Audley Infant School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996

Audley Infant School - 2 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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Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996

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. Audley Infant School - 3

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Audley Infant School is a large infant school of 277 pupils. With 164 boys and 113 girls, there are significantly more boys than girls. It is located in Blackburn, a large urban town. The socio-economic circumstances of the area are low. Most of the pupils join the school from the nearby nursery school. When they start school their attainment overall is low, because some of the children speak and understand little English. 268 pupils are supported in the school because English is not their mother tongue. Approximately half of the pupils’ ethnic backgrounds are British Indian and half British Pakistani. The pupils mainly speak Gujarati, Panjabi and Urdu. The majority of the pupils have Islam as their faith background. The percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals is above average. The numbers of pupils who have special educational needs is broadly average and the numbers with statements of their special educational need is below average. Their needs include learning

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

difficulties, autism, visual impairment, physical difficulties and speech and communication problems. The school is involved in the Single Regeneration Budget, Space for Sports and Arts, the Sporting Playground initiative and Zone Park. The school has Investors in People status. The school places a significant emphasis on working with the parents and the community. Audley Infant School - 4

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CW8 4DU

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.oftsed.gov.uk). Audley Infant School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school, which gives good value for money . The very good leadership of the headteacher and the very clear shared vision with the governing body have been effective in bringing about good improvements since the last inspection. Teaching and learning are good throughout the school and as a result, achievement is good. The school is very successful in reflecting the aspirations of the local community in its drive to improve standards. Parents, governors and all the staff work together very effectively to ensure the pupils feel secure and confident. This results in good achievement.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The headteacher, staff and governors share a vision for the school, which reflects the aspirations of the community. As a result, relationships are very strong. The school is outstandingly inclusive and, as a result, all its’ pupils flourish. • The pupils are achieving well despite standards in English, mathematics and science being below average. • Teaching and learning are good because of the effective teaching strategies demonstrated by the teachers and the considerable levels of expertise of the support staff. As a result, pupils with special educational needs (SEN), and those at a very early stage of learning English, achieve well. • Very effective assessment and targeting of additional help means that the pupils have many opportunities to improve their work. • The school provides many quality occasions to enrich the pupils’ learning both in lessons and

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OVERALL EVALUATION

after school activities. The school is innovative in the way it seeks to improve the curriculum. • Attendance remains unsatisfactory.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Overall there has been good improvements since the last inspection. The school has fully addressed all the areas indicated for improvement in the last inspection and has sought ways to develop all aspects of its work. Teaching and learning have improved and achievement is now good. Attendance is unsatisfactory although considerable improvements have been made since the last inspection. The school has applied for an ‘Artsmark’ in art and design and has recently achieved an ‘Activemark Gold’ for physical education (PE)

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Year 2 results

All schools Similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 Reading E E E D Writing E E D C Mathematics E E E D Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals

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Year 2 results

Achievement throughout the school is good. The majority of children start school with very low skills in communication language and literacy. This is because many of them start school with little or no English. Although they achieve well in all areas of learning they are not likely to achieve at the expected level by the end of the reception year. Pupils continue to achieve well in Years 1 and 2. The table above shows that standards in comparison with all schools were well below average in reading and mathematics and below average in writing. In comparison with similar schools Audley Infant School - 7 standards were below average in reading and mathematics and average in writing. The standards some of the pupils achieve are adversely affected because of their lack of English.

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provision for the pupils’ personal development and very good provision for their spiritual,

moral, social and cultural development . Pupils work hard during lessons and enjoy school. Their behaviour in and around the school is good. Relationships between the pupils are good. Attendance is below average and some pupils are not punctual. Attendance has however improved since the last inspection. Some of the absence is due to religious observance and extended holidays abroad, reflecting the community served by the school.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The overall quality of teaching and learning are good throughout the school. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is often very good. Teaching of English in literacy lessons is consistently very good. In numeracy lessons teaching is not as strong and is satisfactory overall. The teachers make excellent use of the additional help they have in lessons from skilful bi-lingual support staff, nursery nurses and specialist teachers. This makes a very positive contribution to the pupils’ learning. The teachers speak very clearly and allow the pupils time to think about the questions being asked and to consider their answers. This ensures an inclusive and supportive atmosphere in the classroom and is a significant aid to learning.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall . The headteacher provides very good leadership for the educational direction of the school. This ensures continual improvements are made. The governing body has a good understanding of the strengths of the school and where it needs to improve further. The governing body share the headteachers’ very high aspirations and vision for the further improvements. The governing body ensures all statutory requirements are met. Management is very good and as a result, there is a positive effect on standards with all working together for improvement. The school works very effectively with the local community. This means that the needs of the community are reflected in the work of the school. The school works hard to include all pupils parents and friends of the school in its work and consequently it provides an outstandingly inclusive environment in which all flourish.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have very positive views of the school . All parents spoken to were very supportive of the school and said the school worked hard to make sure there was an effective partnership in their childrens’ learning. Pupils also had very positive views of the school . They said they enjoyed their lessons and that the teachers were good at helping them.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Continue its drive to improve standards in English, mathematics and science and raise the level of attendance. Audley Infant School - 8

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well. • The pupils are achieving well despite standards in English, mathematics and science being below average. • Targeted support is having a positive impact upon attainment. • Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and physical education are above the levels expected by the end of Year 2.

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Commentary

1. The children start school with communication, language and literacy and mathematical skills well below the levels expected. As they enter the school many children have very limited English skills. As a result, attainment in all areas of learning are below the levels expected, because the children are unable to express their understanding in English. Throughout the reception year the children achieve well. This is because of the good teaching they receive and the excellent use made of bi-lingual support staff, who aid the children by translating into the children's mother tongue. By the end of the reception year the childrens’ skills remain well below the levels expected. The exception to this is in personal and social development, which is below the levels expected.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 14.0 (14.0) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 14.0 (12.6) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 14.7 (15.4) 16.3 (16.5) There were 103 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. The pupils continue to achieve well in Years 1 and 2. Although the pupils achieve well, their lack of English hampers their levels of attainment and standards in English; mathematics and science which remain below average. The chart above shows that the pupils’ test results in reading, writing and mathematics are below the national results. However, over time the pupils’ writing and mathematics results are gradually improving whilst reading results show no movement. The school keeps a careful track of how the pupils achieve so that the performance of different ethnic groups and gender issues are fully investigated and improvements built into the curriculum.

