from the outset. They feel safe and secure in their new surroundings, greet visitors warmly and immediately start to make progress in a very stimulating and caring environment.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The very positive attitudes of these youngest children are mirrored throughout the school. Pupils arrive in good time every morning, get out their books as soon as they sit down and start to work independently before registers are taken. They relish their lessons and particularly enjoy purposeful research tasks as, for example, when Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 15 investigating life in Africa. They concentrate extremely well and attention seldom wanders, due to high quality teaching that sustains their interest throughout lessons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Standards of behaviour are very good and these have been maintained since the last inspection. There have been no exclusions in the school’s history. In the playground and attractive school grounds pupils play happily and collaboratively together making their own games and entertainment. Bullying was not observed at any time during the inspection. The school had more than its fair share of wet playtimes during the inspection week. Behaviour at these times was exemplary, particularly in view of the fact that with no provision for hot meals, all pupils eat their packed lunches in the classrooms daily. Pupils were seen to play board and other games quietly and many chose to carry on with work, such as developing mapping skills or researching projects.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils’ personal development is excellent, as is the quality of relationships throughout this warmly inclusive school. The level of caring is impressive without being sycophantic. Pupils are expected to look out for each other and to take responsibility for tasks and duties to contribute to the smooth running of the school day. At an early age they are also expected to understand the importance of good citizenship within the school community. Pupils are friendly and courteous to each other and to visitors. They respect their teachers and all the adults who help and support them in the school. The contributions of their friends are clearly valued in plenary sessions when they listen very well to one another. When working together they understand the need to co-operate as, for example, when in a Year 2 class, six groups took part in a quiz about Africa. Even as the excitement and tension mounted, pupils still considered

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

each other’s views. As they wrestled with the answers they quickly became aware of the consequences of group decisions that were not always correct, discovering that all they were going to receive from adults present was encouragement but no overt help with the answers.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. The Friday special assembly is a very important part of the school community’s week. Pupils all strive to receive the weekly rewards and certificates for achieving milestones in learning. They value highly their rewards and walk out to receive them with pride, excitement and confidence. This occasion is a celebration of achievement. Pupils are given opportunities to show initiative, as in this assembly where one pupil had made a cardboard post-box which he was going to put in a prominent place in the school, and confidently asked pupils to collect used stamps for this year’s Blue Peter appeal.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. Pupils’ enthusiasm for coming to school results in a rate of attendance that is good and above the national average. The amount of holiday leave taken in term time is unusually low due to the school’s insistence that any holidays taken over and above the discretionary ten days is counted as unauthorised absence. 21. The good rate of attendance, together with the very good behaviour and excellent personal development and relationships throughout the school, all combine to make a very significant contribution to pupils’ achievements and successes.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The quality of teaching is very good overall and is promoting high standards and good overall achievement for pupils. Nine out of ten lessons demonstrated good or better Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 16 teaching. In five out of ten lessons the teaching was very good or excellent. Of the rest of the teaching, one in ten lessons was satisfactory and there was no unsatisfactory teaching. There is even more very high quality teaching now than there was at the previous inspection and almost one in ten lessons demonstrated outstanding teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Teaching for the children in the Foundation Stage is very good. Seven out of ten lessons were taught very well or outstandingly. The excellent management of the children ensures orderly, calm classrooms in which they learn to listen and follow instructions very well. Teachers and support assistants work very effectively together. They understand the needs of young children, to which the support is carefully matched. Basic skills are taught very effectively, as seen in sessions that were developing children’s knowledge of initial sounds in literacy and patterns in numeracy. This is resulting in good learning by pupils. Assessment records are very thorough and built up steadily to give a comprehensive picture of children’s development. 24. At Key Stage 1, overall, the teaching is very good and particularly strong in Year 2. There are important strengths in the basic skills teaching in English and mathematics

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and this is a key reason for pupils’ good acquisition of reading, writing and numeracy skills. Teachers are using new strategies for teaching these subjects effectively and teach lively, purposeful introductory parts to these lessons, which capture pupils’ interest. Their questioning techniques are often very skilful in exploring pupils’ understanding of the ideas being taught. A strength is the way they target pupils for questions that are pitched at the correct level for their prior attainment. For example, in three well-taught mathematics lessons the teachers set a quick pace during the mental section and ensured that the higher attaining pupils were challenged with questions into the hundreds, but that those with limited skills were not left out and had plenty of questions on number bonds to ten. In the few lessons where teaching was satisfactory rather than good the lesson pace was slower, questions were less

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

probing and the interactions between the teacher and pupils were less purposeful. 25. Planning for literacy and mathematics is usually very good and identifies clearly different activities to match the differing prior attainment of pupils. All teachers are very skilled at introducing new phonic sounds and blends. For instance, they employ a simple but very effective technique of teaching pupils to use their fingers to show they know the number of phonemes in different words. A strength is the attention which teachers pay to developing pupils’ vocabularies and confidence in explaining their ideas. Teachers emphasise the correct language during most lessons, as seen in the geography lessons on Africa. This emphasis on language gives pupils confidence in talking about their work. Teachers have high expectations of the amounts of work pupils will complete. Usually they rise to this challenge, although in some

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

mathematics lessons Year 2 pupils could be expected to complete more sums. Pupils are usually expected to record work for themselves. This is a strength, which is developing their literacy skills in the wider curriculum. This is apparent in the quantity and quality of the written work in science, history and geography produced last year by Year 2 pupils. An exceptionally good feature is the way teachers ensure pupils develop their literacy skills in these and other subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. The teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils are usually provided with work that matches their specific needs, particularly in English, where pupils are placed in small sets for phonic and spelling activities. Teachers identify those pupils in their classes with particular talents and tailor their work accordingly. Excellent use is made of learning support assistants, parent helpers and other volunteers. They are briefed very well about what pupils are expected to learn and how they can help. Liaison between assistants and teachers is very good, and Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 17 assistants are very skilled at the work they are involved in. They have notebooks in which to record key points about pupils’ learning and use these effectively.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. A very good feature is the close co-operation between year group teachers when planning. They regularly discuss what pupils have experienced, to plan the future work. The short-term plans are thorough with precise learning objectives and linked carefully to the termly plans. There is much effective teaching in the non-core subjects, which is promoting very good learning in lessons. The teaching in geography is particularly good and a key factor in the high standards that the pupils achieve. Teachers generally have good or very good knowledge of subjects, which is reflected in their teaching. For example, they effectively link investigative work in science with activities in mathematics. The good variety of interesting practical work, as seen in history and art, makes learning very enjoyable for pupils. 28. Teachers’ management of pupils is excellent, they use praise and encouragement very well to make pupils feel valued, and their expectations of good behaviour are well

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

understood. These features contribute extensively to the pupils’ pace of working, as pupils understand the importance of being attentive and concentrating on their activities. There are very productive working atmospheres in all classes and very good use of resources to support pupils’ learning. 29. Teachers keep good records of pupils’ learning. They have a very good appreciation of the different stages of learning pupils have reached and use informal methods to gauge pupils’ understanding in lessons. Group targets are set for pupils in English and mathematics. Some teachers have gone a stage further to involve pupils in individual target setting that will help them understand what they need to do to improve; there is scope for this to be done by others. Marking is used soundly as an assessment tool. Teachers provide a reasonable range of homework, mainly linked to literacy and mathematics class work in line with the school’s policy. All pupils are

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

expected to read at home and older pupils are guided to undertake other activities. This has a good impact on their literacy and numeracy development.

p.17

PUPILS?

30. All pupils benefit from a broad range of worthwhile activities in an extremely rich and stimulating curriculum. This is enhanced by an excellent variety of extra activities, educational visits and visitors to the school. The previous report noted that the excellent learning environment influenced the high levels of attainment; this situation has been maintained.

p.17

PUPILS?

31. Suitable amounts of time are being given to each subject. Further to this there are very good cross-curricular links between subjects in the topics taught. Subjects are inter-related in a very meaningful way that is beneficial to developing the pupils’ knowledge and skills. The school timetable is structured so that the core subjects, of English, mathematics and science, are not always taught at the same time of the day.

p.17

PUPILS?

