Alverton Primary School

Alverton Infant and Nursery School

Dates of inspection: 29-30 th October 2002

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Alverton Infant and Nursery School

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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Alverton Infant and Nursery 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. Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Alverton Infant and Nursery School Mount Road Northallerton

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr J Southwell

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1998 Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 3639 A C Davies Registered inspector 9649 J Smith Lay inspector 32189 Y Clare Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Focus Education (UK) Ltd. 113-115 High Street Uppermill Oldham OL3 6 BD

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6-9

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Alverton is a small Infant and Nursery school situated in Northallerton in North Yorkshire admitting children between the ages of 3 and 7. There are 107 children attending, which include 10, four-year- olds, who receive specialist support from the pre-school language and speech resource situated in the nursery. All, apart from the children in the resourced classroom, come from the immediate area, which has a higher proportion of social disadvantage than is seen in most other areas of the country. The percentage of children entitled to school meals free of charge is above average as is the number of children on the special educational needs list. All children speak English as their first language. When they first start school the range of children’s personal and academic skills are very wide, however, there is a significant number who have problems with their communication skills. Overall, the ability

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

level of children when they first start in the nursery or the reception classes is below that expected for their age.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

This is a very good school enabling all children to achieve their true potential. National test results for 7-year-olds show that the school’s performance is much better than other schools serving children from similar backgrounds. Effective teamwork amongst the staff and very strong leadership is ensuring that the teaching is having a very positive impact on children’s learning. The school gives very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The very effective and sensitive leadership of the headteacher leads to effective teamwork amongst staff helping all children to achieve to their potential. • The very good quality of the teaching giving effective attention to all abilities is having a positive impact on the way children learn. • Very good emphasis on children’s communication skills is helping to improve their listening, speaking and writing. • Children with specific speech, language and communication disorders, receiving support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged children. • The attention given to practical activities in numeracy helps children to be confident mathematicians. • Very good emphasis on developing children’s creative skills helps them to think imaginatively. • Excellent pastoral and academic knowledge of all children helps staff respond quickly to the individual needs of all.

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What could be improved

• Giving more emphasis to the development of children’s thinking skills when planning work across the curriculum. • In addition to this main issue the school needs to review its provision for children outside lessons. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in February 1998 and it has made very good progress since that time. Areas that were regarded as being weaknesses at that time have been improved significantly. More able children are now being challenged appropriately and there is good provision for information and communication technology due to enhanced resourcing and improved teacher confidence in the subject. In addition, curriculum planning has strengthened, as has its management. There are more secure procedures in place to check on how effective the school is in helping children to achieve to their potential. All of this has resulted in standards being higher than they were at the time of the previous inspection.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The national test results for 7-year-olds show that the school’s performance has been very good by comparison to similar schools over the past few years. The present Year 2 is maintaining this trend. Standards in mathematics have been particularly impressive, mainly as a result of the good attention being given to practical methods of helping children to have secure understanding of basic number work. More able children are attaining the higher level for their age (Level 3) in each of the three tested areas and this has been a consistent feature for the past few years. The vast majority of children are able to read with fluency and expression and they can write for a range of purposes and use an increasing, and more descriptive, vocabulary as they become older.

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STANDARDS

Many children start school with immature speech and language skills. Children make very good progress because of the added attention given to listening appropriately and to speaking out in front of the class. This results in children increasing their vocabulary and in feeling confident to write descriptively. Children of all abilities are well supported, enabling the more able to make rapid progress and helping the less able to gain in confidence. This is having a very good impact on the achievement of all children. In mathematics, learning through practical activities is helping children to deepen their understanding of basic number skills. From very early on children are helped to use a range of skills to help them read unknown words. This is helping them to read with confidence and enthusiasm. There is very good use made of children’s information and technology skills to support learning in all areas.

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CHILDREN’S ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. The children really enjoy coming to school and their enthusiasm is seen at its best during lessons and in assemblies. They are keen to do well and Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 8 to be seen to behave appropriately.

