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Other · Ofsted report

Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School

Inspected — · published 14 May 2003 · URN 117151

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Summary

No overall grade in this framework

Demeter House

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  • Inspectorssingle source

    Demeter House

  • URN verified

    117151

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+80Very positivemore positive than 82% of reports of this type

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Praiseexcellentvery wellgood progressmake good progresseffectivelyclearsuccessfullyimproved
Criticismpoormissedweaknessesbelowlacknot alwaysexclusionsconcerns

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FindingsAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improveLeadership positive critical
  • Findings3828w+78
  • Leadership583w+84
  • What needs to improve780w+77

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No strong criticism found.

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Pages
20
Words of findings
5,151
longer than usual (typical 1049)
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Fairly hard
Flesch 54, typical 45
Average sentence
16 words
Next steps
8
typical 5
Hedged sentences
4%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

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Findings 68%Leadership 10%What needs to improve 14%About the inspection 8%

Full report text

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11 - 12 February 2003

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SCHOOL

Inspection number: 247730 Short 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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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. Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Letchmore Road Stevenage Hertfordshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr J Williams

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 9 March 1998 Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 5

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Team members

23785 Mr M Massey Registered inspector 14347 Ms J Lindsay Lay inspector 27635 Ms D Cinamon Team inspector

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Team members

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Team members

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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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 14

Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School is situated in the Old Stevenage ward of Stevenage in Hertfordshire. The school has 245 pupils on roll, which is about average. There are 65 part-time children in the Nursery and 180 full-time pupils in the infants' school 95 boys and 85 girls. Pupils' attainment on entry is above average. Pupils are aged from three years to seven years and are taught in seven classes, including the Nursery. Children are admitted to the Nursery part-time in the year in which they are four and full-time into the infants' school in the year in which they are five. Pupils mainly come from the local area. Around 7.5 per cent of pupils qualify for free school meals, which is below average. The percentage of pupils who speak English as an additional language is around three per cent, which is a bit higher than normal. These pupils come from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds. Around five

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

per cent of the pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs, the majority of them having speech or communication difficulties. Approximately one per cent of pupils have Statements of Special Educational Needs, which is average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School is a good school with many very good features. The school is very well led by the headteacher with strong support from the deputy and governors. The good teaching in the Nursery and Years 1 and 2 means that, overall, pupils make good progress in their learning. Pupils achieve well above average standards in English, mathematics and science and have a very good attitude to learning. Their behaviour is excellent. Inspection evidence shows that the present group of pupils is achieving well. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The very good leadership provided by the headteacher, with the strong support of the deputy and governing body, gives the school a clear sense of purpose. • Good teaching in the Nursery and Years 1 and 2 means that well above average standards are being maintained. • Clear guidance and high expectations from staff lead to pupils having very good attitudes to learning and excellent behaviour. • The school has established a very good relationship with parents • Support for pupils with special educational needs is very good and as a result these pupils make very good progress.

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What could be improved

• Provision for children in the Reception classes could be better. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has improved well since it was last inspected in March 1998. The school now has good assessment procedures, which are used effectively by teachers in their planning. The needs of all pupils are taken into account and higher-attaining pupils are successfully challenged. There has been a very good improvement in the monitoring and evaluation of teaching. The improvement in monitoring teachers' planning is satisfactory and there are good improvements in evaluating pupils' learning through staff meetings. Well above average standards have been maintained and this is continuing for the present group of pupils. Although there is no statutory requirement for the school to set targets, the school does so, in order to ensure that this trend continues. There have also been some good improvements in curricular provision, through the establishment of a computer suite and lunchtime clubs, and in pupils'

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

knowledge of their own learning. Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 8

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

2000 2001 2002 2002 very high A* Reading A A A A well above average above average A B Writing A A A* A average below average C D Mathematics A A A B well below average E

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Key

Over the last five years the school has consistently maintained well above average standards. In 2002, standards in writing were among the highest five per cent nationally when compared to all schools.