This has a positive effect on the efficient use of support staff, for example, in enabling those pupils with special educational needs to receive close support when needed. Consequently, all pupils have suitable equality of access to the curriculum. The school caters well for pupils with special educational needs. Work is sufficiently modified to meet the differing needs of pupils. Where this is happening, especially in literacy, numeracy and science, pupils are achieving well in their learning over time.

p.17

PUPILS?

32. The school meets statutory requirements for all subjects and the objectives in the Agreed Syllabus for religious education. A policy and scheme of work for personal, Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 18 health and social education (PHSE) are very well followed with specific lessons to promote social skills in a constructive and supportive way, and learn about the community. This was well exemplified in the reception classes where the local police officer was talking with the children, and a parent volunteer was working with small groups explaining the equipment a nurse uses. There are also good quality policies for sex and drug education that are implemented as part of the PHSE programme. The strategies for literacy and numeracy have been successfully introduced and these are planned for very effectively. Currently, the school is very successfully

p.17

PUPILS?

adapting its literacy curriculum to redress a slight dip in reading standards noted in the past few years.

p.18

PUPILS?

33. As at the time of the previous inspection, the curriculum is very well planned. It has a very positive impact on teaching and learning. The reception teachers take very good account of the Early Learning Goals, and the ‘stepping stones’ towards achieving these, in their curriculum plans. Key Stage 1 subjects are supported by detailed schemes of work based on recently introduced national guidelines that have been carefully adapted to meet the needs of the pupils. Teachers use high quality medium and long-term planning that is further enhanced by the very professional meeting that each year group has weekly. Here teachers and support staff discuss the work undertaken, the plans for the coming week, and the individual achievements of pupils. The co-ordinators’ portfolios of work samples provide very good evidence that skills, such as literacy, numeracy and ICT, are taught and practised across a range of

p.18

PUPILS?

34. The curriculum is further enhanced by the excellent provision of extra activities − educational visits, the links with the community, the school environment, and the many visitors to the school. The whole school is very intently and purposefully involved in the Eco Project. This has been so successful, that for the second time, the school was one of only two schools in West Sussex to be awarded the project flag by the Keep Britain Tidy organisation. Not only has this project raised awareness of recycling, environmental issues and pollution, it has been an invaluable social exercise with classes taking turns in organising the activities. A large pond, vegetable garden, willow tunnel, ornamental flower beds, benches, games tables, a millennium ‘shapes’ walk and much more combine to create a truly delightful and educational environment for the pupils. Some 40 pupils attend French clubs held after school and

p.18

PUPILS?

there are additional music and ICT opportunities for pupils. Visits that support the curriculum are undertaken termly, including visiting the local community and going further afield, for example, to the Weald and Downland Museum. Good links are made with the local church, and pupils are regularly involved in activities to entertain and support the older members of the community, such as the recent presentation of produce after the school’s harvest assembly. Visitors to school are extremely well utilised to help support the teaching of the curriculum in an imaginative and highly effective way. This was well exemplified during the inspection week with visits from a local police officer, the local vicar and a speaker on Nigeria.

p.18

PUPILS?

35. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is very good and includes a policy for these aspects and collective worship. There has been improvement from the good picture noted in the previous report, mainly in the areas of social and cultural development. The school is very effective in promoting self- awareness and friendship through strongly developing attitudes of caring, sharing, respect and tolerance. School assemblies are broadly Christian with insights into other religions. These promote a sense of spirituality, as illustrated during the Christingle assembly led by the local vicar. Music sets the tone as pupils come into assembly and time is made for personal reflection, using prayers, but more could be made of pupils’ involvement in singing. Response through the emotions is well Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School

p.18

PUPILS?

Page No: 19 developed in many subjects, largely due to the teaching styles that promote imagination and wonder. The quality of the pupils’ work in art demonstrates the engaging nature of the experiences. Electrical circuits fascinated the pupils in science and one boy was delighted when he managed to light up six bulbs at once.

p.19

PUPILS?

36. Moral development is promoted very well. The pupils are encouraged to develop a sense of right and wrong, through not hurting one another either in thought or deed. Teachers implement consistent and appropriate use of praise to reinforce moral expectations. Any misbehaviour is well dealt with by asking pupils to reflect on their actions. Positive moral values are very evident in all aspects of the school’s work. These allow pupils to take full responsibility for their own actions as they develop.

p.19

PUPILS?

37. The very good working relationships and keen social awareness apparent in the school, at the time of the previous report, have now been improved to a point of excellence. Pupils are very strongly encouraged to take responsibility for themselves and others. They are building up their self-esteem and self-identity in all aspects of school life. The excellent family ethos permeates the school. Teachers are extremely good role models in this area, and they promote and encourage collaboration. Pupils are given responsibility roles, which they fulfil successfully and with genuine pleasure. An extremely high level of responsibility and embryonic understanding of citizenship is exemplified in how each class in Year 2 is successfully, enthusiastically, and very responsibly taking charge of the Eco-Project. This element is well developed at break times where the playground patrol primarily watch out for those pupils who seem

p.19

PUPILS?

lonely and in need of friendship. Alongside this, part of the playground is designated a friendship area, where pupils seeking friendship can sit and others will come and join them. Pupils are involved in charity fund raising such as getting money for Children in Need, by having a non-uniform day. As a result of these and other activities, they are developing very strong links with the community.

p.19

PUPILS?

38. Cultural achievements in the pupils’ own community are recognised and celebrated. The teaching of art, music, history and geography all enhance pupils’ cultural awareness very well. An excellent historical display about life during the early 20th century is evocative and extremely beneficial as an educational resource to show pupils the culture of the recent past. Multi-cultural education is promoted well through books and supportive artefacts. Very good opportunities to enhance learning about other cultures are provided. For example, Year 2 pupils studying Africa, learn how babies are carried carefully on a mother's back in Nigeria and why this is a good idea, when discussing clothing with a Nigerian visitor.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The school has maintained high standards of pastoral care since the previous inspection and has extremely good procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare. Admission procedures are very thorough. Reception class children have designated ‘special friends’. Well-organised home and school visits are undertaken before children start school. Very good links with local playgroups and the receiving junior school exist and there is good liaison over pupils with special educational needs at the time of transfer.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The governors and staff take great care to ensure the health and safety of pupils through termly risk assessments of the site, and there are regular fire drills. First aid arrangements are very good. Most staff are trained in first aid and all incidents are recorded. The headteacher maintains a logbook of serious incidents and parents are Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 20 swiftly informed of any injuries sustained. The statutory procedures for child protection are securely in place. All teachers have undertaken training and are very well informed on procedures. In addition, the headteacher has recently provided a training session for classroom assistants. Good attendance is expected. The school has excellent follow-up procedures to check on absences. Registers are correctly completed and regularly monitored. The school is maintained to a very high level of

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

cleanliness and the entire school environment is exceptionally attractive and stimulating.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The school promotes pupils' personal development very well, for example through awards for effort and achievements. Older pupils are encouraged to show initiative and take on responsibilities around the school. Year 2 pupils act as playground patrols, encouraging good behaviour and befriending pupils in need of companionship, and take on responsibility for the eco-committee. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and personal development are very good. Policies on behaviour and equal opportunities are highly effective in action. Staff provide excellent role models of fair and considerate behaviour and there are no missed opportunities to offer praise and encouragement. Pupils know and understand the rules of the school, which are based on respect and care for one another, and for the environment. Parents are very pleased with the sensitive care provided for pupils within the school.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school has a detailed high quality assessment policy that is effectively implemented. Class teachers carry out careful assessments of children under five when they start school and the information gathered is used appropriately to group children for their work. Further assessments take place at the end of the reception year to establish the amount of progress that children have made. There are good target-setting and tracking procedures for English and mathematics in Key Stage 1, with plans to extend these to other areas. These records and pupils’ ‘special books’ give a good indication of the progress individuals are making.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. The school’s partnership with parents is as strong as it was at the last inspection. Several parents wrote praising the work of the school. Comments at the pre- inspection meeting were extremely positive, as were the overwhelming majority of responses on the questionnaires. 44. The school provides good quality information for parents. They are kept well informed on what their children are going to be studying and they have had the opportunity to attend curriculum events on literacy and numeracy. Regular newsletters keep them informed of school events and their opinions and suggestions are regularly sought on important school matters by means of questionnaires and surveys. 45. The detail contained in pupils’ annual reports is very good, ensuring that parents are clearly made aware of what their children know. These reports could be improved by listing the targets for improvement separately from the text, so that parents could

