Holly Spring Primary School

HOLLY SPRING INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Holly Spring Infant and Nursery 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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HOLLY SPRING 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. Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 to 7 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 123

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Lily Hill Road Bullbrook Bracknell Postcode: RG12 2SW

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01344 483 920 Fax number: 01344 305 454

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr Alan Buffett

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 22 June 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Holly Spring serves an older, established area of local authority, housing association and owner occupied housing in the centre of Bracknell. The 123 pupils on roll include 52 children who attend the two part-time nursery classes. Reception classes will start in January 2004 and after Easter. Children’s attainment on entry to school is very wide ranging but overall, broadly average. Currently, 14 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals which is just below average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is around average with the main needs identified as emotional and behavioural and speech and communication difficulties. There is a small number of ethnic minority pupils and, again, a very small number of pupils who have English as an additional language.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has continuing difficulties with recruiting and retaining teachers because of the high cost of housing in the area.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has received a Healthy Schools Award and Schools’ Achievement Award in 2003. In 2002, the school won the local Syngenta Science Competition. Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

22822 Cheryl Thompson Lead inspector English as an additional language Foundation stage English Art and design Information and communication technology (ICT) 13828 Ron Ibbitson Lay inspector 18360 Cecelia Davies Team inspector Mathematics Science Music 32142 Beryl Richmond Team inspector Special educational needs Design and technology Geography History Physical education Religious education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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). Holly Spring Infant and Nursery 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 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 27

Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school where pupils do well. Pupils are happy and well-cared for in school. They are keen to learn and enthusiastic about school life. The school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The headteacher provides a very clear sense of purpose for the school • Children get a high quality start to school in the nursery • Good teaching by a talented team of teachers and teaching assistants • Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs • Some areas of the school’s work need more rigorous checks • Attendance is unsatisfactory because too many children go on holiday in school time

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Since the previous inspection in June 1998 the school has made good improvement. All key issues raised have been dealt with effectively and standards in tests have risen, especially in mathematics. Teaching has improved considerably because the school has worked very successfully to recruit and keep good teachers.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, compared with: 2000 2001 2002 2002 reading C C B C writing D C B B mathematics D D B B 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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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Overall, standards are average and achievement is good.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The school’s intake is of very wide ranging ability but, importantly, at Holly Spring, all pupils’ achievement is good. Pupils of all capabilities make good progress as they move through the school.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Children’s good achievement in the nursery is in response to very good teaching. Standards are average overall in all areas of learning. By the time they leave reception classes, an average proportion of children are likely to reach the goals expected with a few exceeding these and a significant minority having some way to go.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

By the end of Year 2, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are average but achievement is good. Pupils use their reading, writing and mathematical skills competently in other subjects but standards of handwriting and presentation of their work are not as good as they should be. In science pupils do particularly well; standards are above average.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils are helped to become thoughtful and responsible young people. They have good attitudes to their work and behave appropriately. Attendance is unsatisfactory with the main reason being that children are taken on holidays during school time. Nearly all arrive at school on time but a few are persistently late. Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 7

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided at Holly Spring is good . Good levels of care and good teaching mean that pupils are happy, confident and well taught. Teachers plan interesting lessons at just the right level to ensure pupils of all capabilities make good progress. Highly skilled teaching assistants provide very good support for small groups and individuals and this has a very positive effect on good achievement, confidence and self-esteem. Pupils with special educational needs get very good support. Their needs are checked thoroughly and the right support organised. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their children’s special learning plan. In the nursery, where staff are very experienced, very good teaching ensures children settle quickly into school routines, grow in confidence and develop very positive attitudes to learning.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school makes good links between subjects so that lessons and visits are relevant and interesting; as a result, pupils are keen to learn. Pupils’ progress is tracked carefully as they move through the school which highlights those who may need extra help or those who can move on at a faster pace. Good links with parents encourage their involvement in their child’s learning. The amount of reading children undertake at home is commendable and a very positive influence on reading standards. Very good links with the junior school ensure a smooth transition at Year 3.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher has a very determined vision to provide a first class early years education which is shared by her staff. All work very well together as a team for the benefit of pupils and their parents. Governance is good. In particular, governors have been most successful in recruiting and retaining good staff in an area of staff shortage. The headteacher and governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and what needs improvement and plan accordingly. However, there are areas where checking on the school’s work is not rigorous enough to note inconsistencies. Careful financial planning ensures good quality learning resources and, crucially, a highly proficient teaching assistant in each class.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have good views of the school and are supportive of its work. Pupils love coming to school and like their teachers. In their responses to the pre-inspection questionnaires a small number of parents felt that behaviour was an issue. Out of the 34 pupils’ replies, 13 felt that other children did not always behave well. However, inspectors saw no untoward behaviour during play or dinner times and in lessons, behaviour is always satisfactory and sometimes good and very good in small, supervised group work.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Put in place more rigorous and efficient systems for monitoring of teaching and learning • Improve attendance Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Standards as measured against National Curriculum criteria are average overall and pupils of all abilities achieve well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards attained in 2002 national tests are above average and have improved since the last inspection, especially in mathematics • Nursery children achieve well in all areas of learning • Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs helps them achieve well • The small number of pupils with English as an additional language make very good progress in their spoken English • Standards of handwriting and presentation are not as good as they should be

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Commentary

1. Over time, standards have remained average in reading but have risen from below average to above in writing and mathematics. In 2002, standards were above average in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Commentary

2. Inspection evidence indicates standards attained by Year 2 are average, except in science and physical education where they are above. Boys and girls usually do equally well. Good procedures for tracking pupils’ progress are used to set realistic but challenging targets for attainment in national tests. Results of 2003 national tests and tasks show standards are average in reading, writing and mathematics and above average in science assessments.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2002

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 16.4 (15.7) 15.8 (15.7) writing 15.0 (14.6) 14.4 (14.3) mathematics 17.3 (15.5) 16.5 (16.2) There were 50 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

3. On entry to school, children’s attainment is very wide ranging and predominantly in the lower range of the average band. A significant minority have speech and language difficulties and, in contrast, there is a small number of pupils who attain above average. The strength of Holly Spring is that all pupils achieve well regardless of their starting points.

