Bilton Infant School

BILTON COMMUNITY INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 30 th September – 3 rd October 2002

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BILTON COMMUNITY 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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BILTON COMMUNITY 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. Bilton Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Magnet Lane Bilton Rugby Warwickshire

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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 Helen Merrigan

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 14 th –17 th October 1997 Bilton Infant School - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

8339 Hugh Protherough Registered inspector English Information and communications technology Physical education What sort of school is it? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well does the school care for its pupils? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 9510 Christine Murray- Watson Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 27541 John Collins Team inspector Mathematics Science Geography History Religious education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Aspect responsibilities

16892 Julia Elsley Team inspector Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage Music Art and design Design and technology 18537 Stella Derrick Team inspector Special educational needs The work of the speech and language unit

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Aspect responsibilities

Hugh Protherough Inspections Limitd PO Box 396 Banbury OX15 5XJ

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Aspect responsibilities

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

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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Bilton Infant School - 5

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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

The school is of average size with 178 pupils on roll comprising 89 boys and 89 girls of predominantly white ethnic origin. There are nine pupils from a wide range of other ethnic backgrounds. Two of these children speak English as an additional language, but fluently. The school serves an area of predominantly owner occupied housing. Employment levels are high and as a result very few pupils (4%) are entitled to free school meals. All children enter school in the September of the year in which they become five. Their attainment on entry covers a wide range, but is generally above average. The school’s provision includes a specialist teaching centre for nine pupils who experience difficulties with their speech and communication. All these children are integrated within mainstream classes. Taken overall, there are 35 pupils on the school’s register for special educational needs (19.6%) which is broadly average. However, this includes a greater proportion of pupils with statements of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

special educational needs than is usually found (3%).

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is in the midst of a period of considerable change. There have been several changes to the staff team in the past two years. The headteacher left last July following her appointment to an advisory post elsewhere in the Midlands. The deputy headteacher is currently acting headteacher as the governors set about finding a permanent replacement.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The acting headteacher and senior management are leading the school successfully through a period of transition. The staff team continues to work together effectively in providing a good quality of education and as a result pupils of all backgrounds and abilities are achieving well. Standards are secure. The school offers good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The staff team works hard to ensure that all the children feel secure and valued. As result, the pupils enjoy school and work hard. • Standards in reading, mathematics and science are above average. • The teaching in the Foundation Stage is very successful in promoting all aspects of the children’s learning. • The speech and language centre provides very good support and ensures the successful integration of these pupils within the wider school community. • The support for the pupils with special educational needs is well managed and helps them to make good progress. • The teaching assistants and special educational needs assistants make a significant contribution and enhance the quality of the education provided. • A good range of educational visits and the very good provision for extra-curricular activities enhance the school’s curriculum.

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What could be improved

• The range of opportunities provided for the children’s independent writing. • The oral and written feedback that encourages the pupils to review and improve their written work. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in October 1997, and since then has made good improvement in relation to the key issues raised in the report. The Foundation Stage curriculum is on a much firmer footing and the children in the Reception classes now receive the full breadth of activities appropriate for their age. The curriculum in Years 1 and 2 has far greater coherence, and the teachers are much better at making clear to the children what they are Bilton Infant School - 7 going to learn in each lesson. The governors are more fully involved in the management of the school and, with the school staff, have developed a detailed strategic plan that provides the agenda for future school improvement. Taken overall, standards have risen steadily in line with the national trend and are broadly similar to those described in the last report. Better teaching, effective teamwork and a sense of shared purpose mean

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

that the school is well placed to sustain continuing improvement.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

The attainment of the pupils entering the Reception classes covers a wide range, but is generally above average. Recent results suggest that the children’s number skills are slightly better than those in early reading and writing. However, for several years the overall attainment of the girls has been stronger than the boys.

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Key

The table shows that in the national tests of 2001 the children achieved standards that were above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The results in reading and writing were average when compared with similar schools, but below average in mathematics. In 2002, the results in reading and mathematics continued to be above average, whilst those in writing were average. The rate of improvement has matched the national trend. However, analysis of the test results shows that the girls have continued to perform slightly better than the boys.

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Key

The inspection findings indicate that both boys and girls achieve well, especially in speaking and listening, reading, mathematics and science where their performance is generally above average. However, standards in writing remain average because there are too few opportunities for the children to write at length and for the wider range of purposes that would enable more of them to achieve the higher levels. The children with special educational needs, including those with difficulties related to speech and language, make good progress towards the targets on their individual education plans.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school The children are keen and enthusiastic about life at school.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The vast majority of children behave well at work and at play.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. There are very positive relationships between adults and children. The older children happily accept responsibility for the care of the younger ones on the playground.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Satisfactory. In line with the national average. Bilton Infant School - 8

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Very good Good Not applicable Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The teaching in the Foundation Stage is extremely effective because the teachers have a very good understanding of how young children learn. The planning is thorough and the purposes of each day’s activities are always made evident along with the different ways that the teachers and their assistants will assess the children’s learning. There is an appropriate emphasis on literacy and numeracy so that the children are currently getting an early taste of the sorts of lessons they will experience in Year 1 next year. However, the real strength lies in the careful way that the adults speak with and question the children in the frequent and stimulating practical activities provided across the whole of the Foundation Stage curriculum.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good. The lessons in literacy and numeracy embrace the guidance of the national strategies, and as a result the teachers’ planning is well focussed and sets out clearly what the children are expected to learn. Since the last inspection there has been a particular improvement in the way that the teachers are careful to consolidate recent learning at the start of each lesson, make clear their objectives to the pupils and question carefully to probe their understanding. The very effective deployment of the well-trained teaching and special educational needs assistants ensures that pupils of all backgrounds and abilities are helped to make good progress in their work.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The teaching in the other subjects successfully builds the children’s knowledge and skills, but too much of the pupils’ written recording involves the completion of worksheets rather than independent work. The next step is to increase the amount of open-ended investigational work that encourages the pupils’ powers of creativity and experimentation. The teachers mark work regularly and make encouraging comments, but their oral and written feedback do not yet consistently tell the children how they can improve their work.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school now offers a more coherent curriculum that is broad, balanced and includes a very good range of extra curricular activities.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs There are good levels of support for these pupils. Individual needs are swiftly identified, parents informed, actions agreed and progress regularly reviewed.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. There is particular strength in the way the school encourages the pupils’ awareness of moral and social issues. The adults' positive example means that the children are swift to learn about and to accept each other, regardless of either background or educational need.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. There are strong arrangements to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the children.

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Aspect Comment

The school offers a good variety of information for the parents and in return receives strong support. The regular simple tasks carried out by parents and carers with their children at home, such as reading, spellings and mathematics activities, are further positive indicators of the developing strength of the educational partnership between home and school.

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Aspect Comment

The provision made for the children attached to the speech and language centre is very good indeed because it ensures that their social, emotional and academic needs are all given full attention. Bilton Infant School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The acting headteacher is doing a good job in leading the school through uncertain times. The good legacy of the previous headteacher is reflected in the strong teamwork of the staff that ensures that the school continues to be well managed.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors have improved their oversight of the work of the school and now play a full part in its management.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance There is thorough and accurate evaluation of the school’s performance based upon a good range of test and assessment data and other relevant information.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes full use of its delegated budget and has made a sound start to the introduction of the principles of best value.

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Aspect Comment

The core values of the school’s “Investors in People” status are apparent in the very good staffing levels that reflect a good breadth of age, experience and qualifications. This quality is further sustained by the emphasis placed on supporting the professional development and training of all adults who work at the school. There are good levels of learning resources with significant recent improvement in the provision of computers. The school buildings and grounds are attractive and well maintained, and the recent addition of ramps has given greater ease of access for the disabled.

