Westdale Infant and Nursery

WESTDALE INFANTS SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19 th - 21 st January 2004

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WESTDALE INFANTS SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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WESTDALE INFANTS 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. Westdale Infants School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant School category: Community Age range of pupils: 5 - 7 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 141

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Digby Avenue Westdale Lane Mapperley Nottingham Nottinghamshire Postcode: NG3 6ET

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: (0115) 953 1606 Fax number: (0115) 956 8309

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Ann Collin

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 5 th March 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Westdale Infants is situated in the north eastern suburbs of Nottingham. It shares a site with the junior school to which pupils transfer at seven years of age. It is a smaller than average primary school with 141 pupils on roll. The school’s pupil intake is a wide mix. It is a popular school and has a waiting list; 35 per cent of children come from outside the catchment area. The building is sited in a "leafy" avenue but the catchment area is a variable one. The local community is well established and includes both private and local authority housing. Around 12 per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals. There are no pupils who have English as an additional language. Pupils enter school at the start of the term in which they become five. Results of baseline assessment tests indicate that overall pupils’ educational levels on entry to the Reception classes are in line with national averages. However, there are a number of children

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

who start school with below expectations in English. The majority of pupils have experienced some form of pre school education. The percentage of children with special educational needs is around the national average. There are currently no children with statements of special educational need. Westdale Infants School - 2

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

22476 Mrs S Vale Lead inspector Foundation Stage Art and design Design and technology Music Religious education 13450 Mrs J Maddon Lay inspector 2756 Mr M Barron Team inspector Mathematics Science Geography History 26232 Mr C Grove Team inspector English Information and communication technology Physical education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Tribal PPI Barley House Oakfield Grove Clifton Bristol BS8 2BN

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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 637 833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Westdale Infants School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 7 - 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 7 - 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 9 - 13

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is an effective and inclusive school. It provides an innovative and exciting curriculum and a very good quality of education. Standards achieved in reading, writing and mathematics are above national averages. This is because the quality of teaching is good with teaching in the Foundation Stage and some Year 2 lessons of a high standard. The leadership and management by the headteacher are very good and key staff, along with the governing body, support him very well. The school provides good value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Very good leadership and management by the headteacher provides a clear vision and high aspirations for the school. • Very good governance challenges and supports the school. • Teaching is good overall, with particularly good teaching in some lessons in the Foundation Stage and Year 2. • Pupils achieve very well. They make very good progress as they move through the school so that by the age of seven, pupils achieve above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. • Staff work hard to ensure that all children achieve to the best of their ability despite younger children being in school for two terms less than their peers. • High quality assessment across the school helps to raise standards and this results in above national expectations in design and technology, history, and music. • Very good support from teaching assistants ensures that there is good provision for pupils with special educational needs.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Very good provision in Reception when children first start school. • The very positive ethos of the school contributes to the stimulating and innovative learning environment, such as the early morning reading sessions and the club workshops. • There is a limited use of information and communication technology across all subjects in the curriculum.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS CHANGED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has addressed all the key issues identified from the previous inspection and made very good progress since then. The drive to improve standards has been strong and successful, particularly in mathematics. The leadership provided by the headteacher has been central to this process.

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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 B B B writing B A B A mathematics B D A 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. Westdale Infants School - 5 For pupils in the 2003 cohort, achievement is very good. The experienced staff and consistently good teaching have a positive effect on the standards which pupils reach. Children start school in Reception with standards below those normally found in communication and literacy skills. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well and by the age of five, the majority of children meet the goals they are expected to reach in mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world, and creative development. They do not all achieve the early

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

learning goals in communication, language and literacy, nor in personal and social development. They exceed the early learning goals in physical development. By the end of Year 2, standards in reading and writing are above national averages and they are well above what is expected for children of this age in mathematics. Standards in information and communication technology are satisfactory but there is limited opportunity to use this across all areas of the curriculum. Achievement by the age of 7 is very good. This is because children make very good progress during their time in the Foundation Stage and in Year 1 and Year 2. There are very few differences in the achievement of boys and girls. The very detailed school analysis supported by the inspection findings, however, show that there are significant differences in achievement between children born at different times of the year. It is noticeable

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

that the lower-attaining groups of pupils mainly, but not exclusively, consist of children who are born in the summer and who have had two terms less school experience than their peers. The school works hard to support these lower attaining groups and by the end of Year 2, they achieve well.

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Pupil’s personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

Pupils from Reception to Year 2 have very good attitudes to school and they are well behaved. Pupils’ attitudes and personal qualities are very good. The school deals well with a small number of pupils who have more challenging behaviour. Pupils’ attendance and punctuality are satisfactory.

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Pupil’s personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

The school provides a very good quality of education for its children.

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Pupil’s personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

Teaching and learning is good , characterised by the high expectations of staff and the challenging and interesting work which is set. There is consistently high teaching in Reception and some lessons in Year 2; as a consequence, learning is good, and very good progress is made.

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Pupil’s personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

There is a broad, balanced and innovative curriculum which is very good, and a wide and varied breadth of subjects are taught. The club ‘workshops’ held weekly, where children work with other year groups, are an example of the stimulating and innovative curriculum, and have a positive impact on children’s achievement. There is good enrichment of the curriculum through extra-curricular activities, and whole-school visits to places of interest broaden children’s learning. The care, welfare and support of pupils are very good. There is good provision of support for pupils with special educational needs. There are very strong links with parents who value the school highly and there are good links with the community. The early morning reading sessions, where parents are encouraged to stay with their children and listen to them read, show not only the importance which the school puts on the early acquisition of reading but also how it values parental involvement in their

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Westdale Infants School - 6 There is very good leadership and management by the headteacher and he is well supported by other key staff and the knowledgeable and supportive governing body.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The school is very well led and managed by the headteacher. He has a clear vision and high aspirations for the development of the school. Governors are very effective in carrying out their statutory duties and in providing support. They are also innovative in the way they have introduced coffee mornings so that they can listen to parental views. There is strong teamwork amongst other members of staff and they are very supportive of the school.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Both parents and pupils are very happy with, and proud of their school. Parents feel very well informed and welcomed and are particularly pleased with the standards which their children achieve. Pupils really like their school and feel strongly that they do interesting things, and that their teachers care about them.

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The most important things the school should do to improve are:

• Examine ways in which equality of opportunity can be given to all children regardless of the time of year when they are born so that they have equal amounts of time in school. • Increase the use of information and communication technology across all areas of the curriculum. Westdale Infants School - 7

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

Achievement overall is very good. In the Foundation Stage, achievement is very good in all areas of learning. In Years 1 and 2, achievement is also very good. Over the last two years, standards in reading and writing have remained above average. Standards in mathematics have varied but are now back on track. There are few differences in attainment between girls and boys. Standards over time have been high.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievement is very good. • Above average standards are achieved in reading and writing, and well above average are achieved in mathematics. • Above average standards are also achieved across the whole school in design and technology, history, and music. • The stable and experienced staff have a positive effect on attainment. • Children enter the school with standards below those normally found in communication, language and literacy, and yet when they leave school by the age of seven, they leave with well above average standards; this is very good achievement .

