Yeadon Primary School

YEADON WESTFIELD INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24 th – 27 th November 2003

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YEADON WESTFIELD INFANT SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 2 Crown copyright 2003

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YEADON WESTFIELD INFANT SCHOOL

This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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YEADON WESTFIELD 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. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 – 7 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 226

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Westfield Grove Yeadon Leeds

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0113 2505449 Fax number:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr Paul Wadsworth

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: October 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This is an average sized infant school, with 226 boys and girls in seven classes. This includes a nursery class that caters for 26 children who each attend for half days only. The school is situated in the village of Yeadon on the outskirts of the city of Leeds. Most of the pupils are drawn from the surrounding area, which is socially mixed with privately owned property and local authority housing. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below the national average. The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage; a small minority of pupils are from ethnic backgrounds, mainly Black British, Asian or Chinese. None of the pupils is in the early stages of learning English. The attainments of the pupils when they join the school are average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is well below average. Most of the pupils receiving additional help have behavioural or physical difficulties. One pupil has a statement of special educational

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

needs. The school is over-subscribed and won an Education Leeds Charter Mark for inclusion in 2002. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

21045 Susan Walker Lead inspector Foundation Stage, provision for special educational needs, science, information and communication technology, personal, social and health education and citizenship. 19365 Gordon Stockley Lay inspector 18505 David Matthews Team inspector Mathematics, art and design, design and technology, music, physical education. 20368 Susan Macintosh Team inspector English, geography, history, religious education. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

peakschoolhaus Ltd. BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Boughton Notts NG22 9HQ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 6

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is an effective school that gives good value for money because it is well led and managed, the teaching is good, and the very positive climate for learning fosters very good attitudes in pupils.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Pupils achieve well overall. Standards are well above average in reading, and above average in speaking, listening and science. In writing and mathematics standards are average but standards in writing have fallen. • Pupils achieve very well in information and communication technology (ICT). • The curriculum is rich and varied, enabling pupils of all abilities to do well in most other subjects. • Children in the Foundation Stage get off to a good start with their education. • There is a very good climate for learning, particularly for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development, so relationships, attitudes and behaviour are all very good. • Teaching is good or very good in most lessons, although insufficient use is made of data and assessments to check the progress of pupils. • The school is well led and managed overall but the development plan lacks rigour. • Some parents are dissatisfied with communication from the school.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• The role of governors in monitoring the work of the school is under-developed.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has made satisfactory improvement since the last inspection and maintained the above average standards in most subjects, except in writing where standards are no longer as high as they were. The main issues identified in the previous inspection report have all been remedied successfully. Standards in mathematics have risen as a result of the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy and the strong emphasis the school has placed on improving the subject. Good schemes of work based on national guidance have been introduced and thoughtfully modified to suit the needs of the pupils. There is a new, fully equipped outdoor play area for the Foundation Stage. Most importantly, standards in ICT have risen significantly and are now well above average.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 Reading B B A C Writing B B C D Mathematics C C B D Key: A – well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average. Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils throughout the school achieve well. The children’s attainments when they first start school are average and, because of the good start they get in the nursery and reception classes, most are likely to reach the nationally expected goals by the end of the reception class. Throughout Years 1 and 2 pupils make good progress overall so that in national tests and assessments the school has held its own well against all schools nationally over a three-year period. Standards attained in reading have been consistently above average and in 2003 tests were well above average. Standards in mathematics too have improved, but in writing they are not so high as they were. In comparison with schools with a similar intake the school is not doing so well. It is average in reading, below average in Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 8 mathematics and below average in writing. In most other subjects standards are better than those

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

seen in most schools and in ICT standards have risen to well above average.

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The provision for developing pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral,

social and cultural awareness is very good indeed . Pupils are very well behaved and work hard. The school is a caring community and relationships are very good. Attendance is very good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good . The good teaching is characterised by the high expectations of the staff and the very good organisation of lessons. Tasks are interesting and varied and are well matched to the needs of the pupils, with a good emphasis on the use of ICT to enliven and enrich lessons. Where teaching is satisfactory rather than good it is because lesson planning is too brief or because information from assessments is not used to best effect to set targets for pupils to help them improve. The curriculum is well planned and provides good experiences in all the areas of learning in the nursery and reception classes that lead smoothly into the National Curriculum in Years 1 and 2. There is a good emphasis on all subjects, including personal, social and health education and citizenship. The school is very committed to ensuring that all pupils are fully included in all activities.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The school is well led and managed. The effective teamwork of the headteacher and subject managers has resulted in the good standards because of the thorough and systematic organisation of the curriculum and the strong commitment to staff training. Governors fulfil their statutory duties conscientiously and are becoming increasingly effective, though they have yet to develop their monitoring role to help them check how well the school is performing. Senior managers have a good overview of the school’s comparative weaknesses but the school’s development plan is insufficiently robust in tackling them. The school does not make the best use of assessments and data to improve learning.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The links with parents are satisfactory but could be better. Although the school provides plenty of good quality information and parents make a good contribution to their children’s learning at home, a significant minority of parents would like to see better communication about how their child is getting on and would like to be more involved in communal events. Inspection findings support the concerns that the school does not involve them as fully as it might.

