Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School

HALLCROFT INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 17 th – 20 th November 2003

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HALLCROFT INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 2 Crown copyright 2003

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HALLCROFT INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

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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HALLCROFT INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Nursery School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 – 7 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 147

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Whitaker Close Retford Nottinghamshire Postcode: DN22 7QH

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01777 702728 Fax number: 01777 719527

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Reverend R Styles

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 18 th May 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This school has 109 full-time pupils and so is smaller than most schools. There are 72 children who attend part-time in the Nursery, which takes children from the age of three. Attainment on entry is below average, according to the school’s assessments, and is particularly weak in language and personal and social development. The area served by the school is very mixed and although the number of pupils currently entitled to free school meals has dropped considerably over this year to around ten per cent, it is usually at twice this level.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils mainly come from white, British families, but a small number have dual ethnic heritage or come from Chinese families. A very small number of pupils are learning English as an additional language. Fifteen per cent of the pupils have special educational needs, which is broadly average and three pupils have Statements of Special Educational Need, which is above average for a school of this size.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school gained an Achievement Award in 2000 and a Healthy Schools Award in 2003. The Nursery has recently gained a Quality Matters Quality Mark. Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

21227 Barbara Crane Lead inspector Foundation Stage, science, history, geography, religious education, English as an additional language. 19426 Chris Farris Lay inspector 15015 Michael Wehrmeyer Team inspector English, design and technology, art and design, music, physical education. 19386 Trevor Watts Team inspector Mathematics, information and communication technology, personal, social and health education and citizenship, special educational needs.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Peakschoolhaus BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Boughton Nottinghamshire NG22 9HQ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection 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.ofsted.gov.uk). Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 28

Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 6 Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 7

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school. Pupils achieve well to reach above average standards in reading, mathematics and science because of good quality teaching. The leadership by the headteacher is very good and the school is well managed. It gives good value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Pupils achieve very well in reading and mathematics. • The headteacher’s high quality leadership results in a close focus on raising standards and improving teaching and learning as well as promoting pupils’ personal development very effectively. • Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported. • Teaching is good; the curriculum is well planned to interest pupils, and enriched by a very good variety of activities outside normal lessons. • Some of the lower attaining pupils make slower progress in handwriting. • Reception children do not get enough opportunities for outdoor play. • Parents think highly of the school and know how to help their children because the school gives them good guidance. • Attendance is too low.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has improved well since its last inspection in 1998. Standards are higher and the teaching has improved so that work is better matched to pupils’ different abilities. The school has worked effectively to improve the management of subjects and refine its systems for target setting. Pupils now have better opportunities to use their initiative and choose resources.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement is good throughout the school. By the time they start in Year 1 most children have reached the goals for their age in all areas of learning. Standards in Year 2 are above average in reading, mathematics, science and design and technology. Pupils do particularly well in reading and mathematics and use their skills in these areas well to support learning in other subjects. Most pupils achieve well in writing and standards are average, but some lower attaining pupils struggle with forming letters correctly and their problems are not always picked up and dealt with effectively. Standards in art are well above average and pupils learn a very good range of skills and techniques that they use to create very individual work. In all other subjects, standards are average. Pupils’ results in 2003 were lower because a high number of pupils had special educational needs. The progress of pupils who are learning English as an additional language is good. Pupils

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

with special educational needs achieve very well because of effective support.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 Reading C A C C Writing C C E E Mathematics C A B B Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ moral, social, spiritual and cultural development is very good. Their attitudes to school are very positive and they are proud of their school. They get on very well together, grow in confidence and develop a very good understanding of different cultures. Pupils behave very well and are keen to take responsibility. Attendance is well below average and while the school takes Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 8 reasonable steps to improve this, more consideration is needed about how to bring about improvement.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a good quality education. Teaching and learning are good in all parts of the school. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes get off to a good start. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour and so the atmosphere in classrooms is calm and helps pupils to work. The basic skills in reading and mathematics and speaking and listening are very well taught in all years. Pupils are keen to learn because teaching is lively and their efforts are rewarded. Classroom assistants are well trained and provide good support for pupils’ learning. There is a good, broad curriculum that links the pupils’ learning well through interesting activities and supports good standards in subjects such as art and design and design and technology. A relative weakness is that Reception children do not benefit from the same very good provision for imaginative play and exploration of space outdoors as the Nursery children. A very good range of activities, such as clubs,

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

visits out of school and visitors, widens pupils’ experience. Pupils are given a very good level of care and the school promotes their understanding of healthy living very well. The school has a very strong partnership with parents and the guidance it gives helps them to support their children’s learning at home and school.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides very good leadership. The governance of the school is good. The staff and governors work very well together under the energetic and purposeful leadership of the headteacher and there is a strong commitment to bring about pupils’ enjoyment in learning and support their personal development, as well as raising standards. The governors provide good support for the school and understand its strengths and weaknesses well through checking on its performance. This means that they are in a good position to help the school through asking the right questions.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have very positive views about the school. They appreciate that staff are readily available and also the broad range of experiences offered to their children. Some parents feel that the information about their children’s progress could be improved and the school has plans in hand to have an extra meeting for parents to meet teachers and to look at ways of improving the reports that teachers write on Reception children’s progress. Pupils are also very positive about the school and contribute to its development well because their views are taken into account.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things that the school needs to do now are to:

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Improve the progress made by lower attaining pupils in handwriting. • Improve the opportunities for Reception children to engage in outdoor play. • Seek more effective ways through which to improve pupils’ attendance. Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils achieve well throughout the school. Standards in reading, mathematics and science are above average. Standards in writing are average.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is very good achievement in reading, mathematics and science. • Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress. • Standards are above average in design and technology and well above average in art and design. • Some pupils’ progress in handwriting is uneven and this restricts better achievement.

