Holmesdale Infant School

HOLMESDALE INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19 th – 22 nd May 2003

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HOLMESDALE INFANT SCHOOL

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

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HOLMESDALE 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. Holmesdale Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: The Avenue Dronfield Derbyshire Postcode: S18 2LR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Jonathan Harrison

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 10 th November 1997 Holmesdale Infant School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

21074 Mr K Williams Registered inspector English Information and Control Technology Art and Design Design and technology Physical Education Special Educational Needs Educational Inclusion What sort of school is it? The school’s results and achievements. How well are the pupils taught? How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to the pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

9446 Mrs H Griffiths Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. Attendance. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 18645 Mr B Loizou Team inspector The Foundation Stage Mathematics Science Geography History Music Religious Education How well is the school led and managed? Holmesdale Infant School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Sandfield Educational Consultants 16 Wychwood Drive Trowell Park Nottingham NG9 3RB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Holmesdale Infant School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Holmesdale is a community infant school. There are one hundred and twenty-three pupils on roll, which is smaller than most schools. The pupils are admitted to one of two Reception Classes each September. Those who will be five years of age before the following April start school full-time and those whose fifth birthday falls after April start part- time for their first term and then full-time from January. There are three classes for the pupils in Years 1 and 2, including one mixed age class. The attainment of pupils on entry to the school covers a wide range but is average overall. Most of the children start school having had some form of pre-school education which includes a privately run Nursery that operates on the school’s site. Almost all of the pupils are of white ethnic background and none is learning English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals, at less than two

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

per cent, is well below the national average. Eleven per cent of the pupils have been identified as having special educational needs, which is below average. Three pupils have Statements of Special Educational Need. At the time of the inspection, the headteacher had been in post for just over a year.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school. By the time they leave the school, the pupils attain well above average standards in English and mathematics and above average standards in other subjects. The quality of teaching is good overall and is very good in Foundation Stage. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is very good across the school. The school is very well led and managed and provides very good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Standards in English and mathematics are well above average. • The children in the Foundation Stage are provided with a very good start to their education. • The teaching of literacy and numeracy is very good and the pupils’ progress is tracked very well. Consequently, the pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve very well in these key areas. • The school provides very well for the pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This is having a very positive impact on the pupils’ attitudes and behaviour. • The school is very well led and managed by the headteacher, senior staff and governors. • The parents have very positive views of the school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in science could be higher as too few of the pupils attain the higher levels. • The provision for information and communication technology could be better, particularly in relation to teaching the necessary skills to whole class groups. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress since it was last inspected in November 1997 and is well placed to secure further improvement. Standards in English, mathematics and design technology have risen and are now well above average in English and mathematics and above average in design and technology. The above average standards identified in other subjects have been maintained. Good progress has been made in addressing the issues identified in the last inspection. Subject co-ordinators play a key role in monitoring the teaching and learning and identifying areas for development in their subjects. The provision for more able pupils has improved, although there remains more to be done in science. Annual reports on the pupils’ progress now contain clear targets for improvement. The provision of non-fiction books has improved significantly and the newly-sited library is well used by the pupils. Holmesdale Infant School - 8

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

reading C A B D well above average above average A B writing D B A B average below average C D mathematics B B A A well below average E

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STANDARDS

The table relates to the seven year old pupils who took the tests in 2002. The results for writing and mathematics were well above average when compared with all schools and those for reading were above average. When compared to similar schools, the results for reading were below average, those for writing were above average and, in mathematics, they were well above average. Girls performed slightly better than boys in the 2002 tests. Taken over the last few years, the school’s results have been regularly in line with, above or well above the national picture. Over this period, the performance of boys and girls has been broadly similar.

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STANDARDS

The evidence of the pupils’ work seen during the inspection indicates that the pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. Standards in English and mathematics are well above average by the end of Year 2 and most of the pupils, including those with special educational needs are making very good progress in these important areas. Standards are high because the teaching of literacy and numeracy is very good and there are very good procedures for assessing the pupils’ attainment and tracking their progress. The standards attained by the present Year 2, in reading, are higher than that indicated by the test results in 2002, as more of the present pupils are attaining the higher Level 3. Standards in other subjects are above those expected of pupils of this age. Standards in science could be higher because too few of the pupils attain the higher level. The children in the Reception classes make good

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STANDARDS

progress and most are in line to achieve the early learning goals in all of the areas of learning. A significant proportion is likely to achieve these well before they enter Year 1. They do particularly well in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development, with most of the children likely to achieve these goals well before the end of the Reception year. Across the school, there is no significant difference in the progress made by boys and girls.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. The pupils enjoy their lessons, are very interested in the activities and concentrate well. They contribute eagerly to discussions, are keen to do well and they value their teachers’ praise and encouragement.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. The pupils know the school rules well and feel that they are treated fairly. Behaviour is very good in lessons, assemblies and at play times.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. The pupils enjoy the many opportunities for them to take responsibility. Relationships are very positive and this contributes to the positive learning environment.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good. The pupils’ rate of attendance is above the national average.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

The school functions very well as an orderly community. A small number of boys present challenging behaviour at times, but this is always well managed by teachers and the support staff. The pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and relationships are strengths of the school. Holmesdale Infant School - 9

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Overall, the quality of teaching is good. The teaching in the Reception classes is consistently good, often very good and sometimes excellent. This ensures that the children receive a very good start to their education and enables most of them to achieve the early learning goals in all of the areas of learning before or, for a significant number, well before they enter Year 1. Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good and is sometimes very good. The planning is detailed and is very clear about what the pupils are expected to learn and these objectives are usually shared with the pupils and referred to during and at the end of lessons.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The teaching of literacy and numeracy is very good across the school. This is a significant strength and contributes to the high standards in these areas. Lessons run smoothly because they are well prepared and organised and the relationships are very good. In the best lessons, the teachers have very high expectations of what the pupils are capable of achieving and they provide challenging work that is well matched to the needs of pupils of all abilities. This aspect has improved since the last inspection, but, in science, more could be done to provide specifically challenging tasks for the more able pupils. Where the teachers have successfully matched the activities to the needs of the pupils, for example in English and mathematics, the pupils of all abilities make very good progress. The teaching is less successful where the objectives for learning are too vague to enable the teacher and pupils to know

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

how well they are doing or do not relate sufficiently to learning that is specific to the subject. The day-to-day assessment of the pupils’ work is very good. Marking has improved since the last inspection. The very good monitoring procedures ensure that all teachers share the same consistent approach to this and other aspects of their work. Very good support is given to those pupils identified with special educational needs, which ensures that they make good progress. The team work between the teachers and the teaching assistants (education welfare officers or ECOs) is a strength of the special educational needs provision. On those occasions when individual pupils do not behave well, they are very well managed by the ECOs who are deployed to work with them.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good overall. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is very well planned to meet the needs of the youngest children. Across the school there is a very clear focus on developing the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. The wider curriculum is well planned, interesting, relevant to the needs of all pupils and builds well on their previous learning.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs There are very good procedures for identifying those who need additional support and ensuring that they have full access to the curriculum. The ECOs make a valuable contribution to the pupils’ learning and have a positive impact on the standards achieved.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The school provides many opportunities, through assemblies, lessons and school life in general, to broaden the pupils’ experience and develop their understanding of the world in which they live. The provision for moral, social and cultural development is a particular strength.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The staff provide a good level of care for its pupils. There are very good procedures for assessing the pupils’ attainment and tracking their progress. Holmesdale Infant School - 10 The school has established very effective links with parents and this contributes to the standards being attained. Many parents contribute to the life of the school by helping in classrooms, organising the library, and helping on trips and visits. The school successfully promotes very good behaviour.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very good leadership and sets high expectations. She works closely with the deputy headteacher and senior staff and together they are an effective management team.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governors are knowledgeable and experienced and are very committed to the needs of the school and its pupils.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The staff assess how well the pupils are doing using standardised tests and then analyse results to provide realistic and challenging targets. Teaching and learning are very closely monitored by the headteacher and subject co-ordinators.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. The school’s finances are well managed. There are efficient and effective procedures to track spending and determine priorities for resources.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school has a good number of teachers, support staff and resources to match the demands of the curriculum. The accommodation is good. The principles of best value are applied well to major items of expenditure. The resources are well managed and subject co-ordinators check teachers’ planning to ensure that there is appropriate work being done. This needs to focus more sharply on improving science standards further to ensure that all the pupils receive work that is well matched to their needs and abilities. The school has rightly identified the need to improve the provision for teaching information and communication technology skills to classes and large groups of pupils.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Their children enjoy school, are making good progress and they behave well. • The amount of homework is appropriate. • The teaching is good and the children are expected to work hard. • They are kept well informed about their children’s progress. • The school is well led and managed and the school is approachable and works closely with parents. • The school is helping their children to become more mature and responsible. • Some parents would like to see more extra- curricular activities.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team supports the parents’ positive views of the school. Although there are few out-of-school clubs for the pupils, good use is made of visits to places of interest and visitors to the school to enhance the curriculum and, overall, the inspectors judge that extra-curricular activities are appropriate for pupils of this age. Holmesdale Infant School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The school’s results in the national tests for seven year olds have shown a rising trend since the last inspection, being regularly in line with, above or well above the national picture. The school’s good rate of improvement in standards was recognised by the government’s achievement award in 2000 and 2001. The school’s results in 2002 were above average in reading and well above average in writing and mathematics. More of the pupils currently in Year 2 are attaining the higher levels in reading than in the previous year and inspection evidence indicates that overall standards in English and mathematics are well above average. The results for writing and mathematics compare favourably with those for similar schools, those for mathematics being well above those found in schools working in similar contexts. In 2002, girls did slightly better than boys in the national tests for reading and writing. Inspectors looked very carefully at how different groups of pupils are doing and found no

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

significant difference in the rate of progress made by boys and girls, including those pupils with special educational needs.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The attainment of the pupils on entry to the Reception classes is broadly average. The children get a good start to their education, make good progress and most are on course to reach the early learning goals in each area of learning with a significant number achieving them well before the end of the Reception year. The children do particularly well in the core skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing and mathematics and most of the children are likely to achieve the early learning goals well before they enter Year 1. The teaching and curriculum in the Reception year are good and there are very good features. The curriculum is well planned to meet the needs of all abilities, including those children identified as having special educational needs and there are good ongoing assessments of the children’s progress to help match the work closely to the children’s abilities. There is good teamwork

