Westfield Infant School

WESTFIELD 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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WESTFIELD 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. Westfield Infant School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Ashford Road Hinckley Leicestershire Postcode: LE10 0JL

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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: Mrs Hazel Smith

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 12 - 15 January 1998 Westfield Infant School

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Pauline Martin Registered inspector Art and design Religious education Inclusion What sort of school is it? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? Gillian Smith Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Ann Simpson Team inspector English Music English as an additional language How well is the school led and managed?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Robert Battey Team inspector Science Physical education Special educational needs (SEN) Special Needs Unit

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Andrew Mumford Team inspector Mathematics Design and technology Geography Foundation Stage How good are curricular and other activities?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Brian Downes Team inspector Information and communication technology (ICT) History

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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 Westfield 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

Westfield Infant School is situated near the centre of the urban town of Hinckley, Leicestershire. The school serves a large, diverse socio-economic area. There is a mixture of privately owned homes as well as local authority housing, including provision for homeless people. In recent times, a number of local manufacturing industries have closed with a considerable loss of employment to the community. New, more diverse companies are now taking their place.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Westfield Infant School opened in 1951 as a purpose-built early years school. It provides for pupils between four and seven years of age. It is about the same size as other infant schools. There are 228 pupils on roll, 121 boys and 107 girls. Attainment on entry is broadly average, although a significant minority of pupils have poor communication and social skills. Approximately one in five pupils are from backgrounds other than white British. This includes those from other white backgrounds, Asian British - Indian or Pakistani and Chinese. However, very few of these pupils require additional support to learn English as a second language. For the first time since September 2002, four year old children have been able to receive three full terms of education.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Across the school as a whole, one in three pupils have been identified as having special educational needs. This is higher than that found nationally. Of these pupils, approximately one in twelve are identified as needing the support of outside agencies (School Action Plus). This includes 21 pupils with Statements of Special Educational Need, 13 of whom attend the special educational needs unit on site and eight of whom attend full-time classes in the main school. The number of pupils with statements of special educational needs is well above the national average. This is an increase since the last inspection report and a marked increase since July 2002. Some of these pupils have very specific and severe learning needs and are waiting placement in special schools. The number of pupils entitled to free school meals is in line with the national average overall.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Westfield Infant School is a thoroughly good school. It has many excellent and very good features of which to be proud. Pupils and staff benefit from and contribute to the dynamic and uplifting educational community that has been created here. Pupils of different capabilities achieve good standards overall when compared to national expectations. However, against pupils’ prior attainment, pupils achieve very good standards. This is particularly so for higher and lower attaining pupils, including those with special needs. The quality of teaching is very good overall. Approximately eight in ten lessons are good or better and of these, nearly half are very good or excellent. The leadership of the school is excellent. The school provides very good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • It has established a strong dedicated staff of high quality whose energies are focused on appropriate priorities to ensure the continuous improvement of the school. • An excellent quality of relationships exists between all groups in the school community. Here, pupils are very happy. They feel safe and enjoy being able to work and play in an environment in which everyone is caring. • Pupils’ personal and social development are catered for excellently, including the provision for extra-curricular activities • Teaching is imaginative and rooted firmly in an understanding of how young children learn best. There is a very strong emphasis on planned, exciting opportunities for speaking, listening and role play. • The good level of excellent teaching has been established because staff are eager to share ideas that become whole school practices. • The school environment has been developed to a very high standard to support teaching and

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

pupils’ learning. • The school is very resourceful. It has taken full advantage of grants available to improve the quality of the outdoor area. • It provides very well for a wide range of pupils’ needs. The provision in the special needs unit is very good with excellent features. Westfield Infant School What could be improved The school is successful and there are no major weaknesses. The school improvement plan is rightly focused on continuing to raise standards in reading, writing and mathematics. The governing body should include two minor aspects within the school’s improvement plan to improve the quality of teaching and learning further by: • making more use of the excellent range of artefacts and resources as well as pupils’ ethnic backgrounds to deepen their understanding of living in Britain’s multicultural society. • ensuring that the excellent and very good teaching strategies observed during the inspection are

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

shared so that they are used consistently by all staff to maintain pupils’ good progress and raise standards higher. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Westfield Infant School was last inspected five years ago in January 1998. The school has made good progress since then. Over the same period, the local community that the school serves has experienced economic changes that have affected a number of families and their abilities to support their children. The pupil population has changed in character over that period too. The school’s good reputation for meeting pupils’ different needs has resulted in a much higher number of pupils with statements of special educational needs being admitted to the school at the request of the local education authority

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The key issues of the last report have been addressed. There is now a very good match of work to pupils’ different abilities. In particular, the needs of higher attaining pupils are met well. Teaching is much improved, assessment opportunities are clearly identified in lessons, the vast majority of lessons are well paced and pupils are closely involved in what they are doing. The governing body knows the school well and has sensible procedures to ensure that it knows the strengths of the teaching and areas for improvement. Standards of attainment are rising as a result of the continuous attention given to improve the quality of teaching and learning.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

• Children enter the school with broadly average levels of attainment, though some show delays in speech and communication skills. • Inspection evidence confirms that, based on their prior attainment, pupils achieve good standards in English, mathematics and science. • Pupils achieve good standards in art and design, design and technology, information and communication technology (ICT), music, physical education (PE) and religious education. • Standards in geography and in history are in line with expectations. • Pupils with special needs make very good progress. • Higher attaining pupils and pupils who speak English as a second language make good progress. • Trends in attainment over time show an improvement based on inspection evidence. • Challenging targets have been set for future performance and the school has the capacity to reach them. Westfield Infant School

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and they look forward to taking part in the wide range of activities provided

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils are reliable and behave positively. They know how to behave well. School Councillors make valuable suggestions about how they might improve even more.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Relationships between pupils of all ages and cultural background, and with their teachers, are excellent and the result is a lively and exceptionally harmonious community.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory. However, around one in six of all absences arise because some families take holidays during term time or are abroad for long periods to visit families.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Special Needs Unit

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Very good Very 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

The quality of teaching English and mathematics is good with some very good and excellent features. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught well. Particular strengths of teaching are the level of intellectual challenge and creative effort expected from pupils, the effectiveness of the methods employed and the very good management of pupils. The school meets the needs of all groups of pupils successfully. The teaching of cultural development is satisfactory but makes insufficient use of artefacts and resources, including the cultural backgrounds of those attending the school.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The school provides a broad and interesting range of opportunities for all its pupils. A strong emphasis is placed on the development of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills, on inclusion of all pupils and on learning through first hand experience.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Provision for pupils within the main school and the special unit is very good. Effective integration of pupils from the unit into the main school is achieved through carefully considered teaching and learning programmes. The work of the unit has excellent features

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. There is effective support in small groups and in the support from an external specialist. The use of simple sign language and visual symbols are also helpful.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The quality of provision has continued to improve. Personal, spiritual and moral development are very good and social development is excellent. Provision is satisfactory overall for cultural development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Procedures for health and safety are very good. Procedures to promote good behaviour and pupils’ personal development are very effective and attendance is monitored closely. The school collects and analyses comprehensive and informative information on pupils’ achievement and progress. Westfield Infant School

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Excellent. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership to the school. There is a strong deputy headteacher. An effective staff team has been created where skills and expertise are combined to great effect.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very well. Although there are vacancies, governors know the school well, work well as a team and hold the school to account effectively as critical friends. Regular visits to the school ensure they know what is happening and whether improvement is taking place.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. There are thorough well-planned systems for monitoring and evaluating which are delegated appropriately to subject leaders. The consistency of approach ensures that strengths and weaknesses are identified and action taken.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Excellent. There is a very good level of well-qualified staff to provide for pupils’ learning. The accommodation is very good. Classrooms are bright and well organised. The outdoor areas are outstanding and provide rich resources for pupils’ learning. The school has been very successful in obtaining grants because of considerable hard work and perseverance. The school applies the principles of best value effectively.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• The quality of teaching • Their children like coming to school • Their children are expected to work hard and achieve their best. • They are happy to approach the school if they have a question or problem. • A very few parents thought that the school provided too few extra-curricular or homework activities.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are very satisfied with the school. The school is approachable, warm and caring. The children are happy and parents value the high level of attention given to the quality of learning activities and the accommodation. They are well informed and happy to approach the school. They believe the teaching to be good. These views are supported by inspection evidence.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Very few parents thought that the school provided too few extra-curricular activities. This is not a view shared by inspectors who judge the provision excellent for the age of the pupils. Similarly, a few parents questioned the level of homework. However, inspectors find that there is a good range set. Westfield Infant School

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English, mathematics and science

1. In 2002, standards in English, mathematics and science for pupils in their final year at the school were below and well below the national average. However, these results are affected by the inclusion of a high number of pupils registered with special educational needs. National data ignores the number of such children on roll as a comparator in the definition of similar schools. The school is different from many infant schools as it has a special needs unit and has admitted other pupils with special educational needs into the main school. As a result, when the national standards are published as a whole school, they appear low because of the increasingly high number of pupils with special needs. Inspection took account of the different groups of pupils and found a more encouraging picture. All pupils make good progress and their attainment is rising. Higher standards are evident in the inspection of pupils’ current work and observation of lessons.

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English, mathematics and science

2. In English, standards of literacy are improving because there is a good phonics programme. Teachers now use an improved programme in the reception class. Here too, children’s improving writing skills are encouraged in highly motivating ways. There is a strong emphasis throughout the school on the improvement of writing and opportunities for writing. Pupils achieve good standards in speaking and listening because teachers provide plenty of opportunities to develop these skills. Achievement in reading is good because of the wide range of opportunities to read for different purposes and the good range of resources available.

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English, mathematics and science

3. Teachers provide activities well matched to pupils' needs in mathematics. As a result, standards are improving. There are good opportunities for pupils to use and apply number skills in role-play activities and when using software programmes. These methods provide effective reinforcement of learning. The teaching utilises a variety of equipment and, as a result, pupils learn well. Teachers use well-chosen large books to teach mathematical language.

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English, mathematics and science

4. In science, standards are above average. This is because teaching is very good. There is a good range of opportunities. Using first hand experience, pupils learn to investigate, obtain, present evidence and evaluate the outcomes. Their increasing skills in numeracy and literacy assist them with their work.

