Chester Park Infant School

CHESTER PARK INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 02 – 04 December 2002

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CHESTER PARK 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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CHESTER PARK 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. Chester Park Infant School - 3

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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 Janice Dilks

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 09 February 1998 Chester Park Infant School - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

19824 Janet Sinclair Registered inspector Art Religious education Science Foundation stage English as an additional language What sort of school is it? How high are standards? a) The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further? 9756 Kenneth Parsons Lay inspector Educational inclusion How high are standards? b) 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? 27240 William Hooper Team inspector Design technology English Information and communication technology Music How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Aspect responsibilities

29424 Vivienne Stone Team inspector Geography History Physical education Mathematics Special educational needs How well is the school led and managed? Chester Park Infant School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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Aspect responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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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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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Chester Park Infant School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Chester Park Infant School is situated in the Fishponds district of Bristol, although pupils travel from a wider area than this to attend the school. The school is an average sized infant school with 215 pupils on roll. Most pupils are taught in single age classes, but there is one mixed age class of Reception/Year 1 pupils. There are 32 pupils from ethnic minority groups. Twenty-four pupils have English as an additional language, five of whom are at an early stage of English language acquisition. Their main languages are Punjabi, Urdu, Italian and Shona. There are 23 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs, one of whom has a statement of special educational needs. This is below the national average. The socio-economic circumstances of the pupils are broadly average, with 28 pupils claiming a free school meal, which is an average proportion. Pupils’ attainment on entry varies

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

year by year. In the years 1997 to 2000 it was below average and in the years 2001 and 2002 attainment on entry was average. In the last two years, nine teachers have joined and eight have left the school. The number of pupils who join or leave at times other than that of normal admission or transfer is high.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school. The headteacher provides strong leadership and is very ably supported by her deputy headteacher. Teaching is good in English, mathematics and science and, as a result, pupils achieve well in these subjects. The school values all of its pupils and is fully inclusive. Pupils have very good attitudes to their work and behave very well and this positively impacts on their learning. This is linked to the school’s very good provision for pupils’ social and moral development. The school has high costs per pupil and overall provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science because the teaching is good in these subjects. • The headteacher provides very good leadership and clear educational direction for the work of the school. The deputy headteacher very ably supports her and is fully involved in the management of the school and in the decision making process. • The governing body is very good. It is supportive and very well informed, ensuring that it acts fully as a critical friend. • Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour, relationships and personal development are very good. This is as a result of the school’s very good provision for moral and social development, which helps to create an effective learning environment. • There is very good financial planning which fully supports the school’s educational priorities. • Parents are very supportive of the school.

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What could be improved

• Assessment and its use in religious education and the foundation subjects in order to meet the differing learning needs of pupils more accurately. • Extra-curricular provision in the form of visits to places of interest. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in February 1998 when it was found to be a good school with few issues for improvement identified. This overall good quality has been maintained in spite of the many teaching staff changes that have taken place recently. Good improvement has been made to the outdoor equipment for the Foundation Stage children and in their curricular provision. Handwriting has improved and standards in subjects have been maintained. However, assessment in religious education and the foundation subjects is in need of further development. The school has made satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. Chester Park Infant School - 8

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

This information shows that the performance of pupils in 2002 was average in reading and writing and below average in mathematics against both national averages and those of similar schools. The results of teacher assessments in science showed standards to be average. Current inspection findings judge that, by the end of Year 2, standards are average in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils are achieving well based on their below average attainment on entry. Standards are improving in mathematics because the school has worked hard to identify the specific issues related to mathematics. Teaching in mathematics is good, assessment procedures have improved and work is well matched to pupils’ different learning needs. Standards in most other subjects are average and pupils achieve satisfactorily. Standards in music are above average and pupils achieve well. No overall judgement could be made in standards in art and design, as there was insufficient evidence.

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Key

Achievement is satisfactory rather than good in them because planning for these subjects is less detailed and does not take enough account of pupils’ differing learning needs and this is linked to inadequate assessment. Children currently in the Reception year started with average attainment and they are likely to attain the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning. They achieve satisfactorily except in the music aspect of creative development and in their knowledge and understanding of the world, where they achieve well. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well against the targets set in their individual education plans. In all other lessons they achieve in line with their peers. Pupils with English as an additional language have their specific needs identified early and are well supported. They achieve in line with their peers except when they take extended holidays and miss significant parts

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Key

of their schooling. In these cases they do not achieve as well as they could.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils clearly enjoy school and are prepared to work hard. They are confident and persistent in most lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils’ very good behaviour makes a significant contribution both to their learning and the environment in which they work.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships are very good at all levels. Pupils mix well and there is a strong emphasis on inclusion of all pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Unsatisfactory. However, this is mostly caused by two factors; extended family trips by some families and the poor attendance of some pupils owing to medical conditions. The headteacher and staff are proactive in promoting good attendance. Chester Park Infant School - 9

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

The quality of teaching is good overall and there were no unsatisfactory lessons. Teaching is satisfactory for children in the Reception classes, with good teaching of knowledge and understanding of the world and music. The main strengths in the teaching are well-organised and managed lessons, good relationships and well-established class routines. As a result, children are secure, enjoy lessons, work confidently and make satisfactory gains in their learning. However, there is not enough challenge in the group activities provided for communication, language and literacy and mathematics. In addition, there are not enough opportunities for children to develop their own ideas in creative activities. This limits the gains they make in their learning. In Years 1 and 2, teaching is good in English, mathematics and science and literacy and numeracy are well taught. Teaching is satisfactory in information and

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

communication technology (ICT), religious education, history and physical education. There was not enough evidence to make an overall judgement in the teaching of other subjects. Where teaching is good, teachers plan lessons thoroughly, teach basic skills well and use assessment to ensure that work is well matched to pupils’ differing learning needs. As a result, pupils enjoy their learning, develop basic skills well and are motivated to learn. In subjects other than English, mathematics and science, planning is less detailed and not enough attention is given to pupils’ differing learning needs. Some teachers are not clear about the standards of work to expect and as a result do not always challenge or support pupils effectively and this adversely affects their overall learning. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language is good overall. They are assessed

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

well to identify their specific learning needs and teaching assistants support groups and individuals well.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides a satisfactory range of learning opportunities for all its pupils. There is good provision for equality of access and the school is fully inclusive. Extra-curricular activities are unsatisfactory. The school has no programme of visits out of school to enrich pupils’ experiences.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good overall. Targets are specific, work is well planned and in Reception and Year 1 they are well-supported in lessons by teaching assistants. In Year 2, volunteer helpers provide most of the support in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory overall. The school ensures that their specific learning needs are identified and they are mainly supported well by teaching assistants in lessons. However, teachers’ lesson plans rarely identify or plan for their specific learning.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. There is very good provision for their social and moral development, good provision for their spiritual development and satisfactory provision for their cultural development. Well-planned assemblies and good opportunities for pupils to take on responsibility and work together support this area well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good overall. The school provides a safe environment in which pupils feel valued and there are good procedures for monitoring their personal development. However, pupils’ academic performance is not monitored Chester Park Infant School - 10 well enough in religious education and the foundation subjects. Parents view the school highly and the school has effective links with them. However, reports on pupils’ progress are not detailed enough and do not accurately record what pupils know and can do.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher provides strong leadership and is ably supported by her deputy and senior management team. New subject co-ordinators are developing their roles but have yet to be fully involved in monitoring standards in their subjects. All staff are committed to continuing improvement.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very well. They are fully supportive of the school, extremely well informed and very pro-active in identifying the school’s strengths and weaknesses and shaping its direction.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. Priorities are clearly identified and there are detailed plans in place to achieve them.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school has a good level of resources, which it uses well to promote learning. Financial planning is very good and linked well to the school’s priorities. The principles of best value are applied well.

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Aspect Comment

There is a good match of teachers and support staff to the demands of the curriculum. However, many of the teaching staff are new and relatively inexperienced. The accommodation is adequate overall. The outdoor area for the Reception classes and the staffroom are much improved since the previous inspection. Learning resources are good.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school, behave well and are making good progress. • The school expects the children to work hard and helps them to become mature and responsible. • The school is well led and all staff approachable. • The teaching is good and their children get the right amount of homework. • The school works closely with parents and keeps them well informed about their children’s progress. • The amount of extra-curricular activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team supports most of the positive views held by parents. However, the annual written reports on pupils’ progress are not up to the standard now expected from these documents. With regard to their concerns, the inspectors agree that there are not enough extra-curricular activities. Chester Park Infant School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Attainment on entry from 1997 to 2000 was below average. In the years 2001 and 2002 attainment on entry was average. Overall a wide range of attainment is represented but often with a fairly high proportion of lower attaining pupils. The attainment on entry of pupils currently in Year 2 was below average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The attainment on entry of children currently in the Reception class is average and they are achieving satisfactorily and sometimes well across all areas of learning. However, there is a need for greater challenge in some of the group activities for mathematics and communication, language and literacy in order to promote consistently satisfactory learning in these areas. Additionally, children do not have enough opportunities to develop their own ideas in creative activities, as too much of the work is teacher-directed. Most children are likely to attain the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning by the end of the Reception year, with a good number exceeding them in knowledge and understanding of the world and music. This is an improvement overall on the findings of the previous inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In the 2002 National Curriculum tests taken by pupils at the end of Year 2, results were average in reading and writing and below average in mathematics both against national averages and those of similar schools (based on the number of pupils having free school meals). When the three years 2000 to 2002 are taken together, standards have fluctuated in reading and generally risen in writing and mathematics, although mathematics has remained below average. The school’s trend in standards is generally in line with the national trend in reading and writing but below in mathematics. There is no significant difference in standards attained by boys and girls or those for whom English is an additional language. Although standards in mathematics and science appear to have deteriorated since the last inspection, pupils are achieving well based on their attainment on entry and this is a similar finding to that of the previous inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Inspection evidence shows that by the end of Year 2, standards are average in reading, writing, mathematics and science and pupils are achieving well given their below average attainment on entry. Pupils are achieving well, in spite of the high staff turnover, because lessons are well planned, expectations are clear, pupils are thoroughly taught and good use is made of the Literacy and Numeracy strategies in Years 1 and 2 to provide a solid framework for lessons. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language achieve well because they are supported effectively in these lessons.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Standards are average in all other subjects except music, where they are higher. Pupils achieve satisfactorily except in music where they achieve well. This is a similar finding to the previous inspection. No judgement could be made on standards in art and design. Pupils achieve satisfactorily rather than well in these subjects because teaching is mainly satisfactory and planning is less detailed and does not take enough account of the differing learning needs of pupils. This is linked to inadequate assessment in these subjects. Some teachers are not clear enough about what pupils need to learn in order to reach average or better standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Pupils with English as an additional language achieve in line with their peers across the curriculum except where they have extended holidays and miss a good proportion of their time in school. In these circumstances, they do not achieve as well as their peers.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well. This is because of the good support provided for them by teaching assistants and volunteer helpers. Pupils with special educational needs are identified early, and targets are set to address their specific requirements. This includes extra help from the teacher or learning support assistants within the class. Pupils’ work hard to achieve their individual targets and their progress is regularly checked. Their work shows clear evidence of good progress as in the work of one pupil whose writing has improved well since the Chester Park Infant School - 12 beginning of this term. At the beginning of the term letters were poorly formed and difficult to read, and no words were written independently. Several weeks later most letters are readable and the pupil is able to write some common words without help. However, some targets are not sufficiently specific for pupils to be as involved in their learning as they might be. For example, a