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Commentary

4. Achievement is good for two main reasons – • Good assessment is used to plan suitable work for pupils of different abilities • Highly proficient teaching assistants are deployed very effectively so that the pupils get good help individually or in small groups

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Commentary

5. Standards are average overall because – • Below average ability pupils and those with special needs are helped to attain the expected Level 2 in national tests Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 9 • Average and above average pupils are provided with suitable work and support to help them attain the higher Level 2 and Level 3 in national tests 6. Nursery children benefit from very good teaching and achieve well, making good progress in all areas of learning, especially in their personal development and positive attitudes to tasks. During inspection there were no reception classes. Examination of the youngest Year 1 pupils’ work and discussions with them show attainment remains wide ranging, particularly in knowledge of letters and letter sounds; for example, a significant minority know only two or three letter sounds and a few read as well as a seven year old. However, it is clear from pupils’ past work that they continue to make good progress through reception classes and,

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Commentary

overall, standards overall are in line with the nationally prescribed ‘early learning goals’ with just a small number exceeding these.

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Commentary

7. Standards in ICT (information and communication technology) are average. Teachers plan to include ICT use in as many subjects as possible. As a result, pupils make good, purposeful use of their skills in subjects such as mathematics and science. Standards are much improved since the last inspection when they were found to be below average with pupils lacking independence and confidence in using ICT.

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Commentary

8. Pupils use their literacy and numeracy skills confidently in other subjects. However, standards of handwriting and presentation are not good enough to reflect pupils’ ability. The school has identified the need to improve these areas.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good . Pupils’ attitudes are good overall, and they behave satisfactorily. Nursery children behave well and are very keen to learn. The attendance rate is unsatisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Interesting activities and a very good ratio of adults to children in the nursery helps all children develop suitable social skills and desire to learn • Good opportunities are provided for pupils to think about the right way to behave and make their class ‘rules’ accordingly • Pupils are kind and helpful to one another because all adults provide very good role models for kindness and consideration • Pupils work and play well together because good, purposeful opportunities are provided • Pupils’ behaviour in whole class times and unsupervised groups can lapse because teachers do not set high enough expectations • Attendance is below the national average • A few pupils are persistently late for school

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Commentary

9. Nursery children make very good progress in their personal development because all staff have a very good understanding of how to promote children’s self-esteem and social skills. Very high expectations are set for listening, being helpful and responsible which even the youngest try very hard to meet. Nearly all children are likely to meet the goal they are expected to reach by the end of reception in the area of personal, social and emotional development, with many exceeding this.

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Commentary

10. The school provides interesting and relevant lessons. Consequently, pupils have good attitudes towards their tasks and school life in general. In the main, pupils respect each other’s work and opinions. They help each other willingly. Behaviour in small, supervised group situations is never less than good and often very good. However, behaviour in groups without an adult working alongside them can lapse and slow progress. In whole class situations, when teachers do not set high expectations for behaviour, a significant minority of pupils call out and Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 10 are restless. Behaviour in assemblies is satisfactory. At dinner and play times, behaviour is good because there is a high level of good supervision and a good range of playground activities. 11. The school provides good opportunities in ‘circle time’ sessions for pupils to explore and talk about their feelings. In such sessions, pupils learn to listen to others and respect their ideas

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Commentary

and opinions. All adults reinforce acceptable social skills and kindness by giving praise or, on occasions, providing a good role model for pupils to copy. Good opportunities are provided in lessons for pupils to work together and help each other; very good examples were noted when pupils shared computers. In the playground, many good activities are provided for pupils to be actively involved in skipping or playing with hoops and monitors take responsibility for collecting equipment.

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Commentary

12. In discussions and in their response to the questionnaire, pupils are positive about school life, love coming to school and feel they have to work hard. Around a third of pupils’ responses to the questionnaire (completed with parental help) indicated that they feel that other children do not always behave well in school.

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Attendance

Most children attend school regularly but despite an improvement in attendance over the past year, the overall attendance rate is below the national average. The biggest single reason for absences is parents taking their children out of school in term time to go on family holidays. Nearly all pupils arrive for school in good time but a few parents are consistently late when bringing their children to school.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 7.3 School data 0.0 National data 5.4 National data 0.5 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Exclusions

The school takes a very firm line on poor, extreme behaviour and, reluctantly, uses the sanction of exclusion in rare cases; correct procedures are followed.

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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 195 3 1 White – any other White background 3 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 2 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 2 0 0 Chinese 3 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 11

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is good overall and very good in the nursery. Teaching, the curriculum, levels of care and support and links with parents are all good.

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Teaching and learning

Overall, teaching and learning are good , with very good teaching and learning in the nursery.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Thorough and detailed assessment is used very well in the nursery • Teachers’ good subject knowledge is evident in detailed planning • Basic literacy and numeracy skills are taught well • Very good deployment of highly proficient teaching assistants • Teachers manage their pupils well but do not always insist on the highest standards of behaviour and presentation of work • Teachers are not making the best use of their good assessments to help pupils understand what they need to do to improve

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 27 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.

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Commentary

13. Teaching and learning in the nursery are consistently very good. Very detailed assessment and planning underpin interesting and carefully structured activities; as a result, children are provided with just the right level of challenge to build on their confidence and further their learning. All staff set very high expectations for behaviour, kindness and sharing. Children know what is expected of them and try very hard to meet these expectations.

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Commentary

14. In Years 1 and 2, teachers’ detailed planning ensures pupils of all abilities have the right level of work and support. Longer term planning shows teachers make good links between subjects such as art and design and history or geography and English. These links make for lively and relevant lessons, as when pupils made houses out of cardboard, ready to set on fire to demonstrate the rapid spread of the Great Fire of London. In their response to the questionnaire, the great majority of pupils agreed that lessons are interesting and fun and that they find out new things. They also think they have to work hard.

