Locks Heath Infant & Nursery School

LOCKS HEATH 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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LOCKS HEATH 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. Locks Heath Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Warsash Road Locks Heath Southampton

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Jackie Hodgkinson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 3 November 1997 Locks Heath Infant School - 4

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responsibilities

19623 Michael Cahill Registered inspector Mathematics Science Physical education What sort of school is it? How high are standards? a) The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further? 9499 Phiroze Daruwala Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 1723 Michael Milton Team inspector Information and communication technology Geography Religious education Educational inclusion How well is the school led and managed?

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responsibilities

32153 Maureen Panichelli Team inspector Foundation stage Special educational needs Art and design Design and technology History How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

32142 Beryl Richmond Team inspector English as an additional language English Music How high are standards? b) Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development Locks Heath Infant School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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responsibilities

Cambridge Education Associates Ltd Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Locks Heath 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? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Locks Heath Infant School provides education for children aged from 4 to 7 years. It is situated in an area of mainly detached and semi-detached houses; the school is popular and nearly one third of children come from beyond the immediate neighbourhood. About two per cent of pupils claim free school meals, which is well below the national average. Most children’s attainment on entry to the reception classes, early in the year of their fifth birthday, is broadly what is expected for their age. By the end of the reception year, many children have exceeded the nationally recommended early learning goals. There are twelve classes, four in each of Years Reception, 1 and 2. There are 346 children on roll (187 boys and 159 girls); the school is larger than average. Most children are of white UK heritage and there are a few pupils for whom English is an additional language, none of whom are at an early stage of learning. The

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

overall proportion of pupils with special educational needs and the proportion with full statements are below the national average. Pupils’ special educational needs include physical, emotional and behavioural as well as learning difficulties. The school has identified a number of children whose ability is significantly above average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Locks Heath Infants is a very effective school with many important strengths; it has made significant progress since the last inspection. A particular feature of the school is its effectiveness in giving children confidence in their ability to learn. Because of this, most children make good progress as they move through the school. The school’s results in the national tests for 2002 were well above the national average. The overall quality of teaching is good and the school provides a good range and quality of opportunities for children to learn. Children behave very well and form very good relationships with each other and with adults. The school is very well led and managed and provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils achieve better that expected in most of the subjects of the National Curriculum and in religious education as a result of good teaching. • The school is very successful at promoting attitudes to learning, behaviour and relationships that are very good; personal, social and health education is a strong component of the school’s curriculum. • Children are given a good start in the reception classes; the school provides good learning opportunities in Years 1 and 2 for all children. • The school makes good provision for pupils with special educational needs and for those of higher ability. • All children benefit from the excellent level of personal and educational support and guidance that the school provides. • The school and parents maintain a very strong partnership and this supports children’s learning very well. • The headteacher provides excellent educational direction for the school; her leadership and

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What the school does well

management, together with those of senior staff and the governing body, are sharply focused on raising children’s achievements.

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What could be improved

• The efficiency and effectiveness of the school’s use of its computers, including the role of ICT in supporting and extending learning across the curriculum. • The range and quality of pupils’ achievements in art and design, and in design and technology. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made very good progress since the last inspection in November 1997, with respect both to the issues identified at that time and to other aspects of the school’s provision and pupils’ achievements. In particular, the provision for teaching information and communication technology has been greatly improved and the governing body is now very effective in monitoring and evaluating the impact of its decisions on pupils’ achievements. The overall quality of teaching and the standards that pupils achieve Locks Heath Infant School - 8 have improved. The very strong partnership between the governing body, headteacher, staff and parents provides a very good basis for further improvement.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Schools are described as similar when they fall into the same band for free school meals, in this case up to and including eight per cent.

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Key

Children in the reception classes make good progress and by the time they enter Year 1 most have achieved, and a significant number have exceeded, the Early Learning Goals; overall standards are then above average.

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Key

As the above table shows, pupils at the end of Year 2 in 2002 achieved National Curriculum test results that were well above average in reading and mathematics and above average in writing; the results of the teacher assessments in science were above the national average. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards their individual targets and many achieved the nationally expected level for their age in the national tests. The proportions of more able children who achieved the higher than expected Level 3 were well above average in mathematics, above average in reading and science, and average in writing. The school’s results in 2002 were better than those in the school year of the last inspection; the overall trend has been one of improvement.

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Key

On the evidence of the pupils’ work seen and the school’s own records, standards in the present Year 2 are judged to be above the national average in English, mathematics and science at present, and are on track for results by the end of the school year that are at least as good as those of 2002. In geography, music, physical education and religious education, pupils’ achievements are better than expected for their age. In art and design, design and technology, history, and information and communication technology, standards are in line with national expectations. Overall, standards have improved since the last inspection and pupils of all abilities make good progress.

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Key

In national tests over the last three years, boys have sometimes done better than girls and vice-versa, partly because the ratio of boys to girls varies across the year groups; no significant differences were noted in lessons or in the work examined.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils enjoy school and are happy there. They have very good attitudes to learning, are enthusiastic and work hard.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in lessons and around the school is very good. Pupils are sensible, courteous and polite; they respect each other and adults.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships The relationships among pupils and between pupils and the adults who work in the school are very good. Pupils respond well to opportunities for independence and their personal development is very good. Locks Heath Infant School - 9 Attendance Pupils’ enthusiasm for school is reflected in an attendance rate that is well above the national average. Almost all pupils arrive punctually for the start of the school day. Very good relationships are an important strength of the school; this is very largely due to the very good example set by the adults in the school community.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

The overall quality of teaching is good and as a result most pupils make good progress in lessons and as they move up the school. During the inspection the teaching in the majority of lessons was good or better, including about one in four where it was very good or even excellent. This represents a big improvement since the last inspection. The skills of English, including literacy, are taught well. The teaching of mathematics, including numeracy, is more variable but mainly satisfactory with examples of good and very good practice. The skills of ICT are taught effectively but pupils do not have sufficient opportunities for practising and using what they have been taught. Science is taught well, with a very good emphasis on developing experimental skills.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

Planning for pupils with special educational needs is good and teachers and learning support assistants provide good direct help, particularly in literacy and numeracy. As a result these pupils, like those for whom English is an additional language, make progress that is as good as that made by their classmates and they benefit equally from all the learning opportunities that the school offers. Higher attaining pupils also achieve well.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

Important features of the best teaching seen include the very effective way in which teachers manage both children’s behaviour and their learning. This owes much to the good teamwork between teachers and learning support assistants, and the very good relationships between adults and children. In the best lessons, teachers provide interesting, well-planned and appropriate work, and it is clear to pupils what they are expected to do and learn in the lesson. Teachers convey high expectations and use questions very well to consolidate and extend pupils’ learning. The main areas for improvement, in a few lessons, were the time allocation (too short) and the degree to which planning made clear what the children were to learn.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

Pupils enjoy learning and show a good level of interest and concentration. From the Reception classes onwards children are encouraged to develop good work habits and given opportunities to work independently when that is appropriate. This gives pupils a good understanding of their own learning and gives them confidence in their ability to learn. As they move up the school, most pupils learn to organise themselves well and are becoming independent learners. The quality of their learning is very good and they achieve well.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality and range of learning opportunities are good and include good provision for the areas of learning in the Foundation Stage. The school offers a good range of learning opportunities in Years 1 and 2, including swimming, and there is an appropriate emphasis on literacy and numeracy. The curriculum is greatly enhanced by visits and visitors and through links with the local community. There are not enough opportunities for pupils to practise and use ICT skills; art and design and design and technology do not always have a high enough profile. Locks Heath Infant School - 10 Provision for pupils with special educational needs Pupils with special educational needs are very well provided for. Planning is designed to make sure that all pupils have access to all curriculum areas and teachers and learning support assistants provide good support for groups and individuals. These pupils are fully integrated into the school

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language This is good; pupils and their learning needs are well known to staff and careful track is kept of their progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good, overall. Particular strengths are the quality and range of provision for pupils’ social and moral development; the school teaches pupils right from wrong, largely through good example and simple rules, and encourages pupils to solve problems. Provision for spiritual and cultural development is good, although more focus on living in Britain as a multi-ethnic society would be appropriate. How well the school cares for its pupils The school is a very caring community and staff know individual pupils very well. There are excellent procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development; all pupils benefit from these. The school has an excellent system for tracking pupils’ standards in reading, writing and mathematics during their time in the school and uses this information to raise pupils’ standards.

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Aspect Comment

Parents have very positive views about the school and many support their children’s learning very well at home. The school provides very good information about children’s progress and attainment.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher provides excellent leadership and management, which are clearly focused on improving pupils’ achievements through improving the quality of education provided. She is very well supported by her deputy and other senior staff, including subject leaders.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very well. The governors have a very clear understanding of the strengths of the school and are fully involved in planning for school improvement. The governing body carries out all of its responsibilities very well.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The headteacher, senior staff and the governing body keep all aspects of the school’s performance under continuous review. The school’s evaluation of its performance is excellent, particularly with respect to the large quantity of assessment data that is analysed. The monitoring of teaching is good but does not involve all subject leaders.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school’s use of its budget is very closely linked to its priorities for improvement; financial planning and control are very good. The school is very successful in obtaining the best value from the finances allocated to it.

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Aspect Comment

The school is well staffed and all staff work together effectively to improve the children’s education. Accommodation is good, overall, with very good features that include the swimming pool, the music and drama room, the extensive field and the conservation area. Learning resources are good, overall, and are used well. Locks Heath Infant School - 11

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The views of the 148 parents (43 per cent) who returned completed questionnaires and of the 32 parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting with members of the inspection team were taken into account.

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What pleases most parents What some parents would like to see improved

• Children like school and staff have high expectations of them. • Teaching is good, the right amount of homework is set and children make good progress. • Behaviour is good and the school helps children to become mature and responsible. • The school is well led and managed. • They are comfortable about approaching the school with questions or problems. • Information about children’s progress. • The range of activities outside lessons. • How closely the school works with them.

