Rosegrove Infant School

ROSEGROVE INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 3 – 5 February 2003

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ROSEGROVE 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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ROSEGROVE 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. Rosegrove Infant School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Owen Street Rosegrove Burnley Postcode: BB12 6HW

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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: Father J. Haigh

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 8 December 1997 Rosegrove Infant School

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs M. R. Shepherd Registered inspector Foundation Stage Science Physical education What sort of school is it? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? Mr W. Twiss Lay inspector How high are standards? How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Mrs A. Patterson Team inspector Mathematics Religious education Art and design Geography Music Equal opportunities How does the school cultivate pupils’ personal development?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs D. Atkinson Team inspector English Information and communication technology Design and technology History Special educational needs How good are curricular and other opportunities?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

TWA Inspections Ltd 102 Bath Road Cheltenham GL53 7JX

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Team members Subject responsibilities 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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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Rosegrove Infant School

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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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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Rosegrove Infant School serves a well-established community on the outskirts of Burnley. Pupils come mostly from rented accommodation with a few coming from private housing. Some parts of the catchment area have severe levels of deprivation. There are 137 pupils on roll, with nine more boys than girls. They are organised in two parallel classes in each year group. Twenty-five per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above average. Eleven and a half per cent of pupils are on the special educational needs register, which is below average. At present there are no pupils with a full Statement of Special Educational Need. There are no pupils from ethnic minorities. There is a very wide range of attainment on entry, which is below average overall.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school. The headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior teacher and governors set a very clear educational vision for the development of the school. They work hard to make the best use of their resources. They consistently develop and extend the range and scope of opportunities for pupils’ learning. They believe it is important to develop both the academic and personal aspects of each pupil. Children enter the school with attainment that is below average. The school staff are determined to ensure that all pupils fulfil their potential. Teaching teams work very hard together and provide very good quality teaching with some excellent features. They plan and implement a stimulating and rich curriculum that matches pupils’ needs very effectively. By Year 2 all pupils have made very good progress and standards are above average in nine subjects. Staff respect and value pupils, which produces very positive attitudes

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

and high standards of behaviour. The school provides very good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Standards of Year 2 pupils are above average in English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology, religious education, art and design, design and technology, geography and music. Progress in reception is very good. • More able pupils, pupils with special educational needs, girls and boys all fulfil their potential. • Relationships, attitudes, behaviour and personal development are very good. • Teaching is very good; the partnership between teachers and support assistants is very productive. • Leadership and management are very good. • The curriculum for spiritual development is excellent; the curriculum for moral, social and cultural development is very good. • Partnership with parents and carers is very good. • The staff work harmoniously together, take very good care of the pupils and strive to continually improve the work of the school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The work of the school is of such a high standard that there are no key issues. A minor area for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

There has been very good improvement since the school was last inspected in December 1997. All the previous key issues have been addressed very thoroughly. Standards have risen significantly in English, information and communication technology and in design and technology. Standards have risen in six other subjects as well as in the Areas of Learning 1 in reception. The quality of teaching has improved significantly, as has the leadership and management. The partnership with parents is better and the curriculum has improved considerably. The accommodation is now far more attractive and provides much better facilities. There is a very good capacity for future developments.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

1 The Areas of Learning are the areas of the curriculum recommended by the government for children in the reception classes. Rosegrove Infant 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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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The trend overall has been upwards over the past three years. The inspection confirms the standards in the national tests in writing. It judges that standards in mathematics have risen and are now above average. Standards in reading were well above average in reading in the 2002 national tests, with a higher proportion of pupils reaching above the expected level. 2 Compared with similar schools they were in the top 5 per cent nationally. This represented a considerable improvement on the previous year. The inspection judges that there is a smaller proportion of these pupils reaching this standard this year. However, standards in reading are better than in 2001 and are above average.

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STANDARDS

Standards in science, information and communication technology, art and design, design and technology, geography, music and religious education are all above expectations. The school has worked hard to raise standards across the curriculum and sets itself challenging targets for improvement.

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STANDARDS

Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress. More able pupils fulfil their potential. Boys’ standards have been above the national average for the past two years in reading, writing and mathematics because the school works hard to focus on their needs.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school These are very good. Pupils are eager to learn and have a keen sense of enquiry. They offer their suggestions confidently. They take a pride in their work and try their best to improve.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms This is very good. Pupils settle quickly to their work and listen carefully to teachers. They move around the building very sensibly and are courteous to adults. They behave well at lunchtimes and behave responsibly at playtimes.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships These are both very good. Pupils work well with each other, sharing resources and helping each other. They are eager to accept responsibility and carry out their tasks efficiently. They show respect to other cultures and value each other’s contributions.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance This is satisfactory. Lessons begin punctually.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

2 Pupils are expected to reach Level 2 in the National Curriculum by the end of Year 2. Rosegrove Infant School

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

There are excellent features in the teaching of religious education in classes 3 and 6. The teaching in class 1 is consistently very good with many excellent features. Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour extremely well. The partnership between teachers and support assistants is very effective. The teaching of English and mathematics is very good. The teaching of skills in literacy and numeracy is very good. Teachers plan carefully for the needs of different pupils. This challenges the more able pupils, supports the pupils with special educational needs and stimulates both boys and girls very well. Pupils are keen to learn new things and to complete their work. Teachers provide very effective homework, with clear guidance of how to carry it out.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum This is very good in the infant classes. The school provides a stimulating and very well balanced programme of work that matches the needs of different pupils very effectively. The reception curriculum is very good and covers all the Areas of Learning systematically. The outdoor play is particularly good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs This is very good. These pupils have clearly written individual education plans. Teachers, support staff and external experts work very well together to provide individual support for pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The curriculum for spiritual development is excellent. Teachers plan carefully to provide regular opportunities for pupils to develop spiritual awareness. Assemblies are high quality and offer time for pupils to reflect on spiritual issues. Prayers are used very effectively in classes. The curriculum for moral, social and cultural development is very good. The school provides a very good range of experiences to extend pupils’ skills. Visits out of school contribute very well to this development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school takes very good care of all its pupils. School staff know each pupil very well and provide sensitive support for both academic and personal development. There are very good assessment systems in place, which are used very well in planning.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Partnership with parents This is very good. Parents appreciate the work of the school. There is very good communication between the school and home. Parents value the detailed guidance they receive for carrying out the homework.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school organises a very successful ‘Dads and Lads’ 3 project, which produces very positive attitudes from the boys and creates very effective links with fathers.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

3 This is a project that involves dads working with their sons at home on sporting activities and reading, supported by the school. Rosegrove Infant School

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The leadership and management of the headteacher are very good. She sets a very clear educational direction and sets high standards by leading by example. The deputy headteacher and senior teacher work very effectively with the headteacher to ensure standards keep rising and pupils receive a stimulating education.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. The chair of the governors is very good. He plays an important role in shaping the direction of the school and contributes very effectively to the spiritual development of pupils.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school analyses its performance very carefully and then works hard to ensure further improvements.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school uses its resources very carefully. It combines short and long-term planning very well to work towards both major and minor improvements.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Accommodation, staffing and resources Accommodation is very good and used very well to extend pupils’ learning. Staff are well qualified and staff development is carried out thoroughly. Resources are good.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school applies the principle of best value very well. The headteacher carries out too many clerical and secretarial tasks. The headteacher is very successful in gaining grants to enhance the work of the school.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Forty-seven per cent of parents returned the questionnaire. Five parents attended the parents’ meeting.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The school has high expectations. • Their children make good progress. • Behaviour is good. • Their children become mature and responsible. • Their children like school. • Teaching is good. • The school is well led and managed. • There are not enough activities outside lessons.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspections agree with the parents on the positive aspects of the school. They disagree that there are not enough activities outside school and judge them to be at the expected level for infant schools. Rosegrove Infant School

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children enter the school with a very wide range of attainment, which is below average overall. They make very good progress in all the Areas of Learning. Children are on track to be well above the expected level in personal, social and emotional development by the end of the year because teachers seize every opportunity across lessons and in whole school activities to develop these skills. In knowledge and understanding of the world, physical and creative development children are on track to reach levels above the expected level by the end of the year. This is because teachers plan carefully to provide a balanced programme of work to cover each aspect of the reception curriculum. For example, children produced finely observed drawings of bicycle wheels in their project on transport. Teachers use outdoor play particularly well to extend learning through many exciting tasks and through direct support from a teacher and the nursery nurse.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. There is a much larger proportion of children than usual entering school well below the expected levels in mathematics and communication, literacy and language. These children are given very good support, but they have a great deal of learning to cover. Children are on track to be below expected levels in mathematics and communication, literacy and language by the end of the year. However, teachers have high expectations of the more able children and these children are attaining well above the usual level. For example, they read simple texts confidently and make simple predictions. All children choose books confidently because they do this formally four times each week. The national assessment used by the school shows that children make outstanding progress in class 1 in reading and mathematics because this teacher has such high expectations. However, she was on maternity leave last term and the current class is only just reaping

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the benefits of her teaching. The school has set itself very high targets for reception children. They are working very hard to increase progress in order to reach the expected levels in mathematics and communication, literacy and language by the end of reception. Children make better progress in reception than they did in the previous inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The table below shows attainment in reading, writing and mathematics.

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judgements

Reading Well above average Very high Above average

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judgements

Writing Above average Well above average Above average

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judgements

Mathematics Average Well above average Above average

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judgements

4. Since the previous inspection standards have risen significantly in English, information and communication technology and design and technology. Standards have risen in mathematics, science, religious education, art and design, geography and music. The trend in the national tests over the past three years has been steadily upwards except in writing where there was a slight fall in 2000. The inspection confirms the standards in writing, with an increase in the proportion of pupils attaining the higher levels because the school has focused on challenging more able pupils. In reading the 2002 national tests Rosegrove Infant School showed a considerable improvement at the higher level. Although the proportion of this year’s pupils is not as high at this level, many pupils are achieving above the average level and the upward trend from 2001 is continuing. This is due to the school’s emphasis on

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judgements

reading and the very good partnership with parents in supporting reading at home. The school continues to analyse their work in mathematics and standards are continuing to rise. The inspection judges standards to be better than last year. The school works hard to provide for the interest of both boys and girls and, as a result, over the past two years the boys have attained above the national average level.

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judgements

5. Standards in speaking and listening are above expectations. Pupils pay attention to each other when they talk and speak clearly and with confidence. Pupils all enjoy talking about books and chose them with enthusiasm. They tackle unknown words sensibly and have a good recognition of key words. Pupils write well across a range of different styles. Their handwriting is neat because teachers provide direct guidance of how to write individual letters and give time for practising this skill. Pupils make sensible attempts at spelling new words and more able pupils have a good range of words that they spell accurately.

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judgements

6. In mathematics pupils handle numbers confidently because they use them every day in mental mathematics sessions. More able pupils work confidently to 100 and handle multiplication in tens and fives accurately. Pupils have a good understanding of shape. For example, they identify the differences between two- and three-dimensional shapes. In science, pupils have a good understanding of investigations because they regularly carry them out across the different aspects of science. For example, they know how to make a test fair and that they need to record their results. More able pupils work out their own methods to do this. Pupils have a good balance of knowledge in science because teachers tackle each one systematically over the year.