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Commentary

1. Achievement is good. There has been a good improvement in standards since the last inspection, when they were average. The school’s results dipped in 2003 but this was expected because this was a much lower attaining year group, with a third of the pupils having special educational needs. This group of pupils did well, overall, from a well below average starting point. Taking results for the past three years together, the trend has been upwards, although writing has been a weaker aspect. Boys do not do as well as the girls in writing. This has been recognised by the school and effective action has been taken to adapt teaching so that the gap is narrowing. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress as a result of tightly focused targets and support that homes in on what pupils need to work on to improve. The needs of the very small number of pupils who are learning English as an additional language are well met and so their progress is good.

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Commentary

2. Children achieve well, from a below average starting point, in the Nursery and Reception classes and by the time they enter Year 1 most children have reached the goals set for their age in all areas of learning. There are some weaknesses in developing basic skills in handwriting for Reception children, however, that slow children’s overall progress in literacy.

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Commentary

3. Standards in reading and mathematics are above average and pupils achieve very well because the basic skills are very well taught. Pupils of all abilities are challenged to do their best. Pupils are confident readers and even lower attainers have a good range of strategies to work out unknown words. A lower attaining Year 2 pupil, for example, worked out ‘costume’ by focusing on the sound made by the first letters and then using the words around it to arrive at the correct word. Pupils of all abilities use good expression when they read. Pupils have a good facility with numbers and calculate quickly and accurately. More able pupils work with numbers up to 1000. Standards in science are above average and pupils achieve well. A strong factor in pupils’ good progress is the emphasis on practical investigations and developing a scientific vocabulary.

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Commentary

4. Standards in writing are broadly average but progress through the Reception year and Year 1 in handwriting is patchy and this prevents pupils’ overall achievement from being better. Pupils are sometimes moved on too fast, before they have had time to consolidate essential skills, such as forming letters correctly. The progress of lower attaining pupils is affected most directly. More able and average attainers often make good progress in writing, as do pupils with special educational needs. These gaps in learning are not always recognised and teaching is not adapted to make sure that shortcomings are remedied. Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 10 5. Standards in design and technology are above average and pupils achieve well because they are given plenty of opportunities to use their own ideas. Standards in art are well above average and pupils’ achievement is excellent, due to pupils being taught a wide range of

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Commentary

techniques and skills and then being encouraged to use these creatively to express their ideas. Standards in all other subjects are average.

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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 16.1(17.3) 15.7 (15.8)

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Commentary

There were 41 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Punctuality is satisfactory but attendance is well below average.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school sets very high expectations for pupils’ conduct and promotes very good relationships. • Pupils are interested in their work and prepared to be enterprising and to take responsibility. • Pupils have a very strong awareness of community and of their own and different cultures. • The rate of attendance is too low.

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Commentary

6. This is a happy and orderly community in which pupils grow in confidence and self-esteem. Pupils behave very well because they understand the school’s rules and why these are necessary. The school motto was produced with the help of the pupils, and the key rules ‘be safe, be careful’ are well adhered to. The consistent approach to discipline by all adults ensures that pupils can work and play in a pleasant manner without fear of interference. There have been no exclusions. All adults working in the school are very good role models and work hard to create an atmosphere where pupils feel valued. Relationships are very good throughout the school and this has a good impact on pupils’ learning and personal development. In the dining room, for example, pupils chat together sociably and enjoy listening to the music playing as they eat.

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Commentary

7. The pupils have a strong desire to learn and this leads to a good level of enthusiasm in lessons and for the range of extra-curricular activities on offer that pupils clearly enjoy. Pupils are willing to take initiative and keen to accept responsibility as helpers in classrooms or around the school. They play very well together, often using what they have learned in lessons as a starting point. One group of pupils, for example, created ‘treasure maps’ to use in a game on the playground after learning how to draw an imaginary map in a geography lesson. The wide range of opportunities for pupils to extend their personal development contributes very well to pupils’ growing maturity. The well-established School Council, for instance, is a good experience in taking responsibility, and pupils take their roles as representatives seriously. Their ideas have been incorporated into the new shaded area created on the playground that provides a quiet area where pupils can relax and talk together.

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Commentary

8. Pupils are very proud when their achievements are recognised in special assemblies or in the classroom. They display a clear sense of belonging to their school community. They talk willingly about their school and the activities they enjoy. The pupils appreciate what the school Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 11 does for them, and play a full part in the positive ethos of the school. Pupils who have special educational needs are developing confidence and positive self-esteem because their needs are met very well. Pupils’ spiritual development is very good. Collective worship and religious education lessons play a significant part in this. In lessons pupils can discuss personal and sensitive issues in a secure environment. Pupils know that they will be listened to and so they express their opinions freely. Pupils’ cultural development is particularly good because the school provides a wide-ranging experience. Visiting artists introduce pupils to a worldwide

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Commentary

culture of dance, music, art and religion. As well as extending pupils’ knowledge this has a strong positive influence on pupils’ attitudes and values.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 8.7 School data 0.1 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

9. Attendance during the last year was very low compared with the national average. Attendance was badly affected by a period when many pupils were ill but even so attendance was well below the level at the time of the previous inspection. The school has reasonable measures in place to encourage attendance but needs to consider additional strategies to raise attendance to acceptable levels.

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Attendance

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Attendance

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 143 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 1 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 2 0 0 Chinese 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good. Assessment is good, overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are high expectations of behaviour and pupils are very well managed. • Basic skills in reading and mathematics, speaking and listening are very well taught. • Teaching for pupils with special educational needs is very effective. • Teaching challenges the higher attaining pupils very well. • The assessment of handwriting is weaker than other areas. • Occasionally introductions to lessons are too long. Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 12

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Commentary

10. Teaching has improved well since the last inspection. The good quality of teaching across the school is a major factor in pupils’ enjoyment in learning and their good achievement. The classrooms are lively areas in which there is plenty to stimulate pupils’ interest. Good work habits are quickly established in the Nursery and Reception classes, where children’s personal, social and emotional development is very well promoted because the staff know what young children need, to grow in confidence. Throughout the school, the consistently high expectations of behaviour contribute to the calm working atmosphere and warm relationships mean that pupils feel valued and are confident to try out their ideas. Teaching ensures that there are very good opportunities in lessons for pupils to listen to each other and to talk, resulting in pupils’ good progress. Teachers identify the vocabulary that pupils need to

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Commentary

learn and make sure that they have the chance to use it in discussions.