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Aspect Comment

There are good arrangements in place to recruit a new headteacher. The governing body is working closely with the local education authority to make sure that they get the right person for the job.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like to come to school. • The teaching is good and helps the children to make good progress. • The children are encouraged to behave well and work hard in lessons. • It is easy to come into school and chat with the teachers. • The school is well led and managed.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Only 20% of questionnaires were returned, and few parents attended the pre-inspection meeting. However, the inspectors met a variety of parents and carers informally at the start and end of each day. The inspectors agree with the overwhelmingly positive views of the school expressed by the vast majority. Bilton Infant School - 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. For several years now, the school has kept careful record of the attainment of the pupils entering the Reception classes. The data show that in most years the children’s attainment covers a wide range, but is generally above average. Closer analysis of the recent results suggest that the children’s number skills are slightly better than those in early reading and writing and that for several years the overall attainment of the girls has been stronger than that of the boys. At the time of the inspection, the Reception classes had only been in school for four weeks. However, these children have settled swiftly to the routines of school and are achieving well in all the areas of learning outlined within the Foundation Stage curriculum. A good majority is on course to exceed the early learning goals by the end of their Reception year.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. An analysis of the school’s test and assessment data shows that following a dip immediately after the last inspection standards have generally risen steadily in reading, writing, mathematics and science. In the national tests of 2001, the children achieved standards that were above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. When compared with the results of similar schools, the results were average in reading and writing, but below average in mathematics. Compared to the 2001 national data, the 2002 results were above average in reading and mathematics, but average in writing. The strength of the performance in reading and mathematics is shown by the fact that almost 40% of the children exceeded the level of performance expected of a typical seven-year-old. The higher attaining pupils are being appropriately challenged and extended to do their best, and those with special educational needs,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

including those with difficulties related to speech and language, are effectively supported in meeting the targets in the individual education plans.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. More detailed analysis of the test results reflects the trends in the school’s baseline results and indicates that generally speaking the girls perform slightly better than the boys. For example, the three-year average of the points scored in the national tests shows that the girls have typically been leaving the school about half a term ahead of the boys in reading, writing and mathematics. This feature is partly explained by the fact that there are more boys than girls with special educational needs. Indeed, the inspection findings indicate that both boys and girls achieve equally well, especially in speaking and listening, reading, mathematics and science where their performance is generally above average. This is because the teachers are extremely skilful in ensuring that pupils of all backgrounds and abilities are fully involved in the lessons through careful questioning and by ensuring a good match of work to the abilities

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Standards in writing, although in line with the national average, are not as good as they might be. This is because there are too few opportunities for the children to write at length and for the wider range of purposes that would enable more of them to achieve the higher levels that many manage in their reading. For example, a preponderance of worksheets that either demand one word answers or that determine the nature of the pupils’ response in subjects such as science, geography and history limit the skills of composition that most average and higher attaining pupils need to practise. This is a key issue for action.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Standards in science have risen since the last inspection and are now above average. In art and design, design and technology, information and communications technology, geography, history, music and physical education, the vast majority of the pupils continue to achieve the levels expected of Year 2 pupils. The standard of the pupils’ work in religious education remains in line with that set out in the locally agreed syllabus.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

6. The pupils are keen to come to school and settle quickly to classroom activities at the start of the day. Even the youngest pupils, who have only been in school for a week or so, are confident and secure as they move from one task to another. During the lessons, pupils at all stages concentrate well and listen attentively. Although there are individuals in nearly every class who sometimes find this high level of Bilton Infant School - 11 application difficult to sustain, they are well supported by the class teachers and classroom assistants and rarely interrupt the smooth flow of the activities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. The levels of attendance are similar to those normally found in primary schools. Although the figure quoted in Part 3 of the report suggests a higher than usual incidence of unauthorised absence, these data have been skewed by a particular case. Instances of unauthorised absence are rare.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. The relationships within the school, both between the pupils and with adults, are consistently good. Playtimes are friendly and sociable and no instances of aggressive or inappropriate behaviour were seen on the playground. The older pupils actively support the youngest through the “buddy” system. This encourages them to play with and take care of the children in the reception class and is the basis of many friendships across the school. Some Year Two pupils spoke positively about this role and obviously enjoy the responsibility they have been given. The pupils with disabilities or learning difficulties are well integrated into the life of the school and are fully accepted and valued by the other children.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Generally, the pupils’ respond positively to the good teaching and support they receive. However, they are somewhat passive and do not pursue independent enquiry and seek new knowledge. For example, whilst the older pupils could talk enthusiastically about everything they had discovered on a trip to a toy museum, many had been less stimulated by more recent classroom activities.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

10. The teaching has improved considerably since the last inspection. On that occasion, almost one in ten lessons were unsatisfactory and only one in ten very good or better. During the present inspection, there was almost no unsatisfactory teaching and three in ten of the lessons were either very good or excellent.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

11. The teaching in the Foundation Stage is much more effective than at the time of the previous inspection because the teachers now have a very good understanding of how young children learn. The planning is thorough and the purposes of each day’s activities are always made evident along with the different ways that the teachers and their assistants will assess the children’s learning. Great care and attention is taken in the successful promotion of the children’s personal, social and emotional development. Each school day has a well-established routine that helps the children to get used to being in school. The careful organisation of both the indoor and outdoor environments ensures that the children are encouraged to develop independence and a strong sense of responsibility from an early age. They show this, for instance, in making choices about games, tools and equipment, getting ready for work and tidying up

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

12. Throughout the many stimulating, practical activities across the whole of the Foundation stage curriculum, the adults carefully and successfully promote the children’s spoken language. In formal settings when the whole class is together, the teacher models correct vocabulary, such as “author” and “illustrator” in literacy or “more” and “less” in numeracy. Careful questioning encourages the children to answer questions and to offer views and opinions, and this is especially successful when the children are socialising over a snack or playing in ones and twos. For instance, the children finding “gems” in the sand tray were motivated by this practical and imaginative activity to practice counting their spoils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

13. There is an appropriate emphasis on literacy and numeracy so that the children are currently getting an early taste of the sorts of lessons they will experience in Year 1 next year. For instance, the teachers make effective use of well-known stories such as “The Hungry Caterpillar” and the children can already re-tell the key events enthusiastically. The careful use of role-play also supports the children’s early literacy and numeracy development. Those playing in the class café are encouraged to take telephone orders and write these down on the notepads provided. These early attempts at writing provide the adults with valuable information about the next steps to help each child to progress. In numeracy, one teacher makes imaginative use of a puppet, “Mr Crow,” whose erratic counting stimulates the children to spot when he is right and when he has made a mistake.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. The teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good. The lessons in literacy and numeracy embrace the guidance of the national strategies and as a result the teachers’ planning is well focussed and sets out clearly what the children are expected to learn. Since the last inspection, there has been a particular improvement in the Bilton Infant School - 12 way that the teachers are careful to consolidate recent learning at the start of each lesson, make clear their objectives to the pupils and question purposefully to probe their understanding. The teachers also ensure that both boys and girls are involved fully in class discussion and debate. An excellent example of this was observed during a Year 1 geography lesson when the teacher generated great interest by opening a suitcase full of clothes that had to be sorted into two piles according to their suitability for either a warm or a cold climate. Throughout the discussion, both boys and girls were given equal

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. A further factor behind the improvement in teaching lies in the very effective deployment of the well- trained assistants. These additional adults are well prepared each day because the teachers ensure that they understand the objectives for learning and how they are expected to help. During the opening part of each literacy and numeracy lesson, for instance, a teaching assistant might sit alongside one or two pupils in order to check that they understand what is happening. Others may be asked to observe the reactions of particular individuals from a distance and to make a note of their contributions. During group work activities the assistants check that the children know what to do and keep them focussed on their work by asking questions or making suggestions. These practices make best use of the additional adults.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. The knowledge and skills of the special educational needs assistants are central to the effective integration of the special needs pupils within the mainstream classes. They have a detailed knowledge of the needs of these children and the relevant parts of the individual education plans that set out what has to be provided for each child. Some adults are able to use signing to help children with hearing difficulties and all make effective use of the “Widget” symbol cards. Others are skilled in supporting the few pupils with a range of needs on the autistic spectrum. This effective teamwork ensures that pupils of all backgrounds and abilities are helped to make good progress in their work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The teaching in subjects such as science, art and design, geography and history successfully builds the children’s knowledge and skills. The next step is to increase the amount of open-ended investigational work that encourages the pupils’ powers of creativity and experimentation. Too much of the pupils’ current written recording involves the use of worksheets, rather than independent work, which hampers the development of their skills of composition. This is a key issue for action.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The teachers mark the pupils' work regularly and make encouraging comments, but oral and written feedback does not yet consistently tell the children how they can improve their work. This is a key issue for action.

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STUDENTS?

19. The curriculum is broad, balanced and meets all the requirements of the National Curriculum. It is well planned to accommodate the needs of the different groups of pupils within the school, particularly those with special educational needs. The planning for the teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage for children under the age of five is good. This key issue from the last inspection has been successfully addressed. The teaching of religious education follows the guidance of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. A particular strength of the school's curriculum is the emphasis on the pupils’ personal development as well as their academic development. The curriculum is considerably enhanced for many pupils through the good range of extra-curricular clubs and activities and the number of visits and visitors to school.

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STUDENTS?

20. The long and medium term curriculum planning has improved considerably since the last inspection and is now securely established in all subjects and regularly monitored to ensure consistency. The teachers’ daily lesson planning now provides precise objectives that are made clear to the children. All subject policies have been successfully updated and there are schemes of work based on either national or Local Authority guidance. The school has also established helpful themes and topics, which cross several subjects, for example history, geography, art, design technology and science. Many themes of the religious education scheme of work are integrated well with the curriculum for personal, social and health education, in which the school is successfully combining the new requirements for the teaching of citizenship. Bilton Infant School - 13 21. The school follows the national frameworks for literacy and numeracy. The basic skills of literacy and

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STUDENTS?

numeracy are taught well, but their use in other areas of the curriculum is not yet well established. For example, many opportunities are missed to develop and extend pupils’ writing skills in subjects such as science, history, geography and religious education. All too often the use of worksheets prevents the pupils from expressing their own feelings, thoughts and ideas about what they have discovered. The use of computers to support work in other areas of the curriculum is developing, but is not yet planned in a systematic way. These remain areas of development for the school.