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Commentary

3. The school has recognised that the pupils’ reading results are an area for further development and has been looking at how this area of its work can be improved. The teachers have: • looked at the way they teach phonics and guided reading, • improved the reading books in the school, • provided a range of more challenging and interesting texts for the pupils.

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Commentary

4. The school feels that the standards in reading are set to rise. But many of the pupils are hampered because of their lack of English. This has an effect on all the subjects they study. In science the pupils achieve well but they have difficulty with the technical language used to describe and record the results of their experiments. Whilst in mathematics the pupils can work Audley Infant School - 9 out the answers to an addition or subtraction sum, but when it is part of a word problem they are unsure of the operation needed to work out the answer. Achievement in mathematics is satisfactory overall. The lack of English is a barrier to the pupils’ learning. However, the school works hard to overcome these difficulties. The school has in place a wide range of provision to help the pupils improve their English. For example: • Bi-lingual support staff talk to the pupils in their mother tongue and help them to improve their

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Commentary

English. • Specialist teachers give specific help to targeted pupils to help them improve. • Support staff help the pupils in lessons. • Support for parents so that they will be better able to help their children at home.

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Commentary

5. In religious education the pupils reach the standards expected at the end of Year 2. In ICT and physical education standards at the end of Year 2 are above average. This is an improvement since the last inspection and reflects the significant input the school has made in both these subject areas. They also reflect the additional support the school has had as part of the recent initiatives the school has taken part in. For example, the Single Regeneration Budget, Space for Sports and Arts, the Sporting Playground initiative and Zone Park. The school is also recognised as a centre of excellence for the use of a particular brand of interactive white boards.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Throughout the school pupils attitudes and behaviour are good , enabling maximum time to be spent on learning. Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good . However, attendance and punctuality are unsatisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The very good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils builds a supportive, orderly atmosphere in the school, which aids learning. • Pupils are eager to learn and show interest in all school activities. • Attendance and punctuality at the school are unsatisfactory, although both have improved significantly in recent years.

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Commentary

6. The personal development of pupils is a high priority across the school and underpins all activities throughout the school day. As a result of this, pupils develop a clear awareness of what is acceptable behaviour and conform to the high standards set by all adults in the school. They readily accept responsibility for tasks allocated to them, such as being playground friends and taking registers back to the office. Pupils show pleasure in the achievements of other pupils in their class. For example, in one lesson when a child was praised for reading with good expression, it had an instant impact on the whole class who all spontaneously began to read with more expression. Pupils also enjoy the achievements of others through celebration and class assemblies when pupils demonstrate their achievements to the whole school. Pupils are always polite to each other and adults, including visitors. Throughout the school, they are encouraged

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Commentary

and supported to become independent and take responsibility for themselves. This maximizes the time spent on teaching and learning as the teacher does not have to spend significant time each lesson on reminding pupils about simple routine activities such as naming their work or where to store their work. Pupils know what is expected of them and respond very well. Pupils respect and understand that everyone is different. This extends beyond an understanding of the different ethnic groups represented in the school. The school provides a wide range of rich cultural experiences through high quality Arts activities, which are a good feature of the curriculum.

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Commentary

7. Pupils of all abilities are very interested in their lessons and the extra activities offered by the school. Across the school, pupils are eager to learn, very enthusiastic to join in practical Audley Infant School - 10 activities, co-operate with each other well, concentrate well and work hard. They enjoy demonstrating their abilities to visitors and take pleasure in their own achievements. The school has a wide range of after-school activities and these are very well supported by the pupils. These activities include various fitness and sports opportunities, music and mathematics.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 9.0 School data : 1.0 National data: 5.4 National data: 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance

8. Attendance and punctuality are unsatisfactory. However, both have improved significantly since the previous inspection and attendance has improved by 0.5% for the current academic year in comparison with last year. Some of this absence is due to religious observance and extended holidays abroad, reflecting the community served by the school. If the non-attendance due to these factors is removed from the statistics, attendance at the school is broadly in line with the national average.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 9 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 3 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 150 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 109 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 1 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 4 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a good quality of education. Teaching and learning are good resulting in good achievement. The curriculum is good and there are very good opportunities for enrichment. Opportunities for learning outside the school day are very good . The school takes good care of the pupils and as a result, they are happy and secure and so they learn well. Audley Infant School - 11

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good overall. As a result, achievement is generally good. In the Foundation Stage teaching and learning are consistently good. Teaching and learning in literacy lessons are consistently very good and in numeracy lessons teaching is satisfactory. Overall achievement is satisfactory. Assessment is very good and aids the pupils’ learning very effectively.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good throughout the school. • The teachers make excellent use of bi-lingual support staff, specialist teachers and nursery nurses. This has an outstanding effect on the pupils’ learning. • Teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage is good and on-going assessment of children is very thorough in all classes .

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Commentary

9. Teaching and learning are good throughout the school. Teaching is particularly effective in literacy lessons where it is consistently very good. Teaching is very effective because: • teachers speak clearly and give the pupils time to think about the question posed and formulate their answers. • they have excellent targeted help in lessons from support assistants and specialist teachers. • staff encourage the pupils to do their best. • the pupils in Year 2 are taught in sets, which means their learning is carefully matched to their individual needs. • the staff insist on high standards of behaviour and so they waste no time in lessons. • teachers have a very clear understanding of the different levels the pupils are working at and so their work is carefully matched.

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Commentary

10. Teaching is less effective in numeracy lessons where teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teaching is not as successful because the match of learning is not as good as it is in literacy. In the one unsatisfactory mathematics lesson observed during the inspection the teacher was over ambitious and the pupils did not make sufficient gains in their learning.

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Commentary

11. Teachers make excellent use of the support they have in class. Bi-lingual support staff make a valuable contribution as they give specific and targeted help to those pupils whose English is limited. They are particularly skilled in supporting the pupils in their mother tongue whilst extending their English. They also provide an excellent link with parents who have little or no English. The learning support assistants work with pupils with SEN or support a group of pupils with their learning and this has a very positive impact upon their achievements. Specialist teachers give valuable help to specific pupils to improve their language skills.