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English, mathematics and science

5. The number of pupils achieving the higher Level 3 1 in English shows considerable improvement. There is a similar picture in mathematics. In science, the number of pupils achieving Level 3 is well above the national average

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Other subjects

6. Standards are above national expectations in art and design, design and technology, information and communication technology, music and physical education. Standards in religious education are good. Standards in geography and history are in line with national expectations. In the latter two subjects, standards are not as high because pupils need more opportunity to improve their knowledge and understanding. For example, teaching should deepen pupils understanding of the cultures of peoples studied in geography and provide pupils with a more secure sense of chronology in history.

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Other subjects

1 The National Curriculum has been written on the basis that pupils, by the end of Key Stage 1, are expected to reach Level 2. If a pupil is attaining Level 3 then he or she is reaching standards above that expected for a child of his or her age. Westfield Infant School 7. Standards are good overall because of the school’s strong commitment and success in providing a broad and exciting curriculum. Pupils’ very positive attitudes towards school, the high regard parents hold for the headteacher, the school and the quality of teaching, and the dedication and commitment from staff combine in a level of confidence from pupils, parents and staff that inspires determination to achieve even more.

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Achievement of different groups of pupils

8. Higher attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs achieve very well and make very good progress. This is because work is set at an appropriate level for both groups. Teaching challenges pupils who are more able by offering problem solving activities. Although girls did much better in reading than boys, the school has taken a rigorous approach to improving teaching for boys. As a result, a preliminary examination of the unconfirmed national tests results for 2003 indicate much higher achievement for boys with a significant number achieving above average standards, particularly in reading.

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Achievement of different groups of pupils

9. Pupils with below average attainment do well because of the good assessment procedures that identify pupils’ achievements and development needs soon after beginning school. Pupils benefit from the wide range of activities available. Teaching provides effective support and encouragement for pupils with particular talents and abilities. The school’s successful inclusive approach means that pupils with specific learning needs or physical disabilities enjoy the same variety of experiences as other pupils. The small number of pupils from different ethnic groups do as well as their peers, with the exception of the few traveller pupils who make slow progress because of considerable absence from school.

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Achievement of different groups of pupils

10. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress overall. They receive very good levels of assistance in their classes from teaching and support staff and when occasionally withdrawn for further support. There is an appropriate emphasis on improving pupils’ reading and literacy skills as well as meeting their numeracy, emotional, social and behavioural needs. Teachers record suitable learning targets in pupils' individual education plans. All staff and the support assistants know the needs of their pupils very well. The school has a suitable policy and means of recognising pupils who are more able. The school meets their needs well through the good range and quality of the curriculum, its good assessment procedures and the excellent provision for extra- curricular activities.

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Trends

11. The overall picture from nationally provided data would appear to be one of declining standards. However, inspectors took account of the high numbers of pupils on the special needs register, including those with special needs statements. Inspectors scrutinised the school’s data for the different groups of pupils. This showed that, based on prior attainment, all pupils make good progress and some make very good progress. Inspectors evaluated separately the attainment of pupils who do not have special needs and found that these pupils achieve the standards expected nationally and nearly a third achieve higher standards.

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Trends

12. The school has set challenging targets to continue to raise standards in English and mathematics. Evidence of the progress since the last inspection, the continuous improvement and the school’s ethos and practice, all suggest that the school will achieve its targets.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Westfield Infant School 13. The previous inspection found that pupils had positive attitudes towards learning and that they were well behaved. Over the intervening five years, this positive picture has further strengthened. Children in reception and their older schoolmates in Years 1 and 2 now have very good attitudes towards school. Pupils’ personal development is very good and they can be relied upon to behave sensibly during lessons and at other times. Pupils of all ages say that they enjoy coming to school and they look forward to taking part in the wide range of activities provided. Sensitive relationships between staff and pupils enable them to express their feelings and to discuss beliefs that they and others hold. In this, the school is successful in promoting pupils’ capacity to reflect on the deeper aspects of life, its mysteries and wonders. Relationships between pupils of all ages and cultural

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

background, and with their teachers, are excellent and the result is a lively and exceptionally harmonious community.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Their genuine enthusiasm for learning helps to create a lively and vibrant atmosphere. Older pupils also enjoy their lessons and the various extra- curricular activities that are organised. The standard of teaching is consistently above average and, by presenting lively and interesting lessons, teachers create a purposeful atmosphere that is very conducive to learning. For example, during an English lesson, children in reception worked really hard when learning how to use speech marks and bubbles when writing stories. Using examples that often made the pupils laugh and employing a very wide range of ways for retaining their attention, their teacher’s infectious enthusiasm spurred her pupils on to ‘have a go’. Her interesting and varied questions made learning great fun, encouraged the pupils to think quickly and inspired them to make very good progress in their learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils behave very well during assemblies and they are friendly and welcoming towards visitors. During lessons, pupils of all ages, including those in the reception class, settle down quickly and do their best. They persevere with work they find difficult and readily offer each other help. Outside lessons, pupils can also be relied upon to behave responsibly and with consideration for each other. Lunchtimes are well organised and pupils eat quickly and with the minimum of fuss. There have been no exclusions during the most recent school year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Overall, attendance is satisfactory, although it has fallen by one per cent over the current school year. This is the result of several contributing factors. A very small number of pupils do not attend school regularly and have very poor attendance. More pupils have been ill during the year. However, around one in six of all absences arise because some families take their holidays during the school term. This is because some parents work in local industry and they can only have their time off at a set time. In addition, a small number of parents book long-term trips abroad and their children consequently miss several weeks, if not months, of their education. These absences clearly have an adverse effect on the standards they achieve.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils usually arrive promptly at the start of the morning session and good timekeeping helps and encourages pupils to make the most of their days at school. Pupils have been taught to organise themselves ready for lessons. As a result, they come straight into school, put away their bags and lunchboxes and take what they need to class. Staff are available to deal with any queries. Everyone is ready to work at 9am. This calm and purposeful beginning sets a positive tone for the day ahead.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Westfield Infant School 18. The quality of teaching in the school as a whole is very good. There is no unsatisfactory teaching. In the reception class, teaching is very good overall and in one in five lessons it is excellent. In Key Stage 1, in nearly nine out of ten lessons, the teaching is good or better. In over one in three lessons, teaching is very good and in one in ten lessons, it is excellent. In the remaining lessons, teaching is satisfactory. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is very good

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The consistently high quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is a significant reason why children make such a good start to their education. This year for the first time, all children have benefited from this very good teaching for three full terms. All staff work well together, planning their work carefully so that everyone knows what to do during the lesson. A wide range of techniques to provide motivation and interest is used well. An excellent range of resources and contexts is established. As a result, children’s interest is sustained and they are absorbed in their work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The high quality teaching in Key Stage 1 is characterised by the use of imaginative techniques that ensure pupils concentrate on what they need to learn. For example, in literacy, pupils’ understanding of the use, in non-fiction text, of headings, subheadings and captions is taught excellently. There is no distraction. A brisk pace is maintained as pupils decide, in pairs, the key phrases to use in their heading. Both boys and girls are enthused by the topic of the planets.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The quality of teaching of higher attaining pupils is good with very good and excellent features. Teachers set high expectations. Pupils are challenged to give their own interpretation to questions that promote them to think deeply. For example, in a Year 1 science lesson, pupils achieved above average standards because the lesson was very interesting and resources enabled pupils to identify the different properties of a sample of materials and to group them correctly. A characteristic of the teaching is the expectation that pupils can think philosophically. As a result, in religious education, pupils respond to questions such as, ‘How did you learn to forgive?’ and ‘What is a promise?’ with answers that show well developed skills in being able to reflect and hypothesise. The teaching includes high levels of expertise. For example, a master class in outstanding science teaching enabled pupils to achieve above average results because they were taught to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

identify whether changes were reversible or not, by thinking scientifically, observing closely and reporting thoroughly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Excellent support is provided for both pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as a second language. For example, a teaching assistant sat between two pupils. She had a large copy of the text and a large white board. Thus, she was able to support pupils’ reading directly and ensure that they followed the lesson. As a result, pupils had equal access to what was taking place and contributed confidently. In lessons that were only satisfactory, there was too little use of such techniques. Teaching assistants observed the introduction to the lesson but had no means of working with specific pupils until the whole class began work. Similarly, in such lessons, teaching used a limited range of techniques such as pupils discussing ideas with a partner. Consequently, whilst pupils gave answers based on what they knew and could recall, they were too passive and opportunities to raise the level of their thinking and the quality of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The school has a very small minority of pupils who have English as an additional language. Two of these pupils are at a very early stage of learning English. Specialist linguistic support for these pupils is limited but teachers use a variety of strategies to support their learning well. There is a good level of adult support and small group activity, which is beneficial for pupils who may find it difficult to acquire new vocabulary or express their learning clearly. The common use of simple sign language and visual symbols Westfield Infant School designed for pupils with special educational needs is also helpful for language learners. These pupils have a secure and caring environment for learning and make good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The quality of teaching is strengthened by very good levels of assistance from support staff. Teaching methods and resources are modified appropriately for pupils’ special educational needs. This enables them to complete similar work to the pupils in the rest of the class or to progress at their respective levels in subjects such as English and mathematics. As a result of this effective support, together with the good levels of teaching they receive in class, pupils with special educational needs learn very well alongside their fellow pupils and when supported by withdrawal by support staff in small groups.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Teaching in mathematics, science, design and technology and religious education is very good. Teaching in English, art and design, history, information communication technology, physical education and music is good overall with examples of very good and excellent teaching. In geography, indicators are that teaching is at least satisfactory. In the instances where satisfactory teaching did not achieve a higher level, this was because a limited range of teaching strategies was used or there was some inconsistency in implementing the school’s marking policy.

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PUPILS?

26. The school provides a broad and interesting range of opportunities for all its pupils. These clearly reflect the agreed aims. The school’s provision satisfies the requirements of the National Curriculum, religious education and the Foundation Stage 2 curriculum for children in reception classes. The quality of collective worship is good and meets statutory requirements. The school places a very strong emphasis on the development of all pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills, on inclusion of all pupils and on learning through first hand experience. These are reflected well across the curriculum. The issues identified in the previous inspection relating to curriculum planning have all been addressed. In September 2002, the local education authority changed admission arrangements for children starting school for the first time. All children now benefit from three full terms of Foundation Stage provision.

