Devonshire Infant School

DEVONSHIRE INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 4 - 7 November 2002

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DEVONSHIRE 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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DEVONSHIRE 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. Devonshire Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Francis Avenue Southsea Portsmouth

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 23 June 1997 Devonshire Infant School - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

22254 Hazel Callaghan Registered inspector English as an additional language Foundation stage Geography History Mathematics Physical education What sort of school is it? How high are standards? a) The school’s results and achievements? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 14347 Joan Lindsay Lay inspector How high are standards? b) Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 22831 Clive Lewis Team inspector Special educational needs Design and technology English Information and communication technology 28200 Paul Stevens Team inspector Educational inclusion Art and design Music Religious education Science How good are the curricular other opportunities offered to pupils? Devonshire Infant School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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Aspect responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Aspect responsibilities

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

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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Devonshire 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

Devonshire Infants is an average sized school having 166 pupils on roll. Pupils are admitted from a wide area around the school and the proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is above average. Most pupils are of white United Kingdom origin, but there are also nine other ethnic groups represented in the school community. The largest groups are of families that come originally from Bangladesh and others from Europe. Twenty-two pupils have English as an additional language, a similar proportion to that found nationally. The most common home languages other than English are Bengali, Punjabi and then Arabic. Two of the pupils are very new to the school and are in the early stages of learning English. The Nurture and Assessment Unit at the school has places for 10 pupils aged between 4-7 who stay for three terms, during which time their specific learning needs are assessed. There are six pupils at present. There are another 65 pupils in the other classes who have

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

been identified as having special educational needs, six having statements of special educational needs. This is a much greater proportion than is found nationally. Most pupils have moderate learning or emotional and behavioural difficulties. There is also a higher incidence of pupils joining or leaving the school through the year than is found nationally. Children start school in the September in which they are five years of age. Most are of average attainment when they start school, but there is a much higher proportion of children with special educational needs than is usually found and often fewer pupils of above average attainment. The school is on the same campus as a junior school and a pre-school group, and has strong links with both.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school with many strong features. The very good leadership provided by the headteacher has resulted in the creation of a happy and harmonious school community where all cultures, religions and abilities are valued and respected by all. Pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science. Teaching is good overall, although there are weaknesses in the teaching of religious education. This is an effective school that continues to evaluate its work, constantly seeking ways to improve. It provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils make good progress in their learning in English, mathematics and science. • The quality of teaching is good and this stimulates pupils’ good attitudes to work and their desire to do well. • Pupils are well looked after. The pastoral care, throughout the school, is very good. Consequently, pupils feel secure, valued, respected and enjoy school. • The provision for pupils’ social, moral and cultural development is very good and this promotes very good relationships between pupils of all abilities and ethnic groups. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs, and those with English as an additional language, is good and this enables them all to succeed in their tasks and to make good progress. • The leadership and management provided by the headteacher and senior staff are very good. Information on pupils’ progress is used well to evaluate the work of the school and to look for areas

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What the school does well

that can be further improved. • The school values parents’ opinions and support. A very good partnership has been developed between the school and the pupils’ families, which also promotes pupils’ good progress.

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What could be improved

• Standards in religious education are not high enough. • Although the teaching is good, activities provided in some lessons do not sufficiently build on what pupils already know and can do. Consequently pupils do not always make effective progress. 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

Devonshire Infant School - 8 The school has made good improvement since it was inspected in June 1997. The quality of teaching has improved. Teachers’ subject knowledge is more secure and this has led to improved standards in reading, science, art and design, information and communication technology, design and technology, and in aspects of physical education. There are now effective schemes of work for all subjects that successfully support teachers’ lesson planning. There has been, however, a decline in pupils’ attainment and progress in religious education. Procedures for assessing pupils’ work have been successfully extended to all subjects and there are very good systems for monitoring and evaluating the work of the school.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Pupils of all abilities and ethnic groups, and those with English as an additional language make good progress in their learning. Pupils enter the reception classes with standards that are below those found nationally, but good teaching and effective learning through the school result in their attaining average standards by the time they transfer to the junior school at the end of Year 2. In the most recent National Curriculum tests pupils attained standards that were broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics and above average standards in science compared with those found nationally. Pupils attained standards that were above average in comparison with schools in similar socio-economic areas. The pupils in the current Year 2 are also attaining standards in line with those expected in reading, writing and mathematics. Standards in science are above those expected and have improved since the

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Key

previous inspection. In the past, girls achieved less well than the boys in English and mathematics, but a greater focus on raising the attainment of girls has almost eliminated this difference. Pupils in the Nurture and Assessment Unit make good progress towards their personal targets. They often make very good progress in their personal and social development and work effectively in the mainstream classes. Pupils with English as an additional language also make good progress, especially in learning English, and attain similar standards as their peers in the National Curriculum tests. Standards in art and design, information and communication technology, history, design and technology, geography, music and physical education are in line with those expected. Higher attaining pupils make good progress in English, mathematics and science, but in other subjects their understanding is not always

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Key

sufficiently challenged and further extended. Pupils make insufficient progress in religious education and consequently standards are unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils enjoy school and show very good attitudes to their work. They concentrate well and are often eager to show what they know.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in lessons and around the school is very good. Pupils are polite and respectful to adults and visitors. They work effectively on their Devonshire Infant School - 9 own and in groups. At playtimes pupils show good levels of care for each other. Devonshire Infant School - 10 Personal development and relationships Relationships throughout the school are very good. Pupils are considerate of each other and show respect for each other’s feelings and ideas. There are high levels of racial harmony and tolerance in the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is a little lower than the national average.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

The quality of teaching through the school is generally good. It is often very good and two of the lessons observed were excellent. This effective teaching stimulates pupils’ learning so they make overall good progress. The quality of teaching in the reception classes is variable. In one class the teaching is consistently good, children are well motivated and eager to learn. Activities are well structured and successfully develop children’s new skills and understanding. In the other class, teaching is satisfactory overall and children make steady rather than good progress. Relationships throughout the school are very good and pupils are confident in their work and eager to do well. Activities provided are interesting, and effective links between subjects stimulate pupils’ interest and the desire to know more. Teachers plan their lessons very well and clearly identify what they want pupils to learn. The quality of

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

teaching in English and mathematics is good and pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills are well promoted. Although teaching is good overall, group activities do not always build sufficiently on what pupils already know and can do. This was especially evident in some mathematics lessons. Higher attaining pupils are not always sufficiently challenged and their knowledge extended in subjects such as art and design, history and geography. The provision for religious education is unsatisfactory and pupils of all abilities make insufficient progress in their learning. The quality of teaching for pupils with special educational needs in both the Nurture and Assessment Unit and in mainstream classes is good and pupils make good progress towards their own targets. The needs of pupils with English as an additional language are effectively identified. Pupils are given good support by the bi-lingual support staff, the classroom learning

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

assistants and class teachers, so pupils make good progress in learning English and consequently in other areas of the curriculum. The visiting music teacher provides teaching of a high standard and this has a significant impact on the quality of pupils’ learning in these lessons.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is broad and relevant to the pupils’ learning needs and this promotes their good achievement in many subjects. The curriculum for children in the foundation stage (reception classes) is good.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils are very well supported by all staff. Learning support staff in the Unit and in mainstream classes are very effective in their roles, assisting pupils in a sensitive manner, ensuring that they make good, and sometimes very good, progress towards their learning targets. Devonshire Infant School - 11 Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good overall. All staff recognise the need to support pupils’ learning of English and a range of good teaching methods is used effectively. Specialist staff help pupils develop a good range of vocabulary and understanding that supports their work in all subjects. This is sometimes less emphasised by class teachers.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for pupils’ social and moral development is very good and these skills enhance relationships throughout the school. Pupils’ cultural awareness is also developed well in lessons and in the celebration of religious and cultural festivals. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The pastoral care for pupils is very good. Pupils of all abilities and ethnic groups are well supported and valued. Parents have a very high regard for the work of the school. Procedures for assessing pupils’ work are very good. Teachers monitor pupils’ attainment and progress efficiently and use information to set targets for improvement in English and mathematics. Information from day-to-day assessment, however, is not always used to ensure activities effectively build on pupils’ knowledge and skills. Partnership with parents is very good.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher, with the strong support of the deputy headteacher, provides clear educational direction for the school. There is a strong commitment from all staff, they work well together as an effective team and have the capacity for further improvement.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The school benefits from a very supportive and well-informed governing body. Governors carry out their statutory requirements appropriately through a suitable range of committees and have developed a good awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The headteacher uses information very effectively to monitor the work of the school and to identify areas of potential weakness. A wide range of effective procedures is used by the headteacher, deputy headteacher and subject managers to successfully review and evaluates their work. Consequently the school continues to improve and effectively develop.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources All grants and other funds are used well to support pupils’ learning. The headteacher and governors understand the principles of best value and are beginning to use them effectively. Resources are good and used well to stimulate pupils’ interest and learning. Learning support staff are a real asset to the school and provide pupils with good levels of guidance and support. Three teachers joined the school over the last two years and the new team of staff provide a good range of knowledge and expertise. Accommodation is satisfactory overall and used well to promote pupils’ learning. Devonshire Infant School - 12

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Parents are very supportive of the work of the school. • Most parents said they feel comfortable approaching the school with concerns and questions. All staff are very approachable and ready to listen. • Most parents feel the school is well led and managed by the headteacher. • Most parents feel that the quality of teaching is good. • All parents that know the school well feel that pupils’ behaviour is good. • Most parents feel that the school is helping their child become more mature and responsible. • Many parents welcome the fact that the school ensures pupils are happy and want to come to school. • Parents say they are kept well informed. Teachers are always accessible in the mornings. • Some parents would welcome more information about how their children are getting on in their work. • Some parents would like to see a greater range of extra-curricular activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agree with all the positive opinions of parents but do not agree with the concerns expressed. Teachers provide regular times through the year to discuss with parents their children’s attainment and progress. The annual reports satisfactorily set out what has been achieved and set targets for further progress. This is good practice. Teachers are always available to further discuss aspects of the child’s learning. The range of after school clubs provided is satisfactory for pupils of this age. There are commercially run clubs through the year as well as teacher-run sporting activities during the summer. The range and number of other activities, such as visits and visitors to school are good and they enhance pupils’ learning. Devonshire Infant School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children enter the school with standards below those found nationally. A large proportion has broadly average attainment, but as there are fewer pupils with higher levels of attainment and a greater proportion of pupils with special educational needs than are found nationally, their attainment is judged as below average overall. Children exhibit standards that are above average, however, in their personal and social development, and they often speak with clarity and confidence. They have below average standards in their listening skills, their early reading and writing skills and in aspects of their mathematical skills. As a year group, children generally make satisfactory progress during their time in reception. The progress made in one class is, however, consistently good because of the good teaching provided. Good planning across both classes ensures a systematic development of children’s learning and many achieve the standards

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

expected, the ‘early learning goals’, by the time they enter Year 1 in all aspects of their learning except writing.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Standards in the 2002 National Curriculum tests for pupils in Year 2 were in line with the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. This is similar to what was found at the last inspection but represents a decline in standards in reading and writing compared with those attained in 2001. This was due to the higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs in the year group. Standards in science in 2002 teacher assessments were above the national average. Standards were also above average in reading, writing and mathematics, when compared with schools in similar socio-economic areas.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Over the past four years standards in the school have improved at a similar rate to the national trend. This, however, constitutes good achievement overall, as a large proportion of pupils are admitted into reception with standards below those expected. The school is particularly successful in raising the standards of lower attaining pupils, especially those with English as an additional language and those having special educational needs, up to national averages by the time they leave the school. However, less emphasis in the past has been placed on extending the knowledge and skills of the higher attaining pupils. In English, mathematics and science these pupils usually achieve well but in other subjects this is not always the case. The school has recognised that there is a need to ensure that more able pupils are sufficiently challenged and there is now a co-ordinator with responsibility for identifying the more able and gifted and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Analysis of the National Curriculum tests in 2001 identified that girls were not achieving as well as the boys in reading and writing. They had also attained less well than the boys in mathematics over the previous three years. The staff discussed the possible cause for this problem and greater emphasis has been placed on ensuring that girls of all abilities and of minority ethnic groups are involved in discussion and encouraged to answer questions. This focus on raising the attainment of girls has been effective and in the 2002 National Curriculum tests there was very little difference. In fact, in reading and writing girls are now attaining better results than the boys and more in line with the differences found nationally. No significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls were apparent during the inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Currently, standards in reading and writing are in line with those expected nationally. Pupils make good progress in developing an appropriate range of knowledge and literacy skills. By the end of Year 2 most pupils listen very well to each other and to their teachers, and a majority of pupils speak confidently using an appropriate range of vocabulary. In reading, a small proportion of Year 2 pupils are achieving well and demonstrate reading skills at a level above that expected for pupils of their age. However, a similar proportion is working at below expectations and attainment by the end of Year 2 is merely satisfactory overall. Pupils read a wide variety of texts appropriate for their age and ability and show a developing and considerable enthusiasm for Devonshire Infant School - 14 books. “Big Books” and “group readers” used for shared and class reading in literacy lessons include a good range of fiction, with stories from a range of cultures, traditional stories and poetry