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Commentary

12. The quality of teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage is consistently good. All teachers have a quiet and engaging manner, enabling them to form very good relationships with the children. This encourages them to want to learn. They provide a very rich variety of well-planned activities, focusing on language acquisition and development, which stimulate learning across all six areas of learning. Both the teachers and nursery nurses interact very effectively with the children, which promotes their learning well and contributes very positively to their good achievements. The teachers organise the classrooms very effectively to enable them to meet the learning needs of all the children. Careful planning and good flexibility ensure that children are provided with a good balance of short periods of direct teaching, intensive work with the teacher or nursery nurse in small groups and opportunities to make choices from a range of

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Commentary

activities for themselves. This approach is well matched to the children’s attention span and their need to learn through practical activity. This also successfully contributes to their good achievements. Audley Infant School - 12 Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in thirty five lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

2 (6%) 14 (40%) 13 (37%) 5 (14%) 1 (3%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is good. It is both broad and balanced and provides a wide range of well-planned curricular opportunities for all pupils, which are enhanced through improved Information and communication provision and very good opportunities to extend learning beyond the classroom. Consequently, achievement is good. Through regular monitoring of the curriculum, adaptations are made in order to meet the needs of all pupils. Accommodation is good and resources to aid the pupils in their learning are used well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The provision for pupils with SEN is very good. • The school provides good opportunities to enrich the pupils' learning experiences. • Creative innovation of the curriculum improves learning. • The very effective use of support staff and interactive whiteboards in delivering the curriculum.

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Commentary

13. Since the last inspection, the overall curriculum provision has improved and is now good. Good improvements have also been made to the individual education plans, which guide the learning for the pupils with SEN. As a result of this very good provision these pupils learn well. Individual education plans are used effectively in class to direct the learning for pupils with SEN. They relate clearly to lesson objectives and so promote effective learning. The school provides specialist support with bilingual staff, specialist teaching staff and nursery nurses. The high level of commitment and expertise these staff demonstrate ensures the pupils achieve well.

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Commentary

14. The school provides many quality opportunities to enrich the pupils' learning outside lessons. In addition to school visits, the school operates a keep fit club for children in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2, a computer and a mathematics club. These are very popular and very well attended. The school has successfully gained the prestigious ‘Activemark Gold Award’ from Sport England for commitment to physical education. It has also recently received an ‘Awards for All’ National Lottery grant to develop an outdoor trim trail to improve health and fitness for every child in the school community. Football and cricket skills coaching are also provided. Further sporting links exist with the local football club. In addition to the choir and recorder group, provision for the ‘Arts’ includes pupils having an opportunity to take part in a variety of dance classes during Arts week.

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Commentary

15. Pupils are set into ability groups for literacy and numeracy in Year 2 and this has impacted positively on achievement through focused, targeted teaching that is underpinned by very good ongoing teacher assessment. As a result of continual appraisal, subject leaders have modified a number of foundation subject schemes of work to make them more appropriate to the needs of all pupils. The introduction of a ‘creative afternoon,’ which improves language development through art and design and drama, has been both effective and very popular with the pupils. Visiting artists are also encouraged to share their talents and enrich the curriculum. Subjects are often linked together to provide more stimulating learning opportunities. For example, a Year 2 literacy comprehension lesson focused on the pupils’ work on Skipton Castle. This is a focus of Audley Infant School - 13 their learning in history. ICT was also used to search the Internet for information which motivated

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Commentary

16. There is a very good match of support staff to meet the demands of the curriculum. As the majority of pupil’s first language is not English, the bilingual support staff make a significant contribution to the teaching and learning as well as supporting those pupils with SEN. In one Year 2 class, the bilingual support mentor read the story for the day in Urdu and Gujarati. Consequently, lessons are inclusive and the needs of all groups are met.

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Commentary

17. Accommodation and resources are good. The good ICT provision has supported both the curriculum development and the development of staff computer skills. The interactive whiteboards are used very effectively as a teaching aid. These developments have enabled the school to become a host school for the ‘NCSL (National College for School Leadership) Strategic Leadership in ICT’ where visiting headteachers can observe best practice.

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Care, guidance and support

The standards of care, welfare, health and safety are good across the school and pupils receive good advice and support. The extent to which pupils’ views are taken into account is very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The very good relationships throughout the school enable pupils to develop well. • Throughout the school pupils receive good support to help them make progress in their education. • There is insufficient systematic monitoring of the personal development of pupils. • Pupils are involved in evaluating initiatives, wherever possible, and are beginning to influence future developments

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Commentary

18. Throughout the school there are clear indications of very good relationships between pupils and adults. Teachers are patient, kind and very supportive, which means pupils feel very secure and as a result, they are always willing to contribute ideas in lessons. Teachers show great skill in taking on pupils’ ideas. They always find some way of taking the answer and building on it to make the contribution valid. This contributes to pupils feeling valued and special and ensures that they continue to contribute in the classroom. Adults who give additional help in the classrooms all have a tactful, sympathetic approach to helping the pupils whether they are focusing on developing language skills, or giving more general educational support. These contributions build confidence in pupils.

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Commentary

19. The school has a range of ‘care’ initiatives to maximize the benefit pupils can gain from the educational opportunities offered by the school. Beginning the school day with the Breakfast Club enables pupils, who found it difficult to come straight from home into a classroom situation, to adjust to the school environment before they start lessons. These pupils now come to school happily, with obvious benefits in their learning. The club has also had a positive effect on punctuality and provides a good opportunity for pupils to socialize with pupils from the adjacent junior school.

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Commentary

20. The high quality of the assessment procedures in the school, especially for English, mathematics and science and the very good use of this information, enables all pupils to benefit from very focused and targeted teaching. It also enables early identification of any difficulties, or talents, pupils may have in these subjects. Having identified a need, the school responds with a range of high quality intervention strategies to address them. Audley Infant School - 14 21. Throughout the school, pupils and their capabilities are well known by all the adults they work with. However, there is no systematic approach, other than in the Foundation Stage, to monitor the personal development of pupils. As a result, opportunities to fully support learning skills may not always be provided; for example, one pupil may need to extend their co-operative and collaborative skills, while another may need to become more self-reliant and independent.

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Commentary

22. The School Council is becoming established in the school and pupils are already making very sensible suggestions as to how the school environment can be improved. They are particularly concerned at the moment about litter in the playground and have spoken to a full school assembly on the issue. They are also discussing ways of raising funds to enable their ideas to be implemented. Teachers do listen to pupils and throughout the school development plan there are references to the views of pupils contributing to the evaluation of initiatives.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has established good , effective links with the parents of its pupils, the wider community and other local schools.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school supports many opportunities for parents to become involved in their children’s learning. • There is a significant number of parents who are not able to fully support their children’s learning at home.

