Valence Primary School

VALENCE INFANTS’ SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 9 th – 10 th June 2003

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VALENCE INFANTS’ SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Valence Infants School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Bonham Road Dagenham Postcode: RM8 3AR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs V Cridland (acting chair)

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1998

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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. Valence Infants School - 4

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Team members

21313 Mr H Galley Registered inspector 14756 Mr J Lovell Lay inspector 20645 Ms R Webber Team inspector

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Team members

Bench Marque Limited National Westminster Bank Chambers Victoria Street Burnham-on-Sea Somerset TA8 1AN

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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 Valence Infants School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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

Valence Infants’ School has 203 pupils, aged between three and sevenyears, with a roughly equal number of boys and girls. Few pupils come from minority ethnic groups; most are white and English speaking. Thirteen pupils speak English as an additional language, although all but two are fluent speakers of English. The school hosts a local education authority ‘nursery assessment base’ which assesses 16 pre-school children who appear to have special educational needs. Apart from the ‘assessment base’, there are 28 pupils with special educational needs covering a wide range of learning difficulties. Ten pupils have a statement of special educational needs, a proportion that is nearly three times the national average. The majority of families live in council housing close to the school. The school serves an area which is characterised by pockets of deprivation, above average levels of unemployment and overcrowded houses. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is above

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

average. Attainment on entry to the school is below average, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy. A feature of the school is the stability of the teaching staff, with many having given several years of unbroken service.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is very effective in meeting the needs of all its pupils. Teaching is consistently good, with examples of very good and occasional excellent teaching in English and mathematics. Pupils’ achievements are high and they attain standards that are well above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. This is particularly impressive given their low starting point. The leadership of the headteacher and key staff is excellent and they are superbly supported by all teaching and non- teaching staff. There is a strong emphasis on raising the self-esteem of all pupils and ensuring that everyone takes a full part in the many learning opportunities the school provides. The school gives very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards are well above average in reading, writing, mathematics and art and design. • The quality of teaching and learning is good overall, with very good teaching in the subjects mentioned above. • The headteacher is an outstanding leader and receives excellent support from key staff. • The school is very successful in including all pupils in every aspect of school life. • The school successfully encourages parents to be full partners in their children’s education.

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What could be improved

• The way in which Information and communication technology (ICT) is used to support learning in other subjects. • The governing body is not fully involved in monitoring and shaping the school’s work. • Attendance is well below average and many pupils arrive late for school. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in 1998 when it was described as ‘a good school with many strengths’. Since that time, there has been a good level of improvement, while the strengths that were reported then have been maintained. Of greatest significance is the improvement in standards of reading, writing and mathematics; in all three areas, standards have risen well above the national trend since the last inspection. This rising trend reflects significant improvements in the quality of the monitoring of teaching and learning throughout the school. Provision in the nursery, heavily criticised in the last report, is now good and children make a positive start to their school life. The previous report indicated that more able Valence Infants School - 7 pupils were not fully stretched and the school has worked very hard, with considerable success to tackle this key issue. However, the school has not been successful in improving the role of the governing body,

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

which remains under developed. In 1998, attendance was close to the national average, but has declined significantly since then and is now well below average.

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

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Key

The table shows the consistently outstanding levels of achievements by pupils over the last three years, particularly when taking into account that attainment on entry to the school is below average, Standards have risen well above the national trend in reading, writing and mathematics. In all three areas, the results in 2002 place the school in the top five per cent nationally when compared to other similar schools. Standards in the present Year 2 are broadly similar to last year’s. A notable feature of these results is the very high proportion of pupils who reach the higher Level 3 in the National Curriculum tests and assessments. Standards in science have been consistently above average over the last three years. During the inspection, standards in art and design were judged to be well above average, with average standards being observed in other subjects. Pupils with special educational needs are superbly

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Key

supported by teaching and non-teaching staff and make very good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. Only two pupils are at the early stages of speaking English as an additional language but they, too, are very well supported and make very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils are enthusiastic about the wide range of activities they are offered. They have good attitudes to school and respond positively to the high expectations of them to work hard and do well.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils are polite and friendly to each other, to the adults they work with, and to visitors. Movement around the school is calm and orderly.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils enjoy very good relationships with each other and work together well in pairs and groups. The very good quality of relationships at all levels throughout the school has a positive impact on the personal development of pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance There has been a decline since the last inspection and levels are now well below average. A significant minority arrive late for school.

