St Andrew's Church of England (VA) Infant School

ST ANDREWS C of E INFANT SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mrs Barbara E Doughty

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ST ANDREWS C of E INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 28 th – 31 st October 2002

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ST ANDREWS C of E INFANT SCHOOL

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

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ST ANDREWS C of E INFANT SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Lightcliffe Road Brighouse West Yorkshire Postcode: HD6 2HH

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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: Mr Jonathan Marsh

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 2 nd March 1998 St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs Barbara E Doughty Registered inspector The Foundation Stage curriculum Education inclusion Mathematics Art and design Design and technology What sort of school it is and what it should do to improve further The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well the pupils are taught

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs Jacqueline Darrington Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well the school cares for its pupils How well the school works in partnership with parents Mr Richard Eaton Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Music Physical education How good the curricular and other opportunities offered to the pupils are

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr John Evans Team inspector Special educational needs English Geography History How well the school is led and managed

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Schoolhaus Limited Suite 17 BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Boughton Newark Nottinghamshire NG22 9HQ

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 26

St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 6 St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is an average size infant school. There are 176 pupils on roll aged between four and seven, with six per cent more girls than boys. The take-up of free school meals is below average, but this is not a true reflection of the pupils’ socio-economic backgrounds, which are broadly average. Nearly all of the pupils are from white English-speaking families, but there are seven from ethnic minority backgrounds, none of whom have English as an additional language, and three from Traveller families. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs, eight per cent, is below the national average and none have statements of special need. The number of pupils moving in and out of the school other than at the normal time of transition is low. Pupils’ attainment on entry is below that typically found elsewhere.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school. Good teaching and learning in Reception and Years 1 and 2 mean that pupils achieve very well over time. Consequently, standards are high by the time the pupils leave the school. Leadership and management are very effective in bringing about improvement, mainly because the head teacher’s tracking of pupils’ achievement over time means that she identifies those pupils that need a boost to attain higher standards. Given the pupils’ low attainment on entry and their very good rate of learning from starting school to leaving, this school gives good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Standards are above average in reading, writing, mathematics, science, information and communication technology (ICT) and physical education. They are very high in music. • Pupils make very good progress over time because of effective teaching in Reception and Year 1 and very good teaching in Year 2. • Learning opportunities are exciting and pupils find them interesting. Because of this, they want to learn and consequently behave very well and work hard. • This is a very caring school, in which pupils’ personal development is promoted extremely well. • Very effective leadership and management by the head teacher mean that this is a very successful school with the capacity to be even more successful.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • In the Foundation Stage, handwriting skills are taught to the least able children before they are ready, and play activities do not have clear enough learning targets, and insufficient adult intervention. • Subject leaders in subjects other than English and mathematics do not have a secure enough idea of what is and is not working in teaching and learning and therefore their influence on bringing about change and improvement is limited. 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

This school has made good improvement since its last inspection in 1998. Although test results dropped immediately after the last inspection, since then they have risen at a greater rate than those nationally and in 2002 were the highest they have been in reading, writing and mathematics. High standards have been maintained in ICT, music and physical education. All of the key issues have been effectively dealt with. The analysis of test results successfully identifies gaps in pupils’ learning and, in particular, those that could do better with a boost. Pupils’ behaviour has improved from good to very good because of exciting learning opportunities and the very effective way in which teachers manage classes. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 8

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on National Curriculum test results.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Test results dropped between 1998 and 1999 but since then, have increased at a greater rate than those nationally. Last year, results in reading, writing and mathematics were the highest they have been, with almost all of the pupils attaining the expected level and an above average percentage attaining the higher level. Children learn well in their first year. Despite starting school with attainment below that typically found in most other schools, most exceed expectations and attain the early learning goals in all areas of learning by the end of Reception. They do equally well in Years 1 and 2 and by the end of Year 2 many pupils attain above average standards, again doing well from their average attainment at the start of Year 1. Consequently, achievement over time in English, mathematics and science is very good. By the time they leave the school, most children speak, read and write confidently. They have favourite stories and talk articulately about the parts they like

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STANDARDS

best. Their writing is well structured, words are chosen well for effect and the use of punctuation is accurate. Pupils work confidently with numbers up to and beyond 100, adding and taking away two-digit numbers and making up the highest and lowest number possible from three digits. Their scientific knowledge and understanding is very secure and they carry out investigations competently. Above expected attainment is achieved in ICT, music and physical education. Pupils’ ICT skills are good and support work in other subjects and their singing skills are exceptionally well developed. Seven year olds have good balance and co-ordination and perform well in physical education. Standards in all other subjects are as expected nationally by the time the pupils leave Year 2.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are keen and enthusiastic learners. They want to learn and they want to please. Consequently, they work hard.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils behave very well in and out of lessons. They are polite and courteous to each other and there is trust and mutual respect between pupils and staff.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils work together well in activities such as performing music and plays.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good. The attendance rate is above the national average, reflecting pupils’ enthusiasm to come to school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Pupils enjoy learning and work productively. They have a caring nature towards others and, because they listen whilst others are talking, a growing understanding of each other’s viewpoint. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 9

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching is very good in English, where groups are taken out of class for additional support enhancing their learning further. It is good in mathematics. Pupils make very good progress over time in both subjects, mainly because teachers use what they know about pupils’ previous learning to set them suitably challenging work. The teaching of basic literacy and numeracy skills is clear and accurate and teachers explain things well so pupils’ understanding is good. Teaching involves all pupils equally well, including boys and girls and pupils of different backgrounds and abilities. Good planning, organisation, and preparation mean that lessons run smoothly. All teachers make learning fun, and because of this pupils have very good enthusiasm for learning. Teaching in Year 2 is particularly inspirational. Here the teachers’ very good subject knowledge, particularly in literacy, means that explanations are extremely precise and pupils’ understanding is enhanced because of this.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Throughout the school, pupils like their teachers and work hard to please them. Well-deserved praise raises pupils’ self-esteem and probing questions make pupils think. Classroom assistants support pupils well in the activity sessions and sometimes in the lesson introductory sessions. However, too often they do little during these times to support pupils in their understanding. Effective lesson plans give teaching and learning direction, although the learning in some of the ‘play’ activities in Reception lacks direction and purpose. Handwriting and reading skills are taught to the least able before they have the necessary skills to be able to form letters correctly and recognise words on sight. Throughout the school, teachers have insufficient awareness of how well pupils do in subjects other than English, mathematics, science and ICT and as a result, the progress reports that go to parents and to the next teacher lack information about what children know already and need

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

to learn next. Lessons often run over time and there is little time left at the end for pupils to talk about what they have learnt and what they need to practise more.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. There is a wide and varied range of learning opportunities, enhanced well by visits and visitors. Consequently, pupils enjoy their time in school and are enthusiastic to learn new things.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs This is good. Realistic learning targets and effective support mean that these pupils do as well as their classmates.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Very good. Pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is promoted extremely successfully and consequently pupils learn to live harmoniously with others. Their cultural development is good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils This is good. Pupils’ personal development is monitored and promoted very well. There are good arrangements in place to measure pupils’ academic progress in English, mathematics, science and ICT but these are less effective in other subjects to guide teaching and learning and inform parents and other teachers how well pupils are doing and what they need to learn next.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school works well with parents and most are happy with what it offers. The school provides well for high standards in English, mathematics and science, and a wealth of opportunities to support work in ICT, music and physical education. High priority is given to raising standards in English and mathematics but this has curtailed development in some of the other subjects. Whilst the curriculum is satisfactory in art and design, design and technology, history and geography, it is not as good as it could be and lacks the excitement, depth, range and variety seen in the others. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 10 St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 11