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

support their children’s work at home even further. Whilst not essential, the addition of a space for parents to comment and for pupils to show their awareness of their own progress, would provide another dimension to the reports. Consultations to discuss pupils’ progress, and a well-devised home-school agreement, add further strength to the relationship between parents and school. 46. The impact of parents’ involvement on the work of the school is outstanding. A large number of parents help regularly in the classrooms and there are frequently several in one classroom at a time. A very well-written booklet on how this voluntary help can be used efficiently is helpful to both staff and parents. The secret lies in, firstly, the Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 21 genuine welcome extended to all parents in the school at any time, and, secondly, the

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

excellent preparation and deployment of parents by all staff to ensure maximum efficiency. This parental input has a strong impact on pupils’ learning and provides solid and valuable assistance to all teaching and learning support staff. 47. Parents and governors are involved in the school in other ways too. They provide valuable assistance on visits. Parents value the variety and content of these excursions that enrich their children’s education. They lend artefacts for exhibitions, such as the outstanding display in the entrance hall of toys and books and other items from bygone times, and they give of their time to come into the school to talk to pupils on different topics. 48. The school has a hard-working Parent Teacher Association that organises a mixture of fund-raising and social events throughout the school year. These serve to strengthen relationships in the school and parents appreciate the support they receive

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

from staff on these occasions. Money raised is always put to good use to benefit pupils. 49. Rose Green Infants School is a hive of purposeful activity for the whole of each school day. The involvement of many of its parents, the welcome they receive and the warmth of partnership between school and home is very much part of this industry and an undoubted strength of the school.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The headteacher has maintained the strong and effective leadership that was described in the 1996 inspection report. The judgement of the current inspection is that her leadership is outstanding. The clear educational direction that she provides is based upon her very clear vision of the school's aims. This permeates all her decisions, and is communicated very well to all staff. In this way, and with the support of a very able deputy and a well-informed governing body, she has secured an extremely high degree of commitment from all of the school community - staff, governors, parents and pupils.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The aims and values of the school are extremely well reflected in all its work and particularly through its concern for the environment that permeates all aspects of the school’s life. There is great pride in the school and its status as an ‘Eco School’. This is a reflection of the principles of respect and care for individuals and the planet, and promotes tolerance and the understanding of diversity in pupils. The school accommodation is sufficient for its pupils, and it is a delightful place to be, largely because of the way a fairly ordinary building is used and exploited, having been transformed by many willing hands − pupils, parents and governors as well as teachers − into an extremely stimulating and supportive environment. This and the surroundings of the school are from any point of view exceptional. Display is of high quality, and outside, every feature of the way the grounds have been developed

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

shows careful thought, keeping pupils' personal and academic development and care for natural things as a central focus in all planning.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. There is effective delegation: the deputy headteacher has a complementary role to the headteacher and plays a significant part in curricular planning and review, assessment and subject leadership. There is an effective team of subject co- ordinators. All teachers have clear job descriptions and for those with particular responsibilities, specific outcomes are defined.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The governing body understands its role well, and fulfils its statutory duties completely. A very strong characteristic is the close involvement of many of its Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 22 members in the day-to-day life of the school, giving service in a variety of roles in the support of the educational provision. They also act as critical friends in advising the school and share with the headteacher the shaping of the direction in which it should go. The governing body's very good understanding of the school enables its strategic planning.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The management of teaching is particularly effective. Time is provided to allow for the monitoring of planning and the evaluation of its effectiveness, as well as for the observation of classroom practice. These activities are carried out by all staff with co- ordinating responsibilities, and are largely successful in promoting good teaching, planning, evaluation and organisation. One exception to the good standards of organisation is the limited efficiency with which documents are kept for the otherwise good provision for pupils with special educational needs. An important indicator of the school's commitment to the planning and evaluation process is that time is provided each week, during the school day, for year group teams to plan.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. Rose Green Infants' School enjoys loyalty and commitment from its staff. There are clear and supportive policies for the induction of new teachers. At the time of the inspection, four teachers in training were participating in lessons, attached to specific classes and teachers. They were also provided with professional teacher/advisers from other parts of the school. Procedures for performance management are in place, and are based upon the good practice already established in the school. The headteacher conducts regular and frequent development interviews with all staff. Targets have been set for all and ways to monitor progress are appropriate.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. There is a successful, strong, shared commitment of governors, headteacher and staff to continuous improvement as part of the way of life of the school. The school improvement plan sets out priorities very fully. It has been used appropriately to guide the school’s development but the amount of detail means that its effect in the process of improving the school is diffused. There is no overview over an extended period, and it is not adequately related to the school's finances. What is needed is a plan for both the short and the long term, setting out the objectives simply alongside success criteria, those responsible, cost implications, target dates and details of people who will evaluate the outcomes.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Resources are well managed. While the lack of financial links to the improvement plan is a weakness, there is no lack of rigour in ensuring that money is spent well and to the benefit of pupils. Financial planning is thorough: budgeting is systematic and expenditure is carefully controlled by the headteacher and monitored by the governing body. Spending decisions are well related to the principles of best value: comparisons are made with the performance of other schools; expenditure proposals are challenged as to whether they will produce the best results; the views of staff, the local education authority and others are sought; and the most competitive deals in terms of value for money are found. The school's bursar exercises a detailed overview of income and expenditure, and keeps the headteacher and the governing body well informed. The available technology is used well, particularly in the recently

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

introduced new financial software. Specific grants, for training and improvement, and the funding for pupils with special educational needs, are appropriately spent and clearly traceable through the school's accounts. The report of the most recent audit carried out by the local education authority found the school's financial systems satisfactory.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The number, qualifications, expertise and experience of the teaching staff are well matched to the needs of the school. There is good provision of support staff for whom appropriate training is provided. Resources for all subjects and in general throughout Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 23 the school are plentiful and of good quality. They are easily accessible, and are well cared for.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. Taking into account the amount of the annual budget, the progress that pupils make from the time they enter the Foundation Stage to the time they complete Key Stage 1, the good standards which they achieve, the very good quality of the teaching and the curriculum and the exceptionally good quality of the environment, the school provides very good value for money.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

60. The inspection team did not identify any major matters that the school needs to improve, but procedures in the following areas require improvement:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Establish a more efficient approach to organising the paperwork for special educational needs; Paragraph (54)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Refine the structure of the next school improvement plan, and ensure it demonstrates how financial planning takes account of the costs involved in implementing the plans. Paragraph (56)

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 64 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 29

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfact ory Poor Very Poor Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 24 9 39 41 11 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y2 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 228 Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 12 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR– Y2 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 53

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 17

p.24

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 4.7 School data 0.1 National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 25

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 43 46 89

p.25

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Boys 33 35 43 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 45 44 46

p.25

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Percentage of pupils School 88 (91) 89 (93) 100 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

p.25

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 37 35 43 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 45 44 46

p.25

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 92 ( 91) 100 ( 89) 99 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.25

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

p.25

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage n/a n/a

p.25

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage n/a n/a

p.25

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Any other minority ethnic group 7 Other minority ethnic groups Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 26 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.25

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Teachers and classes Financial information

p.26

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10.4 Financial year 1999/200

p.26

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Education support staff: YR– Y2 Total expenditure 484309

p.26

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Total number of education support staff 12 Expenditure per pupil 1930

p.26

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Total aggregate hours worked per week 224 Balance brought forward from previous year

p.26

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Balance carried forward to next year 13875 Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 27

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 56 40 3 0 1

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 49 49 1 0 0

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 42 53 1 0 4

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 44 45 9 1 1

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 69 27 3 0 1

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 64 33 1 0 2

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 49 47 1 0 3

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 71 26 0 0 4

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 55 40 4 1 0

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 47 29 10 0 13

p.27

Other issues raised by parents

Several parents wrote to praise the work of the school. Three parents commented on several matters: the school’s application of the West Sussex admissions process; the timing of meetings for parents; the expense of school events; lack of liaison with the local library and difficulties with access to the reception classes at lunchtime. Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 28