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CHILDREN’S ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. There are a number of children who present challenges for the staff but the vast majority are very keen to comply with the school’s few, pertinent rules.

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CHILDREN’S ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. The children respond very well to the responsibilities they are given. They take pride in being chosen for tasks or in being recognised for something they have achieved.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching 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 teaching is having a very good impact on the children’s learning. There is very effective teamwork, which sees the additional adults that work in each classroom playing a full part in helping to improve children’s learning. They have a very important part in helping all children to achieve to their potential. The effective integration of the resourced classroom with the nursery class is helping all staff to have access to a range of specialist skills that the staff of the resourced classroom possess. This is used very effectively by all staff to give additional attention to helping improve children’s communication skills.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Throughout the school there is very good attention to learning through practical and creative methods. This is seen at its best in the nursery and reception classes when children are provided with a range of activities that help them to gain a better understanding of basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics. There is excellent use of resources to re-inforce the learning. In Year 2, for example, children have opportunity of using equipment used in the early 1950’s to help them gain a deeper understanding about what life was like in those days.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

One of the most impressive features of the teaching and learning is the way in which all staff plan work to meet the range of abilities in each class. This is helping the teaching of English and mathematics to be very good throughout the school. Teachers tell the children what it is they are going to learn in each session and this is helping them to be enthusiastic and interested in the learning. The children also have learning targets, which helps them have a good understanding about what they need to do next in order to improve.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The quality of the curriculum for all children is very impressive because of the attention given to communication and practical tasks. The school is now ready to consider how including thinking skills in their planning can further enhance the quality of their work.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for children with Very good. The early identification of the needs of these children is a Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 9 special educational needs crucial factor that helps them make good progress. The quality of the support is another major feature of the very good provision.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for children’s personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. In all lessons the staff give much attention to bringing a sense of wonderment to the children’s lives. The children are left in no doubt as to what is acceptable and not acceptable both in terms of work and behaviour. There are several opportunities for children to take responsibility for their actions and the school is very aware of the need to promote good understanding of other cultures in this mainly all white community.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its children Outstanding. The excellent systems in place that helps to track the progress of all children very carefully and the added attention given to recognising pastoral needs is helping the children to feel valued and cared for.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher has promoted a very strong ethos of teamwork amongst the staff and this is having a very good impact on the children’s achievement. The headteacher is very well respected by the children, parents, governors and staff.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. The governors have made significant steps to ensure that they are now able to check on the school’s performance and on its provision.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. There are many systems in place to check on how well the school is performing. Staff are provided with very good information about their work and are well supported professionally.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school is continuing to develop procedures to help it consider how well it is spending its money and the impact it is having on the standards attained by the children.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children enjoy coming to school. • The staff are extremely helpful if parents have a query or need to see them individually. • The headteacher is very well respected. • Behaviour is good and children are expected to work hard. • More after school activities being available to the children. Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 10 The parents have made many perceptive points and the inspection team agrees with all the positive points made. The school does provide the amount of additional activities outside normal lessons as would be expected for this age group. However, this is an area that the school is looking at in the near future with a view to improved provision. Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 11

