Anstey First School

ANSTEY FIRST SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 17-18 September 2001

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ANSTEY FIRST SCHOOL

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

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ANSTEY FIRST 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. Anstey Primary School – Page 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Anstey Buntingford Hertfordshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 17 November 1997 Anstey Primary School – Page 4

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Team members

21552 P B McAlpine Registered inspector 9595 D Haynes Lay inspector

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Team members

PBM Inspection Services Ltd PO Box 524 Cheadle Staffordshire ST10 4RN

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Anstey Primary School – Page 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This very small rural primary school takes children up to the age of nine. Currently, there are 33 full-time pupils in Years 1-4, with a further two full-time pupils in the reception year. Designated nursery provision caters for eight part-time pupils in the afternoons. The number on roll has increased by about a third (11 pupils) since the previous inspection; social and economic backgrounds are broadly the same. All the pupils, including reception and nursery, are organised into two classes; one class with nursery, reception, and Years 1 and 2; the other with Years 3 and 4. Entry to the nursery and reception class is phased over the school year, usually at the beginning of each term. Year groups are very small and vary in size, as do the number of boys and girls in each year group. Currently, there are roughly even numbers of boys and girls. All of the pupils are white and of United Kingdom origin. The proportion of pupils eligible for a free school meal is very small and well below average. The

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

proportion with special educational needs varies from year to year. At present, two pupils have special educational needs; the proportion, five per cent, is very low; none have a statement of special educational need. The number of pupils admitted at any one time are very small and standards on entry vary considerably from year to year. Taking the previous five years together, the overall standard on entry has been above average, with about three- quarters of the pupils having typical or better attainment for their age, including a third with above average attainment. A few pupils have very high attainment indeed. None of the teachers and very few of the non-teaching staff have been appointed since the previous inspection. The proportion of pupils joining or leaving the school at other than the usual times of admission and transfer is very low.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school, with high standards, a broad curriculum, teachers who motivate the children well, a strong family atmosphere and a love of learning. All pupils make the progress they should and many, especially those with below average attainment on entry, exceed the expected progress. Educational value added is good. Test results since the previous inspection have been mainly well above average and standards by the age of nine are generally high in reading, writing, mathematics and science. The teaching is good for pupils in Years 1-4 and satisfactory for nursery and reception pupils. The management of the school is effective and well supported by governors and parents. The leadership shown by the headteacher is excellent. The cost of educating a pupil is higher than the national average but similar to other very small schools. Taking into account the high standards, the good quality of education, the achievement of the pupils, together with costs, the educational value for money

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What the school does well

• Standards in reading, writing, and mathematics are high and achievement is good. • The teaching in Years 1-4 is good. • The standard of behaviour is high and pupils are very well motivated. • Leadership and management shown by senior management and teachers with responsibility are good. • The school ethos is welcoming and strongly promotes learning.

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What could be improved

• The effectiveness of the provision in the nursery and reception year groups (the Foundation Stage). 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 on 17-27 November 1997. The high standard of attainment and behaviour found at that time, plus the good quality of education, have been sustained and improvement since then is satisfactory. The response of the headteacher, staff, and governors to the key issues for action identified by the previous inspection has been positive and successful. Appropriate improvements to weekly and termly planning have been made. A satisfactory policy for assessment has been written and implemented effectively. A satisfactory system to record and track the progress of pupils was introduced in 2000, together with annual targets for each child. A system of individual curricular target setting is to be started soon. Anstey Primary School – Page 7

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Year groups are so small that the detailed results of national tests are usually not published, mainly for reasons of confidentiality but also because they can vary widely from year to year without the variation being significant. The table shows that the average point score in 2000 of seven-year-olds was well above average in reading, very high in writing, and above average in mathematics. In writing, the results were in the top five per cent of schools nationally. The early indications of results in 2001 are that the point scores for seven-year-olds, who are now in Year 3, are well above average in reading and very high in writing and mathematics. The standard of work in Year 3 is consistent with their recent test results. The work of pupils in Year 2, who will be tested in 2002 at age seven, shows that all of them are on course to attain or exceed national expectations in reading, writing, and

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Key

mathematics by the end of the school year. Overall, the standard of current work of pupils in the seven-year-old age group is high and comparable to 2000 and 2001.