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judgements

7. The following table shows standards in subjects other than English and mathematics.

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communication technology

Design and technology Above the expected level

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communication technology

Physical education At the expected level

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communication technology

Religious education Above the expected level

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communication technology

8. Standards are above average in information and communication technology, religious education, art and design, design and technology, geography and music because the school has worked systematically to raise standards in these subjects. The two-year curriculum planning ensures that pupils build systematically on previous learning. Rosegrove Infant School 9. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress because they are supported very effectively by teachers and support assistants as well as by outside experts. Their individual education plans are detailed and match their needs very well. More able pupils make very good progress because teachers have high expectations of their potential and challenge them to extend their skills.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The pupils’ behaviour, attitudes to their school, personal development and relationships are all very good throughout the school. They know that the school and their parents expect them to behave well and have a clear understanding of what is acceptable conduct.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The pupils’ attitudes to learning and all aspects of school life are very good. Children settle quickly to their work in reception and listen carefully to their teachers. Throughout the school pupils are keen and eager learners and they enjoy their interesting and challenging lessons. Pupils of all ages are capable of sustaining concentration even when not formally supervised. In a class 3 music lesson, for example, they worked well on their compositions after learning about differently pitched sounds. The pupils have a healthy sense of enquiry. They listen to their teachers and are not afraid of asking questions or putting forward their own ideas. For example, in class 6, pupils enjoyed their health education lesson and offered their views on why some things were harmful to the human body and why others were not. The staff work hard to foster very positive attitudes to reading. Pupils like to select their own books. The library system inspires them because it

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

recognises their names and the books they are reading through a computer that scans their thumb print. Consequently, this work contributes towards standards in reading that are above average.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The pupils take pride in their work. Standards of presentation are consistently high. They are encouraged by the positive praise that the teachers give to them when their work is marked. Displays are of a very high standard and conversations with pupils reveal that they take an active role in making enchanting displays, such as the one on the Little Mermaid that adorns the school’s main hall. Pupils develop into confident learners. In a Year 1 drama lesson, for instance, the teachers worked effectively together to produce a well-paced lesson on Cinderella. The pupils took their parts seriously and were not inhibited when taking on a variety of different roles.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Behaviour is very good throughout the school. Children in reception work and play very sensibly, co-operating with each other both in group work and in independent tasks. The school has not excluded any pupils in recent years. The vast majority of the pupils act very sensibly and behave very well. The staff make sure that the classes are calm and serene. As a result, the pupils settle quickly into their routines and they often use opportunities before the start of formal lessons to practise their reading. The staff take great care in welcoming the pupils into school each day. This encourages the pupils to move around the school in an orderly manner and to arrive at their lessons promptly. The pupils’ behaviour at breaks and lunch times is consistently very good. The teachers, their assistants and welfare staff provide suitable activities and there are very few disputes between the pupils. There is no obvious isolation of any individual pupils and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

conversations with them showed that there is no evidence of bullying.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Relationships are very good. Pupils develop a good range of social skills. They are polite and courteous to each other and to visitors. For example, pupils are willing to help direct visitors into their classes. The pupils are well mannered and understand that this is a quality to be admired. For example, all of the pupils use ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when taking their school lunches. The pupils relate well to each other, their teachers and adults. They collaborate well together and are keen to work with their peers. For example, in class 5 in an information and communication technology lesson, they shared the Rosegrove Infant School computers and made good progress in understanding how to work with different cells. The pupils take care of their resources. For example, they look after books well. They know that this helps the school to give them interesting books to read in class and at home.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

There is no deliberate damage to the school premises.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The pupils’ personal development is very good. They are eager to take up the responsibilities that are offered to them in lessons and around the school. They are allocated jobs fairly like class helpers and know that they have a role in helping new children to settle into the school. The pupils act responsibly and are eager to help their teachers with such matters as getting resources ready for their lessons. The pupils speak with enthusiasm about their visits to a mosque and a Hindu temple. They view these visits positively and are beginning to understand that it is responsible to respect and value others’ views and beliefs. They know, for example, that assemblies are occasions that merit their respect. During the school year, the pupils take it upon themselves to raise money for worthy causes and through this work they appreciate that there are some in society that are less fortunate than themselves. The pupils develop very positive values.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The very good attitudes, behaviour, relationships and opportunities for personal development of the pupils make a very worthwhile contribution to the pupils’ learning. The previous inspection report recorded that behaviour and the pupils’ attitudes were very good. Personal development was good. This has improved and is now very good whilst the very good standards of behaviour and very good attitudes remain strengths of the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Levels of attendance in the previous academic year were similar to those seen nationally. Unexplained absence was also in line with the national picture. Registration sessions are efficient and the school works effectively to monitor its overall levels of attendance. The vast majority of the pupils come to their lessons on time and, as a result, lessons start promptly. The previous inspection report highlighted satisfactory attendance, but there were considerable shortcomings in punctuality. Punctuality has improved and is no longer having a negative impact of the pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Teaching is very good overall. There are excellent features in the teaching of religious education in classes 3 and 6. Teaching is consistently very good with many excellent features in reception in class 1. There is no unsatisfactory teaching. This is a significant improvement since the previous inspection and is a result of the regular monitoring that the senior management team and the local education authority carry out. The support given to teachers by the subject co-ordinators has also contributed well to extending teachers’ skills in every subject.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. All teachers manage pupils’ behaviour extremely well. Teachers explain clearly how they expect pupils to behave. They praise pupils very effectively when they try hard. If an individual does not respond in an acceptable way, teachers firmly explain what has been done that is wrong and how to behave better in future. Pupils respond extremely well to these strategies, which ensures that there are high levels of concentration in lessons and that they move around the school very sensibly. For example, when pupils come into assembly they walk in beautifully straight lines, sit down sensibly and listen intently to the music being played.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The partnership between teachers and support staff is very good. The support staff have a very good understanding of both the learning that is to take place and the needs of the individual pupils or groups with whom they work. This is because teachers spend time in explaining the purpose of the lessons and the support staff are eager to contribute to extending pupils’ learning. Support staff carry out valuable additional tasks in classrooms. Rosegrove Infant School For example, in reception in classes 1 and 2 the nursery nurse taught children how to program the electronic floor robot to move backwards and forwards along different pathways. Support staff work very effectively in whole class sessions, interacting with the teachers to provide additional interest to the pupils. They also support pupils with special educational needs very sensitively, encouraging them to contribute to the whole class

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

discussion. The school actively encourages students and other adults to work in the school. Teachers work very well with these visitors to extend pupils’ learning. For example, a student in class 4 worked with pupils when they were investigating how to make a boat move around a channel. She interacted very well with the pupils, asking pertinent questions. She also ensured that the lively responses of the pupils to the task remained well under control and that the water remained in the channel.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The development of pupils’ basic skills is very good because teachers tackle them clearly and systematically. In reading, teachers provide a systematic programme of work to support pupils in tackling unknown words through building up the letter sounds. This is particularly good in class 1. In mathematics there is an equally effective programme for pupils to develop skills of recognising and handling numbers. Teachers use the computer suite effectively to demonstrate new techniques on the interactive computerised tablet and then provide time for pupils to practise. Teachers use the whole class sessions well to explain new skills carefully, building carefully on previous knowledge. This ensures that pupils acquire new skills, knowledge and understanding at a good rate because they tackle new work with confidence. For example, in science in class 5 the teacher asked pupils what made a fair test and then went on to ask them how they could apply this to the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

new experiment of investigating friction.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teachers consistently explain to pupils at the beginning of lessons the learning that will take place. In the best lessons, they continue to refer to this learning as they work through the tasks and then expect pupils to identify what they have learnt at the end of the lesson. This reinforces pupils’ understanding of their own learning very effectively. For example, in class 3 at the end of a music lesson, the pupils identified that they had learned about higher and lower sounds, how to use chime bars and how to recognise symbols that represented notes. In class 1 the teacher uses the end of the lessons particularly well to review individual children’s learning. For example, in an information and communication technology lesson, a child reported back to the class that he had pressed the wrong key and his program had disappeared.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Planning is of a very good quality. Teachers plan carefully together in their year groups. This makes the best use of teachers’ ideas because they share each other’s expertise. It also ensures that support staff’s time is used efficiently. Another positive outcome is that pupils in the same year group but from different classes can talk to each other outside of lessons about their learning because they have covered the same work. Teachers plan particularly well for different groups of pupils. They evaluate their lessons very carefully each week to identify the pupils who have learnt particularly well and those who have had some difficulties in making progress. Teachers also make regular use of daily assessment to monitor individual progress. They use all this information particularly well when planning the next set of work. This has a significant impact in challenging the more able pupils and supporting the pupils with special educational needs. Teachers plan carefully

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

to ensure that there is a balance between activities that will interest boys and girls. This results in boys making better progress than average in English and mathematics.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Reception teachers have a very good understanding of the needs and curriculum for their age group. All teachers have very good knowledge in the subjects of English, mathematics, art and design and geography. They have a good knowledge of science, religious education, music and design and technology. Teachers are gaining confidence in handling the new hardware in the computer suite and use computers well in classrooms to supplement the learning in the lesson. For example, in class 5 in science more able pupils Rosegrove Infant School used the computer to present their findings in a simple bar chart. However, several of the programs in the computer suite have only recently been purchased and teachers are not yet fully confident in using them all.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. The organisation of lessons is very good. Teachers ensure that there is a balance across whole class sessions, individual and group work. For example, in a literacy session in class 2 the teacher began with a whole class discussion of a book and then moved on to work with a group for guided reading. Other children worked very effectively with the nursery nurse to identify the sequences in the story and the rest of the class worked steadily on independent tasks. The class returned to a whole class session to work out what three letter words said and then moved on to sharing books in groups. This variety produced high levels of concentration by every child. Teachers use brain breaks 4 very effectively to refocus pupils’ attention on learning. In the reception classes teachers balance group work supported by adults very effectively with independent play. They organise the role play areas particularly imaginatively and ensure that there is balance

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

between boy and girl friendly areas over time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Teachers provide stimulating resources to capture pupils’ attention. For example, in class 5, pupils were fascinated by the variety of materials including different types of cardboard, pieces of carpet, bubble wrap, shiny paper and fabric and could not wait to begin their investigations. The class 1 teacher is particularly good in providing a diverse range of stimulating resources for children to use in whole class sessions, group and individual work. Teachers make very effective links across different subjects that extend learning very well. For example, in class 6 in religious education, pupils identified which direction they should be bowing to Mecca. The teacher then produced a compass and pupils were amazed to find out they had been bowing in the wrong direction.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. The use of homework is very good. Teachers work very hard to create a learning partnership with parents. Parents receive very clear guidance about how to support their children in reading. The school has produced a very high quality set of simple tasks for parents to carry out with their children, which become more difficult as the children become more fluent readers. The school provides special homework books for pupils and this produces a sense of pride in this work and pupils produce neat and careful work. Teachers plan carefully to ensure that they send interesting tasks home. For example, children in reception were asked to pay for something small in a shop and then look at the change to try to recognise the different coins.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. Features of the excellent teaching include a very fast pace, high expectations, very interesting tasks, high quality interactions with individual pupils, an emphasis on pupils doing their best and a real celebration of pupils’ achievements.

p.15

PUPILS?

29. The quality and range of learning opportunities for reception and infant pupils are very good. They are exciting. There are lots of opportunities for pupils to become involved in practical investigations, to talk and reflect on these and share their feelings about them. There is a richness in the quality of experience, which is soundly based on the systematic development of the skills typical of each subject. The school has made a great deal of progress since the last inspection.

p.15

PUPILS?

30. The curriculum for reception is carefully organised to ensure that children receive a varied and stimulating range of experiences across each of the Areas of Learning. There is a very good balance across each term, which appeals to both girls and boys. For example,

p.15

PUPILS?

4 A brain break consists of a physical exercise using both left and right parts of the body. This stimulates the brain and gives pupils a higher concentration level on the next task. Rosegrove Infant School the role play 5 area is currently a service station, where children can buy petrol and get their car washed. The outdoor play provides a particularly good balance of activities to challenge and stimulate children’s learning.

p.15

PUPILS?

31. The infant curriculum meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. All subjects are explored in some depth because the school is imaginative and flexible in its use of time. Sometimes this is blocked for subjects, or occasions are found for enrichment of a particular subject. This might be a day dedicated to pupils and parents exploring a science or mathematics trail or taking part in a drama workshop. This makes the curriculum highly relevant to the pupils and captivates their interest. Staff plan for religious education very well, interpreting the local education authority syllabus most effectively and thereby enhancing the underlying ethos of the school.

p.16

PUPILS?