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

• Raise standards in writing. • Make better use of data and assessments to track the progress of pupils. • Strengthen the partnership with parents. • Review the development plan so it is more rigorous in tackling weaknesses. • Clarify and develop the monitoring role of governors. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Pupils achieve well and reach standards that are above national averages by the age of seven. Pupils with special educational needs are doing well too in relation to their abilities.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in reading are consistently high and pupils are achieving 1 well overall, but pupils are not doing so well in writing. • Standards in mathematics have improved and are now average. • In science pupils reach standards that are above average. • Children get off to a good start with their education in the reception and nursery classes. • Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because of the good provision made for them. • Standards in ICT have risen well and are now well above average. • In all other subjects except religious education standards are better than expected. No lessons in religious education were seen during the inspection.

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Commentary

1. As a result of good teaching and the very positive climate for learning in the school, pupils are achieving well compared to all other schools in the country. Most pupils start school with average attainments but by the time they leave the school at the end of Year 2 they achieve standards that are well above average in reading and above average in speaking and listening. Results in national tests in reading have been consistently above average for the past four years, a good proportion of the pupils reaching the higher Level 3. The school’s results in writing have been more variable over time, fluctuating between average and above average and have not improved significantly over time. There are now fewer pupils attaining the higher level, with more weighting towards the lower levels. The school has been aware of this variation over time but has not been sufficiently proactive in finding effective ways to address the

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Commentary

shortcomings and reverse the trend. Standards in the current Year 2 classes are about average, reflecting the results in national tests in 2003.

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Commentary

2. Standards in mathematics have risen steadily since 2000, when they were below average, to above average in national tests in 2003. The school tackled the subject robustly through its action planning when performance declined and this has paid off well, as evidenced in the current rising standards. Though the current group of pupils in Year 2 attain average standards at present, they are well on course to be above average by the time they take the tests in the summer term of 2004. In science pupils are achieving well and reaching standards that are higher than average.

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Commentary

3. When the school’s results are compared with those of schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals the picture appears less favourable. The school’s performance in reading in 2003 was average when compared to similar schools, though it had been above and well above average in the preceding four years. Results in mathematics and writing were similarly disappointing against similar schools: below average in mathematics and well below average in writing. In science standards were average against similar schools. It would appear at first glance that standards overall have declined since the previous inspection but this is not the case. What has changed is the number of pupils eligible for free school

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Commentary

1 Achievement is a measure of how well pupils are doing, taking their progress and capability into account. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 10 meals. This has fallen very slightly but enough to place the school in a different group of comparative schools. The school is now being compared with schools where the proportion of pupils eligible for free meals is lower.

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Commentary

4. When children join the nursery their attainments are generally about average. They make good progress in the reception and nursery classes as a result of good teaching and so, by the end of the reception year, most are achieving well and the majority are likely to reach the goals set nationally for their age in all the areas of learning.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 17.1 (16.9) 15.7 (15.8) writing 14.5 (15.1) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 16.9 (17.0) 16.3 (16.5 ) There were 59 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

5. One of the main strengths of the school is the good achievement in many of the foundation subjects; art and design, geography, history, music and personal, social and health education and citizenship. In all these subjects standards are higher than those typically seen in infant schools. Too little teaching was seen in religious education and physical education to make a judgement about standards. As a result of additional staff training, good subject management and a big improvement in the resources, standards in ICT have risen since the last inspection and are now well above average. Pupils develop a wide repertoire of computer skills as they grow older and apply them extensively to support their work in most subjects.

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Commentary

6. Throughout the school there are good opportunities for pupils to use their skills in literacy to help them in most other subjects, for example to record their findings in science or to describe historical events. Skills in numeracy are used satisfactorily but not as extensively as for literacy and this is an area the school could usefully develop.

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Commentary

7. The school helps pupils with special educational needs to achieve well through well-organised provision that is thoughtfully tailored to suit the needs of individual pupils. The staff have a clear picture of which pupils need extra help and the teaching strategies and resources which will enable them to make progress alongside their peers. Adults are well deployed to help the pupils, who benefit from patient and encouraging support with their learning. As a result of this they make good progress, achieving well in relation to their capabilities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have very good attitudes to school and their behaviour is very good in lessons and around the school. Attendance is very good and punctuality is good . The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good indeed .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has very high expectations for pupils’ conduct and promotes very good relationships. • The interest and concentration of the pupils are very good because lessons are enjoyable. • Pupils behave very well at all times; they are independent and very willing to take on responsibility. • Parents and carers ensure that their children’s attendance is very good. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 11

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Commentary

8. The pupils’ very good attitudes and behaviour help them to achieve well in their lessons. The school encourages good behaviour through an effective discipline policy that is applied consistently by all staff and understood by the children. Pupils are rewarded for good behaviour with stickers, stamps on the hand and certificates. Mid-day staff give special awards to children who are particularly well behaved at lunchtime. Pupils’ achievements are reported and celebrated weekly in assemblies, as well as being displayed around the school. Adults and children get on very well together and show mutual respect. In their responses to the questionnaire pupils said that they enjoy school and that lessons are interesting and fun. The school stimulates in pupils a desire to learn and the pupils respond by working hard and with enthusiasm.