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

• The very effective and sensitive leadership of the headteacher leads to effective teamwork amongst staff helping all children to achieve to their potential.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1 The headteacher provides strong leadership. This is seen in the way she has formed a very effective team around her. Her charisma and drive are evident for all to see and this makes it easy for staff, parents and children to have faith in her leadership. The governors are very confident of her ability to continue to take the school forwards. Since the previous inspection she has improved the management procedures and enabled staff to take on new initiatives both from a national and school perspective.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2 The staff are all aware of the school’s priorities for ensuring that each child is able to achieve to his or her full potential. The school aims and objectives include a statement about helping children to successfully achieve in an environment, which gives high priority to supporting their learning. This is happening, and is in no small part due to the drive and energy of the headteacher. The headteacher successfully communicates her vision to all staff, including those working in the resourced classroom. All staff treat children respectfully and there is a strong appreciation of the care they deserve, both academically and pastorally. This vision permeates all that is happening in the school. For example, at lunchtimes and during playtimes there is a great deal of care given to ensure that children’s social development is enhanced. Lunchtimes are pleasant occasions with a high presence from the teaching and support staff.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Similarly, during assemblies there is a very powerful feeling of a united school with much attention given to spirituality and social aspects of children’s development. The upshot is that you know you are in a school that cares in a special way for its children.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3 The headteacher has promoted a very strong ethos of teamwork amongst the staff and this is having a very good impact on the children’s achievement. There are many systems in place to check on how well the school is performing. The school has developed quite a unique system for tracking the progress children are making and this is communicated to all, ensuring that each member of staff is aware of what the expectation is for each child. This system has been particularly helpful in ensuring that standards in writing in particular have been as good as could be expected.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4 There is the same attention given to how children learn with appropriate checking systems in place to help teachers and support staff recognise what they do well and to be supported in any area that they need improvement. This results in staff being provided with very good information about their work and being well supported professionally. When the headteacher and other senior staff measure the impact of teaching on the children’s learning they agree focus areas with the staff in the first instance. In this way the school is able to give good attention to potential areas of concern. This worked when ‘guided reading’ was the focus of the monitoring. This type of monitoring has provided the headteacher with valuable information, which she has used effectively to help and support colleagues. However, she has also proved that if the expected improvement is not happening at the rate expected then she

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

has the leadership qualities to deal with difficult issues.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5 Her leadership style builds on the respect that her staff have for her. They know when she praises them it is sincere and well-deserved but at the same time when she needs to make potentially unpopular decisions she will do so. As a result of the high esteem staff hold her Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 12 there is a good response from staff. Her present staff know what is acceptable and invariably take much pride in being involved in a school that has a clear vision and one that puts emphasis on improving standards. The strong teamwork therefore results in this being a very effective school where children achieve well.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

• The very good quality of the teaching, giving effective attention to all abilities, is having a positive impact on the way children learn.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

6 The teaching is very good overall. There are several strong features to the teaching, which is having a very good impact on children’s learning. This, in turn, is helping all children to achieve to their potential. The strength of the teaching is evident throughout the school.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7 In the nursery, for example, there is very good attention to the quality of resources used which enable the young children to experiment in play situations and to move with ease into an imagined world. This was seen at its best during an outdoor play session when the resources were extremely well organised to simulate a building site. The resources were carefully situated so as to give children every chance to play spontaneously and at the same time practise manipulative skills with a range of hand held tools. There were four defined areas representing the plumbers, carpenters, builders and the site office. Each of the areas provided enough stimulus for children to record in writing, or through diagrams, some of the problems they were dealing with. The organisation demanded that children worked together and shared equipment. The more formal group activities that followed the outdoor play experience took

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

account of the main ‘building’ theme. One group, for example, acted out the story of the ‘Three Little Pigs’ and put much emphasis on building the houses.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

8 In the reception class the quality of teaching remains a strength, with opportunities for pupils to intermix formal activities with more ‘open-ended’ play activities. In this class it is quite clear that much time is given to ensuring that the tasks are organised so as to take account of the children’s prior learning. There is very good attention to providing interesting and exciting activities for groups of differing ability. There is very good attention to helping children to develop their communication skills. In the hospital play area children take on different roles, for example, the receptionist, the patient or the doctor. In each situation there is an expectation that they communicate with others involved with them in the play environment. The support of a nursery nurse or other adults helps to promote purposeful discussions. In more formal situations the teacher uses the term ‘good listening’ effectively to help children to focus on

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

their communication skills. She also makes very good use of a range of resources to help children to be excited about books. There is very effective use, for example, of story sacks, which include puppets or artefacts from the book that is being read to them. In this way the children are able to be more involved in the story. When working with the whole class the teacher gives added attention to the range of abilities in the group and directs specific questions to particular children or groups of children.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

