James Peacock Infant and Nursery School

JAMES PEACOCK INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 2 nd – 5 th February 2004

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JAMES PEACOCK INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 2 Crown copyright 2004

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JAMES PEACOCK 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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JAMES PEACOCK 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. James Peacock 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: 224

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Manor Park Ruddington Nottingham Nottinghamshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0115 9144225 Fax number: 0115 9144226

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs S Fegredo

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 11 th May 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This is an average-sized infant school with a Nursery. There are 150 pupils in the main school and a further 74 children who attend the Nursery part-time. Children start at the Nursery when they are three and transfer to Reception at the start of the term in which they are five years old. The school’s assessment of children when they start the school’s Nursery shows that their attainment is average, although when the current Year 2 pupils started school their attainment was below average.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Nearly all of the pupils come from white, British backgrounds, with a few from other ethnic groups or of dual heritage. A very small number of children are learning English as an additional language.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Around 14 per cent of the pupils are identified as having special educational needs, which is average. None of the pupils has a statement of special educational need. About eight per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is below average. However, the area served by the school is very mixed and the children come from a full range of backgrounds. James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21227 Barbara Crane Lead inspector English, art and design, religious education, information and communication technology, special educational needs. English as an additional language. 14404 Alan Rolfe Lay inspector 30745 Pat Thorpe Team inspector Foundation Stage, science, history, geography. 10144 Pamela Marriott Team inspector Mathematics, music, physical education, design and technology.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Peakschoolhaus ltd BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Boughton Nottinghamshire NG22 9HQ

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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). James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 10

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 10

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 13

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 30

James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 6 James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 7

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a very good school . Pupils in Year 2 are achieving very well to reach standards that are above average. The teaching is very good, as are the school’s leadership and management. The school gives very good value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Very good leadership and management mean that the staff pull together very effectively, with a clear vision for the school and commitment to improvement. • Children get off to a very good start in the Nursery and Reception classes. • Pupils of all abilities achieve very well in nearly all areas because of very effective teaching. • The curriculum is vibrant and connections between pupils’ learning in different subjects are exploited very well. • Pupils have very positive attitudes to school because staff care for them very well, give them what they need and reward their efforts. • Some of the lower attaining pupils do not always make the best possible progress in mathematics.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has improved very well since its last inspection in 1998. Standards are higher and the teaching has improved considerably. The school has worked to resolve the weaknesses in the curriculum for the youngest children and the school’s planning for improvement sets out clear priorities based on the school’s checks on its provision and pupils’ performance.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement is very good. From an average starting point, Nursery and Reception children make very good progress and do better than expected for their age in all areas of learning by the time they start in Year 1. The school’s improvement in standards over the past five years has been better than the national trend. The table below shows the school’s results last year. These results were outstanding in writing, being in the top five per cent of schools nationally and for similar schools. Results in reading were well above the national average and above the results in similar schools. In mathematics, results were above the national average but were in line with similar schools. This was a great improvement on the previous year’s results in mathematics. The school looked at the reasons for pupils’ lower performance in mathematics and has successfully built in more challenge for the higher attaining pupils and placed more emphasis on problem solving.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Standards now are above average in Year 2 in reading, writing, mathematics and science. This represents very good achievement for this particular group of pupils, because they started from a below average point when they joined the school. Every indication is that the Year 1 pupils are set to return to a picture of standards that is well above average in all respects. Pupils of all abilities make very good progress in nearly all aspects of their work but there are times when some lower attaining pupils do not do quite as well in mathematics. Pupils with special educational needs, and the very small number of pupils who are learning English, are doing very well because of well-planned support. Standards in art and design are well above average and standards in information and communication technology (ICT), religious education, physical education and history are better than expected for Year 2 pupils.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 8 STANDARDS ACHIEVED

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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 B C A B Writing A A A* A* Mathematics C E B C 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

Provision for pupils’ moral, social, spiritual and cultural development is good. Pupils’ attitudes to school are very positive and they are keen to take part in lessons and other activities. They respond very well to the school’s rewards for effort and achievement. Behaviour is very good. Pupils know why rules are needed and help to devise them. The overwhelming majority of pupils show a strong sense of self-discipline. The minority who display challenging behaviour are very sensitively helped to overcome their problems through the support and guidance provided by staff. Pupils’ understanding of their own culture is well promoted but the school misses some opportunities to raise their awareness of different cultures. Attendance is good and punctuality is satisfactory.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a very good quality education. Teaching and learning are very good in all parts of the school. Very good support for pupils with special educational needs is evident in all classes. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes build up a very secure foundation of skills that assures continued success in Year 1. All teachers have high expectations of behaviour and so classrooms are orderly. Pupils are very keen to use their ideas and learn because of adults’ warm encouragement and the interesting work. The basic skills in literacy and numeracy are very well taught in all years. Teaching assistants provide very good support because they are well trained. The very good curriculum is carefully planned and enriched by visits and visitors so that pupils see the connections between subjects through exciting topics that fire their imagination. Resources are good and the accommodation is spacious, bright and inviting. The staff take very good care of the pupils

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

and give them what they need to feel secure and valued as individuals. The school has a good partnership with parents and helps them to understand how they can help at home so that most parents are very involved in their children’s learning.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good and support pupils’ very high achievement and their positive attitudes to school through ensuring that any weaknesses in teaching and learning are identified and dealt with. The headteacher provides very good leadership and ensures that the school’s aim of celebrating pupils’ creativity and individuality is very well represented in its everyday life. The governance of the school is good and all statutory requirements are met. The staff and governors work very well together and everyone knows what the school’s priorities are.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents express a high level of confidence in the school and appreciate the efforts made to help children do well in their work and become more independent. Parents particularly appreciate the approachability of the teachers and the way that pupils are treated as individuals. Some parents would like more opportunities for meeting their child’s teacher to discuss progress and more formal opportunities to make their views known to the school.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils’ views of the school are very positive. They enjoy lessons and being together and are proud of their achievements. James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 9

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important thing that the school should do to improve is:

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• improve the progress made by some lower attaining pupils in mathematics so that it matches the rate of progress made by other groups. James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 10

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils’ achievement is very good throughout the school. Standards in reading, writing mathematics and science are above average .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is very good achievement in reading, writing and science by pupils of all abilities. • Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress. • Children in the Nursery and Reception classes get off to a flying start. • Standards are well above average in art and design and above average in ICT, religious education, history and physical education. • The progress of some lower attaining pupils in mathematics is not consistent.