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff Good. The head teacher’s guidance and support for colleagues is very good. She has a very clear idea of what needs doing and, most importantly, how to do it. Subject leaders in English and mathematics monitor standards and teaching and influence change well.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors keep a close eye on what is going on. They fulfil their duties well and understand and apply the principles of best value for money effectively.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very effective procedures are in place to look at what the school does well and how it could be more successful. Hence good improvements have been brought about to standards and the pupils’ rate of learning. Development priorities are relevant to the needs and circumstances of the school and are successfully brought about through careful planning and appropriate financial resources.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good overall. The school uses the good number of staff well to support teaching and learning for pupils of all backgrounds and abilities. Resources and accommodation are satisfactory.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Other than in English and mathematics, subject leaders are insufficiently aware of what is going on in their subjects. They have no opportunity to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning. Therefore, their influence in bringing about improvements to these subjects is limited.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Their children like school and want to come. • The progress their children make and the standards they achieve. • The way the school teaches children to behave well, expects them to work hard and become mature and responsible. • The good teaching, effective leadership and management and the approachability of staff. • The information parents receive about how well their children are doing in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. • They would like to see the lunchtime recorder club extended to include Year 1 pupils. • Some Reception children are asked to join letters too early and some parents feel that they are given too much homework to do at such an early age.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team agree with all of the parents’ positive comments and some of the things they would like to see improved. Insufficient information is given to parents about how well their children do in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. Homework is good, but some Reception children are asked to learn words at home and to form letters at school before they have the necessary skills to do so successfully. The recorder club for Year 2 pupils is very well attended and the teachers do well to run one club with so many pupils; it would be unrealistic to ask them to give up another lunch break to teach Year 1 also. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children start school with attainment below that typically found in most other schools. Reception teaching builds systematically on what children know, understand and can do and most children make good progress by the end of their first year in school, attaining close to the early learning goals in all areas of learning. This progress is continued in Years 1 and 2, so that by the time they leave the school, most pupils do very well to attain above average standards. Results in reading, writing and mathematics have risen over time and last year were well above average compared with most other schools nationally and those with similar characteristics. Current work shows that an above average number of this year’s Year 2 pupils are likely to attain above the nationally expected level in English, mathematics and science by the end of this school year, maintaining these high standards. This is because

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

effective teaching ensures that work is demanding; consequently, pupils are enthusiastic learners who rise to the challenge and work hard. In addition, those pupils who could do better with an extra boost are withdrawn by the head teacher for additional support and usually attain higher than expected standards because of this.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In English, most Year 2 pupils are confident, fluent writers when writing both factually and imaginatively. Their eye-catching words capture the attention of the reader and their stories are well sequenced. Most pupils extend their ideas logically and use punctuation accurately, such as capital letters, full stops and speech marks. Likewise, most are attentive readers. They read enthusiastically and show interest in both reference and story books. Brighter pupils give opinions about the plot and say whether or not they like the characters. Their speaking and listening skills are broadly as expected for their age; this is good achievement given the impoverished communication skills they start school with. By the end of Year 2, most pupils talk confidently about the work they are doing or have done, such as the vehicles they have made in design and technology and the scientific experiments they have carried out in Year 1.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In mathematics, by the time they leave the school, most pupils work confidently with numbers up to 100 and beyond. They enjoy in particular mental arithmetic challenges and eagerly respond to teachers’ quick-fire questions. For example, they explain how they found the answer to the problem, “Two drinks cost 35p each. Sally has £2, how much will she have left?” They “added 35 and 35, took 70 from 100, and then seven from 10 to get £1.30”. They rearrange three digits, for example 4, 6, and 7 to make the number closest to a given number. They understand symmetry and correctly name two- and three-dimensional shapes and accurately measure lines in centimetres.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Their scientific skills are good and their work is well presented. Most pupils understand and can explain the life cycle of a plant from seedling to flower and sort animals that live on land, in water and underground. They understand how electrical circuits work and how some materials keep things hot. Their good use of correct scientific terminology means that they explain clearly what they are doing and have done.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Standards in ICT and physical education are above expected levels and in music they are well above. By the time they leave the school, most pupils use computers confidently and competently. They access information using the Internet and CD-ROMs and use this to support their work in other subjects, such as history and geography. Equally as well used is the other ICT equipment in school, such as the computer microscope and programmable robots. In physical education, pupils show good sense of balance and co-ordination. They throw balls accurately and use space well. Pupils sing exceptionally well, keeping the tune and beat well. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 13 6. Standards in literacy, numeracy and ICT are good and support work in other subjects. For example, in a Year 2 physical education lesson, pupils used their knowledge of right angles to move in square shapes. They write up scientific experiments and reports of historical events

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

clearly. Likewise, the skills taught in these subjects are used effectively in other subjects, such as when Year 1 pupils dragged and dropped coins into the till to pay for toys in a screen toyshop. Standards in all other subjects are broadly as expected by the age of seven.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The school takes care to involve all groups of pupils who, because of this, learn equally as well as each other. Although, historically, boys do not do as well as girls in the tests, in lessons both perform as well as the other. This is because the school has worked hard to improve boys’ attitudes to learning. Last year staff worked in particular to promote boys love of writing by seeking things to write about that interest the them, such as magic and mystery. As a result of their hard work and determined efforts, last year all of the boys did as well as the girls and attained at least the nationally expected level in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of the year, despite their below average attainment on entry. Higher attaining pupils are challenged well because the teachers have high expectations about what these pupils can do.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good throughout the school. Teachers are sensitive to pupils’ personal and learning needs and meet them well. Staff and parents work closely together to identify and review pupils’ needs, determine how these can be met best and collaborate in meeting them. This co-ordinated approach improves the quality of pupils’ learning. Class work is carefully planned and there is good assessment of pupils’ day-to-day progress. The quality of relationships and teachers’ skilled management nurture self-esteem and give pupils satisfaction in learning. The support given by classroom assistants is attentive and often of good quality, contributing valuably to the progress these pupils make. Children from Traveller families and those from ethnic minority backgrounds do as well as their schoolmates, again because of effective support.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. The school has maintained the very positive attitudes to learning that were evident in pupils at the time of the last inspection. Pupils are very eager to attend school with almost all pupils arriving punctually and starting the day in a purposeful manner. Overall pupils have very positive attitudes towards lessons and learning; their enjoyment is very clearly evident and as a result they make very good progress. Almost all pupils take an active part in the very good range of learning opportunities provided by the school and there is a very good pupil response to the appropriate range of extra-curricular provision.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The behaviour of all pupils is very good. Bullying or oppressive behaviour is rarely experienced but when it happens there are clear whole-school guidelines and an effective response, which includes liaison and discussion with parents. Pupils have a very clear understanding of the school and class rules and of the expected standard of behaviour. Pupils are reminded of these rules at appropriate times, such as in ‘circle time’, when pupils sit in a circle and discuss an appointed subject, in general class activities, during the lunch and play breaks, and in assembly. Class rules are displayed in each classroom.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Children in the Reception classes are friendly and are mostly confident and willing to talk about their activities and their learning. They listen very well to each other and to staff. Staff listen to the children and set very good examples for them to copy because they treat them fairly and with respect. Children know that it is important to share, take turns and listen when asked. The teachers provide imaginative ways to reinforce learning activities such as in the use of puppets, which in turn encourages children to work harder in response. This feature of skilful teaching is evident in other year groups where pupils’ imagination and interest is captured and a sense of awe is often very apparent, for example in a Year 1 science lesson when pupils watched food dye trickle through the cracks in frozen ice balloons. 12. Pupils are very polite, friendly and trustworthy and show respect both for their own and the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

school’s property. They know the difference between right and wrong and willingly listen to St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 14 each other’s points of view. Pupils are very caring towards each other and in lessons they work together very well, sharing equipment as required. They relate very well to one another and are sensitive to each other’s feelings. Pupils from Traveller families and those from ethnic minority backgrounds get on very well with and do as well as their classmates.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils have increasing responsibility as they move through the school and they respond very well to this, and to other appropriate opportunities for growth in personal development and independence. The youngest children perform simple tasks, such as the putting away of equipment, whilst older pupils undertake tasks of greater responsibility such as the return of attendance registers to the school office after registration.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Levels of attendance have been improved since the last inspection and are now good, with the attendance rate for last year being above the national average. There have been no exclusions. Unauthorised absence is broadly in line with the national average.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The quality of teaching and learning is good. It is very good in Year 2, where pupils make the most rapid progress because of lively, inspirational, clear, and precise teaching. Teaching and learning in English are particularly effective. Target groups are identified at the end of Year 1 through very good tracking and assessment procedures for an extra boost in their learning during Year 2. For three sessions a week, groups are withdrawn and taught separately by the head teacher. This makes class-teaching groups smaller and leads to more attention for individual pupils. This has impacted well on raising standards in English and on improving the performance of the boys in particular. For the last two years, the head teacher has taught a different ability group. Last year this led to an in increase in the number of pupils attaining the higher level 3; this year, the school is working hard with those pupils expected to get level 2b to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. In all classes, the work is fun and exciting. Because of this, pupils have a good enthusiasm for learning, they like their teachers and work hard to please them. Very good relationships are established at a very early stage in the school year. Teachers throughout the school involve all pupils equally well, including boys and girls and those from different backgrounds and with different abilities. They choose work carefully to interest pupils of both gender and adapt it well to suit the needs of those that learn faster than the majority and those who progress slower. For example, Year 2 pupils last year showed an interest in magic, prompted by the Harry Potter books. Their writing tasks centred around spells and potions and wizardry tales and they achieved the highest test results in writing since 1998. Ideas taught are taken from the teaching guidelines, and in English, mathematics and science, teachers give pupils work from

