Elmgrove Primary School & Nursery

Elmgrove First School

Reporting inspector: Anne Osborne RgI’s: 2701

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Elmgrove 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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Elmgrove 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. Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: First School and Nursery

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Kenmore Avenue Kenton Harrow Postcode: HA3 8LU

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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. Carol Rimmer

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 10 November 1997` Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 2701 Anne Osborne Registered inspector 9502 Rosalind Hall Lay inspector 1395 Pauline Hoey Team inspector 12603 Tusha Chakraborti Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

ICP 360 Lee Valley Technopark Ashley Road London N17 9LN

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 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

Elmgrove First School and Nursery on the eastern side of Harrow has 337 pupils on roll aged between three and eight years. Pupils come from a socially and ethnically mixed area, and the number who have free school meals is broadly in line with the national average. Nearly half of the pupils come from homes where English is not the first language. Languages spoken include Gujarati, Somali, Urdu and Tamil. The proportion of pupils who have special learning needs is above average and the school is resourced to meet the needs of pupils with complex physical disabilities. The school shares a site with the middle school to which pupils transfer at the end of Year 3.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Elmgrove First School and Nursery is a highly successful school where the abilities and talents of every pupil are respected and celebrated. The headteacher gives clear direction for the school’s work and all staff are involved in decision making processes that shape the school’s future. The belief that every pupil is special and capable of high achievement is shared by all staff and central to everything that the school does. Pupils are eager to come to school, enjoy learning and work hard. They live up to the high expectations that staff have of them, make good progress and achieve well. Standards in English, mathematics and science are good and the nursery gives children an excellent start to their education. The school is continually evaluating and improving what it does and provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Leadership and management is strong at all levels; • The school’s strong inclusive ethos recognises all pupils’ individual talents and needs and gives them a chance to succeed and feel special; • Pupils benefit from an interesting and varied curriculum which is well taught; • Pupils achieve good standards in English, mathematics and science; • The support for pupils with specific learning needs is very good; • The nursery is an example of exemplary practice and provides a rich and vibrant learning environment for young children.

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What could be improved

• The outdoor classroom provision for Reception class pupils; • The attendance record of some pupils. 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 has made good progress since the last inspection in 1997. The key issues have been successfully addressed, in addition to implementing the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and raising standards of staff and pupil confidence and competence using ICT. Schemes of work now support all subjects and leadership by co-ordinators is strong. Pupils’ progress is accurately assessed and carefully tracked. Newly qualified teachers benefit from an effective induction programme. Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 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 D C A A well above average above average A B Writing D B B A average below average C D Maths D C B A well below average E

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Key

Standards for Year 2 pupils in 2002 were well above average in reading and above average in writing and mathematics compared with schools nationally. Compared with similar schools standards are well above average. Results have risen steadily since 2000 and the school has been particularly successful at supporting the more able pupils to reach Level 3. In 2002 more pupils achieved Level 3 in English, mathematics and science than in schools nationally. There is no significant difference between the achievement of girls and boys.

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Key

When they begin school the literacy skills of some pupils are not well developed. Very good teaching in the nursery and Reception classes results in their making good progress in all areas of learning and achieving well. The school is particularly successful in supporting the achievement of all pupils. Excellent support for pupils with specific learning needs results in their achieving well. Pupils for whom English is an additional language also make good progress with many reaching and some exceeding national standards.

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Key

Contributory factors to the high standards include good teaching, very effective individual pupil support and careful assessment and tracking of pupil progress. Pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills help them to make good progress in other subjects.

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Key

During the inspection particularly good standards of work were seen in ICT, art and literacy. Pupils learn to use the computer in the nursery and Reception children can make up and print sentences for their bedtime books. Older pupils can find out and record information from a CD-ROM and send e-mails to penfriends in Norfolk. Pupils have studied the work of artists and used their techniques in paintings of water lilies, special chairs and expressive portraits. Pupils’ good knowledge of fairy tales was evident as they wrote why Cinderella and Goldilocks couldn’t help the farmer dig up his enormous turnip. One was too busy going to the ball and the other, “too busy breaking chairs!”