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Commentary

1. Standards have risen since the last inspection. The school’s trend over the past five years has been higher than the national picture of improvement in standards. Standards in writing have been consistently high because the school has invested a great deal of effort into honing teaching so that it builds precisely on what pupils need to meet with success.

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Commentary

2. The school’s results in 2003 were well above the national average in reading and better than those in similar schools. Results in writing were in the top five per cent when compared with both schools nationally and similar schools. Results in mathematics were above the national average but only in line with those in similar schools. The school looks carefully at its results and other assessments to see where pupils’ performance needs to improve. Boys’ performance in reading, for example, has been raised through introducing texts that motivate them. In addition, the teaching is aware of the need to engage boys through practical activities that rely on boys using their reading skills. This has resulted in boys attaining better standards, with the result that there is little difference between boys and girls. In mathematics, the school identified that results were lower because the more able pupils were not sufficiently challenged.

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Commentary

Adaptations to teaching meant that the proportion of pupils gaining the level above that expected for their age rose markedly in 2003. The school is now focusing on improving the performance of lower attaining pupils in mathematics. The table below sets out the results for last year.

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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 17.2 (16.3) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 17.8 (15.9) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 17.0 (15.5) 16.3 (16.5) There were 62 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

3. Achievement is very good throughout the school. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes are given an extremely firm foundation for future learning because of the very good provision made for them to learn basic skills and to enjoy finding out for themselves. Children’s confidence is built very well and good work habits are established, right from the start. By the time children start in Year 1, most have achieved very well to exceed the goals set for their age in all areas of learning. James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 11 4. The present Year 2 is a lower attaining group of pupils. Their progress has been meticulously tracked since they started school with a lower than average profile of attainment. These pupils are achieving very well to reach above average standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Pupils in Year 1 are set to reach even higher standards in these areas, reflecting their

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Commentary

higher ability as a whole. More able pupils do very well because they are stretched by the challenging work. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress because their needs are closely identified and very well supported through precise teaching of the small steps they need to improve. The few pupils who are learning English as an additional language are supported equally well and are making rapid progress. They are given plenty of opportunities to talk with classmates and adults, and their understanding is carefully checked.

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Commentary

5. Pupils in Year 2 are confident readers and writers and even lower attainers have a good range of strategies to work out unknown words and attempt spellings. This is because of the very good emphasis on the sounds of letters and how these combine. Pupils of all abilities read with a lively expression. They have a good facility with numbers and so calculate accurately and quickly. A strong factor in pupils’ very good progress in science is the emphasis on investigations and using scientific terms. Pupils reach good standards in ICT, religious education, history and physical education. A major factor in their good attainment in these areas is the way in which teaching links pupils’ learning together so that pupils use what they have learned in different situations to improve their skills and understanding. Standards in art and design are well above average and pupils’ achievement is very good. This is because the

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Commentary

pupils’ skills of observation and mastery of techniques are very good and fostered very effectively through teaching.

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Commentary

6. A relative weakness in this overall very good picture of achievement is that there are times when some lower attaining pupils do not make the best possible progress in mathematics. This is because the work is sometimes not matched closely enough to their needs and does not build as firmly on what pupils already know and can do.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have very good attitudes and their behaviour is very good . Their attendance is good and punctuality is satisfactory . Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils behave very well and are very positive about school because the school helps them to understand why rules are necessary and rewards their efforts. • Pupils have very positive attitudes, become confident and learn to respect themselves and others because the school supports their personal development well. • Relationships between the pupils and with the staff are very good and create a climate in which pupils can thrive. • Pupils’ understanding of their own culture is good but their awareness of different cultures is less well developed.

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Commentary

7. Improvement since the previous inspection has been good. Pupils’ very good attitudes to school mean that they come eager to work and learn. The school promotes pupils’ understanding of how to take responsibility for living together very well and this makes a very positive contribution to the pupils’ progress. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes quickly settle into the well-established routines of the classrooms and develop independence in their day-to-day activities, such as finding the equipment they need to complete a task or tidying away. They are taught to listen carefully to adults and each other, and to follow instructions and share resources so that playing and working are more pleasurable. Older pupils are equally interested in what they are doing because activities are planned to grasp their interest. There is James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 12 a real atmosphere of anticipation at the start of lessons, as pupils cannot wait to get started.

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Commentary

Pupils of different ages and backgrounds get on very well together, whether at work or play. Pupils’ spiritual awareness is good because the school teaches tolerance and respect for others’ feelings. Adults give a very good example for pupils to follow.

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Commentary

8. The school provides very well for pupils’ moral development and so pupils’ behaviour is very good. They are guided very well by teaching that helps them to see why rules are needed and involves them in devising rules to help the school operate smoothly. There are several pupils whose behaviour is challenging and they are very well supported, often with individual targets to aim for. Bullying is rare. The school has a good anti-bullying policy that makes clear that it will not be tolerated. Parents and pupils have indicated that these procedures are effective. Pupils are very willing to help others and to take on responsibility. The school council representatives seek classmates’ views about what needs to improve and current initiatives include keeping cloakrooms tidy. At their last meeting pupils suggested that they might design posters with reminders to put hats and gloves in coat sleeves so that these do not get lost. Pupils’ cultural

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Commentary

development is satisfactory, but stronger in their understanding of their own cultural traditions than those of different cultures represented in wider society. Although pupils learn about different religious beliefs and practices, some opportunities are missed in other areas, such as art and design, to enhance pupils’ understanding of different cultures.

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Attendance

The level of attendance is good. The school contacts parents where pupils’ attendance is a cause for concern. Most pupils are punctual but a significant minority of pupils frequently arrive late in spite of the school’s best efforts to improve punctuality.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.0 School data 0.4 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

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 211 0 0 White – any other White background 4 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 1 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 4 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 3 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 13

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided for pupils is very good . Pupils’ very effective learning is supported by a high quality curriculum, very good teaching and the level of care shown by the staff for pupils’ well-being.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are very good . Assessment is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers have a very good understanding of how to motivate pupils to learn. • The basic skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT are very well taught and used across all subjects. • Teaching for pupils with special educational needs is very effective. • Teaching challenges the higher attaining pupils very well. • The assessment of what lower attainers in mathematics can do is not always used effectively to plan their next steps.

