Northfields Infants and Nursery School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 3 rd – 6 th February 2003

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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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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. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Burley Letchworth Hertfordshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs C Garvie

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 18 th May 1998 Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 16493 Mr N Sherman Registered inspector Information and communication technology Physical education Geography The Foundation Stage English as an additional language Educational Inclusion The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What could the school do to improve further? 9619 Mr R Miller Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 22518 Ms B Darley Team inspector English Art and design Religious education Music How well does the school care for its pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

12997 Mrs C Cheong Team inspector Pupils with special educational needs Mathematics Science History Design and technology How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to the pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: Lynrose Marketing Limited Bungalow Farmhouse Six Mile Bottom Newmarket Suffolk CB8 0TU

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Northfields Nursery and 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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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 31

Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Northfields Infant School is situated in Letchworth in Hertfordshire. It is average in size and provides education for children aged three to seven. There are 221 pupils on roll, with slightly more girls than boys. Twenty-seven pupils, 11% of the school roll, have special educational needs, a figure that is average. One pupil has a statement of special educational needs, a figure that is below average. Ten per cent of pupils claim free school meals, and this is broadly in line with the average. The percentage of pupils with English as an additional language is average. Pupils enter the school with a broad range of attainment, but their overall attainment is below average, particularly in their communication, language and literacy skills.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is effective and pupils make good progress. By the time they leave school, standards in writing, mathematics and science are in line with expectations and in art and design, design and technology and physical education, pupils reach standards higher than those seen nationally by seven-year-olds. Children are taught well in the Foundation Stage and the high quality of care the children receive enables them to settle quickly into their new surroundings. Teaching at Key Stage 1 is good with some very good features. The curriculum is well planned and the school has developed very good procedures for monitoring and tracking pupils’ progress in all subjects of the curriculum. The school is effectively led and managed, with the headteacher, staff and governors working hard to ensure that pupils develop both socially and academically. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• By the end of Year 2, pupils reach standards above national expectations in art and design, design and technology and physical education. • Pupils make good progress in writing, mathematics and science. • The quality of education in Foundation Stage is very good. • Teaching is good overall and has a strong influence on pupils’ learning. • Pupils have very good attitudes to learning and work very hard in lessons. • Behaviour is very good and pupils treat one another with high levels of respect. • The school has very good procedures to monitor and track pupils’ progress in all subjects and all staff demonstrate a high degree of care towards the pupils. • Provision for pupils’ social and moral development is very good, and has a positive impact on their personal development. • The school is effectively led and managed and the headteacher creates a very strong team spirit. • A dedicated staff and governors work hard in ensuring pupils receive good learning

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What could be improved

• Teachers’ expectations of what higher-attaining children in the Foundation Stage and what higher-attaining pupils at Key Stage 1 record in their books. • The part co-ordinators play in monitoring teaching and learning. 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

Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 7 The school has made good progress since its last inspection in 1998. The sole key issue from the last report has been effectively tackled. The school now has in place a clear development plan that outlines educational developments over the short and medium term. While standards are not as high in some subjects as those noted in the previous report, the school has successfully implemented the various national initiatives for literacy and numeracy and improved greatly the provision for information and communication technology. Attendance, which was below average in 1998, has improved greatly and is now higher than the national average. Recently appointed members of staff are making a positive contribution to the life and work of the school and the school demonstrates sufficient capacity to improve further still.

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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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schools

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

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schools

The above table indicates that in the 2002 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, pupils reached standards that were below the national average in reading, above the national average in writing and in line with the national average in mathematics. When compared with similar schools, based on the number of pupils who claim free school meals, pupils achieved standards were that were well above average in writing, and above average in reading and mathematics.

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schools

The findings of the inspection are that standards are above national expectations in writing and in line with national expectations in reading. In mathematics and science, standards are in line with national expectations. Whilst most pupils make good progress in these areas of the curriculum, the progress of higher attaining pupils in reading, and in what they formally record in their mathematics and science books could be greater. By the end of Year 2, standards in art and design, design and technology and physical education are above expectations and pupils make good progress. Standards in all other subjects are in line with national expectations and pupils make satisfactory progress.

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schools

By the end of the Foundation Stage, children reach standards above the expectations of the Early Learning Goals in their personal, social and emotional development. Teaching places strong emphasis on developing the children’s initiative and this results in the children making very good progress in this aspect of their learning. The children make good progress in all other areas of their learning and, in their communication, language and literacy, their mathematical development, their knowledge and understanding of the world and their creative and physical development, pupils attain standards in line with expectations. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 8 Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in their learning. They are supported well in class and the school’s effective assessment arrangements enable all staff to monitor their progress carefully. Pupils with English as an additional language are equally

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schools

supported and guided in their learning and make good progress in their ability and confidence in using English.

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schools

The school opts to sets targets for improvement in pupils’ National Curriculum tests, which are challenging and are based on a close knowledge and understanding of the pupils’ academic abilities.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils greatly enjoy their learning and work hard in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils work very well together in lessons and have a good understanding of how their behaviour impacts on others.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships are very good. The strong emphasis placed by the school on developing pupils’ initiatives makes a good contribution to their personal development.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Attendance is above the national average.

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

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

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

The quality of teaching is good overall and very good in the Foundation Stage. In the Foundation Stage very good emphasis is placed on developing the children’s personal, social and emotional development and their ability to work independently of the teacher. At Key Stage 1, the teaching of English and mathematics is good and strong emphasis is placed on developing pupils’ basic skills of literacy and numeracy. The teaching of art and design and physical education is good with some very good features. The teaching in all other subjects is satisfactory and when pupils are taught in the school’s computer suite for information and communication technology, teaching for this subject is frequently good. Across the school, strengths in teaching lie in how learning is planned and organised for pupils and in how teaching assistants and nursery nurses work and guide pupils in their learning. Expectations of how higher-attaining pupils formally record in their work in Key Stage 1 and in the

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

Foundation Stage are too low. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The quality of learning planned for children in the Foundation Stage is very good and makes a positive contribution to their learning. Good use is made of the community and other agencies to support and extend the quality of learning.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils with special educational needs are well cared for. Their needs are identified early and the quality of their individual education plans is good. Teaching assistants and nursery nurses work well in supporting the pupils in class and have a positive impact on the good progress the pupils make.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. The few pupils with English as an additional language are well supported in class and make as good progress as their classmates.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. Very good provision is made for pupils’ moral and social development. Good opportunities are provided to raise pupils’ understanding of the multi-cultural aspect of the society in which they live. Very good opportunities are provided for pupils to become independent learners.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The pupils are well cared for on a day-to-day basis. The school has developed very good procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and the progress they are making in all subjects of the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

The school provides parents with high quality information that gives them a good overview of what is taking place in school and in how their children are making progress. Whilst some parents liaise carefully with the school on developing their children’s reading, the school would like to see more parents playing a more active part in supporting the school in this aspect of children’s learning. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher provides a clear lead for the school’s work and is very successful in developing a strong team spirit within a dedicated staff. Co-ordinators fulfil their responsibilities well, although the role of the co-ordinator in directly monitoring day-to-day teaching needs to be further developed so that they have a clearer understanding of teaching and learning in their subjects of responsibility.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Well. The governors play a full and active role in supporting school developments and are very effective in fulfilling their legal responsibilities.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The monitoring of teaching and learning by the headteacher is satisfactory and has helped to draw out, for example, the need to raise standards in writing. However, insufficient use has been made of assessment data to improve the amount of written work done by higher-attaining pupils in mathematics and science.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes good use of the various grants that it is given to support pupils’ learning. Its accommodation is used very effectively and the school has a satisfactory understanding of the principles of ‘best value.’

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of accommodation is very good. The school has a good number of teachers and support staff who are well qualified to teach the National Curriculum. Training for all staff is good. Resources are good and are well used by teachers to support pupils’ learning.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• How their children are settled quickly into the school. • The good teaching that their children receive. • The high expectations of staff in respect of children’s behaviour. • The good progress their children make. • Greater involvement in the school by a greater number of parents.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection findings support the parents’ favourable views of the school. Inspectors also agree with the parents’ views expressed at the pre-inspection meeting that more direct support from parents in classrooms and in supporting their children at home could impact well on their children’s progress. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The children enter the school with a broad range of attainment, but overall it is below average. They make good progress in both the Nursery class and when they enter school full time in the Reception classes. By the time they transfer to Year 1, they exceed the Early Learning Goals in their personal, social and emotional development and children make very good progress in this aspect of their learning. By the end of the Foundation Stage, children attain the Early Learning Goals in their communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and in their creative and physical development. Children with special educational needs make similar progress to that of their classmates.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. On the basis of the 2002 National Curriculum tests for pupils at the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment in reading was below the national average. In writing, standards were above average. In mathematics, standards were average. When the results are compared with similar schools, standards were above average in reading and mathematics and well above average in writing. Over the past three years the school has made good progress in raising standards in writing but has not kept a close enough focus on standards in reading which are not as high as they were at the time of the last inspection. Standards in mathematics have improved since 2000 when they were below average. In science, based on assessments made by teachers in 2002, standards were average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The inspection findings indicate that pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is above national expectations in writing, in line with national expectations in mathematics and average in reading. Standards are not as high as those found at the time of the last inspection. However, the school’s National Curriculum test data over the past three years indicates that standards have been more in line with the national average. The school has placed great emphasis on developing the pupils’ skills in writing and this has led to good improvements in this aspect of the pupils’ literacy development. Pupils make good progress in writing and by the end of Year 2 many pupils confidently use full stops and capital letters consistently in their work. In addition, pupils write simple poetry using imaginative vocabulary and progress in their understanding of the need to write neatly and thoughtfully is good. However, while progress in reading is satisfactory, it is

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

not as good as that made by pupils in writing. Pupils make satisfactory progress in their ability to read and decode words, although their understanding of what they read is under-developed. Pupils make satisfactory progress in speaking and listening and reach standards in line with national expectations. Good opportunities are provided in daily lessons for pupils to listen, discuss or answer questions and this makes a positive contribution to pupils growing confidence in speaking aloud, for example, to a wider audience.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations in mathematics. Progress is good overall considering pupils below average attainment on entry to the school. Pupils solve problems involving addition and subtraction and higher- attaining pupils use their skills of estimation to solve problems involving three digit numbers. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the importance that mathematics plays in their daily lives and their knowledge and understanding of money are secure as is their understanding of shape, space and measure. Pupils understand well, for example, how measurement can be undertaken both using a ruler and in more Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 12 unconventional ways such as using ice-lolly sticks. With support, most pupils are able to construct a simple bar chart in order to present information such as the results of a road traffic survey.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. By the end of Year 2, pupils reach standards that are in line with national expectations in science. Progress is good in the development of their knowledge and understanding of basic scientific ideas. Pupils explain the stages of human growth and the basic conditions of life, but they do not fully understand how heat or light affects plants. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of electricity are satisfactory, although their understanding of how to construct and explain how a circuit works is insecure, with pupils not always remembering what it is they have learned. Pupils are given suitable opportunities to extend their learning using an investigative approach and this enables them to make satisfactory progress in their understanding of the need to keep certain conditions the same when undertaking investigations. The majority of pupils explain satisfactorily how information about topics and themes can be researched in books and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