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PUPILS?

27. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is very good. It covers all the areas of learning. Planning is of high quality. Children have opportunities to explore through structured play activities, both inside the classroom and outside. As well as the hard standing outside the classrooms, the children have the opportunity to use other parts of the school grounds, such as the Trim Trail, HMS Westfield and the sensory trail. These areas of the school are well used by the whole school.

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PUPILS?

28. Planning is thorough throughout the school and covers an appropriate range of activities for pupils to follow. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been successfully implemented. They are having a positive impact on the quality of teaching and on standards. Curriculum policies and schemes of work are in place for all subjects and are reviewed appropriately to ensure continuing relevance. Theme weeks, such as Healthy Eating Week and Book Week, are impressive events. They provide a focus on particular aspects of learning and give opportunities to investigate one area in depth.

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PUPILS?

29. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties in the special unit meets their wide range of learning difficulties very well. Overall, the unit is very good and has excellent features. A

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PUPILS?

2 The Foundation Stage begins when children reach the age of three and schools often describe the last year of this stage as the reception year. During this period, the basis of children’s learning is on fostering, nurturing and developing their: personal, social and emotional well-being; skills in language and literacy; mathematics development, particularly numeracy; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development. Westfield Infant School carefully considered programme of teaching that includes integration within classes in the main school is very effective. As a result, pupils have equal access to all curriculum provision.

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PUPILS?

30. Provision for pupils with special educational needs in the main school is very good. The provision fully meets the expectations of its excellent policy for equality of opportunity and inclusion and for special educational needs. It provides pupils with an appropriate curriculum, mainly within their classes. When necessary, pupils are withdrawn for a short while for support. Led by the excellent management of the co-ordinator for special educational needs, an assistant co-ordinator for special educational needs and supported by class teachers and support staff, individual plans express very well the pupils’ special educational needs. These individual education plans are reviewed regularly. This includes appropriate comments and evaluations from parents, teachers and specialists from agencies outside the school.

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PUPILS?

31. Provision for pupils’ personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) is very good. This rich and varied provision prepares pupils very well for their life as independent and socially responsibly adults. Statutory requirements for sex and drug education are met. The school has strong, mutually supportive links with the Hinckley Development Group and liaises closely with the PSHCE support group. The units of work within the PSHCE programme are carefully planned and they cover a wide range of appropriate and relevant activities. For example, good use is made of the Life Education Centre mobile unit. Considerable effort has been put into the introduction of Circle Time 3 * and Golden Time and all members of staff have received training on this. The school has recently achieved, ‘The National Healthy School Standard’. Year 2 pupils may volunteer to become ‘Eco-warriors’. For example, they help to keep the playground tidy, undertake

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PUPILS?

litter picks and encourage their schoolmates to recycle waste.

p.15

PUPILS?

32. A very good range of people from the local community visit the school. Their visits are carefully related to different subjects such as, ‘People in the community who help us’. For example, the school nurse and members of the fire brigade talk to the pupils about their roles and responsibilities and as a result, help them to develop a good awareness and understanding of how society works. Visitors also include coaches for a variety of sports, grandparents invited to Grandparents’ Day and local Church representatives to take assemblies. Well-chosen educational visits are planned. For example, pupils visit Coventry Cathedral as part of their history and religious education work and reception classes visit a farm.

p.15

PUPILS?

33. There are very good links with other schools. There is a close relationship with the neighbouring junior school. As well as links for teachers, pupils also have opportunities for meeting with people from other schools, such as in the Dance Festival.

p.15

PUPILS?

34. The school provides excellent extra-curricular opportunities for the pupils. There are a number of clubs covering, for instance, technology, Eco-Warriors, sports and music. All pupils in Year 2 learn to play the recorder and they have the chance to stay overnight at Beaumanor Hall. These experiences extend the curriculum offered to pupils and help to develop personal and social skills.

p.15

PUPILS?

35. Pupils’ personal development is very good overall and their social development is excellent. Pupils with learning difficulties are fully accepted by their peers and included in all aspects of school life. Pupils play very constructively with their classmates and readily share views and opinions. The extent to which they anticipate, respect and empathise with each other’s needs is outstanding. Pupils are quick to use their initiative. In Year 2,

p.15

PUPILS?

3 During Circle Time pupils discuss a wide range of personal and general issues. It is agreed by all pupils that no interruptions should occur and only one person at a time will speak. Respect for other pupils’ views will occur at all tim es and therefore pupils feel confident that they can talk with ease and free from any form of interference of interruption from other children. Westfield Infant School for example, they may volunteer to become ‘playground friends’ so that they can look after anyone who may be feeling alone or unhappy. These experiences help pupils to grow in self-confidence and to become more aware of the many opportunities available within the wider world.

p.15

PUPILS?

36. The school regards pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, as a high priority. Provision has improved since the previous inspection and is now very good. Although opportunities are not always identified formally when teachers are planning their lessons, the school holds a clear set of common values and these permeate everyday school life. However, until useful exemplars are included in teachers’ termly plans, an opportunity is missed to make very good ideas available to everyone. Procedures for promoting a sense of citizenship are very effective and contribute strongly to pupils’ personal development.

p.16

PUPILS?

37. Provision for pupils’ spiritual and moral development is very good. Pupils are strongly encouraged to appreciate their environment. The school grounds have been extensively developed in order to provide attractive recreation areas that fire the imagination. For example, there is a trim trail, a sensory garden and garden of remembrance, as well as themed play equipment such as the HMS Westfield. These areas provide excellent provision for outdoor education and are part of the taught curriculum. Spiritual development is effectively promoted through the study of, for example, the life cycle of butterflies and mini beasts in the reception class and by encouraging older pupils to read books. Puppets are used to very good effect during lessons and at other times. For example, numerous bears keep an eye on pupils from their vantage points throughout the school and keep the headteacher ‘informed’ as to which class is the best behaved. They

p.16

PUPILS?

are also used during lessons and assemblies. For example, during Circle Time, a puppet may be passed around in order to encourage pupils to reflect upon how they are feeling and what may, for example, make them feel happy or sad. During the school day and during assembly, pupils are given regular opportunities to reflect and are given opportunities to develop a sense of wonder. This work is reinforced effectively during lessons. For example, during a religious education lesson, pupils with learning difficulties acted out the story of the Good Samaritan and put themselves in his place, imagining how they thought he would have felt.

p.16

PUPILS?

38. Provision for pupils’ social development is excellent. All members of staff work towards fostering pupils’ self confidence, and teachers and pupils hold each other in mutually high regard. They experience outdoor activities such as pond dipping and sitting around the camp fire. They also undertake activities such as using the parachute and this encourages them to work as a team and to use their initiative. Pupils are encouraged to undertake various responsibilities within their classroom and Year 2 pupils also form a school council that meets approximately once a month. They discuss issues of general interest such as school lunches and organise fund raising events for local and national charities. For example, pupils recently supported Blue Peter’s ‘Water Works’ appeal and encourage their parents and friends to come along to special days such as the annual summer fair.

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PUPILS?

39. The school has a very clear set of personal values that focus upon honesty and respect for others. The ‘Golden Rules’ are prominently displayed in each classroom and teachers constantly reinforce the importance of respecting each other’s beliefs and values. Especially noticeable is the consistent and sensitive way in which pupils are managed and their individualities addressed. Pupils have a clear understanding of the difference between right and wrong. They are well aware of the system of rewards and sanctions and readily accept the school’s code of values. Teachers are very consistent in their expectations of behaviour and pupils understand exactly what is, and what is not, acceptable. Members of staff always provide very good examples of how to behave and Westfield Infant School always praise pupils if they have done particularly good work or have made exceptional effort.

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PUPILS?

40. Assemblies are carefully planned and many of the themes are reinforced throughout other lessons such as during Circle Time and religious education lessons. Over time, pupils form their own set of moral values and beliefs and increasingly appreciate how their actions impact upon others. The school is characterised by a tremendous sense of mutual tolerance and respect between pupils of all ages and abilities.

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PUPILS?

41. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory overall. The curriculum ensures that they learn about traditional ways of life within the locality, for example Easter celebrations which include making Easter bonnets or spring festivals which include taking part in maypole dancing. However, pupils are insufficiently aware of the diversity of cultural traditions that exist within the world at large. The school has already given attention to this and an extensive range of artefacts and resources is now available. Nevertheless, at present, the use of such stimuli to increase knowledge and understanding are too little in evidence in the teaching programme.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. All members of staff work very closely as a team and share a wholehearted and sincere commitment to pupils’ well being. Child protection procedures are very good and members of staff are very clear about their responsibilities. The standard of personal support and guidance provided is very good and the time that pupils spend at school is happy and enjoyable. As a result, a strong feature of pupils’ response is their willingness to work hard and to do their very best. Children joining the reception class receive a warm welcome and this helps them to settle in quickly. Procedures for health and safety are very good and local authority requirements are met. Procedures to promote good behaviour are very effective and attendance is closely monitored. The monitoring of pupils’ personal development is very effective. The school has the full confidence of parents who appreciate the high level of support, guidance and attention given to their