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Commentary

9. Teaching is very good and shows good improvement since the last inspection because of the school’s careful checks on what works well and what needs to improve and the steps it has put in place to improve pupils’ learning. The consistently high expectations of hard work and good behaviour throughout the school result in a calm atmosphere. The vibrant curriculum underpins interesting lessons and so pupils want to learn. The teaching for the youngest children sets the pattern for this. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes soon learn that they will be praised and rewarded if they work hard and try their best, and they do so because they want to please the adults. Children confidently try out their ideas and talk about what they are doing because they know adults will listen to them and give help when needed. The basic skills are very well taught and children’s self-esteem grows as they meet success; as a result, children

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Commentary

start in Year 1 with above average skills and their teachers quickly start to build skills further.

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Commentary

10. Classrooms are very lively and stimulating, with lots to read or explore, including pupils’ work and photographs of them working. Teachers throughout the school have a very good knowledge of their subjects and how to plan lessons that interest pupils because they make connections between subjects and have exciting activities that pupils want to get involved in. The pupils catch the teachers’ enthusiasm for books, and the clear speech used by adults is reflected in pupils’ accurate pronunciation that helps them when they spell words. Pupils’ skills in literacy and language, numeracy and ICT are used as everyday tools to support learning in other subjects. Pupils understand and enjoy what they are doing because it makes sense to them in the way the work links together. Classroom assistants know what to do when they support different groups because they plan closely with teachers and have benefited from good

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Commentary

training to enhance their skills. Homework is very well organised so that it builds on what pupils have learned during the day.

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Commentary

11. Teaching meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs very effectively. This is because pupils get what they need to improve areas of weakness, such as moderating their behaviour or improving basic skills in reading and writing. The programmes of work set out small steps that lead to pupils meeting targets because these are achievable. This builds pupils’ confidence as they can see how they are progressing. Teaching for pupils who are learning English as an additional language is equally effective and results in very good progress.

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Commentary

12. There are very good systems for checking how well pupils are doing in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers and classroom assistants look back on how well groups have learned James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 14 over lessons and whether progress for any groups needs supporting. As a result, the next work is adapted to meet different needs. The more able pupils are very well catered for because a high level of challenge is built into lessons, based on the effective use of information gained from assessments. However, there are few occasions when teaching less closely meets the needs of some lower attaining pupils in mathematics. This is because the assessments of what pupils can do are not used as precisely as in other areas such as reading and writing to plan work that builds securely on what these pupils can already do. In addition, there is some marking of work in mathematics for these pupils that is too vague to be helpful to them.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 29 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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The curriculum

The curriculum is very good , and all pupils are fully included. There is very good enrichment through thoughtful planning. The school’s staffing, accommodation and resources are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum for the Nursery and Reception children lays a solid foundation for future learning. • The connections between subjects and the very good planning exploit links for learning and bring the curriculum alive. • The accommodation is bright, stimulating and spacious, and resources are of good quality and well used. • Each class has a teaching assistant who works closely with the teacher to support pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

13. The school provides everything that it should and the curriculum is very well managed so that pupils’ learning benefits from what is offered. There has been very good improvement since the last inspection. The curriculum is now very good, with particular improvement seen in the quality of planning in the Foundation Stage. A very firm foundation for children’s learning is laid here, with a good balance of adult-led activities and opportunities for play that enable children to learn through exploring their own ideas. All areas of learning are well represented in both the Nursery and Reception classes and the curriculum builds smoothly from one to another and into Year 1.

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Commentary

14. In all parts of the school there is a particular emphasis on developing pupils’ creativity. The connections between subjects are very well made so that pupils see that what they have learned is useful in other contexts. For instance, in a dance lesson in Year 1, pupils made links to their prior learning in literacy as the teacher read the poem ‘Wet’. Pupils listened carefully and used their thinking skills well to make a decision about how they were going to interpret the mood of the poem through dance. Links to music were very effective, as pupils listened to the glockenspiel, and the ensuing discussion about the quality of sound further helped them to make their decisions. Teachers take opportunities to include aspects of literacy and numeracy in virtually all lessons. This means that pupils learn to express themselves correctly using appropriate terms and styles. Counting and calculating, as well as estimating and measuring,

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Commentary

feature prominently in lessons so that pupils develop their basic skills well. Pupils achieve very well as a result of these carefully planned links. James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 15 15. The curriculum meets the needs of different groups of pupils very well in almost all respects. The needs of the more able pupils are catered for very effectively through adaptations to planning. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good and firmly based on the assessment of their needs. These pupils make very good progress towards the targets set for them because of closely focused teaching. Teaching assistants are very well trained and involved in planning so that they know how to support pupils’ learning very effectively in lessons.

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Commentary

16. The school provides pupils with many opportunities to enhance their experiences through visits. These include visits to museums where pupils can handle and explore artefacts. Visits to country parks and professional performances of music from different cultures help to widen pupils’ learning experiences. Visitors also enhance pupils’ learning, as when Reception children learned about how people change over time through a visit by a family that included four generations from a baby to great-grandmother. In addition to this, the school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities, which include sports coaching during holidays, and after school and in-school workshops. Pupils say that they enjoy taking part in these activities outside normal lessons.

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Commentary

17. The staff are well trained and the support staff play a full part in promoting pupils’ learning. All subjects have a good range of resources and this enables pupils to enhance and enrich their learning. The library is well stocked and pupils know how to use it. ICT is used very well to enhance all subjects in the curriculum and the laptop computers provide a good level of flexibility so that pupils have access in classrooms to computers when they need them. Pupils have plenty of room for practical activities in the spacious teaching areas and the outdoor play area for the Foundation Stage is very well equipped and used imaginatively.

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Care, guidance and support

The school takes very good action to ensure pupils’ safety and well-being. It provides them with very good support, advice and guidance. The school is good at seeking pupils’ views and acting on them.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The relationships between adults and pupils are very good and so pupils feel secure and grow in confidence. • There are good procedures for helping children settle into the school. • Good procedures for health and safety and child protection mean that pupils learn in a safe environment.