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

the different levels depending on what they have learnt before, and consequently the learning of each pupil is built systematically over time. However, this does not happen in the other subjects, where teachers do not adapt the work for different attaining pupils. This is because they do not have a clear enough idea about what individual pupils already know, understand and can do. This in turn means that the pupils’ annual progress reports do not contain detailed enough information to tell parents and pupils what has already been learnt and what they need to do and learn next.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. In lessons, clear explanations from the teachers about what pupils are to do enhances learning further. This means that all pupils understand why they are doing the tasks and realise the need to work hard. Often in lessons, classroom support assistants help the least able pupils, clarifying what the teacher means by putting it more simply. They ensure pupils understand the ideas taught and that they follow the instructions correctly. For example, in a Year 2 mathematics lesson, a support assistant worked with a small group of pupils with special needs. She used a square with the numbers one to 100 on it and showed pupils the numbers the teacher was talking about. She helped them to work out, for example, ten more than 20 and to count back in tens from 100 to zero. These pupils were able, as a result, to answer the teachers’ questions correctly and beamed with pleasure at being able to St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 15

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

participate, successfully, in the class question and answer session. However, there are times when classroom assistants waste valuable time sitting through teachers’ lesson introductory sessions. This is partly because there is no time available for classroom assistants and teachers to plan together or discuss what is going to happen in the lesson. Consequently, assistants have to listen to the introductions to find out how they are going to help the pupils during the activity session.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Nevertheless, most teachers plan lessons well. Key words are identified and teachers use subject language well. This means that pupils talk with precision and clarity about their work. Resources are ready to hand and teachers are very clear about what pupils are to learn by the end of the lesson or series of lessons. Consequently, lessons run smoothly and with a good balance of teacher talk and pupil activity. However, sometimes the evaluation sessions planned at the end of lessons run out of time. Often there is just five minutes left for pupils to talk about what they have learnt and how they can improve their work next time. Even though time is running short, teachers tend to stick to the plan of every group sharing their achievements with the class. This is often so rushed that there is barely time for pupils to say what they have done, with no time for discussion of how successfully they managed the work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. As in Years 1 and 2, the quality of teaching and learning in the Reception classes is good. Teaching builds well on the skills, knowledge and understanding the brighter and average children already have. This is because teachers make good use of their knowledge of children’s previous learning to set them challenging work. However, sometimes the least able children are asked to write and read too soon, and before they have acquired the necessary skills to enable them to recognise words and form letters correctly. This slows their progress, means that they have limited success, and does little to raise their self-esteem. The Reception ‘play’ activities, such as the role-play areas, sand and water, do not always have clear purpose. These are ‘on offer’ at various times during the day and children choose which they go to and often what they do in them. Adults tend to focus on the more structured, formal-

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

type activities, even in the outdoor learning area, and rarely join children in their play. This means that often any learning in these activities is unplanned and incidental.

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PUPILS?

20. The school provides a good and well-structured curriculum that stimulates pupils to learn. It is particularly effective in the core subjects of English, mathematics, science and ICT, and in music and physical education. It is broad and balanced and successfully meets the interests and needs of all pupils. Some parents expressed concerns about the school’s limited provision of extra-curricular activities but these are unfounded: the school provides a very good range, more than most other infant schools. All of these are well supported. The recorder club, 30 strong, contains, unusually, an equal number of boys and girls. In addition to after- school and lunchtime clubs, teachers organise many visits and invite many people to bring their skills into the school, including an African drummer and an artist. As at the time of the last inspection, the curriculum and the balance of visits, visitors and extra-curricular activities

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PUPILS?

21. The quality and range of learning opportunities as a whole are good for Foundation Stage children and very good for pupils in Years 1 and 2. However, in history, geography, art and design and design and technology, the high priority given to the core subjects means that the curriculum in these subjects is satisfactory but lacks the excitement and variety seen in the others. Literacy, numeracy and ICT are taught and used well in other subjects. However, there is currently relatively little use of ICT in science.

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PUPILS?

22. All subjects are taught in accordance with the requirements of the National Curriculum and the early learning goals for children in the Foundation Stage. The school makes pupils aware of the dangers of drugs misuse and pupils' questions relating to sex education are answered appropriately and in line with the school’s agreed policy and procedures. The curriculum for St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 16 pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils’ individual education plans characterise pupils’ needs accurately, give clear, practical targets and show how they are to be achieved. These guide the work teachers set in class and ensure that well-planned attention is given to pupils’ personal and learning needs. This helps to promote very good progress.

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PUPILS?

23. With the exception of the play activities in Reception, teachers plan the curriculum well and the planning of each term’s work in each subject is good. Good teaching guidelines are in place for all subjects. Teachers use these well, along with their assessments of what pupils can already do, to plan a relevant curriculum for pupils of all abilities and backgrounds. The school has addressed the imbalance in time between subjects noted at the last inspection. The balance is now appropriate and the school is preparing, through identified priorities in the school improvement plan, to strengthen the content of some of the non-core subjects.

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PUPILS?

24. The school has very good links with partner institutions. Year 3 pupils from the junior school visited the school during the inspection to see a performance of Noah by Year 2 pupils. Their pleasure at being in their old school was obvious. There are good and growing links with the nursery schools to which many of the pupils go before coming to St Andrew’s. These are helping to bring about a rise in pupils’ attainment on entry.

p.16

PUPILS?

25. The last report found that the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development was very good and a strength of the school. This is still so. The school has clear aims based on Christian values, and these are reflected in its day-to-day life. Assemblies provide a good experience for pupils, offering opportunities for them to consider important issues. A deity is always recognised and there is strong moral teaching. Circle time, when pupils get the opportunity to talk with and listen to each other, provides other opportunities for pupils’ spiritual and moral development. At other times, teachers take opportunities to foster pupils’ sense of wonder and mystery in their world. In a Year 1 science lesson, for example, pupils were amazed and excited by the colours made by a dye in a block of ice.

p.16

PUPILS?

26. Pupils have a very sharp sense of right and wrong and teachers take care to use all opportunities to reinforce it. At the beginning of one afternoon, for example, a Year 2 teacher sorted out and made plain the reasons why a minor quarrel needed to be resolved. One of the reasons why relationships, and hence behaviour, are so good in the school is the success of the moral teaching and the underlying Christian ethos that permeates the school’s work. This helps pupils to concentrate and to learn. Pupils help one another – a good example was seen in a Year 2 English lesson when one pupil offered to put away the board and pen for a classmate. All pupils get on well together, including those from Traveller families and minor ethnic backgrounds. The caption on a Harvest display reads, “We grow, we gather, we share, we give”. This attitude and message are embodied in everything the school does.

p.16

PUPILS?

27. Pupils’ social development is enhanced through festivals such as harvest when they take gifts to people in the neighbourhood. There are many fund-raising events. Pupils work well together in groups. In a science lesson in Year 2, a group worked very well to sort out materials into those that are natural and those that are man made. Their discussion helped their speaking and listening skills and also their understanding of the science. The school makes opportunities for pupils to develop a sense of responsibility. Pupils lead assemblies and show visitors around the building. The Year 1 pupils take a very serious view of their job to take the class register to the office! Writing groups in English encourage independent work, and when written work begins in class, pupils settle quickly and earnestly to the task.

p.16

PUPILS?