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Commentary

15. Teachers have a good understanding of how to teach basic literacy and numeracy skills. Lessons have a brisk start with clear learning intentions usually shared with pupils. Well organised group work follows where tasks are suitably matched to pupils’ abilities. Teaching assistants play a crucial role in pupils’ good achievement in these lessons because they know how to teach basic skills and also keep pupils focused on their tasks; no time is wasted. In the best lessons observed, teachers kept a very close eye on groups working without an adult to make sure pupils concentrated on their tasks. In a few lessons, groups working without an adult did not make enough progress because they were easily distracted from their tasks. Daily guided reading sessions provide a good range of activities to reinforce and consolidate learning as well as promote new skills. Teachers’ good links with parents are evident in

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Commentary

reading diaries; parents’ help at home makes a significant contribution to their child’s good progress. Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 12 16. The headteacher and governors are committed to providing a good adult to pupil ratio and, over time, have recruited, retained and encouraged the professional development of a skilled team of teaching assistants. These highly qualified and proficient assistants are a valuable and valued part of the teaching team. They make a significant contribution to the good standards of teaching, pupils’ good achievement and personal development. In their response to the questionnaire, almost all pupils felt confident they could go to an adult if they were worried about something. Assistants also reduce teachers’ work load by helping with such areas as preparing resources, record keeping, very good displays of pupils’ work and supervising changing of reading books.

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Commentary

17. Pupils think their teachers are fair to them and this was evident in lessons observed. Within a framework of good relationships, teachers manage their pupils well. However, there are times when teachers do not set high enough expectations for behaviour which results in noise levels creeping up and pupils calling out. Pupils with specific behaviour difficulties are managed very well so that their behaviour does not affect others and they are helped to learn how to behave as part of the class.

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Commentary

18. There are good systems of assessment to check on pupils’ progress and their work is always marked. Results of assessments are used to highlight areas for improvement and these are shared with parents as targets. Currently, teachers are not making the most profitable use of their assessments to help pupils understand what they need to do to improve. However, this area is noted for development in the near future. Other areas correctly identified for improvement are pupils’ handwriting and presentation. Far too many pupils use an unhelpful pencil grip with the result that they cannot easily see what and how they are writing.

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Commentary

19. Examination of a range of pupils’ work shows standards of presentation are not consistent and do not always reflect ability.

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The curriculum

Curriculum provision is good, and very good in the nursery.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good provision for learning in the nursery and good for Years 1 and 2 • Equality of access for all pupils with very good provision for pupils with special educational needs • Good opportunities are provided to enrich the curriculum so that pupils are well motivated and keen to learn • Teaching assistants are very well trained; their deployment is very good, ensuring that all pupils make good gains in their learning • The quality and quantity of accommodation and resources are good

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Commentary

20. All subjects of the National Curriculum are taught, meeting statutory requirements. Information and communication technology (ICT) supports learning in other curriculum areas such as mathematics and science. Provision for ICT has greatly improved since the time of the last inspection. Religious education is taught according to the requirements of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. The national strategies for numeracy and literacy are being used effectively to improve learning. The school has a successful programme for pupils’ personal, social and health education. Wherever possible, meaningful links are made between subjects, which contribute significantly to developing pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding.

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Commentary

21. The school ensures that every pupil has equal access to all aspects of school life. Lessons are planned to cater for the needs of all pupils. Since the last inspection, planning for high attaining pupils has improved so that they achieve well. Very good provision is made for pupils Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 13 who have special educational needs. Teaching assistants are well trained and work closely with teachers so that they fully understand the learning needs of pupils. Teachers deploy their assistants very well to provide support for groups or individuals to ensure good achievement. Pupils with special educational needs have a fair share of their teachers’ time; as a result, teachers are very aware of how well these pupils are doing and if individual education plans need revising.

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Commentary

22. Visitors are encouraged to come into school and work with pupils. For example, artists in residence and young musicians. Regular visits from local clergy take place and visits from members of other faith communities are encouraged. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to visit places of interest as part of their studies; for example, the Chiltern Open Air Museum and Katesgrove Victorian School. The school actively encourages participation in a wide range of projects such as Pre-school Parenting, Flying Start, Family Literacy and Numeracy and a locally organised science competition each year for the whole school. These opportunities are helping to raise expectations and improve learning experiences for the pupils.

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Commentary

23. The accommodation is good and used well. For example, teaching assistants make very good use of spare classrooms to teach small groups. Resources for learning are good and used effectively. The school chooses resources carefully to make sure they are the best for the job and value for money.

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Care, guidance and support

The school takes good care of its pupils and gives them good support and guidance. Informal methods of seeking and acting on pupils’ views are satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Child protection procedures are good • Health and safety procedures are very good • Induction procedures are good • All pupils are known well by staff and the headteacher • Assessment procedures are good • Currently, pupils are not involved in setting targets for themselves and reviewing their progress

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Commentary

24. All staff understand their responsibilities in respect of Child Protection issues. In their responses to the questionnaire, all except one pupil felt that there was an adult in the school he or she would go to if they were worried. Teachers and teaching assistants know their pupils and their welfare and happiness are a high priority. The headteacher sets high standards in this area and leads by example in her care and concern for pupils.

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Commentary

25. The school provides a safe environment for its pupils through very good health and safety procedures. All statutory safety checks are observed and statutory tests carried out. Risk assessments are done on the school building and also outside school when preparing for educational visits.

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Commentary

26. Very good induction procedures help children settle quickly and happily into the nursery. Very effective co-operation between the nursery and reception teachers also ensures a seamless transition from nursery to reception. As pupils move through Years 1 and 2, good opportunities are provided for them to get to know the adjacent junior school. Before they transfer to Year 3, visits are made and teachers discuss pupils to make sure a good start is made in the new school.

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Commentary

27. Good assessment procedures are in place to track pupils’ attainment and achievement as they move through the school from the time they start in the nursery. The assessment findings are Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 14 used to ‘set’ ability groups for Year 2 literacy and mathematics lessons. Pupils are also identified as needing a little more help or extra challenge in their work. Currently, the school is not making full use of these good procedures to set individual targets for pupils to reach, although this is an area noted for development. However, the broad areas for improvement are shared with parents. If pupils are noted as having specific difficulties, the school seeks appropriate help from outside agencies, such as speech therapists or educational psychologists.