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Commentary

11. The basic skills in reading and mathematics are thoroughly taught and learned in an interesting way so that pupils are keen to learn. Teachers’ enthusiasm for books is transmitted through their lively reading of stories and poems and is reflected in the good expression used by pupils when they read. In mathematics lessons, pupils confidently use their skills in approaching new work because they do not fear failure. Assessment is used well to ensure that teaching is well adapted to meet the needs of different groups of pupils so that all remain alert and involved. In handwriting, however, the assessment of lower attaining pupils’ progress is less thorough and gaps in learning are not always spotted and dealt with sufficiently quickly.

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Commentary

12. A major improvement in teaching since the last inspection has been the additional level of challenge built into planning to meet the needs of more able pupils. Teachers are good at directing questions to prompt a deeper level of thinking by these pupils, or providing work that takes them further in learning. This was evident in a lesson with Year 1 pupils, where higher attainers worked on solving problems involving money. Higher attainers’ reading skills are considerably enhanced because of teachers’ guidance in selecting challenging books.

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Commentary

13. Teachers and support staff are very well aware of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and include them in activities. The work is based on thorough assessment and very carefully planned so that pupils meet with success. Support staff give effective additional help because they know what to do, and use table-top equipment and aids to make the learning more interesting. This motivates pupils very well, and they are keen and interested in their lessons. In a mathematics lesson, for instance, the least able pupils joined the rest of the class for the introductory counting and coin recognition activity, and then did similar work when they went into groups. The support assistant provided very stimulating tasks for them that kept their interest and assured very good progress in learning about coins. When the class came back together, the work of these pupils was reviewed and praised along with the others.

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Commentary

14. There are a few times when pupils are kept on the carpet for too long at the start of lessons and they become restless, but when they are engaged in the activities that follow, their motivation quickly returns.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 24 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

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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. Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 13

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The curriculum

The school provides a good curriculum that is enriched with a very wide range of activities outside normal lessons. The accommodation and resources are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well because of good planning that leads to interesting links between subjects; high quality displays provide a good stimulus for learning. • The school provides very well for pupils with special educational needs. • The provision for personal, social and health education is very effective so that pupils have very good relationships and attitudes to their work. • There is a very good range of extra activities that enrich the curriculum and bring it to life. • There are limitations in outdoor play for the Reception children .

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Commentary

15. There is a good curriculum that results from the school’s determination to maintain children’s enjoyment in learning as well as promoting higher standards in literacy and numeracy. The headteacher’s very good leadership in ensuring that there is a broad curriculum that links learning between subjects effectively underpins this. The staff work hard to ensure that the pupils’ work is celebrated through very attractive and stimulating displays that pupils are eager to explain and talk about. The school plans a very good range of visits to support pupils’ learning in history, religious education, science and geography. Pupils remember what they have learned and use the knowledge gained well back in classrooms; for example, they used what they learned in a visit to a local dental unit to help with their work on dental care. Regular visitors include the school nurse and members of the local fire brigade. An African dance

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Commentary

group and visitors who come in to talk about different religions broaden the pupils’ cultural understanding. There is a wide range of activities outside the school day, including gymnastics, games, drama, recorder and art and craft clubs. Pupils support these activities very well.

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Commentary

16. Pupils learn how to get on together and cope with challenges that arise because the staff support their personal and social development very well. The visits by the ‘Life Education Unit’ help pupils understand how to stay healthy, as well as work in science about healthy eating and staying safe in the home.

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Commentary

17. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The staff have had very relevant training in various aspects of special needs, and so they know how best to provide the pupils with work that is particularly well suited to their needs. Pupils’ progress is checked thoroughly and new work is planned very well accordingly. Many pupils with special needs have very good, well-targeted teaching each day in small groups. These sessions are mainly for reading and writing practice, and they are extremely valuable sessions for raising standards.

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Commentary

18. The accommodation and resources are satisfactory, but better in some aspects for the Nursery children. Children in the Nursery benefit from well-planned activities outdoors and from a high quality area that has very good facilities in which they can explore space. While Reception children have some access to an area in which they can work outdoors, they lack opportunities to climb, ride and use large equipment to develop their physical awareness. This limits the progress these children make in exploring space imaginatively. There is a good range of high quality story and information books that support pupils' standards and interest in reading. Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 14

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Care, guidance and support

The school cares for the pupils very well. The daily support provided is of a high order and pupils are happy and thrive well in a safe and secure environment. The school seeks pupils’ views very well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff look after the pupils very well and provide very good support that enables them to become independent and grow in confidence. • Relationships between staff and pupils are very good. • Very good health and safety procedures lead to a secure school environment. Child protection procedures are also very good. • Children are well supported as they start school and when they prepare to move on to their next school. • Pupils’ views are sought and taken into account.

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Commentary

19. The staff work hard to make sure that pupils are well supported. The school has a real family atmosphere and pupils are happy and secure and enjoy school life. The very good relationships boost pupils’ confidence and make it easy for them to talk to staff, express their views and tell adults about any worries they may have. The pupils who are members of the School Council gather their classmates’ views and these are taken into account when the school plans initiatives. Personal development of the pupils is well promoted through the curriculum, assemblies, individual support and constant encouragement from the teachers. Responsibilities, such as being playground buddies, help to increase pupils’ confidence and raise their self-esteem. Support for pupils with special educational needs is particularly good.

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Commentary

20. The well-being of pupils has a high priority. Child protection procedures are very good. The staff are aware of pupils’ needs; any concerns are quickly recognised and early support is given.