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Key

There are no national tests for the nine-year-olds in Year 4, the oldest age group at the school. Their work shows that they have made good progress since the age of seven and standards in reading, writing, and mathematics are high. School assessments are accurate and show that in recent years, nearly all pupils have made or exceeded the expected national amount of progress between the ages of seven and nine. Where they have not made expected progress, it is because of significant special educational needs. Overall, the achievement of pupils by the ages of seven and nine, compared to their attainment on entry, is good.

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Key

Since 1996, test results have been sustained at a well above average level, apart from 1999, when more than half the pupils tested had special educational needs. The overall trend of improvement in attainment is in line with the national trend. Compared to schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, performance is average or better. In 2000, performance of seven-year-olds was very high in writing, well above average in reading, and average in mathematics. This comparison with similar schools shows that educational value added is generally better than most. The school is not required to set overall targets but has set its own targets, which were exceeded in 2000 and 2001. The individual targets set for pupils are appropriate and challenging.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Excellent. All of the pupils are enthusiastic about school, settle quickly to their work and try hard. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Excellent. All of the pupils behave well in lessons. Misbehaviour on the playground and at other times is very rare. No bullying or aggressive behaviour and no sexist or racist behaviour were seen. Personal development and relationships Excellent. Pupils are confident, show good levels of initiative and are developing an appropriate awareness of responsibility. Attendance Excellent. The rate of attendance is well above average. No absence is unauthorised and punctuality is good.

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Aspect Comment

These aspects are a strong feature of the school and reflect its friendly, welcoming and purposeful ethos. The consistent attitudes and values shared by the pupils are because the teachers have high expectations of them, support them well, and work closely with parents.

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 4

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 4

The overall quality of the teaching is good. Much of the teaching in Years 3-4 is of high quality. None in any year group is unsatisfactory. The teachers are experienced, know the children very well, relationships are excellent, and these enable the teachers to provide each pupil with detailed support that is largely tailored to their individual learning needs. The two full-time teachers have good subject knowledge and expertise and are well supported by the part-time teachers. New knowledge is presented and discussed with pupils in a way that is motivating and easily understood. Pupils are managed very well and all teachers insist on high standards of behaviour. The teaching in English and mathematics is good and the literacy and numeracy strategies are implemented effectively. The basic skills of reading, writing, and mathematics are well taught. Over time, all pupils in Years 1-4 increase their knowledge by expected or greater amounts and only in lessons for nursery and reception pupils is

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 4

learning sometimes not as effective as it might be. The teaching of nursery and reception pupils is adequate but opportunities for extending knowledge are sometimes missed. The teaching, particularly in mathematics, appropriately challenges high attaining pupils. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and most of them keep up or catch up with national expectations.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. Relevant statutory requirements are met. Appropriate priority is given to all subjects of the curriculum for pupils in Years 1-4. Nearly all of the learning experiences in lessons for this age group are stimulating, efficient, and effective. The curriculum for reception and nursery pupils does not follow national guidance closely enough and the range of activities for these pupils is not as wide as it should be. Outdoor provision for the Foundation Stage is not adequately planned. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Planning is effective. Special needs are clearly identified and supported well. Parents are kept informed. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. Collective worship meets requirements and appropriate links with the local church have been established. Moral, social, and cultural development are well

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Aspect Comment

promoted through all aspects of school life and work.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The arrangements for child protection meet requirements. There is appropriate regard for health and safety. The headteacher and his staff keep a close watch on the personal and academic development of each pupil and take effective action to maintain and support progress.

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Aspect Comment

Parents’ approval of the school is very high. Response to the questionnaire was close to 100 per cent. The approval rating for the headteacher, his staff, the standards achieved, and the curriculum is very high and much higher than the typical picture. The arrangements to monitor the attainment and progress of the pupils have been improved since the previous inspection and are now satisfactory. There is appropriate analysis of individual and overall performance and the data is being used well to set challenging individual targets. The arrangements do not, however, include analyse of performance by gender or by attainment group and these are minor shortcomings that governors should consider for inclusion in their action plan. Anstey Primary School – Page 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good overall. The leadership shown by the headteacher is excellent. The educational direction to the work of the school is very clear. The headteacher is well supported by the teachers, all of whom share some of the management responsibilities. Teamwork is well developed. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. The business of the governing body is appropriately conducted. Relevant statutory requirements are met. The arrangements for governors to keep themselves informed about the school and to hold it to account for the standards achieved are adequate, although overly reliant upon the headteacher. The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The attainment and progress of pupils is monitored and analysed sufficiently for overall strengths and weaknesses in performance to be identified and action taken but not enough analysis of group performance occurs, such as

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Aspect Comment

boys and girls, and this limits the usefulness of the information available. The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. The budget is managed prudently and the school lives well within its budget. Appropriate care is taken with expenditure to compare costs between alternative suppliers and obtain best value for money.