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What pleases most parents What some parents would like to see improved

The inspection team fully agrees with parents’ positive opinions of the school. The range and quality of activities outside lessons, at lunchtimes and including visits, are very good. Information about what children are learning and written reports about their progress are very good; most parents appreciate the opportunity to have daily contact with their child’s teacher and the headteacher. Locks Heath Infant School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Most children enter the reception classes at the age of four with levels of knowledge, understanding and skills that are close to what is expected for their age. They make good progress across the areas of learning as a result of planning and teaching that is of consistently good quality. Most children in the present reception classes are on target to achieve or exceed the nationally agreed Early Learning Goals by the time that they enter Year 1; overall, standards are above average. There is no significant difference in attainment between boys and girls.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In the National Curriculum tests for Year 2 in the summer of 2002, results show that pupils’ attainment was well above the national averages in reading and mathematics, and above average in writing and in the science assessments; the overall trend of results has been upwards. When compared with similar schools, results in mathematics were well above average, in reading they were above average, while in writing and in the science assessments results were average. Many pupils with special educational needs have achieved well in attaining the national expectation of Level 2. The proportion of more able pupils achieving the higher Level 3 was well above the national average in mathematics, above average in reading and science, and in line with expectations in writing. Pupils of all abilities benefit from the good teaching that they receive and from the very effective way that the school keeps track of their achievements and plans their future learning,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Pupils throughout the school with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets on their Individual Education Plans. These pupils are fully included in lessons because of the support given by teachers and learning support assistants and their attainment is often close to national expectations. The very few pupils for whom English is an additional language also make good progress and often achieve above national expectations. Higher attaining pupils achieve well as a result of the provision made for them.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The inspection team judged that pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science in Year 2 is currently above what would be expected, with the clear potential for well above average test results in 2003 as a result of continued good quality teaching. The school has focused on writing as an area for improvement and the evidence is that the measures adopted, including setting individual targets and planning opportunities in other curricular areas, are bringing this about. Overall attainment in ICT is in line with national expectations with examples of above average work in some aspects of the subject. In geography, music, physical education and religious education standards are above expectations. In art and design, design and technology and history the standard of work seen was in line with national expectations. Overall, standards have improved since the last inspection and pupils of all abilities make good progress. Pupils’ overall achievement, relative to

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

their attainment on entry to the school, is good. There is no significant difference in attainment between boys and girls. (For further details of pupils’ achievements and progress in the Foundation Stage and in the subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education, see paragraphs 62 - 140).

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

5. Registration provides a good start to the school day and pupils demonstrate their enthusiasm for learning by settling down to work straightaway. From discussions with pupils, it is evident that they really enjoy school life, especially when lessons capture their imagination. For instance, in a Year 2 music lesson, pupils thoughtfully chose appropriate instruments, handled them sensibly and produced interesting compositions. Children in the reception classes responded well to the visitor from the farm and the farm animals. Because they were sensible, willing to share and discuss the animals well with each other, all pupils benefited from the experience. Pupils make the most of opportunities to participate in lunchtime clubs and playground games.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

6. Behaviour is very good; the school is an orderly place. Children quickly learn right from wrong and all staff encourage pupils to be active in resolving problems and not to rely on adults all the time Locks Heath Infant School - 13 when, for instance, incidents happen in school or in the playground. Pupils play and work together very well; lunch is a pleasant social occasion. Pupils are sensitive to the needs of others, for example in ensuring that newcomers are included in playground activities. 7. Pupils’ personal development is very good. The school encourages and fosters a strong community feeling. Pupils respect and care for each other and relationships with peers and adults are very good; pupils are very polite and helpful. Members of the school council represent other pupils’ views well. For instance, they have been working with the governing body on the new playground developments. The school encourages all pupils to take responsibility and to become involved with

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

their school. For example, pupils have reported on how the school’s concern for their well-being and progress shows itself to them in the classrooms. Year 2 pupils regularly read and share other activities with children in the reception classes.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Pupils’ enthusiasm for the school is very good, and this is reflected in very good levels of attendance; these have always been good and have improved further since the last inspection. There have not been any exclusions.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Most pupils are punctual, both in terms of arriving at the school in the morning and returning to their classrooms after the morning break and lunchtime. This has a positive impact on their attainment and progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

10. The overall quality of teaching is good. During the inspection it was good or better in the majority of lessons, including more than a quarter that were very good or better; in only four per cent of lessons was teaching unsatisfactory. This represents a considerable improvement since the last inspection. The overall teaching of English, including literacy, is good, with the quality in the lessons observed ranging from satisfactory to excellent. In mathematics, including numeracy, the quality of teaching was mostly satisfactory. The quality of teaching in the reception classes is consistently good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

11. The teaching and learning of pupils with special educational needs are good. Teachers develop Individual Education Plans with specific targets and the activities that will enable these targets to be met. The subject leader for special educational needs effectively reviews the implementation of the Individual Education Plans and gives advice and support where necessary. Pupils with special educational needs are taught in small groups and tasks are well designed to motivate them and to improve their basic skills. Learning support assistants keep useful records of pupils’ achievements and work closely with class teachers. The teaching and learning of higher attaining pupils and those pupils whose mother tongue is not English is also good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

12. There were a number of characteristics common to most of the better lessons observed.

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These included:

• very good teamwork between teachers and other adults in making sure that all pupils were fully included in the lesson; • very good classroom organisation and use of good resources; • planning in which it was made clear what pupils were intended to learn in the lesson, in a form that could be shared with them; • very good use of questions to check and revise what had been learned earlier, and to extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding; • very good relationships and management of pupils, with high expectations of the standard of their work and behaviour.

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These included:

14. Many of these characteristics were present in a very good science lesson with pupils in a Year 2 class. The lesson had been very well planned to build on what pupils already knew and was presented in a lively and imaginative way, using the need to stop a visiting Iceman from melting away as the stimulus for investigating the heat insulation properties of different materials. The learning objectives were presented as a series of simple sentences that the pupils easily understood and they served to keep the lesson sharply focused because the teacher kept referring to them and had clearly displayed them with key vocabulary. The teachers used the questions, What are you trying to find out?, What do you think will happen?, What did you use to make your Locks Heath Infant School - 14 test fair?, What did you find out? as the framework for the lesson. The lesson proceeded at a very good pace and there was a very appropriate balance of listening, talking, observing and writing as

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These included:

well as whole class, group and individual work. These balances were another feature common to the best lessons observed. The teacher and the learning support assistant worked well together; they were both very effective in moving from group to group, refining understanding through further questions and encouraging pupils to write in full sentences. Pupils supported each other well during the experimental parts of the lesson and the recording task was pitched at different levels of independence for pupils of different abilities. Pupils were absorbed by the challenge and by what they were doing and learning; an atmosphere akin to that of a scientific research laboratory had been created. As a result, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the scientific method and of heat insulation were greatly enhanced.

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These included:

15. Where lessons were less successful, this was usually due to the absence of some of the above characteristics, and in a few cases to insecure subject knowledge. In particular, there were instances where learning objectives were not precise enough or not expressed in language that pupils could readily understand. When this was the case, the focus of the lesson was not as sharp as it could have been and it was difficult to assess how well the pupils had learned, especially in mathematics. When pupils missed parts of lessons because they were timetabled to do other things, their learning was adversely affected and the flow of the lesson was disturbed. On occasion, also, individual pupils’ inattention to what the teacher was saying was not adequately checked. Sometimes the lesson as planned needed more time than had been allocated to it, or the lesson started late. These are all areas for further development in what is an overall good picture. They

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These included:

merit the attention of subject leaders in their monitoring of teaching and learning.

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These included:

16. Teachers use homework well to improve pupils’ attainment and to involve parents more fully in their children’s learning. Work is regularly marked and, at best, includes written comments that help children and parents to see what is good (or not) about the work and how it can be improved.

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These included:

17. Because of the overall good quality of teaching, the quality of pupils’ learning and the progress that they make in individual lessons and over time are at least good. They develop basic skills well and in most lessons are helped to gain very good knowledge of their own learning. Because they are generally set tasks that are matched well to what they already know and it is made very clear to them what they have to do, pupils work with very good interest and concentration, working independently when that is appropriate. Pupils’ attitudes to learning and their behaviour in lessons were good or better in the great majority of lessons, again because what they were set to do was interesting and appropriately demanding and because of the very good relationships promoted by teachers and other adults. (For further details of pupils’ achievements and progress in the Foundation Stage and in the subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education, see

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TO PUPILS?

18. The quality of the curriculum is good and pupils are provided with a broad curriculum that meets the statutory requirements for all National Curriculum subjects and religious education. The proportion of time allocated to each subject is satisfactory overall, although time constraints have meant that art and design and design and technology have not always been given high priority. Because of this, standards in these subjects are in line with national expectations rather than above them.

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TO PUPILS?

19. The curriculum for pupils in the Foundation Stage is good. Planning takes into account all the areas of learning and pupils are well prepared for the infant curriculum. Whilst the school places a strong emphasis on personal, literacy and numeracy skills, pupils also benefit from developing knowledge and understanding of the world and creative and physical development. A topic-based approach ensures that pupils are well motivated and have equal access to all curriculum areas. Pupils experience play opportunities both in the classrooms and outdoor play area.

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TO PUPILS?

20. In the infants, a curriculum map provides an overview of what will be taught in Years 1 and 2. Year- group planning is adapted for individual classes, although this is sometimes not successful. The use of time when classes are swimming is not always productive for all pupils and planning for Locks Heath Infant School - 15 groups of pupils does not always maximise learning opportunities. Parents are informed of the curriculum on a half-termly basis. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy have been successfully implemented and the current focus on writing has extended to other curriculum areas such as history with good results. The organisation of teaching and learning in ICT does not always make the best use of the available resources.

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TO PUPILS?

21. Pupils benefit from the many special events that enrich the curriculum. Book weeks involve visits from authors, poets, illustrators and a puppet theatre. A theatre group with a scientific focus also visits the school. These events are both stimulating and enjoyable. History theme days such as Titanic Day and 1950s Day are celebrated, when pupils handle artefacts and learn about their origins. During the Manor Farm visit, younger pupils enjoy seeing Victorian Life when this is a focal point of their topic. Older pupils visit Minstead in the New Forest and younger children go to the Sea Life Centre.

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TO PUPILS?

22. Provision for personal, social and health education is very good and includes drugs awareness. Relationships and sex education are covered by schemes of work in the science curriculum. Circle times are used to consider personal, moral and social issues on a regular basis.

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TO PUPILS?

23. The school has a very good inclusion and access policy. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Teachers identify pupils and Individual Education Plans are developed which highlight areas of difficulty and the strategies that need to be employed. There is good support from learning support assistants, who record the outcomes of group and individual work. Parents are invited to meetings to discuss the contents of Individual Education Plans and the special needs subject leader reviews the targets set on a regular basis. More able pupils are also identified and enrichment activities are planned for them. Their progress is monitored by the subject leader.

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TO PUPILS?

24. A very good range and quality of extra-curricular activities are offered by the school, including French club, football club, skipping club and games club. There is also a choir and a country dancing class. Clubs are run by teachers and governors, assisted by junior school pupils.