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

amongst the teaching and support staff and the very positive relationships foster a supportive, lively and interesting environment in which the children can make good progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The school has very effective strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy which enable the pupils to make very good progress in these areas and attain well above average standards. Standards in English and mathematics have risen since the last inspection. The school has focused successfully on raising attainment in writing and is now concentrating on seeking improvements in reading. This is proving effective, particularly in enabling the more able pupils to attain appropriately high levels. From an early age the pupils are taught basic numeracy skills very well and the teachers are very clear about how to teach problem-solving skills. The careful analysis of the pupils’ performance in the national tests, supplemented by the very good procedures for assessing the pupils’ attainment and monitoring their progress, is enabling the school to identify strengths and areas for development and set targets for

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

individuals and groups of pupils. Consequently, the pupils achieve very well in English and mathematics in relation to their prior attainment and this is helping them to do well in most other subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The pupils attain well above average standards in speaking and listening and make very good progress through many opportunities for them to enter into discussions at the beginning and end of literacy and other lessons. Group work is a strong feature in developing these skills and also helps promote their confidence and self-esteem. Most of the pupils listen very attentively and, by the end of Year 2, they speak clearly and confidently with a mature vocabulary, join readily in discussions, offer and justify their opinions. The teaching of reading is given a high priority and most of the pupils make very good progress. They talk with interest about their favourite books and authors and, by the end of Year 2, they read accurately and with developing fluency and understanding. Holmesdale Infant School - 12 5. Most of the pupils have developed positive attitudes to reading, enjoy reading at home and they use a

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

range of strategies to tackle unfamiliar words. They become increasingly confident in their understanding of what they read, which makes a significant contribution to their learning in other subjects. Most of the pupils know how to use books and the internet to find information and library provision has improved significantly since the last inspection. By the end of Year 2, the pupils have made very good progress in their writing skills and standards are well above average. The development of writing has been a major focus for the school and there has been good improvement. There are many opportunities to write for a variety of purposes and for different audiences and there are good opportunities for them to write at length. By the time they leave the school, most pupils write neatly, independently and with increasingly accurate spelling and punctuation. Standards of presentation are high and the pupils use their writing skills to help their learning in other subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. All of the pupils, including higher attainers and those with special educational needs, make very good progress in mathematics. They are learning basic skills well, work at a good pace and are very interested in their tasks. The pupils in Year 1 use correct mathematical vocabulary, solve simple problems, put numerals in the correct order and make comparisons when classifying objects into particular groups. They use mathematical symbols correctly, are aware of the different number operations, such as addition and subtraction, and use money in their mathematical work. The pupils in Year 2 use and manipulate numbers to solve simple problems; they calculate using two-digit numbers and solve money problems.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in science are above average by the end of Year 2, which is a similar picture to that at the time of the last inspection. Standards could be higher, however, as more could be done to challenge the more able pupils and to provide work that will ensure that a greater proportion of those who have the potential to reach and exceed the expected standards, do so by the end of Year 2. The pupils do well in developing an understanding of materials and their properties and life and living processes, but could do better with experimental and investigative work. The school recognises these areas for improvement in its school improvement plan. Although the pupils’ skills of enquiry are being developed well, the work being set for the pupils is not always matched to their abilities, especially for more able pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. The standards attained in the remaining subjects are above those expected nationally and the pupils are making good progress overall. The school has improved its provision for information and communications technology and the teachers’ knowledge and confidence. Computers are generally well used to support the pupils’ learning in other subjects and, by the end of Year 2, they are confident in the way that they use them. They have well developed word processing skills, know how to search for information on the internet, use a database to ask and answer questions and collect and organise information and programme a floor robot. The school rightly recognises that the resources for the subject could be improved still further, particularly in relation to the facilities for teaching ICT skills to larger groups of pupils and is exploring ways of developing this aspect of its provision. Occasionally,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the gap between the pupils being taught the specific skills and then being able to use and consolidate them is too great, particularly for lower ability pupils who may have difficulty remembering what they have been shown.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The provision for those pupils with special educational needs is very effective and this ensures that they make good progress overall and very good progress in their language and mathematical development. The pupils have clear and focused individual programmes and the teaching and support staff work together well to ensure that they get the support that they need.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The school has made good improvement since its last inspection and is well placed to continue to make further improvement. Holmesdale Infant School - 13

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The pupils’ attitudes to learning, behaviour, relationships and personal development are very good, as they were at the time of the last inspection. Parents feel very strongly that behaviour and attitudes are good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. In its mission statement, the school aims to help the pupils to learn that courtesy, good manners and consideration are important; to encourage them towards self-confidence and independent maturity; and to provide opportunities for children to work individually and in co-operation with others. The pupils’ attitudes reflect the school’s aims very well. They are keen to come to school and punctuality is good. The pupils are thoughtful of others and know right from wrong.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Their attitudes to learning are consistently very good. They really enjoy their lessons, are very interested in the activities and concentrate well. For example, in a Year 2 art lesson on the painter Seurat, the pupils listened attentively and worked with great concentration. They respond well to instructions, as in a physical education lesson in Reception. The pupils are eager to contribute their ideas to discussions. For example, in a Reception class, children were very keen to talk about their favourite games. The pupils are keen to do well and value their teachers’ praise and encouragement. They work very well together, independently and in groups. The pupils’ very good levels of interest and motivation make a positive contribution to their progress.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The school functions very well as an orderly community. The pupils are proud of their school. They know the rules well and feel that they are treated fairly. The teachers have high expectations of how the pupils should behave and, as a result, behaviour is very good in lessons, assemblies and at play and lunch times. A small number of boys present challenging behaviour, but this is invariably well managed by the teaching, support and supervisory staff. The pupils move around the school in an orderly fashion. They are polite and friendly to visitors. The teachers offer very good examples of courtesy and fairness and the very good relationship between staff and pupils creates a busy and purposeful learning environment. The pupils are thoughtful about one another’s feelings. Bullying is rare and pupils and parents are confident that it will be dealt with quickly and effectively. There have been no

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The pupils’ personal development is very good. There are many opportunities for them to take responsibility and these are taken seriously. The pupils value the rewards system and they understand the values of other cultures through art, music, religious education and geography.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Attendance rates are above average, as they were at the time of the last inspection Unauthorised absence is in line with national figures. Registration takes place quickly and effectively and ensures a calm start to sessions.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. Overall, the quality of teaching is good. Although the proportion of good and very good teaching is broadly similar to that found in the last inspection, the school has addressed the weaknesses that were identified at that time, which represents an improvement in the overall quality. The quality of marking has improved and now contains information about how the pupils can improve their work. The teachers’ planning in most subjects, and most particularly in English and mathematics, now closely matches the needs of the more able pupils, whilst still presenting an appropriate level of challenge and support for other pupils. The exception remains in science, where there is still some work to do to ensure that the more able pupils are able to attain appropriately high levels.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The teaching in the Reception classes is consistently good, often very good and sometimes excellent and is very good overall. This ensures that the children receive a very good start to their education Holmesdale Infant School - 14 and enables most of them to achieve the early learning goals in all areas of learning before or, for a significant number, well before they enter Year 1. The teaching of communication, language and literacy and mathematical development is very good and most of the children will achieve the goals in these areas of learning well before the end of the Reception year. The two teachers and the support staff work together effectively as a team. Good attention is paid to the children’s personal and social development, so that they quickly acquire the skills needed to work successfully together. As a result, there are very good relationships and a confident and positive atmosphere.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good and is sometimes very good. The planning is detailed and is very clear about what the pupils are expected to learn. The teachers share the objectives for learning with the pupils, refer to them during the course of lessons and summarise effectively at the end. Consequently, the teachers’ knowledge of how well the pupils are doing is very good. This is seen to good effect in lessons in English and mathematics. The teaching of the basic skills of literacy and numeracy is very good and this contributes to the high standards in these areas. Lessons in all subjects are well prepared and organised. The necessary resources and equipment are readily to hand, which ensures that the lessons run smoothly. Relationships are very good and the lessons are calm and productive.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. In the best lessons across the school, the teachers have very high expectations of what the pupils are capable of achieving and they provide challenging work that is well matched to the needs of pupils of all abilities. This is evident in their planning for lessons and is an improvement on the last inspection. In science, however, more could be done to provide specifically challenging tasks for more able pupils. Where the teachers have successfully matched the activities to the needs of the pupils, for example in English and mathematics, the pupils, including those with special educational needs and those capable of attaining higher levels, make very good progress. The teaching is less successful where the objectives for learning are too vague to enable the teacher and pupils to know how well they are doing or do not relate sufficiently to learning that is specific to the subject. The teaching of information and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

communication technology has benefited from in-service training that has resulted in increased knowledge and confidence in the subject. This confidence has not yet extended to all teachers in the use of the school’s multi-media projector 1 .