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Key Stage 1

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

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Key Stage 1

Standards in: School results National results reading 16.5 (16.8) 15.8 (15.7) writing 15.6 (15.9) 14.4 (14.3) mathematics 17.4 (16.2) 16.5 (16.2) There were 60 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Key Stage 1

1. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well . By the end of Reception, the majority of children are at the level expected in creative development and in knowledge and understanding of the world. They achieve above the expected levels in physical development. Not all children achieve the early learning goals in communication, language and literacy or in personal, social and emotional development. In some cases, this is because they start with lower than average levels of language development but in many cases, it is because they spend a shorter time in Reception than their peers. The school’s detailed analysis of results shows that many of the summer-born children who start school in the summer term are frequently in the lower-attaining groups within the school and, as they move through the year groups, require a lot more time and attention in order to ‘catch up’. This was also noted by inspectors who were very aware that those

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Key Stage 1

pupils, particularly in Year 1, who needed the most support from teachers and teaching assistants, were frequently the youngest in the class. These pupils achieve equally as well as their peers, owing to consistently good teaching and extra support. But their language skills, in particular speaking and listening, and some of their social skills are not as advanced as those pupils who have had two terms more schooling. Westdale Infants School - 8 2. By the end of Year 2 standards are above national averages in reading and writing and well above in mathematics.

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Key Stage 1

3. Achievement from age five to seven is very good. This is due to a number of factors:

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Key Stage 1

• Consistently good teaching, with many teachers having high expectations of what children can achieve. • Experienced and stable staff. • Children are very interested in their work and there is a prevailing ethos throughout the school where learning is valued and considered important. • Teachers analyse results very carefully and implement positive strategies such as small-group work or specific individual help so that all children achieve to the best of their abilities. • Stimulating, interesting and innovative learning environment.

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Key Stage 1

All of the above points make a very positive contribution to the standards, which children reach.

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Key Stage 1

4. In 2003, standards in Year 2 in reading and writing were above national averages. In mathematics, they were well above what is expected for children of their age. When they were compared to similar schools, standards in reading and mathematics were above what is expected and results were well above this in writing.

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Key Stage 1

5. Pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills are good. These high standards, particularly in literacy, have a positive effect on pupils’ attainment in other subjects in the curriculum. This is reflected in the fact that standards in history are above national expectations. Standards in information and communication technology are in line with national expectations. Standards in music were high at the time of the last inspection and they remain so. Standards in design and technology are also above national expectations. Judgments in design and technology are based upon samples of work seen, as little design and technology was being taught at the time of the inspection. Religious education is in line with the locally-agreed syllabus.

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Key Stage 1

6. Pupils with special educational needs receive very good support, and as a result, they achieve as well as they are able to in relation to their prior attainment. This is because work is effectively matched to their needs, and they are very well supported in their individual tasks by teaching assistants. The school centres a great deal of resources for the support of children with special educational needs and this is having a positive effect on their achievement.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

There is good development of pupil’s attitudes, values and other personal qualities. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good , whilst spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good . Attendance and punctuality are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Westdale Infants School - 9 • The school takes decisive action to promote and maintain attendance, working with those parents who have problems ensuring that children arrive promptly and attend school regularly. • Pupils have very good attitudes to school and want to be involved in everything that happens in the classroom and around the school. • Behaviour is mostly very good and those pupils with more challenging behaviour are dealt with very well by teachers and support staff. • Provision for pupil’s personal development is wide-ranging and highly appreciated by pupils.

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Commentary

7. The majority of pupils are keen to attend school and arrive on time. The school, in partnership with the Education Welfare Officer, is effective in monitoring attendance and ensuring parents are in no doubt as to the importance of their children’s time in school. Support is provided for those very few parents who have problems ensuring their children are present in school every day and arrive on time.

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Commentary

8. Pupils are enthusiastic about the school and learning and would recommend this school to their friends “because they learn a lot in lessons”. They are interested in the extra- curricular activities, mainly held at lunchtimes because of their age. In the school and playground, pupils behave well and they are polite and well-mannered, playing well together at breaktimes in a friendly inclusive way.

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Commentary

9. From the time pupils begin in the Reception class the school fosters a sense of inclusively, equality and belonging. They are also encouraged to understand the feelings of others and the difficulties they may be experiencing in their lives. The personal development of pupils is given a high and effective priority, with pupils having the opportunity to try a very wide range of experiences by the time they move on to the next school. They know that there are different faiths represented in the school and the wider community by both work in the classroom and the celebration of festivals.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a very good quality of education. The quality of teaching is very good and the curriculum is also very good. The school provides good opportunities to enrich and enliven children’s learning. Its provision for children’s care, welfare, health and safety is very good and the partnership with parents is very good.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall . The quality of assessment is very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Throughout the school, very good support by teacher assistants.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good relationships ensure children settle quickly into school life. • Adults work well together and support children in their learning. Westdale Infants School - 10 • A well-organised spacious area and a good range of activities stimulate learning. • Assessment procedures are well established and inform future learning.

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Years 1 and 2

• Teachers have good subject knowledge and give clear explanations. • Literacy and numeracy lessons are well planned and ensure basic skills are taught well. • Challenging teaching gets the best out of most pupils. • High expectations of pupils’ attitudes ensure that little time is lost in lessons. • High quality assessment helps to raise standards. • Very good match of work to pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, and extension work for higher-attaining pupils.

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Years 1 and 2

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

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Years 1 and 2

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor 0 (0%) 7 (23%) 13 (43%) 10 (33%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen. Commentary

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Years 1 and 2

10. The quality of teaching and learning is good and represents a slight improvement since the last inspection. This is because leadership and management recognise the benefit of regular evaluation of teaching followed by clear guidance as to how teachers can improve practice. Parents are very pleased with the teaching which their children receive. In response to a questionnaire, almost all parents indicated that teaching was good or very good. The vast majority of pupils also comment in their questionnaire that their teachers help them and show them how to make work better.

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Years 1 and 2

11. The very good quality of teaching in Reception means that children make good progress in their learning. Lessons and activities are well managed by the teacher, with very good support from the assistant and volunteer parent helpers. A wide range of activities is carefully structured and teaches children important skills. Activities also challenge and provide opportunities for children to make choices and develop independence. This has a positive effect on raising standards amongst children, and allows those new to school to settle in quickly and confidently.

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Years 1 and 2

12. Lessons are well prepared and the learning environment is stimulating and inspires children to want to find out more. Teachers are clear in what they want pupils to achieve and pupils respond well because they know exactly what is expected of them. This enables them to make the best use of lesson time.

