Savile Town Church of England Voluntary Controlled Infant and Nursery School

NURSERY AND INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 th – 21 st November 2002

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NURSERY AND 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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NURSERY AND 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. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Warren Street Savile Town Dewsbury

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs J E Jenkins

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 24 th November 1997 Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

21596 Andrew Clark Registered inspector Mathematics Music Physical education How high are standards? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 1962 Bob Folks Lay inspector How high are standards? The pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 30651 Margaret Entwistle Team inspector English Art and design Design and technology History How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

20368 Sue Macintosh Team inspector Religious education English as an additional language 15015 Michael Wehrmeyer Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Geography Foundation Stage curriculum* Special educational needs

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

*The Foundation Stage refers to children in the nursery and reception classes who are taught in the school’s Early Years Unit. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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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 Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 8

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 26

Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 7 Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 8

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Savile Town CE Infant School is for pupils between the ages of three and seven. The school is smaller than average with 141 boys and girls on roll. This includes 54 children who attend the nursery part-time. All the pupils are from Pakistani or Indian families where English is not the first language. They all receive support for English as an additional language and start school with very little English. This is a much higher percentage of pupils with English as an additional language than normally found. The main home languages are Punjabi, Gujarati or Urdu. All the pupils are Muslim and come from the local area. There are high levels of unemployment in the school’s catchment area. The percentage of pupils eligible for a free school meal is above average at 30 per cent. There are 33 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs and 4 pupils with a statement of special educational needs, which is above average. These include pupils with moderate learning

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

and physical difficulties. Attainment on entry to the school is well below typical levels.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school. The pupils make excellent progress in a rich and stimulating environment. Standards are high. The leadership of the headteacher is outstanding and the school is very well managed. The quality of teaching and learning is very good and the school gives very good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Achievement is excellent and pupils attain very high standards. The pupils are very well taught. • Excellent leadership by the headteacher and very good support from all staff. This has led to very good school improvement. • The very good start children get in the Early Years Unit. • There is an excellent ethos that promotes pupils’ personal development very well. • The very good support given to pupils in their home language by specialist teaching and support staff • The excellent links with parents support pupils’ learning very well.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • There are no significant areas for improvement. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made very good improvement since the last inspection in 1997. Standards of pupils’ work are much higher, especially in English and mathematics. The quality of teaching and learning is much better. The governing body now plays a significant role in supporting school developments. The improvement in the use of first language support to help pupils’ learning is excellent. There are now very effective schemes of work for all subjects and pupils’ achievement is very carefully measured and the information used well. The practical nature of the curriculum and strong emphasis on problem solving challenges the more able pupils very well. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 9

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

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STANDARDS

The trend of improvement in standards since the last inspection is very good as a result of the many developments. At that time they were below average for all three subjects. The standards are now well above average for writing and mathematics and average for reading. Although there is a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs there are few who do not attain the expected levels for their age in all three subjects. The comparison with similar schools is based only on free school meals and does not reflect the very high percentage of pupils with English as an additional language. The standards in writing are in the top five per cent in the country compared with similar schools. The percentage of pupils who attain the highest levels in the national tests for writing and mathematics is well above average and indicates that the school is successfully meeting the needs of the more able pupils. In reading the percentage attaining the higher level is below average

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STANDARDS

but there has been good improvement overtime. The pupils’ achievement is excellent from their attainment on entry to the school.

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STANDARDS

In the work seen standards in writing and mathematics reflect the test results. Year 2 pupils write interesting stories at length, and handwriting and punctuation are good. In mathematics, pupils are very quick in mental calculations and enjoy problem solving. The standard of reading is higher than last year and is above that expected at the age of seven. The pupils read with very good expression and with good understanding of the characters in the stories. Pupils’ investigation skills are good in science. Standards in music and design and technology are above average. They are average in all other subjects. The attainment of pupils with English as an additional language is very good. There is no significant difference between the achievement of different ethnic groups or between boys and girls. Pupils with special education make very good progress towards the challenging targets set for them.

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STANDARDS

The children make very good progress in the nursery and reception classes in the Early Years Unit. They start with very low standards. The excellent use of bilingual support staff, and very good planning and teaching mean that children meet the targets for all areas of learning and a significant number do better than expected for their age in creative and physical development.

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STANDARDS

The school sets itself very challenging targets for pupils’ attainment. It is well placed to meet them.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. The pupils are very enthusiastic and interested in all school life.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. The pupils are polite and friendly. They are very kind to each other.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships This is very good, and relationships are excellent. Pupils enjoy answering the office telephone, for example, and tidy up in the classroom. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 10 Attendance Satisfactory.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

The relationships throughout the school are excellent and a key to its success. The levels of attendance are close to average. The levels of unauthorised absence are higher than average but improving.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Very 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

The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall. This marks a very significant improvement since the last inspection. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed. The teachers have very high expectations for pupils’ learning and this comes through in all their work. Occasionally in the Years 1 and 2 classes the teachers spend too long introducing work and talking to the class; as a result they lose the attention of the less able. The teachers make full and imaginative use of bilingual staff so that pupils understand new ideas in their home language. The teaching of English and mathematics is very good and basic skills are taught very well. The teachers and support staff are a very effective team and work hand in glove in raising standards. The teaching is consistently very good in the Early Years Unit because of the tight teamwork and stimulating learning opportunities. As a result children try very hard indeed. In Years 1 and 2 pupils are good independent learners

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

because they are taught strategies to help them do this. In the best teaching, including excellent lessons, the teachers set a very brisk pace for learning and pupils are very clear what they have to do to succeed. The teaching of pupils with special educational need is very good. The individual education plans are very precise and provide a good guide to learning. Overall, teaching is lively and stimulating and relationships are excellent. The pupils, all of whom have English as an additional language, make excellent progress as a result.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. Learning opportunities are broad and balanced and all pupils have access to the full curriculum.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The pupils’ needs are identified early and there is careful planning for teaching. Bilingual staff give very good support.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. Most children speak very little English when they start school and make rapid progress because of the very good provision.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Very good. Pupils learn to appreciate the beauty and wonder in their world through art, music and very good acts of collective worship. They learn tolerance towards a wide range of faiths and beliefs. They work in many different groups, and visits and visitors enrich their lives.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. All adults are very caring and know pupils well. They make good use of their knowledge of pupils’ achievement to challenge pupils of all abilities.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have excellent views of the school because of the effective links made through workshops, regular meetings and extra-curricular activities. This makes a very good contribution to learning. The school is fully inclusive because it imaginatively plans ways for all pupils to achieve in all areas of the curriculum. Links with the local junior school are satisfactory and are a priority for development. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 11

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership through her clear vision, strategic planning and effective communications. Imaginative and effective senior staff give very good support.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governing body promotes high standards through good procedures for creating the policies to support learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The monitoring of teaching, learning and test data is of a high standard and contributes well to effective school improvement planning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Very good. There is tight financial planning and budget setting by staff and governors. There is particularly good deployment of staff.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

There are very good levels of support and teaching staff. The school is well resourced. The Early Years Unit is a high quality purpose-built building. The school is spacious and all areas are well used. There is very good use of the ‘bungalow’ to support reading development. The school actively seeks best value in all its services. The headteacher and senior management team are very efficient because of good delegation and clear expectations.

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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

• The children love school. • The teaching is good. • Children become mature and responsible. • The school is well led and managed. • Nothing.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team fully agrees with the parents’ positive views. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The pupils attain very high standards by the time they leave school in Year 2. They make excellent progress during their time in school. They start school with very little or no English and very few skills in mathematics and learn rapidly to leave with results in national tests which are average for reading and well above average for writing and mathematics. In comparison to schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, they are in the top five per cent for writing, above average for reading and well above average for writing. These comparisons do not take into account the extremely high percentage of pupils who have English as an additional language.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The trend of improvement since the last inspection has been very good indeed. At that time standards in reading, writing and mathematics were below average. Standards were also below average in science and were average in the most recent assessments. They are likely to be higher still this year. Standards have also improved significantly in several other subjects. The improvement has come about because there is no ceiling to the expectations of the staff and all involved in pupils’ learning. The deployment of bilingual support from the start of the child’s time in school to help in all areas of learning, but particularly speaking and reading and writing, means that very good progress is made in all subjects and this contributes to their overall attainment. Targets are set very effectively to guide the learning of every pupil.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The attainment of the most able pupils is very good. The percentage of pupils who attain the higher levels in writing and mathematics is well above average. There has been a good trend in the improvement in reading at the higher level although this is still below average. In writing the percentage of pupils attaining the higher level is in the top five per cent in the country. This is a quite remarkable rise in standards. It is reflected in the work seen during the inspection. One reason why the standards are so high in writing is because teachers encourage pupils to write at length in all subjects and pay close attention to the language they use. So, for example, pupils’ spelling is accurate and punctuation is often imaginative. In mathematics, the many opportunities for pupils to solve problems using their mathematical knowledge promote the higher standards. In reading, although the most able pupils read fluently and expressively,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