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. The day-to-day assessment of the pupils’ work is very good. Marking is thorough and, together with the good quality verbal feedback, provides the pupils with good information about how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve. This is an improvement on the last inspection. The very good monitoring procedures ensure that all teachers share the same consistent approach to marking and other aspects of their work. This is particularly notable, given that two of the three teachers in Years 1 and 2 are new to the school during the current year. There is good provision for homework, a view shared by most of the parents who responded to the questionnaire.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Very good support is given to those pupils identified with special educational needs. They receive a good balance of individual, group and in-class support to ensure that they make good progress. This applies equally to those pupils who have difficulty with their learning and those who present challenging behaviour. On those occasions when individual pupils do not behave well, they are very well managed by the education welfare officers (teaching assistants) who are deployed to work with them. This team work between the teachers and the ECOs is a strength of the special educational needs provision and contributes to the positive learning environment.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

1 This enables the teacher to project and control a large computer image onto a screen. Holmesdale Infant School - 15 23. There are good, whole-school long and medium-term planning systems in place that ensure a broad and balanced curriculum that meets the requirements of the National Curriculum, the locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education and the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy. The school has addressed the weakness in the provision of non-fiction books in its library, identified in the last inspection, and has re-sited the library so that it is now used effectively by the pupils.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. The curriculum for children in the Reception year covers the six areas of learning for the Foundation Stage. It is very well planned to meet the needs of children of all abilities, including those identified as having special educational needs. The curriculum for pupils in Years 1 and 2 is, interesting, relevant to the needs of all pupils and builds well on the work undertaken in the Foundation Stage. In science, the planning does not always effectively challenge those capable of attaining the higher levels, particularly in relation to developing problem solving skills. Across the school, a strong feature is the way that the teachers plan together to ensure a consistent programme for pupils in the same year group but in different classes and ensure that the work becomes progressively more challenging as the pupils move through the school. The programme for developing literacy and numeracy skills is very good, which

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

contributes to the high standards in English and mathematics, and there are many planned opportunities for the pupils to develop these skills in other subjects. The provision for the pupils’ personal, social and health education is good. This aspect is well taught through subjects such as religious education, the regular ‘circle-time’ activities where the pupils discuss important issues and find solutions to difficulties that have arisen and through visitors such as the school nurse. Sex education is not a formal part of the curriculum, but is dealt with sensitively as and when issues arise.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. The provision for those pupils with special educational needs is very good. The school quickly identifies those who need additional support and ensures that they have full access to the curriculum. The individual education plans are reviewed each term and revised targets are set. The teaching assistants (ECOs) make a valuable contribution to the pupils’ learning and have a positive impact on the standards achieved. A significant proportion of pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs have been identified with emotional or behavioural difficulties. These pupils are well supported by the staff and they are able to make good progress. The co-ordinator for special educational needs (SENCO), class teachers and ECOs work closely together to ensure that these pupils are able to play a full part in lessons and there are clear strategies for dealing with these pupils when they need time away from the rest of the class. The school is working to reduce the number of

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

pupils who are reliant on the special educational needs provision for behavioural difficulties.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. There are good links with the local community, including local churches, and very good links with other schools that are having a positive impact on the standards attained. The pupils have had the opportunity to take part in science lessons at a local secondary school and a science teacher from another secondary school visits regularly to enhance the teaching in that subject. The use of computer suites at two local junior schools provides a facility for whole class teaching in information and communication technology that the school, as yet, can not provide. There are similarly very good links with a partner infant school with whom they have shared in-service training on behaviour management.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. In their response to the questionnaire, some parents have indicated that they would like to see the range of extra-curricular activities improved. Whilst the number of clubs offered to pupils is limited, the school enhances the curriculum with a good range of visits to places of interest and many visitors to school enhance the work in classrooms. Inspection evidence indicates that, taking account of the age and experience of the pupils, they are provided with an appropriate range of activities.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good overall, which is similar to that found at the time of the previous inspection. Holmesdale Infant School - 16 29. The provision for spiritual development is good. The school holds assemblies each day and these provide moments for prayer and sharing ideas and stories. More opportunities could be provided for the pupils to engage in quiet contemplation and reflection. In addition to this, teachers organise special discussion times in their class called ‘circle time’. During this, time is set aside for the pupils to sit quietly and pause for thought and the statutory requirements for collective worship are met in both settings. Assemblies are well-organised and purposeful events and the pupils are encouraged to comment on what they have observed and learned. In the hall, displays show other aspects of

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

worship, including those seen in world religions and objects or artefacts of interest connected with the current theme set the tone of the occasion and reflect an air of spirituality. In other parts of the school, there are displays of artwork and pupils’ writing which reflect current topics that provide opportunities for the pupils to see their place in the world and to share ideas with others about humanity and self-worth. For example, teachers share their experiences of visiting South Africa by providing opportunities for the pupils to participate in African art and music. These occasions are used effectively to promote spiritual moments, and in religious education the pupils are given good opportunities to consider a range of values and beliefs. Assemblies are regarded as occasions to unite the school, a positive time, and at the time of the inspection the theme was about ‘loving’. A variety of

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

stories are told to the pupils which allow them to relate familiar home experiences about their families, pets and favourite toys but more could be done in assemblies to enable the pupils to contemplate or reflect in a more meditative environment rather than a story-telling experience alone. Social, emotional and moral issues are also discussed in assemblies, and festivals are acknowledged through stories and themes. Birthdays are celebrated, as are the pupils’ achievements. The school has good links with the local church.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The provision for moral development is very good. Topics discussed in circle time reinforce this type of work in the school, for instance, that it is important to tell the truth, to be honest and respect others. The importance of trust and how this is gained and occasions when it is permissible not to be completely honest are discussed. There are clear guidelines for acceptable behaviour in school and rewards are given for good behaviour and also any special effort in work or when dealing with others. Teachers and education care officers are very clear about the expectations they set for the pupils. Class discussions, independent writing activities and artwork reflect a commitment on the part of the school to involve the pupils in all activities and provide opportunities for them to be proud of themselves and their achievements. The staff act as excellent role models for the pupils.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The provision for social development is very good. The pupils often work together either in pairs or in small and large groups. They work very well together, relationships are very secure and they are learning to co-operate, share and take turns, with good awareness of the need for mutual respect. During circle times, class discussions and school assemblies, the pupils consider how to promote care and understanding of others’ feelings. Curriculum topics include moral, social and cultural awareness with specific activities planned aimed at encouraging team spirit and co-operation. Lessons are organised to ensure a variety of different dynamics in the groups in which pupils work, and to access a variety of skills within these groups. For example, role-play in the Reception classes or sharing the use of a robotic device called ‘Roamer’ by co-operating to program instructions into it in Years 1 and 2

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

and a very good shared activity in a very good Year 2 music lesson where the pupils worked with a partner to improvise dance movements representing different sounds made by percussion instruments.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The provision for cultural development is very good. Cultural aspects are reinforced through music, dance and drama. Musical instruments, cultural and religious artefacts are displayed in the school hall and classroom areas with clear references to the origins of each and this is effective in promoting positive images of a variety of cultures. In the school hall, an attractive display of objects, books and artefacts explains the significance, traditions and meaning of Islam. Work in art and design and religious education also reflects a wide range of cultures and backgrounds and these are used well to reinforce the pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Art and design, geography and history topics are Holmesdale Infant School - 17 also used well to promote positive images and cultural aspects, for instance, by using the teachers’ visit to Durban in South Africa as a stimulus for writing, music and artwork.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school is a caring community, which has a warm and friendly atmosphere. Child protection procedures, using local authority guidelines, are effective and the policy is due to be revised later this year. All of the staff receive training each year. Links with social services are good.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school has an effective health and safety policy. All classroom support staff have recently received first aid training. Arrangements for dealing with pupils’ medical conditions and for pupils who become ill during the school day are effective. Accident books are properly kept and risk assessments are undertaken regularly. Fire and electrical equipment is checked annually. Fire drills take place regularly and are logged appropriately. There is good safety practice in science, design and technology and physical education. Supervision at play times is good and there is an effective safety policy for when the pupils use the internet.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The pupils understand that good behaviour is expected of them because school rules are displayed prominently. ‘Golden Rules’ are discussed and agreed with the pupils. Behaviour management procedures are very effective. The pupils value the achievement cards and special assembly awards.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. There are many very good opportunities throughout the school for pupils to take responsibility, such as acting as playground monitors and helping in the library. The headteacher runs a weekly ‘orange and chocolate biscuit’ club each week with groups of pupils, to ensure that their views are heard. Procedures for monitoring the pupils’ personal development are informal but effective, through class notes, teachers’ personal knowledge and annual reports.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Procedures for monitoring attendance are effective and attendance is good. Registers are checked each week, at which point the school calls the families of pupils who are absent.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. There are very good procedures for assessing the attainment of the pupils, particularly in English and mathematics, and for tracking their progress as they move through the school. This information is giving a clear indication of how well individuals and groups of pupils are doing and the teachers are held to account for the progress made by the pupils they teach. Together with the analysis of the pupils’ performance in the national assessments, the assessment information is very well used to identify the strengths of the teaching and learning and where improvements might be secured, provide information for reports to parents and ensure that the work is planned to meet the needs of pupils of different levels of ability. Assessment information is also very well used to set precise targets for individual and groups of pupils. Collections of the pupils’ work are being built up in the foundation

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

subjects, although they do not yet relate to national curriculum levels of attainment. The profile provides very clear examples of how well the pupils have learned. The procedures for identifying and assessing the pupils with special educational needs are very good. They have clear individual education plans, containing the small steps that these pupils need to achieve their targets, and their parents are kept well informed.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. The parents who responded to the questionnaire and attended the meeting were very supportive of the school and all that it does for their children. In a good response, all parents were pleased with the quality of the teaching and felt that their children liked school. Nearly all felt that the leadership of the school was good, that staff were very approachable and the school worked closely with parents. The parents felt strongly that their children were making good progress, that behaviour was good and that Holmesdale Infant School - 18 the school helped their children to become mature and responsible. The only area in which there was some dissatisfaction was in the range of activities outside lessons.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The findings of the inspection support the parents’ positive views. The provision for extra-curricular activities is an area which the school has identified for development. Although there is only a small number of out-of-school clubs, there is a good range of visits to places of interest and many visitors come into school to enhance the pupils’ learning. Overall the provision is satisfactory.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The school has very good links with parents, as it had at the time of the last inspection. The information it provides for them is very good. The prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents are clearly written and presented in a readable style. Advance information on the term’s curriculum is sent to parents each half term, to enable parents to help their children with their learning. Newsletters are frequent and friendly in tone. Information leaflets are sent jointly with the private nursery, which is held on the school site. The school issued a questionnaire last year to ascertain parents’ views on a variety of subjects. The home/school agreement has been signed by most parents.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Parents are kept well informed about their children’s progress. Reading diaries are used well as a means of dialogue between home and school. Reports are good. They offer targets for improvement and helpful information on progress and give parents the opportunity to comment. An appropriate number of consultation meetings are held each year and parents feel that teachers are always willing to talk to them informally about their children’s progress. The school has held curriculum workshops which have been well attended.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Parent governors are active members of the governing body. A good number of parents help in school on a regular basis and very good numbers help on trips and visits. The Friends Association is very supportive. It runs a good range of social and fund-raising events each year and raises good sums to enable the school to buy equipment to enhance the pupils’ learning.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The headteacher provides very good leadership and sets high expectations. In the relatively short time in post she has established very good working relations with the pupils, staff, governors and parents. The headteacher works closely with the deputy headteacher and senior teacher and together they are an effective management team. Much of the focus for school improvement since the last inspection has been in maintaining and improving standards, developing systematic curriculum planning and improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning. A lot has been achieved in one year with clear evidence that all of the issues raised in the last inspection have been addressed. To a large extent this has been achieved through close monitoring of lessons and the effective use of assessment to check on the pupils’ progress. All the staff and adults who have day-to-day contact with the pupils reflect