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

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

Teaching is consistently good with some very good features. The school has placed considerable emphasis on developing provision in literacy and numeracy with the result that teaching and learning in these areas are very good. Two notable strengths are teachers’ management of pupils and the consistently high expectations of behaviour and effort. The school meets the needs of all pupils very well through closely targeted support for individuals and groups. Support for pupils who have special educational needs is especially effective. A key feature of every class is the close working relationships between teachers and a large team of highly skilled teaching assistants. A notable improvement in teaching since the last inspection has been the much improved planning in the nursery which now ensures that all the areas of learning recommended for this age group are covered in a thorough and rigorous manner. Teacher and non-teaching staff work very hard to praise pupils at every opportunity,

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

always seeking to raise pupils’ self-esteem. Pupils are given clear oral feedback about their work. By contrast, the quality of written comments in pupils’ books is variable and does not often give pupils a clear idea of where improvements are required. A consistent weakness in teaching is the limited use of ICT to support pupils’ learning in subjects across the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. Provision for the key skills of literacy and numeracy are very good. Good use is made of a wide range of visits and visitors that bring the curriculum to life, although not enough use is made of ICT to support learning in other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils make similar progress to that of their peers because of the effective classroom practice which is closely monitored by the special educational needs co-ordinator. Pupils’ targets are sharp and reviewed regularly.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The very effective support systems ensure that the pupils in the early stages of learning English make very good progress. This good quality support continues once pupils have established a basic competence in English, with the result that pupils achieve highly.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision is good, with a strong emphasis on promoting social and moral development. The breadth of the curriculum adds much to pupils’ cultural development. Spiritual development does not feature highly in teachers’ planning but is adequate overall.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. The support available is used sensitively and flexibly to meet pupils’ varying needs. Good assessment procedures, particularly in English and mathematics, help staff to remain very well aware of individual needs.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher is an outstanding leader and is at the centre of all the school’s good work. The headteacher receives excellent support from key staff in setting high standards for the whole school community.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. The governing body has had difficulties in recruiting and retaining members and has been too reliant on the advice and guidance of the headteacher. There have been a number of recent appointments which means the governing body is in a good position to extend and improve the quality of its work.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Excellent. The school uses all available information to analyse its performance and look for ways to improve. Monitoring systems are well established, rigorous and extremely effective.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. Grants relating to special educational needs are used very effectively, but inadequate resourcing in ICT has led to weaknesses in this aspect of provision. The school seeks to gain best value in all its decision making.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children are happy at school, work hard and make very good progress. • Behaviour is very good. • Teaching is very good throughout the school. • The headteacher is an outstanding leader. • All staff are friendly and approachable. • The range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The positive views were expressed unanimously by parents attending the pre-inspection meeting and by almost all those returning the questionnaire. Inspectors agree with all of these positive views. Inspectors do not share the concerns about the range of activities outside lessons. The school organises a wide range of visits and visitors that enrich the curriculum experiences of pupils. Although no after-school clubs were operational during the inspection, many pupils have enjoyed art and music clubs that operated earlier in the school year. Valence Infants School - 10 Valence Infants School - 11 Valence Infants School - 12

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Standards are well above average in reading, writing, mathematics and art and

1. Attainment on entry to the school is below average. In the Foundation Stage (nursery and reception classes) children make a good start to learning the basic skills of literacy and numeracy and, by the time pupils start in Year 1, standards are already at the average level.

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Standards are well above average in reading, writing, mathematics and art and

2. The school places considerable emphasis on the development of reading skills. At a meeting before the inspection, parents cited this focus as the one that most impressed them when they became members of the school community. From the day they start school, pupils are expected to take their reading books home and parents are quickly encouraged to become active partners in this process. The constant practice that pupils get, both in school and at home, plays a major role in the very good progress that is made by all ages. The school makes superb use of a large team of highly skilled teaching assistants who spend a great deal of time listening to individual pupils read, recording pupils’ strengths and weaknesses and setting challenging targets for future development. Another factor underpinning pupils’ progress in reading is the lively and skilful manner in which teachers read stories to groups and classes; this inspires pupils

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Standards are well above average in reading, writing, mathematics and art and

and conveys to them that reading is exciting and fun. The excellent displays of literature in every class and around the school further enhance the profile of reading and convey an important message to anyone who visits the school.