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Commentary

23. The school works very hard at enabling parents to become involved in the learning of their children. They run several classes for adults to improve their own skills. These vary in the skills covered from year to year but are currently covering ‘SHARE’, ICT and Family Literacy, where parents actually work with their children in the school setting. A number of parents who came to some of these courses to develop their own learning have progressed to gain employment as support assistants, qualify and work as nursery nurses and some are currently studying to become teachers. There are extensive means via meetings or leaflets, whereby parents are informed of what their child is being taught in a specific class and how they can support their learning. When meetings take place, translation facilities are available through the bi-lingual support workers at the school and there are also crèche facilities. There are reminders of what

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Commentary

is being taught on the classroom doors and additional leaflets to guide parents in their support. However, there are occasions when the concise nature of the reminder may make it difficult to understand. For example, saying the mathematics being learned this half term is ‘number bonds to 10’. Also, listing 12 points as to how a parent can ‘Help your child succeed’ may be too much information at once.

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Commentary

24. Despite all these initiatives, the school is unable to engage some of the parents to actively support their children’s education at home. Some children are not heard to read at home on a regular basis, although the children take home a weekly library book as well as their daily reading scheme book. In addition, many children do not have many opportunities to speak or listen to English other than at school. This slows their rate of learning to read, write and speak in English and has an impact across all areas of the curriculum.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good . The headteacher provides very good leadership for the school ensuring a clear drive for improvements. The governing body has a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development of the school and share the headteachers’ aspirations and vision for the further improvement of the school. Management is very good and has Audley Infant School - 15 a positive impact upon standards and achievement. The school works very effectively in breaking down barriers to learning and in ensuring that the needs of the community are reflected in the work of the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher and governors share a vision for the school, which reflects the aspirations of the community. • The staff work effectively as a team for the benefit of all the pupils. • There is an excellent commitment to inclusion and a commitment to cater for the needs of each pupil. • The school works hard to eliminate barriers to learning and to include each pupil in every aspect of the life and work of the school.

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Commentary

25. The headteacher has a very clear vision for the further development of the school. Her commitment and dedication to the needs of the school and the wider community are very apparent. Resources are targeted strategically. Key to the raising of standards in the school has been the very effective strategies put in place to improve the pupils speaking and understanding of English. The headteacher and the deputy headteacher have kept a careful track of how the pupils achieve so that the performance of different ethnic groups and gender issues are fully investigated and improvements built into the curriculum. The subject managers provide a good drive for the further development of their subjects and monitor the work of their colleagues closely. The governing body are fully committed to the school and use their considerable and varied expertise to help the school become more effective. They share the

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Commentary

high aspirations of the headteacher and work very effectively with her to secure the schools further development. They are frequent visitors and question, challenge and support the school in its work. They are well informed and proactive in bringing about improvements. The governors ensure that all statutory requirements are met, including the requirements of the race equality act. The chair and vice chair of governors make a valuable contribution to the work of the school.

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Commentary

26. The staff work together very effectively as a team. As a result, the school is focused on bringing about improvements and so achievements are rising. Clear areas for improvement are targeted, for example in reading and writing and staff work hard to refocus their work and raise standards. Teachers applaud the work of the bi-lingual staff often checking with them to ensure the pupils are clear about their learning. The commitment of non-teaching staff and specialist teaching staff is evident and they play an important part in the work of the school. As a result, a very positive climate for learning is created and achievement is good.

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Commentary

27. The schools’ commitment to inclusion is excellent. The staff work hard to include all the pupils in every aspect of the life and work of the school. The pupils are consulted regularly about different aspects of the work of the school and their views are taken into account. The way the school organises itself in staff teams means that these teams look critically at the resources they have available and consider their most effective use, channelling them to where there is most need. As a result, resources are used very effectively and outcomes critically examined.

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Commentary

28. The school is extremely effective in targeting and eliminating barriers to the improvement of standards in the school. For example, the school has: - • ensured that the pupils’ achievements are carefully checked so that extra help is given to those who would benefit. • recruited quality specialist support staff, bi-lingual assistants and nursery nurses who make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. • developed strong links with the parents and the community to ensure very good relationships are maintained. Audley Infant School - 16 • created small classes and setting in Year 2 for literacy and numeracy to ensure the pupils have targeted challenging lessons.

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Commentary

29. The governors have recently been concerned about the school’s finances. In the last financial year significant cuts had to be made to ensure the budget balanced. Although the governors keep a careful watch on the budget they recognise that cuts have an adverse effect upon their strategic plans and vision for the school. They are at present looking at ways to market the school better so that pupil numbers can be maintained and improved so that the budget is not subject to variation.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 787545 Balance from previous year 117335 Total expenditure 819796 Balance carried forward to the next 85084 Expenditure per pupil 2760 Audley Infant School - 17

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

30. Provision for children in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, and mathematical development are good . No judgements have been made on the other areas of learning. All children whose fifth birthday falls within the school year begin their reception year at the start of the autumn term. The majority are admitted from the local nursery. As the children enter the school their levels of achievement are well below those expected for children of this age in all areas of learning and very low in their communication, language and literacy. Many children, as they enter the school, have very limited English skills. As a result, attainment in all areas of learning are low, due to children's inability to express their level of understanding using English. By the end of the reception year the childrens’ skills remain well below the levels expected, with the exception of their personal and social development, which are

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

below the levels expected. Achievement is good. At the time of the inspection there were three reception classes, two containing 30 children and one containing 19 children. The school has worked effectively to maintain the strong position reported in the last inspection.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

31. Teaching and learning are good. Excellent use is made of nursery nurses, who support the children by translating all the teachers’ instructions and teachings into the children's mother tongue. The children mainly speak Gujarati, Panjabi and Urdu. Teachers also pace their lessons in order to enable this translation, and when only English is used, teachers and nursery nurses speak very slowly and deliberately allowing children time to think before they answer. In lessons nursery nurses work with groups of pupils who are at the very early stages of speaking English. For example, in a very good lesson seen, the bi-lingual nursery nurse played a number game with a group of pupils using their mother tongue, when the relevant numbers were identified, she and the children used the English name. All the nursery nurses make a very strong positive contribution to all areas of children’s learning. They offer particularly strong support to children

