Hannah More Infant School

HANNAH MORE INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 17 – 20 February 2003

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HANNAH MORE INFANT SCHOOL

Inspection number: 246867 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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HANNAH MORE 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. Hannah More Infant School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Hannah More Infant School White Oak Way Nailsea Bristol Postcode: BS48 4YZ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr M.Brayley

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1998 Hannah More Infant School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

6327 Dr J.N.Thorp Registered inspector Science; Information and communication technology; Music What sort of a school is it? The school's results and pupils' achievements How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve? 13450 Mrs J.Madden Lay inspector Equal opportunities 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? 16831 Ms M.G.D.Ewart Team inspector The Foundation Stage curriculum; Mathematics; Art and design; Design and technology; Physical education How good are the curricular opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

24528 Mr G.Muton Team inspector Special educational needs; English; Geography; History; Religious education How well is the school led and managed? Hannah More Infant School - 6 The inspection contractor was:

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Full Circle

35 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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Full Circle

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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Full Circle

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Full Circle

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Hannah More Infant School - 7

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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? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is located in Nailsea, a commuter town about 8 miles to the south of Bristol. The school shares a very pleasant site with the neighbouring junior school. It is average in size, with 231 pupils on roll organised into 8 classes. Pupils are admitted into the school at the age of four. Attainment on entry to the school varies, but overall is generally above average. There are very few children who speak English as an additional language. Around 6% of pupils are entitled to a free school meal, which is well below the national average. There are 3 pupils with a statement of special educational need; in total around 4% of pupils are on the school's special educational needs register, which is low in comparison with other schools nationally. Most of the pupils with special educational needs have learning difficulties.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Hannah More Infants is a very good school. Its considerable strengths have already been recognised in its Beacon status. The headteacher provides very good leadership, maintaining the school’s positive ethos and providing clear educational direction for further development. There is strong teamwork amongst all the staff. Relationships throughout the school are excellent. Pupils achieve above average standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT. Teaching is consistently good and pupils respond very positively; they are keen and want to learn. The school’s considerable strengths far outweigh any weaknesses. It serves its pupils and the community very well indeed and provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

? Standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT are above average ? There is good provision for children in the Foundation Stage ? Pupils enjoy school and their attitudes to learning are very good; their behaviour is excellent ? Relationships throughout the school are excellent; the school is a very caring and supportive community ? The quality of teaching is consistently good; teachers are skilful and work very hard for their pupils ? The headteacher provides very good leadership, ensuring the school is moving forward ? Governors fulfil their responsibilities very well – financial planning is very good ? Parents have very positive views of the school; they contribute very effectively to children’s learning

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What could be improved

? the contribution of subject co-ordinators to the evaluation of teaching and learning ? pupils’ understanding of their own learning and what they need to do to improve it

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What could be improved

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 January 1998. There has been appropriate progress made in addressing most of the key issues identified in that report. There are now good schemes of work which clearly inform teachers’ planning and promote the progressive learning of skills. The progress pupils make is very carefully monitored in English and mathematics. Teachers’ classroom organisation is very good and they make very good use of their learning support assistants to enable them to work Hannah More Infant School - 9 with various smaller groups at different times. This enables them to organise different groupings and provide tasks and activities which are appropriate to the learning needs of these groups. Monitoring of teaching has improved, with the headteacher, in particular, having a clear view of strengths and weaknesses. Teachers continuing professional development needs are carefully identified and

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

addressed. However, the contribution of individual subject co-ordinators to the evaluation and development of teaching is not as fully developed as it might be. Given the effective leadership of the headteacher, the strong teamwork among staff and the high quality of teaching, the school is very well placed to continue improving.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Mathematics A A A A well below average E

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STANDARDS

Children enter the school with varying levels of prior attainment but, overall, this is generally above average. They make appropriate progress as they move through the school, achieving standards consistently well above average in reading and mathematics. In both these subjects a well above average proportion of pupils achieved the higher Level 3 when compared to all schools nationally and with similar schools. The table above shows that in 2002, although standards in comparison with other schools were above average in writing, they were in line with those achieved in similar schools. This is not as good as in the previous two years. In science, the results of statutory assessment in 2002 indicate that standards were above average.

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STANDARDS

Inspection findings indicate that pupils are continuing to achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics, and that in these subjects standards are currently above average. Standards of literacy and numeracy are good. Standards in science and ICT are also above average. In all other subjects in which a judgement could be made standards are in line with those expected of pupils their age. Children in the Foundation Stage make appropriate progress. Although opportunities for them to learn outdoors are restricted, they achieve the early learning goals set for them in each of the six areas of learning and sometimes exceed them.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Aspect Comment Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are happy in school and enjoy learning; they are interested, attentive and concentrate well in lessons. They try hard to do their best. Behaviour, in and out of Excellent in lessons and around the school, so the school functions as a Hannah More Infant School - 10 classrooms very orderly and purposeful community. Pupils are friendly, sociable and extremely polite to visitors. Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils work and play well together. They are confident and have good opportunities to take appropriate responsibilities around the school. Relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults are excellent. Parents are right to be pleased with the attitudes and values the school promotes.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Very good. Attendance is above average; unauthorised absence is below average. Pupils are generally punctual to school.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching is consistently good and has a major impact on the standards pupils achieve. Overall the quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection. The quality of teaching during literacy and numeracy lessons throughout the school is consistently high. Lessons are particularly effective when teachers ensure that pupils are fully aware of the specific learning objectives and how new learning is to build on what they have done previously. Classroom management is very good. Teachers manage pupils’ learning very effectively, making very good use of learning support assistants as they organise different groups in the class. Lessons usually proceed with good pace; there is no wasted time because resources are well prepared and teachers’ explanations and instructions are clear. The ways in which teachers motivate pupils to learn and the warm response they give to their efforts have a positive impact on the progress pupils make. Teachers make very

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

good use of questions to engage pupils’ attention and to assess their understanding, which sometimes also challenges more able children effectively. Teachers at the school work very hard and pupils benefit from the considerable effort they put into their teaching.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum is broad, well balanced and relevant. Teachers’ planning is good; regularly reviewed schemes of work ensure progression in pupils’ learning. The Foundation Stage curriculum is very good but could be improved still further with the provision of a more stimulating outdoor area. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Teachers and learning support assistants have a clear understanding of pupils’ needs; well thought out groupings are organised in lessons to enable them to work intensively with these pupils. At times there is insufficient reference to pupils’ individual education plans in Hannah More Infant School - 11 teachers’ planning. Small withdrawal group work contributes positively to the progress these pupils make.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. Provision for pupils’ personal development is a strong feature of the school. Provision for social development is excellent, contributing to first class relationships; provision for moral development is very good and for spiritual development it is good. Overall provision for cultural development is satisfactory, but more could be done to extend pupils’ understanding of contemporary, multicultural society.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. There are high levels of care, support and concern for the welfare of all pupils in the school. This has a positive impact on pupils’ personal development and learning. All pupils feel valued as individuals. Good procedures have been developed to monitor and support pupils’ academic progress. Assessment in subjects other than English and mathematics is underdeveloped. Overall, parents have very positive views of the school; the great majority are very pleased with the progress their children are making. They feel welcome in the school and listened to. The school actively encourages parental involvement and their contribution to pupils’ learning at school and home is very good.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very good leadership, ensuring clear direction and purpose for the school. There is a strong sense of teamwork among all the staff. The headteacher monitors and evaluates teaching and learning effectively but the role of the individual co-ordinators in contributing to this monitoring is not yet fully developed.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities very effectively. They have a good awareness of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. However, there is no formalised strategic plan for medium and long- term development in areas such as management, finance, premises and staffing.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The headteacher analyses the results of assessment and tracks individual pupils’ progress effectively. Her regular monitoring of teaching throughout the school enables her to identify aspects for development.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. Financial management is very good and resources are used well to support the continuing development of the school. The finance committee works very closely with the headteacher. The school improvement plan appropriately identifies priorities for setting the budget. Hannah More Infant School - 12 Good levels of staffing contribute positively to the progress pupils make. Accommodation is satisfactory overall. The classrooms are adequate in size but quiet corners are cramped, particularly when they are used for whole class activities. There is very limited outdoor play space for children under five. Learning resources are satisfactory.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

? children make good progress and do well ? children are happy and keen to go to school ? parents have good opportunities to be involved ? behaviour in school is very good ? the school is as concerned about children’s social development as their academic progress ? teachers care for the children very well ? the very good provision of information for parents ? there were no aspects of the life and work of the school which parents would like to see improved