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

target is set for a pupil to learn three new phonemes, but the phonemes are not named

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Many arrive with a smile on their faces and have no difficulties parting from their parents at the start of the day. The parents themselves strongly agree that their children like school. As a result, pupils have very good attitudes towards school and work. Such attitudes are encouraged right from when children join the school, fostered by the school’s effective induction procedures and the stress-free and positive experiences they encounter in the Reception classes. Throughout the school, pupils respond to its ethos, which values them as individuals and encourages them to respond in the same way. This actively promotes pupils’ confidence and persistence, which in turn helps them to work hard in most lessons. Pupils settle well to their tasks first thing in the morning, helped by the well-established routines. They are interested in the subject matter of their lessons, and are enthusiastic about the prospect of

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

gaining new knowledge and skills. For example, in a science lesson in Year 2, pupils enjoyed seeking out magnetic materials in the classroom, needing little encouragement from the teacher. The pupils’ involvement in the activities the school offers is good. For example, a voluntary reading session in the library at break time saw about 20 pupils attending, with the headteacher almost being mobbed by children eager to read their books to her. In many lessons pupils are keen to do their best, working quietly and concentrating well, at times without direct intervention from the teacher. Year 2 pupils thoroughly enjoyed being responsible for sorting and delivering Christmas mail round both the infant and junior schools and carried out the task with enthusiasm.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils’ behaviour is consistently very good in lessons and around the school. They work hard and learn well, with the teacher not having to spend much time maintaining order. For example, in a science lesson in Year 1 about whether shiny items such as CDs shine in the dark, most pupils were interested in their work and sustained their interest, using the equipment very sensibly. The pupils are polite to each other and to staff. They are also friendly and courteous to visitors and are keen to share their work with adults. They move around the school well, for instance when going to assemblies. The pupils are trustworthy and show respect for property, with no evidence of vandalism or graffiti in the school. Play at both break and lunchtimes is good-natured. In the dining hall pupils eat their food sensibly and there is a buzz of good-natured conversation. In the playgrounds pupils play with each other well and this ensures that this time is a positive

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

experience. No incidents of bullying or racial abuse were observed during the inspection and these are rare occurrences. There have been no exclusions from the school in recent years.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils’ personal development and relationships are very good. These aspects are reinforced by the emphasis the school places on their moral, social and spiritual development. Pupils mix very well and there is a strong sense of inclusion of all pupils in all activities – in the playground no pupils are excluded from games, for example. They display an unforced self-confidence and they talk naturally to adults. The school’s strong provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development encourages them to express and reflect on their feelings. Pupils know that their own views are valued and therefore they have respect for those of others. Pupils are influenced by the positive role models about them. All adults are consistently kind, considerate, and caring, showing respect to pupils and to each other. Consequently, pupils exhibit a respect for themselves and a sense of empathy with others. They have very good relationships and are able

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

to collaborate and work very well with each other. They work very well together in pairs or small groups. For example, in a lesson in a Reception class in which pupils were deciding which items were bigger or smaller, they were able to take turns well to rank the various items. In a Year 2 mathematics lesson, involving a group of pupils co-operating with cards with numbers on them, they were totally natural as they waited for a disabled pupil to do his part.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils with special educational needs generally have the same very good attitudes to their learning as their classmates. The majority are well behaved and respond positively to the Chester Park Infant School - 13 expectations of the school. Teachers are sensitive to the needs of pupils with behavioural

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

difficulties but when they do not receive sufficient support in class this slows their progress. Pupils with special educational needs join in all aspects of school life, and take responsibility when it is offered.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Most pupils want to come to school. Despite this, the school’s attendance figures are below the national average for a school of this type. Two factors explain this. Last year several ethnic minority pupils were taken on extended breaks abroad of up to eight weeks in term time to visit families and a few specific pupils had poor attendance records because of medical conditions.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13. The quality of teaching is good overall. Of the teaching seen, it was good in almost two out of three lessons and in a small proportion it was very good. This is a similar finding to the previous inspection except that there were no unsatisfactory lessons observed during the current inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. Teaching is satisfactory overall in the Foundation Stage, but varies between very good and satisfactory. This is a satisfactory improvement since the last inspection when teaching was found to be mainly satisfactory with some unsatisfactory elements. The main strengths are well - organised and managed lessons, good relationships with children, good deployment of teaching assistants, clear expectations of behaviour and well-established classroom routines. However, in group activities for literacy and numeracy, there is sometimes a lack of challenge in the activities provided and in creative activities there are not enough opportunities for children to develop their own ideas or imagination.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. In Years 1 and 2, teaching is good in English, mathematics, science and music. It is satisfactory overall in ICT, religious education, history and, physical education, although some good teaching was seen in these subjects during the inspection. No judgements were made on teaching in art and design, geography or design and technology as not enough lessons were observed and there was not enough evidence of work over time in order to come to secure judgements. Teaching of English, mathematics and science is good because lessons are thoroughly planned and there is a good focus on teaching of basic skills ensuring that they are systematically developed. In English, assessment is well used to ensure that work is clearly matched to pupils’ learning needs. While this also occurs in mathematics and science, it is not so rigorously implemented and consequently lower attaining pupils are not always fully supported and higher attaining pupils

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

would occasionally benefit from greater challenge. Most teachers make satisfactory use of ongoing assessment in English, mathematics and science in order to plan or revise work to ensure that pupils’ needs are met. For example, in a science lesson the class teacher made sure that she used a short follow up session to consolidate pupils’ learning about electrical circuits.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. In Years 1 and 2, the best teaching was characterised by:

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

• Very well structured lessons which engaged pupils’ interest and attention; • Very good encouragement which fired pupils’ enthusiasm; • Good subject knowledge used well to promote pupils’ learning; • Work well matched to pupils’ differing learning needs; • Very good relationships which encouraged self-esteem and a willingness to take risks.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. In lessons, which were satisfactory, there were weaknesses that affected the overall quality of learning. These were characterised by:

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

• Lack of challenge and uninspiring teaching so that pupils did not make the progress of which they were capable; Chester Park Infant School - 14 • Slow pace to lessons, which caused pupils to lose interest; • Work not well matched to pupils’ learning needs, leading to missed opportunities.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Additionally, teachers’ lesson plans for subjects other than English, mathematics and science lack detail and this does not help teachers who are inexperienced to teach fully effective lessons. 19. Day - to - day assessment is mainly good in English, mathematics and science. It is much more variable in all other subjects and this is linked to inadequate assessment procedures in these subjects. Some teachers do not have a clear enough understanding of what pupils need to learn. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly in terms of what pupils have attained against the lesson objectives. However, this is sometimes superficial. Additionally, there is not enough emphasis on helping pupils to improve their work or in considering the support or extension needed.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teachers are satisfactorily developing their use of ICT across the curriculum. Good use is made of the computer suite for this purpose as well as paired and individual work within the classroom.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The teaching for pupils with English as an additional language is similar to that of all pupils. When they start school, the school contacts the local education authority’s Ethnic Minority Achievement service team to assess children at an early stage of language acquisition so that the school can provide effective support for them. In many lessons the teaching assistants maintain a watching brief over their learning, ensuring that they are fully involved in the lessons. For example, in physical education they clearly demonstrate the actions and give additional help where necessary. However, their specific learning needs are not clearly identified on teachers’ plans and as a result their needs are occasionally overlooked. Those who are confident in English fully participate in all lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good overall. All pupils with special educational needs have individual education plans that contain suitable targets in relation to their needs. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are taught in whole-class settings with extra support from skilled learning support staff to ensure they meet their targets. This is particularly effective in Year 1 where the in-class support is greater. When pupils are withdrawn from the classroom, they cover work that is comparable with the learning of other pupils in the class. For example, during a Year 1 numeracy lesson, good use was made of the outside play area by a learning support assistant to improve the knowledge of number facts to ten for pupils with special educational needs which resulted in good learning for these pupils. Teachers are aware of the specific needs of pupils with special educational needs and seek to involve them fully in whole-class sessions. However, the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

activities provided for them do not always reflect what pupils already know and can do.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23. The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. The school now provides them with a broad, balanced and appropriate curriculum. It is planned across the areas of learning and includes regular outdoor activities. This is a good improvement since the last inspection, when an appropriate curriculum was not in place. A broad and balanced curriculum is provided throughout Years 1 and 2 which satisfactorily covers all subjects of the National Curriculum. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection. Religious education is taught according to the locally agreed syllabus. There is an appropriate act of collective worship daily. The school endeavours to offer a good range of worthwhile opportunities for pupils that interest and motivate them and gives priority to this. The science curriculum is enriched by the regular ‘What’s in the box?’ active learning sessions and projects such as the Wind Garden. The computer suite has been a