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Standards are well above average in reading, writing, mathematics and art and

3. One of the reasons for the very good progress that pupils make in developing their writing skills is the high expectations that teachers have of pupils in this key area of learning. From an early age, pupils are encouraged to write in correct sentences and, by the end of Year 1, a majority of pupils are already achieving the standards normally expected towards the end of Year 2. In other words, they use capital letters and full stops and use well-structured sentences to convey meaning. More able pupils in Year 1 are beginning to use more sophisticated types of punctuation such as commas and question marks. In Year 2, pupils are encouraged to write in a range of genres including news, stories, reports and poems. Much of the writing is lively and imaginative and many pupils use a wide range of adjectives to bring their writing to life.

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Standards are well above average in reading, writing, mathematics and art and

4. The school’s focus on improving standards in mathematics is paying dividends. A key factor has been the enthusiasm and commitment with which the teachers have embraced the local education authority’s own programme to deliver the National Numeracy Strategy, known as ‘Improving Primary Mathematics’. This scheme ensures pupils work carefully through closely graded exercises. A scrutiny of pupils’ work in all classes shows that this enables pupils to build up a range of skills in a sequential manner. A notable feature of pupils’ mathematics work is the unrelenting pace throughout the school year. Pupils show adept skills in the mental ‘warm up’ part of the lesson and the speed with which they work out problems leads to high levels of confidence in other aspects of mathematics.

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Standards are well above average in reading, writing, mathematics and art and

5. An impressive feature of pupils’ attainments in reading, writing and mathematics is the well above average proportion of pupils who achieve the higher Level 3 in their National Curriculum tests and assessments. In writing, for example, the proportion reaching Level 3, 26 per cent, is more than double the national average. Equally impressive is the very good progress made by pupils with special educational needs. Pupils’ individual Valence Infants School - 13 education plans have precise targets that are closely monitored and reviewed. A significant proportion of pupils on the schools’ special educational needs register make such good progress that they reach average levels in the statutory tests at the end of Year 2.

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Standards are well above average in reading, writing, mathematics and art and

6. In all classes, art and design is given a high priority. This is obvious from a walk around the school, which features two- and three-dimensional work of high quality. The school has worked hard to give pupils plenty of access to the work of famous artists, both from this country and across Europe. Often pupils have enjoyed presenting their own work in the style of one of these famous artists. Thus, pupils have produced bold, colourful and imaginative work in the style of artists such as Van Gogh, Lowry, Rousseau, Cezanne, Picasso and Renoir. In addition, care has been taken to display the work of other influential artists around the school ( even in the toilets!). Thus, pupils have been able to enjoy and appreciate the work of artists such as Vermeer, Monet, Botticelli and Matisse. The high quality of work in art and design makes a significant contribution to pupils’ cultural development.

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The quality of teaching and learning is good overall, with very good teaching in the

7. Teaching and learning are good, frequently very good and occasionally excellent. Lessons are planned very thoroughly and build sequentially on pupils’ previous learning. Weekly planning for literacy and numeracy is very good, with carefully structured activities that are pitched at different levels of difficulty to match the range of pupils’ learning needs. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour and effort and are very successful in their efforts to challenge pupils of all abilities. This has led to a large number of pupils working at levels beyond those expected for their age. Pupils are not spoon-fed; they are encouraged to become independent learners and to develop skills that enable them to make the best possible progress in lessons. In all lessons, superb use is made of a large team of teaching assistants who are deployed to meet the differing needs of pupils within the class.

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The quality of teaching and learning is good overall, with very good teaching in the

8. A feature of lessons is the well-sustained pace. No time is wasted. Lessons get off to a brisk start and this is maintained throughout. Pupils know what is expected of them and they work well, whether it be alone, in pairs or in larger groups. All lessons end with an appropriate review (sometimes referred to as ‘the plenary’) to consider whether or not they have achieved what was expected and this often gives pupils a real sense of achievement.

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The quality of teaching and learning is good overall, with very good teaching in the

9. Pupils have good attitudes to learning. They know they are in school to learn and that they are expected to work hard. The level of participation in lessons is high. Very good relationships are founded on mutual respect and trust and underpinned by well- established routines. Pupils sustain a very good level of concentration, interest and enthusiasm in lessons. These qualities are harnessed well by teachers through interesting and practical tasks which give a powerful sense of purpose to pupils’ active learning.