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Commentary

18. This is a caring school that works effectively to provide a safe and secure environment so that pupils feel happy, and can learn and develop. The school’s lively atmosphere is complemented by very well established routines that pupils know well and keep to. Pupils’ well-being is promoted through good attention to matters of health and safety and child protection. Adults are vigilant and safety is stressed in practical sessions, for example when pupils use tools and in physical education lessons. Staff know the pupils well and the warm and supportive relationships mean that pupils readily turn to adults if they need help or experience problems because they know that adults will listen to them. These very good relationships were well demonstrated when Reception children entered the dining room one day and the mid-day supervisors remembered two children who were celebrating their birthdays and were rewarded

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Commentary

by smiles from the whole class as greetings were called out. Pupils say that they enjoy school and know that the staff will help them.

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Commentary

19. The school helps children to enjoy learning and feel comfortable right from the start. There are good procedures to help children settle in when they start in the Nursery and when they move James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 16 to the Reception classes. Visits are made to the school so that children can meet their teachers and this eases the transfer and helps to build children’s confidence. Parents are given plenty of information and guidance about how they can help to prepare their children for school life.

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Commentary

20. The school is good at finding out what pupils think about school life and what can be improved. This happens in classrooms, through discussions with adults and the representatives of the school council seeking classmates’ views. The school values pupils’ views and where practicable takes these views into consideration when reviewing policies and procedures. This has led to the pupils deciding how to improve behaviour in the dining room and meeting with the senior mid-day supervisor to talk about their ideas. As a result, mid-day supervisors give a weekly award to the best behaved member of each class.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has developed a good partnership with parents and with the local community. There are good links with other schools and colleges.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents have very positive views of the school and what it provides for their children. • The school provides very good information to parents about how they can support their children’s learning at home. • Pupils’ reports do not always say what they need to do to improve. • Although staff are readily accessible on a daily basis, the school does not seek parents’ views in any formal way.

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Commentary

21. Parents have very positive views of the school. In particular, they are pleased with the quality of teaching, that their children are expected to work hard and with the way in which the school helps children to become more independent. They are also pleased with the wide range of activities provided by the school. Parents appreciate that teachers are very willing to sort out any difficulties through informal conversations before or after school. Evidence from the inspection confirms these positive views. However, a significant minority of parents indicated that they wanted more individual meetings with teachers to discuss their children’s progress and that there was no formal way in which the school seeks their views. Inspectors consider the school’s consultation arrangements are satisfactory, but there is scope to improve these. The school’s procedures for seeking parents’ views of the school are very informal and so

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Commentary

parents who do not have daily contact with the school have little opportunity to influence or inform the formulation of school policies and procedures.

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Commentary

22. Overall, the quality of information given to parents is good. The school’s brochure and the governors’ annual report for parents provide a wide range of information about the school and its activities and meet statutory requirements. Pupils’ annual reports are satisfactory; they provide a clear indication of standards and achievement, but they do not always identify areas for further development or indicate ways to improve. Parents' involvement in their children’s learning is very good. A significant number of parents help in the school, listening to pupils read, assisting in classrooms and accompanying pupils on educational visits. There is very good information given to parents about how to help at home and become involved in children’s learning. Homework is well organised and the diary that passes between home and school is very well used by both teachers and parents to keep up valuable communication that helps

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Commentary

children’s progress. There are very good arrangements to involve parents of pupils with special educational needs in the review of their child’s progress.

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Commentary

23. The school uses its locality well to make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. For example, visits to the local church and museum, as well as fieldwork in the local area in geography, help James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 17 further pupils’ understanding of their community. The school took a very active part in the community ‘Harvest for the Hungry’ initiative last year and was a collection point for harvest boxes. The school’s links with other schools are good. Strong links have been established with the local cluster of schools that have supported teachers in developing the curriculum for ICT and art and design. There is effective liaison with staff at the junior school and pupils visit to meet their new teacher and experience a range of lessons.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are very good . The headteacher’s leadership is very good . The governance of the school is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school’s aims are very well translated into its everyday work because of the headteacher’s clear vision for the school. • There is a very effective focus on promoting high achievement by looking at what needs to improve. • The staff form a strong team who have benefited from well-organised professional development and effective systems to support school improvement.

p.17

Commentary

24. There has been very good improvement in the way in which the school’s planning for improvement has evolved and is shared with all staff and governors. The headteacher provides a very good lead for the school. The commitment by the staff to plan a rich curriculum that supports the very good teaching of basic skills and high achievement, while celebrating pupils’ creativity and individuality, reflects the headteacher’s clear vision for the school. This is very well reflected in the school’s daily life; classrooms are orderly, but stimulating, and pupils are excited about learning because of warm encouragement. The school’s leadership and management put an effective emphasis on including all pupils in what the school offers.

p.17

Commentary

25. The school’s management is very good at looking at what is happening and pulling out points that lead to success and sharing these amongst staff, or pinpointing areas that need to improve and setting about resolving difficulties. This is done through looking at pupils’ performance in tests, tracking pupils’ progress over time and checking on teaching and learning in classrooms. Effective action has led to an improvement in boys’ achievement in reading and to better progress for the more able pupils in mathematics. It also means that the school has the right priorities for the future: working to improve the progress of some lower attainers in mathematics.

p.17

Commentary

26. There is a very good climate of teamwork and self-evaluation in the school that means that staff are comfortable to look at their own practice and improve it. Key staff support the school’s work very effectively. The management of subjects, the Foundation Stage and provision for pupils with special educational needs is very effective and reflected in pupils’ very good achievement. The school has been without a deputy head for nearly a year, because of long-term illness, but the staff have shouldered extra responsibilities very effectively. Teachers’ professional development is very well managed, as is that of teaching assistants. All staff, for example, have benefited from training in ICT and this shows in their high level of confidence with technology.

p.17

Commentary

27. The governance of the school is good. All statutory requirements are met through the governors’ work and they know the school’s priorities and how these have come about. Governors are linked to classes, visit to find out what is happening and write reports about their findings. There is very good support for the school’s financial planning by governors, who consider several options before allocating funds to particular areas. They are good at seeking assurances that good value is emanating from what is spent. The governors have kept a close James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 18 eye, for example, on the benefit to pupils’ achievement from the school’s investment in extra teaching assistants. Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.17

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 559437 Balance from previous year 1679 Total expenditure 556913 Balance carried forward to the next 2524 Expenditure per pupil 2264 James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 19

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The provision for children’s learning in the Foundation Stage has improved since the last inspection and is now very good. Very good management has created a very effective teaching team. Children enter the Nursery with average knowledge and skills for their age although the speaking skills of some are better than expected. Achievement is high and all children make very good progress. Most children attain beyond the early learning goals in all areas of learning by the end of the Reception year.