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STUDENTS?

22. All the pupils with special educational needs are receiving their full entitlement to the National Curriculum and have appropriate access to the very good range of extra-curricular clubs and activities. This is the result of the effective support provided by the class teachers, their teaching assistants and the specialist staff of the speech and language centre. It is a major strength of the school. The school is a strongly inclusive community and the teachers are continually seeking ways to make learning for all children as easy as possible. For instance, the ‘Widget Card’ images that are placed strategically around the school help the pupils with speech and language difficulties to communicate with others. The needs of the higher attaining pupils are now fully met by the consistent levels of challenge, especially in English, science and mathematics. The few pupils for whom English is an additional language make good

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STUDENTS?

progress. The school provides well for disabled pupils and has future plans to extend further this provision. The policy for Racial Equality includes a sensible action plan that sets out how the school will achieve its aims.

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STUDENTS?

23. The provision for extra-curricular activities is very good and much better than that found in similar schools. A good range of sporting, musical and other clubs take place at lunchtimes, after school and out of school. These activities help to extend the experiences of a considerable number of pupils. The staff gives generously of their time, and the parents are appreciative of this aspect of the school’s provision. The curriculum is further extended by the strong links with the community that gives good support to the work of the school. Various ministers take assemblies on a regular basis, and the school also makes good use of a wide range of visitors and local services, such as police, fire and medical. Another local initiative has involved the school in the Rugby in bloom scheme, which resulted in the award of first prize. The development of a memorial garden by the staff, pupils and parents has been recognised in an award by

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STUDENTS?

the Civic Society. The older pupils have visited the Rover factory and other local work places to extend their knowledge and understanding of the wider world.

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STUDENTS?

24. The school has very good links with its partner institutions. Local playgroups are invited to visit prior to children starting school and members of staff of the school make return visits to ease the transition. Similar good relationships exist with other local primary and secondary schools. There are regular visits to and from a local centre for children with severe learning difficulties. Many students have work experience sessions in the school and there are strong links with Warwick University.

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STUDENTS?

25. Overall, the schools’ provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. There have been improvements in moral, social and cultural development and the spiritual aspect remains good since the last inspection. The parents feel strongly that the school helps their children to become more mature and responsible.

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STUDENTS?

26. The school provides good opportunities for all pupils to develop spiritually. The whole-school assemblies are used well to explore beliefs and values, such as caring for others, and to develop the pupils’ sense of respect for themselves. Stories in assemblies, some based on the Bible, are used to extend the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christian beliefs, which in turn are reinforced by visits to the local church as part of their history work. Younger children in reception classes learn to share, to respect and value each other through talking about their own ‘special treasures’. The pupils' role in building and maintaining the memorial garden to a former caretaker has developed their sense of empathy and compassion, values that inform and enrich their view of life.

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STUDENTS?

27. The moral and social development of all pupils is very good. By example and through their questioning of pupils, all teachers show that they value them as individuals and that their contributions to lessons are appreciated. This was apparent in a Year 2 lesson of religious education when the teacher and a support assistant used their previously arranged “argument” to lead the pupils in a good discussion of right and wrong. Careful and sensitive questioning enabled the pupils to be confident in expressing their opinions Bilton Infant School - 14 and feelings about their own experience. They further develop a sense of their own worth and that of others through the support that the school gives to a wide range of local and national charities. The use of the ‘Widget Card’ system also enables the pupils to better understand the needs of others. Through the ‘Buddy’ system the older pupils develop their sense of responsibility by supporting the children in

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STUDENTS?

the reception classes at lunchtimes. Discussions with the pupils show that they take these responsibilities seriously and enjoy being able to help the younger children. The teaching is sometimes organised so that pairs or groups of pupils are required to work together, often to good effect. The pupils take turns fairly, share resources and support each other in their activities. Through its assemblies and charity work, the school develops the pupils’ understanding of a community, their role within it and their sense of thoughtfulness and consideration for others.

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STUDENTS?

28. The cultural development of pupils is good. This is an improvement from the time of the last inspection. Their work in art, music, geography and history helps pupils to gain an appreciation of their own and other cultures. The travels of ‘Barnaby Bear’ enable the pupils to see the wider world in which they live. Topics studied in religious education give an understanding of the beliefs of other religions and faiths. The school has recently taken part in a festival organised by the Inter Cultural Support Service. Through its displays, it gives pupils a sense of the diversity of other cultures, for example in the large, colourful display in the hall about a West Indian folk tale. The school has bought extra resources to support its multicultural work, including large books for literacy, reading books and some more artefacts to support the study of other faiths. This is an improvement since the last report. The school promotes positive

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STUDENTS?

images of groups, such as the disabled or those with severe learning difficulties, through its close links with a local support unit and in the way in which it successfully integrates such pupils into its own curriculum. This helps pupils to develop an appreciation of the value of others and a willingness to accept them.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29. The school provides a safe, secure and supportive environment where the pupils can gain in confidence and develop a positive approach to their studies. Considerable care is taken to ensure their day-to-day safety and well being. This includes, for example, strict procedures to ensure that no child leaves the school unless accompanied by either a known parent or carer. There are many additional adults employed to help supervise playtimes and lunchtimes and any accidents and bumps are carefully recorded and the children's parents are informed. A further indication of the importance placed on pupil care is the school’s enthusiastic participation in a “Healthy Living” initiative. It ensures that each child is given a piece of fresh fruit every day and has adequate opportunities to drink enough water.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. The school has appropriate procedures for child protection and works hard to support any pupils whose home circumstances adversely effect their learning, personal development and attendance. The arrangements for risk assessments to ensure the health and safety of all those at the school are secure.

p.14

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. The school has made considerable strides in the way it uses its test and assessment data in evaluating the trends in standards and planning for future improvement. Good examples of this are the tracking sheets devised by the previous headteacher that allow the staff to analyse at a glance the performance of individual children from entry to the school to the time they have taken the Year 2 tests in reading, writing and mathematics.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The teachers know the children very well indeed. They speak knowledgeably about individuals and in the case of those pupils with special educational needs are careful to ensure good provision in line with the targets suggested in their individual plans. The systems for recording the pupils’ personal development are mostly informal, but the strong links between the teachers, pupils and parents ensure the effective communication of success as well as any concerns.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

33. The great majority of parents think very highly of the school and a number have brought their children here although they live outside the immediate catchment area. They feel they are made welcome in the school, and that the children enjoy their time there. The few concerns raised by a very small number of the parents were not confirmed by inspection evidence. Many parents are especially pleased by the Bilton Infant School - 15 sensitive way that any issues they raise with class teachers have been handled and feel that the staff is easy to approach.

p.14

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

34. The school works hard to maintain close and productive links with parents and carers. This starts with pre school visits prior to entry in the Reception class and is actively fostered by the informal contact between class teachers and parents at the start and end of the school day. Through letters home, curriculum evenings and the attractive classroom displays, the parents are given a good amount of information on what is being taught. A regular programme of formal meetings between parents and staff ensure that the parents are kept up to date on the progress their children are making. The annual reports on individual children are attractive and informative and present a clear picture of what the children know and can do, especially in English, mathematics and science. Although the parents of the Reception children receive a full picture of their progress in other subjects, this is not managed as consistently in

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

other years, where the information on the Foundation subjects can be bland and gives less idea of what has actually been learned.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

35. The school benefits from a very high level of parental support and involvement. Many parents help during the school day, both in classes and with craft activities such as cookery. Those with specialist skills have been involved in supporting and enriching the curriculum in those areas. Family support comes also from grandparents and other family members. In particular, the memorial garden benefits from the regular care of a grandparent, who helped to design it and works with the older pupils on its continuing maintenance. There is an active and lively PTA that raises valuable funds for the school as well as organising social events both for the parents and pupils. This is a school where everyone is made to feel welcome and is free to help in whatever way seems appropriate.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

36. The acting headteacher and senior staff are doing a good job in providing a secure interim leadership. The well considered management systems established by the previous headteacher are understood and applied by all staff, and continue to ensure the smooth running of the school each day.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

37. One of the main factors contributing to this good management is the strong emphasis placed on teamwork. The school has “Investors In People” status and has twice been successfully reassessed. The good number of well-qualified staff at all levels are encouraged to think about the job they do, their strengths and the areas where they would like further training and development. This has a powerful and positive effect on morale and motivates all members of staff to give of their best. A further direct result of the way the leadership places value on all these involved with the school is the significant number of teaching and special educational needs assistants who have gained additional qualifications in support of their work with the children.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