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

valuable addition to developing pupils’ skills in using ICT. Resources are clearly set out and accessible and there is a satisfactory range of materials and equipment.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. Schemes of work, mainly based on national guidance, are now firmly in place and all members of staff are familiar with them, and have a clear knowledge of what they need to do to implement them. Teachers work in close collaboration with each other and the subject leaders to ensure that this is maintained. Chester Park Infant School - 15 25. Provision for PSHE is satisfactory. It is now taught as part of the timetable of every Year 1 and 2 class. The younger pupils have these lessons in the form of ‘Circle Time’; when pupils sit in a circle to set an informal tone for discussions of areas that relate to their social development. The subject leader for this area of school life is aware of the need to include citizenship as part of personal, social and health education and some elements of this are already being covered. However, there is not as yet a detailed scheme of work to ensure that topics are covered fully.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Pupils receive sex and drugs education through their science lessons and if any concerns arise as a result of these, parents are kept informed.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. The provision for extra-curricular activities and visits out of school is unsatisfactory. There is a very small range of extra-curricular activities. Many of these are geared to annual school events such as the Leavers’ Concert, although there are some opportunities for pupils to read and enjoy books with the headteacher in break times in the library. The school has no programme of visits out of school to enrich the pupils’ experiences and support their learning. There is a good range of visitors to the school, such as musical and dramatic groups, who provide interesting and stimulating experiences: a particularly good example of this, was the recent visit of the Victorian Magic Lantern Theatre. These do not act as a replacement for the value that pupils gain from exploring the many places of interest both in the local environment and further afield.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The school has a strong commitment to equality in education and this is clearly laid out in a policy document. The school positively welcomes pupils who have physical disabilities and makes every effort to cater for their needs. Pupils who are on the special educational needs register have their needs met through their individual education plans, which focus on aspects of literacy, numeracy and personal and social development. The individual education plans are supported by outside agencies and all who are involved with the pupil’s continuing education. All pupils with special educational needs receive the full National Curriculum offered by the school with some areas of work modified for their specific needs. They are fully included in all the activities organised by the school, which supports their social and moral development well.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The school’s strong ethos, which values all pupils as individuals and provides very good support for their personal development, is a positive factor in pupils’ achievement. The school is successful in its aim to include all pupils and provide equal opportunities. Pupils actively support this aim in the way that they establish very good relationships and care for each other. This benefits pupils with special educational needs, whose abilities are celebrated.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. The school has good links with the community and partner institutions. The community policeman visits regularly, there are close links with the local church and whole community involvement in activities such as the annual Wind Garden project. Pupils support the local community through projects such as ‘Box for bags’ for the homeless. The school has strong links with Chester Park junior school. There is a good system of ‘buddies, through which pupils in their final year in the Infant section are paired with pupils in Year 5 at the junior school. This means that when they arrive at the junior school, they have ‘buddies’ in Year 6 who can act as mentors in the early stages of their transition. The school also has good links with many of the nursery schools and playgroups that send children to Chester Park.

p.15

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. Provision for pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. The school’s philosophy is to give pupils a ‘grounding to become confident, self-disciplined, articulate and caring members of the wider community’ and this is successfully implemented.

p.15

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. Provision for students' spiritual development is good. Well-planned daily assemblies give pupils the opportunity to explore values and beliefs. They include a quiet pause when children are encouraged to reflect on the feelings of themselves and others. The assemblies are planned to help pupils understand the significance of important themes from various cultures. For example, in an assembly on the spiritual dimension to the giving of presents, its role as part of celebrations in many cultures was emphasised. Subjects of the curriculum are used well on occasion to address spiritual issues. For example, Reception children were making ‘soundmakers’, designed Chester Park Infant School - 16 to provide pleasant sounds in the playground from the power of the wind, with the concept of working with nature emphasised well.

p.15

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. Provision for moral development is very good. All staff set a very good example in the way they address each other in front of children and they expect them to behave considerately. The school aims to develop honesty and fairness and pupils are made aware of the difference between right and wrong. They are expected to show respect for each other and for accepted codes of behaviour. The PHSE programme raises awareness of individual responsibilities. Pupils’ awareness of the needs of the less fortunate is developed through charitable fundraising events.

p.16

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The ethos and daily activities of the school provide a strong environment in which relationships are founded on mutual respect and co-operation. Provision for the development of social skills is very good. The school provides good opportunities for pupils to show initiative and accept responsibility. Organised examples include the way pupils from each class deal with its lunchboxes and take registers to the office. Year 2 pupils are responsible for errands such as taking messages round the school, including on occasion venturing into the junior school with a message for them. The structure of lessons often calls for pupils to work together in pairs or small groups, encouraging pupils to work together, developing teamwork skills and learning to value the contribution of others. The raising of pupils’ self-esteem is given very high priority in the school, expressed for example in the way that pupils are regularly sent to the headteacher to

p.16

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

show good work. Many infant schools do this, but Chester Park also provides a board outside her office so that if she is engaged they can leave their name and she can go to their classroom later to see them.

p.16

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. There is satisfactory provision to help students develop an understanding of their own and other cultures. The school celebrates events from various cultures such as St George’s Day, Remembrance Day, Diwali, Eid, and the Chinese New Year. The school does not make use of the rich environment on its doorstep in Bristol to extend pupils’ cultural horizons, although visitors such as the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company do perform in school. Art lessons encourage pupils to recognise their own talent and music promotes creativity and appreciation of the expressive nature of music. Art displays around the school are often of good quality and stimulate pupils’ interest. Pictures based on recycling old packaging were produced by pupils in the style of Paul Klee. There is also interesting work in the style of Matisse, created by pupils using a computer drawing package. Much of this artwork on display was produced in the previous academic year.

p.16

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Both assemblies and religious education cover the importance of worship and sacred writings to different faiths; for example, pupils hear Hindu and Sikh stories in assembly, and there is discussion of the Jewish Sabbath in religious education. The school is successful in preparing pupils for life in a multi-cultural society.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The headteacher and all members of staff make good provision for the care and welfare of their pupils. The school has good child protection arrangements, which comply with locally agreed procedures. The headteacher has received recent training and liaises as necessary with the local social services department. The staff have been well briefed on their responsibilities and necessary records are kept. There have been proper risk assessments of the school premises and headteacher and governors are active in ensuring that health and safety procedures are in place. No unsafe practice was seen in lessons during the inspection.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Virtually all parents believe that the school is very effective at helping children to become mature individuals. The school provides a caring and supportive environment for all its pupils and there are good procedures for monitoring and supporting their personal development. All teachers are active in the pastoral care of their pupils. They know their pupils well and successfully meet their individual needs, supporting them as necessary. The school encourages pupils to both have confidence in and to take responsibility for themselves. Staff enable pupils to feel safe and valued and to concentrate on their learning, thus helping them to make progress. Lunchtime supervisors ensure that pupils can enjoy productive and pleasant lunch breaks. Chester Park Infant School - 17 37. The school has satisfactory procedures to monitor attendance and encourage pupils to come to school regularly. Although in the past attendance was recorded using a computer system, it is

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

currently carried out using traditional registers. The headteacher regularly monitors these to pick up problems with attendance as they emerge. There are effective procedures to contact parents when necessary, although most parents comply with the school’s requirements. The Educational Welfare Officer follows up any unresolved cases. Chester Park Infant School - 18 38. There are good procedures to monitor and promote pupils’ good behaviour. The school’s approach is firmly based on its Good Behaviour Policy, which outlines the school’s expectations and the system of rewards and sanctions in place. The policy is implemented consistently through the school, so that all pupils know what is expected of them. It is effective, with pupils responding well. The procedures to prevent bullying and other oppressive behaviour are good, with pupils very aware that it is wrong. The school has worked hard to establish the belief in pupils

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

that it is right to tell a teacher when bullying happens and that it will be addressed. Pupils and parents have confidence that the headteacher and all staff would try to solve problems. The emphasis on valuing people within the school community helps to makes it clear that bullying or other oppressive behaviour is not acceptable. Standards of care have been maintained since the last inspection.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The procedures for assessment in English, mathematics and science are satisfactory and statutory requirements for assessment at the end of Year 2 are met. The procedures for assessment in other subjects are unsatisfactory. The assessment co-coordinator has worked hard to develop a system of tracking pupils’ progress in English, science and mathematics. This takes into account the baseline assessment when pupils enter the school and the local education authority predictions as to the likely level that pupils will attain at the end of Year 2. The scheme is useful. There is a portfolio of work in these subjects that is useful for staff to improve their grasp of different National Curriculum levels. The headteacher and the senior management team analyse the data that these annual national tests in English, mathematics and science provide. This analysis is used effectively to monitor differences in the learning of different groups of pupils,

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

for example, boys and girls. At the moment these records are hand-written and there are limits to the ways in which the data can be analysed and presented. There are plans to use computers to store and interrogate these data so it becomes a more useful management tool. In subjects other than English, mathematics and science there is no formal recording of the attainment of pupils against National Curriculum levels. This means that many teachers are not fully aware of the National Curriculum levels in these subjects, as they are not required to record them systematically. This has a negative impact on the professional development of the teaching staff, especially those appointed as subject leaders. It also means that parents are not kept fully informed about their children’s attainment in the annual reports. In the Reception classes there is sound monitoring and recording of academic progress.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The use of assessment is mainly satisfactory in English, mathematics and science. It is unsatisfactory in RE and the foundation subjects . Without a confident grasp of levels in all subjects, teachers cannot have an informed consensus about the attainment of pupils and what needs to be done to remedy shortcomings in the planning of lessons and homework. As a result, work in many lessons is not closely enough matched to pupils’ learning needs There are some good individual examples of assessment being used to inform teachers’ planning but there is no consistency about this. In some lessons in mathematics and science, not enough attention is given to the needs of lower attaining pupils and they struggle with the work.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Although teachers mark pupils’ work regularly in terms of what pupils have attained against the lesson objectives, this is sometimes superficial. For example, sometimes the same comment is written on all pupils’ books, even those who have not attained the lesson’s objective. Additionally, there is not enough emphasis on helping pupils to improve their work or in considering the support or extension needed.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language benefit from the caring ethos of the school. The school uses information from assessment to identify those pupils requiring additional support and checks regularly on the progress of these pupils towards meeting their individual targets. However, in subjects other than English and mathematics, assessment is not sufficiently used to enable teachers to provide suitable tasks in every lesson.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Chester Park Infant School - 19 43. Parents clearly have very positive views of the school, with some pupils being brought from other areas of Bristol to attend it. The strength of this partnership between school and parents is very good and has been maintained since the last inspection of the school. It is clear that parents subscribe wholeheartedly to the school’s caring and supportive ethos. All parents expressing a view believed that the school is well led and managed, and would be comfortable approaching the school with a question or problem. They believe that teaching is good, and that the school has high expectations of its pupils.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. As a result, they believe that their children make good progress, that behaviour in the school is good, and that the school helps the children to become mature and responsible. All parents would feel comfortable approaching the school with a question or a problem and they believe it works closely with them. These views, largely endorsed by inspection findings, highlight the strength of the relationship between parents and the school. The one area where only about half of all parents think the school is doing well is in the provision of activities outside of lessons. Although provision in an infant school is necessarily limited, nevertheless inspection findings support the parents’ view. The school could do more in the way of providing clubs in school and visits to places of interest.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The school has a useful Working in Partnership with Parents policy, which outlines the nature of the provision. The overall quality of information for parents is satisfactory. There are some good features, such as the induction package for parents of children coming into the Reception class. The prospectus and annual governors’ report to parents both fulfil their functions although neither really gives a full flavour of the strengths of the school. There are regular newsletters on the life of the school and good opportunities to talk to the headteacher or class teachers at the ends of the day. There are good opportunities each term for parents to attend an open evening to see the teacher and see their child’s work. However, although parents are apparently satisfied with the information they get on their child’s progress, the annual written reports on pupils’ progress are not up to the standard now expected from these documents. The reports for Reception children