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Commentary

28. Currently, the school does not formally seek pupils’ views, but in their response to the questionnaire, four out of five felt that their teachers listened to them.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Partnerships with parents and the community are good. Links with other schools are very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of information given to parents is good • The school has close contacts with parents, seeks their views and values their opinions • Parents give good support for their children’s learning at home • The very good contacts with the main receiving junior school ensures a smooth transfer of Year 2 pupils • An effective parent/teachers association supports children’s learning

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Commentary

29. The effective partnership between school and parents has a positive influence on pupils’ learning at school and at home. Parents hold the school in high regard and are well informed about all aspects of school life and on their children’s progress. The school values parents and makes considerable efforts to maintain a good working relationship with them.

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Commentary

30. Communications with parents are good. Well-attended meetings where parents have an opportunity to discuss their children’s progress are held each term. To keep parents advised of school events there are frequent newsletters from class teachers and also newsletters twice a term from the headteacher. Annual reports on their children’s progress are sent to all parents. Parents having concerns about their children can make appointments at mutual times to see either the class teacher or the headteacher. Ways in which parents can help their children’s learning are provided to parents and the home-school reading record books present opportunities for parents to make comments directly to class teachers.

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Commentary

31. The school endeavours to work closely with parents whose children have special educational needs. They are always invited to discuss individual education plans and how successful these have been. However, in spite of its best efforts, not all parents take up the offer to work closely with the school in helping their child succeed.

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Commentary

32. For the past two years the school has successfully run pre-school parenting courses. Currently funding has ceased but parents have the opportunity to take free transport to another venue. There is a weekly coffee club for parents and carers to help them prepare for children joining the nursery. All pupils receive some form of homework and, encouraged by the school, nearly all parents are keen to help their children learn at home.

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Commentary

33. The school’s very good relationship with its neighbouring junior school enables an effective programme to be made for the smooth transfer of Year 2 pupils to their next stage of education. Teachers and learning support assistants from the junior school visit the school to observe pupils prior to the transfer and special needs co-ordinators from both schools meet to discuss pupils having particular needs. There is also a change-over morning at the junior school to allow pupils to familiarise themselves with their new school building. Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 15 34. The school has good links with local churches and ministers lead assemblies. Bracknell Forest football club team members are eagerly awaited coaches in Year 2 games sessions. They also provide an after-school football club and football coaching courses during school holidays. The school has an Out of School Club and a Holiday Club for children in the

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Commentary

community which includes a weekly gymnastics club.

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Commentary

35. A very active school’s association of parents and friends organise fundraising events where the proceeds are jointly shared between the infant and junior schools. The donations enable the schools to purchase equipment and materials which aids pupils’ learning.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and effectiveness of management are good. Governance of the school is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has a very clear sense of purpose for the school • Governors and the headteacher are proactive in seeking to retain and recruit high quality staff • Very strong commitment to professional development of teachers and teaching assistants • Very good leadership of special educational needs • Success criteria in school development planning are not always tightly focused on standards • Monitoring of teaching, learning and provision lacks rigour

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Commentary

36. The headteacher provides good leadership. She is very successful in her aim for the school to provide a good early years education where all achieve well. She leads by example and provides a very good role model for staff both in her teaching and her concern for the success and well-being of all pupils.

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Commentary

37. Governance of the school is good. Governors have a good idea of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Data about the school’s performance is analysed thoroughly and results used to highlight areas for development and set future targets. Governors are proud of the school and support the headteacher and staff but do not hesitate to challenge them to try different approaches or question the effectiveness of strategies.

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Commentary

38. Management is good . The headteacher knows her staff very well and is committed to providing them with the right opportunities for developing their skills and leadership roles. For example, before the new English co-ordinator took on the role, she attended a range of courses to give her a good overview of the subject and her role. Statutory performance management is used effectively to bring about change and to help teachers to develop their roles and responsibilities further. The quality of teaching has improved tremendously since the last inspection and reflects the very strong commitment of the headteacher and governors to recruit and retain the best teachers in an area of teacher shortages. Trainee teachers who have had placements at Holly Spring have been encouraged to stay and have become skilled teachers under the very good mentorship of the headteacher. Highly proficient teaching assistants have studied to become teachers and have returned to Holly Spring. Each year the

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Commentary

school is faced with the additional difficulties of securing two reception class teachers and in some years this has meant that the headteacher has taught one reception class.

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Commentary

39. Currently, the leadership provided by the deputy headteacher and main subject leaders has not had time to have an impact as they have only taken up the roles at the start of the academic year. However, these leaders have a clear idea of what they want and need to achieve and good management structures are in place to facilitate further improvement. At the moment there is a lack of rigour in the monitoring of teaching, learning and provision, which means that inconsistencies are not noticed which can impact on pupils’ achievement. Similarly, there are areas in school development planning where success criteria are not easily measurable in terms of improved standards so are not as useful as they could be as a focus for monitoring. Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 16 40. The headteacher is also the special educational needs co-ordinator and provides very good leadership. She ensures all pupils’ needs are assessed accurately and calls on special help

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Commentary

from outside agencies if necessary. The headteacher works with her staff to check on the success of individual education plans and encourages parents to be fully involved in their child’s learning. The school provides a very good level of resources, especially staffing, to meet the needs of pupils and good attention is paid to getting the best value from this investment. The school’s finances are well managed.

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Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

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Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 422,819 Balance from previous year 22,282 Total expenditure 431,485 Balance carried forward to the next 19,636 Expenditure per pupil 2,054 Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 17

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Very good nursery provision for each area of learning has been maintained since the last inspection. In all areas of learning in the nursery and those attained by the current Year 1, standards are average as they were at the time of the last inspection. No judgement can be made on provision in reception classes.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

At the time of the inspection there were two part-time nursery classes and no reception classes. Both nursery sessions were observed and all areas of learning sampled within these sessions. An impressive number of photograph albums were made available which showed the work and progress of nursery children over time. Reception classes start in January and after Easter. Work of current Year 1 pupils was sampled to provide evidence for standards at the end of reception.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Children start nursery classes aged around three. The nursery teacher’s extremely thorough assessments and inspectors’ observations show attainment on entry to the nursery to be very wide ranging; for example, from very reticent children with speech and language delay to a self-confident enthusiastic reader. Observations of children and their teacher’s assessment show children of all capabilities achieve well in relation to their starting points in all of the areas of learning. All children are fully included in all activities.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Teaching is very good in each area of learning. High expectations are set for all children to do their very best both in acquiring skills and in becoming confident and independent. Both teacher and nursery nurse have a very clear understanding of how young children learn and plan accordingly to suit the very wide range of age and abilities in the classes. Assessment is extremely thorough with small steps of achievement noted both in personal development and development in, for example, mathematical understanding. Assessment findings are used to set the next level of work so that children build systematically on previous achievements.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Parents are valued as key partners in their child’s education and very good links are established, often before children start in the nursery. The nursery teacher has developed a network of parents and helpers who give generously of their time to help in class. These helpers are very well deployed and have a significant impact on the good progress children make because children get attention within very small groups.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses in all areas of learning