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Commentary

21. There is a very good policy for health and safety and the day-to-day management of this by the headteacher and site manager ensures a safe environment. Governors carry out an annual safety inspection and a recent independent safety audit gave the school a clean bill of health. Regular risk assessment is undertaken and is well documented.

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Commentary

22. Careful consideration is given to how pupils can be helped as they start each stage of their education. Home visits are made before children start in the Nursery and this helps to give them a confident start to their school life. As children move into Reception and then into Year 1 the school provides special care and makes their parents aware of the changes that will take place in the daily routines so that they understand and can give their children extra support. For example, a thoughtful touch is that parents of Reception children can join them for their first experience of a school lunch. Pupils in Year 2 get a good introduction to their next school, with two taster days enabling them to become familiar with the school so that they can make the move with confidence.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has a very good partnership with parents and very good links with the community and other schools. Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 15

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents have very positive views of the school and appreciate what it provides for their children. • They get good information about the school’s work and about their children’s progress, although the reports for Reception children are not as detailed. • Parents make a very good contribution to their children’s learning at school and at home. • There are very good links with the local community that broaden the pupils’ horizons. • The school has very good links with other schools.

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Commentary

23. Parents are very supportive of the school and happy with the education it provides. They see the school as well led, with good teaching that encourages their children to work hard and do their best. They see their children liking school, being helped to settle in when they start and helped to become more confident and independent as they grow up. The inspection findings endorse these views.

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Commentary

24. The school provides good information to parents on their children’s progress and on general matters. Particularly impressive is the information given when children start in the Nursery and when they move to each stage of their education. This gives parents clear details of what to expect, together with suggestions on how they can help their children at home. Written annual reports meet all requirements for pupils in Years 1 and 2 but lack some detail for children in the Reception year. The school is aware of the improvements needed and has plans to resolve this. Other information, including the prospectus and governors’ annual report, is well presented, useful and informative. There are frequent newsletters that keep parents up to date with forthcoming events and school news. Parents appreciate that teachers are readily available each day to talk about any concerns. There is a meeting for parents to talk to teachers about children’s progress in the autumn and summer terms but

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Commentary

the school is reviewing the timing of these meetings through the school year to further improve its provision.

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Commentary

25. Most parents provide very good support to their children’s work at home. Homework and reading diaries are well used for two-way communication. A number of parents have taken part in courses aimed at helping them to support their child’s education better at home. A significant number of parents help in the classroom on a regular basis. Many of these have used this experience to gain professional qualifications. Parents are able to work in class with their children each week on handwriting. The school canvasses parents’ views through questionnaires and this has led, for example, to the setting up the Travel Plan Steering Group that deals with issues about travel to and from school. Parents actively help the school with fund-raising events.

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Commentary

26. The school’s management ensures that the school is very active within the community. A wide range of visits and visitors gives pupils a taste of life outside school and widens their horizons. There are close links with local churches, with clergy taking assemblies and pupils visiting the churches. Out and about, pupils have visited a local supermarket and garden centre and older pupils have visited a power station. Pupils have visited, and raised funds for, a local hospice.

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Commentary

27. There is a very good relationship with the local schools that enhances pupils’ learning and personal development. There are close links with the primary school that most pupils transfer to at age seven. As well as taster visits, pupils are able to visit to see Christmas productions. A bridging project with the primary school helps to ensure a smooth start to pupils’ education as junior pupils. Close links also exist with the neighbouring special school, with some pupils currently spending part of their week at Hallcroft; this brings benefits to all pupils. Pupils visit the special school for concerts. Students from a local secondary school visit to read stories that they have written for younger children. Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 16

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The school is well led and managed. The headteacher’s leadership is very good. She is well supported by a good governing body and staff. The management of the school is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher’s leadership motivates and inspires staff to strive for ever higher standards of teaching, curriculum development, and pupils’ achievements. • Staff, especially the senior teachers, form effective teams to give good support when deciding on the direction of new initiatives, as well as practically managing the changes necessary. • The governors are well informed, and give good support to the headteacher, particularly with their very good oversight of the school’s budgeting arrangements. • The management of provision in the Foundation Stage, whilst good, lacks some rigour in ensuring that Reception children benefit from the same quality of outdoor play as that enjoyed by Nursery children.

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Commentary

28. Leadership and management have improved since the previous inspection. The headteacher has a very good view of how the school should develop. The school’s direction for the future is adjusted each year in consultation with other staff, governors and pupils. In leading this, the headteacher is very good at using information gathered from her own teaching, frequent observations of others’ lessons, and data about pupils’ performance. This had led to improvements in standards and in the breadth of the curriculum, as well as successful strategies to narrow the gap between boys’ and girls’ achievement. Staff have high hopes and expectations for their own development, as well as for the education of the pupils, and they work well together to achieve their targets. This results in a whole-staff team that is well qualified, which pulls in the same direction and is fully committed to including all pupils in as

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Commentary

29. The school’s good management is based around the very good teamwork of the headteacher, governors and staff, whether classroom, office or premises staff. Proposals for development are well discussed and formulated into plans that are carried out efficiently and effectively. A good system of setting personal and whole-school targets for all staff helps in this development process. New staff have a very good and well-organised introduction to the school so that they start without undue problems. All staff have access to training that they may need to keep up with developments, such as in leading a curriculum subject or aspects of special needs. The school is a good centre for training student teachers, with benefits for both the school and the students involved.

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Commentary

30. Key staff play a good role in taking the school forward. Subjects are well managed and co- ordinators know what needs to improve through the checks they make. There is a good climate of self-evaluation amongst staff and they willingly share expertise. The provision for special educational needs is very well managed and results in pupils’ very good progress. The Foundation Stage is well managed, overall. This has led to the Nursery being recently awarded a Quality Mark for its provision. There is, however, some inequality in provision for the Reception children to fully benefit from activities in outdoor play that needs to be resolved.