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Years 1 and 2

13. Teachers have good subject knowledge and a very good understanding of how children learn. For example, Year 2 pupils made very good progress in a history lesson; they were excited by the use of real artefacts to look at, and very good teaching constantly stimulated discussions so that pupils’ thinking was challenged and developed. The cross- curricular approach to learning is seen across all subjects in the curriculum; for example, information technology is used in art and religious education and drama is used in language and religious education lessons. This means that pupils apply skills, knowledge and understanding from one subject into other curriculum areas and this enables them to achieve well. Westdale Infants School - 11 14. Where teachers give clear explanations and demonstrate strategies for learning pupils achieve well. This gives pupils the confidence to work independently and make good

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Years 1 and 2

15. Teachers are very good at teaching the basic skills in literacy and numeracy. This is because lessons are well structured towards the Primary Strategy. There is a good emphasis on the development of reading, spelling, writing and calculating skills. Well-led discussions and work in pairs and groups ensure that pupils make good progress in developing their speaking and listening skills. The early morning reading session for parents and children is an excellent start to the day, and shows the importance which teachers place on the early acquisition of good reading skills.

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Years 1 and 2

16. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment are very good. They support teachers’ planning and ensure the needs of all pupils are met, including those with special needs. Pupils’ progress is tracked through the school and teachers set individual targets for improvement. These are communicated well to the pupils and contribute to the raising of standards. Lower attaining pupils (many of whom are the younger children in the class) are supported well by teaching assistants and make good progress. In the Foundation Stage, assessments made on a daily basis enable adults to see how well children are progressing and thus give appropriate support. Marking often praises pupils’ work but is often just ticks. During plenaries in lessons, pupils are given clear guidance on how to improve their work, but this is not always so in the marking in books.

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Years 1 and 2

17. The learning of pupils with special educational needs is very well supported by class teachers in that they effectively match tasks to pupils’ prior levels of attainment. Teaching assistants know pupils’ individual education plans and support pupils with special educational needs accordingly, thus allowing them to make good progress. The work of these pupils is checked termly on a range of criteria to assess their progress and is linked to individual education plans. Liaison between teaching assistants and class teachers is effective through direct contact and also through the communication books which are used in each class, so all adults know the needs of the children very well. A volunteer worker provides good support for some pupils with higher levels of attainment.

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The curriculum

The school offers a broad and very effective curricular experience for pupils and very good opportunities for enrichment.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum has been improved by a very good range of well-devised innovations. • The school is committed to an inclusive approach, but summer-born pupils are being disadvantaged by their brief experience of work in the Reception class. • The curriculum is well matched to pupils who are higher attainers and those with special educational needs, who are well supported by teaching assistants. • Visits and visitors supplement the curriculum to very good effect.

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Commentary

Westdale Infants School - 12 18. The school has a well-devised curriculum which is broad, balanced and inclusive. Good use is made of the Primary Strategy, and the school’s action planning for the development of English, mathematics and science is good. The curriculum for information and communication technology provides satisfactory coverage of all aspects of the subject.

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Commentary

19. A major strength of the school’s curriculum is the range of well-considered curriculum innovations which have been introduced. For instance, the school has developed early morning reading sessions in which parents and their children can read together at the beginning of the school day. This provides very good opportunities for reading practice as well as for easy contact between parents and class teachers about reading and has a positive impact on raising standards. The school has also developed an approach to the curriculum which is based on cross-curricular themes, which enables effective linking between such subjects as history, geography, music and art, and allows a more creative approach to children’s learning. A further development is the Wednesday afternoon Club ‘workshops’ when all pupils in Years 1 and 2 attend a series of sessions focusing on science, design and technology, information and communication technology, music or art.

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Commentary

Because this is organised on a carousel basis, teaching staff can develop a specialism from which pupils therefore benefit and make good progress in their studies. This gives pupils the opportunity to experience a wider range of activities than usual and the range of curriculum innovations which have been introduced is very good.

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Commentary

20. The school’s personal, social and health education programme has been effectively devised to include attention to issues of drug and alcohol misuse. Sex and relationships education is sensitively treated in a similar way, and the development of this work is being taken forward with the full involvement of governors. The school has a strong inclusion statement and effective equal opportunities, anti-racist and special educational needs policies. The school values equality of access and opportunity

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Commentary

21. Pupils with special educational needs experience the full curriculum. The tasks expected of them are well matched to their previous attainment levels, and they are very well served by the schools’ teaching assistants. These pupils are supported by individual education plans which are well structured and tailored to their particular needs, and helps them to achieve to the best of their abilities. Plans include effective strategies and achievement criteria. Some higher-attaining pupils similarly have individual education plans so that the curriculum can also be appropriately adapted to their needs. This is good practice and allows more able pupils to be challenged in their learning.

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Commentary

22. The school receives a large number of visitors in order to supplement many aspects of the curriculum, from music and dance workshops to theatre companies, which support such subjects as religious education, history and science and enrich the curriculum and the children’s learning. Personal, social and health education, and cross-curricular themes, including multi-cultural education, are also reinforced by visiting artists and speakers. Pupils pay visits to local sites including a farm, the Crich Tramway Museum and Newstead Abbey, and an annual residential school camp for Year 2 pupils takes place in Matlock. Both visits and visitors are contributing effectively to a lively curriculum experience for pupils and helping to raise standards. In addition, there is satisfactory extra-curricular provision at lunchtimes, when pupils can play games, for instance basketball or skipping, and attend choir, recorder and other clubs.

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Commentary

Westdale Infants School - 13 23. The school has the necessary complement of teaching staff, and of suitably qualified teaching assistants. They are making a very good contribution to the pupils’ learning, especially those with special educational needs. Work for children who need extra support in literacy takes place during school and is very effectively organised and taught by two of the school’s teaching assistants. In addition, the school is also fortunate to have the services of a regular voluntary helper.

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Care, guidance and support

Pupils in the school are very well cared for, guided and supported. Their care, welfare, health and safety are very well attended to, as is the provision of support, advice and guidance. There is good involvement of pupils in the planning and management of the school.

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Care, guidance and support

• The health and safety of pupils, including child protection, are very well organised by the school so that the school is a safe and secure environment. • As a result of the assessment and tracking in the school, pupils are provided with very good differentiation and personal targets which support their progress. • Consultation with pupils in the school is good and they feel listened to and able to influence events to a degree commensurate with their age. • The teaching assistants provide very good support for pupils in the classroom.

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Care, guidance and support

24. Health and safety are a high priority in the school and staff and governors take great care to monitor and eliminate any possible hazards through risk assessments and constant vigilance. The school is now working on the development of healthy eating in the school. Child protection is well monitored by trained staff and fully compliant with local guidelines. In lessons, pupils are made aware of the needs for safety and care when taking part in relevant lessons.

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Care, guidance and support

25. There are good relationships in the school between staff and pupils and, as a result of these and the assessment and tracking of pupils progress, appropriate guidance and the most appropriate work to support individual learning are an everyday part of lessons. Teaching assistants, who are well trained and skilled, are well used in the classroom and ensure that all pupils are fully involved in the learning taking place. The very good induction programme ensures that pupils entering the Reception class are settled and happy from the first day of school.