they do not always have the breadth of understanding to interpret the deeper meaning in stories. The teachers are focusing closely on continuing to develop this and the indications from inspection are that more pupils are likely to achieve higher levels in the tests in 2003.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The attainment of pupils with English as an additional language is very high as this relates to all pupils. There is no significant difference in the achievement of different ethnic groups in the school community. The school carefully analyses the results of national tests by ethnicity and gender and this is used in the target setting programme. Girls tend to attain higher results in mathematics overtime, but the boys do equally well when results are compared with the levels pupils enter the school with. In reading and writing there is no significant difference.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress overall. This is because the teachers accurately assess the level that pupils are working at and plan careful steps for their future learning. The support assistants are well trained to meet the needs of the pupils and most also offer bilingual support. They question pupils very sensitively to ensure they understand before moving on to the next level.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The children make an excellent start in the Early Years Unit, which incorporates the reception and nursery classes. This is because of very good teamwork, thorough planning and assessment and very good bilingual support. Children enter school with standards that are Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 13 well below those typically found, particularly in language, numeracy and personal development. A high proportion of children have very low attainment in these areas. Almost all pupils speak English as an additional language. By the time they start Year 1 the majority reach expected levels for communication, language and literacy, mathematics, personal and social development, and knowledge and understanding of the world. Many children attain above expected levels in creative and physical development. They are very well placed to start the National Curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The standards in the work seen in the infants during the inspection are very high. Pupils speak clearly and to the point. They enjoy explaining their ideas in mathematics and science for example. By Year 2, pupils read familiar books very expressively. They have a good understanding of the way the story unfolds and how the characters react to each other. The less able pupils enjoy reading and use good strategies to read unfamiliar words. They make good use of reference books in subjects such as science. They make very good progress in writing so that by the end of Year 2 they are writing well-ordered and interesting narratives over two or three pages. They write well for a good range of reasons.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. In mathematics, the pupils are good at calculating quickly in their heads, using their knowledge of addition and subtraction facts to 20 and beyond. They are eager to tackle problems including money and length. Their progress is very good. In science, pupils have above average capabilities in investigating and recording because of the practical nature of their work and the challenging questions teachers ask.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are average. The pupils make good use of computers in their work in several subjects. They use digital cameras and the Internet in history. The pupils’ attainment in music is good. Pupils sing well and express their thoughts about music they listen to in lively and interesting language. Their attainment in design and technology is above average. Standards in art and design, geography, physical education and religious education are at the levels expected for their age. The standards in most subjects have improved since the last inspection as a result of improved planning and the quality of teaching and learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The school is very well placed to continue the strong upward trend in improvements.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils have very good attitudes to the school and behaviour is very good. Relationships are excellent and personal development is very good. Attendance is satisfactory. Attitudes, relationships and personal development have improved since the last inspection. Parents feel that their children enjoy going to school and that their behaviour is very good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The pupils enjoy going to school very much and take full opportunity of the excellent range of activities available before, during and after school. They move around the school in a very orderly manner and are very well behaved in the dining room at lunchtimes. Pupils play very well together in the playground and show respect for their supervisors. Many friendship groups are seen together during these times. The pupils are very friendly; they spoke readily to inspectors during the inspection and were generally helpful.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. In lessons, behaviour is very good overall, but closely reflects the quality of teaching in the classroom. Some excellent behaviour was observed throughout the school and this had a very positive impact on the pupils' attitudes and learning. Pupils are able to concentrate for long periods of time and make very good contributions to the lessons. They regularly work together in pairs and groups and this successfully enhances their collaborative skills.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The pupils show very good respect for other people's views and feelings and this is constantly reinforced in assemblies and lessons. Pupils are proud of their school and show lots of respect for school property and to all staff, both teaching and non-teaching. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 14 15. The school provides a very good range of opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and to extend themselves. This starts from their time in nursery where they are taught to hang up their coats and register themselves into their learning groups. Interview techniques are used in assemblies with pupils interviewing and being interviewed about their feelings on issues being discussed. Pupils help with clearing trays at lunchtime and some answer the office telephone at lunchtime. In lessons, pupils very often take responsibility for their own learning such as choosing the artwork to do, and tidy up very effectively.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Relationships within the school are excellent. There is a wonderful family atmosphere in the school with everyone working towards a common aim. The values of ‘working together’ and ‘being friends’ shine through strongly and staff provide excellent examples for the pupils. This ethos pervades everything and contributes considerably towards the learning and rapid progress of the pupils during their time in the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. The school has worked very hard to improve attendance and lateness. Last year, attendance improved to just below the national average and lateness also improved. So far this year, attendance is above the national average. Unauthorised absences are still higher than the national average. All procedures comply with statutory requirements.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The overall quality of teaching and learning is very good. Pupils’ learning is very good because of the excellent ethos for learning and the very effective use of targets set for individuals’ achievement. The quality of teaching and learning for children in the nursery and reception classes is very good. It is good in Years 1 and 2 where there are more inconsistencies between the quality of teaching in each lesson. However, teaching is never less than satisfactory and it is often very good or excellent throughout the school. This is a marked improvement on the last inspection when almost one in eight lessons was unsatisfactory. The change has come about through the school’s excellent commitment to improvement, curriculum development and the careful monitoring of teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The very good teaching and learning in the Early Years Unit are based on close teamwork between all staff and the very effective deployment of bilingual nursery nurses and teaching assistants. The staff have a very good knowledge of the needs of these young children. There is a very strong focus on developing children’s speaking and listening skills both in their home language and in English so that they are fully included in progressing in all areas of learning. The base is very well organised to provide highly motivating learning experiences such as exciting role-play and a wide range of creative activities. For example, materials for cutting and sticking are often shiny, glittering and interesting to hold. Children are skilfully introduced to literacy and numeracy lessons of appropriate length. The important links with parents are forged at this stage and provide the backbone to very good learning through the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. A significant strength of the teaching is the excellent relationships between staff and pupils and the teachers’ knowledge of the individual pupils’ targets for learning. In most lessons the teachers prepare work for pupils that is challenging for all abilities. For example, in mathematics, quick-fire mental questions are focused on different groups of pupils or individuals. In science, the teacher structured questions on making circuits differently for the groups so that the more able had to think more for themselves and use their previous knowledge. As a result, pupils become good independent learners who feel confident that the work set is achievable with effort. There is one small group of pupils in Year 1, all with special educational needs, who sometimes find too long is spent on explaining basic skills in English and mathematics for them and parts of the introductions to lessons are not reaching them.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

They do not always have the opportunity to choose to experience more ‘hands-on’ activities such as sand and water play for part of the lessons that would meet their needs. However, the general activities set for them and the very good support given mean their learning experiences are still good. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 15 21. The enthusiasm of the pupils is a key strength to their learning. This is a result of the value the school places on enjoying learning and the very good support pupils receive from their parents. For example, the school provides opportunities for targeted pupils to attend early morning structured reading lessons. The headteacher and well-trained support staff make this a scintillating occasion with attractive new books and games. The parents’ workshop helps parents to understand techniques to support their child’s reading. The workshops are given in the parents’ first language although the books are English. These activities are well led and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

