Winterbourne Nursery and Infants' School

WINTERBOURNE NURSERY AND INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 5 th - 7 th July 2004

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WINTERBOURNE NURSERY AND INFANT 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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WINTERBOURNE NURSERY AND INFANT 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. Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant school School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 - 7 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 529 School address: Winterbourne Road Thornton Heath Surrey Postcode: CR7 7QT Telephone number: (0208) 689 7684 Fax number: (0208) 684 4052 Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Ms Mary Takeda Date of previous inspection: 1 st June 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School shares its site with two other junior schools and is one of the largest infant schools in the country. There are 529 pupils on roll, including 102 part-time children in the Nursery. The school also has a Child Development Unit (CDU) which can cater for eight nursery pupils being assessed for specific special educational needs. At the time of the inspection six children were in this unit. Parents live in a mixture of rented and owner-occupied accommodation. Approximately half of the pupils start in the Nursery while another half enter the school during the Reception Year. There is some mobility between years and a number of children enter the school and then leave shortly after. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals (18.7 per cent) is broadly in line with that nationally. The number of pupils (53 per cent) whose mother tongue is not English is very high as is the number of different minority ethnic groups. The

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

number of pupils with special educational needs (six per cent) is well below the national average as is the number with statements (0.2 per cent). The standard of pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is below that expected nationally for their age.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has some significant shortcomings in terms of accommodation. Three different buildings are used and there is no all-weather protection between each of them. The dining hall is shared with the other schools and so lunchtimes are lengthy. There is no hall that will house the whole school for assemblies or other gatherings. All these factors mean that the timetabling is particularly difficult and the school day is longer than is normal in other infant schools. In addition, the school has one temporary member of staff and in the recent past there have been a number of major changes to key personnel. Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 2

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

11122 David Collard Lead inspector Science 9465 Elizabeth Cooke Lay inspector 19916 Debbie Kerr Team inspector Information and communication technology Music Foundation Stage 27602 Richard Perkins Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Design and technology Physical education 3574 Kanwaljit Singh Team inspector English English as an additional language 19827 Mary Henderson Team inspector Geography History Religious education Special educational needs including the Child Development Unit

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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). Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 10

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 10

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10 - 15

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 32

Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 4

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a very ineffective school that gives poor value for money. Standards have declined since the last inspection and this is reflected in the results of national tests. Pupils do not make the progress they should and achievement is not high enough. The quality of teaching, learning, leadership and management is unsatisfactory.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Standards are too low and pupils do not achieve well enough. • Pupils’ attitudes are good; they behave well and want to do their best. • Too much teaching is only satisfactory, it is poor in the Reception classes and overall is unsatisfactory, as learning does not move on quickly enough. • The unsatisfactory leadership has been unable to address the declining standards or to give a clear direction for improvement. • The care, welfare and integration of pupils within the school community has a high priority and is effective. • The provision within the Child Development Unit is good.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has declined significantly since its last inspection in 1998, a fact recognised by the school’s own evaluation. Standards in mathematics have deteriorated and are now well below average. The standards in reading and writing have steadily fallen from the national average to below the national average. The quality of teaching and leadership, then judged good, is now unsatisfactory. The school has been unable to implement a coherent strategy that will lead to rapid improvement.

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In accordance with section 13(7) of the School Inspections Act 1996, I am of the opinion and

HMCI agrees, that special measures are required in relation to this school.

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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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

reading D D D E writing D D E E mathematics E C E E 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

Pupils’ overall achievement is unsatisfactory and poor in the Foundation Stage. Children start school with standards below those expected nationally and receive a sound start in the Nursery. Progress is unsatisfactory in the Reception classes. Standards in language, literacy and numeracy are below those expected by the start of Year 1. There is satisfactory achievement in communication, knowledge and understanding of the world and personal, social, emotional, physical and creative development. A high emphasis is placed on unstructured play, but teachers do not direct this well enough to ensure children develop reading, writing and mathematical skills. Through Years 1 and 2 these weaknesses are not resolved because the quality of teaching, while satisfactory, does not provide enough impetus to ensure rapid progress. By the end of Year 2 standards are below the national average in reading and well below average in writing and

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

mathematics. The results in national tests have steadily declined. Achievement in physical education is good; in information and communication technology, religious education, history, music and art it is satisfactory. Achievement in geography is unsatisfactory. There was too little evidence to make judgements about design and technology. The achievement of pupils with English as an additional Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 5 language and those from ethnic minorities is similar to their English-speaking peers although the specialist teaching they receive is good. Pupils with special educational needs make suitable progress against their own targets.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Overall attitudes, values and personal qualities are satisfactory but pupils’ attitudes and behaviour to work are good. Provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is also good. They are inquisitive about the world, particularly when teachers ask searching questions but have limited opportunities to work independently. Attendance is below the national average although many families still take term time holidays.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is inadequate because teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. Teaching is sound in the Nursery and good for pupils in the Child Development Unit, but poor in the Reception classes. Here, too much emphasis is placed on unstructured play and little direction given towards activities related to basic skills. Group sessions provide new experiences but children are not directed well enough to practise these during play activities and learning does not progress. The quality of teaching is Years 1 and 2 is unsatisfactory This is because, while individual lessons are satisfactory, it is not of high enough quality over the longer term to ensure pupils make continuous progress. Planning follows national guidelines but takes little account of individual ability. Class teachers have had some training to help pupils with English as an additional language make better progress but their achievement relies heavily on a small amount of specialist support. The care,

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

welfare and safety of pupils is sound but academic assessment is not used to target the high numbers of pupils identified by the school as underachieving. Parents are given suitable information and the school is increasingly seeking and acting on the views of pupils.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. There is no clear direction to the improvement plans that will enable the school to move forward. Too many priorities are being undertaken at once and have had little impact on poor standards. The satisfactory governing body is aware of the issues and, with the support of the local education authority and the senior management team, has started to address them. There has been some success, such as the improvement in nursery provision, but in other significant areas, such as the provision for teaching, little progress has been made. Day-to- day management of the school is sound, administration systems are friendly and professional but the lack of inspired leadership is restricting longer-term improvement.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are generally supportive of the school and children feel happy and confident. A significant number of parents are concerned about the lack of academic rigour and the high number of staffing changes. Parents from minority ethnic backgrounds commented positively about their children’s integration within the school community.

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

• Improve the focus of leadership to ensure there is a clear impact on whole school improvement. • Raise standards in reading, writing and mathematics. • Improve the provision of education in the Reception classes. • Improve all pupils’ achievement by raising the overall quality of teaching through Years 1 and 2. Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 6

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Standards are below average and achievement through the school is unsatisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards have deteriorated since the last inspection and are not showing signs of improving. • Pupils make a sound start in the Nursery but overall achievement through the Foundation Stage is poor. • Pupils’ standards in reading are below the average expected for their age and well below in writing and mathematics. • Achievement overall through the infants is unsatisfactory. • Children in the Child Development Unit make good progress.

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Commentary

1. On entry to the school children’s attainment is below that expected nationally because a significant proportion have more limited language skills or speak little or no English. However, the majority start with a good attitude towards school and have a capacity to learn quickly. Children make sound progress in the Nursery. Activities are planned that link suitably to the nationally agreed Early Learning Goals and teachers encourage children to use these newly acquired skills during their play. Only limited progress is made through the Reception Year because the teaching of basic skills in language and numeracy is not structured well enough. By the end of the Reception Year pupils’ standards are low in language, literacy and mathematical development although they are close to those expected for their age in communication, personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of

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Commentary

the world, physical and creative development. The major reason for low achievement is in the way that the day is structured. Whole class input provides a good start and develops new knowledge but because the monitoring of independent activities is not controlled well enough children do not always complete the activities they are set. The lack of formal language and numeracy activities means that writing does not develop, number facts are not reinforced and thus children do not build up the basic skills needed for their introductory work within the National Curriculum. Achievement through the Foundation Stage overall is poor.

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Commentary

2. Achievement through the infants is unsatisfactory because the teaching is not strong enough to provide a wide range of exciting and stimulating opportunities relevant to the needs of the different abilities. Standards overall at the end of Year 2 are below those expected nationally. They improve slightly in Year 2 because the teaching is better focused. However, this has not been good enough over time to raise the standards quickly or sufficiently from a low level.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results National results reading 14.8 (15.3) 15.7 (15.8) writing 13.5 (13.8) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 15.2 (16.5) 16.3 (16.5) There were 145 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

3. Results in national tests at the end of Year 2 have been falling steadily in reading and writing for the last four years and indications from the initial results this year appear to confirm that the downward trend is continuing. In mathematics, results rose steadily until 2002, dropped dramatically in 2003 and again have continued to decline. Teacher assessments in science Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 7 show a more even picture, albeit below average, but provision is slightly better because the prescriptive scheme of work provides very tight guidelines that enable teachers to provide systematic coverage of the subject. Pupils in the Child Development Unit (CDU) and those with statements in mainstream classes achieve well and make good progress against their identified needs. Pupils without statements in mainstream classes achieve satisfactorily against the targets identified on their individual education plans (IEPs). There is no significant

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Commentary

difference between the achievement of boys or girls.