• Children are happy and love coming to school • Very good teaching from a highly experienced and knowledgeable teacher and nursery nurse who work as a team • Extremely thorough assessment used most effectively to match task to child to ensure maximum learning • Very good relationships throughout, including with parents • A high number of parents and grandparents help very regularly • Children with special needs, those who are most able and children with English as an additional language are very sensitively supported • There is a lack of continuity between nursery and reception classes in the way letter sounds are taught

p.17

Commentary

41. Many very good opportunities are provided to promote children’s personal, social and emotional development. When tasting different types of fruit, children take turns, say ‘please’ and ‘thank-you’ and listen carefully to their friends describing what they think of the Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 18 taste. The great majority of children are well behaved and those who test the boundaries are calmly and firmly helped to understand the ‘right’ way to behave. All staff and helpers share a common understanding of what is acceptable behaviour and all work together to nurture self- esteem and self-confidence. As a result, children are keen to take the initiative to tidy up and help put equipment away at the end of a session. Register ‘monitors’ take their responsibilities seriously. Very good relationships are established with parents of children with special needs so that they can reinforce learning at home. Very good examples were noted of the close and

p.17

Commentary

helpful relationship with parents of children with English as an additional language. Parents had helped to write the equivalent word on posters in the child’s home language alongside the English word.

p.18

Commentary

42. In the area of communication, language and literacy, imaginative and interesting methods are used to help children learn letter sounds. They enjoy taking part in whole group sessions to name objects and listen to and practise the beginning letter sounds. Children soon develop a love of stories and have high expectations of enjoyment from listening. Many are happy to re- tell a story by referring to the pictures. The role-play area is well resourced and visitors, such as the local postman, have promoted interest and relevance to the class ‘post office’, where children enjoy writing letters and taking them to the class post-box.

p.18

Commentary

43. Sensitive support is given to children with limited speaking and listening skills. In small groups, they listen to well known stories and are encouraged to use small models to retell the story in the right order. Teacher or nursery nurse give ample encouragement to use a few words rather than one. Children who are avid readers are very much encouraged to pursue and develop their interest and parents are fully involved.

p.18

Commentary

44. Currently the nursery follows one commercially produced scheme to help children learn letter sounds and reception teachers use a different one. In the main, this does not detract overmuch from the progress made by the great majority of children but it serves only to confuse further children who find learning difficult.

p.18

Commentary

45. In the area of mathematical development, thorough assessment ensures that children are provided with opportunities at the right level to develop their numeracy skills further. For example, those just beginning to grasp comparatives were given the task of comparing the lengths of Sammy Snakes to learn the terms ‘longer than’ and ‘shorter than’. More able children have very good opportunities to learn the names and properties of two-dimensional shapes; for example, some know that a rectangle has two long and two short sides the same. Many incidental mathematical experiences are provided when counting the number of children present or using money in the role-play post office. When mixing paint with their fingers, children are encouraged to write the numerals they know. A few children can already form numerals to 10 correctly, others are far less confident.

p.18

Commentary

46. In the area of knowledge and understanding of the world children had recently learned that plants had roots and need to be planted in soil. Children had planted winter pansies and bulbs, ‘they’ll grow later’, in the nursery play area. Children use computers and the mouse confidently to click and drag objects around the screen or click on icons to make an educational game work. Photographs show a very good range of visits and visitors. According to children, the highlight of last year’s visits was the farm coming to school. Children were allowed to observe and handle a range of small creatures and learn their need for food, water and shelter.

p.18

Commentary

47. In the areas of creative and physical development children have many very good opportunities to develop co-ordination skills on large wheeled toys and the climbing frame. Creative skills are encouraged in making models with cardboard boxes, finger painting and carefully mixing paint colours to create different shades. Nursery staff display completed work very effectively to create a lively interesting environment which also celebrates children’s achievements.

p.18

SUBJECTS IN KEY STAGES 1 AND 2

Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 19

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils of all abilities achieve well • Teaching and learning are good • Ideas and opportunities for writing are interesting, relevant and often exciting • Parental involvement in hearing their children read at home is highly effective but more needs to be done for pupils who do not read at home regularly • Lack of rigour in monitoring means that there are inconsistencies in record keeping and the way in which letter sounds are taught • Handwriting skills and presentation are not as good as they should be (the school has plans in hand to address this weakness) • Pupils do not have a clear understanding of what they need to do in order to improve their work

p.19

Commentary

48. Standards in national tests, overall, are average except in 2002 when they were above. Inspection evidence shows standards, overall, are average in Year 2. The judgement of ‘average’, however, masks the fact that all pupils achieve well from their very wide ranging starting points. Pupils with poor language and literacy skills when they start school make good progress as they move through the school, as do more able pupils. Standards in writing have improved considerably since 2000 in response to the school’s focus in this area. Recent results for 2003 show pupils’ standards in writing are slightly better than in reading and that boys do better than girls compared to the national picture. There has been good improvement in the subject since the last inspection when improving the quality of teaching in English was a key issue.

p.19

Commentary

49. Teaching and learning are now good with a key strength in the effective deployment of highly proficient teaching assistants. Teachers make good use of the national strategy for teaching literacy. Teachers and teaching assistants have a good understanding of how to teach letter sounds and to use these for reading and spelling. The school is successful in making suitable links with other subjects so that stimuli for writing are purposeful and interesting. In the majority of carefully planned lessons, there are at least two adults working with groups which helps to keep pupils concentrating on the task in hand and achieve their best. Teachers ensure that support is given equitably. In Year 2, pupils are ‘set’ for writing type lessons according to ability. In these lessons, the more able pupils’ group does not have support from a teaching assistant and, as a result, some unsupervised groups do not always apply

p.19

Commentary

themselves fully to their work, resulting in satisfactory rather than good progress. In the other group, two teaching assistants make a very important contribution to pupils’ learning. Their skilled support helps pupils, especially those with learning difficulties, make good progress and ensures good self-esteem.