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agreed with the many positive views expressed by parents about the school. They are right to be very pleased with many aspects of the school's provision. Inspectors did not agree there were no aspects of the school’s work that could be improved. Hannah More Infant School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 Test results in 2002 indicated that standards in reading and mathematics were well above average when compared with all schools nationally. When results are compared with those of pupils in similar schools the picture is equally positive, with pupils achieving standards well above average in these two subjects. In writing results were not quite as good; standards were above average compared with all schools but in line with those achieved by pupils in similar schools. Since attainment on entry to the school is generally average or above, these results indicate that pupils have made appropriate progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 An analysis of recent statutory assessment results indicates that there has been consistent high levels of attainment in reading and mathematics over the last three years. In writing, however, while standards have been consistently better than those achieved in other schools nationally, there has been some fluctuation and in some years they have not been as high as in others and not as high as in reading. Particularly pleasing is the high proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 3 in tests in reading and mathematics. The school makes good use of the analysis of results to identity where its particular strengths lie and to set challenging targets for further improvement. These targets were all achieved in 2002. Test results over the past four years indicate that the performance of boys has improved year on year in reading, writing and mathematics, while girls’ performance has been more consistent but not improved.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 The good teaching seen throughout the school is having a major impact on ensuring that pupils continue to make the progress of which they are capable. Pupils’ learning and the standards of their literacy and numeracy are good. The school has identified as a priority the need to address the fluctuations in the standard of pupils’ writing, with staff agreeing the setting of a curricular target in writing.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 By the time pupils leave the school at the age of seven, their speaking and listening skills are good and generally above average compared to those found in other schools. Across the school pupils speak clearly and confidently. They make good progress in acquiring an appropriate range of vocabulary because teachers are constantly emphasising its importance and provide good opportunities for them to widen the range of words they use. Pupils are taught to listen carefully to others and most are confident to express their ideas and feelings openly. Teachers are good role models and as a result discussions are good and pupils contribute fully.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5 Pupils achieve much better than average standards in their reading by the time they leave the school because reading is given a high priority. Teachers provide very good opportunities for pupils to develop their reading skills in a variety of situations across the curriculum and at times other than in lessons. This contributes most positively to the good progress they make. Generally, pupils try hard to improve and so the quality of their learning is good.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6 Pupils make appropriate progress in writing and by the time they leave the school standards are generally above average. They make good efforts to improve their spelling, but more could be done to improve their handwriting. Pupils write for a range of purposes and writing is used effectively to develop work in other subjects. Hannah More Infant School - 14 7 The high standards in mathematics have been maintained over the past three years. The consistently good teaching in mathematics contributes to the progress pupils make. The evidence of the inspection confirms that pupils of all abilities are continuing to make good progress. The mental mathematics activities at the start of lessons are briskly managed, with good pace, which enables teachers to move learning on effectively, not only consolidating pupils’ understanding of number facts but also challenging the higher attaining pupils. Pupils use their mathematical skills in other subjects,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

such as science and design and technology.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8 Standards in science are currently above average compared with those expected of pupils this age which confirms the results of teacher assessment last year. There is a clear emphasis on investigative and experimental science which is ensuring that pupils make good progress in this aspect of their work. Teachers ensure pupils are familiar with the idea of a fair test by the time they are seven and help them plan and undertake investigations. The results of national tests last year indicate that pupils did better in this aspect of science than in others.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9 Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) overall are better than those expected; the work of pupils currently in the school indicates that standards are above average. This is an improvement since the previous inspection which has resulted from the increased confidence of teachers, their good use of the resources now available and the good support which they and learning support assistants are able to give.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10 Attainment in other subjects, in which there was sufficient evidence available to support a judgement, including religious education, is in line with what is expected of pupils of at the age of seven. There were few opportunities to observe teaching and learning in music and consequently there was insufficient evidence to support a judgement about standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11 Although there is some evidence available to indicate that the attainment of children entering the school is not as good as it has been, for the majority it is at least average and often above average for their age. Nevertheless, throughout the school pupils are keen to learn and as a result their learning is good. This ensures that they continue to make the progress of which they are capable. By the end of the Foundation Stage children achieve the early learning goals set for them in all areas of learning and frequently exceed them. By the time they leave the school pupils achieve good standards in significant areas of the curriculum because of the consistently good teaching and high levels of encouragement they receive.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12 Pupils with special educational needs make good progress overall. The school’s approach to educational inclusion for these pupils is good. They are fully involved in their classes and well supported and helped by learning support staff. They also enjoy their work in small withdrawal groups where this is appropriate.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13 This continues to be a strength of the school. Behaviour is excellent, an improvement on the findings of the last inspection while relationships, attitudes to learning and attendance remain very good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14 Particular strengths in this area of school life are the mutual respect shown between teachers and children, pupils’ happiness in school, their enjoyment in learning and desire to do their best in lessons and the delightful behaviour of pupils during playtimes. Hannah More Infant School - 15 15 Pupils, often accompanied by their parents into the classroom, arrive in the mornings cheerful and ready to work. The start of the school day is orderly and pupils settle quickly. During lessons they are attentive and interested and, in the main, completely engaged in their activities. This was clearly illustrated in an excellent Year 2 lesson of extended writing when pupils, inspired by the teacher’s lively and engaging style, enjoyed the activity and worked hard to produce their very best piece of work. Pupils with special needs are fully engaged in lessons and in every activity. The support they receive from other pupils and the learning support assistants is a constant boost to their self-esteem.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Pupils with the severest disabilities are at home in the school and confident that the adults will respond to their needs without disrupting the flow of teaching and learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16 Behaviour in all aspects of school life, in the classroom, in the playground and when making visits, is excellent. Parents are in agreement and say that teachers are calm and respond firmly to pupils whilst positively reinforcing good behaviour. In the playground pupils play happily together with no signs of rough or boisterous behaviour as they play on the equipment provided. There have been no exclusions in the previous year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17 Relationships in the school, which are excellent, are modelled by the staff and permeate every aspect of school life. Pupils are attentive when the teachers are speaking and listen carefully to each other; as a result, they are interested and challenged and feel confident to offer ideas when asked. Teachers involve all pupils very well by encouraging and helping individuals so that pupils are excited by their success and are keen to get to the next stage of learning. This was clearly demonstrated in a Year 1 science lesson which was working on electricity.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18 Pupils’ personal development is very good. They readily accept responsibility for themselves, from the time they enter school they are encouraged to be independent in the classroom in using resources, tidying away and planning as much of their work as possible. It is very apparent in pupils’ work that they think for themselves and are used to trusting their own ideas. They take part in the local music festival, the science fair, raise money through annual sponsored events and support national and local charities which all help to further their understanding of their place in the wider world.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19 Attendance is very good and well above the national average and unauthorised absence below the national average. The majority of pupils arrive on time but a number of parents take their children out of school for longer than is prescribed for holidays which has a marked effect on their ability to make progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20 The quality of teaching throughout the school is good. A high proportion of the teaching seen during the inspection was good or better; in three out of ten lessons it was very good or excellent. A strong feature of all lessons is the very good management of both learning and pupils’ behaviour which are so successful because teachers clearly and consistently communicate what they expect right from the start. They use a range of strategies which successfully enables them to ensure behaviour is good. The quality of teaching has improved overall since the previous inspection; it is a real strength of the school and has a positive impact on the progress pupils make.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21 The teaching of children in the Foundation Stage 1 is good overall. The teachers working in each of the classes with these children have a clear understanding of their needs and give careful

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

The Foundation Stage covers the period from a child’s entry to school through to the end of the reception year. Hannah More Infant School - 16 attention and proper emphasis to extending their personal and social development. They provide good opportunities for these young children to work in a variety of contexts, as a whole class, on their own and in groups supported by teachers or learning support assistants. For example, in one very good lesson, a teacher was able to work intensively with a small group of children, reinforcing their ability to work with different coins and to recognise written amounts. Planning was clear and well structured and the teacher promoted the children’s understanding of appropriate mathematical language well, using terms such as ‘set’. She enabled these young children to learn from each other as they worked together on a game with dice, picking up on an individual child’s observation to help the entire group to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

learn. She managed the group’s behaviour extremely well, using very effective strategies to ensure that their learning was good. Overall in the Foundation Stage a good balance of approaches to learning is achieved, although there are restricted opportunities to promote children’s learning outside. Teachers, learning support assistants and other adults working with these children insist that they listen carefully, successfully establishing appropriate routines for speaking and listening right from the start. Good use is made of opportunities for children to plan, do and review their own activities which is effective in promoting children’s learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22 Teachers in Key Stage 1 have a good knowledge of the subjects they teach. They are able to draw on a range of strategies to manage their pupils' behaviour very well and to motivate them in their learning. They plan their lessons carefully and provide a good range of interesting activities to develop pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. The best lessons contain many strengths. For example, in one very good English lesson with her Year 2 pupils the teacher engaged them very successfully in story writing. Making use of traditional story conventions and artefacts to stimulate pupils’ thinking and encourage them to use their imagination, this cleverly done introduction ensured they were quickly engrossed in the lesson. The teacher’s excellent sympathetic style, colourful manner and humour worked very well indeed, resulting in pupils bringing a very wide vocabulary to recording their own ideas and being fully involved in their own writing. The teacher, along with other adults in the class,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