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Aspect Comment

Income per pupil is very high compared to the typical school but largely reflects the greater costs of very small schools. Compared to very small schools, the income per pupil is broadly average. The pattern of expenditure is appropriate. Staffing and resources are adequate. A relatively large surplus has accrued because of changes made by the local authority to arrangements for recovering funds in small schools when pupils leave at other than the normal time of transfer. Although large proportionally, a fifth of the budget, the surplus is not an excessive amount of money and is being used as a financial cushion and to purchase new resources.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The good standards and broad curriculum. • Their children enjoy school. • The family atmosphere and caring ethos of the school. • The very good behaviour of the pupils. • The involvement of parents. • The leadership of the headteacher. No concerns were raised.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors found strong evidence to support all of the features of the school praised by parents. Anstey Primary School – Page 10

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Standards in reading, writing, and mathematics are high and achievement is good

1. Over the previous four years, thirty out of the thirty-two children tested at age seven in reading attained or exceeded the expected national level; twenty-eight did so in writing; all of them did so in mathematics. This level of success is much greater than in a typical school, especially in reading and mathematics. Over recent years, baseline assessments of pupils have predicted that about a quarter of the pupils might struggle to attain the expected national level by the age of seven. In practice, all but a very few of those who might have struggled actually achieved or exceed national expectations, showing the effectiveness of the teaching and its consistency over time. No child in Years 1-4 is attaining a level in reading, writing, or mathematics that is significantly below national expectations and the proportion with attainment that is consistent with or better than the typical national level for their age, almost all of the pupils, is very high.

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Standards in reading, writing, and mathematics are high and achievement is good

2. The standard of current work among nine-year-olds (Year 4) in reading, writing, and mathematics is high. In reading, all of the nine-year-olds are either reading at a level that is typical for their age or exceed it. The proportion exceeding the expected national level in reading is very high. Interest in reading is strong and most pupils are developing preferences for author and type of story. They can read a range of material, both fiction and non-fiction, and tackle confidently most of the unfamiliar words they meet. They are able to apply phonics to identify unfamiliar polysyllabic words and can generally approximate the correct pronunciation. All of the pupils in writing are attaining an appropriate level for their age and about three-fifths exceed expectations. All pupils organise their writing logically. The writing of high attaining pupils is often very imaginative, with words and phrases chosen to interest the reader. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are

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Standards in reading, writing, and mathematics are high and achievement is good

usually accurate and handwriting is joined. In mathematics, all of the pupils are attaining an appropriate level and the proportion exceeding expectations is high. Nearly all of them have appropriate knowledge of number facts to 20 and are developing knowledge of multiplication tables. Paper and pencil based computational skills are very good and they confidently add two and three digit numbers and can use short multiplication and division methods.

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Standards in reading, writing, and mathematics are high and achievement is good

3. The standard of current work among the seven-year-old age group in reading, writing, and mathematics is high. In reading, they tackle familiar text confidently and are acquiring the phonic knowledge necessary to tackle unfamiliar words. Work in Year 2, for example, effectively extended pupils’ knowledge of the “-igh-“ sound. Most of the seven-year-olds, and those soon to be seven, can write several sentences and organise them appropriately. Spelling, punctuation, and handwriting are all appropriate for their age. Knowledge of number is satisfactory and all of the year group are developing appropriate knowledge of two and three- dimensional shapes and the terminology to talk about them.

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Standards in reading, writing, and mathematics are high and achievement is good

4. The achievement of the pupils in reading, writing, and mathematics is good. One of the measures of educational value added, comparisons with similar schools using the results of national tests, shows that in 2000 the school did much better than similar schools in reading and writing and the same as them in mathematics. The early indications of the results in 2001 are that performance continues to be much better than similar schools in reading and writing and is now much better in mathematics. Another measure of value added, comparing the present attainment of each pupil with their attainment in previous years, shows that almost every child currently in Years 1-4 has increased their attainment by the same or more than the expected amount and this is much better than the typical picture nationally. Variations in achievement between the year groups are slight; they show that achievement is marginally better overall in Years 2 and 4

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Standards in reading, writing, and mathematics are high and achievement is good

but the difference compared to Years 1 and 3 is not significant.