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

and factual books. As they progress through the school, pupils acquire a love of books and develop a range of strategies and skills to enable them to tackle new words and understand text. Pupils are “heard read” regularly by their class teacher or by classroom support assistants, and take their reading books home regularly.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. By the end of Year 2, the majority of pupils have made good progress in writing from a generally low level of attainment on entry. The writing of the majority of pupils in Year 2 shows a satisfactory understanding of the use of capital letters and full stops and of sentence structure. They have a satisfactory understanding of the use of simple punctuation and are using full stops and capital letters more consistently. Most pupils use a widening range of vocabulary and are beginning to spell most simple words correctly. Very good use is made of pupils’ literacy skills in other areas of the curriculum and pupils have the opportunity to write for a wide range of purposes.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in mathematics are in line with those expected nationally. Pupils of all abilities and those with English as an additional language make good progress in acquiring an appropriate range of numeracy skills. They use a variety of methods to help them calculate answers in formal questions and problem solving situations and explain what they have done with confidence. The process of calculating in their heads and explaining what they have done is effectively started in Year 1 and so pupils’ confidence in manipulating numbers and recognising patterns is good by Year 2. They use their good understanding of how numbers are linked in addition and subtraction and are developing satisfactory strategies for exploring and investigating number patterns and solving problems. Pupils use their developing numeracy skills to support their learning in science investigations to measure results and to plot findings on graphs. Similarly, their knowledge of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

coordinates is useful in reading simple maps for geography.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Standards in science remain above average. By the beginning of Year 2, pupils have developed above the expected levels of scientific knowledge and understanding. This is particularly evident with respect to the processes of life. Opportunities for pupils to investigate and carry out simple experiments are good and pupils use their knowledge well when predicting what will happen in their tests. They have an above average understanding of the need for a fair test when, for example, investigating plant growth in soil and other substances.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In the other subjects pupils make satisfactory progress overall and attain the nationally expected standards in information and communication technology, art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music, and physical education. This an improvement on the standards judged at the previous inspection in art, design and technology, information and communication technology and physical education, which were considered to be unsatisfactory either in part of the programmes of study for the subject or across all aspects of it. This big improvement in standards is due to significant developments in curricular planning, teachers’ improved subject knowledge and the purchase of additional resources for information and communication technology. Pupils’ computer skills have significantly improved and information and communication technology is successfully used to support pupils’ learning in English and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

mathematics. Only in religious education have standards declined. Not enough emphasis has been placed on consolidating what pupils know, understand and can do, and so they are not attaining the standards set out in the locally Agreed Syllabus.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards their individual targets. Those pupils having English as an additional language make good progress in learning English, mathematics and science. Pupils in the Nurture and Assessment Unit come to the school with severe personal, emotional and behavioural difficulties that significantly impede their learning. The staff in the Unit provide sensitive and skilful teaching. By the end of the three-term assessment period the pupils are working effectively in mainstream classes and are beginning to make good progress in learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Pupils with English as an additional language are well supported by teachers, learning support assistants and bilingual assistants. They make good progress and many attain the expected Devonshire Infant School - 15 standards. In the National Curriculum tests in 2002 they achieved well and most attained the expected standards of Level 2 in reading and writing. All attained the expected standard in mathematics. This is particularly good achievement and the result of good teaching. Their

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

progress in further understanding mathematical and scientific terms is restricted, however, because the new vocabulary is rarely presented in written form and not thoroughly discussed in lessons to help them understand.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ attitudes have improved even further from the good levels seen at the last inspection and are now very good. The very high number of parents who stated in the pre-inspection questionnaire that their children like coming to school reflects this. In addition, pupils spoken to during the inspection said how much they enjoy coming to school. One girl said that she “jumps up and down” on Mondays because she loves school. In lessons, even the youngest pupils show that they can concentrate well on tasks such as counting out “treasure” they had found in a sand tray for a numeracy lesson. Pupils in Year 1 were eager for the regular visit of the community police officer. They responded very well to her talk and got obvious enjoyment from the session. Pupils also participate very eagerly in other aspects of school life, such as the extra-curricular clubs and during assemblies.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Behaviour has also improved since the last inspection and is judged now to be very good. Those parents who know the school well also said pupils behave well. Adults in the school have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, and pupils of all ages respond very well to this. Staff are consistent in using positive role models and thanking pupils for their good behaviour and this encourages others to follow their example. Pupils also behave very well outside at break times, and there was no evidence of intimidation or harassment, such as bullying or racism. Pupils spoken to during the inspection felt very sure that if anything did occur it would be dealt with swiftly and fairly. Pupils also behave very well during assemblies and when visitors come to school. Pupils who have challenging behaviour are well managed and supported and as a result they show good levels of restraint. Consequently, there have been no exclusions in the past year,

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

which is a considerable improvement on the number of exclusions reported at the last inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Relationships throughout the school are another very strong area and here again there has been an improvement since the previous inspection. There is a very good rapport between all adults in the school, between pupils and adults, and amongst pupils themselves. It is evident that pupils have a high level of respect for the adults who care for them as well as a great deal of affection. This is largely due to the caring way adults respond to pupils and the fact that they provide very good role models for them to follow. Pupils are kind and caring. One girl was seen to fetch a tissue for a friend who was crying and others comforted a pupil who finds lunch times difficult. Pupils do this naturally and spontaneously as a result of the school’s very consistent emphasis on respecting the feelings of others. ‘The Golden Rule’ in the school is “We always try our best in everything we do to be a happy, caring school”. As a result of this rule filtering through all

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

aspects of school life, pupils have a very good understanding of the impact of their actions on others and all mix well very together regardless of background, race, language or capability. Pupils who are taught in the Nurture and Assessment Unit are well integrated into the school and the other pupils accept them readily even though they recognise that there are sometimes differences in the way they behave.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The extent to which pupils show initiative and take on responsibility is also very good. Even the youngest children are encouraged to be independent and start the day by selecting their name card and putting it on the appropriate picture for the type of lunch they would like that day. Children are also encouraged to work independently and are already aware that they need to work without asking an adult during some of the activity time. Older children are given the opportunity to be “Playground Friends” and sign a contract to take on the role. As a result they take their responsibility seriously and are proud to be selected. Pupils of all ages are given jobs, such as returning registers to the office and tidying up the classrooms, and they all do this very willingly and responsibly. Devonshire Infant School - 16 16. The school’s attendance figures have remained at satisfactory levels overall since the last

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

inspection. There has, however, been a small increase in the amount of unauthorised absence since then. This is due to a small minority of parents removing their children for extended holidays and to a very small proportion of pupils with poor attendance. Pupils arrive punctually to school and registers are called and marked promptly, ensuring a swift start to the day.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The quality of teaching through the school is good. It is often very good and some lessons observed were excellent. This effective teaching stimulates pupils’ learning, so that they make overall good progress through the school. Teachers’ subject knowledge is now more secure, especially in art and design, physical education, information and communication technology and design and technology, and this has led to pupils’ better standards in these subjects. Lesson planning is more consistent and teachers share their expertise, so that pupils are given carefully structured activities securely based on effective schemes of work. This is a significant improvement on the judgements made at the previous inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage (reception classes) is satisfactory overall. In one class the teaching is consistently good: children are well motivated and eager to learn. Activities are provided that build well on what children already know and they develop new skills and understanding successfully. All adults in this class use effective questions that monitor children’s learning and give good support to those of all ethic groups and those having English as an additional language. In the other class, teaching is satisfactory overall and children make steady rather than good progress. In this class, the children’s behaviour and the teacher’s management of time during the lessons are not as effective and so children make less overall progress than in the other class. The teacher does not make the children stop and listen carefully when she is giving instructions and explanations or when other children are speaking, and this reduces the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

progress of this group. Teachers plan together well and share their expertise, so that in both classes there is a strong and effective focus on developing children’s personal and social development, and on their language and numeracy skills, which systematically promotes children’s learning. There are well-structured activities that build on children’s early reading, writing and counting skills. Teachers and learning support staff work well together to promote children’s listening skills and confidence in their own efforts. Effective strategies have been developed in the “plan, do and review” sessions for children to develop their independence and organisational skills as they choose the activities they want to do.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. In Years 1 and 2 teaching is good. It is often very good. At its most effective teachers share their enthusiasm and energy for learning, which stimulates pupils’ own interest and eagerness to learn. They use very good questioning that probes pupils’ understanding and stimulates new ideas and further learning. Teachers are well supported by the expertise of the learning support staff. They plan together and share ideas so the additional adult in most lessons ensures that pupils of all abilities and ethnic groups are given appropriate levels of support and good encouragement. A particular strength in all lessons is the very good relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults. The positive atmosphere actively promotes pupils’ good attitudes, so they concentrate well and try hard to do their best. Activities are usually well matched to pupils’ learning needs. In English lessons, tasks are allocated to pupils in five different ability groups and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

the activities reflect their capabilities and success in previous learning. In mathematics lessons, however, there are only three groups and sometimes the activities provided are not appropriate for some pupils within the groups. In other subjects, groups are mixed and not based on pupils’ capabilities or prior learning. These mixed ability groups ensure that pupils with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs are provided with good role models in their work. Higher attaining pupils provide support in reading and in suggesting effective ways of working. The higher attaining pupils, however, are not always sufficiently challenged. They are often left to work individually and their understanding and skills are not being stretched. For example, opportunities for higher attaining pupils to use their reading skills to follow individual research in history and geography are not yet sufficiently provided.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Devonshire Infant School - 17 20. The quality of teaching in English is good and leads to pupils’ good attention and progress. The teachers’ good and frequently very good subject knowledge, good planning and very good understanding of the national literacy strategy enable them to teach the subject very effectively. Pupils’ literacy skills are also well developed in other subjects, such as history, where the use of historical stories and information books further develops pupils’ knowledge of grammar, vocabulary and punctuation. In geography, good opportunities are made to develop pupils’ writing skills as they discuss in groups what information should be included.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. In mathematics, the quality of teaching is good overall. Teachers’ knowledge of the National Numeracy Strategy is effective and they use a good range of activities to promote pupils’ greater understanding of mathematical calculations and confidence in their ability to use a variety of strategies to find answers. Good emphasis is given to promoting pupils’ ability to calculate answers in their head, using different strategies, and their understanding of number bonds. The weakness in teaching in numeracy is when teachers do not sufficiently use their day-to-day assessment of pupils’ learning to guide the planning of activities. For example, the whole-class discussion on how to develop strategies for solving a ‘magic square’ for pupils in Year 2, although very well conducted, was not appropriate for the least able group of pupils. Their learning would have been greater if other more individually planned activities had been provided at their level of

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22. In science, the quality of teaching is good. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge and expertise to provide interesting lessons, which stimulates pupils’ attention and desire to learn. They use a wide variety of appropriate ways to establish pupils’ secure understanding.

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23. The quality of teaching in information and communication technology is satisfactory overall. In small group sessions with a specialist learning support assistant and with the learning support assistants the teaching is often good. Pupils are provided with good levels of attention and support, and this enables them to learn effectively during these sessions. Where computers are used during class lessons there is less direct intervention and pupils’ learning is satisfactory. In all other subjects, except for religious education, the quality of teaching is satisfactory, which leads to pupils making steady progress so that they attain expected standards overall. The quality of teaching in religious education is unsatisfactory because of the long-term ineffective consolidation of pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Pupils are not given the opportunity to record their thoughts and so explore new knowledge and ideas. Consequently, they remember

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

very little of what they have been taught in the past. During the inspection, the lessons were often very effective in promoting pupils’ ideas and reflection, but few opportunities are created for pupils to record what they had learnt and so strengthen their knowledge and understanding.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Overall, teachers ensure that the way they question pupils includes pupils of all abilities. However, not all of them target those who are reticent to answer. They ensure that boys and girls have equal opportunities to participate and they challenge pupils' attitudes about gender. For example, in one lesson where there was discussion about personal abilities, very young pupils had already decided that girls were inept at playing football. This was appropriately discussed.