organised by the assistant headteacher. As a result pupils are eager to read and this contributes to the very good progress they make. There are highly motivating displays of pupils’ work throughout the school. All the displays presenting interesting questions to the pupils, encouraging them to find out more or to solve problems, particularly in mathematics and science. The after-school numeracy club and family games night also contribute to the pupils’ enthusiasm for learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The teaching of English as an additional language is very good and central to the success of the school. The focused deployment of bilingual support staff makes a very good contribution to pupils’ learning and is a significant improvement since the last inspection. They provide concentrated support for English and mathematics lessons by translating in whole class sessions and offering bilingual support in group and individual activities. The teachers and support staff work as a very close team and as a result support staff have a good knowledge of the subjects taught.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The teaching of English is very good overall. It is very good for speaking and listening and for writing. Pupils write for real-life purposes and in all subjects. As a result they are eager and accurate writers and reach very high standards. The teaching of reading is good and pupils learn to enjoy books and make good use of non-fiction books to find information. Although pupils of all abilities are challenged, the most able are not always guided enough to understand the deeper meaning of stories.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The teaching of mathematics is very good; mathematics lessons are brisk and motivating. There is a good structure to the teaching of basic skills making effective use of spoken language and a good mathematical vocabulary. Teachers have very high expectations. As a result, pupils are very eager to learn and their responses to mental calculations, particularly in the excellent lessons, are very fast and accurate. However, there are some occasions when too long is spent on introductory activities.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Another strength of the teaching is that pupils are directly taught good learning skills. They are given very good strategies to help them become independent learners; for example they are taught useful methods for finding spellings or using the computers. Year 1 pupils, for example, load and print their art and design work with no support. Teachers and support staff are skilful at guiding pupils through the use of careful questioning rather than telling them what to do. This encourages the pupils to feel that they are making decisions about their learning. At the start of many lessons the pupils take part in quick, fun exercises designed to help them concentrate and think hard. This is part of a ’brain-friendly’ learning programme and seems to be contributing to their ability to listen carefully.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. The quality of teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs is very good. There are very effective individual education plans to guide their learning. The teachers identify small, but challenging steps for pupils to achieve and match these to a good range of learning activities. In all subjects work is matched to the needs of these pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. The quality of teaching and learning is very good in science and music. In both subjects the teachers have a very good knowledge of their subject and learning is fun and active. There is good use of teachers with specialist skills in these subjects. In all other subjects the quality of teaching and learning is good. The emphasis on the improvement in teaching since the last report has rightly been focused on English and mathematics. However, the school is Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 16 beginning to make more use of bilingual and language support staff in other subjects and this is having an impact on learning in these areas.

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PUPILS?

28. Since the last inspection, the curriculum at Savile Town has been skilfully reconstructed to give its pupils the very best start to their education. Almost everything that pupils do and learn, aims to strengthen their competence in speaking, reading, writing and number. Yet at the same time, pupils’ experiences are broadened, interests awakened and aptitudes met.

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PUPILS?

29. There has been significant improvement since the last inspection. The school has dealt systematically with the criticisms of the last report that the curriculum was not correctly balanced, and that planning and assessment were unsatisfactory. The headteacher has led the way by ensuring that all subjects of the National Curriculum are timetabled for nationally recommended portions of the week. Half-termly plans and lesson plans now show very clearly what teachers intend that the pupils should learn, and in lessons this is made very clear to them

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PUPILS?

30. These necessary changes have been made sensitively to suit the ways in which young children learn. Year group planning teams have enough flexibility to plan for seasonal, local and cultural interests, which gives relevance to the learning. Teachers make good use of the links between subjects, such as in the current Year 1 focus on buildings and homes in English, history and geography. This helps pupils to consolidate and apply their learning in different situations. Pupils write as part of learning in every subject so that they can practise what they have been taught in literacy lessons. Similarly, the ‘Big Books’ chosen for English lessons are often related to what is being taught in history, geography or religious education.

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PUPILS?

31. The school excels in involving all of its pupils in the full curriculum. Those at the early stages of learning English are fully included in lessons and make gains in learning because of the translation for them of content and instructions in Gujarati and Punjabi. The bilingual assistants teach groups of pupils in some parts of the lesson, so that they learn new skills at the same time as more proficient language speakers. Boys and girls are treated equally. Pupils with special educational needs are made to feel a part of all lessons and their needs are very well managed. In a very good literacy lesson, the group of pupils with special educational needs made a very valuable role-play contribution to the final part of the lesson.

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PUPILS?

32. Outside visits very suitable for the age of the pupils enrich the curriculum. They take train rides, walk to the River Calder and visit the local library as part and parcel of learning. Pupils have visited the Deswbury museum and Oakwell Hall. The school makes links out into the community whenever it sees an opportunity – a Jubilee Parade was a highlight. The school is proactive in establishing links with the Muslim community. There are a good number of out-of- school clubs and much of the imaginative provision focuses upon the pupils’ families. A termly ‘Games Night’ draws in family members as well as pupils. Other clubs such as the ‘Better Reading’ club are run before school in order to give the sessions special, motivating status and to avoid withdrawing pupils from lessons. The school has sound links with the local junior school and transition procedures are effective. The school is working with the new

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PUPILS?

headteacher of the juniors to develop curriculum links.

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PUPILS?

33. The school promotes the pupils’ personal development very fully and this is a strength of the school. Nothing has been lost since the last inspection, despite the sharp focus on raising academic standards, and some aspects of personal development have been improved. This happens because leadership in the school sets the tone in developing a climate in the school within which all pupils can grow and flourish.

p.16

PUPILS?

34. In comparison to the unsatisfactory picture at the last inspection, a sense of spirituality pervades the school. Lessons include many opportunities for pupils to appreciate beauty and Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 17 goodness and build up a sense of empathy with others. A Year 2 class passed around the teacher’s grandchildren’s precious teddy bears with touching reverence. Pupils learn to have a respect for the beliefs of others. For instance, they learned that Christians have a period of fasting in Lent, as do Muslims during Ramadan. There are effective links with local churches and mosques. All assemblies include a time for quiet reflection. Parents take a very positive view of the spiritual guidance given in school.

p.16

PUPILS?

35. The provision for pupils’ moral development remains very good. Pupils are provided with a clear moral code that is promoted consistently through the excellent relationships between teachers and pupils, with little need to use artificial systems of rewards and sanctions. Pupils are just as polite, helpful and eager to please as they were at the time of the last inspection. The school is very conscious of equality issues. Telling examples are the fostering of a positive approach to catch-up and support groups and the respect shown by teachers and pupils for the bilingual and multilingual talents of the support staff.

p.17

PUPILS?

36. The school has responded to the previous report’s finding of over-dependence upon adults, and social education is now also very good. The Early Years curriculum sets the pupils well on the road to independence, and teachers in Years 1 and 2 manage to sustain this within a more formal setting. For instance, a Year 1 teacher required a group of pupils to organise and make banana sandwiches without any unnecessary adult fuss or help. Year 2 pupils worked responsibly as a team to develop the outside garden area. Pupils collaborate well. They share apparatus, compose playlets as a group and make independent decisions about how and when tasks can be completed. The recent introduction of a scheme of work for personal, social and health education and citizenship should ensure that all of the necessary strands are systematically covered from reception to Year 2.

p.17

PUPILS?

37. The school’s provision for cultural development remains very good. The school finds many ways of drawing upon the children’s traditional cultural heritage. It has recently reviewed the history curriculum to reflect the community’s recent history. At the same time, the curriculum teaches the traditions and values of white European and other cultures, through visiting artists, poets and theatre companies, and through music, art and story. There is a good level of awareness of life-style differences amongst staff so that pupils recognise and respond to the mutual respect for different traditions and beliefs.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The school has very good procedures for child protection and for the welfare of its pupils. Health and safety procedures are excellent. The monitoring of pupils' attendance is very good. The procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and for eliminating oppressive behaviour are very good. All of these have improved since the last inspection. Parents are very happy with the way that the school looks after their children.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The procedures for child protection are fully in place and are very sensitively applied by the school. Staff awareness is very high and there is close liaison with social services. Health and safety procedures are extremely thorough and comprehensive checks are made. The school takes health and safety very seriously and is to be commended on its very responsible and caring approach. First aid procedures work very well. The procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance are very good. The first morning of absence is monitored and the reasons for absence pursued. This is done very efficiently and the registration procedures are very thorough and accurate. The school has recently changed to a computerised system and will find considerable benefit from the additional analysis available. Their hard work in this area has contributed considerably to the improved attendance figures and lateness. The education

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

social worker attends regularly and works closely with the school to address any concerns.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school staff know the pupils extremely well and provide very good support and care for them during the school day. Pupils who need particular attention are very well supported during lessons and at all times whilst at school. The school takes full advantage of a wide Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 18 range of outside support such as the educational psychologist, the school nurse, and bilingual and behavioural support. There are very good procedures to make detailed measures of the pupils’ learning in all subjects, particularly English and mathematics. The outcome of these assessments is used to identify pupils who need additional support in the classroom through the ethnic or special educational needs support services. In the class, teachers set targets for every pupil to achieve by the end of the year. They also set regular learning targets for English and mathematics, which are shared with the pupils. This motivates them to reach them and