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Standards in reading, writing, and mathematics are high and achievement is good

5. The overall trend as measured by results of national tests is for girls to do better, being typically almost a year ahead of the boys in reading and about six months ahead in writing and mathematics. The picture from year to year, however, varies markedly, reflecting the very small numbers of boys and girls in each year group. Boys did better in all subjects tested in 2000, which was contrary to the national scene and to the picture at the school in previous years. Girls did well in all subjects tested in 2001. The overall trend, which takes into account the results over five years, is a more accurate indicator. The overall difference in standards between girls and boys, however, almost entirely reflects differences in attainment between the genders on entry to school and there is no evidence to suggest that boys in this relatively small sample are underachieving.

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Standards in reading, writing, and mathematics are high and achievement is good

6. There are currently two pupils with special educational needs. The attainment of both is consistent with the national expectations for their age, reflecting support that has enabled them to catch up quickly. School Anstey Primary School – Page 11 records and their work show that the pupils with special educational needs have made good progress in relation to the difficulties they face and are acquiring confidence and self-esteem appropriately.

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The teaching in Years 1-4 is good

7. All of the teaching of pupils in the six-to-nine age group is effective. The quality is always satisfactory or better and much of it, especially in the eight and nine-year-old age groups, is of high quality. All of the teachers, both part-time and full-time, are experienced and know the pupils in these age groups very well. Relationships between pupils and teachers are excellent. The teaching helps all pupils in Years 1-4, including those with high attainment and those with special educational needs, to acquire new knowledge and skills quickly and efficiently in lessons and leads to them making at least the progress they should over the course of a school year.

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The teaching in Years 1-4 is good

8. The teachers use their knowledge of individual pupils to provide extra support and guidance with learning, enabling pupils of all abilities to extend their knowledge quickly and effectively. In a very good mathematics lesson with eight and nine-year-olds, all pupils shared the mental warm up. All of them, using their knowledge of addition and place value, could answer the teacher’s initial questions. The level of difficulty was gradually raised so that the questions became very challenging; the most knowledgeable pupils were stretched and the least knowledgeable learned from the answers provided by the other pupils. Discussions about how the answers were arrived at were managed in a way that motivated everyone and left them feeling successful and eager for more. The practical work was tailored to the needs of different age and ability groups and led to all pupils in the class working at or beyond the expected level for their age. In the

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The teaching in Years 1-4 is good

case of high attaining pupils, this was more than a year ahead of expectations.

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The teaching in Years 1-4 is good

9. Lessons, and subjects, are often made to come alive with pupils actively engaged in the learning. The teachers’ knowledge and expertise is generally good. In a high quality history lesson with eight and nine-year- olds, direct teaching increased pupils’ knowledge of historical enquiry methods and the importance of asking and framing questions. The pupils then had the opportunity to apply their new skills to objects and artefacts to see what they could discover and deduce. All of the pupils applied considerable intellectual effort to the task, worked quickly, and sustained concentration over the full period of the lesson. During the plenary, the teacher’s expertise enabled him to handle the various conclusions reached by pupils effectively and channel their thinking back to the main lesson objectives. By the end of the lesson, all of the pupils were confidently able to make relevant and sensible deductions about the age and purpose of the various artefacts and who

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The teaching in Years 1-4 is good

10. Weekly and lesson planning have been improved in response to issues for action identified at the previous inspection and are now satisfactory in Years 1-4. The management of pupils is very good. The youngest class, covering four age groups, is particularly well managed, often with separate provision for each of the years and individual or extra support for specific pupils, including those with special educational needs. In a good lesson with nursery, reception, and Years 1 and 2, each year group had their own learning objectives; the teacher taught the oldest children and the other groups worked with assistants. This enable shared literacy work to be organised effectively and the nationally recommended programme of work to be taught to year groups as intended. Good use is made of part-time staff to target specific pupils, including those with special educational needs. There is close cooperation with the part-time teacher who supports special needs

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The teaching in Years 1-4 is good

to ensure that her teaching is relevant to the pupils.