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Key

Children make good progress in the Nursery. In the Reception classes children make satisfactory progress and they are likely to meet the expectations for children by the end of the Reception year in English, mathematics and personal development. Pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2. Standards for the present group of pupils in Year 2 are well above average in reading, writing, science and mathematics. Pupils are productive in their writing, which is imaginative and well constructed. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are very well supported during lessons, particularly by the well-trained classroom assistants, and, as a result, they do very well. Higher-attaining pupils make good progress and the vast majority are achieving well above average standards. They are well catered for in teachers’ planning through activities like the “Brain Buster” system, which develops their problem solving skills, and through setting in mathematics.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are attentive in lessons and try very hard. Because they concentrate so well they are very productive.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Excellent. Pupils’ behaviour makes a good contribution to the high standards achieved because everyone is able to concentrate on what they are doing.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils are polite to one another and adults. They respect the opinions of others and as a result they work well together.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Satisfactory. Attendance is about average. Pupils arrive in school on time and they are eager to work.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils' excellent behaviour helps to create a quiet and purposeful working environment in the classrooms and around the school that is very conducive to learning. Pupils show a very good understanding of the needs of others and this is seen in the good support and consideration that they give to pupils with special educational needs. Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 9

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and 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: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2

Teaching in the Nursery is good. A wide range of well-supervised activities is available for children and particularly good use is made of the outdoor environment. Teaching in the reception classes is satisfactory. In these classes there is some good direct teaching of literacy and numeracy skills. However, opportunities for pupils to practise these skills in other activities are missed.

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2

Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good and often it is very good. Teachers plan very well for the wide range of pupils in the class. They work very closely with the classroom assistants and this partnership makes a very good contribution to the good progress that pupils make. Teachers’ classroom management skills are excellent and this produces a hard working and productive classroom environment. The provision for extended writing is very good, presenting good opportunities for pupils to practise skills learned in the Literacy Hour. In mathematics, the use of setting for three days a week enables teachers to meet pupils’ needs effectively, resulting in a high level of challenge for higher-attaining pupils. Some mathematics lessons would benefit from being slightly longer for older pupils, giving more opportunity for practice of newly acquired skills. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are used effectively

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2

and adapted sensibly to meet the needs of the pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. In the Nursery and Years 1 and 2 there is a well balanced curriculum that has been adapted to meet the needs of all pupils and promote high standards.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The support given by teachers and the special needs team in the school ensures that pupils take a full part in lessons and achieve very well.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. Pupils are integrated well into lessons. They receive very good support from teachers and classroom assistants and make very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The provision for pupils' moral and social development is very good. The spiritual and cultural development of pupils is satisfactory. The school provides very good opportunities for pupils to make their own decisions and develop their sense of responsibility.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school has good child protection and other measures to promote pupils' well-being. Assessments are used well to support pupils' learning.

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Aspect Comment

The new computer suite is used well to promote pupils’ learning. The parents’ courses on using the computer are a very good way of enabling parents to understand what their children are doing at school. The recent establishment of lunchtime clubs is an excellent initiative, successfully promoting social as well as learning opportunities. Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher has a very clear vision for the school and has initiated some important developments since her appointment. She is very well supported by an enthusiastic deputy and governing body. There is a clear drive for continued development in all areas of school life.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors have a clear idea of the how well the school is doing and they have good systems in place for monitoring finance. They make visits to the school and report their findings back to the full governing body. The performance management system is well established and school data are used effectively to help set targets.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The results of National Curriculum tests and other assessments are used well to identify priorities in the school improvement plan. Initiatives in writing and mathematics reflect these priorities.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. Classroom assistants are very well deployed and space within the school is used very effectively to promote learning.

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Aspect Comment

The very good leadership by the headteacher and enthusiastic support from the deputy are instrumental in bringing about change and development. The monitoring of teaching and learning is very good. The school applies the principles of best value very well.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school and make good progress. • Children behave well and the school helps them to become mature and responsible. • Teaching is good and children are expected to work hard and do their best. • The school is well led and managed. • The school works closely with parents. • Parents had no substantial concerns to raise.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team fully agrees with the positive views expressed by parents. Some concern was expressed at the parents’ meeting about the lack of a male teacher but this is a factor that is largely outside the school's control. Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 11

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The very good leadership provided by the headteacher, with the strong support

of the deputy and governing body, gives the school a clear sense of purpose.

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The very good leadership provided by the headteacher, with the strong support

1. The headteacher has a very clear vision for the school. She works very closely with the deputy and Foundation Stage co-ordinator to promote high standards and ensure that the school is developing effectively through curriculum innovation and a rigorous evaluation of performance. As a result, some setting of pupils in mathematics has been started and extended writing sessions introduced in order to improve standards further. This has had a particularly good impact on standards in writing. Almost all the parents who returned the questionnaire thought that the school was well led and managed. The headteacher and staff monitor teaching regularly and give appropriate feedback to staff on their performance and how they can improve. Subject leaders have also carried out observations of teaching in each year group in order to give them a clear understanding of standards and teaching. A very good system of monitoring pupils' learning