they are encouraged well by staff to look things up in books as part of their learning of science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. By the end of Year 2, pupils achieve standards that are above national expectations in art and design, design and technology and physical education and pupils make good progress in these subjects. The curriculum for these subjects is well planned and often enables pupils to explore themes in one subject that help them to develop their skills in another. In physical education, for example, the quality and breadth of the curriculum that is planned for the pupils impact well on their progress and confidence. In art and design, pupils make good progress in their understanding of different artistic techniques as well as their general understanding of the works and styles of famous artists. In design and technology, pupils make good gains in their understanding of all aspects of the curriculum and learn the importance of initial sketches and diagrams in order to form the basis of their later work.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In information and communication technology, geography, history and music, pupils achieve standards that are in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall. In information and communication technology, the improved provision is rapidly impacting on pupils’ learning and as a result of the good teaching pupils experience in the school’s computer suite, they understand well how to use the school’s network correctly. Their levels of confidence, ability and interest in using information and communication technology are rapidly improving and they make good progress. Standards in religious education are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus and pupils make satisfactory progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of the basic features of different faiths and how for some people, religion plays an important part in their daily lives.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs achieve well overall in comparison to their prior attainment. With the good support provided for them by teachers and teaching assistants, they make good progress in relation to the detailed, precise targets set in their individual education plans. This is particularly true in the development of their literacy and numeracy skills. Good progress is achieved by pupils with both learning difficulties and emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress in their use of English. They are given good opportunities to practice and refine their oral skills in both small groups and within the forum of a larger class. Equally good progress is made by the pupils in the development of their writing skills and by the end of Year 2, pupils are Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 13 confident in using English to write simple stories or letters using the appropriate conventions of punctuation.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Evidence from the National Curriculum tests indicates that there is no significant difference between the boys or girls in English, mathematics and science. Inspection findings confirm this. In mathematics and science, higher-attaining pupils do not always make the progress of which they are capable. Pupils are occasionally given work that is the same as that for others in the class and this means they are not always challenged sufficiently and this hinders learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. At the time of the last inspection, the attitudes and behaviour of all pupils continue to be a significant strength of the school. The vast majority of parents agree that the behaviour of their children in school is good and that many of their children enjoy the learning experiences that are provided for pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The children in the Nursery class and reception classes have very good attitudes and are highly interested in their learning. A key feature of their approach to their learning is that they work creatively and productively with one another without too much adult assistance. Many of the children demonstrate a keenness to learn, and they find their work stimulating and it captures their interest. Their behaviour is very good. They play well together and learn how to co-operate, understanding well in the process the need to look after the classrooms well, keeping them tidy and organised.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils in the rest of the school have very good attitudes to their work and relate to one another very well. They are keen to come to school and are co-operative throughout the school day. In lessons, the pupils listen attentively and undertake written and practical tasks conscientiously, trying hard to achieve work that is a true reflection of their ability. They are positive about school, respond keenly to their teachers and almost all are enthusiastic in lessons. Most pupils are capable of sustained interest. For example, pupils in a Year 1 music lesson seen during the inspection gave their full attention to the teacher when she was explaining symbols representing different sounds that instruments create. The pupils enjoy stories and listen well, often joining in at suitable points. They respond well to praise and rewards, and take much pride from having their achievements recognised.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The pupils show respect for each other during discussions and clearly understand the difference between right and wrong. They clearly understand that what they do may affect others. Behaviour is very good. There have been no exclusions in the past year. Any incidents of inappropriate behaviour are dealt with effectively and teachers manage pupils well. The children from ethnic minority groups are fully integrated into the life and work of the school. The school is very effective in ensuring that the environment is free from bullying, racism and sexism.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils with special educational needs, who have identified emotional and behavioural difficulties, are well managed in class and during breaks. Teachers, teaching assistants and mid-day supervisors support them very well. The school ensures that they are fully included in the life of the school and that their behaviour is not detrimental to their own learning or that of their peers.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Relationships are very good and continue to be a strength of the school, as at the time of the last inspection. Staff know the children well and act as good role models for them. Pupils are very polite to each other and adults. They find much pleasure in Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 14 helping others. Children, particularly those in the Nursery class and reception classes, respond well to the very good provision for their personal, social and emotional development. They get on with the task in hand often under their own volition. Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 benefit from membership of the School Council that allows their voices to be heard on a number of issues. There are a number of ways children can display initiative and undertake independent learning, particularly through the literacy hour in English. As a result, pupils’ personal development is good. The very good relationships in the school are a result of the school’s provision for the pupils’ spiritual,

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

moral, social and cultural development, which is the underlying foundation for the positive ethos of the school and the good learning environment.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Attendance has improved since the last inspection when it was below the national average. At around 95 per cent it is above the average and is good. The rate of unauthorised absence at the school is well below that recorded nationally. Punctuality is very good and lessons start and finish on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The overall quality of teaching and learning is good in Key Stage 1 and very good in the Foundation Stage. During the inspection, the quality of teaching was excellent in five per cent of the 41 lessons seen, very good in 21%, good in 51% and satisfactory in the remainder. There is good teaching in many of the classes and the high quality of teaching has been maintained since the previous inspection. New teachers who have joined the school in recent years have helped to maintain the quality of teaching in a high number of subjects. The school has worked hard to ensure that the teaching principles outlined in the national strategies for literacy and numeracy are implemented. In addition, the school has responded positively to the increased demands placed on teachers to incorporate information and communication technology into their teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good. By making visits to the homes of the children prior to them commencing in the Nursery class, the staff start to build up an early profile of the personal and academic needs of the children. This information is effectively used in planning the learning of the children. Very good emphasis is placed on developing the children’s personal, social and emotional development in both the Nursery and the Reception classes. Children are taught the school’s rules and expectations, for example, in how to use the equipment and of the importance of playing and sharing this with their classmates. As a result, the children learn to develop good co-operation skills, and the high expectations staff have of the children in working independently of the teacher make a positive contribution to the children’s learning. Relationships are warm and positive and good emphasis is placed

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

on boosting children’s personal esteem and self-worth. As a result, children become confident learners who are not afraid to make mistakes knowing that the staff will explain and guide them by explaining how and why they may have gone wrong in order to clarify their understanding.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Good attention is paid by the staff in the Foundation Stage to promoting pupils’ early literacy and numeracy skills. Effective use is made of structured play to provide a meaningful context for the children’s learning. By establishing ‘supermarkets’ in the Reception classrooms, for example, children learn to identify the prices of ‘goods’ they are to buy using plastic money. This also proves useful in terms of developing the children’s communication, language and literacy skills as they learn to listen to others and ‘negotiate’ with the ‘cashier’ when they pay for their goods. In all classes in the Foundation Stage, planning is detailed with good emphasis placed on regular and Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 15 detailed assessment of the children in many areas of their learning. Teaching assistants and nursery nurses are effectively used and the information that is gathered is used effectively to monitor the children’s progress and personal development. While

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

teachers’ expectations are often high, in the main too little is expected of higher attaining children in terms of what they formally record in their day-to-day books. The children are capable of producing more written work than they do and as a result, these children do not always make the progress that they are capable of in their writing.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. In Year 1 and Year 2, teaching is good with some very good features. The teaching of English is good, and good emphasis is placed on using the information gathered about children’s progress in the Foundation Stage to build on the basic literacy skills children have already mastered. Pupils know that their teachers expect them to take care with their work and this leads to standards of presentation being good. The teaching of numeracy is good and good use is made of resources and everyday practical equipment to support pupils’ understanding of number and of the importance and relevance of numeracy in their everyday lives.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. The teaching of science is good and good emphasis is placed on developing pupils’ knowledge and skills of scientific enquiry through investigation work. This ensures that pupils work collectively and discuss their learning in groups which has a positive impact on promoting pupils’ speaking and listening skills. However, expectations of what pupils, and in particular, higher-attaining pupils record are too low. The teaching of information and communication technology is good, particularly in the school’s computer suite where good use is made of the very good resources to support learning and develop the pupils’ strong interest in how computers and other information and communication technology plays an increasing part in their day-to-day lives. While some use is made of computers in day-to-day lessons, more attention could be paid to making grater use of classroom-based machines to support pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. The teaching of design and technology and physical education is good. In physical education, as a result of good emphasis being placed on developing pupils’ understanding of the need for purposeful warm-up sessions pupils make good progress in their understanding the impact of exercise has on their muscles and the heart. Teachers themselves provide good role models for the pupils and clearly demonstrate points of technique that the pupils are keen to emulate in their own work. The teaching of art and design, history, geography, music and religious education is satisfactory with some good features. In art and design, for example, good opportunities are provided for pupils to explore the styles and techniques of other artists and this helps to develop the pupils’ own drawing or painting skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. In both Year 1 and Year 2, teachers very effectively manage pupils’ learning, and use support staff well in guiding pupils in their work. The quality of planning is good. Teachers make good use of the generous space in many classrooms. Space allows, for example, in one Year 1 classroom for displays of artefacts in the centre of the classroom and this prove a useful stimulus both in terms of stirring the pupils’ curiosity about the objects and in providing a focal point for pupils sketching in art and design. Planning is detailed and teachers and support staff break down lessons into specific steps that are closely followed. This helps to ensure that lessons move with brisk pace. Concluding parts of lessons are used well for teachers to explore with pupils what they have learnt or what they have may have experienced difficulty in grasping. During these sessions, teaching assistants record particular pupils’ responses and this builds on

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

well to the brief notes that are kept of pupils’ learning during the lesson. This information is then used well to evaluate lessons and determine what the next steps in pupils’ learning should be. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 16 25. The quality of teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Teachers provide suitably adapted work to meet the needs of these pupils, and effective support helps them to complete the same or similar work to other pupils, although just occasionally the adults give too much assistance. Nearly all support is provided within the classroom setting and the normal working day of the class. This enables the teachers’ detailed knowledge of pupils and their current targets to be used and constantly reinforced and makes sure they are fully included in all activities. Support staff, who work well with these pupils, are enthusiastic and have a good understanding