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils enjoy school, are eager to learn and keen to succeed.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils work and play well together. They are friendly, caring and considerate of one another. The ‘buddy’ system to help lonely and upset children in the playground is very successful. Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 8

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils treat each other with dignity and respect, appreciating and valuing individual differences.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Absence figures are too high due to some families persistently flouting attendance rules. The school is continually trying to improve attendance and pupils value the rewards given for good attendance.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3

Quality of teaching Very good 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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Years 1 – 2 Years 3

Teaching is a strength of the school. During the inspection much very good and good teaching was observed. Excellent teaching in the nursery gives young children a wonderful start to their education. Across the school teaching is often lively and imaginative and well matched to pupils’ abilities. Lessons are very well planned and pupils are clear about what is expected of them. Teachers and learning support assistants work together well to ensure that classrooms are happy and productive places where pupils enjoy their learning and work hard.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school plans a rich and interesting curriculum and good links are made between subjects which makes learning meaningful for pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good provision results in pupils making significant progress. The inclusion of pupils with complex physical needs is particularly successful and they achieve well.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good support is given to pupils and they make good progress and achieve well. Many reach the national standards at the end of Year 2 and some exceed them.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school promotes pupils’ social and moral development well through its emphasis on caring for others. The inclusion of pupils with complex physical needs benefits the personal development of all pupils. Cultural development is strong and the school is a racially harmonious community where differences are celebrated. Art, music and assemblies are opportunities for spiritual development which is promoted well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school provides a high level of care for all pupils. Staff know pupils well and work hard to meet their social and academic needs. Pupils are proud of their school because “no one is unhappy here.” Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 9 The school’s aim of making the children’s first years at school “very special….happy and productive” is translated into practice.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher has very strong leadership qualities and, together with key staff, gives clear direction to the work of the school. Her belief that all pupils are capable of high achievement is shared by staff and informs everything that the school does. Staff lead their areas of responsibility well and all have a shared commitment to school improvement and high standards.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body fulfils its responsibilities very effectively. Governors know the school well and play a key role in monitoring standards and evaluating progress. They consider the effects of spending decisions carefully and make sure the school gets best value for money.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school is continually seeking to improve its performance and make things better for children. School self-evaluation is effective in improving teaching and learning and raising standards.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Learning resources are used well and staff are deployed effectively. Recent refurbishment of the building has resulted in an improved working environment for everyone. The school site is safe and well maintained by an extremely willing and conscientious site manager whom pupils like and respect because “he is very kind, funny and helps us”. The school’s budget is managed carefully to support the school’s priorities.

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Aspect Comment

Although the school makes good use of all accommodation there is a shortage of space for group activities and a very cramped outdoor classroom area for Reception pupils. Through careful budget management the governing body has been able to maintain the current staffing levels by using part of a substantial carry forward. The school applies the principles of best value to its work and gives very good value for money.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• children enjoy school, work hard and make good progress; • behaviour is good; • pupils learn to care for each other and value each other’s differences; • teaching is good and parents are kept well informed about their child’s progress; • pupils are known as individuals and their achievements valued. • the amount of homework set; • the interesting range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents are very supportive of the school’s values and ethos of inclusion and have a high level of confidence in the school. The inspection team considers this confidence to be justified. Inspectors consider that pupils benefit from a rich and varied curriculum during the school day and good use is Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 10 made of visits and visitors to enrich pupils’ learning. Homework effectively extends class work and often involves parents in their children’s learning. Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 11

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Leadership and management is strong at all levels

1. Very strong leadership by the headteacher gives clear direction to the work of the school. Her strategic management and interpersonal skills are outstanding. Her belief that all pupils are special and capable of high achievement is shared by staff and informs everything that the school does. She is well supported by an able deputy head, a strong senior management team and an effective governing body. Through careful delegation, support and trust, the headteacher has built a strong staff team who work well together and are given opportunities to share in the decision making that shapes the future direction of the school. The process of development planning is very good.