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

are somewhat better in format, covering each area of learning in turn, but too often the comments do not really tell parents how their child is getting on. The same applies to the reports for pupils in Year 1, where information does not actually tell parents what their children can do in a particular subject. A typical example, from the section on ICT for an above average Year 1 pupil, ‘He is developing ICT skills and can operate equipment confidently. He is learning to use some functions on the computer and has used a variety of software’. This really tells the parent very little, particularly as similar comments appeared for many pupils covering a wide range of ability. The reports are too vague, do not include clear targets for improvement and are not personal enough to the individual pupil. The school has appropriate arrangements in place to communicate with any parents at an early stage of English acquisition.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. The contribution of parents to the school and their children’s learning is good. This is encouraged by the efforts the school makes to involve them. A few parents help in school on a regular basis, providing useful support. Most parents support their children’s homework, encouraged by the relationship they have with the school, and some use the reading record booklets to communicate with the teacher. The school is active in involving parents if a child is experiencing any problems at school and parents reciprocate by telling the school of any relevant difficulties at home. The vast majority of parents have signed a home - school agreement, although the strong existing bonds mean that for this school it is rather superfluous and has had little impact. The school has a well-supported parent teacher association, which organises social and fundraising events that fund additional resources for the benefit of pupils, such as the equipment for the outdoor play area

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

and the flower beds. Parents attend school events such as the Harvest Festival celebration.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept informed of their child's progress through informal meetings with class teachers. They sign the pupils' individual education plans and are involved in regular reviews and new plans.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Chester Park Infant School - 20 48. Judged collectively, the headteacher, deputy headteacher, governing body and key staff provide good overall leadership and management. The leadership of the headteacher is very good and ensures clear educational direction for the work of the school. As a result of this, during a time of rapid changes in staff, the school has maintained its vision for ‘confident, happy individuals, learning, developing and succeeding together’. She is very well supported by the deputy headteacher and the co-ordinator for mathematics who, together with the headteacher, form the senior management team. They share ideas and put ideals into practice. As a result, the school is a welcoming, friendly place where pupils enjoy coming to school to learn and they achieve high standards of behaviour and personal relationships. This has been maintained since the time of the last inspection.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. There is a well-defined management structure within the school, in which all teaching staff have specific responsibilities for co-ordination of aspects of the school's work. Many are new to their areas of responsibility, including the co-ordinator for pupils with special educational needs. Most are enthusiastic and have a clear understanding of their roles. However, owing to their lack of experience they are not yet fully effective in supporting the development of their subjects and areas across the school. They lack experience in checking on the standards of pupils' work, observing lessons in order to improve them, and giving support on how pupils' learning is assessed. However, there have been several staff meetings this term aimed specifically at helping them to develop their roles. Those subject leaders who are more experienced fulfil their roles well. In mathematics and science, for example, they have had good impact on teachers’

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The leadership and management of special educational needs are satisfactory overall. The newly appointed post-holder is very new to the role, but is well supported by the headteacher in overseeing the work to support pupils with special educational needs. Procedures ensure that pupils with a statement of special educational needs receive the resources that are their entitlement and that the Code of Practice is implemented.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The governing body fulfils its responsibilities very well. The governing body, which is well led by the chair, makes a very good contribution to the effectiveness of the school. Several governors have high levels of expertise and they are very well organised and thorough in carrying out their responsibilities. They have confidence in the headteacher. Nevertheless, they challenge her and expect her to be accountable. They keep themselves very well informed about what is going on in school and are clear about the school's strengths and weaknesses. They do this through their involvement in the work of the school, the good presentations given to them by staff and monitoring of the curriculum through the curriculum committee and samples of pupils’ work. The headteacher gives them regular and good quality information to inform their decisions. They are fully involved in school development planning and the evaluation of its effectiveness.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The school development plan is of good quality. There is a long-term plan, which is mainly an overview, a review of what has gone before and its success, and a short-term plan, which is clearly focused on specific areas for development. Co-ordinators submit detailed subject action plans, which form part of the overall plan.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The school has good systems for monitoring and evaluating its own performance. The headteacher and senior managers have introduced a range of procedures for checking on the attainment and progress of different groups of pupils in English and mathematics and identifying where standards need to be raised. Analysis of test papers in mathematics has resulted, for example, in more targeted teaching of place value in mathematics, which is beginning to show satisfactory results in raising standards. The use made of observing lessons in order to improve the quality of teaching has been good over time. Strengths have been built on and weaknesses have been addressed. Observations identified the need to involve the pupils more actively in their learning and the school introduced a regular opportunity for pupils to explore "What's in the Box?". Arrangements for the performance management of teachers are good. All teachers have

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

a common area for development that is linked to an area of the school development plan to support school improvement. The school has rightly identified its priorities for improvement in the Chester Park Infant School - 21 school development plan. Through implementing this and building on the enthusiasm of most subject leaders to develop their subjects the school has good potential for further improvement.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The headteacher finds bureaucratic demands overly cumbersome. Currently, there are huge demands from the local education authority to provide paper work for health and safety, much of which has to be produced electronically

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The equal value of all pupils is one of the school’s basic principles. This provides a very strong foundation for ensuring equal opportunities and ensuring that all pupils are included. The headteacher and governors have been very welcoming to disabled pupils and made significant efforts to meet their needs. Teachers and pupils recognise that everyone has strengths and the school explicitly aims to develop the whole child.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school makes satisfactory use of new technology for administrative purposes. Financial resources are managed very well. The office staff maintain good systems of financial control and provide the headteacher and governors with useful management reports. Financial planning is closely linked to the school’s priorities through the school improvement plan. The school governors have a clear strategic vision, which enables them to plan finances beyond the current financial year. Expenditure is monitored carefully and they have appropriate plans to use the current carry forward each year. Specific grants are used for the correct purposes and are properly monitored. The current high level of carry forward resulted from the fact that the school budgeted for major building works, which were subsequently funded by the local education authority. By comparing its performance with other schools, challenging itself over the services it

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

provides and competing for best value, the school makes good use of the principles of best value. Although the school is effective, its expenditure per pupil is higher than average. Overall it gives satisfactory value for money.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. There is a good match of teachers and support staff to the needs of the school and the demands of the curriculum. Although many of the teachers have not served in the school long, nevertheless they function well together as a team. The small class sizes in Year 2 enable pupils to receive more personal attention from the teachers. The school spends a significant proportion of its budget on support staff, who are well trained and effective in raising standards, particularly for lower attainers.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. Accommodation is satisfactory. The school has a secure site that has been enhanced by significant improvements to the outdoor provision and the staffroom since the last inspection. The buildings are well cared for, with both the Victorian parts and the modern demountable classrooms providing bright environments for the staff and the children. There is a pleasant library and the school has developed one classroom as a fully equipped ICT room. The site does impose some limitations in, for example, terms of playground space and the limited space for small group teaching, but the accommodation does allow the National Curriculum to be followed. The caretaker makes considerable efforts to maintain the school as a pleasant working environment and some rooms have been enhanced by good displays of children’s work.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. Learning resources are good overall. A key issue at the time of the last inspection, to provide outdoor play equipment for children, has been fully dealt with, with the result that Reception children now have good facilities. In most subjects there are sufficient resources to teach the curriculum. Resources are good for history, with an interesting collection of artefacts including a toy collection and a range of resources on local history provided by local people. For English, there is a well-resourced library and a range of reading schemes, for ICT, there is a good number of computers and for music there is a good range of percussion instruments.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

60. In order to raise standards and further improve the quality of education for its pupils the headteacher, governors and staff should: Chester Park Infant School - 22 (1) *Improve assessment and its use in religious education and the foundation subjects by: • assessing pupils’ progress in each of these subjects so that teachers have a clear understanding of what pupils know, understand and can do; • using information gained from assessment to ensure that lesson planning focuses on what pupils of differing abilities are expected to learn; • using marking better to help pupils improve their work and as a means of identifying additional support or extension where appropriate. (Paragraphs 5,17,18,38,39,93,101,106,113,118,124)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve extra - curricular provision by: • Providing visits to places of interest. (Paragraph 24, 44)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition the governing body may wish to include the following for possible inclusion in its action plan: • Improve the quality of reports to parents; (Paragraph 44) • Improve planning for the foundation subjects to help inexperienced teachers. (Paragraph 17, 95)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

*The school has already identified this as an area for improvement in the school development plan. Chester Park Infant School - 23

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 30

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.23

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.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 215

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 23

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 19

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 11

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 10

p.23

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Chester Park Infant School - 24 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Chester Park Infant School - 25

p.23

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 35 35 73

p.25

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.25

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

Boys 29 27 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 32 31 31

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 84 (84) 79 (84) 85 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.25

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

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

Boys 30 31 34 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 33 32 32

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 86 (85) 86 (91) 90 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.25

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.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 7 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 1 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 2 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 5 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other ethnic group 9 0 0 Chester Park Infant School - 26 No ethnic group recorded 0 0 0 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.