38. The governing body has improved considerably its oversight of the work of the school. They have worked successfully with the staff to produce a detailed school development plan. The conversations held with the governors and the minutes of their meetings show that there are regular checks on progress and increasingly acute evaluations of how actions are improving standards. For instance there has been good awareness that the boy's performance in reading has lagged behind that of the girls and suitable improvements in provision and practise put in place.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

39. A further improvement since the last inspection is the way that the plan now informs all aspects of the school's expenditure. For instance, the recent enhancement of the school's stock of computers was planned carefully to ensure that the children have maximum opportunity to understand and use information and communications technology throughout each day. This a small but powerful example of the sound start made by the school in considering the principles of best value.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

40. Over the past two years, the governors have gained considerable experience in recruiting new staff. Their increasing competence is reflected in their current thorough preparations for the appointment of a new headteacher. With the assistance of the local education authority and in consultation with the staff team, they have established rigorous selection procedures based on a precise description of the experience, qualifications and competencies they expect a successful candidate to bring to the job. Bilton Infant School - 16 41. The acting headteacher has a good overview of the quality of education provided by the school. Her analysis of test and assessment data is thorough and informs the school improvement plan. There are regular checks on the quality of the teaching, and a sound start has been made to the Performance Management of teachers. Although many of the subject co-ordinators are new to their posts, they have

p.15

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

eagerly undertaken their responsibilities, for instance, in supporting the teachers' planning and checking the availability and supply of resources. The next step is to gain a deeper insight into the quality of the pupils’ work across the school by checking exercise books and folders. This will allow them to see how well the children are recording their work and the way that the teachers are marking it.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. The school’s accommodation is attractive and well maintained. The thoughtful development of the school grounds, through such elements as the memorial garden, is a further indicator of the management’s commitment to promoting good quality in every aspect of the school’s life. The levels of educational resources are good.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

43. In order to build on the school’s many successes and raise standards still further, the headteacher, governors and staff should now

p.16

1. Improve the quality of the children’s independent writing in Years 1 & 2 by

• wider coverage of the range of work suggested in the National Literacy Strategy • the wider use of the children’s writing skills in the other subjects of the National Curriculum

p.16

experiences in Years 1 and 2 by increasing the opportunities for open-ended investigative work that engages

the pupils’ powers of creativity and encourages a desire to experiment. Bilton Infant School - 17

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THE WORK OF THE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE CENTRE

44. The school has a Speech and Language Centre for pupils who have specific difficulties with verbal communication. It not only helps the pupils that are specifically assigned to it, but also makes a very good contribution to the progress and attainment of those with special educational needs across the school. The base is used regularly for lessons, with some pupils from the mainstream of the school joining in when appropriate. They gain in confidence, knowledge and understanding of speaking and listening skills and provide good role models for others. The pupils from the Centre join in the literacy and numeracy lessons and learn effectively because of good lesson planning to meet individual needs, very good support from the teacher and support from staff at the Centre. This was evident, for instance, in a whole class literacy lesson. The pupils’ behaviour is generally very good and reflects their positive

p.17

THE WORK OF THE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE CENTRE

attitudes to learning and good personal relationships. The work of the Speech and Language Centre reflects the school’s commitment to the inclusion of all pupils in the life and work of the school.

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THE WORK OF THE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE CENTRE

45. The pupils show very positive attitudes to their work and to each other. They make good progress and gain confidence in their ability to learn and to form effective relationships with adults and other pupils. They are willing to co-operate during group activities, sharing equipment and taking turns. They listen carefully to the responses of others, learning from more fluent speaking pupils. The teacher- in charge and the support assistants plan carefully to ensure that pupils take responsibility for their work and behaviour.

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THE WORK OF THE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE CENTRE

46. The quality of the teaching for pupils with speech and language difficulties is very good. The teacher in charge of the centre works very well with the knowledgeable, experienced support assistants. Together, the staff and the speech therapist appointed to the school, form a valuable and very effective team. The lesson preparation is very good and builds very successfully towards the targets set in each pupil’s individual education plan. The key points are analysed carefully and modelled by the teacher who provides a very good range of resources to aid learning. Very good teaching furthers the pupils' understanding and develops their expressive use of language. For example, when discussing “length” the teacher and support assistant compared their hair length, ensuring that there would be an on-going and familiar reminder of the concept that they were teaching.

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THE WORK OF THE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE CENTRE

47. A notable feature of the provision is the strong commitment of all the staff to the inclusion of all pupils in the good curriculum and the extra curriculum opportunities that the school offers. Each subject of the curriculum is covered within the pupil’s appropriate year group. Detailed lesson preparation based on the individual education plans and the use of good specialist resources ensure that each pupil maintains good progress. The support that the pupils receive from the learning assistants is of very high quality and enables them to benefit from the full breadth of the curriculum. The contributions of visitors and visits outside the school further enrich the curriculum and extend the pupils’ learning experiences.

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THE WORK OF THE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE CENTRE

48. The pupils’ work is carefully monitored and clear records of progress are maintained giving a clear picture of all areas of their development. There are very good formal and informal opportunities for the parents to meet the staff, including the speech therapist, to discuss their children's progress in all areas of school life. Bilton Infant School - 18

p.17

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 27

p.18

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection –check please Marion!

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.18

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching.

p.18

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 178

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 8

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 35

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.18

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.18

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 6 Bilton Infant School - 19

p.18

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

p.19

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

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

p.19

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 24 14 38

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Boys 20 19 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 13 13

p.19

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Percentage of pupils School 84 (89) 84 (89) 84 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.19

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.19

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Boys 21 19 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 14

p.19

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Percentage of pupils School 89 (85) 84 (91) 89 (89) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Bilton Infant School - 20 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

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

p.20

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.20

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Mixed – any other mixed background 2 0 0

p.20

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.20

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.20

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

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

p.20

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.20

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

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

p.20

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

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. Bilton Infant School - 21 Teachers and classes Financial information

p.20

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Qualified teachers and classes: YRec – Y2

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8* Financial year 2001-02

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Education support staff: YRec – Y2 Total income 393,803

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Total number of education support staff 12* Total expenditure 416,176

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Total aggregate hours worked per week 229.5* Expenditure per pupil 2,379

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 35,293

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Balance carried forward to next year 12,920

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

*Includes speech & language centre staff

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 7

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 7

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

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

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

FTE means full-time equivalent. Bilton Infant School - 22

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 59 38 0 0 3

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 51 49 0 0 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 43 43 5 0 8

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 39 57 8 0 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 70 27 0 3 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 62 38 0 0 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 49 43 8 0 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 68 30 0 0 2

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 51 43 3 0 3

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 38 51 8 0 3 Bilton Infant School - 23

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

49. The school makes very good provision for the children in the Foundation Stage. The teaching is consistently good across all areas of learning and a significant proportion is either very good or excellent. The children enter the reception classes in the year that they are five and most have had some nursery and/or playgroup experiences. The attainment of the current cohort, three weeks into the academic year, covers a wide ability range, but a significant proportion of the children are performing at levels above that expected for their age.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

50. All members of the staff team have a strong commitment to continuous improvement of the curriculum for young children. Since the last inspection, the staff have make significant strides forward in ensuring that an appropriate curriculum is provided for both the indoor and outdoor environments to meet all ability levels. The assessment of the children's personal, social and emotional development and their academic achievements is very good. A significant feature of the school’s work is the early identification of the children with special educational needs. In the current cohort, a small number of children have special educational needs and have already been allocated support to help them to meet their targets. Those with English as an additional language are bi-lingual and make good progress in line with the other children. Any subsequent reference to ‘all children’ in the reception classes automatically includes those

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

with special educational needs and those who have English as an additional language. There are no significant differences in the achievements of boys and girls in any aspect of the curriculum. This comes about because the staff ensures that the curriculum is fully inclusive for all children.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

51. The children have quickly settled into school and are making either good or often very good progress in all areas of learning. As a result, they are likely to exceed the Early learning Goals set out in the Foundation Stage Curriculum and to be working well within the early stages of the National Curriculum by the end of the Reception Year.

p.23

Personal, social and emotional development

52. The children’s attainment in personal, social and emotional development is above that expected of children of this age. They have made a very positive start to their school life in the reception classes. This is because the adults foster a secure, friendly and happy environment both indoors and outdoors that is conducive to learning. The teaching is very successful. Through the well-planned curriculum and the daily routines, the members of staff systematically and purposefully develop the children’s ability to accept responsibility. A strong focus on the use of structured play supports the children’s personal development and provides good opportunities for the re-enforcement of socially acceptable behaviour. The routines have been well established by the teachers to provide a structure within which the children begin to learn about the world, to co-operate and play well together.