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Commentary

4. Standards by the end of Year 2 are below the national average in reading and well below average in writing. Achievement is unsatisfactory. Basic reading skills are not reinforced through regular practice and many pupils are not fully confident with sounds or are able to decode unfamiliar words. Only small proportions of pupils are able to write grammatically correct sentences using punctuation marks and capital letters. There is not enough opportunity to write in different styles and for different purposes. As a result, pupils do not have any depth of knowledge about how their writing should develop. Over 50 per cent of pupils come from families where English is not their home language. Provision for pupils who speak English as an additional l anguage is unsatisfactory and as a result most pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. By the end of Year 2 standards in English for these pupils are well below

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Commentary

national expectations. This is because of insufficient teacher expertise in developing pupils’ English language skills.

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Commentary

5. The school uses the Ethnic Minority Grant to appoint a teacher, two bi-lingual assistants, one bi-lingual nursery nurse and two EMA teaching assistants. All pupils are assessed and their language acquisition is determined and recorded. 126 out of 173 pupils are currently being targeted for language support. The co-ordinator’s records show that these pupils make satisfactory progress, but it is not as rapid as it should be. Considering the number of pupils in each class, all teachers and their assistants need some expertise in teaching pupils whose mother tongue is not English so that they can take their pupils’ learning forward. Standards that pupils who speak English as an additional language attain are lower than national expectations, but are similar to their English-speaking peers. The school has analysed test results on the basis of ethnicity to ascertain if any group is underachieving. There is no clear pattern and so

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Commentary

in English overall achievement is unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

6. Standards in mathematics are well below the national average because there is an insufficient quantity of high quality teaching. Achievement is unsatisfactory. Too many activities are mundane, following the National Numeracy Strategy too closely without adapting it to the particular needs of individuals. This results in unsatisfactory achievement. In Year 1, few pupils can calculate well enough or use number to help them work out mental calculations. By the end of Year 2, pupils find difficulty working confidently with numbers, cannot measure or estimate accurately and only use simple strategies to make mental computations. These are all skills that would be expected to be at a higher level for their age.

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Commentary

7. Science standards are below average overall although pupils’ factual knowledge is more secure and closer to the national norm. The school’s programme for science has been developed to provide less confident teachers with the building blocks for lesson planning. It details key vocabulary, resources and activities as well as worksheets to complete. It provides a balance between all the different strands of the subject and has helped achievement reach a satisfactory level. Despite this, teacher assessments indicate standards are still below the national average because there is a lack of challenge for those with higher ability. They make unsatisfactory progress as they do not progress further than the average ability pupils.

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Commentary

8. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are in line with those expected nationally and achievement is satisfactory. Better resources such as the new computer suite are providing improved opportunities and teachers have built up their own confidence in delivering all the nationally agreed strands. Achievement in religious education is satisfactory because pupils have a good understanding and respect of different faiths, many of which are Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 8 represented within the families of the school. Pupils take an active role in the celebration of festivals and by doing so are learning about how this affects different cultures.

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Commentary

9. Achievement is satisfactory in history, music and art and design and good in physical education despite the restrictions of the grounds. Planning for all these subjects allows sufficient time to develop the various skills and to practise what has been learnt. Achievement in geography is unsatisfactory because specific skills are not taught well enough and pupils cannot, for instance, draw maps clearly or talk about different parts of their own country or the wider world. There was too little evidence to judge achievement in design and technology but from discussions with pupils they show little interest or motivation in the subject and do not clearly understand why they need to evaluate their projects after they are finished.

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Commentary

10. The overall picture is one of deteriorating standards since the last inspection when achievement was higher. The school, in its own self-evaluation, recognises that achievement is unsatisfactory but there is no clear strategic plan about how this will be remedied. The local education authority has provided more support this year and there are some signs of improvement. However, the full impact of this work has not yet been realised, some standards are still falling and the capacity for rapid improvement is therefore limited.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Personal development is satisfactory overall, although the attitudes and behaviour of pupils, particularly towards their work is good . Attendance is below the national average although it is starting to improve. The development of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Attitudes, behaviour and relationships are good both in and out of lessons. • There are some minor behavioural issues when teaching is not so strong. • Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered well through assemblies and some lessons. • Attendance is below the national average.

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Commentary

11. The school promotes pupils’ personal development well. Pupils usually have good attitudes to school and learning. Attendance rates are below national averages although the great majority of pupils arrive on time each day. The school has successfully maintained provision in this area of its work since the last inspection. However, there are too many families taking extended holidays during term time, which adversely affects the attendance rates. The school works hard in co-operation with the Education Welfare Officer to improve attendance and punctuality. As a result, rates are better this year than in the last reporting year.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%) Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.9 School data 1.1 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

12. Pupils enjoy school. Parents and pupils agree that the school is a good place to be; it provides a warm and caring environment for learning. Pupils behave well because their carers and staff encourage and expect them to. The school is orderly and behaviour management is consistently positive, supported by the clearly understood and effective behaviour management and reward systems. Staff set a good example to pupils. The great majority of pupils pay attention to teachers and to each other and follow instructions well. Most pupils work hard and Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 9 concentrate well. For example in a Year 2 physical education lesson pupils were safely managed in a lively apparatus session by the teacher who had good control and an extensive range of positive strategies to manage them.

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Commentary

13. When teaching is less successful, pupils sometimes fidget or chat, often as a result of tasks not matching their needs. For example, in a Year 1 science lesson some youngsters struggled to read the required material and in a Year 2 numeracy lesson pupils did not have the understanding to fully access the task on ‘Time’. There was a close correlation between underachieving pupils, behaviour and motivation levels.

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Commentary

14. Behaviour at play and lunchtime is good, with proactive supervision and a range of simple play equipment supporting good natured, noisy play. Pupils cope well with the restricted space available.

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Commentary

15. Relationships within the school are good. All adults in the school know pupils well and show care and respect for all children in their charge. Boys and girls from all age groups and backgrounds are kind and friendly towards each other. They are welcoming to visitors to their school, chatting confidently about their activities and showing politeness and courtesy. The youngest pupils in the Foundation Stage are given a good start in developing personal and social skills and can work together in friendly groups. No bullying or racist behaviour was seen during the inspection period although parents and children report that incidents do occur from time to time. There is a good level of racial harmony.

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Commentary

16. Most pupils with special educational needs have a positive attitude to their work. In the CDU pupils who have social communication disorders and language delay, have made very good progress in turn-taking, following routines and joining in group activities.

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Commentary

17. Pupils’ social, moral and cultural development is well promoted at the school. Social development is fostered by the effective behaviour management policy, good role models provided by all adults and visiting junior school pupils, the personal, health and social education (PHSE) curriculum and tasks offered to them around the school. The assemblies, the religious education (RE) curriculum and the high expectations of staff enhance moral development and pupils respond well to the challenges they are set. There is no school council. Cultural development is well supported by the extensive range of displays and artefacts around the school and the universal atmosphere of respect for diversity throughout the school. Spiritual development is sound and is primarily developed through assemblies and the RE curriculum.

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Exclusions

18. There were two fixed period exclusions of one pupil last year.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 10 Categories used in the Annual School Census Number of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 48 0 0 White – Irish 2 0 0 White – any other White background 9 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 28 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 9 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 5 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 74 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 85 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 6 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 37 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 134 2 0 Black or Black British – African 38 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 20 0 0 Chinese 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 23 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 7 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is unsatisfactory . Teaching and learning are not strong enough and poor in the Reception classes. The curriculum is unsatisfactory . It is balanced and sufficiently broad but is not always relevant to each child’s needs. The care, welfare and safety of pupils is sound although the systems for supporting academic success are not having enough effect. There are effective links with parents, other schools and the community.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is unsatisfactory overall with major weaknesses in the Foundation Stage.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is sound in the Nursery classes but poor in the Reception classes. • Most other teaching is sound but there are few examples of very good teaching that would provide models of best practice for others to follow. • Pupils are keen to learn but there is little inspirational teaching so that over time it does not do enough to stretch the potential of each child and so raise achievement. • Pupils with English as an additional language receive good specialist teaching but this is not supported well enough within classes because teachers lack enough expertise. • Marking is too variable.