28. Although cultural education is not quite as strong as spiritual, moral and social education, the school still makes good provision. Teachers are aware that the school is a predominantly all- white community and take effective steps to give pupils a view of other cultures. Indian music and a steel band featured in the Arts Week this year, for example. However, the art around the building is mostly European although there is some ‘Ancient Egyptian’ art. Pupils have a sense of local culture and the influence of the community of the church is strong in the school. Pupils do, however, visit places of worship other than the Anglican church to which the school is St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 17 attached, gaining a broader insight into how people of other faiths worship . The week following the inspection, Year 2 pupils were to visit the Colne Valley Museum where they would experience preparing wool from the fleece to being ready to use. This trip, which takes place

p.16

PUPILS?

every year, is a highlight of their experience of ‘local’ traditional culture.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29. The school continues to provide a very caring, learning environment for all its pupils, whatever their background and ability. A very good standard of general pupil care is clearly evident and provided by class teachers with good support from teaching assistants, and midday and administrative staff. There are good arrangements in place and all staff are regularly advised of the procedures to follow in the event of any child protection concerns. Regular liaison and very good support arrangements with welfare, education and health services enable all pupils to be appropriately supported. All staff are made aware of any changes in pupils’ needs, using the swift and very effective school communication and information systems. All members of staff are trained in first aid so that they can deal swiftly with pupil injuries.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. There are very effective systems and procedures in place for the regular monitoring and maintenance of all general health and safety requirements and for the replenishment of first aid equipment and materials. The arrangements for ensuring overall pupil care and minimising potential risks in the school accommodation are very effective. All equipment, including fire- fighting equipment, is routinely tested and well maintained. Safe storage areas are provided for hazardous equipment and cleaning fluids. Pupils are instructed in the safe use of equipment and in safe practice, such as in a Year 1 science ‘Ice balloons’ lesson, when it was very carefully explained to pupils that ice or extremely cold things can burn as well as very hot things and that therefore prolonged contact with the ice would burn their skin.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. The whole-school approach to monitoring and promoting positive behaviour is very effective and as a result a very good standard of behaviour is seen in almost all pupils. Likewise, the procedures for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour are equally as effective. The procedures for promoting, monitoring and recording attendance are notably very good and as a result pupil attendance during the last reporting year has been above the national average. The arrangements and systems for monitoring of attendance are particularly detailed, very well analysed and easily accessed on a daily basis. The school makes good use of support and advice from outside agencies, in order that all pupils may be appropriately supported.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The procedures for monitoring, recording and supporting pupils’ personal development are informal but very effective. Teachers know their pupils well and meet their personal needs effectively as a result. The procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ attainment and academic progress are good. Detailed information is kept about pupils’ achievements in English, mathematics, science and ICT, which means that work in these subjects usually matches pupils’ ability well and builds on previous learning effectively. However, information about what pupils know, understand and can do in the other subjects, such as history and geography, is not kept and the use of this information to guide curricular planning is variable; teachers do not adapt pupils’ work as a result.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. Assessment arrangements for pupils with special educational needs are good. Identification is secure, accurate and carefully documented. Pupils’ progress is closely monitored against concise targets that are frequently reviewed. As a result, teachers are able to plan for and respond to pupils’ developing needs. This promotes very good progress. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 18

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

34. Parents continue to have very positive views of the school and feel that the school is well led and managed, that teaching is good and that children are expected to work hard and as a result make good progress and achieve their potential. Almost all parents feel that the behaviour of pupils in school is good and that children enjoy attending school. The vast majority of parents are happy with the amounts of homework that pupils receive. However, a small number of parents of children in the Reception classes feel that there is a little too much homework for this age group, particularly when parents are working and homework needs to be fitted in before bedtime. Although most parents feel very well informed about their children’s progress in English, mathematics and science, they would appreciate a more detailed and child-specific report on their children’s achievement in other areas of the curriculum, rather

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

than a description of the work they have done. Parents feel very well informed about all other aspects of school life, and that the school promotes a strong community atmosphere and works closely with them.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

35. The school has maintained its very strong partnership with parents, which was evident at the time of the last inspection. There are regular and notably informative letters and newsletters, written in a friendly, accessible style and which include both whole school and class events. These letters provide a very good source of information for parents and carers. In addition, parents are provided with very helpful booklets and detailed information sheets when their children start in the Reception classes, enabling both parents and children to be fully prepared for school. This information enables parents to be able to fully support their children’s learning, both through homework and through family activities.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

36. Formal individual pupil progress reports are detailed in English, mathematics and science, but lack individuality and information on achievement and progress in other areas of the curriculum and how this compares with what is expected nationally. The information provided for parents on areas of the curriculum to be studied each term is very helpful and enables parents to support their children’s learning both at home and when visiting places of interest. The governors’ annual report to parents and the school brochure provide another very useful source of information and fully comply with legal requirements.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

37. The quantity and type of homework expected by the school are appropriate to the age of the pupils and are extremely valuable in facilitating a partnership between parents and the school in pupils’ learning. It establishes very good working habits, reinforces of learning that takes place in school and begins the journey of pupils becoming independent learners.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. A few parents and other community volunteers help regularly in the school and parents respond very well both in attendance and organisationally to fund-raising and social events. The significant amounts of monies raised through these events are used to extend and enhance resource provision. Parents and carers are very supportive of school productions and events.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

39. The good quality of leadership and management has enabled the school to maintain high standards since the last inspection and the capacity for further improvement is very good. The head teacher provides strong, very effective leadership. She has a clear, well-informed vision for the school and is very successful in working to achieve it. Key staff members make a very valuable contribution to decision making and to the smooth effective running of the school. There is a strong sense of teamwork. All staff share a commitment to the interests and well- being of the school’s pupils and to achieving high standards. The results of this are seen in pupils’ very good achievement over time in English, mathematics and science, in the quality of relationships, pupils’ very good attitudes to learning and their enjoyment of school. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 19 40. The subject leaders for English and mathematics are influential in achieving high standards.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

They systematically analyse information about pupils’ attainments and use it to determine strengths and weaknesses in these subjects. This enables them to adjust the emphasis in planning and provision to counter shortcomings and build on strengths. For example, results for 2001 showed that a lower proportion of pupils exceeded the expected level in writing than in reading. Teachers adjusted teaching arrangements in the light of this information to challenge able pupils more in their writing. As a result, the achievement in reading remains very good while some of the qualities needed to reach the higher levels in writing are improving.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

41. The school’s procedures for monitoring its performance are much improved since the last inspection. Staff and governors make very good use of all available information, including the results of national tests, to analyse the school’s performance and inform their school improvement planning. However, while the monitoring of attainment is detailed and thorough for mathematics and English and used to good effect, it is not yet strong enough in most other subjects. For example, in history, geography and art and design there are no assessment procedures. This means that teachers cannot be sure what pupils have learned and thus cannot plan for progress and improvement. Some subject leaders have begun to gather samples of work, in history and geography for example, but the process is not yet systematic enough in these subjects to have any useful impact on the quality of learning and standards.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. The monitoring of teaching is well established in English, mathematics and science and helps to promote good standards in these subjects. However, there are no observations of teaching in the other subjects. This means that teachers do not have enough feedback on ways in which their lessons might be improved and cannot share good practice. Subject leaders of subjects other than English and mathematics have little influence because they do not have the information to be clear about standards and to identify ways in which teaching and learning might be improved.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The governing body is effective in its work and very supportive of the school. Governors carry out their statutory duties well. The governing body’s procedures, for example, for financial planning, are secure and well organised. Governors join with the head and senior staff in analysing the school’s results and remain in close touch with the life of the school by means of informal visits, discussion and classroom observations. Because of this, the governors have a good grasp of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They are fully involved in leading and managing the school and are rightly proud of its achievements.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. There are good arrangements to link the school’s development priorities with teachers’ individual professional development targets, for example, in seeking to improve pupils’ attainment in aspects of reading and writing. This brings cohesion and a sense of shared purpose to the school’s planning for improvement and increases its impact. Financial planning is very good and spending is rigorously linked to carefully determined priorities. The school administrative officer provides high quality support that valuably assists the smooth running of the school. New technology is used effectively, for example to facilitate analysis of pupils’ results and to secure accuracy in financial information. Senior staff and governors draw on a wealth of expertise in managing and targeting funds to maximise value and effectiveness.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. However, the school does not always secure value for money from classroom assistants’ time. The support these adults give to pupils with special educational needs in particular is carefully targeted and effective. However, in some lessons, for example in English, classroom assistants’ time is not always constructively used during the early part of the session and valuable time is wasted when they sit through lengthy lesson introductions.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The management of provision for pupils with special educational needs is very secure and meets all statutory requirements. The school special educational needs co-ordinator is dedicated and knowledgeable. She organises the teaching and learning of these pupils well, ensures the close involvement of parents in discussing and meeting their children’s needs, and supports colleagues very well. She sets a strong example in her own effective teaching. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 20 These features promote consistently good provision through the school that enables pupils with special educational needs to progress very well.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. There is a good number of well-qualified teaching and non-teaching staff to meet the demands of the curriculum. Arrangements for the induction of new staff are sound. The school has good contacts with nearby teacher training institutions and, because of its many strengths and welcoming ethos, is very well suited as a provider of initial teacher training. There is a satisfactory range of learning resources in all subjects. These are chosen to match pupils’ needs and abilities, for example in reading, and to encourage progress. The accommodation is satisfactory. Staff and governors have been imaginative in making the most of available space and resourceful in improving it. An example of this is the outside play facility for the youngest pupils that has been funded and built since the last inspection. This provides good opportunities to promote Reception children’s physical and social development.