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the school’s stated aims very well, ensuring that they support and are committed to maintaining strong working relationships and include all the pupils in all activities. This commitment to an inclusive education is clearly reflected in all the work done in the school.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The headteacher and senior staff have a very good grasp and understanding of how to measure and improve the effectiveness of the teaching. They assess how well the pupils are doing using standardised tests and then analyse results to provide realistic and challenging targets at different stages of the pupils’ time in school. All the staff have responsibility for managing and co-ordinating subjects. They monitor teachers’ planning as well as pupils’ work to assess how well they are doing in their respective subjects. Consequently, the school has accurate and realistic targets for improvement with every pupil being monitored closely. Teachers are certain about what they are going to teach and what they are aiming for. Closer scrutiny of science is now needed to ensure that more able pupils are provided with work that is better matched to their abilities. The role of subject co-ordinators has

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

improved since the last inspection. They prepare good reports and action plans for their own subjects Holmesdale Infant School - 19 which feed into a thorough audit of resources and staff training needs, which in turn, informs the school improvement plan. The headteacher and governors have prepared a short-term plan which takes account of the immediate priorities facing the school with long-term plans being set as part of whole school improvement. Consequently, resources have improved well since the last inspection, particularly in information and communication technology and there is a strategic management plan which outlines how the school will develop the building and classroom areas. For example, in anticipation of rising pupil numbers in Years 1 and 2, governors have approved the building of an additional classroom.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The governors are knowledgeable and experienced and very committed to the needs of the school and its pupils. They provide very good management. Formal and effective monitoring procedures ensure that governors are kept well informed by the headteacher and senior staff and, as a result, they have a clear understanding of the school’s needs, strengths and areas for improvement. The governors visit the school regularly and receive reports from the staff. They are very active in their support with the large majority helping in lessons, attending educational visits with classes and making themselves available to staff and parents. The governors’ annual report to parents is thorough and well presented. The governors and staff have established a very good working relationship with parents. The school improvement plan is used to steer the work of the school. The process leading up to the production of

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the plan involves all the staff, the pupils and governors, and is put together by the senior management team when deciding priorities for school improvement. Parents’ views are sought and the staff ask the pupils about their school to provide a whole-school picture when deciding future priorities for improvement.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. There is a good mixture of experienced and well-qualified and newly-qualified teachers and support staff. Education care officers are very well deployed to support groups of pupils who have particular learning difficulties. Carefully targeted training has improved the quality of teaching, especially in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology. New staff, and those moving to a new year group, are very well supported. The support for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The school commits a great deal of time, staff and resources to the specific needs of pupils with particular emotional and behavioural difficulties and this is highly effective.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. Resources are well managed and subject co-ordinators check teachers’ planning to ensure that there is appropriate work being done. This needs to focus more sharply on improving science standards further to ensure that all the pupils receive work that is well matched to their needs and abilities. The school’s finances are well managed. There are efficient and effective procedures to track spending and determine priorities for resources in the school’s management plan. The school has rightly identified the need to improve the provision for teaching information and communication technology skills to classes and large groups of pupils. The carry forward budget last year has been allocated and accounted for as the governors expect that all of this will maintain appropriate staffing levels, especially in anticipation of four classes in Years 1 and 2. Specific grants are used well for their intended purpose and the headteacher and governors monitor spending closely. Governors and senior

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

staff report on the effectiveness of spending and the priorities set in the school improvement plan. In this way the governors are committed to establishing best value when committing resources. The administrative and financial support is good with efficient procedures in place that help the staff and headteacher get on with the day-to-day management and routines of the school. Accommodation and resources are good and the school has invested a great deal in creating a very good outdoor environment for all of the pupils. Consequently, the pupils have good access to hard surface and grassed play areas and there is a dedicated space outdoors for the children in the Reception year, which is attractive and enhances the provision made for the children’s physical development. Proposed new building work will make the accommodation more accessible to the disabled. The cleaning and caretaking staff provide a healthy working environment for staff and pupils to work in.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

49. In order to continue to raise standards and improve the quality of education further, the headteacher, governors and staff should:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring that more work is provided at the start of lessons for more able pupils and those who have the potential to reach standards above those expected for their age; • planning work, particularly for the more able pupils, that involves more problem-solving tasks; • ensuring that those pupils who are likely to achieve higher than expected standards are identified at an early stage when teachers assess their science work, so that more pupils reach higher levels in science by the end of Year 2. (paragraphs 7, 17, 24, 45, 48, 79-83)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) improve the provision for information and communication technology by:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• continuing to explore ways of teaching the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding to whole class groups; • ensuring that the school’s multi-media projector becomes a regular feature of the teaching in all classes; • ensuring that the use of computers to support the pupils’ learning in other subjects is maintained; • continuing to develop the arrangements for assessing the pupils’ attainment and monitoring their progress; • monitoring the effectiveness of the new arrangements and their impact on the pupils’ attainment and progress. (paragraphs 8, 20, 26, 48, 94-97) Holmesdale Infant School - 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 24

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 123

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 2

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 14

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 5

p.21

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.21

Attendance

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

p.21

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 26 21 47

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.22

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

Boys 23 23 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 20 21 21

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 91 (94) 94 (94) 100 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys 24 24 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 21 21

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 96 (94) 96 (94) 98 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.22

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Holmesdale Infant School - 23

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 3 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6.1 Financial year 2002/2003

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 329207

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 342731

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 104 Expenditure per pupil 2764

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 39148

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 25624 Holmesdale Infant School - 24

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2.4

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Holmesdale Infant School - 25

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 63 34 1 0 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 42 53 1 0 3

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 42 51 6 0 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 60 33 7 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 72 27 1 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 54 42 3 0 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 46 50 4 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 58 38 1 2 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 52 44 2 0 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 20 43 20 5 13 Holmesdale Infant School - 26

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

50. Up to 50 children are admitted to one of two Reception classes each September. Those who will be five years of age before the following April start school full-time. Younger children whose fifth birthday is after April start part-time for their first term and then full-time from January. Most of the children start school having had some form of pre-school education which includes a privately run Nursery that operates on the school’s site. There are currently 45 children in the Reception year. Attainment on entry to the Reception year is broadly average for children of this age.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

51. The deputy headteacher teaches one of the Reception classes and manages the Foundation Stage well. Together with the other class teacher and education care officers (teaching assistants) who are deployed to work mainly with Reception children, she has ensured that the staff work as an effective team. The teaching and curriculum in the Reception year are good with very good features. This ensures that the children get a good start to their education and, particularly in the core skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing and mathematics, the children do well and make good progress.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

52. The curriculum for children in the Reception year covers the six areas of learning for the Foundation Stage. It is a good curriculum and is well planned to meet the needs of all abilities, including those children identified as having special educational needs. Good ongoing assessments of the children’s progress are made by teachers and support staff and these help the teachers to plan work that is closely matched to the children’s abilities and takes account of the progress every child makes. The school has recently introduced a profiling system, which involves the collection of pupils’ work each term. The profile provides very clear examples of how well the children have learned and this helps teachers to prepare reports for parents to inform them about the progress their children make. The children with special educational needs are identified early and good support is provided. In all areas

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

of learning, the children are on course to reach the standards expected and a significant proportion do this well before the end of the Reception year.

p.26

Personal, Emotional and Social development

53. The teachers and education care officers are very positive and set high expectations. Consequently, very good relationships develop quickly and the children learn to settle into routines, respecting those around them, and they develop a responsive and co-operative attitude to other children and adults. The teaching is good and teachers provide good opportunities for the children to work together, to share equipment, to make choices about where they will play and what they will use. The children are encouraged to handle equipment with care and to help to tidy up afterwards, for example, when putting away equipment outside and tidying the role-play areas such as ‘The Workshop’, ‘Office’ or ‘Mrs. Lather’s Laundry’.

p.26

Personal, Emotional and Social development

54. The children make good progress during their year in Reception and respond well to an increasing amount of independent and joint responsibilities. They do jobs within the classroom, for example, when taking the register to the office and going to the right group when the two class teachers exchange groups for literacy and numeracy each morning. During two very good physical education lessons outdoors, the children helped to put away balls and coloured markers. Spontaneous acts of friendship and concern for others are abundant. During a very enjoyable ‘bubble blowing’ activity, one child spilled his bottle of soap on to the work tray and another child offered him his own bottle without being prompted. Educational care officers are always on hand to support and make a valuable contribution to the teaching. For example, when some children become anxious they intervene quickly and provide individual support and care. The children sit quietly in whole class sessions, line up quickly when they

p.26

Personal, Emotional and Social development

Holmesdale Infant School - 27 leave the classroom and move about the school sensibly. There has been good progress in this area of learning since the last inspection. The children have made good progress and their attainments are in line with what is expected of children of this age with a significant proportion achieving this before the end of the Reception year. Some children find it difficult to share ideas confidently, especially when playing imaginatively, but their needs are being met through skilful intervention programmes and the effective use of support staff.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

55. The teaching of communication, language and literacy is very good and ranges from good to excellent. As a result, the majority of children will achieve the early learning goals by the beginning of Year 1 with most achieving them well before the end of their Reception year.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

56. In both classes, communication, language and literacy are given a very high priority and the children are provided with a wide range of effective experiences and activities to develop and extend their language skills. Emphasis is placed on listening carefully to the adults in order to extend their skills, knowledge and understanding. The children listen very attentively and follow the teacher as they read aloud together from a ‘big book’. The children learn to become attentive listeners and enjoy listening to well-told stories and nursery rhymes. They join in familiar songs and rhymes with enthusiasm. Considerable emphasis is placed on children sharing conversations with adults and challenging questions and comments are used very effectively to promote their thinking. Excellent adult interaction encourages the children to make choices. For example, when mixing colours using paints, questions

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

such as, “Do you think that is brighter?” and “What else could you use?” develop the children’s thinking skills. The importance of using language to develop ideas in structured play situations, such as the workshop and laundry, encourages the children to use imaginative vocabulary as they create their own dramatic situations. They are learning to use language effectively to express feelings or persuade each other to take on a particular role, such as which family member will hang out the washing or do the ironing.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

57. The children are becoming confident speakers who enjoy sharing conversations with adults and friends. In one Reception lesson ‘a talk and tell’ activity encouraged even the most reluctant of children to stand up in front of the class to talk about their recent visitor from the museum. Clearly labelled displays, alphabet and sound friezes and individual name cards in both classes help to develop early reading and writing skills. By the time the children enter Year 1 most can recognise their names and make very good attempts to write their own names. The children are encouraged to make marks on paper as they work in the role-play ‘office’ or write postcards from some exotic destination. The children explore sounds, letters and early writing when using an interesting writing table. They draw detailed pictures and are beginning to write simple sentences and make books about family events and

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Communication, language and literacy

topics using familiar letters, sounds and words. Emphasis is placed on the learning of sounds and the ‘sound of the week’ with the effective use of techniques that use repeated sounds as when the children in one very good literacy lesson played a sound game. The children held up their sound cards and searched for their ‘sound partner’ by matching up similar sounds and words. Many higher attaining children are learning to recognise rhyming words and can successfully build their own words.