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Commentary

19. The overall quality of teaching has deteriorated since the last inspection when it was good. In the Foundation Stage it is variable but poor overall. It is satisfactory in the Nursery, following Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 11 high levels of in-house training provided over the last year. There is a suitable balance between structured and unstructured play allowing children to gain new experiences through practical methods while at the same time directing the questioning, activities and adult support. This is ensuring that opportunities are not missed to develop each child’s potential in all six areas of the Early Learning Goals. In the Reception classes, teachers have changed the systems to provide a more relaxed and informal approach. While this is in empathy with the requirements of the Early Learning Strategies proposed nationally, it is not sufficiently structured to ensure that children benefit from what the teachers plan. In the lessons seen, nearly half were

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Commentary

unsatisfactory. So, for instance, a whole class input on number was not followed up by ensuring that all children then had a chance to practise what they had learnt. The procedures and systems are not robust enough to highlight those who spend all their time on one activity, as the adults do not direct the learning strongly enough. In addition, this does little to prepare children for their move into Year 1 and more formal work on the National Curriculum. Teachers in Year 1 are planning to spend some time readjusting the work ethic of these children before being able to move onto their own activities across a range of subjects. There is better provision for social and personal development as the relationships through the Foundation Stage are good. Teachers try hard to ensure that each child settles well and is able to work with others. The outdoor play area is also used well with a very wide range of activities

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Commentary

20. Teaching and learning through the infants is unsatisfactory overall although during the inspection the majority of lessons seen were satisfactory. However, there was little evidence of teaching that was better than this and from an analysis of work in books it is clear that many activities are mundane or not matched well to pupils’ ability. Hence, long-term progress is too slow. Monitoring by the school suggests a similar picture and so teachers have few good role models to develop their own practices. It has been unfortunate that there has been a high turnover of staff over the last two years and this has presented problems with continuity. One class is being taught by the deputy headteacher who has only been with the class for a few weeks.

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Commentary

21. The subject knowledge of teachers is sufficient to ensure that all areas of the curriculum are covered. Expertise in ICT has improved with recent training and the school benefits from specialist support for music. Some subject co-ordinators, such as for literacy and science, have provided further levels of training to support developments. Where some individual teachers lack expertise the level of subject co-ordination has not been sufficient such as in design and technology.

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Commentary

22. Planning follows the national guidelines closely. Daily plans completed by teachers give objectives to be completed and how these will be achieved. In some better examples, such as in Year 2, they also detail how these might be adapted to different abilities and the level of expectation is then higher. However, too often the plans are details of activities rather than being based on specific outcomes related to raising achievement and providing a greater level of challenge. A good example is the very comprehensive and detailed science scheme, which provides some extensions for activities.

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Commentary

23. In general, pupils are keen to learn and remain interested and active during lessons. The very high level of adult support in some classes ensures that there are few behavioural issues although it does not always allow pupils to work on their own or to gain more maturity and a chance to develop their independence. When small groups are asked to work together then the pace of the learning drops, pupils start to chat, fidget or forget what they have been asked to do because they are not being given clear indications by the teacher about what is expected of them.

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Commentary

24. The school has a good range of resources that are used well. However, the overall methods used in lessons and the way these are organised are unsatisfactory. Time is not used as well as it could be since the written or practical activities do not provide the level of challenge that Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 12 they should. As a result, the pupils do not make the progress they should over a number of lessons and thus the development of knowledge, skills and understanding is not improved.

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Commentary

25. Teaching in the CDU is good and well matched to the learning needs of pupils. Teaching is based on a sequence of activities that engages pupils’ attention and helps to build up familiar learning routines. The class teacher and the two classroom assistants work well together and use clear and consistent communication strategies. Pupils take a delight in responding to registration routines and sing out, ‘Here I am!’ As pupils attend for morning sessions only, there is time for staff to evaluate the achievements of each pupil during the session and plan the next day’s activities. Teaching of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. However, there are frequently too few support staff to assist teachers in planning different openings to lessons and in many cases it is not until group work begins that they receive more individual help.

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Commentary

26. The quality of teaching received by pupils who have English as an additional language is unsatisfactory. However, teaching by the specialist teacher is good. In the lesson observed, the teacher planned appropriate work, used good questioning, explained the key subject vocabulary well through miming actions and presented work with a strong visual content. The teacher ensured that pupils understood what they were required to learn and maintained high expectations of their work and behaviour. This resulted in pupils' good achievement. The bi- lingual teaching assistants provide satisfactory support in the lessons. On occasions they use the pupil’s mother tongue to explain work and thus engender confidence. Good practice is not disseminated throughout the school as most teachers do not appropriately target pupils’ learning. Teachers and learning assistants have not had training and their skills are insufficient

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Commentary

to meet the needs of these pupils. They do not use successful strategies such as repetition of key vocabulary and presentation of work with a strong visual content. In contrast, teachers have a positive attitude to diversity of languages presented in the school and this adds significantly to bilingual pupils’ ease and as a result they are willing to learn and participate in lessons but are not fluent enough to understand the content and express their ideas. Many staff members from different ethnic minority communities provide good role models for pupils.

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Commentary

27. The use of daily assessment such as marking is variable but unsatisfactory overall. There is no common format across the school and much depends on teacher expertise. This ranges from teachers giving clear evaluative statements, praise and suggestions that can be used to move learning on, to cursory ticks. The school has started to collect a wealth of more sophisticated data giving national and local comparisons including the achievement of minority ethnic groups. This has established that there are a number of pupils who are underachieving and specific support has been targeted. As yet, the impact of this has had little effect. Teachers have comprehensive and detailed files but much of this is not used efficiently to provide better learning opportunities through highly focused and challenging work.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 44 lessons Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

0 (0%) 1 (3%) 13 (29%) 22 (49%) 8 (18%) 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.

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The curriculum

Overall the school’s curriculum is unsatisfactory . Opportunities for enrichment are sound . The quality and quantity of accommodation and resources are unsatisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Insufficient time allocated to English. Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 13 • Curriculum provision in the Child Development Unit (CDU) is good. • Preparation for pupils to move on to Junior schools is unsatisfactory. • A range of out of school activities has been developed since the last inspection. • The accommodation is unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

28. The school provides a satisfactory range of learning opportunities for its pupils but it is not always relevant to their academic needs. Statutory requirements are met and the National Curriculum subjects and religious education are taught as required. A higher than average time is allocated to history, geography and design and technology. The curriculum in the Nursery is broad and all areas are covered. Provision for personal, social and health education is satisfactory.

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Commentary

29. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. Curriculum provision in the Child Development Unit (CDU) is good. Pupils from the CDU join other groups in the Nursery on a regular basis. This gives them good opportunities for listening to and copying the more advanced language and social skills of children in mainstream nursery groups. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory. Preparation for pupils to move on to junior schools is unsatisfactory as the majority fail to reach an acceptable standard to support their work at Key Stage 2. The arrangement made by the CDU for transition into other nursery provision is good, as there are careful plans for all pupils.

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Commentary

30. The school is successful in providing a curriculum that reflects a positive attitude towards other cultures and languages. Pupils who speak English as an additional language get good opportunities to gain confidence in their culture through the study of religious education, assemblies, stories and music. The resources are sufficient; for example there are books in bilingual text and stories from other cultures and countries in each class book areas. There are many notices and signs in other languages to show that the school values other cultures and languages. A wide range of attractive displays of artefacts, pictures and books that reflect pupils’ cultural heritage give a strong message of equality for all ethnic minority pupils. This also stimulates desire for learning and raises pupils’ self-esteem.

p.15

Commentary

31. A range of out of school activities has been developed since the last inspection. Improvements include the introduction of a French club and a successful family literacy project during school time. Several educational journeys are undertaken. Other improvements include the development of an outdoor learning resource for the Nursery and Reception classes and an after-school sports club.

p.15

Commentary

32. The school uses the National Strategies for teaching Literacy and Numeracy and these form the basis for planning in English and mathematics. There is no policy or planning for gifted and talented pupils. Sex and drugs education is appropriately included. The use of ICT to support learning in subjects across the curriculum is unsatisfactory and the opportunities to develop literacy skills in other subjects are unsatisfactory.

p.15

Commentary

33. There is a satisfactory match of staff to the curriculum but there have been local difficulties in recruitment and retention of staff. A lack of continuity has limited improvements in art and mathematics. Conversely the recruitment of a music teacher has led to improvements in music since the last inspection. The ratio of regular support staff provided in classes is variable. This limits the development of more variety in teaching to enable both higher and lower attaining pupils to benefit although those with identified special educational needs do benefit from the support they receive.