32. The school has thought long and hard about ways to develop schemes of work that take account of both national guidelines and meet the needs of a small school. For example, at times there have been or might be pupils from two year-groups in one class. The two-year rolling programme accommodates this very effectively. Curriculum planning is extremely well done and in all subjects schemes are of a high quality, supporting the planning and teaching and ensuring good or very good progress of pupils through the school. Every co- ordinator has sifted through supportive material and selected and combined elements to produce the ‘best fit’ for the school's needs. Thus, for example, the scheme of work for information and communication technology includes a unit that the co-ordinator and staff have written especially for Rosegrove. When pupils worked with the floor robot, the school felt a need for a greater challenge, more closely focused on information and

p.16

PUPILS?

communication technology skills. The quality of the schemes is further enhanced by the very effective way in which staff across a year group plan together. This ensures that the provision and opportunities in parallel classes are equal. At times, as in drama, staff teach lessons together and thus provide excellent role models of how to collaborate.

p.16

PUPILS?

33. The schemes support the needs of all children. Weekly and daily planning is very detailed about the way in which tasks are shaped to meet the needs of different groups. More able pupils are now very well catered for. The flexible use of time and staff ensures that pupils are really challenged, that learning is open-ended and that pupils are encouraged to initiate and explore ideas for themselves. They know that their ideas are valued and respected. The school works hard to provide stimulating experiences that will appeal to both girls and boys.

p.16

PUPILS?

34. The school's provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The adults working in the school are consistent in their early and careful evaluation of pupils’ needs and progress. The school follows the Code of Practice most effectively. With great care, staff monitor those who are felt to be having difficulties. They make detailed observations which, when appropriate, lead to individual educational programmes. These enable all adults to target school activities and suggest ideas for parents that will help improve progress and overcome problems. The school and external support staff work very well together to support those pupils who have greater needs. Progress and action are reviewed regularly with the full involvement of parents. Most of the additional support, whether provided by the school staff or from external sources, takes place in the classroom so no child is excluded from the supportive learning environment of the class

p.16

PUPILS?

and shares equally in the content of all lessons.

p.16

PUPILS?

35. The school has most successfully implemented the literacy and numeracy strategies. Staff carefully evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies and sensibly modify and adapt them. For example, they keep the good practice but use time a little more flexibly so that they cater very effectively for a greater focus on writing. The school puts great store on

p.16

PUPILS?

5 A role play area is provides a range of resources based on different social contexts such as the hairdresser or a garden centre, which encourages children to carry out imaginative play in a range of different situations. Rosegrove Infant School developing all literacy skills across the curriculum. Speaking and listening are key factors in establishing the quality of learning in all subjects. Reading and writing skills are developed and applied especially well in geography, science and religious education. Awareness of number is most effectively developed in information and communication technology, for example, with the floor robot. Pupils are already sufficiently adept at using computers to retrieve and communicate information and as a result, it is now a tool to support and extend learning in other subjects.

p.16

PUPILS?

36. As is common in most infant schools, there are no after school clubs. However, the school makes every effort to set up interesting visits and encourages people to come into school and share their experiences with the pupils. For example, a visiting theatre company and a drama workshop made a great impact, thereby enriching and deepening the regular daily diet. The school's provision for personal, social and health education is very good. These three individual strands are subtly and realistically explored and developed not only in Circle Time 6 but in all areas of the curriculum. In a simple way pupils begin to understand how their bodies change as they grow and in science experience a natural starting point for sex education. Pupils are helped to think about a healthy life and in Circle Time consider the feelings, needs and points of view of others.

p.17

PUPILS?

37. The school is an integral part of the local community. A rapidly increasing range of ventures and connections ensure that the community and the school work together for their mutual benefit. Pupils and their families experience the richness and closeness of a well-defined community. Likewise the school seeks to establish good relationships with the feeder nursery school, the junior school and the local high school. The most obviously successful element is a very effective e-mail exchange with two local primary schools. This is facilitated with the help of senior pupils from the local high school.

p.17

PUPILS?

38. Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good and is a strength of the school. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Parents are pleased that the school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on their children’s learning.

p.17

PUPILS?

39. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is excellent because it is clearly at the heart of the school. Rich opportunities abound for them to explore, acquire and share a set of values, which create the special ethos within the school. In a class 6 mathematics lesson one pupil exclaimed, ‘No-one can stand between me and my friend because he is 73 and I am 74!’ All teachers and pupils have respect for each other because they work within a tranquil ethos where pupils grow and flourish. Daily assemblies make a powerful contribution to pupils’ spiritual development. They centre on moving acts of collective worship where each pupil has time for reflection about a particular theme. In one assembly, for example, they politely greeted everyone and quietly spoke as one voice, ‘We have come into the hall – a special time for one and all’. These words transformed their hall into a unique place because they had come together to share a very special

p.17

PUPILS?

experience. The chair of governors sensitively echoed the sentiment of their words. Singing is a spiritual experience, particularly when pupils sing together in assemblies. They have regular opportunities to reflect on their inner thoughts in their ‘Circle Time’ lessons, where they sit together, take turns and consider their feelings. Teachers lead prayers sensitively in classrooms and explain the purpose of prayer. In all lessons, teachers value their pupils’ questions, treat them sensitively and recognise their self- esteem and worth. In a class 6 lesson the teacher asked whether pupils would like to know in which direction Mecca lay. All gazed with amazement and wonder, well beyond her pointed finger, into the distance and there was a brief period of silence. Teachers encourage pupils to ask themselves, ‘Why?’ because they give them space for their own thoughts, ideas and concerns. The school monitors the success of its provision very well.

p.17

PUPILS?

In a class 3 lesson, the teacher explained caringly, ‘You have a job to do now. I know that

p.17

PUPILS?

6 Circle Tt ime allows pupils to each take a turn in expressing their feelings and thoughts, whilst sitting together in a circle. Rosegrove Infant School you can do it and enjoy it.’ Sensitive and helpful comments in pupils’ books very clearly illustrate the care that teachers have for their pupils. This fosters the growth of their self- understanding. They have deep respect and appreciation of the appearance of their school. Regular contact with the local churches, a mosque and Hindu temple further reinforces the links with pupils’ spiritual development.

p.17

PUPILS?

40. The provision for pupils’ moral development is very good. All pupils understand right from wrong because the headteacher, teachers and other adults set very good examples. There is a clear set of rules in each classroom, which they respect and understand. This successfully promotes pupils’ awareness of the importance of rules that promote the values of honesty, justice and care. Staff consistently give logical reasons why their pupils should behave so that they have a very good sense of right and wrong. They readily praise them for their good behaviour. This has a positive impact on their attitudes to work and to school. Because they work in a safe environment, they are confident in expressing their views. They have great respect for property. For example, their workbooks are neat and tidy and their handwriting is well presented.

p.18

PUPILS?

41. Arrangements for pupils’ social development are very good. Teachers regularly plan activities that encourage pupils to mix confidently with each other. For example, in a class 3 art lesson, pupils shared, in pairs, how they felt about a camel which was forced to stay in the sun. They took turns to speak and to listen to each other. They were so involved in their discussion that they were reluctant to end it. These activities have a very positive effect on pupils’ attitudes to learning because all teachers clearly value any pupil’s contribution to the relationships within the school. This has a positive impact on their understanding of citizenship. Teachers encourage their pupils to take responsibility seriously from an early age. For example, they look after the registers and give out milk and biscuits. Older pupils care for younger ones when they first join the school. In a class 3 music lesson pupils readily shared musical instruments and worked very well together to

p.18

PUPILS?

compose their music. In a class 6 physical education lesson pupils sensibly collected and distributed apparatus. Every pupil has the opportunity to take part in school concerts, games and other social activities and these successfully promote their social development. The creation and improvement of the outside environment has taught them the importance of team spirit.

p.18

PUPILS?

42. Arrangements for pupils’ cultural development are very good because the school prepares its pupils very well for life in a multi-cultural society. They learn about people in other countries such as Africa and China. For example, in their whole-school theme, they have learned, through art, music and history, how Chinese people celebrate their New Year. They clearly illustrate these experiences in their writing. Their summer concert includes music from other cultures. They listen to the music of, for example, Ravel, Vivaldi and Mendelssohn because their teachers provide very good opportunities for them to develop their understanding and appreciation of the work of famous composers. They learn songs from other cultures and countries such as Austria and North Africa. Their artwork clearly illustrates their knowledge of the work of famous artists such as Van Gogh and Mondrian. They learn about other faiths such as Hinduism and Islam. There is a very good range of

p.18

PUPILS?

educational outings, which include visits to exhibitions in Towneley Hall. There are regular visitors to school, such as the Burnley Youth Theatre. These opportunities clearly illustrate teachers’ very good knowledge, understanding and interest in a wide range of subjects. They very effectively support pupils’ awareness of their own cultural heritage, their understanding of life in a multi-cultural society and further develop their spiritual, personal, social and cultural development.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The support and guidance offered to the pupils are very good and are strengths of the school. The staff care passionately about the pupils and are eager to make sure that all of Rosegrove Infant School the children are happy at school. Parents appreciate the very good standards of care that the school offers.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The school maintains a vigilant approach to child protection. A robust policy is in place and all staff are aware of the procedures that they must follow if there are any concerns. The school takes the safety of the pupils very seriously. A formal policy gives guidance on health and safety matters and regular risk assessments are undertaken. The site supervisor is alert to any hazards and remedial action is taken to rectify any risks that are identified. Qualified first aiders are on hand to deal with any minor mishaps. In lessons the teachers and pupils pay attention to safety. In design and technology, for example, the pupils know of the potential hazards of using saws and understand that they must use these tools with great care.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The school has useful links with the professional support agencies. These are helpful in providing routine health screening and in supporting pupils who find aspects of learning difficult. The school nurse, for example, makes weekly visits to offer advice to parents and their children. Similarly positive relationships exist with the community. The local police officer visits the school from time to time to talk about some of the dangers that the pupils may face outside of school. A very effective programme of personal, health and social education focuses on the PRIDE project. This helps the pupils to learn about safe and healthy living.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The staff know the pupils well and this, together with more formal ways of monitoring personal development, like the Record of Achievement, means that staff are alert to individual needs. The monitoring of personal development is very good. It enables the staff to celebrate the pupils’ successes outside school, for instance, in sport. In lessons, the teachers offer kindly support where this is needed. For example, in one class the teacher offered to make sure that a pupil who had missed out at break time received her milk, thus avoiding any upset in the lesson. Each week the teachers review the pupils’ progress and make any necessary adjustments to the support given to them.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school works hard to support all of the pupils. It makes sure that the pupils who find learning difficult are fully included in the classes. The school gives extra support to the pupils who have potential to achieve well. The headteacher provides stimulating extra literacy sessions for small groups of more able pupils. Comments in the annual reports to the parents let them know very clearly how the pupils are developing.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The school’s procedures for promoting constantly high standards of behaviour are very effective. Consequently, behaviour is very good throughout the school. These procedures are based on simple rules that the pupils understand and follow. They are backed up by rewards for good conduct, work and effort. The teachers are quick to apply the procedures in the few instances where this is necessary. For example, in class 6 the teacher calmed the pupils well when they became excited and started to shout out.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The procedures for promoting attendance are good. The registers are taken each day and are regularly analysed for trends. In this way, the school is able to follow up any concerns quickly. The school awards certificates each half term to the pupils who achieve 100 per cent attendance.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The school welcomes the parents of new children. It provides clear information for them and offers a programme of visits. Through these facilities the children are effectively introduced to the school and settle in quickly because they have been well prepared. The staff maintain good relationships with their colleagues at the nearby junior school. The majority of the pupils transfer to their next stage of education with a minimum of fuss or disruption. This is a result of the extensive use of visits, liaison between the teachers and the exchange of information on the pupils’ achievements and needs. Rosegrove Infant School 51. Procedures for assessing pupils’ work are very good and assessment is used very well. As a result, all teachers provide challenging activities to match the needs of all their pupils. These were key issues in the previous inspection which the school has now resolved.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. In reception, teachers skilfully assess children’s attainment on admission and make very good use of these assessments to plan exciting and challenging activities. As a result, these children make very good progress. This continues in Years 1 and 2 where teachers make very good use of pupils’ results in national and other tests to track progress over time and to effectively set targets for the future. Regular testing and recording of results in all subjects ensure that teachers’ plans closely match the differing abilities of all pupils. Teachers’ assessment records have comprehensive details in each subject of individual pupils’ strengths and areas for development. For example, they carry out detailed assessments at the end of each week or topic and record these results to more accurately inform their future planning. Teachers pass these on to the next teacher at the end of each year so that they have a very clear record of each pupil’s achievements. Each half-