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Communication, language and literacy

58. A comfortable book corner and library areas promote a love of books and the children are learning to handle books with care. Every day the children are seen choosing a book to ‘read’ to themselves or to share with an adult. They are becoming very confident readers of simple texts. They understand about authors and illustrators and higher attaining children are beginning to use their knowledge of sounds to read unfamiliar words. Reading is made meaningful and relevant because teachers plan themes and topics that are closely linked to literature, stories, nursery rhymes and songs. For example, ‘Mrs. Lather’s Laundry’ by Alan Ahlberg and the big book about ‘Mrs. Wishy Washy’ are used as a stimulus in the role-play area and as part of the children’s work about the past when they look at Victorian washday. Fairy tales are displayed alongside children’s writing with very good examples of Holmesdale Infant School - 28

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Communication, language and literacy

the children’s independent writing about the ‘Three Billy Goats Gruff’. The children take books home on a regular basis to share with family members and parents take turns each day to help the children change their books from the school library. This has a very positive effect on their progress in learning to read. There has been good progress in this area of learning since the last inspection.

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Mathematical development

59. The teaching of mathematics is very good. The majority of children will achieve the early learning goals by the beginning of Year 1 and most will achieve them well before the end of their Reception year. Both classes provide a wide range of activities to promote mathematical understanding. The children learn to use mathematical ideas and skills in real situations, such as when sorting shapes and numbers into pairs and using the telephone and calculators when working in the ‘office’ or ‘workshop’. The staff use number rhymes well to reinforce the children’s understanding, such as ‘five little speckled frogs’ and these effectively develop children’s ideas of early addition and subtraction. Problem solving is developed as the children work out directions and positions when making models.

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Mathematical development

60. In both classes the children have very good opportunities to compare, match, sort, order, sequence and count using a range of games, routines and experiences. Through well-planned topic work they explore number, pattern, shape and measurement. The children are becoming competent with numbers up to 20 and beyond. They respond positively to challenging tasks involving ‘big’ numbers and higher attaining children take great pride in being able to count backwards and forwards to 30 using a number line. The children consider size, shape and position when playing with two and three- dimensional shapes, small toys or emptying and filling containers in the water play area. There are very good opportunities for adults to intervene and support when children choose for themselves, as for example, when the children have to decide which of two containers can hold more or less water. This evokes good use of mathematical language as when one child explained that the container that is the

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Mathematical development

‘fattest’ could hold more but, “maybe the higher (taller) one will hold more…” Activities to reinforce children’s understanding of number are well chosen with sufficient challenge, particularly for higher attaining children and progress is very good because the children are learning early addition and subtraction facts. Good use of comparative language such as ‘thick’ and ‘thin’ and ‘long’ and ‘short’ are used to help the children distinguish attributes in shapes and objects. There has been good progress since the last inspection in this area of learning.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

61. In this area of learning, the teaching is good. As a result, the majority of children will achieve the early learning goals by the beginning of Year 1 with a significant number achieving them well before the end of their Reception year. The natural curiosity of young children is enhanced as the staff encourage them to talk about their discoveries and experiences. Early scientific skills and knowledge are developed as the children excitedly explore whether a range of objects are magnetic or not. Their recording skills are developed well as they use Venn diagrams showing the properties of the materials they have explored to help them sort materials into magnetic and non-magnetic groups. Through role- play, history and physical education, the children learn about the past, their own bodies and how things that we have today are similar to things in the past, but have changed because of new technology and

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

working practices. This was brought alive after a visit from a specialist speaker from a local museum. She compared Victorian wash day with present practice and this related to the children’s own knowledge and understanding as they compared a Victorian wash tub with a modern washing machine. The children had a go at using the ‘posser’ to ‘lather up’ the soap and water before scrubbing clothes and rinsing and then putting them through a mangle before drying. The story of ‘Mrs Wishy Washy’ was used as a stimulus for this so the children could relate the story to real events.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

62. The children’s observational skills are developed further as they carefully examine the differences in materials and record their findings in an appropriate way. The celebration of festivals such as Holmesdale Infant School - 29 Christmas and Divali as well as Islamic festivals such as Eid help the children to develop an understanding of their own culture and those of other faith systems. They learn about the passage of time through celebrating birthdays, talking about the days of the week and the changing seasons and weather. There are very good examples of children having well planned opportunities to develop their skills of designing and making. Displayed work shows how the children created their own collage designs of ‘Elmer the Elephant’ and self-portraits entitled ‘All About Me’ are attractively displayed alongside the children’s independent writing and personal profiles. Higher attaining children

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

confidently explain and evaluate how things are made and why some vehicles can go faster or slower than others. Materials are well organised and adult interaction encourages the children to choose from a wide range. The children work independently to cut, fold and join a range of materials. The computer and ‘roamer’ (a programmable floor robot) are popular choices and many children are competent in using the computer mouse and different programs to support their learning in mathematics and language and literacy.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

63. Construction toys are used well in most lessons to encourage the children to design and make their own models, discover how things work and how to improve their work. The headteacher and deputy headteacher’s visit to South Africa has brought alive the children’s understanding of other cultures and working practices. Visits from African artists and musicians are planned and the children enjoy comparing familiar instruments, artefacts and tools used in other parts of the world with those they know to be used here. There has been good improvement since the last inspection.

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Physical development

64. Good teaching in both Reception classes ensures the majority of children will meet the early learning goals well before they move into Year 1. The children’s natural exuberance and energy is catered for well. A well planned and imaginative outdoor play area provides children with daily opportunities to develop their physical skills. Confidence and skill are exhibited as children balance, climb and swing on the very good equipment available. The children manoeuvre the prams well, avoiding other children and the planned obstacles. They incorporate these into their dramatic play situations. A topic on their bodies and themselves helps the children develop an understanding of the importance of exercise to ensure good health. Structured physical education lessons promote their further development well. In these lessons children are developing good spatial awareness, control and imagination as they respond

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Physical development

well to their teacher. Most children display a suppleness and agility as they become more aware of their own bodies. Good teacher intervention encourages the children to improve their skills of throwing and catching and as a result they make good gains in their skills in a short time. Emphasis is placed on developing children’s independence and skill when handling tools and malleable materials and they are becoming competent as they handle a variety of tools and materials safely and with care. There has been very good improvement in this area of learning since the last inspection.

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Creative development

65. The teaching is good and ranges between good and very good in both Reception classes. The majority of children will achieve the early learning goals by the beginning of Year 1, with a significant number achieving them well before the end of their Reception year.

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Creative development

66. The children enjoy a good range of experiences in art, music, story and imaginative play. Teachers provide the children with a good range of opportunities to use their imagination. Exciting dressing up clothes encourage children to take on a range of different roles. One minute the children are ‘home makers’, doctors, nurses and office workers, the next they have donned a velvet cloak and become a wicked fairy tale character. Opportunities for imaginative play are well developed and there are good opportunities to enhance the children’s imagination and extend their language and creativity in this area of learning. Structured music and singing lessons and a good range of musical instruments, songs and rhymes, help to develop the children’s understanding of sound, rhythm and pattern. In both classes Holmesdale Infant School - 30 there are many activities available for the children to develop their senses through investigating texture,

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Creative development

shape and colour. The staff provide materials with interesting textures from which children can choose to create their own designs, pictures, models and collages. Their understanding of colour is developed well as the children mix their own shades of paint to create high quality pictures of teddy bears or self-portraits containing interesting detail. Malleable materials such as ‘gloop’, play dough, sand and water are available for the children to explore on a daily basis. There has been good improvement since the last inspection.

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ENGLISH

67. Standards in English have improved since the last inspection and, by the end of Year 2, they are now well above average. This is confirmed by the results of the national assessments for seven year olds in 2002, which were well above average in writing. The results for reading were above average, but inspection evidence, and the school’s own assessments, indicates that more of the current pupils in Year 2 are achieving the higher Level 3 than in the previous year and that the pupils’ attainment in reading is also well above average. Given that the attainment of the pupils on entry to the school is broadly average, pupils of all levels of ability, including those with special educational needs, achieve very well. There is no significant difference in the standards attained by boys and girls.

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ENGLISH

68. The school has successfully focused on raising attainment in writing and is now concentrating on seeking improvements in reading. This is proving effective, particularly in enabling the more able pupils to attain appropriately high levels. This focus on the more able pupils has not been at the expense of other groups of pupils, who make similarly very good progress in the development of their language skills.