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Commentary

9. Pupils are friendly and very well behaved. They get on very well with each other and with teachers and other adults working in the school. They respond quickly to the teachers’ instructions in class and play very well together in the playground. The learning mentor 2 has successfully introduced a range of games equipment at lunchtime and this is well used by the children. It has helped to improve behaviour in the playground. In the hall at lunchtimes pupils sit quietly eating their food nicely and there is no silliness or inappropriate behaviour. They enjoy taking responsibility and carry out with pride jobs such as taking the register to the office, being a playground friend or representing their class on the school council. 3

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Commentary

10. The very good provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development sets the caring ethos that is at the heart of the school’s work and which has a very positive effect on pupils’ attitudes and behaviour. Parents are very happy that the school is helping their children to develop in a mature and responsible manner. Well-planned assemblies incorporate the joyful singing of hymns and well-chosen music to create a tranquil atmosphere and opportunities for pupils to reflect. The school ‘ethos statements’, which are prominently displayed, promote the importance of caring, sharing and the need to be a good friend. Provision for the pupils’ moral development is very good too. Numerous opportunities are taken to develop the pupils’ awareness of right and wrong and kind relationships. From their very first days in school pupils are encouraged to be independent, to share fairly and to access resources they need with little

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Commentary

fuss. Lessons provide many opportunities for pupils to work together socially in small groups. The very good provision for the pupils’ cultural development helps them to gain an understanding of their own cultural heritage, through their work in history and geography for example, and also provides a rich variety of cultural experiences, including visits from artists, puppeteers and dancers. There are many good chances to develop an awareness of the culture of other world faiths through topics in religious education lessons and through activities such as celebration of the Chinese New Year.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 3.5 School data 0.2 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

The learning mentor is part of a national initiative designed to help break down barriers to learning.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

3 The school council is a committee of pupils representing each class who meet with staff to discuss ways to improve the school. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 12 11. Pupils’ attendance is very good and well above the national average. Parents clearly make every effort to ensure that their children attend school regularly and punctually. This has a positive impact on the progress that the pupils make.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

There have been no exclusions in the past year.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching is good and because of this pupils learn and achieve well .

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Teaching and learning

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 31 lessons

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Teaching and learning

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Teaching and learning

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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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is good teamwork. • Teachers know their pupils well, which enables them to match the learning very effectively to their varying needs. They have high expectations, both of what pupils can achieve and of how they should behave. • Good support is provided for pupils with special educational needs. • Teachers take every opportunity to weave ICT into lessons. • Teachers provide good and interesting opportunities for pupils to use their skills in writing. • Lesson planning is brief so some lessons are not as effective as they might be. • Individual pupils’ progress is not tracked sufficiently well, nor is information from tests used to best effect to set individual targets in English and mathematics. • Marking is not helpful enough to pupils.

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Commentary

12. Teaching is a key strength of the school and one of the main reasons why pupils make good progress. The teachers have a consistent approach and work together well as a team, together with classroom assistants. This is particularly effective in the reception classes, where the two teachers and classroom assistants, together with the valued help of volunteers, have created a complex but efficient system of organisation. This means that there is a good balance between practical activities and more formal, direct teaching that establishes the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics.

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Commentary

13. Teachers are skilled at using a range of good strategies and activities that keep pupils interested and learning. They have high expectations of what pupils will achieve and this, together with the very good relationships between adults and pupils, ensures pupils are attentive and involved, and in the most effective lessons, enthralled. The pupils want to please their teachers and they work hard to do so. Staff have good knowledge of the pupils and plan effectively so that work matches the needs of individuals. Extra help is well targeted to those pupils who need support and this is one of the reasons why pupils with special educational needs are doing so well. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 13 14. Teachers create good opportunities for pupils to write in a range of subjects. They plan challenging work, adapted to match the range of pupils’ needs very closely. Despite this good teaching, pupils’ performance in national tests in writing has been disappointing and remains an

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Commentary

area of concern to the school. Pupils have good access to computers in classrooms, which they use to support their learning in other subjects very effectively.

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Commentary

15. There are several other good features of the teaching, which occur in most lessons:

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Commentary

• Teachers give clear instructions and use questioning skilfully to reinforce learning and to check understanding; • Lessons are very well organised; • The teachers manage pupils’ behaviour very well and control their classes in an unobtrusive way; • Teaching assistants are well used and effectively deployed so they make a valuable contribution to lessons; • Teachers have a lively approach and so pupils are interested and very involved; • Most lessons have a brisk pace and pupils have good opportunities to talk.

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Commentary

16. When lessons are satisfactory rather than good it is often because day-to-day planning is too brief, particularly in English and mathematics, and it does not state clearly what teachers expect pupils to learn and how that will be assessed at the end of the lesson. Consequently opportunities are missed for the teacher and pupils to share and evaluate what has been learned and what will be the next step. This lack of precision in planning helps to explain why, just occasionally, the pace of lessons is too slow, which can lead to restlessness.

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Commentary

17. Teachers do not always make the best possible use of assessment to help raise standards. The information from assessments is not used to best advantage to track pupils’ progress in their time at the school in writing and mathematics or to set targets to help them know how to improve. Likewise, teachers make few comments in pupils’ books to help them improve and so some pupils continue to make the same errors in their writing, such as lack of punctuation. Nor does marking draw attention to spelling or handwriting, even though these have been a school priority for improvement in the past year.

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The curriculum

Provision is good. It makes learning interesting for pupils. Many visitors to the school help the teachers to bring meaning, colour and vibrancy to a wide range of subjects. Accommodation and resources are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a good emphasis on all subjects. • Children in the Foundation Stage begin their education with a rich and varied curriculum. • The school provides very well for pupils' personal, social and health education. • The school is committed to ensuring that all pupils are fully included in all it offers. • There are few opportunities for pupils to extend their understanding of the world beyond the local area.

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Commentary

18. The school has effectively introduced national guidance for literacy and numeracy, which has successfully helped to address the weakness in planning for mathematics that was found at the last inspection. The new planning has contributed well to the improvements in pupils' achievements in mathematics over recent years. Importantly, the school values the full range of subjects that it teaches and this ensures that teachers provide stimulating experiences for Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 14 pupils across the curriculum. The most notable example is ICT. Improved planning for the subject, combined with effective training for teachers and additional resources, have led to rapidly rising standards. Teachers are good at developing links between subjects that make pupils' learning more meaningful. However, while it has been aware of a fall in pupils' achievements in writing, the school has not been as quick as it might have been in identifying

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Commentary

ways to improve planning to help to raise standards.