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. Children join the school in September each year. Those due to be five in that term attend full time while others attend in the mornings only for the autumn and spring terms depending on when they become five. All children attend full time by the summer term. Most have pre-school experience, but the school takes children from a large number of different pre-school education settings. Assessments show that when they start school children have broadly average abilities compared to others in West Sussex. Assessments made soon after the start of the reception year indicate that speaking and listening skills are usually quite good but early reading and writing skills are less advanced than average and early number skills are a little better than average.

p.28

Personal, social and emotional development

62. The teaching in this area is very good as it was at the last inspection and ensures that pupils’ personal, social and emotional development is very good. Children are eager to learn and show sustained concentration during well-planned indoor and outdoor activities. Personal independence and self-reliance are both very well promoted by teachers, and ancillary staff. So, for example, children change promptly for physical education and, in pairs, put away containers of construction materials very sensibly and confidently. Children form very good relationships with one another and have a good understanding of right and wrong behaviour. The very positive role models provided by the team of adults support the children's all round development. Children gain a very good sense of community through a well-planned series of visitors and visits. The ecological focus of the school promotes children's understanding and respect for the environment, together with their personal

p.28

Communication, language and learning

63. By the end of the Foundation Stage most of the children are likely to attain standards in line with the nationally expected Early Learning Goals. The teaching in this area is very good and enables children to make very good progress in developing their range of speaking and listening skills through purposeful role-play activities. The skilful teaching also heightens awareness of the different sounds that letters make, as seen in several lessons where pupils were taught about ‘p’ in a range of oral and practical ways. Learning is made enjoyable through the use of songs, games and rhymes and is also embedded in the sharing of interesting enlarged story texts. Children have regular opportunities to practise writing their own names and to record their growing knowledge and understanding of letters and words, both during formal writing tasks and informal play settings, where they write notes in the ‘police station’, for example.

p.28

Communication, language and learning

Higher attaining children attempt short sentences unaided. Teachers promote reading very well through active discussion of characters, story lines, key words and the features of written texts. Regular reading records are maintained between home and school. The school's approach to handwriting is consistently taught. Children are gently encouraged to hold pencils correctly and to form their letters correctly.

p.28

Mathematical development

Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 29 64. Teaching of mathematics is very good overall. Consequently a good proportion of children already achieve standards in line with the nationally expected Early Learning Goals. All children, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in grasping concepts of number due to the very good teaching, good additional support of classroom assistants and the very well organised learning environment. For instance, higher attaining children can order numbers from one to ten by counting and by symbols and start to undertake simple addition. They recognise and recreate patterns and enjoy the challenge of using three shapes and then predicting the next pattern. In an outstanding lesson, excellent use was made of the children themselves to show how patterns were created and this enabled very good conceptual understanding.

p.29

Knowledge and understanding of the world

65. Children are attaining standards in line with expectations for their age in their knowledge and understanding of the world. Their good progress reflects the high quality teaching they receive. For instance, the very good range of learning opportunities provided by teachers in indoor and outdoor activities encourages active investigation and exploration. Visits from the ambulance and fire services and the police are well exploited through the provision of stimulating role-play and construction tasks. Photographs and class books provide useful recall of these events during discussions. These also provide evidence of the very good range of activities that children experience, for instance the opportunities to make their own maps of the grounds. The school grounds are used well to explore living creatures in the pond and other habitats, and children are involved in the eco-action approaches, which are

p.29

Knowledge and understanding of the world

central to the ethos of the school. Development of ICT skills is in line with expectations for this age and children have good opportunities to extend their skills. An example was observed where pupils were working well with a student as they used good mouse control to successfully work through a mathematical pattern program.

p.29

Physical development

66. As a result of very good teaching, children make very good progress and many already attain standards in line with expectations for the end of the Foundation Stage. Many attain above this level, showing a high level of involvement and concentration when they progress from simple movements and jumps, to more complicated sequences and star jumps. In their dance, children listen very carefully to the beat of the tambourine and show imaginative use of their arms and legs in fast and slow movements in response to an eight beat pattern. Children demonstrate very good social skills in putting out apparatus together, and their behaviour is exceptionally good.

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Creative development

67. Attainment is already in line with expectations for the end of the Foundation Stage and children make very good progress. Teachers provide very good opportunities for pupils to experiment with a variety of different textured materials such as play- dough, clay, paint and collage in two and three-dimensions. Children have produced some attractive clay plaques impressed with items of their choice. They enjoy using scissors and undertaking cutting and sticking activities. Provision for role-play is very good. It is well resourced and encourages collaboration in sharing props, such as police walkie-talkies, jackets and helmets, and full fire-fighters gear. Children enjoy sharing and extending their repertoire of familiar songs and rhymes in music making. Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 30 68. The Foundation Stage is very well co-ordinated. There is very well-planned and skilled

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Creative development

teaching and an outstanding quality of teamwork, as staff work in close co-operation with clearly defined learning intentions. Very good account is taken of the Early Learning Goals and the ‘stepping stones’ towards achieving these. Strengths have been sustained since the last inspection.

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ENGLISH

69. In the last inspection, standards in English were found to be very good throughout the school. Teaching was judged as good and often very good. This situation has been generally well maintained.

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ENGLISH

70. In national tests in 2000, 87 per cent of pupils achieved the nationally expected level in reading, and 89 per cent in writing. This is above the national average. Of these, 33 per cent attained the higher Level 3 in reading, and 12 per cent in writing, again above the national average. There has been a slight decline year on year since 1996; the school believes this is due to changes in the attainment profile of individual year groups and an alteration made in the method of teaching reading, which has now been reconsidered. Nevertheless, attainment has consistently been above average. The school is applying a number of strategies to raise levels of reading and writing. The finding of this inspection is that standards of English overall are above average.

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ENGLISH

71. In speaking and listening, pupils show that they are careful listeners to their teachers and their peers. They are thoughtful in preparing what they have to say, and they show very good confidence and a willingness to venture their own opinions. A strong influence upon this very good attainment in speaking and listening is the confidence that the school confers upon its pupils, placing emphasis upon the value of each individual, encouraging and praising positively. A very good example of what happens in this context is in the events surrounding the visit from a Nigerian to talk about the customs of her country and the reasons for the way she was dressed. Pupils had been carefully prepared for this event, and had questions ready for the visitor. These were carefully and respectfully worded, and were put with clarity and confidence. Even at this early stage in the school year it may be concluded from examples like

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ENGLISH

this, and many more, that standards of speaking are good and very often very good − and can only improve by the end of Key Stage 1.

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ENGLISH

72. Reading standards are also good, and often very good. Among the highest attainers reading is always accurate and fluent, though sometimes expression may be lacking − principally because of an over-riding concern with speed, to get to know what comes next. Pupils discuss their reading very readily, with obvious signs of enjoyment, often already having favourite authors. Most know about title and author, and younger higher attainers and older pupils know about illustrator, publisher, contents and index. Pupils of all levels of attainment have good strategies for working out words they do not know. Their good progress in this respect is promoted well by the special teaching of phonics, which the school has recently adopted. Throughout the school, books are enjoyed and valued as sources of information and pleasure.

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ENGLISH

Pupils have very good knowledge of their own learning of reading: they know the reading scheme well, and which book they should go on to next. The fact that they quietly and independently go to the library to change their books when they are ready is particularly impressive − as is the amount of support they receive from their parents and others who hear them read at home. Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 31 73. Pupils' performance in writing is not as strong as in the other elements of English, but standards at the end of the key stage remain good, and some outstanding pieces of work from last year’s Year 2 have been scrutinised. These are fluent, voluminous and well ordered. A broad variety of vocabulary is used, and pupils in both the middle and above average attainment bands are not afraid to use difficult words, many of which are correctly spelt. At this stage of the year, standards are at an above average level

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ENGLISH

in Year 2. Narratives are well sequenced by pupils of all levels of attainment. Almost all use joined-up handwriting, although size, shape and positioning may vary. Higher attainers show accurate spelling of difficult words (‘tyres’, ‘minute’, ‘thought’) and lively vocabulary, and middle attainers use phonic skills (‘spechel’, ‘treshar’) in spelling attempts. Even those who are less skilled in English produce clearly ordered stories of 50-60 words, divided into sentence units, but sometimes confuse capitals and lower case letters, although they are aware of the difference. Pupils with special educational needs find difficulty in writing intelligibly in a sequence of words, but given the appropriate prompts demonstrate a basic ability to handle language. In their phonic lessons, more able pupils show good skills in finding similar sounds (a focus upon ‘oy’ produced ‘loyal’, ‘royal’ and ‘point’). All pupils are aware of how rhymes

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ENGLISH

work. Higher attainers can produce rhyming poems, and middle and lower attainers can produce short narratives with some rhymes.