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25. The provision for pupils with special educational needs and those having English as an additional language is good. Effect support is given to pupils with English as an additional language. For those pupils in the very early stages of learning English, bilingual support assistants are provided several times a week, so that pupils are able to question and get a clear understanding of some of the language being used. They sit with the children in whole-class sessions and quietly support them by providing words and explanations in their home language. This helps children to develop their English vocabulary and ensures their better understanding. Teachers are well aware of the difficulties these pupils face, especially in thoroughly understanding the underlying meanings of words and phrases that give colour to literacy work and clarity in mathematics and science. There is a weakness in the teaching of pupils with English as an additional language. As pupils'

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vocabulary increases teachers sometimes do not recognise that they still need support in understanding new vocabulary and terms. Vocabulary to be introduced during the lessons is clearly identified, but rarely is it revisited in discussion or presented in its written form so that pupils with English as an additional language have the visual clues as well as the spoken word to Devonshire Infant School - 18 help them understand. Activities are usually well matched to the pupils’ needs as assessment of pupils in their home language sometimes reveals pupils’ special educational needs as well as a lack of knowledge of English.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Teachers meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs by giving good quality support and, particularly in English lessons, tasks that are well matched to their needs. The special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) liaises appropriately with teachers and support staff, all of whom have received appropriate training. Learning support assistants work well with class teachers, they are informed of lesson content in advance of lessons, contribute well to the assessment and monitoring of pupils’ progress and provide pupils with an appropriate blend of help and challenge. Support for pupils with statements of special educational needs is good and pupils with specific special educational needs are very well integrated into the school community. Pupils in the Nurture and Assessment Unit are also taught well. The consistent patient response to the pupils’ often very difficult behaviour has a gradual positive effect, so that they make

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

particularly good progress in their social and personal development. The staff in the Unit provide sensitive and skilful teaching, so by the end of the three-term assessment period pupils are working effectively in mainstream classes and are beginning to make good progress in learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Teachers monitor pupils’ work effectively during lessons and provide support and encouragement if there are difficulties. They mark pupils’ work in a positive way, celebrating and praising hard work and effort. Most also suggest ways in which pupils can improve their work and provide targets for future work. This is read to the younger children and good work is shared with the class promoting pupils’ self-esteem and eagerness to try hard.

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28. Parents recognise the good quality of teaching in the school and further enhance pupils’ learning through the support they provide at home. Parents regularly help their children with the appropriate homework provided by the staff. Thus pupils’ learning is further enhanced.

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29. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage (reception classes) is good and successfully promotes the recommended six areas of learning: communication, language and literacy, children’s mathematical development, personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and children’s creative and physical development. Activities build effectively towards the expected standards set out in the early learning goals. The curriculum is appropriately broad and well balanced and enriched by creative and thoughtful planning to ensure that children make steady and often good progress. A strength in the provision is the regular opportunities for children to develop their independence and organisational skills as they choose the activities they want to pursue in the “Plan, Do and Review” sessions. Early assessment of children’s attainment has indicated a weakness in their listening skills and writing skills and in

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their knowledge of letters and letter sounds and an appropriate emphasis has been given to these areas in the curriculum.

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30. The quality and range of learning opportunities for pupils in Years 1 and 2 are good. It provides an enriched National Curriculum. The quality and range of the activities and the way they build progressively towards the expected standards has been significantly improved since the previous inspection. The curriculum for religious education satisfactorily adheres to the local Agreed Syllabus for religious education, but there are weaknesses in the quantity and quality of opportunities for pupils to record what they have learnt.

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31. The school curriculum is good. A particular strength is the way it not only develops pupils’ knowledge, understanding and ideas in each subject, but also uses one subject to help another. This is particularly evident for literacy, numeracy and computer technology. For example, pupils looking at forces in Year 1 use writing to record good explanations of pushes and pulls as well as of their experiments. They also use mathematics to compare the heights grown by beans in soils Devonshire Infant School - 19 and in other substances, translating the facts into computerised graphs. The institution of schemes of work for all subjects has provided the basis for teaching skills progressively. The curriculum provides good opportunities for pupils to be creative, especially in subjects such as art.

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32. The National Literacy Strategy has been effectively introduced and teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy skills in English lessons and across the curriculum, especially in subjects such as history and geography. Teachers have implemented the National Numeracy Strategy effectively and pupils’ mathematical skills are also satisfactorily promoted in lessons on science, design and technology and geography.

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33. Provision for additional activities that enhance pupils’ learning in lessons, and promote their further interest and skills, is good. In addition to clubs for sport and the Breakfast Club, the school welcomes a large number of visitors. These enrich pupils’ experiences, such as in music, where they are involved in African dance and drumming. Pupils have also enjoyed story telling while being introduced to a variety of musical instruments, and in listening to a steel band. Teachers take pupils on visits to increase their learning through opportunities for firsthand experience. These include places like Marwell Zoo, where pupils think about issues such as conservation. Visits are also undertaken to local parks, the library and the dockyard and governors and parents who are regular visitors to the school often accompany pupils on these visits.

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TO PUPILS?

34. The school’s provision for equal opportunities is good. It reflects a total commitment to the inclusion of all pupils in every aspect of its work. There are clear policies for equal opportunities, special educational needs, English as an additional language and racial equality. In analysing the results of national tests and its own assessments, the school does all it can to understand how well different groups do, and takes any necessary action. Resources reflect the wish to be inclusive, for example in music, for which the school has a number of instruments suitable for playing music from different ethnic origins.

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TO PUPILS?

35. Good support is given to pupils with English as an additional language. Those who are new to the school are effectively assessed and their needs identified. Those pupils in the very early stages of learning English are provided with bilingual support several times a week so that pupils are able to question and get a clear, if brief, understanding of some of the language being used. Activities are usually well matched to their needs, as assessment of pupils’ capabilities in their home language reveals pupils’ capabilities. Many are able and they find learning easy while others have special educational needs as well as a lack of knowledge of English.

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TO PUPILS?

36. Arrangements for identifying and supporting pupils with special educational needs are good. A detailed and comprehensive record of special educational needs is kept by the special educational needs co-ordinator and appropriate individual educational plans are provided for pupils on the register, written by the SENCO in co-operation with class teachers and learning support assistants. Targets for pupils are largely literacy-oriented and are clear, achievable and reviewed regularly. The provision of additional support for pupils with statements of educational need is of good quality, although, at the time of the inspection, owing to a long-standing clerical error by the local education authority support services which the school has had to work hard and long to rectify, the school was still not receiving funding for the support required by one child’s statement of educational need. The positive, family atmosphere of the school and the very good

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relationships promote the very effective inclusion of pupils with special educational needs into every aspect of the school’s life.

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37. The contribution of the community to pupils’ learning is good. The school garden, for example, included groups respectively called ‘Learning through Landscapes’, and ‘Countryside Volunteers’, as well as parents and governors. The school welcomes visitors who enhance pupils’ learning, such members of the local Fire Service, the Deaf Awareness Project, various theatre groups and a puppeteer. The school also reaches out to the community in its work for charities, by participating in activities such as The Lord Mayor’s Show, and holding events that bring people together, such as an Eid party. The school’s relationship with the local educational institutions, such as the pre-school groups and the junior school, are good. Staff prepare the pupils well for transition from one school to the other and supports their effective learning. Teachers in Year 2 Devonshire Infant School - 20 and those in Year 3 in the junior school get together to discuss the curriculum. Opportunities are

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taken to exchange teachers and the schools share their assessments of pupils’ work.

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38. Overall, the provision for pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, social, moral and cultural development, is very good and has improved even further from the good levels seen at the last inspection.

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39. Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education (PSHE) is very good. It has its place on every class’s timetable and is supported by a good scheme of work. Teachers make good use of assessment sheets. The programme of lessons includes aspects of sex and drugs education appropriate for pupils of a young age. ‘Circle time’ discussions and PSHE lessons provide good opportunities for pupils to share their understanding of issues surrounding personal development. In one lesson where pupils considered similarities and differences, one of them showed remarkable insight by volunteering ‘We’ve all got different feelings’. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities. Teachers take every opportunity to boost pupils’ confidence and self esteem, for example in the assembly for achievement.

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TO PUPILS?

40. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. Pupils are encouraged to appreciate the wonders and beauty of life through subjects such as art, music and religious education. In religious education lessons, pupils are often given opportunities to reflect and to consider new ideas. In assemblies, pupils are given the opportunity to reflect on, for example, how beautiful rain can be in an arid country like parts of South Africa. This was effectively achieved through the playing of African music and talking about the country. In addition, pupils are taken to a local country park so that they can appreciate the wonders of nature. There are many opportunities for pupils to try to empathise with others through, for example, visits from blind people. Pupils not only raise money for charities but the school also ensures that they understand the needs of the recipients so that they can appreciate others’ difficulties. Pupils are also given opportunities to be

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aware of and understand others’ beliefs and to celebrate with them, for example at the annual Eid party and through visits to local churches.

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41. Very good provision is made for pupils’ moral development. Pupils learn what is right and wrong from the earliest days in school. They are encouraged to be kind to one another and to share, by consistent reference to the school and classroom rules that emphasise consideration for others. Achievement assemblies and the ‘Golden Book’ and ‘Golden Box’ awards do much to emphasise good behaviour and being kind to others rather than academic achievement. For example, one boy was given a certificate for helping others to get changed for a physical education lesson. Pupils are encouraged to develop their own personal values through for example ‘circle time’ discussions, and PSHE lessons and through visits such as those from the community police officer. Lessons on subjects such as Guy Fawkes in Year 2 and the discussions that come from this evidence of religious intolerance also stimulate pupils’ thoughts and promote their moral

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awareness. As a result of all of this, pupils have a very high respect for each other and this contributes significantly to the very good relationships seen in school.

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42. Pupils also have very good opportunities to become socially aware. For example, older pupils can read to and play games with the youngest children. They also have the chance to volunteer to be “Playground Friends” and they take on this role effectively, explaining that their job is to look for someone without a friend and to encourage them to play. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities. These include the older ones in Year 2 taking care of and reading to the younger ones in Reception. Pupils are in daily contact with pupils in the Nurture and Assessment Unit and this encourages them to respect others who are similar and yet different to themselves. ‘Circle time’ discussions and lessons provide good opportunities for pupils to share their understanding of issues surrounding social development and to develop empathy with others. Staff use a variety of good resources and engage pupils in an interesting

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variety of activities. These include pupils placing a card with a statement about qualities of personality in front of others to show that they appreciate them. Pupils understand the wider needs of society through charity collections and collecting Harvest Festival goods to be distributed locally. Devonshire Infant School - 21 43. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is also very good. There is much emphasis on appreciating music, such as by playing the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” on entry to assembly and encouraging pupils to listen to it and imagine the toys. Music from other cultures is also featured to tie in with other work. Pupils were studying St Lucia, for example, and players came in to show pupils how to use steel pans. Art is also an avenue to enhance cultural development such as through the study of Picasso and Mondrian’s work. Good use is made of the local Intercultural Centre to increase resources and many colourful displays around the school

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celebrate other cultures as well as those of parts of Britain such as Wales. The school involves parents in their celebration of other religious festivals such as Eid and has plans for a Bangladeshi week in the near future. As a result of the school’s strong commitment to celebrating other cultures and ensuring their work reflects the society we live in, pupils have a very good awareness and respect for others different to themselves.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare are very good and have improved further from the good levels seen at the previous inspection. Staff who have responsibility for child protection and children in care keep up to date with the formal training for these roles. The child protection policy is very clear and includes a useful flow-chart of procedures. All staff are made aware of this policy and the procedures and the policy has also recently been included in the staff handbook. Other aspects of care and welfare are also very good. For example, there are four staff who are trained in first aid procedures and the school keeps detailed records of any accidents and illnesses as well as individual medical needs. The school’s health and safety policy is good and defines roles of responsibility clearly. Regular risk assessments are carried out and all necessary checks on fire and electrical equipment take place. If there are any health