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

48. The head teacher, staff and governors should now:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Ensure that the play activities in the Reception class have clear purpose and that children are not taught to read and write before they have the necessary skills to do so by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i) ensuring that all of the activities offered to children have clear learning objectives; ii) directing particular children to particular activities in accordance with their assessed needs; iii) ensuring teachers spend time working with children at these activities and that they are given equal status with the more formal tabletop work; iv) making sure that children have the necessary skills to be able to read and write before they are asked to form letters and recognise words in isolation. Paragraphs 19, 50, 51, 54

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Make sure subject leaders in non-core subjects have a good enough idea of what is and is not working, in order to influence change and bring about improvement. Paragraphs 41, 83, 89, 93, 103

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the issues above, there are a number of minor areas for improvement identified in the report that governors should have regard to when writing their action plan. These are:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Evaluation sessions at the end of lessons are often cut short and do not give pupils enough time to talk about what they have learnt and what they need to do next. Paragraphs 18, 67, 75

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Classroom assistants are not always used effectively in the whole class sessions at the start of lessons, when they could be ensuring, in particular, that the least able pupils understand and follow what the teacher is saying. Paragraphs 17, 45, 66, 73

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3. The assessment arrangements in subjects other than English, mathematics, science and ICT are insufficient to give a clear picture of what pupils know by the end of each year. This means that pupils’ progress reports do not give parents or the next teacher a clear enough idea of what individuals have achieved in these subjects. Paragraphs 16, 32, 34, 36, 83, 89, 97, 102 St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 22

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 25

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.22

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.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 167

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 16

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 13

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 10

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 9

p.22

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.22

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 23

p.22

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 30 30 60

p.23

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

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

Boys 29 30 30 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 30 30 29

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 98 (93) 100 (88) 98 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.23

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys 27 29 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 30 29 28

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (90) 97 (90) 93 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.23

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 24

p.23

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

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

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. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 25

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7.0 Financial year 2001/02

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.9

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 389244

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 395413

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 120 Expenditure per pupil 2340

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent Balance brought forward from previous year 22728

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 16559

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1.0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2.4

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 26 Results of the survey of parents and carers

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

My child is making good progress in school. 54 38 1 0 7

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Behaviour in the school is good. 56 42 0 0 3

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 36 43 3 0 18

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 31 50 7 1 11

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 74 25 0 0 1

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 69 24 0 0 7

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

The school works closely with parents. 50 40 3 0 7

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

The school is well led and managed. 61 31 1 0 7

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 58 29 1 0 11

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 33 28 11 0 28 St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 27

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

49. The provision for the youngest children in school has much improved since the last inspection. The outdoor learning area has been developed and is used well to support all areas of learning. The school has taken on board the Foundation Stage curriculum. The planning for the brighter and average children in particular is good and these children do well as a result of very challenging work. This is because teaching takes good account of their previous learning to set work that builds successfully on what children can already do and challenges them to do better.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

50. Classrooms are well organised, with resources easily accessible; warm relationships between children, and adults and children have already been established. Children are confident and secure learners because of this and most make good progress during their first year in school. Nearly all children attain the early learning goals in all areas of learning by the time they start in Year 1, with some working on aspects of National Curriculum work. However, the less able children are sometimes asked to do things before they have the necessary skills, such as form letters and read words. In addition, some play activities, such as those in the sand and water, do not have clear purpose and learning is too incidental. Often children have free choice of which activities to go to and teachers do not direct individuals to particular activities depending on their assessed needs, again slowing progress unnecessarily.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

51. This area of learning is taught well and most children do well to attain the early learning goals by the end of Reception. The first 20 minutes of the day are used very well to settle children into the classroom, which is particularly important, as these children have only been in school a few weeks. This promotes a very calm start to the day, setting the tone for the rest of it. The morning outdoor and the afternoon classroom sessions, in particular, offer children freedom to move about and talk together, chatting with each other about things they see through the magnifying glasses, for example, and enjoying role-play activities. These opportunities encourage children to work and play together; “You’ve got big eyes!” giggled one child as she looked at her classmates through a magnifying glass. However, often these activities are offered as ‘free choice’ and it is not clear what children are to learn from them and which

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

children need particular activities. Adults tend to spend their time working with children at the more formal activities; such as tallying the results of the skittle game played outside and playing word games with the children in the classroom. They rarely venture, for example, into the role-play areas unless it is to help children tidy up, or to the sand and water activities.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

52. Nevertheless, by the time they leave the Reception class at the end of their first year in school, most children are interested, excited and want to learn. They are aware of their feelings from, for example, making happy and sad paper plate faces, and show sensitivity towards their classmates. They take turns, such as when waiting patiently for their turn to read to an inspector, and share fairly and tidy away things when they have finished with them.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

53. Teaching is effective and most children do well in this area of learning. The learning of the brighter and average attaining children is particularly good because the work they do challenges them well. After just half a term in school, these children already recognise some words on sight and know many letter sounds. They use this knowledge well to help them read words they have not come across before, carefully sounding out the letters to make sense, such as c-a-t. Teachers make learning fun, heightening the interest of the children, such as St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 28 when using the class puppet ‘Leggy Lion’ who does not say initial sounds. The children were delighted to find different sounds to make sense of words he used, such as ‘m’ to make ‘ilk’ say ‘milk’. Teachers encourage children to listen to each other; “Let him finish his turn”, for example, gives all children a chance to answer.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

54. Work is well planned and teachers are clear about what children will know at the end of each lesson. However, the skill or idea taught is appropriate for the brighter children but not always for the least able. The slower learning children are usually asked to do the same activities as their brighter classmates, such as write letters and read words in isolation. They struggle to do this. For example, one child from the lower ability group recognised only one word from her pack of 12. Words such as ‘three’, ‘roof’ and ‘two’ were too difficult for her to cope with and getting so many wrong did little to encourage her to continue. During the inspection week, children were learning the sound that the letter ‘d’ makes. The activities they were asked to do involved writing the letter using the correct sequence of strokes. Although the teacher showed them precisely what movements to make, few of the least able children managed it without a

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

lot of adult support because they did not have good enough pencil control. Whilst there is some opportunity for these children to draw pictures, trace and colour in and to practise their early mark-making skills in, for example, the role-play areas, these are too infrequent. There are diaries, for example, for children to ‘record’ appointments in the class doctor’s surgery, but this is not particularly encouraged and children seldom use them. Children too often go to these activities once they have finished the more formal tabletop work, lessening their value and limiting the time spent in them.

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

55. Nevertheless, by the time they are ready to start Year 1, most children write clear messages using short and well-constructed sentences such as, “I saw the guinea pigs”. They know some words on sight, such as ‘in’, ‘she’, ‘came’ and ‘look’. They hear and say sounds in words and use this knowledge to spell short words correctly and others recognisably, such as ‘wen’ for ‘when’. They write for different purposes, for example recipes for baking a gingerbread man and rhymes like, “I saw three kittens … I put on my mittens”. They read books and words confidently and know that a story has a beginning, middle and end. They take turns in conversation and listen with enjoyment to each other.

p.28

Mathematical development

56. This area of learning is taught well and most children attain the early learning goals by the end of Reception and some are doing work from the first National Curriculum level. Most can add and subtract two numbers up to 10 and confidently use the language of ‘more’ and less’. They understand money and use coins to make up different amounts, such as picking out a five pence coin and a one pence coin to make six pence. They write recognisable digits, accurately tell the time to o’clock and half past, and have secure two- and three-dimensional shape recognition.

p.28

Mathematical development

57. Children learn at a good rate because teaching has good regard to their different needs. Unlike in literacy, different things are planned for children working at different levels and each of the three teaching groups has different learning targets for the week. For example, during the week of the inspection the more able children were working with numbers up to and beyond 10, whilst the least able were learning about numbers to 5. Teaching makes learning fun with the use of, for example, a croaking frog that leaps onto numbered lily pads; the children thoroughly enjoy making him croak the number of times shown. Effective questions like, “Which lily pad will frog croak the most croaks on?” and “Which will the frog croak more than three times on?” challenges children to think about what they are doing. The activities are planned well to hold the attention of the children, such as number games on the computer,

p.28

Mathematical development

when children have to find the next number in a sequence of numbers, and when they total the number of skittles they can knock down with a ball over three goes. Numbers around the rooms help children to recognise digits and to count on and back from zero to 10. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 29

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

58. Likewise, teaching and learning are good in this area of learning and, because of this, children have a secure knowledge and understanding of the world by the end of Reception. They are well prepared for their Year 1 work in science, history, geography, design and technology and ICT. All children use computers confidently because they use them constantly to support work in other areas of learning. For example, they sort materials and draw pictures. Accurate use of the ‘change colour’ and ‘fill’ functions mean that their pictures are coloured attractively and their good ‘mouse’ control enables them to drag and drop clothes to dress a screen teddy bear.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

59. Children’s knowledge of seasons is well developed and they know, for example, that some trees lose their leaves in autumn. Their studies of what they could do as babies compared with what they can do now, and their accurate matching of piglets to pigs and lambs to sheep, show that most children have a good understanding of how things grow and change over time. This idea was reinforced well by the visit from an elderly lady who had recently celebrated her 100 th birthday.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

60. Children’s knowledge of other faiths is good. Most children know that “the Muslim God is called Allah” and that people from this faith pray in a mosque. Last year, an Indian dance workshop extended their awareness of music from other cultures further.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

61. Children make and follow road maps of their local area and look at things around the school. They talk about their usefulness, such as the outside lights that illuminate the school at night and the drainpipes that funnel the rainwater away from the building. Their designs of bags to carry things are well detailed and the hats they made last year were carefully measured to fit.