p.19

Commentary

50. Procedures for checking on pupils’ progress are good. Termly pieces of writing are completed, assessed and areas for improvement noted. Currently, the results of assessments are not being used as profitably as they might because targets for improvement are not related systematically to National Curriculum levels. The school shares targets for improvement with parents and is beginning to share these with pupils but the usefulness of this is questionable as teachers do not, consistently, refer to them in marking. Consequently, pupils are not entirely sure what they have to do to improve and if they are meeting their targets or not. The school has identified the need to improve the effectiveness of its assessment. Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 20 51. The school helps and encourages parents to be involved in their child’s learning in terms of reading at home and learning spellings. The amount of help given by parents with reading is

p.19

Commentary

commendable and a contributing factor in the good progress made; most pupils read nearly every day. There are a few pupils who do not read much at home. Currently, the school does not have good structures in place to make sure these pupils have opportunities to read as often as is possible. All pupils have a good daily ‘guided reading’ session where reading or reading related activities are undertaken to improve skills. However, these sessions are used, correctly, for developing skills and do not take the place of practising reading at the right level to consolidate skills.

p.20

Commentary

52. Leadership and management of English are satisfactory. The co-ordinator took on the subject at the start of this academic year. The headteacher has ensured the co-ordinator has attended suitable professional development courses to help her in her new role. She has, correctly, identified that standards of handwriting and presentation are unsatisfactory and far too many pupils use an unhelpful pencil grip. Accordingly, she has made a good start on putting together a policy and scheme of work to remedy this. Currently, there are no rigorous monitoring procedures in place to check on teaching, learning and provision. As a result, there are inconsistencies across the school, for example, in record keeping which can mean that some pupils read more books than they need at a certain level before being moved on and pupils who do not read at home are not reading in school as much as possible. There are

p.20

Commentary

inconsistencies in the methods for teaching letter sounds; in the main, this may not hinder the majority of pupils overmuch but for those who find learning difficult, the differences in methods make a hard task even more complicated.

p.20

Language and literacy across the curriculum

53. Pupils use their literacy skills well in other subjects. In discussions, many express interest and enjoyment in using the library, reading non-fiction and ‘finding out things’. In subjects, such as history and science, pupils record their ideas reasonably well, but their standards of handwriting and presentation do not reflect their abilities.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well • Teaching and learning are good overall, with the National Numeracy Strategy well implemented so that number skills are developing well • The focus on regular assessments has contributed to improving standards since the last inspection • Pupils with special educational needs are given very good support from well deployed teaching assistants • Pupils working independently and not closely supervised by an adult, sometimes lose concentration • A lack of rigorous monitoring adversely effects the sharing of good practice and further raising of standards

p.20

Commentary

54. Inspection evidence shows standards of attainment overall are average by the end of Year 2. Pupils make good progress and achieve well in relation to their capability. There has been good improvement since the last inspection; test results have moved from below average to above in 2002. Results for 2003 are average overall with a few less pupils gaining the higher Level 3 in this year’s group. Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 21 55. Pupils with special educational needs benefit from good support from teaching assistants, so that individual needs are well met. Number skills develop well. Throughout the school, pupils are confident when carrying out calculations in their head. Pupils in Year 2 explain how they use a number square to add two-digit numbers together. They enjoy their lessons, responding well to challenging activities and to imaginative ways in which work is presented to them by the

p.20

Commentary

56. Teaching and learning are good overall with lessons well planned to meet the needs of all pupils. Teachers follow the guidance of the National Numeracy Strategy and a strength is the way in which teachers start lessons with a variety of mental arithmetic exercises, which are improving pupils’ general understanding. A brisk pace to whole class activities provides good opportunities for learning. Pupils enjoy their mathematics and are keen to learn.

p.21

Commentary

57. Plenary sessions are used to assess what pupils have learnt, and in the best lessons, pupils are encouraged to evaluate their own learning. Regular assessments are used effectively to plan the next stages in pupils’ learning. The setting of pupils according to ability in Year 2 means that teachers are able to plan work well matched to individual needs. Teaching assistants are effective when working with small groups, providing good support in the development of skills. However, when pupils are left to work independently and are not closely supervised, they sometimes lose concentration. As a result, they do not complete sufficient work. Information communication technology is often used successfully to reinforce mathematical ideas, particularly when there is good adult support.

p.21

Commentary

58. Subject leadership is satisfactory. The co-ordinator has only recently taken responsibility for the subject but already she has a clear vision of how to improve it. As yet, the monitoring of teaching and learning lacks rigour. Planning is checked and support is given, but a lack of formal monitoring means that opportunities are missed to raise standards further.

p.21

Mathematics across the curriculum

59. Pupils are given appropriate opportunities to use their skills in other curriculum areas. For example, when carrying out investigations in science in order to measure the melting rate of ‘ice hands’. Pupils use metric measures when making cakes. During registration time, pupils are encouraged to count those present and work out the number absent and use clocks on the visual timetables to develop the concept of time.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well and standards are good • There has been very good improvement since the last inspection • Teaching and learning are good, with imaginative and challenging activities planned • Good opportunities are provided for pupils to observe, investigate and develop scientific vocabulary • The very enthusiastic co-ordinator leads the subject very effectively • Pupils do not have a clear understanding of what they need to do in order to improve their work • The monitoring of teaching lacks rigour in order to be fully effective in sharing good practice

p.21

Commentary

60. In 2003, teacher assessments show that all pupils achieved the expected standard for their age. A third these of pupils achieved better than this. Pupils achieved well in lessons observed during the inspection. Standards have risen since the last inspection and are now Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 22 above average. Good cross-curricular links are made with other subjects, for example in geography where scientific opportunities have been built into the scheme of work. This provides good opportunities for pupils to use their scientific understanding.