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The quality of teaching and learning is good overall, with very good teaching in the

10. Teachers’ explanations are clear and easy to follow. The good quality of teachers’ speech is important in enabling all pupils to follow what is being said. This is a key factor in explaining the very good progress made by pupils who speak English as an additional language. A good balance between whole-class teaching, group work and individual tasks helps to vary the organisation of lessons and to maintain a positive working ethic throughout lessons. Valence Infants School - 14 11. Teaching is best in English and mathematics. The school has rightly focused on developing teaching skills in these key subjects and with considerable success. Teachers make very good use of detailed guidelines provided by the local education authority to enable both the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy to be implemented successfully. Teachers’ feel comfortable with these guidelines and this is a key factor in the confident approach teachers have to English and mathematics

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The quality of teaching and learning is good overall, with very good teaching in the

12. There are, however, two weaknesses in teaching, which meant that, during the inspection, some otherwise strong lessons were judged to be good rather than very good. Teachers do make nearly enough use of ICT to support pupils’ learning in everyday teaching and learning. The below average levels of resourcing in this subject is a factor here; the school does not have enough computers nor does it have enough software. Although teachers give very good oral feedback to pupils about their work, the quality of written feedback is only adequate, and pupils are rarely given a clear idea of the strengths and weaknesses of their work.

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The headteacher is an outstanding leader and receives excellent support from key

13. The headteacher has a simple but highly effective philosophy that has served the school very well for many years and has maintained the strengths identified at the last inspection. A strong ethos of care is balanced by high academic expectations of pupils matched by an emphasis on pupils’ personal development. Central to the school’s aims is that pupils should develop the skills to become confident learners. They are valued as individuals and their achievements are celebrated in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect.

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The headteacher is an outstanding leader and receives excellent support from key

14. These aims are met very well because the whole school community is committed to them. The headteacher has been successful in building a very good team of teaching and non-teaching staff. A key feature, underpinning much of the school’s success, is the stability of teaching staff at a time when the recruitment and retention of such staff has posed problems for so many similar schools in the Greater London area. This owes much to the headteacher’s caring, supportive approach towards all members of the school community. This is a school where the staff enjoy their work and give whole- hearted commitment.

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The headteacher is an outstanding leader and receives excellent support from key

15. The headteacher receives excellent support from her senior staff, including the deputy- headteacher and key subject co-ordinators. As very good practitioners, they are able to translate the school’s vision into reality by supporting colleagues and creating a culture where staff readily accept constructive criticism because they are constantly striving to improve their practice.

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The headteacher is an outstanding leader and receives excellent support from key

16. Monitoring is very well established and the headteacher and senior staff have a good awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of teaching and learning throughout the school. The role of subject co-ordinators has been developed very well and work, especially in the core subjects of English and mathematics, is closely monitored to ensure that standards are maintained at a very high level. Detailed analyses of pupils’ attainment and progress have helped the school to identify weaknesses in areas of pupils’ understanding. As a result, great care is taken to ensure that the work presented to pupils’ closely matches their differing needs. The very effective leadership of the Foundation Stage has led to significant improvements in provision for the youngest children since the last inspection. Valence Infants School - 15 17. The headteacher is also the special educational needs co-ordinator and takes this role

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The headteacher is an outstanding leader and receives excellent support from key

very seriously, ensuring that pupils’ individual education plans have precise targets that are regularly reviewed. Close links between the special educational needs co-ordinator, class teachers and support assistants contributes to the very good quality of provision for pupils throughout the school.

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The headteacher is an outstanding leader and receives excellent support from key

18. The school development plan is a well-focused document that identifies the school’s priorities and sets an agreed way forward for teaching and non-teaching staff, although it places insufficient emphasis on the resourcing of ICT.

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The headteacher is an outstanding leader and receives excellent support from key

19. At a meeting held before the inspection, parents described the headteacher as ‘an outstanding leader’ an astute and accurate judgement!

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The headteacher is an outstanding leader and receives excellent support from key

The school is very successful in including all pupils in every aspect of school life.

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The headteacher is an outstanding leader and receives excellent support from key

20. One of the aims of the school is to ensure that all pupils are included in every aspect of school life and this aim is fully met.

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The headteacher is an outstanding leader and receives excellent support from key

21. A good start is made in the nursery, where provision for children with special educational needs is superb. This owes much to the siting of a local education authority ‘assessment base’ within the nursery. Children from other parts of the borough travel to the school to be assessed for possible special educational needs. These children are carefully integrated into the routines of the nursery and the skills of the staff attached to the ‘assessment base’ are shared with the school’s own nursery staff, thus benefiting all children.