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

and safety issues, such as a small gap in the perimeter fence, the school acts promptly and effectively to deal with them.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The educational and personal support and guidance for pupils provided by the school is very good and virtually all the parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire stated that they felt the school was helping their children to become mature and responsible.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Pupils' attendance is very well monitored by the school and much emphasis is placed on promoting good attendance. This is done through frequent reminders in the newsletters and when children start at school. The school sends letters to parents of pupils who are absent reminding them of the importance of pupils’ attending regularly. These letters are in an easy-to-understand format as well as translated into Bengali. First day absence phone calls are made to parents of children in the reception classes to ensure that they understand the school’s system for reporting absences. Any pupils whose attendance is giving cause for concern are referred to the education welfare officer, who visits the school regularly. Parents are encouraged not to remove their children from school for holidays and good cumulative records are kept of those who do. Pupils are encouraged to have good attendance through the award of certificates that celebrate 100 per

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

cent attendance and also for improved attendance.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school monitors and promotes good behaviour very well and has been very successful in eliminating oppressive behaviour. Records are kept of any incidents that do occur and the school has the appropriate systems in place to record and report on any racist incidents. Such occurrences are very rare, however. Although there are some pupils in the school who have challenging behaviour, the school’s strategies for dealing with it are very effective and they also work closely with outside agencies as well as parents to ensure that the pupils receive appropriate and effective support. Good behaviour is promoted very well through the consistent application of the school’s behaviour management policy by all staff, including support staff such as midday supervisors. Pupils are eager to behave well and the use of ‘Golden Time’, when they can choose what they would like to do from an agreed range of activities, as an effective incentive.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Pupils also are proud to receive the rewards, such as stickers and certificates, which act as effective means of promoting good behaviour. The ‘Golden Box’ awarded for good lunchtime behaviour is a much-coveted weekly class award. Devonshire Infant School - 22 48. The procedures for monitoring and promoting pupils’ personal development are also very good. The Snapshot Folder kept for each pupil contains not only their academic work but also the annual report to parents and this includes a comprehensive paragraph on social and personal development with a target. It is very evident however, and something that was commented on by parents, that all staff know the pupils and their families very well and therefore are able to monitor their personal development effectively using this information. This knowledge is established before children enter school at the time of the home visit undertaken by both teachers and

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learning support assistants. Pupils’ personal development is promoted very well. The achievements assembly, for example, focuses on pupils’ outside interests and celebrates their success in activities such as swimming and skateboarding. Pupils are given appropriate responsibilities and are expected to help one another and personal as well as academic achievements are monitored and celebrated in whole-school assemblies.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The school uses very good systems for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress and the data obtained is used well to guide planning. This constitutes good progress since the previous inspection. In reception classes, the initial baseline assessments made early in the school year identify children’s attainment and this information is used effectively to set targets for improvement. Class teachers and learning support assistants monitor children’s work, and regular records are kept about their progress. These build towards judgements on children’s progress towards the standards expected in the early learning goals. Teachers also make very detailed comments on children’s work, highlighting the stages of achievement, which act as a clear record of their progress and lead to the required profile of children’s attainment at the end of the reception year.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. A very positive feature of assessment procedures is the manageable, formal assessment systems now in place for all subjects. In addition to the National Curriculum tests in English, mathematics and science, the school also undertakes a range of additional termly non-statutory tests and assessments for writing, mathematics and science. Individual “Snapshot” assessment books also contain items of work showing their progress through the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The information gained from testing is used very effectively to track children’s progress in English, mathematics and science as they move through the school. The results of the end of key stage National Curriculum tests and other standardised tests are analysed carefully to identify trends. As a result of this analysis, a greater emphasis has been placed throughout the school on speaking and listening, spelling, presentation and, currently, on writing. However, although assessment data is used well in English lessons to group pupils into five ability groups, it not always used effectively to differentiate work for pupils of different abilities within other subject areas and examples were seen during the inspection of work set for pupils that was not appropriate to their abilities or stage of understanding, especially in mathematics.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. The school makes very good use of assessment procedures to identify pupils with special educational needs. The data obtained are used well to provide well-targeted support for pupils with particular learning and behavioural needs. The SENCO has a good overview of special educational needs throughout the school. The school has adopted the recommendations of the revised code of practice for special educational needs. The co-ordinator maintains a detailed and comprehensive register of special educational needs pupils and there are appropriate procedures for placing pupils on the register. One indicator of the success of the school’s provision is that pupils move off the register as well as being placed on it and another is the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs who attain national expectations for their age in National Curriculum tests. The school meets the requirements outlined in pupils’ statements of

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. Good support is given to pupils with English as an additional language. Those who are new to the school are effectively assessed and their needs identified. Those pupils in the very early stages of learning English are provided with bilingual support several times a week so that pupils are able to question and get a clear, if brief, understanding of some of the language being used. The bilingual assistants monitor the pupils’ development and report back each week on how well the pupils are Devonshire Infant School - 23 progressing and any difficulties they are experiencing. The class teacher and learning support staff then follow this up effectively.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. The school values the support that parents give and seeks their opinions so that an effective partnership is created that effectively promotes children’s happiness and achievement. The school has maintained and strengthened even further the links with parents that were seen at the last inspection and these are now very effective. These links are firmly established before children enter the school through the visits to children’s homes.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. Parents have very positive views of the school. In particularly they believe that standards of behaviour and the quality of teaching are good, and they say that the staff and the headteacher are very approachable. A small minority of parents feel that the school does not provide an interesting range of activities outside lessons, but inspection evidence does not support this. There are opportunities for pupils to participate in some after school clubs such as French and judo, as well as to attend the breakfast club that is run in the school. In addition, the school enhances the curriculum well through visits out and visitors in. Some parents also feel that they

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

are not kept well enough informed about their children’s progress but again there is no evidence to support this. Parents are encouraged to bring their child into the class each morning and to stay with them for a short period. There are several formal opportunities each year for parents to discuss their child’s work and parents receive an annual written report in the spring term with an update in the summer term. Staff share information about pupils’ progress with parents through the term if requested.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. Overall, the quality of information provided by the school is good. There are regular newsletters that are friendly in tone and informative. Parents also receive curriculum information and each classroom has a parents’ notice board on which information about events and news are given. The prospectus meets all statutory requirements but the Governors’ Annual Report to Parents has some minor omissions. The annual pupils’ progress report that parents receive is satisfactory overall with some good detailed comments included for English, mathematics and science. These reports also include individual targets not only for the core subjects but also for personal development. Parents are also regularly consulted by the school through questionnaires about different issues and note is taken of any comments made.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. Parents make a very positive contribution to their children’s learning at home and at school and as a result parents have a very positive impact on the work of the school. Parents regularly come in to the reception classrooms first thing in the morning and help with the first activity and to settle children new to the school. This has an important impact on parent/school relationships as well as on learning. Parents also listen to their children read at home and are very much encouraged to do so by the school through letters home. Parents of pupils in Year 1 are very supportive for the initiative to provide mathematics games, and change them regularly to play at home with their child. Members from an international group of parents were involved in designing these games and other parents have been active in putting together story sacks, accompanying visits and helping with other activities. There is a parents’ group that is less formally run than a

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

parent teacher association, but nevertheless still manages to raise substantial amounts for the school to enhance the curriculum such as by funding a visiting farm and purchasing a digital camera. The parental support and involvement of the school are particular strengths.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The headteacher has a clear educational direction for the school and provides very good leadership. She is enthusiastic, resourceful and energetic, and has developed very good relationships with teachers, governors, parents, and pupils. The strong leadership provided by the Devonshire Infant School - 24 headteacher ensures that all staff work well together to create a harmonious and happy community.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The headteacher is well supported by the new deputy headteacher, who has the same aim to develop an effective and evaluative school. Their different skills and expertise complement each other well and management systems are developing very well. The aims and values set out in the school prospectus are well promoted by all staff and can be seen clearly in all its work.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The school has made good improvements since the previous inspection. There are now effective schemes of work in all subjects and teachers’ expertise has been improved through a range of in- service training. This has led to teachers’ improved subject knowledge and raised standards in reading, information and communication technology, art and design, design and technology and dance. The quality of teaching is now good and pupils make good progress through the school in English, mathematics and science.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The headteacher has very good systems by which she monitors and evaluates the work of the school. She and the assessment manager successfully analyse the data from National Curriculum tests, baseline assessments and the local education authority documentation to identify areas of weakness in pupils’ learning. The headteacher monitors the comparative achievement of boys and girls, and that of pupils with English as an additional language and the different ethnic groups as part of her review of the effectiveness of the school. These data are shared with staff so that they focus their teaching on areas of concern. Raising standards in writing has been a focus for the school improvement plan, as has the better achievement of girls, since last year’s analysis of test results and the identification of these concerns. Assessment data are used to track pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics. The

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responsibility for this process is shared with the staff so they can judge not only the pupils’ progress in their class, but also how they compare with the parallel classes. Staff set targets for pupils’ future attainment in English and mathematics to help them to focus on how they can improve. Teachers’ professional targets, developed as part of their performance management reviews, are appropriately focusing on enabling pupils to meet these targets.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Most co-ordinators provide good leadership, advice and support for colleagues. They co-ordinate curricular planning and monitor resources well. Only in English, mathematics and science are co-ordinators involved in observing the quality of teaching with the aim of raising standards; consequently, most co-ordinators have only an informal view on the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning. The leadership and management provided by the co-ordinator of English are very good and this has had a direct impact on the raising of standards. There is no overall co-ordinator of the foundation stage, other than the headteacher, as teachers work closely together to plan the curriculum and assessment procedures. This has led to good management of the foundation stage overall, but not to consistent standards of teaching and children’s learning across both classes.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. All co-ordinators review progress in their subjects at the end of the year and produce a report for the governors. These reports feed into the school improvement plan and help identify the most significant areas of development for the coming year. The school improvement plan is an effective management tool that guides school improvement. It is comprehensive in its coverage and has clear measurable targets for measuring success. Progress towards the targets identified is monitored well by the headteacher and evaluated satisfactorily at governors’ meetings.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The school benefits from a very supportive and well-informed governing body. Governors have a wide range of expertise, which is used to support the management of the school and the educational provision. They carry out their statutory requirements appropriately through a suitable range of committees and have developed a good awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. The Chair of the governing body has a good understanding of the needs of the school, developed through his contact with the school over many years. A few minor required elements in the Governors’ Annual report to Parents are missing owing to an oversight at the last printing. Devonshire Infant School - 25 65. The school is effective in ensuring that its curriculum is socially inclusive. The needs of all pupils irrespective of gender, ethnicity and cultural background are taken into account when planning the curriculum. The management of the provision for pupils who have English as an additional

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

language is good and pupils’ needs are well met. The headteacher regularly monitors their attainment and progress and the quality of the support provided by teachers, learning support staff and bilingual support. The provision for these pupils’ support is well managed. A recent audit has indicated where further improvements are required so these pupils are enabled to achieve the best they can. The headteacher has very good links with the local support services and the school received very good levels of advice and provision, especially for newly arrived pupils with no English at all. The management and the provision for special educational needs are also good, ensuring that statutory requirements are met.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The school cares well for its pupils needing particular care and attention. The SENCO reviews all pupils’ individual education plans, and teachers and learning support assistants formally review pupils’ targets and progress towards these every term. The teacher in charge of the Nurture and Assessment Unit assesses pupils’ progress very well using the Department for Education and Employment’s recommended “P levels” for assessing the progress of pupils with special educational needs. Parents are kept well informed and copies of pupils’ individual education plans are provided for parents and are sent home to parents if they cannot attend meetings organised in school.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The school has a good level of well-qualified staff to teach the subjects of the National Curriculum and children under the age of five. The teachers have a satisfactory range of experience, but some subject co-ordinators have yet to fully develop their management roles. Recent staff changes created from a range of situations outside the school’s control have resulted in three new teachers joining the school. Parents have been concerned over the disruption caused in some classes, but recent appointments should ensure greater stability in the near future. Arrangements for the induction of new staff and for supporting the less experienced teachers are good. There are well-qualified, skilful classroom assistants. Teachers deploy and brief them effectively, and the quality of their support for pupils with special educational needs and those having English as an additional language helps to raise standards.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The accommodation in the school is satisfactory and adequate to teach the curriculum. Classrooms are spacious and the reception classes benefit greatly from an additional shared central area. The buildings are well maintained and kept very clean. Recent improvements have taken place in relation to decoration, new windows being put in, and the partitioning of the hall to give a large library area as well as a space for computers. The pupils’ toilets have been refurbished and the playground area has been enlarged. The school also created a small garden area. Plans to further improve the early years teaching area for children in reception classes are still waiting to go ahead. Funds have been made available, but difficulties outside the school’s control have delayed the building until next year. Although there is a large, hard surfaced playground (shared with the junior school) there is no playing field or grassy area for pupils.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

However, the school uses local parks as much as possible.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. Financial planning is good and the governors play an important part in the monitoring and control of the school budget. Additional grants are focused well on the areas of need so pupils make good progress in their learning. With the aid of a new financial manager the governors have good levels of information about the process of the budget that enables them to make clear and effective decisions. The school uses the principles of best value well to monitor its effectiveness and efficiency. Parents’ views about the effectiveness of the school are regularly sought, and spending decisions are evaluated frequently by the governors, if on an only informal basis at present. The day-to-day administration of the school is conducted in a smooth and efficient manner and parents and visitors are sure of a warm welcome when they contact the school.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. Taking all things into consideration, such as: • children enter the school with attainment which is often below that found nationally because a higher than average proportion of pupils have special educational needs and some pupils have English as an additional language; Devonshire Infant School - 26 • teaching is good and pupils of all abilities, gender and ethnic groups make good progress in English, mathematics and science ; • the school uses its financial resources well to support pupils’ learning.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

In addition, the school is judged to be providing good value for money. Devonshire Infant School - 27

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

71. In order to raise standards further the headteacher, governors and staff should:

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards in religious education by creating more opportunities for pupils to record their knowledge and so consolidate what they have learnt in lessons. (see paragraphs 9, 23,136)

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Ensure that pupils of all abilities make at least good progress in their learning by: • teachers identifying what pupils already know and can do, and planning activities in lessons that successfully build on that; • providing higher attaining pupils with challenging activities that extend their knowledge and skills, particularly in the foundation subjects;

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the key issues above, the following less important weaknesses need to be considered for inclusion in the action plan.