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TO PUPILS?

25. Links with the community make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning and many visitors come into the school. The local policeman and vicar come to talk to the pupils and local bands have entertained them. There have been football-training sessions from Southampton Football Club and training for the staff from the Ashcroft Theatre on role-play. Pupils visit the local church and library and take harvest gifts to a charity for the homeless. They also visit local shops and perform country dances at the school fete. Business links are being investigated in conjunction with the development of the playground area. Links with pre-schools are strong and there are good links with the neighbouring junior school.

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TO PUPILS?

26. The very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. Since the time of the last inspection, provision for moral and social development has improved from good to very good and is now a significant strength. The provision for spiritual and cultural development has improved to good. All staff are concerned for the development of the pupils into rounded and confident individuals

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TO PUPILS?

27. Provision for spiritual development is good, overall. An assembly for the reception children gave them appropriate time for reflection and focused clearly on valuing diversity, where examples of children’s work in mathematics and art were used to illustrate the point to these pupils. On the other hand, pupils also reflected on where uniformity was important and this was illustrated through a game. However, teachers do not always take sufficient opportunities to develop spirituality in assemblies; the prayer is often very brief and teachers do not give pupils very long to reflect. Teachers’ questioning is usually at least good and they aim to develop questioning minds in the pupils. The school plans for pupils’ spiritual development to take place at special times in the week when pupils are given the opportunity to reflect, for instance, on the uniqueness of a daffodil, and are given time to think and then respond orally to teachers’ questions. There is scope for teachers

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TO PUPILS?

to make the most of opportunities to develop spirituality through the subjects of the curriculum, especially art, music and literature and to build the work that they are currently planning for spirituality into lessons so that it is implicit in the curriculum and not added on. Locks Heath Infant School - 16 28. Provision for pupils’ moral development is very good. All staff provide very good role models for the pupils and are consistent in the way they show respect for both pupils and other adults. Although class rules are displayed in classrooms, pupils usually have a clear understanding of what is expected of them and teachers do not need to keep referring to them. A strong emphasis is placed on achievement. Teachers plan for circle time (although none was observed during the inspection) to give pupils opportunities to discuss issues that may arise and how to solve them. Pupils have many rewards for keeping the Golden Rules, for example, happy slips, playtime slips, gold awards,

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TO PUPILS?

stickers and class awards, which they value.

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TO PUPILS?

29. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social development, for which teachers plan good opportunities in most lessons. For instance, pupils work well together in groups and in pairs and they listen carefully to what others have to say. At lunch times pupils have the opportunity to play traditional games and the lunchtime supervisors encourage pupils very well to share and take turns. The school identified that some pupils’ self esteem and confidence was not high enough and has put into place some very good initiatives to address this. For instance, pupils are encouraged to express their opinions on issues like the playground and the school vision. Year 2 pupils meet with reception children every week for a range of literacy activities, including reading together. Two learning support assistants, who attended special training themselves, have trained pupils to be play leaders. The school plans for good corporate experiences, for instance, weekly class

p.16

TO PUPILS?

assemblies, Christmas performance, and the Year 2 leavers’ assembly.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

30. The promotion of cultural development is good in terms of pupils learning about cultural issues through subjects, like history, geography and English. For instance, they learn about Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole and the different ways that they have been treated historically. In literature, pupils look at how traditional stories from different cultures are told in other ways. A Chinese visitor has worked with Year 2 on the Chinese New Year and with the rest of the school in assembly. However, the school recognises that this provision needs to be developed and is planning a cultural awareness week next year which will include dance, music and stories from other cultures. The school has a good quantity of multicultural instruments and displays some of them well on a world map in the music room. Pupils learn about English culture through a visit to Minstead village in the New Forest, playing traditional games in the playground and country

p.16

TO PUPILS?

dancing. The school recognises that more work needs to be done on the preparation of pupils to live in the diverse multi-ethnic British society of today.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. Locks Heath Infant school is a very caring community, where each pupil is valued and feels secure; there is a very pleasant and purposeful working atmosphere. Respect, courtesy and kindness underpin the positive support the school provides for all its pupils. This enables pupils to develop good self-esteem and to flourish. Staff know their pupils well and all set a very good example in their relationships with them. Sensitive and well-focused support is provided for those pupils with particular pastoral and medical needs and all parents are encouraged to share any concerns they might have with the teachers. Since the last inspection, strengths in the school’s systems for monitoring and encouraging good behaviour and eliminating any incidents of oppressive behaviour have been maintained. There is also very good care and provision for children in the reception classes, and for pupils with special educational needs.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The headteacher and, in her absence, the deputy head teacher, is the designated officer for child protection. All staff are well aware of the school’s appropriate child protection policy and procedures. Governors are rigorous in their attention to health and safety, and regular risk assessments are undertaken around the school and grounds. Several members of staff have current training in first aid and others will be attending the refresher course in the near future. Accidents and relevant incidents are properly recorded, and fire drills are conducted at regular intervals, in the presence of at least one governor.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school works consistently, and with determination, to secure the best interests of all its pupils, to safeguard their welfare and promote their personal development. Teachers know the pupils in their care individually and show genuine interest in their welfare, which generates very good relationships, ensuring that pupils can work and play in a safe, caring and secure environment. Locks Heath Infant School - 17 Good supervision of pupils during playtime, before and after school, and the end-of-day collection arrangements make the most effective contribution to the health and safety of the pupils.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school is very successful in promoting high standards of behaviour. All staff, including teachers, learning support assistants and midday supervisors are consistent in applying the behaviour policy. Unacceptable behaviour is always challenged. Some pupils, mainly those with special educational needs, have appropriate behaviour targets and these are carefully monitored. The simple school rules, know as ‘Golden Rules’, and consistency of behaviour management in classrooms and in playgrounds form a firm foundation for pupils to learn quickly what is expected of them. Particular achievements in academic work, attitudes, and acts of kindness are

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

recognised at weekly assemblies. Pupils are proud of their names being entered in the ‘Gold Book’. As a result, incidents of unacceptable behaviour, bullying or any name-calling are rare and they are dealt with promptly and effectively.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. There are excellent procedures for monitoring and supporting the personal development of pupils. These are based on teachers’ knowledge of individual pupils and close links with parents. The information gathered is used to develop the personal attributes of pupils, such as confidence, initiative, taking responsibility, social skills and the making of choices. There is good provision for children’s personal education in the reception class, which helps children to make a good start in developing independence and confidence.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school covers many aspects of personal and social education, such as Healthy School initiatives, whereby each pupil is encouraged to drink water during the day. Sex education is covered as part of the science curriculum. The school provides regular opportunities for pupils to discuss their feelings and listen to others’ points of view. This helps pupils to develop sensitivity to the needs of others and contribute towards a caring and genial community. The school runs an active school council and seeks the views of the representatives on important issues such as health and safety or cleanliness in toilets. Any other issues raised in the forum are noted and acted upon by the school. For instance, smaller pupils found it difficult to reach their lunch boxes, as the shelf was a little too high. Pupils in Year 2 made a sound recommendation to the school for the provision of a lower shelf for the lunch boxes in the interest of smaller children.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The school governors, with the help of a few Year 3 pupils from the adjacent junior school, runs a board games club in the music room one lunchtime a week. The school has trained six Year 2 pupils as play leaders and they help their younger peers by befriending them and by playing games.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. There are good arrangements for pupils with special educational needs, including those with statements of need. The school is a fully inclusive school, caring for the whole child. It is very committed to fully integrating all pupils and achieves this with a great deal of success. As a result, these pupils fully participate in lessons as well as in extra curricular activities. They are well supported in classrooms by learning support assistants.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures for promoting, monitoring and improving the level of attendance are very good. The school has effective procedures to minimise lateness. Good procedures are in place to communicate with parents and the school maintains good liaison with the education welfare officer. Attendance registers are monitored regularly by the school administrative officer and entered on the school computer. The school awards certificates from the headteacher for full attendance during each term.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The whole school community, including the governors, teachers, support staff, parents and pupils, has become more energetic and resourceful since the last inspection. This has a positive impact on pupils, who show great enthusiasm for learning.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. There are very good procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress for all subjects. There are detailed assessments for each pupil for reading, writing and mathematics; target setting based on such assessments is a key part of the drive to raise standards in writing. These assessment records make clear the next steps of learning for individual pupils. For other subjects, there are clear assessment criteria for each unit of work, and these are linked to the National Locks Heath Infant School - 18 Curriculum criteria. Pupils’ attainment is assessed against these criteria at the end of each work unit in each subject. Good use is made of assessment information to guide curricular planning. The school has good quality medium-term plans for each subject, and some improvements are made to these when assessment information shows which sections are less effective in promoting pupils’ learning. Teachers regularly use assessment information to modify their curricular planning