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Commentary

31. The school’s very good financial management centres on thorough preparation when deciding on the major spending priorities each year, and the routine monitoring of spending from month to month. The governing body is very active, supportive and invaluable in this role throughout the year. Although the sum carried forward from last financial year looks quite high, much of this amount was earmarked for improvements to facilities such as the playground. Governors have good knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses through their frequent and close contact with the school to observe, for example, Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 17 mathematics or computer-based lessons. The various governing committees meet frequently enough to put members in a good position to ask penetrating questions of the headteacher, and to challenge proposals in a positive and constructive way.

p.16

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.17

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 469454 Balance from previous year 37369 Total expenditure 459810 Balance carried forward to the next 47013 Expenditure per pupil 2345 Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 18

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. It has improved since the last inspection. Children start in the Nursery at three years of age and enter the Reception classes at the start of the term in which they are five. The Reception children are taught with Year 1 pupils, although a separate class is created in the summer term as the final group of children joins the Reception year. Children’s attainment when they start in the Nursery is below that which might be expected for their age, and is often well below in spoken language and personal and social development. All children achieve well because of good teaching. Assessment is well used to track children’s progress in each area of learning so that staff can plan what children need to do next, although this is weaker in their development of handwriting skills in Reception.

p.18

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for personal, social and emotional development is very good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are clear routines and consistently high expectations of behaviour. • Warm relationships mean that children feel secure. • Children’s independence is very well promoted.

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Commentary

32. Teaching and learning are very good. Children meet the goals set for them by the time they start in Year 1. This very good achievement is due to the warm and supportive atmosphere, consistently high expectations of behaviour by all staff and well-established routines so that children feel secure and develop confidence. When children start in the Nursery, they often wait to have things done for them, but gentle and supportive encouragement from adults means that children quickly discover the advantages of being more independent. This encouragement continues into the Reception year where children are quick to tidy away after activities, change for physical education lessons and enjoy choosing their own resources for practical activities.

p.18

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision for communication, language and literacy is good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Adults provide a very good model in speaking and extend children’s vocabulary and language very well. • Children quickly learn to listen carefully to adults and to each other. • Basic skills in reading are very well taught. • Some lower attaining Reception children are not helped sufficiently to overcome difficulties in forming letters.

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Commentary

33. Teaching and learning are good, overall. Children achieve well, and most reach the goals set for their age by the end of the Reception year. There is a very effective focus by adults on extending children’s language by providing a good model for them to follow. This works well Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 19 because children have learned how to listen carefully through consistently reinforced expectations that are made clear from the start. There is a very good emphasis on talking to children about what they are doing and boosting their vocabulary. This is a major factor in improving children’s spoken language. The basic skills in reading are very well taught; children are keen to look at books and quickly learn familiar words and letter sounds. There are good opportunities for children to write lists, letters and messages, particularly in their play activities as they act out parts. Some lower attaining Reception children do not get

p.18

Commentary

enough practice in forming letters correctly and this slows their progress in handwriting. The gaps in children’s learning here are not identified quickly enough so that activities can be planned to help children overcome their problems.

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for mathematical development is very good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children use their mathematical skills in a very good range of practical activities and develop a good mathematical vocabulary. • More able children are challenged very well. • Children with special educational needs are given very good support.

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Commentary

34. Teaching and learning are very good. Most children meet the expectations for their age by the end of the Reception year. This is because activities are planned that engage children’s interest and meet their different needs. All staff promote children’s use of mathematical language very effectively and so children use this when they work. In the Nursery, children learn to count up to five and recognise the symbols for numbers. Some go beyond this and can count up to ten, matching objects to numbers accurately. Reception children recognise the value of coins and use these when they play at being customers and shopkeepers. They recognise the prices on items in the ‘shop’ and check that they have the correct coins. Assessment is used very well to provide work for children at different stages of development. There is very good support for children with special educational needs. In the Nursery, for

p.19

Commentary

example, the teacher worked intensively with a child to enable him to recognise the symbol for the number two. The needs of more able children are also very well met and work is adapted so that it has a good level of challenge for them.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision for knowledge and understanding of the world is very good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are plenty of stimulating activities that harness children’s curiosity. • Children’s vocabulary is very well extended through teaching.

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Commentary

35. Teaching and learning are very good. Most children meet the goals for their age by the time they start in Year 1. This is because of very good planning to extend children’s understanding of how things work or why things happen. The classrooms are full of things for children to look at, investigate and explore. In a session in the Nursery, for example, children working with the teacher looked at a model of a skeleton and X-rays to find out about how the body works. They drew the skeleton carefully and learned the terms ‘ribcage’ and ‘skull’. Children who had previously learned these terms used them as they painted skeletons. In Reception, Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 20 children learned about light and dark in one lesson and were helped to extend their vocabulary through the teacher’s good questions and prompts. By the end of the session, children could talk about which things are easier to see in daylight and those that are easier

p.19

Commentary

to see in the dark. The teacher started with children’s own experience and built on this very successfully so that their ideas became broader.

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for physical development is satisfactory .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are good opportunities for children to work with tools and develop fine control. • Nursery children benefit from a very good outdoor area in which they can explore space but some lessons in the hall do not promote freedom of movement as effectively. • Reception children do not have regular access to outdoor play with similar high quality facilities.

p.20

Commentary

36. Teaching and learning are satisfactory and children reach the goals for their age by the end of the Reception year. All children have good opportunities to increase their control as they use tools to write, glue or paint because a wide range of activities is planned to support these skills. The Nursery children benefit from a very well equipped outdoor play area in which they can ride, climb and play imaginatively. Activities for these sessions are very well planned. Children also have lessons in the hall in which they learn to move to music. Some lessons, however, when Nursery children use the fixed and portable gymnastic equipment in the hall, are too formal and do not allow the freedom of movement and choice over physical activity that these very young children need. Reception children have some access to an outdoor area but there are limited opportunities and sparse equipment for them to climb, ride or use

p.20

Commentary

outdoor space imaginatively. Lessons in physical education in the hall, when children are taught with Year 1 pupils and use the apparatus, are again rather too structured to allow children the freedom to explore space.

p.20

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision for creative development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children have good opportunities to use a range of materials. • The work is interesting because is well linked to topics and children have plenty of choice over what they do.