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ENGLISH

74. The quality of pupils' learning is good and often very good. The strongest influences are the quality of the teaching, the confidence the school gives them, and their own motivation. They enjoy English, and respond very readily to the demands their teachers make of them, with the result that from a below average base they move to above-average attainment at the end of Key Stage 1; they make good progress. This progress is promoted by the school's strategies in the teaching of reading, with support from parents, from the policy of hearing each pupil read three times a week, and from the intensive reading culture. In speaking and listening, progress is also encouraged by the school's overall culture of literacy. In writing, there is now special emphasis to promote accelerated progress to the same levels as for reading: this has involved adjustments to get the best out of the National Literacy Strategy, and the

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ENGLISH

special focus on phonics. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported, and with the carefully directed additional help they receive, they make equally good progress according to their prior levels of achievement. The quality of learning of all pupils is reinforced by the very good standards of behaviour to be seen throughout the school.

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ENGLISH

75. Teaching is always good, and often very good or better. Teachers' knowledge of the subject is good, and their questioning skills are well developed. Lesson planning and preparation are very good. The National Literacy Strategy has been adopted very effectively and has now been appropriately adapted to incorporate further strategies to meet the school's needs. Teachers have high expectations of both work and behaviour. Lesson objectives are shared with pupils, and often the extent to which these objectives have been achieved is evaluated at the ends of lessons. Teachers' personal styles are open, supportive and participative, and the best lessons are given a sense of occasion.

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ENGLISH

This was the case in a lesson where pupils reported on the results of their own research, participated in a ‘brains trust’, and finally in a very dramatic and competitive quiz. Pupils' work in English is enhanced during the twice-weekly sessions for language studies in ability groups. To ensure the work is closely focused on pupils’ needs there is very efficient use of additional staff, so groups can be kept small. Pupils' work is marked regularly. Although detailed comment is not often made, there is a clear policy of correction and encouragement. Assessment procedures are detailed and thorough in reading and writing, but not in speaking and listening. Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 32 76. English is well managed by the deputy headteacher, who is enthusiastic and experienced. She shares this work with the co-ordinator for the Foundation Stage,

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ENGLISH

who herself brings good experience and enthusiasm to the responsibility. They work extremely well together, sharing an understanding of the needs of the subject throughout the school. The subject scheme of work is a series of documents, drawing from national guidance and other guidelines for phonic work. There is scope to draw these contributions together to make them easier for teachers to use. Resources for English are good. Considerable thought has gone into the purchasing of appropriate materials for lessons. The library is a very welcoming and valuable area and pupils use it effectively and routinely. Every class has its own schedule of library use, but the most useful application of this resource is to individual children, who use it frequently and freely. In addition the school has close links with the local library.

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ENGLISH

77. English makes a strong contribution to pupils' social and moral development through the discussions that take place in preparation for writing work or as a response to reading. Its contribution to their spiritual development is also good, as they discuss values and feelings, and as they experience stories and poems which they find moving. Their cultural development is enhanced through stories from a variety of cultures throughout the world. Literacy is well promoted across the whole curriculum and this is an important strength. Teachers pay consistent attention to the extension of pupils' literacy skills, whatever the subject. Technical errors are usually corrected, new words are introduced, and vocabularies are progressively extended. For instance, in work on Africa, the distinction between ‘weather’ and ‘climate’, and between ‘habitat’ and ‘terrain’ were clearly made.

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MATHEMATICS

78. In the year 2000 national tests, at the end of Key Stage 1, results were well above the national average and all pupils gained at least the expected standard. Two-fifths of pupils gained the more advanced Level 3 standard, which was well above the proportion nationally. When the results of pupils are compared with the results of those from similar types of schools, these are well above average too. The picture over the last four years, since the previous inspection, shows that the school has maintained high standards, and that results in mathematics have consistently exceeded the national average. Inspection found standards in mathematics to be above average for a good proportion of Year 2 pupils in this first term of the academic year. There is no discernible difference in lessons between boys’ and girls’ performance, but there is a significant minority of pupils with special educational needs in this cohort and their standards in mathematics are relatively low.

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MATHEMATICS

Consequently it is unlikely that all pupils will gain the expected standard at the end of this academic year, although a good proportion are likely to reach a high standard. Generally, pupils’ numeracy standards are sound in Year 1 and improve to good in Year 2. Scrutiny of samples of work in portfolios demonstrates above-average attainment in other areas of mathematics by age seven. There is limited evidence available for the current year on shape and measures, as much has been done orally, through games and practical activities. Pupils with special educational needs get close support and this good provision is helping them to make good progress.

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MATHEMATICS

79. Pupils achieve well as a result of the quality of teaching, which is good overall. The rate of progress they make increases as they move through the school and, by the time they reach Year 2, many are becoming confident mathematicians. They are developing a good ability to explain the way they have worked things out and this Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 33 makes a useful contribution to their speaking and listening skills as well as their work in numeracy. The whole-class mental and oral sessions and quizzes are thoroughly enjoyed by Year 2 pupils, who are eager to take their turn in ‘the hot seat’. Other pupils are keen to help out and listen well to each other’s questions for this purpose.

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MATHEMATICS

80. Pupils have a good range of methods for calculating mentally and are able to choose an appropriate one for the numbers that they are working with. For example, when Year 2 pupils were mentally adding ten to two and three-digit numbers they were aware that they could use their knowledge of number bonds to assist with this addition. The highest attaining pupils in Year 2 are adventurous in using numbers, for instance in creating mixed subtraction and addition sums for known answers. They are also very quick at mentally adding two-digit numbers together.

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MATHEMATICS

81. High attainment is due to a combination of thorough planning, the strong subject knowledge of teachers, the quality of explanations given to pupils and the way questions are targeted at individuals or groups of pupils with due regard for their prior attainment. For example, in a lesson for Year 1 pupils, in which they were learning how to write simple subtraction sums, the purpose of the lesson was made very clear, resources such as a number ladder were used well to help pupils understand a new idea and the tasks were explained thoroughly to the pupils. This meant that they all knew what they had to do and settled to work quickly and confidently.

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MATHEMATICS

82. The pupils have positive attitudes to mathematics. Their behaviour in lessons is usually very good and enables all to learn without distraction. These factors, combined with the very good use of time and resources by teachers, help the pupils to improve their understanding in all lessons. They are aware of what they have achieved. This is as a result of the skilful use of the final part of mathematics lessons. Pupils are encouraged to reflect upon what they can now do better, as well as teachers reinforcing succinctly the main points that they want the pupils to remember.

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MATHEMATICS

83. Teachers’ plans make sure that pupils apply their numeracy skills in other subjects including ICT, science and design and technology. The short-term plans are very thorough and target work for different groups of pupils to take account of their prior attainment. A good feature is the joint planning between year group teachers, which includes evaluations of the outcomes of lessons as a basis for planning future work. There is scope to look at pupils’ written work during these discussions to check that the outcomes from lessons are similar in each class. Displays and pupils’ work contain examples of the use of numeracy skills.

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MATHEMATICS

For example, pupils have used charts to collect and analyse information about surveys in the school grounds and measure precisely in centimetres when cutting lengths of balsa wood. Teachers make sound use of ICT to support the pupils’ learning in lessons, to develop their calculation skills and knowledge of shapes.