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The headteacher is an outstanding leader and receives excellent support from key

22. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is superb. Regular reviews of pupils’ needs, and careful target setting, are matched by the support offered by the co-ordinator for special educational needs and by highly skilled learning support staff. Pupils are supported in a sensitive manner during whole-class sessions and when they work in small groups or individually. Pupils’ individual education plans are drawn up by class teachers with support from the special educational needs co-ordinator and these support pupils in achieving success through small manageable steps. The very good working relationships between teaching and non-teaching staff is a key factor in enabling all pupils to access the wide range of learning opportunities.

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The headteacher is an outstanding leader and receives excellent support from key

23. Equally, teachers are aware of those pupils who are academically able and give them a very good level of challenge in lessons. The well above average proportion of pupils who attain the higher Level 3 in the National Curriculum tests is testament to the success of this strategy.

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The headteacher is an outstanding leader and receives excellent support from key

24. Few pupils speak English as an additional language and only two are at the early stages of English acquisition. However, the school carefully assesses such needs and makes sure that these pupils are fully involved in all activities. Teachers speak with care and precision to ensure that pupils fully understand the content of lessons and rapid progress is made in learning to speak English.

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The headteacher is an outstanding leader and receives excellent support from key

25. The school carefully monitors the trends in attainment of boys and girls over time and feeds any information into the school development plan. In 1998 the school recognised that boys’ attainment lagged behind girls but a concerted team effort has led to significant gains in boys’ literacy skills and now there are no significant differences in attainment between boys and girls. Valence Infants School - 16

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The school successfully encourages parents to be full partners in their children’s

26. The headteacher, with the full support of the staff, has worked hard over many years to ensure parents feel welcome in the school. This priority is made clear in all the school’s documentation, especially the school prospectus.

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The school successfully encourages parents to be full partners in their children’s

27. The positive rapport that the school has with parents starts before they join the school through a programme of home visits prior to children joining the nursery. Thereafter, staff have worked hard to make themselves available to parents before the start and after the end of the school day. The extent to which parents appreciate this effort was obvious at the pre-inspection meeting, where parents unanimously agreed that all staff were ‘friendly, approachable and kind’. One result of this is that parents are informed as soon as they are any concerns about a child’s performance in any aspect of school life. This gives parents a sense of confidence in the school.

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The school successfully encourages parents to be full partners in their children’s

28. Another key factor that emerged at the parents meeting was the schools’ high expectations of parents regarding support for children’s reading at home. As soon as they start school, children are expected to take their ‘book bag’ home every day and parents encourage this with considerable commitment. Parents’ support for children’s learning at home is an important factor in explaining the school’s consistently outstanding results in literacy and numeracy.

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The school successfully encourages parents to be full partners in their children’s

29. The school encourages parents to help in lessons and a significant minority of parents take advantage of this opportunity. Much of this time is spent listening to individual pupils read, thus giving pupils valuable extra experience in this key area of learning.

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The school successfully encourages parents to be full partners in their children’s

30. The school has been particularly successful in forging constructive links with parents of children with special educational needs. Once again, the very high level of parental satisfaction with these links was exemplified at the pre-inspection meeting, where parents spoke movingly of the positive impact the school’s work had had on the quality of their family life by giving parents and children confidence. Parents felt that great care was taken to meet the very different needs of children on the special educational needs register and that their children made at least very good progress. Most crucially, they felt they were included in all aspects of school life.

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The school successfully encourages parents to be full partners in their children’s

31. The extent of parental support for the school is best exemplified by the response to the pre-inspection questionnaire. This shows extremely high levels of satisfaction with almost all aspects of the school’s provision. This high level of support is a key factor underpinning the significant levels of commitment shown by the headteacher and her staff, since staff do feel that their efforts are appreciated by parents. The whole-hearted support of almost all parents is somewhat undermined by the lack of support of the few with regard to attendance and punctuality. Valence Infants School - 17

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The way in which ICT is used to support learning in other subjects.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

32. Overall, the school’s curriculum provision is satisfactory. This is despite the fact that the school provides a rich arts curriculum and enlivens learning opportunities through a wide range of stimulating visits and visitors. These positive elements are undermined by the weak use of ICT to support the curriculum.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