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Commentary

37. Teaching and learning are good. Children achieve well, and most reach the goals set for their age by the end of the Reception year. Children in both the Nursery and Reception classes benefit from good resources to support imaginative play in which they can take act out different roles. In the Nursery, for example, children act as doctors or patients in the ‘hospital’ area and use props very well to sustain their play. In Reception, children use the props in the shop area to ‘buy and sell’ items and use what they have learned about coins to help them pay and give change. Children paint, print and make collages. They have a good choice of materials and are given the freedom to try out the different skills they have learned. Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 21

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve particularly well in reading and standards are above average. • Good teaching is helping to close the gap between girls’ and boys’ standards. • Good subject management is using assessment and tracking data well to adjust teaching strategies. • Lower attaining pupils struggle with handwriting because they are moved on too quickly to consolidate skills.

p.21

Commentary

38. Standards in reading are above average. This is a very good achievement because pupils start their school life with below average skills. Pupils enjoy reading, reflecting the teachers’ enthusiasm and good encouragement to read widely from the good range of books available. Pupils enjoy looking more deeply into the characters in stories and competently gather information. The basic skills in reading are taught very effectively and so pupils approach new work confidently and have a range of strategies to work out unknown words. Standards in writing are average. This still represents a good achievement because pupils start school with limited skills in writing also. Standards in speaking and listening are in line with those expected for the pupils’ age when they leave Year 2. This also is a good achievement in relation to their starting point. This is a stronger picture than at the time of the previous

p.21

Commentary

inspection. The improvement has occurred because of good teaching and subject management.

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Commentary

39. The school has set its sights on high standards. The subject manager has studied the results of tests and assessments and found the attainment of boys was running behind that of girls by a larger than usual margin and that boys’ and girls’ performance in reading and writing was linked to their ability to speak clearly and listen carefully. Swift and effective action has been taken on both points. Training has helped teachers to build up pupils’ speaking and listening skills and teachers now put more emphasis in their lessons on encouraging pupils to explain their ideas more fully and to listen to each other more effectively. For example, most lessons now have regular slots for ‘talking partners’ and pupils feel the benefit of this, enjoying their discussions. They behave sensibly in these and the ideas brought out help to move the lessons forward. Teachers also focus well on the involvement of boys in lessons,

p.21

Commentary

to raise their interest and encourage a better response to writing. Key factors include the subject matter, building up a practical experience to write about and giving the pupils choice about how to approach the task. The new planning is very effective, and it is not unusual to hear boys raise a cheer when a writing task is announced. They are eager to put forward their ideas about knights, dragons and castles, and feel a good ownership of the process, trying hard. These are good teaching strategies and the gap between the boys and girls is closing.

p.21

Commentary

40. Teachers use good resources to make the lessons lively and practical. The computer whiteboard is an effective tool, one moment helping younger pupils to form letters, the next helping older pupils develop their story ideas, in sequence and with good punctuation. Pupils with special educational needs get the support they need to help them reach their targets and so make rapid progress.

p.21

Commentary

41. The school’s handwriting policy, however, is not applied carefully enough. Consequently some lower attaining pupils are not gaining letter formation skills efficiently, and this is holding them back. A number of lower attaining pupils start in Year 2 with problems in handwriting Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 22 such as mixing upper and lower case letters in words, not leaving spaces between words or not keeping their writing at a consistent size. Although pupils’ progress in overcoming these problems in Year 2 is very good, time is inevitably taken by practising these skills.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

42. Pupils’ competency in using their skills across the curriculum is sound. Teachers mainly use a good range of opportunities to enable pupils to practise and use their reading and language skills in other subjects, through researching from books in history, to discussions that ensure that pupils use an appropriate vocabulary in science. Pupils use writing well to lay out their design proposals for projects in technology, and also to interpret their feelings about art and music. These opportunities are not always planned as well, and in science, for instance, writing is not used often enough.

p.22

MATHEMATICS

Provision for mathematics is very good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils make very good progress, and standards are above average by the time they leave the school. • The teaching is very good, particularly because teachers plan their lessons very well and motivate their pupils very well. • The co-ordinator’s very effective management leads to a very good and well-balanced range of topics being taught. • There are times when information and communication technology could be used more valuably to extend learning within mathematics lessons.

p.22

Commentary

43. There has been a good improvement since the previous inspection. This subject is now a strength of the school. Pupils of all abilities achieve very well because the teaching is very good. Pupils make particularly good progress in their number work, where the most able pupils work, for instance, with numbers up to 1000, and use money up to £2 in shopping activities. They mentally add and subtract numbers up to 100, and know some of their times tables. Many pupils use a calculator to check whether their answers are right. Lessons are very well planned, and teachers follow the guidelines of the National Numeracy Strategy very well. They use a very good range of resources imaginatively to help pupils’ learning. Teachers are very good at challenging pupils to do better; they have very high expectations that pupils will pay attention and will work hard. Pupils respond with eagerness and a desire to learn. Sometimes the first teacher-led part of a lesson continues for too long and the pupils

p.22

Commentary

become restless and less attentive. When working in groups, pupils work very well on their own or with a partner whilst the teacher, and the classroom assistant, support learning very well. Staff have very good skills in asking questions to challenge pupils, in encouraging pupils, and in giving warm praise where it is deserved. This applies equally to the most able pupils who need to be stretched, and to the pupils with particular learning difficulties. The less able pupils are given very good support in lessons, and, with help, count up to 100. Often, however, they write numbers the wrong way round, and cannot work out money sums that involve several different coins.