9 The attention to different ability groups is also a feature of the work in Year 1, especially during literacy and numeracy sessions. In this class there is precise planning aimed at the different ability groups. The children find the tasks interesting and are highly motivated. During the literacy hour the teacher successfully uses the children to play different characters from the book she is reading. The children find this very stimulating and all are keen to be involved. This participation leads to more opportunities for children to express themselves. During the tasks that follow the introduction the children are provided with activities that take full account of what they have been doing previously. The lesson builds on children’s prior knowledge and Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 13 the children are challenged but well supported. There is again very good use of other adults to help children focus their attention on the main task.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

10 In Year 2 there is very good use of historical artefacts to help children to consider how people used to live. Artefacts taken from the early 1950’s are used to get children to explain to other what they may have been used for. In this way there is very good attention to children’s communication skills and to their problem solving. During a literacy lesson in the same class the teacher is very successful in helping children to read with more expression. The teacher draws children’s attention to the way the text is set out, giving particular focus to italics, capitalisation and to bold print. As a result of a very good introduction children are able to improve their reading taking account of parts of the text that require them to change the tone in their voices. The teacher also takes the opportunity of extending children’s vocabulary by challenging them to think of other ways of expressing questions or answering the teacher. The

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

use of ‘talk partners’ in this group is very successful in getting the children to give additional consideration to the point they want to make before answering a question.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

11 In each year group there are examples of very good or outstanding teaching. This consistent feature is making a positive impact on the children’s learning, which in turn, is making a difference to the way they achieve. The attention to each ability group, from nursery onwards, enables all children to achieve to their potential.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

• Very good emphasis on children’s communication skills is helping to improve their listening, speaking and writing.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

12 When children first start school the communication skills of many of the children, especially in relation to speaking and listening, are weak. The school has been very quick to recognise this and has given added attention to this aspect of its work.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

13 In the nursery there is a snack time for the children every day. This is seen as a very important part of their daily routine with children sat in small groups with an adult. It is at this time that all children are provided with an opportunity of making a contribution to small group discussions. The adults working with the children show a great deal of expertise in the way they manage the groups and in the way they encourage full participation. There is much attention given to ‘good listening’, which is a major feature of the whole session. Other activities in both the nursery and the reception classes are also highly focused on children using their speaking skills. The play environment, for example, sees children being required to work with others. The use of additional adults is a key to this aspect of children’s development. If the adults were not there to prompt children many would play without speaking to each other.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

They would use gesture only to get across what they were doing. However, because of the sensitive intervention of the adult support children are helped to ask questions and to listen to each other.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

14 As a result of the full integration that is taking place between the nursery and the speech, language and communication resourced classroom all staff benefit greatly from the expertise that the staff of the resourced classroom have. The nursery staff, in particular, are much more confident about the way they are developing all children’s speaking and listening as a result.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

15 In the reception and nursery staff maximise opportunities to let children dramatise plays and familiar stories. This was seen at its best in the nursery when a group of children were acting out the story of the ‘Three Little Pigs’. The staff, as well as the children, play a part enabling Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 14 the children to see how important it is for them to participate. The careful and sensitive way the staff deal with these situations is helping all children to feel more confident about speaking out in front of others. Another feature of the good encouragement for children to use their communication skills is the way in which activities are resourced. In the hospital play environment situated in the reception, for example, there are clothes, instruments and many artefacts for writing, including a computer. This is helping children to ‘get into’ the different roles and therefore to participate in speaking and listening more actively. Good modelling from

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

the staff also helps the children to gain confidence in acting out different roles.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

16 The good emphasis on drama is also a major feature in Years 1 and 2. The use of story bags, which contain puppets and other artefacts, is enabling children to find it easy to ‘do the speaking’ for the main characters in their stories. After the class has worked together using the story bags to illustrate teaching points at the beginning of lessons there is often additional opportunities for children to carry on with the drama independently or in small groups. In one lesson in the reception class the teacher expertly seized on the opportunity to develop the thoughts of one more able child by allowing him more time to explain what is meant by a ‘character’. As a result of the additional time given the child gave a very thorough and mature explanation and one that his teacher was thrilled with.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