p.21

Commentary

61. Teaching and learning are good. Teachers have good knowledge of the subject. They use this effectively so that pupils' scientific vocabulary is developing well. Lessons are well planned and state clearly what it is that pupils are expected to learn. High attaining pupils are suitably challenged, recording their work in different ways. Classes are well organised and pupils are encouraged to do well. They enjoy their lessons, showing interest and awe as they discover more about science. For example, they were amazed to see how the melted wax solidified when it was poured onto the cold metal lid, and fascinated to find out how much sugar there is in a glass of fizzy drink.

p.22

Commentary

62. Pupils acquire good scientific skills, knowledge and understanding because they are given good opportunities to observe and investigate in lessons that have a brisk pace. In some lessons, pupils call out unnecessarily and this distracts others from their learning.

p.22

Commentary

63. Although work is marked regularly, it is not always made clear to pupils what it is they have to do in order to improve. They are not encouraged to evaluate their own learning so opportunities are missed to encourage pupils to improve further. Teachers keep detailed records of pupils’ progress and these are used to plan the next stages of learning.

p.22

Commentary

64. The co-ordinator has played an important role in the improvements that have taken place. She has encouraged the participation in scientific competitions and initiatives such as Healthy Schools, which increase pupils’ interest in the subject and help to raise standards. The co- ordinator ensures that the subject is well resourced and has provided good support to other staff. Although planning has been monitored, lesson observations lack rigour in order to bring about further improvement.

p.22

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers are knowledgeable and provide good opportunities for pupils to use ICT in as many subjects as possible • Teaching assistants provide very good support • Pupils are confident, achieve well and standards are average • Very good improvement since the last inspection • Lack of rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning • Activities provided for pupils not using computers in ICT lessons are not always totally appropriate and pupils need more supervision

p.22

Commentary

65. Teachers’ good subject knowledge and knowledge of the school’s soft and hardware is a crucial factor in their good planning, and the ease in which they support pupils using computers and other ICT equipment. Teaching assistants are also knowledgeable and have a considerable impact on the good progress pupils make as very little time is wasted waiting for an adult to ‘troubleshoot’ software difficulties. Teachers’ confidence and knowledge help them make purposeful links to other subjects such as mathematics and science. As a result, pupils have very relevant and interesting reasons for practising their ICT skills. For example, Year 2 pupils used their mouse skills and knowledge of a ‘paint’ program very competently to create pictures of the Fire of London. Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 23 66. In discussions with pupils and observations of them using ICT equipment, it is clear that they

p.22

Commentary

are very confident and have skills that are expected for their age. A few pupils exceed these standards and a few have more to learn. However, all achieve well in relation to their abilities. Pupils with English as an additional language have made exceptional progress in a very short time because of knowledgeable adult support and, importantly, the thoughtful and caring support of the class who are always pleased to help out.

p.23

Commentary

67. In the two lessons observed, teaching and learning was satisfactory overall. Teachers plan very well to make optimum use of computers and listening centres, however in the lessons observed, groups not using computers or listening centres tended to lose concentration in their ‘holding’ activities and not achieve as well as they should. Learning was good for pupils using computers.

p.23

Commentary

68. Improving the teaching and planning of ICT skills was a key issue raised by the previous inspection. Since then, improvement has been very good because all staff have had government funded training. Also, the previous co-ordinator promoted the subject very well, gave demonstrations and gently ‘pushed’ staff into making better and better use of hard and software. In turn, staff gained confidence and took up the initiative. A new co-ordinator has just taken on the role with the support of the previous one, and good management structures are in place. Currently there is no rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning.

p.23

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

69. Pupils have many good opportunities to use ICT. These are carefully interwoven into lessons or guided reading sessions. During inspection, pupils used computers and listening centres competently. ICT is used particularly effectively for pupils to practise and reinforce their literacy skills, such as letter sounds, reading and spelling. The good links with other subjects ensures digital cameras are used to the full and word processing used to complete write-ups of visits.

p.23

HUMANITIES

No lessons were observed in history and geography. Work from the past Year 2 and the current Year 1 and 2 was sampled, displays were discussed with pupils. A group of Year 2 pupils discussed their work with inspectors. Two religious education lessons were observed and past and current work sampled. There was insufficient evidence to make judgements about provision or teaching in history or geography.

p.23

Religious education

Provision for religious education is satisfactory .

p.23

Religious education

Main strengths and weaknesses • Planning does not always challenge the high attaining pupils • Resources are good and lessons link well with assembly themes

p.23

Religious education

70. Standards are broadly in line with the expectations of the Local Agreed Syllabus and pupils achieve satisfactorily.

p.23

Religious education

71. Two satisfactory lessons were observed in Years 1 and 2. In Year 2, pupils were learning about the Torah and its importance in Judaism. Pupils worked together well to think up some important rules for life. In discussions with pupils, it was clear that they knew the story of Moses well and the importance of the Ten Commandments. In the Year 1 lesson, where the teacher had planned strong links with personal, social and health education, too much time was spent on this part of the lesson and, consequently, not enough time on the religious part. In both lessons, teachers did not plan tasks to take account of pupils’ prior attainment and all pupils were doing the same thing. Some pupils were well supported by the class teacher and Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 24 teaching assistant but there was not enough challenge for the higher attaining pupils. There is some evidence in the scrutiny of work of pupils’ work to show they cover the appropriate work

p.23

Religious education

but not a great deal of written work is completed. In discussions with the pupils, it is evident that they know much more about Christianity than other religions. However, they were able to talk well about what their Jewish visitor had told them about Rosh Hannah.

p.24

Religious education

72. Subject leadership is good. The co-ordinator supports the teaching staff well with short and medium-term planning. The school is well resourced with artefacts for all the main religions of the world. The co-ordinator plans the themes for collective worship well to link to religious education topics pupils are studying. Religious leaders from the Methodist Church, Bracknell Family Church and Holy Trinity Church regularly come into school. In the past, mothers who belonged to the Buddhist religion and Hindu religion have brought in their wedding dresses and talked to pupils about the marriage ceremony in their religions.