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MATHEMATICS

84. The subject has a new co-ordinator who is starting to build on the previous good management of the subject. The implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy has been successfully achieved and teachers are secure with the procedures. Pupils’ test results have been monitored and evaluated. Assessment systems are easy to use and track pupils’ progress well. There is scope, though, to date the assessments more precisely. A good amount of monitoring and evaluation of teaching has taken place and this has helped to ensure that any weaknesses are remedied and strengths identified so that all teachers can improve.

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SCIENCE

Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 34 85. The results of the statutory assessments (by teachers) of seven year olds in 1999 and 2000 showed the proportion of pupils reaching the expected Level 2 was well above average, and that the attainment at Level 3 was at a similar level. At the time of the previous inspection, standards were above the national average. When compared with similar schools, standards are similar. Currently, at this early time in the school year, standards of work seen are above national expectations. Also progress is good in lessons. Good quality teaching ensures that pupils are constantly developing their knowledge and skills through appropriate and challenging activities. Through a very good level of support, those pupils with special educational needs also make good progress.

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SCIENCE

86. All the elements of the science curriculum are successfully studied through an imaginative approach that relates the subject to all the other areas of the curriculum in a purposeful, beneficial and educational way. Pupils undertake investigations successfully and sensibly. They have a clear idea of what they are to find out, how to go about their experiments, and how to draw conclusions. The principles of fair testing are being developed in the Year 1 tasks on sources of light, and in Year 2 pupils’ study of electrical circuits. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are beginning to use ICT to help them research and represent their science work. Also, there are good opportunities for pupils to practise and develop their literacy and numeracy skills. Pupils in Year 2 were reinforcing their understanding about electrical circuits by following an ICT program and answering its questions with a high degree of success.

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SCIENCE

Knowledge about the other elements of the science curriculum is revealed in the folders that pupils produce, and in the way they discuss topics in lessons. This was well exemplified in Year 2, when pupils were discussing how to extend an electrical circuit to light up at least two bulbs. There are particular strengths in the work pupils undertake when investigating local habitats that link extremely well with the school’s ethos of concern for the environment. 87. The quality of teaching is good overall. Teachers plan their lessons very well, based on a nationally agreed scheme and adapted by the school as part of a cross- curricular topic approach. Through this very well-organised and prepared method of teaching, they effectively cover a wide range of scientific information and knowledge. Teachers are clear about what they want their pupils to learn in each lesson. Introductions to lessons are effective because teachers use questioning well to

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SCIENCE

remind pupils of previous learning, and the end of lessons is used effectively to consolidate knowledge. Resources are very well prepared and used. Class assistants are also very effectively deployed to support the different attainment groups. Displays celebrate pupils’ work, provide information in an imaginative way, and exemplify the cross-curricular links in the topic work. This was well exemplified in many classes, but especially in Year 1, where there was a display about light and dark. Here, pupils’ science work was inter-related with the work of artists and literacy work that the pupils had produced on the subject.

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SCIENCE

88. Pupils thoroughly enjoy their science lessons. They show interest, concentration, and work productively at a good pace. In the lessons observed, pupils were successfully acquiring knowledge and skills in their areas of study. Pupils, from Year 2, were keenly investigating how an electrical circuit can be built up in order to light a series of bulbs. One boy was extremely proud of the fact that he managed to light up six bulbs in a circuit. This particular lesson exemplified the school’s approach in the subject to let pupils develop independence and responsibility in their approach to their tasks. Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 35 89. The subject co-ordinator has efficiently ensured that the policy and scheme of work are up to date. She is knowledgeable and supports colleagues and offers advice. She has a useful oversight of science teaching throughout the school and has developed

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SCIENCE

valuable high quality portfolios of work to show standards, as a response to a key issue from the previous inspection. There is a very good quality assessment system, based on the new scheme of work that clearly indicates pupils’ progress in each topic. There is a good range of accessible resources. Visitors to the school provide a rich resource such as the ‘Sky Lab’ promoter. As a result, a Year 1 class has built a mini-planetarium. A major influence on the development of the science and environmental curriculum is the school’s highly successful ecology policy. As a result of this involvement, pupils have an extensive knowledge of environmental issues and proudly talk at great length about their extremely successful creation of an eco- school. This has led to the development of compost heaps, vegetable patches, can recycling and many more activities that richly support not only the science, but many

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ART AND DESIGN

90. The attainment of seven year olds is better than expected for this age. The high standards noted at the inspection in 1996 have been sustained well. Much of the evidence comes from the wealth of high quality pupils’ work in textiles, clay sculpture, drawing and painting that is displayed around the school, and in several excellent portfolios that have been devised by the co-ordinator. Generally, pupils’ achievement and acquisition of artistic skills and knowledge of techniques and artists are much better than usually found at Key Stage 1.

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ART AND DESIGN

91. Pupils build very well on the early skills that are taught in Reception, such as colour mixing. Their observational drawing skills are precise and use of paint is mature by age seven, as seen in their drawings and paintings of wealden houses. They have mixed watercolours very delicately to produce natural shades of browns, blues and greens and used fine brushes to produce paintings that convey very well what they have seen. Those with particular artistic talent have been well challenged in this activity and produced some excellent results.

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ART AND DESIGN

92. Pupils are taught to take the work of great artists as starting points for their own art. This is seen to excellent effect in a portfolio of Year 1 work, based on Picasso paintings. Pupils have initially cut up magazine pictures of faces to create abstract shapes, then developed these shapes into pictures using vibrant pastel colours to a very high standard for this age.

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ART AND DESIGN

93. Pupils benefit from artists and sculptors visiting the school and leading them through the design process. This has resulted in much good work in the media of textiles, collage and clay. The banners created for Harvest Festival are good examples of mixing media such as fabric, paint, simple stab stitching and bright embellishments to produce exciting results. There are good examples of work in clay in all classes; for instance in Year 1, pupils have created sparkling ‘Rainbow Fish’ as part of a sea-life topic.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. Little direct teaching was observed but the high standards that pupils achieve indicate that art skills are taught very well throughout the school. Pupils were seen working independently in small groups, for instance drawing lamps from close observation, and creating African masks from their own designs. This work had been very well planned and organised by teachers, and the resources provided were of high quality. Pupils put in much creative effort, concentrated very well on their tasks and discussed with one another what they were doing to get particular effects. The Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 36 finished results were generally attractive and well executed and pupils were proud of what they had achieved.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. The school’s curriculum and planning for art are excellent, and very helpful for teachers. Planning ensures that activities become progressively more challenging as pupils move through the school. Spiritual and cultural development is well to the fore and good links are made with subjects such as religious education, history and ICT. For instance, pupils use their ICT skills readily to produce artwork, as in the interpretations of the style of Jackson Pollock.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

96. Attainment in designing and making artefacts, and developing skills such as cutting, joining and measuring are at the expected standard for this age group. Evidence for this is largely from work on display, from an assessed portfolio of photographs that show achievements as pupils move through the school, and from observations of a few pupils in lessons. The last inspection found designing and making standards to be better than expected; currently these skills are similar to those seen in most infant schools due largely to changes in emphasis in the school’s curriculum.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. Pupils experience a range of balanced and well-planned activities using recycled materials, wood and construction kits. They acquire a good understanding of how to plan for their work and are competent in simple techniques for constructing artefacts. This was observed in classes in Year 1 and Year 2, where small groups were working with the support of assistants or volunteers to make models of musical instruments or timber frame houses from balsa wood. They had very close support and guidance on how to join card or measure and cut strips of wood. Pupils were questioned carefully on what they wanted to do and how they might use the materials. They responded with sound ideas and reasons for their choices, and were keen to work carefully to get the best results. There was scope though for them to work more independently and experiment more freely with the materials. Construction activities were more independent and younger pupils found a range of ways to join the

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. No direct teaching of the subject was observed. Teachers plan together in year groups, which ensures that all pupils experience similar activities. Good links are made with other subjects; for example the work on musical instruments supports science and that on houses supports history.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Scrutiny of sampled work shows that there is appropriate progression in this but there is little evidence in planning of how challenges are targeted for pupils’ different abilities. Teachers are not as well supported by such a detailed scheme of work in design and technology as is the case in other subjects and this is one reason why standards are not now found to be as high as they were at the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. A good feature in Year 1 is the collaborative work that has been undertaken to create role-play areas based on a visit from ‘Sky Lab’. Pupils have helped their teachers to design and make a rocket, space module and star observatory, and they get great enjoyment from playing imaginatively in these.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. The school has a high quality cooking area, new since the last inspection, which is used well for food technology. Several parents were observed supporting small groups of pupils learning to make bread rolls. Pupils weighed and mixed ingredients, and made decisions as to whether more water or flour were needed to improve their mixtures. They thoroughly enjoyed the activity and made good gains in Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 37 their understanding of how ingredients change during mixing and cooking. Work samples from last year show that good links have been made between literacy and cookery activities when pupils have written menus for cafes and instructions for recipes.