provided very good support as pupils wrote and challenged pupils of all capabilities to do their best. Such skilful teaching has a most positive impact on the good progress pupils make.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23 Throughout the school teachers manage pupils’ learning most effectively. Where teaching is particularly strong, a most noticeable feature is the way teachers constantly make very good use of learning support assistants and other adults to enable them to organise different groupings in the class, each with tasks and activities chosen to meet particular learning needs. This ensures that pupils’ learning is good. Generally teachers manage their lessons with good pace, which sustains pupils’ interest and keeps them fully engaged and involved. They explain things clearly and challenge their pupils constantly with questions which make them think and extend their understanding.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24 On the very few occasions when the quality of teaching falls below this good standard, although it remains satisfactory, teachers do not consistently explain the learning objectives at the start of their lesson, nor return to them in the plenary parts of lessons. While teachers are conscientious in their marking of pupils' work and verbally they respond very warmly and positively to pupils’ efforts, there is a lack of judgement about the standards achieved in their annotated notes and insufficient indication of how pupils might improve or extend what they have done. At times teachers’ handwriting is not helpful to pupils trying to improve theirs.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25 Pupils with special educational needs are taught well. Pupils’ work is often organised so that those with special educational needs can work together with their teacher or a learning support assistant. This ensures they make good progress. The excellent relationships within the classroom and the calm atmosphere are especially helpful to those pupils who have difficulties with their learning. All pupils are included in discussions. Teachers treat the contributions of those with special educational Hannah More Infant School - 17 needs with great sensitivity. Teachers and learning support staff have a good understanding of pupils’ needs but there is no indication in teachers’ planning of how classroom activities relate to pupils’ individual education plans.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26 The curriculum is broad and balanced, covering the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. All other statutory curricular requirements, including those for the Foundation Stage and sex and drugs education, are met. At the time of the previous inspection, some schemes did not identify clear progression in pupils’ learning. This has since been improved and the school now has a programme of curriculum review to ensure the regular updating of policies and schemes of work. The recently revised ICT curriculum is now a strength. Subjects are linked together into termly themes so that children see coherence in what they are learning.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27 The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are used effectively to guide the teaching of basic skills. The use of the Early Literacy Support materials helps to boost the attainment of some pupils in Year 1 who are withdrawn from class for short periods and taught in small groups. Pupils use the skills they acquire across the curriculum, for example, measuring activities in a topic on All About Me . These opportunities are planned as part of the cross-curricular topic work which the school uses effectively as the method of curriculum delivery.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28 Planning for the Foundation Stage follows national guidance in covering all areas of learning. The curriculum is very good but could be improved still further by the provision of a more stimulating outdoor area for the regular use of reception class children.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29 The curriculum is well planned to match the various levels of attainment in classes and ensure that all pupils are included through access to the whole curriculum. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The school complies with the Code of Practice for pupils with special educational needs and individual education plans identify appropriate targets. Teachers plan special activities for these pupils especially in English and Mathematics and make every effort to ensure that the activities are suitable. In Year 2, for example, there is a specific education plan for a group of pupils and a new resource Jolly Phonics has been purchased in order to meet the specific needs of this group with regard to their knowledge of letter sounds. Teachers also ensure that pupils have full access to all the opportunities offered to other pupils and where appropriate extra support is arranged. On the very few occasions when there are pupils in the school for whom English is an

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

additional language provision is very good. Several gifted and talented pupils have been identified by the school and teachers set extension work for them in relevant subjects. Last year two pupils attained Level 4 (the expected level for 11 year olds) in their Year 2 tests.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30 The curriculum is enriched by good links within the community, for instance, to the local church. Pupils visit local places of interest of relevance to their study topics, such as farms, wildlife reserves, museums, cathedrals, castles and docks. They have taken part in the science fair and the music festival. Visitors to school include a puppet theatre and musicians.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31 Having surveyed the activities that are open to pupils in local clubs, like Brownies for example, and at the neighbouring junior school, the school decided that there was no need to provide extra- curricular activities for its young children. However, a recent decision has been made to begin a computer club in the summer term in order to meet the perceived need that some pupils do not have access to a computer at home. Hannah More Infant School - 18 32 Links with other schools are good. Teachers visit several playgroups in the summer term before children enter school in September. Pupils transfer smoothly to the neighbouring junior school. As part of its Beacon School programme, the school welcomes teachers from other schools to see some of its best work.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33 The calm, caring and purposeful ethos of the school is one of its greatest strengths and contributes to the personal development of all pupils. Provision within the curriculum for personal, social and health education is satisfactory, as the school has recently adopted a local scheme and is making this a focus of development. The school has also recently gained Schools for Health accreditation.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34 The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. Pupils’ ideas are listened to and they learn to value themselves and others through the strong caring relationships that are fostered by the school. They reflect on what is special about themselves and others and learn also to respect differences. In one display of work pupils considered what was valuable but could not be bought, such as their parent’s love. Opportunities are provided in assemblies for pupils to look inwards and develop their feelings, and outwards to celebrate the wonders of the world.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35 The school makes very good provision for pupils’ moral education. All staff are good role models and pupils are helped to understand the difference between what is right and wrong in a supportive way. There is a climate of mutual respect in which everyone considers the feelings of others. Pupils play together from the youngest age with no hint of conflict. Indeed, no instances of poor behaviour were seen during the inspection.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36 There is excellent provision for pupils’ social development. In lessons pupils learn to work co- operatively, to take turns and to share and to listen carefully to others when they are speaking. They take responsibility for keeping their classrooms tidy and there are lists of monitors with special responsibilities. Staff work to develop pupils’ self esteem through, for example, assemblies in which their achievements are celebrated. Pupils make excellent progress in this aspect of their development so that their social skills contribute effectively to their learning.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37 Cultural education is satisfactory. Pupils learn about famous artists and musicians. They take part in a local music festival and participate each year in the Nailsea Carnival. Observing the annual cycle of celebrations is part of the school’s tradition, for instance making Mother’s Day cards, Christmas decorations, lanterns for Chinese New Year, and having a harvest festival. However, the school does not do enough to promote multi-cultural awareness. There are insufficient resources to promote pupils’ understanding of contemporary multi-cultural society and there are too few opportunities to develop pupils’ awareness of other cultural traditions in the topics they study.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38 The school continues to take very good care of its pupils who are all very well known to their class teachers and more generally across the school. This was emphasised by parents at the pre- inspection meeting.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39 The main strengths in this area are the supportive ethos of the school, the procedures for monitoring and supporting the excellent behaviour and the very good use teachers make of praise to reward, encourage and motivate pupils. Hannah More Infant School - 19 40 The school meets the individual needs of all pupils, including those with special needs who are well provided for inside and outside the classroom. Highly skilled learning support assistants and the use of carefully planned work supports them very well. The recently introduced Code of Practice for pupils with special educational needs is securely in place and contributing to their learning. However, pupils who are of very high ability are not always stretched to the limits of these abilities.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41 The school provides a safe environment for pupils. All staff are aware of their responsibilities for the health and safety of pupils and regularly report any problems, as well as emphasising safety in the classroom. This was well demonstrated in a Year 1 lesson on electricity and a Year 2 design and technology lesson where pupils wore goggles. Termly checks are carried out in the school and reported to governors. Risk assessments are carried out when necessary, including when pupils leave the school for visits. Child protection is taken seriously and all staff have received training as well as being updated each time extra training is undertaken by a member of staff.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42 The promotion and monitoring of attendance in the school are very good and attendance is high in comparison with national standards. The headteacher carefully monitors absence and lateness and is very well aware of the circumstances of each incident. The school and the Education Welfare Officer have regular contact with parents whose children are consistently absent. The school rejects requests for absence except for genuine family holidays and other necessary reasons in an effort to ensure parents understand the seriousness of missing school to pupils’ progress.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43 Procedures for the support and promotion of the excellent behaviour in the school are based on the consistent application of behaviour strategies including the development of self-esteem and the use of praise and encouragement. In the classroom pupils are very well managed, they are fully engaged and teachers respond very positively to all their suggestions. Teachers consistently reinforce their expectations telling both children and parents what they expect and, as a result, pupils work intently and are keen to contribute, with neither the time nor inclination for inappropriate behaviour. This was exemplified in the majority of lessons seen during the inspection and is apparent across the school from Reception through to Year 2. The school has ensured, through discussion in class and assemblies, that bullying in the school is minimal. Any small incidents are dealt with swiftly and pupils are aware that they should talk to an adult if they are worried. They are well supported and supervised

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

during their times in the playground where younger pupils are separated for safety and comfort.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44 Pupils’ personal development is a high priority and parents say that teachers are as concerned about this as they are about academic progress. The school makes every effort to accentuate the positive aspects of pupils’ achievements inside and outside school. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves, plan their activities, get out the equipment and tidy away, from the Foundation Stage onwards. At the end of the academic year pupils have one to one discussions with their teachers to enable them to create a comment sheet on the school year that goes out with the report to parents. When pupils start at the school or move on to the junior school they are well supported. They are given between two and six weeks part-time education depending on their adjustment to school life before starting full time education and pay regular visits to the junior school before moving on. A profile is created for each pupil giving examples of work, child and parent

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

comment sheets, reports, pastoral care sheets, assessments and record sheets which are passed on from teacher to teacher as pupils move through the school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45 The school makes good provision for pupils with special educational needs. The progress of these pupils is formally reviewed twice per year although this arrangement does not preclude other reviews that might be thought necessary. A special time is set aside for these reviews when supply teachers are used to enable the teachers to discuss pupils’ progress with the headteacher. Individual Hannah More Infant School - 20 Education Plans (IEPs) are produced following these reviews and appropriate targets set for the pupils. However, these targets are not always phrased in terms that allow precise measurement of progress. IEPs do not list the strengths of individual pupils and therefore only give a partial picture of the pupil. Where pupils require a statement of educational need from the local education authority the headteacher takes advice from educational psychologists and other agencies and is very rigorous in