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ENGLISH

69. The standards attained by the pupils in speaking and listening are well above average. During lessons, and in discussions with inspectors during the inspection, many pupils displayed a mature vocabulary and a confidence to speak clearly. There are many opportunities for them to develop these skills in the discussions at the beginning and end of literacy sessions and lessons in other subjects. Similarly, ‘circle-time’ activities, where the pupils share their ideas and discuss problems that may have arisen, make a positive contribution. Most of the pupils listen very attentively when their teachers or other pupils are speaking. A particularly strong feature is the way that the pupils are regularly encouraged to work with partners or in small groups. For example, in a design and technology lesson in the Year 2 class, the pupils worked together productively to create wheeled vehicles. Not only is this contributing

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ENGLISH

to the development of their speaking and listening skills, opportunities such as these help promote the pupils’ confidence, self-esteem and personal development. As a result, by the end of Year 2, most of the pupils have made very good progress. They join readily in discussions, offer and justify their opinions and, through their level of understanding, show that they have listened carefully to explanations and instructions.

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ENGLISH

70. By the age of seven, most of the pupils have made very good progress in reading. Building on the firm foundations established in Reception, the teaching of reading remains a high priority and the pupils develop the skills necessary to become avid readers and to learn well in other subjects. Many of the pupils in Years 1 and 2 talk with interest about their favourite books and authors and, by the end of Year 2, they read accurately and with developing fluency and understanding. Most have developed positive attitudes to reading, enjoy reading at home and they use a range of strategies to tackle unfamiliar words. The pupils are well supported in the group reading sessions in literacy lessons and they know how to use books to extend their learning in other subjects. They become increasingly confident in their understanding of what they read, which makes a significant contribution to their learning. For example, in history, the pupils use reference books and the internet to find facts about

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ENGLISH

Neil Armstrong. Their competence and confidence ensure that they are able to complete the task quickly and successfully. Similarly, most of the pupils have little difficulty reading quite complex written instructions or word problems in mathematics, which contributes to the well above average Holmesdale Infant School - 31 standards in that subject. Library provision has improved significantly since the last inspection. The pupils understand how to use the library to retrieve the information they need and they enjoy borrowing reference books. The lending system, supported by voluntary help from parents, works well. The school has rightly identified the importance of developing the partnership with parents, particularly in their support of reading at home, as crucial to raising standards and this is having a beneficial impact.

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ENGLISH

71. By the end of Year 2, the pupils have made very good progress in the acquisition of writing skills. The pupils achieve very well and standards are well above average. The development of writing has been a major focus for the school and there has been good improvement since the last inspection. The pupils benefit from the many opportunities to write for a variety of purposes and for different audiences and there are good opportunities for them to develop the skills of writing at length. Spelling is taught systematically and tested regularly. By the time they leave the school, most pupils write neatly, independently and with increasingly accurate spelling and punctuation. The pupils take great pride in the presentation of their work and standards are high. They are able to use their skills to help their learning in other subjects and the writing they do, for example, in science, history, geography and

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ENGLISH

religious education contributes to the high standards.

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ENGLISH

72. The teaching of English is very good. The national strategy for literacy has been implemented very well. The planning is clearly focused on what the pupils of all levels of ability are expected to learn and shows that the teachers have high expectations of what they are capable of achieving. Literacy lessons move at a brisk pace. A particularly strong feature is the quality of the teachers’ questioning which encourages the pupils to give thoughtful answers and helps the teachers to assess their understanding. This information is supplemented by the very thorough marking of the pupils’ written work. This, together with the verbal feedback given by the teachers, ensures that the pupils have a clear understanding of how well they are doing and what might be improved. Lessons are very orderly. The few pupils who present challenging behaviour are well managed by the teachers and the support staff, who also provide very good support for other pupils with special educational needs.

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ENGLISH

73. Developments in English are very well led by the subject co-ordinator, who has a clear view of the strengths in the subject and what needs to be done to sustain the high standards. The school is committed to looking critically at how the pupils learn in English and the teachers are held accountable for the progress made by the pupils they teach. The monitoring of teaching and learning is very thorough and is specifically focussed on securing improvement. There are very good arrangements for assessing the pupils’ attainment and this process is providing detailed information to enable the school to track the progress of individuals and groups of pupils. Resources for English are very good and they are very well used.

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MATHEMATICS

74. Standards in mathematics are well above those expected by the end of Year 2. This reflects last year’s national tests results where standards were also well above the national average. The findings of this inspection confirm this picture of attainment. There has been good progress in improving mathematics since the previous inspection, when teaching was judged to be good. Standards have improved and the teaching is now very good overall. From an early age the pupils are taught basic numeracy skills very well and the teachers are very clear about how to teach problem-solving skills. Consequently, the pupils practise solving problems which are presented in a variety of ways and this helps them to do very well in the national tests. The pupils make very good progress in relation to their prior attainment on entry to the school and this is helping the pupils to do well in most other subjects.

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MATHEMATICS

75. All of the pupils, including higher attainers and those with special educational needs, make very good progress in their learning. They are learning basic skills well, and make very good efforts in lessons, offering suggestions and making contributions. They work at a good pace and are very interested and concentrate well on their tasks. The pupils are well aware of their learning and the progress they Holmesdale Infant School - 32 make. Those in Year 2 are learning to use and manipulate numbers to solve simple problems, for example, in sorting objects into sets to aid multiplication. Samples of the pupils’ work indicate good coverage of numeracy skills, for instance, calculating using two-digit numbers and the use of coinage when problem solving. The pupils have targets for their learning, for example, to learn multiplication and addition facts to twenty and beyond. In Year 1, the pupils are able to use correct mathematical

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MATHEMATICS

vocabulary. Their work shows that they can solve simple problems, put numerals in the correct order and make comparisons when classifying objects into particular groups. They use mathematical symbols correctly, are aware of the different number operations, such as addition and subtraction, and use money in their mathematical work. The pupils in both year groups have very good attitudes towards their learning in mathematics and behave very well in lessons.

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MATHEMATICS

76. The quality of teaching is very good. There is a particularly good match of tasks to the pupils’ different abilities and very good use is made of resources to support the pupils’ learning. The staff have a very good understanding of mathematics and teach basic skills very well. This is having a positive impact on how the pupils learn in other subjects and very good use is made of literacy skills to improve the pupils’ problem solving skills in mathematics. Planning is very good and the staff have high expectations of what the pupils are capable of achieving. There is sufficient challenge with a clear match of activities to the differing needs of all pupils. Those identified as having special educational needs are very well supported as the school deploys its educational care officers very effectively. The staff manage the pupils very well and lessons are well paced. There is very good

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MATHEMATICS

interaction between the support staff and the pupils. Assessment is used well to judge the pupils’ progress in lessons and this is also reflected in teachers’ marking where targets are being used to guide the pupils through a step by step approach which helps the pupils to understand how well they are doing.

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MATHEMATICS

77. The curriculum for mathematics is very good. There is a very good range of activities, reflecting the national strategy for teaching mathematics, to support the pupils’ learning and to ensure that the basic skills are taught very well. Mathematics is used effectively to support the pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, mathematical ideas are used in displays of Islamic art and South African artefacts to point out symmetric and asymmetric images. Directional and spatial awareness is very well taught with very good links made with other subjects, such as geography and information and communication technology. For example, the pupils use their knowledge of direction and angles to control the movements of a floor robot. Procedures for assessing the pupils’ attainment and monitoring their progress are very good. The information is used well to inform future teaching and to support the pupils’ learning. This enables teachers to plan and match

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MATHEMATICS

tasks to the abilities of the pupils, especially for those pupils who learn quickly and are likely to exceed the standards expected for their age.

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MATHEMATICS

78. The leadership and management of mathematics are very good, with clear educational direction and vision for improvement. Areas for development have been identified in the school improvement plan and they have been implemented very well. These include developing problem-solving skills, higher order thinking skills and the match of activities to the pupils’ different abilities in lessons to extend the more able pupils. The monitoring of lessons has had a specific focus to maximise the impact of teaching and learning. This has included a focus on the plenary or summing up parts of lessons so that teachers help the pupils to become clear about what they have learned. Resources are very good and well used.

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SCIENCE

79. Lesson observations, discussion with pupils and an analysis of their past and present work indicate that attainment is above the standards expected by the end of Year 2. The above average standards identified in the last inspection have been maintained. However, standards could be higher, as more could be done to target more able pupils and to provide work that will ensure that a greater proportion Holmesdale Infant School - 33 of pupils who have the potential to reach and exceed the standards expected for their age, do so. The pupils do well in developing an understanding of materials and their properties and life and living processes, but could do better with experimental and investigative work. The large majority of pupils, by Year 2, have the capability and potential to reach high standards in science as their literacy and numeracy skills are very well advanced. The school recognises these areas for improvement and has

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SCIENCE

identified these in its school improvement plan. A pleasing feature of the lessons observed is the effective use of questioning skills in lessons, which helps to develop the pupils’ sense of enquiry. However, unlike literacy and mathematics lessons, the work being set for the pupils is not always matched to their abilities, especially for more able pupils.

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SCIENCE

80. The pupils’ learning, including those with special educational needs, is satisfactory as they develop their skills, knowledge and understanding. They all achieve satisfactorily over time, due mostly to good teaching, very good attitudes to their learning and a willingness to do well. By the end of Year 2, the pupils know that light comes from a variety of sources including the sun. They explain in simple but accurate terms how force makes things speed up, slow down or change direction, as noted during a lesson where Year 2 pupils investigated the effects on toy cars when rolled down ramps which were inclined at varying angles. More able pupils explain clearly the classification of materials, for example into metal, wood and plastic, and their work illustrates vividly the difference between a transparent and an opaque substance. They recognise that different creatures require specific types of habitat and that

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SCIENCE

they adapt to an environment. Many know the basic components of a balanced diet and are beginning to understand the importance of healthy eating and regular exercise. They carry out investigations to a simple format and they predict, test and record their findings effectively using their literacy and numeracy skills. For example, in a very good lesson in Year 1 and 2, when investigating the effects of forces, the pupils poured water over model water mills to identify the differences and similarities in the way they rotate. The pupils’ previous work records how they look at seasonal changes and distinguish successfully between natural and man-made materials. Although the pupils can set up investigations and experiments, their knowledge and understanding of what constitutes a fair test is good. The pupils record their work in a variety of ways, including tables and graphs, which is a satisfactory

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SCIENCE

improvement since the previous inspection.