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Care, guidance and support

26. Pupils know that their opinions matter, through the consultation taking place within the school on general and specific matters. There is as yet no school council but ‘Our Voice’, adapted for the age range, takes place through the assemblies and acts in a similar way.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has a very good partnership with parents, other schools and the community. There are very good links with parents and other schools and colleges and good links with the community. Westdale Infants School - 14 Main strengths and weaknesses

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

• The school works very hard to ensure that through information sharing and consultation it forms firm and supportive partnerships with parents. • The help provided by parents within the home and school makes a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. • The growing links with other schools and colleges ensures that the school benefits from, and shares, good practice, as well as ensuring pupils are confident joining and leaving the school. • The community makes a considerable contribution to the school and the learning opportunities available for pupils.

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Commentary

27. Parents are very happy with the provision made by the school for their children. There are very effective systems in place to develop partnerships with parents, especially in the role of parents as educators for their children. The range of information provided for parents ensures that they are kept fully aware of the life of the school and their child’s targets, progress and how they can be supported at home; this is a positive influence on children’s learning. They are regularly consulted and their comments investigated and acted upon. There is wide involvement by parents in activities which improve resources through fund-raising.

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Commentary

28. There are productive links with the local community, which not only bring resources into the school but also provide wide opportunities for pupils to use it as a curriculum resource. People from the community also use the facilities of the school for their further education. There are frequent high quality visits for pupils and regular visitors to enhance the curriculum and help raise standards.

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Commentary

29. The school is closely involved with the feeder junior school to provide a very good basis for pupils’ transfer, which not only ensures their self-confidence but also informs the junior school of the needs of each pupil. There are also productive links with the family of schools of which the school is a member; these enable the school to discuss issues widely and to take part in joint training. A wide range of students undertake training in the school, including teachers, teaching assistants and childcare assistants, which enables the school to keep abreast of all the latest initiatives. The school also works with Year 10 pupils from the feeder secondary school.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school in partnership with the governing body are very good. The headteacher is well supported by the deputy headteachers and the rest of the staff. Subject co-ordinators are keen and enthusiastic and knowledgeable in their subject areas. All of this supports the high standards which pupils achieve, and has a very positive effect on the ethos and learning environment in the school. The principles of best value are central to the school’s management.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Westdale Infants School - 15 • The headteacher has a very clear vision and high aspirations for the development of school. • The school undertakes rigorous self-evaluation and uses the findings effectively. • The governing body has a very good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and is a challenging force in helping to move the school forward. • There is strong strategic planning which reflects and promotes the school’s high aspirations and goals.

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Commentary

30. The headteacher provides very good leadership. His enthusiasm and very high aspirations for the achievement of all children in his care are a mainstay of the high standards which children achieve, and the ethos of the school. He is well supported by other key staff. The headteacher has a very clear vision of where the school is, and where it needs to go next. The management of the school is of an equally high standard, where the very good self-evaluation which the school undertakes underlines the very positive way in which any areas which are identified as needing improvement, however slight, are acted upon immediately. This ensures that all children are given every conceivable opportunity to achieve to the best of their ability, and are at the centre of all decisions made in leadership and management.

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Commentary

31. Planning, teaching and learning are regularly monitored and constructive feedback given to all staff. This results in good quality teaching and learning across the school, which culminates in an ethos in which every individual is valued and praised and helps to raise standards. The stimulating learning environment reflects the high aspirations of leadership.

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Commentary

32. The governing body shares the headteacher’s clear vision for the development of the school. Governors are well informed and come into school regularly. They challenge, and yet at the same time are very supportive. They are actively involved in the development of the detailed and well-focused school improvement plan and are regularly updated about all developments within the school. They promote and have initiated schemes to help keep parents informed and to give them the opportunity to meet governors regularly through activities such as coffee mornings. These have been very well received by parents who appreciate that governors are taking time to listen to their comments.

p.17

Commentary

33. Professional development of all staff is good. Teachers and support staff receive regular updates and training. These are relevant and well linked to areas of development identified in the school improvement plan. Latest updates are disseminated amongst all staff, and each stage in the school knows what happens before it and what comes after it. This is a very positive part of the leadership of the school; it ensures that all staff are aware of what they need to achieve for the next stage of each child’s progress and individual development. There are very good links with teacher training institutions and during the inspection, three students were working in school.

p.17

Commentary

34. The school is strongly committed to an inclusive approach, and the special educational needs policy shows a comprehensive overview of this aspect of inclusion. Systems and procedures for identifying and supporting pupils with special educational needs in class are secure, and liaison with parents is effective. The school has a special educational needs governor, as required, who is providing a satisfactory level of support and Westdale Infants School - 16 challenge for the co-ordinator. The co-ordinator is providing effective leadership and management for special educational needs work.

p.17

Commentary

35. The budget is administered well and the governing body oversees actions. The principles of best value are central to everything that the school aspires to. Money is clearly allocated to where the greatest needs are and individual co-ordinators can bid for requests for their respective subject areas. The carry-forward this year has been used towards paying for teacher assistant support for those pupils with special educational needs in order that they are able to be fully included in school life. There has also been an allocation of money towards more teacher assistant support for the youngest pupils in the school, whom the school have identified as needing more support.

p.18

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 482,143 Balance from previous year 30,275 Total expenditure 465,146 Balance carried forward to the next 16,997 Expenditure per pupil 3,100.97

p.18

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

The excellent early morning reading sessions for children and parents are an innovative and welcoming start to the school day. They show how much the school values not only the development of children’s reading skills but the involvement of parents in their own children’s education. These sessions not only help children to improve in reading, but also give opportunities for parents and carers to talk about any concerns they have about their children’s education with staff. This makes parents feel welcomed and gives excellent opportunities for links between home and school. There are other positive ‘spin-offs ‘ from this; for example, younger brothers and sisters are welcomed into school as well and are soon at home in the familiar surroundings so that when they are of school age, they are already used to the school environment and settle quickly into daily routines. Westdale Infants School - 17

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good . Most children begin school with some pre-school experience. Children enter the Reception class in the term after they are five. This means that there are three intakes of children in one academic year. There are good arrangements for new entrants, including visits by the Reception teacher to visit children in their nurseries or playgroups. Children are also invited in to school the term before they start so that they can have a ‘taster’ of what Reception is like. This is very helpful both for children and parents. Because of consistently good teaching by both the teacher and support staff, all children make good progress during their time in Reception and achieve well. There are good systems for ongoing assessment and tracking of pupils throughout the Foundation Stage for all the areas of learning. Systems for identifying pupils with special educational needs are good,

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

and they are well supported throughout their time in Reception, so that they achieve as well as they are able. Reception classes have good classroom accommodation and a stimulating outside play area.