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

ensuring that these pupils receive the provision to which they are entitled.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46 At the last inspection it was found that the school had a very good partnership with parents, and this continues to be the case. All parents who responded to the questionnaire say that their children are happy in school, and that teaching and behaviour are good. The vast majority of parents say that their children are making good progress, working hard and being helped to become mature and responsible. They agree that the school is well managed, working closely with them as parents so they feel comfortable in their relationships with the school. Slightly fewer parents feel they are kept well informed about their children’s progress. Just over 30% of responses indicate that they feel the school is making insufficient provision in the range of out of classroom activities. The inspection team disagrees and considers that the school makes satisfactory provision in this area of school life.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47 Particular strengths of the school’s partnership with parents include, regular consultations with parents, the standard and quantity of information provided for them and the daily contact between parents and teachers as pupils are taken to and collected from the classrooms. Parents consider that this is an excellent school.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48 The school provides very good links with parents. From their first contact with the school, they are given the opportunity to attend celebrations and spend time in the classroom. In addition an evening session is organised so that all prospective parents can tour the school and receive the necessary information to ensure a smooth start to their child’s school life.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49 The school prospectus is well written and informative and a fortnightly newsletter and parental notice boards provide a good picture of school life as well as keeping parents up to date. An annual evening keeps parents abreast of literacy matters; there is also an excellent booklet to help them listen to reading in a positive and constructive way. Annual reports to parents are very good, providing a clear picture of their child’s growing personal development and their academic progress and areas in which they, as parents, can help them progress. The school appreciates parents’ comments on these reports. Parent teacher consultations are held twice a year and are very well attended; teachers make every effort to ensure all parents have a convenient time to discuss their children. In addition parents are in and out of classrooms daily and have many informal opportunities to talk to teachers and see the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50 Parents are consulted about their thoughts on the school’s good and bad points and receive feedback via the newsletters. Their suggestions may also be incorporated into the School Development Plan.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51 The school benefits from a huge amount of assistance from parents who help in the classroom and around the school. Indeed, all classes always have at least one parent, including fathers, in the classroom on a regular basis. These parents are valued by the school and given interesting work to do whilst in the school. Parents with special skills are used in the education of pupils to help widen their horizons. The school association provides considerable amounts of money to improve provision in the school including playground resources. The homework policy is clear to parents and most parents Hannah More Infant School - 21 spend time on a regular basis reading with their children and this is clearly influencing the high reading standards.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52 Parents of pupils with special educational needs are invited to meet with the headteacher and their child’s class teacher to discuss the result of the review of their child’s progress. They are not present at the initial review which is conducted by the headteacher and class teacher. Whilst the school is open to suggestions from parents about the content of the draft Individual Education Plans for their child the final versions do not identify any specific contributions that parents have made to the discussion.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53 The leadership and management of the school are good overall with some very good features. The headteacher is a very effective leader who enjoys the respect of staff, governors and parents. The excellent relationships, which are an outstanding feature of the school, are skilfully and sensitively nurtured and promoted by the headteacher. She knows the strengths and professional needs of all of her staff and is devoted to ensuring that the needs of the pupils in the school remain the top priority. She knows the strengths and weaknesses of every child in the school. Her leadership is friendly but very firm.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54 The overall monitoring of the school’s performance is good. Since the last inspection the headteacher has established a performance management structure which includes the monitoring of teachers and support staff. These procedures have been used to identify the professional development and training need of all members of staff. Training has been arranged when opportunities have arisen. However, the high degree of professional trust that exists between teachers has not been used as a basis from which to create rigorous procedures for evaluating some aspects of the school’s performance and taking appropriate action. This is particularly true in the foundation subjects where there remains scope for the raising of standards and where there is insufficient monitoring of attainment and tracking of pupils’ progress. The effectiveness of some of the subject co-ordinators has, therefore, been limited although there are examples, particularly in ICT, where subject leadership

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55 The governing body is very effective in fulfilling its statutory duties. The chair of governors ensures that meetings are managed efficiently and that governors are provided with sufficient information to carry out their work. The relationship between the headteacher and governors is excellent. Governors take their role of being a ‘critical friend’ very seriously and challenge the headteacher when appropriate to justify policy decisions. The governing body is very well served by the clerk to the governors who is also the school clerical assistant and finance officer and is therefore very well informed. The finance committee works very closely with the headteacher to prepare, approve and review budgets and spending. The extent to which the finance committee applies the principles of best value is good. The use of specific grants of money and special funding is also very good. Good examples of this include the management of funds allocated for special educational needs

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and the grants awarded after the school had been invited to accept beacon status.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56 Governors know the school and its strengths very well; many are parents or staff members. Governors who have special roles, for example the special needs governor, know their own areas very well. However, the governing body does tend to rely upon the headteacher to identify the priorities for development. Whilst individual governors are aware of the issues facing the school and there is information available to inform decisions there is no formalised strategic plan for the medium and long Hannah More Infant School - 22 term in areas such as management, finance, premises and staffing. Nevertheless the overall effectiveness of the governing body is good.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57 One of the strengths of the school is the induction of new staff. The headteacher is very aware of the importance of supporting new teachers and support staff and plans very carefully the way in which they become familiar with the school procedures and supports them very well as they take on new responsibilities. There are a number of instances within the school of individuals progressing professionally as a result of the very sensitive and effective induction procedures. The match of the skills and expertise of the staff to the demands of the curriculum is very good. For example, the English co-ordinator is a leading literacy teacher and the ICT co-ordinator acts as a trainer for the local education authority. The headteacher acts as a consultant to other schools and is a tutor for new headteachers. Co-ordinators are confident and competent in their own subject areas and the contribution of learning support assistants to the work of the school is excellent. The staff are very

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

committed to further improvement and success but this commitment is too narrowly focussed and so opportunities for raising standards in some areas of the curriculum are missed.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58 The school’s accommodation is satisfactory overall. Some of its current deficiencies, such as the size of the staff room and the ageing temporary classroom, are being addressed in an agreed building improvement. The classrooms are adequate but not spacious and the quiet corners, in particular, are rather cramped when they are used for whole class activities, as in literacy lessons. Some areas of the school have a rather shabby appearance. The play areas include an attractive grove of trees which is very exciting for the pupils and provides a good learning resource, particularly for art and science. There is no secure outdoor play space for the under fives, the possible development of which is impeded by the school having to keep open a vehicular right of way to its neighbouring junior school.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59 The school library doubles as an ICT suite with a small number of computers. The dual use of this room restricts the use of the library and, as a result, the non-fiction books are not used as much as if they were distributed around the classrooms. The number of computers in the school meets the minimum requirements. The range and number of books available for pupils is good. Two interactive whiteboards, recent additions to the school’s equipment, are very effectively used for teaching. Resources in other subjects are satisfactory. Hannah More Infant School - 23

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

60 The headteacher, staff and governors should continue to build on the success they have had in developing the school. To further improve the standards of pupils’ attainment and the quality of education they should now:

p.23

foundation subjects by:

(a) devising strategies to enable them to monitor and support teaching and learning in the subjects for which they are responsible (b) ensuring co-ordinators establish appropriate assessment procedures in the subjects where they are under-developed (c) extending their responsibilities for tracking pupils’ progress in their subjects

p.23

foundation subjects by:

(Paragraphs: 54; 104; 108; 114; 120; 136; 140)

p.23

develop or extend what they do by:

(a) ensuring that teachers explain the learning objectives clearly to pupils at the start of each lesson (b) reviewing pupils’ learning during the plenary parts of lessons (c) adding judgements about pupils’ learning to the annotated comments teachers already make on pupils’ work (d) ensuring an agreed policy informs all teachers’ marking of pupils’ work (e) extending the written comments teachers make in pupils’ books to provide a clear indication of how they might improve their work (f) providing further challenge for higher attaining pupils in comments on their work (g) improving the quality of teachers’ handwriting as an example to pupils in their books

p.23

inclusion in the action plan:

Provide more opportunities and resources to support pupils’ learning about contemporary multicultural society. (Paragraphs: 37; 86)

p.23

inclusion in the action plan:

Take steps to improve pupils’ handwriting. (Paragraphs 6; 69; 89;90)

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inclusion in the action plan:

Provide appropriate and secure space and equipment for play and learning outdoors for children in the Foundation Stage . (Paragraphs 28; 63; 81) Hannah More Infant School - 24

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 231

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 14

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 10

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 16

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Attendance

School data 4.2 School data 0 Hannah More Infant School - 25 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.24

Attendance

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

p.25

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 31 48 79

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 30 29 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 48 48 48

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

Percentage of pupils School 99 ( 96 ) 97 ( 95 ) 100 ( 99 ) at NC level 2 or above National 84 ( 84 ) 86 ( 86 ) 90 ( 91 )

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 30 31 30 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 48 47 48

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 99 ( 97 ) 99 ( 90 ) 99 ( 99 ) at NC level 2 or above National 85 ( 85 ) 89 ( 89 ) 89 ( 89 )

p.25

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 2 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Hannah More Infant School - 26

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.4 Financial year 2001 - 2002

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.6

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 477653

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 473923

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 181 Expenditure per pupil 2070

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 45621

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 49351

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

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. Hannah More Infant School - 27

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 71 28 1 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 63 37 0 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 58 39 2 0 1

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 58 31 7 2 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 77 18 3 1 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 67 31 0 0 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 52 40 4 3 1

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 70 27 1 0 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 66 31 1 0 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 19 28 24 7 22 Hannah More Infant School - 28

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61 Most children enter school with above average abilities in all areas of learning, having benefited from attendance at pre-school playgroups. Teachers report that children who have not attended playgroups and score below average on entry catch up quickly with their peers in reception class. As a result of good teaching, all children attain the early learning goals, most are working within Level 1 of the National Curriculum and some are working at Level 2, in speaking and listening, for example, by the time they leave reception class and move into year one. Transition into Key Stage 1 is therefore smooth.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62 Teachers visit playgroups in the summer term and welcome children and their parents on visits to the school. They use the baseline assessments, carried out when children enter school, to guide their planning and to predict likely attainment when children reach the end of the Foundation Stage at five and the end of Key Stage 1 at seven. Teachers annotate children’s work on a daily basis which provides an effective method for teachers to track progress and compare it with predictions.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63 The school has three reception classes, one of which also has some Year 1 pupils. The teachers plan together, so children have similar experiences in all three classes. Support staff are very well briefed. Planning is based on the national guidelines for the Foundation Stage 2 and on the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy frameworks. These have been incorporated into what was already a clear structure for the school day which allows children to benefit from whole class and small group teaching as well as considerable time for independent activities. Overall provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. In most areas the high quality of provision has been maintained since the previous inspection, although there is inadequate appropriate and secure space and equipment for play and learning outdoors.

p.28

Personal, social and emotional development

64 This area of learning is a strength as a direct result of very good teaching by all reception class staff. Adults treat children with unfailing care and respect. Children learn from these examples and develop very good relationships with one another. They are polite, they share, they take turns and they enjoy working together. They also display a keen sense of fun. One boy ‘told off’ a teacher for forgetting to include his name. She whispered to him, sharing the joke, and as he returned to his place he put on an annoyed face, shook his head and put his hands on his hips – truly a wonderful comic performance!

p.28

Personal, social and emotional development

65 Children are given a lot of freedom to initiate and follow up their own ideas and adults listen carefully as they explain what they are doing or trying to achieve. As a result, children develop self- confidence and a belief that they can learn. This provides the foundation to so many of the positive attitudes to learning seen in older pupils in the school.