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school has an excellent system for tracking pupils’ standards in reading, writing and mathematics during their time in the school. This system includes the setting of clear National Curriculum level targets for each pupil for the ends of Years 1 and 2. These targets are based on pupils’ assessment data at the end of the reception class and teachers’ own assessments of their progress. Each term, class teachers check the progress that each pupil in their class is making. In addition, each term, the headteacher meets with each class teacher, and discusses the progress of each individual pupil. Where pupils are not making the expected progress, strategies are put in place to help pupils improve their learning. In addition to reading, writing and mathematics, the ICT manager has an excellent system for tracking the progress of each pupil in ICT.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. The school is very successful in establishing and maintaining a very good partnership with parents and this is a strength of the school. Most parents have very positive views of the school; they are supportive and trusting of the school and hold it in high regard. Parents feel that all staff are approachable, friendly, open and very caring; they hold the view that their children are making good progress. With a very rare exception, parents very much appreciate the school’s endeavours on behalf of their children, value the support they are given, and work in partnership with the school in order to serve their child’s best interest.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. On the pre-inspection parental questionnaire, a very small number of parents indicated that pupils are not given the right amount of homework. Inspection findings indicate that sufficient homework is set and it supports appropriate extensions to pupils’ learning in the school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Parents are complimentary about the induction of new pupils in the school. The gradual increase in time attended over the first few days ensures that young children do not have to learn too many routines at once and this makes their first experience of school life a positive one. Parents of pupils in Year 2 are appreciative of the fact that the school has established equally good induction procedures for their children with the adjacent junior school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. The school is welcoming, operates an open door policy and parents feel comfortable when approaching teachers. All staff are readily available for discussion with parents about their children. It is striking that significant numbers of parents provide help and support in the life of the school. All these parents, who help in the school, are engaged in a range of activities, and their contribution is highly valued by the school. They make a significant contribution to children’s learning in school as well as at home.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The information provided for parents has improved since the last inspection. The quality and relevance of information provided by the school to parents is now very good, including the regular newsletters. The school prospectus is attractive, well-written, informative and interesting and meets all requirements. The governors’ annual report to parents is presented particularly well.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. At a meeting with a small group of parents during the inspection, there was a general consensus that parents had a good understanding of what was happening in the school. The reporting of progress made by pupils with special educational needs is very good. Parents of children with special educational needs are fully supportive, involved and attend the review meetings. Annual and half-yearly reporting of progress made by all pupils is also very good. Annual written reports to parents appropriately cover all subjects of the National Curriculum, describing achievement and progress, which at the end of Year 2 are linked to the National Curriculum attainment levels. Targets, by way of areas for further development, are set for each pupil and there are opportunities for parents and pupils to comment. The school provides good opportunities, formal and informal, throughout the year for parents to meet with teachers.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Locks Heath Infant School - 19 49. Parents are regularly invited to school assemblies, and subject ‘workshops’ for parents are well attended. Parents also receive relevant curriculum guidance each half-term. The school emphasises the importance of working with parents and encouraging them to take an active part in their children’s education and works hard to get the parents involved. The school organises workshops designated to give parents more involvement and understanding. For example, the school organised a ‘Jolly Phonics’ evening for parents last term, providing the parents with an opportunity to learn about the phonic programme their child would be following in the school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The thriving Friends of Locks Heath Infant School are most effective in the support they provide to the school, which entails regular and successful fund raising events. Parents, from all the cultures represented in school, are welcomed and valued, and they participate in the life of the school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The contribution of parents to children’s learning is very good. This is because the vast majority of parents provide effective support, for example with reading and encouraging the children to do their homework. The school has implemented effective home-school agreements.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The headteacher’s leadership and management are excellent. She implements the school’s mission statement purposefully, and secures the commitment and support of all teaching and support staff, who also seek to implement the mission statement through their roles and responsibilities. The headteacher leads by example, and is actively involved in raising pupils’ standards and improving the quality of education that the school provides. She is effectively supported by the deputy headteacher and other senior managers, who carry out significant tasks and are making a very positive contribution to the school’s improvement. The school’s staff is a hard working, committed team which has a very good capacity to continue to improve the quality of education that the school provides. Important changes have been managed effectively over the last few years, including the introduction of the school council, year group leaders, the excellent system

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

for tracking the progress of individual pupils, and the very good provision for extra-curricular activities.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. There is a detailed programme for the monitoring and evaluation of all aspects of the school’s work. This monitoring is carried out by governors, the headteacher, senior managers and subject leaders. The analysis and evaluation of assessment data is excellent, and is used to identify precise aspects of pupils’ work that need improvement. The monitoring and support of teaching is good, and the quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection. Governors monitor the work of the school through the detailed information they receive from the headteacher, through their first- hand knowledge of the school and through the focused governors’ visits that have just been introduced.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. In general, the work of subject leaders is having a very good impact on the standards and teaching of their subjects. The subject leaders’ work hard and carry out their responsibilities enthusiastically. The provision of non-teaching time for staff is carefully planned, and all subject leaders have some non-teaching time to carry out their responsibilities. This time is used for a good range of monitoring activities, although few subject leaders have monitored learning and teaching in lessons. The findings of monitoring activities are reported back to staff and inform the good action plans for each subject, along with the whole-school priorities for improvement.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. In general, the work of subject leaders is having a very good impact on the standards and teaching of their subjects. The subject leaders work hard and carry out their responsibilities enthusiastically. The provision of non-teaching time for staff is carefully planned, and all subject leaders have some non-teaching time to carry out their responsibilities. This time is used for a good range of monitoring activities, although few subject leaders have monitored learning and teaching in lessons because the rolling programme for subjects other than English and mathematics is not far advanced. The findings of monitoring activities are reported back to staff and inform the good action plans for each subject, along with the whole-school priorities for improvement.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school has secure financial management and administration. It has taken the necessary actions to address the relatively minor issues identified by the recent audit of financial procedures. The school makes good use of the specific grants for their designated purposes, including those for Locks Heath Infant School - 20 special educational needs. The headteacher provides the governing body with draft budgets for these funds. The school’s budget is closely linked to its priorities for improvement; money has been prudently carried forward from previous years in order to pay for the cost of planned improvements. Management information systems are used effectively for aspects of the school’s administration including the system for tracking pupils’ progress and attendance.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school implements best value principles to a very good extent. For example, it makes excellent use of data to compare the progress and standards of its pupils with pupils nationally and within Hampshire. It consults pupils and parents about a range of issues, including the development of the playground. The school challenges itself to provide a high quality of education and to ensure that the achievement of all pupils is good. When dealing with contracts by suppliers, the governors ensure that the school receives best value.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The teaching and support staff match the requirements of the curriculum although there are a few weaknesses in teachers’ subject knowledge. There are very good arrangements for the induction of new teachers. The performance management of teaching staff and learning support assistants is well established. Training is linked to whole-school priorities and the particular needs of individual staff and their responsibilities. A start has been made on performance management for office staff and midday supervisors, and they have group objectives this year. The school is effective in making the best use of the skills of individual members of staff to improve the quality of education that the school offers its pupils. Teaching and support staff have positive attitudes to their responsibilities, and are willing to develop their roles for the benefit of the pupils and other members of staff.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The overall quality of the accommodation is good with significant strengths including the indoor swimming pool, the games field, the conservation area and the room for music and drama; these have a positive impact on standards in several subjects. However, three classes are housed in temporary buildings where the classrooms are relatively small in size. Learning resources are good, overall, with strengths in several subjects although there are a few shortages in English.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The school values diversity and promotes good personal and race relations effectively. The progress of every pupil is monitored carefully each term, and the school monitors the progress of groups such as boys and girls, and pupils from ethnic minority groups. Where pupils are not making the expected progress or are experiencing personal difficulties, the school adopts supportive strategies and works with parents and individual pupils. The school’s aims include a commitment to good relationships and the promotion of respect for the individual.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. Since the last inspection, a new sense of purpose has been securely established in the school. The roles of the deputy headteacher, senior managers and subject leaders have developed strongly. The governing body now carries out all of its functions effectively. Staff development is now very well organised to ensure that both individual staff and the school benefit. The key issues concerning the governing body and subject leaders have been addressed fully. There has been very good improvement to leadership and management since the last inspection.

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

62. The governing body with the headteacher and staff should:

p.20

role of ICT in supporting and extending learning across the curriculum, by:

• timetabling in such a way that pupils in a class have access to as many machines as possible during their ICT lessons; • identifying opportunities for using ICT in other subject areas; • arranging appropriate staff training in the use of relevant software; • monitoring closely the ICT opportunities that pupils in each class have. See paragraphs 19, 80, 89, 95, 107, 120, 121 – 124, 129 and 140

p.20

in design and technology by:

• timetabling these subjects in such a way that all pupils experience uninterrupted lessons; Locks Heath Infant School - 21 • arranging appropriate staff training where necessary; • monitoring closely the quality of teaching and learning in these subjects. See paragraphs 96 - 108

p.20

in design and technology by:

These areas for improvement are both included in the school’s current development planning.

p.21

learning in their areas of responsibility;

See paragraphs 54, 113, 120, 130, 141. Locks Heath Infant School - 22

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 49

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 346

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 6

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 59

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 3

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 19

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 12

p.22

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.22

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Locks Heath Infant School - 23

p.22

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 51 66 117

p.23

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

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

Boys 48 47 50 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 63 64 65

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (96) 95 (99) 98 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.23

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys 47 48 51 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 63 62 65

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 94 (99) 94 (100) 99 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.23

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

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 1 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

No ethnic group recorded 0 0 0 Locks Heath Infant School - 24 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. Locks Heath Infant School - 25

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 13.6 Financial year 2002/2003

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.4

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 641,572

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 15 Total expenditure 650,443

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 251 Expenditure per pupil 1,995

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 29,427

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 20,556

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Locks Heath Infant School - 26

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 49 45 3 0 3

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 43 51 1 1 4

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 36 53 8 0 2

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 29 43 23 5 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 61 34 3 1 1

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 52 47 0 0 1

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 37 48 11 3 1

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 46 46 3 1 4

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 54 42 3 0 1

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 25 43 16 3 14

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

NB Some rows may not add to 100 because of rounding

p.26

Other issues raised by parents

Parents gave many examples of how the school had improved in recent years and particularly welcomed its open and friendly atmosphere. Locks Heath Infant School - 27

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. Children are admitted into the reception classes at the beginning of the school year in which they are five years old. Younger reception children are admitted initially on a part time basis and all children are full time from the beginning of the spring term. As at the time of the last inspection all children make good progress in each area of the curriculum. Taken together, children’s attainment on entry is average and by the time they move to Year 1 most children will have met or exceeded the expected standards in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, personal, social and emotional development, creative and physical development; overall standards are above average. Children with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language receive well-planned support to enhance their progress.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

64. Teaching in this area is good and children are well supported by all adults in the reception classes. All children are purposefully occupied and skilfully managed and sensitive issues are dealt with in a caring way. A stimulating environment is created in each class and children are familiar with the routines and structure of the day. Children develop and demonstrate good attitudes to learning and feel at ease in a happy, secure setting. Their confidence and self-esteem are boosted by encouragement and praise from staff, who know each child well. Children learn to co-operate, share and take turns when working in a whole class group at the beginning and end of lessons and in small group situations. They are keen to take part in phonic and number games and their progress is recorded. A responsible attitude is developed through activities such as giving out fruit and napkins; they learn to share and know that they will each have a turn. Children are aware of the

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

expected standards of behaviour and are guided towards behaving well in all situations. This was demonstrated during the farm visit, where children waited patiently, listened to each other and the farmer and showed consideration for the animals they were handling. Children show respect for each other and the adults are good role models, effectively showing them the importance of considering the views and opinions of others as well as their own. Opportunities for discussion are well used and children are encouraged to think about their own actions and the effect these will have on others. Children work independently and use resources well, they are keen to learn and relate well to adults, and show confidence in sharing their achievements.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

65. Children make good progress in communication, language and literacy, as a result of consistently good teaching. Teachers plan interesting activities, which are matched to levels of ability and allow children to develop and extend their knowledge. Listening skills are good and children are encouraged to listen carefully to stories and rhymes. Skilful questioning directs the focus of the lesson and children are invited to contribute to the discussion and are keen to answer and formulate their own questions. They share adjectives describing how the animals felt and their contributions are valued and praised. When reviewing activities, children show confidence and many use full sentences in their explanations and answers. When writing descriptions of which animals they liked from the farm visit, children demonstrate knowledge of linking sounds to letters and can identify the initial and some final sounds in words. They are confident in attempting words and are