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

term the senior management team and subject leaders examine samples of pupils’ work over a period of time. This ensures that all teachers plan consistently for the parallel classes and provide appropriate tasks for all abilities. This is a very effective system that contributes very significantly to the improvements in pupils’ standards in the school. All teachers keep weekly records of what their pupils have learned and they make very good use of this information to adjust their future plans to accommodate any areas that need to be revisited. Portfolios of individual pupils’ assessed work contain samples of tasks in several subjects to illustrate very good examples for each area of the curriculum.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. The quality of teachers’ marking is very good. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils present their work very well because teachers’ comments clearly indicate what they have achieved and what they need to do next to improve. For example, there are targets for writing at the front of each pupil’s book so all pupils know what they are expected to do. The school has made great strides in improving pupils’ attainment and progress in most subjects because all staff work together as a very competent team. They recognise their pupils’ achievements and work very hard to extend this further.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. As a consequence of the high quality support and guidance given to the pupils, they feel safe and cared for and like coming to school. It makes a positive contribution to their schooling. The previous inspection report identified good support and guidance. The school has developed this further and now gives very good support to the pupils in its care. Rosegrove Infant School

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. The school’s relationships with parents are very good. Parents have very positive views of the school and are very satisfied with all that it does. The school enjoys the active support of the parents for its approach to homework and for the performances that the pupils give.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. The range and quality of information that the school provides for the parents is very good. An informative prospectus clearly sets out what the school has to offer and guides the parents through its routines. The school provides a well-presented description of what is being taught in each term. The annual report for the parents is detailed and gives them a picture of what their children are achieving and how further improvements can be made. The school holds effective consultation evenings for the parents so that they are able to discuss their child’s progress. A home school agreement, which the vast majority of the parents endorse, sets out the roles and responsibilities of school, parent and child. Each year, the school asks the parents if they would like to see any changes to the agreement. The staff make a point of being available at the start and end of the school day. Parents find this helpful in discussing any concerns.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. The school recognises that many of the parents have other responsibilities and that they may find it difficult to come into school. It strives hard to include the parents in its work. It tries a number of ways of encouraging the parents to help their children to learn. For example, the school runs a successful ‘Dads and Lads‘ project which provides suitable games and books for fathers to use with their sons. This is making a positive contribution to the boys’ achievements and the school has plans to extend the scheme to the girls. From time to time, the school holds special events for the parents and their children. For example, many parents supported the schools’ mathematics and science trails.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58. Homework makes a very good contribution to the pupil’s learning. Parents are supportive of this and help their children with important work like reading. They make useful comments in the home/school reading diaries. The teachers provide a list of questions for parents when helping their children with homework that the parents appreciate. A number of volunteers help in school. Parents help in classes from time to time. A group of the parents regularly come into school to make books and games so that the pupils can use these at home to help them learn about mathematics. Parents support the school’s social and fund raising events. They contribute and raise significant amounts of money that help the school to provide that little bit extra for the pupils like Christmas and Easter presents.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. The previous inspection report concluded that the information for parents was satisfactory and that relationships were good. These aspects have improved and are now of a very good standard. The very good relationships and the school’s innovative efforts in encouraging the parents to support their children’s learning have a very beneficial effect on the achievements of the pupils.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The leadership of the headteacher is very good. She has strong beliefs about the purpose of the school’s work for both pupils and parents. She communicates this very effectively to the whole school community and has very high expectations of how they should be carried out. She sets the standards through her own example. For example, she creates a very positive start to the school day by welcoming pupils individually as they enter the school building every morning. This provides a high quality model for the rest of the staff, who also greet pupils and parents warmly. This ensures a very positive start to the day’s learning. The headteacher is very effective in her long-term planning. She keeps well up to date with new initiatives and works hard to ensure that the school benefits from them. For example, she found a booklet identifying funding sources and wrote to every one to find out if she could access their funds. Part of these efforts resulted in the very high

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Rosegrove Infant School quality playground, with its very attractive garden areas and the delightful sculptures around the fencing. The headteacher has very effective management skills. She analyses the organisation of the school very carefully to make the very best use of all the available resources. For example, the needs of more able pupils are considered carefully. These pupils receive a very well balanced programme of work. This includes some withdrawal sessions that are designed to challenge their thinking and extend their skills to ensure that they reach standards above average. The headteacher leads by example, teaching a variety of different groups of pupils. This adds a valuable addition to the quality of teaching overall and also allows the headteacher to track the progress of pupils thoroughly. The clear leadership and effective management of the headteacher ensure that staff have a high level of commitment to the school and a very good capacity to

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The headteacher works very effectively with the senior management team, who all have a deep commitment to the school. This is a considerable improvement on the previous inspection, when this was a key issue. The senior management team all share the same educational philosophy and work very effectively together to drive the development of the school forward. Both the deputy headteacher and the senior teacher have excellent features in their teaching. This provides a very good example for the rest of the staff. The deputy headteacher works hard to complement the work of the headteacher and has a very good understanding of the daily workings of the school. All co-ordinators work very well to monitor the work in their subjects and to identify the way forward. The systems set up by the headteacher ensure that co-ordinators have regular opportunities to support other teachers in developing their planning, supporting pupils with special educational

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

needs and challenging more able pupils. The leadership of the reception year co-ordinator is particularly good. She has a very good understanding of the curriculum for this age group and ensures that both classes provide a stimulating range of well-balanced experiences to extend each child’s learning.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The chair of governors has a very good understanding of the work of the school. He works in close partnership with the headteacher to continually improve all aspects of school life. He makes a major contribution to the spiritual life of the school. He leads high quality assemblies that match the pupils’ needs very skilfully. The governing body has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They greatly value the role of the school in the community. For example, the numeracy governor attended a mathematics workshop for parents to help to explain how they could support their children at home.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The school does not become complacent when it has achieved its goals. Instead it considers other aspects of the work of the school and systematically works hard to ensure even better opportunities for pupils’ learning. For example, the ‘Dads and Lads’ project worked so well for the boys that the school now plans to provide a ‘Dads and Daughters’ programme. The school improvement plan is an efficient document and encapsulates both the short and the long-term developments. The headteacher and teachers use new technology very effectively to extend the work of the school.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The school has a very good balance of teachers with different areas of expertise, which meets its aims of keeping class sizes small. The team of support staff is well qualified and provides valuable additional support for individuals and groups, particularly in the reception classes. The headteacher organises the teaching teams very carefully to make the most efficient use of their time. However, she carries out too many low-level administrative tasks that should be carried out by secretarial staff. The school provides a comprehensive programme of training to keep staff’s skills up to date. This programme is linked very well to the school’s priorities. It has been awarded the Investors in People national standard for its good practice in training staff. The school has very good arrangements for the performance management of the teachers, all of whom have challenging targets that are Rosegrove Infant School

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

focused on moving the school forward. It supports new teachers very effectively when they join the school and provides high quality training for newly qualified teachers.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The school’s accommodation is very good and provides many varied opportunities to extend pupils’ learning. For example, the computer suite is combined with a high quality library, which greatly enhances the development of pupils’ reading and information and communication technology skills. Careful planning and prudent spending have improved the accommodation in recent years. For example, the playground has been developed and an attractive computer suite has been added to the school. The site supervisor and cleaner keep the school in a very good state of repair and makes sure that it is a welcoming and very clean place for pupils. The school works hard to keep the state of decoration to a high standard. Teachers then provide high quality displays, which celebrate pupils’ work very sensitively. Resources are good. They are up to date and are well looked after. The school spends wisely on resources and it has, for example, recently

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

restocked with new books that the children like. The school uses its accommodation and resources very well.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The headteacher and governors manage the funds that are available to the school very well. They make prudent allocations of monies from the annual budget and reserves to support the school’s plans and priorities. As a result, they ensure that the school has good quality resources for all of the subjects. The school has a large reserve of money and is using this very effectively to improve the buildings and grounds as well as to maintain single age classes. These factors are popular with the parents and the local community. The headteacher is very successful in securing grants for the school. These are properly accounted for and are spent on their intended purposes. The school uses all the principles of best value very effectively. They consult regularly with their parents and investigate the best way of providing new resources. For example, when they decided to provide a new computer suite, they considered its organisation very carefully and then looked carefully at

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the different tenders. They managed to save £12,000 through identifying the best value for money.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. Taking everything into account, the school gives very good value for money.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

68. The work of the school is such high quality that there are no key issues for improvement. However, in order to improve further the efficiency of the work of the school, the governors, headteacher and staff should address the following minor weakness:-

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• the headteacher has to spend too much time on low-level administrative work that should be carried out by secretarial staff (paragraph 64). Rosegrove Infant School

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 40

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 11 48 39 2 0 0 0 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.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 137

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 32

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 15

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

p.24

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Rosegrove Infant School

p.24

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 22 27 49

p.25

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.25

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

Boys 19 22 22 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 27 27 27

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 94 (88) 100 (88) 100 (100) at NC Level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.25

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

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

Boys 20 22 22 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 27 27 27

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 96 (88) 100 (97) 100 (97) at NC Level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.25

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Rosegrove Infant School

p.25

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.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7 Financial year 2001-2002

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 334,401

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Total expenditure 356,415

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 61 Expenditure per pupil 2,921

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 89,272

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 67,258 7 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

7 This amount is to pay for future major capital expenditure and to secure the staffing of single aged classes for the future. Rosegrove Infant School

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 59 41 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 56 44 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 48 42 8 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 44 49 2 5 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 65 31 2 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 69 31 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 38 53 6 3 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 55 38 2 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 53 47 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 25 36 20 8 11 Rosegrove Infant School PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

69. Children enter the school on a full time basis at the beginning of the year if they reach their fifth birthday in the autumn or spring term. The other children attend part time for the first few weeks of the school year. Children work in two parallel classes with the nursery nurse’s time shared efficiently between the two classes. The two teachers plan closely together, which ensures that there are similar experiences for each child. The two classes are next door to each other, which provides good communication. Reception children have their own morning playtime, when they work with the many challenging activities organised by one of the teachers and the nursery nurse. This provides high quality opportunities for learning across all of the Areas of Learning because teachers plan carefully to ensure there is a balanced programme of work over time.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

70. Children enter the school with attainment that is below average, but with a very wide range of ability. They make very good progress overall across the different areas of learning. They are on track to reach well above the expected level in personal, social and emotional development by the end of reception because the teachers provide a rich variety of opportunities to extend this learning. The whole school activities reinforce this learning very effectively. Children are on track to reach above expectations in knowledge and understanding of the world and physical and creative development by the end of reception. Teachers address each aspect of these areas of learning systematically and use resources very imaginatively to develop children’s learning in these areas. Children are on track to be below expectations in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development by the end of reception because more children than expected are beginning

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

school well below average in these areas. The school’s use of national assessments at the beginning and end of the reception year shows that in class 1 children make outstanding progress in reading and mathematics over the year. However, the teacher of this class has been on maternity leave over the past term and this has reduced the usual level of progress in these areas. Scrutiny of children’s work shows that children’s progress is already accelerating due to the high quality teaching they are now receiving. The school has set itself very high targets to further increase progress in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development in order to reach the expected levels in these areas of learning by the end of reception. Teaching is good overall. Teaching in class 1 is very good with excellent features.