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Ensure that all required elements are included in the Governors’ Annual Report to Parents. (see paragraph 57) Devonshire Infant School - 28 Devonshire Infant School - 29

p.27

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 33

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 166

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 21

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 55

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 22

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.29

Attendance

School data 5.9 School data 0.7 Devonshire Infant School - 30 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.29

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Devonshire Infant School - 31

p.30

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 30 31 61

p.31

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.31

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

Boys 22 23 27 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 27 30 29

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 80 (92) 87 (90) 92 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.31

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.31

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

Boys 25 28 29 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 30 29 30

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 90 (93) 93 (97) 97 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.31

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.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 25 0 0

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 4 0 0

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 0 0 0

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 18 0 0

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other ethnic group 3 0 0 Devonshire Infant School - 32 No ethnic group recorded 26 0 0 The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.27 Financial year 2001/2002

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 552,245

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 12 Total expenditure 530,229

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 216 Expenditure per pupil 2,882

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 51,049

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 73,065

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Devonshire Infant School - 33

p.32

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.33

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 49 43 2 1 4

p.33

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 51 47 0 0 2

p.33

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 41 47 6 2 3

p.33

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 45 41 10 3 1

p.33

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 76 21 2 1 0

p.33

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 48 49 0 1 1

p.33

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 47 41 5 2 4

p.33

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 73 20 2 2 3

p.33

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 58 38 1 0 3

p.33

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 35 45 11 0 9 Devonshire Infant School - 34

p.33

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72. Children enter the school with standards below those found nationally. A large proportion has broadly average attainment, but as there are fewer pupils with higher levels of attainment and a greater proportion of pupils with special educational needs than are found nationally it is judged to be below average overall. Children exhibit standards that are above average, however, in their personal and social development, and they often speak with clarity and confidence. They have below average standards in their listening skills, their early reading and writing skills, and aspects of their mathematical skills. As a year group, children make satisfactory progress during their time in reception. Progress is often good in the development of their early reading and mathematical skills. The progress pupils make is no better than satisfactory overall because of the variations in the quality of teaching. Children make better progress in their learning in one

p.34

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage (reception classes) is satisfactory overall. In one class the teaching is consistently good, children are well motivated and eager to learn. Activities are provided that build well on what children already know and they develop new skills and understanding successfully. In the other class teaching is satisfactory overall and children make steady rather than good progress. The teacher’s expectations, children’s good attention and the management of time are not as effective and so children make less overall progress than in the other class. Teachers plan together well and share their expertise so in both classes there is a strong and effective focus on developing children’s personal and social development, language and numeracy skills. Teachers and learning support staff work well together to support children’s learning and their confidence in their own efforts.

p.34

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

74. The curricular provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good overall, so they make an effective start to their education. This is similar to that judged at the previous inspection. By the time children move into Year 1 most will have attained the standards expected in the early learning goals in all aspects of their learning except in the development of early writing skills. In their personal and social development many children will exceed the early learning goals.

p.34

Personal, social and emotional development

75. Children enter the reception classes with above average personal and social skills. They settle quickly into class and school routines and respond well to all adults they meet. Several of the children who are learning English as an additional language are shy and slow to respond, but under the sensitive and careful support provided by teachers and the classroom learning support assistants, their self-esteem improves and they begin to interact more confidently with other children and adults. Children are encouraged to be responsible with their own belongings, to tidy away after them and to consider each other in their work and play. Children show interest in each other’s efforts and often help each other in their tasks. One girl was seen to help another fasten a button as they dressed after a physical education lesson. Children share resources and equipment well. One boy, for example, passed an essential piece of construction equipment to

p.34

Personal, social and emotional development

another child so he could complete his model. Effective strategies have been developed in the “plan, do and review” sessions for children to develop their independence and organisational skills. In each session the children independently choose two activities from the range on offer and over time they have to adjust what they plan to do so that all activities are tried at least once. These sessions also successfully ensure that children participate in a wide range of tasks and try out new activities as well as the ones they are immediately drawn to. Children’s social skills are well developed during these sessions as the children from the Assessment and Nurture Unit frequently join the children in the reception classes in their tasks. All work together successfully. There are no obvious differences and children get on well. Devonshire Infant School - 35

p.34

Communication, language and literacy

76. The quality of teaching in this aspect of children’s learning is often good and by the end of reception most children have attained the expected standards in reading and speaking and listening skills. Many do not attain the expected standards in their early writing skills. Teachers plan well-structured activities that build on children’s early reading and writing skills and their ability to listen carefully so that their learning is effectively promoted. Children enter school with below average awareness of the letters of the alphabet, how they are written and the sounds they make. The “Jolly Phonics” programme provides fun activities that effectively support the learning of children of all abilities and those having English as an additional language because actions are linked to the sounds and the image of the written letter. Sounds, actions and visual clues help children to learn and to remember the letters and this is already having a good impact on helping

p.35

Communication, language and literacy

the children to recognise simple words and attempt to write them. Most children are still only making marks to express their ideas. Some do not recognise the part played by writing and are not yet formulating their ideas for the teachers to write for them. Higher attaining children are, however, already beginning to read isolated words and sound out some of the letters in the words they want to write. All children show interest in books and enjoy stories. They retell the story of the “Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” with great enjoyment showing good recall of the animals that followed the fly. Excellent resources in the form of dolls of the old lady and animals help the children to retell the story and they delight in putting their hands right down the old ladies throat to retrieve the animals. Regular opportunities are provided for children to concentrate on listening well. Many start school with good speaking skills. They confidently and clearly express their

p.35

Communication, language and literacy

ideas using relevant information and vocabulary. Their listening skills are not as well developed and so activities which require the children to listen for information they need to draw a picture or to colour the right sections are having a positive effect. In one class, the teacher does not make the children stop and listen carefully when she is giving instructions and explanations or when other children are speaking, and this reduces the progress of this group.

p.35

Communication, language and literacy

77. Good support is given to those children who are in the early stages of learning English. Their capabilities in their home language are quickly assessed and their needs identified. Weekly support is provided by bilingual assistants who use the activities provided by the teacher. They sit with the child or children in whole-class sessions and quietly support them by providing words and explanations in their home language. This helps children to develop their English vocabulary and ensures their better understanding.

p.35

Mathematical development

78. The quality of teaching is this aspect is often good and this enables children to make effective progress in their learning about numbers, so that many attain the standards expected by the end of reception. Children come to school with average capabilities in reciting numbers and in recognising common colours and simple shapes. Regular activities to promote this knowledge are planned well and children can recite numbers to ten and count five objects accurately. Higher attaining children are already counting to ten. They recognise and write with growing accuracy the written form of the number and order the numbers correctly, finding missing numbers. Children’s awareness of shape and space are not as well developed and the correct use of words to describe comparative size, such as biggest, bigger, smallest and smaller , is developing slowly in the lower ability children and those with English as an additional language. Activities to

p.35

Mathematical development

promote children’s mathematical knowledge and understanding are planned by the teachers in both classes together. The tasks build effectively on children’s interests and so stimulate their learning. Making their own hungry caterpillar and counting the sections of his body is an example of how effective links are made between children’s storybooks and mathematics. Teachers’ effective questioning and discussions that promote children’s greater understanding are better in one class than the other and so progress is also greater and their knowledge more secure.

p.35

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Devonshire Infant School - 36 79. Children have many varied opportunities for structured play and more direct teaching in knowledge and understanding of the world. Teaching is satisfactory overall and most children attain the early learning goals by the end of reception. The current topic that leads most of children’s learning is about nursery rhymes. During the inspection, children in both classes enjoyed making their own jam tarts, just like the Queen of Hearts. One teacher was seen to expertly lead the discussion so children considered how to stop the pastry sticking and how to follow instructions in the recipe. Children also find out about the world around them through role-play. A pretend castle was a popular choice for their play as they acted out nursery rhymes. The discovery table is an enjoyable focus for children to study a variety of objects. Recently the focus was on science investigations while during the inspection a stimulating range of resources that illustrated nursery

p.36

Knowledge and understanding of the world

rhymes was available for children to study. The artefacts introduced children to objects people used in the past and stimulated conversation about how they were used and consideration was given to what we use now. Children also begin to think about past and present events in their own lives. Children in the reception classes are able to control tape recorders so that they can listen to stories and songs. The nursery rhymes on the tapes were in various languages, exposing the children to languages that they do not know and realisation that children all round the world enjoy stories and rhymes. Staff introduce children to simple programs on the computer. Most children come to school with good computer skills for their age and are able to work independently as they use the mouse accurately to control activities on the screen. There is good variety of construction toys and materials for children to use and they learn to build a wide range of objects.

p.36

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Scrutiny of teachers’ planning shows that children in both reception classes learn about festivals from major world religions and are encouraged to reflect on their experiences.

p.36

Physical development

80. By the end of reception, most children will have attained the standards expected in the early learning goals in physical development. Teaching is satisfactory overall. Children in both classes have opportunities to use the hall for physical education lessons, which focus on games, gymnastics and dance. They also have appropriate opportunities to run, jump and play with a variety of apparatus and wheeled toys in the outside area. In the hall lessons, children learn about the use of space and the need to warm up their bodies before exercise. They show good levels of control and balance as they move across the gymnastics equipment and are aware of how to participate safely. The lessons for both reception classes follow each other and so the teachers share the task of putting out the apparatus at the beginning of one lesson and then removing it at the end of the other. This saves a lot of time, but it restricts the area available for

p.36

Physical development

the children to warm up and cool down. In a lesson seen that focused on different ways of travelling, this was unsatisfactory. Consideration was not given to the difficulties that were made by having most of the hall area occupied by the equipment. In both classes, children make good gains in learning to manipulate tools when painting and modelling, and to hold pencils and crayons correctly. Many children had below average co-ordination and control when they started school and good opportunities are provided to develop these manipulative skills in writing and creative activities. Many opportunities are provided for children to practise their cutting and sticking skills so children of all abilities and those with English as an additional language make good progress.

p.36

Creative development

81. Regular activities are provided in both year groups to promote children’s imaginative play so that by the end of reception most children are attaining the expected standards of the early learning goals. In both classes children are beginning to create simple stories that they construct as they play, using the cars, houses and toy animals. Many of these stories are linked to those they have heard and to the nursery rhymes they are learning. The higher attaining children share these stories and expand on them as they play. Children are given a good range of materials to select from and glue onto paper to create their own designs and pictures as part of the “plan, do and review” sessions. The enjoy painting their own bright and colourful pictures, and show increasing awareness of facial features as they create ‘plate faces,’ using various materials to indicate hair, eyes and mouth. Music features well in both classes as regular singing and music sessions are

p.36

Creative development

Devonshire Infant School - 37 provided. Some sessions are rather short in length and consequently not all the objectives are accomplished. Children learn and sing with some enjoyment a range of nursery

p.37

Creative development

rhymes and action songs and are beginning to be aware that songs are made up of phrases of different duration. Songs and nursery rhymes are used successfully to support other areas of the curriculum, such as numeracy.