p.23

Personal, social and emotional development

53. The end-of-day session where individual children have been given the opportunity to ‘open their box of treasures’ and share with adults and other children is a excellent way in which they are able to establish relationships outside the family. All the children listen well to each other and value each other’s contributions. As a result, they have quickly become aware of and sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. A significant initiative has been to provide each child in the reception classes with a ‘buddy’ from Year 2 at lunchtimes. The Year 2 children take this role very seriously. They look after and show care and respect for their little friends.

p.23

Personal, social and emotional development

54. When the work is finished, the staff place a good emphasis on both boys and girls tidying away equipment and materials before going on to the next task. They enjoy their learning and work well either as part of a group or independently, and many children can talk enthusiastically about what they have discovered. Bilton Infant School - 24

p.23

Communication, language and literacy

55. A major part of the work of the school focuses on the development of spoken English and listening skills, and the teaching is very good. A significant majority of the children start in the reception classes with good levels of spoken language. The staff place great importance on discussions with individual children, small groups and in whole class sessions. The teachers and their support staff are skilful in their questioning of the children during the various activities, such as mathematics, story time, or when working at the water tray. This sensitive approach promotes enquiry and enriches the children’s spoken language as they go about the set tasks. Most children speak clearly and confidently to each other and to adults. The ‘snack-time’ provides very good opportunities for them to eat and drink and at the same time look at books and to talk about what they see with their friends. Other children were seen talking

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

quite enthusiastically and confidently about the teacher’s display of their ‘front doors’ and pictures of themselves on the classroom wall. This is a positive way to foster and encourage the children to respond freely and in more than one sentence. As a result, most children are speaking clearly and asking questions of each other and adults. Good use is made of spontaneous song at the beginning and end of sessions to develop further the children’s vocabulary, and their listening skills.

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

56. During the course of the literacy sessions and through a good range of play experiences, most children are achieving well and appear likely to exceed the Early learning Goals by the time they leave the reception classes. This is because the introductions to new activities are clear and precise, learning points are highlighted very well, and the quiet rigour of the lessons enables all the children to follow the teachers’ explanation and extend their knowledge. During the few days that the children have been in school, the adults have already stimulated a very good interest in stories and poetry, and the children have a growing understanding of the written word. Many could retell the story of ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’ and knew that the story had a beginning, middle and an end. They could identify the main character, sequence the events and were very keen to offer their opinions about the illustrations in the book. When reciting the

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

‘t’, ‘s’, ‘p’ sounds the children were able to match them to the initial sound of the object and sort them competently into sets. In this way, the sequence of the letter sounds came ‘alive’ and became more meaningful to them.

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

57. The children’s writing skills are well in line with those of pupils of similar ages and a significant majority are able to write their own names using and forming the upper and lower case letters correctly. This is because they are given good opportunities using role-play as an activity to support their writing. For example, many children could confidently write down their messages in a series of correctly formed letter strings after taking ‘a telephone’ call or an order at the ‘café’. A few were able to leave spaces between their ‘words’. Past work indicates that by the end of the reception year, most pupils can copy or follow the contour of the teacher’s writing fairly accurately. The higher attaining pupils are writing simple sentences with the correct punctuation and making attempts at writing unfamiliar words for example, ‘I can see a rb’. All the staff are very vigilant to ensure that the children learn to hold a pencil correctly and

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

practice forming letters correctly in the air, in sand and on paper. They correct errors but in a sensitive way so as not to undermine the children’s efforts.

p.24

Mathematical development

58. All children are making very good progress in their mathematical learning because of the very good teaching of mathematics. Past work indicates that most children in the reception classes can recognise and carry out simple addition sums, for example 4+5, and tell you the number between 14-16 or 9-7. Discussion with the children who have just moved into Year 1 shows that they can confidently recall and recognise shapes such as, cone, pyramid, rectangle, and hexagon. The play activities linked to this aspect of the curriculum are carefully planned, well organised and appropriately equipped. During the course of their role-play activities, good questioning by the staff makes the children aware of mathematical language in its natural context. For instance, they look for and continue to count on the number of ‘gems’ they find hidden in the sand tray, and decide when container has ‘more’ or ‘less’ water. The lessons are well paced

p.24

Mathematical development

and with the support of the teacher involve all the children in counting numbers up to ten and beyond. The children’s responses in the introductory sessions show that they engage in the learning confidently and with real enjoyment. In one lesson, for example, they were really excited by the excellent delivery by the teacher. Her use of ‘Mr Crow’, the puppet, enlivened this lesson and thereby enhanced the children’s Bilton Infant School - 25 understanding of ‘counting on’. By using simple terms such as, ‘a thinking guess’ and at the same time giving them the correct mathematical terminology, the children were able to use the words ‘before and after ’ correctly. Mr Crow was sometimes right and sometimes wrong and this allowed the children to correct him and give their answers quite freely. They were continually praised for their efforts even if it was the wrong answer so no child had any sense of failure. Their behaviour was also good because they

p.24

Knowledge and understanding of the world

59. Most children’s achievements in this area of learning are above the expected levels. The staff prepare challenging activities that will promote exploration, enquiry and discovery and lead to good scientific understanding. For example, a group of children were given the task of making a boat from simple junk boxes, play dough and small world toys. Then it was suggested that they tested them in the water tray to see if they boats would float or sink. During the course of the activity, one child was determined to make his boat sink and tried many different ways to achieve this, finally holding it down in the water with his hands and saying ‘Look my boat has sunk’. Well-judged intervention by the adult provided further challenge through probing questions. The staff develop the children’s historical knowledge and understanding through discussion and imaginative use of a wide range of artefacts. For instance, the

p.25

Knowledge and understanding of the world

children talk confidently about how they have grown in their short life span. There are photographs in the ‘treasure boxes’ showing when they were younger. One child had the tiny name label that he had when he was born, but which no longer goes around his wrist. He also knew that his ‘very ‘first shoes and socks’ no longer fit him. As a result of these activities, the children show a good awareness of the passage of time and use ‘then" and "now’ correctly. The children have regular access to computers and their information technology skills are very good. They work together and help each other to follow the instructions on screen and carry out the tasks well. They know how to click on and drag the cursor accurately and with good control. A significant proportion can log onto the computer and know something about the computer fonts.

p.25

Physical development

60. The children’s physical skills are well developed and their achievements exceed those described in the Foundation Curriculum for most children of similar ages. The provision of indoor and outdoor apparatus has improved since the last inspection. As a result the children are making very good progress in their control of both their large and fine movements. They have good spatial awareness when using the hall and have been taught well about the safety issues and to listen to and carry out instruction. The finer physical movements have been taught well and the majority of the children apply the skills they have learnt with increasing control. The children with physical needs show good determination to succeed, for example, when cutting with scissors and sticking paper. For many children, the use of clay was a first experience, nevertheless they were able confidently and competently to roll, squeeze, cut and mould it to

p.25

Physical development

the shape they wanted. All of the children were able to dress and undress independently for the physical exercise in the hall. They did this quickly and quietly with minimal effort. They show a high level of control, concentration and decision-making during their physical activities, for example, when riding a bicycle, climbing on the apparatus, cutting out shapes or picking up the coloured sequins that have all just fallen on the floor.

p.25

Creative development

61. The children’s creative development is good. This is because the role-play activities are well planned and structured to ensure that the development of skills and techniques in art and design and music are effectively taught. The children make very good progress because the staff make imaginative use of all the available space, both indoors and outdoors, in order for the children to develop their thoughts, ideas and emotions. Past work shows a range of free painting, finger painting, colour mixing, and close observational work that is developing skills and a good eye for detail. In the activities seen, the children used the tools and resources confidently. For example, different sized art brushes and various types of card, paper cellophane are readily available. The skills are taught very well. The use of subject specific language to describe the activity inspires the children to want to know more. For example, when they

p.25

Creative development

were adding white paint to blue, one child declared, ‘It's magic’ as she watched the colour get lighter and lighter. The children readily initiate the role-play in the café, and make ‘real jam sandwiches’ to eat. Bilton Infant School - 26 Outside they used old cardboard boxes to make a boat and used some of the long wood blocks as the oars. The children showed high levels of concentration and logically explored with the help of an adult ways of ensuring that the boxes were well-balanced to look like a boat so that they could sit in and row ‘up the river’. In music, the children have good opportunities to explore sound and master the names of instruments. They enjoy singing and the staff use song as a very good means of communication.

p.25

ENGLISH

62. The results achieved by the Year 2 pupils in last year’s national tests are similar to those described in the last inspection report. Standards are generally above average in speaking and listening and reading; but are broadly average in writing. The reason for this is that many of the higher attaining pupils are successfully encouraged to exceed the expected levels in their reading, but the teaching of writing is less well developed.

p.26

ENGLISH

63. Throughout the school the teachers are successfully developing the pupils’ speaking and listening. The questioning in lessons is well focussed and generally includes carefully worded open ended questions that encourage the children to speak at greater length. The teachers are keenly aware that the overall performance of the boys has lagged slightly behind that of the girls. Consequently, they take care to ensure that all pupils are involved fully in class discussion and debate. An excellent example of the imaginative approaches in this area was observed when a Year 1 teacher used a simple role-play technique to encourage the children to consider the feelings of pupils new to the school. A doll, dressed in school uniform, was perched by the whiteboard and introduced to the class by the teacher as Miranda, a nervous new pupil. By speaking on behalf of Miranda, the teacher encouraged the children to recall some of their

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ENGLISH

own memories of “being new” and the sorts of things that helped them to settle into the routines of school. As a direct result of the discussion being rooted in their experiences the children began to speak for longer and with increasing confidence. A further strength of the teaching is the successful inclusion of the wide range of pupils with speech and communication difficulties. Successful strategies include the use of the “Widget” cards as well as up-to-the-minute technology such as equipment that amplifies and transmits the teacher’s voice to individual pupils.