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

try harder. The teachers skilfully support pupils by their praise and guiding comments in lessons.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. There are very well established procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour. All of the staff have had training in promoting positive behaviour. The procedures work extremely well and the resultant very good behaviour and complete absence of aggression and bullying are the result.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The pupils’ records are very well kept and are being supplemented by improved computer systems, which will eventually comprehensively cover all achievements and personal progress. Pupils' annual reports are very good and provide information to parents on how they can further help their children's education. Parents are very happy with the support and guidance given by the school and find the school extremely encouraging and helpful.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. The parents have excellent views of the school and of the work that it does. The school has very good links with the parents who are very much involved with the work of the school. The school provides parents with very good information about the school and their children's progress. Parents make a very good contribution to their children's learning, both at school and at home. This has improved considerably since the last inspection and is making a very positive contribution in the pupils' learning and rapid progress in the school. It is a great strength of the school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The parents who responded to the inspector's enquiries are almost totally supportive of the school and are extremely happy with the work of the school. Parents who attended the pre- inspection meeting were similarly extremely supportive of the school and there were no issues to be addressed.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Parents are very much involved in the school and the ‘Family Involvement Team’ have worked extremely hard to encourage the parents’ involvement. The team organises a weekly programme for parents throughout the year, which involves parents right from nursery. They include reading clubs before school, a ‘Family Buddy Reading Scheme’, weekly events, many workshops and family ‘Games Nights’.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. The school provides parents with an informative and easy to read school brochure and governors' annual report to parents. Communication with parents is in many different ways and includes letters in a range of languages and lots of verbal communication on a day-to-day basis. They are certainly very well informed about events in the school. Pupils’ annual reports are of a high standard and give parents a very good idea of how their children are progressing. Reports are evaluative and identify areas in which the parents can become directly involved in improving their children's performance.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. Leadership and management are very good and are the main reasons why standards have improved so well. The headteacher has successfully built on the good practice she began on her appointment just before the last inspection. All staff and governors support her very well. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 19 48. The headteacher’s leadership is excellent. She has established a thorough ‘can-do’ ethos for learning, to which every staff member feels able to contribute. She has convinced the community that there is no barrier to learning even when pupils have very little English or significant learning difficulties. The headteacher had started this process before the last inspection by reviewing the school’s aims and setting realistic targets for improvement. Since then she has build up a thorough system of detailed analysis of many aspects of school performance. This includes parents’ views, test data, pupils’ work, lesson observations,

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

discussions with pupils and a review of resources and the learning environment to set precise and challenging targets for improvements. The OFSTED report and local education authority reviews also provided a good springboard for development. She is very well supported by the assistant headteacher who manages the Early Years Unit very successfully and promotes very good links with parents, amongst other roles.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The school improvement plan is a good reflection of this process. Teachers and governors produce it collectively. The priorities are very clear and precise. They are linked closely to the individual targets set for each class in mathematics and English. Although standards are very high the staff are still aiming to raise them further. The significant focus is on continuing to improve reading and extending the role of language support to all subjects. There is good involvement of teachers and governors in achieving the targets set and progress towards them is regularly discussed at staff meetings and governing body meetings.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The headteacher’s monitoring of teaching and learning is excellent. She provides fair and balanced written comments on the teachers’ work, which identify definite areas for improvement. These are presented with her usual good humour and respect for her staff that makes even quite hard messages easy to accept. This has led to significant improvements in the match of work to pupils’ needs, pace of working and the use of National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy. The quality of monitoring by other senior staff is also of high quality, although it tends to be focused on English and mathematics. This process provides the backbone to very good performance management, which in turn contributes to school improvement planning. The headteacher makes sure that good opportunities for further training are provided when necessary. The close teamwork throughout the school means that new staff make successful progress. For example, support staff who had only worked in the

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school for a matter of weeks at the time of the inspection were knowledgeable both about the pupils and about what they needed to do in lessons.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The management of special educational needs is very good. Pupils are identified early and planning for their learning is very detailed. The management of teaching and learning for pupils with English as an additional language is excellent. Clearly this is central to the success of the school. There are different agencies that support learning such as the ‘Fast Lane’ project and the ‘Ethnic Minority’ team of teachers, who work closely with other staff to plan and assess pupils’ work. They make a significant contribution to learning in all lessons. The finances available for these areas are very well managed and monitored. In addition, the school puts extra funding into making sure there is sufficient bilingual support staff of a high quality.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The role of the governing body in monitoring progress and shaping the direction the school takes has improved significantly since the last inspection and is now good. There is no longer any significant problem in filling posts, and attendance at governing body meetings is now good. The governors are very active in monitoring the schools’ provision through the headteacher’s excellent and succinct report for governors and their own regular visits to the school. The parent governors often provide additional language support for meetings, and some work in the school. There are well-planned and well-organised meetings and the well- informed chair of the governing body works very closely with the headteacher. Governors fulfil their statutory duties very well and this leads to very good procedures to manage the curriculum and ensure that pupils are safe and well cared for.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. There are good resources for learning. The pupils make good use of the good quality digital cameras and computers, for example. There are stimulating and colourful books and Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 20 apparatus useful for mathematics. The accommodation is plentiful and used well. The quality of displays and resources makes a significant contribution to learning. All areas are well maintained and decorated. The headteacher closely monitors the quality of the learning environment and produces an annual report which contributes to the good use made of space in classrooms and shared areas. The staffing levels are very good and closely matched to the pupils’ needs.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The finances are very well managed and the governors make certain they follow local authority recommendations to provide the best value in all purchases. The budget is very tight indeed and there was a slight overspend in 2001-2002. The inspection team agrees with the views of the most recent audit report that procedures for financial management are of a high quality. The day-to-day administration is very good.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The headteacher brings the same standards of high expectations and warm ethos to her teaching and acts of collective worship. Altogether, the sterling work of all staff and community under the headteacher’s strong guidance provides a very good quality of education and the school gives very good value for money.

p.20

inclusion in its action plan:

1. Reading for the most able pupils (Paragraphs: 3, 23, 72, 75)* 2. Ensuring the needs of pupils with special educational needs are fully met in English and mathematics lessons. (Paragraphs: 20, 76, 83)

p.20

inclusion in its action plan:

*The above issue has already been identified as an area for improvement by the school. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 20

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.21

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.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y2

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 27 114

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 28

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y2

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 3

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 5 28

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 141

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 2

p.21

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.21

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 22

p.21

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 23 16 39

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.22

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

Boys 20 21 23 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 14 15 16

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 87 (97) 92 (95) 100 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys 20 22 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 14 15 15

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 87 (86) 95 (89) 95 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.22

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 23

p.22

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.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 64 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

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. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 24

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6 Financial year 2001/2002

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17.1

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 467028

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 10 Total expenditure 467314

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 194.5 Expenditure per pupil 2611

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 0

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year -286

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 27.1

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 78.5

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 3

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1.4

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 1

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 25

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 55 38 0 0 7

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 48 41 0 3 7

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 55 41 3 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 45 55 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 59 34 0 0 7

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 55 45 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 48 38 0 0 14

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 55 38 3 0 3

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 62 34 0 0 3

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 45 3 0 21 Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 26

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

56. The teaching and the overall quality of education are very good. This is a significant improvement since the previous inspection. The quality is based on the excellent teamwork of the staff. This is seen at its best in opportunities for creative development where all staff are involved in stimulating the children’s imagination. The school’s philosophy of making sure that the children understand their learning in their home language first is seen throughout all the work of the department. High quality translation and support are available to all children.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. The lead teacher and staff have created excellent relationships with parents. A true partnership exists. Right at the start a valuable period of introducing the youngest children to the nursery helps them to settle and reassures parents. The questionnaire filled in during this period gives the teachers key information about the children’s abilities. They use this to match the work and activities closely to the children’s needs and interests. Children with special educational needs get extra support immediately. The information shows that many children start well below average in many areas of learning. All children are developing their English to a lesser or greater degree and so the lively and effective programme of language training begins on the first day. As a result the staff are able to raise the children’s attainment from a low level to that expected for their age, with a few children who achieve more highly, by the

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. The management of the Foundation Stage is very good. The co-ordinator ensures that the complex timetable for the staff runs smoothly. She checks that the resources match the planning, and that the children receive the appropriate balance of focus and free choice activities. She monitors the department’s realistic assessment programme, which enables the staff to track the children’s progress closely. Before the end of the first term the teachers are able to predict the children’s likely achievement by the end of the nursery year, reception year and Year 1. Then the programme of targeting begins, which conveys the teacher’s determination that as many children as possible will exceed the predicted levels. The staff have very high expectations for these children. In the excellent accommodation facilities, indoors and out, the nursery children often learn alongside the reception children, and thrive on

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

59. Many children start the nursery with social skills below the average for their age. The quality of teaching and learning is very good. Well-planned routines train the children in how to behave in and out of class, particularly the importance of tidying up after the learning activities. The staff encourage independence. The children have good opportunities to sit quietly and reflect about life. They learn for themselves that it is good to work and play together. The reception children are good examples for the little ones. They soon get on well together. If any small incidents occur, like the unequal sharing of torches in a lesson on light the staff are on hand to settle disputes quickly. The adults are themselves very good examples of positive relationships, and are hard working and good humoured. The staff keep a detailed record of social development and use the information well to provide the best opportunities. The very good teaching brings

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

the children up to the appropriate level of development by the end of reception, and some mature beyond that.