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

• Good relationships are quickly formed and good routines help children feel confident and make good progress, particularly for those who are new to the school. • Staff provide good opportunities for children to work independently and to co-operate with each other; they set children a very good example of how to treat other people. • The development of children’s’ personal, social and emotional skills is given a high priority.

p.19

Commentary

36. There is a good balance of directed activities, group activities and free play, and staff help children to develop their ability to stay with an activity and to develop their concentration. There are regular times for social activities, for example, sitting together and talking about their own teddies which they have brought in to show to each other. Children are encouraged to be independent in putting on coats and painting-aprons. By the time they reach the end of the Reception Year, children have developed good habits of work and play and are preparing well for the work they will do in Year 1. New children who join the school mid-year in January come to a settled and confident class of children who show consideration for each other, and this helps them to settle quickly and make progress. At the time of the inspection, the third intake of children had not started school yet. All children are encouraged to help tidy the classroom and

p.19

Commentary

take a pride in their surroundings. Staff are positive in their response to pupils’ achievement; they value every child regardless of ability and give whatever support children need to develop their confidence in themselves as successful learners. Children achieve well mainly due to the good quality of teaching they receive. The majority of children will reach the early learning goals in this area of learning by the end of the Reception year. The very youngest children do not have the opportunity for the same amount of time in which to achieve this particular goal, and enter Year 1 (National Curriculum) not always as mature as their peers who have had two terms more schooling. Westdale Infants School - 18 Westdale Infants School - 19 COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

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Commentary

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good .

p.21

Commentary

• All staff understand how to help children’s language development, including that of children whose spoken language is not so well developed. • Careful attention is given to the learning of phonics and to correct letter formation in the Reception class. • Teaching and learning are consistently good.

p.21

Commentary

37. The youngest children initially find it difficult to listen to each other, but the regular group activities in which children are encouraged to speak and listen quickly help them develop the confidence to take part. Good teaching methods, such as during a physical education lesson on the apparatus where children are encouraged to talk about what they are doing, give further opportunities for children to develop their language skills informally and staff intervene well to encourage this. The complexity and fluency of children’s spoken language continues to develop as they move through the Reception Year and they become more aware of the need to adapt their speech for different situations. There is, however, quite a significant difference in ability between those children who started in Reception in September and the new entrants, whose language development is not as advanced.

p.21

Commentary

38. The schools system of encouraging all parents and adults in the school to read first thing every morning is also achieved in Reception. This early introduction to the love of books and the importance which the school puts on reading give the younger children a good foundation for the development of their own reading skills. By the end of the Reception Year, children choose and handle books with enjoyment and have made a reasonable start on reading skills.

p.21

Commentary

39. The majority go on to practise clear and correctly-formed writing. Staff help them take a pride in what they write and encourage them to make up and write their own sentences. At the current stage in the year, writing is still in its earliest development, and many children are still only making marks on paper. However, a more able pupil, in her own self-evaluation of where she needs to improve, has written that she needs to improve her ‘ritig’ (‘writing’).

p.21

Commentary

40. Not all children will reach the early learning goals in this area, although many will; this is because children have a lot of ground to make up when they start school, and by the end of Reception, some of the children will only have been in school or one term. However, they all make good progress and the levels of attainment they reach represent good achievement.

p.21

Commentary

Provision in mathematical development is good . Westdale Infants School - 20 Main strengths and weaknesses

p.21

Commentary

• Teachers give children practice in many different ways on the number work they do. • Every opportunity is taken to use number and the language of measurement and shape throughout all activities during the day.

p.22

Commentary

41. Teaching and learning are good in this area of learning and therefore children achieve well. Reception children can identify numbers up to ten. A very good lesson seen involved learning about shapes. The very well planned activities reiterated what the children had learnt more formally with their teacher. They were given many opportunities to compare sizes and shapes; one activity which the children really enjoyed was going on a shape-hunt around their classroom. Teachers and support staff intervene well to ensure children do not miss opportunities to practise mathematical skills. For example, in a physical education lesson, the dice is thrown to see how many jumps, hops or skips they will do in their warm-up. Every opportunity is given to encourage children to recognise and use numbers. Most children will reach early learning goals in mathematical development by the end of the stage.

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Commentary

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

p.22

Commentary

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

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are very good opportunities for activities which encourage first hand experience. • The stimulating environment develops pupils’ interests and curiosity. • There are many opportunities for building and creating things. • Very good use of technology.

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Commentary

42. Many opportunities are provided throughout the Foundation Stage for children to learn about how things grow and change and about the roles of people who are important to them; the latter are well reinforced through dressing up and role-play. The good teaching allows children to really learn. Children have good access to computers and many show confidence and skill in the way they use them. They can use the mouse confidently and are able to create pictures using shapes and they can move items around the screen and change colour. This is good attainment for children of this age. This shows that children achieve well. In a very good lesson children were programming the ‘roamer’, with help from an adult, to move to a selected shape. They had to program the number of sides the shape had in order for the roamer to move towards it. Most children will reach early learning goals in this area, although those who have less experience on entry or who

p.22

Commentary

arrive in school mid-year will not have fully caught up.

p.22

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for children’s physical development is very good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

Westdale Infants School - 21 • Children have access to a good range of activities that help them develop fine hand movements and co-ordination. • Outside play areas have been improved and are used well to develop physical skills.

p.23

Commentary

43. Children have access to a good range of wheeled toys and enjoy vigorous activity in the Reception playground. There is a wide range of activities on offer to give children practice in manipulating small toys, building materials and tools and they use pens and paintbrushes well. Many can double-click computer mouse buttons and move their hands very accurately to colour small details on drawing programs. When using apparatus in physical education lessons, Reception year children are very confident and the good support and encouragement they receive from teachers and classroom assistants help them develop confidence and co-ordination. Children behave very well and achieve well and teachers have good management strategies. The majority will exceed the early learning goals in this area of learning. Westdale Infants School - 22 CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

p.23

Commentary

44. It was not possible to make an overall judgement of provision or standards in creative development. Some simple drawing and spontaneous role-play, some singing games and some movement games were seen during physical education lessons. Children in Reception join their friends in Year 1 for singing and achieve well with the older pupils. Scrutiny of evidence shows that children do have the opportunity to paint and design and there is a delightful display in the style of Jackson Pollock which shows the children had great fun making it.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• In national tests, pupils are consistently reaching above average standards and pupils’ achievement in speaking and listening, and reading and writing are good. • Teaching is of good quality overall. • Teachers are making some use of information and communication technology in the teaching of English, but more could be made of this. • Teaching assistants play strong supporting roles. • Marking is satisfactory but is not sufficiently directed at helping pupils to improve work. • English is very well led and managed.

p.24

Commentary

45. In the results of the 2003 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, all pupils’ attainment (including those with special educational needs) was above the national average in reading and writing. Since the last inspection, the school’s results in English have consistently been above average when compared with schools nationally and with similar schools.