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

with SEN. The co-ordinator and Foundation Stage team have a very clear vision for the development of the Early Years.

p.17

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Regular routines are quickly established. • Strong emphasis is placed on the development of social interaction. • All staff show a consistent approach when supporting children.

p.17

Commentary

32. Routines in the classrooms are well established and help the young children to work in various groups, to take turns and share. As a result, the children grow in confidence and develop positive attitudes to their work. They understand classroom rules and routines and their behaviour is very good. Lining up for lunch is accomplished in a sensible and careful way.

p.17

Commentary

33. Children enter the reception classes with personal and emotional developments that are well below the levels expected, however, most are able to socialise with their peers. The teachers and nursery nurses place great emphasis on developing children's personal, emotional and social skills and these skills are included in activities supporting all areas of learning. The classrooms have been carefully organised to enable children to select what they do from a planned range of activities and work independently, alongside and co-operatively using the Audley Infant School - 18 available equipment, apparatus, computer, tools and materials. Children make choices sensibly and most work confidently in the various areas of the classrooms. They concentrate for appropriate periods, at times sitting quietly or working as part of the whole class. Most children willingly share the resources available and take appropriate responsibility for putting things away

p.17

Commentary

34. All staff give clear ideas of what is expected of the children including the difference between right and wrong. Patient supportive teaching, and constant help with English language acquisition, helps and encourages children to work together and collaborate in their tasks. This results in happy and confident children who make good gains in their lessons.

p.18

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children’s acquisition of language, communication and listening skills are being very well developed. • Writing is made relevant and interesting.

p.18

Commentary

35. Many children enter the reception classes at the very early stages of speaking English. As a consequence of this, teaching is directed towards language acquisition. For example, a bi- lingual nursery nurse looking at books with a group of children discussed the book in the children’s mother tongue whilst encouraging the children to identify different colours using their English names. Children’s speaking and listening skills are very low. The teachers and nursery nurses model speaking and listening skills very well by listening carefully to what the children say, interacting with them as they work and, at times, by joining in with their activities and play. This has a positive impact on the children’s achievements. Many can initiate conversation in their play. They enjoy listening to stories and sharing a book with an adult. Some children know some letter sounds and can draw them. A number of children already enjoy conversation and

p.18

Commentary

are beginning to take turns in speaking and listening, they answer questions posed by their teachers and are eager to articulate their ideas. However, a significant number are unable to do so using English.

p.18

Commentary

36. Children understand that writing is used to communicate and they enjoy working at the writing tables. They also have opportunities to write during their role-play. The staff work with small groups of children giving them very individually focused help. For example, the teacher gave support and help to a group matching words to pictures about Kippers story – ‘By the stream’, some were able to recognise the words through their initial sounds. This good organisational strategy has a beneficial effect upon the way the children learn.

p.18

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Every opportunity is taken to develop children’s counting skills. • Mathematical concepts are made relevant to children’s experiences.

p.18

Commentary

Audley Infant School - 19 37. Children’s achievements are good as they develop their awareness and understanding of mathematics. They enjoy counting and many can count accurately to 5, some beyond. Number work is fun. Bi-lingual nursery nurses ensure that every opportunity is taken for children to practise counting in their play. For example, when rolling a dice, she ensured that the name of the number was said in English, that the correct number of fruit was placed in Handa’s basket, and that the fruit was named in English. The teachers make good use of number rhymes to reinforce children’s counting. Children count as they sort objects in their play and gathered numbers from under the parachute, as part of a physical development lesson.

p.19

Commentary

38. Children are beginning to use appropriate mathematical terms, ‘more’ and ‘less than’. They compared the number of pieces they had cut their banana into and how many segments each tangerine had, with how many other children had. For example, they used language such as ‘you have more than me’ and ‘I’ve got more pieces than you have’ and in this way their concepts develop well.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

39. Work in this area of learning was sampled and so no judgements have been made about standards, teaching and learning. However, it is clear that the teachers plan a wide range of activities to engage their interests and make then curious. As a result, most children achieve well. There are regular visitors to the school promoting different cultures, they show their costumes and demonstrate their traditional dances to the children. Children use the computers with confidence, they use the mouse to identify and move items on the computer screen and point to illustrations. Various programs are used to promote the children’s understanding in this area of learning.

p.19

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

40. No judgements have been made about standards, teaching and learning. However, analysis of documentation and photographic evidence show that most children achieve well. Children move around the classroom with growing confidence. They show an increasing awareness of space for themselves and for others. They use small equipment with increasing control, as they draw or write. Most are able to manipulate construction materials. They handle equipment with care, and most are aware of the need to do things safely. There is a good selection of large play equipment, which all children have access to.

p.19

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

41. Work in this area was sampled and so no judgements have been made about standards, teaching and learning. Children enjoy a good range of well-planned art and craft and role-play experiences to stimulate their imagination. They concentrate well on these, making pictures and models with a variety of materials and paint. They are beginning to relate well to each other and share in imaginative ideas to create stories and events. They build models from Lego, and discover how many different ways you can make sounds. Children are able to join materials together using sticky tape or glue. At times they work with intense concentration on their tasks paying attention to small details. This was seen as the children made their ‘under and over’ pictures. As a result, most children achieve well.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

Audley Infant School - 20 • Achievements in reading and writing are good although standards by the end of Year 2 are below average. • Pupils have good attitudes to their work because they have very good targeted help. • Teaching and learning are very good. • The co-ordination of the subject is very effective.

p.20

Commentary

42. Standards in reading and writing are below average by the end of Year 2. Achievement is good and often very good. The pupils’ achievements are a significant strength because many of the pupils begin their schooling with little English. There has been good improvement since the last inspection especially for numbers of pupils achieving at higher levels. By the end of Year 2 pupils are developing appropriate skills in reading with higher attaining pupils beginning to read with good expression. Generally reading is developing appropriately although some of the pupils have limited help with their reading at home because their parents have insufficient English to help them. Higher attaining pupils sometimes find it difficult to follow what is happening in the story or talk about what might happen next. Writing for some is an area where the subject co-ordinator feels there could be still some further improvements. As a result, teachers have looked at topics,

p.20

Commentary

which will engage all the pupils but more especially the boys. An innovative feature of a creative afternoon has also been implemented where the pupils have opportunities to develop their expressive vocabulary through drama and art and design. Pupils in Year 2 are developing their writing skills well with the higher attaining pupils working on answering questions from a text on castles. Lower attaining pupils who have SEN, and those still working with a low level of English, work hard to write simple sentences. Pupils’ spelling is generally phonetically accurate and their print clear. Higher attaining pupils are beginning to join their letters in a cursive style.