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 27 60. Most children start the nursery class with weak communication skills. The children first have to learn to listen. Following the examples of the reception children, who now concentrate for quite long periods, helps the nursery children. The staff who translate are a key factor in enabling children to understand and to make the transition between home language and English. This is done continuously and comfortably, without losing any of the pace of the learning. The teaching of reading and writing is done in the same way. It follows the best pace the individual child can manage. The progress of all is very good in relation to their starting abilities. The mark making done by the nursery children soon becomes ‘real writing’ which the reception children love to use in their cards and letters to mums and aunts. The style of teaching makes a deep impression. When the teachers introduce a new book the whole staff

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

first act the story. These dramas are intense, and the Three Billy Goats Gruff (and the troll) live in the children’s memories. The children learn to recognise letters and by the end of reception many children write simple sentences with appropriate punctuation. Consequently children reach the standards expected for their age, with some children above because of the very good teaching. Speaking is not quite as strong, and could be helped by children saying more of the new vocabulary they are given.

p.27

Mathematical development

61. The teachers are delighted because their work with parents is proving to be successful. The children now come to the nursery with better mathematical skills than in previous years, although still well below the level expected. The teaching is very good, and provides a wide range of practical activities to give the children the chance to explore and observe shape, size and number in a play environment. The focus lessons led by teachers are never dragged out too long and help the children to structure their experiences. The immediate translation into home languages enables the children to make sense of the discussions, and to begin to put English words to their mathematical ideas. Frequent number rhymes and jingles make the learning fun, and help fix the ideas in their brains. Children count quickly and accurately to 10 and beyond. They add or take one from a number and count in tens. The children have a good

p.27

Mathematical development

knowledge of shape for their age through many first-hand cutting and sticking activities. They make good progress towards these levels through the nursery. The children are very concerned to keep their brains healthy and filled with useful knowledge. The different groupings match the teaching to the needs of the quicker and slower children. They make very good progress. By the end of reception most will be at the average level, and some above it.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

62. The children’s general knowledge is much lower than the level expected as they start the nursery. The stimulating learning environment is filled with objects to engage their curiosity and interest. The children learn about the world around them by exploring and investigating the displays. They carry torches around and learn that light can shine a good distance, or that if you put your hand over the lens it shines red. The teachers use regular short sessions to talk to the children about these experiences. The translating staff are excellent in the way that they know just when to put in a few words of explanation in the home languages. They then add the English for batteries, circuits and lighting bulbs and use this to reinforce their scientific understanding. The children savour this language and could use more of this practice. For geography the children go out to visit the local area. When they return they use the classroom

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Post Office well to enact buying and selling and to reinforce learning in English and mathematics. The frequent ‘play’ on the computers soon turns into real learning of how to use the mouse and keys to control their chosen programs. The staff help children keep a sense of curiosity alive. They track the children’s progress through the stepping stones to learning, to ensure they are making good progress. The very good teaching lifts most children to the expected level by the end of reception, and some above that.

p.27

Physical development

Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 28 63. The children’s physical skills are not far below the expected level when they enter the nursery. The quality of teaching is very good, resulting in very good progress. A strong programme for developing the children’s precision in handling small objects and tools, in art and design, English, ICT and in design and technology contributes to the children’s growing dexterity which is good. The children in nursery make good progress in controlling pencils and cutting accurately with scissors. The activities indoors are also available as outdoor play. Children enjoy climbing and sliding and show good control and care. They are aware of the need to be safe and older children understand that exercise benefits their health. The site lends itself well to expanding the children’s experience with larger and more adventurous play apparatus outside, following the theme of the week. The infants’ school hall is well used for dance and

p.28

Physical development

movement. Here the children are introduced quite early to elements from the National Curriculum because they have made such good progress in acquiring physical skills such as moving with control, balancing and a range of jumps and hops. The high expectations in the teaching ensure that the children are likely to progress beyond the standards expected by the end of reception year.

p.28

Creative development

64. The children complete good stained glass windows and paintings reflecting the style of Van Gogh. With Mozart playing in the background they are now working in a Turner style on delicate skyscapes. They learn by experience and a minimum of teacher input. The translators help them find a comparison of words from home language to English. These excellent learning conditions extend to their exploration of musical instruments and dance in much the same way. Clay moulding, collage and design materials are continuously available and used well. The outdoor play areas are busy stages for ‘trip trapping over bridges’ to act out the story of Three Billy Goats Gruff , but the indoor role-play areas are calm areas, encouraging concentration and reflection. The children have good imagination as they enter the nursery, but lack some of the means for expression. The inspiring teaching, built upon good questioning

p.28

Creative development

and stimulating activities, soon makes this up and lifts the children to above average levels on transfer to Year 1.

p.28

ENGLISH

65. Standards in English are well above average by Year 2. This is a striking improvement since the last inspection. Pupils now score very well in the national tests for seven year olds and do exceptionally well in writing compared to other schools. It has taken longer to lift standards in reading, but they have risen to above average. The majority of pupils are good, confident readers even though fewer pupils than nationally reached the highest levels in the 2002 tests. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress because of the precise learning targets set for them.

p.28

ENGLISH

66. These high standards are a significant achievement for the school. All pupils speak English as an additional language and the majority come into school at a very early stage of English acquisition. Yet they take off from this low baseline, to learn remarkably quickly. Teachers build on the very good start children have in the Foundation Stage and this rapid rate of learning is kept up through Years 1 and 2, with no dips or lulls.

p.28

ENGLISH

67. The turnabout since the last inspection has been achieved because the school has high expectations and uses its resources effectively to raise standards in English. It has a coherent programme for teaching its pupils to read and write really well. The overall quality of teaching and learning is very good as a result of the following.

p.28

ENGLISH

• Good, steady classroom teaching is a mainstay of its approach. All pupils are included in, and benefit from, these lessons because of the translation work and teaching input given by the highly skilled Punjabi- and Gujarati-speaking classroom assistants. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 29 • Teachers regularly assess how well the pupils are doing in order to target underachievers for just the right type of extra teaching or support. • Intensive, good quality one-to-one teaching for less able readers in a ‘Better Reading’ programme helps to raise standards and is neatly scheduled as a pre-school club that pupils love to attend. • Training sessions for adults and older brothers and sisters to become ‘Reading Buddies’ gives a good number of pupils a skilled ‘listening partner’ at home. • Reading workshops, regular homework, displays for parents in cloakroom areas and a library club increase parental involvement and help pupils to learn.

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ENGLISH

68. Surrounded by this network of support, the pupils and their families share the high expectations, and work effectively together to meet the school’s reading and writing targets.

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ENGLISH

69. Speaking and listening are important features of the literacy programme. Pupils quickly learn to listen well in lessons, to the teacher and to the repeated explanations in their home language. There are planned opportunities for role-play and for learning across the curriculum, such as acting out the story of Guy Fawkes. There are, however, a few missed opportunities for pupils to extend their ideas and evaluate their learning orally in the final part of lessons. Overall, however, speaking and listening skills are good.

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ENGLISH

70. All of the teachers share a good understanding of how to teach reading. They follow a clear programme for teaching the links between letters and sounds, so that pupils have a basic tool for sounding out unfamiliar words. Those with special educational needs, who are often also slower to acquire English, benefit from additional teaching of letter sounds through games and practical activities. The regular workshops for parents demonstrate how to help children to use picture clues and the meaning of a story to read more efficiently. Pupils read very expressively because they are taught specifically how to do this when reading as a class, as well as singly to an adult. “We’re not scared,” read Year 2 pupils, hands on hips!

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ENGLISH

71. Pupils love books and use them with enjoyment. A Year 2 class could hardly wait to use a collection of information books set out by their teacher as part of a history lesson.

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ENGLISH

72. The school works very hard to teach the pupils comprehension skills and they mostly understand the main idea or message of what they read. However, partly because they are dealing with texts mainly based on English cultural experiences, they struggle to make inferences, or to explain these by referring back to key phrases in the text. Detailed records of group reading sessions show that teachers identify and note these difficulties. Not all are equally skilled at demonstrating and providing examples of the necessary techniques within guided reading sessions, especially for higher achieving readers.