p.24

History

73. It is evident from the scrutiny of pupils’ work that standards are average and pupils achieve well in this subject. In Year 2 pupils had learnt about the Mayflower and all had written about the journey on the ship. In addition, they had visited Skippings Barn to see an iron age round house. Whilst they were there, amongst other things, they had the opportunity to make candles, grind wheat using a quern and find out about the life of the animals in the barns. In connection with this topic pupils wrote diaries as a member of the hilltop, river valley, forest or farm tribes. Teachers plan for good cross-curricular links in this subject. Pupils had taken digital photographs on the visit and word-processed their account of the visit. They used their data handling skills well to find out and record their favourite activities. Teachers planned many opportunities to develop a range of writing skills in this subject. However, it was not clear how

p.24

History

teachers had planned for pupils of different prior attainment. Pupils’ work is usually annotated but marking is very brief and does not indicate to pupils how they can improve.

p.24

Geography

74. From examination of pupils’ work and discussions with Year 2, it is evident that attainment is average and pupils achieve soundly. Pupils talk confidently about the features of Bracknell and contrasting locations. They have made a map of their route to school and also set out their plan of a zoo in the hall using a range of equipment. It is not evident from the scrutiny of work how teachers have planned work for pupils of different prior attainment. Pupils’ work is usually annotated but the marking is very brief and does not indicate to pupils how they can improve. Last year, pupils learnt about life in Africa and India. The knowledge and experiences of the staff, pupils and pupils’ families contributed very well to this work and to pupils’ cultural development.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

75. No lessons were seen in design and technology and no work was available for inspection. One lesson was observed in art and design. Past samples of artwork were also examined. One lesson was observed in music. Teachers’ planning was examined for all subjects. There was insufficient evidence to form overall judgements about provision or teaching in these subjects.

p.24

Art and design

76. One lesson was observed in Year 2 where very good teaching and highly relevant topics helped pupils achieve well. Pupils took cardboard packets apart to make them into houses for their Great Fire of London topic. Pupils concentrated for good lengths of time, shared and took turns very well. The very good ratio of adults to pupils ensured all pupils succeeded in their tasks with the minimum of intervention. Nearly all managed to construct a hinge for the house door or make a roof for their house. Standards of past work are good and show very good links across subjects and a developing understanding of the place of art in other cultures. Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 25

p.24

Music

77. One very good lesson taught by a local authority advisory teacher was observed. The advisory teacher is working regularly in school in order to support staff in developing their musical expertise. Pupils enjoy participating in a range of musical activities with the advisory teacher and achieve well, responding to the high expectations.

p.25

Music

78. All pupils have regular opportunities to take part in musical activities during music lessons each week, singing in weekly hymn practice and performing to wider audiences. The school takes part in the Bracknell Music and Dance Festival every second year and pupils sing for local senior citizens at their Christmas lunch.

p.25

Music

79. Leadership is satisfactory. The school no longer has a music specialist on the staff and has recognised the need to develop the music curriculum. A published scheme is followed which ensures that National Curriculum requirements are met. Resources are good and the spacious hall is used effectively for music lessons.

p.25

Design and technology

80. No lessons were observed and there was no pupils’ work or photographic evidence available. However, in discussions with Year 2, pupils described some of the objects they had made in Year 1 and there was some evidence of pupils planning work in the work scrutiny. It was evident that pupils had used construction kits frequently.

p.25

Design and technology

81. The co-ordinator for this subject has just taken on this role. Consequently she has not had time to monitor teaching and learning in this subject. There are detailed medium-term plans to support the teaching and learning of this subject. The school has some good ‘Big Book’ resources to support teaching and learning in design and technology. There is a record- keeping sheet to record pupils’ progress in acquiring the relevant skills.

p.25

Physical education

Provision for physical education is good.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have the opportunity to participate in a games, gymnastics and dance lesson every week • Standards and achievement are above average • Teaching is good • Resources and accommodation are good • Monitoring of the subject by the co-ordinator through lesson observation and feedback is informal

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

82. A dance, gymnastics and a games lesson were observed during the inspection. The quality of teaching and learning in all these lessons was good. Standards are above average and pupils achieve well. Pupils really enjoy these lessons and all participate well. They make good progress in learning new skills. This is because teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve, demonstrate well and focus on improvement. All lessons had good quality resources. However, not all teachers challenged the pupils enough to be evaluative about their own and other’s work, which would result in even better progress.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

83. Bracknell Town Football Club supports the school very well by teaching football skills in lessons and in after school clubs and other activities. The coach has a very good relationship with the pupils and they really enjoy working with him. Pupils are learning football skills well. There is also a holiday gym club held at the school. Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 26 84. The school encourages pupils to be active. For example, they organise ‘walk to school’ initiatives and there is now a cycle-rack for pupils who want to cycle to school with their parents. At playtimes pupils skip and use hoops energetically.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

85. Leadership and management of physical education are good. Detailed planning supports teachers’ work, resources are kept up to date and the co-ordinator actively supports other staff. However, the monitoring of lessons needs to be more formalised.

p.26

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education and citizenship is good .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most pupils are confident in giving their opinions and respond well to opportunities to take on responsibility • All adults make a point of explaining the ‘right’ way to behave in a given situation and provide very good role models

p.26

Commentary

86. The strong ethos and good relationships within the school help pupils achieve well in this area. The strong ethos is evident in everyday conversations between adults and pupils when they are asked to share, work together and take responsibility.

p.26

Commentary

87. Good opportunities are provided in ‘circle time’ for pupils to talk about their feelings and listen to others. Pupils discuss and make their own class rules. Visitors to school help pupils learn respect for other religions and cultural traditions, such as different wedding ceremonies. Taking part in charitable fundraising such as ‘Jeans for Genes’ and ‘Breakfast at School’ gives good opportunities for pupils to become aware of those less fortunate themselves and learn that their help can make a difference. The school promotes healthy eating and provides many good playtime activities to keep pupils active.

p.26

Commentary

88. Parents speak highly of the school’s support for pupils with special needs. Inspectors were impressed with the individual support given to pupils with specific behavioural difficulties. This support enabled them to do similar work and activities to their class in a quiet place and to begin to develop appropriate behaviour when with the whole class. Holly Spring Infant and Nursery School - 27

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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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 4 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

p.27

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 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 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 4 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 2

p.27

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 3 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 3

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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).

p.27