17 The attention to communication is also a strong feature when developing children’s writing. In one Year 2 class there is very effective development of children’s writing skills because of the way the teacher has provided opportunities for the children to explore ideas orally first. When exploring their oral language the more able children begin to use words like, ‘eventually’ and ‘meanwhile’. They then find it easier to use these words in their written work. The teacher often acts as a scribe to help the children make the link between oral and written work. This is effective in helping the quality of written work to be that much better. Working in this way has helped standards in writing to be well above that of similar schools and helped children of all abilities to achieve well.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

18 This attention to oral and written work helps the progress that children make in writing to be very good. In the reception children are just at the stage of beginning to copy out some familiar letters. Even at this early stage there is good encouragement for children to use and record their thoughts in writing. One very able reception child has recorded, ‘I love the delightful day when I was born. I like the rainbow in the sky and I like school.’ The word ‘delightful’ is one that he has recently come across and is now intent on using it in his writing. By Year 1 children are beginning to communicate meaning through simple sentences, which show children’s growing awareness of how to use more formal punctuation and grammar. By the end of Year 1 the best examples of writing show good use of appropriate and interesting vocabulary, for example, ‘One dreamy day…’. By Year 2 ideas are organised into short

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

statements with common high frequency words being spelt correctly. By the end of Year 2, more able children are able to add detail tot their ideas. For example, ‘Mog was at home, lying in an old basket.’ Sentences are beginning to be linked with connectives and there is good use of basic punctuation.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

19 The good progress they make in writing is as a direct result of the input from the adults who work with them. They give much attention to children’s speaking and listening and as a result the children are confident enough to explore the use of new words and phrase in their writing. Equally as important, the children clearly enjoy writing and are gaining in confidence with their oral communication as they move through the school. Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 15 • Children with specific speech, language and communication disorders, receiving

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

20 The nursery is physically situated in an area that joins on to the resourced classroom for children with speech, language and communication disorders. This has helped enormously with the effective joint working that is happening. The level of integration of the resourced class with the nursery class has improved significantly since the previous inspection.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

21 One of the main reasons why the integration is so successful is that there is a great deal of respect amongst the staff for each other’s expertise. The nursery staff feel that they are able to gain a great deal from the expertise that the staff of the resourced class have. The resourced class staff in turn respect the expertise and experience that the nursery staff possess and this makes for a very effective working team. The nursery teacher acknowledges that there are many children who have specific speech and language problems coming into the mainstream nursery each year. Her observation of the work of, and discussions with, the staff of the resourced classroom has helped her enormously in gaining in confidence when dealing with these specific problems. There is a strong sense of teamwork developed with each group of staff knowing what its overall responsibility is but also appreciating that the day-to-day

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

responsibility is for all children irrespective of which class they belong to. In practical terms this means that the staff of the resourced classroom or the nursery have overall progress responsibility for specific children in their care but these children may not be working directly with them each day.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

22 In practice this takes the form of all children working together throughout the day and participating in a range of pre-planned activities. The outdoor play example seen during the inspection sees all children working in one of four areas. It was not possible to work out which children belonged to the nursery and which belonged to the resourced class. All the staff were supporting all the children because everyone is aware of the specific needs of each child. This works well with children playing alongside each other irrespective of which group they belonged to.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

23 This level of integration works effectively because of the amount of time that is taken to plan for the needs of all these children. Lunchtimes are important times because all the staff sit together and there is much informal discussion taking place. There are naturally weekly formal sessions happening when the needs of individual children are discussed at length. This adds to the quality of support available for all children across both classes. The dedication and expertise of the staff in both classes helps the children from the resourced class have access to a mainstream education and the children in the nursery to benefit from the specific expertise that the staff from the resourced class bring to the planning and assessment of all children.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

• The attention given to practical activities in numeracy helps children to be confident mathematicians.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