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ENGLISH

73. Writing skills develop at a good rate. By the end of Year 1, pupils are producing eight to ten lines of well-sequenced narrative and can organise this carefully on the page, or within a writing outline such as Elmer the Elephant . By Year 2, most pupils are independent, fluent writers. Their work shows that they have progressed to including speech in their writing and can join sentences together using ‘but’ and ‘because’ to create a more mature style. Very good quality writing in booklets such as The Life Cycle of the Sunflower shows that pupils know how to structure different forms of informational writing such as lists, reports and instructions. They enjoy finding just the right words to convey what they want to say, such as “the petals around the flower head wilt and fall off” and “flower heads droop down.”

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ENGLISH

74. The reasons for this very good achievement in writing are that:

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ENGLISH

• teachers plan carefully so that writing within the literacy hour is linked to the reading of good quality texts; this gives the pupils examples of how effective writers work; Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 30 • they teach specific techniques such as expanding sentences with adjectives and adverbs to make writing more interesting; and classroom displays give prompts and reminders for when the pupils are writing independently; • pupils are given real reasons for writing, such as setting down instructions so that their teacher could make a banana sandwich successfully; and because of this, they see the point of writing and try hard to consider what the reader needs to know; • pupils keep writing targets to hand and teachers comment on these in marking; this means that pupils are constantly reminded about standards as they write; • writing is an essential part of every subject; pupils evaluate designs and collage work in art,

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ENGLISH

suggest moods and feelings evoked by music, and write well-crafted empathetic passages about Remembrance Day following a history lesson.

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ENGLISH

75. Teachers do not always demonstrate examples of a structured framework for writing to provide greater guidance for less able pupils. Competent writers need more opportunities to plan, draft and then edit each other’s work and to use computers for this. Handwriting is not consistently neat enough and some pupils are ready to write in a jointed script but are not being taught to do so.

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ENGLISH

76. The school took full advantage of the literacy hour to improve the teaching of English. It decided how to make the best use of the skills of the bilingual classroom assistants at each phase of the lesson so that they work with class teachers as an effective team. The assistants help the teachers to explain the aims for the lesson, and to translate tricky concepts or instructions into the pupils’ home language. They also work very effectively with small groups, often with pupils who have a special education need or are at an early stage of learning English. Tasks are broken into small, enjoyable learning steps such as the learning of positional language through jumping in, over and through hoops in the hall. Teachers make their own worksheets so that the tasks match the direct teaching input and pupils can practise what they have just been taught. At times pupils are kept seated as a class for a little too long,

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ENGLISH

so that the pace of learning slows and the final part of lessons is not always challenging enough. However, literacy lessons are an effective part of the overall package for English.

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ENGLISH

77. The key skills co-ordinator and the headteacher, who is also the ethnic minority achievement co-ordinator work together very effectively to raise standards in English. They do all that they should to rigorously monitor standards of teaching and learning and track progress, so that they have a very good grasp of areas of strength and weakness.

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MATHEMATICS

78. Improvement since the last inspection is very good and the standards of pupils’ work are high by Year 2. This is a direct result of very good teaching matched carefully to the teachers’ knowledge of each pupil’s attainment. The pupils’ learning is very good as they eagerly set about all their work and persist for good periods on the tasks in hand. They enjoy solving problems and take good care to be accurate. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make very good progress. However, a small group of pupils with special educational needs in Year 1 find it hard to concentrate for the full period of the numeracy hour, particularly if the tasks are not practical.

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MATHEMATICS

79. By Year 2, pupils count quickly and accurately to 100 and back again. They count in tens, and in twos to 20 and some beyond. Even the less able pupils enjoy doing this and love the challenges the teachers set to encourage them to speed up over time. This is a skill that starts very successfully in Year 1. The more able pupils also count in threes. They count in tens from a given one or two-digit number. The majority of pupils of all abilities are confident in calculating mentally addition and subtraction facts to 20. The real strength in this is that they transfer their knowledge and understanding of this to problems involving centimetres and grams. Another strong feature of their learning in mathematics is that they use their knowledge to approximate more complex calculations involving tens and units. The reason for the pupils’ Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 31 success is that all numeracy work is set through problem-solving activities. For example, they

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MATHEMATICS

have to find missing numbers in number squares and identify the pattern or to find as many different ways of making the number 24. 80. The pupils make very good progress in their understanding of shape and measure. This is because of excellent lessons co-ordinated with bilingual support staff and ethnic minority achievement teachers. This allows pupils to think through mathematical concepts in their first language. The lesson is run as a brisk workshop where pupils spend five minutes on each of four activities relating to time, shape and measure, working with a well-trained adult speaking their first language. This is particularly effective for pupils with special educational needs who benefit from the concentration on language and visual and practical activities. As a result, less able pupils are attaining the level expected for their age. By Year 2, pupils identify a good range of two and three-dimensional shapes and describe their main properties. They measure

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MATHEMATICS

lengths in centimetres with good accuracy and handle a ruler well, which is often a task that pupils of this age find difficult.

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MATHEMATICS

81. The pupils are good at obtaining information from a graph. This is because the teachers make realistic use of data handling through projects on healthy living and making fruit salads in design and technology. There is a specific policy on not encouraging pupils to spend a long time drawing and colouring graphs, but by using prepared graphs from their data, making class graphs or teaching quick shading techniques they concentrate on developing skills. Pupils make effective use of computers to generate graphs.

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MATHEMATICS

82. The pupils’ attitudes to learning in mathematics are delightful. They are eager to tackle their work and persist for long periods whatever their ability. They enjoy talking about the way they tackle a particular sum and use a good vocabulary in doing so. This is because of the good vocabulary employed by the teacher and support staff.

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MATHEMATICS

83. The quality of teaching and learning is very good. The mental and oral activities at the start of the lesson are always conducted with speed and humour. In the very best lessons the teachers involve pupils throughout the introduction, expecting them to act as a scribe on the whiteboard. In all lessons these activities are very effective and make a significant contribution to pupils’ knowledge and understanding of number facts. There is a good link to the ‘brain- friendly’ games the pupils play at the start of the day. Teachers involve pupils in the introductions to the lesson’s main activities. They question pupils closely and keep up the pace. In some lessons, however, the teachers spend too long going through individual examples of the concept to be learned rather than offering the pupils just enough to allow them to find out for themselves. For example, in Year 1 when pupils were finding out about all the

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MATHEMATICS

ways to add two numbers together to make ten, the teacher went through every example with the whole class. This lost the interest of some of the less able pupils. In a similar lesson in the other Year 1 the teacher focused on two or three significant examples and left the pupils anxious to discover more. However, overall, teachers maintain a good pace. The group and individual work set is challenging and matched well to the pupils’ ability. The pupils take an enormous pride in working individually and finding out for themselves.

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MATHEMATICS

84. The key skills co-ordinator has rigorously addressed weaknesses that were identified in the last inspection and makes good use of a detailed analysis of test results to identify areas for improvement and set individual targets. The subject is well led and managed.

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SCIENCE

85. The parents are delighted with the ‘sea change’ in the school’s approach to teaching and learning. Since the previous inspection the teachers have revised their ideas about what the pupils are capable of achieving. They now expect the pupils to reach very high levels, and plan their lessons to enable them to do just that. The below average standards found in the previous inspection have gone. The standards of the present Year 2 pupils are above those Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 32 expected for their age. This means that the more able pupils are being pushed hard, and they love it.

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SCIENCE

86. Very good teaching is the chief factor in this success. The teachers have very good subject knowledge and know exactly what they want to achieve from the aims they set for each lesson. Teamwork is very strong. Each year group plays its part. The leadership by the headteacher and the subject leader has driven home the message that the pupils learn best if they understand concepts in their home language first, before translation to English. The dual language team is particularly effective in ensuring that all pupils get a rapid translation to anything they hear that puzzles them. The early years team give the children a strong foundation of curiosity and the ability to observe. The Year 1 pupils are intensely involved as the pace of their lessons is so rapid. Their technical vocabulary grows in leaps and bounds. The Year 2 team rounds off the process by tracking the pupils very closely, to target the

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SCIENCE

support to move each ability group as far as it can go. The pupils with special educational needs benefit particularly from the translation support, by getting a real understanding of the work they are doing. Since most pupils have started in the nursery at a fairly low level, overall this represents very good progress.