p.15

Commentary

34. The accommodation is unsatisfactory. The limited space means very tight timetabling that imposes a structure on the school that is unhelpful to learning and good communication. Inadequate playground space and the lack of grass areas restrict activities of pupils especially within physical education. There is no all weather protection for pupils who have to change Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 14 buildings for music, ICT and to enter and leave the dining hall. Some classrooms are very small and this also restricts the range of teaching methods, especially the use of role-play, that can be developed. Resources for learning are adequate and resources for ICT have been improved.

p.15

Care, guidance and support

Arrangements for the care and welfare of pupils are satisfactory . The support and guidance based on thorough monitoring, particularly for promoting academic success, are unsatisfactory . The school suitably values the opinions of pupils and respects their views.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils form trusting relationships with staff and feel secure and cared for. • There are good induction arrangements for new pupils throughout the school. • Information gained from monitoring academic progress is not used well to guide pupils’ learning.

p.16

Commentary

35. The care and welfare of pupils continues to be sound and the school has improved the range of information it gathers about progress since the previous inspection. The school has all the necessary procedures in place to ensure the safety and protection of pupils in its care. The school environment is monitored regularly, to check that buildings and grounds are safe and there is good liaison with the junior school to ensure the shared site is secure. Appropriate child protection procedures are in place.

p.16

Commentary

36. Individual Education Plans (IEP) are kept for pupils with special educational needs but are frequently unsatisfactory as they do not identify teaching and behavioural strategies that are likely to help pupils, particularly those at the level of ‘School Action’. They do, however, include comments by some pupils themselves. The school does not use the ‘P’ scales to evaluate the progress in learning of pupils who are working at levels below National Curriculum Level 1. 1 Individual Education Plans for pupils in the CDU are good and include targets for achievement in language and literacy and mathematics should this be part of the child’s area of difficulty.

p.16

Commentary

37. Teachers know their pupils well and respect their views. Teaching and non-teaching staff alike work hard to make the school a caring place where pupils, whatever their needs or backgrounds, feel safe and confident. They know their concerns and their views about school life will be taken seriously. Staff have a depth of knowledge about pupils and their families and a genuine concern for pupils’ welfare and progress, even though some monitoring of academic progress is too informal and does not feed systematically into planning for the future. There are good induction procedures in place to ensure that new parents and children are fully informed about school life and make a confident start. Children starting school in the Nursery or Reception classes receive home visits and teachers take full account of information given to them by parents before their children start. There is appropriate liaison with the junior schools

p.16

Commentary

to ensure that pupils settle in well when they move on. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are well integrated in the school life and mutual respect and tolerance of others’ values underpin the strong relationships within the school.

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

There are good links with parents and carers, with good information, support and access to teachers. There are good links with the local community, notably through the family learning programme. Links with local schools are satisfactory .

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

1 A measurement scale used to recognise the progress pupils make before they reach Level 1 of the National Curriculum developed by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in 2001. Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 15

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good efforts are made to integrate bilingual families and those from other cultures. • Good links with the parent fundraising committee provide extra financial support. • Good quality information is provided and pupils; annual reports are well presented. • There are a number of well developed links within the community and with some other institutions.

p.17

Commentary

38. Parents at the school are supportive of their children and are well motivated to support their learning at home. The exception to this is a number of families taking extended holidays in term time and the failure of a few parents to bring their children to school on time. This adversely affects attendance rates at the school.

p.17

Commentary

39. The school makes every effort to integrate parents of pupils who speak English as an additional language into school life. Bilingual staff provides appropriate support for those who need it. Bilingual parents are used to help non-English speakers. The family literacy programme has been used to support bilingual families. The co-ordinator has a good rapport with parents and is available to talk to them every morning. Parents are kept informed about the progress of pupils with special educational needs and many commented on the individuality of IEPs. One parent had noted that joining the family literacy programme had enabled her to support her son better.

p.17

Commentary

40. There is an active parent fundraising committee that works hard to provide social and fundraising events at the school. Overall, the school has maintained previously reported good standards in this area. Parents report that their children enjoy school, develop well, are treated fairly and work hard. A minority expressed some justifiable, individual concerns about behaviour, school management and communication.

p.17

Commentary

41. The school seeks parents’ views about the school regularly and is an open and welcoming place. Parents support their youngsters’ learning well by sharing books, coming into school to help in class and encouraging positive attitudes to learning. Information to parents is well presented and freely available. Annual reports to parents on pupils’ progress are of good quality with targets for improvement, children’s comments and all required information clearly presented. Information to parents of children starting in the Nursery is of high quality. The governors’ annual report, the prospectus, curriculum information and newsletters provide satisfactory information.

p.17

Commentary

42. There are good links with the local community through the PTA, the successful family learning programme, borough wide cultural events and the adjoining junior schools. There is a strong link with Roehampton’s teacher training wing and local GCSE students undergo work experience at the school. Links with the junior schools that share the site are good, Year 6 pupils from the Girls’ school support younger pupils regularly and induction arrangements for transferring Year 2 pupils are well developed. Parents’ supportive attitudes towards the school and its open-door approach foster pupils’ good attitudes to school and their enjoyment of learning.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 16 Leadership and management are unsatisfactory with weaknesses in the key areas of achievement, teaching and learning. Leadership by the headteacher and other staff is unsatisfactory . There is sound governance from a recently reconstituted but developing governing body.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher and the leadership team have been unable to stem a decline in the standards and in the quality of teaching and learning since the last inspection. • Governors are keen for the school to improve and have recognised the strengths and weaknesses in the school’s provision. • There is little inspirational teaching or innovative curriculum development. • The school is orderly and safe. • Too many initiatives are being pursued concurrently in the school improvement plan. • Frequent changes to key teaching and leadership personnel have handicapped continuity in school development. • Office staff work hard to ensure the efficient day to day administration of the school.

p.18

Commentary

43. The headteacher and senior management team have failed to stem the overall decline in standards since the last inspection. The management procedures to enable higher academic success are unsatisfactory and despite extensive collections of data on school performance, the school has been unable to use the inspection to significantly improve teaching and learning. The chair and vice-chair of governors of the newly formed and developing governing body, have accurately identified the strengths and weaknesses of the school and are rightly concerned about the school’s performance and the downward trend in results. The local education authority has been providing much higher levels of support since September 2003 and for the reception classes since March 2004. This has had some impact, particularly in the Nursery provision and in the overall quality of teaching. Sound administrative procedures are in

p.18

Commentary

place and the office staff work hard to enable the school to function smoothly and on a day-to- day basis. The principles of best value are applied.

p.18

Commentary

44. This is a large and complex school with very many challenges to the leadership team. The fragmented building exaggerates any failure to unite staff and provide a cogent improvement plan for the future. Although the headteacher is committed to school improvement and has been trying to develop a caring and successful school, there has been a failure to prevent standards from falling. The lack of drive in developing and coaching a teaching force to a standard, which is inspirational and committed to curriculum innovation, has been a key factor in the school’s lack of success. Although it has been possible for the leadership team to identify some of the school’s weaknesses, it has not been able to build a sufficiently strong and consistent team of teachers in order to create a strong sense of unity and purpose.

p.18

Commentary

45. The effectiveness of staff with subject responsibilities varies especially in relation to monitoring and evaluation. Several co-ordinators are temporary or have changed roles over the past year. The school improvement plan, aspects of which are often led by staff in temporary roles, is too complex, with too many initiatives a very high number commencing during the summer term of this year. This leads to a dissipation of effort and lack of focus on priorities. It has resulted in a disjointed approach to monitoring the provision within subjects and too little coherency in whole school improvement. The vast array of priorities, all being attempted at the same time means that there is little hope of success and is a major contributory reason for the school’s decline.

p.18

Commentary

46. The co-ordinator for pupils with English as an additional language is experienced and provides satisfactory leadership and management. The procedures set to assess and track progress are good but information is not used effectively to provide targeted support. She has provided some in-service training for teachers but it is insufficient to meet the needs of the school. The teacher in charge of the CDU manages the unit well. She works well with the Nursery and Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 17 enables good inclusion work as well as supporting pupils with special educational needs in other Nursery classes. At present, there is no co-ordinator for the Foundation Stage but a new appointment has been made from September. The two year group leaders for the Nursery and Reception classes are confident about planning formats and have regular weekly meetings with all staff. However, the unsatisfactory co-ordination for the whole department has led to

p.18

Commentary

confusion amongst staff and a lack of strategic focus.