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

2 Curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage – Qualifications and Assessment Authority 2000 Hannah More Infant School - 29 66 Teaching in this area of learning is very good. Talk is encouraged through all activities. Children take turns and listen carefully to others as they take part in the whole class introductions to each session. Teachers’ questions elicit responses from even the most reticent children, the majority answer in full sentences and the most able reply in long, complex sentences worthy of much older pupils. Talk is used to negotiate, for example, when children work out who is to take which part in the role play area, to explain when children show one another how something works or to clarify thinking when a child voices ideas to improve a model. Skilful adult interaction develops these forms of talk through modelling and questioning.

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

67 All children enjoy the shared reading of big books. In one lesson, the teacher told the story so vividly that children were captivated by it and joined in as the teacher read the words aloud. The teacher taught reading strategies, such as using initial sounds and looking for familiar words. She called attention to the detail of the pictures and children were able use clues to be able to predict what might happen next and how the characters were feeling. One child pointed to a tiny figure of a squirrel with its hand over its eyes. “Why?” asked the teacher. “He can’t look,” replied the child, “because the rope is going to break.”

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

68 When sharing a book with each other, children show how well they understand print. Not only can many children read a simple story but also they help one another with unknown words and encourage each other to look at a word’s first letter or use the pictures.

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

69 A lot of encouragement is given to children to write. Opportunities for free writing are provided, for instance, writing shopping lists to use in the role-play shop. Small groups receive support as they write sentences in response to the story they have heard. The teacher reinforces the use of phonics as children work out how to write unfamiliar words and provides common words on laminated cards for children to find and copy. In these sessions, teachers show very good awareness of each pupil’s level of attainment and so are able to provide well-focused teaching to move children on. Only handwriting is underdeveloped, as teachers fail to correct poor pencil hold. Otherwise, progress in writing is very good.

p.29

Mathematical development

70 Mathematical development is very good and all children were attaining the early learning goals or better at the time of the inspection. This is due to the very good teaching in this area of learning. Children are able to count at least to ten and using teddy bear figures perform addition and subtraction up to at least five. The majority can count to 30 and are able to track down the house numbered 30 as it moves around the frieze showing the locality of the school. In playing a game to teach coin recognition, children read 5p on a die, pick out a 5p coin from a tray of money and choose the correct, labelled moneybag to put it in.

p.29

Mathematical development

71 Teachers show very good subject knowledge in the way they provide correction and support, and ask open-ended questions to make children think. This good teaching ensures progress in learning is often very good.

p.29

Knowledge and understanding of the world

72 Pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of the world through first hand investigations, making sense of all they find out in the company of skilled adults who provide good teaching overall. In these explorations, teachers are adept at following children’s leads and at asking questions that take children’s thinking on to the next stage. This provides each child with a high level of Hannah More Infant School - 30 challenge that results in very good learning. A good example of this was in a lesson where children were investigating what makes their wheeled toys move. The teacher asked, “What should I do to get this toy to move?” and joined in as she followed children’s instructions. This led to more questions, more suggestions and to children formulating for themselves ideas about pushing and pulling.

p.29

Knowledge and understanding of the world

73 As they mix paints to achieve tints of a colour they begin to notice fine differences and explore what effect adding more water to the paint and powder mixture will achieve. The teacher working with them encourages this experimentation and her careful questioning enables the children to sharpen their observations.

p.30

Knowledge and understanding of the world

74 Children have a good understanding of the place they live in. They can describe what they pass on the way to school and relate this to a simple map they have helped to make as a classroom frieze. Later they construct buildings at the side of a play mat road, wheel a train around the railway track and stop cars at the level crossing.

p.30

Knowledge and understanding of the world

75 ICT is used in several activities. Children record stories onto tape and play them back later to listen to them. They use a paint program for drawing people and learn to click and drag shapes onto a whiteboard to make a pattern with confidence.

p.30

Physical development

76 Teaching in this area of learning is good. Pupils show good physical development as they move with control and co-ordination to the music they make or as they race around on wheeled toys, changing speed and direction with great agility. These wheeled toys are available to all reception children at playtimes when real control is needed. There are also times in the week when access is limited to small groups and it is then that children can be seen to stretch their own abilities. During the inspection a child who had never ventured onto a bike pedalled around the playground for the first time.

p.30

Physical development

77 In physical education lessons in the hall children work on large apparatus, improving balancing and climbing skills. They learn to throw and catch with developing confidence, as the teacher increases the levels of challenge to improve children’s skills. They skip, walk and run around the hall, moving into spaces to avoid bumping into anyone as they warm up and cool down for physical education lessons.

p.30

Physical development

78 As they model, paint, draw and write, children learn to manipulate tools with increasing dexterity.

p.30

Creative development

79 Teaching across this wide range of activities is good. Children are provided with a good range of stimuli to evoke creative responses. They listen to music, recognising the different instruments, then respond with ‘wobbly’ movements and play instruments to create their own music. They have access to junk materials to create their own models. One boy used an egg carton and some shiny paper to make a magic box. As anyone made a noise close to it, the box flew open and croaked, “Hello! Hello!” - all explained with great glee by its maker.

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Creative development

80 The school places a great emphasis on giving children the time and resources to make choices, to investigate, and to respond creatively. This is a strength of the curriculum provided in the reception classes. In Plan, Do, Review sessions, children develop their independence and initiative. They decide where they want to work and some discuss what they are going to do. At the end of the afternoon, Hannah More Infant School - 31 some children talk about what they have been doing. A boy who built a fire engine from a construction kit struggled to solve the problem of making the fireman climb the ladder. He brought it to show the class, who asked questions about it. “What was the hardest thing?” “Sticking the man on!” he replied.

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Creative development

81 Resources for learning are freely accessible, well kept and suitable for the age and interests of reception children. The only exception to this is in the outdoor provision. There is an enclosed courtyard where children play with sand, water and large construction kits and a playground where they use wheeled toys. They also have access at times to the school’s adventure play area and small wood – usually the play areas for Key Stage 1 pupils. However, these areas do not provide a sufficient range of opportunities for creative play and, apart from the courtyard, are only available to small groups under close supervision. This is an issue that remains from the school’s last inspection.

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ENGLISH

82 Standards in English are above average, which is similar to the findings of the previous inspection. Pupils make good progress in reading; all but a few attain expected standards and a large majority make very good progress and attain standards which exceed national expectations. All pupils make good progress in speaking and listening and in writing; most attain standards typical for their age in national tests and over half exceed expectations. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in all aspects of English although the attainment of this group is below average.

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ENGLISH

83 Pupils begin Year 1 with good speaking and listening skills. The style of teaching and the excellent relationships between teachers and pupils and between the pupils themselves enable them to continue to develop these skills throughout Year 1 and Year 2. Pupils listen attentively to stories, instructions, explanations and when their classmates are contributing to discussions or answering questions. Teachers provide good role models by treating everyone’s contribution with respect so that pupils are shown by example the importance of listening carefully. This mutual respect gives pupils the confidence to offer suggestions and answers as they know they will be given time to speak. This was very evident in a history lesson when pupils were offering their ideas for the use of some Victorian curling tongs; the pupils happily described their thoughts, many of which were very inventive and these were discussed within the group.

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ENGLISH

84 Teachers also plan specific activities to develop speaking and listening as for example when some pupils worked in pairs to retell a traditional story. They worked out who would say each part and when they performed to the rest of the class they adopted expressions to suit the characters of the Troll and the Billy Goats Gruff in a very entertaining way, which everyone in the class thoroughly enjoyed. Teachers work hard to develop pupils’ imagination and encourage the use of a wider vocabulary. This is especially evident at the beginning of creative writing sessions. There were many examples of this during the inspection, including one excellent lesson when the teacher used pupils’ knowledge of traditional stories as a starting point and with great skill drew out from them exciting descriptive words to use in their own stories.