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The very good leadership provided by the headteacher, with the strong support

through a shared scrutiny of pupils' work has helped to inform the target setting throughout the school. A new computer suite has been established and this is being used well by pupils and groups of parents. The involvement of parents in their children's learning is a high priority for the school and, under the leadership of the recently appointed headteacher, parents are made very welcome in the school. At the parents' meeting before the inspection parents reported that the school was very approachable and welcomed their involvement. The development of the very popular lunchtime clubs has significantly widened opportunities for pupils to socialise and develop their skills and understanding in areas such as chess, using the computer and board games. The Foundation Stage curriculum has been successfully implemented in the Nursery, although there is some way to go to fully establish this in the Reception classes. However, a sound start has

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The very good leadership provided by the headteacher, with the strong support

been made and this reflects the headteacher’s determination to bring about curricular change where necessary. She is receiving good support from the Foundation Stage co-ordinator in this area.

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The very good leadership provided by the headteacher, with the strong support

2. The school improvement plan shows that the school has a clear view of where it is going and what needs to be improved. It is focused on raising standards further and illustrates a good use of assessment information to set priorities. It shows that there is no complacency about standards. Priorities in the school improvement plan are well supported through the long-term financial plan that is in place. The school makes good use of new technology, with areas such as accounts and teachers' planning being computerised.

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The very good leadership provided by the headteacher, with the strong support

3. The school has a good governing body. Governors are very committed to working with the school and supporting new initiatives. The headteacher gives them very good information about the school and they have a clear idea about how well the school is doing. They have established a good link between priorities in the school improvement plan and performance management targets for the headteacher. Performance management reviews every term enable them to monitor progress against the identified targets. The governors contribute to the school improvement plan through the working parties that have been established. Although the plan itself is still largely written by the headteacher, it is finally reviewed and ratified by the whole governing body. Governors' visits to classrooms have an agreed focus and written reports are presented to the full governing body. Through their committee work and the enthusiasm that they bring to the task the

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The very good leadership provided by the headteacher, with the strong support

governors give good support to the school.

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Good teaching in the Nursery and Years 1 and 2 means that well above average

4. Overall the quality of teaching throughout the school is good. This has been maintained since the last inspection. However, in the Reception classes the quality of teaching is only satisfactory. The reasons for this are outlined in the section below under the heading "What Could Be Improved". Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 12 Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 13 5. The school has recently made some significant changes in its approach to the Foundation Stage curriculum. These changes have been embraced by the Nursery teacher and other staff. As a result, there is now a wide range of stimulating activities planned for children. All staff have a very clear idea of their roles and there is a purposeful and stimulating learning environment. Staff supervise children well, giving them the freedom to make choices whilst providing them with support and direct teaching through discussion and their own involvement in the children's

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Good teaching in the Nursery and Years 1 and 2 means that well above average

learning. The very good deployment of staff provides the maximum opportunity for interaction with children and the promotion of language development. The teacher makes very good use of the story board to develop children's language skills. As a result, children are developing a good understanding of how a story develops. This is a good preparation for the story writing that they will do later. The teacher uses assessment information well to ensure that children are challenged and this is reflected in her short-term planning. Children are becoming confident in dealing with numbers and some children are already counting up to five accurately. The good range of activities is successfully developing children's knowledge and understanding of the world, for example through play activities with water and ice. The outdoor environment is used particularly well to encourage children's physical, creative and social development. There is a

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Good teaching in the Nursery and Years 1 and 2 means that well above average

wide range of equipment and access to the outdoor, no matter what the weather is like.

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Good teaching in the Nursery and Years 1 and 2 means that well above average

6. In Years 1 and 2 teaching is consistently good and often it is very good. The very good use of classroom assistants is a key factor in the very good standards that pupils achieve. The support they provide enables all pupils to take a full part in lessons. A feature of the very good teaching is the excellent classroom management and organisational skills of staff. As a result, classrooms are well-ordered learning environments where pupils can work undisturbed. This means that they concentrate well, practise the skills that they have learned and are very productive. This is seen to good effect in Year 2 in the extended writing lessons that have been introduced by the school in order to improve pupils' writing skills. In these lessons teachers set the scene for the story writing well through the use of story boxes. Pupils are familiar with this system and have a clear understanding of a how a story is structured. They know that stories are best when they have a

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Good teaching in the Nursery and Years 1 and 2 means that well above average

strong character and an interesting location. The teachers use the "prop" box well to provide resources to stimulate the pupils' imaginations. The outcome of this is a story that is well constructed and interesting. The vast majority of pupils write clearly and legibly, using full stops and capital letters accurately. Higher-attaining pupils are beginning to use quotation marks and exclamation marks in their writing as well as using adjectives to add interest and detail. Lower- attaining pupils produce a good amount of work, reflecting a good attitude to writing. They are using full stops and capital letters, although not always accurately. The library is used well to promote pupils' research skills and pupils understand that conventions such as bullet points can be used to add impact and make the information easier to access. The use of individual target cards for pupils is an excellent initiative. It reminds pupils of the areas that they need to focus on

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Good teaching in the Nursery and Years 1 and 2 means that well above average

in order to improve and gives them a good understanding of their own learning.