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Physical development

62. Teaching and learning are good and because of this, children make good progress in their physical development by the end of their first year in school. About three quarters of them dress and undress without any adult help and in the physical education lesson seen, quickly found a space to work on their own and avoided bumping into each other even when running around the hall together. They accurately threw a beanbag towards a specific spot they had chosen, showing a better than expected sense of balance and co-ordination for their age. They suggested different ways to carry beanbags, for example, carefully balancing them on their heads and across their hands. Most children climb the outdoor equipment confidently and push and pull the wheeled toys with good co-ordination and control. Teaching is good. Teachers use the outdoor learning area daily to promote physical development, encouraging children to climb and exert themselves in more boisterous activity than is possible in the

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Physical development

classroom. Teachers demonstrate movements in physical education lessons well, such as when one teacher showed the children how to look carefully where they wanted the beanbag to land and to take time to aim it in the desired direction.

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Creative development

63. This area of learning is also taught well and children make good progress to attain the early learning goals by the end of Reception. Teachers encourage children to create pictures and models and show them how different fasteners are best used for joining particular materials. Children know, for example, that glue, sticky tape and staples can be used to join papers and that a different type of glue is used to join fabric. They explore colour when they mix paint and create different effects through using different techniques, such as bubble painting and printing. They have made models of dinosaurs using boxes for the body, tubes for the legs, and egg cartons for the head. Their observational artwork is well detailed. For example, their pastel pictures of spring flowers done last year show good shape and proportion. They St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 30 experience working with different media, such as when making clay cups and saucers for the

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Creative development

‘Mad Hatter’s’ tea party, and gluing fabric to make finger puppets.

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ENGLISH

64. As at the time of the last inspection, standards in English are above average by the time the pupils leave the school. Despite some year-on-year variations, pupils’ attainment in English has continued to improve and for the last three years has remained above the national average. On entry to school, a relatively high proportion of pupils’ attainment is below that typically found in most other schools and pupils do very well to attain above average levels by the end of Year 2.

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ENGLISH

65. This is because teaching is very good. Pupils’ learning is built well over time and good achievement is sustained from year to year. The teaching in Year 2 is especially good. It is imaginative and varied, and capitalises effectively on the good groundwork that has gone before. In all classes, relationships are good and teachers manage pupils well, giving them confidence, security and a sense of purpose. Tasks are well matched to pupils’ interests and aptitudes and teachers present new ideas clearly so that pupils settle quickly to work, knowing what is expected of them. For example, in a very good Year 2 lesson with the less able writing group, the teacher used a carefully chosen story to capture pupils’ imagination and inspire them to write. Pupils listened with rapt attention, responding to the emotional content of the story and following eagerly the turn of the narrative. The teacher questioned skilfully, probing

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ENGLISH

and developing pupils’ understanding and encouraging them to think about events in the story and the characters’ response to them. She reviewed the points of spelling and grammar that pupils would need in their own writing. The teacher combined opportunities for pupils to improve their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Pupils set to work enthused, well prepared and confident. Achievement in the lesson was very good and pupils grew in independence. Teachers use praise well to encourage pupils and build their self-esteem. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good because teachers openly value pupils’ achievements and make learning purposeful and enjoyable.

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ENGLISH

66. Lesson planning is detailed and thorough. Teachers use ongoing assessment well, especially in Year 2, to check what pupils have learned and plan what they need to do next. This means that lessons remain relevant to pupils’ developing needs, promote good progress and enable pupils to succeed and gain satisfaction from learning. Pupils with special educational needs respond well to this approach and, as a result, make very good progress. They benefit from the effective support that teachers and classroom assistants provide. However, classroom assistants’ time is not used to best effect in all lessons. In around half the lessons seen, classroom assistants had too little to do during the introductory part of the lesson.

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ENGLISH

67. The introductions to lessons are interesting and clear. They engage pupils well, set a positive tone for the lesson and enable pupils to work confidently. In some lessons teachers use the final discussion skilfully to commend and share pupils’ work. This builds pupils’ self-esteem and consolidates learning. However, in most lessons, the final discussion is cut short because time runs out and work is not discussed in enough depth to give pupils a clear idea of what they done well and what they need to work on improving.

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ENGLISH

68. Standards in speaking and listening are average. Most pupils listen attentively during conversation and discussion. They show appropriate understanding, for example of explanations during lessons, and give apt replies. Pupils take turns in conversation, respect each other’s contributions and begin to consider the listener in choosing words and detail. Pupils’ speaking vocabulary is satisfactory but not extensive. Most pupils are suitably confident in speaking but a significant minority remain quiet during class discussions. In a very good lesson, the teacher included the quieter pupils, targeting them with carefully phrased questions to which they could confidently reply. However, in some lessons, teachers do not do enough to enable reluctant speakers to join more actively in discussion. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 31 69. Standards in reading are above average. Most pupils read fluently for their age. They

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ENGLISH

understand what they have read, can discuss the main characters and events in stories and explain which aspects of a book they enjoy. More able readers talk enthusiastically about favourite books and recall them well. Most pupils have a secure knowledge of letter sounds but the below average pupils, and some of the average attaining, do not always use it well. This leads to some inaccuracies. Some average and below average pupils are inclined to guess words they do not know and substitute meaningful phrases of their own for what appears on the page. They use pictures and context well to discover meaning but do not always look at each word carefully enough. The teaching of reading is organised well and enables pupils to progress very well. Pupils’ reading is carefully tracked and books are chosen well to challenge and interest pupils of different abilities. There is a useful home-school reading diary. This

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ENGLISH

promotes partnership in learning, helps to motivate pupils and encourages progress. Pupils of all abilities find enjoyment and satisfaction in reading. This reflects the care teachers take in selecting and managing resources and their success in inspiring pupils through the books they share during lessons.

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ENGLISH

70. Standards in writing are above average. Most pupils write fluently for their age. They sequence sentences logically, sometimes marking them with capitals and full stops. More able pupils are beginning to use more varied punctuation. Many pupils produce a good amount of work and are beginning to write with a growing sense of the flow and shape of a story. Above average pupils use an extensive vocabulary and some lively expression. Spelling is satisfactory. Pupils build words logically, using their knowledge of letter sounds, but sometimes make mistakes with commonly occurring words that they should know. Handwriting is now developing well. Recent emphasis and the introduction of a new handwriting teaching programme are improving the quality of pupils’ handwriting and leading them towards a fluent, joined style. There is some relevant use of ICT to present and improve pupils’ writing. The above average

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ENGLISH

standards in writing reflect the good overall quality of teaching and, in particular, the success of teachers in Year 2 in enabling pupils to develop as confident, enthusiastic writers. Teachers achieve this because they inspire pupils of all abilities, set high expectations and openly value pupils’ ideas and the writing they produce.

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ENGLISH

71. The subject management is very good. Teachers use test results and day-to-day assessments very purposefully to track pupils’ progress and plan for improvement. For example, teachers have re-organised arrangements for the teaching of writing to ensure that pupils of all abilities, and especially the more able, are fully challenged. This is working very well. There are very thorough and detailed arrangements for monitoring pupils’ individual progress and the quality of teaching and learning. This helps to secure pupils’ very good progress through the school and enables teachers to share effective practice. The subject leader knows what is happening in the subject. She is enthusiastic and sets a high standard in her teaching. She manages the subject budget very effectively, determining priorities carefully and targeting spending for maximum improvement.