24 Standards in mathematics, according to the national test results, have been above, or well above, the national average for the past few years. When compared with similar schools the results have been consistently well above the national average. Children achieve well and make good progress as they move through the school. One of the main reasons for this is the attention the school gives to developing children’s numerical skills through practical ideas. This Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 16 attention starts in the nursery and is a consistent feature of all mathematics teaching throughout the school.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

25 There are many examples of teachers planning and preparing for the needs of children by focusing on the need to explore practical methods of developing numeracy skills. During one lesson in the reception class, for example, there were many opportunities provided for the children to explore a range of ways of counting and ordering numbers through play and through exploring the different senses. One group was working on a board using methods similar to ‘bingo’ to match numbers to each other. Another group is working at ordering numbers by placing the numbers in correct order on a large mat, giving good attention to using the correct mathematical vocabulary. More able children are putting together a railway track which has rails numbered from 1 to 20. The computer is also used in this classroom with children lining up rabbits who have numbers on their tummies. A group is exploring number through the tactile experience of using playdough to make up given numbers 0 to 9 while close

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

by two children are using paint to print out the numbers carefully. Outside groups of children are encouraged to park up their wheeled vehicles in order according to the number on the side of their bike, trike or scooter. This is just one example of the range of activities provided for one class.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

26 This emphasis on practical methods is a feature of all the mathematical lessons taught throughout the school. During the introduction and plenary parts of numeracy lessons in Years 1 and 2 there is much attention to combining children’s mental and oral work with practical methods. This has helped to develop children’s confidence when using numeracy skills. Children now enjoy their mathematics lessons with many stating that numeracy is their favourite subject.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

27 The co-ordinator has been responsible for much of this improvement. She has led the staff very successfully over the past few years and has generated a more confident air amongst the staff. They in turn have been more prepared to try out new ideas and have provided children with a rage of exciting and motivating ideas. There has been much more support available for all staff, including those working for short periods of time in different classrooms. This has all helped to improve the teaching and learning and as a consequence improved the standards being attained by the children. Good co-ordination linked to clear vision about how to improve children’s learning has led to this improved position.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

• Very good emphasis on developing children’s creative skills helps them to think imaginatively.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

28 The children are provided with a very broad and balanced curriculum because of the focus given to creative development of all children throughout the school. As soon as one enters the school the quality of art work on display is evident. The headteacher has a great deal of expertise in this area and she has ensured that this is a prominent part of the children’s learning experience in the school. She has helped staff to give greater focus to the development of language through art. There is also much attention given to helping children develop their creativity through play and through drama.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

29 In the nursery and reception classes there is a great deal of emphasis given to creating interesting and exciting play environments. The previous paragraphs of this report outlines how effective this is in improving children’s learning. In addition, to this aspect of their creativity children are provided with many opportunities to explore creativity through art and music. In Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 17 art, there are ample opportunities for children to mix paint and to look at the work of famous artists from a range of different cultures. In one example the work of Kandinsky has been used very successfully to inspire children to explore different colours. In music, young children are provided with many opportunities to play different musical instruments, many associated with different cultures. This leads to older children spontaneously joining in with singing when they enter the hall for assemblies.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

30 Older children build on this firm foundation and their art work is very impressive. In the main hall for example there is an example of children having explored sunsets using large abstract collages. The work was originally inspired by the artist Paul Klee. The end product is very impressive with children having intermixed colour, texture and pattern. However, each piece of work is different yet captures something quite unique and dramatic. In other work seen it is evident that children are provided with the tools to explore with different materials and media. There are examples of children having worked with different paper, fabrics, paint and ink and having used their fingers, brushes, rollers and block print materials to help them. Throughout the school there is good attention to line, texture, tone, form, pattern and colour and this is helping children to produce work that is above the standard expected for their age. This

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

together with the attention to multi-culture dimension of creativity is helping children to have an imaginative and creative outlook.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

• Excellent pastoral and academic knowledge of all children helps staff respond quickly to the individual needs of all.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