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Teaching is very good; children are made to feel comfortable and secure and their learning is made enjoyable and fun. Teachers plan a good mixture of activities. For example, children are brought together as a class or a group with a teacher and taught specific skills and given independent tasks where children make choices about what they are going to do and put their skills into practice. Assessment is very good and is used well to identify children’s needs and for tracking their progress.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Relationships between adults and children are very good. • Teachers encourage children to be independent. • Children grow in confidence and work and play together well.

p.19

Commentary

28. Children achieve very well because of the established routines, very good teaching and clear expectations of staff. They rapidly gain in confidence and feel comfortable in expressing their ideas and feelings. Children know that they must listen when someone is speaking. The adults are very good role models, listening closely to what the children have to say and showing that their contributions are valued. Children know and respect the classroom rules and behave well. As they work and play together, children acquire a wide range of skills and begin to take responsibility for their own actions. They develop initiative and independence in selecting resources, tidying away and making choices in their work. Most children are on track to exceed the goals set for them in this area of learning by the time they start Year 1.

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision for communication, language and literacy is very good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Language skills are developed in exciting ways so that children gain a very good breadth of language to use in different situations. • Taking part in imaginary play enables children to develop their conversation skills very well. Writing skills are developed very effectively through play. James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 20

p.19

Commentary

29. Some children enter the Nursery with good speaking skills and as a result of effective teaching, they are soon able to concentrate and listen for considerable periods of time. They begin to respond readily to adults’ questions and take part in discussions. By the end of the Reception year many children have sufficient confidence to speak clearly in front of a large audience when, for example, leading an assembly for the whole school. Teaching and learning are very good. Most children will go beyond the goals set for their age by the end of the Reception year. Achievement is very good because teaching puts great emphasis on children speaking clearly, recognising the names and sounds of letters and enabling children to read and write independently. Children read and write in their play activities and often send messages to their friends or make cards for their families. As a result, by the end of the Reception year, most

p.20

Commentary

children can write simple sentences without help. There is a good range of books available for children to enjoy and share with each other and adults. They talk about how the characters in the stories are feeling and are keen to know what happens next. Consequently, children learn to enjoy books and handle them with care.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for mathematical development is very good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers provide a wide range of activities to develop and strengthen children’s knowledge of number and shape. • Children are developing a good awareness of pattern. • Children quickly learn to use correct mathematical vocabulary.

p.20

Commentary

30. Teaching and learning are very good and so children make rapid progress. Achievement is very good. Most children will exceed the goals set for them by the end of the Reception year. Teachers develop children’s understanding of number and shape through carefully planned practical activities often linked to other areas of learning. For example, children in a Reception class compared the sizes of ‘The Three Bears’ when listening to and acting out this familiar story. Children count objects and write numbers regularly and Reception children add and subtract small numbers and record their work. They talk about, recognise and recreate simple patterns and often use this knowledge in their drawings and paintings. Teachers use every opportunity to reinforce mathematics and mathematical language. They do this through stories, songs, games and imaginative play. Teachers make good use of computers to promote

p.20

Commentary

children’s mathematical development. Children enjoy counting and identify numbers using familiar programs and this helps them make good progress in recognising and eventually combining numbers.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

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

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children have a very good understanding of how things change and grow. • Teachers use resources in an exciting and imaginative way. • ICT is used well to support children’s learning. James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 21

p.20

Commentary

31. Children quickly widen their knowledge and understanding of the world because of very good teaching and learning through first-hand experiences. As a result, they achieve very well and exceed the expectations for their age by the start of Year 1. They are encouraged to talk about themselves and their families and display photographs in the classroom that they bring from home. Teachers plan exciting experiences for the children. For example, the children were able to meet and talk to four generations of the same family and in so doing greatly enhanced their understanding of the passage of time and of how things change. Computers are readily available and used regularly by the children, and their keyboard skills and mouse control develop well through frequent practice.

p.21

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for physical development is very good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children acquire the skills needed for writing, painting and using small tools correctly. • Children make larger movements with confidence and control.

p.21

Commentary

32. Children’s achievement in the use of small tools is good. They use skills appropriately when they paint, join objects together and cut shapes from paper. By using pencils and crayons regularly children improve their ability to form letters and numerals. Teaching is very good. Adults do not intervene too quickly when children have difficulty in manipulating materials but guide them to practise their skills and enhance their learning. In the hall, Reception children use space well and move confidently and with assurance on large apparatus. They find inventive ways of travelling across apparatus using different parts of the body. Children are beginning to understand that they can use what they have learned from watching others to improve their own performance. When using large apparatus in the outdoor play area, children find imaginative ways of exploring space. Very good teaching ensures that children build effectively

p.21

Commentary

on skills already learnt and ensures very good achievement. Most children do better than expected by the start of Year 1.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision for creative development is very good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children have very good observational skills. • There are very good opportunities for imaginative play where children act out parts.

p.21

Commentary

33. Teaching and learning are very good and teachers put a great deal of emphasis on developing children’s individual creativity. Most children exceed the expectations for their age by the time they start in Year 1 and achieve very well. Children enjoy a wide range of art and design activities, such as painting, collage and working with clay and they are encouraged to use their own ideas. In the Nursery, for example, children chose which recycled materials would best suit their designs for helmets and body armour for Robin Hood. Teachers expect children to look very carefully at anything they are trying to draw. For example, children in the Reception year used their observational skills very effectively to draw and paint their teddy bears. They engage in imaginative play in which they take on different roles and their play is sustained by good quality props and costumes. These activities are planned well and adults are skilled at

p.21

Commentary

James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 22 stepping in at just the right moment to extend children’s ideas and spoken language. Children join in enthusiastically with traditional rhymes and songs with actions; they enjoy listening to music and respond well to the different moods it creates.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The basic skills are taught very effectively and in interesting ways. • There is very challenging work for pupils of all abilities. • Skills in literacy and language are very well used in other lessons. • The subject is very well managed so that standards reflect high expectations.