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.3 Financial year 2001-02

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.9

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 541,115

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0 Total expenditure 545,041

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 0 Expenditure per pupil 2,571

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 62,908

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 58,982

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 8.5

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 9

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Chester Park Infant School - 27

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 71 29 0 0 0

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 69 31 0 0 0

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 62 33 4 0 2

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 54 40 4 2 0

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 85 13 0 0 2

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 79 19 2 0 0

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 54 40 6 0 0

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 85 15 0 0 0

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 73 23 2 0 2

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 29 21 19 10 21 Chester Park Infant School - 28

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. Children enter the Reception classes in the September prior to their fifth birthday. At the time of the inspection there were 74 children on roll, all of whom attend full time. There are two classes, which have children of Reception age only and a mixed Reception/Year 1 class. The oldest Reception aged children are in the Reception/Year 1 class. Attainment on entry varies year to year but is mainly below average. Currently, the Reception children’s attainment on entry is average.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall in both Reception classes, and in the Reception/Year 1 class. They are good in the music aspect of creative development and in knowledge and understanding of the world. The main strengths of the teaching are well organised and managed lessons, good use of praise and a brisk pace to lessons, detailed planning and good questioning that encourages a productive response. For example, when making soundmakers the class teacher asked questions such as ‘What if…?’ and this challenged the children to think and make predictions. Where teaching is less effective, there is a lack of challenge in group activities; in communication, language and literacy, for example, children made the letter ’l’ in plasticine for the whole of the session. This also applies to mathematics; for example, counting coins into a pot – once you have counted them, there is nothing else to do.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

There is too much teacher-directed work in creative activities with too little opportunity for children to develop their own ideas or imagination. Sometimes the pace of lessons is slow and questioning is not used well to extend children. There is appropriate provision in the mixed age class for both year groups. Children work with the teaching assistant or teacher as appropriate to ensure their needs are well met. For example, Reception age children take part in the music lessons with all of the Reception age children. They are challenged well by the teacher while still ensuring their needs for structured play are met through regular use of the outdoor facilities.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. The accommodation is satisfactory inside and good outside. The school has significantly improved the outdoor accommodation since the last inspection, ensuring good opportunities for children to develop skills and competencies through a structured outdoor play environment with a good range of equipment. Classrooms are well organised with bright displays and there is a good level of resources to promote learning.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. Most children are likely to attain the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning, and a good number of children in the Year R/1 class are likely to exceed them. A good number will exceed the Early Learning Goals in knowledge and understanding of the world and in the music aspect of creative activities.

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Personal, social and emotional development

65. Children enter the Reception classes with a positive attitude towards learning and the school successfully builds on this by providing interesting learning experiences and clear expectations for behaviour. Children do not show any concerns about being away from their parents or carers during the day. This includes children who are at an early stage of learning English. They are interested in their work and behave well. Most already know where resources are kept and independently tidy up at the end of activities. They share resources such as construction toys and plasticine willingly and mainly play very well together. When getting undressed for physical education most successfully manage this independently and only need minimal help with difficult fastenings. Many are confident and pleased to talk about their work although some shy and lower attaining children are less forthcoming. Most can sustain concentration for extended periods and

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Personal, social and emotional development

show good levels of involvement with their work. They are given good opportunities to develop independence through choosing their own activities in outdoor play. Chester Park Infant School - 29

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Communication, language and literacy

66. Children are developing their speaking and listening skills satisfactorily. They describe what they are doing and higher attaining children in particular speak clearly and confidently about their work when, for example, describing how they made their monster. Most listen carefully during teacher- led discussions and are able to respond appropriately to the teacher’s questioning. There are, however, some children with poorly developed speaking skills who have to be coaxed to make a contribution. Most demonstrate good listening skills when, for example, identifying recorded sounds. They are developing their reading skills satisfactorily. Higher attaining children are building up a bank of known words, which they recognise and use in their reading. These children also recognise a good number of letters and their corresponding sounds and are beginning to use them to help with their reading. Lower attaining children tell a story to match the pictures in their

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Communication, language and literacy

books. Most children have a confident approach to reading and read regularly at home with their parents.

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Communication, language and literacy

67. There is a writing table, which is well resourced with a variety of mark-making tools so that children can play and practise writing. Children are given sufficient opportunities to write independently as well as having structured handwriting lessons in order to form letters correctly. They are at various stages in their writing, with some children using known words in their writing as well as trying to sound out unknown words. However, some lower attaining pupils still only ‘scribble write’. All children have name cards, which they are encouraged to use when copying their names.

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Mathematical development

68. Most children count confidently to 20 and recognise missing numbers in a sequence up to 10. Higher attaining children have some idea of ‘more’ or ‘less’ whilst lower attaining children find this idea difficult. Most have a simple knowledge if shapes such as triangles and squares and name them appropriately. They explore the different properties of shapes using a ‘feely bag’ and making potato prints of different shapes. They take part in simple measuring activities involving comparisons of size using terms such as ‘greater’ or ‘smaller’ and ‘longer’ and ‘shorter’. Lower attaining children can count and make sets of numbers up to five but struggle with higher numbers. Average and higher attaining children can count to 20 and beyond and count on and back within this range but in their workbooks they are still drawing numbers to five and this is ineffective use of their time. Through water and sand play they explore the shape of different

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Mathematical development

containers. In connection with the story of ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’, they count the things he ate. They sort objects by colour and shape and learn positional language such as ‘below’ and ‘above’

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Mathematical development

Knowledge and understanding of the world.

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Mathematical development

69. Children make good gains in their learning across this area and are likely to meet the Early Learning Goals with a good number exceeding them. Through use of the ICT suite children are given good opportunities to develop their ICT skills. For example, in a lesson seen during the inspection, children learned to click and drag the mouse to create pictures. They were clear about terms such as ‘mouse’, ‘monitor’ and ‘keyboard’. They drew simple faces and were able to choose their colours from the tool-bar in order to create facial features. Through a study of old and new teddy bears, they find out about what constitutes old and new and are beginning to use terms such as ‘broken’ or ‘smelly’ for old teddy bears and ‘soft’ and ‘still furry’ for new teddy bears. In their work on their senses, they learned that they use their ears to hear and their noses for smelling. In a very good lesson seen, children designed and made their own sound makers.

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Mathematical development

They learned to investigate objects and materials by using their ears. They joined materials using sellotape and string and discovered that sellotape worked better than glue because it was stronger. Children learn about other cultures through celebrations such as Harvest Festival and Diwali

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Physical development

Chester Park Infant School - 30 70. Most children have an awareness of their own needs and are beginning to understand that exercise warms them up and makes their heart beat faster. They can manage their own clothing before and after physical activity and only a few need help with fastenings. They move around in the hall sensibly using space well and throw and catch beanbags both independently and with a partner. However, although they practise this skill quite hard they still find the task difficult. They move freely around the hall and enjoy being physically active. When playing outdoors they ride tricycles competently and use a variety of large construction materials to climb on or use for play. In the classroom most have good pencil control, use scissors with appropriate skill, manipulate plasticine to make objects and cut and glue with an appropriate level of skill and hand-eye co- ordination.

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Creative development

71. One of the strengths of this area of learning lies in music, where children enjoy singing and using musical instruments. They recognise the sounds of a wide variety of untuned instruments and can name many of them. They have a good repertoire of known songs and are able to maintain the pulse whilst others accompany the songs on untuned instruments. In their artwork, they draw using pastels, paint pictures of themselves and learn the techniques of printing. However, too much of their work in art is teacher-directed; for example, teachers tell children the colour to use or give them templates to fill in. Too few opportunities are given for children to develop their own ideas or use their imagination to create their own individual representations of the world around them. When playing outside or in the home corner they play imaginatively, for example; they dress up as princesses, set the table for lunch or do the shopping.

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ENGLISH

72. The results of the National Curriculum tests for 2002 show that pupils in Year 2 attained standards in reading and writing that were very close to the standards seen both nationally and in similar schools. However, the percentage of pupils attaining the higher Level 3 in writing is well above both the national average and the average in similar schools. These standards are very like those seen at the last inspection, although the higher number of pupils reaching Level 3 in writing is an improvement. Pupils in this age group often read with expression, write with joined and legible handwriting and use simple punctuation accurately.

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ENGLISH

73. Pupils come into Year 1 with underdeveloped language skills. They achieve well in Years 1 and 2. By the end of Year 1 many pupils show increasing confidence in speaking and begin to use more formal speech patterns. Younger pupils are given opportunities to practise these skills in their literacy lessons. An example of this was in a good lesson in Year 1 when pupils were encouraged to suggest captions for pictures that illustrated the steps in making a simple musical instrument. Pupils are happy about discussing their work, and can express themselves clearly. In a Year 2 lesson the teacher developed the speaking and listening skills of pupils by encouraging them to talk about the feelings that characters in the story might be experiencing. This was an effective way of promoting their social development. The pupils responded well and were eager to volunteer ideas and phrases that would be suitable. During the inspection there

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ENGLISH

was no use of drama or role-play to develop speaking and listening skills. Learning support assistants in the classroom have a valuable part to play. They clarify questions, explain new vocabulary and encourage pupils to offer answers.

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ENGLISH

74. Standards in reading are close to the national average. Younger pupils develop skills that help them to read the text. Pupils in Year 2 read many words confidently, and talk about their reading books. The higher attaining pupils use a variety of strategies to work out words that they find difficult, such as splitting up the words, sounding out the letters and gaining clues from the illustrations. Some pupils read expressively as a result of the good models that teachers provide in shared reading sessions. However, not all pupils in Year 2 were clear about the difference between an author and illustrator and between fiction and non-fiction. No pupils in this age range knew how to use their knowledge of the alphabet to find books or information. Even the pupils with sound standards of decoding words are less good at interpreting the meaning of the text in Chester Park Infant School - 31 anything more than a very literal way. Sometimes the books that pupils read are not well

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ENGLISH

matched to their reading ability. The school is aware that the system needs further refining and this has already been identified in the literacy action plan. Pupils mostly enjoy reading and read both fiction and non-fiction texts. The reading records for pupils foster links between home and school effectively by getting parents and carers to add comments, which help children to develop their reading skills. There is a library that is used for quiet reading in free time and there are regular times when the headteacher listens to individual pupils reading. The library is an attractive and welcoming space. There is a good range of both fiction and non-fiction material and the books are coded either by colour or simplified Dewey numbers. Class libraries provide extra reading material. Overall, pupils who have special educational needs or English as an additional language make satisfactory progress as a result of the support for reading.