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The teaching in Years 1-4 is good

11. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs, and those needing to catch up, is good. The nature of the pupils’ difficulties are well understood and communicated between the teachers. Work is specifically chosen and well-targeted at learning needs, enabling temporary difficulties to be quickly overcome. All of the extra support is within the classroom and is managed so as not to make the curriculum for these pupils different to that of others.

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The standard of behaviour is high and pupils are very well motivated

12. The excellent attitudes and behaviour of the pupils arise from the high expectations of the teachers, the care they have for the academic and personal development of pupils, the stimulating teaching, and the excellent leadership and role model provided by the headteacher. All of the pupils are keen to come to school and they get on with their work without prompting, an observation that echoes the parents’ replies to the questionnaire, of which all say that their children like school, with four in five parents indicating the strongest level of support. Excellent relationships with parents are helping to promote support for school values and the expectations of good behaviour. Anstey Primary School – Page 12 13. No misbehaviour was seen in lessons or outside. Pupils arrive and depart in an informal, yet orderly manner. They are enthusiastic in lessons but this never gets out of hand and they show courtesy and respect for their

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The standard of behaviour is high and pupils are very well motivated

teachers and other adults at all times. Relationships between pupils are excellent. Pupils are very clear about the way they should behave and this is achieved through informal and unobtrusive methods. There are no printed rules, for example, but the headteacher is always to be seen, leading the children in their play as well as their work, and he responds effectively and consistently to social and moral problems as and when they arise. Dialogue with pupils successfully encourages them to reflect on their actions and how these might affect others. The example of the headteacher is supported and followed by all of the staff. Playtimes are well managed and there is plenty of equipment for the pupils to use to explore and extend personal and social skills and abilities. No bullying, sexist, or racist behaviour was seen. Parents report only a very small amount of bullying, much lower in frequency than is typical, and pupils say there is none. When bullying does

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The standard of behaviour is high and pupils are very well motivated

occur, it is reported to be dealt with effectively by the teachers. There have been no exclusions during the reporting period. Pupils are fully involved in daily routines; this is helping them to develop a good sense of responsibility for themselves and others. By the age on nine, all pupils are appropriately independent and can plan and organise their work when asked.

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Leadership and management shown by senior management and teachers with responsibility are good

14. The good leadership and management reflect well-developed teamwork and effective delegation. Every member of this very small staff works directly with pupils most of the time. The headteacher has virtually full- time commitment to teaching a class, and this means that time for management is always at a premium for everyone. All of the staff, teaching and non-teaching, each have a range of roles and responsibilities that they manage effectively. The educational direction and development of the school is clearly and firmly established by the headteacher. Priority is appropriately given to helping all pupils attain expected or higher standards; to maintaining a broad curriculum; and to personal, social and moral development. The aims and values of the school are explicit and reflected in all its work. There is very strong commitment to good relationships and equality of opportunity.

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Leadership and management shown by senior management and teachers with responsibility are good

15. The governors manage their business appropriately. Relevant statutory requirements are met. The minutes of governors’ meetings are appropriately maintained and show a satisfactory range of governor involvement in the life and work of the school. The headteacher, through his report each term and regular contact with the chair of governors provides sufficient information and analysis of performance for the governors to keep abreast of developments and hold the school to account for standards achieved.

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Leadership and management shown by senior management and teachers with responsibility are good

16. The headteacher and his staff are effective in diagnosing strengths and weaknesses and they act appropriately to improve the provision. The school development plan, for example, identifies special educational needs provision, individual target setting, aspects of literacy, and information and communication technology as priorities for development. These areas are relevant to the needs of the school and the actions taken so far have been successful. The erection of permanent climbing and play equipment on the play area, an action that followed an analysis of playtime behaviour, is one of the reasons why behaviour at playtimes is so good. The need to improve provision in the reception and nursery years has been recently identified by the teachers following the publication of national guidance for the Foundation Stage although this is not yet included in the development plan. Satisfactory arrangements for performance

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Leadership and management shown by senior management and teachers with responsibility are good

management are in place and statutory requirements are met. Observation of teachers forms part of the performance management arrangements. Other than this, the headteacher’s arrangements to observe teachers and support them with their professional development are informal. This is appropriate given the size of the school, the open plan organisation of the teaching space, and the availability of management time. A satisfactory system for monitoring the attainment and progress of pupils has been introduced in response to a key issue for action identified at the previous inspection. This effectively complements the detailed knowledge teachers have in their heads and allows the performance of the school to be evaluated.