p.22

Commentary

34. Pupils are achieving very well in English. Standards in the current Year 2 (in which the pupils represent an unusually low attaining year group for the school) in reading and writing, speaking and listening are above average. This is similar to those at the time of the last inspection. Standards were higher last year and there is every indication that standards will return to a well above average level with the present Year 1 pupils. Pupils of all abilities and those who are learning English as additional language do very well in all aspects of English; they learn the basic skills very thoroughly through skilful teaching that combines high expectations with activities that are fun. The pupils’ very good achievement is underpinned by the very effective leadership and management of the subject by the co-ordinator, who keeps a close check on the consistency of teachers’ expectations, what is happening on the ground and results in tests

p.22

Commentary

and trends over time. This gives the co-ordinator a clear view of what is working well and what needs to improve. In this way, boys’ slower rate of progress was spotted and resolved through well-planned strategies and improved resources.

p.22

Commentary

35. Teaching and learning are very good because putting basic skills into practice becomes a habit that teachers insist on and praise. This is very well demonstrated by the approach to handwriting. Short sessions, in which the basic skills are thoroughly taught, ensure that pupils learn to form letters correctly and achieve a neat, joined style by the time they leave. Teachers expect pupils to use these skills whenever they write, in whatever lesson, and so pupils invariably do. Likewise, skills in spelling and reading are supported through very good teaching and well-organised homework, as well as through teachers’ insistence on clear pronunciation so that pupils can hear the sounds made by letters. In a Year 1 lesson, for example, the teacher reminded the pupils that “Every time your mouth changes shape, there is a new phoneme”, and they happily and accurately worked out the different sounds through playing a game together.

p.22

Commentary

Teaching assistants provide very good support for pupils’ learning. In a Year 1 group, for example, lower attaining pupils’ understanding of the different ways in which a sound could be represented by different letters was considerably enhanced by very effective support from a teaching assistant.

p.22

Commentary

36. Pupils in Year 2 are very proficient at finding their way around text by looking at the contents page, chapter headings, sub-headings and captions. They used these terms to describe what they were doing when they were looking at an information book about flight at the start of a literacy session. They talk about their ideas together, often as ‘talking partners’, where pupils turn to friends to try out their ideas, before they write. This means that they know what they want to say and they set off confidently because they know they have the skills. The checks that teachers make in both Years 1 and 2 on how pupils are doing are used very well to plan future work for pupils of all abilities and set targets for them to aim for. James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 23

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

Pupils use their skills very competently in other subjects because teaching is very alert to opportunities when skills can be used to best advantage. Using and extending skills in speaking and listening form a prominent part of all lessons. Pupils write confidently in different styles in science, history and religious education. Year 2 pupils wrote a letter from a soldier to Mary Seacole in a religious education lesson, for example, to thank her for what she had done. Pupils’ good skills in reading are used to good effect throughout the day, whether in reading instructions from worksheets or researching information from books.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a strong and effective emphasis on investigation and number. • There is some inspirational teaching that enthuses pupils so that they want to learn. • Pupils use their skills very well in other subjects. • Teaching for lower attaining pupils does not always build securely on what they already know and marking does not always help them to improve.

p.23

Commentary

37. Raising standards in mathematics has been a priority for the school and standards rose last year due to the school’s concerted effort to improve teaching and learning, particularly in increasing the level of challenge for more able pupils and improving the teaching of problem solving for all abilities. The school’s initiatives have been successful and even though this Year 2 group has a smaller proportion of more able pupils, standards are still above average. Pupils’ achievement is good overall. Higher attaining and average pupils achieve very well, but while the achievement of the lower attaining pupils is sound, progress is slower for some of these pupils because the quality of teachers’ planning does not always meet their needs as effectively as for other groups.

p.23

Commentary

38. Teaching is good and has a number of strong features. Pupils develop a good facility with number because of the precise teaching of basic skills. Teaching makes learning fun through lively sessions when pupils use their mental mathematics to give quick responses. Investigational work features prominently in lessons, so that pupils can put their skills into practice. Teachers’ subject knowledge is very secure and they gain pupils’ interest through thoughtfully planned activities. In a Year 1 class, for example, to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of solid and flat shapes, the teacher provided an excellent range of different resources so that they could investigate how to make and describe shapes. Pertinent questions helped pupils think about what they were doing and very good discussion of their responses developed their reasoning. The teacher, together with the teaching assistant, maintained a very good balance between intervention and independence by giving closer

p.23

Commentary

support to lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs and challenging those of higher ability. This excellent teaching fully engaged pupils so that they were very keen to learn.

p.23

Commentary

39. Assessments are mainly used well to set challenging targets for each class to achieve. Target groups, when pupils are grouped by ability for one session per week, are established on the basis of assessments and the precise teaching for the more able and average pupils is helping to drive up standards. While most assessment is good and well used to pitch work at the right level, this is not always the case for lower attaining pupils. Work is not always planned to build securely on what pupils’ already know and understand. In one lesson, for example, a group of lower attaining Year 2 pupils struggled in one part of a lesson to work out the change from £10 after deducting the total cost of two items bought from a shop in the classroom. This was James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 24 because they did not have the skills to perform the sum and some also had difficulties in recording. Teachers’ marking is often good but some does not always help lower attaining

p.23

Commentary

pupils to understand how they can improve.

p.24

Commentary

40. The subject is very well managed and organised. The co-ordinator leads by example and has ensured that standards have risen through effective planning and checks on provision. She has a very clear vision of what is required to raise standards further and has pinpointed what needs to be done to improve the progress of the lower attainers.