p.20

Commentary

43. Pupils have very good attitudes to their work. They work hard at their tasks and demonstrate good levels of application. When the pupils are asked to work together in groups they do so well, all groups relate well to each other and support each other with their work. Very good interventions from bi-lingual support staff enable the pupils to speak in their mother tongue and also to improve their English skills. As a result, speaking and listening skills develop well and the pupils throughout the school are keen to answer the teachers’ questions, sometimes with the aid of the bi-lingual support assistants.

p.20

Commentary

44. Teaching and learning are very good. All the staff speak very clearly and slowly so that all the pupils can follow what is being said. The staff are skilled at ensuring that the pupils have time to think about the question being asked and to formulate their answers before they respond. As a result, the pupils’ learning is secure. Teachers ensure that their lessons are challenging, learning is brisk, the level of demand placed upon all the pupils is very high and the pace of learning is quick. Learning objectives are shared with the pupils at the beginning of lessons and referred to as the lesson progresses and so learning is focused. Targets for improvement are clearly displayed and pupils are sure about what they need to do to improve their work. Teachers have a very good understanding of the needs of all the pupils and very good strategies have been put in place to support and help the pupils. For example, in Year 1 small groups of pupils have

p.20

Commentary

specific help to improve their reading and writing skills. Bi-lingual support assistants are targeted at those pupils who need this extra help to improve their understanding of English. In Year 2 the pupils are placed in sets for their literacy lessons and this enables higher attaining pupils to be stretched and challenged during lessons. Lower attaining pupils have many adults available in their lessons so that they have extra help in developing confidence in their English skills. The many specific opportunities for pupils to have individual help are all part of a complex and significant package of support the school has in place to help all the pupils. Sessions of ‘talking partners’ where pupils are helped to improve their speaking and listening skills and individual targeted help means that each pupil is very well provided for.

p.20

Commentary

45. The subject manager is very effective. She has a clear grasp of standards, strengths and areas for development in the subject and along with the leadership of the headteacher has led a drive for improvement. Her observations and commitment have been key to the success of English. Audley Infant School - 21

p.20

Language and literacy across the curriculum

46. Literacy is supported well in other subjects. For example, in history where the pupils wrote about what aspects of their visit to Skipton Castle they enjoyed the most. Younger pupils in Year 1 wrote about signs of winter as part of their science learning.

p.21

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement in mathematics is satisfactory. • Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. • Lesson planning and assessment for learning are effective. • Very good use of support staff and ICT. • The co-ordination of the subject is satisfactory.

p.21

Commentary

47. Standards in mathematics are below average at the end of Year 2. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Achievement is satisfactory. This is a good improvement since the last inspection when progress was judged to be unsatisfactory. The majority of pupils’ mother tongue is not English and this forms a significant barrier to their learning. The school is working hard to overcome these problems through very effective classroom support and home school links.

p.21

Commentary

48. Overall, teaching and learning in mathematics are satisfactory. In both Year 1 and 2 there is a lack of consistency in the quality of teaching and learning in mathematics. This ranged from one unsatisfactory lesson, to one excellent lesson, however the majority of lessons were judged satisfactory. The unsatisfactory lesson was the consequence of the teacher being over ambitious. The learning was too hard for the pupils, and as a result, their learning was not secure. Excellent teaching was seen in a lesson in which the class teacher taught the concept of symmetry to a Year 2 lower ability group. The lesson was extremely successful because there was a variety of briskly paced activities. There was a focus on using visual clues and activities to overcome language difficulties and so learning in this lesson was outstanding.

p.21

Commentary

49. The National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented well by the school and all staff plan their work clearly to the requirements of the strategy. Pupils are set according to ability in Year 2 and this allows the school to provide focused, targeted teaching for the pupils in this year group. Effective planning and assessment is a feature of the majority of lessons and staff ensure that all pupils are included in all lessons. During the inspection a variety of teaching techniques were seen, these included collaborative working and activities which were planned to challenge pupils. However, scrutiny of the work done by pupils since the beginning of the academic year indicated a high dependency on worksheets in some of the Year 2 classes.

p.21

Commentary

50. The teaching and learning was aided by very effective classroom support, which gives good help to the pupils and makes a positive contribution to their learning. The teachers also use ICT effectively as they use their interactive whiteboards to promote pupils' learning. For example, the interactive whiteboard was used effectively to introduce the concept of symmetry in a Year 2 set. Pupils enjoy very good working relationships with the teachers. This encourages a high standard of behaviour throughout, which means that no time is wasted during lessons. However, in some lessons teachers do not require the pupils to be quiet whilst being spoken to. This is not as effective. Audley Infant School - 22 51. The subject leader is new in the post and has made a satisfactory start to the leadership and management of the curriculum area.

p.21

Mathematics across the curriculum

52. There is satisfactory use of mathematics in other subjects. For example, in physical education lessons the pupils count the number of catches they make with their partner. At registration, a pupil is chosen to count the number of pupils having school dinners. In science, pupils measured their height and made comparisons. In discussions with pupils, they were able to describe how they weighed the ingredients to make gingerbread men. This was linked to the story of the ‘Gingerbread Man’ in a literacy lesson.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ levels of attainment are suppressed by pupils’ early stages of English language acquisition. • Excellent use of bi-lingual support. • Good standards of teaching and learning. • Good opportunities for pupils to carry out scientific enquiry. • Good use of the outside environment and links to various local environmental agencies.

p.22

Commentary

53. Pupils enter Year 1 with attainment that is well below the level expected for pupils of this age. Many are at the early stages of learning English as an additional language. As a result, levels of attainment are below average, due to pupils’ inability to express their level of understanding using the English language. Achievement is good. Although the pupils achieve well throughout Years 1 and 2 standards remain below average by the end of Year 2. There has been good improvement since the previous inspection when provision and achievement were judged to be unsatisfactory.