p.19

Commentary

47. The school has created a caring environment and the children are developing good attitudes due, in the main, to their relationships with staff. Although the school’s ethos aims to include all, the emphasis has been on the social inclusion of pupils in the multicultural school community rather than academic inclusion. As a result, standards are low and achievement is unsatisfactory. Although there has been a written commitment to raising standards, too much energy has been directed at the identification of problems and not enough into solving them effectively.

p.19

Commentary

48. Performance management practices follow guidance provided by the local authority but have been insufficiently effective in raising the standard of teaching. Changes in teams and team leaders have prevented support for teachers from being followed through effectively. There has been much turbulence among teaching staff in the last two years and it has been difficult to recruit and retain staff. Key personnel have recently been appointed but have, as yet, either not taken up their posts, or have had insufficient time to make a difference.

p.19

Commentary

49. The office reception staff are friendly and welcoming and work well together as a team. Sound procedures exist for the management of the school’s finances. The recently appointed finance officer works closely with the headteacher and receives a good level of support and challenge from the local authority’s finance adviser.

p.19

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003 Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,376,845.11 Balance from previous year 115,198 Total expenditure 1,364,957.97 Balance carried forward to the next year 127,945.28 Expenditure per pupil 2,377.98

p.19

Commentary

50. The governing body was reconstituted in January 2000 and the chair is new. It has tended to rely on the headteacher as its chief source of information but with local education authority support is developing quickly and its influence is growing. Some governors have not yet been able to form an opinion about the school’s capacity to succeed. The governing body has responded well to recommendations listed in the local authority’s most recent audit and their functions now meet all statutory requirements with appropriate delegation to committees. In discussion with the chair and vice chair it is clear that they have a keen sense of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Their concern has become more acute and better focused during the last year following reports of monitoring visits and access to the national data. As yet, the governors’ contribution to school improvement has been modest. Having previously

p.19

Commentary

contributed to the school improvement plan, this opportunity was denied them this year due to the cancellation of the annual development planning day. The headteacher decided on this occasion to construct the three-year plan with the local authority’s representative as priorities had already been identified in monitoring reports. The school improvement plan and minutes of meetings show governors meet regularly to ensure that the school’s statutory duties are fulfilled.

p.19

Commentary

51. The school consists of a number of buildings of various sizes and condition shared with two other schools. Altogether there are four separate areas. There is no field and only a very small playground space for a school of this size. This leads to staggered break and lunchtimes reducing the opportunity for staff interaction. It also creates time wasting journeys around the buildings and through security doors and a lack of suitable space for teaching outdoor physical Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 18 education. In addition classroom space is restricted. This has a particularly negative effect on those teachers whose classroom management is not so strong. Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 19

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

In Winterbourne Nursery and Infants School, the Foundation Stage is the time that children spend in the Nursery and Reception classes. When they start, children’s experiences and knowledge vary widely, but most have broadly average experiences of the world. Significantly higher proportions than average have very limited language skills, or speak little or no English. Overall the attainment of children on entry to the school is below that expected nationally.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

There has been deterioration in provision since the previous inspection. Teaching is unsatisfactory overall, because the basic skills of language and number are not taught well enough in the Reception classes. As a result, children make limited progress in the development of reading, writing and number, and achievement in communication, language and literacy and in mathematical development, is unsatisfactory. The proportion of children reaching the standards expected in these areas is very low, as was demonstrated by the school’s own assessments this term. In other areas of learning, teaching, learning and children’s achievement is satisfactory and most children reach, or are close to reaching the standards expected in these areas by the time they leave Reception. Children in the early stages of learning English have additional support for some activities and this is of particularly high quality in the Nursery classes. Teachers are sensitive to children with special

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

educational needs and give adequate support to ensure that they achieve as well as their classmates. The lack of a co-ordinator for the Foundation Stage has led to some confusion and has contributed to the lack of an overall plan of improvement. Support from the local education authority has been sought and this has started to have an impact in the way that the curriculum is delivered.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Adults encourage children to learn and play independently. • Supportive relationships ensure children feel secure and happy.

p.21

Commentary

52. Satisfactory teaching ensures that, during their time in the Foundation Stage, children develop confidence and independence and attain as expected for their age in this area of learning. Achievement is satisfactory. From the time the day starts children are expected to settle down quickly, get what they need for a task, play sensibly and put books, equipment and toys away when asked. Because of the wide range of activities offered in all classes, children move around their classrooms and playgrounds with confidence and make sensible choices about how to occupy themselves. They help one another and by the time they are in the Reception class they take turns with equipment and co-operate well at play. A notable example of this was seen when three reception children took turns to build and furnish rooms in a house with wooden construction equipment, discussing what each room needed and negotiating where

p.21

Commentary

the furniture should be placed. Children in the Nursery confidently sort themselves out at the computer or play happily together in the role-play areas such as the aeroplane, where they politely serve drinks to one another. One of the strengths of the teaching is that teachers, nursery nurses and classroom assistants work well in their teams and provide good role models for children. They are calm, well organised and approachable and treat children with respect and courtesy. This leads to warm and trusting relationships and helps the children to behave in a friendly manner to one another. Children are generally enthusiastic about their learning, but on occasions, some lose interest when they are left too long to their own devices. Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 20

p.21

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is unsatisfactory .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good in the Nursery. • Basic skills of reading and writing are not taught well enough in the Reception classes and teaching in these classes is poor.

p.22

Commentary

53. Teachers promote the development of speaking and listening satisfactorily by widening children’s vocabulary in a variety of ways. They explain new words when reading stories or for example when they occur in other activities. The good relationships that exist between adults and children mean that most children are confident to ask questions and talk about their play. Adults in the Nursery are particularly good at modelling correct language, explaining new words and encouraging children to use them. In the Reception classes, some staff do not do enough to ensure that children learning English understand what is being said and thus teaching and pupils’ achievement overall is unsatisfactory. Standards are below those expected nationally by the time pupils finish the Reception Year.

p.22

Commentary

54. Teachers in all classes plan carefully for this area of learning. Activities are well thought out and are planned to help children learn letter sounds, develop enjoyment in reading and begin to write independently. The classrooms are well resourced with word banks and pictures. Teachers in all classes work hard with small groups of children to teach them sounds and encourage them to write about things that interest them or about what they are learning in the classroom. Teaching in these ‘focus groups’ is never less than satisfactory and a good example was seen in a Reception class where higher attaining children worked at their sentences about the story in their class book ‘Mr Gumpy’s Outing’. In the Nursery, many other activities are used to help children learn these basic skills. In the role-play airport, for example, children were encouraged to write out tickets and write labels for displays on the wall. In

p.22

Commentary

Reception, weaknesses in teaching occur because teachers do not check carefully enough that activities planned for children to work at independently are actually carried out and completed. A typical example was seen in one lesson where children who were supposed to be writing in the ‘graphics area’ spent half an hour quietly drawing pictures and no check was made to ensure that the writing task was done. In general, in Reception classes not enough time is spent in the day on formal language activities and teachers do not have high enough expectations of what children of this age can achieve.

p.22

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is unsatisfactory .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A good foundation for learning number is laid in the Nursery. • Children in the Reception classes do not spend enough time learning basic number skills and teaching in these classes is weak.

p.22

Commentary

Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 21 55. In both Nursery and Reception, teachers plan interesting activities that build on what children have already learnt and understood. In the Nursery, adults take many opportunities to reinforce children’s learning by counting and using mathematical language, discussing the shape of wheels on the car, for example and by counting play-dough cakes with children as they make them. In Reception, good teaching of mathematics is seen in some whole class introduction sessions and in small ‘focus’ teaching groups. In these sessions, children practise their counting and learn to use mathematical vocabulary such as ‘more’ and ‘less’. Activities are made interesting and practical, as when a teacher in a Reception class hid toys under blankets and asked children to work out how many were left after a given number had been removed. Standards at the end of the year are well below the levels expected, however, because

p.23

Commentary

children do not spend enough directed time in the day on mathematical activities. Teachers’ expectations of what children should achieve when they are working independently are not high enough and adults rarely check to make sure that independent tasks are carried out and completed. Teaching and achievement are unsatisfactory.

p.23

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision for knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers plan a wide range of interesting activities around a theme to promote learning in this area. • The outside area is used well for a range of learning and play activities. • There is often not enough adult input to ensure children are learning what they should from the activity.

p.23

Commentary

56. Teaching, learning and children’s achievement are satisfactory overall and pupils are attaining as would be expected for their age. Teachers plan a wide range of practical activities linked to a theme that help children learn by finding out for themselves. Children in the Nursery learnt about countries and their flags, for example, by looking at pictures and maps and by drawing flags representing their own countries of origin. The outdoor areas beside the classrooms are used particularly well to support learning in this area and resources such as play equipment, sand and water are often well organised and resourced to link with the topic being studied. A weakness in the provision for this area is that there are often too many activities for children to choose from and not enough experienced adults working with them to ask questions and make sure they learn what they should from the activity.