p.37

ENGLISH

82. In the latest National Curriculum tests in 2002, the school’s results were in line with the national averages in reading and writing. These results are particularly impressive given pupils’ below average levels of attainment in communication, language and literacy skills on entry to the school. There is a high percentage of pupils with special educational needs and pupils for whom English is an additional language in each year’s cohort. There has been consistent improvement in standards in the period since the previous inspection, in line with national improvements. From the time of their entry to the school to when they leave, most pupils have made good progress and a significant minority have made very good progress. The school is particularly successful in “lifting” the standards of lower attaining pupils, especially those with English as an additional language and those on the special educational needs register, up to national averages by the time

p.37

ENGLISH

they leave the school. However, less emphasis in the past has been placed on extending the knowledge and skills of the higher attaining pupils. This is being effectively addressed and there is now a co-ordinator with responsibility for identifying the more able and gifted and talented pupils.

p.37

ENGLISH

83. The school has implemented the National Literary Strategy very well. Teachers have undergone appropriate “literacy” training and have a secure knowledge of the strategy. The school has successfully adapted the recommended format of literacy lessons to improve provision in areas such as writing and reading. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make good progress in English because of well-focused support and well- targeted group activities in literacy lessons. Those in the early stages of learning English also receive regular support from bilingual assistants who sit with them in whole-class and group sessions to explain vocabulary and to ensure that pupils are developing a good understanding for the text and language used.

p.37

ENGLISH

84. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills. Activities are provided that systematically encourage pupils to discuss and put forward their ideas. Most pupils listen very well to others and this ability, to listen carefully to their teachers and peers observed in many lessons during the inspection, has a significant and positive effect on pupils’ progress. Owing to the very good relationships between teachers and pupils, the majority of pupils speak confidently, and often volunteer to go to the front of the class to read their work.

p.37

ENGLISH

85. Pupils are making good progress in developing the skills to support their reading and comprehension of new texts. Standards are in line with those expected overall. A small proportion of pupils in Year 2 demonstrate reading skills at a level above those expected for pupils of their age. However, a similar proportion is working at below these expectations. Pupils read a wide variety of texts appropriate for their age and ability and show a developing and considerable enthusiasm for books. “Big Books” and “group readers” used for shared and class reading in literacy lessons include a good range of fiction with stories from a range of cultures, traditional stories and poetry and factual books. As they progress through the school pupils acquire a love of books and develop a range of strategies and skills to enable them to tackle new words and understand text. The school has spent a good proportion of its budget on replacing and

p.37

ENGLISH

replenishing the book stock in the library and in classrooms and there is a very good range of attractive, modern texts for pupils to read and enjoy. The whole-school reading scheme is made up of a range of published reading schemes and individual titles all “levelled” by “reading age”. Pupils are “heard read” regularly by their class teacher or by classroom support assistants, and take their reading books home regularly. Devonshire Infant School - 38 86. By the end of Year 2, the majority of pupils have made good progress in writing from a generally low level of attainment on entry to reception. Attainment at the end of Year 2 is broadly in line with national expectations, although the number of pupils attaining above national expectations for their age is below that found nationally. Pupils make a good start in writing in the reception classes, learning the letter shapes and sounds, and learning to form their letters correctly.

p.37

ENGLISH

Initially their efforts are guided by their teacher’s handwriting and they quickly begin to make their own independent captions and lists. The writing of the majority of pupils in Year 2 shows a satisfactory understanding of the use of capital letters and full stops and of sentence structure. Most pupils use a widening range of vocabulary and are beginning to spell most simple words correctly. Very good use is made of pupils’ literacy skills in other subjects and pupils have the opportunity to write for a wide range of purposes. Pupils throughout the school regularly practise forming their letters and standards of handwriting and presentation are good overall. Pupils learn spellings taken from the “most frequently used” word list in the literacy strategy and from vocabulary being introduced in current literacy lessons. Most pupils make good progress in spelling, and standards of spelling, although variable, are equivalent to expectations for pupils

p.38

ENGLISH

aged seven. Good use of information and communication technology is made in English lessons to present pupils’ work and to support reading.

p.38

ENGLISH

87. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers successfully promote pupils’ good attitudes to their work and their very good behaviour has a very positive effect on the progress pupils make in English. Teachers have a good rapport with their pupils. They use questioning well and skilfully to guide and assess pupils’ learning. Lessons move along at a good pace, successfully maintaining pupils’ interest; consequently, they respond well and do their best to contribute constructively and answer questions appropriately. The teachers’ good and frequently very good subject knowledge, good planning and very good understanding of the National Literacy Strategy enable them to teach the subject very effectively, so most pupils are enthusiastic and eager to learn. They work well at their allotted tasks without the need for intervention by the teacher using appropriate resources that are readily available for pupils to use. Teachers effectively consolidate

p.38

ENGLISH

and direct pupils’ learning, and encourage pupils’ speaking and listening skills. Where teaching was very good, such as in a Year 2 lesson where pupils were making up a set of rules for “Bonfire Night”, the teacher’s very enthusiastic approach motivated the pupils very well: constant references were made to individual pupil’s targets for writing and there was very good provision for both lower- and higher-attaining pupils. Marking of pupils’ work has been a focus for improvement and is now very good. It is clearly linked to pupils’ targets and the objectives of the lesson. The use of targets for literacy in pupils’ exercise books offers pupils positive encouragement to improve their work and raises their awareness of their own learning.

p.38

ENGLISH

88. The two subject co-ordinators provide very good leadership for the subject and their effective management has resulted in very good progress being made in improving attainment in English. A variety of effective strategies, national and local initiatives and a range of in-service training for teaching and support staff have all supported development in the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning. There are very good systems in place for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress and these are used very well to revise the curriculum and to evaluate teaching methods. A recent emphasis has been given, for example, to apportioning more curriculum time to writing in order to raise standards. The co-ordinators have a very good overview of the subject and a determination to continue to improve attainment in the subject.

p.38

MATHEMATICS

89. Standards in mathematics have been maintained since the previous inspection and over the past two years have been similar to those found nationally. Average standards were also observed during the inspection. These standards represent pupils’ good progress in their learning through the school, as on entry to reception many children’s early mathematical skills are below what is found nationally. In the most recent National Curriculum tests, pupils attained standards that were above average in comparison with schools in similar socio-economic areas. Devonshire Infant School - 39 90. Pupils of all levels of ability make good progress in acquiring the knowledge and skills expected in Years 1 and 2. By the age of seven, most pupils have a good understanding of place value to 100 and many recognise much higher numbers. Higher attaining pupils count and order numbers of between 1000-9000 with little difficultly. Lower attaining pupils, however, are still struggling with a

p.38

MATHEMATICS

secure understanding of numbers to 30. Most pupils in Year 2 have a sound concept of what are odd and even numbers and recognise them in large number sequences. They accurately add and subtract numbers up to 20 and are beginning to recognise multiples of two, five and ten. They recognise numbers that, linked together, make ten and they add and subtract simple numbers correctly in their heads. They use a variety of methods to help them and explain what they have done with confidence. This process of calculating in their heads and explaining what they have done is effectively started in Year 1 and so pupils’ confidence in manipulating numbers and recognising patterns is good by Year 2. Pupils in Year 1, for example, use gestures to help them to calculate adding and subtracting. They act out putting the number in their heads and then use fingers to add on or take away. Pupils in Year 2 are developing satisfactory strategies for

p.39

MATHEMATICS

exploring and investigating number patterns like magic squares. They use their good understanding of how numbers are linked in addition and subtraction to help them solve number problems, such as what is needed to add to ten to make eighteen? Most pupils in both Years 1 and 2 recognise and name regular two-dimensional shapes and understand the use of tallying systems when collecting data as part of a traffic survey, for example.

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MATHEMATICS

91. The quality of teaching is good overall. Teachers’ knowledge of the National Numeracy Strategy is effective and they use a good range of activities to promote pupils’ greater understanding of mathematical calculations and their confidence in using a variety of strategies to find the answers. Good emphasis is given to promoting pupils’ ability to calculate answers in their head by using different strategies and their understanding of number bonds. In the most effective sessions, teachers stimulate pupils’ quick thinking. They ensure that pupils of all abilities are provided with questions that are within their ability to answer and yet challenge their thinking. This was very well illustrated in a Year 2 lesson where pupils explored odd and even numbers within certain limits, such as above thirty but below fifty. There were opportunities for pupils to choose numbers as large as they dared, as long as they could then read them correctly. Several higher attaining

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MATHEMATICS

pupils, thus encouraged, created even or odd numbers up to 9,000. Teachers’ subject knowledge is usually secure and this enables them to provide good explanations and the expertise to support pupils who are unsure or confused. There are very good resources available and when used well they support pupils’ ability to calculate answers for themselves. Sometimes teachers do not recognise the need to use counting or sorting apparatus and this slows pupils’ ability to develop secure understanding. In Year 1, for example, all pupils would have benefited from the opportunity to use objects to further explore the differences between odd and even numbers over ten in order for them to consolidate their understanding of the pattern to be found in the numbers.

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MATHEMATICS

92. Activities are usually well planned and effectively structured to meet the needs of all pupils in most lessons. However, teachers do not sufficiently use their day-to-day assessment of pupils’ learning to guide the planning of group activities. For example, the whole-class discussion on how to develop strategies for solving a ‘magic square’ for pupils in Year 2, although very well conducted, was not appropriate for the least able group of pupils. Their learning would have been greater if other more individually planned activities had been provided at their level. Similarly, a lower attaining group of pupils in Year 1 was given the task to follow a pattern of odd or even numbers. It proved far too difficult for them because the patterns took them over their limit of accurate counting and so they constantly failed to succeed.

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MATHEMATICS

93. Pupils with English as an additional language are well supported especially by the learning support staff. Bilingual assistants sometimes work with those pupils who are in the early stages of learning English during mathematics lessons and this effectively supports their understanding of mathematical terms and the teachers’ explanations. At other times, the quality of support is satisfactory. Vocabulary to be introduced during the lessons is clearly identified, but rarely is it presented in written form so that pupils with English as an additional language have the visual clues as well as the spoken word to help them understand. Devonshire Infant School - 40 94. The curriculum for mathematics is based appropriately on the National Numeracy Strategy and provides a broad and balanced range of learning opportunities. Analysis of National Curriculum tests has identified the need for pupils to develop more strategies for problem solving and this is

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MATHEMATICS

now a much stronger focus in lessons. Satisfactory opportunities are made to use information and communication technology to support pupils’ mathematical development. A useful program to help pupils develop an understanding of odd and even numbers was used in Year 1 as the “Fandango Frogs” joined partners for a dance. Pupils’ numeracy skills are used and further developed satisfactorily in other subjects, such as science and geography.

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MATHEMATICS

95. The assessment procedures for monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress were judged to be good at the previous inspection. They have continued to improve and the procedures for monitoring pupils’ standards are now very good. The data is consistently and effectively collected by the teachers and used well by the senior management team to analyse areas of weakness and to identify strategies for improvement. The data from National Curriculum tests are also used effectively to monitor pupils’ progress and identify where there are concerns. The aspect of assessment that requires more rigour is in the day-to-day monitoring so that activities closely match the needs of all pupils. The co-ordinator has provided strong leadership in mathematics. He provides training and guidance for staff. He has used effective monitoring strategies to support staff in aspects of their teaching, such as the better use of the introductory sessions on ‘mental

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MATHEMATICS

maths’. The teachers’ commitment to further developing their teaching is strong and this is having a good impact on improving the quality of education provided in mathematics.

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SCIENCE

96. Pupils achieve well and attain standards in Year 2 that are above the national average. This equally applies to pupils with special needs and those for whom English is an additional language. Overall, there has been good improvement since the last inspection. Standards of attainment have risen through a number of important factors. The quality of teaching and consequent learning has improved. In particular, lesson planning now has clearer objectives. The curriculum is broader and more relevant to the needs of the pupils, including interesting opportunities to learn from experimentation. The school now monitors pupils’ progress more closely. Teachers make better use of what they learn from careful assessments when planning lessons. The subject leader provides clear direction and strong support through feedback from observations. She has arranged appropriate in-service training and has improved the quality of

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SCIENCE

resources. Pupils thoroughly enjoy science.