p.24

Commentary

46. Pupils’ overall achievement in speaking and listening work is good. Most pupils in Year 2 and in Year 1 have learned to listen carefully to their teachers and to each other in whole- class work, and to respond well to their teachers and teaching assistants. As a result, pupils are also confident to discuss their work and progress with visitors. However, a very small minority of lower-attaining pupils in Year 1 has difficulty in concentrating on oral work with their teacher when the class is working together. Furthermore, in an observed drama lesson, the contributions which pupils made were rather brief and undeveloped, although they clearly enjoyed such work. Pupils’ achievements in reading are similarly good. Higher-attaining pupils are reaching very good standards, and most other pupils are attaining good standards overall.

p.24

Commentary

47. Pupils’ achievements in writing are good. In their written work, Year 2 pupils are reaching good standards of spelling and punctuation. The quality of their sentence construction is also good, and they demonstrate effective control of cursive handwriting in their work. In the case of higher attainers, achievement is very good. One pupil had recently written her most extensive piece of writing to date, her own account of the story of Cinderella. Not Westdale Infants School - 23 only were her spelling, punctuation and use of grammar accurate, but the story also included some adventurous vocabulary and was written in a way which showed the writer was developing her own particular style. Pupils with more typical attainment standards are also making good progress, but the written work of some lower-attaining pupils cannot always be read back. Pupils are not gaining enough experience in employing information and communication technology in their work.

p.24

Commentary

48. The quality of teaching and of pupils’ learning is good overall. The working atmosphere of lessons is good, and teachers generally set high expectations for the quality of oral and written work. Teachers’ planning reaches a good standard, including the provision of activities which are very well matched to pupils’ differing levels of attainment. Effective teaching is often characterised by good introductions to new work, and a good structure for the learning within lessons, which capture pupils’ interest. Such teachers are sensitive to language use and show good control of English themselves as they speak to children. In addition, they use opportunities in lessons to consider the meaning of new or unfamiliar words. A Year 1 teacher, for instance, explored the meaning of the words ‘admire’ and ‘marvel’ when they arose in a lesson so that children achieved better understanding.

p.25

Commentary

49. Teachers are spending time effectively in focusing on important general ideas which support pupils’ understanding in their reading and writing, such as ‘character’ and ‘setting’. Teachers also ensure that pupils achieve as much as possible in the time available. Although pupils are being given some opportunities to use information and communication technology in written work, this could be developed further. Pupils‘ work is being regularly marked by teachers, but marking is not always sufficiently focused on helping pupils to make improvements to their work.

p.25

Commentary

50. Teaching assistants have a good rapport with their class teachers and play very constructive supporting roles in ensuring that all pupils pay good attention in whole-class sessions, and that lower-attaining pupils, including those with special educational needs, are well supported in their work in groups. Some assistants are also involved with the Early literacy support programme during school, for lower-attaining pupils, where they are providing a very effective lead in activities, which are reinforcing the basic language knowledge and skills of these pupils, and thereby increasing their confidence.

p.25

Commentary

51. Most pupils behave well, and are co-operative with teachers and with each other. Pupils enjoy good relationships with their teachers. They show very positive attitudes to English, both in class and in the written work which they produce. This provides a good backdrop for work in English and helps pupils considerably to make gains in the various aspects of the subject.

p.25

Commentary

52. In the best teaching observed, a Year 2 teacher taught at a good pace, listened very well to pupils, and did not simply accept what they had to say but often challenged their ideas and gave them opportunities for more considered responses. Pupils then undertook some effective individual writing, using various starting points which the teacher had produced, before reading some of these back to the whole class. The teacher used these examples very well to emphasise some important characteristics of good story writing.

p.25

Commentary

53. The leadership and management of English are very good. The co-ordinator has developed a very good overview of all aspects of the subject. She has analysed national data well, and is well informed about standards across the school because she has observed teaching in all years and has examined teachers’ planning and pupils ‘ work Westdale Infants School - 24 and progression. The schools own analysis shows that there are significantly more summer born children in the lower attaining groups in English than their peers. A portfolio of pupils’ work enables teachers to compare standards. Action planning in English is targeted at making improvements in those areas where checking has shown that further progress needs to be made, for example, speaking and listening skills, phonic work and reading comprehension. There are very good curriculum development initiatives in evidence, for instance the reading sessions at the beginning of each day involving

p.25

Commentary

parents and their children, the use of additional testing to diagnose pupils’ needs and setting handwriting targets for individual pupils. The co-ordinator is providing a very good sense of direction for the further development of English and literacy in the school.

p.26

Commentary

54. Since the last inspection, there have been good improvements in relation to English. When the school was last inspected, standards were in line with national averages in speaking and listening and reading and writing. In all these aspects of the subject, standards are now good. The quality of teaching and learning has similarly improved from satisfactory to good. No judgement was made at the previous inspection about the quality of leadership and management of English. The leadership and management provided by the co-ordinator of the subject are now very good.

p.26

Language and literacy across the curriculum

55. The school offers opportunities for pupils to reinforce and develop their literacy skills, for instance through speaking and listening work, and through good provision to record their own understanding in such subjects as science, music, history, geography and religious education. These are used well by the pupils and are one of the reasons why results are above average.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well as a result of good teaching. • The attitudes and behaviour of younger pupils with less well-developed social skills affects the learning of other pupils, especially in Year 1. • Teaching assistants and helpers are used effectively to help include all pupils in lessons. • Procedures for assessing pupils’ progress are very good. • The use of information and communication technology to enhance learning in mathematics is limited.

p.26

Commentary

56. Pupils’ attainment in mathematics in Year 2 is well above the national average. In 2003 national tests, nearly all pupils in this year group reached the expected standard, with a significant number achieving a higher level. Overall a majority of pupils in all year groups make good progress in mathematics and achieve well. However, it is significant that there is a link between pupils’ achievement in the subject and the development of their social and listening skills. This is especially noticeable in Year 1 and affects the achievement of summer-born pupils who have been at the school for a relatively short length of time. Some younger pupils are capable of being quite disruptive and this affects Westdale Infants School - 25 the learning of others. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported by teachers and teaching assistants and achieve as well as other pupils. There are no differences in the achievement of boys and girls and the school’s recent emphasis on

p.26

Commentary

using problem-solving activities to teach mathematical understanding has had the effect of maintaining good standards overall and of providing extra challenge to more able pupils, an area of concern during the last inspection.

p.27

Commentary

57. Attitudes towards mathematics are satisfactory overall and a majority of pupils are keen and eager to learn. The school has adopted the National Numeracy Strategy as the basis for planning in the subject and this has made a significant contribution to the maintenance of good standards and has also ensured that all strands of mathematics are fully covered. As a result, progression is evident in learning in different year groups. Year 1 pupils are, for example, able to count to 30 and back and double numbers up to five. More able pupils display an increasing ability to measure accurately using rulers and tape measures. By Year 2, pupils understand the names and differences, between two- dimensional and three-dimensional shapes and are able to handle data and use reasoning well in problem-solving. Assessment procedures, criticised for their ineffectiveness during the previous inspection, are now very comprehensive and are

p.27

Commentary

used very well to track pupils’ progress, to review the effectiveness of the curriculum and also to respond to individual needs. However, marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent and does not often indicate to pupils how they could improve.