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

of their work. They contribute well to the quality and extent of the pupils’ learning. The school has started to identify particular pupils whom they judge to be gifted and talented and the pupils are given additional support in order to move them on in their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. The teaching of pupils who have English as an additional language is good. Both teachers and teaching assistants know the pupils well and give them opportunities to develop their confidence in developing their speaking and listening skills in every day lessons. The pupils are fully included in all parts of the lesson and pupils are taught well in mastering the early skills of reading and writing.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The school provides a very good curriculum for children at the Foundation Stage, while the curriculum provided for Year 1 and Year 2 is good. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection. The statutory requirements of the National Curriculum are well met. The curriculum for religious education is correctly taught in line with the locally agreed syllabus. Across the school, the curriculum is well supported by good schemes of work and policies. These are based both on locally written and nationally written schemes, which are generally well adjusted to suit the needs of the pupils.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The school has satisfactorily implemented the strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy skills. However, in literacy, while the curriculum for writing is good, reading has not had the same focus as given to raising standards in writing. The school has a broad, good range of learning opportunities that include swimming, dance and sometimes subjects such as yoga or drumming. The school provides a good range of additional opportunities, with visits, visitors and clubs contributing an important part to the life of the school. A particular strength of curriculum provision is special focus weeks that include a science week each year and a health and safety week. In the health and safety week topics such as road, rail and fire safety are tackled as well as the importance of a healthy diet and exercise.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. While the balance of the curriculum is satisfactory overall, the amount of time given to some subjects is low. The time for geography and history is less than other subjects and this has the effect of giving too little time to develop and build on skills or reinforce the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the subjects concerned.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is very good and makes a positive contribution to their learning. Their learning is well planned and suitably referenced to the national guidance given to schools for this age group. Equal emphasis is given to developing all areas of the children’s learning and the detailed planning enables children’s learning in one area to be effectively supported in another. For example, the use of various role-play areas in the classrooms enables the children to work creatively with one another as well as developing their communication, language and literacy or Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 17 their mathematical skills. The children with special educational needs are identified very early and teachers ensure that they are fully included in all activities but undertake work that is very carefully geared to their individual needs and circumstances.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The school is successful in ensuring educational inclusion for all pupils, including those from ethnic minorities and those with special educational needs. The school provides a good quality curriculum and range of learning opportunities for pupils with special educational needs and pupils with English as an additional language. It is starting to provide a curriculum for gifted and talented pupils. This is currently satisfactory. When pupils with special educational needs are withdrawn from classes for speech training, teachers ensure that it is at different times during the week so that the pupils do not consistently miss the same area of the curriculum. This helps ensure that they have equal access and can take a full part in the whole curriculum.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. There are a very good number of school clubs for pupils to attend, including football and French in the current term. Art and design, drama, information and communication technology and cookery occur at other times in the academic year. This is a significant improvement on the previous inspection, when there were none. All of these help extend pupils’ learning and give talented pupils the opportunity to develop their skills to a higher level.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. There are effective links with local schools and pre-school groups in the area. The pupils are also involved in the local community taking part in music festivals and singing to local elderly residents. Visiting artists, authors and theatre groups all enhance the children’s learning opportunities.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The school has close links with local colleges and provides placements for students undertaking their National Vocational Qualification in child-care as well as offering opportunities for work experience. Some links have been created with local businesses since the last inspection and this is an improvement.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is very good and has improved since the last inspection. The school is currently working towards obtaining the National Healthy School Standard. Specific and incidental time is allocated each week to circle time where pupils are able to discuss social issues. Sex and relationships education is linked to the science curriculum and the school nurse, who is a regular visitor complements, what is being taught. The subject of healthy eating is promoted well by the catering staff and the school luncheon menu reflects this. All staff have received training on drugs education and the school is now planning how best to disseminate the information in accordance with the school’s policy on the subject.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It fosters a very good sense of community. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection. The provision for social and moral development is very good and for spiritual and cultural development it is good. These areas of the curriculum are promoted through the daily life and routines of the school and through the taught lessons. They make a very good contribution to the ethos and happy atmosphere in the school. The school, most unusually, has a comprehensive assessment and record keeping system for this area of pupils’ lives that is updated termly. This helps ensure that teachers regularly focus on these important parts of pupils’ lives.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. Spirituality is promoted well through the curriculum; for example, in science where pupils look closely at natural Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 18 objects such pieces of wood or react with excitement and awe at newly hatched butterflies. Opportunities in design and technology also provide good experiences when pupils can proudly say, ‘it works’ and prove it by showing their completed mechanism. Teachers use ‘Circle Time’ well to promote spiritual development by providing pupils with opportunities to discuss emotions such as what they are proud of and how playtimes could be happier. Good teaching encourages pupils to share their thoughts and ideas and to respect the views of others. Religious education lessons also support this area well when pupils learn about the religious beliefs of individual pupils within the school community; thereby helping pupils better understand and appreciate and value

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

their classmates. Acts of collective worship are Christian in nature. They make a satisfactory and sometimes good contribution to pupils’ spiritual development. Some appropriate opportunities are provided for pupils to reflect on their own and other people’s lives in their community. A particularly successful occasion for this seen at the time of the inspection was the assembly which was led by the Nursery class. Here the whole school were encouraged to hold hands as they reflected and prayed for their school community.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. Provision for pupils’ social development is very good. Staff provide many opportunities for pupils to develop their social skills. The school’s personal, social and health education programme is very well embedded in the curriculum and taught regularly throughout the school. This ensures that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, develop a good range of social skills. Within personal, social and health education lessons pupils prepare questions to ask the school secretary as part of their work on ‘people who help us’. They then greet her, politely ask her the questions and listen intently to the answers. Sometimes pupils are provided with good opportunities to collaborate in lessons such as science and mathematics, where they talk and work together in pairs and small groups. They are helped in gaining an understanding of how to do this well by the way

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

the teachers listen to them and value their ideas. With help from the teachers, pupils develop their own class rules for working and playing together, which they generally do very well. Social development is reinforced well on the playground by having a ‘friendship bus stop’ which encourages pupils to ensure that no child is left without a friend to play with. Themes such as friendship and care for one-another’s neighbours are developed in whole school acts of collective worship to further reinforce this. Undertaking monitoring roles promotes social development well too. For example, members of the school council survey fellow pupils to gain ideas for improving play times. Visits and after-school clubs also add to pupils’ social development well.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. The school’s provision for pupils’ cultural development is good overall. The school is aware of the need to prepare pupils for life in a multicultural society. They use visitors in assemblies very well to promote understanding of other cultures, such as through talking about a visit to Malawi. They display objects such as drums and teach the pupils to use them. They play music from other cultures and use it in dance lessons. Parents of pupils from a range of cultures and religions come into school to share their knowledge with the pupils, and this makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ understanding of different faiths. The staff also work hard to develop pupils’ understanding of their own local culture. They promote it through the regular and occasional events that take place within the school year. The school holds celebration assemblies each week where good work and deeds are praised. Each term each class

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

leads a whole school assembly which parents attend. School council members’ badges are designed by a child and teachers are currently working on a “walk to school week” which is going to happen each term. Visits to local places are also well used to develop cultural understanding. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 19 40. Pupils’ moral development is very well provided for. Teachers are good role-models and they give pupils clear advice and teaching about moral aspects of behaviour. As a result, pupils have a very good sense of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable and pupils well understand the difference between right and wrong. All classes have the rules for behaviour displayed, which they have jointly devised at the beginning of the year. This promotes a good sense of ownership about the behaviour they would like to have in their school. Moral values are frequently reinforced through stories, such as

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

fairy stories and through discussions. Also they are reinforced well in whole-school acts of worship and religious education lessons; for example, in the story of who was the good neighbour to the injured traveller in ‘The Good Samaritan’. This sort of story enhances the pupils’ ability to make choices about themselves and their place in the school community. All staff help promote pupils’ moral understanding. Support-staff and lunchtime supervisors give out rewards for good behaviour and display the names of pupils who have gained one on a star chart in the hall. As a result of all this pupils display very good levels of self-control and consideration for others.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The pupils continue to be provided with a caring and supportive environment as reported in the last inspection. All the staff know the children well and all staff are aware of child protection procedures. Local education authority guidance is followed on the use of the Internet. Assessment is used consistently and well to plan work to meet the needs of all pupils. Parents are pleased with the care the school offers to their children and many argue that their children like school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. There are good systems in place for safeguarding children’s health and safety. There are regular safety inspections by the governors and caretaker and potential hazards are dealt with effectively. Suitable first aid arrangements are in place for dealing with accidents and illness and there is adequate adult supervision at lunchtimes.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. There are good procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance and punctuality. Parents are regularly informed of the importance of full and regular attendance by their children and this has had a positive impact on improving the level of attendance since the previous inspection. Registration and follow-up procedures are well established and the completion of registers meet statutory requirements.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Very good arrangements for promoting high standards of behaviour, including measures to prevent bullying, remain in place since the last inspection. There are simple rules for pupils, rewards for good behaviour and sanctions for dealing with misbehaviour. These rules are consistently applied by all staff, are well known to pupils and have a significant impact on maintaining very high standards of behaviour at the school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress and their personal development are good overall. Behaviour targets are set for individual children where appropriate. These targets are carefully tracked and monitored closely to ensure the necessary improvement takes place. The school provides a good standard of care for pupils who have special educational needs. Their progress is carefully noted and adjustments are made to their individual education plans so that future lessons meet their needs.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Assessment procedures across the school are very good and track pupils’ progress effectively. The school has maintained the strengths identified in the last report. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 20 Children are assessed when they enter the Nursery class and at the beginning and end of the reception year against the local education authority assessment guidelines. Children’s learning and progress are assessed regularly throughout the Nursery class and reception years on a day-to-day basis against development markers and the Early Learning Goals. The information is used to group children in order to provide for their individual needs, although teachers have yet to use the information more effectively in order to raise their expectations of what higher-attaining reception aged children are expected to record.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. There are very good procedures to ensure that assessments are shared with new teachers when pupils change teachers. For example, at the end of each year the teachers meet to discuss their end of year assessments and records and to set predictions for pupils’ attainment. Similarly before Year 2 pupils transfer to the junior school teachers and the special needs co-ordinators from the two schools meet to ensure good transfer of records and information to aid continuity in learning.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Teachers analyse the results of national tests for Year 2 pupils looking for trends in performance and possible potential weaknesses in the curriculum. For example, writing was the weakest performing area in 2000 and teachers made specific changes to the way that writing is taught that improved performance in the 2001 and 2002 national tests. The school is aware of the need to ensure that improvements in pupils’ reading now match the progress made in writing. There are good, comprehensive arrangements for assessment in all National Curriculum subjects, Religious Education and personal and social development. Teachers discuss these assessments as a staff to ensure their judgements are the same. Assessment information is used effectively to group pupils and plan appropriate levels of work. Teachers evaluate their lesson plans on a weekly basis to target specific support where individual pupils require it. Pupils,

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

including those with English as an additional language, agree meaningful individual and class targets for English and mathematics with their teachers. For example, Year 2 pupils talk about their class targets and the ones in their books and how they are working on making sure they use capital letters and full stops correctly. Pupils work hard to achieve their targets and are praised when they do so but teachers do not always annotate work sufficiently well to show pupils where they are or are not meeting their targets. The school’s marking policy places an emphasis on discussing work with the pupils and praising their work; however, there is insufficient challenge through teachers’ marking to guide more able pupils on how to improve the content of their work.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The school cares well for pupils with special educational needs and uses assessment well to set targets in their individual educational plans. Their work is regularly monitored to ensure that work is suited to their needs and they are making good progress towards the targets set for them. Outside agencies are involved, as required, to help meet their specific targets. The quality of the school's liaison with outside professional agencies to support pupils with special educational needs is good. The school complies with the statutory requirements for pupils with statements of special educational need. Well written individual education plans ensure pupils’ special educational needs are met. This enables them to make good progress.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. Parents consider Northfields Infant and Nursery to be a very good school overall. A small number of parents remain unclear about the provision of extra-curricular activities Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 21 and homework arrangements and the school understands the need to reiterate for parents at regular intervals what these are.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. Parents are kept informed about the school’s events and curriculum matters through good quality regular newsletters. These are well written and informal and give parents information about day-to-day life in the school. The school has its own web site that gives parents further information about the school’s work and the activities that their children undertake while at school. The school has identified the need to encourage parents to visit the school’s new web site and share the experience with their children as well as getting more parents to attend the parenting sessions that the school provides. The governors’ annual report and school prospectus both meet legal requirements and contain helpful information.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Home school visits are organised for children in the Nursery class by the Nursery staff and this gives the school good information about children prior to them starting school. Consultation meetings with class teachers about progress take place twice a year and are well attended. Induction days for new parents are particularly popular and very well attended. Pupils’ annual reports suitably identify areas in which pupils could improve and parents comment that the reports clearly show how well their children are making progress.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. Parents of pupils with special educational needs attend meetings each term to formally review progress of individual education plans with staff. These are in addition to the normal termly parents meeting. Also, many parents are kept up to date by having a regular dialogue with teachers much more often than this.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. Parents’ involvement in the work of the school is good overall. A number help with the Parents’ Association and raise funds for school equipment and learning resources. A number of parents help in school by listening to children read and assist with school trips. Some parents contribute to their children’s learning at home but more could help with reading and comprehension work. A good number of parents attend school assemblies.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. The school has good links with the local community that have a strong impact on the pupils’ learning. The school has effective links with the local junior school that ensure that the handover of pupils at the end of Year 2 is smooth and unobtrusive. Links with the local college ensure that pupils are provided with additional teaching in dance, for example, and the school makes effective use of the local leisure facilities to provide pupils with opportunities to participate in swimming activities in the summer term. A particular strength in the school’s links with the community is the regular planned opportunities for members of the community to visit the school to talk to the pupils about the work that they undertake. During the inspection, for example, a local vicar led an assembly about his recent experiences of working in a small village in Africa and this successfully raised the pupils’ awareness of how their life differs from children of