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ENGLISH

85 The teaching and learning of reading is strength of the school. By the time they enter Year 1 pupils have already acquired good reading habits; they are encouraged in their enjoyment of books and the development of their reading skills by the continuous commitment of the headteacher, teachers and support staff. By the end of Year 2, when pupils leave the school, standards are well above average. The school has a well-established and very well organised system of graded books. Parents are encouraged to help their child choose one or more books from the appropriate box whenever they feel their child is ready to try a new book. Pupils’ progress in reading is very carefully monitored by class Hannah More Infant School - 32 teachers and they are moved to the next level as their skills improve. However, before moving them to a higher level, teachers make sure that pupils have read a range of books, including non-fiction. The

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ENGLISH

attention given to individual pupils’ reading is outstanding. Every pupil, including the more able independent readers, reads to their teacher regularly. Teachers give up a part of their lunchtimes to devote time to this. Support staff and student teachers also hear pupils read. There is regular communication between the school and home with parents adding their comments to those of the teachers about pupils’ reading. The headteacher hears every pupil in the school read and keeps her own record of their progress. This all ensures that pupils make good progress in reading.

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ENGLISH

86 Reading forms an important part of many lessons, for example when teachers use ‘big books’ in history or geography or when they are using different texts on the computers. Pupils also take part in guided reading sessions when a group of pupils read the same book with their teacher. They are encouraged to use different skills to tackle unknown words, for example, by sounding out the letters or reading the words before and after and thinking about the meaning of the text. Teachers discuss different aspects of books, as when a teacher pointed out the different features of a non-fiction book, explained the meaning of new words and challenged the pupils to find out some facts from the book. Pupils are taught about letter sounds and those who have difficulties with this aspect of reading are given specific help in their group work. Most of this extra help, including the support for pupils with special educational needs, is given within the classrooms. Teachers plan different work for those

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ENGLISH

needing extra help with letter sounds or word recognition. The learning support assistants play an important part in this aspect of learning. By the time they are seven most pupils are reading independently, can talk about the books they are reading and have a very positive attitude towards reading. Many pupils know how to find information from non-fiction books and can use simple dictionaries and other alphabetical lists. The school has a good number and range of books and a well- stocked library. There are however insufficient resources aimed at broadening pupils multi-cultural awareness and the library is underused as a learning resource because it also serves as a computer suite.

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ENGLISH

87 The school is very committed to developing pupils’ writing and has adapted the format of the national literacy strategy to ensure that pupils have both the time and the opportunities to improve their writing. Standards are currently above average. The English co-ordinator is a lead teacher 3 in literacy so she is a good professional role model for all the teachers in the school. Pupils practise some writing skills, such as punctuation, spelling or sentence construction, through simple exercises but teachers are also committed to giving pupils the chance to use these skills in their own writing. This strong commitment to providing extended writing opportunities is an important feature of the school’s approach to the teaching of writing.

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ENGLISH

88 Pupils write about their own experiences; this might be in the form of their ‘news’ or teachers may attempt to focus their thinking so that they write about their ‘huge bag of worries’. Teachers use a variety of effective stimuli to develop pupils’ creativity and imagination, so that they are encouraged to write new endings to stories, or to continue a story after the teacher has started it. During the inspection pupils were stimulated to write by listening to the story of how the class teddy had got lost at the weekend. During this and other lessons pupils sustained concentration for a substantial period, whilst their teacher and the teaching assistants discussed their work and encouraged them. Pupils learn to draft their ideas for poetry before producing a final copy. These best copies might be word- processed, as in the case of some poems about the weather when pupils produced wonderfully imaginative lines like ‘the wind whirling like a racing day’ and ‘thunder roars like booming

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ENGLISH

3 Lead teachers are identified by the local education authority as being particularly successful; they demonstrate lessons to teachers in other schools. Hannah More Infant School - 33 bombs’ ; on other occasions pupils produce their own little books with their own illustrations. Pupils know how to write instructions, explanations and letters.

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ENGLISH

89 Throughout these writing lessons pupils are encouraged to observe and practise their punctuation skills and, as a result, most Year 2 pupils punctuate sentences correctly and almost half understand the use of speech marks, commas and question marks. However, insufficient attention is given to the development of pupils’ handwriting skills. A significant number of pupils form their letters incorrectly and there are examples in every class of pupils having an inappropriate pencil grip. Teachers’ handwriting is not always a good example to pupils. The school has rightly identified handwriting as an area for development.

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ENGLISH

90 The teaching in lessons observed was mostly good or better; two excellent lessons were seen. There are many strengths in the teaching, including the commitment to, and organisation of, the teaching of reading, the exciting and stimulating experiences provided for pupils’ writing, the efficient use of time and the productive pace of lessons. Very good relationships in the classroom ensure that the learning experience of pupils is always a happy one. Furthermore, learning support assistants and student teachers make an effective contribution

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ENGLISH

91 There is however insufficient attention given to presentation skills, including handwriting, and the systems for assessing pupils’ work are not yet fully developed. The targets set for pupils, for example, vary in quality and the extent to which they can be used by the pupils or the teachers to enable the pupil to make progress. All pupils’ work is marked but this is not of a consistent standard across the school. Teachers are not using their marking effectively to communicate to pupils how they are progressing in relation to their targets and are not annotating work to indicate for themselves the next steps the pupils must take. These are development issues in the context of the quality of teaching being good overall.

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MATHEMATICS

92 Pupils enter school with above average mathematical ability and attain well above average results by the time they are seven. This indicates that most pupils make good progress, including those with a below average starting point, as they usually reach the average national standard by the age of seven. Results in national tests in 2002 were well above average which reflected the baseline assessment carried out on entry to reception class for this group of pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

93 Inspection evidence indicates that the high standards achieved in national tests are being maintained; they are currently above average. In the reception classes pupils are able to recognise and add and subtract numbers to ten using equipment. In Year 1, they use coins and understand giving change as subtraction. They can count in twos, fives and tens. By Year 2, pupils can add two digit numbers and show growing confidence in understanding place value, being able to double numbers past a hundred. They know the properties of common shapes, recognising hexagons and trapeziums and they can answer questions about block graphs. Higher attaining pupils work with increasing accuracy and independence, learning similar strategies as other pupils but working with larger numbers or with more complex questions. Lower attaining pupils also cover the same mathematics using smaller numbers and by being given more adult support.

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MATHEMATICS

94 The National Numeracy Strategy Framework is used effectively to plan lessons from the reception classes to Year 2. Numeracy skills are used across the curriculum as pupils go shopping in the role-play area, for example, use a time line in history or use two- dimensional shapes to make faces in art. Hannah More Infant School - 34 95 Pupils’ attitudes to mathematics and their behaviour in lessons are very good. They work hard, concentrate well and are keen to answer questions. Even where they experience some difficulties, they are willing to persevere.

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MATHEMATICS

96 Teaching in the reception classes is very good; in Key Stage 1 it ranges from satisfactory to very good and is good overall. Pupils are grouped by ability in all classes and teaching is targeted at an appropriate level for each group to make progress. Much good support is provided to pupils with special educational needs and as a result of this and the good teaching they receive, they too make satisfactory progress. Lessons are well organised so time is used efficiently. All adults working with pupils are well prepared so support to pupils is effective. In the reception classes, mathematics is taught in shorter sessions of around half an hour so that pupils’ attention remains focussed. Lessons in Key Stage 1 begin with whole class work designed to reinforce number concepts. This is usually undertaken at a good pace and enables pupils to make appropriate progress. In the main parts of lessons, teachers tell pupils what they are going to learn, then demonstrate and explain teaching points

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MATHEMATICS

well to the whole class before giving pupils individual tasks to complete. In the plenary, teachers reinforce objectives but do not sufficiently encourage pupils to think about their own learning or the strategies they have used. Specific teaching of strategies for checking work could be improved. The good use of recently installed interactive whiteboards, with software teachers have prepared themselves, engages pupils’ interest and motivates them to learn. In general, teachers’ subject knowledge is good, so they provide appropriate correction and support and target questions at just the right level of difficulty to make pupils think and deepen their understanding. In a few lessons, opportunities are missed to provide further challenge to more able pupils or anticipate the difficulties some pupils may have with new ideas.

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MATHEMATICS

97 Assessments are made at the end of each half term and recorded to show how well pupils have learned the mathematics they were taught. This information helps teachers decide how to group pupils and what levels of support to provide. Ongoing assessment is recorded in pupils’ books as they are marked, usually with the pupil, but this is variable in quality and often only records the context of the work. In the best cases, annotations identify what was being learned and occasionally indicate what strategies need to be developed. This use of marking to inform older pupils of next steps or how work might be improved is underdeveloped.

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MATHEMATICS

98 The mathematics co-ordinator provides good leadership of the subject. She has ensured that all members of staff have received adequate training. Since the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy, there has been a sharper focus on mathematics and the co-ordinator has spent more time monitoring the subject. This has included lesson observations which have provided teachers with valuable feedback that has helped them to improve their teaching. An analysis of Year 2 test papers showed no particular areas for development but a perceived under-attainment that showed in teacher assessment was quickly and effectively investigated.

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SCIENCE

99 Teacher assessment in 2002 indicated that pupils achieved above average standards in science at the age of seven. Inspection evidence shows that those seven your olds who are currently working towards the end of Key Stage 1 achieve standards which are better than those expected for their age. Boys and girls do equally well. Pupils do well in science because the teaching they receive is consistently good or very good. Both standards and the quality of teaching have been maintained since the previous inspection. Hannah More Infant School - 35 100 By the time they leave the school pupils have gained a good understanding of the topics they study. In their work on life processes they understand what living things need to survive; they have studied food chains. They can illustrate the life cycle of a frog accurately. At this stage pupils have a good understanding of factors in keeping healthy, including the benefits of diet and exercise and they

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SCIENCE

can identify basic body parts. In studying electricity they understand the need for a complete circuit to light a bulb and they can draw a circuit diagram using appropriate symbols. They know that metals are conductors because they have completed an investigation to confirm this. They have a good understanding of the dangers of electricity. They understand that pushes and pulls are forces; they can sort toys into those that can be pushed or pulled and recognise these forces in some everyday operations.