p.27

Commentary

58. The quality of teaching observed during the inspection was good overall. In a Year 2 session, it was judged to be very good because:

p.27

Commentary

• The lesson was very well planned and teaching was stimulating and enthusiastic. • Teaching methods were well selected and time used very productively. • Lesson objectives were clearly explained and this led to all pupils being keen and interested and working very hard. • Work was very well matched to the different abilities and previous learning of pupils. • All adults reinforced and supported learning very effectively. • The most able pupils were successfully challenged by tasks which they completed very well.

p.27

Commentary

59. When teaching was less successful teachers had only limited strategies to counter the adverse behaviour of difficult pupils with poorly developed social and listening skills. As a result, the pace and flow of lessons were affected and this limited the achievement of a majority of the class.

p.27

Commentary

60. The co-ordinator, who leads and manages mathematics effectively, is well aware of the strengths of the subject and also of areas in need of further development. She has ensured that all areas of the subject are covered systematically in all year groups and that teaching staff have had in-service training opportunities in order to enhance their expertise. However, a regular pattern of monitoring arrangements has not yet been established to identify and share good practice. Resources are good, easily accessed and cover all areas of learning associated with the National Curriculum.

p.27

Mathematics across the curriculum

61. The use of mathematics and numeracy across the curriculum is satisfactory . Pupils build up their appreciation of the practical use of mathematics as part of their work in Westdale Infants School - 26 other subjects. In history, for example, pupils measure ‘ timelines ’ and they also use numeracy skills well when conducting investigations in science. However, there was little evidence of pupils using information and communication technology to enhance learning in mathematics during the inspection.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils gain a good understanding of the basic skills of investigative science although more able pupils in Year 2 do not understand the concept of a ‘Fair Test’. • The quality of teaching is good. • Pupils’ attitudes to science are good overall. • The attitudes of a minority of younger pupils are affected by their under-developed social and listening skills. • The use of information and communication technology to enhance learning in science is under-developed.

p.28

Commentary

62. Standards of work in science in Year 2 in line with those attained by pupils nationally and comparable to those reported by the previous inspection. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in learning in Year 1 and Year 2 and this is reflected in their achievement. No differences in attainment were noted between boys and girls. However, although the breadth of coverage of science is good, some aspects of the depth of coverage are limited. Whilst the school concentrates learning around investigative science, there was virtually no evidence of Year 2 pupils having any idea of the concept of a ‘fair test’ and this was very evident during discussions with more able pupils in this year group.

p.28

Commentary

63. The quality of teaching of science in observed lessons varied between satisfactory and very good and was good overall. Most science is taught using an investigative ‘hands-on’ approach to learning and usually includes the challenge of ‘ prove me wrong ’ which pupils enjoy. As a result, attitudes to learning are good. During a very well taught lesson on dissolving, the teacher stated that whilst powders would dissolve in water, solids wouldn’t and challenged pupils to show him otherwise, which they attempted to do with enthusiasm! The lesson was very well structured and the teacher’s use of language and correct scientific vocabulary enhanced learning. Pupils tried to prove the teacher was wrong, using a variety of methods, including stirring, and finally realised that using warmer water even dissolved solids. They gained great satisfaction and learned a lot about dissolving in proving they were right and he was wrong!

p.28

Commentary

64. When teaching was less successful, lessons lacked challenge and pace and resulted in pupils making only sound progress in learning, which was reflected in their achievement. Furthermore, even in a well-taught lesson, the poor behaviour of a minority of younger pupils with less well-developed social and listening skills affected the pace of learning and the achievement of the rest of the pupils. Westdale Infants School - 27 65. The co-ordinator leads and manages science well and has a good idea of the subject’s strengths and areas for development. Teaching and planning in science is monitored on a regular basis and the school has introduced systems to assess pupils’ progress effectively. He has also ensured that there have been several improvements in provision and that the concerns of the last inspection have been fully addressed. The school has now improved its resourcing for science since the last inspection and resources are now

p.28

Commentary

good and cover all areas of learning associated with the National Curriculum programme of study.

p.29

Commentary

66. However, even though science is used effectively to support learning in other subject areas, especially literacy and numeracy, links to information and communication technology are unsatisfactory. There was little evidence of the use of information and communication technology in observed lessons. The school is well aware that this is an area for future development.

p.29

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Only one lesson was available for observation in the course of the inspection, and other evidence was gathered from the scrutiny of pupils’ work and from classroom displays.

p.29

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are achieving satisfactorily in ICT. • ICT lessons are providing satisfactory input, but the opportunities for pupils to practise ICT skills are limited by the extent of the facilities available. • The co-ordinator has overseen improvements to computer provision across the school, and is providing satisfactory leadership and management in the development of the subject.

p.29

Commentary

67. Pupils’ achievement in Year 2 is reaching a satisfactory standard overall. Pupils have used a digital camera and have printed pictures of their work. An art program has been used to draw and colour in various ways. In history and in geography, pupils have accessed the Internet to find relevant subject material. On their classroom computers, pupils have produced labels which employ different fonts and print sizes. In their work on word-processing, pupils are acquiring satisfactory levels of skill in using shortcuts to improve the speed at which they can use their keyboards.

p.29

Commentary

68. The quality of teaching and learning of ICT is satisfactory. The weekly teaching programme in ICT is providing satisfactory input for pupils, for example in aspects of word-processing. The teacher offers a useful commentary on the new work and gives satisfactory demonstrations herself or asks pupils to demonstrate. However, in a situation where 30 pupils have access to only a limited number of computer terminals, the teacher cannot easily provide practice for them all. In the teaching seen, some pupils had to practise with old keyboards which were not attached to computers. For these pupils, the inevitable lack of feedback from this exercise limited the extent of their learning, while pupils on computers or laptops made satisfactory progress. Westdale Infants School - 28 69. In an English lesson, small numbers of Year 2 pupils were using their classroom computers to create text for the story of Goldilocks. They made satisfactory progress

p.29

Commentary

overall, but were not always sufficiently familiar with some basic keyboard functions such as the use of the shift key to create capital letters. However, in a history lesson, some Year 2 pupils made proficient use of the Internet as they accessed a website which displayed shoes from earlier times.

p.30

Commentary

70. The leadership and management of ICT are satisfactory. The role of the ICT co-ordinator includes the direct observation of teaching as well as checking teachers’ planning and analysing pupils’ work, in order to assess standards. This gives her a good knowledge of the standards which pupils achieve. Since the last inspection, there have been improvements in hardware provision so that classrooms now have three computer terminals and adjacent printing facilities, but this still does not allow whole-class teaching of new techniques. A simple but effective record system has been introduced which enables teachers to record the level of pupils’ attainment in a straightforward way. However, in checking on teaching and standards, more emphasis is being placed on the input which pupils are receiving than on the extent of the opportunities provided for them to practise and consolidate their ICT skills, and this is why standards remain satisfactory.