p.22

Commentary

44. The co-ordinator’s very good management is informed by observations of classroom teaching and learning. This has helped to raise teaching standards by highlighting areas that needed to be developed, such as problem solving. This aspect has been successfully improved through adaptations to teaching. The observations have also helped to spread the best ideas and methods among the teachers. A very good system of assessment is used very effectively to highlight the areas where pupils are doing best, or not so well, and then Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 23 targeting these areas for extra teaching, or for a change of focus in the teaching. Information and communication technology is used occasionally, perhaps for programming a robot to move across the floor, or to create graphs of surveys that pupils have carried out. There is, however, scope to increase the use of computers, and the co-ordinator is actively developing

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

45. Pupils use their good mathematical skills well in other subjects. In science, for example, pupils know how to use and interpret charts and tables, and in design and technology they measure and estimate. Teachers make sure that pupils have good opportunities to calculate or solve problems mathematically in their everyday activities in the classroom, such as when the register is being taken or they split up into groups. When discussing their work in art, pupils use the correct names for shapes in their designs.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a good emphasis on practical investigational work. • Pupils’ use of scientific terms is well promoted through good teaching. • All aspects of the subject are covered thoroughly and visits enhance pupils’ learning. • The subject is well managed and the right priorities for improvement are identified and worked upon. • There are too few opportunities for pupils to decide how to record their findings.

p.23

Commentary

46. There has been good improvement since the last inspection. Standards are now above average and pupils are achieving well. The subject is well managed. Through checks on provision and assessments last year, the co-ordinator identified that more opportunities were needed for pupils to investigate and test out their ideas and that scientific vocabulary needed to be taught more effectively. These aspects have been strengthened in teachers’ planning and were major factors in the good lessons seen.

p.23

Commentary

47. There is good depth and breadth to the work that ensure pupils’ good gains in knowledge and acquisition of skills. The school’s emphasis on promoting a healthy lifestyle is well promoted through science. Pupils know what they need to eat to maintain a balanced diet and that exercise is important for health. Their work on forces was well planned to enable them to find examples of pushes and pulls in their environment and this made learning more relevant to them.

p.23

Commentary

48. Teaching is good. Pupils are given good opportunities to predict what might happen and then test their ideas. They use the correct terms because the teachers use them and ensure that pupils understand what they mean. This was well demonstrated in a lesson in which Year 1 pupils were testing which materials would most effectively block light. The teacher checked pupils’ understanding of what ’predict’ meant and a pupil replied that it meant ‘a sensible guess’. In another good lesson, the teacher very effectively used a big book on a computer screen, projected onto a whiteboard, to reinforce the vocabulary connected to the uses of electricity in the home and possible safety hazards. This enabled pupils of all abilities to join in the discussion and pupils with special educational needs were well supported through careful questioning. A relative weakness in the subject is that pupils do not often decide how

p.23

Commentary

to record their ideas in different ways, and this restricts their ability to use their skills in writing Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 24 for relevant purposes. This has been identified as an area for improvement in the co- ordinator’s action planning.

p.23

Commentary

49. Pupils benefit from a good range of visits. Older pupils have recently visited a local power station in connection with their work on electricity and recall what they learned in detail. Pupils have also visited an aquatic centre in Hull to extend their understanding of how creatures adapt to different habitats.

p.24

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision for information and communication technology is good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils make good progress, gaining a good range of skills that are in line with national expectations by the time they reach the end of Year 2. • The teaching is good because teachers are confident with the equipment, and they plan clear and relevant lessons. • The management is good because the co-ordinator has clear and positive plans to continue the developments that she has already put into place. • Skills are used and improved in other subjects such as art, English, science, history and geography.

p.24

Commentary

50. Pupils make good progress and achieve well because the teaching is good and planned to take account of what pupils can already do. Lessons are well aimed at teaching particular skills with the keyboard and mouse on the computer, as well as gaining skills across different aspects of the subject such as creating pictures, entering text, controlling floor robots, and making graphs. These skills are used in other subjects so that pupils see the relevance of what they have learned. The less able pupils understand that many everyday pieces of equipment such as a video, microwave, CD player and tape recorder are examples of how technology is in daily use. Teachers’ own skills and confidence are developing well, and they use the computers effectively for their own planning, assessment of pupils’ progress, and reporting to parents. The new wall-mounted computer screen that responds to pupils’ touch is proving to be a very valuable addition to the school’s resources and is being used

p.24

Commentary

effectively by staff in lessons. Sometimes, however, pupils spend a long time waiting their turn, and it is important for them to continue to use the in-class computers to broaden their experience, as well as using this new resource.

p.24

Commentary

51. The co-ordinator’s good management has resulted in a clear development of teachers’ skills, and a continuing build-up of the resources. Resources are now satisfactory and are being used well by staff throughout the school. The co-ordinator has a clear view of how well pupils are making progress, and uses this information well in planning what should be taught next. Since the previous inspection, this subject has developed satisfactorily, with better planned lessons that build pupils’ skills more effectively.

p.24

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

52. There are also more and better opportunities to use technology in a wider range of subjects than previously. Often, teachers will choose a particular program to help pupils to learn about another subject, as well as gaining and practising computer skills. Recently, for example, pupils have used a painting program to make pictures in the style of Piet Mondrian; they have learned more about Robin Hood from the Internet, and about different places in the world for their geography lessons. Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 25

p.24

HUMANITIES

No lessons were seen in history and so pupils’ work was sampled. It is not therefore possible to make a firm judgement about provision. There is every indication from pupils’ work that standards are average and have been maintained since the last inspection. A good range of visits supports pupils’ learning. Year 2 pupils, for example have visited Conisborough Castle, where they dressed up as knights, lords and ladies. Pupils remember the vocabulary learned during the visit, such as ‘portcullis’ and ‘drawbridge’. They have also visited a museum to find out about how daily life has changed since Victorian times. There are some good links made with other subjects, such as when pupils use what they have learned about seaside locations in geography to help them understand how holidays have changed over time.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good use is made of the local area. • The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ cultural development. • There is too little learning about plans.

p.25

Commentary

53. Pupils’ achieve well to reach average standards. Teaching and learning are good. Provision for the subject is better than at the previous inspection because the good management of the subject has ensured that the curriculum is broader and teaching is better focused on building skills.