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

children’s welfare. Inspectors judged their confidence to be well placed.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The school has created an ethos of recognition and celebration of pupils’ academic success. A positive atmosphere prevails as staff praise pupils’ efforts and achievements. As a result, pupils know why they have received praise, they are confident that they have improved and they are eager to continue to do so. This modelling of good coaching means that many pupils also encourage one another.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The school has given considerable attention to creating secure and effective assessment arrangements in order to bring about an improvement in academic standards. The quality of this aspect of the school’s work has developed significantly since the last inspection. Assessment is now used as a positive tool to bring about improvement.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. From the time when pupils enter the reception classes, the school collects and analyses comprehensive and informative data on their progress and achievement. The outcomes of this analysis are used effectively to review practice and evaluate teaching and learning and identify priorities in the school improvement plan. It enables the governing body in its monitoring of the quality of teaching in the school to understand the strengths of teaching and what needs to be improved. Senior management compare the school with other schools locally and nationally, in order to track the value added.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Teachers know their pupils well. They are clear about pupils’ strengths and weaknesses, about who require extra support, extension or challenge. These needs are clearly identified and the appropriate provision made. Pupils’ progress is carefully tracked throughout the key stage. The assessment of pupils with special needs is particularly Westfield Infant School thorough. Overall, the marking of pupils’ work is good. The most effective provides useful evaluations that record achievement and identifies what next to improve. However, this practice is not of consistent quality throughout the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The small number of pupils who come from an ethnic minority background and those who have English as an additional language are identified but as yet their needs are not always sufficiently analysed. Staff, in particular, do not always understand linguistic needs and there is a need for further training.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Pupils with special educational needs receive very good levels of support in classes with effective use of the school’s good assessment procedures. It uses test results, target setting and concerns expressed by class teachers and the good records kept by support staff to introduce extra support effectively. Assessment information is used to group pupils according to their respective abilities. Reviews of individual education plans and statements are supported well with the good involvement of outside agencies.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The school has effective practices to respond to pupils’ personal, physical and emotional needs. The day-to-day work of the school in terms of supervision, opportunities for constructive play, attention to health and safety is very positive and supportive to the pupils’ well being. Pupils grow and develop in a safe and caring environment with the very good systems that ensure their welfare.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are very effective and are a considerable strength of the school. The school has implemented a code of conduct called ‘Golden Rules’ and these form the cornerstone of school life. Teachers are very consistent in their expectations of behaviour and pupils know exactly what they can, and what they cannot, get away with. Pupils think the system is effective and very fair. They are delighted to have their efforts recognised during the weekly ‘bear’ achievement assembly. There is a very clear three-stage system of sanctions and, if the standard of pupils’ behaviour slips below that expected, they may lose some of their weekly ‘Golden Time’. Pupils say that those who misbehave are managed firmly but very fairly and that the procedures for eliminating bullying and other oppressive behaviour are very effective. In addition, ‘pupil mediators’ from the junior school spend time with pupils, helping them to

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

resolve difficulties. Overall, the level of racial harmony is excellent and there have been no related incidents. This is a testament to the school’s very successful systems for ensuring that pupils of all ages and ethnic origin feel included in all aspects of school life.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. Procedures for monitoring pupils’ personal development are good. The school uses a national assessment scheme and this information serves as a comprehensive baseline against which the school can measure children’s subsequent development. In addition, relationships between pupils and members of staff are very good and teachers are very sensitive to pupils’ ‘ups and downs’. This helps to ensure that teachers are very well placed to spot any emerging personal or academic problems and deal with them at an early stage.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are effective. Teachers complete the daily registers carefully and a computerised system helps the school to monitor closely the attendance of individuals as well as general trends Westfield Infant School

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. The previous inspection found that there was an effective partnership between home and school and that the level of communication was good. During the intervening five years, links have strengthened further and they are now very effective. Over half of the pre- inspection questionnaires were returned. This is a very high rate of return and is an indication of the interest parents have in their children’s education. The overwhelming majority of those who voiced an opinion indicate that they are very pleased with almost every aspect of the school’s work and there is very little they would like to change. These positive views were reflected by comments made by parents who attended the pre- inspection meeting. Inspectors agree with parents’ very positive views. In fact, there is only one area of the school’s provision that generates any discontent. Around one in six of those who returned their questionnaire is dissatisfied with the range of extra-curricular

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

activities provided. Inspectors disagree. They feel that the range of activities offered is outstandingly good for a school that serves children of this age group.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. Parents are very well informed about the progress of their children with special educational needs. The targets the pupils are trying to achieve are shared fully with parents. The school makes very good contact with its parents. Contact is both informal and formal and can be initiated by either staff at the school or by the parents. The school sends appropriate letters to parents, informing them of concerns when they think their child may have special educational needs. All parents have copies of the individual education plans. This aids their involvement in the review process where their comments are invited.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. The school is very pro-active in its efforts to involve parents and they clearly appreciate this warm and welcoming approach. They regard members of staff as exceptionally approachable and feel that the school has high expectations for their children. Parents are very well informed about the work their children undertake. Information about each year group is posted on notice boards within the playground. Biannual consultation evenings are well attended. There are also additional days when, for example, parents and grandparents can come into school in order to find out about the various activities that the pupils undertake. Innovative events such as Family Learning days are very well attended and parents enjoy experiencing for themselves the activities their children do. The school runs a ‘SHARE’ project when parents can spend time during an afternoon each week, identifying ways in which they can help with their children at home. These weekly

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

sessions are well attended and parents say they find the information, hints and tips provided to be invaluable. Some parents have collected all the ideas that they have developed with their children at home into a file. Inspection of an example shows an outstanding range of high quality home learning activities.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. Parents make good use of the home/school books and the majority regularly hear their children read at home. Pupils’ annual reports include detailed information about what pupils can and cannot do and give a clear idea to how their child is getting on compared with national standards. The school’s open approach enables parents to feel equal partners in their children’s learning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. The Westfield Infant School Association is run by a small group of dedicated volunteers who organise a wide range of social and fund raising activities. The money raised has helped the school to develop the school grounds and install attractive features such as the trim trail and the sensory garden. Westfield Infant School

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership of the school. Her clear vision for improvement shapes the work of the governors and all the staff and ensures good progress and high quality learning for all the pupils. She is highly visible and active within the daily life of the school. She leads by example and models effective practice for her staff. She uses an expert mixture of motivation, support and challenge for staff in the work they do. As a result, all energies are focused on achieving the best outcomes for the pupils so that they are successful and the school is a dynamic place in which to be. These excellent qualities were recognised in the last inspection. Since that time, the outcomes of the headteacher’s leadership are more visible in the higher quality and improved standards achieved by the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The deputy headteacher works in close partnership with the headteacher, ably assisting her in the continued improvement of the school. Together, they have created a strong staff team, using an effective mix of experience and skill. As a result of their combined skills and expertise, the school is highly self evaluative and has accurately identified its needs for improvement. Responsibility for raising standards of achievement and for assuring the high quality of teaching is shared with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the key staff of the school. Through well-planned systems of monitoring and evaluation, delegated appropriately to subject leaders, the school is able to evaluate itself effectively. Strengths and weaknesses are identified clearly because of this consistency of approach. The strengths are built upon and action is taken to remedy the weaknesses. A comprehensive school improvement plan is the result of wide consultation

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and guides all the development within the school. The strategic aims of the plan are very clear, but some of the stated success criteria for individual priorities do not consistently link outcomes to improvement in teaching, learning or standards of attainment. Challenging, but achievable targets are set for improvement in standards. These help to raise expectations and continue the good pace of development.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The governing body is supportive and well informed. Its members work well as a team, organising work effectively on an annual basis and taking very seriously their responsibility for holding the school to account and acting as critical friends. The links with subject leaders and the regular visits to the school by members of the governing body ensure that they know what is happening in the classrooms and whether improvement is taking place. Their statutory responsibilities are met well. Since the last inspection, they have made good progress in developing their role because of a strong commitment to the school, despite having a number of vacancies.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The senior management ensures that members of staff have the necessary professional development to support them in their responsibilities. The school uses the expertise of national figures in providing training for staff. This strategy is effective in providing inspiration as well as promoting high standards of performance. Performance management is well established and effective in setting individual targets linked to school improvement. The systems for supporting newly qualified teachers and training students for the teaching profession are good.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The school’s aims express a strong commitment to inclusion. This underpins all its work and ensures that everyone is valued and respected for the contribution that they make. The very good provision within the special unit and support of the whole school for its work exemplifies this commitment.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The headteacher, who is the co-ordinator for special educational needs, carries out the role in an excellent manner. There is a newly appointed assistant co-ordinator and staff of the school ably supports her. A very good team approach amongst staff supports the overall very good levels of provision for identified pupils. The school uses special Westfield Infant School educational needs funding prudently. The governors have a good oversight of provision. They comment on the quality of provision and access for the disabled in their annual report to parents.

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Staffing

64. The school benefits from a very good level of well-qualified and experienced teachers and support staff to provide for pupils’ learning. The deployment of teachers is effective. This ensures that their expertise is used to maximum effect and well matched to their roles. Subject coordinators are very effective in their work. Support assistants make a significant contribution to the high quality of teaching and learning. The well-informed governing body knows what contribution is required from them to continue its success. Administrative staff provide a very efficient and friendly service that ensures the smooth running of the school.

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Accommodation

65. The accommodation is very good. Classrooms are bright and spacious and provide good areas for practical work. However, the mobile classrooms provide more limited accommodation than the main school. One classroom has no access to lavatory facilities except in the main building. In warm weather, the rooms are hot and airless. Staff work well to overcome these limitations.

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Accommodation

66. In addition to classroom space, there is a good-sized hall, a library, a medical room and a quiet room. In the last inspection, the outdoor areas were found to be little used. Now, the provision for learning outdoors is outstanding. The well-developed playground provides an outdoor classroom. There is a trim-track training area, an environmental area, a sensory trail and reflective memorial garden. The school also has access to good-sized fields in cooperation with the junior school.

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Accommodation

67. Children in the reception class also have the benefit of timetabled use of the outdoor area. They also have access to a safe, fenced off play area immediately outside their classrooms. However, this lacks the stimulus evident elsewhere in the outdoor area and the school has rightly identified plans to remedy this. The premises manager and cleaning staff clean and maintain the school to a very high standard.

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Accommodation

68. The school has adapted its accommodation to enable pupils with a physical disability to access the school. The only two areas not available to the physically disabled are the outside mobile classrooms that have not yet been ramped for access.

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Finance

69. Financial control and school administration are very good. The school gives attention to achieving best value through effective systems for ordering of resources and services. There is excellent use of specific grants to enhance and enrich pupils’ learning. A clear financial plan supports school improvement priorities. Budget management is efficient and effective.