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Good teaching in the Nursery and Years 1 and 2 means that well above average

7. In mathematics, teachers are using the National Numeracy Strategy effectively. The school has reviewed its approach to teaching mathematics in order to raise standards further. This has resulted in the setting of pupils in Year 2 for three days a week and classroom based teaching on the other two days. This approach is working well. When pupils are in their sets they are successfully challenged at a level appropriate to their ability. With the higher-attaining pupils this means that the lessons are conducted at a very brisk pace and pupils have to concentrate hard, which they do. Teachers have a good subject knowledge and as a result the activities build successfully on the direct teaching at the beginning of the lessons. Pupils in Year 2 are developing very good problem solving skills and they show a real enjoyment in the challenge presented through mathematical investigations. This enthusiasm for mathematics makes them

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Good teaching in the Nursery and Years 1 and 2 means that well above average

want to learn. The majority of pupils have a good knowledge of number bonds to 20 and are counting in tens up to 100. They are beginning to use division with numbers up to 20 and use their knowledge of symmetry to reproduce patterns and shapes. Higher-attaining pupils are working with numbers up to 1000. Lower-attaining pupils measure accurately in centimetres and add money up to ten pence.

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Good teaching in the Nursery and Years 1 and 2 means that well above average

8. The teaching of science is good. The school has recently emphasised the importance of scientific investigation and this is paying off in lessons. Pupils are working confidently during Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 14 investigational work and have developed a very good understanding of how electricity works and

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Good teaching in the Nursery and Years 1 and 2 means that well above average

how a circuit is made. Teachers plan good opportunities for pupils to carry out their own experiments, although it would be good to allow pupils more free choice of materials. Pupils record the results of their experiments in a variety of ways, for example through drawing graphs.

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Clear guidance and high expectations from staff lead to pupils having very good

attitudes to learning and excellent behaviour.

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Clear guidance and high expectations from staff lead to pupils having very good

9. The excellent behaviour and very good attitudes of pupils are a credit to the school and make a significant contribution to the high standards attained. Teachers and classroom assistants work well together to pass on clear expectations to pupils of how they should behave. Discipline appears to just happen but this is because patterns have been established over some time and new pupils learn quickly from their peers and staff about what is expected. Because behaviour is so good classrooms are quiet and productive working places where pupils can learn undisturbed. In science lessons materials are handled with care and investigations carried out in co-operation with others. Teachers have a very good system of indicating the permitted level of working noise by using the noise meter on the classroom wall. In this way pupils know when it is all right to discuss their work or that they are expected to work without interrupting others. When they are

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Clear guidance and high expectations from staff lead to pupils having very good

moving around the school or using the dining hall pupils are polite and considerate to others and this produces a secure and happy atmosphere.

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Clear guidance and high expectations from staff lead to pupils having very good

10. In lessons, pupils are keen to answer questions and take part in discussions. With the older pupils teachers often use quick "brainstorming" sessions during lessons to encourage participation and response from quieter members of the class. This is a good method of encouraging all pupils to participate fully and gives the shyer pupils confidence in responding to questions. Classroom assistants interact well with pupils during lessons to help them respond to questions in the whole-class teaching time. When writing, or working on mathematical problems, pupils concentrate well and try hard. This means that they produce a good volume of work, which is enabling them to practise new skills and reinforce established ones. Very good work habits are being established, which is a good preparation for the next stage of education.

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Clear guidance and high expectations from staff lead to pupils having very good

The school has established a very good relationship with parents.

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Clear guidance and high expectations from staff lead to pupils having very good

11. The results of the parents' questionnaire, views expressed at the parents' meeting and observations during the inspection show that the school has established a very good relationship with parents. The results of the parents' questionnaire showed no significant areas of concern and 96 per cent of parents found that the school worked closely with them. This was confirmed at the parents' meeting, where the response was equally positive. Parents found that the school listened to any concerns that they had and responded well. They felt that the staff and headteacher were very approachable and open to suggestions. In the Nursery the school makes parents very welcome when they bring their children in the morning. Activities are arranged so that parents have the opportunity to talk to staff if they want to. Parents are welcome to help in the school and a number of them take advantage of this. In consultation with the local higher

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Clear guidance and high expectations from staff lead to pupils having very good

education college the school has started a computer club for parents in school time and this is well attended and very much appreciated by the parents. Parents' very positive views of the school help pupils to have positive views and contribute to the very good attitudes seen.