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Leadership and management shown by senior management and teachers with responsibility are good

17. The headteacher and governors manage the resources of the school, including finances, prudently. Resources are well marshalled to support developments and achieve success. The building of an extensive environmental area for science, for example, including a wild garden and pond, involved the whole of the school community and relied extensively on donations and volunteer labour. The principles of best value are firmly applied. The school gives good value for money. Anstey Primary School – Page 13

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The school ethos is welcoming and strongly promotes learning

18. The school strongly values the efforts and contribution of children to the community and the learning process. The personal development of the pupils is effectively promoted. There are many opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and to experiment and explore. The responses of the adults to the children’s efforts is enabling pupils to accept, for example, that getting something wrong can as important to the learning process as getting it right, and are leading to pupils’ developing confidence, good self-esteem, and a positive attitude to learning.

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The effectiveness of the provision in the nursery and reception year groups (the Foundation Stage)

19. The teaching of pupils in the nursery and reception year groups is adequate and helps pupils to settle quickly into school and feel secure. Nevertheless, opportunities in the teaching to extend learning are missed and the rate of progress for these pupils is slower than elsewhere in the school. The missed opportunities reflect learning objectives that are not always as clear as they should be and lesson planning that lacks the detail necessary to support the class assistants working with this age group. The nursery and reception curriculum is not planned in sufficient detail each term and does not fully reflect national guidance. An appropriate balance between teacher directed and independent learning activities is not achieved. There is very little provision for imaginative play or role-play or for using sand and water. Resources for literacy and numeracy are satisfactory for the age group but resources for developing knowledge and understanding of the world,

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The effectiveness of the provision in the nursery and reception year groups (the Foundation Stage)

creative development, and physical development are narrow in range or insufficient, especially for imaginative play, role-play, outdoor physical development, and water and sand play. For these reasons, the provision is not consistently meeting the learning needs of nursery and reception children or providing them with an appropriate, balanced curriculum.

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The effectiveness of the provision in the nursery and reception year groups (the Foundation Stage)

20. In a lesson with nursery and reception pupils, by way of illustration, a class assistant organised an activity that required animal sounds to be matched with pictures, carefully following the teacher’s planning. The resources were appropriate for the age group and, by the end of the activity, the pupils had extended their knowledge. What was not clear from the planning, however, was the range of learning that could be gained from the activity. This meant that good opportunities were missed, for example, for pupils to describe the sounds that they heard, to extend their vocabularies of appropriate descriptive words, and to improve the listening skills needed when learning about the position of letters and sounds in words. So although learning occurred, it was not as effective or as focused as it could have been. Anstey Primary School – Page 14

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

21. To improve provision in the Foundation Stage, the headteacher and his staff, with the support of the governing body should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q identify, share, and implement good practice in teaching nursery and reception age pupils; q provide relevant training for class assistants to help them increase the effectiveness of their support for these pupils; q plan the work for the Foundation Stage in detail, making full use of national guidance and recommendations; q monitor the provision closely to support the professional development of the staff; q set targets for improvement to the provision and the standards attained and report regularly to governors on progress towards achieving these targets. Anstey Primary School – Page 15

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 12

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 0 25 33 42 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than eight percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR-Y4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 4 35

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 1 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 6

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Attendance

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. Anstey Primary School – Page 16

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 3 5 8

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys N/a N/a N/a Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls N/a N/a N/a

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

Percentage of pupils School 88 (88) 100 (50) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys N/a N/a N/a Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls N/a N/a N/a

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (75) 100 (63) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. The table is not completed in full to protect confidentiality when the cohort is less than 10 pupils. Please note that each child in 2000 accounted for about 12 percentage points. Anstey Primary School – Page 17

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2.8 Financial year 2000-2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 12.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR-Y4 Total income 160248

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Total expenditure 153246

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 20 Expenditure per pupil 3191

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 21710

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 28712

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 8

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 14

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 4 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Anstey Primary School – Page 18

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 76 24 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 73 27 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 61 15 9 0 15

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 85 12 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 88 12 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 73 24 0 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 76 21 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 97 3 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 85 15 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 45 42 6 0 7

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