31 Child protection procedures are very well addressed with the school keeping a special register for children that they think may be at risk and up-dating this regularly. All staff very well know each child and this is helping there to be a consistent approach to dealing with every child. The staff have many formal and informal meetings where the needs of individual children are discussed. In the nursery, for example, there is a daily informal meeting when the needs of children are considered. This is helping all staff to deal with children appropriately both in and out of the lessons.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

32 The school keeps a pastoral file where incidents are recorded carefully. They are quick to carry out risk assessments if it is deemed that one child is dangerous to another. There is much attention to positive reinforcement and this is a feature throughout the school enabling the children to have clarity about what is and is not acceptable both in terms of behaviour and work. This is reflected in the comments made by children about school. Without exception, the children talked to were keen to point out that they loved their school. They were able to describe a range of responsibilities they had, particularly at lunchtimes and in their own classes. There is clearly a consistent attempt to involve children in their own learning and pastoral matters with high expectation being placed on children to play a full role in the class and at playtime. There is a successful school council, which meets regularly and the members

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

of that group describe with some pride how they have to be responsible for the ideas and care of others.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

33 Very detailed record keeping takes place with children’s progress being very carefully tracked. The school uses a system that they have developed themselves to do this and it is proving to be successful in helping all staff to be aware of the academic needs of all children. Children with special educational needs are particularly well provided for and make very good progress. They are identified early and the expertise staff from the resourced classroom is used to very good effect in helping children with speech and language difficulties that do not Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 18 belong to the resourced classroom. There is very effective support from learning support assistants to help the class teacher to challenge and support children who have learning difficulties. This is a major strength in the school. The school’s provision for children with special educational needs has been recognised by the Local Education Authority who has

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

awarded the school with a special award.

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support from specialist staff, work very effectively alongside other nursery-aged

34 Very good attention to the needs of children of different ability shows that the school is addressing the academic needs of all children. This is a consistent feature throughout the school and one that has been described in previous paragraphs of this report. Parents confirm that they believe that the school pays much attention to the care of children with this being a major strength identified in the pre-inspection meeting and in the inspection questionnaires.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

• Giving more emphasis to the development of children’s thinking skills when planning work across the curriculum.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

35 The school has already recognised that its next area for development is in giving greater emphasis to the thinking skills outlined in the National Curriculum when planning work across all subjects. There is already good practice happening in this area but, at present, the staff are not explicitly noting these skills in their planning.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

36 The school is now at a stage when there can be opportunities found to give more attention to formally including these skills its planning. The staff are enthusiastic about the prospect and whilst acknowledging that the present arrangements for the curriculum are more than adequate this should help to strength even further the work of the school.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

• In addition to this main issue the school needs to review its provision for children outside lessons.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

37 The school is already providing appropriately for children outside lessons. However, the staff are keen to review this issue. Since a number of parents mentioned this in their questionnaire replies the school is now even more enthusiastic about dealing with this area as a matter of some urgency. Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 19

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

38 In order to maintain its strong provision the school needs to continue to give attention to all the areas they are doing well and to deal with the following two issues:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Giving more attention to the development of children’s thinking skills in future

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planning (Paragraphs 35 and 36), and

• Reviewing its arrangements for provision outside lessons. (Paragraph 37) Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 20

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 23

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 21 86

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 27

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 6 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 11 13

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 9

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 5

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Attendance

School data 6.6 School data 0.6 Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 21 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 22

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 17 19 36

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 13 15 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 18 19 19

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

Percentage of pupils School 86 (89) 94 (94) 97 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 14 16 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 19 19 19

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (100) 97 (97) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 23

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5 Financial year 2001-02

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 418,410

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Total expenditure 470,290

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 156 Expenditure per pupil

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 74,685

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2 Balance carried forward to next year 22,805

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 28

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2.0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1.5

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 24 FTE means full-time equivalent. Alverton Infant and Nursery School - 25

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 65 26 2 2 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 54 41 2 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 43 48 4 2 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 54 33 4 7 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 76 13 2 2 7

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 70 28 0 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 63 26 7 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 63 30 0 4 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 61 33 4 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 41 33 11 9 6

p.25