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Commentary

19. The school provides children in the Foundation Stage with a rich and varied range of experiences and challenges. Significantly, the curriculum is planned effectively to help young children to become independent. This contributes very well to their personal development because it helps them to be prepared for the smooth transfer to the reception classes that many parents appreciate. The school's increasingly well-trained team of support staff is particularly evident in the nursery where it has a very good impact on children's learning. The outdoor play area for children in the Foundation Stage is well equipped and secure.

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Commentary

20. The curriculum offers pupils many opportunities to develop their personal and social skills and to understand the importance of healthy living. Pupils have lots of chances to talk about their feelings, a skill to stand them in good stead for later life. Assemblies play a strong part in helping pupils to understand how they should relate to others. For example, in one assembly pupils were fascinated to watch the story of the Good Samaritan re-enacted, which illustrated how to be caring. Unusually for an infant school there is a school council. The school values and acts on what pupils think and this helps them to become good young citizens.

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Commentary

21. The school is very good at ensuring that all pupils are fully included in what it offers. It provides well for pupils with special educational needs and they too achieve well. Significantly, it welcomes those with specific difficulties, including autism.

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Commentary

22. There are no activities for pupils to participate in outside the school day but many visitors to the school enrich the curriculum effectively, notably in the arts, including music and dance. Teachers make good use of the immediate neighbourhood to extend what is taught in lessons. For example, pupils visit a local church and they carry out traffic surveys in the neighbourhood. The school is rightly cautious about the additional risks of taking pupils further afield, for example where this would need a coach. As a result, opportunities to learn first hand, for instance about different geographical areas or sites of historical interest, do not currently happen to extend pupils' horizons beyond that of the school.

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Commentary

23. The accommodation is perfectly adequate to meet the demands of the curriculum. Teaching areas are well organised and the hall is well used for physical education lessons and lunches. There is plenty of space outside for recreation and physical education activities. The nursery classroom has the disadvantage of being situated well away from the main building, posing inconvenience when children are taken to the main building, especially in inclement weather. However, the room is spacious and well equipped, with a small, enclosed area for outdoor play. Resources in the school are generally good; they are especially good for ICT and have played a major part in raising standards in this subject.

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Care, guidance and support

The school cares for pupils’ welfare, health and safety very well . It provides them with good support, advice and guidance and involves them very well in its work and development .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good health and safety arrangements ensure that all pupils are safe and well looked after. • Children are confident that they will receive help, support and guidance from teachers and other adults working in the school if they are worried about anything. • There are very good arrangements for settling children into the school. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 15 • The school council allows the children to have a say in the running of the school.

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Commentary

24. Pupils’ safety and well-being have a very high priority in this school. All the routine health and safety checks are carried out conscientiously and a committee of the governing body carries out a regular inspection of the buildings and grounds. There are effective security measures to keep children safe during the school day. Children who are taken ill or suffer an accident whilst at school are very well cared for by trained staff. Detailed information on children with specific medical conditions is located with the first aid material. The school promotes healthy and safe living well through the good personal, social and health education curriculum, which includes healthy eating and drugs education. Work in this area is enhanced by local organisations such as the fire service, police and road safety officers. The designated person for child protection works closely with the learning mentor on child protection matters. All staff, including mid-day

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Commentary

support staff, benefit from regular briefing in child protection procedures so that they are aware of what needs to be done if they have concerns.

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Commentary

25. There are very good relationships between pupils and adults in the school. This ensures that the children feel safe, secure and happy. In addition to their teachers and other support staff, the children have the benefit of a very good learning mentor who helps and supports them very well if they are having difficulties in any area of school life. Other staff, too, are caring and supportive. Those serving mid-day meals are patient and kind when children are finding it difficult to choose which meal they want. Mid-day staff are helpful and friendly, helping children to manage their food in the dining room and playing well with the children in the playground. Almost every child who completed the pupil questionnaire indicated that there is an adult they would go to if they were worried at school.

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Commentary

26. The school’s arrangements for settling children into school are particularly effective. All the intake start on the same day, unlike many other schools, and they are settled quickly and effectively. The school ensures that additional staff are available during the children’s first week in school so that they are quickly helped to become familiar with school routines, including the dining arrangements. Parents value the school’s flexibility and the fact that their children settle quickly. They also feel that there is a very smooth transfer from the nursery to the reception class, with the reception teacher already knowing all the children’s names on the first day.

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Commentary

27. The learning mentor has been instrumental in setting up the school council. The older children have elected representatives to serve on the council and council meetings have been held, officers appointed and suggestions from the children have been considered. Although it is early days, good progress has been made and the older children are being well prepared for this important aspect of life in the junior school, as well as having a say in the running of their own school.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s links with parents are satisfactory overall. There are good links with other schools and with the community.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents make a good contribution to their children’s learning at school and at home. • The school provides a good range and quality of information for parents about the school and about their children’s standards and progress. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 16 • There are good links with the junior school and good procedures to ensure a smooth transfer for pupils. • Many parents feel that the school does not keep them well informed about how their child is getting on and does not seek their views, nor take enough account of their suggestions and concerns.