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Resources

70. Resources are very good overall. The school has a very good range of books and resources in classrooms and in the library. Resources for information and communication technology are very good. The loss, wear and tear of resources is minimal because of the good systems for their storage and retrieval. Consequently, they are available to future pupils and staff. These systems ensure that valuable time is not lost in finding materials. The headteacher’s energy, commitment and success in obtaining financial grants offset Westfield Infant School their cost. Performance management is very effective. Staff know that their priorities are to improve what they do to ensure pupils’ achieve high standards and make good progress. For example, the higher level of resources needed to meet pupils’ special educational needs is used to very good effective. Senior managers evaluate the benefit of all these resources on pupils’ achievement. As a result, the school provides very good

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

71. The school is very successful and there are no major weaknesses. The school’s improvement plan is rightly focused on continuing to raise standards in reading, writing and numeracy. The governing body, in implementing this plan, is asked to include two minor aspects to improve the quality of teaching and learning further by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) ensuring that teachers make more use of the excellent range of artefacts and resources as well as pupils’ ethnic backgrounds to deepen their understanding of living in Britain’s multicultural society (paragraphs 41, 111 and 141);

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) ensuring that the excellent and very good teaching strategies observed during the inspection are shared so that they are used consistently by all staff to maintain pupils’ good progress and raise standards higher. (paragraphs 111, 115, 117-118). Westfield Infant School

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 21

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage 13 34 30 14 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.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 228

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 39 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 21

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 42

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

English as an additional language No of pupils

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 9

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 17

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 10

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National comparative data 5.9 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Westfield Infant School 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 44 41 85

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 28 31 36 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 34 37 36

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 73 (85) 80 (93) 85 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 30 36 37 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 36 36 38

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 78 (89) 85 (91) 88 (87) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Westfield Infant School Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

White – any other White background 28 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 1 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 8 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black or Black British – Caribbean 1 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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. Westfield Infant School Teachers and classes Financial information

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 11.6 Financial year 2002-2003

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.7

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Education support staff: Y02 – Y 03 Total income 610,700

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 22 Total expenditure 610,803

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 430 Expenditure per pupil 2,678.90

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Balance brought forward from previous year 49,000

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Balance carried forward to next year 8,000 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Westfield Infant School Results of the survey of parents and carers

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of responses in each category

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

My child is making good progress in school. 64 35 0 0 2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Behaviour in the school is good. 50 45 3 0 2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 39 49 8 0 3

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 52 40 8 1 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 66 29 3 2 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 71 28 1 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school works closely with parents. 48 44 3 2 3

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school is well led and managed. 66 31 1 0 2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 54 45 1 0 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 45 41 5 1 8

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses Parents are very satisfied with the school. The school is approachable, warm and caring. The children are happy and parents value the high level of attention given to the quality of the learning activities and accommodation. They are well informed and happy to approach the school. They believe the teaching to be good. Inspection evidence supports these views.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Other issues raised by parents A very few parents thought that the school provided too few extra-curricular or homework activities. Inspectors judge the range of extra-curricular provision to be excellent for the age of the pupils and a good range of homework is set. Westfield Infant School

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72. Attainment on entry to the reception classes is broadly in line with national expectations in each of the six areas of learning. All children make good progress in the Foundation Stage and most are above the expected levels for their age by the time they begin Year 1. Teaching is very good overall and never less than good. Lessons are well planned and work is matched to the differing abilities of the children. Frequently, children have the chance to make choices and this helps their personal and social development. The outdoor areas give an additional dimension to the curriculum and this is well organised by the staff. The support staff work closely with the teachers and are a particular strength.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. The organisation of the learning is very good in the reception classes. An example is the way the learning environment is set up so that children can make choices and access all the resources they need. Routines are well established so children know what to do.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

74. The Foundation Stage is well led and managed. The co-ordinator has a very good knowledge of the early years’ curriculum and has had a positive influence on the planning for outdoor learning. Teachers have guidance when planning and new assessment and recording systems have been developed. Advice and support are given as necessary.

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Personal, social and emotional development

75. Although they are broadly at an average level when they start school, by the time they leave the reception class, most children are above the standards expected for their age. They make good progress in this area of learning because teaching is very good. Children are happy and settle quickly, confidently leaving their parents and carers. They co-operate well, share and take turns. Effective role-play areas, for example, at the seaside, give children good opportunities to work as members of a group or independently. They participate with total involvement and concentrate on chosen activities for extended periods. They have good relationships with each other and with adults. They respond well to each other and to visitors with equal ease. Children quickly learn the clear organisation of the classes, for example, willingly packing up the equipment when asked to without any fuss. They are increasingly aware of the needs of others. Adults act as very good role

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Personal, social and emotional development

models for the children. Expectations of behaviour are high.

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Communication, language and literacy

76. Most of the children have satisfactory language skills when they start school, although a few have delayed communication skills. Teachers’ good questioning promotes lots of speaking and listening activities effectively. By the end of the Foundation Stage, most children answer in full sentences, whilst some use shorter phrases. When children are engaged in activities within the classroom and outside, they are frequently engaged in discussions to develop their use of language and their ideas. Children enjoy listening to stories and most want to participate in re-telling them. They take great delight in books and most are using a variety of strategies to enable them to read. Most children recognise their own name and can write it with increasing accuracy. Children include writing in their play such as when the travel agent was encouraged to use the notepad to record people’s holiday bookings. Most children write independently. By the time they enter Year 1, they

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Communication, language and literacy

are able to form most letters correctly and some make them a consistent size. The children are above the expected standards by the time they leave the reception class. Westfield Infant School

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Mathematical development

77. Teaching is good and provides many effective opportunities for children to count, sort and use mathematical language. Most children are above the standards expected by the end of the Foundation Stage. Children recognise and use numbers to 30 and beyond in their play and most children can add two numbers to make totals to 10. Higher attaining children can go further and some can read and use numbers over 100. Reception class teachers effectively introduced the idea of adding on through singing their own version of ‘The animals went in two by two’, altered to suit the minibeast theme they were following and this captured the interest of the children well. Most children can recognise and name two-dimensional shapes, such as a triangle. They demonstrate understanding of relative sizes as they re-enact the Goldilocks story.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

78. Most children have some general knowledge about their own environment when they enter the school. The very good experiences that the children are given improve this further. For example, they make structures out of construction kits or recycled materials. They know the life cycle of a butterfly as they have had the opportunity watch caterpillars become pupae, which fascinates them. Their walk around the local area, following Little Red Riding Hood, develops their early map skills. As they play, they begin to learn about other places in the world, for instance, that there are penguins in Antarctica. They learn about other places by following the travels of Brumas the Bear. They celebrate many festivals from different cultures, such as the Chinese New Year when they used chopsticks and had Jasmine tea. Many of the children develop good computer skills for their age. They control the mouse accurately and use it to point and click, moving items on the

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

screen. They enjoy controlling a programmable robot, making it follow a track. Adults give good advice and support in activities, such as how to use tools. The teaching in this area is very good and children are given appropriate challenges and stimulating activities.

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Physical development

79. Teaching of this area of learning is very good. Most children are confident in their use of equipment, both large and small. Children in reception classes have opportunities to explore the hall and the physical education equipment and they do this with increasing control. Outdoors, the children have the opportunity to use bikes and the Trim Trail. They visit the park to use the equipment there. They use the maypole and the parachute to develop co-ordination. Children use scissors to cut paper, demonstrating increasing accuracy and are confident at joining with tape or glue. They are above expectations for their age when they leave the reception classes.

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Creative development

80. Teaching is very good in this area of learning. Most children in the reception classes produce drawings of people with many recognisable features. They are given some good activities to explore and use different colours to produce patterns. Children have opportunities to use malleable materials such as play dough to produce models. Use is made of the Sensory Garden to develop other senses. Children are pleased with what they achieve. They sing enthusiastically and some have a good sense of pitch. They are developing a good sense of rhythm and play untuned percussion instruments appropriately. Westfield Infant School

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ENGLISH

81. Standards in English show evidence of considerable improvement over last year. Early indications of the results of the 2003 national tests show that pupils’ standards in reading and writing are well above those of 2002 and likely to compare well with the average attained nationally. A greater number of pupils are attaining the higher levels and the performance of boys shows a pleasing improvement on the previous year.

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ENGLISH

82. Standards observed in the classrooms support these results. There is ample evidence of pupils who make good progress in developing good reading skills from the start of their time in the school. They use a range of strategies to tackle new words. They understand the characteristics of different kinds of books and discuss and describe the plot and characters with enjoyment. Some of the older pupils make predictions about the stories they read and find their way round contents and glossaries with ease. Examples of writing to a good standard were seen in all classes. Pupils write stories, accounts, list, captions and diaries. Some pupils produce writing which is creative and lively and speaks of their daily thoughts and experiences in a mature way. These standards and the writing of boys in particular show a good improvement since the last inspection and are now soundly based. The range of writing for different purposes such as poetry could be further

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ENGLISH

extended to give variety and opportunities for greater creativity.

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ENGLISH

83. The quality of speaking and listening is good throughout the school and sometimes very good. Teachers provide a range of excellent opportunities for pupils to speak as individuals, in pairs or in groups. Pupils willingly and straightforwardly discuss how they will tackle a problem. They give accounts, sometimes to the whole class, or on occasion to the whole school at assembly. As they move through the school, they improve in confidence and clarity. Most pupils listen well to each other and to adults and this skill is fostered by the whole school ethos of respect for others. Numerous opportunities for speaking and listening in other lessons reinforce these skills. For example, pupils in Year 2 used puppets to discuss their feelings about going to the junior school and going on a school journey. These lessons help pupils to reflect upon personal experiences and express themselves clearly.

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ENGLISH

84. Spelling and handwriting are satisfactory as pupils develop their understanding of phonics and their manual control. They take a pride in their work and try hard to practise and improve. By the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils write neatly with well formed letters and are beginning to develop a joined up style.

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ENGLISH

85. English skills are taught, not only in designated English lessons, but are used and reinforced across the curriculum. For instance, in a history lesson, a Year 2 class, having taken part in very active role-play about the Great Fire of London, then used whiteboards to spell key words. They produced well-sequenced written reports with soundly constructed sentences and imaginative vocabulary, thus putting their learning in context.