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

supported by staff in constructing sentences. Children are developing joined handwriting helped by prompt cards and most are aware of the need for spaces between words. They are encouraged to read their sentences and receive praise and affirmation. There are many opportunities given to reading and in guided reading sessions children are asked searching questions to support comprehension and build on skills previously learnt. They read with enthusiasm and are able to discuss stories and characters and why they like them. Many children make good attempts at reading unfamiliar words, using their knowledge of letter sounds, and they can identify rhyming words. They are familiar with key words that help them to read stories independently. Parents help children to choose books from the library to take home and books from the reading schemes are also shared at home. A reading record indicates the focus

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

Locks Heath Infant School - 28 of each particular book that is used and parents record their responses to reading. All children are on target to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the reception classes and many will exceed these.

p.28

Mathematical Development

66. This area of learning is taught well and promotes the good progress that children make. Tasks are both interesting and appropriate for the children’s ages and abilities. The children can count accurately to 20 and write numerals up to ten. Opportunities for practical activities are well planned. Children are encouraged to make representations and write the number symbols correctly. An effective use is made of number rhymes, songs and games to enhance learning. Teachers encourage counting in a familiar context and everyday objects are used for counting, matching and sorting. Children demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of how to solve simple problems involving addition and are familiar with vocabulary such as ‘add one more’, ‘how many altogether’. The higher attaining children can record these using appropriate symbols and are aware of the vocabulary used in addition and subtraction. They can order numbers, recognise coins and

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Mathematical Development

67. In lessons on shape, children demonstrate their knowledge of the names of shapes such as circles, squares and hexagons and also their properties such as sides and corners. Practical activities such as describing and naming shapes where the teacher has a ‘feely’ bag are reinforced by appropriate tasks. Some children work with the teacher on cutting straws to make shapes, others construct designs using shapes and some use cut-out shapes to make pictures. Another group are taken around the school and grounds to look for shapes in the environment. When the children come together at the end of the lesson good questioning skills are used to promote the development of mathematical language. Children are aware of and respond well to vocabulary related to position and this is demonstrated in classroom activities and physical development where they respond appropriately to instructions such as ‘in front of’, ‘behind’, ‘next to’.

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Mathematical Development

68. In the role play area they use numbers confidently on the telephone and in discussion, for example when determining how many spoons of medicine an animal would need in the vet’s surgery. When playing with a toy farm, children sort animals into sets and are able to talk about what they have done and why. All children are likely to achieve the expected standards by the end of the reception year and some will exceed them.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

69. All children make good progress in this area and are likely to achieve or exceed the Early Learning Goals by the end of the reception year. Most children have a well-developed knowledge of their own environment on entry to the school and continue to make good progress in their knowledge and understanding of the world as the result of good teaching. Adults support children’s understanding and they are encouraged to investigate their surroundings and find things out for themselves; the quality of teaching is good. Children learn about their own past by bringing their baby photographs into school and this is the starting point for beginning to appreciate a sense of time. Children are encouraged to ask questions and observe closely. In the role-play area, which was a vet’s surgery, children are reminded of their task and they talk about the animals, illness and instruments they are using appropriately. At the end of the session the teacher picks up on language they used and

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

they share their experience with the rest of the class. When playing with the wheeled toys in the outside area children show good control and operate the traffic lights and crossing with confidence. They can assemble small play equipment carefully and construct buildings or set up a farm, linking this to the farm visit.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

70. The farm visit provided very good opportunities for children to observe closely and to discuss similarities and differences, for example when discussing the webbed feet of ducks and geese. They make good attempts to answer questions posed by the farmer and build on their knowledge as they learn about differing characteristics. Some children show their prior knowledge of the names of baby animals and can say that sheep’s wool is used for carpets and clothes. The adults use every chance to encourage and extend knowledge and the use of language. Children’s Locks Heath Infant School - 29 knowledge and understanding are increased through detailed study of themes in stories such as Rosie’s Walk and the Noah’s Ark story that was told in assembly. Locks Heath Infant School - 30

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Physical Development

71. Children make good progress in this area and are on track to achieve or exceed the Early Learning Goals by the end of the reception year. The quality of teaching is good. In a gym lesson children demonstrate good control and co-ordination of their bodies when moving around the hall and in response to instructions from the teacher. They can make shapes with their bodies and balance on different body parts, showing skills they had learnt in previous lessons. When moving apparatus and working on it, they demonstrate awareness of safety issues. They are able to transfer movements from the floor onto balancing apparatus very well, showing imagination and thought. Children use the space in the hall carefully and respond well to individual and group tasks. They are made aware of their heart rate after the warm up exercises. Children can balance and jump well and good teaching helps them to progress. Children use the equipment in the outside area skilfully

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Physical Development

and safely and are developing skills with construction materials. They use puzzles and play-doh confidently and demonstrate prior knowledge of these activities. The development of hand control skills is encouraged through the use of pencils, scissors, glue sticks, crayons and paintbrushes. Children are shown how to use crayons and pastels in different ways to create different effects when creating fur or feathers on animal pictures.

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Creative Development

72. Children make good progress in this area and activities are well planned; the quality of teaching is good. Each classroom provides a rich environment where children are encouraged to express themselves and to think creatively. The role-play areas are well-equipped and used to support current learning. Adult intervention keeps the focus of role-play in sight and children participate fully in games and drama, naming equipment such as x-rays and stethoscopes and explaining their use. Most children play co-operatively and can do so for a sustained period of time. A range of creative activities is planned which challenge children and allow them to develop and build on skills which they have learnt earlier. Stories are explored at length and children are encouraged to discuss the characters and what happens in the story. The Noah’s Ark story prompts participation in other curriculum areas such as painting rainbows and children are invited to think of their own ending to a

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Creative Development

story about a bee. The farm visit provides the stimulus for music and artwork and children enjoy creating the sounds animals make, having heard them earlier in the week. Observational drawing of the animals requires the children to look closely at the shape of the animals and the texture and colour of their coats or feathers. This leads onto an activity where pastels and chalks are used to show the curly wool of the sheep or ruffled feathers of the birds. The children select their own materials after appropriate input and modelling from the teacher. All children are likely to achieve or exceed the Early Learning Goals by the end of the reception year.

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Creative Development

73. The management of the Foundation Stage is very good and the team leader leads the Early Years team well. Year group planning promotes equality of access to the curriculum. The quality of teaching seen varied from satisfactory to very good and was judged to be good overall. The teachers make very good use of assistants and other adults, who contribute to assessments that inform future planning. The induction procedures are good and involve visits to the school, home visits and links with pre-schools. An excellent handbook informs parents of all aspects of school life and encourages their participation and support. Initial assessments are completed in November and progress is recorded after assessments in February and June. Parents are informed of how their children are settling into school through notes which are sent home and progress is shared with them at the termly parents’ evenings. Reports are completed twice a year - in February and

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ENGLISH

74. Standards in English are above the nationally expected level in Year 2 and are likely to be well above by the end of the school year. Standards in reading, writing and speaking and listening are all above average and have all improved since the time of the last inspection. This improvement is also reflected in the National Curriculum test results. When pupils enter Year 1 their attainment is average overall. Consequently, these pupils, including those with special educational needs, are making at least good progress; the progress of many pupils is very good. Learning support assistants give good support to pupils with special educational needs; there are no pupils who are Locks Heath Infant School - 31 at an early stage of English acquisition. Boys exceeded the national average by a slightly larger amount than girls in writing in last year’s tests but this was not evident during the inspection.

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ENGLISH

Pupils are benefiting from the successful implementation of the National Literacy Strategy, coupled with good teaching. 75. Standards in speaking and listening are good throughout the school. Pupils listen carefully in lessons and are interested in what others have to say. Good teaching that really engages pupils’ attention and moves along at a good pace encourages pupils to listen well. Teachers regularly provide opportunities for pupils to speak during all parts of the lessons. Pupils give well thought out answers to questions that need an explanation as well as quick one-word answers to factual questions. For instance, in a design and technology lesson in Year 2, pupils explained in detail, using the correct vocabulary, what they had been learning the previous week and were also able to reflect on and evaluate that work and suggest improvements.

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ENGLISH

76. Teachers create good opportunities for all pupils to practise speaking. Some use good strategies, like paired work, to enable pupils not only to have the chance to practise speaking with a partner, but also to have the opportunity to rehearse what they want to say to the whole class and to build up confidence. In a Year 2 class, pupils recorded their retelling of a dinosaur story onto tape, which then gave them the possibility of evaluating what they had said afterwards. In a Year 1 class, pupils listened to taped stories and then discussed them with a partner. Teachers help pupils prepare whole class assemblies that give all pupils in a class the opportunity to speak either individually or collectively in front of the whole school. During the inspection, one of the Year 2 classes presented their work well on the Iron Man story by Ted Hughes. Teachers encourage pupils to say the sentences that they are going to write out loud, in order to help them think through what they are

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ENGLISH

going to write before committing their ideas to paper.

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ENGLISH

77. Pupils’ enjoyment of reading is evident and standards are very good. Most read regularly at home and at school and have access to a wide range of books. Parents are very supportive and there are very good reading home partnerships. In addition, some parents support reading in school on Fridays. The school has produced very good reading leaflets for parents to inform them about pupils’ progression in reading development. Pupils were able to retell well stories that they had read and predicted plausible continuations of stories that they had partly read. They demonstrated good understanding of the texts. Pupils link letters with their sounds very well and most of them know about and can use a range of different strategies when they encounter an unknown word. Pupils are not familiar with library systems and none of those questioned could explain how to find a book in a library. Year 2 pupils benefit from the opportunity to read with Reception pupils and

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ENGLISH

consequently they are able to model good reading skills; this contributes well to their personal development as well.

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ENGLISH

78. Standards in writing are above average. The school’s initiative in this area of the curriculum is clearly producing results. Teachers model good handwriting and presentation and consequently pupils’ handwriting is always joined and generally very good. Pupils’ work is usually neat and well presented. Teachers give pupils good opportunities to plan their writing, for instance, by using a storyboard and they plan good opportunities to allow pupils to apply their writing skills in other subjects. For instance, Year 1 pupils have been writing newspaper accounts of the Titanic disaster as part of their history work. In Year 2, pupils wrote about the lives of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole. In geography, Year 1 have written instructions on how to get to school; following some role-play as travel agents, they have written holiday brochures. In science, they have written up experiments following well-structured questions that provided a good framework for pupils’

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ENGLISH

reports. In religious education, they have written about Jewish festivals and completed some personal writing of prayers and their images of God.