p.22

Commentary

54. Excellent use is made of bi-lingual staff who support the pupils in their acquisition of scientific vocabulary. This was seen in an excellent science lesson where pupils investigated how to make different sounds. Excellent use of the bi-lingual nursery nurse enabled pupils to answer using English, questions asked in their mother tongue, with the correct vocabulary such as scrape, tap, pluck and blow. In all areas of science, pupils’ scientific vocabulary is developing well through the very focused support of the bi-lingual support staff. However, pupils’ limited use and understanding of everyday written and spoken English inhibits their ability to express themselves, and record their findings, particularly in the areas of investigation and experimentation.

p.22

Commentary

55. Teachers and bi-lingual staff show very good understanding of the subject, and so are able to explain ideas clearly to their pupils using both languages. When teaching using English, teachers allow time for the bi-lingual staff to translate the words into the pupils’ mother tongue. When they are instructing the pupils using English, both teachers and support staff speak slowly, allowing sufficient time for pupils to interpret their instructions. The work is very well planned, so that all activities build on previous work, and are suitable for the differing levels of understanding within the classes. Teachers generally have high expectations of pupils. They expect them to work hard, do their best and behave sensibly, and these expectations are met. Procedures to assess pupils’ achievements are well developed, and enable teachers to modify their planning in response to individual understanding. Subject leadership is satisfactory.

p.22

Commentary

Audley Infant School - 23 56. Pupils in Year 1 have good investigational skills. They are beginning to investigate objects and how they can make a sound, they then classify them into groups. While in Year 2, following the investigation of electrical circuits, pupils made a clown’s nose light up with the use of a switch. Pupils understand that they need to make predictions, this was demonstrated as pupils experimented with making sounds.

p.23

Commentary

57. The pupils have had a lot of input into the development of the school grounds, and opportunities are being developed within these areas for scientific studies. Links have been established with Queens Park, Groundwork and Wildlife Trust.

p.23

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is good.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good resources allow the pupils to achieve well. • Standards in ICT are above the levels expected. • Good subject leadership. • ICT is used consistently to support teaching and learning in other subjects.

p.23

Commentary

58. The acquisition of a wireless mobile computer suite allowing Internet access and interactive whiteboards in all Year 1 and 2 classrooms, combined with whole class teaching of ICT, has enabled the school to move forward and provision has improved since the last inspection. In the one ICT lesson observed during the inspection, the pupils were confident users of ICT and were learning to manipulate text. However, no firm judgement can be made on the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school because only one lesson was observed during the inspection.

p.23

Commentary

59. Standards of ICT show that the majority of pupils are working at levels above those expected for their age. This represents good improvement since the last inspection. The good ICT provision is underpinned by good curriculum leadership, which has supported both the curriculum development and the improvement of staff ICT skills, through in-service training. As a result, staff are competent ICT users. The subject leader has good understanding of standards in the school and has played a significant role in developing the curriculum area over the last three years. The leader has a clear vision of how to improve standards and learning further and has identified areas for development. These include implementing a school-specific scheme of work and whole school assessment of ICT. Both of these aspects are in the latter stages of development.

p.23

Commentary

60. ICT is a regular and consistent feature of teaching and good use is made by staff of the interactive whiteboards to enhance teaching and learning. The computer club is extremely popular with pupils, and the school encourages parents to take part in the ‘College in the Community’ ICT courses, that are held in the school. The school also has contacts with a school in Basra and uses ICT to communicate with them.

p.23

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

61. Teachers plan effectively to use the wireless ICT laptop network for specific ICT lessons or to enrich other curriculum areas. For example, in a Year 2 history lesson, ICT was used to search the Internet for information on Skipton and Warwick Castles and to download images. Display work throughout the school shows evidence of good cross-curricular links. For example, pupils produced paintings in art and design based on downloaded images of Monet paintings, while others used the Internet to search for examples of art from other cultures. Displays of work in the school indicate that ICT is embedded well into all areas of the curriculum. Audley Infant School - 24

p.23

HUMANITIES

Inspectors did not see any lessons in geography or history and so there is insufficient evidence to give firm judgements about teaching and standards. In religious education , two lessons were observed and as a result, judgements have been made about teaching and learning and the standards the pupils reach by the end of Year 2. Judgements have been aided by talking to pupils and staff about their work and looking at a wide range of the pupils’ work.

p.24

HUMANITIES

62. In geography the pupils have access to a good curriculum with interesting and relevant subjects studied. The pupils study village life in India and Pakistan and bring to this area of their study a significant contribution of first hand knowledge and understanding. The pupils reflect on the differences between life in these distant places from life in Blackburn. They recognise that climate, communications and clothes are very different. The pupils learn about the locality surrounding the school and develop a good sense of geography of the area. They visit a nearby village and contrast this rural village to the busy Blackburn they are used to. Travelling to Skipton provided the pupils with great excitement and good opportunities to develop their skills of observation, as they watched the countryside change as they travelled along.

p.24

HUMANITIES

63. Pupils in Year 2 talk enthusiastically about their visit to Skipton castle as part of their history learning. They talked knowledgeably about the castle and the things they liked the best about their visit. They particularly liked the dungeons and the arrow slits for windows and talked about the toilet facilities long ago and clearly expressed their disgust! This area of history has fired the pupils’ imaginations and has been used effectively by the teachers to encourage imaginative and expressive writing. The school places a good emphasis on the pupils recognising that people from the past were very different from people today. The pupils spoke about their learning about Guy Fawkes. They know that he tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Clearly the pupils enjoy their history lessons and their learning is effective in firing their imaginations.

p.24

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Provision in religious education in the school is good.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in lessons and their standards are at the levels expected. • Good teaching enables the pupils to learn well. • The pupils are encouraged to reflect on the beliefs and needs of others.

p.24

Commentary

64. Pupils achieve well in lessons and as a result, pupils reach standards expected in the locally agreed syllabus. Two lessons were observed during the inspection. School documentation and pupils’ work were examined. Discussions with pupils and teachers allowed a clear picture to emerge about the good in-depth coverage of the subject. The pupils are encouraged to think about their learning and experiences and to consider how this affects their own life and beliefs and also those of others.