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ENGLISH

86. Underpinning the improving standards in English is the good quality of the teaching. There is no unsatisfactory teaching and eight out of ten lessons are good or better of which nearly one in three lessons is very good or excellent. Teachers have a thorough knowledge of the subject, together with a very good understanding of how young children learn. They have clear plans for their teaching and high expectations of what their pupils should achieve. They make these plain to the pupils in lessons and they respond with enthusiasm. Teachers employ a range of creative and exciting strategies to involve pupils and get them thinking. In a Year 2 class, for example, pupils used white boards and markers to jot down notes from an information book. The teacher modelled this well for the whole class and they then worked in pairs with the utmost concentration, achieving a good standard. In a Year 1 class, the teacher shared a big book with the class. She made

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ENGLISH

deliberate mistakes in her reading, putting the words in the wrong order. The pupils were Westfield Infant School delighted to put her right, discovering for themselves that words need to be in the correct order to make sense. They went on to make interesting sentences of their own. In a reception class, children used giant speech bubbles made of card to write some facts about themselves, ‘My name is….. I like playing with my rabbit’. They then recorded this on a tape recorder and played it back for the whole class to hear. In doing this, they were learning about how speech is written. They wrote sentences and practised how to speak clearly for others to understand. At the same time they had great fun. Teaching maintained good levels of challenge.

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ENGLISH

87. Teachers manage behaviour well and work co-operatively as a team with the teaching assistants and other helpers to support pupils who may find concentration difficult or who have challenging learning needs. Work is carefully planned to meet a range of needs and levels of attainment. Emotional needs are sensitively met while clear rules and expectations for good behaviour are maintained.

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ENGLISH

88. Pupils enjoy their learning within this subject. They approach their activities with excitement and are well motivated by their experiences. For example, a Year 1 boy discussed a story which the class was reading, ‘Oh, I do hope it has a happy ending’, he says, ‘I hate it when it’s sad!’ Children in the reception year giggle with delight when they jump across stepping stones and read the words written on them. A Year 2 pupil had five reading books at the same time. He said that he needed them to read in different places, ‘because you never know how you might feel at the time’. Pupils are rarely bored by their experiences and their teachers are very skilled at keeping a good pace and a real sense of inventiveness in the activities they present. These successful approaches lie behind the rising standards.

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ENGLISH

89. The subject leader for English is enthusiastic and eager to bring about greater improvement. With excellent support and guidance from the headteacher, she is able to undertake some successful initiatives to raise standards. The emphasis on consistent teaching of phonics, the grouping by ability in Year 2, the targeted writing group for more able pupils and the strong focus on raising boys’ attainment have all been successful strategies. These are now reaping the rewards of higher results. The subject is very well organised and evaluated.

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MATHEMATICS

90. In the national tests last summer for Year 2 pupils, the proportion achieving the expected Level 2 was well below average. The proportion reaching the higher Level 3 was below average. Evidence from the inspection suggests that this year’s results will show a significantly improved picture. By Year 2, pupils have made good progress. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

91. Most pupils can work competently with numbers over one hundred. They collect data to complete block graphs. Most pupils know the value of different coins and are able to do simple calculations relating to money. They know the names of simple shapes and are increasingly accurate using standard measures. They use multiplication and division with growing confidence and are beginning to investigate mathematical problems. They are able to discuss their strategies for mental calculations and for problem solving. They use correct terminology in oral work. Pupils identify at least some of the lines of symmetry of two-dimensional shapes.

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MATHEMATICS

92. Teaching is very good. There is no unsatisfactory teaching. Eight out of ten lessons are good or better of which six out of ten are very good or excellent. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good. Together with good planning, this enables them to ensure that all pupils make good progress. Teachers recall previous learning at the beginning of the lesson. As a result, pupils focus quickly on the work in hand. Pupils acquire a range of Westfield Infant School different problem solving strategies effectively. Further tasks are set when they have chosen the one that works best for them. The more able are appropriately challenged by being set additional or different tasks. Pupils with special educational needs and others who find the subject more difficult are well supported throughout the school so they try hard. Teachers plan appropriately for them and often, teaching assistants work with these

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MATHEMATICS

groups to support learning. The pace of lessons is good and teachers use good questioning to target individuals to assess whether a concept has been understood. Relevant homework is used to consolidate learning. Pupils know the next general areas they need to improve because further targets are set. In most classes, lessons refer to the targets. However, marking does not consistently give pupils enough indication of what they need to do to improve their work. As a result, opportunity is lost to remind pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

93. Most pupils enjoy mathematics. They are enthusiastic and in one of the Year 2 classes, pupils took delight in good humouredly pointing out errors made by the teacher. This was able to happen because of the very good relationships between adults and pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

94. The subject is very well led and managed by the coordinator. She uses information about assessment and the quality of teaching well to identify strengths and weaknesses. This aids the planning process for future years. She has also developed the resources available for teaching mathematics.

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SCIENCE

95. In 2002, teachers assessed pupils by the age of seven as having below average standards compared to those of schools nationally. Pupils attaining the higher levels of attainment were assessed as having standards well above the national average. The more recent teacher assessments for 2003, as yet unvalidated, show a more even picture. Here, an increased number of pupils attain average levels. The inspection finds that standards have continued to rise and that a significant number of pupils achieve the higher than average levels of attainment. Overall, by the end of Year 2, standards are above average. Standards are supported by the very good provision for pupils with special educational needs, good assessment procedures identifying the individual needs of the pupils and the very good planning with a focus on raising standards. Compared with similar schools, standards are well above average. Since the last inspection, the school has made a very

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SCIENCE

good improvement and standards have risen.

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SCIENCE

96. Following on the very good start they make in the reception classes, pupils in Years 1 and 2 follow a good range of work across the programme of study. They attain above average standards and achieve well. For example, pupils in Year 1, supported by good teaching and carefully prepared resources, learn very successfully about the growth of plants, their names and their features. They clearly describe the differences between plants, trees and bushes. Most pupils know the correct scientific terms and name the leaf, flower, stem and root of a range of plants. Some more able pupils understand that the root has a role as an anchor and is a carrier of minerals and water through the stem to other parts of the plant.

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SCIENCE

97. By the end of Year 2, above average standards are maintained. These standards are well supported by the wide range of opportunities provided for pupils to examine and discuss scientific concepts. There is also a good range of opportunities to investigate, obtain and present evidence, evaluating it from first-hand experiences. For example, supported by excellent teaching, Year 2 pupils learned how materials changed and if the changes were reversible or not. The majority of pupils correctly used specialist vocabulary such as ‘flexible’, ‘opaque’ and ‘reversible’ when undertaking investigations. About a third of the class whom the school recognises as more able explained and predicted whether the changes they saw when, for example, making toast, were reversible or not. Westfield Infant School 98. An analysis of pupils’ previous and present work shows they consistently achieve well. Across the school, they show at least good and sometimes very good attitudes towards

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SCIENCE

their work. Behaviour and relationships are very good. Pupils are keen and highly motivated learners. They work at a good rate with good levels of understanding.

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SCIENCE

99. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is very good. There is no unsatisfactory teaching. Three out of four lessons are good or better of which two out of four are very good or excellent. Teachers plan their work thoroughly and use resources effectively. They show a good awareness of the subject and interpretation of the adopted scheme of work. Lessons proceed at a very good pace with a high level of challenge and expectation. Teachers start lessons with questions linked to previous work. They give good, clear explanations and, as a result, pupils increase their understanding. For example, in Years 1 and 2, teachers set achievement targets for the end of the lesson and through questions, linked them to pupils’ learning.

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SCIENCE

100. Teachers use a wide range of carefully prepared resources that capture and hold pupils’ interest. Effective assessment is made of pupils’ learning in each lesson and decisions made about future teaching. Teaching challenges pupils of all abilities to conduct and record further investigations. Teachers and support assistants work very well together, supporting effectively pupils’ understanding and learning. This is a strength of the teaching and enables all groups, including those with special educational needs, to make very good progress and to learn very well.

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SCIENCE

101. There is a very good leadership and management of the subject. Improvements to teaching and provision have clear and relevant priorities. These have arisen because of monitoring the quality of teaching. The introduction of new methodology has improved teaching and is having a good effect on standards. Resources and the standards of display, supporting work in progress, are good. Pupils’ interest in their study of living things is greatly enhanced by the excellent outside environmental area. Pupils use this frequently, effectively recording what they see to illustrate, for example, the life cycles of plants, insects and small animals. In lessons, the teaching of investigative work is good. Teachers use stimuli such as ‘topic sacks’ to elicit wonder from pupils as they reveal the treasures in them. For example, in the reception class, finger puppets of delightful minibeasts, jigsaw puzzles and games relevant to the theme were used well to fascinate

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SCIENCE

children and to provide extension and enrichment activities.

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ART AND DESIGN

102. Inspectors observed only one lesson. This reflected the same standard as seen at the last inspection. Work in art and design illustrates lessons in science, history and geography. A distinctive feature is the use of genuine artistic techniques that allows pupils to make their own interpretation.

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ART AND DESIGN

103. Pupils enjoy art and make pleasing paintings, for example, in the style of Lowry. The range of activities offered to pupils is good. Pupils record what they see, using a variety of media. They explore ideas to make puppets for a performance of ‘Aladdin’. Their illustrations are detailed and precise, for example creating the dragon and the emperor. Pupils make simple choices in the materials they will use. In Year 1, pupils use pencil carefully to create different textures and tones in observational drawings of a banana. In Year 2, they select surfaces from a well-chosen range to create a collection of rubbings. They are interested and excited by this work. They look carefully to identify other interesting surfaces. This activity forms a foundation onto which pupils select and print, using other materials. As a result, they make very good progress in building techniques to a point where they use and apply their own responses to create images that are

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ART AND DESIGN

aesthetically pleasing and individual. Westfield Infant School 104. Teaching and learning are good. Teaching ensures pupils acquire skills to produce work of artistic quality. However, there is little evidence in portfolios or sketchbooks to illustrate how pupils have explored a range of techniques or styles. Artists in residence bring enrichment to pupils’ learning. For example, a willow artist created a living work of art to represent a caterpillar. As the willow wands grew, pupils experienced a changing environment that stimulated their senses. Teaching provides good contexts for pupils to work effectively with materials.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. The curriculum co-ordinator is comparatively new in post. She is knowledgeable and has a good view of the future development of the subject. Everywhere in the school provides a highly pleasing, aesthetic environment. There is a good range of resources, including an extensive range of prints by different artists.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment is above the standards expected. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Inspectors observed three lessons in Year 1, but none in Year 2. However, discussion with pupils and examination of their work shows that they make good progress throughout the school. Finished products show that pupils take care over the presentation of their work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. Year 1 pupils consider what they like and dislike in sandwiches, then create a sandwich for a friend. They design, then make models of playground equipment, such as swings and roundabouts. In Year 2, pupils produce models with different mechanisms, for instance, to wind ‘Incy Wincy Spider’ up a waterspout. Pupils evaluate their designs and suggest what they would like to improve. For example, they evaluated the effectiveness of the litter pickers used by the school’s ‘eco-warriors’.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. Teaching and learning are very good. In good lessons, teachers plan work well and resources are prepared in advance. This leads to good achievement and pupils’ positive attitudes towards the subject. Teachers consistently use the beginning of lessons to remind pupils what they have previously done and the last part of the lesson to draw together the learning and lead on to the next session. As pupils share their explanations, they are able to learn from each other. A very strong feature of the teaching is the consistent way in which pupils always follow a ‘design then make’ process. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support in mixed ability groups. They often record their designs and findings, using pictures as well as words so that literacy difficulties do not hamper their design and technology work. The standard of presentation in their books is high. In some classes, effective use of ICT results in the collation of data as part of a

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. The subject is well led and the co-ordinator has made improvements to the teaching of the subject, particularly related to the consistent approach taken throughout the school to design and make. The design and technology club provides opportunity for her knowledge and skills to motivate other pupils. She has ensured that resources are good.