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is satisfactory .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good use is made of outside areas. • Physical education apparatus in the hall takes too long to assemble.

p.23

Commentary

57. In their movements around the classroom and playground and in their use of pencils, paints, scissors and tools, achievement is satisfactory. Reception children play in the playground energetically, climbing, sliding and balancing on the play equipment with reasonable control and confidence and when riding the wheeled toys they stay safely within the prescribed area. They have daily opportunities to use the outdoor space and where possible adults support and Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 22 monitor their activities to help them improve their skills. Reception classes have timetabled sessions in the hall. In these lessons children learn to develop their movements in a controlled way and put together sequences, sometimes using the large PE apparatus. Children are taught to move the equipment safely but it is unwieldy and the pace of learning slows when children have to wait for it to be assembled. Despite these shortcomings, teaching is sound

p.23

Commentary

and the achievement by pupils satisfactory.

p.24

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is satisfactory .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good use is made of role play. • Teachers plan interesting activities to develop children’s imagination.

p.24

Commentary

58. Teachers plan a wide range of activities in this area of learning and teaching is sound. Artwork on display demonstrated that children in both classes have regular opportunities to work with paints, modelling and craft materials and work seen was close to the standards expected. Children in the Reception classes create interesting junk models from boxes, card and paper and two boys were proud to discuss their models of submarines that linked to their topic on water. Teachers plan regular opportunities for music and dance. In the Nursery, children enjoy selecting and playing instruments in the imaginatively presented music corner and a good example was seen when two children independently selected hand bells and a triangle to play quietly in time to rhythmic Asian music. Adults support role-play very well and help children use resources and scenarios imaginatively. In the Reception classes, there are sometimes too

p.24

Commentary

many activities on offer and teachers cannot always check on the quality of the work produced, or ask children about their work. Despite these shortcomings, achievement overall is satisfactory and children attain as would be expected for their age.

p.24

ENGLISH

Provision in English is unsatisfactory .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Year 2 pupils’ standards in the national tests have been steadily falling since 2002. • Standards attained at the end of Year 2 in speaking and listening are satisfactory, but below in reading and poor in writing. • Pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. • The teaching lacks rigour. • The co-ordinator is new and her leadership and management have yet to have enough effect on standards. • The school has made poor progress since the previous inspection.

p.24

Commentary

59. In 2003, results in national tests at the end of Year 2 were below in reading and well below in writing. The test results of 2004 indicate a further decline in standards. They are below the national average in reading and poor in writing. The standards found during the inspection mirror these test results. The mother tongue of a significant minority of pupils is not English and many still need additional support, particularly to develop their English reading and writing Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 23 skills. Most of these pupils receive unsatisfactory teaching, which leads to pupils’ unsatisfactory achievement and standards that are well below average. In contrast, more able pupils have better language skills and can access the tasks. Their achievement is less variable.

p.24

Commentary

60. Speaking and listening skills are satisfactory. Opportunities for pupils to speak in lessons are well managed. Pupils benefit from good questioning to help them gain confidence. They receive many opportunities to discuss work with peers and this helps to develop ideas and improve their vocabulary. This is beneficial, particularly to those who have special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language.

p.25

Commentary

61. Standards attained in reading are below average and achievement is unsatisfactory. The reinforcement of basic skills is unsatisfactory and pupils are unaware of how to improve. Homes to school contact books are used but pointers to support reading are omitted. Although Year 2 pupils enjoy books, many are still not secure about sounds and their skills in decoding unknown words are unsatisfactory. They cannot link sounds together to make words. More able pupils use phonic skills and context clues well and read fluently, understanding the text they are studying. Many average ability pupils can read words but do not understand the text.

p.25

Commentary

62. Standards attained in writing are poor and achievement is unsatisfactory. In Year 2, only more capable pupils are starting to use capital letters and full stops. The average ability pupils are still not secure in spelling simple words, as the skill of building words from sounds is not fully understood. Handwriting is taught systematically and pupils use joined script to write but the presentation of work is rarely neat and it is evident that pupils are underachieving.

p.25

Commentary

63. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are identified but targets to help them achieve are not routinely referred to in setting their tasks. Consequently, work is confusing and too challenging, learning is held back and achievement is unsatisfactory. The resource area has insufficient books to support pupils’ reading and research skills.

p.25

Commentary

64. Although satisfactory teaching was observed in lessons during the inspection, the analysis of pupils’ work indicates that teaching overall has been unsatisfactory. The good features of some lessons were the emphasis given on developing and extending pupils’ vocabulary and their speaking and listening skills. Good planning and explanations of activities helped pupils to make gains in their learning. The specialist teacher for pupils who speak English as an additional language was well used to support pupils who could not benefit from whole class lessons due to lack of English vocabulary. Additional support given by a teacher assistant trained in early language strategies extended pupils’ learning in sentence construction, word building and handwriting skills.

p.25

Commentary

65. An unsatisfactory element of teaching is the inappropriate challenge of work for some average and lower attaining pupils. There is a lack of focus on the each pupil’s needs during whole class and group work. Marking is unsatisfactory. Unacceptable mistakes are ignored and pointers for improvement when given are not followed up to ensure that mistakes are rectified. Over the longer term this leads to underachievement.

p.25

Commentary

66. Though support is provided for pupils to complete tasks, this leads to dependency and pupils seldom complete work on their own. The number of adults providing support in many lessons is generous, but they are not trained and sometimes, pupils with special educational needs or those who speak English as an additional language, lack the intervention needed. Most teachers are not trained to meet the needs of pupils who speak English as an additional language. There was little evidence of highlighting the key vocabulary to be taught in the lesson and then explaining it to pupils and asking them to repeat it to ensure that they have understood it. Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 24 67. Leadership and management are currently unsatisfactory. The co-ordinator is new but is aware of the many problems because of the monitoring that has taken place. She has managed to support a number of teachers and some school evaluations indicate that this

p.25

Commentary

teaching has now improved to satisfactory levels. However, information collected from the data is not analysed to use for improving standards and currently there is no clear development plan to identify how standards will be improved.

p.26

Commentary

68. The school’s progress since the previous inspection is poor. Standards in English have fallen from average to well below average. The quality of teaching and leadership has also declined from good to unsatisfactory. This has had a negative impact on pupils’ achievement, which has consequently declined from good to unsatisfactory.

p.26

Language and literacy across the curriculum

69. The provision for literacy across subjects is unsatisfactory. Its importance in mathematics in understanding word problems is not consistently highlighted and it is insufficiently used in religious education, design and technology and science. The contribution that ICT can make to extend writing skills is not fully exploited.

p.26

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is unsatisfactory .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are well below average and have fallen since the last inspection and achievement is unsatisfactory. • Leadership and management has been ineffective. • There is insufficient quantity of high quality teaching to provide examples of good practice. • Pupils have good attitudes in lessons despite the lack of curriculum innovation and excitement. • Assessment, marking and individual pupil target setting is inconsistent and ineffective. • The use of ICT in mathematics is underdeveloped.

p.26

Commentary

70. Standards on transfer from the Reception Year are well below average and not enough is done to remedy the situation though Years 1 and 2. As a result, pupils make only limited progress and achievement is unsatisfactory. In 2003, standards at the end of Year 2 were well below those reached by similar schools and had declined from 2002. Since 2000, standards have also fallen when measured against similar schools except in 2002 when they were at average levels. Overall, there has been little progress since the last inspection. Standards for those in the present Year 2 are well below average. Pupils with special educational needs achieve better than others due to the presence of teaching assistants but standards remain low. Pupils from minority ethnic groups make insufficient progress due to the lack of suitable provision made for them in lessons. There is no identification of gifted and talented children other than

p.26

Commentary

the differentiation for the more able in class groups and hence their needs are not met. The main reason for the declining provision is the lack of high quality lessons, which do not reflect the needs of individuals and the many changes in staffing over the last few years.

p.26

Commentary

71. The majority of children in Year 1 have difficulty in recording calculations and only the more able can use symbols and diagrams to represent calculations. As pupils move up the school the speed and range of mental calculations increases very slowly for the most able pupils. Average pupils in Year 2 still have difficulty in spotting simple number patterns. The focus on numeracy skills has failed to improve pupils’ knowledge and capability. Pupils’ recall of other areas of mathematics is equally limited. Only the more able are working confidently in using estimation and standard measures of length in Year 2, a level that would be expected for their Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 25 age. Work in pupils’ books shows limited examples of the understanding of other mathematical concepts, or their use to solve practical everyday problems. Many pupils lack the ability to read problems or record data and calculations clearly and accurately and this severely impedes

p.26

Commentary

their understanding and progress. Little was seen of the use of computers to practise numeracy skills in their classroom.