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ENGLISH

64. The teaching of reading is based successfully upon a combination of methods that provide the children with both the skills and enjoyment necessary for the development of a young reader. During the literacy hour, the teachers make effective use a good range of entertaining and informative literature that clearly motivates the children to want to read for themselves. When the teachers base the work around the reading of large format books, such as “Six dinner Sid” and “Jamaica’s Friend”, the pupils are extremely attentive and most of the higher and average attaining pupils read along with enthusiasm. The lower attainers listen hard and try to follow the text. Good attention is paid to ensuring that the children get to know the sounds of letters, so that when they encounter unfamiliar words most will try to “sound it out.” Many of the higher attaining readers also make use of the illustrations or the context of the word to make

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ENGLISH

a sensible guess. Their levels of comprehension are good and they will frequently make appropriate predictions about what happens next on the basis of what they have read.

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ENGLISH

65. In order to ensure a steady progression in the material that the children read, the teachers use a published scheme. They also enlist the willing assistance of the many parents and carers who read regularly with their children at night and make careful notes in their reading diaries. When talking with the children, the inspectors found them eager to read and share books, although many had a better knowledge of the levels of the reading scheme than they did of authors and illustrators. Even so, most of the higher and average attaining seven-year-olds already possess a sound understanding of how to use the school library to retrieve information from non-fiction books because they have been well taught. The higher attainers use an index and glossary confidently and extract relevant facts from a body of text. For instance, having decided to find out something about volcanoes, one boy read with great expression and interest that,

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ENGLISH

“…there are many volcanoes around the world, but NONE in England.” Even at this early stage of the school year it is clear that the vast majority of seven-year-olds are on course to achieve the expected levels in reading, and a good many will exceed them.

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ENGLISH

66. In the teaching of writing, the teachers generally make sound use of the guidance within National Literacy Strategy. The analysis of the children’s written work shows that there has been regular reference to folk tale, fairy tale and contemporary literature as a springboard for the children’s own writing. There are also Bilton Infant School - 27 many examples of handwriting practice and written exercises related to grammar, punctuation and spelling. However, the links between the formal aspects of presenting writing and the act of composition are not always consistently and effectively communicated to the pupils. It is for this reason that fewer seven- year-old pupils are exceeding the expected levels in writing than there are in reading. For example, during whole class literacy lessons the teachers successfully encourage the children to write words on the white board, but it is not unusual to spot a pupil starting a letter in the wrong place and for this to pass without

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ENGLISH

comment. The same is sometimes true when the pupils write in their exercise books. Although the handwriting exercises are analysed for correct letter formation, this is not consistently picked up in the children’s stories and other writing. In general, the marking of the children’s written work lacks depth. The teachers are encouraging and enthusiastic, but their written commentary seldom either tells the children how to improve their work, or sets simple targets that can be checked up on in future pieces. This is a key issue for action.

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ENGLISH

67. An analysis of the children’s work shows that the main focus of their personal writing is in story form. There are occasional examples of letters and the ordering of instructions, but the majority of independent work relates to aspects such as plot, character and story setting. This has led to some imaginative and adventurous use of language from higher attaining pupils, both boys and girls. For instance, in re-telling the story of Little Red Riding Hood, one wrote, “A hungry wolf with a naughty look in his eye…” However, much recent research has shown that many boys do not enjoy writing stories and prefer other types of writing activity. Almost a half of the boys taking last year’s tests were close to the borderline that defines Level 2. That fact should be seen as further evidence that the range of the pupils’ writing currently lacks sufficient breadth. Similarly, in many other subjects, such as science, history and

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ENGLISH

geography, the widespread use of worksheets that demand only one-word answers, rather than more extended responses, limits the development and range of the pupils' writing skills. These are key issues for action.

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ENGLISH

68. The co-ordinator is a well-qualified and successful practitioner. Her management of the English budget and the provision of a good range of resources successfully support the literacy programme. She has a good grasp of the standards being achieved by the pupils in the national tests. However, she now needs to introduce a more systematic analysis of the quality of their day-to-day work in order to extend the range of writing and to help the teachers improve their marking.

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MATHEMATICS

69. Standards in mathematics have risen since the last inspection. The results of the latest national tests and current inspection evidence show that by the end of Year 2 the majority of pupils are attaining above average standards. This is due mainly to the improved teaching of mathematics and the way the school has successfully adopted the National Numeracy Strategy. The majority of lessons are well planned with a good match of activities to the different abilities of the pupils so that they are able to achieve well and make good progress. These are good improvements since the last inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

70. By the time pupils enter Year 1, they are well prepared for the work of the National Curriculum. Scrutiny of previous work by Year 1 pupils shows that most have a secure understanding of the place value of tens and units. Lesson observations show that they can correctly identify and name common two-dimensional shapes, such as circle, square, triangle and rectangle, and some have extended this to include three- dimensional shapes. The lower attaining groups of pupils can use coins up to 10p in ‘shopping’, whilst brighter and average pupils are secure with coins up to £1. In the lessons seen, the teachers made good use of ‘Bingo’ and ‘What can you see?’ games to stimulate the pupils’ learning. The pupils can count sets of objects and use their knowledge of addition and subtraction of numbers up to ten. Their learning is good because the teacher ensures that they are clear about the aims of the lesson, and by refers back to

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MATHEMATICS

this at intervals during the session. As a result, the pupils remained focused on their activities and achieve well.

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MATHEMATICS

71. A particularly strong feature of all mathematics lessons is the mental calculation activity at the start, during which the pupils respond eagerly to the quick-fire challenge of well directed questioning. This was evident, for example, in a Year 2 lesson on calculating in sets of 10’s using numbers up to 100. The teacher is careful to ensure that all groups of pupils take effective part by framing her questions at the right level for each pupil so that everyone can contribute. The very good support provided for the pupils Bilton Infant School - 28 with special educational needs and the lower attainers ensures that they also are fully involved in the activities.

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MATHEMATICS

72. Scrutiny of previous work shows that by the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils can use doubling and halving in their calculations involving numbers up to 20. The average and lower attaining pupils can extend simple number patterns and measure accurately in centimetres. However, they are less secure in using larger or smaller units of measurement. The Year 2 pupils can recognise and name 3-D shapes such as cubes, cylinders and spheres, and have a sound understanding of place value of numbers up to hundreds. The work of the higher attaining pupils shows evidence of the use of a variety of methods in tackling number. For example, in a Year 2 lesson on counting backwards from 63 to 27, they count in steps of 10 and then in units while other groups of pupils are more comfortable counting backwards in ones. They make use of the same method when calculating change from £1. The learning is excellent as all

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MATHEMATICS

pupils are given well-planned activities that are very well matched to their previous learning, enabling them to develop their skills of mental computation very successfully.

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MATHEMATICS

73. In the previous report, the teaching was judged to be satisfactory, but many lessons had a low level of challenge and the pace of learning was slow. This is no longer the case. The teaching is now good overall and the lessons are characterised by good pace and appropriate challenge. Careful planning, based on the objectives of the National Numeracy Strategy, ensures that all groups of pupils are able to take an effective part in lessons and learn well. These are all improvements since the last inspection. The overwhelming majority of the pupils respond well to the learning environment created by their teachers. They are eager to show their knowledge and greatly enjoy the mathematical ‘games’ that feature in many lessons. When required to work in small groups or pairs, they co-operate and share resources fairly. This all leads to a good pace in learning and the majority of pupils work hard. This was clearly evident, for

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MATHEMATICS

instance, in a Year 2 lesson where the pupils were challenged to explain their ways of working out money calculations. A notable feature of many lessons is the very good use of the support staff to help pupils with special educational needs and the less able groups. The support staff are well briefed, know the pupils well and help to develop confidence, so that in the plenary sessions at the end of lessons, their pupils are just as eager as other groups to show their learning. Their responses are valued equally and this develops their self-respect and confidence.