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Commentary

28. Parents make a good contribution to their children’s learning by helping them at home and a small number of parents provide valuable help in school. Parents of the younger children listen to them reading and regularly make comments about their children’s progress in the home- school diaries. Parents regard this as a valuable method of parent-teacher communication. However, this system does not continue after the reception year and so opportunities are missed to draw on the strong parental support that exists and to promote further the pupils’ enjoyment of reading at home.

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Commentary

29. The school provides a good range of written material for parents to help them to understand what their children are learning and how they can help at home with reading, mathematics, spellings and in other ways. A recent presentation about how mathematics is taught was welcomed and very well supported by parents, which indicates the high level of interest among parents and the school’s recognition that parents want to be involved. Annual reports are easy to understand and explain how well the child has progressed in a range of important skills for each subject of the curriculum. There are also comments about general progress, attitudes and behaviour. These reports are of better quality than many seen in infant and primary schools.

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Commentary

30. A high proportion (about one-third) of those parents who returned a completed questionnaire felt that the school does not keep them sufficiently well informed about how their child is getting on. Inspection judgement is that the school is meeting its statutory requirements in this respect but is not taking enough steps to address the negative perceptions of some parents and to capitalise fully on the high level of interest. The school provides an opportunity for parents to have a discussion with their child’s teacher mid-way through the autumn term. This enables parents to find out how their child has settled into the new class and whether there are any problems or concerns. A further meeting is offered towards the end of the summer term and parents receive a detailed written report. The learning mentor is also available to help and the school has issued a leaflet to parents explaining her work and how she can support them.

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Commentary

However, there are no formal opportunities for parents to meet teachers in the spring term and a few parents feel that the gap between the two meetings is too long. The school has not responded satisfactorily to this and other issues, partly because staff are not always fully aware of the concerns of parents and partly because parents sometimes misinterpret the rationale for decisions made by the school. Around one-fifth of parents feel that the school does not seek their views sufficiently.

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Commentary

31. Whilst the school does not regularly carry out a survey of parents’ views, it does from time to time invite parents to take part in focus groups when formulating or reviewing policies. The school reports that parental response to these invitations tends to be disappointing. A significant number of parents feel that the school is ‘set in its ways’ and reluctant to change things, though not all parents share this view. Unlike many other schools there is no parent- teacher association or similar and some parents felt that they would like to see more social and communal involvement such as sports day. Overall, more could be done to strengthen the links with parents and to build more fully on their interest and support.

p.16

Commentary

32. Staff of the infant school work closely with those at the junior school to ensure that pupils have a smooth transfer between the schools. Children in Year 2 visit the junior school prior to transfer and there is good liaison between the Year 2 and Year 3 teachers. Particular attention is given to pupils with special educational needs. The learning mentor works closely with the Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 17 learning mentor in the junior school, who spends time in the summer term prior to transfer, getting to know the children who will be changing schools in the autumn.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good . Governors have a satisfactory role in the school's development.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has a clear vision for the school. • Key co-ordinators are effective in managing their subjects. • All staff are highly committed to the full inclusion of all pupils and show concern for individuals. • There are very effective arrangements for the professional development of support staff. • Governors do not monitor the school's performance rigorously. • The school's plan for improvement is not sufficiently well focused. • The results of assessing what pupils can and cannot do are not always used rigorously enough to improve learning.

p.17

Commentary

33. The headteacher has been very successful in establishing the very positive climate for learning that prevails in the school and for creating a strong and effective team of well-motivated teaching and non-teaching staff who share the same understanding of how best to help children learn. One of the strengths of the school is the breadth of the curriculum and all staff fully appreciate the importance of a rich and varied range of experiences for the pupils. Although standards in reading and writing are a priority there is also a strong emphasis on the other subjects. Children therefore make a very good start in the nursery and reception classes, while pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve well in most subjects. The school's strong focus on mathematics and on ICT has effectively raised standards in these subjects.

p.17

Commentary

34. The deputy headteacher and subject co-ordinators manage their responsibilities well overall, as a result of the good arrangements that provide time away from the classroom to undertake their duties and oversee their subjects. This enables them to support colleagues and to identify what needs to be done to raise standards. The effects of this can be seen in the very good developments in ICT that have enabled staff to extend their expertise and standards to rise, though they have been less successful in identifying what needs to be done to raise attainment in writing.

p.17

Commentary

35. All staff care for the needs of individual pupils. This means that pupils receive good support for their personal and social development. The school is particularly good at including pupils with special educational needs and incorporating them fully in its life and work and the provision for these pupils is well managed. As a result these pupils make good progress. The school has adopted a very positive approach to the professional development of all staff, and support staff in particular. The current arrangements provide good training for adults who work with children. Support staff gain expertise and qualifications that help them to help pupils with increasing effectiveness.

p.17

Commentary

36. The governors have a good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses but they do not monitor the school's performance rigorously enough. They have a good knowledge of the standards that pupils achieve by the time they leave the school, notably in reading, writing Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 18 and mathematics. By looking at standards year by year they are also aware of changes such as the improving trend in mathematics. While governors compare the school's attainments with those of pupils nationally, they do not yet make comparisons with pupils' attainments in similar schools. This limits their understanding of how well Yeadon Westfield Infant School is doing compared with similar schools and the extent to which they can contribute to the action plan of what needs to be done to raise standards further. While governors ask questions and challenge the school about issues including staffing arrangements they do not have enough information to

p.17

Commentary

ask searching questions about why pupils achieve as they do, for example in writing.

p.18

Commentary

37. The school's written improvement plan is not the useful tool that it could be. While it outlines broadly what needs to be done and incorporates the finances that are needed, it does not make clear which are the most important areas for improvement. For example, the school intends to develop the way that governors monitor what is happening, but it does not say clearly enough how this will happen and what governors need to do. Neither does the plan address the ongoing need to develop links with parents, which the school recognises as important.