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ENGLISH

79. The teaching of literacy skills is good overall. The quality of lessons ranged from satisfactory to excellent. In the very good and excellent lessons, teachers had high expectations for all pupils and consequently they worked very hard and produced a great deal of writing for their ages and used interesting and varied words. Teachers plan for pupils to write for different audiences and purposes, for instance, newspaper accounts, instructions and messages in Mothers’ Day cards.

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ENGLISH

80. Teachers teach phonics very well and consequently in two Year 1 classes observed, most pupils were able to suggest a range of correct words using phonic blends like pl , fl and gl . In the very good and excellent lessons, the teachers had carefully planned work that was appropriate for all Locks Heath Infant School - 32 pupils’ prior attainment and planned for adult support where necessary. In the excellent lesson, pupils used cards on a wall dictionary independently to support them with the spelling of words that they were not sure about. Teachers mark work regularly in a positive way and give pupils clear indications of how they can improve. Locks Heath Infant School - 33 81. There are some areas of improvement in teaching. For instance, when teachers use photocopied sheets for the shared text part of the lesson, pupils cannot share the reading unless the text is projected onto a screen using an overhead projector. Consequently, this becomes a listening

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ENGLISH

activity and some pupils find it difficult to stay on task if they do not have some sort of visual stimulus. In other lessons, small books rather than big books, were used for the shared text part of the lesson with similar consequences to those just described. In some lessons, the summing up part of the lesson is too brief and although pupils have the opportunity to share their work, there is no real evaluation of the work or opportunities to explain. Whilst the use of information and communication technology is described on the weekly planning sheet, it was not very evident in the scrutiny of work and was only seen in two lessons.

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ENGLISH

82. The leadership and management of this subject are very good. The subject leader has attended all the relevant training that she needs in order to carry out her role well. Pupils’ progress is tracked very well in detail and reviewed regularly so that any necessary changes to the curriculum can be planned for and any extra support that individual pupils may need can be arranged. This support is given to pupils of different prior attainment according to their special needs. In the current year, the school has been focusing on improving pupils’ attainment in writing. The subject leader monitors this subject well through lesson observations, planning, work scrutiny and this year; in particular, she has been monitoring guided reading. There are very good reading records that are detailed, describe coverage and are diagnostic. Records for writing are also very good, tracking pupils’ progress well and enabling teachers to agree targets for improvement. All teachers work together

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ENGLISH

regularly to agree on standards of work and the school keeps good record books that show each pupil's individual progress in writing. All pupils have reading and writing targets and know about them. However, some pupils are more clear about what the target means than others and a change to more child-friendly wording in some cases would help with this. In most classes, pupils’ targets are displayed on cards on their tables or glued in their reading records so that they are part of pupils’ everyday experience. Resources for English are good but more sets of subject specific guided reading books are required together with more big books for whole class sessions.

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ENGLISH

83. Teaching in English is good overall. Relationships are very good and this encourages pupils to have the confidence to try out new ideas and to share them with their fellow pupils. In a Year 1 lesson, pupils were keen to share their work but the class teacher failed to ensure that both boys and girls had the opportunity.

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MATHEMATICS

84. Standards are above the national expectation in Year 2, and on track to lead to well above average results in the national tests at the end of the school year. Standards are higher than at the time of the last inspection with particularly good improvement in using and applying mathematics, for example in shopping situations. There are no significant differences between the attainment of boys and girls.

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MATHEMATICS

85. Examination of pupils’ work, discussions with them and with teachers, and observation of lessons did not convey a coherent or consistent picture of teaching, learning and attainment. The recorded work was of above average standard, especially in number work and appeared to be the outcome of good thorough teaching in lessons, and good marking. This judgement was supported by conversations with pupils that indicated a good level of understanding and use of mathematical understanding. In lessons during the inspection the quality of teaching was usually satisfactory or better and on two occasions was unsatisfactory. The main reason for the difference appears to be lack of confidence about teaching some aspects of the subject and an over reliance on following lesson plans that did not suit either teachers’ natural styles or the pupils’ learning needs. Overall, however, the Numeracy Strategy has been introduced well and the two subject leaders are well

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MATHEMATICS

aware of what needs to be done to improve matters and have the necessary expertise and skills to do it.

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MATHEMATICS

86. The work that pupils had completed before the inspection shows good development of recording skills supported by an appropriate amount and quality of worksheet-based tasks. The work of less able pupils shows that they have benefited from extra direct support during lessons, with lots of helpful marking. Pupils with the wide range of ability described as average often have work set that Locks Heath Infant School - 34 matches their learning needs within that classification and this supports their learning well. Pupils of higher attainment are provided with work that is sufficiently demanding and often show that they understand and can use correct mathematical vocabulary properly. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, have made good progress since the start of the school year and all benefit from marking that is supportive, encouraging and directive.

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MATHEMATICS

87. During the inspection, pupils in Year 1 were practising their skills of counting on in twos, fives and tens and solving money problems involving counting on, finding totals and giving change. At best, the main part of the lessons was made interesting for pupils by setting it in the context of money lost from a purse. In the more successful lessons, tasks were set that very effectively challenged pupils of different abilities. This was achieved through setting a different amount, 10p or 20p or 50p or £1 for example, as the total and through asking pupils to identify different combinations of coins that could make up a given amount. The use of very large plastic coins and a very practical approach in one lesson helped pupils to gain a very good understanding of what the task was and how to approach it. As a result they did very well at the tasks set for their ability and recorded their answers clearly and neatly; the teacher and supporting adults were able to check continually for

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MATHEMATICS

understanding and accuracy. In these lessons, pupils made good or very good progress. Where the task was less clearly presented or presented in a less interesting and practical way or there was less adult support and less individual recording, progress was satisfactory rather than good.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Lessons in Year 2 shared learning objectives that were expressed in different ways but amounted to learning the two times table by heart, being able to use simple multiplication to solve simple word problems involving money; to record in a number statement using x and = signs. On two occasions the learning objective included the requirement to represent a multiplication fact by an array. These learning objectives did not make clear exactly what the pupils were going to learn that was new or what they were going to get better at during the lesson; they were too broad and, in some case, not expressed in language that pupils could readily understand. As a consequence, teaching was never better than satisfactory and on two occasions was unsatisfactory in that pupils failed to make satisfactory progress. In another case not enough time had been allocated to the lesson, so the final part did not effectively consolidate and extend pupils’ learning from satisfactory to good.

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MATHEMATICS

89. There were good features to all of these lessons and these included the oral sessions that promoted growing confidence in using the two times table. In one class many pupils confidently identified where eight, 12 and 18 would be on the unmarked counting stick that the teacher used well to support counting on. In another class, the money task was made more interesting by using the Iron Man’s shopping list and good progress was evident compared with the Year 1 work seen, as pupils had £6.50, £3.50, £1 or 50p to spend, depending on their ability. Where learning support assistants were well briefed and able to work independently with a group of pupils this had real benefits to the progress that these pupils made. Overall, however, lesson planning is not sufficiently sharp enough so that what pupils are expected to learn is insufficiently clear for them and their teachers to assess at the end of the lesson the extent to which they have been

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MATHEMATICS

90. Resources are good although there is some inconsistency in the organisation and use of, for example, plastic money and cubes that can be used to support counting. The subject leaders have correctly identified developing the use of ICT resources, including the computer, overhead projector and television, in order to improve teaching and learning; few example of planned or effective actual use were observed during the inspection. There is also scope for more planned use of mathematics in other subjects, for example science, design and technology and geography. Monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning, in addition to regular checking of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work, will be an essential part of the role of the new subject leaders.

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SCIENCE

91. Standards seen in science exceed national expectations in Year 2 and this matches the judgement made in the last inspection. A ll pupils make good progress as they move through the school and achieve well in all areas of the science curriculum, particularly life processes and living things. There are no significant variations in the attainment of boys and girls. Locks Heath Infant School - 35 92. The subject leader provides enthusiastic and well-informed support to colleagues and has effectively encouraged the development of more work of an investigative nature. On the evidence of the work seen and lessons observed, pupils are developing a good understanding of the scientific method and a good knowledge base. More able pupils, in particular, use and understand scientific language and are developing good habits in recording their experimental findings. All pupils are helped in this respect by teachers making appropriate demands and providing appropriate support

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SCIENCE

and structure through prepared recording sheets and frameworks. This was evident, for example, in the work that Year 1 pupils had done on the effect of different ramp surfaces on the speed of a toy car.

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SCIENCE

93. Work is often related well to everyday life, for example work on forces in Year 1 uses shopping trolleys and scooters as illustrations; Year 2 work on electricity has been similarly securely based in pupils’ experiences. Pupils’ work showed good understanding of electrical circuits, with clearly drawn and labelled diagrams, and evidence of good practical work on making switches. Opportunities for using and developing literacy skills are often taken well, for example more able pupils had written accurately and extensively in their Sunflower Diaries. Good links are made with other areas of the curriculum, for example with push and pull in physical education and with personal, social and health education in the context of healthy lunches in Year 1.

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SCIENCE

94. The quality of teaching by the class teachers is high; pupils make good or very good progress and the quality of their learning is often high. In Year 1, for example, a lesson had clearly defined learning objectives in terms of naming different parts of a plant and knowing their function. This provided a clear focus for the lesson and the teacher’s use of a big book with clear pictures and diagrams and the writing of key vocabulary on the board greatly helped pupils’ acquisition and use of the correct scientific terminology. Observation was directed well through questions as pupils looked at their seedlings – ‘What might have changed?’ Development of measuring skills was well planned as pupils had moved from using towers of cubes to strips of card. Both literacy and numeracy were promoted well in this lesson. Most pupils showed a good level of interest and application to the task of measuring and recording growth in words and diagrams. The teacher’s

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SCIENCE

questioning was a strong feature of this lesson, enabling pupils to re-visit earlier learning and providing further challenge – ‘How does the water get into the roots?’ Pupils were encouraged to predict what would happen when dye was introduced into the water used with the growing flowers and celery and this provided further good evidence of systematic development of the scientific method.