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Commentary

72. Overall, teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. In individual lessons, teaching is satisfactory but only one good lesson was seen. This is one of the key reasons for the school’s failure to improve standards and achievement. Although teachers adhere closely to the planning prepared for the National Numeracy Strategy, too many lessons are modest in their ambition. Therefore pupils’ progress is, at best, average and consequently standards remain well below average when pupils leave. There is some evidence of better aspects within the teaching, which enable children to achieve more swiftly, but these vary with each teacher. There are no clear whole school strengths but in individual cases there was evidence of careful planning with clear learning objectives and good emphasis on the correct use of mathematical vocabulary. This contrasted in a number of lessons where the teacher did not make sure that

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Commentary

pupils fully understood how work builds on their previous learning or develop the questioning so that it could be used to check pupils’ understanding. Final discussions were also used well in some lessons to summarise the learning objective and check how understanding had developed. Again, in too many lessons this was only used to report what pupils had done, did not provide further challenge and so the evaluations for groups or individuals could not be used to plan the next lesson. Despite the lack of exciting teaching, pupils’ attitudes in lessons are good. Teachers are able to teach with little hindrance from poor behaviour and teaching assistants manage pupils who might otherwise disrupt the lesson.

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Commentary

73. Adoption of the National Numeracy Strategy as the basis for planning has provided a sound foundation for teachers to use. However, the sudden change from the exploratory approaches experienced by pupils in the Foundation Stage, to a much more formal style of lesson at Year 1, has caused problems. Teachers have to spend much time engendering a different work ethic prior to starting work on the National Curriculum. For example, pupils in a Year 1 lesson involving simple money calculations wasted much time cutting and sticking paper coins onto a worksheet. Very limited evidence was seen of play and exploration connected with mathematical thinking and so progress was slow.

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Commentary

74. The quality of marking is variable and does not often indicate to pupils how they can improve. Individual target setting has been introduced but has been put to limited use with pupils having very few targets over time and no indication as to when they had been achieved. This offers little information to pupils or any direction of further ways to improve.

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Commentary

75. Three people form a mathematics co-ordination team but responsibility for leadership in the subject is not clear. Few reasons for the decline in standards based on thorough monitoring and evaluation were offered and too much emphasis was based on a hypothesis about possible changes in the socio-economic make-up of the school’s catchment area. In addition, difficulties with a computer-based pupil tracking system have led to a failure to provide the information on progress that teachers require. This lack of information combined with insufficient examples of good teaching mean that it is difficult to provide models of good practice that could lead to an improvement in achievement. The new school improvement plan appropriately sets out in the short term how the school intends to raise standards and develop teaching and learning but there is little impact as yet. A new co-ordinator will take over the role

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Mathematics across the curriculum

76. There is very limited evidence of the use of numeracy across other subjects. Pupils do have regular time in the computer suite and some of this work is connected to charts and graphs, research and similar connections. In one class, good use was seen of a directed computer Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 26 program connected with some number work. However, this is not consistent and in geography, history and science the use of mathematical data is rare.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are below average although pupils’ factual knowledge is closer to the national average. • The scheme of work provides a good framework for teachers. • Pupils are not good at working on their own and are quickly distracted. • Marking is variable. • The co-ordinator has a realistic view about how the subject could be improved but not about how it fits into the whole school improvement plan.

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Commentary

77. Since the last inspection, standards in science have fallen although the deterioration has not been as much as in English and mathematics. This is because the scheme of work devised by the school sets out very clear week by week lessons and this gives a secure framework that teachers must follow closely. It also contains various worksheets, key vocabulary and resources that should be used and this enables all pupils to experience work aimed at their age group. Unfortunately, it is not used to provide further challenge for higher attaining pupils.

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Commentary

78. The results of teacher assessments in 2003 were well below the national average and are at similar levels in 2004, for those in the present Year 2. The achievement of pupils is now satisfactory. The written work shows progression through each year and a suitable balance between all the different strands of the subject. There is a noticeable improvement between Year 1 and Year 2 but pupils’ factual knowledge is better than their understanding of scientific concepts. There is a suitable emphasis placed on practical investigations although teachers are sometimes reluctant to let pupils experiment on their own, preferring to lead and explain the experiment themselves. This may sometimes restrict the discussions pupils might have, and also limits them reaching their own conclusions. This is a contributory reason why those with higher ability do not do better.

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Commentary

79. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. The prescriptive planning is followed meticulously and teachers are well prepared for each lesson. They use the good resources well to support each lesson and there is a balance between discussion, practical work and evaluation. In a Year 1 lesson the pupils were recording their observations of plant growth. They had already grown some beans and were able to explain the parts of the plants such as stem, roots and leaf. They observed that the seed had split and grown from a small bud and were going on to look at mature marigold plants to see how these had changed. The teacher encouraged the class to look in close detail although a number quickly lost concentration when they were asked to work independently. Pupils in Year 2 were learning about classifying animals into different groups. Their level of ability was close to but below that expected for their age. For instance they were

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Commentary

able to subdivide their chosen species by the number of legs but did not use more sophisticated measures such as their eating habits or environment. The teacher tried to encourage more detailed thinking but the class found this difficult.

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Commentary

80. Pupils are generally well behaved in lessons particularly when they are supported by an adult but chances for independent or individual work are limited. As a result, pupils, particularly those who are more able, often lose interest when they are on their own and the pace of the lesson slows down considerably. Teachers do not lay always down sufficient challenge about how much needs to be completed or about the quality of the work and thus the class do not fully Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 27 understand the parameters within which they should operate. This is another reason for the lack of better attainment by pupils at the end of Year 2.

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Commentary

81. The written work is better than the individual lessons suggest. It is generally completed fully and pupils’ low ability in writing does not unduly hinder the learning in science. The use of numeracy and ICT is underdeveloped. There are few examples of research, charts or graphs and little use of word processing to write up experiments. Pupils with special educational needs are given some class support and the work they are asked to do is of a lower level, suitable for their ability. Those with English as an additional language are not identified separately for support by the class teacher and particularly where specific scientific language is used they have to rely on their own oral understanding or talking with their friends to find out meanings. Despite this, most make similar levels of progress to the others in the class. Marking is variable. In some cases there are good evaluative comments that help pupils move

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Commentary

on although this contrasts with some examples of books that have only ticks or general praise.

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Commentary

82. The new co-ordinator has a realistic view about the strengths and weaknesses of the provision and is providing satisfactory leadership. Her main aim is to try and engender more confidence to use the scheme of work in a less prescriptive way and thus make the teaching of science more exciting and relevant. She has already started to develop a strategic plan and supported staff through training and advice. Her own subject plan is incorporated within the whole school plan but she does not fully understand how this will be fulfilled through the next year. The subject is beginning to regain a level of improvement since the last inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Resources have improved. • Direct teaching of ICT skills is good. • Pupils enjoy the subject. • Pupils do not make enough use of ICT in class work.

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Commentary

83. The quality of provision for the subject has been maintained since the last inspection and resources have been improved this year, with the acquisition of a new suite of computers and an interactive whiteboard. The use of national guidance as the basis for planning is ensuring that the school is covering all the subject strands. Standards for seven year olds are broadly at the levels expected for their age. Since the last inspection, pupils have had regular weekly sessions in the computer suite except for one term earlier this academic year when the suite was refurbished. They are able to work independently on their computers, logging on and experimenting with text and presentation on basic word processing programs, for example. Pupils understand how the computer is used as a tool for research on the Internet but do not use it regularly at present.

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Commentary

84. Teaching, learning and pupils’ achievement are satisfactory. Teachers have a sound knowledge and have appropriate expectations for pupils. They make good use of the interactive whiteboard to demonstrate basic skills and move pupils’ learning on step by step in lessons. Teachers are well supported in the computer suite by an experienced technician. Between them they are able to monitor the progress of individual pupils and help them out where necessary. This ensures that all pupils, including those with special needs or with a limited understanding of English are able to keep up.

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Commentary

85. Pupils enjoy the subject and this leads to effective learning. Good examples were seen in Year 1 lessons in which purposeful teaching meant learning moved on at a good pace and pupils Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 28 were encouraged by their successes. Pupils using a graphics program, for example, were enthusiastic about their work as they saw colour magically appear on screen. They looked to each other for ideas and helped one another when they learnt how to generate a new effect.