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Personal, social and emotional development

71. Teaching is very good. Children form high quality relationships with each other and with adults because the teaching teams grasp every opportunity to extend these skills. For example, when taking the register the teachers greet each child warmly and receive a positive response to begin the morning. Children work happily together in their independent tasks, sharing the resources and playing harmoniously together. For example, in the petrol station role-play area the children filled up each other’s cars with petrol and then took payment with a toy credit card. Children sustain their interest very well throughout lessons because teachers provide a careful balance between whole class, group and independent activities. Children achieve very high levels of concentration in class 1 because the teacher is so well organised. They also develop a very good understanding of their own learning because the teacher expects them to identify this at

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Personal, social and emotional development

the end of lessons. For example, after working on computers, children explained that they had learnt to write the first letter of their name and used the rainbow effect to make it pretty. Rosegrove Infant School

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Communication, language and literacy

72. Teaching is good overall, with excellent features in class 1. More able children talk confidently, using technical terms correctly. For example, a child explained that he was ‘segmenting a word’ to work out what it said. However, there are a larger proportion of children than expected who are nervous about talking, particularly in the whole class context. Children all listen well across all activities. For example, all children listened carefully at the end of their mathematics session because they were genuinely interested in what the other children had been doing. Standards of reading of more able children in class 1 are well above expectations because the teacher has very high expectations and challenges them to tackle new words confidently. All children respond confidently to the stories in their reading books because they have the opportunity four times a week to choose their next book and to talk about the book they have just read. The home/school

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Communication, language and literacy

links are very good and children greatly benefit from the clear instructions their parents receive in supporting them at home. Children steadily develop confidence in recognising key words and letter sounds. However, there are more children than expected who do not yet know their letter sounds because they enter the school with little experience of handling books. More able children write simple sentences confidently, using recognisable spelling to communicate their meaning. For example, a child wrote, ‘I am speshul becus my mummy loves me’. Children produce marks confidently to express their meaning because teachers provide many opportunities to develop these skills, such as a writing corner. However, a higher proportion of children than expected do not produce recognisable letters.

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Mathematical development

73. Teaching is good overall with very good features in class 1. More able children work confidently with tens and units, which is well above expectations. For example, they work out that when three children are absent there will be 20 left in the class. These children tackle problems confidently. For example, they worked out that there was one more person counted round the circle because the teacher was included. Children with special educational needs make very good progress because the nursery nurse supports them so well. For example, in a whole class session, two children worked with her putting their own people onto their individual buses, while the rest of the class used one large bus with one large set of people. However, fewer children than expected work confidently with numbers up to five because they lack confidence in handling numbers when they enter the school.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

74. Teaching is good overall with excellent features in class 1. Children all investigate and explore the world around them because teachers provide very well structured opportunities. For example, in outdoor play children understand that magnifying glasses make things bigger because they use them regularly to look closely at the plants in the gardens. Teachers provide simple experiments and talk about fair testing, which extends children’s knowledge very well. For example, children in class 1 understood that objects with a curved edge would roll because they had investigated different objects going down a ramp. Children work very confidently on computers because they work in the computer suite each week and supplement this by working on computers in their classrooms. Children all use the mouse confidently and select a rainbow effect to write the first letter of their names. Children in class 1 all print out their work independently and the more able

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

children explain how to move through the menus to turn the program off. Children develop a very good understanding of cultures and beliefs because they carry out tasks such as making Divali cards to celebrate festivals. Assemblies provide high quality opportunities to extend this learning. For example, children learnt about the Chinese New Year with the headteacher and about presenting Jesus at the temple with the chair of governors. Rosegrove Infant School

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Physical development

75. Teaching is very good. Teachers provide a carefully balanced programme of whole class sessions in the hall with group and individual activities in outdoor play. Children handle small apparatus such as bean-bags confidently. They have a very good awareness of space. For example, they move around the large hall without touching each other and ride the tricycles and scooters sensibly around the playground. They work well together copying each other’s movements. For example, they worked in pairs to make little trains and moved their arms to show the wheels going round. Children handle tools and materials confidently because there are many different opportunities in both group work and in independent play. For example, some children ‘posted’ aliens into their spaceship as they left the earth and other children positioned ‘smarties’ very carefully onto their biscuits.

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Creative development

76. Teaching is very good. Children participate very confidently in imaginative play because teachers provide interesting areas for them to develop these skills. Teachers chose these areas carefully to appeal to both boys and girls, which extends each child’s interest well. Children develop very good observational skills, which they then use in drawing. For example, each child produced a beautifully detailed drawing of a bicycle because they had a real bicycle to observe. Teachers provide good quality music lessons. They introduce new songs well and children develop confidence in trying out new tunes. All children handle musical instruments very respectfully and use them sensitively. For example, they each played their percussion instrument together to accompany their new song about riding in different vehicles.

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ENGLISH

77. The table below shows attainment in the national tests for Year 2 pupils together with the inspection judgements:-

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judgements

Reading well above very high above Writing above well above above

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Speaking and

78. The inspection confirms the standards of last year’s tests in writing and judges them above average. The national tests in reading were well above average because there was a high proportion of pupils attaining above the expected level. There is not such a high proportion of pupils at this level this year and overall attainment is above average. However, there has been a general improvement across the whole year group and this represents an upward trend from 2001 because more pupils are now reaching the expected level.

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Speaking and

79. For the past three years boys have performed better than average when compared with standards of boys nationally. Last year the girls also reached standards above the national average for girls. High achievers of both genders are challenged very successfully and a number of them are outstandingly good. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and make very good progress, in part because they have a very good and positive attitude to their work. Rosegrove Infant School 80. Speaking and listening skills are above average. Teachers adopt many simple but effective strategies to help pupils develop their listening skills. They pay appropriate attention to each other when answering questions. The adults provide a very good role model for speaking. They express their ideas with clarity and use a variety of expressions that mean the same thing. They use technical language related to subject content

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Speaking and

naturally and systematically and, in turn, pupils use terms such as ’sentence’ or ‘exclamation mark’ appropriately. Although most pupils do not have a wide range of vocabulary to draw upon they are encouraged to use language carefully and to describe accurately. They are helped to organise their ideas in order to present reasons for their views. When class 3 were asked if they could combine two ideas from their story plan in one sentence, one boy thought for a while and suggested, ‘ Dolly was reading the newspaper and when she turned the page she saw an invitation from Prince Charming’. Speaking and listening skills are effectively developed in all curriculum areas. Teachers make very good use of open-ended questions that require pupils to answer at length. In all subjects pupils are encouraged to think, discuss ideas with a partner and then say the rehearsed sentence out loud to each other before attempting to write it down. Drama

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Speaking and

sessions often mean working in pairs and taking roles, for example Prince Charming or an ugly sister in Cinderella. Very few pupils appear shy, reluctant to talk in class or are difficult to understand.

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Speaking and

81. Reading standards are above average. Previously the school was criticised for failing to develop reading skills sufficiently. Now teacher knowledge is very good. The school is very successful in teaching the skills systematically but never at the expense of the enjoyment in books. As a result, pupils enjoy reading, talk confidently about the stories they are reading and, young as they are, have favourites and express preferences for fiction or non-fiction. One boy, sharing a book with a visitor and eager to get on with a new book did not want to be distracted by anecdotes about mice. He said ‘ Come on, let’s get on with it’. Pupils make very good use of the library, which is now very well stocked with an exciting range of books. Support assistants play an invaluable role in helping them make a considered and good choice of books.

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Speaking and

82. Pupils understand how books work, identify title and author, refer to the blurb on the back and study the illustration on the cover carefully for information about the content. Staff use the ‘shared’ reading sessions very effectively to develop an awareness of the significance of speech marks, exclamation marks and different types of print. They consistently draw pupils’ attention to spelling patterns within words. Staff explain the increased success with reading in part to the close link between the books that pupils take home and the reading tasks that they have devised to help parents share books with their children. The tasks are carefully graduated to match the stage of the book in the reading scheme, providing a focus for both parent and child. The reading diaries also consolidate the shared focus between home and school. Some of the more able pupils are outstandingly good readers.

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Speaking and

83. The reading skills are closely linked to the development of pupils' understanding of letters and sounds. The highest achievers have a very wide reading vocabulary that they recognise instantly. They are not disturbed by an unfamiliar word but use a range of strategies to work out what it might say. They break words up into smaller units, or spot familiar beginnings and endings. They combine this knowledge with a consideration of the meaning of the sentence as a whole in order to find a solution. Less advanced readers make good use of their knowledge of letter sounds and the way that these can be combined. Words that occur very frequently are systematically addressed and learnt from the time pupils start school. This comprehensive and systematic approach benefits both reading and spelling competence. Higher readers in particular benefit from ‘guided’ reading sessions where they are helped to work out meaning that goes beyond the simple

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Speaking and

words on the page. Teachers strive hard to teach pupils to think very carefully about what a question is actually asking before they speak or write. For example, a group found it Rosegrove Infant School very difficult to distinguish between just saying what ‘screaming’ meant and the need to explain how the layout of the poem emphasised this repeated word.

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Speaking and

84. Standards in writing are good with some extremely confident, fluent and accurate writers. Teachers' understanding about how to teach writing is very good and the school presents a consistent approach. Although pupils are eager to write, staff point out that many find it difficult to come up with their own ideas. The school is currently making very good use of familiar fairy stories as a way of exploring the structure of a story and how to put key ideas in order. They discuss ideas in pairs before sharing their thoughts with the class. What made this such a successful routine in Year 1 classes was the idea of counting how many words they had in their sentences. This was used to good effect when writing and re- reading it in order to check whether it made sense. Throughout the classes, teachers acted as excellent role-models for the whole process. At other times, pupils write for very specific purposes, such as making a list or giving reasons for a decision or the outcome of

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Speaking and

an investigation. As with their speech, the range of vocabulary that they have to draw on is relatively small. Teachers help pupils discuss the words and phrases that authors use to make their writing interesting and this is influencing their writing. In one story about the cat that had lost his purr a pupil wrote , ‘Then he walked away frowning with his tail drooping’. Another wrote, ‘…..on leaves it usually has glittering crystals that look like spiky needles’.

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Speaking and

85. Pupils settle quickly to written tasks and clearly enjoy these, largely because they are given a secure but open-ended structure. The good writers are also accurate spellers. Those who are at a lower level write with confidence, making sensible attempts at spelling so that though incorrect the meaning comes through clearly. Overall, the handwriting, which is a printed script, is of a high standard with well-formed letters, although watching pupils write, many are observed to have an awkward grip. In hand writing books pupils are just beginning to join couples of letters.

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Speaking and

86. The teaching is consistently of a very good quality. The shared subject knowledge and the consistency with which particular strategies are pursued ensures good progress. Time is used well. Interactive parts of the lesson are structured so that all pupils are actively participating which keeps the focus and motivation. Teachers and pupils share the enjoyment equally. Teachers and teaching assistants monitor and assess the quality of understanding very carefully. The outcome of this is reflected in personal, well-focused targets, stuck in the front of their book, which are constantly reviewed and upgraded. Marking consistently addresses the progress made on the latest target. Staff are able to work without interruption with small groups and the focused attention during class sessions means that there are no blank faces when pupils attempt their individual tasks. These tasks are extremely carefully thought out and presented in such a way that they are

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Speaking and

relevant to pupils and they want to be involved. In class 6 the Ice Palace was the place to go to do some individual writing. There was always a demand for a place at the table and pupils were eager to clip their completed writing to the string. The range of resources is very good. Staff develop pupils' understanding through their own writing rather than relying too much on work sheets. The computer and listening centres are important resources and are very well used.