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GEOGRAPHY

101. Standards of attainment by age seven are above expectations and have been sustained since the previous inspection. The high standards and very good achievement of pupils are a reflection of the very good teaching, the rich curriculum provided through visits, first-hand experiences, high quality stimulating displays, and the outstanding eco-environment of the school. All pupils are involved in the school's action plan in caring for the environment, through activities such as composting fruit from lunchboxes, beach cleaning and improving the school grounds. This enhances their understanding of the natural world, local environment and their social awareness.

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GEOGRAPHY

102. Mapping skills and understanding of atlas maps and the globe are well promoted across the school. For instance, pupils are fascinated by the travels of the school’s toy mole who sends postcards from his world trip. These are well displayed on a world map and pupils confidently point out the different countries he has visited. A visit to the Weald and Downland Museum by Year 2 pupils further develops map- reading skills, alongside the identification of geographical features in a landscape. Very good research on a contrasting locality is undertaken by groups of Year 2 pupils, working together to investigate food, clothes, animals and habitats in Africa. This work is contributing very effectively to pupils’ cultural awareness. Pupils' knowledge and understanding are further enhanced by a high quality presentation and dance workshop led by a parent with expert knowledge of Nigeria. Very good links with

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GEOGRAPHY

literacy are demonstrated through note taking, the use of reference books and factual writing on Africa. Speaking and listening skills are also very well developed through the preparation of questions for the visitor, and oral presentations and quiz sessions after the visit.

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GEOGRAPHY

Pupils demonstrate very good knowledge and understanding of their chosen research areas, much beyond the expectations for the age group. For example, a pupil asked a ‘researcher’ from another group if there were any dangerous animals, and the response was, "Yes, there's a spiny tailed lizard, and when something tries to eat it, the spikes get stuck in its throat."

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GEOGRAPHY

103. Teaching is very good. Skilful, open-ended questioning encourages pupils to develop research and enquiry approaches, by exploring similarities and differences, and are key factors in the very good gains pupils make in their knowledge and skills. Reading in order to gain information is constantly modelled by teachers. This promotes both geographical skills and literacy development and pupils show a fascination for information books, CD-ROMs, maps and atlases as a result of this. Pupils with special educational needs make the same good progress as their peers and gain from the additional adult support provided and the stimulating learning environment.

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GEOGRAPHY

104. The enthusiastic co-ordinator has very good subject knowledge and promotes and monitors teaching in the subject in a highly effective way. A very good portfolio of evidence is maintained within the school and the plentiful resources are used well. Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 38

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HISTORY

105. Standards of attainment by age seven are above expectations. These good standards have been sustained since the last inspection and are in evidence throughout the school, for example, linked to an outstanding display of an old toy shop, work on the great fire of London and photographic records of visits to the Weald and Downland Museum, Stansted House and a Victorian school.

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HISTORY

106. Pupils in Year 1 show a growing understanding of the differences between past and present time, when they work as time detectives comparing teddy-bears and toys of different ages, and when they place light source artefacts in rank order of age. Pupils in Year 2 have been well taught about the great fire of London. Their good progress is shown in a very good understanding of chronology, as seen in the time lines to place the event in its historical context. They have a genuine appreciation of the lives of other children in the past and a growing cultural awareness. For instance, a pupil wrote, "I had a bad night because the bed was too spiky and I pushed the straw down," when writing in the voice of a former inhabitant of Bayleaf Farmhouse at the Weald and Downland Museum. Work undertaken in history strongly promotes the development of literacy, and speaking and listening skills. Pupils undertake historical

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HISTORY

research and enquiry, using a wide range of reference books, artefacts, first-hand visits and CD-ROM resources. Very good links between geography and history are made when Year 2 pupils use old maps and census material to investigate local history.

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HISTORY

107. Teaching is good overall and sometimes very good. For instance, pupils made very good progress in a Year 1 lesson where the teacher sustained a high quality discussion with them, encouraging reasoned answers to support their views on the age of different light sources. However, a similar lesson led to pupils learning soundly but not as strongly because the teachers’ questions were less demanding. Photographic and written evidence demonstrates that teachers make very good use of visits to explore the past. The teachers' good subject knowledge promotes pupils' enjoyment of history. Pupils with special educational needs make the same good progress as their peers and gain from the additional adult support they receive.

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HISTORY

108. Co-ordination of the subject is very good. Planning is both imaginative and well resourced. The co-ordinator seizes opportunities to enhance learning in the subject. For example, a local resident was invited to answer Year 2 pupils' questions about the past of a former local bathing belle. There are good assessment and monitoring procedures and all curriculum requirements are met.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

109. At the time of the last inspection, a key issue was to develop pupils’ confidence further in using the computer, in particular in refining text and diagrams. The success in addressing this issue was exemplified by a group of Year 2 higher attaining pupils, who showed a very high level of skill and achievement as they manoeuvred on the screen different colours and fonts with a variety of pre-drawn pictures to produce posters for the Christmas Bazaar. Standards remain similar to national expectations in all the elements of the subject but there has been improvement to a degree, as since the last report there have been significant changes in the National Curriculum for ICT.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

110. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils develop sufficient mouse control to use tools in a graphics program. Independently, some pupils can produce images by choosing Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 39 colours, effects, and brushes and manipulate shapes within the program. Invariably these are very basic in design. They use the keyboard and word processing to create simple texts, but not spreadsheets. Pupils are capable of rearranging the text and changing fonts. There is evidence of recording mathematical and science results in simple graph form using the computer. They handle equipment with confidence, open programs without assistance and save their work. All pupils have access to other aspects of ICT, including the Internet, digital photography and cassette players. There are sufficient materials to support learning for pupils with special educational

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

needs, but this is recognised as an area for further development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

111. Learning in word processing and graphics is developing satisfactorily. Pupils make sufficient progress in using the technology to sort and classify information, control other devices and investigate simulations. The pupils’ skills clearly improve as they move through the school and these are used beneficially in other subjects as demonstrated by the portfolios of pupils’ work. This includes examples such as computer-designed pictures in the style of Kandinsky and Jackson Pollock. The portfolios also clearly show pupils’ skills improvement over recent years.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

112. In the lessons observed the quality of teaching was good overall. Teachers' competence is good and they use appropriate terminology well. Since the last report, teachers have put a lot of time and effort into improving their own knowledge and understanding of the subject. Lessons are well paced and teachers ensure pupils concentrate. They question well to check pupils understand and are not just following a procedure. The quality of teaching is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning and achievement. For instance, in a lesson where Year 1 pupils were taught to interrogate a dictionary database, most pupils quickly learnt to use the ‘mouse’ to find the correct letters for different light-sources, such as ‘t’ for ‘torch’. This work was well linked to developing literacy skills and a history topic. Pupils’ attitudes to ICT work are very good. They are interested in the subject and are enthusiastic to gain first-hand

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

experience with the equipment. Teachers encourage pupils’ independent use of software but there is limited access time on the computers and in whole-class teaching, pupils have to view only one computer.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

113. The subject has been part of the school’s development plan for several years. A scheme, based on the new national syllabus, has been introduced to meet the needs of the pupils in school. Assessment is about to be introduced based on this new scheme. The co-ordinator, despite only being a short time in the post, has enthusiastically tried to promote and develop the curriculum, with a lot of success. Despite the restrictions of finance and equipment, and the change of emphasis in the curriculum for the subject, the school is making progress and raising standards in all aspects of the subject. Thanks in part to the contribution of parents, the number of computers in school is in line with the national average because there has been a significant purchase of equipment. The school has been connected to the Internet and has an attractive and interesting web site. Recently, a small computer suite was

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

established in the library to extend pupils’ learning opportunities.