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

their own age in other parts of the world.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher is very effective in ensuring that pupils are well cared for in a supportive and positive learning environment that enables the pupils to thrive and to enjoy their learning. In addition, she provides a clear lead in setting the agenda for continued improvement and in establishing a strong team spirit, focused on ensuring that the school’s aims are well Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 22 met. The school’s positive ethos allows school issues to be debated in a purposeful way with the aim of further improving the quality of care and education for pupils. All staff and the acting deputy headteacher ably support the headteacher, and the senior management team gives further effective support in ensuring that the school’s day-to- day management is smooth and unobtrusive.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The headteacher and senior staff regularly monitor teaching and learning and use the information to identify further areas of school development. Co-ordinators effectively monitor teachers’ plans, giving support to colleagues and in evaluating pupils’ progress in the light of the work they produce. Job descriptions are clear and regularly evaluated and this ensures that teachers are clear about the duties expected of them. While all teachers are given regular non-teaching time in order to carry out their responsibilities few co-ordinators regularly monitor direct teaching and learning in their subjects in order to highlights strengths in teaching and use the information gained to plan future improvements. Evaluation of the pupils’ attainment in the National Curriculum tests is used to plan improvements. The co-ordinators for English, for example, have rightly identified the need to raise attainment in reading to that seen in writing.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. There is a strong sense of teamwork which gives staff the opportunity to make valuable contributions to the school development plan, the quality of which is good and much improved since the previous inspection when it was found to be lacking sufficient detail or suggesting how developments are to be evaluated. The current plan is drafted in line with the school’s short and medium term needs and provides a clear rationale for the school’s future direction. Action points are detailed, effectively highlighting potential training needs, and who is to oversee developments. These are carefully costed and both staff and governors regularly review the plan in order to monitor progress. The arrangements for performance management are good and used well to support the school’s arrangements for highlighting the future training needs of all staff with those of the school.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The Governing Body is very supportive of the school and governors effectively fulfil their responsibilities. The chair of governors is a regular visitor to the school and her advice and guidance are highly valued by the headteacher. Governors meet regularly and their committee structure enables them to regularly discuss issues. They are kept regularly informed about school matters by the headteacher’s detailed reports and updated information and through their regular visits to the school. These are both formal and informal. Many governors have a particular focus on an area of the curriculum and work closely with co-ordinators in order to gain first hand evidence of developments in a subject. One of the governors has produced her own version of documents for parents summarising many of the school’s policies for the teaching of certain subjects. Parents themselves have found these helpful in explaining the school’s approach to the

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

teaching and planning of the National Curriculum.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The arrangements for pupils with special educational needs are well managed and impact well on the progress that the pupils concerned make. There is a class teacher who has overall responsibility for pupils with special needs throughout the school. She has sufficient time to carry out her duties for the current numbers of pupils with special educational needs. She is an experienced teacher who has put in place a set of very good systems that help ensure pupils with special educational needs receive the support that they need. The Governing Body correctly has a person identified for being involved and informed about special educational needs. The staff ensure that this representative of the Governing Body is kept well informed about developments in respect of special educational needs. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 23 61. The quality of financial management is good and the headteacher and the governors

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

effectively monitor the budget. Staff and the governors carefully consider the implications of all decisions and they husband their resources well. Identified targets for improvement are costed and appropriately supported. The school makes good use of specific grants. The school spends more than its annual income on pupils over the year. Governors manage this because the school is advantaged by staffing costs that are below the average, contributions from the parents’ association and a historically large budget surplus. At the time of the last inspection the contingency was one third of the total budget and had accrued through delayed funding for changes in pupil numbers. Since 1998 carefully planned expenditure on buildings and resources has reduced the contingency gradually year-by-year and improved facilities and resources. The contingency is now around 17 per cent of the current budget; however, planned

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

expenditure on further improvements and maintenance to the building and resources plus the costs of maintaining the current staffing levels in light of a slight fall in numbers in one year group is expected to reduce this to approximately 5 per cent over the coming year. In making financial decisions the governors make satisfactory use of the principles of best value but currently place too little emphasis on looking at spending decisions and evaluating their impact on the standards pupils reach. The school identified writing and reading as areas for further development but decided to focus on writing which was effective in raising standards. Reading standards did not improve and they are only now being targeted.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The school staff form a dedicated and effective team. There is sufficient qualified staff with good levels of knowledge and expertise to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and most have responsibility to lead development in a specific subject. The music specialist and literacy co-ordinator have recently left but teachers are confident in teaching the music scheme and the literacy hour. The gap is in providing musical support for assemblies and this is to be covered by the appointment of a music specialist to assist with assemblies and to teach singing to the whole school. The new literacy co-ordinators have identified a need to support reading in the school and again an appointment has been made to provide specialist support, advice and training. Teachers in the Foundation Stage are appropriately supported with trained staff. There are good training arrangements to ensure all staff stay up to date and these are

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

effectively detailed in the governor’s annual report to parents. The school has good arrangements for the induction of new staff. New teachers and administration staff feel they have been well supported which has helped them settle into the school quickly.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The adequacy and quality of the accommodation are very good. Internally the building is very clean and well maintained. The accommodation for the Nursery and reception classes is very good. Other classrooms are very spacious and enable flexible delivery of the curriculum. The school benefits from a well resourced information and communication technology suite and an excellent library both of which are well used. Displays around the school are attractive and enhance the pupils’ working environment. There are very attractive outdoor play areas for the Foundation Stage and a good amount of play space for other pupils. The school has improved the accommodation with additional administrative areas, a community room and storage areas and by ensuring good disability access. There are plans for further improvements such as a centenary garden and various maintenance projects to ensure the building stays in

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The quality and quantity of resources are good for all the subjects and the Foundation Stage. The school is very well resourced for information and communication technology with computers available in the suite and in the classrooms. The school’s use of new technology is good. All teachers have lap top computers and they use them Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 24 effectively for preparing lesson plans and resources. There is a good range of resources to support reading through a colour coded reading scheme, big books for the literacy hour and a well stacked library of fiction and non-fiction books in the library. The school has plans to enhance these further by updating the free choice books available in each colour band and having provided specific resources likely to appeal specifically to girls. Teachers make good use of the library and teach pupils how to use it appropriately. The school’s Parent Association also provides additional funds to the

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. Considering the standards attained, pupils’ achievement in relation to their below average starting point and the value added by the school to pupils’ learning across the curriculum and its overall effectiveness the school provides good value for money. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 25

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

66. In order to improve pupils’ learning further, the headteacher, staff and

p.25

record at both Key Stage 1 and in the Foundation Stage

(paragraphs » 20, 22, 70, 75, 101, 112, 116, 134)

p.25

action plan:

• ensure that the marking of pupils’ work gives guidance as to how they may improve their work (paragraphs » 92, 117); • ensure that the time for history and geography is sufficient (paragraphs » 29, 110, 115) ; • ensure that contingency monies are used effectively (paragraph 61). Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 26

p.25

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 22

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y2

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 30 137

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 13

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y2

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 0

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 4 23

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 5

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 12

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 16

p.26

Attendance

School data 4.9 School data 0.1 Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 27 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.26

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 28

p.27

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 21 33 54

p.28

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.28

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

Boys 18 19 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 27 28 30

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 83 (87) 87 (87) 94 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.28

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

Boys 19 21 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 28 29 28

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 87 (90) 93 (97) 91 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.28

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 29 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

p.28

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

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

p.29

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

White – any other White background 3 0 0

p.29

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

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.29

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

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 1 0 0

p.29

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

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.29

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

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

p.29

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

Black or Black British – Caribbean 1 0 0

p.29

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

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

p.29

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

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. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 30

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y 2

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

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

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 464 440

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Total expenditure 500 499

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 149 Expenditure per pupil 2 541

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 115 843

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 79 784

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 30

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 65

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 31

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Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category

p.31

Questionnaire return rate

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

p.31

Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 65 35 0 0 0

p.31

Questionnaire return rate

Behaviour in the school is good. 67 29 4 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 42 42 12 2 2

p.31

Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 67 33 0 0 0

p.31

Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 65 33 2 0 0

p.31

Questionnaire return rate

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

p.31

Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 49 47 2 0 2

p.31

Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 65 35 0 0 0

p.31

Questionnaire return rate

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 59 35 2 0 4

p.31

Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 33 35 14 0 18

p.31

Other issues raised by parents

No other issues were raised by parents. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 32

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67. Children start in the Nursery class in the year they become four and attend on a part- time basis. Following at least two terms in the Nursery class, the children then transfer to one of the two Reception classes. The overall provision in the Foundation Stage is very good maintaining the good progress provision noted in the previous inspection. There are particular strengths in how the curriculum is planned for children, the quality of teaching and in how the children’s progress is assessed and monitored as they move through the Foundation Stage. As a result, many children, including those with special educational needs make good progress in many areas of their learning.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68. The Nursery staff is effective in developing good links with the parents prior to their children commencing school. Home visits to all the children’s homes are made and this gives the staff a good working knowledge and understanding of how best to plan for the children’s learning when they enter the school. The children settle quickly into the school and their new surroundings. In the Nursery and Reception classes, day-to-day liaison with the parents is good ensuring that the parents are quickly informed about what their children have done well or about any difficulties that their children may experience. Despite the school’s better efforts, not all parents find it easy to support their children at home and this limits the children’s early progress, particularly in terms of their reading.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

69. Children start school with a broad range of attainment but the overall level of attainment is below average, especially in their communication, and language and literacy development. Children make very good progress in their personal, social and emotional development and by the time they enter Year 1 they have exceeded the expectations in the Early Learning Goals. In their communication, language and literacy and mathematical development, their knowledge and understanding of the world and in their creative and physical development children reach the expectations of the Early Learning Goals. Progress is good in each of these areas of learning.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

70. The quality of teaching is very good. There is very effective liaison between the staff in the Nursery class and those in the Reception classes ensuring that the handover of children from the Nursery class is smooth and unobtrusive. All teachers plan together and the children’s learning is very well planned around the guidance materials given to all schools to help plan the learning for children of this age. All staff have a very secure knowledge and understanding of the children and of how best to plan and organise learning for children of this age. Very good use is made of structured imaginative play to support and extend learning and the teachers work hard to ensure that the children’s learning in one area can be used creatively to support learning in another. Very successful use is made of the teaching assistants and the nursery nurses who are given very clear and effective guidance in how best they can support the children.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Expectations of the children are high, particularly in how they are expected to learn, play and co-operate with one another and this helps to ensure that little time is lost in lessons and relationships at all levels are warm and constructive. However, the expectations of what higher-attaining children are expected to formally record in their day-to-day workbooks are too low. This restricts their overall progress.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