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Speaking and

87. Much credit for the high standards and overall approach to teaching must go to the extremely effective and knowledgeable co-ordinator. Together with the staff, she constantly evaluates the effectiveness of the school's approach and plans ways to improve performance further. Rosegrove Infant School

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MATHEMATICS

88. The table below shows attainment in the national tests for Year 2 pupils together with the inspection judgements:-

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judgements

89. The inspection shows an improvement in mathematics because more pupils are reaching the higher Level 3. Standards have improved since the previous inspection and are now above average overall. The school now teaches all the elements of the curriculum, including investigative work. This was a key issue in the previous inspection and has been successfully addressed. The quality of teaching is very good. The subject leader is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about raising standards and improving pupils’ progress. There are very comprehensive procedures for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress as they move through the school. As a result, teachers use these results to plan accurately for all their pupils. They provide very challenging activities for all abilities in order to raise standards further. Pupils with special educational needs receive very good support from teaching assistants and make very good progress within the clear targets set for them.

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judgements

For the past two years boys have attained higher than boys nationally and the girls attained higher last year. There is now a rising trend of improvement in standards. Most parents agree that the school enables their children to achieve a high standard of work.

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judgements

90. In Year 1, pupils enjoy mathematics and participate readily in a range of activities. They work well with tens and units and extend their mathematical language well. For example, in one lesson, pupils learned to put in order numbers to at least 20. They clearly understood the meaning of ‘ordinal’. They knew, for example, that the eleventh number came after the tenth because they had already been involved in a variety of interesting practical activities to help them understand the process. The teacher used open-ended questioning very well to encourage pupils to think carefully and give sensible reasons for their answers. For example, ‘Where do you think you might be in your line when you rearrange yourselves?’ provided encouragement for them to think carefully and offer a variety of solutions. They thoroughly enjoyed these practical activities and this had a positive impact on their learning. Higher attaining pupils recognised the position, for

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judgements

example, of the second purple bead on a bead string. Average pupils successfully completed a challenging task on inserting missing ordinal numbers on a work sheet. Lower attaining pupils, with very good support from the teaching assistant, worked competitively to see who could be first, second or third to write their names three times. There was clear evidence of their commitment to do well because their teacher praised them for their efforts. They recognise odd and even numbers because their teachers have very good subject knowledge and share this very well with their pupils. As a result, they are keen to learn and make very good progress. For example, one pupil clearly illustrated her understanding - ‘I can’t make two equal sticks with odd numbers!’ They recognise and name simple two-dimensional shapes and measure objects in non-standard units. Higher attaining pupils recognise some simple three-dimensional shapes such as cubes and

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judgements

spheres. Lower attaining pupils make good attempts to colour shapes to match the labels. They behave very well and so make very good progress. They learn appropriate vocabulary to describe, for example, numbers that are more or less within 100. Eager pupils raise their hands quickly because they are very interested and their teachers have established very good relationships with them. For example, in one class, pupils clearly Rosegrove Infant School understood the need for fair play when they gently reminded their teacher, ‘You are not allowed to peep!’ as he took random numbers from a bag for them to compare.

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judgements

91. By the time they are seven years old, lower attaining pupils add confidently to at least 20, average pupils work with greater numbers and higher attaining pupils add three numbers to at least 100. They multiply units confidently by five and ten. They are familiar with a range of two and three-dimensional shapes and understand terms such as ‘doubling; find the difference between’. This is because their teachers plan very well for all abilities, use praise very well and have very good relationships with their pupils. For example, pupils confidently learned about the difference between two digit numbers. The teacher explained the task very clearly so that they all understood exactly what they had to do. Very good use of open-ended questions, such as ‘Do you think that is a good decision?’ and ‘How did you work it out?’ prompted pupils to consider carefully whether they had reached the correct solution. These experiences have a very strong impact on their

p.35

judgements

92. Teaching is very good. All teachers plan challenging tasks for their pupils so that they make very good progress. For example, pupils tackle simple word problems with confidence and decide what strategy they need to use to solve them. All lessons have a sharp focus, move at a brisk pace and are clear and authoritative. As a result, pupils concentrate very well. All teachers bring their pupils together at the end of each lesson to share and recall what they have learned. They have very good subject knowledge and high expectations for all to succeed. They praise their pupils’ efforts and boost their confidence so that they enjoy their tasks.

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judgements

93. The mathematics curriculum is very well planned and the National Numeracy Strategy has been very effectively implemented. There are good links with information and communication technology. A very good feature is the clear emphasis on mental and investigative mathematics. As a result, pupils have a very good grasp of number facts. The school carefully analyses the results of national and school tests. It regularly tracks pupils’ progress as they move through the school. Teachers use these results very well in their plans to focus more accurately on what each pupil needs to know to raise standards further. The experienced subject leader regularly monitors teachers’ termly planning, the quality of teaching and learning and equal provision for the parallel classes. She regularly looks at pupils’ written work to ensure that all pupils receive appropriate tasks to match their ability. As a result, she has a very clear overview of pupils’ attainment and progress.

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judgements

94. The numeracy governor is a regular visitor to the school. She has visited all classes to monitor the quality of teaching and learning and works regularly in classes to support pupils with special educational needs. Consequently, she has a very clear overview of the quality of teaching and learning within the school.

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judgements

95. The school involves its parents well in providing valuable experiences for them to work with their children. For example, parents and children share a ‘mathematics trail’. They work together in school on a variety of activities to learn more about their children’s work. A group of parents were observed working in school to produce sets of numeracy games so that pupils may borrow these to take home to share with their parents. All teachers provide regular homework and most parents are happy with the amount their children receive. All of these experiences further strengthen the links between home and school and have a very positive impact on pupils’ learning. Rosegrove Infant School

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SCIENCE

96. The table below shows attainment in the teacher assessment for Year 2 pupils together with the inspection judgements:-

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judgements

Level 3 Average Above average Above average

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judgements

97. The previous inspection identified the need to extend the work of more able pupils, particularly in investigative science. It also required the production and implementation of schemes of work and assessment systems to ensure pupils made steady progress through the school. The school has carried out these improvements very well. The needs of more able pupils are fully met through careful analysis of their needs. For example, when classes were in mixed age groups last year, the more able Year 2 pupils worked in a small group with a specialist teacher. Both boys and girls greatly benefited from this support and they all reached Level 3 at the end of Year 2. The science co-ordinator has very good knowledge of the subject and supports the rest of the teaching teams very effectively. There is now a good quality scheme of work in place and assessment procedures are thorough. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress

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judgements

because they are given additional support in lessons. For example, if pupils have difficulty in writing a record of their findings, adults write down the sentences that these pupils dictate.

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judgements

98. Teaching is very good. Teachers build carefully on the skills that children have developed in reception. They provide exciting investigations for pupils that engage them fully and arouse their curiosity. For example, in class 4 pupils investigated forces by blowing bubbles, moving a boat around a trough, finding out how to make mobiles move and flapping large pieces of card to move some paper frogs. Teachers introduce lessons very effectively. They use technical language carefully, which ensures that pupils use the correct terms. For example, a Year 2 pupil explained forces using terms such as gravity and friction. Teachers use excellent practical examples to explain abstract knowledge. For example, in class 5 the teacher got the pupils to rub their hands together and then explained that the friction of the movement between the two surfaces created the warmth they could feel. Pupils have a very good understanding of scientific processes because

p.36

judgements

teachers organise their lessons around them. Pupils make confident predictions about what will happen in their investigations and justify these. For example, in class 5 a pupil chose the bubble wrap as providing the most friction when a penny travelled over it because ‘It will slow down when it hits the lumps.’ Pupils record their findings well because teachers provide high quality whole class discussions to identify key features of the work. For example, in class 4 pupils produced detailed drawings to show where the force had come from that had moved the different objects. Pupils develop a very good understanding of a fair test because teachers discuss this before the experiment is carried out. For example, when the teacher asked how they could ensure a fair test in pushing the penny across the different surfaces a pupil replied, ‘Give it the same force each time’.

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judgements

99. Teachers work very effectively with other adults in the classroom to provide additional support for pupils. This is particularly valuable when the practical activities are being carried out because the adults extend pupils’ thinking very effectively through skilful questioning. The adults have a very good understanding of the key learning to take place Rosegrove Infant School because they have been thoroughly briefed before the lesson. At the beginning of lessons teachers explain carefully what the pupils are expected to learn. At the end of the lesson, pupils identify what they have learnt, which gives them a very good understanding of their own progress. Teachers challenge more able pupils in whole class sessions very well through giving them more challenging tasks. For example, pupils in a more able group in class 5 were expected to find their own way of recording their findings and then use the

p.36

judgements

computer to express their findings in a graph. Teachers extend literacy and numeracy skills very well in lessons. For example, in class 5 pupils were required to measure the distance the penny travelled accurately. Teachers encourage pupils to use their own words when writing in science, which extends literacy skills well. For example, when describing physical characteristics, a pupil wrote, ‘The door is made out of wood because if it was fabric, the rain would go through the fabric and would be wet and soggy’.

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judgements

100. Teachers manage behaviour extremely well. This produces very high standards of behaviour from pupils. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ personal development and provide clear rules for carrying out tasks. Pupils respond very responsibly to the challenges of working with a large number of exciting resources and co-operate very well with each other to complete the tasks. Teachers use display very effectively to provide additional challenges and to celebrate pupils’ work. For example, in class 5 the teacher set a problem of how a hungry monster was going to reach all the apples on a tree. The display showed each stage in the investigation, which reinforced pupils’ learning very effectively. Teachers provide excellent practical demonstrations to extend pupils’ learning. For example, in class 5 in an introduction to friction, the teacher used an inverted bicycle to show the force of the brakes on the wheel. Teachers use opportunities for creating awe

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judgements

and wonder very well. For example, the whole class gasped when the teacher demonstrated blowing bubbles in class 4.

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judgements

101. Teachers plan carefully over time to ensure that they cover each aspect of the scientific curriculum. This ensures that each pupil has a good balance of scientific knowledge. Each week teachers identify the pupils who have made very good progress through the lesson and those who need additional support. They then modify the planning of the next lesson to ensure that all pupils’ needs are met. The co-ordinator carefully checks planning against pupils’ work and then supports teachers to ensure their knowledge and expertise continue to improve.

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ART AND DESIGN

102. Standards are above the level expected and all pupils, including those with special educational needs, make very good progress because teachers have very good subject knowledge and high expectations of their pupils. There are very good quality displays around the school that clearly show pupils’ skills and illustrate the breadth of their knowledge. The very experienced subject leader has a clear overview of the strengths of the subject because she regularly monitors the quality of teachers’ planning to ensure that they provide appropriate tasks for all their pupils. There are no differences between the attainment of boys and girls. The school maintains samples of pupils’ work in each year to assess their progress. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Art and design lessons are well underpinned by a very clear and detailed scheme of work that helps teachers to plan a broad range of challenging lessons.