p.18

Commentary

38. The school has successfully focused on some aspects of the curriculum that need to be improved but it has not been quick enough to address all weaknesses. It has done well to improve pupils' learning in mathematics and particularly in ICT. It achieved this improvement by spotting that pupils were not doing well enough in these two subjects and taking effective action. This rigour is not found in the school's response to falling standards in pupils' writing, however. Aware of this fall in the summer term, the school has not analysed pupils' performance sufficiently effectively to set targets or made the best use of data that is available to track pupils’ progress and to identify exactly which aspect of pupils' writing most needs to be improved.

p.18

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.18

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 467 220 Balance from previous year 21 020 Total expenditure 443 247 Balance carried forward to the next 23 970 Expenditure per pupil 2151

p.18

Financial information

39. The large carry forward sum has been accrued for additional resources for the pupils currently in the school and for construction work on the office area. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 19

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

40. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good and meets the needs of young children well. The good provision reported in the last report has been maintained. When they start school the attainments of the children vary from year to year but are broadly typical for their age. Children are taught in the nursery class, which caters for children attending on a part-time basis, and in two reception classes. The youngest children are grouped together in one of the reception classes. As a result of the good teaching, imaginative planning and very good organisation children make good overall progress in the nursery and reception classes and the majority are likely to achieve the goals set nationally for all the areas of learning by the end of their time in reception class. The curriculum is very well planned to make a smooth transition from the structured play activities that lay down important foundations for learning in the

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

nursery, to the more structured organisation of the National Curriculum. At the time of the inspection the children had been in school for little more than half a term.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is very good and children are likely to exceed the goals expected of them by the end of the reception year because of the very good teaching.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children rapidly gain in confidence and independence and this helps them to make good progress in their learning. • The children settle rapidly into school routines and achieve well. • Good relationships with adults help children to feel confident and happy. • Teaching is very good and sets high expectations for behaviour.

p.19

Commentary

41. Children achieve very well in this area of their learning because of the way in which they are encouraged to become independent and confident. This sets the tone for behaviour higher up the school. Children make very good progress because of the stimulating activities, the orderly atmosphere and the well-established routines that provide reassurance and build confidence. There are very good opportunities for children to become independent. In the nursery for example, children select for themselves the activities they will pursue from the wide range on offer. They are encouraged to put on their own shoes and socks after physical education and to replace items correctly when they have finished using them.

p.19

Commentary

42. Teachers and classroom assistants have established very effective strategies for promoting good behaviour through encouragement and praise. The children follow the teacher’s instructions sensibly and most are happy to play together, sharing equipment and taking turns. A few children in the nursery find it hard to join in and others have yet to learn the correct way to behave; for example, some boys are a little too boisterous in their play. A close eye is kept on these children and appropriate steps taken to encourage them and to help them conform to the high expectations set by staff.

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good overall. Children make good progress towards achieving the goals set for them by the end of the reception class. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 20

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers plan an appealing range of activities. • Activities are very well organised. • The progress of children is well checked by staff.

p.20

Commentary

43. Teaching is good because of the thoughtful and varied range of activities the children are given. Teachers use a good range of activities to encourage children to talk, such as discussion, role- play in the ‘greengrocer’s shop’ and puppetry. Language development is a key part of every day and staff take every opportunity to speak with children and to invite a reply so that children become confident in speaking to adults and to each other. The staff all provide good models of spoken language for the children to emulate, using clear diction and correct English.

p.20

Commentary

44. There are plenty of opportunities for children to enjoy books, which they handle correctly and with care. Good opportunities are planned right from the start for the children to begin to learn to write, from simple mark-making in the nursery to regular writing activities in reception class, such as forming letters, recognising letter sounds and sequencing pictures correctly to make a story.

p.20

Commentary

45. Activities are very well organised so that all children experience all that is on offer. In the reception classes the efficient organisation of two parallel classes and very good teamwork ensure that time is used well, though there is, at times, scope to provide a better match of work to the needs of individual children. The teachers know the children well and keep an eye on the progress they are making. In the nursery for example, it was noted that some boys are reluctant to attempt any of the mark-making activities. The staff are now monitoring this closely and intervening where necessary by providing activities that will appeal to boys because the performance of boys has been a matter of concern for the school in the past.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good because of the good teaching and the well-planned activities.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Activities are very well organised and varied, with a good emphasis on first hand experiences. • There are good resources to enhance the teaching.

p.20

Commentary

46. In the nursery and reception classes practical activities are very well planned to lay down secure foundations for mathematical understanding in later years. In the nursery class children begin to understand simple mathematical concepts such as weight and capacity through well- structured play in sand and water. They learn to count up to ten in simple games and consolidate their understanding further in activities such as placing the correct number of spots on a ladybird. Samples of children’s work show that over time they make good progress in developing their understanding of number, through a balance of practical and written tasks.

p.20

Commentary

47. Children deepen their understanding of mathematics when they cook simple biscuits and buns. Through such practical experiences they come to understand the relevance of mathematics in their everyday lives, as they weigh out ingredients and learn to read the scales correctly. This type of activity is done in small groups, where correct mathematical vocabulary is used as a matter of course and reinforced well. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 21 48. In both the nursery and reception classes there are plenty of attractive resources that teachers use to good advantage to promote learning. For example, children working busily with colourful two-dimensional shapes were confident about recognising squares, triangles, rectangles and hexagons, explaining that each shape is recognised by the number of sides and corners. Good use is also made of helpful resources made by the teachers themselves to illustrate a point.