71. Very effective procedures are in place to assess and monitor the children’s personal and academic progress. Assessments are regular and are first made when the children start the school. The information gathered is used to group children and to plan Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 33 work that closely matches their academic needs in order to move them on in their learning. At the end of the time they spend in the Nursery class, the information gathered on the children is passed over to the children’s next teacher. This gives the children's next teacher a good idea of what they have mastered and what needs to be attempted next in order to move them further on. The co-ordinator is highly enthusiastic and her enthusiasm has a positive effect on her colleagues. There is a very strong team spirit that is focussed on providing children with a good start to their education and this has a positive impact on the progress that many of the children make both in

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

their first few terms at the school and in the Reception classes. Resources are of good quality and used well to support the children in their learning.

p.33

Personal, social and emotional development

72. By the time children enter Year 1, children achieve above the expectations of the Early Learning Goals in their personal, social and emotional development. Teaching is very good and the heavy emphasis placed by the staff in developing the children’s independent learning skills impacts well on the progress that they make. In the Nursery class, clear explanations are given to children on how to use and replace the equipment they use. In one lesson seen during the inspection, one of the children swept up the sand that had fallen out of the sand tray. He managed this on his own and was clearly aware of the need to keep the working area tidy for the next child to use. In both the Nursery and Reception classes, children quickly develop a healthy confidence and there is a strong emphasis placed by the staff on encouraging the children to seek their own solutions to any difficulties they may encounter.

p.33

Personal, social and emotional development

73. Children play well with one another and develop a good understanding of the need to listen to their classmates when playing together in the role-play areas, when listening to a story that is being read by an adult or when they are being given a short talk by a visitor to the school such as a nurse. Relationships between the children themselves and the adults who work alongside them are very good. Staff are sensitive to the need to praise the children for what they attempt, no matter how successful they are in completing tasks. This has a positive impact on the children's self-esteem and confidence. Many of the children in the Nursery class enjoy showing their work to a wider audience and this reflects the good emphasis placed by the staff on boosting the children’s confidence and self-worth. As they move through the Foundation Stage, many children demonstrate a healthy respect for one another and for the adults who

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Personal, social and emotional development

74. By the end of the Foundation Stage, most of the children are able to dress and undress themselves and change quickly in order to get ready for physical education work.

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Communication, language and literacy

75. By the time they transfer to Year 1, children attain the expectations of the Early Learning Goals in the development of their communication, language and literacy. From a low starting point, progress for the majority of the children is good as is the quality of teaching. However, progress is less marked for the higher-attaining children where teachers’ expectations are sometimes too low of what the children are expected to formally record in their work and this hinders their overall progress.

p.33

Communication, language and literacy

76. Children make good progress in the development of their speaking and listening skills. Good attention is paid by teachers and support staff to promoting children’s speaking skills at every available opportunity. Good use is made of imaginative play in promoting the children’s skills. By role-playing ‘doctors’, ‘nurses’ or ‘patients’ the children learn the Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 34 skills to listen to others and how to explain things simply yet clearly. Children enjoy listening to stories and are given good encouragement to express their views as to what might happen on the next page from the ‘Big Book’ they are being read. The children make good gains in their ability to speak in order to express their opinions, give answers and are suitably confident to take part in simple discussions.

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Communication, language and literacy

77. Children make satisfactory progress in their writing development. By the end of their stay in the Nursery class, children are able to make simple marks but very few children are at the stage of comfortably holding a pencil in order to write their own name or simple statement. By the end of the Reception class, children are able to write simple statements such as, ‘This is Bob the Builder and Wendy’ and their letters are clearly formed and of a fair size. Little of the content of the children’s work goes beyond this stage and much of the children’s writing is either traced or copied from what an adult has already written out for them. Higher-attaining children recognise and can explain what is meant by a full stop but few of the children are able to use these in their writing by the time they commence in Year 1.

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Communication, language and literacy

78. Children make good progress in their understanding of the different parts of a book. They know, for example, what an author is as well as being able to explain the part that an illustrator plays when stories are devised. Higher-attaining children explain what the ‘blurb’ of a book means. Many of the children know that text is read from left to right and that the words on a page help to tell a story. Few children are at the stage of reading without the support of an adult and many children, including higher-attaining children need the support of an adult to help them make sense of unfamiliar text. Children are able to break down words into more meaningful parts and then say the word but they often forget what the word says when it next reoccurs and this hinders their learning in terms of being able to read fluently and with increased levels of understanding.

p.34

Mathematical development

79. By the end of the Foundation Stage, pupils reach standards in line with the expectations of the Early Learning Goals. Children make good progress as a result of good teaching. In all classes, teachers make good use of practical work and imaginative play in order to develop children’s learning in meaningful contexts. As a result children make good progress in their understanding of the part that mathematics plays in their everyday lives. Much of the pupils’ learning is done through discussion and by learning through first hand experience. Higher-attaining children are not always encouraged to formally record their work and expectations of these children are generally too low and this hinders the overall progress they make. By the time they leave the Nursery class, the children identify single digit numbers as well as basic shapes such as squares and rectangles. By the end of the Reception classes, children recognise simple amounts of

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Mathematical development

money and use this knowledge and understanding to pay for goods in the ‘supermarket’ that has been set up in the classroom to promote mathematical learning. They have a satisfactory understanding of what is meant by the concept of giving ‘change’. Higher- attaining children work out mentally what change should be received from 10p if the goods purchased were to amount to 7p. Teaching is effective in moving children on in their understanding of how to use different ways in order to obtain an answer. Children understand, for example, that counting back on a number line from 10 may be another way of calculating the answer to a problem.

p.34

Mathematical development

80. Good use is made of sand and water play areas to develop the children’s early understanding of mathematical concepts such as capacity, shape and space. By making full and regular use of these areas, children make satisfactory gains in their understanding of concepts such as ‘full’, ‘empty’ or ‘partly full.’ By the end of the Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 35 Foundation Stage, children explain and can differentiate at an appropriate level between squares, rectangles and triangles. They know that such shapes can be seen in doors, windows, and the tops of the tables that they work on in their classrooms. Children make satisfactory progress in their understanding of the concept of time. They know what is meant by ‘o’clock’ and recognise the times of the day such as dinnertime and bedtime.

p.34

Knowledge and understanding of the world

81. By the time they transfer to Year 1, children attain the expectations of the Early Learning Goals in their knowledge and understanding of the world. Teaching is very good and the children make good progress in their understanding of the world in which they live and of the part that other groups of people play in their lives. Themes such as ‘Winter’, ‘Summer’ or ‘Animals’ successfully develop the children’s understanding of concepts such as the seasons, weather, the clothes that need to be worn at different times of the year and what materials these are made from. During the inspection, the theme was ‘People Who Help Us,’ and children made good progress in their understanding of how people in the local community assist others in the work that they do. They have a satisfactory understanding, for example, of the part that nurses play in helping others get better and that their work is not always constrained to assisting

p.35

Knowledge and understanding of the world

others in hospital but in visiting those who are ill at home.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

82. Children have a satisfactory understanding of their immediate environment and of the local landmarks that they pass on their way to school. They understand that post boxes are for sending mail and that the local church is a special place, although their knowledge and understanding of ceremonies such as baptisms or weddings is somewhat weak. Children are given sufficient opportunities to learn about the past such as the reasons as to why people buy poppies in November. Children have a satisfactory appreciation, of why people remember certain events such as birthdays and Christmas and that these are remembered on a yearly basis.

p.35

Knowledge and understanding of the world

83. Children make good progress in their use and understanding of computers and other related information and communication technology equipment. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes get regular access to the computers in the school’s computer suite. Children make good progress in using and manipulating a mouse in order to use a simple art package and when doing so are able to change colours and create simple images. In daily lessons, information and communication technology is regularly available for the children and many demonstrate the skills of working at, for example, simple mathematical programs, although generally little use is made by teachers in letting children use simple word-processing programmes to assist them in their reading and writing development. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 36

p.35

Physical development

84. By the end of the Foundation Stage, children achieve the Early Learning Goals. Progress is good, and children make good gains in the development of their fine motor skills when using scissors or glue and in the development of their ability to take part in larger physical education type of activities. Teaching is good and places good emphasis on developing the children’s physical abilities both in indoor and outdoor activities. Children in the Nursery class have regular opportunities for outside play in the specially built and well resourced outside play area that is used at many points of the day. Children use the larger equipment sensibly and to good purpose and many children can manoeuvre a larger bike in a given marked out area. Children in the Reception classes also get access to outside play both in the areas immediately outside their classroom and in the central courtyard of the school. This is arranged with

p.36

Physical development

a large table that is covered with paper that the children use to good purpose to draw with crayons, chalks or charcoals. Children demonstrate good control and dexterity when using these materials.

p.36

Physical development

85. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes are given regular sessions during the week to participate in whole class based physical education sessions in the hall. Children in the Nursery class listen effectively to the adult who is supporting them in their work and they follow simple sequences of instructions. By the end of the Foundation Stage, children are able to change for the physical education work quickly and the purposeful warm-up sessions in lessons effectively encourage their understanding of the need for such exercise as a precursor to their main activity. The good teaching makes effective use of the class based literature to support the children’s learning, such as ‘Penguin Small.’ Children move around the hall emulating the movement of penguins, using the available space to creative effect. When asked, children are able to stand still and move around to the direct stimulus of a tambourine

p.36

Creative development

86. By the time they enter Year 1, children reach the expectations of the Early Learning Goals and make good progress in this aspect of their learning. Teaching is very good and children are provided with rich and varied learning opportunities that effectively foster their creative development. Good opportunities are provided for children in the Nursery and Reception classes to use paint and other media in order to promote their creative skills. In all the Foundation Stage classes, children enjoy exploring how to use paint and mix colours. Children paint simple pictures of themselves and use a variety of different sized paint brushes in a bold and inventive way when applying paint. In the Nursery class, children are given good scope to use papers, straws, glues, cartons and boxes of different sizes in order to make simple models and many demonstrate good levels of perseverance in completing the work set.

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Creative development

87. Good opportunities are provided for children to organise and take part in imaginative role-play activities both within and out of classrooms in the outside play areas. Teaching is suitably flexible to enable different play areas to be set up and organised with suitable play equipment and toys that supports that learning. During the inspection, for example, classrooms had ‘hospital wards’ organised to let the children role-play patients, nurses or doctors. Children freely participate in this structured play, keen to help one another ‘get better’ or let a ‘nurse’ look after them during their stay in the ‘hospital.’ Children’s creative development is further fostered through good opportunities provided for them to listen to simple pieces of music or songs as well as taking part in simple dance movements. By the time they enter Year 1, children identify Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 37 a good number of simple untuned musical instruments and know how to play these in

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Creative development

order to obtain a repeating sound using a triangle, wooden block, cymbals and even using a pair of coconuts. They know how to obtain a ‘high’, ‘loud’ or ‘low’ sound when playing these.

p.37

ENGLISH

88. Inspection evidence is that standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are above average in writing and in line with the national average in reading. This is similar to the results in the previous year’s national tests for seven year olds. When compared with similar schools, the results indicated that pupils attained standards well above the average in writing and above average in reading. The school’s strong focus on promoting vocabulary has had a very positive impact on the development of pupils’ writing and the school has maintained standards in writing since the previous inspection. However, there has been less focus on reading. Overall, pupils make good progress. The school carefully tracks pupils’ progress and evidence shows that all pupils with special educational needs, and those for whom English is a second language make good progress.