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SCIENCE

87. The teaching style is lively and often dramatic. The teachers enjoy their success. The adults engage in good-natured banter. This makes for a happy atmosphere where the pupils are unconcerned by the pressure and want to do their best. They learn perseverance and that problems are there to be solved. The strong practical nature of the work gives them a platform for understanding and the ability to reach secure conclusions. The ‘spider transformers’ used by Year 2 pupils enabled them to test their predictions of how a circuit might work. Wrong predictions were as useful as correct ones in enabling pupils to learn from their mistakes. All the time the adults ask the pupils to explain their thinking, going deeper, and making it clearer. The pupils pick up the enthusiasm for learning, and gladly take their worksheets home to share with their family. The support from home increases the impact of the class lessons.

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SCIENCE

88. Year 1 pupils savour the new language they are exposed to. They like long words such as ‘pandemonium’ or ‘anthropomorphic’. They want to know what they mean and how to say them. The teachers give the pupils good opportunities for speaking, but they could do much more of the practice of individual words. More opportunities for monitoring lessons by the subject leader would bring to light details like this. The subject leader rightly is concerned to improve links with the junior school, so that the Year 3 teachers can be made aware of the high levels the infants reach. The subject is well led and managed.

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ART AND DESIGN

89. Standards in art and design have risen since the last inspection, when they were below average. Pupils’ art and design work is now securely in line with what is expected by Year 2, and some aspects of their work are above average, notably in colour mixing, printing and collage work. Pupils make good progress in Year 1, where the art and design subject leader has the most impact. They continue to develop their skills satisfactorily in Year 2, although not as quickly as in the previous year.

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ART AND DESIGN

90. The improvement has come about because the weaknesses in planning have been put right. The school now has a policy for art and design and a scheme of work that sets out six areas to be covered across a year: painting, collage, printmaking, drawing, sculpture and textiles. The co-ordinator checks planning to ensure that these are happening, and the scheme of work assists teachers in setting work at the right level of challenge.

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ART AND DESIGN

91. The quality of work done by Year 1 pupils is generally good. They are particularly good at colour mixing because the teachers understand that pupils need to mix their own colours and need constant revision of this. The subtle ‘ice-cream coloured’ paintings in the style of Paul Klee are a result of this persistent teaching of an important skill. Pupils’ sketches of themselves at the local swimming pool are lively and original. Balanced, tranquil sea collages Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 33 completed in the third term of Year 1 show that creativity is valued in the present art curriculum, unlike at the last inspection. Year 2 pupils use soft pencil techniques well to complete shaded drawings from direct observation, and pencil portraits. Pupils create crisp, neatly executed print patterns using a range of materials as printing blocks and use ICT drawing programs such as Easel and Dazzle effectively.

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ART AND DESIGN

92. The teaching of art and design takes place mostly within a designated ‘art and design/design and technology afternoon’ and is good. The combined session allows an appropriate length of time for pupils to explore a range of media and develop their skills within a smoothly organised and contented environment. The good ratio of adults to pupils during these lessons sometimes results in a temptation to over-supervise in some lessons, although not so much as at the last inspection. For instance, the bilingual classroom support teachers gave expert input to Year 2 pupils using the Dazzle program to draw a bear, with good results. In the best lessons, such as the one with Year 1 pupils, they explore and investigate the properties of materials such as clay and learn appropriate technical vocabulary as they work and share ideas. Pupils are also better at talking about their work in art and design than they were

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ART AND DESIGN

because teachers expect them to complete at least one self-assessment record per term so that they learn to reflect upon what they did, how and why.

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ART AND DESIGN

93. The subject leader has introduced a skills checklist to be completed on a half termly basis. This has improved teachers’ knowledge of the subject as well as the understanding of the pupils’ levels of achievement. The subject leader monitors planning but at present there is no formal monitoring of teaching in the subject, although there are plans for this to happen. Overall, the subject is well led and managed.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

94. Standards in design and technology are above the average by Year 2. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. There has been good improvement since the last inspection when standards were satisfactory. This has come about because of strong, enthusiastic ‘hands-on’ leadership by the co-ordinator that has had a direct impact upon classroom practice.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

95. The improvements have been most notable in the ‘knowledge’ aspects of the subject that the last report showed to be under-developed. From looking at Year 2 pupils’ completed models with winding mechanisms – ‘Incey Wincey Spider’ and ‘Hickory Hickory Dock’ and others – along with the pupils’ evaluations of these, it is clear that they understand how mechanisms work. This is because the scheme of work follows the nationally approved guidance, introducing the pupils to moving parts in models in Year 1 and developing to examining vehicles and wind-up toys in Year 2. All pupils are now able to evaluate as well as plan their work. The design process was adequately understood previously, but only the most competent pupils were able to evaluate the effectiveness of what they had done and achieved. Now, all the pupils learn how to do this and produce some high quality evaluations. These show both their use of technological vocabulary and writing skills. “Next time, I would cover the

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

back with card to stop the mechanism from wobbling” is just one example. By Year 2 pupils are also quite skilled at joining and combining materials and parts of models together. In both lessons seen, they persevered well with stitching together felt outlines for a soft toy and fastening moving parts together with split pins, with very good results. Completed models on display and photographic evidence show a better standard of finish than in many schools. ICT is used well within a number of units and pupils learn how to use digital cameras for recording from Year 1.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

96. The teachers are now much more confident and knowledgeable about teaching the subject than previously. There are a number of reasons for this: Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 34 • The subject leader has led a thoughtful, steady revision of planning for the subject, with regular discussion and trialling of new units of work adapted from national guidance • A suggested ‘teaching-learning sequence’ for each unit gives class teachers additional help in structuring their planning and having ideas. • Assessment sheets keep teachers on track with planning for progress in skill development and understanding. • The timetabling of design and technology and art and design for a full afternoon helps teachers to plan effectively for all elements of the design process, and to carry out focused teaching of skills such as joining, cutting and measuring and using tools. • The support of the classroom assistants during the lessons helps with the management of

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. The subject leader keeps a close eye on developments in the subject, making good use of the school’s procedures for monitoring in the subject. Current considerations to bring the assessment records more into line with early years records would be a forward step in the subject’s development.

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GEOGRAPHY

98. Standards are in line with the expected level for the pupils’ ages by the end of Year 2. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. The new structured planning scheme allows teachers to plan geography as a series of learning steps. Year 1 pupils extend the skills they bring from the reception class by learning how to frame their own opinions about their environment. Firstly they do this in their home languages, then, with the good support of the specialist teaching assistants, they begin to record their ideas in English. The Year 2 pupils develop their ideas further, learning how to use maps. They do a lot of work about co-ordinates, which helps them to find places on maps well. They are proud of using their mathematical skills in this way. These features are all improvements since the previous inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

99. Teaching is good. The teachers plan a wide range of work, sufficient to cover the programmes of study. In the one lesson observed the teacher and language assistants gave good support to pupils who have special educational needs, enabling them to understand where to find the names of the countries in the United Kingdom. The teacher extended the higher ability group by introducing them to a compass, getting them to work out how the four points help them work out direction. The learning was best when pupils had to leave their desks and actively search for information. This caused great excitement, yet they maintained their good behaviour.

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GEOGRAPHY

100. The attractive displays in class and around the school indicate how the teachers value the pupils and their work. They also suggest that the teaching is lively. Yorkie the bear has become a popular figure, stimulating the pupils’ interest. They identify with him and want to know more about the countries he ‘visits’. They read his cards with enthusiasm. In the process they learn a lot about distant countries and their cultures. The teachers regularly encourage the pupils to study the position of India and Pakistan on the world maps and reflect on the distances involved in travelling to them.

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GEOGRAPHY

101. The subject leader has undertaken a valuable review of the subject. This has highlighted the need to use ICT more, with which the inspection agrees. The simple but effective system of assessing pupils’ attainment gives teachers a reasonable guide to standards. They use this to plan increasingly more challenging lessons to push standards up even further. The subject is well led.

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HISTORY

Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 35 102. There have been improvements since the last inspection and standards are now at least satisfactory. There are good attitudes towards the subject and there are no significant concerns about progress or about teaching as there were at the time of the last inspection.

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HISTORY

103. Pupils come into school with very different life biographies to those in schools in many other localities, and this creates challenges in developing historical concepts with these six and seven year olds. However, a comparison of the work completed by Year 1 and then Year 2 pupils as they write about Remembrance Day, shows that they make good progress because teaching is good. Some of the higher achieving pupils can recall information, organise it well and interpret what they have found out with much empathy. Most pupils can write answers to questions about what they have been told, for instance about the life of Marguerite Stein, and were very enthusiastic about the chance to look up information in a set of books about teddy bears past and present. Pupils are less secure in placing events in chronological order or in grasping the concept of time past, present and future, or in noticing changes over time. A

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HISTORY

class of Year 1 pupils struggled to identify the black-and-white picture of the 1950’s television as a distinctive feature of early television. Their knowledge of significant persons from the past is still understandably narrow by the end of Year 2, and the majority of pupils still regard history as a series of stories. Only a few are able to explain the significance of important people or events.