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GEOGRAPHY

110. Limited evidence was available during this inspection and it was not possible to observe any geography being taught. Based on the evidence of pupils’ work and discussions with them, standards are in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2.

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GEOGRAPHY

111. A strength of the teaching is the commitment to pupils’ learning through first hand experience. Classes are taken on walks round the local area, for instance, to the supermarket and the library and pupils record their journey in map form. As they travel to destinations further away, such as Coventry, they are encouraged to note the different Westfield Infant School land features and usages. A village is studied to identify the contrasts with the pupils’ own urban community. Year 1 pupils investigate the local environment and consider how it could be improved. In Year 2, they learn about Tocuaro in Mexico, identifying differences between homes and schools there and in Hinckley. Most pupils record these details well in their books but there are instances where there is little difference between the highest and lowest attaining pupils. More use could be made of these visits after returning to

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GEOGRAPHY

school to develop the pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Pupils follow the travels of Brumas Bear around the world. As a result, they learn about other countries, including China. However, some of their own writing indicates pupils’ stereotypes are not always challenged sufficiently.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. Teachers develop effective links with other subjects and there is an increasing good use of geography books within the pupils’ literacy lessons. ICT is used for some Internet research, for example, obtaining information about other countries.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. Pupils enjoy geography and show an interest in the issues raised by the study of this subject. The subject is managed appropriately and the co-ordinator has a sound understanding of the requirements of the curriculum. She has improved the quality of resources available. The school now has a good interesting range to support teaching.

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HISTORY

114. Standards are in line with those expected by the end of Year 2. There are no significant differences in attainment between boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language achieve as well as the other members of the class.

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HISTORY

115. By the end of Year 2, pupils distinguish between past and present. Pupils in Year 1, for instance, recognise implements used for washing clothes in the 1950s and understand how much harder it was then in comparison with today. They know that there are changes over time. In Year 2, pupils point out differences in seaside holidays in the past and the present. Pupils know about the lives of some important historical characters. For example, they know something of the lives of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole and they study important events such as the Great Fire of London. However, they have little understanding of why these people or events represent new understanding or changes in society at that time. There is little evidence that pupils are developing a sense of chronology and ability to put the people and events studied into their correct period.

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HISTORY

116. There are good examples of where history makes contributions to pupils’ literacy development. For example, pupils write descriptions of people such as Charles II and Samuel Pepys. In addition, pupils learn the conventions of writing a report when they write a newspaper article about the Great Fire of London. Pupils also know how to address and write a postcard from their visit to the seaside, created in their classroom. Additionally, using big books following historical themes for class reading in the literacy hour has helped to increase the focus on history without detracting from the school’s priority to raise standards in literacy. This is good practice.

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HISTORY

117. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Although inspectors observed few lessons, a detailed sample of pupils’ work was analysed. Teaching places high priority in bringing the past alive to pupils. Teachers’ planning is effective. As a result, pupils make sound progress. Pupils’ work is marked and corrected regularly. Teaching provides evaluative comments during the course of lessons and often at the end. However, in marking, there are few suggestions about how pupils can improve their work. Where teaching is very good, pupils acquire a picture of events at that time by clever planning and imaginative teaching methods. For example, in a very good Year 2 lesson about the Great Fire of London, after an introductory role-play, the teacher interviewed pupils as if they were Westfield Infant School survivors of the fire. The teacher’s skilful presentation of her questions to elicit how pupils

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HISTORY

might have felt had they been there, enabled them to enter into the spirit of the powerful atmosphere created. Some spoke of the cleverness of the King to order homes to be pulled down. Others spoke of not knowing where their family would be now or what would happen to them. All pupils who were invited to take part did so very well, even a pupil with serious communication difficulty. In this way, pupils became very involved and could understand better the terror of how the fire spread.

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HISTORY

118. The previous report noted that assessment procedures were ‘at an early stage’. These have improved and the school is now developing assessment in line with that in the national scheme of work. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development by enabling them to learn about their heritage and by giving opportunities for pupils to work together. Visits to places of historical importance further enhance the social and cultural impact of history. This is especially so of the annual residential visit. Teaching could be further improved if pupils had more opportunities to study why people acted as they did.

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HISTORY

119. There is a very good range of interesting artefacts, both real and reproduction. Teachers use them effectively to provide authentic illustrations of events in the past. For example, using the replica fire bucket, pupils attempted to form a human chain to put out the fire in nearby houses. This proved very difficult and hugely motivating – an experience that will stand in pupils’ memories. This enabled them to understand several reasons why the Fire was difficult to put out and had such a devastating effect on London. Pupils used a dolly tub and posser to experience washing days in the 1950s.

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HISTORY

120. The leadership and management of the subject are sound. As a result, subject standards have not fallen and the subject has made satisfactory progress since the previous inspection. The coordinator has extended the range of resources well. Her subject portfolio provides a useful baseline for further development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

121. Standards are above those expected by the end of Year 2. Pupils achieve well where ICT is taught as a discrete subject and where it is taught in other subjects. There are no significant differences in achievement between boys and girls across the different ethnic groups in the school or across the different levels of pupils’ attainment. The use of ICT to enhance learning in other subjects is very good. A criticism from the previous inspection was that the use of ICT was not well enough planned across the curriculum. This has clearly been corrected.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. By the end of Year 2, pupils are familiar with the basic skills. These include using a mouse, finding keys on the keyboard and basic word processing skills. All pupils have their own disc to save their work. As a result, they all save and retrieve their work as necessary. They are also able to print it out. Pupils use computers for elements of control, including programming a directional robot to follow instructions. Pupils are familiar with the everyday applications of computers. They understand their use of computers in musical keyboards, for example. In an interesting visit to a local supermarket, they see applications such as the use of bar codes, stock control and tills. In other subjects, pupils regularly use computers to present information. Year 1 pupils, for example, present the results of a road traffic survey in the form of block graphs in mathematics lessons. Pupils in Year 2 use computers in art lessons to paint colourful and well-designed patterns. They

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

are also familiar with the use of digital cameras, scanners and computers to reproduce colour photographs. Pupils make good use of the ‘Dive Into Maths’ program to enhance their work in numeracy lessons. Westfield Infant School 123. ICT makes a good contribution to pupils’ literacy development. They use computers to edit and refine work for final drafting and for writing notes in other subjects when looking at websites for information. Pupils use graphs for presenting results of surveys and make calculations when programming robots to move required distances. This makes a good contribution to numeracy development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. Teaching and learning are good. Teachers have had good training in the use of ICT, both for teaching as a separate subject and in other subjects. Pupils receive a consistent and varied programme of ICT and good learning results. Where teaching is at its best, teachers use the range of resources available to plan a range of challenging and interesting work for pupils at all levels of attainment. This was seen, for example, in a Year 1 lesson where pupils learned that computers respond to precise instructions, that instructions can be repeated and that objects can be classified in different ways. The teacher had a range of activities that kept pupils both busy and interested, so learning was good. Good control of pupils when classes are working with computers is a feature of all the teaching. This means that pupils do not waste time and equipment is properly looked after. Pupils show very good attitudes to work in ICT and behave very well in lessons.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Where pupils work together, relationships are very good and pupils help one another where difficulties arise. Classroom support assistants provide very good support in ICT lessons.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. The school has very good resources for ICT. It has invested money wisely in keeping resources up to date and in further development. A number of laptop computers and an interactive whiteboard have been added recently and full use of these is now being developed. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, particularly in moral and social provision. Assessment was reported as being at an early stage of development at the time of the previous inspection. The school is now developing assessment procedures that enable teachers to track and record the skills that pupils are developing and to ensure that a consistent curriculum is provided. The subject co-ordinator has shown very good leadership and management in developing the work of the subject. She has a very clear view of how to move the subject forward and expand the available resources. The subject has made very good progress since the

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MUSIC

126. Music is a strong feature of the curriculum. It has a high profile in every day life and contributes to the school’s excellent ethos. Pupils attain good standards. From the time they arrive in reception, they are taught to sing with enthusiasm and good tone. They hold a melody well and sing with others in a pleasing ensemble. When using simple pitched and unpitched percussion instruments, pupils are able to hold a rhythm, handle the instruments correctly and follow a conductor. Their skills of listening develop well through the school and pupils respond to music in their own words or through simple composition.

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MUSIC

127. Pupils really enjoy their music. They sing as they go around the school and in the playground. They eagerly take up instruments and concentrate hard, willing and eager to improve and refine their work. Even the youngest children listen to the sounds they make and try to develop them musically. Older pupils are excited at learning the recorder and perform the simple tunes they learn to a very high standard in assembly. Whole school singing is tuneful and joyous.