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SCIENCE

97. By the beginning of Year 2, pupils have developed above the expected levels of scientific knowledge and understanding. This is particularly evident with respect to the processes of life. They know what plants need to live, and compare living things with those that are dead or have never lived. Pupils identify several similarities and differences between creatures such as spiders and birds, and know some of the features of their habitats. The more able pupils are beginning to understand the need to consider which foods are healthy. Most pupils compare different materials in a simple way, but the more able go on to recognise that only some return to their original shape after being stretched. None understand what happens when melted substances like chocolate cool down. Pupils’ knowledge is average in relation to physical processes. They name sources of light, sound and electricity, for example. Opportunities for pupils to investigate

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SCIENCE

and carry out simple experiments are good and pupils use their knowledge well when predicting what will happen and they have an above average understanding of the need for a fair test when, for example, investigating plant growth in soil and other substances.

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SCIENCE

98. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge and expertise to provide interesting lessons, which stimulates pupils’ attention and desire to learn. They use a wide variety of appropriate ways to establish understanding. For example, when pupils in a Year 1 class had to grasp that forces are basically pushes or pulls, the teacher used a story as a way to stimulate pupils’ curiosity. He posed questions in a lively manner, which prompted enthusiastic answers and prepared pupils well for testing the effects of different surfaces. Teachers plan lessons carefully and prepare resources for both experimenting and recording so Devonshire Infant School - 41 that no time is wasted. At the end of lessons, teachers include as many of them as possible in contributing to the discussions about what they have learned. Teachers expect pupils in Year 2 to plan and draw conclusions from their experimental findings. They provide good support for

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SCIENCE

them to develop the ability to predict and later to use a wide range of ways to record. These include writing, charts and good use of mathematics. For example, pupils use the computer to make block graphs of distances travelled by toy vehicles depending on the angle of slope. Teachers manage lessons well, mainly by providing interesting work. They mark helpfully and have high expectations of presentation to which pupils respond. Teachers are careful to make comments about their assessments of pupils’ understanding, which they use for planning. Teachers have not yet found enough ways to develop pupils’ speaking in discussions. Pupils

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SCIENCE

tend to answer with single words or phrases, rather than constructing sentences. However, the more able are not afraid to make perceptive comments such as ‘Animals don’t usually talk’ when being told a story as an introduction.

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SCIENCE

99. Teachers actively ensure that pupils of all abilities and ethnic groups are well supported and encouraged. Provision for pupils with special needs is well focused so that they make good progress. Those who are in the early stages of developing English as an additional language sometimes have to learn by working alongside other pupils. Vocabulary to be introduced during the lessons is clearly identified, but rarely is it presented in written form and discussed so that pupils with English as an additional language have the visual clues as well as the spoken word to help them understand. Teaching of science in the nurture unit is very good. Here teachers recognise the pupils’ difficulty in sustaining concentration by providing a wide variety of interesting activities and praising whenever possible.

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SCIENCE

100. A number of other factors supports high standards. The curriculum effectively balances factual work with investigative activities and also makes good use of literacy and numeracy. For example, so that pupils learned about differences between people, they carried out a survey of heights and sizes of feet. By constructing both charts and graphs, they began to grasp the idea that there might or might not be a link. Plans for science also include a number of interesting visits, for example to Marwell Zoo to learn about conservation. The subject leader closely monitors classroom teaching and pupils’ work. She provides the support teachers need to develop their own knowledge, understanding and expertise. The priorities in the school development plans for science are always very relevant to pupils’ learning, such as overall targets for improvement in standards.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. Standards of attainment in Year 2 are in line with those expected nationally. However, they are rising under guidance from the subject leader. Only two examples of teaching were observed. These were both parts of topic lessons also involving history. Nevertheless, the school maintains an extensive portfolio of work from all classes. It provided evidence of a broad range of experiences, which meets the needs of all pupils.

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ART AND DESIGN

102. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. A good scheme of work now supports teachers’ planning. This is associated with improved procedures for assessment. Teachers’ own knowledge and understanding has developed further and they make better use of famous artists’ work. The curriculum is now balanced and provides more opportunities for creativity in three-dimensional work.

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ART AND DESIGN

103. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ three-dimensional work is in line with national expectations, and sometimes exceeds them. They successfully make and decorate heads as well as models of animals. The standard of some of their two-dimensional work is also above expectations, such as their oil pastel still-life pictures of pineapples and their pictures of Caribbean scenes. However, standards vary in accordance to how carefully pupils observe and think. Some of them, for example, show that they have considered the lines, shapes and colours in a photograph very well before placing it in the middle of a piece of paper and extending it with their own coloured drawing. Devonshire Infant School - 42 Other pupils’ extensions of pictures show less concentration. Pupils successfully use skills such as weaving and embroidery to make their own designs. It is in making and using careful observations of natural and man-made objects that pupils are below average. They tend not to

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ART AND DESIGN

remember what they have seen, and fall back on stereotypes of trees and houses.

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ART AND DESIGN

104. From pupils’ work and the two lessons observed, the quality of teaching is judged to be satisfactory. Teachers organise their lessons well and make resources easily accessible to pupils. Consequently, pupils settle down quickly to work and develop independence in exploring different mark-making-media and clay, for example. There are times when there is not enough help for pupils to learn the potential of a medium such as oil pastel. Devonshire Infant School - 43 105. Pupils experience a broad curriculum that helps them to explore colour, texture, pattern, line and shape using a good range of media. It effectively enhances their awareness of the art of other cultures and ensures that pupils of all capabilities and ethnicity are given opportunities to successfully explore their creative expression. Pupils make good use of the computer to make designs. These include some advanced work based on artists such as Picasso and Mondrian.

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ART AND DESIGN

Long-term plans include the progressive teaching of skills. This increases pupils’ independence in creating their pictures, designs and three-dimensional work. The subject leader monitors pupils’ work very well. Within the limitations of her part-time teaching, she provides clear guidance to staff. She ensures that teachers’ attention is brought to relevant in-service training in preparation for creating a more challenging curriculum.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. No lessons in design and technology were observed during the inspection because of timetable restrictions. However, a range of evidence was obtained from a survey of work on display throughout the school, an annotated portfolio of pupils’ work undertaken in the previous year and discussions with teachers and pupils. Taken together, they indicate that pupils are provided with an appropriate range of activities in which they design, make and evaluate products. Pupils’ overall attainment by the end of Year 2 is in line with national expectations and they make satisfactory progress in the subject as they move through the school. On the basis of these standards, along with the quality and content of teachers’ planning and discussions with staff, teaching in the subject appears now to be at least satisfactory and this constitutes a considerable improvement since the last inspection report.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. The curriculum for design and technology is now appropriately broad and effectively balanced. Pupils are introduced to a suitable range of skills and knowledge and have experience of working with a suitable range of materials. During the previous school year, Year 1 pupils have explored types of fruit, making appropriate use of simple tools to cut the fruit and talking about the finished fruit salad, answering such questions as “How does it look?” and “How does it taste?” They undertook a project on houses and homes, recognising the main types of housing, making models of houses, joining two-dimensional and three-dimensional materials together effectively, learning how to make their structures more stable and discussing the finished models. In Year 2, pupils designed a puppet. They annotated their drawings with clear labels and used a template to mark out the pattern on chosen materials. They developed a suitable range of joining techniques

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

using simple sewing techniques to make a stick, glove or finger puppet. They made moving vehicles with axles and learned about simple winding mechanisms through model making.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. The co-ordinator for the subject is well-qualified for the role and has introduced the government- recommended scheme of work for the subject, which ensures that pupils develop the key skills progressively through the school. Since the previous inspection, all staff have undertaken in- service training in the subject and as a result, teachers’ confidence and teaching skills have improved. Effective assessment procedures have been introduced that identify pupils’ progress towards the key skills. Leadership and management of the subjects have been effective in ensuring improvement.

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GEOGRAPHY

109. No lessons in geography were taught during the inspection because teachers are focusing on aspects of history this half term. Judgements on pupils’ attainment and progress and on the quality of teaching are made from the scrutiny of pupils’ past work, on teachers’ planning and on discussion with pupils about what they know and can do.

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GEOGRAPHY

110. Pupils’ standards in geography have been successfully maintained since the previous inspection and are in line with those expected nationally. In Year 1 pupils’ awareness of the wider world is promoted appropriately through the use of people’s holiday post cards and photos of their Devonshire Infant School - 44 journeys. The use of toy animals, such as Barnaby Bear and Spike the hedgehog on these journeys, adds to pupils’ interest. The countries visited are located on world maps, successfully introducing the pupils to how the world looks. The knowledge of other countries is effectively developed in Year 2 by the study of St Lucia. In discussion with pupils in Year 2 it is clear that the pupils really enjoyed their topic and have gained a good range of knowledge about the island and how the people live. The pupils recalled with energy the range of fruit and other produce grown on the islands, although some of the fruits were just names. They did not know what they

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GEOGRAPHY

were like to eat. Pupils make effective comparisons between St Lucia and Portsmouth, knowing that St Lucia is an island. They explain differences in the school buildings and how classes are taught. They describe differences in the climate and the quality of the roads. They are not as sure about what might be the same in the two contrasting localities.

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GEOGRAPHY

111. From the scrutiny of pupils’ past work it can be seen that pupils in Year 1 are developing a satisfactory understanding of the purpose of maps and they have made good attempts at mapping their own journey to school. These skills are satisfactorily developed in Year 2, when pupils find on a map the places they know and have visited in Southsea. The higher attaining pupils start to read the map key and use their own ideas when they draw maps of their own.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Where it is good pupils’ interest is stimulated so they want to know more. Very little has been recorded in the current Year 1 pupils’ books so far, but from past work and teachers’ planning, this increases through the year. Good links are made with other subjects, such as art and music, to promote pupils’ interest and greater learning. Teachers make satisfactory use of pupils’ literacy skills in geography and take the opportunity to promote pupils’ writing skills when recording what they know. Similarly, pupils’ knowledge of how to collect data about, for example, a traffic survey, to record it on a tally chart and then to create simple block graphs is appropriately promoted in geography. Information and communication technology is not used very much as present but it is planned to have a greater focus in the study of the countries visited by Barnaby Bear. From the pupils’ work it can be seen that pupils of all

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GEOGRAPHY

abilities and ethnic groups are encouraged to record what they know. The lower attaining pupils and those with English as an additional language are well supported in their work, but there is little evidence of how the higher attaining pupils are encouraged to find out more, or how their ideas are challenged and further extended.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. The curriculum for geography is appropriately broad and well balanced and based on a nationally recommended scheme of work. Pupils’ activities are satisfactorily structured to be relevant to their interests and experiences, and successfully promote pupils’ awareness of other cultures. For example, pupils in Year 2 listened to Caribbean music and tried to play the instruments in a steel band. Pupils’ attainment is suitably monitored and recorded, but the information is not yet used to identify pupils’ skills development so that the higher attaining pupils are challenged to make the best progress. Field trips to the area around the school promote pupils’ greater awareness of the things in their own locality, such as the types of housing and to consider what they like/don’t like about the area.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. The co-ordinator for geography is enthusiastic and has provided effective leadership for the subject. She has started to collect a portfolio of pupils’ work but it is not used as yet to identify standards through the school. Management of the subject and the focus on raising standards is satisfactory as her monitoring of teaching and pupils’ learning is mostly informal at present.

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HISTORY

115. Standards in history have been effectively maintained since the previous inspection and are in line with those expected nationally. The curriculum has been further enhanced and good links are made with other subjects such as art and science, which promotes pupils’ interest and greater understanding.

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HISTORY

116. By the end of Year 2 pupils have a satisfactory grasp of an appropriate range of historical skills, which are developed through a range of topics. Pupils are beginning to understand how peoples’ Devonshire Infant School - 45 lives have changed over time. This understanding is promoted in reception and Year 1 where pupils reflect on their own history and how they have changed since they were babies. In their topic on toys, pupils in Year 1 recognise that the toys they play with now are very different from the ones they enjoyed as a baby. They look closely at toys used in the past, recognising that the mechanisms and materials have changed as new technology has been invented. Pupils use this knowledge satisfactorily to identify things that are old. In Year 2, pupils’ understanding of the passage of time is enhanced through their study of the lives of famous people, such as Florence Nightingale and Guy Fawkes. They gather evidence from a good range of resources such as

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HISTORY

photographs and original artefacts and this helps them learn about the past. They are beginning to recognise that history is portrayed in different ways, for example, through their study of personal accounts.