33. The school has already recognised this shortcoming and is in the process of implementing plans to extend the use of ICT. There are two problems facing teachers in their attempts to make more use of ICT resources, both in terms of hardware and software, are inadequate and teachers’ levels of confidence in this subject lag behind that in other subjects.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

34. The number of computers the school has is below average given the number of pupils. Teachers make reasonable use of the computers that are available and pupils make satisfactory progress and most just reach the expected standards by the age of seven. However, the school recognises that pupils do not get enough ‘hands on’ experience and, in response to this, has recently agreed that by the age of seven pupils can make weekly use of the computer-suite in the adjoining junior school.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

35. A scrutiny of pupils’ work in all classes shows that pupils do a satisfactory range of word-processing to support their written work, but that work in other subjects only occasionally features the use of ICT.

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The governing body is not fully involved in monitoring and shaping the school’s

36. Like many schools in the Greater London area, the school has had long-standing problems regarding the recruitment and retention of governors. The school has not had a full complement of governors for some years and has had to cope with regular changes in personnel. As a result, it has come to rely too heavily on the advice and guidance of the headteacher.

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The governing body is not fully involved in monitoring and shaping the school’s

37. The previous report noted some weaknesses in the work of the governing body and these broadly remain. The structure of the governing body is sound, with a range of committees, which undertake certain aspects of the governors’ responsibilities. Governors meet regularly but attendance by some governors is erratic.

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The governing body is not fully involved in monitoring and shaping the school’s

38. Since the last inspection, the school has had a fully committed chair of governors who reluctantly had to resign recently. The headteacher reports that he was a ‘critical friend’ of the school, constructively questioning decisions and calling the school to account for the quality of provision. His departure leaves only one experienced governor, who is presently ‘acting’ as chairperson. In these circumstances, it has been difficult for the governing body to play the proactive role expected of it. However, six new appointments have been made in the last six months and these new governors, many of them parents, bring considerable commitment and enthusiasm to their new roles, although these attributes have yet to be developed. Valence Infants School - 18 Attendance is well below average and many pupils arrive late for school.

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The governing body is not fully involved in monitoring and shaping the school’s

39. At the time of the last inspection attendance levels were broadly average. Since then they have declined and are now well below average. The school monitors attendance carefully and has been aware for some time that levels have fallen to an unacceptable level. The school communicates regularly with parents, stressing the importance of attendance and has close links with welfare officers of the local education authority.

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The governing body is not fully involved in monitoring and shaping the school’s

40. These monitoring records show that the vast majority of families do support regular attendance. Indeed, almost a quarter of pupils have very good or excellent attendance (97 per cent or better). However, nearly ten per cent of pupils have regular and sometimes sustained absence and the school’s efforts to improve these statistics are largely in vain. The school has attempted to reduce family holidays in term times but these efforts, too, have been ignored by a significant minority of families.

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The governing body is not fully involved in monitoring and shaping the school’s

41. A number of pupils are persistently late arriving for school. This causes some disruption to the orderly start to the school day and means that those pupils arriving late miss an important part of their daily experience. The school has a limited range of strategies for dealing with those who are persistently late.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

42. This is a very effective school, which has good procedures for monitoring its work. To improve even further, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) improve the way in which ICT is used to support learning in subjects across the curriculum;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) involve more governors in the monitoring and shaping of the school’s work; and

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) raise attendance rates and improve pupils’ punctuality. Valence Infants School - 19

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery Y1 – Y2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 34 169

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 38

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Y1 – Y2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 10

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 19 28

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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 13

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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 15

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

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Attendance

School data 5.7 School data 2.7 Valence Infants School - 20 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Valence Infants School - 21

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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 2002 21 33 54

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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 20 20 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 32 32 33

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

Percentage of pupils School 96 (94) 96 (93) 98 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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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 20 20 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 32 33 31

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

Percentage of pupils School 96 (93) 98 (94) 94 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

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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. Valence Infants School - 22

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 5 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 2 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 2 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 2 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Valence Infants School - 23

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7 Financial year 2002/2003

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 736,546

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 14 Total expenditure 681,961

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 280 Expenditure per pupil 3,376

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 89,599

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2 Balance carried forward to next year 144,184

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 13

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 133

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

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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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Valence Infants School - 24

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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. 80 20 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 43 54 0 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 49 43 6 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 71 26 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. 86 14 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. 63 34 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 71 26 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 63 31 0 0 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 57 43 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 20 34 29 3 14

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