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MATHEMATICS

72. Standards in mathematics are above average by the time the pupils leave the school at the age of seven; last year, almost half of the Year 2 pupils attained the higher level. Pupils do very well from a below average starting point on entry to Reception. This is due to good teaching throughout the school that builds pupils’ learning systematically over time. Lessons are planned well. Effective use of the subject teaching guidelines means that teachers are very clear about what pupils of different ages should be taught and their good use of what pupils already know means that work is suitably adapted to meet the needs of those who learn at different rates. Boys and girls are focused on equally and the targets of pupils with special needs are realistic and attainable, such as “Work on own for five minutes”. Teachers take care to involve children from Traveller families and those from ethnic minority backgrounds in

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MATHEMATICS

the discussion sessions and to ensure that they can do the work as well as their classmates. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 32 73. The mental arithmetic sessions at the beginning of lessons are effective in focusing on different ways to get to the answer. This is because teachers encourage pupils, particularly those in Year 2, to explain what they are doing and what method of calculation they used. Question and answer sessions are lively and the rapid speed of teachers’ questioning holds pupils’ attention well. For example, in a Year 2 session, the teacher demanded pupils responded quickly, yet gave sufficient time for the less able to contribute. These pupils were supported very effectively by one of the classroom assistants, who explained what the teacher was saying more simplistically and this meant that they could join in and offer answers to some of the questions directed at their brighter classmates. This is inconsistent, however,

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MATHEMATICS

from lesson to lesson. In most lessons, classroom support assistants help pupils of all abilities to work and achieve well. Sometimes they sit with the lower attaining pupils during the class introductory sessions, making sure they understand and explaining things more simply. However, this does not happen often enough and they sometimes just listen to the teacher, with little purpose, wasting valuable time.

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MATHEMATICS

74. Computers are used well in lessons to enhance pupils’ learning further, such as in a Year 1 lesson when pupils had to choose which coins they would use to buy items from an on-screen toyshop. Subject language is promoted at every opportunity; specific words are identified in the lesson plans to remind teachers to use them in their introductions and explanations. This means that by the end of Year 2, pupils are adept at explaining what they are doing and have done. This is something that the school has worked hard on after it was identified two years ago, by the subject co-ordinator, as an area for improvement. In addition, in response to the last inspection report, pupils are now given enough problems to solve, which extends their mathematical language further. In lessons, teachers encourage pupils to ask questions, and to frame them carefully to find out, for example, what shape the teacher is hiding in the puppet’s,

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MATHEMATICS

Kangy’s, hand. The answer, “Yes” to the question, “Are all the faces the same shape?” prompted the next question, “How many faces has it got?” “Is it a cube?” asked one pupil. This ability of pupils to think logically is developing well.

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MATHEMATICS

75. Pupils find learning fun and because of this behave well in lessons. Any pupil whose mind wanders momentarily is brought back on task with, for example, a brief comment of “I’ve not quite got you with me”. Good reminders about how much time pupils have left to complete the activities add a sense of urgency to work sessions. However, sometimes the work activities run over time and there is little time left to discuss with the pupils what they have learnt, how well they got on, and what they need to work on next.

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MATHEMATICS

76. Subject leadership is good. The mathematics co-ordinator and governor have implemented effective assessment arrangements that give teachers a clear idea about what pupils already know and to use to plan the next stages of their learning. They observe lessons and offer colleagues advice, about what worked well and not so well, and support, to put right their weaknesses. They look at pupils’ work and offer guidance about gaps in pupils’ learning that need dealing with.

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SCIENCE

77. In 2002, most of the Year 2 pupils reached the expected level by the end of the year, with a larger than usual group reaching the higher level. This shows good achievement and was better than in 2001. Current Year 2 pupils have, overall, a better than average grasp of science and a good ability to write about it. The present Year 1 pupils have higher standards of attainment for their age than expected nationally and from their attainment on entry.

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SCIENCE

78. Year 1 pupils have a good grasp of appropriate scientific vocabulary. In one lesson, they understood that the block of ice they were given was frozen water and that it would melt and turn back into water. In their excitement, however, they missed the cracking when they put salt onto it. They have some idea about a ‘fair test’ and Year 2 pupils have a good understanding early in the year of ‘smooth and rough’ and other simple attributes of materials. For example, one Year 2 pupil made clear in his own words that candle wax would go hard as it ran down St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 33 the lighted candle. By the time they leave the school, Year 2 pupils understand simple electrical circuits and that forces are pushes and pulls. They have a good grasp of what plants need to grow. 79. Pupils enjoy science. They concentrate well and are eager to learn. Their good behaviour and attention mean that they listen and understand. Because what they are taught is suitable for

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SCIENCE

their age and aptitude and explanations are clear, pupils behave well and their learning is rapid and secure. For example, the Year 1 pupils experimenting with ice were very excited and those listening to a very clear and interesting but long teacher explanation in Year 2 about the making of wool listened extremely well. Pupils also work together well. A discussion in a Year 2 class about materials that pupils were sorting helped not only their science but also their speaking and listening skills. In a Year 1 class, pupils worked well with a friend, staying on task. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress.This is because teaching in science is good and sometimes very good. Teachers manage pupils very well and this makes for calm lessons in which pupils can concentrate and learn. They prepare and organise lessons thoroughly. Teachers use correct scientific vocabulary and question

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SCIENCE

pupils to lead them to think about the work and the scientific principles involved.

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SCIENCE

80. The teaching programme is well planned and the time well balanced across the elements of the subject. It includes work on health education – Year 1 books show work about medicines and drugs – and there are opportunities for pupils to experiment and find out for themselves. However, there is a satisfactory but limited use of mathematics and ICT to support work in science.

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SCIENCE

81. Science is soundly led. The co-ordinator has put in place a good system of assessment. She intends to revise the school’s teaching guidelines to take account of the national guidance. This was sensibly delayed whilst other subjects took precedence because the school considered, rightly, that the existing teaching programme was good. The curriculum monitoring sheets prepared by teachers for the co-ordinator show what teachers have done and their interpretation of how well pupils have learnt. However, whilst these are sufficient, they rely on the interpretation of others and restrict the support she can give colleagues to help them improve.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

82. Standards in art and design and design and technology are in line with those expected nationally by the age of seven. Teaching is satisfactory in both subjects and pupils make sound progress as they move through the school. However, whilst they have been maintained in art and design, standards and teaching are not as good in design and technology as they were at the time of the last inspection. This is because the school has focused on bringing about improvements in the core subjects of English and mathematics. Whilst the subject leaders have a reasonably accurate idea of standards, they make limited checks on the quality of teaching and learning in the other subjects and not enough is done to find out whether pupils do well enough over time. Assessment procedures are inadequate to give teachers, pupils, and parents a clear enough picture of what individuals know, understand and can do and, most importantly, what they need to learn next.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

83. In art and design, pupils use a wide enough range of materials and equipment to enable them to experience a balance of art and craft. By the end of Year 2, most pupils draw good, well- proportioned self-portraits and know that they need to concentrate on getting the shape right. They make computer-generated pictures and use art to support work in other subjects, such as when Year 1 pupils drew a Victorian iron and kettle in history. Years 1 and 2 pupils have produced some colourful and attractive wool weaving pictures and some very effective pictures made from pressed flowers. They have mixed colours to get just the right skin tone on their portrait paintings and created some pictures of underwater scenes using the technique of wax resist. The annual Arts Week helps to raise the importance of art, but pupils have only a vague recollection of the famous artists’ work that they have looked at. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 34

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

84. In design and technology, Year 1 pupils have designed and made models of houses using cardboard boxes, and boats out of paper and lollipop sticks. They have planned a healthy meal and understand that they should eat lots of fruit and vegetables to stay fit. The hats they made last year were attractive and fitted well! Year 2 pupils have designed seed packets to enter in the Calderdale science challenge and designed and made their own Christmas paper. They talked proudly to an inspector about the vehicles they had made in Year 1, using axles and wooden wheels. They know how to use pulleys to, for example, raise a bucket from a model well, and that different fasteners are used to join different materials. They find their current task of making puppets exciting. They have looked at different puppets to get ideas for their own and are already planning what kind to make and how to make them. “Fabric is best because

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

paper would rip,” said one pupil. Some intend to sew theirs together, whilst others have decided that glue should be strong enough.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

85. Standards in geography and history are in line with expected national levels but have fallen since the last inspection. This reflects the school’s decision in recent years to focus strongly on English and mathematics. Less emphasis is now given to geography and history and this has resulted in a decline in standards. Because of the school’s timetabling arrangements, no geography or history lessons could be observed. Therefore, no judgement on the quality of teaching can be made. Analysis of teachers’ planning and pupils’ previous work and discussions with pupils show that the curriculum is suitably wide in both subjects and that provision is satisfactory. Evidence from past work and discussions with pupils suggest that pupils with special educational needs make good progress and that pupils’ attitudes to learning are good.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