p.24

Commentary

65. Good teaching enables the pupils to learn well and as a result, achievement is good. In Year 1 the pupils consider what makes them happy and how you can make other people happy. They recognise the importance of saying thank you and how you can show people that you care. The pupils in Year 1 thought about ‘new life’ and one pupil was asked how having a new brother made him feel. In this lesson the pupils were thoroughly captivated and because teaching was very good the pupils’ behaviour was excellent and they achieved very well. In Year 2 the pupils listened to the story of ‘The Last Supper’ and afterwards thought about their Audley Infant School - 25 own family occasions and times when their families have meals together. In this lesson the teacher skilfully enabled pupils of different faiths to reflect on the similarities of family occasions and celebrations. This was a very inclusive lesson and engaged all pupils in

p.24

Commentary

learning. Pupils achieve well in their religious education lessons because topics engage the pupils, are highly relevant and help them to understand about themselves and other very different faiths. Teaching is successful because the teachers work effectively to develop the pupils’ interests.

p.25

Commentary

66. Pupils enjoy their religious education lessons and think carefully about others. Throughout the school the pupils’ work shows their aspirations and dreams. One pupil wrote ‘I want to be a teacher when I grow up’ whilst another talked about the new clothes worn at Eid. The pupils think about personal qualities and reflect on friendship and kindness. They write prayers of thanks to God and Allah and enjoy celebrating special times. The subject leader (at present absent from school) provides good direction for the subject, which is being well maintained in her absence.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

In art and design, design and technology and music work was sampled and discussions held with pupils. However there is insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement about provision. In physical education , lessons were observed and discussions held with staff and pupils and so judgements have been made.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

67. In art and design lessons in Years 1 and 2 teacher’s work effectively to develop the pupils’ artistic ideas. They study the work of different artists, develop their skills systematically through experimentation and produce some effective pieces of work. The pupils have worked with visiting artists and made contributions for the local park. Observational drawings of castles and spring flowers show the pupils’ skills are developing well. The pupils study a number of different artists and paint expressively in response to a range of stimuli. For example, the pupils have created sunsets inspired by the work of Turner and worked with pastels in response to work originated by Georgia O’Keeffe. The pupils have also used the Internet to find out information about Islamic art. They used this information to help them when they worked on their own Islamic patterns.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

68. In design and technology the curriculum is planned satisfactorily and ensures that the pupils plan their work, make their products and evaluate the end results. Design and technology is at present a priority on the school's development plan. The subject leader has a clear knowledge of the standards the pupils reach throughout the school and which areas need developing. A new scheme of work is currently being finalised.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

69. In music all pupils are given the opportunity to learn to play the recorder and sing in the school choir. During assemblies pupils listen to music and tunefully join in with songs. Regular visits to the school by individuals and groups of musicians representing different cultures, including Chinese and Asian music, African drums and dance, and brass bands greatly enrich the provision. The co-ordinator has a very clear vision for the raising of the subject’s profile within the school. She has enabled staff to improve their work by teaching alongside them and has improved the stock of musical instruments in the school. There is a satisfactory curriculum. During one music lesson observed, pupils in Year 2 were able to recognise patterns of pitch. They then replicated the teacher’s examples using pitched percussion instruments. Audley Infant School - 26

p.25

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Provision in physical education is good.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in physical education are above the levels expected by the end of Year 2. • Pupils achieve well because teaching and learning are good. • Subject leadership has had a positive impact upon standards and provision in the school.

p.26

Commentary

70. Standards at the end of Year 2 are above average because the quality of teaching and learning are good. All the pupils achieve well. This is a good improvement since the last inspection. Lessons are well structured and inclusive and teachers model skills well to promote good practice. Pupils are encouraged to improve their performance through a range of challenging activities. The pupils are keen and well motivated so that they are eager to practise their skills. Teachers also take the opportunity to develop pupils’ language and mathematical skills during physical education lessons.

p.26

Commentary

71. Excellent and enthusiastic subject leadership has contributed to the school successfully gaining the prestigious ‘Activemark Gold Award’ from Sport England for commitment to physical education. The school has also recently received an ‘Awards for All’ National Lottery grant to develop an outdoor trim trail to improve the health and fitness of every child in the school community. Good sporting links also exist with the local community. In addition pupils had the opportunity to take part in a variety of dance classes during Arts week.

p.26

Commentary

72. The subject leader has very good knowledge of the standards and a clear vision of how to move forward. Consequently, the curriculum is currently being reviewed in order to take into account the specific needs of the pupils. The subject leader has recently qualified to deliver in-service training for both teachers and lunchtime supervisors and this will be an asset to the school.

p.26

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision in personal, social and health education (PSHE) is very good. Provision for citizenship is very good.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils’ social awareness is developed very well through their involvement in community activities. • The opportunities available to enable pupils to take responsibility across the school. • The school’s approach to supporting children’s personal and social development.

p.26

Commentary

73. Pupils of all ages are given good opportunities to develop their roles as informed citizens through a wide range of activities. Citizenship is taught well as part of the personal, social and health education programme. Subject leadership is good. Pupils are encouraged to actively participate in the life of the school and neighbourhood, which helps them to contribute towards the development of their community and neighbourhood spirit. The pupils are actively involved in promoting a community initiative to redevelop a local park and during the inspection they had a visit from the leader of the local council to discuss the initiative. In the past, development of the children's area in the local park involved parents and pupils. This has helped to reinforce the very strong partnerships that the school has with the community. Audley Infant School - 27 74. All pupils are involved in a number of activities to help others. Year 2 pupils act as buddies

p.26

Commentary

supporting others as they play. Pupils have good opportunities for involvement in the work of their school through the school council. This work helps pupils to have a better appreciation of the ways in which the school can develop and what needs to be done to overcome any barriers to improvement. The school council is developing well, and gives pupils insights into the workings of democracy and how their views can influence decisions. The involvement of the pupils in actively participating in the process of electing candidates for the school council enables them to experience citizenship in action.

p.27

Commentary

75. The school has clear strategies for working in partnership with parents to help pupils to develop good social and personal skills. There are very good role models provided by adults in the school. The quality of concern and care shown to the pupils is very good. The pupils are encouraged to see their school as one big family and this creates a positive ethos for the personal and social development of all pupils. Pupils’ attitudes mature as they progress through the school. They learn to be active and responsible members of their school family, to watch out for the needs of others and to seek ways to help those who need it. Their school family is extended, when they join with the junior school for their breakfast club, enabling them to interact with older pupils in the activities provided. Audley Infant School - 28

p.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 1 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 3

p.28

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 3

p.28

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 5 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

p.28

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 2 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

p.28

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 2

p.28

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7). Audley Infant School - 29

p.28