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HISTORY

104. The teaching of history is generally good. This is because the teachers seek out artefacts and pictures that catch the pupils’ interest and help them learn. In one lesson the teacher sketched her own childhood home in order to show the pupils what it was like to live in the area some years ago. Another teacher borrowed precious Steiff teddy bears to show to the children.

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HISTORY

105. The subject leader has held the post only for a year and operates a job-share position in the early years building. Leadership and management are satisfactory. She has gained a good picture of teaching in Years 1 and 2 and has firm and exciting ideas about how the subject might develop. She has led the introduction of a revised scheme of work that is helping all teachers to emphasise historical skills whilst leaving enough flexibility for history to tie in with other subjects. A skills-based assessment sheet is being piloted which if used consistently should help with planning work at the right level, an aspect that was an issue at the last inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

106. Standards are in line with those expected for the pupils’ ages by the end of Year 2. This is an improvement from the last inspection. All groups of pupils, whatever their ability, make good progress because the new curriculum design lays out their learning steps clearly. The teaching is good. Specialist language assistants teach some of the more experienced pupils first. They make sure that the pupils know exactly what to do. These pupils become tutors for other pupils, who then help the others in turn. The teachers ensure that the turns work out fairly. They point out the purpose of the lessons in a way that enables the pupils to see the links with earlier learning in other subjects. Year 1 pupils, for instance, could recognise incorrect words because they had learned about apostrophes in an earlier literacy lesson.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

107. The teachers’ confidence in using the computer has improved significantly since the previous inspection. They now create practical learning situations where pupils can develop their understanding by solving problems. Pupils have a positive and enthusiastic attitude to using computers in school, because they can use them for a purpose they see as interesting and relevant. They use the latest digital camera technology to record their history work, comparing the teacher’s old photographs with their new ones. The differences they spot help them to see how things change over time. They use the Internet to research information and to follow the progress of a geographical expedition. Their computer art and design work sparkles in the attractive displays, and serves as a comparison with the other creative media they use. The staff make sure that the floor robot is used in every year group and each time the pupils learn

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

more complex programming. It helps pupils to understand distances and angles in Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 36 mathematics. The dual language staff ensure that pupils understand their work in home languages and English. The pupils have sound basic skills. They load programs from a menu and use the keyboard well to draft stories. They mix text and pictures successfully. 108. The subject leader has prepared a new detailed assessment system. It is ready for the staff to begin their training. She believes rightly that the next step is to introduce the pupils to the idea of evaluating their own performance and recording their levels. The pupils’ particular strength lies in word-processing. They are ready for a more complex word-processor to enable them to tackle multi-media presentation of their work. The links with the junior school are under- developed, so that Year 3 teachers do not have a clear picture of how advanced the infants

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MUSIC

109. Standards are above typical levels by the end of Year 2. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make good progress through Year 1 and 2. There are particularly good standards in singing and the appreciation of music. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection when standards were below average. This is the result of improved curriculum planning and good use of specialist teaching.

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MUSIC

110. Pupils sing tunefully. They pay close attention to the phrasing of the song and sing with clear diction. This is because of the good example set by teachers and the high profile given to singing during music lessons. The pupils know a good range of songs from nursery rhymes and action songs to hymns and popular tunes. They remember the words well and are very enthusiastic.

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MUSIC

111. Pupils make good progress in performing and creating their own simple compositions. In Year 1, for example, they use the rhythmical pattern of their own names to build simple rhythmical patterns. They are good at maintaining a beat by Year 2 and make up their own pictorial notation for others in the group to follow. The pupils play a good range of percussion instruments with appropriate skill. They handle them carefully and select their instruments by the correct name. Several of the school’s good musical resources are from different countries and this contributes to the pupils’ cultural development.

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MUSIC

112. A particular strength is the progress pupils make in appreciating and responding to different music. They are regularly encouraged to listen to, and reflect on, recorded music in collective acts of worship. They write sensitive and thoughtful responses when listening to classical and modern music and can give good reasons why they prefer some music to other. They often express great enjoyment in the music they listen to. They are making good progress in identifying the different orchestral instruments in a piece of music.

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MUSIC

113. The quality of teaching and learning is very good. Lessons are well planned by the subject leader who teaches all age groups. Pupils are eager to learn because basic skills are built up through fast-paced games and activities on high and low notes or rhythm patterns. There is a strong emphasis on developing a musical vocabulary to reinforce understanding. There is good bilingual support. There is effective use of ICT by pupils and teachers through computer programs for composition and performance and work is regularly recorded. The subject is very well led and managed.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

114. By Year 2 standards are similar to those expected for their age. Pupils make sound progress through Years 1 and 2. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Pupils with special educational needs make effective progress because teachers know their needs well and support them through the lesson. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 37 115. The pupils develop a good understanding of the need to warm up and explain that exercise makes their hearts beat faster and this is good for them. This is a result of close questioning by teachers and a good range of well-paced activities to start the lesson.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

116. Pupils create a good range of balances on two or three parts of their body. They make them at different levels and follow instructions carefully. However, they do not discuss the quality of their movements in sufficient depth to develop their imagination and control to a high level. The teachers do make effective use of pupils to model specific teaching points for others. The pupils understand and use a sound vocabulary because the teachers use key words such as ‘travelling’ and ‘sequence’. They build well on the skills they develop in Year 1. The pupils use apparatus well. This is because the teacher sets challenges in an interesting and problem- solving way, for example, “Can you move along with two body parts touching?” Although the teachers ask other pupils to look at interesting examples of work on the apparatus, they do not often ask them to explain why such movements are good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

117. The quality of teaching is good. Lessons are well planned so that there is little time wasted and a good balance between new teaching points and consolidation of earlier work. Pupils are largely independent although some apparatus is already out rather than set up by pupils during the lesson. The subject leader is effectively led and managed and there is a good contribution from the Ethnic Minority Support team.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

118. Standards in Year 2 are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. In their time at the school they develop a sound understanding of Christianity and develop a good understanding of Islam, building on their existing knowledge from home and the local community. Their visits to local churches and a mosque, as well as artefacts and resources used in lessons, add effectively to their knowledge and understanding. Teachers make good use of a scheme of work that incorporates the revised locally agreed syllabus, adapted for use in Years 1 and 2.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

119. In Year 1 pupils learn well about what is special about them and their families, about special places such as churches and mosques, special times such as Ramadan, Eid and Christmas and special people such as Mother Teresa. This links well the different themes and topics as illustrated in the two major faiths studied, Christianity and Islam. In Year 2 pupils revisit some of the topics from Year 1, such as the Christmas story, which pupils remember well, including phrases such as ‘a messenger from God’ in their writing. They learn about the Creation story in the Bible and the Qur’an. They develop a good understanding of the word ‘creation’ by ‘creating something special’ themselves, such as out of Lego pieces. Through practical approaches such as this and explanations in their home language, pupils’ understanding and knowledge of the two faiths develop well.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

120. The quality of teaching is good. To make best use of teachers’ strengths in knowledge of the subject, one teacher takes both classes in each year. Two lessons were observed in Year 1, and one in Year 2. In the lessons in Year 1, the teacher explained very clearly what the lesson would be about and linked it to previous learning. Through her teaching she showed her respect for pupils’ beliefs and knowledge about Islam. She skilfully built on pupils’ knowledge of the topic, Ramadan, and included the bilingual educational assistant, which extended well the pupils’ knowledge and understanding. The teacher used effectively resources such as a prayer mat, which created great interest amongst the pupils. Pupils were keen to contribute and show the teacher what they knew. She lit a candle, which helped pupils to empathise with the hungry in the world, and they were quiet and reflective. Pupils display a very positive

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

attitude to the subject and learn well as a result. Savile Town CE Nursery and Infant School - 38 121. The subject leader was absent during the time of the inspection. However, from her subject file, including samples of pupils’ work, from discussions held and from scrutiny of pupils’ work, the subject is well led and managed. She monitors teachers’ termly and weekly planning to ensure continuity in the teaching and collects pupils’ work to ensure they are learning and their understanding is increasing. Pupils’ progress in lessons is monitored very effectively. Lesson plans have a column for evaluation that both teachers use well to comment on pupils’ reactions and learning in the lessons. This reminds teachers when planning the next lesson.

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