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MATHEMATICS

74. The subject is well led by the coordinator, who has supported colleagues during the introduction of the Numeracy Strategy. She has monitored the pupils’ work and the teachers’ planning so that there is now more consistency in the teaching and learning across the school. Good use is made of a ‘Home / School’ mathematics scheme to involve the parents with their children’s learning. The resources have been improved and are contributing to the rising standards. However, the coordinator is aware that there is insufficient use of computers in mathematics and this remains an area of development for the school.

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SCIENCE

75. Standards in science have risen since the last inspection. The results of the latest teacher assessments and the current inspection evidence show that the majority of the pupils in Year 2 are attaining above average standards. This confirms a trend in rising attainment for the average attaining pupils and the continuing above average attainment of the higher attaining pupils. All groups of pupils are making good progress in developing a sound knowledge base of science across all the areas of the National Curriculum.

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SCIENCE

76. Scrutiny of previous work shows that by the time they leave school the pupils have experienced an appropriate range of experiments that satisfactorily develop their sense of enquiry and investigation. For example, the Year 2 pupils have investigated the effects of heat on solids by melting ice-cubes. They have observed the growth of seeds planted in the dark and in the light, and know the conditions necessary for plant growth. The Year 1 pupils have tested how far a toy car will travel down a ramp, and the higher attaining pupils know that its speed is affected by the height of the ramp. However, much of the recording for all groups of pupils, including that for the higher attaining pupils, is in the form of pictures and diagrams and this limits the development of their written expression.. Too much reliance is placed on the use of prepared worksheets, which inhibits the way that the pupils are able to express their

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SCIENCE

ideas on what they have found out. More opportunities should be given to allow pupils to record their Bilton Infant School - 29 findings in their own way including greater use of charts, tables and information computer technology. This is an area of development for the subject.

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SCIENCE

77. Discussions with the pupils' and scrutiny of their previous show they know, for example, about the simple life cycles of frogs and plants. They have explored the school grounds and know that different creatures live in different habitats, but are not able to explain why. The lower and average attaining pupils can sort a range of materials according to their basic properties, and the higher attainers show understanding of why some changes to materials are reversible and some are not. The younger pupils have been on a walk around school and can identify various sources of sound, light and electricity. By the time they leave school, all groups of pupils can make a simple circuit to light a bulb and know the basic forces of pushes and pulls.

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SCIENCE

78. The children acquire an appropriate body of knowledge that covers the key areas of life processes and living things, materials and their properties and physical processes. For instance, their ability to sort foods into different categories was evident in the only science lesson seen during the inspection. All pupils made good progress in this lesson because the teacher had clear ideas on what they were going to learn. The introduction to these objectives at the beginning of the lesson ensured that all groups were clear about the focus of their learning. The teachers’ skilful questioning stimulated the pupils’ interest. Their spoken English was enhanced by the teachers’ careful emphasis on the correct vocabulary and the pupils listened and responded well to instructions. Very good support for the pupils with special educational needs helped them to achieve as well as other groups. The lesson successfully built upon,

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SCIENCE

and consolidated, the pupils’ previous knowledge because the teaching was clearly based on well planned and well equipped activities.

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SCIENCE

79. The school has successfully addressed the issue from the previous report about linking assessment with the requirements of the National Curriculum. The resources are satisfactory and used well to support the teaching and learning. There are appropriate targets for the future development of the subject in the school improvement plan.

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SCIENCE

80. Generally, it was possible to observe only one or two lessons in each of the non-core subjects of the

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National Curriculum. The following judgements are supported by an analysis of the written work and

conversations and discussions with the children and their teachers.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

81. Standards in these two subjects are similar to those reported at the previous inspection and are maintained at the expected national level. Only one complete lesson was seen in art and design and one in design and technology. From the evidence provided by the children’s past work, teachers’ planning, and discussions with staff and pupils it is clearly evident that in both cases, the school has improved the progression in the pupils’ learning across the school. The co-ordinator has identified a clear curriculum programme in both subjects that ensures coverage of a wide range of skills and techniques.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

82. In Year 1, the pupils make good progress and achieve a satisfactory level of skills in cutting, placing and sticking that they apply successfully when following instructions. In art, by the end of Year 2, they can select and mix different shades of particular colours and use them to good effect in their paintings and collage work. They use clay to make a range of artefacts and Modroc to make sculptures, for example, of a totem pole. The work shows that the children are eager to explore forms of self-expression and to understand how artists employ different effects to create mood and feeling.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

83. In the lesson observed, the pupils were studying the work of Modigliani and looking closely at the type of marks he used to create a self-portrait. As a result of the clear introduction and discussion, all the pupils were keen and responsive to the ideas of this artist and used the materials provided for mark making for their own portraits. The support staff were helpful without being over directive which gave the pupils room to experiment and express themselves. When talking to the children it clearly shows that they understood what was required of them and were able to express simple opinions of their own work and that of others. However, most were not able to say how to improve their work. They found it difficult to say why they had chosen to make a particular mark or use a particular colour, and were reluctant to take the initiative and experiment with different types of mark making for example, shading. A small group of

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Bilton Infant School - 30 pupils were able to use a computer package to draw pictures in the style of the artist and could change the brush size, colours and fill techniques confidently and competently.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

84. In Year 2, this work is successfully built upon by looking at details of position and proportion within the self-portrait. A short introductory session in which the teacher prepared the pupils for an art lesson later in the week was a good example of the way the school has improved the progression in the artwork since the last inspection. Art is also used to support topic work across the curriculum, but the presentation slips on occasion particularly when it is reduced to simply colouring in a worksheet.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

85. In design and technology the youngest pupils learn about structures and their moving parts. In the Year 1 lesson, for example, the pupils explored and evaluated levers and sliders that make movement in different parts of the body for example, an owl's eyes or wings. They discovered how these work through good practical experiences that successfully developed their skills and their knowledge and understanding of the principles involved. The pupils used the scissors, resources carefully and were made aware of the safety issues involved. The pupils clearly enjoyed the experience and their behaviour was good because they were totally involved in the activities provided.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

86. In Year 2, pupils make a range of products, but the major focus is on the acquisition of skills and techniques. For example, all the pupils, including those with special education needs had made a glove puppet and a boxed picture with a pulley to enable ‘ Incy Wincy Spider’ to climb up the spout. Food technology is also a regular feature of the work and parents make an invaluable contribution in supporting this area of the curriculum.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

87. The teaching of art, design and technology is satisfactory overall, with some good focussed teaching of the basic skills. It is evident that the prime concern is to devise activities that develop the pupils’ skills systematically, and in this regard the school is successful. However, the tasks set are too tightly structured and the pupils have insufficient opportunity to be creative and resolve the technical problems for themselves. More open-ended tasks would present the pupils with greater challenge and allow them to apply more purposefully the skills they had learned. They need greater opportunities to design and make individual items that they can then evaluate in a meaningful manner. This is an area for further improvement.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

88. There is a suitable range of resources to enable the pupils to experience a wide range of activities. The co-ordinator is very knowledgeable about the curriculum and has monitored the pupils’ artwork with a view to ensuring that pupils in parallel classes enjoy similar opportunities. The co-ordinator of design and technology is new to this role.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

89. B the end of Year 2, standards in geography and history are broadly in line with those expected nationally for pupils of a similar age. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection. Due to the way these subjects are taught in a topic approach, only three lessons in history and one in geography were seen during the current inspection. The judgements are based on these lessons, discussions with the coordinators, the teachers and the pupils, and a scrutiny of previous work.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

90. From the teachers’ planning and the pupils’ previous work, it is clear that both subjects are meeting all the requirements of the National Curriculum. Satisfactory use is made of the topics to develop the pupils’ knowledge and an appropriate range of skills. However, the pupils' understanding is limited by the over- use of worksheets that do not allow them to record their own views and ideas. For example, in a history lesson on comparing holidays at the seaside now and one hundred years ago, good questioning by the teacher enabled the pupils to make sensible and relevant comments about what they could see in a picture of a Victorian holiday. However, the follow-up activity was very much focused on recording pictorially rather than encouraging the pupils to record in writing what they had found out. Scrutiny of previous work shows that the older pupils have learned about famous explorers and have knowledge of important

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

events, such as the Great Fire of London. In a lesson seen during the inspection, good use was made of the Internet to carry out further research and this greatly enhance the pupils’ learning. Bilton Infant School - 31 91. A scrutiny of previous work in geography shows that similar opportunities are taken to develop skills such as mapping and to extend the pupils’ knowledge of the world. The younger pupils develop an awareness of their locality through a variety of visits within the area. The older pupils compare the Isle of Struay with their own locality, noting the similarities and differences. They know the position of Rugby on a map of the British Isles and can name the component countries and their capitals. The travels of ‘Barnaby Bear’ are recorded on a large world map in the hall and are a focal display in which the pupils take great pride. They have recorded the results of a traffic survey outside the school by tallying and