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ENGLISH

75. From the samples of pupils’ written work seen during the inspection the standards attained in Years 1 and 2 are close to the national average, although some more able pupils in Year 2 are producing work that is already approaching the higher Level 3. Teachers follow the school’s policy on handwriting closely, and pupils develop cursive handwriting quickly and use capital letters and full stops to demarcate sentences. In the last inspection report there was concern about the standard of pupils’ handwriting, but the school has taken effective action to remedy this and now standards are satisfactory, with most of the older pupils writing in joined, legible script. Most pupils spell short common words and longer regular words correctly. Where the words are incorrectly spelt, the majority of pupils manage a version that is phonetically sound. The work seen in pupils’ books covers the various areas of the National Curriculum satisfactorily. The

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ENGLISH

higher attaining pupils organise ideas into grammatically correct sentences and show an increasing understanding of speech and question marks and some of these pupils created a mood and setting by imaginative language choices e.g. “We saw colourful birds that looked like a flying rainbow”. Teachers develop pupils’ spelling by regular setting of spelling lists as homework. Pupils have taken part in the Bristol Young Poets Competition and Year 1 pupils in their ‘Sound Poems’ used language well with phrases like “I saw the windmills whirling, twirling, swirling and spinning”. These poems were written as a response to the ‘Wind Garden’ project.

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ENGLISH

76. Teachers take opportunities in other subjects to encourage pupils to increase their technical vocabulary and their use of spoken English. There were some good examples of this in ICT lessons where teachers used terms like ‘ mouse’ and ‘keyboard’ and encouraged pupils to use them. This is also the case in music where the teachers are careful to use the correct names for percussion instruments as a natural part of the teaching.

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ENGLISH

77. All of the teaching seen during the inspection ranged between satisfactory and good and was good overall. Over time, good teaching has helped pupils achieve well. In the better lessons, skilful questioning and explanations ensure that pupils understand their work. Praise is used well to show pupils that their work is valued and to encourage higher standards. Teachers follow the National Literacy Strategy closely in their planning and this ensures that pupils cover the various writing styles that are needed for the National Curriculum. In a good lesson in Year 2 on using descriptive language, the teacher set a brisk pace and made effective use of a variety of strategies that kept pupils thinking about the subject matter. In less successful lessons teachers did not always focus on the main point of the lesson sharply enough, and this led to pupils losing concentration. Teachers mark the pupils’ work thoroughly, make regular comments to encourage

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ENGLISH

and instruct and give effective points for improvement. This is consistent across all classes and helps to ensure good progress. The targets for the lesson are generally shared with the class so that they are all clear about what they will be learning. Relationships are good and teachers manage behaviour well. As a result, pupils work hard, show interest and sustain their concentration throughout the lesson. Pupils co-operate well in paired and group work and the subject makes a satisfactory contribution to the moral and social development of pupils.

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ENGLISH

78. The literacy subject leader is an experienced teacher who has been in charge of this area of school life since September. In conjunction with the senior management team she looks at teachers’ plans for the subject and reviews samples of work in each year group. Most teachers are secure in their knowledge of National Curriculum levels and this is helpful in assessing the progress of individuals and groups of pupils. There is a system of assessment that looks at Chester Park Infant School - 32 progress over the medium and long term, but more focus on day - to -day assessment of pupils would be helpful. The school is developing a system of setting individual targets for pupils and this is now well established. There are satisfactory resources for the subject and they are of a good quality. The school is developing the use of ICT to support literacy. Pupils in both year groups use computers to draft and re-draft work. Much of the use of ICT takes place in the

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ENGLISH

computer suite, although pupils also use the classroom computers for individual or paired work. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress as a result of the effective arrangements for their support. There is good communication between the learning support assistants and class teachers so the planning for these sessions takes account of the main focus of the work that the rest of the class is doing. The small number of pupils with English as an additional language make similar progress to that of other pupils, and again, the arrangements for their support are entirely appropriate.

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MATHEMATICS

79. Standards in mathematics at the last inspection were in line with the national average at the end of Year 2. Standards remain average now. The results of the 2002 National Curriculum tests show that standards were below average but the work seen during the inspection indicates that pupils currently in Year 2 are attaining average standards.

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MATHEMATICS

80. By the end of Year 2, achievement is better than expected. There are several reasons for this. Overall, the quality of teaching seen in lessons during the inspection was good and this reflects the school's success in adapting the teaching of mathematics to focus on areas of the subject, such as place value, that pupils find difficult. Improved assessment procedures enable teachers to provide work that is clearly targeted to the needs of the higher attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs are well supported in lessons. As at the time of the last inspection, teachers continue to make good provision for pupils to relate their learning to real life situations.

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MATHEMATICS

81. By the end of Year 2, most pupils have a sound understanding of number. They can count, read, write and order numbers to at least 100 with reasonable confidence and most know by heart all the addition and subtraction facts to at least 10. They are less secure in knowing what each digit in a number represents. They know how to count in multiples of two, five and ten. Pupils use their numeracy skills to solve number problems such as finding out how many buckets of water there are if six children have two buckets each. They have a sound understanding of shape, space and measure and can sort shapes according to their properties. They use standard and non-standard units to measure. Effective use was made of these skills to design a jungle vine to fit round the classroom as part of their studies of contrasting localities in geography. When working with capacity, they understand concepts such as ‘more than’ and estimate which

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MATHEMATICS

container will hold the most. Pupils know how to collate data and produce simple tally charts and bar graphs and ICT is used effectively to support this area of mathematics teaching. Teachers have a good awareness of pupils' differing abilities and when teachers provide work that is targeted to the needs of individuals, pupils make good progress in their learning. This is particularly true for higher attaining pupils, who display greater confidence than other pupils in their handling of numbers. They perform more complex calculations using larger numbers. This is an improvement since the previous inspection, when the higher attaining pupils were not sufficiently challenged. Planned activities are not always suitable for the lower attaining pupils and this slows their progress. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress due largely to the help of the good support staff.

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MATHEMATICS

82. The quality of teaching and learning is good, which is similar to the findings at the time of the last inspection. Four out of six lessons observed were good, one was satisfactory and one was very good. In the very good lesson the teacher used a range of methods and stimulating visual materials, such as a puppet, to create a fast pace and enthuse the pupils. The teachers share with the pupils what they will learn in each lesson and re-visit this at the end. This enables pupils to judge their own progress in the lesson and helps the teacher to check up on the pupils' learning. They use questioning effectively to find out what pupils understand and mostly use this knowledge to plan suitable work for the pupils. In Year 2 some pupils were having difficulty in Chester Park Infant School - 33 understanding and using place value, so additional lessons were included to ensure that they developed good understanding of this. The teachers help pupils to think about what they are

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MATHEMATICS

doing and to develop the ability to work things out for themselves. Lessons are well structured, resulting in a good use of time. These factors result in good learning for most pupils. However, insufficient attention is given to identifying activities that will support the lower attaining pupils in accelerating their progress and so help to raise standards further. Chester Park Infant School - 34 83. As at the time of the last inspection, the behaviour of the pupils is good and sometimes very good. Pupils enjoy their numeracy lessons. They work well as individuals and in pairs, maintaining concentration and sustaining interest even when the work is difficult for them. Pupils suggest mathematical problems for the class to solve that are tackled by other pupils with enjoyment and determination. They listen well to the teacher and to each other.

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MATHEMATICS

84. There is some use of mathematics across the curriculum, as in science to interpret graphs and in geography for a traffic survey.

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MATHEMATICS

85. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The subject leader has a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the subject. She has carried out a careful analysis of pupils' performance and used this to draw up plan for future development to address identified weaknesses. This includes strategies to improve the pupils' understanding of place value. Assessment procedures are sound and information from these is used to plan future work for pupils. Tracking the progress of individual pupils is at an early stage of development and individual pupil targets are not yet set. This reduces the pupils' involvement in their own learning. However, this is identified on the school development plan for future implementation. The subject leader has observed teaching systematically, led in-service training and provided curriculum information evenings for parents. She has not yet observed the newest members of staff to

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MATHEMATICS

enable targeted support to be offered to them. Overall, improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory.

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SCIENCE

86. Standards at the last inspection were above average and pupils achieved well. At that time pupils started with average attainment. Pupils currently in Year 2 started school with below average levels of attainment and are attaining satisfactory standards. They are achieving well, therefore it is a similar finding to the previous inspection.

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SCIENCE

87. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language are achieving well in science in Years 1 and 2 because the school places emphasis on experimental and investigative science and teaching is thorough with a good emphasis on pupils being scientific. The curriculum is enriched through additional active learning and whole-school projects such as ‘The Wind Garden’, healthy eating and recycling. As a result of this pupils enjoy science and are keen to talk about their work.