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SCIENCE

81. The pupils’ attitudes to science are very good, especially when they are motivated to sustain concentration. This was particularly noticeable with a Year 2 group of pupils comparing the different types of toy vehicles. The pupils, through discussion and activity, enjoyed discussing and identifying what features made some cars move further than others after being released down a ramp. Similarly, Year 1 and 2 pupils enjoyed trying to explain why soap bubbles rise when blown into the air. They listen well to their teachers and education care officers as well as to each other. The pupils work purposefully, both collaboratively and independently, during lessons and are eager to explain how and why they have carried out experiments. They are polite and respectful to peers and adults alike. Only on the odd occasion, when they are allocated too much time for a task, are some pupils restless and

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SCIENCE

82. The quality of teaching is sound and there are good features. Consistent planning helps the teachers to set clear learning objectives for each lesson. However, during the course of a series of lessons more could be done to provide specifically challenging tasks for more able pupils. The lessons’ objectives are always shared with the pupils at the beginning of lessons and their success is evaluated during and at the end of the lesson. For example, the pupils know that they have to sort attributes into their appropriate categories before predicting whether a toy car will roll a prescribed distance or whether a water mill will rotate faster or slower when pouring different amounts of water over it. Opportunities are provided for the pupils to work independently but also to support each other when required. Many of the teachers assess the pupils’ responses well, and target supplementary questions to expand their

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SCIENCE

thinking. The best teaching combines problem solving, discussion and explanation, high expectations and the maintenance of good pace. This was reflected well in a Year 1 and 2 lesson which successfully utilised the skills of a visiting teacher from a local secondary school. However, the Holmesdale Infant School - 34 teaching could be more effective if more able pupils could start at more challenging levels after establishing the key objectives of the lesson. Assessment of day-to-day work is good overall. Marking is consistent and sometimes evaluative, which helps the pupils to improve. The management of special educational needs pupils is very effective as educational care officers are usually on hand to guide and support them during class discussions and group work.

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SCIENCE

83. The co-ordinator provides good leadership in the promotion of the subject throughout the school. The medium and short-term planning are detailed but need to focus on providing more able pupils with specific work that matches their abilities. Lesson plans contain learning objectives which are shared with the pupils and teachers use an appropriate assessment and recording system. The results of tests are analysed and form the basis for individual pupil target-setting but previous teacher assessments show that too few Year 2 pupils achieve higher levels in science given that the same pupils achieve these levels in English and mathematics. Monitoring includes the moderation of the pupils’ work and lesson observations with verbal feedback to the teachers. The co-ordinator reviews the teachers’ plans on a regular basis.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

84. By the end of Year 2, the pupils’ attainment in these subjects is above what is expected of pupils of this age. In art and design, this is a similar picture to that found in the last inspection. At that time, standards in design and technology were in line with expectations and have risen. The evidence from the lessons seen during the inspection, from the work on display around the school and in collections of the pupils’ previous work indicates that the pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well and make good progress in their learning in these subjects.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

85. In art and design, the pupils experience a broad and interesting range of activities and there are good opportunities to use a wide variety of media and materials. Good use is made of sketchbooks for them to try out different techniques, for example sketching figures in the style of Lowry or creating patterns using paint or crayons. Pupils in Year 1 were observed using ‘Broadway Boogie Woogie’ by Mondrian as a stimulus for their work. These pupils are developing a good sense of pattern and colour and how individual artists have their own style and they use this knowledge to successfully create their own patterns. In another lesson, Year 2 pupils focussed on the work of Seurat, compared his style with that of Lowry, and they selected appropriate materials to create their own pictures. A feature of the lessons seen was the pupils’ willingness and confidence to ‘have a go’ and the clarity with which

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

they expressed their preferences, both in the work of established artists and in their own efforts. This good progress is reflected in the work displayed around the school, which shows a wide variety of good quality work, ranging from patterns made by tying and dying and other forms of printing and drawings supporting the pupils’ learning in other subjects. During a visit to the library, the pupils drew sketches, which they later transferred to high quality clay tiles. Other work on display shows that the pupils experiment well with techniques, including using flat brushes in the style of Mondrian and colour mixing. Artwork is displayed imaginatively by the staff and the pupils are proud of their efforts. Work in art and design makes a positive contribution to the pupil spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, including their understanding of cultures other than their own. A computer paint package

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

is well used to help the pupils extend their learning.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

86. The pupils talk confidently about their work in design and technology. They enjoy creating detailed and achievable plans, often presenting more than one possibility, that show for example how they will keep the axles level on their wheeled models. The pupils practise and experiment to find ways of joining materials. They have well developed skills and measure and cut accurately and confidently when using the junior hacksaw. In the lessons seen, the pupils had positive attitudes to their work. They collaborated well when working in pairs and small groups and took an obvious pride in what they were doing. They are encouraged to evaluate their efforts as, for example, when considering how they might improve their fruit salads. Other opportunities for the pupils to develop their skills include Holmesdale Infant School - 35 designing a coat for Joseph, creating a moving book linked to the Christmas story and designing a

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

house. They examine and evaluate mechanisms, for example by labelling the main parts of a vehicle and making close observational drawings to show the function of some of the parts of a fire engine. The skills developed in these lessons are well used in supporting the pupils’ learning in art and design.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

87. Overall, the teaching is good in these subjects. The lessons are well organised, with careful planning that sets out what the pupils will learn. Tools and materials are made readily available, so that the lessons run smoothly. The teachers have high expectations of the pupils’ capabilities and how they should behave. They have a good knowledge of these subjects. For example, in a Year 1 lesson in art and design, the teacher’s enthusiasm generated a great deal of interest from the pupils that led to many of them producing high quality patterns in the style of Mondrian. The teachers provide good opportunities for the pupils to experiment with techniques and make choices about the materials they might use to complete a task. This plays a significant part in the pupils’ confident approach to their work. These subjects are well led by the headteacher. The curricula have been modified to increase

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

the emphasis on the teaching of skills and ensure that they develop progressively through the school. The clear allocation of time for design and technology has contributed to the rise in standards and the improvement of the teachers’ knowledge and confidence is an important factor. There are plans to investigate the setting up of an art club, in order to offer the pupils the opportunity to extend their skills. Both subjects are well resourced.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

88. Standards in both geography and history are above those expected by the end of Year 2. There has been a good improvement since the last inspection, especially in curriculum planning and the way teachers make relevant and interesting links with other subjects. Good use is made of literacy and numeracy skills as the pupils write independently in both geography and history lessons and can record evidence from observations of habitats or artefacts in tables and charts. Evidence includes one observation of a Year 2 history lesson, an analysis of the pupils’ past and present work and discussions with them and their teachers. From this it is clear that the pupils’ learning, including those with special educational needs, is good. Overall, the pupils achieve well in developing their geographical and history skills and their knowledge and understanding. Very good use is made of multi-cultural aspects of

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

geography and history, for example, the headteacher and deputy headteacher visited South Africa as part of the ‘Teachers’ International Professional Development’ project. An attractive display of artefacts, photographs and pupils’ work is displayed showing good improvement in both the geographical and historical aspects of South Africa with appropriate comparisons made with life in this country and that of people in Durban, South Africa.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

89. The majority of pupils in Years 1 and 2 have a good recall of subject knowledge and skills. In Year 1 they know how to carry out simple mapping and describe their route to and from school. For example, on a plan of the school they successfully identify their own classroom and the main hall. By Year 2, more able pupils can use compass points to locate specific features accurately. They understand the effects that weather and temperature variations have on the types of clothes which people wear, as observed when teachers ask the pupils to comment on the day’s weather and climate. Year 2 pupils were observed using reference books and the Internet after watching a brief video about Neil Armstrong and his famous ‘walk on the moon’ as part of their work about famous people and events in the past. In their study of science in the local environment, the pupils begin to observe how wildlife habits and foliage change during the season cycle. Many talk excitedly about their visits, for example,

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

to the Derbyshire Denby pottery. This is followed up with good independent written work and artwork where the pupils have made clay pots and observed illustrations and pottery made in the town. Very good use is made of the local area, which is very well illustrated in the pupils’ investigations of houses and homes. Year 1 pupils have studied different modes of transport with good geographical and historical skills developing as the pupils compare early Roman roads with those of today. Their learning is brought alive and made interesting when the pupils learn local stories about ‘Blind Jack of Holmesdale Infant School - 36 Knaresborough’ or when the school invites local fire officers in to show the pupils how they put out fires and how fire-fighting has changed over the years. The pupils develop a good range of observational skills, for example, when comparing photographs of their school in 1965 with the way it

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

was in 2000. In geography, the pupils learn to distinguish between physical and human features such as shops, houses, rivers and hills and by Year 2, they can draw accurate plans of their classroom and identify places on a map.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

90. To consolidate their mapping skills the pupils use features in atlases and maps to identify why settlements are located in areas with specific geographical features such as shelter, bays and rivers. They compare weather patterns across the world, for example, in India, Africa, England and the North Pole. Ancient Egypt was a popular topic with year 2 pupils as they investigated the mummification process and identified key aspects of life in those times such as the magnificence of the pyramids and the gods that were worshipped.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

91. The pupils have very positive attitudes to their work. They listen carefully and respond well to questions. This was evident in a discussion with pupils about why people become famous and what is the most significant contribution that famous people make that distinguishes them from ordinary events. In Year 2, the pupils have studied the local area and have visited the local library and interviewed the librarian.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

92. In the Year 2 history lesson observed, the teaching was very good. The pupils enjoyed using a range of reference books and computers to investigate how and why people become famous. From the evidence of pupils’ recorded work and teachers’ plans, lessons are planned well and hold the pupils’ interest. Effective pace is maintained through a range of activities, which assists learning, as noted in the work done by Year 1 pupils about inventions and how they make our lives safer. At the end of lessons questioning is used well to establish the extent to which the pupils have improved their skills, knowledge and understanding, and to reinforce the key learning points of the lesson.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

93. Since the last inspection the teachers have improved planning so that there is a good balance between the topics and range of activities provided for the pupils and the subject specific skills that are relevant to both geography and history. This has been effective as standards have been maintained and resources improved to match the specific needs of the pupils and each subject. The co-ordinator’s subject knowledge is good and she manages both subjects well. She monitors teachers’ planning, lessons and pupils’ recorded work, identifying strengths such as fieldwork, and areas for development, for example, map-making and specific geographical vocabulary acquisition. Procedures for assessment are included in the medium-term plans which are monitored regularly. Future plans include developing a thorough portfolio of pupils’ work, so it is clear what standards are to be achieved in each year, with clear examples of the required standards for each topic. Resources are good, maintained