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Support for pupils with special educational needs is very good and, as a result,

12. The school has very good systems for supporting pupils with special educational needs. This is based around the very effective deployment of classroom assistants. In English and mathematics lessons assistants are rigorously timetabled to be available for support during the lesson. This means that during, for example, a literacy lesson a class could have a teacher and three or four assistants. Assistants are very well briefed about the learning objectives and have an excellent knowledge of the needs of individual pupils. Consequently, pupils receive intensive and very Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 15 focused support and, as a result, they make very good progress. Pupils take a full part in lessons and the assistants are skilled in communicating with them during the whole-class teaching sessions to ensure understanding. The school also operates a withdrawal system for additional specific support for literacy. This is aimed at specific pupils who are taught in small

p.14

Support for pupils with special educational needs is very good and, as a result,

groups of three or four. In these sessions pupils make very good progress and are extremely positive about their work. They are rewarded for doing well, for example by receiving a certificate for learning 25 key words, and this encourages them to persevere.

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Provision for children in the Reception classes could be better

13. The two Reception classes are undergoing a period of change. The headteacher has correctly identified the need for change in this area of the school in order to meet current best practice. This change has already happened in the Nursery, to good effect. The Foundation Stage co- ordinator is working with the two Reception teachers and the local authority advisory service has also been called in to give support and advice. The school improvement plan has also started to address this issue. During the inspection all the areas of the Foundation Stage curriculum were planned for. There is some good direct teaching in both classes of the basic skills of literacy and numeracy and children are in line to achieve the expected goals in these areas. However, opportunities to extend and challenge children are being missed. This is particularly noticeable in the morning sessions when the direct teaching is over. At this time pupils select various activities

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Provision for children in the Reception classes could be better

for themselves. All the activities have learning intentions clearly labelled. This in itself is not enough. The children themselves cannot read the learning intentions so they are dependent upon supporting adults for an explanation. For most of the time the two teachers remain in the classroom and the other activities carry on outside in the shared area, supervised by the classroom assistants. Because children themselves choose what to do there is a lot of movement between activities and therefore direct teaching of the learning intentions is difficult. As the lesson progresses it becomes impossible, owing to the movement of children and increasing noise level. Opportunities are missed to consolidate work done in the whole-class teaching as activities are not specifically designed to do this. Teachers do not have a high enough profile in the shared area in order to ensure the very good attitudes to work found in the rest of the school.

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Provision for children in the Reception classes could be better

More detailed and focused planning and the flexible use of teachers and classroom assistants are required to enable learning to move forward at a faster pace.

p.15

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

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

p.15

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve provision in the Reception classes by: • ensuring that planning provides increased opportunities for children to practise literacy and numeracy skills that have been directly taught; • making sure that supporting adults work with children more closely to explain the learning intentions of the activities chosen by children; • improve the classroom management by ensuring that teachers work with and supervise children in the shared activity area. Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 7

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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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 six percentage points.

p.16

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 32.5 180

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 14

p.16

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 11

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 8

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 4

p.16

Attendance

School data 4.9 School data 0.4 Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 17 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.16

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 18

p.17

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 26 31 57

p.18

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.18

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

Boys 23 25 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 30 29 29

p.18

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

Percentage of pupils School 93 (95) 95 (97) 93 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.18

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.18

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

Boys 25 24 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 30 29 31

p.18

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

Percentage of pupils School 96 (94) 93 (95) 100 (100) 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.18

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.18

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 11 0 0

p.18

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.18

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.18

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.18

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 3 0 0

p.18

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.18

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.18

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other ethnic group 2 0 0 Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 19 No ethnic group recorded 0 0 0 The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.18

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7.9 Financial year 2001/02

p.19

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.8

p.19

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 583,408

p.19

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 11 Total expenditure 571,246

p.19

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 245 Expenditure per pupil 2,720

p.19

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 75,776

p.19

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 87,938

p.19

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 32.5

p.19

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5

p.19

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 106

p.19

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 6

p.19

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 5

p.19

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.19

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.19

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.19

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School - 20

p.19

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 66 28 1 0 5

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 66 30 2 0 2

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 45 39 5 1 10

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 40 44 12 1 4

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 74 22 1 2 1

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 69 28 0 0 3

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 45 50 4 1 1

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 63 33 0 2 2

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 64 30 2 0 5

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 44 40 1 0 15

p.20

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