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

then producing a block graph, but this is an isolated instance of the use of other skills. Some maps and other information from the Internet have been included in the displays, but do not appear in the pupils' own work. Much of their recording is in the form of completing prepared worksheets and they have limited opportunities to write independently about what they have found out.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

92. In all of the three history lessons seen, the teaching was either good or very good. It is not possible to make a secure general judgement about the teaching of geography, but in the one lesson seen it was very good. The planning for both subjects is now securely based on nationally approved schemes of work, and the teachers demonstrate a sound knowledge of their subjects. These are all improvements since the last inspection. Groups activities are now planned for different groups so that all pupils can contribute to the lessons. The majority of the pupils respond with interest and enthusiasm to their lessons and many bring materials and objects from home to make interesting and appropriate displays in their classrooms. In both subjects the pupils have insufficient opportunities to use their literacy, numeracy and computer skills, and this remains an area of improvement for the school.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

93. A wide range of visits considerably improves the provision for both subjects. For example, the older pupils have visited a ‘Victorian School’ and dressed in costume to simulate the life of a Victorian child. The pupils' awareness of other countries and cultures is further enhanced by the charity work of the school. Other visits have included Bilton Hall, a Dolls’ Museum and a local church. Representatives of various services, such as Fire and Police, have made visits to school. They contribute significantly to the richness of experiences of all age ranges in developing their geographical and historical knowledge and understanding.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

94. The leadership and management of both subjects are satisfactory. The co-ordinators review the teachers’ planning and the pupils’ achievements at the end of each topic unit. The resources have been updated and make an appropriate contribution to the teaching and learning in both subjects. There are suitable plans for future development in the school improvement plan.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

95. Standards in information and communication technology continue to be average. Since the last inspection, there has been prudent spending to improve the number and quality of computers available to the pupils. The school staff has also benefited from the additional training provided by the New Opportunities Funding, so that the teachers' knowledge is kept up to date.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

96. Each classroom is now equipped with three computers. The sensible rationale behind this arrangement is that the pupils need regular opportunities to practice their computer skills in a wide range of settings across the subjects of the National Curriculum. Thus, during the course of the inspection a satisfactory number of observations were made of the computers being used by small groups of pupils to support work in English, mathematics, science and geography. Generally, this arrangement works well. For instance, in a good Year 2 literacy lesson the teacher provided six pupils with part of the text they had been reading typed into a word processing program. She told the children she had been rushing to get her typing finished, so could they check her work for errors. The pupils set to work eagerly and showed reasonable familiarity with such functions as the space bar, return and delete keys. They knew how to

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

use the shift key to create capital letters and used the mouse competently to move the cursor. A further reason that the work progressed smoothly was that the teacher had briefed one of the teaching assistants to keep a regular check on progress and deal with any difficulties. Similarly, in a Year 1 geography lesson the well chosen use of the program “Writing with symbols” helped three lower attaining pupils to record what they had learned about the sorts of clothing needed in hot and cold climates. Bilton Infant School - 32 97. In the one lesson with a whole Year 2 class, the teacher made satisfactory use of the new interactive white board to demonstrate how the pupils might improve a piece of text by altering text size, style and font through use of drop down menus. This lesson also revealed that the pupils are learning how to log on and off the networked computers independently.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

98. The children clearly enjoy using the school’s computers and most speak enthusiastically about their work. They appreciate that the computers are expensive items of equipment and treat them carefully. Conversations with them and an analysis of their work show that by the age of seven they have a satisfactory appreciation of the power of various new technologies. They have programmed electronic toys to control their movements, become familiar with the controls of cassette listening centres, researched information on CD ROM and employed graphics programs, such as “Splosh”, in art lessons.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

99. The new subject co-ordinator is knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Her background in computer hardware means that many of the simple day-to-day maintenance issues can be dealt with at comparatively short notice. The current development of an Internet access policy will see further important extension of the information and communication technology curriculum during the course of this year.

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MUSIC

100. Standards are broadly satisfactory overall, and are similar to those reported at the time of the previous inspection. The positive elements of the music curriculum are essentially focussed on singing as a regular collective activity, listening to music, including that of other cultures, and some sound exploration. Two strong features are the children's singing and their ability to listen to music in assemblies. The pupils behave well and clearly enjoy this musical experience. However, more opportunities for them to learn something about the composers of the music, its character and the instruments played would further enhance the children’s understanding of the range and style in music.

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MUSIC

101. The pupils are making good progress in singing because they are able to maintain the rhythmic pattern, discriminate and utilise the sound variation well and are generally in tune. Their achievement and progress are good when their skills, knowledge and understanding are suitably challenged. This was the case in the reception class where the music co-ordinator was able to make the children understand the contrast between loud and soft. Here the children were given good opportunities to explore the sounds and learn basic techniques in the mastery of the percussion instruments. However, the Year 2 lesson seen was less successful. Despite the teacher’s specialist’s knowledge and her good planning based on the development of rhythm and instrumental playing, the learning was not as brisk as it might be because her management of the pupils was weak.

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MUSIC

102. Music is used well to support other areas of the curriculum, such as geography and religious festivals. The children have good opportunities to listen to ‘live’ music and to participate in the local Borough music festivals. All pupils have the opportunity to learn to play the recorder, though the clubs had not started at the time of the inspection.

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MUSIC

103. The co-ordinator for music has only been in post four weeks, but already has a good understanding of how the subject could be improved. She recognises that the staff needs training in order to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the music curriculum, and their skills in the use of music technology. In addition, greater use could be made of the specialist music teacher's time to support the classroom teacher’s delivery of the music curriculum across the whole school. These measures would go a long way towards enhancing the provision. Music has not been a recent area for development due to the implementation of other national priorities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

104. By the age of seven, the children’s work in dance, gymnastics and games continues to be of an average standard. The school makes satisfactory provision for the children to have regular opportunities for physical exercise. Taken overall, the teaching is satisfactory. However, on the basis of the snapshot of the lessons observed during the inspection, the there is a broad range of competence within the staff linked closely to knowledge, enthusiasm and expertise of individual members. Bilton Infant School - 33 105. In the best lessons, such as gymnastics with Year 2, the teacher is appropriately dressed in order that she can make effective demonstration of what she wants the children to do. The precise objectives for learning are regularly referred to in order to check progress. The teacher’s expectations are high and important routines such as those for entering and leaving the hall in an orderly fashion and the ways of

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

gaining the pupils’ attention when they are working have been swiftly established. As a result, the children work hard throughout the lesson, from brisk warm-up at the start to well considered warm down in conclusion. In between, they learn a lot about turning movements and how to develop greater control by thinking about the balance of their body weight. There was a similar brisk pace to the work in a Year 1 gymnastics lesson. Once again the teacher led by strong personal example and kept the children busily exercising throughout. Although the children worked hard to achieve the complex movements demanded by the teacher’s plans, they would have achieved even more given a more gradual introduction to this part of the lesson. In both of these lessons the children clearly enjoyed their work, behaved well and showed good co-operation with each other and their teacher.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

106. Some teaching was less successful. For instance in one lesson it was clear that the children had worked hard on their dance on a previous occasion. However, there were insufficient opportunities for them to refine and improve their work. Too much time was spent listening to the teacher, watching each other and handing out hoops and other equipment. Few children raised their pulse rate at any point in the lesson. As a result, some became bored and found it increasingly hard to work with commitment.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

107. The new subject co-ordinator has only been in post for a few days. Physical education has not recently featured as a major priority on the school improvement plan.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

108. Standards are similar to those found at the last inspection. The pupils in Year 2 are reaching the expectations of the Warwickshire Agreed Syllabus for religious education. Generally, the pupils continue to make satisfactory progress as they did at the time of the last inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

109. Good use is made of the assemblies to develop the pupils' knowledge and understanding of Christian values and belief, and by the time they leave the school the children know a range of Bible stories. The older pupils have an understanding of Christian festivals, such as Easter and Christmas, and visit a local church. They know about Remembrance Sunday and explore topics such as bereavement and friendship, thus becoming more caring and aware of the feelings and beliefs of others. Through their topics, they know the story of Sita and of the Festival of Divali. They have looked at other religions such as Judaism, Hinduism and the Muslim faith. Conversation with the pupils shows that they have limited understanding of the beliefs of other faiths although they know about their rituals of worship and some of the artefacts associated with them.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

110. It was possible to see only one lesson during the inspection, but the teaching in it was satisfactory. The session was well managed by the teacher and learning support assistants so that pupils were able to develop a sense of right and wrong. The pupils felt confident and safe enough to be able to express themselves with sensitivity and thought for others. Discussions with the pupils, teachers and the coordinator shows that teaching and learning in the subject is now addressing the issues raised in the last report. There is more direct teaching about other religions and some additional resources have been purchased, such as religious artefacts. They are beginning to have an influence on the learning, but it is limited to knowledge of, rather than understanding of, their meaning.

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