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

well and are easily accessible to both the pupils and teachers.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

94. Standards of attainment are above the expectations of pupils of this age and most pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. This is a similar judgement to that made at the time of the last inspection, although the school has improved the availability of computers and the teachers’ knowledge and confidence has improved due to in-service training. Computers are generally well used to support the pupils’ learning in other subjects including, for example, English, mathematics and art and design. The school rightly recognises that the resources for the subject could be improved still further, particularly in relation to the facilities for teaching ICT skills to larger groups of pupils. Consequently, the school is exploring ways of developing this aspect of its provision. In the meantime, good use is made of the computer suites at two nearby junior schools. Holmesdale Infant School - 37

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

95. By the end of Year 2, the pupils are confident in their use of computers. They have well developed word processing skills: they know how to change the size, colour and style of letters and they correct their errors using the backspace key. They know how to search for information on the internet, a skill observed during a Year 2 history lesson, and they can insert illustrations into their writing. In a lesson in the same class, dedicated to using computers to enhance their learning in art and design, the pupils were able to select and use a ‘spray tool’, from a list of functions on an art program, to help create pictures inspired by work of Seurat. These pupils showed a good recall of the work that they had covered in previous lessons. They confidently and competently selected a background colour for their pictures, changing the colour on the spray tool as appropriate, and they are developing a good

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

understanding of the benefits and shortcomings of using a computer. Indeed, some pupils in this lesson expressed the view that they would prefer to use a sketch pad to create pictures, rather than a computer. The pupils use a database to ask and answer questions about dinosaurs and Ancient Egypt and they collect and organise information about themselves and other people. The pupils build on the work they do in Reception as they programme the ‘roamer’ to follow a route and predict how it will move and they have access to a digital camera. The pupils enjoy the opportunities they have to use the computers and other pieces of equipment and those observed during the inspection did so sensibly, co-operating well with partners.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

96. Although only two specific ICT lessons were observed, the pupils’ previous work, their skills and the depth of their understanding indicate that, overall, the quality of teaching is good. There are two computers available to each class and the teachers work hard to provide sufficient computer time to each pupil to enable them make good progress. In a good lesson in Year 2, the teacher made good use of a multi-media projector to enhance the quality of presentation and enhance the pupils’ understanding. This is not a regular feature of lessons in other classes, however, and should be incorporated into the teaching programme as soon as possible. Occasionally, the gap between the pupils being taught the specific skills and then being able to use and consolidate them is too great, particularly for lower ability pupils who may have difficulty remembering what they have been shown. Although the use of the computer suites at two nearby schools was not observed during the inspection,

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

this arrangement is having a beneficial impact and the school is right to seek improvements in its own provision.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

97. The subject co-ordinator provides good leadership by providing technical support for colleagues who experience difficulties, monitoring the teaching and learning and playing a key role in identifying priorities for development. She has been instrumental in securing the improvements in provision since the last inspection. The teachers’ planning shows that the pupils experience a broad and well balanced curriculum that meets the requirements of the national curriculum. There are many opportunities for the pupils to use and apply their ICT skills in other subjects, although it is not always clear in the subject plans which specific skills will be developed. Sound assessment procedures have been introduced and the teachers keep appropriate records of the activities carried out by the pupils to enable them to build up a profile of the pupil’s performance over time.

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MUSIC

98. The standards achieved by the end of Year 2 are above those expected. The quality of singing in assemblies is good. There has been good improvement since the last inspection and standards have been maintained. There is an effective scheme of work and music lessons are well taught by class teachers. Music makes a positive contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, cultural and personal development and adds to the quality of assemblies and worship. The playing of an appropriate piece of music creates an appropriate atmosphere for reflection and worship, although more use could be made of this when pupils enter and leave assemblies in the hall. The pupils have good opportunities to respond to the music and express how it makes them feel. Songs and hymns are well taught and the pupils sing with enthusiasm, appropriate expression and clarity and are able to sustain a steady pulse. The pupils learn a good range of songs and can sing most them without having the words displayed.

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MUSIC

Holmesdale Infant School - 38 99. In Year 2, the pupils develop a good sense of rhythm and pitch. They are able to keep a good beat, recognise a repeating pattern and sing with expression paying attention to the dynamics of the song. In the lesson observed, the teacher asked the pupils to interpret long and short sounds made using untuned percussion. This was done very well by combining dance and drama skills with music as the pupils worked in pairs and groups to improvise the sounds made. All the pupils tried hard and watched others as they performed. They particularly enjoyed trying to guess what instruments were being interpreted as the pupils performed a range of body actions. In this lesson the pupils were taught to distinguish long and short sounds and a good range of untuned percussion instruments were used to improvise different sounds. By the end of Year 2, the pupils show a good understanding of musical

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MUSIC

ideas as they combine movements to illustrate a musical phrase or combination of sounds. In Year 2, the pupils are taught to play the reorder by their class teachers. The pupils show a good understanding of simple notation and musical terminology as they explore whether they can create long and short notes and follow a sequence of notes with varying pitch and rhythm. The pupils are presented with a good range of experiences to develop their skills in performing, appraising and acquiring musical knowledge.

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MUSIC

100. The teaching is good and good provision is made for those pupils with special educational needs, ensuring they take full part in music lessons and achieve standards similar to their peers. Most teachers are now confident in teaching music and they use the scheme well to build systematically on the pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. Music lessons are well structured and tasks are challenging. The pupils are given clear strategies to improve their skills. In lessons they are encouraged to think of themselves as musicians. They become fully immersed in lessons because of the practical and hands on experiences offered.

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MUSIC

101. Specialist skills, visits and visitors are used well to develop a full range of activities to promote the effective learning of music. Through well-planned cross-curricular links, the pupils learn about music from other cultures such as Africa, South America and India. A visit from an African performing artist involved a range of music and art work. The school has also planned for a visit from a Zimbabwean artist later this term as part of a special arts day which will involve music playing, singing and dancing.

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MUSIC

102. Music is effectively co-ordinated and makes an important contribution to the aims of the school. The music scheme, planned activities and assessments are in place to ensure that there is progress and continuity across the school, providing the pupils with good opportunities to extend their musical knowledge, skills and understanding.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

103. It was only possible to make judgements on lessons in dance during the inspection. The evidence from the two lessons seen indicates that standards are above the national expectations and the pupils are making good progress in the development of these skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

104. The pupils are well co-ordinated and can run, hop, stretch and jump in response to music. They are developing a good sense of rhythm as they modify the way they are moving, for example moving ‘lightly’ when they are instructed to do so or ‘like a dog’. Most of the pupils work hard, take the lessons seriously and try to improve their performance. The work in PE makes a good contribution to the pupils’ social development. They are expected to work well together in pairs and small groups and they do so successfully.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

105. Overall, the quality of teaching is good. Good use is made of pre-recorded broadcasts, with good interventions from the teachers to enhance the pupils’ understanding or to focus on improving a specific skill. Occasionally, a few of the pupils who present challenging behaviour do not concentrate Holmesdale Infant School - 39 well and, although generally well managed, in one of the lessons seen this began to affect the performance of other pupils. The teacher in this instance showed good class management skills in stopping the use of the taped programme to refocus the pupils’ attention. As a result of this, the rate of the pupils’ progress and their enjoyment increased and the quality of their work improved.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

106. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The planning meets the requirements of the national curriculum, covering games, dance and gymnastics. There are good facilities for teaching PE, with a well-equipped hall and outdoor hard-play area. At present, there are few opportunities outside of lessons for the pupils to develop their skills.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

107. Standards, as set out in the Locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education, are above those expected by the end of Year 2. There has been good progress since the previous inspection as these good standards have been maintained. In Year 2, the pupils study a range of religions, including Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam and the work is comprehensive and relevant. There are examples of good links to literacy and other subjects such as art and design, music, geography and history and the work the pupils do helps them to improve their independent writing skills. The pupils also look at the use of symbols and symbolic actions within religions, for example, clasping the hands in prayer and the significance of Islamic and Christian places of worship.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

108. In the two lessons observed, the pupils were learning about the importance of belonging to a group outside school. The pupils had good opportunities to ask questions and, in one lesson, they learned the importance of co-operation by working as a team. Through carefully planned topics and themes, enhanced by visits to places of worship and the use of artefacts, such as those displayed in the school hall representing items you would see in a mosque, the pupils make connections between different faiths which have similar symbolic actions. Many pupils retain their previously gained knowledge about different religions and are therefore able to make comparisons.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

109. The pupils in both Year 1 and Year 2 are learning about different festivals and traditions with good links made to spiritual and moral development. For example, in assemblies the pupils sing traditional hymns and songs, including one that is sung in Hindi. The pupils make good progress in their learning, they have a basic knowledge of religious education, and make good efforts in lessons, to offer suggestions and make contributions. They work at a reasonable pace, are interested and concentrate well on their tasks. They are aware of their learning, the progress they make and what they know and understand. The pupils have very good attitudes towards their learning in religious education and behave well in lessons.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

110. The quality of teaching is good overall, with an appropriate use of resources to support the pupils’ learning. Teachers have a good understanding of religious education and teach basic skills effectively. Planning is good and the staff have appropriate expectations of what the pupils will achieve, including those pupils identified as having special educational needs. Teaching methods are good, the staff manage pupils well and lessons are paced at a reasonable rate. Assessment is used appropriately to judge the pupils’ progress in lessons.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

111. The curriculum for religious education is good overall, with a good range of activities to support learning. The scheme of work reflects the locally agreed syllabus for the teaching of religious education. Religious education is used effectively to support the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Procedures for assessment of the pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory. The information is used appropriately to inform future teaching and to support the pupils’ learning. Holmesdale Infant School - 40 112. Leadership and management of religious education are good, planning is monitored, with planned observations of teaching being part of the normal routine of monitoring across the school. Resources are good and the school uses a good number of multi-faith and Christian artefacts to support the pupils’ learning. There is some use of information and communication technology in religious education and

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

teachers prepare lessons that are well linked to other subjects which makes learning meaningful and interesting for the pupils.

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