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HISTORY

117. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, and has several strengths. Teachers are skilled at promoting pupils’ interest in history. They focus on areas of study that are very relevant to the pupils’ interests and own lives. They stimulate their effective questions through the use of a good range of original artefacts that they can handle and study. Teachers’ own questions lead the pupils to successfully identify historical information and develop ideas about how people’s lives have changed over time. The opportunity to study the artefacts as part of their development of observational drawing techniques promotes their closer scrutiny and awareness of design. Teachers make good links with literacy and pupils use and further develop their reading and writing skills through learning about history. The teachers in Year 2 have created a very good resource in their own account of the Gunpowder Plot. The illustrations are amusing. It is written

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HISTORY

in an informative way and uses many of the literary conventions that they study in English lessons.

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HISTORY

118. Pupils of all abilities are encouraged to find out for themselves and they show good levels of attention and interest. Those who have special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are well supported and enabled to find success. Vocabulary to be introduced during the lessons is clearly identified, but rarely is it presented in written form so that pupils with English as an additional language have the visual clues as well as the spoken word to help them understand. Higher attaining pupils are similarly encouraged, but their knowledge and skills are not always sufficiently challenged and extended. The use of information and communication technology is being introduced, with opportunities for pupils to do their own historical research, but this has not been sufficiently developed as yet. All the pupils in Year 1, however, have used the digital camera to take a photograph of a toy and with support all have written a caption for

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HISTORY

119. The opportunities for learning are often good and the curriculum provided is relevant, broad and well balanced. The introduction of a manageable assessment and recording systems supports teachers in their monitoring of pupils’ progress. The information is not yet being used to ensure that more able pupils build effectively on their past learning.

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HISTORY

120. Leadership of the subject is good. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and in her role of support teacher works alongside colleagues to promote pupils’ historical learning. It also gives her opportunities to monitor informally the quality of pupils’ learning. Management of the subject and the focus on raising standards is satisfactory. The portfolio of pupils’ past work provides a satisfactory overview of the work being completed but standards of the examples are not yet identified to give teachers a secure understanding of the higher than expected levels.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

121. No information and communication technology lessons were observed during the inspection. However, a number of small group activities within classrooms and in the small “computer suite” in the hall were observed and these observations, together with a survey of work undertaken during the previous school year and discussions with pupils, indicate that, by the end of Year 2 pupils’ achievement in information and communication technology is at least equivalent to expectations for their age and pupils make at least satisfactory progress as they move through Devonshire Infant School - 46 the school. Although some aspects of the finished samples of work in the school portfolio of work are clearly above expectations for the age of the pupils, no first-hand evidence was available on the amount of adult intervention and support given and on pupils’ levels of attainment when working independently, hence the judgement that pupils’ overall attainment is “at least

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

satisfactory” for their age. Devonshire Infant School - 47 122. There is good cross-curricular use of information and communication technology in other subjects such as literacy, numeracy, geography and history. Teachers’ confidence, resources and the curriculum have all been improved significantly since the previous OFSTED inspection, when provision for information and communication technology was a key issue for the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123. Last year, in a geography lesson, pupils in Year 1 used a video camera to communicate – using the built-in microphone to record their comments related to signs and public notices. With adult guidance they used a scanner to scan a personal photograph into the computer and added clip art artefacts to alter their appearance. They used a “paint” program to draw a lighthouse and entered data about their favourite toy onto a database. Pupils in Year 2, with assistance, combined digital photographs and text about “Our Trip to Emworth”. They used line, shape and fill tools to produce design in the style of Piet Mondrian and changed font style, size and colour.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. In small group sessions with a specialist learning support assistant, the teaching is good. Pupils are provided with good levels of attention and support and this enables them to learn effectively during these sessions. Where computers are used during class lessons there is less direct intervention and pupils’ learning is satisfactory. No whole-class information and communication technology lessons took place during the inspection. When information and communication technology is used in other areas of the curriculum, pupils are keen to participate and they work together appropriately, taking turns and working independently where required. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour during the small group activities are good and this promotes their progress.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. All classes have two computers and the use of a “mini” computer suite of five multi-media computers in the school library, with an Internet connection. Government funding has been used appropriately to purchase a number of new computers and equipment and resources for the subject are now good. All teachers have undergone related in-service training. The school provides opportunities for pupils to experience good “hands-on” computer-based activities by employing a learning support assistant for two days per week who works solely with small groups of children from Year 1 and Year 2 on the suite of computers on a rotation basis. The subject co- ordinator provides good support for colleagues and has introduced a Local Education Authority- designed whole-school scheme of work based on the government-recommended scheme of work for the subject, which provides clear continuity and progress in the key skills.

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MUSIC

126. Standards of attainment are in line with the nationally expected standard overall, with singing as a strength. This follows satisfactory teaching and a curriculum that includes opportunities to perform and appraise music. Pupils with special educational needs, or for whom English is an additional language, make satisfactory progress. The subject is developing well under the good management of the subject leader, who closely monitors the quality of teaching and learning and provides strong support to staff. In addition, the school makes good use of an outside specialist.

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MUSIC

127. There has been satisfactory improvement overall. Standards of attainment have been maintained. However, there is now the basis for raising them through more careful assessment of pupils’ progress and continuous in-service training by the subject leader and visiting music specialist.

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MUSIC

128. The standard of pupils’ singing at the beginning of Year 2 is above national expectations. Pupils sing confidently and with good control. They vary their volume appropriately and sing in tune with a good sense of rhythm. Pupils progress satisfactorily with their performance on percussion instruments. They are beginning to say what they like about different pieces of music because they listen sensibly. This was shown in an assembly when a pupil suggested, “‘Perhaps we should whisper ‘It is raining in my heart’”. Pupils copy different rhythmic phrases well, but are not yet able to improvise. They listen well to the music of different composers such as Tchaikowsky, because teachers draw their attention to its features. Devonshire Infant School - 48 129. A practical session led by the inspector gave evidence of pupils’ appropriate knowledge and skills. This indicates that pupils have received satisfactory teaching overall. However, the one lesson

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MUSIC

observed, taught by a specialist visitor who is not a member of the school staff, was excellent and provided a wide variety of experiences as well as opportunities for pupils to develop independence and maturity in their performance.

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MUSIC

130. The quality and range of the learning opportunities is good. The curriculum covers the statutory programme of work satisfactorily, but the school also makes good use of visiting musicians to interest pupils in music, including some from different cultures. For example, a group called ‘Kukrudo’ has involved them in African dance and drumming. Another group called ‘Hot Hippo’ has used story telling while introducing pupils to a variety of musical instruments. When pupils studied St Lucia, the school invited a steel band to play to them. Consequently, pupils are enthusiastic about music. This extends to singing in assemblies and at other times because of very good teaching by a member of staff or the headteacher. The subject leader manages school music well and provides very good guidance to the staff. She closely monitors teaching and learning, and works alongside staff, helping them to put the lesson plans she provides into

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MUSIC

practice. The range of instruments available to pupils is good and reflects a wish to introduce them to a range of cultures. Plans for the subject appropriately include more use of computer programs for composition.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. Standards in physical education have improved since the previous inspection and are now in line with those expected nationally. This improvement is due to greater expertise in the teaching of physical education and to the use of an effective scheme of work that underpins teachers’ lesson planning.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. During the inspection only aspects of gymnastics and dance were being taught. In Year 2 pupils show satisfactory agility and control of their movements. In gymnastics, they develop simple routines combining jumps and balances, which they perform satisfactorily. Several pupils included rolls in their routine to add interest and variety to their performance. Pupils have a good understanding of how to land safely when jumping from the apparatus. They show good levels of confidence and concentration as they transfer their weight from feet to hands when they perform balances. The higher attaining pupils execute well-controlled headstands balancing for several seconds before finishing smartly. In a dance lesson observed pupils were developing a satisfactory range of movements to express their ideas. Whether working individually or in pairs, pupils thought carefully about their performances and tried to follow the teacher’s instructions,

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

introducing new ideas and movements in each section of their performance. For example, they showed strong, heavy movements when pretending to carry logs to the bonfire and light flickering movements were performed at various levels as they created the image of a fire. Pupils showed awareness of how to use different levels of movement in their dance. This lesson showed pupils’ appropriate progress over the attainment of pupils in Year 1. The younger pupils in Year 1 used effective movements in their dance lesson to express floppy movements of a toy like a rag doll and stiff marching type movements of other toys. Just as in the Year 2 lesson, the younger pupils tried hard to improve their performance as they watched the ideas of others in the class. They effectively used their arms and bodies, but they were less aware of the effect of using the various levels. In all lessons observed, pupils of all abilities showed interest in physical education

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

and made similar progress to their peers.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall and promotes the expected levels of pupils’ learning and achievement. Teachers plan well together sharing ideas and expertise so that all pupils benefit. Lessons are effectively linked to the whole-class topic of toys in Year 1 and the Gunpowder Plot in Year 2 so that pupils’ creative ideas build on what has already been discussed. Large apparatus is used in a variety of ways to stimulate pupils’ greater agility and ideas of moving from one piece to the next. Teachers have improved their knowledge and confidence in teaching and they provide satisfactory opportunities for pupils to develop their skills and knowledge. Pupils are well managed. Teachers have high expectations for their good levels of Devonshire Infant School - 49 concentration and peaceful working to which the pupils respond well. In the most effective lessons, teachers use pupil demonstration to identify good work and they suggest ideas to

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

develop their movement and skills. In the Year 2 lesson, for example, the teacher discussed the use of pupils’ arms and their hands to add expression in their dance. The teacher’s exuberance and energy fired the pupils’ enthusiasm and pupils’ self-confidence in their own efforts was high. Pupils’ social skills and cultural awareness are enhanced in dance as pupils work together in pairs ‘mirroring’ each other’s actions and co-operating in groups. Effective use of taped music and movement lessons supports teaching and stimulates pupils’ learning through the use of a variety of music.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. The curriculum for physical education is now appropriately broad and well balanced. Difficulties in the accommodation remain, but the lack of a school field does not significantly inhibit the teaching of games as both the hall and playground are utilised effectively along with regular visits to the local park in the summer. The hall continues to be thoroughfare as well as a teaching space, but both teachers and pupils cope with the difficulty with no lack of concentration. The scheme of work ensures the progression of pupils’ learning from one year to the next and a suitable assessment procedure has been introduced to track pupils’ progress. The subject has been satisfactorily led by the co-ordinator, and senior staff have monitored teachers’ increasing expertise after in-service training.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

135. Standards of attainment in Year 2 are below the expectations of the local Agreed Syllabus. Consequently, pupils are not achieving as well as they could. Those with special educational needs or for whom English is an additional language make unsatisfactory progress. This represents a decline since the last inspection and is associated with a number of factors. Overall, teaching is unsatisfactory because of the low quality of learning it develops. In addition, there needs to be closer monitoring of both teaching and learning so that the subject leader can provide stronger guidance to the staff. At present the subject has low status in the school’s curriculum.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

136. The unsatisfactory standard of pupils’ attainment is shown in their lack of knowledge and understanding. Pupils were interviewed, their work was scrutinised, and three lessons were observed. Pupils in Year 2 have very little awareness of Bible stories, although they know some of what Jesus taught according to Christian beliefs. Pupils are confused about the facts in relation to Christmas and Easter. They know very few features of a Christian church, although they know the significance of a cross. Pupils have no recall of their work on Islam or the wonder of nature.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

137. The quality of teaching in religious education is unsatisfactory. There has been long-term ineffective development and consolidation of pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Pupils are not given the opportunity to write or draw about their thoughts and so explore new knowledge and ideas. Consequently, they remember very little of what they have been taught in the past. During the inspection, the lessons were often very effective in promoting pupils’ ideas and reflection, but few opportunities are created for pupils to record what they had learnt and so strengthen their knowledge and understanding. Information and communication technology is not used to either promote or record pupils’ work. In a Year 1 class, however, excellent teaching enabled very young pupils to begin to understand the abstract idea that some of the best gifts cannot be seen. Pupils realised that kindness in different forms can be more appreciated than objects such as toys.

p.49

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Pupils were totally absorbed by the lesson and produced good ideas for gifts such as ‘I would like to make a drawing of my friend’ and ‘I would like to be read a story which has been specially written for me’. Two lessons were presented which interested the pupils and led them to concentrate and behave well. In these lessons, assistants provided good support by asking skilful questions that made pupils think. Lessons in religious education provide good opportunities for reflection and so effectively promote pupils’ spiritual development. Devonshire Infant School - 50 138. Although pupils’ work is assessed, the current method is not helping teachers to know what pupils need so that standards rise. The approach to teaching the locally Agreed Syllabus has not been reviewed so that appropriate priorities for pupils’ learning can be established. There needs to be a clearer direction for the subject so that teachers work together to raise standards.

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