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SCIENCE

95. Pupils in Year 2 enjoyed their teachers’ imaginative approach to learning about heat insulation and melting through trying to find out how the Iceman could be prevented from melting when he came to visit the class. Teachers built well on pupils’ existing knowledge and suggestions, for example freeze clothes and put them on him , and extended this to insulators and clothes worn to keep cool or warm. Pupils played a full part in designing the experiment, wrapping three ice hands in different materials and leaving one uncovered. There was very good refinement of the idea of fair testing as pupils agreed where to position the hands and the care to be taken during the periodic examinations of them. Teachers provided pupils with very good guidance as to how they could record their findings and encouraged them to write in full sentences; the improvement of literacy skills was an important part of developing scientific knowledge, skills and understanding in these

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SCIENCE

lessons. Because of lesson planning that built very well on pupils’ earlier learning, had very clear and precise learning objectives and gave the teachers’ flair and imagination full rein, the quality of pupils’ learning and the progress they made were very good.

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SCIENCE

96. Science is taught well and pupils enjoy the challenges that practical and experimental work provides; all are fully included in the work. Resources are good and teachers use them well. However, there was little evidence in pupils’ work or in teachers’ planning of the use of ICT resources to support and extend learning and this is clearly an area for development.

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ART AND DESIGN

97. Attainment in this subject meets national expectations and standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Three lessons were observed, one of which was in two parts and linked with spirituality. The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory. Other evidence was taken from a review Locks Heath Infant School - 36 of displays in classrooms and around the school, looking at sketchbooks and photographs and discussion with the subject leader and with pupils. A portfolio of past work has not been established, although some artwork using ICT has been saved. 98. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make satisfactory progress, although the timetabling of the subject is such that art is not always given high priority in the curriculum. A scheme of work has been formulated by the subject leader, which is intended to promote the progressive development of skills and knowledge.

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ART AND DESIGN

Planning is monitored by the subject leader and links are made with other curriculum areas such as history and English.

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ART AND DESIGN

99. Pupils work in a range of media, using a variety of techniques. In Year 1 pupils are currently working on colour mixing and in one lesson they showed their knowledge of adding white to a base colour to make a lighter tone. Some pupils were able to match colours correctly to the leaves they were observing and most could show the difference between light and dark shades on the leaves they painted. Pupils are encouraged to observe closely and are given the opportunity to draw detailed pictures of plants and flowers. Painting skills were demonstrated on cloth flags and Titanic pictures and all Year 1 classes have painted spring flowers and bulbs. Three-dimensional work was represented by models of penguins that had been made using a bandage wrapping technique. These were added to an attractive storyboard display in the corridor.

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ART AND DESIGN

100. In Year 2, two classes were seen at the beginning of a series of lessons using newspaper to make collages of the face of the Iron Man. Time constraints meant that few pupils finished the task and some pupils had misunderstood the challenging requirements of the activity, with the result that the lesson objectives on line and tone were not achieved overall. Monster pictures using pastels, crayons or pencils showed varying abilities and interpretations and portraits painted by pupils of each other lacked sufficient attention to detail.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. Little evidence was seen of pupils’ work with reference to famous artists and little attention appears to have been given to a multicultural approach. Pupils in Year 2 could not remember the names of many artists but could recall working on aboriginal designs in their sketchbooks. There was some evidence of the use of ICT for drawing and good evidence of pictures constructed in the style of Mondrian. The curriculum is enhanced by visitors to the school such as an artist in residence who worked with pupils on a collage in the entrance hall and also a photographer. An illustrator came into the school to work with more able pupils in Year 2 and useful links are being forged with the junior school. Assessment is built into each topic and pupils’ work is given a National Curriculum level at the end of each year.

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ART AND DESIGN

102. The management of the subject is satisfactory and the subject manager has an action plan which includes suitable whole school staff training. Resources are satisfactory; multicultural masks are a recent addition.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. Attainment in this subject meets national expectations and this is an improvement since the last inspection. Two lessons were observed and other evidence was drawn from teachers’ lesson plans, displays around the school, photographs, some examples of past work and discussion with the subject leader and with pupils. This indicates that the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall and promotes the sound progress that pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make in the subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. By Year 2, pupils investigate, plan and communicate design ideas although planning sheets were not well annotated in the lessons seen and this important stage is not given sufficient consideration. Pupils are taught to use a variety of tools and investigate which are most suitable for the process.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. In Year 1, pupils make moving vehicles using wheels and axles. When discussing how the vehicles moved some pupils described the wheels falling off and how the fixing material they used had not secured the wheels. They had not refined their models during the evaluation process or identified how they could improve their work. Pupils are not always aware of how they can use simple Locks Heath Infant School - 37 finishing techniques to improve the appearance of their product. There is insufficient time allocation and prioritisation of design and technology in the curriculum.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. In lessons seen in Year 2, pupils show appropriate knowledge and understanding when discussing materials and their uses when working on models of monster heads. They are able to make good suggestions for making parts of the head move, which are explored and developed by the class teachers. Pupils show competence in cutting, sticking and adapting shapes to make features and successfully use a simple pneumatic system to inflate a balloon and create a moving part. They are helped to think about what they have achieved and can evaluate their work effectively. Pupils worked in small groups, the organisation of which meant that they were not always actively involved with the process.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. Photograph frames on display had been made with wood and pupils could discuss how they had measured and sawn the wood, with clear regard for safety issues. They described strengthening the frames by attaching corners with PVA glue and making stands that had been difficult to attach.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. The curriculum is well planned with a clear learning focus on a half termly basis. A review of the Year 2 programme is currently being undertaken after liaison with the junior school. Assessment opportunities are built into each topic and National Curriculum levels are passed on to the next class. Resources are satisfactory and the need for commercially produced items for evaluation by the pupils has been identified. There was little evidence of the planned use of ICT to support and extend learning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. The management of the subject is satisfactory and the subject leader monitors standards by reviewing planning and talking to pupils about their work. She provides informal support and guidance to colleagues, but has not yet had the opportunity to undertake lesson observations and provide developmental feedback.

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GEOGRAPHY

110. Pupils’ standards are above those expected nationally. Year 2 pupils draw good maps of their routes from home to school, and from school to a local church that they were visiting for a religious education lesson. Pupils’ learning of mapping skills is carefully planned and they make good progress. Their maps are detailed and many have started to use a plan view, symbols and keys. Pupils carry out fieldwork in Locks Heath and in a village in the New Forest, and compare their likes and dislikes for each of these places, as well as producing a visitors’ leaflet for the village. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well.

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GEOGRAPHY

111. Geography is not taught every week, but it is carefully planned to be taught in blocks of time. The inspection fell in a week when geography was not being taught in Years 1 and 2, and so no lessons were observed. However, pupils’ recorded work shows that teaching and learning are good. Good use is made of pupils’ literacy skills with, for example, effective use of a story to introduce work on hot and cold environments in Year 1. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 carry out fieldwork, and role-play is used effectively in Year 1 when pupils take the roles of travel agents and create holiday brochures for distant places.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. Teachers base their lesson plans on good guidance that the geography manager has written. This guidance adapts national advice to the needs of the school, and includes expectations of pupils’ attainment at three different but linked levels. This guidance includes good provision for more able pupils, and is being improved in response to whole-school priorities to improve the use of more challenging questions and the use of pupils’ literacy skills.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. The subject leader’s work is having a very good impact on the quality of provision and pupils’ standards. There is a good subject action plan which is linked to whole-school priorities for improvement. The school has made good progress with geography since the last inspection as pupils’ standards have risen and curriculum planning is now good. Also, learning resources have improved and are now satisfactory. They include Dictaphones that pupils use to record their observations during fieldwork, although the overall use of ICT is under-developed. The manager has some good opportunities for effective monitoring but has not yet monitored any teaching. Locks Heath Infant School - 38

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HISTORY

114. During the inspection it was not possible to observe any lessons due to the timetabling of curriculum areas, so no overall judgement could be made on the quality of teaching. Evidence was drawn from analysis of pupils’ work in English books and the history portfolio, displays of work in the classrooms and discussion with the subject leader and with pupils. 115. Pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations. These standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding are satisfactory and all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make sound progress.

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HISTORY

116. The planning of the curriculum is overseen by the subject leader and the scheme of work has links with other curriculum areas such as English, geography and art. Recent developments have been the inclusion of extensive writing and the development of drama and role-play. Key questions and an emphasis on cause and effect are used to extend pupils’ understanding of historical events.

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HISTORY

117. Pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of the past effectively through looking at photographs and artefacts. In Year 1, the Manor Farm visit and Victorian and Washday projects provide a stimulus for writing and drawing and pupils have valuable hands-on experience. They handle artefacts and take part in a Victorian school day. A 1950s theme day is part of the Year 1 curriculum and in 2002 this was celebrated throughout the school for the Golden Jubilee. Grandparents were invited into the school to talk about their memories of the Coronation and a record of photographs was kept, although there is no record of pupils’ work in response to the project.

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HISTORY

118. In Year 2, pupils write extensively on topics such as Famous People and the Fire of London and explore details of the difficulties experienced by pioneers such as Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole.

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HISTORY

119. Pupils’ attitudes to the subject are satisfactory. They can recall facts on topics covered which interested them. They know the details of the sinking of the Titanic and enjoyed painting pictures and writing accounts for the “Locks Heath News”. However, the link with Southampton was not explored and pupils have little knowledge of local history.

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HISTORY

120. The management of the subject is good and the subject leader monitors the implementation of history through reviewing and adapting planning, looking at displays and talking to pupils. She has not had experience of monitoring the implementation of the curriculum. Assessment is built into each topic and National Curriculum levels are passed on to the next class teacher at the end of the year.