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SCIENCE

88. Higher and average attaining pupils in Year 1 name parts of the body such as ‘knee’ and ‘ankle’. They recognise that they change as they grow. Through their scientific investigations, they complete simple yes/no tables and reach conclusions based on their work. For example, when trying to find out if all fruit had pips most pupils concluded that ‘all fruits have pips’. Through growing plants from seeds most pupils show good observation skills in drawing it at all stages and make appropriate observations, for example, ‘it grew some roots and leaves at the top’. Lower attaining pupils show growth of plants in very simple drawings and need support to complete tables. Pupils in Year 2 know that medicines can be dangerous and need to be stored in a safe place. They use graphs to interpret information and complete tables of results. Higher and average attaining pupils make simple predictions based on previous knowledge, for example, ‘it

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SCIENCE

will not be a good parachute because the material is too heavy’. Some higher attaining pupils plan investigations, record their work in a table of results and reach conclusions. They are developing a secure idea of a fair test. They observe materials carefully and use terms such as ‘smooth opaque and strong’ to describe them. Lower attaining pupils do not always complete tasks and appear to struggle with some of the ideas. Occasionally, not enough attention is given to identifying activities that will support lower attaining pupils to improve their learning. In their work on electricity almost all pupils can draw an appropriate labelled diagram showing a complete electrical circuit. They use appropriate vocabulary such as ‘terminals, battery, bulb’ and most are able to explain how they managed to get the bulb to light. Chester Park Infant School - 35 89. The quality of teaching and learning is good in Years 1 and 2 because lessons are well planned,

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SCIENCE

good attention is given to pupils carrying out their own investigations and good use is made of scientific vocabulary to encourage pupils’ to think scientifically. Teachers have good subject knowledge, which they use well to promote learning. Teachers question pupils well, particularly in Year 2. For example, when creating their circuits, the teacher was constantly asking questions such as, ‘Why won’t this work? Will it work now? Why?’ and this encourages pupils to think more deeply about the task and learn to explain clearly what they mean. Most work is pitched at the appropriate level but occasionally lower attaining pupils do not get enough support to enable them to keep up with the work and higher attaining pupils are not challenged enough. Teachers are constantly assessing pupils’ learning in terms of the main objectives for individual lessons and this is good. However, sometimes this is not accurately recorded and so the value is lost.

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SCIENCE

Additionally, not enough attention is given to how pupils can improve their work or what teachers need to do to support individuals. When teaching is satisfactory rather than good, the teacher is not clear enough in her explanations nor does she make good use of scientific vocabulary and the pace is slow. As a result, pupils lose interest and do not make the gains of which they are capable. There is some evidence of the use of ICT to support science; for example, Year 2 pupils made simple graphs showing the number of mini-beasts seen in the school grounds and pupils in Year 1 used a graphics program.

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SCIENCE

90. Pupils have good attitudes to science, thoroughly enjoy the practical activities and concentrate well to complete their work. They enjoy their work in science and are keen to talk about what they have learned. They are keen to talk about their work in science at every opportunity. For example, when reading to an inspector, which involved talking about shadows, one pupil was very keen to explain to the other how shadows were created.

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SCIENCE

91. Leadership and management and overall provision for science are good. The subject leader is enthusiastic about science and promotes it not only through lessons but also through additional scientific activities such as ‘What’s in the box?’ in which pupils are actively involved in investigating scientific ideas. Additionally, the whole-school, parents and the community are involved in projects such as ‘ the Wind Garden and Healthy Eating’. The co-ordinator is very proactive in monitoring standards and provision in science. She observes teaching, discusses work with pupils and checks books and planning regularly and always takes action as a result of monitoring. All staff are involved in checking standards at the end of Year 2. She attends planning meetings to ensure the subject is well covered and taught. This has been particularly important recently because of the many staff changes and has ensured the good quality of

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SCIENCE

teaching and provision noted in the last inspection has been maintained. As a result of this, overall improvement has been satisfactory.

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ART AND DESIGN

92. In the last inspection attainment was found to be above average. During this inspection there was insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement on standards, as only one lesson was seen during the inspection and there was not enough evidence of work from pupils currently in the school to make a judgement on attainment or achievement. Pupils in Year 2 were spoken to about their work, work on display was reviewed, discussions were held with the co-ordinator and planning scrutinised. All of these indicate that the subject is covered in a satisfactory manner and pupils are developing appropriate knowledge and skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

93. Work on display shows that pupils in Year 1 have used glitter and crayons to create firework pictures. They have also drawn themselves and demonstrated sound and sometimes good observational skills in carrying out their work. Pupils in Year 2 are studying the technique of Henri Rousseau and have drawn tigers, using these techniques. Some of this work shows good attention to detail. Discussions with pupils in Year 2 confirmed that they use a variety of tools such as pencils, felt tips pens and pastels. The have used a variety of materials and techniques such as moulding clay, the creation of sculptures through forming shapes, mixing colours and learning to create light and dark tones. They know something of the work of Henri Rousseau for Chester Park Infant School - 36 example, that he uses a brush with only four hairs in it. The pupils spoken to could not name any other artist and did not think they had studied any others.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. In the lesson seen in Year 2, the pupils attained satisfactory standards overall. High attaining pupils used pastels well to provide subtle jungle effects and most pupils made good attempts at the task; smudging the pastels to create effects similar to the artist. Pupils were enthusiastic

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ART AND DESIGN

and enjoyed this lesson, which was well taught and well structured. Some use is made of ICT graphics programs to support work in art; for example, they use them to produce work in the style of Matisse.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. At the last inspection the co-ordinator of the subject was considered to be good. There is currently no co-ordinator for art and the senior management team is retaining a satisfactory overview of the subject. National guidelines are used to provide a scheme of work, otherwise planning for lessons is very limited. No assessment has been undertaken and no samples of work retained in order to judge standards so that overall there is no clear view of pupils’ attainment or how well pupils achieve during their time in school. This is not very helpful for staff who are inexperienced or new to the school. There are no sketchbooks or portfolios of work to monitor individual pupil or class achievement. The subject does not appear to be as well provided for as it was at the time of the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

96. There was no teaching of design and technology during the period of the inspection. Taking the work seen in pupils’ books, available records, and interviews with staff and pupils into account, pupils’ work by the end of Year 2 is in line with the national average and pupils achieve satisfactorily. They use tools and join materials in a variety of ways appropriate to their age. These standards are similar to those seen at the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. Pupils in the Year 2 classes have made Christmas stockings this term. This project was devised to link with their work in ICT, as pupils used computers to generate their designs. These were then printed and cut out to act as templates. Pupils are enthusiastic about the subject and talk about it in positive terms.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. The school uses national guidelines as its scheme of work and has adapted them as necessary. The subject leader is the deputy headteacher and she is enthusiastic about developing design and technology in the school. Monitoring of pupils’ progress is not sufficiently developed, as there is no coherent system of assessment at present. Teachers are not secure about the standard of work necessary to attain the various National Curriculum levels because they are not required to assess pupils’ work against these. The resources for the subject are satisfactory. There are scissors, hand tools- saws, bench hooks etc- as well as a range of components and other items. These are kept near the ICT suite, that is accessible to all staff who need to get equipment and materials for class work. However, there are some poor quality and redundant resources. For example, hot glue sticks and solder could well be disposed of so that there is more room for the

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. The assembling of a photographic record of the work of pupils is now established and this will be a valuable resource. Some of this is being done with a digital camera and photographs are put in the design and technology folders. The use of ICT to support pupils’ learning in this subject is being developed satisfactorily. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language have full access to this subject .

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GEOGRAPHY

100. It was possible to observe only one lesson during this inspection and judgements are based on discussions with pupils, looking at their work and displays around the school, and a discussion Chester Park Infant School - 37 with the subject leader. No judgement has been made on the quality of teaching. Standards in geography meet the national average for pupils at the end of Year 2, which is the same as at the time of the last inspection, and they achieve satisfactorily

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GEOGRAPHY

101. Pupils develop their geographical knowledge and skills well in Years 1 and 2. Pupils in Year 1 are familiar with some features of the local environment and they develop their geographical skills by drawing plans of objects on a table and imaginary maps of Red Riding Hood's route from home to her grandmother's house. Pupils in Year 2 are familiar with the map of the British Isles and can use it to locate places such as Bristol, London, Scotland and Cornwall. They continue to develop their knowledge of the local area and most are able to draw a plan to show the location of the buildings around the school. They have increased their understanding of a contrasting locality through their link with a school in Cornwall and their study of a seaside environment. All pupils in the school work with Barnaby Bear, a bear who ‘visits’ worldwide locations, makes a significant contribution to pupils' geographical awareness. Teachers have used a digital camera to record

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GEOGRAPHY

the local environment and as part of a traffic survey.

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GEOGRAPHY

102. However, care is not always taken by teachers to ensure that work is appropriate for all levels of ability. This is because the outcomes of pupils' learning are not recorded to enable teachers to target their teaching according to the needs of individual pupils. In the lesson observed, for example, a pupil who is lower attaining in literacy and numeracy had good geographical skills, which had not previously been identified. Progress for such pupils is reduced over time. Insufficient assessment was also identified in the last inspection report.

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GEOGRAPHY

103. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The responsibility for this currently lies with the senior management team in the school and not with a subject specialist. They check the teachers' planning but have not been able to observe the teaching of geography in order to support teachers in addressing the needs of all the ability groups in their classes. Although evidence of work in geography is collected, the examples of work are not annotated with details of the level of attainment they represent. This reduces their use in helping teachers to assess pupils' standards in geography.

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HISTORY

104. Standards in history at the time of the last inspection for pupils at the end of Year 2 were average for pupils of this age. These standards have been maintained and pupils continue to attain average standards. Pupils' achievement is satisfactory overall, with a good number achieving well. This is because of the good teaching in the subject, which enables pupils to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in history. However, the school has not yet developed a system for assessing pupils’ progress and achievement in history and this means that teachers do not plan work matched to the needs of all the pupils in the class. This reduces the achievement of some pupils, especially that of the lower attainers. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because of the support that is given to them.

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HISTORY

105. Pupils in Year 1 are able to sort modern toys from those of earlier times and give reasons for their decisions. They are beginning to develop their understanding of chronology and can place teddies of different ages in a sequence. Pupils in Year 2 develop their sense of chronology by comparing transport in the Victorian age with early motor cars and transport of nowadays. They know why Guy Fawkes attempted to destroy parliament and why poppies are used to remember the events of the First World War. They are able to compare the life of Florence Nightingale with that of Mary Seacole and the life of Queen Elizabeth I with that of Queen Elizabeth II. Pupils realise that the diary of Samuel Pepys provides evidence about the Great Fire of London.

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HISTORY

106. The quality of teaching and learning in lessons seen was good. It is satisfactory over time. Teachers plan well and make good use of historical artefacts to develop pupils' knowledge and understanding of the past. Visiting speakers are used effectively to enrich the history curriculum by talking about life in Fishponds when they were young. This helps pupils to distinguish between life in the area in earlier times and their own lives. Teachers make good use of history to Chester Park Infant School - 38 support pupils' reading and writing skills. This was seen when Year 1 pupils used adjectives printed on labels to describe modern and older toys. Pupils in Year 2 used reference books to find information about hospitals before the time of Florence Nightingale. Teachers also plan for specific speaking and listening opportunities for pupils in history, which help pupils to speak confidently and to structure their sentences. Although videos are well used to support the

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HISTORY

teaching of history, teachers do not make sufficient use of ICT as an information source. Additionally, work is not planned to meet the differing learning needs of pupils so they do not always achieve as well as they could

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HISTORY

107. Pupils enjoy their history lessons. They work well together and share their resources, which they treat with respect. They listen well to each other’s points of view and the subject makes a good contribution to the social development of the pupils.