p.30

Commentary

Limitations on computer access in each classroom mean that it is not easy for the school to provide, over the short term, sufficient opportunities for all pupils to gain practice in skills and techniques recently demonstrated.

p.30

Commentary

71. When the school was last inspected, pupils’ standards were in line with national expectations, which is still the case now. The leadership and management of the subject is satisfactory.

p.30

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

72. The school is providing pupils with some opportunities to use ICT in other areas of the curriculum, for example in some English and history lessons. Overall, the level of use in curriculum subjects is unsatisfactory and this is a weakness.

p.30

HUMANITIES

In the humanities, it was only possible to observe one history lesson and the closing stages of one geography session. Pupils’ work contained in portfolios was also scrutinised in both subjects. It is therefore not possible to form an overall judgement about provision. However, the standards of work seen during the two session observations were above those expected nationally for this age group of pupils and indicated that standards of attainment had shown some improvement since the last inspection. Westdale Infants School - 29

p.30

Religious education

The provision for religious education is satisfactory .

p.31

Religious education

• The subject meets the statutory requirements as laid down by the locally-agreed syllabus. • Pupils achieve satisfactorily and reach the standards expected for their age.

p.31

Commentary

73. Provision and standards in this subject have remained broadly similar since the previous inspection.

p.31

Commentary

74. Only one lesson in Year 2 and Year 1 was observed. The quality of teaching was satisfactory overall. Limited pupils’ work was analysed, as there was very little to see, but in discussion with pupils there was a clear knowledge and understanding of other religious beliefs related to their school. This is because the school celebrates and values the different world festivals. For example, there have been celebrations for Diwali, Harvest, Christmas and Hanukah. There is a clear structure to the overall curriculum. This ensures that pupils study a broad and balanced range of topics during their time in school. There are very good assemblies held, which not only meet statutory requirements but are stimulating and make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. Visitors are invited in to participate in the assemblies and these are relished by the pupils.

p.31

Art and design

75. Only one lesson in art and design was seen. Children were also observed doing art during ‘club time’. There is every indication from pupils’ work that standards in art are broadly average

p.31

Art and design

76. In art pupils work to a satisfactory standard in a variety of media, including paint, pencil, pastels, charcoal and crayons, throughout the school. They study and re-create painting in the style of a wide variety of modern and classical artists, including Mondrian and are developing a good knowledge of the different styles of different artists. A very good lesson in Year 2 stimulated the pupils to create a good standard of work in the style of Andy Warhol.

p.31

Design and technology

77. Provision in design and technology is good .

p.31

Design and technology

78. Only one lesson in design and technology was seen Children were also observed working in design and technology during ‘club workshops’. Scrutiny of work in design and technology shows that pupils’ standards are as expected for their age.

p.31

Design and technology

79. The quality of teaching observed in the one design and technology lesson seen in Year 1 was satisfactory. Pupils were very enthusiastic as they used their own imagination to Westdale Infants School - 30 design tiles and print them. They really learnt as they discovered the pitfalls of working with polystyrene and the difficulties of printing. The examination of pupils’ work shows the quality of teaching to be at least satisfactory, with some good examples throughout the school. There are particularly good examples of pupils designing and making models out of a variety of material. These are of a good standard.

p.31

Music

• Every opportunity is given for pupils to experience all aspects of music from appreciation through to music making.

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Commentary

80. Singing, which was heard in assembly in Reception, Years 1 and 2 and in choir, was of a good standard, and remains similar to standards found at the time of the previous inspection. Children sang with obvious enjoyment and enthusiasm and showed that they knew the words to a number of hymns and popular songs. In one assembly, the whole school sang well when they divided into two parts. They were keen and enthusiastic, and achieved well.

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Commentary

81. A music lesson seen in Year 2 allowed pupils to learn about regular pulse, but many found this quite difficult. Examples of pupils work in Year 1 show that there are good cross-curricular activities between music and art. Pupils create their own imaginative pictures, interpreting music which they listen to. In one very good assembly, the whole school was involved in creating rhythms to accompany drumming music which was playing. Some pupils accompanied it with non-tuned percussion instruments and drums. Children in recorder club learn the recorder to a high standard and are happy to perform for their peers. They achieved well. There is no evidence of the use of information and communication technology in this area of the curriculum.

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Commentary

Provision in physical education (PE) is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are achieving satisfactorily in physical education. • Teachers’ lesson organisation is good. • Pupils enjoy physical education, and show positive attitudes to the work.

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Commentary

82. Pupils in Year 2 display satisfactory levels of achievement in their physical education activities. They demonstrate a satisfactory degree of control as they throw and catch a large ball and as they pass it to a partner. A minority of pupils show the capacity to predict how the ball will travel, and to position themselves accordingly, but most have yet to acquire these skills. In gymnastics work, pupils are similarly attaining satisfactory standards of work. As Year 1 pupils move over, round and through items of apparatus in Westdale Infants School - 31 their physical education lesson, they show expected standards of co-ordination and control of their bodies.

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Commentary

83. Teachers have simple but effective routines to help pupils to warm up at the beginning of physical education activities. Teachers have techniques for gaining attention quickly and set a good tone for lessons. They show effective use of language and control their voices well to create a calm and focused working atmosphere. Lesson preparation is good; for instance, apparatus is set up before pupils enter the hall. The variety and sequence of activities are effectively planned and sessions are well timed, and for the most part, well organised. However, there were instances where one pupil was slow at moving through apparatus, and others simply queued up and waited; instructions for additional activity were really needed for those pupils in such circumstances.

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Commentary

84. Teachers are good at keeping an eye on the whole class while talking to or working with an individual pupil. When teachers notice that one child or a group are performing well, they often ask them to demonstrate their work. Some teachers go on to describe, or to elicit from pupils, the criteria for good work, but not all do so. Teachers are vigilant during physical education sessions and pay attention to issues of health and safety wherever necessary. Cool-downs at the end of sessions are also effective. In one especially good instance, the teacher played restful music while children lay absolutely still, apart from one another, with the result that a really spiritual few moments were evident.

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Commentary

85. Pupils respond well to the purposeful atmosphere which teachers establish. They are attentive to their class teacher and show positive attitudes to the various sorts of activities undertaken. They enjoy opportunities to demonstrate good work to others when asked to do so. In one lesson with Year 1 pupils, the prior assessment of pupils‘ needs was particularly good in that those who were hesitant at jumping were supported by the teaching assistant, together with one confident child who could demonstrate and thus give them confidence. Teaching assistants are watchful and intuitive, and provide very good support for class teachers.

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Commentary

86. When the school was last inspected, pupils’ standards were seen as being in line with national expectations and this is true of the current inspection also. The quality of teaching was good at the previous inspection, and this is also the case now.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

87. The programme for personal, social and health education is satisfactory. In the Foundation Stage, personal, social and emotional development receives a lot of attention. There is not enough information in which to make a judgement about provision. Westdale Infants School - 32

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGMENTS

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 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 4 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 2 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 2 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 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGMENTS

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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