p.20

Commentary

For example, children in reception referred to the bold line of numbers to help them calculate ‘one more than five’ or ‘two more than six’.

p.21

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good and it enables children to achieve well.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Activities promote curiosity and interest. • Activities provide a good link with the National Curriculum in Years 1 and 2. • Children rapidly become confident with ICT.

p.21

Commentary

49. Children develop curiosity about the world around them well because of the interesting range of activities they encounter in the Foundation Stage. This stands them in good stead for learning in later years and helps to explain the good achievement in so many subjects in Years 1 and 2. The very well organised provision in the nursery encourages the children to investigate and explore. For example, they come to understand some of the properties of ice by handling it in water. They draw upon their senses to smell, feel and taste different types of food. In the reception classes samples of past work show that children learn about the passage of time when they compare the things they could do as a baby with what they can do now. They widen their knowledge of their place in the world by studying different types of houses and then designing and making a model of a house. Through learning about the importance of electricity

p.21

Commentary

in the home they start to understand simple scientific concepts.

p.21

Commentary

50. In all classes there is very good emphasis on introducing children to ICT and there are lots of opportunities for them to hone their skills in interesting tasks. In the reception classes, for example, a group of children worked with a well-briefed volunteer using a robotic toy very productively. They programmed it to be a postman delivering letters to different houses in a street. Not only did this activity provide practice in inputting data, it showed children how ICT is used for real purposes and also helped them practise the skill of counting up in twos. In most lessons children are seen working on computers, often with adult support, using well-chosen programs. The children have very good attitudes. They concentrate for relatively long periods and many show remarkable independence when using the computers, printing out their finished work unaided for example.

p.21

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good and children achieve well.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers’ plans ensure that there are plenty of opportunities for physical activities. • Sometimes the pace of lessons is too slow. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 22

p.21

Commentary

51. Children develop their manipulative skills well through appealing tasks such as painting and drawing, cutting out, shaping salt dough into recognisable faces and handling small items such as parts of jigsaws.

p.22

Commentary

52. Children in all classes take part in regular sessions of physical education in the hall. They enjoy responding to music through dance, learning to negotiate space sensibly and developing their balance and control as they climb on apparatus. Teaching has good features because instructions are clear and adults demonstrate very precisely what they want children to do. However, sometimes the pace of the lesson is too slow so that time is not used to best effect and then children become restless because they are inactive for too long. Occasionally there is too much repetition of the same activity, which has the same effect.

p.22

Commentary

53. Good attention is given to providing regular and well-planned outdoor physical play and there is plenty of good quality equipment for this purpose. The enclosed area for outdoor play is quite small however, and does become too crowded when all children use it at the same time. This restricts the scope of movement of some of the children.

p.22

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is very good because of the stimulating experiences provided for children that enable them to make very god progress.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum includes a good range of opportunities for creativity. • Children achieve good standards in music and art.

p.22

Commentary

54. Creative development is fostered very well, both in focused and free activities. Children learn to explore the potential of paints and brushes in the nursery and to print with different materials such as autumn leaves. In reception, children mix colours together accurately, for example, in their striking, carefully painted self-portraits, which are of good quality and well proportioned. When making hats from different types of paper, children show imagination and flair in using materials creatively.

p.22

Commentary

55. A strong feature of the teaching is the way role-play is used to promote imaginative play and language in all classes. Children play in interesting settings such as a ‘Pizza Parlour’, where they use writing and counting for a real purpose as part of the game. It is particularly beneficial when the adults join in to generate ideas, promote vocabulary and coax shy children to participate.

p.22

Commentary

56. Children sing and play instruments regularly and with enjoyment. Singing is of a good standard and more reminiscent of older children. In the reception classes children practised their songs for Christmas and reached a good standard because the teachers themselves are confident singers and led by example. They provided encouragement and just the right amount of repetition so that children grew familiar with the songs without becoming bored. Most had a good recollection of the words of the songs and took pleasure in joining in with clapping in the correct places. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 23

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in reading remain very good, and good in speaking and listening. • Pupils’ progress in writing is not as good as it was and standards are now average rather than above average. • Teachers know their pupils well, which enables them to match the learning very effectively to their varying needs. • There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs. • The quality of teaching and learning is good and pupils achieve well. • There is no tracking of pupils’ progress throughout their time in school. The school does not use information from tests well enough and marking does not help pupils know how to improve their writing.

p.23

Commentary

57. Pupils start school with average standards and make good progress to reach the high standards they do, except in writing. The good standards in speaking and listening and very good standards in reading have been maintained since the time of the last inspection due to the good opportunities provided by the good teaching. However, standards in writing, which were above average in previous years, are now average by the end of Year 2 and below average in comparison with similar schools.

p.23

Commentary

58. The school has given consideration to the factors that may have brought about this decline in standards and has identified some lack of motivation of boys when it comes to writing. Although in the most recent tests the difference between the attainment of girls and boys was less apparent, the school has taken positive steps to improve the motivation of boys, including:

p.23

Commentary

• the increased use of ICT for writing; • providing more books that appeal to boys in the school library; • writing about matters that are of particular interest to boys.

p.23

Commentary

59. However, the main issue is the underachievement of both girls and boys in writing, when they both do so consistently well in reading. Because the school has no reliable means of checking pupils’ progress, this has not been picked up early enough and remedied. The school does not make the best possible use of the data that is available about the pupils to check the progress of pupils or set targets to help them improve further.