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Leadership and management is strong at all levels

2. The school is continually reflecting on how to improve its performance and systems for self-evaluation are thoughtfully planned and effectively implemented. Senior managers and curriculum co-ordinators play a key role in monitoring, supporting and improving standards. Staff continually reflect on their practice and help one another to identify how they can make things better for children. They are committed to ongoing professional development which is well matched to the school’s priorities, and performance management is focused on raising pupil achievement.

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Leadership and management is strong at all levels

3. The effective and informed governing body has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities for development. Governors are strongly supportive of the inclusive nature of the school and committed to raising standards. They value the team spirit that results in everyone “working so well together and being so supportive of each other.” Through the information they receive, governors are able to effectively analyse pupil progress and standards and evaluate the effectiveness of their decisions. Through their links with co-ordinators they are kept well informed about curriculum developments and a number of governors have specific expertise which benefits aspects of the school’s work. Governors are positive about the progress the school has made and have confidence in its capacity for further improvement. The governing body considers the effects of spending decisions carefully to ensure that the school gets best value for money.

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Leadership and management is strong at all levels

Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities well.

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subjects is also good

4. In the 2002 national tests in reading 95 per cent of Year 2 pupils reached or exceeded the national average with 47 per cent attaining the higher Level 3. In writing, 93 per cent reached at least Level 2 with 18 per cent achieving Level 3. The school recognises the need to consistently develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills. Consequently, well-planned activities starting in the nursery and continuing throughout the school help pupils to develop fluent and confident speech, join in group discussions, listen attentively and respond to others.

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subjects is also good

5. Reading is taught systematically and pupils are encouraged to read for meaning as well as to develop their phonic skills. A love of stories is promoted throughout the school and pupils enjoy books. In a Year 1 lesson on characterisation pupils showed an impressive knowledge of fairy tales and nursery rhymes. From the beginning of their schooling pupils are encouraged to write independently. They use their knowledge of phonics and key words to make sentences and, in the Reception classes, pupils are able to make their sentences into a book about bedtime routines. The school’s focus on improving pupils’ use of descriptive vocabulary through poetry writing has been successful. Year 2 pupils were able to turn the sentence, “I got out of the box,” into, “I stretched angrily and scratched fiercely at the box.” A Year 3 pupil’s haiku captured the essence of the eagle in: Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 12

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subjects is also good

“feathery and smooth gliding through the sky smoothly eagles cry shrilly”

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subjects is also good

6. Older pupils have made a delightful “feely” book for younger children. They made up a simple story and typed and illustrated the script with a “furry legged spider, fluffy chick, shiny fish and feathery owls.”

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subjects is also good

7. In the 2002 national tests for mathematics, 92 per cent of Year 2 pupils achieved or exceeded the national average with 44 per cent reaching the higher Level 3. Each aspect of the mathematics curriculum is given an appropriate amount of time and the newly introduced mathematics scheme is supporting pupil progress well. Staff are confident in working with the National Numeracy Strategy which has helped to improve standards. Numeracy skills are well taught and investigative mathematics is developing well. Nursery children learn about size and shape and use number fans to count on from ten. Pupils in Reception can count forwards and backwards and recognise zero. Older pupils use their mental skills well to solve number problems like finding the difference between 416 and 304 and making up sums for a given answer. In Year 3 pupils can identify smaller and larger angles, use simple fractions, work with money, distinguish

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subjects is also good

between 2D and 3D shapes and record findings using graphs and tally charts.

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subjects is also good

8. Pupils’ progress in English and mathematics is tracked carefully as they move through the school and the majority reach or exceed the standard that the school has predicted for them at the end of Year 2. Their literacy and numeracy skills support work in other curriculum areas.

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subjects is also good

9. In 2002, 94 per cent of pupils reached or exceeded the national average in science with 52 per cent achieving the higher Level 3. In the nursery and Reception classes pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of the world by finding out about plants and animals, exploring materials and asking about why things happen and what makes them work. Older pupils learn about life processes and living things, experiment with growing plants and can identify and label key parts of a flower. They have a knowledge of simple electrical circuits and are beginning to understand the importance of fair testing. The quality of teaching in science and the progress that pupils make is supported by the recently introduced scheme of work which ensures curriculum consistency and progression.