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ENGLISH

89. Speaking and listening skills are in line with national expectations throughout the school for the great majority of pupils. The school’s good social provision helps pupils to understand the conventions of discussion and very good management of pupils ensures that pupils listen carefully in all lessons which enhances their learning. There are some good opportunities for discussion in mathematics, science, religious education, art and music but some missed opportunities in developing strategies for promoting short discussions such as working in pairs and reporting back what has been said in other subjects. For example, in information and communication technology the teaching is strongly focussed on instruction and skills development allowing little opportunity for discussion. Teachers place a strong emphasis on using subject specific vocabulary and a wider range of words which may be unfamiliar to pupils and

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ENGLISH

explaining what they mean well. Pupils are very good at asking if they are unclear about the words that are used and this is developing the quality of their formal speech in lessons.

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ENGLISH

90. Reading standards by the end of Year 2 have declined slowly since the last inspection where they were above national averages. The school recognised the trend but has not taken the necessary action to address it and has focussed almost exclusively on writing. Last year a larger percentage of pupils with special educational needs and lower ability pupils in Year 2 meant that fewer pupils reached the higher levels in the national tests. Pupils have a good understanding of how to use the library and access non-fiction books. They clearly enjoy reading and being read to by their teachers. They recognise a good number of words and have satisfactory strategies for working out words they do not know. This gives the appearance of fluent reading; however, pupils are much less confident in discussing what they have read. They find it difficult to infer meaning from what they have read and few pupils talk avidly about books or particular

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ENGLISH

authors they enjoy reading. There is insufficient focus on developing reading experiences which extend and challenge pupils’ thinking about understanding more fully what it is they are reading. Parents support their children’s learning satisfactorily by listening to their children read at home but there is insufficient guidance to them on strategies to use or how to comment beyond how well the child has read.

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ENGLISH

91. The school has made good improvement in developing pupils’ writing and there has been a clear focus on linking the development of pupils’ awareness of spoken Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 38 vocabulary to improvements in their writing. Good regular assessment of pupils’ work and rigorous moderation of teachers’ assessments has ensured that teachers promote writing well. Pupils make good progress. There is a good focus on story structure and writing extended stories which are produced as small books. This adds to their significance for the pupils. They use interesting words and conventions such as exclamation marks to add interest. Most pupils use capital letters and full stops correctly. Pupils’ spelling progresses well and is generally accurate, as they learn spelling rules and how to use dictionaries to check their spellings. When writing, most pupils form letters accurately and regular handwriting practice helps them to develop

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ENGLISH

letters of a uniform size and a joined script. Pupils enjoy writing and take pride in their finished work. This is seen not only in literacy but also in writing in other subjects.

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ENGLISH

92. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers use the literacy strategy structure confidently and lessons are very well planned. They break learning into small progressive steps and ensure pupils understand what the objective for the lesson is and what they will be learning. Teachers present suitable challenges for pupils of all abilities which enable them to make good progress in lessons. In reading, there are some examples where reading tests show that some pupils are under challenged by the books they are reading. Teachers give clear instructions and ensure pupils know exactly what to do, which produces an effective learning environment and pupils work very industriously without reminders. The lively pace, with varied and interesting activities in lessons ensure that pupils concentrate well and show good attitudes towards their work. Teachers set achievement targets with pupils, for example, they have a personal target

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ENGLISH

card in their books on which achievement is noted and praised. Teachers evaluate their work well and make regular day to day assessments. Marking of pupils’ work is restricted as teachers aim to discuss the work with the pupils but this provides insufficient challenge for more able pupils and too little written guidance to show them how to improve further. The lack of formal marking by teachers means that sometimes the good quality of handwriting found in practice lessons does not always transfer across to other work.

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ENGLISH

93. The recent appointment of two new co-ordinators has brought an overall review of the subject and they are providing satisfactory leadership. They have conducted a close examination of reading standards, and are aware of the weaknesses. They have a key focus on improving reading opportunities and experiences for pupils in order to raise standards. They have already planned and budgeted for specialist support and further training for teachers and teaching assistants. There is insufficient use of information and communication technology in literacy. Pupils’ spiritual, social and moral development is appropriately promoted through working together and experiencing different literature, drama and poetry. There has been satisfactory improvement overall in English since the previous inspection. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 39

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MATHEMATICS

94. By the end of Year 2 pupils attain standards expected for their age group in mathematics. Pupils make good progress from a lower than average starting point The results of the 2002 National Curriculum tests are that standards of attainment were in line with the national average. When compared with similar schools, standards were above average. Inspection evidence indicates that this year’s results are likely to be similar, with many pupils working at the nationally expected Level 2, but with too few pupils exceeding this. This is better than the school’s published results at the time of the last inspection. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress against their personal targets and are well supported. The pupils with English as an additional language are learning at the same rate as their peers. There is no difference between the attainment of boys and girls.

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MATHEMATICS

95. Pupils are making good progress overall in numeracy. In Year 1, due to high expectations and very good, lively teaching methods, progress in understanding number facts is good. Half of the age group are able to calculate numbers such as double 9, 13 and 25 and use the correct symbols when writing it down. In the other half of the age group pupils are learning their number bonds to ten by playing a good daily challenge game where they try and get more answers correct than the teacher in a short amount of time. Also in this class, they learn to demonstrate teen numbers well by standing on tiptoes for the ten digit and then hold up the correct number of fingers for unit numbers. In Year 2, teachers continue to use some good methods to reinforce number bonds, but the challenge and expectations are sometimes lower. As a result, while many pupils achieve the expected level, they are not quick and reliable beyond ten

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MATHEMATICS

without using fingers or having to ask what the different vocabulary means.

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MATHEMATICS

96. Progress in Year 1 and Year 2 in other areas of mathematics is satisfactory. Pupils in Year 2 are able to measure in centimetres and identify right angles while in Year 1 pupils measure with ‘lolly sticks’ to find the length of everyday objects. Again teachers use some interesting methods, such as pattern making to help reinforce pupils’ understanding of line symmetry, which many from both age groups are beginning to understand to a high level. Little use is made of information and communication technology to develop pupils’ mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding and, overall, little data handling is undertaken. Good use is made of other subjects to further pupils’ mathematical knowledge or give them practical reasons for using their mathematical skills; for example, counting years in tens when placing the old toys in order of age along a number line in Year1 history.

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MATHEMATICS

97. The quality of teaching and learning is good, and some very good teaching was seen during the inspection, particularly in a Year 1 class. This is similar to last time the school was inspected. Lessons generally have a good pace, with the teachers keeping pupils well focused on the task in hand through the interesting activities that they use. As a result, pupils concentrate well and most are keen to join in and try to do well. In a few lessons pupils are kept too long listening to the teacher, so the pace of learning slows and pupils cease to listen or join in. Teachers have good subject knowledge with the methods and format of the National Numeracy Strategy being well embedded and used effectively. Aims are clearly stated in the planning and talked about at the start of the lesson but they are not always consistently stressed at the end of the lesson in terms of what has been learnt or improved. Teachers manage pupils very well and

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MATHEMATICS

have very good relationships with them. They use questioning well. They give good opportunities for pupils to explain their understanding and methods, which again helps their learning. Teachers rightly set targets for individual pupils’ learning. These are placed in the front of the pupils’ books, so they are there as a constant reminder. Whilst Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 40 this is good practice, these targets are rarely referred to in lessons or used for setting homework. Pupils’ books are generally satisfactorily marked, although in some cases higher-attaining pupils could have more written guidance given to them in how they can improve their work. Teachers use activities that allow pupils to work at their own level, but sometimes these activities do not sufficiently challenge pupils. At other times, work is given by teachers at the same general level, with extra adult support for the least

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MATHEMATICS

able. This means that higher-attaining pupils are not always sufficiently challenged, and expectations of those with the potential to learn more quickly could be higher in Year 2.

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MATHEMATICS

98. The quality of leadership and management is satisfactory. The school has a good, comprehensive system for assessment and record keeping. Pupils’ attainment is conscientiously recorded throughout the school and it is satisfactorily used to set the correct level of work. There are no ‘booster’ groups. National tests are analysed satisfactorily, but too little is being done to use this information to raise standards. It is not being used well to analyse overall weaknesses and trends, or the progress of higher-attaining pupils. Samples of pupils’ work are kept, and moderated against the levels of the National Curriculum. The co-ordinator undertakes monitoring of teachers’ planning but has not yet monitored teaching.

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SCIENCE

99. Inspection findings are that standards for pupils aged seven are in line with the national average. Pupils are making good progress from a lower than average level of understanding on entry to the school. This reflects the evidence from teachers' assessment in the national tests over the last three years, which indicate similar results. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an addition language are well supported in lessons and as a result make good progress in relation to their prior attainment. Boys’ and girls’ attainment is similar.

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SCIENCE

100. Good planning and teaching are enabling good progress to take place. Teachers give pupils clear explanations and teach the associated vocabulary very well. As a consequence, pupils learn well within lessons so that by the end they know much more than they did at the beginning; for example, about a healthy diet in Year 2. Teachers use a good range of methods, including the appropriate use of investigation work the standards in which are in line with national expectations. Pupils are given good scope to develop their understanding of how to present their work in different ways. For example, in Year 2, pupils recorded at home their food and drink intake over 24 hours. They brought their results into school and recorded them as a pie chart to see if they had eaten a healthy diet. In a Year 1 excellent lesson seen during the inspection, pupils used wheeled toys to closely observe the forces of pushing and pulling in action. By the

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SCIENCE

end of the lesson, their level of understanding was good and by the end of Year 2 they know that a force can have speed and a direction. An analysis of pupils’ work shows standards broadly in line with expectations but with little recording for some topics. The pupils explain satisfactorily the stages of human growth and the basic conditions of life but are not sure about how heat or light affects plants. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of electricity are average, although their understanding of circuits is shaky, having forgotten what they learnt last term. Pupils can explain satisfactorily how to find out about things and are encouraged well by staff to make simple observations and look things up in books. Teachers give pupils some very good opportunities to develop their social skills when they work in small groups to brain-storm ideas; for instance, what will happen when they push the bike wheels in Year 1. Much of the work

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SCIENCE

makes strong connections with their personal, social and health education. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 41 101. The quality of teaching is good overall. Teachers’ questioning is good and they use it well to check and reinforce understanding. They explain things very clearly, using their good level of subject knowledge. They teach pupils well to use skills such as those gained in mathematics to display data. However, information and communication technology is little used and this restricts pupils’ learning, in terms of researching information or in recording their work in more detail. Too little recording of what pupils have learned is undertaken, and older pupils are not encouraged to record the learning aim as the heading in their exercise books so they forget what they were trying to learn. The teachers use other subjects well to support learning in science. Teachers manage pupils very well so pupils are fully involved for the whole lesson. Nearly all pupils are

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SCIENCE

very keen to contribute their ideas and observations. Teachers use support staff well to work alongside pupils and give additional guidance in what they are learning. While teaching in individual lessons is good, slightly less time than that seen in other schools is devoted to science teaching. As a consequence, pupils’ knowledge is not sufficiently reinforced.

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SCIENCE

102. Assessment is very good. Records are kept of attainment in all parts of the science curriculum with a particularly strong emphasis on recording progress in investigation and problem solving skills. While targets are set within individual lessons no individual or group targets are set such as in English or mathematics. The school has an annual science week, which helps to raise interest and standards. The management of science is good. The co-ordinator has a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development within the subject through her monitoring of teachers’ planning and moderation of the work pupils produce from across the school. She does not monitor teaching and learning in lessons and this limits the extent of her understanding of how the subject is taught. Resources for the subject are good and these are used well to stimulate pupils’ curiosity about the world around.

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ART AND DESIGN

103. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ standards of attainment are above expectations for their age and have been maintained since the last inspection. All pupils including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make good progress in their understanding of different ways of making art and of their general knowledge and understanding of different artists and craftspeople.