p.25

Commentary

54. The school makes very good use of its local area to promote pupils’ understanding of how people affect their environment and to enable them to start to form views about what is positive and where improvements can be made. Year 1 pupils, for example, have looked at ways in which their local environment has been made safer by traffic calming measures. Year 2 pupils have visited the centre of Retford to find features that visitors might find attractive and identified features that could be improved. Good use is made of the digital camera to record these visits so that pupils can use the photographs to talk about their ideas in the classroom. When pupils in Year 1 and 2 created maps of an imaginary place, they used their previous learning well and were adept at choosing appropriate physical and man- made features to sensibly include on their maps. Although there is some evidence of pupils working with plans, this aspect is not as well developed as other aspects of their learning.

p.25

Commentary

This has been identified by the co-ordinator for the subject as a point for improvement.

p.25

Commentary

55. The pupils look at a good range of places around the world, including Eritrea and Mexico. They look at the similarities and differences in the daily lives of families in these places and this extends their understanding of different cultures.

p.25

Religious education

Provision for religious education is good .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils learn effectively from first hand experience through visits and visitors to school. • Good teaching probes pupils’ thinking through questioning. • Role-play is well used in lessons to support pupils’ learning. • Lower attaining pupils sometimes lack support when they write about their ideas. Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 26

p.25

Commentary

56. Pupils achieve well and reach the standards expected for their age. There has been good improvement since the last inspection as teaching is now good. The subject is well managed, with a firm emphasis on maintaining a broad and interesting curriculum. Teachers have a good grasp of the subject and plan lively lessons and activities that pupils find interesting so they want to learn. There is a very good range of visits and visitors so that pupils learn from what they see, feel and hear. Pupils remember the visitor who showed them the Jewish Torah and describe it as ‘a special scroll, with a blue cover and small, Jewish writing on it’. They have visited Southwell Minster and were intrigued by the carvings they saw. Year 2 pupils know, from a visitor who brings religious artefacts to school, that Diwali is a special celebration in which lights play an important part.

p.26

Commentary

57. Teaching is good because it probes pupils’ thinking about important matters. In a Year 1 lesson, for example, the teacher asked pupils to explain how Zaccheus would feel when he knew Jesus was coming to visit him. A higher attaining pupil responded that he might feel ‘worried because he had done bad things’. The teacher’s skilful questions enabled more reticent pupils to expand their replies and better understand the emotions involved in the story. This led to some effective playing out of parts later in the lesson. In a good lesson with Year 2 pupils, the teacher’s telling of the story of St George held the class spellbound and led to some good role-play in which they showed shock, sadness and fear as they acted out the parts.

p.26

Commentary

58. There are a few occasions when lower attaining pupils lack suitable support for recording their ideas in writing. This was evident in one lesson, when some Year 1 pupils struggled to retell the story of Zaccheus without any prompts to help them.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Art and design and design and technology

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

59. No lessons were observed in these two subjects and so it is not possible to make judgements about overall provision. However, the co-ordinators provided very good portfolios of pupils’ past work. The scrutiny of these and talking to pupils about their work indicate that pupils achieve very well in design and technology and standards are above those expected for their age. Their achievement in art and design is excellent, because they reach standards that are well above those expected. The school provides a very good curriculum in these two subjects. The pupils are taught a wide range of skills and techniques. They are encouraged to choose from these, using a particularly good range of resources and materials to express their own ideas confidently. For instance, in a study of Lowry, the pupils explored a very wide range of two and three-dimensional media to create images. This is a significant improvement since the previous inspection, and it is little wonder that art is a favourite subject

p.26

Physical education

60. Only two lessons seen were in gymnastics, but the school plans for the full range of physical activities and pupils also benefit from swimming. There was too little evidence to make an overall judgement about provision in the subject. In the lessons seen, teaching and learning were satisfactory but the amount of apparatus set out in the small hall meant that pupils had limited space in which to do warm-up activities. Year 2 pupils showed a good ability in one lesson to balance on different points of their bodies and some made strong, imaginative shapes when they worked in pairs, that they held very well. Pupils with special educational needs were very well supported in these lessons and so took a full part. Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 27

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is good achievement by pupils, particularly in instrumental playing. • Provision has improved since the previous inspection, particularly in planning and progression. • There is little evidence of pupils using musical notation.

p.27

Commentary

61. Standards are in line with those expected for pupils aged seven. This represents good achievement. Teaching is good. The adoption of a more systematic planning scheme since the previous inspection means that pupils learn skills in a more secure sequence of small steps. Teachers organise their classes well and are confident in sharing instruments around a class quickly and efficiently. They allow pupils good opportunities to express their own ideas and interpretations. Pupils enjoy playing tuned and untuned instruments to accompany dance, for instance in the lively Chinese Dragon dance. This links closely with their work in English and art, and gives them a wider experience and perspective.

p.27

Commentary

62. Pupils who have special educational needs particularly benefit from music. They experience success and thereby build up a more positive self-image. A comprehensive portfolio of work done in music indicates the wide range of topics covered. These contribute well to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development, for instance in the assembly where selected pupils sang and danced the Lord’s Prayer in a very moving way. The portfolio does not contain any examples of pupils composing and using notation. Some is done in non-permanent form on whiteboards, but this does not allow pupils to refer back to earlier work.

p.27

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

63. No lessons were seen in this area of the school’s work and so no judgement is made about overall provision. However, the school places great emphasis on pupils’ personal development and plans this through work in most subjects, as well as special sessions where pupils explore and talk about particular issues. In religious education, pupils gain an understanding of their own and others’ responses to important questions and in science pupils extend their understanding of a healthy lifestyle. The School Council helps pupils to understand the importance of taking responsibility for representing others’ views. Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School - 28

p.27

The overall effectiveness of the school 3

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

p.28

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2

Attendance 6 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

p.28

The quality of education provided by the school 3

The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

p.28

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 3

p.28

The leadership and management of the school 3

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

p.28