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subjects is also good

10. The majority of children have the advantage of spending time in the nursery which provides a secure and stimulating environment for the youngest children. Through interesting and carefully planned activities and very good teaching, they learn to work and play together, become confident learners and achieve well. Consequently, children who transfer from the nursery settle quickly into the well-structured Reception classes where good teaching places an appropriate emphasis on all areas of learning, with well-managed sessions for developing children’s language and mathematical skills. All children make good progress in their learning and are well prepared for Year 1. The majority have reached the early learning goals and their personal and social development is particularly good.

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subjects is also good

11. Standards are particularly good in ICT and pupils are becoming confident and competent learners from the nursery. In a Year 1 lesson pupils enjoyed working together to find out and record information from a CD-ROM and the older pupils are sending e-mail messages and photo images to penfriends in a Norfolk school. Pupils’ ICT skills support learning across the curriculum. For example, Reception children were able to create sentences for their bedtime books using ‘Clicker 4’ and older pupils used their computer skills to edit and refine their animal poems. Using the program ‘Paint’ pupils drew some bold pictures of London landmarks.

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subjects is also good

12. High standards were seen in a range of artwork. Reception children’s paintings in the style of Monet show careful observation of his techniques and use of colour and Year 1 pupils are able to identify similarities and differences in the work of Van Gogh and Gaugin. Expressive and colourful paintings of their own chairs include items that make them special with an example from one pupil including a pillow, a duck and sweetie wrapper from her baby sister. Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 13 13. Models of animals following a zoo visit are lifelike and camouflage collages have helped pupils understand Rousseau’s technique when he painted “Tiger in a Tropical Storm”. Staff have also produced work of a high standard during their training day on the use of sketchbooks!

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giving them the chance to succeed and feel special

14. The school is particularly successful in recognising, supporting and celebrating the achievements of all pupils. Staff know the children well and work hard to make them feel special. Good work and behaviour is praised both in class and whole-school assemblies. Pupils value the school’s system of rewards and are proud to be named in the “Happy Book”. Relationships are based on mutual respect and, from their first days in school, pupils are taught to respect, value and care for each other. Pupils work well together in lessons and help those experiencing difficulties. The recently introduced buddying system at playtime is proving most successful. The Year 3 “buddies” are proud of their position and recognise the importance of their role in “helping lonely children and cheering them up.”

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giving them the chance to succeed and feel special

15. The overwhelming impression of the school is of a racially harmonious community where individual differences are celebrated and understanding, respect and tolerance are developed well. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures in religious education and, in a well-taught English lesson, they used their knowledge of the dietary restrictions of different cultural groups to plan a menu for everyone.

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giving them the chance to succeed and feel special

16. Circle Time sessions contribute to pupils’ personal and social development and are very well supported by a member of the “Access and Development Team”. The well-run breakfast and after school clubs help to meet pupils’ social needs. The breakfast club gives children a good start to the day.

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giving them the chance to succeed and feel special

17. The inclusion of pupils with complex physical needs is very successful and benefits the personal development of all pupils who learn to appreciate and respect difference and help and care for each other. The integration of these pupils within classes is excellent and the quality of the support that they receive enables them to make good progress.

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giving them the chance to succeed and feel special

18. Staff consistently promote the school’s policy of positive behaviour management. Pupils are friendly, polite and take good care of each other and their environment. They are proud of their school because “the teachers make us brainy” and “no-one is unhappy here.”

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giving them the chance to succeed and feel special

19. The school’s aim of making children’s first years at school “very special…..happy and productive” is translated into practice.

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The support for pupils with special learning needs is very good

20. The provision for pupils with special needs is a strength of the school. Teachers and support staff plan and work together carefully to meet the individual needs of pupils so that they develop confidence in their own abilities and take an active part in lessons. Within class they are supported sensitively but given the time and opportunity to be independent. Pupils are assessed regularly, their needs identified and progress closely checked. Parents are kept well informed of their child’s progress and encouraged to be involved in their learning. Consequently, they make good progress and achieve well. The integration of pupils with complex physical needs is particularly successful and everyone works hard to ensure that these children play a full part in school life. Links with external professional agencies are good and contribute significantly to individual pupil achievement.