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ART AND DESIGN

103. Teaching is very good. All teachers offer their pupils a wide range of experiences and opportunities to use their imagination. For example, in class 3, pupils develop their ideas and have good understanding of drawing techniques, using pencils, pastels, collage and colour to create bold pictures and self-portraits. There is evidence of very good practice in colour mixing. Pupils are keen to start their tasks and are very enthusiastic about their activities. This has a strong impact on their learning. They explore texture, line and tone, combining them for different purposes. They use a wide range of materials to create, for Rosegrove Infant School example, a colourful collage of fish, which they carefully cut, glue and colour sympathetically. In class 3, the teacher clearly explained how pupils could arrange their coloured strips of paper to illustrate their understanding of colour, form and space, based

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ART AND DESIGN

on the work of Henri Matisse. They explored a variety of starting points and worked collaboratively to produce very pleasing designs. Pupils made very good use of a digital camera to record photographs of themselves. They superimposed these on their own background of muted colours in the style of Van Gogh. They eagerly described their work and adapted it in order to improve its appearance because they were interested and want to do well. Support assistants provide very positive support to those pupils with special educational needs so that they make very good progress within the targets set for them. Observation of pupils’ work over time reveals that they have regular opportunities to develop their skills in drawing in pencil. For example, there are very good sketches of a variety of hair designs where pupils have made very good use of their observational skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

104. By the end of Year 2, teachers encourage their pupils to use their sketchbooks to further practise and develop their skills in sketching and mixing paint colours. Observation of pupils’ work over time clearly indicates pupils’ very good development of these skills. For example, they have produced very good pencil sketches of shoes, with carefully detailed and shaded patterns. More able pupils make very good attempts to include perspective in their drawings. In one piece of work the teacher has written, ‘Think about what your skin looks like and its colour when you look in a mirror.’ In one lesson, pupils were eager to talk about their tasks because their teacher gave them thinking time to explore their feelings. They clearly explained how they could fold strips of paper without cutting. They talked about how it was sometimes difficult to cut out shapes because the folded paper was thick and that they had to manipulate their scissors to make accurate cuts. They

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ART AND DESIGN

showed determination because they wanted to complete their tasks and were able to evaluate whether they had been successful or not. They were very confident because they knew that their teacher would support them when they needed help. In class 6, pupils’ work showed care and imagination because their teacher had high expectations of them to do their best. They worked purposefully and took great pride in their work. They wanted to improve and please their teacher so they persevered and maintained a steady pace throughout the lesson.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. All teachers are very well organised and know exactly what they want their pupils to learn because they assess their work very carefully at the end of each week or topic. They use lesson times very effectively to ensure that pupils explore and develop ideas, evaluate and finish their work. Creativity and originality are praised and this motivates pupils to apply themselves to their tasks. They take pride in their work and maintain concentration throughout the lessons. They have opportunities to work with clay to create patterned tiles or other three dimensional shapes. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils have had the opportunity to work with a company of art specialists. They have drawn sketches of themselves in the school grounds to make a textured wall hanging for the entrance to the school. They have painted murals and created designs for the wall in the school playground. These experiences clearly reflect their pride in their working

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ART AND DESIGN

environment. Visits to places of educational interest and visitors further provide an added dimension to pupils’ progress and to their personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Rosegrove Infant School

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. Attainment of Year 2 pupils in design and technology is above expectations for their age. The school has raised standards since the previous inspection most effectively through improving the quality of teaching, which is good.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. No lessons were observed as design and technology alternates with art on a termly basis. The co-ordinator has a good portfolio of examples of work reflecting all the stages in the design process. High quality digital photographs showing both structural elements and the quality of the final product illustrate this. Year 2 pupils happily discussed what they had done in the past and commented on examples of planning and evaluation produced by last year's pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. The school has addressed the difficulty of planning for progression for this subject when classes may vary between single or mixed age groups. The two year rolling programme accommodates this well and pays great attention to the levels of skill that are required in Year 2 in contrast to Year 1. The visual evidence supports this. The skills required for attaching wheels to chassis and the quality of the final products reflect progress in skills over the two years. The design drawings, the range of materials listed and the evaluative comments likewise show good progress. They include how pupils think the model could have been improved. There are also useful comments by the teacher on the degree of independence or help needed. Assessments of units of work simply and clearly indicate those pupils who achieve beyond the expected level and those that are behind.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. The co-ordinator explained and justified the school's decision to ensure that design and technology was addressed from a skills perspective. Staff had decided that each year every class would undertake one ‘design and make’ activity with sufficient time allowed to work on tool use, careful application of skills and care with the finishing techniques. As a result a quality product could be produced. The value of this approach is illustrated by the quality of the hats and vehicles presented in photographic evidence. The Year 2 pupils recalled and described the order in which they approached the task of designing and making hats. They explained why each stage was important. They also talked of their great enjoyment and satisfaction obtained from the subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. Resources are carefully related to the topic and the range ensures a freedom of choice for pupils. Tools such as a vice and fret saws are used, with due attention to techniques and safety. Discussion with pupils shows that teachers now encourage them to think and talk through different ideas, which is an improvement on the previous inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

111. Standards of Year 2 pupils in geography are above the expected level and all pupils make very good progress. This is because all teachers provide a broad and balanced curriculum for their pupils and the school makes very good use of national guidance. These results match the judgement of the previous inspection. Support assistants provide very valuable support to those pupils with special educational needs so that they achieve their full potential within the targets set for them. Teaching is very good. This judgement is based on the quality of the pupils’ understanding shown during discussion, pupils’ work and teachers’ documentation. Teachers’ planning is very detailed and provides challenging tasks for all abilities. This confirms that they have very good knowledge of the subject. Pupils make good use of their literacy and numeracy skills as they record their learning in writing or graphs. As a result, they make very good progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. In Year 1, pupils gain insight and knowledge about their surrounding environment. This is because their teachers provide very good opportunities for them to develop their observational skills. They draw clear sketches of their homes and correctly insert the Rosegrove Infant School number of their house and the street name. They know how many rooms there are in their houses and have made very good sketches of these. They know the way from one class to another because they have made a helpful plan of the inside of the school. They have a very good understanding of distance because their teachers have clearly shared their discussions about places they have visited on holiday. ‘I travelled to Scotland. It took ages in the car!’

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GEOGRAPHY

113. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a wider understanding of the world beyond their homes because they have contrasted the features of different localities, for example Rosegrove and Blackpool. They use their literacy skills successfully to record simple sentences about the difference between the two towns. They understand that maps have keys and symbols to provide information and they learn how to record their own. They record their observations in a variety of ways such as lists, pictures or diagrams because their teachers provide valuable opportunities for them to use word-banks. This helps them to create sentences to describe what they have learned. One pupil has written, ‘My house is detached. It has four rooms, a kitchen and a living room. I sleep in the middle room.’ They clearly explain the difference between different types of houses such as detached, semi-detached, terraced or bungalows. They understand that lifts or stairs can take

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GEOGRAPHY

people to their homes in high-rise flats. As a result, they make very good progress. In a discussion with a group of Year 2 pupils, they confidently shared their knowledge about different types of weather. They understood the meaning of several weather symbols because their teachers had provided them with the opportunity to watch a weather forecast on the television. As a result, they could draw these symbols and one pupil with special educational needs enthusiastically described the symbol used to identify gales. They gave clear and accurate directions from school to their home. They took turns amicably. One pupil explained confidently, ‘Go out of the school gates, straight on and turn left.’ He indicated the direction with an outstretched arm. ‘Go into the lane and around on the right’. They know how to locate their own town and other countries because their teachers have provided them with opportunities to discover them on globes or maps. They make

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GEOGRAPHY

good progress in developing their speaking and listening skills because they are very confident speakers.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. The subject leader has good knowledge of the subject and is very enthusiastic. He regularly monitors teachers’ planning and pupils’ written work but has not yet had the opportunity to visit classes to assess the quality of teaching and learning. There are very good systems in place to assess pupils’ learning so that teachers’ plans accurately match the needs of all pupils. Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is of a high standard and clearly indicates what they have achieved and how they can improve. Pupils have regular opportunities to develop their literacy, numeracy and information and communication skills. Visits to places of interest such as Blackpool and visitors to the school provide an added dimension to pupils’ progress and so make a valuable contribution to pupils’ personal, social, moral and cultural development.

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HISTORY

115. Pupils' attainment in history at seven is at the expected level for their age. History alternates with geography on a half-termly basis. Much of the teaching focuses on exploring evidence and discussing what this means. This approach both challenges all to think, reflect and put their ideas into words and enables those who find writing and reading more difficult to participate fully in sharing ideas with their classmates.

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HISTORY

116. Teaching is good with some very good features. Both year groups are exploring transport. Teachers use their good subject knowledge to plan lessons that effectively enable pupils to examine evidence and help with drawing conclusions. A characteristic of the good teaching across the school ensures that for each question or situation explored, several pupils have a chance to offer their ideas and explain why. This enables teachers to Rosegrove Infant School assess the level of understanding and sensitively pick out the features that enable comparisons to be made effectively.

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HISTORY

117. Year 1 pupils are only just beginning to explore evidence. First they explored how cars changed throughout the 20 th century, using a CD-ROM. The teacher built on this, using ‘car time-lines’ and toy cars borrowed from the museum and the reception class. Pupils were helped to look closely at a model or picture and explain what they saw that they thought was similar or different. They used this to decide where their object fitted on the time-line. For example, about a third of class 3 matched a relatively modern saloon car to a 1908 one because of a single feature. One of the more able pupils matched her car far more accurately by comparing bonnet, boot, wheels and height. Teachers work systematically to develop pupils' understanding of how to examine and use evidence more effectively. As a result, progress is good.

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HISTORY

118. Year 2 pupils, also exploring transport, are considering, ‘What inventors were famous for, what it was like before the invention and what difference it made’. Teachers take great care to explain the key area for investigation before they allow pupils to search for evidence in books, pictures, on the internet and video. The outcomes are then explored with the whole class, weighed up, discussed and reasons are presented very effectively. Pupils enjoy these challenging sessions and listen carefully and with interest to their classmates' suggestions. The range of answers enables teachers to assess understanding and help the class draw the evidence together from all their suggestions. Although much of the lesson time is discussion, pupils also have an opportunity to write down their own ideas. They do this confidently and happily.

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HISTORY

119. The history co-ordinator encourages visits and whenever possible makes use of visitors. She is working on developing a collection of first-hand oral evidence.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

120. Standards of Year 2 pupils in information and communication technology are higher than those expected for seven-year-olds. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. Adults help them recall and review what they have learnt in each lesson. The school has made very significant improvements since the last inspection. These are: • improved standards; • the very confident and effective leadership of the co-ordinator; • the very effective use of the new ICT suite; • the comprehensive range of software, the internet link, camera and microscope; • the high expectations for each year group clearly identified in the new, challenging scheme of work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

121. Teaching is good with some very good features. Teachers are increasingly secure in their understanding of the subject and ways in which to teach it. This enables them to plan and effectively introduce new skills and, as a result, pupils acquire new knowledge systematically and their progress is good. They are eager to learn. Boys and girls collaborate well, support one another and demonstrate an increasing independence. As a result, teachers are able to maintain a brisk pace. In all lessons, teachers effectively draw from the pupils their understanding of skills met earlier. They challenge pupils to refine and apply these skills in new contexts. Thus, whilst Year 1 pupils used a simple graphics program, those in Year 2 worked with a more challenging one. In both instances, teachers skilfully linked ways of creating rectangular shaped patterns blocked with colour with an appreciation of the work of the artist, Mondrian. As a result, pupils had a visual image of a

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

quality outcome to aim at. Teachers use the demonstration white board very effectively to introduce new techniques or to reinforce and extend those met before. Pupils see that the teacher also has to concentrate very hard which provides them with a very good role Rosegrove Infant School model. This equipment saves a lot of time and as a result pupils have far more ‘hands-on’ time. In the lessons seen, much of the emphasis in both year groups revolved around improving mouse control and the use of the tool bar. At the same time, the range of strategies used meant that learning was fun. Teachers and teaching assistants monitor and support pupils' progress carefully, sometimes making running notes of an individual's successes or difficulties. This information is used effectively to improve planning of future lessons.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. Teachers are becoming increasingly effective in harnessing the power of technology across all subjects. Thus, as a matter of course, pupils use the Internet, CD ROMs and videos as sources of factual information in history. They regularly use word processing programs to explore or enhance work in English. A group of more able pupils in Year 2 focused on speech marks in dialogues. Their confidence and independence at the keyboard enabled them to enter their ideas quite quickly. With sensitive support from the teacher, they talked about, reviewed, checked and modified their work. At the same time two pupils who found reading difficult benefited from working with a teaching assistant on an interesting program based on a familiar fairy story. Students from a neighbouring high school encourage pupils to think and talk through sentences, which are then sent as emails to a class in a neighbouring primary school. The digital camera, the electronic

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

microscope and listening-centres in each room are used well, resulting in exciting approaches that motivate the pupils highly and make their learning relevant. Information and communication technology is rapidly becoming a very important and effective tool for learning in all subjects.