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MUSIC

114. The last inspection found that standards and teaching were good. In the current inspection it was possible only to observe singing lessons, and as a result it is not possible to offer definitive judgements upon standards and teaching.

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MUSIC

115. Each of the lessons seen, as well as some assemblies, included singing in large groups. Pupils sing with confidence, and while their performance may not sometimes be very tuneful, they improve with rehearsal, and the indications are that Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 40 this aspect of musical attainment corresponds with that of others of their age. They follow the instructions of a conductor well − whether that conductor is a teacher or one of their peers. As a result of sound teaching and their own enthusiasm, they learn new songs quickly, and sing the ones they remember with considerable enjoyment − sometimes remembering the actions or even devising their own. Pupils were not seen composing or appraising their work.

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MUSIC

116. Pupils have the potential to learn well, as a result of the confidence that the school imparts, and their own engagement with music. They are very well behaved − even when excited − and they stay on task for quite long periods for their ages. Pupils with special educational needs make progress parallel with their peers.

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MUSIC

117. The teaching observed was satisfactory overall with some good teaching seen. Teaching in music is at a stage of transition from two significant points of view. First, the subject co-ordinator has been appointed very recently, and the school has not had someone to take this responsibility for some months. Secondly, the scheme of work is also changing, as the Curriculum 2000 guidance is combined with the existing scheme, and as the good commercial material, which the school already uses, is also incorporated. This means that at present there is some lack of structure. Nevertheless, the drafting, which the new co-ordinator has already completed, indicates that the result will be a good developmental scheme, providing well-chosen examples and guidance to other teachers, particularly the non- musicians. Assessment of pupils' progress is good, setting it against National Curriculum level descriptors at the end of each term.

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MUSIC

118. While there is no permanent choir, there is a great deal of singing for special occasions, and the whole of each year group was observed rehearsing for Christmas events. In Year 2 there are two recorder groups, and a glockenspiel club. Resources for music are plentiful, in good condition and easily accessible. These include a good range of tuned and untuned instruments, some from a variety of cultures throughout the world.

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MUSIC

Music makes a good contribution to pupils' literacy, through the enjoyment of the ways in which words, rhythms and tunes combine. It also contributes well to their social and moral development through the demands of working together in performance. Good cultural development is promoted through music from other cultures, like the dance and drum music from Nigeria presented during the inspection. The ways in which pupils respond to the aesthetic experience of listening to beautiful music is a strong stimulus to their aesthetic development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. At the time of the last inspection the standards in physical education were found to be good and the quality of teaching was good or very good. Despite a change in emphasis in the National Curriculum, the school has maintained these standards and indeed has improved the quality of teaching to a point where it is an important strength of the school. Pupils show a good level of achievement because the quality of teaching is very good. Progress in lessons is good uniformly throughout the school. The improvement in teaching has been secured by more precisely focused lessons that ensure skills are developed systematically through the key stage. Pupils carry out tasks very responsibly and show a great interest in the subject. The scheme of work now shows how progress can be achieved in all areas of the subject. Resources to support learning have also been improved and maintained effectively. Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Page No: 41 120. Not all aspects of physical education were observed during inspection, but pupils were judged to be achieving well in the development of their skills in gymnastics, games and dance, so that overall standards are better than those expected nationally by the age of seven.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

121. In gymnastics and dance, all pupils join in activities with a high level of energy and enthusiasm. They show very good control in developing a series of movements on apparatus and on the floor. The majority of pupils are agile and inventive in travelling in a variety of ways, and show a good sense of balance in using various pieces of apparatus. All are confident in moving along the apparatus using different body shapes. They collaborate well with partners, concentrating hard to complement each other's movements, using a wide range of movements and showing a good awareness of space. They work hard to improve their performance and develop routines through rehearsal. All these elements came together in an excellent Year 2 lesson where pupils were working on developing a sequence of three movements on and off the apparatus, that they had devised and developed over a series of lessons. They were also evident in an excellent reception class lesson, where pupils were

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

travelling and balancing using parts of their body. Dance skills have also been developed effectively. This was exemplified in the very good quality lesson in Year 2 where pupils were effectively moving to the slow and fast movement of eight beats. In all the lessons observed, pupils were not only being constantly encouraged to attain a high level of skills, but also have an appropriate regard for safety.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

122. The quality of teaching is very good. During the inspection six lessons were observed, of which two were excellent, three very good and one satisfactory. Teachers have very good subject knowledge and very high expectations for pupils’ attentiveness and commitment. Activities are very well planned to develop skills progressively through the lesson and over a period of time. This holds pupils' attention so that they concentrate very well and make, at the least, good progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Teachers give clear instructions and focus their attention very well in identifying what individuals need to do to improve. A key feature of every lesson was the use of high quality demonstrations by carefully selected pupils, well timed to take learning on to a further stage. Pupils paid appreciative attention at these times and their level of performance improved significantly as a result. In lessons, pupils needed little direct control or correction, because they were continually involved and encouraged to do their best. As a result, the atmosphere was very positive and purposeful, with pupils clearly self-motivated. Lessons on the whole are very well paced, because pupils respond promptly to instructions and behave very well so there are few disruptions.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123. The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils' social development. Within lessons pupils comment readily and purposefully on the quality of performance of others. The co-ordinator has put a lot of effort into maintaining the profile of the subject in the school. She has been very successful in this. She also recognises scope for development, for instance, in extending the very useful school portfolio of photographs, that shows the development of pupils’ skills, to a more formal assessment of skills, and also the regular monitoring of teaching.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

124. The previous inspection reported good standards and teaching in religious education, which have been maintained. Attainment is above the expectations set out in the local authority’s Agreed Syllabus. Portfolios of pupils’ work, current tasks, teachers’ planning, and lessons observed, show that pupils are taught through an Unique reference number: 125928 Rose Green Infant School Page No: 42 imaginative and stimulating cross-curricular approach. This is leading to good learning throughout the school and contributes strongly to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. The school has successfully developed the requirements of the local syllabus to meet the needs of the pupils. Its scheme is very well devised so that pupils study moral and social issues such as friendship, feelings and caring throughout the school. In Year 2 they start to study Christianity and some

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

other religions in greater depth, and in assemblies pupils are introduced to Christian prayer and prayers from other faiths.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

125. Pupils acquire a reasonably detailed and accurate knowledge of the religions and festivals, such as Christianity and the faiths of Islam and Judaism. Teachers ensure that the significant similarities between these religions as well as the more obvious differences are explored. In Year 1, pupils are studying the festival of Hanukkah. The opportunity to make potato cakes and doughnuts, associated with the festival, substantially increased the impact of the learning and extended pupils’ understanding of the importance of special foods in religions. Pupils, in discussion in class, showed a good knowledge of the specialised vocabulary associated with religions, much of it in languages with which they are not familiar. This was well exemplified in Year 1’s discussions about Hanukkah. Pupils’ factual knowledge about Christianity and other major religions is good. Most are able to record their knowledge

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

and understanding in written form, and in most cases, it is well presented. There is an excellent display in the hall about Harvest.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

126. In the two lessons seen, teaching was very good. Teachers were knowledgeable about the topic and questioned pupils very well to stimulate discussion and reinforce learning. The attitude of pupils in these lessons was very good. They were concentrating, listening attentively, and showing interest. They tried hard to answer questions accurately even when the subject matter was challenging. They worked well together and tried to help and support each other. In general, tasks are carefully planned to have a degree of variety to meet the range of ability levels, with good support from the classroom assistants.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

127. The enthusiastic co-ordinator has just recently taken over the organisation of the subject and has concentrated on developing the scheme for the school, and providing support for colleagues.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

128. Resources are good, with an appropriate amount of books, primarily for teacher use, and a wide range of artefacts to support teaching. Pupils visit the local church but visits to other places of worship are restricted due to the travelling distances. Visitors are regularly involved in assemblies, to support religious education, as in the week of inspection when the local vicar gave an informative talk about the elements of the Christingle.

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