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The support for pupils with special learning needs is very good

21. The management by the special educational needs co-ordinator is very good. There is a good training programme in place for all staff and strong leadership of a dedicated and committed team. Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 14

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Pupils benefit from an interesting and varied curriculum which is well taught

22. The school offers pupils a rich and interesting curriculum and gives them time to produce work of quality in all subjects. Joint year group planning supports curriculum consistency and progression and shares staff expertise, resources and workload. Good links are made between subjects which makes learning more meaningful for pupils. For example, pupils used their numeracy skills to choose a 25 pence breakfast from a priced menu and then wrote descriptive poems about “crusty, buttery, jammy toast”. In dance, pupils explored how colour can create moods and then, after examining a painting by Jawlensky, used colour effectively in their own portraits to express emotions. A study of the story “The House Cat” supported pupils’ map making skills in geography as they followed Tom Cat’s route home. At the end of a long, hot day pupils worked well together to create rhythmic animal songs having previously studied “The Serpent”

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Pupils benefit from an interesting and varied curriculum which is well taught

23. The school makes good use of visits and visitors to enrich pupils’ learning. A recent visit to the National Gallery gave them the chance to see the originals of paintings they have been studying and, at London Zoo, they watched real tigers and compared them to Rousseau’s “Tiger in the Jungle”. As part of their Victorian topic pupils experienced what school would have been like in Victorian times and enjoyed a visit from a Victorian butler.

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Pupils benefit from an interesting and varied curriculum which is well taught

24. The quality of teaching is strong across the school and pupils become successful, confident learners. In the lessons observed during the inspection 79 per cent of teaching was good or better including 40 per cent that was very good and three per cent excellent. The excellent teaching in the nursery gives children a very good start to their education.

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Pupils benefit from an interesting and varied curriculum which is well taught

25. Throughout the school teachers use a range of teaching strategies to involve pupils actively in lessons and maintain their interest. Teaching is often lively, imaginative and well matched to pupils’ abilities. Lessons are very well planned, prepared and resourced. Pupils are clear about what they have to do and, consequently, settle well to tasks and make progress. Clear time scales are set for activities with sufficient time allowed for pupils to complete work. Homework effectively extends class work and often involves parents in their children’s learning. Pupils learn to work well together sharing and extending their learning. In a very well taught ICT lesson they worked in pairs to find information using the CD-ROM, “My First Incredible Amazing Dictionary”. Their high level of ICT confidence and competence was due to good teacher demonstration and explanation, and knowledgeable follow up support from both teacher and learning support assistant.

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Pupils benefit from an interesting and varied curriculum which is well taught

Skills of co-operative working were developed as pupils helped each other use the program and discussed, agreed and recorded their findings.

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Pupils benefit from an interesting and varied curriculum which is well taught

26. The teaching of pupils with special learning needs is very good. All staff have a clear understanding of individual pupils’ needs and the targets that they need to reach. The teaching of the most able pupils is also good. Activities are challenging, teacher expectations are high and pupils achieve well. The work for pupils for whom English is an additional language is carefully planned by the class teacher, with advice from the EAL co-ordinator, and these pupils are well supported and make good progress.

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Pupils benefit from an interesting and varied curriculum which is well taught

27. Learning support assistants are well deployed and make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning and progress. They help pupils respond in class lessons and understand how to help pupils gain the most from group tasks. Whilst working with a group making hot chocolate, skilful questioning by the learning support assistant, together with careful instructions and demonstration, led pupils to a secure understanding of how substances change. Learning support assistants are well trained, enthusiastic about their work and committed to raising pupil achievement. As one parent commented, ”They do an amazing job.”