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MUSIC

123. All Year 2 pupils, including those with special educational needs, attain standards above what is expected for their age. They all enjoy their lessons because all teachers provide rich and varied musical experiences which pupils thoroughly enjoy. The quality of teaching is very good. As a result, pupils improve the quality of their music because their teachers provide appropriate tasks that make increasing demands on their skills. There are no differences between the attainment of boys and girls. Teachers regularly assess and record their pupils’ skills to identify their progress because the school makes very good use of national guidance. This is an improvement since the previous inspection.

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MUSIC

124. Throughout the school, all pupils sing tunefully and with enthusiasm because they enjoy their lessons. For example, in assemblies they sing expressively with very good rhythm and clear diction. They understand the difference between short and long notes. They all take part and often combine their singing with hand actions in well-known hymns.

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MUSIC

125. In Year 1, pupils recognise high and low notes because they ‘warm up’ at the beginning of each lesson. They follow symbols at different heights on flash cards and sing according to the pitch. They understand the meaning of ‘pitch’ because their teachers explain this carefully and have high expectations of what their pupils can achieve. They are confident singers and continue a musical pattern when they recognise the melody. More able pupils enjoy singing by themselves because their teachers encourage them to develop confidence in their tasks. In one lesson, the teacher’s very good subject knowledge was particularly evident when he demonstrated techniques for pupils to explore pitch. They enthusiastically used chime bars to follow large dots, which represented high or low sounds. Higher attaining pupils could also identify the middle sound by listening very carefully and making very good comparisons between the height and depth of each note.

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MUSIC

They enjoyed repeating the phrases and were delighted when they recognised the melody of, for example, ‘Three Blind Mice’ and ‘Hot Cross Buns’. Lower attaining pupils experimented successfully by listening to the different notes on their chime bars. They all thoroughly enjoyed their lesson and concentrated intently because the teacher had provided challenging tasks which matched each ability group. As a result, the lesson Rosegrove Infant School moved at a brisk pace. All made very good progress in their understanding of how to interpret high and low notes and play these on chime bars. All pupils work very well together and are eager to share their musical patterns.

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MUSIC

126. By the end of Year 2 all pupils explore pitch and confidently relate sounds to symbols. They learn to compose their own melodies and improvise repeated patterns. This is because their teachers use high quality questioning to ensure that all pupils understand their tasks. Pupils further develop their performing skills, exploring and organising new ideas. The very good relationships between teachers and pupils encourage pupils to have confidence to perform and improve the quality of their work. They listen carefully to each other and so learn from each other. As a result, they develop their listening and performing skills very well. They learn how to control the pitch of their voices and understand the meaning of tempo and rhythm because their teachers have very good subject knowledge. They understand how to control long and short sounds and this is evident in the quality of singing in assemblies. Through listening to different forms of

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MUSIC

music, pupils discover different aspects of culture. For example, there are many opportunities to listen to music from other countries such as India and Pakistan and to music by famous composers such as Vivaldi and Ravel. All pupils are fully involved in their lessons because their teachers prepare very well and use resources effectively to engage the interest of their pupils. At the end of each lesson, pupils enthusiastically talk about their work and make thoughtful comments about what they have learned.

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MUSIC

127. The subject leader is enthusiastic and eager to develop his expertise in the subject. He is very familiar with the national guidelines and offers support, when required, to teachers when they plan their lessons. He monitors the quality of these plans to ensure that all pupils receive a broad and balanced curriculum. However, he has not yet had the opportunity to observe the quality of teaching and learning in classes.

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MUSIC

128. Music lessons make a significant contribution to all pupils’ personal development. They respond very well in lessons and enjoy working together with others to develop their performances. These experiences provide an added dimension to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

129. Standards of Year 2 pupils are at the expected level. However, pupils now make better progress across the different aspects of physical education because the curriculum has been organised into separate blocks of work each term. This ensures that pupils build systematically on one aspect of the subject as the term progresses, rather than dividing the time across different aspects. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because teachers give them extra support in carrying out the tasks. The school has changed one long lesson each week to two medium lessons. This provides opportunities for pupils to reinforce learning from the previous lesson more effectively because there is not so much time between lessons. There is a new, good quality co- ordinator in place who is very enthusiastic and has introduced the changes. She has also introduced a well organised and efficient assessment system at the end of each unit of

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

work. This provides teachers with a better analysis of individual pupil’s levels of development. However, these systems have yet to have a major impact on the work of the school because they have only been in place for the current year.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

130. Teaching is good. Teachers all use a detailed scheme of work that provides clear guidance for every lesson. This ensures steady development between the different year groups. Teachers plan carefully together to ensure that pupils in the same year group receive similar experiences. Pupils in Year 1 are working at a higher level than expected for their age. They all jump and hop confidently because the teachers give them stimulating tasks to develop these skills. For example, they each laid their rope out in an Rosegrove Infant School interesting shape and then tried different ways of moving around it. More able pupils in Year 1 throw quoits confidently because there are opportunities to investigate how to use them. For example, some pupils threw them very high whilst others spun them up in the air and then managed to catch them again. Teachers give very clear instructions when introducing new skills, which gives pupils a very clear idea of the most important

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

technique. For example, a teacher said, ‘What am I doing with my eyes as I throw and catch the quoit?’ which ensured that pupils concentrated very hard to copy her example.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. Year 2 pupils use the space around the hall well because they have regular opportunities to extend these skills. The very large and spacious hall contributes well to indoor lessons because pupils have plenty of room to move around quickly. Pupils throw and catch large balls or beanbags confidently and reinforce the same skills through using different apparatus. Teachers all use demonstrations very well. They make slow and clear movements themselves when introducing a new skill. They chose pupils carefully to show the rest of the class their work, which raises pupils’ self-esteem well. Pupils appreciate each other’s work and break into spontaneous applause at the end of demonstrations. Teachers combine whole class discussion well with the practical tasks. This extends pupils’ literacy skills well and reinforces their learning effectively. Teachers balance lessons well with a short warm-up activity and then the main task. Teachers extend pupils’

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

understanding of the effect of exercise on their bodies because they get pupils to feel their heart beats at the end of a strenuous task and explain what they notice.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. Pupils behave extremely well in physical education lessons. They all move into the hall very sensibly because teachers brief them carefully as they leave their classrooms. They co-operate well in pairs or small groups because they do this regularly in lessons. However, some opportunities are missed to mix boys and girls together in paired work. Pupils all listen carefully to instructions. Teachers use imaginative strategies to maintain this high standard of listening. For example, a Year 2 teacher brought in a puppet to watch how well each individual was listening. Recognition of letter sounds is reinforced well when teachers introduce lessons with simple games using letter sounds. For example, in class 6 a game required pupils to think of words beginning with ‘p’ and then run away when someone used the word ‘poison’.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

133. Year 2 pupils’ attainment is above the expectations set in the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, who receive very good support, make very good progress. This is because teaching is excellent and provides all pupils with rich opportunities to develop a very good knowledge of world faiths, including Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Pupils discuss religious ideas responsibly and with interest because the quality of teaching is excellent. All pupils have excellent attitudes to their learning. This is because there is a very strong belief that everyone is valued, is equal and has a full contribution to make to their school. For example, one pupil has written, ‘Dear God, thank You for our school.’ The subject leader, who is the headteacher, is very knowledgeable and thorough. She has a very good understanding of how well pupils learn because all teachers regularly assess their pupils’

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

progress. This is indeed an improvement since the previous inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

134. Year 1 pupils make very good progress in developing self-awareness because their teachers provide regular opportunities for them to be responsible for themselves and their surroundings. They make very good gains in their learning about Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. In class 3, all pupils remembered that the Koran is a special book and is written in Arabic. Higher attaining pupils recalled that it has to be learned by heart in case it is ever destroyed. They understand that in their writing they should not include any pictures because, ‘We cannot draw a picture because Muslims would be upset.’ Pupils confidently recall stories with deep feeling and emotion. For example, a pupil said ‘I think Muhammad Rosegrove Infant School could be nervous when he heard the strange sound.’ Pupils express their inner feelings very clearly. For example, a pupil said ‘If I am ashamed, I am crying outside myself, and I

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

don’t want to do that again.’ Pupils develop an awareness of beauty, awe and wonder in creation because they regularly go for walks around the school to observe the natural environment. They are amazed when they try to count branches and twigs. ‘In God’s world, I like the sky, the trees and the flowers. ’ One pupil expressed his opinion clearly in a story about Zaccheus . ‘I thought the message was that people can change.’ Very skilful questioning, excellent subject knowledge and high expectations for all pupils provide them with valuable opportunities to develop their confidence in speaking and listening

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

135. All Year 2 pupils understand what is involved in belonging to a faith community in terms of beliefs, practices and values. They appreciate the differences between different cultures and one pupil has written a thoughtful response, ‘Muslims say ‘Allah’ before they wash.’ They recognise that different religions share similar features such as holy books and places of worship. They understand the significance of prayer-mats and know that customs and ceremonies are important to people and affect their daily lives. They accurately describe the internal and external features of a mosque and share their learning with interest because their teacher gives them the confidence to speak and share their views. In one excellent lesson, pupils were very curious to know how to find Mecca. Their teacher very skilfully invited them to consider what they had learned during their visit to the mosque and to recall in which direction they thought Muslims faced when they

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

prayed, ‘Which way do we face now because we can’t see Mecca?’ She produced a compass and showed them how to locate east, pointed to one corner of the room and they all stared with wonder. They asked searching questions, such as, ‘How do they know exactly where to kneel and pray?’ and ‘Why do girls pray in a different place?’ All pupils are very attentive because their teacher has excellent subject knowledge, captures their interest and they want to know more. As a result, they are very well behaved and enjoy their lessons. They learn about stories that contrast heaven and earth such as an African creation myth where the sun transforms the earth from a cold arid place to a warm, beautiful environment. Lessons such as these provide very good links with other subjects such as geography, history and art and these successfully promote the development of pupils’ literacy skills.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

136. All pupils clearly explain how they are developing an awareness of themselves and their uniqueness as individuals through which they may begin to understand one another’s feelings, practices and ideas. They are well aware of how good relationships within a home or a community may be made and maintained when founded in a religious code of living. This has a positive impact on their understanding of their own and other world faiths.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

137. The quality of teachers’ marking is very good. It clearly indicates what pupils have learned, praises them for their efforts and explains what they need to do next to improve their work. As a result, all pupils present their work very neatly and are very proud of what they achieve. This has a very positive impact on their learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

138. Regular assemblies provide excellent opportunities for pupils to take part and show respect for each other, to discover the joy and importance of celebrations. For example, the local vicar talked to them about the meaning of Candlemas. He explained clearly that it was celebrated because it took place forty days after the birth of Jesus. All pupils listened very attentively because they were very interested and wanted to know more. They shared the significance of lighting candles at Christmas and learned it was because, ‘Jesus is the light of the world’. These experiences provide valuable opportunities for pupils to learn about religious activities and meet those for whom these practices have a deep meaning. Rosegrove Infant School 139. Visitors to the school such as the Burnley Youth Theatre and a Kawan artist provided valuable experiences for pupils to learn, for example, about Hindu fables. Very tasteful

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

and informative displays around the school illustrate the richness and breadth of the curriculum. For example, a display of pupils’ writing reveals their understanding that children from other cultures know well-known stories, such as ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and ‘The Three Little Pigs’. All of these experiences further enhance pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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