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SCIENCE

101 There is a strong emphasis on scientific enquiry and in each of the topics studied pupils have good opportunities to extend their skills of investigation. They develop an understanding of the need for a fair test, in their investigation of how well a car travels over different surfaces for example. Growing bulbs provided good opportunities for them to consider prediction and they developed observation skills in sorting seeds using a hand lens. The use of a recording sheet provides a useful structure to help pupils record the outcomes of their investigations.

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SCIENCE

102 Although a limited number of lessons in science were observed during the inspection, teachers’ planning and evidence of the work completed in pupils’ folders indicates that teaching is good and often very good. There is a clear emphasis on ensuring pupils acquire appropriate scientific vocabulary and in lessons teachers constantly reinforce the use of correct terms. Pupils have good opportunities to work with a range of scientific equipment during their various investigations. Teachers make good use of learning support assistants to enable pupils to work in smaller groups. Teachers encourage pupils to think scientifically and make sure that pupils understand appropriate scientific methodology, encouraging them to predict what will happen or what they will find before undertaking an investigation. During the lessons seen, teaching was consistently good or very good. In one very good lesson with a Year 1 class, for example, the teacher engaged her pupils effectively in thinking

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SCIENCE

about sources of electricity to power some everyday appliances. As some of these required batteries the teacher then provided the resources for pupils to investigate how to make a bulb light up. Teaching here was very effective because it enabled pupils to discover for themselves the need for a complete circuit. Her decision not to intervene too quickly was rewarded with some very effective learning and created a feeling of genuine delight among her pupils.

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SCIENCE

103 Pupils respond well to this good teaching and their enthusiasm contributes positively to successful learning. Most pupils concentrate well throughout lessons and they co-operate well when working together in small groups; they contribute enthusiastically to discussions and enjoy answering teachers' questions.

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SCIENCE

104 The management and co-ordination of the subject are good overall. The subject co-ordinator is knowledgeable and enthusiastic and able to move the subject forward. Teachers plan in year group teams, supported by a good scheme of work that ensures pupils learn skills and develop their scientific understanding progressively over time. While the co-ordinator monitors and evaluates this planning effectively, insufficient opportunities are created for her to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning. There is a firm commitment to raising standards. Assessment procedures are secure but a clearer identification of levels of attainment in teachers comments on pupils’ work would contribute towards a more effective tracking of progress.

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ART AND DESIGN

Hannah More Infant School - 36 105 Standards of attainment in art are in line with national expectations which is similar to that found at the time of the previous inspection. Pupils learn a range of art techniques and use a good range of media. They learn to blend pastels, mix paint, sketch in pencils, weave, and create collages. A strength is the use by all pupils of computer software to generate pictures. Three-dimensional work includes junk modelling, plasticine and clay work. Pupils have also made natural sculptures inspired by the work of Andy Goldsworthy. However, the range of this three-dimensional work could be extended further.

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ART AND DESIGN

106 From Year 1, all pupils have sketchbooks that are used to collect observational drawings. A good standard of finished work is produced from observation of landscapes, faces, still life and flowers. Pupils study the works of famous artists and try to reproduce some of their techniques in simplified form. Art is used effectively across the curriculum to illustrate work in other subjects, for instance in telling the story of Christmas. Some aboriginal art is used as inspiration but, in general, not enough world art or the work of living artists is studied. Pupils develop a good vocabulary and are able to discuss the artists they study, offering perceptive comments about their work. Pupils enjoy their art lessons and show high levels of concentration and perseverance as they work.

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ART AND DESIGN

107 The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, with some instances of good and very good teaching seen. Working with groups from a reception class, for example, a teacher taught about tints of colour by calling attention to a display of green objects. She introduced the correct vocabulary and sharpened pupils’ awareness of colour differences as they successively lightened their green paint with white powder. Pupils talked animatedly as they painted a caterpillar in tones of green and experimented with the consistency of their mixture of paint, powder and water. Experimentation was also encouraged in a Year 1 class, when the teacher provided paint with additives to create texture and pupils tried out various tools to make different effects. In some cases, however, teachers over- structure pupils’ tasks so their creativity is restricted unnecessarily, reflected at times in the similarities of finished pieces of work.

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ART AND DESIGN

108 The new art co-ordinator has written a scheme of work that ensures progression and gives good support to teaching the subject. For instance, a section that lists questions that teachers can use when discussing a work of art with pupils gives clear direction to the interesting discussion that took place in Year 2 about prints of LS Lowry’s townscapes. The scheme is flexible enough to allow teachers to try new themes and adapt the topics included. The co-ordinator is building these ideas into the scheme. However, the co-ordinator does not monitor how teachers put the scheme into practice and is not aware of the quality of teaching and learning in the subject. While advice on questions to ask pupils is given in the scheme, no consistent assessment practice is advocated and there are no clear procedures. Teachers sum up each child’s work at the end of the year in order to complete reports to parents.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109 At age seven, pupils attain standards in design technology that are in line with those expected nationally. This is the same as at the time of the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110 All aspects of the national curriculum programmes of study are included in the scheme of work. This is a combination of units from a nationally produced scheme and additional sections on sewing and cooking and seasonal craft activities, like making mothers’ day cards, for example. It is being developed over time and has yet to include specific guidance on health and safety, linked to suggested activities. It provides good progression of skills from year to year and clearly shows how projects link to the school’s termly themes. As yet there is no guidance on assessment. Hannah More Infant School - 37 111 Pupils draft plans for their work, learn the necessary skills to complete projects at a satisfactory level and evaluate what they have made in a variety of ways. In evaluating their work, pupils say whether they like what they have made, suggest what they might improve or sometimes compare their finished product with the original design brief. One pupil wrote, ‘I tested it to see if it

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112 Teaching is satisfactory overall. It gives a good emphasis to the teaching of practical skill but does not always emphasise the importance of pupils’ planning before making. As a result, pupils following teachers’ ideas are sometimes confused as to what they are doing and why they are doing it and do not see the relevance of the task in hand to their design. Samples of work are collected in each child’s portfolio. Teachers’ annotations indicate the context of the work but more formal assessment is unsatisfactory because there is no indication of the level of the work nor ways in which it might be improved.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113 Resources are adequate to teach the curriculum and are regularly topped up. A new food preparation area has been created but this was not in use during the inspection. There is a good range of construction kits in use throughout the school that allow pupils to explore how mechanisms work. Investigating and evaluating everyday objects requires development so pupils can see how things work, for example, by providing collections of familiar things for teachers and pupils to access.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114 Leadership and management are satisfactory. The co-ordinator gives advice and guidance to teachers as they implement the scheme of work and checks the finished products that are made by pupils. She also monitors medium term plans to see that they follow the scheme. As yet, there has not been the opportunity to monitor teaching so the co-ordinator is not aware of what guidance teachers may need to ensure consistent interpretation of the scheme of work.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

115 Standards attained in both history and geography are broadly in line with national expectations. At the time of the last inspection standards in history were judged to be above expectations but these higher standards have not been maintained. However pupils make satisfactory progress and they display a high degree of interest in both of these subjects. They are confident when talking about their work and keen to contribute their ideas in lessons.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

116 The school has its own schemes of work and planning allows for pupils to be taught aspects of both subjects every term. The content of lessons is linked whenever possible to class topics, for example, in a topic about communication pupils learn about maps and the links between places in geography and about the changes in methods of communication in history. The scheme of work does not define the learning objectives for each topic or lesson, however, which makes it difficult for teachers to plan for progression and to ensure that higher attaining pupils are being challenged.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

117 By the time they are seven pupils can make simple maps and plans and learn how to indicate features on the map with a key. They know that there are different types of buildings in the locality and can name some types of buildings and some of the building materials. They understand that different types of transport are used for different journeys and they can describe some of the differences between villages, towns and cities. They can identify some countries on a map of the British Isles but only a few can locate approximately Nailsea or London. Pupils discuss freely a project they have done on making changes to the school grounds but have few ideas about changes in the wider environment except that people cut down too many trees and leave too much litter . They can Hannah More Infant School - 38 suggest a few differences between life in this country and life in Africa but have a stereotypical view

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

118 Pupils in Year 2 are developing a sense that life was different in the past and why people did things differently as when they describe how houses were heated and how cooking was done before the discovery of electricity. They know that transport was different in the past and know about George Stephenson and his steam engine. They know a little about other historical figures such as Florence Nightingale and Guy Fawkes. When talking to pupils during the inspection they spontaneously named Hannah More as a famous historical person and explained ‘ she was famous for starting schools’ . Pupils know that the passing of time and historical events can be represented on a ‘timeline’ and place artefacts in approximate order by considering the materials they are made of.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

119 Four lessons were observed in these subjects during the inspection; the quality of teaching in three of these lessons was good and in one lesson it was very good. In the geography lessons pupils used photographs to make observations and record their findings. The teachers’ explanations in these lessons, the effectiveness of their questions and the pupils’ responses they elicited were good. In the history lessons observed there was very good use of resources. One teacher used an interactive white board and a PowerPoint presentation effectively to demonstrate a timeline of bicycles; pupils were very enthusiastic about this and the teacher gave good emphasis to the language of the passing of time. In another lesson a small group of pupils were very involved in a very good discussion about the similarities and differences between a pair of Victorian curling tongs and some modern electrical curlers. The evidence from teachers’ planning and pupils’ work shows that the quality of teaching