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Pupils benefit from an interesting and varied curriculum which is well taught

28. Throughout the school all adults are supportive and encouraging, giving pupils the confidence to achieve well. Classrooms are happy and productive places where pupils enjoy learning. Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 15

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environment for young children

29. The nursery gives young children a wonderful start to their education. Teaching is often excellent and all staff understand how young children learn and are very aware of their individual needs and capabilities. Together staff plan thoroughly for a rich and interesting curriculum that covers each of the six areas of learning. Activities are linked together well to support and make sense of learning for young children. For example, during the inspection, the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears was used as the stimulus for developing mathematical concepts of size and number, extending language skills through acting the story with masks in the role play area, building Lego chairs and making porridge! The provision in the outdoor classroom reflected and extended the indoor activities very well as children tried to find different ways to reach Grandma’s house in the forest. One session culminated in a delightful teddy bears’ picnic held under the trees with

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environment for young children

children sharing snack time with their teddies, listening to music and singing together. It is because of such enjoyable and well-planned activities that children want to come to school, are eager to learn and make good progress.

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environment for young children

30. The management of the nursery is very strong. The roles and responsibilities of staff are clearly defined and very good teamwork is evident. All staff have high expectations of what young children can achieve and work together to establish a calm, happy and productive working environment. From the moment the children enter in the morning they are aware of the nursery procedures and expectations, settle well to their activities and work with increasing concentration and independence. The good progress that they make in all areas of learning is due to skilled teaching, well-planned activities that teach specific skills and concepts, and detailed and thorough assessment and recording procedures that take children on to the next stage of their learning.

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environment for young children

31. Pupils develop their language, literacy and numeracy skills well and their ability to use ICT is particularly good. Most can click on ‘print’, begin a new document and direct the ‘roamer’. Their personal and social development is also very good as they learn to listen to each other, negotiate and take turns and work and play well together. Staff take every opportunity to extend children’s literacy skills by using language specific to the activity.

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environment for young children

32. Relationships between home and the nursery are strong. Parents are welcomed at the beginning and end of each session and kept well informed of planned activities and their child’s progress.

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environment for young children

33. Overall, the nursery establishes secure foundations for children’s early learning and future attitudes to learning through carefully planned and well-taught activities that are relevant, interesting and fun.

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The curriculum for the outdoor classroom in the Reception year

34. Teaching in the Reception classes is frequently good or very good with carefully planned sessions well matched to pupils’ needs and abilities. The limited outdoor space, however, means that pupils are not able to benefit from a suitably wide and stimulating range of outdoor activities. Teachers plan well for the space available and activities reflect aspects of the indoor provision but they are unable to develop the quality of the experiences that children have had in the nursery.

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The attendance record of some pupils is unsatisfactory

35. The school is using a range of strategies to work with some families to improve their children’s attendance but there remain some persistently poor attendees. First day absence phone calls are made and children are eager to receive the rewards of pencils and mugs given for good Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 16 attendance. Three community workers, representative of the school community, have just been appointed to work with specific families to help them become more involved with, and committed to, school life.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

36. In order to maintain and improve standards further the school should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i. Improve the outdoor classroom provision for Reception pupils by: ú increasing the space; ú planning an effective curriculum for the outdoor classroom that extends the indoor provision and includes opportunities for physical development;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ii. Improve the attendance of some pupils by: ú continuing to monitor attendance carefully; ú continuing to offer rewards for good attendance; ú working closely with the newly appointed community workers to help persistently poor attending families to become more committed to the school’s work. Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 6

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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 more than three percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 300

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 77

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2 16

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3 82

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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 161

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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 42

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 57

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Attendance

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. Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 18

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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 42 37 79

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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 38 38 37 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 37 36 36

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (88) 94 (90) 92 (90) 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 39 38 39 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 36 36 36

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

Percentage of pupils School 94 (90) 95 (88) 94 (91) 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. Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 19

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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 4 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 7 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 9 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 25 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 16 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 2 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 20

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 15.8 Financial year 2002-2003

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 1,108,489

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff Total expenditure 1,087,338

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 439 Expenditure per pupil 3,387

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 163,717

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 171,544

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 57

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

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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) 0.4

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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. Elmgrove First School & Nursery - 21

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 51 47 1 1 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 52 44 2 1 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 51 31 13 4 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 57 37 4 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 64 30 3 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 60 35 1 1 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 55 36 6 1 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 61 29 3 0 6

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 55 41 2 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 41 7 5 17

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