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

Pupils use mathematics very competently to support learning in other subjects. This is because teaching takes every opportunity to reinforce pupils’ knowledge of mathematics and ensure that pupils use their skills. In all subjects, there is a very good emphasis on pupils using relevant mathematical techniques and calculations, whether through work on shape in art or in measuring in design and technology and science, for example when making kites.

p.24

SCIENCE

The provision for science is very good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils acquire a good range of enquiry skills and build a broad base of knowledge in all aspects of the subject. • Teachers plan very good links with other subjects. • Pupils decide how to record their findings in their own way. • The right things are being worked on to improve standards further.

p.24

Commentary

41. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Standards in the current Year 2 are above those expected for pupils aged seven. From a lower than average starting point, these pupils have made very good progress and their achievement is high. This is a result of strong leadership and management of the subject that ensure a broad curriculum and high expectations in teaching.

p.24

Commentary

42. Teaching and learning are very good. Topics are covered in good depth and are woven into other aspects of pupils’ work so that their learning is very secure. Work about forces, for example, is reinforced through activities in physical education, as pupils identify whether they are using pushes or pulls to move across apparatus. Teachers provide pupils with many opportunities for practical exploration in lessons, reflecting the school’s current focus on further improving pupils’ investigational skills. Activities are well planned and structured so that pupils build their knowledge, understanding and skills at a very good rate. This approach has a very positive effect on pupils’ attitudes to science, which further enhances their performance. Pupils are highly motivated, work hard and show their enthusiasm for learning new things. Pupils’ scientific thinking develops well. This is evident in Year 2 pupils’ work on how and why things rot

p.24

Commentary

and decay, where pupils recorded their predictions and gave reasons why they thought things would happen, drawing on their prior knowledge and observations. Pupils’ written work is well presented, with a good balance between the use of worksheets and pupils deciding how to record their work in their own way. The good literacy and numeracy skills that many pupils develop are used well in science. Pupils write up investigations carefully and include detailed drawings that are labelled accurately.

p.24

Commentary

43. Teachers stress the correct use of scientific terms when pupils talk about their ideas. A good example of this occurred when pupils exploring the best materials to use to make a kite were asked to predict which material would be the most efficient and discuss their ideas with a James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 25 partner. The quality of adults’ questioning is usually good and stretches pupils’ thinking although occasionally adults ask ‘what’ questions but do not follow these up with ‘why’, and therefore opportunities to extend pupils’ thinking skills are missed.

p.24

Commentary

44. The leadership and management of the subject are very good. The co-ordinator has only recently taken over the role but has inherited a strong position and has already checked provision across the school and identified areas for development. The present emphasis in teaching on developing pupils’ investigative skills is having the desired effect and more staff training in this area is planned.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision for information and communication technology (ICT) is very good .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils make very good progress, gaining a good range of skills that are above average by the time they reach the end of Year 2. • The teaching is very good because adults are confident with the equipment and plan so that pupils use computers as everyday tools. • Very effective management ensures that standards and learning are checked and that resources are used efficiently.

p.25

Commentary

45. By the time they leave the school, standards in ICT are better than expected for pupils’ ages. Standards are better than at the time of the last inspection because pupils’ breadth of experience is wider. There has been good improvement. Teaching is very good and so pupils learn at a fast rate and they achieve very well. The school’s provision is very well led and managed by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic co-ordinator who leads by example and also checks on what is happening in other classrooms rigorously. Very effective training for all staff means that they use computers confidently.

p.25

Commentary

46. Teaching supports pupils’ learning sensitively; there is a fine balance of teaching direct skills and allowing pupils to find out for themselves. Pupils use computers confidently because their basic keyboard and mouse skills are good. The introduction of laptop computers has meant that pupils have easier access to ICT when and where they need it to support their learning. Year 2 pupils know how to start up and close down the laptop computers and print and save their work. They have experimented in combining text with pictures taken with the digital camera, as when they photographed areas in the locality where it is not safe to cross the road and wrote reasons why this was so. Pupils develop good skills in giving logical instructions to make things happen and they know what to try if things go wrong. This was evident in a session when a group of Year 1 pupils were using a painting program and were set the challenge of

p.25

Commentary

finding the shortcut to flood an area with colour. Pupils knew how to use the ‘undo’ and ‘redo’ functions from the toolbar. They willingly helped each other and what characterised pupils’ learning in this session was their increasing capacity to select the best methods to achieve what they wanted and also the way in which they worked with sustained concentration. This very good learning is reflected when pupils talk about their work. They can explain what they have done because they have been taught the basic skills very well and given the freedom to use these in relevant work.

p.25

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

Pupils use the skills that they have very effectively to support their learning in other subjects such as art and design, geography, history and science. This is because teachers pinpoint opportunities when skills can be put to relevant use. As a result, pupils see the sense of what they are learning to James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 26 do on the computers, for example when researching about the rainforest on the Internet to support their learning about different habitats in science.

p.25

HUMANITIES

No lessons were seen in geography and so the subject was sampled. There was insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement about the quality of provision. However, from their previous work in geography, and discussions with them, it is evident that the pupils’ understanding of the local area and how life is different in some other countries because of different climates is secure.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils develop a good sense of chronology. • There are very good links with other subjects that make pupils’ learning come alive. • Teaching stresses pupils’ thinking about why things happened.

p.26

Commentary

47. Standards are above average and pupils achieve very well in history because of imaginative teaching that fires pupils’ imagination and makes them want to find out more. This is similar to the picture at the last inspection. The subject is very effectively managed so that it has a prominent part in the curriculum and enthuses pupils to learn.

p.26

Commentary

48. Work in history is skilfully woven into topics that exploit pupils’ learning across the whole range of subjects. Teaching and learning are very good because of the emphasis on pupils questioning why things happened in the past and trying to find out the answers for themselves. Teaching about flight uses pupils’ knowledge and skills in literacy, science, design and technology and mathematics. Year 2 pupils, for example, have researched information about the history of flight from library books and the Internet. In one lesson, through their research and the teacher’s careful questioning to explore their thinking, pupils identified that the most important factor in flight that was developed over time was speed. Their sense of chronology is good and they can explain how changes were brought about over time. They know that the Montgolfier brothers’ balloon preceded the early gliders and that the Wright brothers were the

p.26

Commentary

first to attach a rudder to enable the aeroplane to turn. When a pupil volunteered that this happened in 1903, the teacher asked how many years ago that was and most quickly worked out the answer.