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

overall is satisfactory. Teachers are giving pupils a range of experiences, including walks around the locality and visits further afield, but there is insufficient challenge to enable more able pupils to attain higher standards.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

120 The subject co-ordinator is very enthusiastic about the subjects and is keen to help and support her teaching colleagues with ideas. She maintains a bank of resources which, in most topics, are at least adequate and in others good. The co-ordinator monitors planning at the termly stage but the systems to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning are underdeveloped. There is too little assessment in both subjects to gauge and track pupils’ progress through the national curriculum levels.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

121 Pupils’ learning in information and communication technology (ICT) is good and they achieve standards better than those expected for their age. They make good progress because teaching is good and effective use is made of the available resources. Standards, teaching and resources have all improved since the previous inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122 By the time they leave the school pupils can assemble text using a word processing program and add clip art to help them communicate ideas; they can edit text and position and re-size added illustrations. Most pupils can store, retrieve and print their own work. By the end of the key stage pupils can enter information into a graphing program, and present it using the computer to create graphs of different kinds. They can access the menu, follow on-screen instructions and manipulate various programs appropriately. Pupils acquire good control over the mouse and are able to drag and drop shapes to make pictures. They use a graphics program, for example, to draw an Easter egg, selecting the appropriate shape, line and fill tools to create a pattern or change colour. Pupils can use the Internet or CD ROMs to search for information, such as about woodland animals, to support their work in science. They can program a series of commands into the Roamer, to visit places on a large-

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

scale map for example. Hannah More Infant School - 39 123 Pupils’ response to ICT is good; they are keen to extend their skills. Most of them approach the computers with confidence; many are able to work independently, managing the various programs for themselves. Pupils observed working with the computers concentrated intensively for lengthy periods, engrossed in the set tasks.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124 Teaching in ICT is good. Teachers are more confident than at the time of the previous inspection; they now use ICT successfully to support teaching and learning in a variety of lessons. They make good use of the newly installed interactive whiteboard in their timetabled lessons; the co- ordinator makes very good use of the one in her classroom. Very competent and confident learning support assistants support pupils’ learning effectively. Teaching seen in the small computer suite was very good but generally teachers do not make as much use of the computers in their classrooms as they could to support pupils’ learning in other subjects.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125 Very good leadership and management of ICT contribute positively to the quality of pupils’ learning and to the development of teachers’ skills and confidence. There is a detailed development plan that effectively underpins further improvement. The co-ordinator has a very clear understanding of where there is need for staff development and she provides the training to meet these needs. She has ensured that the curriculum for ICT is good and that it fully meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. She has prepared a detailed scheme of work, which includes reference to national guidelines. It identifies key skills, provides example activities, indicates links with other subjects and resources available. It supports teaching and learning very effectively. These developments have ensured that there has been significant improvement since the previous inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126 There has also been improvement in the resources available for ICT. The creation of a small suite of computers in the library is having a positive impact on pupils’ progress since it is enabling teachers to teach ICT skills effectively to small groups of pupils. However, this is not as efficient as it could be with the addition of more computers since, at present, teachers have to teach the same lesson a number of times to each of the different groups in the class.

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MUSIC

127 There were very few opportunities to observe lessons in music during the inspection. Consequently, there is insufficient evidence to support a judgement about the standard of pupils' attainment across the whole range of musical skills. In the aspects of work seen, standards have been maintained since the previous inspection.

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MUSIC

128 Throughout the school pupils enjoy their lessons in music and join in the planned activities enthusiastically. In a good lesson seen, children in a reception class listened carefully to the sounds of the different instruments in a piece of music played to them. They were able to recognise the piano and violin and they knew when the music was quieter or louder. These children listened carefully when they were asked and were confident to offer their ideas. As they responded to the music, they showed they could move in a co-ordinated way. Right from the start pupils are introduced to the various aspects of music. In Year 1 pupils understand how sound is made in different ways and how it can be changed. In beginning to explore duration, they were able to identify short and long sounds and to describe the sounds played for them. They could decide which instruments would be best for producing a short or a long sound. By Year 2 pupils extend their understanding of how sound can be

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MUSIC

used to depict things they hear, like rain, or actions such as running. They use these ideas in their own compositions which they are learning to record using their own symbols. Hannah More Infant School - 40 129 Good opportunities are provided for pupils to listen to music, both in lessons and at other times of the day such as when they enter and leave assemblies. During the inspection, they heard Morning from Greig’s Peer Gynt suite, showing they could listen attentively. Pupils sing enthusiastically when they are altogether. In songs they know well, they sing in tune reasonably well and in some favourite songs, like The Hannah More song they sing with real gusto and enjoyment.

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MUSIC

130 The quality of teaching and learning in the lessons seen was good. Each class teacher teaches music and they have sufficient subject knowledge to ensure that their lessons are well planned with clear learning objectives. Teachers manage their pupils very well and as a result, throughout all the lessons observed, pupils' behaviour was very good. They are also very good at managing the contributions of their classroom support assistants. This also contributes positively to the effectiveness of pupils’ learning. Teachers respond warmly and encouragingly to pupils’ ideas and comments when they are listening to music. They constantly make sure that all pupils are fully involved in the lesson, supporting their learning well.

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MUSIC

131 There is appropriate management of the subject. The co-ordinator is new to the post but has made an effective start in evaluating existing provision and in monitoring planning. Additional time is currently available for monitoring teaching and learning, since the subject is identified as a priority on the school improvement plan. This has been valuable and has enabled her to establish clear priorities for further development, including building up resources and identifying training needs and opportunities for continuing professional development. Resources have been improved since the last inspection; they are satisfactory at present.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

132 Standards in physical education at the age of seven are in line with those expected nationally of pupils of this age. This matches the standards found during the previous inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in their learning.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

133 Although only games lessons were observed during the inspection, discussion with the co- ordinator and scrutiny of the scheme of work and a portfolio of photographs indicate that all statutory areas of the curriculum - gymnastics, games and dance - are covered. Pupils also experience athletics activities in their annual sports day.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

134 Children in the reception classes improve their throwing and catching skills, working with quoits, bean bags and balls. They show co-ordination and an awareness of space as they move, and this is developed as they learn to mark other pupils in Year 2. Pupils co-operate well with each other. They are enthusiastic, enjoy physical education lessons and generally try hard to improve their work.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

135 The overall quality of teaching and learning is good. In the lessons seen, good teaching helped pupils to develop their skills and provided greater challenges as the lesson progressed, for example, increasing the distance reception class pupils could throw accurately. Skills are also developed through specific coaching, for example, reminding pupils to, keep your eye on the ball , when catching, or demonstrating the tactic of moving into a space in a small game. Pupils are encouraged to evaluate what they have been learning. At the end of a Year 2 lesson, pupils showed the class that they had learned how to stand between two attackers to get the ball. Good organisation leads to a smooth flow to lessons so pupils maintain a high level of motivation and interest. Due attention is drawn to health and safety, with appropriate warm-up and cool-down periods at the beginning and end of lessons. Hannah More Infant School - 41

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

136 Leadership and management are satisfactory. The co-ordinator monitors planning and checks standards by maintaining a photographic record of pupils’ work. Observation of lessons is infrequent. Assessments are carried out at the end of the year to help with reporting requirements. However, ongoing assessment is at the teachers’ discretion and is under-developed. An assessment of the needs of pupils with physical disabilities is carried out so that they can be included in PE lessons. Similarly, the co-ordinator notes the needs of pupils whose first language is not English, since they require extra attention when being given instructions for safety purposes. A multi-cultural element of work appears in the dance scheme, using BBC taped programmes, and an Indian dancer is booked to work with pupils next term.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

137 The standards attained by pupils meet the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

138 It was only possible to observe one lesson during the inspection but from an analysis of pupils’ work, talking to pupils and looking at teachers’ plans it appears that pupils make satisfactory progress. It is not however possible to make a judgement about the overall quality of teaching.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

139 Planning for the subject allows for teachers to change frequently the focus of the learning and for pupils to return to familiar themes regularly. Teachers use a variety of teaching methods with the greatest emphasis being placed upon stories and discussion. Other methods include the use of role- play, art work, as when some Year 1 pupils made a circular collage to show people who were their neighbours, visits to churches and listening to visitors. By the time they are seven pupils are familiar with a range of stories from the Old Testament and the stories told by Jesus. The more able can begin to explain the meaning behind some of these stories; one child said that the story of the lost sheep was to show that ‘ God still cared about people who didn’t believe in him’ . Pupils are aware of different aspects of the life of Jesus and re-tell, in their own words, the story of Jesus in the Temple or

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

the Sermon on the Mount. Pupils also discuss people or things that are important to them and about their own and others feelings. They learn about the meaning and importance of religious festivals including Christmas, Easter and the Hindu festival of Diwali. Pupils display a very positive attitude to the subject.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140 Since the last inspection there has been some development of the subject. There is no longer confusion between the teaching of religious education and collective worship. Specific time is allocated for the teaching of the subject and the co-ordinator has made some tentative steps towards developing different learning materials for pupils of different capabilities. The co-ordinator is very skilled and knowledgeable and provides good support and help for her teaching colleagues. However, there are no systems in place for the co-ordinator to have an objective view about standards in the subject or for the evaluation of the effectiveness of lessons. Without this evidence and self-evaluation it is difficult for the school to know how to improve or what action needs to be taken to develop the subject.

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