86. Pupils begin to describe their own locality in simple maps and analyse features such as traffic frequency. They compare their own neighbourhood with contrasting localities in, for example, the Western Isles. They identify ways in which landscape features, buildings and services differ from those near their home. They begin to understand how the features of a place, such as temperature or the natural resources available, determine the types of clothes people wear, the houses they build and the ways in which they gain a living. Setting their own experience against life in hot and cold countries, pupils understand that these differences can be extreme.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

87. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of some significant people who lived in the past, for example Florence Nightingale. They understand some ways in which life in Victorian times differed from the way people live now. For example, they identify differences in lighting and domestic appliances and appreciate how improvements have altered people’s lives. Pupils’ work on the Great Fire of London reflects sound factual knowledge and some understanding of the way the fire spread. Pupils understand that accounts such as that in Pepys’ diary provide useful historical evidence. Teachers make historical knowledge meaningful to pupils by relevant visits and eyewitness evidence of events, such as the Coronation and the appearance of television. In pupils’ previous work, events are sometimes associated with accurate dates and expressions such as “over 100 years ago”. This helps pupils develop a feeling for the passage of time and begin to appreciate the relative remoteness of other events

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

88. Planning for both geography and history is secure and covers all the areas that it should. ICT is used satisfactorily to support work in both subjects, such as accessing information on CD- ROMs and in books. However, the reduced time and emphasis now given to both subjects mean that pupils touch on aspects of both subjects but do not study them in enough depth. This approach results in satisfactory coverage but does not do enough to enable pupils to extend their knowledge, deepen their understanding or develop their geographical and historical skills. For example, in conversation, average and above average pupils found it difficult to answer geographical and historical questions at an appropriate level. This approach impacts on all pupils, especially the most able, by limiting achievement. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 35 89. The management of both subjects is satisfactory. Subject leaders are interested, and have

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

sound subject knowledge and a satisfactory grasp of the strengths and areas for development in their subjects. They remain aware of standards and progress through consultation with colleagues and periodic work sampling. However, there are no assessment procedures or arrangements to monitor teaching and learning in either geography or history. This means that teachers cannot accurately judge how well pupils have learned and adjust planning to challenge pupils at the right level. This slows progress.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

90. As at the time of the last inspection, most pupils attain above the expected level for the age by the time they leave the school. Year 1 pupils can enter text and understand that the font and the size of letters can be altered. They use the Dazzle program well and in Year 2 use it creatively to produce colourful work. The covers of their ICT folders have been done in this way and some are very attractive indeed. Year 2 pupils can also access information on a CD- ROM and know how to print excerpts from the disks. A portfolio of work showed some very interesting pictures produced with an Intel microscope. Pupils had produced prints of wool and other fabrics in an artistically interesting way. Year 1 pupils program a floor robot and understand that instructions can be given to it to make it move in certain ways.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

91. Pupils clearly enjoy their work in ICT. They work sensibly together and take turns. The paired work observed in Year 1 supported their social development well. Pupils use computers in the earliest days in school and are clearly at ease with them. They are eager to use them and work well when they do. They progress well in their knowledge of what computers can do and how they can be used. They use them well to support work in other subjects, such as mathematics, writing and art.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

92. The teaching of ICT is good. One lesson seen was very good and pupils’ work reflects well- organised sessions in which pupils have been able to concentrate and produce careful work. Teachers plan and organise well and their very good class management means that pupils can concentrate and learn. A Year 2 lesson, for example, successfully blended a science lesson with an ICT lesson. The majority of pupils completed work in science whilst small groups used the computers and science artefacts. This was clever planning very well executed. Teachers have developed the skill of demonstrating, identified as a weakness in the last report, and make clear what learning objectives within a lesson are. They have worked hard to develop their own computer literacy, 12 staff attending the latest training course, for example.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

93. ICT is well led. The co-ordinator has developed a good policy document and assessment procedures and is currently working on developing a school website. Teachers complete curriculum monitoring sheets seen by the co-ordinator but there is no current programme of observing teaching and learning in lessons. This limits the support the subject leader can give to colleagues. Computer equipment is sensibly organised. The school has a good range of equipment, including three digital cameras.

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MUSIC

94. Music continues to be a strength of the school. Pupils reach standards well above those expected for their age group. They sing particularly well, the big majority being in pitch and in tune. In assemblies this leads to a fine, full and tuneful sound. In lessons they sing enthusiastically and well. Year 1 pupils sing solos confidently and accurately and hold long notes in a real ‘singing’ voice. Their sense of pulse is not so good and some pupils found clapping or walking to the slow pulse of one of the songs hard. In the dance club, however, Year 2 pupils coped well, clearly feeling the pulse with ease. In a Year 2 lesson pupils copied well the good clear sounds made by the teacher. They could hold one tune against other St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 36 sounds and the final song was an impressive display of aural skill for pupils, most of whom are still six years old. Surprisingly they were not so good at finding long notes and singing

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MUSIC

them accurately. In the performance of Noah several pupils played percussion instruments very competently, one slotting his tricky rhythm in very neatly.

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MUSIC

95. Pupils clearly enjoy music and the success they experience helps this. Pupils in the large recorder group are at an early stage of learning but they all held the instrument correctly and are learning to tongue the notes correctly. They listen carefully and ‘rehearsal discipline’ is already established. There were very few notes out of place. The choir is clearly good, recently reaching the finals of a television competition in the north of England. There is no lack of volunteers for all activities in lessons and the choir is hugely popular. At the end of the day, Year 2 pupils concentrated well throughout their music lesson. In all activities, all pupils, including those with special educational needs, take a full part.

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MUSIC

96. Teaching in music is good and often very good. This leads to the high standards and in turn to pupils' enjoyment of music. Several teachers have musical skills and this, coupled with good general teaching skills, leads to very good lessons in which pupils learn very well. It also helps teachers to develop pupils’ aural skills towards real music making. Lessons are well planned and organised and move at a good pace. The performance of Noah showed how skilfully teachers prepare work.

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MUSIC

97. There is no assessment in music. Because the curriculum leader has taught in the school for many years and knows pupils well, she has a good overview of attainment. However, the understanding of teachers about how well pupils achieve is not good enough. Consequently, reports concentrate on what pupils can do and have done but not on how well they did them or how their attainment compares with national expectations.

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MUSIC

98. The subject is enthusiastically and well led. Pupils receive a good curriculum in lessons, and very good opportunities through the extra-curricular groups and through performance such as the one seen during the inspection. The teaching programme, being a mixture of the national guidance and the Somerset guidance, is good and adapted to the needs of these children very well. ICT skills and equipment, such as tape recorders and videos, are used effectively to support teaching and learning in the subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

99. As at the time of the previous inspection, standards of attainment are above those expected nationally for seven year olds. Throughout the school, pupils develop their physical education skills well. Year 1 pupils roll a ball to a chosen spot, showing good hand-eye co-ordination, and throw and catch it with good accuracy. Using beanbag and cone, they nearly always manage to hit their target! Year 2 pupils move rhythmically to music, making different shapes with their bodies, such as right angles and circles, when the music stops. They make straight lines on the floor, moving in different ways.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

100. Pupils clearly enjoy physical education. They are keen to take part in activities and work and try hard. The excitement for the football club as pupils changed in the hall was electrifying . Year 2 pupils were eager to talk about their physical education and games. Lessons using the parachute feature as a popular activity and pupils enjoy ball games particularly. They recalled what they had done with great pleasure.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

101. Pupils’ good behaviour and enthusiasm spring at least partly from the good teaching. Lessons are well prepared and very well organised. They move at a good pace and pupils are kept busy and interested. Teachers use clear instructions so that pupils understand what they have to do. They manage pupils very well so that lessons are calm and pupils work safely, acquiring new skills and developing others at a good rate. This is turn leads to pupils’ enjoyment and a desire to do well. In some lessons teachers use pupils well to demonstrate good ideas and examples of good skills. In others this is less well done. St Andrew’s C of E Infant School - 37 102. There are no formal arrangements for assessment in physical education, the tick lists in use some years ago being considered too time-consuming for their value. As in the other non-core subjects, reports concentrate on what pupils can do and have done but not on how well they

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

could do things or how this compares with national expectations.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

103. The co-ordinator has good skills in physical education; her examples for her class were good, giving young children a good model at an early age. She leads the subject well. She sees teachers’ planning and monitoring sheets and she leads the dance club, which gives her insight into the standards in some aspects of physical education reached by some of the pupils in Year 2. She is, however, unable to monitor lessons, and has little idea about how well it is taught throughout the school or which of her colleagues need support. The curriculum is a good one, being a combination of the national teaching guidelines and various others adapted well to the needs of the pupils. The programme contains much advice to help the non- specialist teachers. There are clubs for football and dance, both very well supported. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, take a full part in the physical education

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