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MUSIC

128. All teaching of music seen was satisfactory and some was excellent. All teachers have a reasonable level of confidence in teaching the subject and a number have good musical skills. There is a satisfactory range of knowledge and experience. Teachers are well supported with a clear scheme of work and guidance on how to put this into practice. A wide range of resources with good quality instruments is well used. Leadership within the Westfield Infant School subject is very good. The expertise of the subject coordinator provides an excellent model of good practice and her enthusiastic approach contributes to the richness of music in the school.

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MUSIC

129. The extended music curriculum provides opportunities for some children to learn the violin with specialist teaching. Occasions are provided for performance before classmates and adults. Visiting musicians provide stimulating interest and the chance to enjoy and celebrate music making of high quality.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

130. By the end of Year 2, pupils achieve above average standards for their age. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language play a full part in lessons and achieve very well. They understand the importance of regular exercise to keep fit and healthy. Pupils dress smartly for physical education because they are very good at remembering their kit. They know why lessons begin with a warm-up and end with a cool-down. Pupils understand the importance, for their own health and safety, of the teacher’s ‘stop’ command, and respond immediately when told.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. Pupils show good levels of attainment and achieve well when performing floor movements and movements on the apparatus. For, example in a Year 1 lesson, supported by good teaching, the pupils learned very well how to perform zigzag movements by running in different directions around the hall. They showed good levels of control and coordination and used the space well, rapidly changing direction. When using apparatus, they showed a good individual interpretation of weaving movements and good levels of control in getting on, performing and jumping off the apparatus.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. By the end of Year 2, pupils have acquired a more complex range of movements. They are able to work in pairs, responding imaginatively to the challenges set. For example, one pupil led and held a shape that another pupil had to get over, round or through. They evaluated their own response and their movements showed a dance quality. A range of videos shows the high standards and range of dance pupils achieve. Their progress is very good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. The quality of teaching is good overall and sometimes very good. Teachers give good thought to the preparation and delivery of their lessons and challenge and expectation are high. A very well developed scheme of work and photographic illustrations of how to lay out apparatus provide excellent support for teachers. As a result, teachers match the challenge of their lessons to pupils' prior attainment. Pupils make good and sometimes very good progress. They work at a good rate, trying very hard to give of their best. They behave very well and relationships are excellent. They show a very good awareness of how to improve their own work and how to co-operate as part of a team. Pupils are used effectively to ‘model’ good work and pupils’ speaking and listening skills are applied successfully when teachers ask them to evaluate each other’s and their own work.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. Resources are good. Pupils benefit from having opportunities to use the good-sized hall, very well laid out and prepared outside surfaces, a school field and an excellent ‘trim trail’. Lessons give pupils frequent opportunities to practise their gross motor skills. They respond very well to the challenges this apparatus presents. There is an excellent range of extra-curricular activities. These include gym club, football, country dancing, multi- sports and dance festivals where pupils perform for parents and the community. The school engages specialist coaches to lead some activities. Pupils benefit from this good practice. A local sports company runs multi-sport sessions and the school has an excellent sports day that covers a wide range of different sports. These are very well matched to challenge the pupils’ competence, both individual and in competition with each other. Pupils comment very favourably on a recent dance festival where they represented

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Westfield Infant School dance forms in the style of American Indians. Videos taken at the time show them performing a wide range of complex and relevant movements, achieving high standards.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. Over time, the school has acquired a high reputation for its physical education. The present co-ordinator has very successfully followed this lead and has developed the present very good scheme of work, including making an analysis of national reports on the teaching and improvement of standards for physical education. She has brought into the scheme of work her own personal background, which the school has supported with further training, in sport and dance. Teachers use video effectively to evaluate and develop pupils' skills. The leadership and management of the subject are very good. A new teacher takes over the role of coordinator in September as the present co-ordinator leaves the school. The school has been successful in appointing a well-qualified member of staff to promote and maintain the present above average standards.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. Since the last inspection, there has been a very good improvement. The school has successfully improved pupils' standards of achievement, the overall quality of teaching, the range of resources and sporting opportunities available.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

137. Pupils of all abilities achieve good standards. They are developing an increasing understanding of the richness and diversity of religion. For example, their understanding of Christianity and its important place in British culture as the main British religion shows good progress. This is because of well-chosen visits to places of Christian worship such as Coventry Cathedral and visitors to school from different churches and chapels.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

138. The quality of teaching is very good overall. In nearly one in three lessons, it is excellent. Teachers plan lessons very well and give very good attention to ensuring that pupils learn in ways that are interesting and relevant. A particularly good feature is the way in which teaching enables pupils to understand how different religious groups practise religions in Britain. For example, a highly motivating lesson focused on the importance and purpose of baptism to Christians. Teaching drew on pupils’ experiences of attending such religious ceremonies. This enabled pupils from different religions to contribute and, as a result, an interesting discussion took place of the importance attached by all religions to ‘naming ceremonies’. The role of each person attending the ceremony was explained well and the events were modelled effectively, first by the teacher with a group of pupils. Then all

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

pupils in groups created their own dramatic interpretation of the baptism. The pleasure and solemnity demonstrated as each pupil, absorbed in the role, took part created a tangible sense of spirituality.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

139. Teaching gives appropriate attention and time to enable pupils to reflect on the values and morals conveyed by parables. For example, in the story of the Good Samaritan, the teacher used well phrased questions so that higher attaining pupils were challenged to consider why Jesus told people the story. Teachers emphasise giving sufficient time for pupils to discuss the concepts presented. This is good practice. Together with role play and the very good modelling by teachers as they take part in the lesson, pupils learn very well. For example, in Year 2, pupils considered the significance of Christian parables. When asked, ‘How did you learn to forgive?’ pupils gave good examples. They make sensitive drawings to illustrate personal events.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. Assemblies make a strong contribution to religious education. The chosen themes follow the main events of the Christian calendar as well as considering the significance of festivals to other religions, such as Diwali to Hindus. The spirit of family, community and care for others and the wonder of the natural world are very well conveyed in assemblies. Everyone uses Makaton signing. It adds a strong dynamic to the presentation and conveys a sense of unity. Westfield Infant School 141. The co-ordinator manages the subject well. A good range of artefacts to support the curriculum is available. However, teaching could make more use of them to enable pupils to acquire deeper understanding about the topics taught.

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UNIT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

142. The provision in the unit is very good and has excellent features. It meets very well the needs of pupils who have a wide range of learning difficulties. The local education authority funds the unit. Admission is organised by the local authority and all pupils have a statement detailing their needs on admission. At the time of inspection, there were fourteen pupils on the roll of the unit. After entry, the school uses a multi-disciplinary approach to plan the provision to meet the pupils’ needs best.

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UNIT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

143. Pupils’ individual needs and targets are clearly recorded in their individual education plans (IEPs) and statements. Teachers review IEPs regularly with the pupils, parents and other professionals concerned with their support. Very good assessment procedures and very effective reviews ensure that the provision continues to be appropriate. If necessary, the school appropriately requests a further review of the statement to define the needs of the pupil more accurately and alter the provision accordingly.

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UNIT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

144. Pupils achieve standards that are below those expected nationally. However, when judged against their prior attainment, they make excellent progress. Pupils with more pronounced difficulties listen to a story, adding information on the main characters and starting to repeat the sounds in words. Those who are more able accurately read simple passages of writing. Inspectors identify the same excellent provision in numeracy lessons. Here, because the subject was not so demanding, pupils attain higher levels and make excellent progress. Most pupils show a good understanding of the days of the week and their order. The less advanced pupils successfully count numbers up to five and recognise the numerals. About a third of the group make more progress. They count sets of objects and are starting to recall number facts to add and subtract numbers to ten.

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UNIT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

145. There is a clear awareness to provide the pupils with relevant opportunities to support their progress and learning at their respective levels of attainment. The curriculum and the time allocated for subjects are structured very well. For example, in the areas of their greatest needs, due to their diverse and complex learning difficulties, most of the pupils in the unit have highly structured and staffed input for literacy and numeracy. Teachers match teaching methods to pupils needs very well because of accurate and careful assessment. As a result, they learn in an excellent manner and make excellent progress. For example, in a literacy lesson, teaching methods were planned and resources were prepared with careful consideration and pupils made excellent progress. The activities enable all to achieve good standards based on their prior attainment, which varies greatly.

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UNIT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

146. Joining classes in the main school is of benefit to all pupils. The length of time varies according to their respective assessed needs. However, all pupils attend these classes at least one session weekly. As the pupils progress, teachers take every opportunity to increase the number of opportunities for them to work in mainstream classes. The pupils in the unit have full access to the National Curriculum Programme of Study, including religious education.

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UNIT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

147. The quality of teaching and support that pupils receive in the unit and across the school is very good overall and sometimes excellent. Teaching successfully matches pupils’ work to the needs of each individual. The procedures for the recognition and assessment of the pupils’ needs are very good. There is excellent teamwork amongst staff. They are very aware of the pupils’ needs and strive hard to meet them. Progress is recorded thoroughly Westfield Infant School to inform future teaching. As a result, there is an excellent equality of access and opportunity for these pupils. They feel valued and work very hard at their tasks, displaying very good attitudes. Their fellow pupils across the school make friendly, purposeful and excellent relationships with them, assisting them willingly should they require it. This is of mutual benefit to all pupils.

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UNIT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

148. The unit co-ordinator provides excellent leadership and management to ensure that teaching assistants give effective support, tailored to pupils’ varied needs. As a result, the quality of teaching and support that pupils receive in the support unit and across the school is very good overall and sometimes excellent. The procedures for the recognition and assessment of the pupils’ needs are very good. There is an excellent quality of teamwork amongst staff. They are very aware of the pupils’ needs and strive hard to meet them. Progress is thoroughly recorded to inform the taught programme to meet their further needs, whether lessons are taught in the unit or in classes in the main school.

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UNIT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

149. The funding received for special needs is fully integrated into the school’s routine provision to meet their individual needs and this supports their excellent inclusion in all the work of the school. The accommodation for the unit is small and sometimes cramped but it provides well for small group tuition.

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UNIT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

150. Since the last inspection, where provision was also of a high standard, there has been good improvement. The progress of pupils according to their individual needs is now overall very good. Teaching and assessment have further improved and the school is taking on a greater responsibility for the provision in conjunction with the good levels of support from the local authority’s services.

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