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ART AND DESIGN

104. By looking at the wonder of ‘Mother Nature Designer’ Year 2 pupils are able to discuss the work of Monet as a lead into exploring and using colour and shape creatively in their own work. Pupils made good use of sketchbooks as they sketched and devised different flower motifs. They selected their best design and translated it into string block prints and used them to create a repeating pattern. Pupils explored how to create a complementary coloured background using several shades of one colour showing creativity and imagination and were able to suggest a number of other ways of working with different materials to get a similar effect. By the end of Year 2 pupils have a good understanding of how to mix shades of colour in paint and use this well to create backgrounds. Pupils make good progress in their drawing skills and are taught well to observe closely and to try and capture sufficient detail, adding shading where

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ART AND DESIGN

necessary in order to improve the quality of their work. Pupils have a good understanding of terms such as ‘portraits’ and have a developing perception of concepts such as ‘proportion.’ Pupils are provided with a varied range of media in order to produce their artwork. For example, Year 1 pupils successfully explored modelling techniques similar to those used by Henry Moore by pulling pieces out of one lump of Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 42 clay to create a teddy bear. Pupils have good opportunities to explore and look at the work of other artists that has a beneficial impact on their cultural development.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. The quality of teaching is good over time, although that seen in lessons during the inspection was satisfactory. Teachers plan their work carefully and place a strong emphasis on introducing and explaining specific vocabulary that has a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Good use is made of sketch books to enable the pupils to explore and try-out different ideas and techniques when producing pieces of art. This successfully develops their understanding of the need to refine their work in light of their earlier ideas. Teachers make good use of the sessions at the end of lessons for pupils to discuss each other’s work and the teachers’ use of subject specific vocabulary is reflected in pupils’ contributions. In the lessons seen during the inspection, the teachers’ very good management of pupils ensured that they listened well to instructions and improved as a result of instruction. The teachers’ interest and

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ART AND DESIGN

enjoyment of what they teach ensures a positive response from all pupils.

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ART AND DESIGN

106. The co-ordinator provides strong leadership through supplementing the recommended guidelines for the subject with further detailed guidance for her colleagues to adopt when planning pupils’ learning. This ensures that pupils have a range of experiences including some three-dimensional work and opportunities to work on a larger scale and with artists. There is a good focus on in service training for teachers and assessment which ensures teachers have a good grasp of what should be taught. There is limited use of numeracy to develop pupils’ awareness of pattern. Teachers are beginning to use information and communication technology to enable the pupils to produce art and design work. Greater use could be made by teachers of the subject to develop literacy skills by encouraging higher-attaining pupils, in particular, to evaluate their work and express their feelings. The subject holds a high status in the school and the art week

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ART AND DESIGN

that has been organised for pupils enables them to explore a wider range of techniques and to explore the work of local artists. The quality of art provision is such that it has enabled the school to be awarded the ‘Artsmark’ accreditation.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. Good subject knowledge and high expectations by teaching staff have improved standards since the time of the last inspection and standards are now above national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1. Teaching is good and pupils make good progress as they move through the age groups. Across the school, all pupils, including those with special educational needs and with English as an additional language, take part fully in the lessons, and their progress is similar to that of other pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. As a consequence of good teaching, by the age of seven pupils are well able to demonstrate the whole of the design process. Pupils are taught well how to design things for themselves such as a puppet or a Christmas decoration. They clearly label parts of their designs and list the materials and tools that they will need to hand in order to start the making stage of the process. With a strong emphasis and reminders from staff, they work with good regard to safety and cleanliness. Good teaching is also leading to pupils understanding and knowing how to use a wide range of techniques. For example, in Year 1 most are able to confidently choose to use a pivot or a slide in order to gain the effect they want for parts of their moving pictures. In Year 2 pupils grapple with making turning mechanisms for creatures in order that they can move up and down. Through this work teachers provide good connections with other areas of

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

the curriculum such as history where they are looking at old toys. The associated vocabulary is stressed, well taught and displayed, forming good connections with Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 43 literacy. Once complete, the teachers teach pupils systematically to evaluate and say how they could improve their object or design. This provides good opportunities for writing, although opportunities are sometimes missed for speaking and listening in pairs and small groups and therefore opportunities for social development are missed. Information and communication technology is satisfactorily used to support the subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. The quality of teaching and learning in design and technology is good. The subject is taught each week throughout the year. As a result of this good teaching and the amount of time being given to the subject, pupils’ knowledge and skills are steadily and gradually being well developed. The teachers have very high expectations for the subject. Teachers have good subject knowledge and a lively enthusiasm. Consequently the pupils are interested, enthusiastic and proud of their achievements. Staff meet regularly to plan. They plan jointly so that parallel classes receive the same level of work and so that the work in Year 2 builds well on topics and skills developed lower down the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. The subject is well led. The co-ordinator correctly monitors planning and the results that the pupils produce. She has not yet had the opportunity to monitor teaching directly. She has a good understanding of the developmental needs of the subject and the demands of the National Curriculum for this subject. She achieves this through the moderation work that she undertakes with staff when they regularly look at examples of pupils’ work of differing abilities. A well-structured scheme of work is in place. Assessment practice is good and a comprehensive system is in place. It is used well to correctly challenge individuals and groups of pupils. Resources for the subject are good and well used by pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY

111. By the end of Year 2, standards are line with national expectations. Standards are not as high as found at the time of the last inspection and this is explained by the fact that the teaching of geography rotates with that for history and this has reduced the amount of time available for the teaching of the subject. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress as they move through the school.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a good understanding of the capital cities of the world and can give examples of some famous landmarks found in the cities concerned. They know that some countries have a warm climate and that others are continually cold. They understand well that the climate of a country determines lifestyles and the sort of clothing that people wear. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the geographical features in other parts of the country. They know, for example, that a seaside town will be busier in the summer and that more hotels will be in these towns in order to cater for the people who may visit them. Weaker features of attainment include the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of maps. Pupils have a limited understanding of how symbols are used on maps or how these are used to represent certain land features. Pupils are unable to give examples of motorways or describe the impact that the

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GEOGRAPHY

building of new roads has on the local environment.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory with some good features. These include the increasing use of software and the school’s information and communication technology suite to support pupils’ learning. In lessons seen during the inspection, for example, teachers made good use of an interactive electronic encyclopaedia to support and extend pupils’ learning about the geographical features of other countries. Where Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 44 possible, teachers make good use of literacy type activities to support pupils’ understanding. In one Year 2 lesson observed during the inspection, pupils had to write an imaginary postcard to their parents telling them of their experiences while on holiday based on photographs of holiday experiences that the pupils had been encouraged to bring to school. The teacher duly emphasised the need for the address to be written correctly as well as describing for the reader as vividly as possible the day-to-day

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GEOGRAPHY

activities they were undertaking. Other strengths in teaching include detailed planning. However, sometimes teachers’ expectations of what pupils formally record in their books are too low and in lessons over long introductions lessen the time that pupils have to complete their work.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. The subject is well led and managed. The co-ordinator is highly enthusiastic about the subject and has been instrumental in ensuring that the assessment of pupils’ progress in geography is regularly undertaken as pupils move through each of the classes. However, while the co-ordinator makes regular evaluations of teachers’ medium term plans, little scope is given for her to directly monitor teaching on a day-to-day basis and this limits her effectiveness. National guidance for the planning of the curriculum has been introduced well to support teachers in their planning of pupils’ learning and good use is made of the local environment to enrich the quality of pupils’ learning experiences. Pupils conduct traffic surveys to gauge the impact of transport on the immediate environment and the local estate is used at intermittent points of the year to support pupils’ understanding of the geographical features of the area in which they live.

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GEOGRAPHY

The subject makes a favourable contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development, particularly through the good opportunities pupils are given to explore non-fiction books about the countries they may be exploring. Resources to support pupils’ learning are good.

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HISTORY

115. Standards are in line with expectations at the end of Year 2. Pupils make satisfactory progress from a lower than average starting point. Pupils have better knowledge and understanding of events and people from the past than they have of other areas of the National Curriculum programmes of study for history. This is similar to the judgements made at the time of the last inspection.

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HISTORY

116. Teaching in Year 1 and Year 2 is satisfactory but the impact of teaching is lessened owing to the less than average time given to the subject as the teaching of history is rotated with geography. Although planning and teaching seen during the inspection were good, evidence gained by speaking to pupils and by an examination of their recorded work in books from the start of the school year indicates that teaching and learning are satisfactory over time.

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HISTORY

117. By the age of seven, pupils have satisfactory knowledge and understanding about historical events and people. For instance, in Year 2 pupils know what Guy Fawkes tried to do. They use some correct terms when describing the passing of time and past events. Some can clearly explain why Florence Nightingale was famous and what she did to develop hospitals and make them more hygienic. They are less sure of how to make deductions about the past, and are not sufficiently clear about some of the differences between the time when Florence Nightingale lived and now. The amount of work that pupils formally record in their books is limited and teachers have insufficient expectations of what pupils, particularly higher-attaining pupils are expected to record. Teachers use some good methods to help children learn such as having a visitor into class who brought a collection of old toys. These were left in the school so that they

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HISTORY

Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 45 could be used by the classes to put on a ‘time line’ as well as re-examined and studied in more detail. As a consequence of these good methods, most pupils are able to explain that one good way to find out about the past is by looking at artefacts, and they can compare old toys with their own new ones, saying which is the older. These sorts of methods work well, and enable pupils to retain much of the information taught to them. They hold their interest and help bring the subject alive for them. Pupils’ cultural understanding is promoted well by the subject but pupils’ social understanding less so, with teachers sometimes missing opportunities to get pupils working in twos or small groups. In both Year 1 and Year 2, teachers stress the correct vocabulary well. Pupils are generally enthusiastic and interested in the subject. They are very keen to answer questions and take part. They put a lot of good effort into their work and sustain

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HISTORY

concentration well, even when asked to sit for a long time. Boys and girls of all abilities, including those with special educational needs and with English as an additional language, make appropriate progress. At present, information and communication technology is not used sufficiently to support and extend pupils’ learning of the subject and there are missed opportunities for pupils to explore electronic encyclopaedias to research events about the past or make notes from exploring such software.

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HISTORY

118. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory with some good features seen during the inspection. Teaching of facts is stronger than that for historical enquiry. Teachers have a good knowledge of the period that they are teaching, and lessons are well prepared and generally well structured. Teachers make good use of a pertinent range of resources, though sometimes they carry out activities for the pupils and pupils would gain more from by doing the activities themselves. They challenge pupils appropriately through their good questioning skills. The teachers help pupils form good connections with other areas of the curriculum currently being taught, such as science where they look at moving objects by pushing and pulling, while they look at old toys in history. Marking is mostly limited to a tick, although positive comments are sometimes added. Overall, the subject is given too little time for skills and facts to be sufficiently

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HISTORY

reinforced and extended. Also the gaps between units of work are such that knowledge gained in one unit of work is forgotten again. Lack of time also limits the amount of recording that pupils do which again affects pupils' recall of their previous learning. .