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HISTORY

108. The management of history is good. The subject leader is enthusiastic and a subject specialist. She has a good understanding of the standards of history in the school through looking at the pupils' work and through talking with pupils. She provides good support for teachers in planning their history lessons, but examples of pupils' work have not been used to provide teachers with information to help them assess the levels at which pupils are working. There is a good range of resources for history.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

109. Standards in ICT are average at the end of Year 2. This is similar to what they were at the last inspection. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in relation to their attainment on entry to the school. The use of the computer suite and systematic curriculum planning contribute to this. Pupils learn the necessary skills to enable them to use computers for practical purposes such as word processing and handling data. By Year 2, pupils are confident and quick in their use of keyboard, mouse and menus. They alter the size, colour and font of their text and print it out. They enter data and display their results in different forms such as graphs and lists. Pupils have also programmed a robotic toy (‘Roamer’) so that it moves in prescribed directions. The planning ensures that pupils experience all areas of ICT required by the National Curriculum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

110. In the lessons seen, all teaching was either satisfactory or good. It was satisfactory overall. Lessons were well planned and teachers confident in their grasp of the subject. A feature of the good lessons was that teachers used their classroom skills effectively in the computer suite. They made sure that they explained clearly what pupils were going to learn and framed suitable questions that encouraged pupils to think about how computers would help them. In a Year 2 lesson, pupils were encouraged to edit a piece of writing by adding more interesting words. This linked well with their work in literacy and the teacher encouraged the pupils to think about how the use of the computer facilitated this. However, not all teachers adopted this approach and some were too focused on how to use the programs rather than explaining why the use of computers would be an effective way of carrying out a task. Teachers are positive in their relationships with

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

pupils and remind them about how they should take turns. Pupils usually work in pairs in the computer suites and this co-operative style of working makes a good contribution to their social development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

111. The accommodation and resources for ICT are good. The school now has a higher ratio of computers to pupils than the current government target of one computer to eleven pupils. This is much better than the situation at the last inspection. The computer suite is equipped with an interactive whiteboard that is a valuable teaching aid for demonstrating computer skills to the whole class. The computers themselves are up to date and the available software is good. All classrooms have desktop computers, which can be used through the course of the day. The use of ICT in other subjects, particularly literacy, is increasing as teachers become more confident in their grasp of the software available.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112. The subject is well led and managed. At the moment, two teachers act as subject leaders. One has been newly appointed as the subject leader and the other is an experienced teacher who Chester Park Infant School - 39 acted as a ‘caretaker’ subject leader last year. This arrangement means that there will be a smooth transition. The school uses national guidelines as its scheme of work. This provides good support for teachers when planning lessons. Teachers assess the work of pupils by using the recording system of this scheme. This ensures that teachers know which elements of the National Curriculum have been completed, but does not provide information about the National Curriculum levels that pupils attain. Not all teachers are confident about what these mean in practice and this is an area for further development. Pupils with special educational needs and pupils for whom English is an additional language are supported appropriately and have full

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MUSIC

113. During the period of the inspection few music lessons were taught. Taking into account the evidence from these lessons, discussion with relevant staff, and available records, the judgement is that, pupils reach standards above those expected nationally. This is similar to the situation at the last inspection. Pupils in Year 2 have used graphical notation to record simple compositions. They sing in tune with expression, and some explore the way that sounds can be combined and comment on the effects achieved. In assemblies the pupils sing with a sense of the shape of the melody and have an evident enjoyment in music making. A recording of a piece of music is played while pupils come into assembly and this helps pupils to gain a wider variety of musical experiences. Care is taken to talk about the piece of music, the instrument playing, and the composer. There are regular singing practices for all the Year 1 and 2 pupils and also for children

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MUSIC

in the Reception classes. Pupils enjoy these and quickly develop their ability to sing tunefully. There is also an annual production and Leavers’ Concert. These help pupils to build their confidence and foster performance skills. There are visits from musical groups and instrumentalists and the school obviously values music and music making.

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MUSIC

114. During the period of the inspection all of the teaching seen in music lessons was good or very good and is judged to be good overall. In a very good lesson in Year 1, pupils kept a steady pulse by using body movements and percussion instruments. They listened carefully to their own and others’ playing. In this lesson the teacher took care to use the correct names for the various Latin American instruments. Teachers also develop pupils’ skills in literacy by asking them to describe sounds and pupils responded with phrases like ‘ the sound of fairy footsteps’ to describe finger cymbals being played. Pupils respond well to music lessons and the co-operative work that they do in groups fosters their social development well. Teachers use ICT well to support music; for example, they draw pictures of musical instruments and use simple notation to represent composition.

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MUSIC

115. The subject leader was appointed to the post at the beginning of this term. She has qualifications in music as well as an enthusiasm for it. She is aware of the difficulties experienced by non- specialist teachers of the subject and supports colleagues by helping them to be fully aware of the appropriate work for each age group. The school uses national guidelines that satisfactorily cover all topics prescribed for the National Curriculum. Planning for the subject is clear. However, there are no effective assessment procedures and teachers lack knowledge of how the units of work relate to National Curriculum levels.

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MUSIC

116. Music resources are good in both quality and quantity. There is a set of instruments available for each of the year groups and these provide enough instruments for most lessons. Further resources that are kept in a central accessible location can supplement these sets. Pupils with special educational needs and pupils for whom English is an additional language are supported appropriately and have full access to this part of the curriculum.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

117. Standards in physical education at the end of Year 2 are the same as at the time of the last inspection. Overall, pupils attain average standards and achievement is satisfactory. In Chester Park Infant School - 40 gymnastics and games' activities pupils attain average standards, but in dance standards are above average.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

118. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of the effects of exercise on the body as a result of the good attention that teachers pay to this in all lessons. Pupils have satisfactory control when throwing beanbags into hoops. They remember and reproduce a sequence of movements in response to music and show considerable creativity in their dance when interpreting a poem about the wind. They are able to discuss differences between their performance and that of others but are not always encouraged by the teacher to make suggestions for improvements. In a gymnastics lesson, progress was reduced because pupils were not encouraged to improve the quality of their use of balance. In all areas of activity, pupils with special educational needs are integrated fully into lessons and achieve well in relation to their needs.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. Teachers plan lessons thoroughly and they pay good attention to health and safety factors. A good lesson in dance combined effective class management and organisation with challenging learning activities that built well on pupils' earlier learning. Pupils were encouraged to improve their performance by increasing

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

the strength of their movements resulting in good progress. In a Year 1 gymnastics lesson, pupils lost learning time because too long was taken in putting apparatus out and pupils had not received sufficient training in how to move apparatus.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

120. The subject leader provides satisfactory leadership and management of the subject. She has sought teachers' views on their confidence in teaching the different aspects of the subject and identified gymnastics as an area for further development. However, she has not recently had the opportunity of observing teachers to confirm these views and to develop the skills of the newer members of staff. She is beginning to involve the school in Sport England, which is enabling her to develop her own subject knowledge but as yet this has not been passed on to other teachers in the school. Photographs are kept of activities in which the pupils have taken part, but these are not used to identify the standards attained by the pupils. No record is kept of the progress pupils make in acquiring skills in physical education so that lessons can ensure that pupils build on what they can already do.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

121. Standards of attainment match the levels of the locally agreed syllabus at the end of Year 2 and pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, achieve satisfactorily. This is a similar finding to that of the last inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

122. Pupils in Year 1 develop their knowledge and understanding of religious stories such as Noah’s Ark. Through visits to the church they learn that it is a special place where hymns are sung and where people go to celebrate special events such as Harvest Festival. Through celebrations such as Diwali, Christmas and Easter they learn about special clothes, stories and activities which are significant in these events. For example, they know the story of Rama and Sita is special to the celebration of Diwali.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

123. By the time they are in Year 2, they further develop their knowledge of Christianity and the importance of symbolism through an exploration of artefacts found in churches, such as the Cross and the Bible. They know the Cross symbolises Jesus’ death and the Bible is a special book for Christians. In responding to religious stories such as Noah’s Ark they begin to question the validity of actions taken. For example, ‘I don’t think it was fair’ or ‘God should have given them another chance’. They learn about the importance of prayers to different religions through writing their own harvest prayers. They learn to explore their feelings about special events and gifts and why these are special. For example, ‘I had it from Grandma for my first birthday’. From a review of work and the lessons seen, teaching and learning in religious education are satisfactory overall. Chester Park Infant School - 41

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

124. Teachers use the scheme of work satisfactorily in order to cover the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. They plan lessons appropriately and provide an interesting range of resources to stimulate discussion. Teachers manage pupils well and achieve a good level of discipline, which helps with pupils’ learning. However, teachers do not always question pupils fully enough in order to develop their knowledge and understanding of religious practices or reflect more deeply on what they have learnt. Additionally, there is no indication from planning that teachers plan work to meet the differing learning needs of pupils.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

125. Pupils’ attitudes are good and they work well together to discuss their ideas about Christmas or about special gifts. This makes a good contribution to their social development as well as effectively promoting their learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

126. The co-ordinator is very new to the post. There was also a fairly new co-ordinator at the time of the last inspection. This reflects the large number of staff changes the school has had over a short period of time. However, she is keen to develop the subject and improve provision. She has already reviewed the policy, audited resources, monitored planning and given guidance at staff meetings. However, she has no clear view of standards in the subject and no assessment is carried out to enable her to gain a clear view of standards or achievement. This is necessary if she is to monitor teaching and learning effectively and support her colleagues in developing their skills in order to provide challenging lessons.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

127. The school uses the local education authority’s scheme of work for religious education, which is detailed, ensuring a good framework for planning lessons. There is a satisfactory range of resources to support the subject and the school makes effective use of the local church and parents from different religious backgrounds to enhance pupils’ learning further.

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