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Commentary

86. The new subject co-ordinator has begun to evaluate the school’s provision and understands where further improvements are needed. The result of any impact of these innovations is too early to enable a judgement about the overall leadership of the subject to be made. Some lack of teacher confidence is being addressed by providing more guidance in the scheme of work. A system for assessment is being trialled but is not yet used effectively by teachers to plan the next steps in learning. Now that the new computer suite is up and running, the school is well placed to move the subject forward at a good pace.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

87. During the inspection little use was seen of ICT outside the direct teaching sessions. Pupils do not save their work systematically or print it as a record of achievement. The co-ordinator’s file contains examples of work in connection with graphs in mathematics and picture and pattern making in art. Pupils report that they use computers for number and word games, usually when they have completed other work in lessons. At present, classroom computers are not networked into the computer suite and pupils cannot access their work from the classroom. This limits opportunities for links across subjects.

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HUMANITIES

In all, one lesson in religious education was seen during the inspection. There were no lessons seen in history and geography. It is thus not possible to make judgements on standards, teaching or provision in geography and history. There was insufficient evidence in religious education to make secure judgements about standards and the quality of teaching.

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History

88. Work scrutiny and displays around the school suggest that a satisfactory standard of work in history has been maintained since the last inspection. A wide range of topics, especially in Year 2, has been covered but there was less evidence of coverage in Year 1. The work in Year 2 included some good displays of work on the Great Fire of London and Samuel Pepys. However, the range of recorded work seen indicates a lack of challenge for the higher attaining pupils as they have little opportunity to develop their knowledge into better understanding.

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Geography

89. In geography, the work available for scrutiny suggests that work is limited. An exception was a good account of the life of Amundsen by a higher attaining pupil. Generally, drawings and attempts at maps were very poor and the overall lack of marking indicated that teachers were giving insufficient support to the development of skills, knowledge and understanding. Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 29

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is good coverage of different religious beliefs. • Pupils are very accepting of each other’s religions and are interested in them. • Good use is made of visits to places of worship in the community. • There is an inadequate coverage of themes in Year 1. • There is evidence of some unsatisfactory teaching.

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Commentary

90. On the limited evidence available, achievement is satisfactory and from the evidence in books standards are in line with those expected within the locally agreed syllabus by the end of Year 2. The main strengths in the religious education seen were the good understanding and respect for the many different faiths in the school. Pupils in the one lesson seen were very interested in the Sikh religion, as the classroom assistant was a member of this faith. They were very enthusiastic to learn how her faith influenced the food she could eat.

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Commentary

91. Although there was insufficient evidence on the quality of teaching and learning overall, there were indications of weaknesses in marking. For example, very inaccurate statements about Hindu and Jewish religions remained uncorrected in pupils’ workbooks. In fact, most of the written work was uncorrected. In the one lesson seen, teaching was unsatisfactory due to poor control of behaviour and an unsatisfactory ending to the lesson which gave little time to reflect on what had been learnt.

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Commentary

92. Good parental contacts have led to an active participation in the celebration of different religious festivals as many families have an active interest and commitment to their own faith. Pupils make annual visits to a local Christian church and a synagogue, which helps develop their knowledge about religion as well as respect for places of worship. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.

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Commentary

93. There is satisfactory coverage of the agreed syllabus in Year 2. Evidence of coverage in Year 1 is conducted orally. The recently appointed subject leader is supported by the headteacher. There is a good range of resources and the availability of artefacts to support learning is particularly helpful to lower attainers and pupils with special educational needs. The management of the subject is satisfactory although there has been no moderation of pupils’ work against national guidelines on standards. Religious education is taught regularly and consistently to all pupils.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Only one lesson was seen in art and design and design and technology and there was only limited evidence seen within music. It is not therefore possible to make a firm judgement about teaching and learning. Discussions were held with various co-ordinators about their work and with pupils about what they had learnt. Pupils’ work on display was examined.

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Art and design

94. It is evident from teachers’ planning, discussions with pupils and the work on display that work planned in art and design is varied and interesting. There is evidence that there has been some limited improvement in provision since the last inspection. There was good evidence of links with other subjects such as history and mathematics. A wide range of media in two and three dimensions was seen but no evidence of the use of clay in sculpture. The pupils study Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 30 different artists from past and present. Skill levels in the work seen continue to be variable, from extremely primitive drawings of figures in Year 1 to lively depictions of ‘ Miss Dynamite’ in Year 2.

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Art and design

95. Good attention to the development of the skills involved in the techniques of pointillism was a feature of a lesson in Year 2 where pupils achieved well because of the teacher’s high expectations. This included the use of spray-painting software to extend the technique of pointillism. Pupils showed good concentration and application using coloured pens to create the effects of light and dark.

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Design and technology

96. In design and technology, discussion with pupils showed that they are experiencing a limited range of materials and techniques and their interest in the subject is low. They described with some difficulty the process of designing a car and making it from card. With some prompting, the children were aware of different tools and materials for making and fixing. Year 2 pupils explained how they had designed and created puppets, for example. They could describe nothing of the processes of designing, making and evaluation and could not recall how they have reviewed their work even though the co-ordinator has designed a proforma for children to use.

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Design and technology

97. Resources are sufficient and adequate for current use but the use of ICT to support learning either through planning, modelling or control is at an early stage. There is nothing to suggest that the subject has improved from the position described in the last inspection.

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Design and technology

98. In art and design and design and technology, the role of the co-ordinators has not been effective. The temporary art co-ordinator has had no opportunity for developmental work and has been given little opportunity to assess standards. Co-ordinators are enthusiastic about their area of responsibility but their roles have not been fully and consistently developed and consequently the subjects are less well taught. Their overview of whole school strengths and areas for development is limited by a lack of comprehensive and systematic monitoring and evaluation. At present, co-ordinators’ effectiveness depends on their ability to promote their own subjects although their role is identified for development in the school improvement plan.

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Music

99. There is a variable picture of development in music since the previous inspection, when standards were below those expected, although the provision for the subject has improved. Since then, the school has benefited from the services of a specialist teacher to help raise standards and improve teacher expertise. Teachers have been involved in local authority music projects and have worked hard to raise the profile of music in the school. Gaps in clear leadership due to staff sickness, however, have slowed the pace of improvement in the past year. In the two lessons seen, teaching, learning and pupils’ achievement were satisfactory. Pupils joined in with singing appropriately and played instruments sensibly, taking turns and following their teacher’s instructions carefully. They listened to one another and tried hard to maintain rhythms. Older children have enjoyed taking part in local music festivals. Pupils have

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Music

benefited from visiting musicians to the school in the past but it has not been a feature of provision this year.

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Physical education

Provision for physical education is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The co-ordinator offers a good role model as a teacher and subject leader. Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 31 • The children are enthusiastic about the subject. • The playground provides a poor environment for teaching outdoor lessons. • Teaching and learning are good In Year 2.

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Commentary

100. From viewing planning and in discussions with teachers and pupils, it is evident that all strands of the subject required by age seven are taught. Teaching and learning in a majority of lessons seen in Year 2 were good and as a result children reach the expected levels for their age at the end of Year 2 and achieve soundly.

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Commentary

101. The majority of lessons seen in Year 2 were well prepared by enthusiastic teachers with lesson content that captured the children’s enthusiasm. Teachers work hard to overcome the limitations of the long, narrow playground and the absence of a field. Children of all abilities are included in the lessons. The best lessons are characterised by teachers who actively coach skills and use demonstrations to good effect. Children’s attitudes are good. They adhere to the school’s dress code for the subject. There is a good level of attendance at a Year 2 sports club, which offers a taste of more formal competition in sport.

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Commentary

102. Leadership in physical education is good. In a relatively short space of time, the new co- ordinator has gained an adequate grasp of standards of attainment and teaching and has taken steps to introduce a new programme of dance teaching, having discovered that teachers were lacking in confidence in teaching this aspect. The subject policy, most particularly the scheme of work, is under review at present at the instigation of the co-ordinator, working with support from the local authority. Resources are adequate.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

103. This was not a focus during the inspection and, because this is a nursery and infant school, lessons are mostly informal or connected with other subjects. However, the school places a high priority on ensuring that all aspects of personal development are dealt with through the use of discussions, health talks, visits and visitors. Pupils are becoming aware of their role in society and how the many cultures and traditions within the school can integrate and exist in harmony with each other. Winterbourne Nursery and Infant School - 32

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 6 How inclusive the school is 5 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 6 Value for money provided by the school 6

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 5

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 4 Attendance 5 Attitudes 3 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 JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 5 The quality of teaching 5 How well pupils learn 5 The quality of assessment 5 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 5 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 4 Accommodation and resources 5 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 4 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 5 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 5 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 5 The leadership of other key staff 5 The effectiveness of management 5

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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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