p.26

Commentary

49. Teachers are not afraid to tackle challenging and difficult issues. In a Year 2 lesson, for example, the teacher asked pupils to think about reasons why soldiers often said unkind things to Mary Seacole when they first met her. After careful deliberation, the pupils volunteered that the soldiers probably did not expect a woman to nurse them, because that was the response that Florence Nightingale met with. Pupils also suggested that Mary Seacole met with opposition because she was black. Very good links were made to religious education in this lesson, as pupils considered why Mary had chosen to follow this particular vocation.

p.26

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Provision in religious education is very good .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching makes very good use of pupils’ own experiences and thoughts. • There are very effective links with other subjects. James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 27 • Pupils have visited only Christian places of worship. James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 28

p.26

Commentary

50. Pupils achieve very well and reach standards beyond those expected for their age. There has been good improvement in teaching since the last inspection and standards have been maintained. The subject is well managed, with a firm emphasis on maintaining a broad and interesting curriculum.

p.28

Commentary

51. Teaching is very good because it makes use of pupils’ own experience to help their learning and probes their thinking about important issues that affect their lives. This was demonstrated well in a Year 1 lesson when pupils thought about the significance of friendships and how friends affected them. Pupils came up with lots of ideas, such as friends “cheer you up”, “help you”, “play with you”, and moved on to think of reasons why it was surprising that it was a stranger who helped someone in the story of ‘The Good Samaritan’. In another lesson, Year 2 pupils talked about people who do God’s work and explained what Mother Theresa, Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole had done to help others. Pupils in Year 2 are encouraged to think of why people follow particular paths in life and have written a character profile of Grace Darling showing they understood the traits that prompted her to act unselfishly. There are often good

p.28

Commentary

links made to literacy and history in this way. Pupils in Year 2 have a good understanding of how festivals are characteristic of more than one religion and explain that Hanukkah is a Jewish festival of light and that it celebrates a “miracle that happened a very long time ago”. Pupils also know about Diwali and have made divas from clay. Pupils visit local churches but do not have the opportunity to visit places of worship for other religions in order to learn from first-hand experience.

p.28

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

No class lessons were seen in either design and technology or music . There was insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement about provision in these subjects. However, Year 1 and 2 pupils were heard singing in assemblies and did so with a good sense of rhythm and clear diction. Pupils sing tunefully and start and finish pieces together. All Year 2 pupils are taught to play the recorder and they performed very well for the rest of the school in one assembly. Pupils played confidently and accurately, showing obvious pride in their achievements. Work in design and technology is often planned as part of wider topics, such as history, so Year 1 pupils have made puppets from simple materials after looking at toys from the past that were made of wood. Year 2 pupils have designed and made good quality kites as part of their work on flight in science.

p.28

ART AND DESIGN

Provision for art and design is very good .

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ observational skills develop very well because of very good teaching. • Techniques are well taught and mastered and pupils express their ideas very individually. • The high quality work on display stimulates pupils’ interest and creates a sense of pride in their achievement. • There are some missed opportunities to explore art from different cultures.

p.28

Commentary

52. There has been very good improvement since the last inspection. Standards are well above average and pupils’ achievement is very good. This is because they are taught the importance of looking carefully so that they can capture the shape and detail of what they see. Pupils’ ability to observe carefully is very well demonstrated in the drawings of a model sailboat by Year 2 pupils. These drawings show the curve of the hull and sweep of the sails very effectively. Pupils learn a very good range of techniques and understand the importance of controlling the media. In Year 1, for example, pupils explain that they use a small sponge to wipe excess paint from James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 29 the brush before applying it to paper. They are taught to mix colours carefully and produce some very subtle shades.

p.28

Commentary

53. Teaching and learning are very good. The work of a good range of artists from different times and cultures is used as a stimulus for pupils’ ideas, as well as objects. Pupils talk about their work knowledgeably because teachers encourage them to think about what they are doing and decide how to set about it. In a Year 2 lesson, for example, pupils decided what type of landscape they were going to produce as a background and the order in which they were going to paint the composition so that images in the foreground were painted last. Pupils choose from a good range of brushes to suit the scale of their work. They are critical of what they have done and know how to improve it. Although pupils have some appreciation of art from different cultures, this is not planned into their work over the year as tightly as it might be to ensure that more opportunities are grasped to broaden pupils’ understanding.

p.29

Commentary

54. The effectiveness of the very good leadership and management of the subject is reflected in the consistency of teaching throughout the school and the pupils’ level of enjoyment in rising to the high expectations of staff. Much work goes into ensuring that pupils’ work is carefully displayed. This raises pupils’ interest and self-esteem as well as enhancing the school’s environment.

p.29

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Provision for physical education is very good .

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is confident and supports good standards of performance by pupils. • Pupils have very good attitudes to their learning and try hard to improve.

p.29

Commentary

55. Standards in physical education are above average by the end of Year 2. The very good management of the subject has resulted in an enriched curriculum through good links with other subjects and an improvement in standards since the last inspection. The school provides coaching in a range of sports after school and there is also a scheme that runs during the holidays. These activities are popular with the pupils.

p.29

Commentary

56. Teaching was seen in gymnastics in Years 1 and 2 and dance in Year 1. The school provides the full curriculum and other aspects are taught at different times of the year. Teaching and learning are very good and pupils achieve very well. Teachers have a very good understanding of the subject. They have very high expectations of the pupils’ performance. Pupils show good control during lessons and try hard to improve. Lessons are exciting because they are linked to other subjects of the curriculum. For example, in a dance lesson, the teacher used a poem as a stimulus and this stirred pupils’ imagination so that they were full of ideas about how to create a sequence of movements and a mime of moving in the rain. The very good use of music enhanced the lesson by sharpening children’s understanding of how different instruments evoke moods or movements. Pupils show good control over their movements in gymnastics.

p.29

Commentary

They strive to create interesting body shapes or to stretch and balance with more precision. James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 30

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

No lessons that dealt specifically with personal, social and health education and citizenship were seen but these aspects are very well integrated into teaching in other subjects and so it is evident that provision is very good. Much of the teaching in classrooms for all age groups is aimed at promoting pupils’ understanding of the importance of getting on with different people, helping each other and thinking about what they are doing. The school’s success is seen in pupils’ very positive attitudes to their school community and the pride they take when rewarded for their contribution to it, because of effort or achievement in work or behaviour. James Peacock Infant and Nursery School - 31

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 2 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 2 Value for money provided by the school 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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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).

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