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HISTORY

121. Resources are adequate and artefacts are borrowed from a central local education authority resource centre or brought in by teachers. Homework is sometimes given when pupils are asked to research topics and more able pupils are encouraged to access information from the Internet. ICT is not used effectively at present but is planned for future development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. At the time of the previous inspection, pupils’ standards in ICT were below expectations and there were significant weaknesses in the school’s provision for the subject. Since then, the school has made very good progress in raising pupils’ standards and improving all aspects of provision. The subject leader has ensured that important improvements have been made and these have had a positive impact on the quality of pupils’ learning and their standards. There is a good development plan for the subject. The subject leader monitors the progress made by all pupils through an excellent system that tracks pupils’ standards as they move through the school. This data is analysed by gender and class in order to check that pupils are making enough progress. There is a good portfolio of pupils’ work and this is clearly assessed against National Curriculum standards but it does not cover the full range of expected computer applications that are taught in the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Locks Heath Infant School - 39 123. Nearly all pupils are achieving the expected standards in Year 2, and a significant minority of pupils are working above the expected standards. Pupils load programs, retrieve their work and add to it before saving it. Pupils select images relevant to their work in religious education from a Clip Art file, resize the image and add text, changing the size, font and colour. They write simple instructions to control the cursor on the computer screen so that it creates shapes such as a square or it follows a route. In work on geography and science, pupils collect data and enter it into a program that enables them to draw bar charts, and some higher-attaining pupils search the data using two criteria before deciding how to represent it. Pupils use a graphics program effectively to produce pictures. As part of their literacy work, pupils use a word processor to write a short piece

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

of text. There is some use of ICT to enhance pupils’ learning in English, mathematics, art, geography and religious education but, as the school is aware, this requires further development. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve satisfactorily, and some higher- attaining pupils achieve well when, for example, they create images in the style of Mondrian.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. Since the last inspection, training has been effective in improving teachers’ ICT knowledge and skills. In addition, the school has appointed a learning support assistant who works for three afternoons each week to provide technical and teaching support. Teachers base their lesson plans on clear well structured guidance that is based on the requirements of the National Curriculum. This helps give greater consistency in what is taught in the classes of the same year group, and ensures that pupils’ skills improve term by term. Teaching is satisfactory and there is now direct teaching of computer skills in each class. Where teaching and learning are good, clear systematic teaching actively involves the pupils and enables them to quickly acquire new skills which they then apply in individual or paired work at computers. The teaching does not give pupils answers to problems but helps them to try their own ideas out. The tasks pupils are set give them good

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

opportunities to use their initiative as, for example, when some Year 1 pupils used a wide range of the tools in a graphics program to produce a picture of a flower. Learning support assistants and parent helpers give pupils effective support while they are working at computers. Sometimes, pupils are taught skills in groups of five or six and this means that the teacher has to repeat the same teaching several times. In some lessons, a few pupils do not have the opportunity to use the new skills they have just been taught but have to wait for another lesson.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. The number and quality of computers have improved significantly since the last inspection. The computers are modern, all have CD-ROMs and most have Internet access. The number of computers is average for the size of the school, and three clusters of computers have been created in order to foster their use as part of normal lessons. However, this strategy is not effective enough, and there was little use of computers as part of normal lessons during the inspection. The subject manger is aware of this and the overall management of ICT is very good. The manager monitors standards and some aspects of provision, and the outcomes of this monitoring inform the good subject action plan.

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MUSIC

126. Standards in music are above national expectations for children in this age group and this is a similar good picture to that found at the time of the last inspection. The school benefits from having a good subject leader and from the teaching of a peripatetic music teacher on a regular basis.

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MUSIC

127. There was very little singing in assemblies during the time of the inspection. The standard of the singing heard was satisfactory; pupils sang tunefully but very briefly. Pupils enjoy listening to music before and after assembly. Each week there is a different piece of music, and this contributes well to pupils’ cultural development. The subject leader displays the name of the piece of music and its composer to help pupils widen their knowledge of a range of different types of music. During the week of the inspection, pupils listened to Gregorian chant and during the Wednesday assembly the music subject leader took the opportunity to further pupils’ understanding of this kind of music. She questioned pupils well in order to deepen their understanding but did not have enough time to do this thoroughly.

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MUSIC

128. The teaching of music is good, overall, and ranges from satisfactory to very good. In a very good lesson in Year 1, pupils demonstrated a very good knowledge of the names of instruments. The class teacher had planned very good links in this work on pitch to pupils’ English work on the Jack Locks Heath Infant School - 40 and the Beanstalk story and their science work on growing. She used the summing up part of the lesson well to check pupils’ understanding of pitch and it was clear that most pupils understood this well. In a well-planned Year 2 lesson, the class teacher modelled musical vocabulary very well and consequently when she was questioning pupils, they were able to use the appropriate musical words in their replies. She used a composing line, displayed on the wall, very well, so that all pupils understood about duration, pitch and timbre before choosing instruments for their group work.

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MUSIC

Pupils worked together very co-operatively, taking turns and listening to each other’s contributions; their social development was very good. This behaviour continued in the summing up part of the lesson, when pupils listened to the work of all the other groups. The class teacher gave the pupils a clear focus to think about during this part of the lesson and pupils responded well in terms of whether other groups had played the right notes. However, they were not given enough time to develop the skills of evaluation. In one lesson, teaching was less effective because the teacher allowed the pace of the lesson to slow when too few pupils were actively taking part. Where the teacher had not made sure that all pupils were clear about the task set for them, time was wasted because they were unsure of what they were to do.

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MUSIC

129. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are usually very good in music lessons. They enjoy this subject very much, participate enthusiastically and achieve good standards. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make generally good progress in developing their musical skills, knowledge and understanding.

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MUSIC

130. The leadership and management of music are good; the subject leader is very enthusiastic and well informed. She has observed learning and teaching in one lesson and recognises that this aspect of her work needs to be developed. The school has a designated music room and good resources, including multicultural instruments and recorded music. All the instruments are labelled and very well organised so that pupils can find them and put them back in the correct place independently. Pupils have the opportunity to participate in the choir, which meets once a week. This is organised on the basis that pupils can come along to sing just for the pleasure of singing whenever they would like to do so. However, for those pupils who want to take part in performances, regular attendance is expected. The choir performs for a wider audience, for instance, at the musical festival at St. John’s and for the parents of the pupils in the reception classes. Teachers keep detailed records of

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MUSIC

pupils’ progress on record sheets that are included with the scheme of work and in addition the school keeps recorded examples of pupils’ work. Overall, however, there is little evidence of the planned use of ICT resources to support and extend learning in the subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. The attainment of pupils throughout the school is above what is expected of children their age. This represents improvement since the last inspection. Evidence of the quality of teaching and of pupils’ attainment was obtained from the three lessons observed and from discussions with pupils and members of staff. Teachers’ planning shows that all pupils have been able to develop their skills in dance, games, gymnastics and swimming. The subject leader has constructed a scheme of work that provides colleagues with excellent guidance, including clear statements of what level of performance should be expected of pupils in each year group in each aspect of the subject. This leadership makes a very important contribution to the above average standards achieved by the pupils.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. Pupils in both Year 1 and Year 2 benefit from having three physical education lessons per week; one of these is in the splendid swimming pool that is shared with the neighbouring junior school. The curriculum is also enhanced by lunchtime and after school activities including a skipping club and football training.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. Teachers set a good example by dressing appropriately for PE lessons and they organise thorough warm ups and cool downs, reminding pupils why these are carried out. Routines for hall-based lessons are well established and Year 1 pupils put apparatus away sensibly and carefully.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. In the lessons observed, the quality of teaching was never less than good and pupils, including those with special educational needs, made good, sometimes very good or excellent, progress. Locks Heath Infant School - 41 Pupils in Year 1 developed their control and balance well when building up sequences of travelling movements.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. The very good gymnastics lesson in Year 2 was sharply focused on improvement and the apparatus set up provided a good challenge for pupils of this age. The teacher had several very good strategies for promoting improvement and for keeping all pupils involved. For example, pupils were paired off and while one was working on the apparatus the other mirrored the movements on the ground and was expected to make suggestions for improvement at the end of the sequence. The teacher modelled the appropriate language very well and made specific improvement suggestions, for example to point the toes when balancing on an upturned beam. As a result pupils made very good progress in developing their balance, co-ordination and movement skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. The other Year 2 lesson observed was a dance one and it was very clear what pupils were intended to learn or get better at in terms of creating and performing sequences of movements. The teacher has excellent subject knowledge and her demonstrations, for example of linking between high and low body shapes, were a very important ingredient in the lesson - and spontaneously applauded by the pupils. Pupils made a good variety of imaginative shapes and moved from one to another in a controlled and flowing manner, in the latter part of the lesson to well-chosen music. The teacher used pupils’ ideas very well to promote assessment and further improvement. The lesson was very carefully structured so that pupils progressed from making individual high and low shapes to sequences of shapes linked by movement and turns. The quality of pupils’ learning was excellent in response to excellent teaching, which also promoted very good attitudes to dance as an artistic

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. The school has bought good quality resources, appropriate for the age range of the pupils, and this supports well the achievement of good standards. The subject makes a valuable contribution to developing pupils’ self-esteem and to the school’s programme for promoting healthy lifestyles.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

138. A high proportion of pupils are reaching the expectations of the local agreed syllabus for exploring and responding to human experience, and for investigating the religious traditions of Christianity and Judaism. Year 2 pupils expressed their ideas and feelings about God through drawings and writing, and learnt about ideas that other people hold about God through, for example, reading passages from the Bible. They wrote thoughtful prayers. The pupils in Year 2 have a good range of recorded work and a good knowledge of some of the key stories from the Old Testament and of the main elements of several Jewish festivals including Sukkoth and Hanukkah. Many pupils retell the story of the Passover in detail and are developing their awareness of the beliefs that underpin this festival. Pupils with special educational needs name some of the foods on the Seder plate as part of the festival, while many pupils explain the symbolism of some of the foods used. The achievement of

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

pupils, including those with special educational needs, is good.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

139. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers have good subject knowledge and this enables them to give clear explanations of events, such as the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on a donkey, and to help pupils understand the symbolism associated with the Passover festival. Lesson plans are detailed and well structured, and include planning for the use of learning support assistants, who make effective contributions to pupils’ learning. Lessons are well managed and there are efficient transitions between different parts of lessons, so that the pace of learning is maintained. Pupils have good opportunities for speaking and listening in religious education lessons, including short, focused discussions by pairs of pupils and challenging questions that encourage pupils to answer at length and to evaluate what they have learned. Religious artefacts are used effectively to help pupils learn religious ideas. In one lesson, a well-planned final session

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

was used to assess pupils’ learning and to reinforce the key religious ideas that had been learnt. Occasionally, teaching does not hold the pupils’ attention or motivate them to be involved in their own learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. Each class has a weekly religious education lesson. In addition, assemblies and spirituality sessions also contribute to pupils’ learning in religious education. For example, pupils develop their understanding of the uniqueness of people and flowers through their work in spirituality. Teachers’ Locks Heath Infant School - 42 lessons are based on the school’s clearly structured guidance that is based on the local agreed syllabus. Each unit of work includes assessment criteria, and there is a sound assessment system.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

141. The management of the subject is making a good contribution to the teaching of religious education and to pupils’ standards. Recently, the manager has researched and introduced a scheme of work to help develop pupils’ spirituality. The manager carries out a good range of monitoring activities but this does not include the monitoring of lessons. Since the last inspection, pupils’ standards have risen, and there has been sound progress with the subject. However, there is little evidence of the use of ICT, for example for research purposes.

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