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HISTORY

119. The subject is effectively planned and overseen by a hard working and enthusiastic co- ordinator. National guidance is used well to plan pupils’ learning this is suitably adjusted to suit the needs of the pupils. The teachers have put in place a comprehensive assessment and record keeping programme using a locally devised system. This is working well. The co-ordinator of the subject monitors teachers’ planning regularly but does not monitor the quality of teaching and learning. Resources and accommodation to support the pupils in their work are good.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

120. By the end of Year 2, pupils attain standards that are in line with national expectations. While standards are not as high as those noted at the time of the previous inspection, the school has kept pace with developments in the subject. A well-equipped computer suite, for example, has been created in which pupils have regularly timetabled sessions. In addition, the assessment procedures have been made more effective and teachers’ knowledge and confidence in using the equipment to support pupils’ learning has also been raised. Taken together, the evidence indicates that this recent work is impacting well on standards and pupils of all abilities currently make good progress. Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 46 121. By the end of Year 2, pupils explain well and can demonstrate what is meant by ‘logging on’ or ‘logging off’. For their age, they have a good understanding of the main keys of a

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

computer keyboard and ably use the mouse to load and move from program to program. Most pupils can load and retrieve data as well as knowing how to save their work for later use. Pupils are given sufficient opportunities in the computer suite to use a word-processor and their skills are satisfactorily developed so that they are able to highlight text and change the font, its size and colour in order to improve the appearance of their text. Pupils use other software such as a simple paint and graph package to support their work in art and design and mathematics. Some teaching is effective in letting pupils use information and communication technology to support their literacy skills. Year 2 pupils, for example, use an electronic encyclopaedia to explore information about different countries of the world and research information about famous landmarks. Such work makes a positive contribution to the pupils’ cultural

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

development. Weaker features of attainment include the pupils’ ability to explain what the Internet means and how this may be used to support their everyday learning. Pupils have a good understanding of how information and communication technology impacts on their daily lives. They understand, for example, the benefits of a mobile phone and that photographs taken on digital cameras can be transferred to a computer and then printed out. Pupils are given regularly opportunities to use programmable toys and this gives them a secure understanding of how electronic devices need to be given instructions in order to operate.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. The quality of teaching and learning is good, although there are some missed opportunities by teachers to use information and communication technology more fully during everyday lessons. This lessens the impact of the good teaching that often takes place in the computer suite. Teachers make good use of the electronic whiteboard to demonstrate teaching points. Explanations to pupils are clear and effective and where pupils may not fully understand, teachers sensitively and slowly repeat their instructions until pupils have fully grasped what is being taught. As a result, pupils often have a good understanding of what they are expected to learn during the course of a lesson or in their work that may take place in their classrooms following such a whole class demonstration. Work is well planned and in some instances effectively linked to other topics. Year 2 pupils, for example, have produced some striking pictures using an art

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

package in the style of Piet Mondrian and this helped them to develop their understanding of the importance of line and shape in producing art. In developing information and communication technology in the school, support staff have been fully involved in developing their skills and understanding of how best they can support the pupils’ learning. In some instances, the teaching assistants are asked to work with pupils in the computer suite. They are well briefed by teachers in how best to support pupils and they make a valuable contribution to the quality of teaching and the pace of pupils’ learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123. There is effective leadership and management in the subject. The co-ordinator is very enthusiastic and has led developments well since the previous inspection. She has a good understanding of what still needs to be achieved in the subject in order for standards to rise further. She is aware, for example, of the potential for the computer suite to be used more creatively with pupils using the equipment to support their own lines of enquiry in other subjects rather than all their work being directed by teachers. Assessment procedures are good with teachers regularly noting what pupils have achieved or perhaps struggled in mastering. This information is used well in planning their subsequent learning. Pupils are assessed in terms of their attainment against the National Curriculum at the end of each academic year with the information passed on to the next teacher. This gives teachers a clear idea of pupils’ achievements in the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 47 subject as they move from one year group to another. Resources are very good with much up-to-date equipment to support learning.

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MUSIC

124. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ standards of attainment are in line with those usually seen for pupils of this age. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make good progress over time from a low point of attainment on entry to the school.

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MUSIC

125. The school has maintained the standards noted at the time of the previous inspection and made satisfactory improvement. The music scheme was introduced in 1998 and it is now well established and provides good support to non-specialist teachers in order to plan pupils’ learning. There has been a wide range of training for teachers and they have gained in confidence and subject knowledge as a result. In lessons their confidence and enthusiasm for the subject ensured that pupils enjoyed making music and responded very positively. The school has also recently achieved an Artsmark award as recognition of quality provision.

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MUSIC

126. In lessons there is a good balance of activities including singing, composing and some appraisal of their work and that of other pupils. All pupils know how to use their voices to make different sounds and have a satisfactory understanding of a variety of symbols, pictures and diagrams and how they represent the sounds they hear. The quality of singing is good. Year 2 pupils also recognise standard musical notation as another way of recording music for other musicians to play. They satisfactorily compose rhythms with a range of tuned and untuned instruments and work well together to perform their composition. For example, pupils describe how to use a range of instruments to make ‘Winter Music’, for example, playing bells, rain sticks and tambourines gently to represent falling snowflakes. Working together makes a good contribution to pupils’ social development as they understand that to perform well they must all keep to the

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MUSIC

beat. Pupils are also encouraged to take responsibility by collecting and returning instruments carefully and ensuring they play them correctly.

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MUSIC

127. The quality of teaching is good promoting effective learning and positive attitudes to music. Teachers plan lessons carefully and have clear expectations to which pupils respond sensibly and they behave very well. They enjoy making music whether with their voice or a range of instruments. Teachers give clear instructions such as improving their posture which lead to improvements in performance. They place a particular emphasis on using and explaining specific musical vocabulary, which helps pupils to learn appropriate terms to use when evaluating their work. There is satisfactory use of pupils’ numeracy and literacy skills but limited use is made of information and communication technology to let pupils compose simple pieces of music.

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MUSIC

128. The school’s music specialist has recently left the school but a replacement is awaited. Currently this has an impact on limited singing opportunities in assembly. Pupils are given some opportunities to appraise the work of other musicians in lessons but there are missed opportunities in some assemblies to make more of a feature of it as a way of broadening pupils’ understanding of culture. For example, there is too little discussion to enhance pupils’ appreciation of composers, musicians and music from other times and cultures in some assemblies. The recently appointed co-ordinators have a clear vision on further improvements. Assessment arrangements are good and help teachers focus on what pupils know and can do. Discussions between staff help Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 48 to develop their knowledge of how pupils’ skills and experience builds across the school and this contributes to their confidence in teaching the subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

129. By the end of Year 2, pupils reach standards above national expectations. The school has maintained the standards in the subject since the previous inspection. Pupils of all abilities make good progress. This is largely as a result of the good teaching and as a result of the good curriculum that is planned to support pupils’ learning. This is broad and complemented well by a good range of extra-curricular activities at different times of the year. In addition, Year 2 pupils have regular swimming lessons in the summer term and this enables them to develop their early skills and confidence in this aspect of their learning.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

130. By the end of Year 2, pupils are confident in producing a simple piece of dance. They respond well to the instructions given by the teacher and can produce simple movement in response to the stimulus of a piece of music. They follow simple instructions well and can move at different heights and levels. They understand what is meant by ‘peeling’ in order to form a circle. Pupils enjoy their dance work that is occasionally led by students from a local college, and often enthused by what they are asked to do and work with high levels of interest and commitment to their tasks. Some of their work leads to performances in public that have a positive impact on their personal development. By the end of Year 2, pupils have developed good skills in rolling, bouncing and throwing small bags or quoits and demonstrate good skills and understanding of the need to play games following the games rules and guidelines. In

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

gymnastics, pupils are confident in using equipment such as benches and tables to support their work. They are confident in putting together simple sequences of movement and many pupils are able to land correctly demonstrating a good awareness of the need to finish their movement with due balance and poise. Good emphasis is placed by teachers on developing pupils’ understanding of how to lift and lay out physical education equipment and pupils make good progress in undertaking such work in a safe and secure manner.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. The quality of teaching and learning is good, resulting in pupils demonstrating positive attitudes to the subject and working hard in lessons in order to produce work to the best of their ability. Many lessons commence with brisk purposeful warm-up sessions and this allows the pupils to develop a good understanding of the need for such sessions as a precursor to their main work. Teachers have high expectations of the pupils and this often spurs them on to produce high quality work. In addition, teachers often participate in the activities themselves and this raises the subject’s status in the mind of pupils as well as effectively demonstrating particular points of technique. Occasionally teaching assistants also join in the lesson and work alongside certain pupils such as those with special educational needs or English as an additional language and this helps to boost the confidence of the pupils concerned. While some scope is given for pupils to

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

demonstrate their work to their classmates, in general too few opportunities are provided for pupils to critically evaluate this work with a view to improving their own performance. The pacing of lessons is good often resulting in lessons concluding with pupils being given scope to relax and cool down.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. The subject is effectively led and managed. The co-ordinator is strongly committed to ensuring that all pupils regardless of their ability have access to a physical education curriculum that is broad and their learning enriched in interesting ways. During the summer term, for example, during a ‘Health and Safety’ week, pupils have opportunities Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 49 to take part in ‘Yoga’ sessions that are taught by a visiting specialist. Assessment of pupils’ progress is regular and detailed and highlights the skills and topics that pupils have explored and mastered. While the co-ordinator carefully oversees planning, there is little scope for him as yet to directly monitor teaching and learning. This gives him limited scope to gauge first hand the impact of teaching and learning across the school. Resources are of good quality and are stored in a way that gives pupils easy access to

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

them during lessons. This helps to ensure that lessons proceed smoothly and unobtrusively.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

133. Pupils’ attainment by the end of Year 2 matches the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. All pupils, including those who have special educational needs and for whom English is an additional language make satisfactory progress in their development of knowledge and understanding of different religions. Religious education lessons make a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development by helping them understand differing beliefs and to respect the views and feelings of others. The locally agreed syllabus has changed since the last inspection and provides clear and comprehensive guidance to teachers. The school has worked hard to implement it and to ensure good improvement in planning for progression in knowledge through each of the year groups.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

134. Pupils are taught about different religions and each year pupils focus on a different aspect. In Year 1, pupils are successfully taught to think about the different ways of celebrating special occasions and how different religious ceremonies welcome new members to their faith community. Pupils know that clothing is one way to identify different religious groups and they explain some aspects of belonging to different faiths. In Year 2, pupils focus on the role and work of different religious leaders recalling previous learning. For example, when looking at the role of the catholic priest Year 2 pupils remember work in the previous year about baptism as the ceremony for welcoming new members to the church community and recall a visit to a local church. They know that all religions have special books and that the bible is the special book for Christians.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

135. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. In the lessons seen during the inspection there was a strong focus on discussion and teachers’ questioning extended pupils’ understanding of what they were learning. As a result, pupils are keen to talk about their own experiences and eagerly offered ideas and suggestions. They make satisfactory use of their speaking and listening skills in discussions. Pupils take a pride in their work and produce neat well-organised booklets on the different religions they study. They label their drawings neatly making adequate use of their writing skills; however, this does not challenge more able pupils sufficiently to use their literacy skills to record their thoughts, ideas and feelings and these pupils are capable of producing more written work as a way of recording their learning. Well planned lessons and interesting stories and activities ensure that pupils behave well during lessons. There is

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

a good formal assessment system and teachers discuss their assessments to ensure they are consistent and this aids the development of their knowledge of how pupils’ learning progresses.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

136. Leadership and management of the subject are good and this ensures that the subject has sufficient status in the school. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic, very hard- working and committed to developing the subject further. Pupils visit nearby churches, and visitors from the local churches come to school to talk to pupils and conduct Northfields Nursery and Infant School - 50 assemblies. At present, there are no connections with other faiths. The co-ordinator has clear ideas for future developments including promoting relationships with a wider range of religious groups in the area. For example, the Year 2 pupils plan to contact the local Sikh temple and ask one of the leaders of the Gudwara if they can visit.

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