p.23

Commentary

60. Pupils love reading. They read ‘big books’ 4 together out loud with gusto and good expression in lessons, following the teacher’s lead. This helps them to understand what they read and to notice the features that teachers draw to their attention to help them with their writing as well, such as use of punctuation and spelling. “It’s got exclamation marks and commas!” exclaimed a pupil during a shared story in Year 1. The pupils also have frequent opportunities to read to adults individually and in groups, which, in addition to reading at home, ensures their very good progress.

p.23

Commentary

4 Big books have enlarged texts so that all pupils can see to read them when sitting on the carpet together in literacy lessons. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 24 61. Handwriting and presentation of pupils’ work were a concern at the time of the last inspection. Handwriting is now taught more consistently throughout the school, and the general standard is improving. Very few pupils, however, join their writing by the end of Year 2, and teachers miss opportunities to reinforce good handwriting habits by commenting in pupils’ books.

p.23

Commentary

62. Teachers’ good questioning encourages pupils to contribute and listen attentively so they learn well. Stories are used very effectively to involve pupils and pupils show good understanding from their comments. They express opinions and feelings. They used colourful words like ‘shocked’ and ‘scared’ to describe how a character in a story felt. There are, however, a few pupils, particularly girls, who lack the confidence to contribute and say very little in these sessions, in spite of the teachers’ efforts. The school does not plan enough opportunities for pupils to talk about their work, in pairs or groups as well as with the teacher, or through drama techniques such as role-play.

p.24

Commentary

63. Teachers are skilled at using a range of good strategies and resources that keep pupils interested and encourage them to be enthusiastic about their work. Pupils in Year 2 particularly enjoy writing stories and making their own books, sometimes collaboratively, and producing a class book of their own poems. Pupils work hard and want to please their teachers. The teaching is carefully matched to the range of abilities in the classes because the teachers know their pupils so well. Teaching assistants work effectively with pupils with special educational needs, mostly in the classroom on carefully adapted work that is similar to the rest of the class, so they too achieve well. Small groups of pupils in Year 1 receive effective additional support with word building and spelling outside the classroom.

p.24

Commentary

64. At the beginning of lessons not enough teachers explain and share with pupils what they intend them to learn. Similarly, teachers do not always plan time at the end of lessons to evaluate what pupils have learnt, what they need to revisit, and what they should learn next. This does not help pupils to be as clear as they might be about what they are learning and why. Teachers miss opportunities to use the very effective teaching strategies of guided writing and reading as regularly as they might to help pupils improve. Planning for development in the subject does not reflect the priority of raising standards in writing, although plans to improve spelling and handwriting have featured in recent years and have resulted in improvement.

p.24

Language and literacy across the curriculum

65. Pupils use their language and literacy skills well in other subjects. Teachers create additional opportunities in most subjects to improve standards in writing and to provide a range of different purposes for writing.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well and standards are rising. • Teaching and learning are good, particularly in Year 2. • The monitoring of pupils' progress does not always give teachers a sufficiently clear picture of how well the pupils could achieve in future.

p.24

Commentary

66. Since the last inspection the school has effectively addressed the weaknesses in its planning for the teaching of mathematics. It has achieved this improvement mainly by introducing national guidance for the subject. A strong focus on developing mathematics in the school has further contributed to the rise in pupils' achievements over recent years by the time they reach Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 25 the end of Year 2. The attainments of the current Year 2 pupils are similar to those expected for their ages at this early stage in the school year. However, with the consistently good teaching in Year 2 it is likely that by the time the pupils leave the school at the end of Year 2 their achievements will be above national averages. Pupils with special educational needs get a good deal; for example they receive good support in small groups so that many reach the expected level by the time they leave the school.

p.24

Commentary

67. Teaching is good, with most of the good teaching seen during the inspection in Year 2. Here the co-ordinator works effectively with two colleagues to group pupils carefully according to their differing levels of ability. Teachers manage pupils well so that they concentrate fully on learning and they make lessons interesting, for example by the way they use resources and the engaging, challenging tasks that they set for pupils. Learning is often fun, especially when teachers share humour with pupils. Teachers welcome and value pupils' comments, though they do not always enable pupils to talk about their thinking to develop understanding further. For example in a lesson in Year 1, the teacher missed giving pupils the chance to say how they chose to place a number in a particular place on a number line. Where pupils' thinking is probed, however, as in a Year 2 lesson when pupils found the total of 30 and 70, teachers ask

p.25

Commentary

questions such as "How did you do it?" This consolidates learning well.

p.25

Commentary

68. Sometimes teachers miss opportunities to make learning more effective. For example, when planning is not precise enough, teachers sometimes do not summarise lessons, even briefly, because there is insufficient time. As a result, pupils' learning is not always shared for the benefit of others and it is sometimes not consolidated as well as possible. This means that pupils' understanding, knowledge and skills do not always improve as rapidly as they might. From observing teaching, the co-ordinator has noted this missed opportunity but the finding has not had sufficient impact on teaching across the full range of classes.

p.25

Commentary

69. The co-ordinator has contributed well to the rising standards in mathematics, not least through setting a good example in the way she teaches the subject and her own subject knowledge. Teachers assess pupils' progress, but there is no consistent system through the school for doing this. While teachers anticipate which level individual pupils might reach by the end of Year 2 this forecast is not used well enough. For example, the co-ordinator does not have a sufficiently clear view of the pupils who are likely to achieve each level by the time they leave the school to enable teachers to focus rigorously on helping them to achieve their best in national tests.

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

70. There are sound links between mathematics and other subjects to support pupils' learning; for instance, pupils in Year 2 use computers to help them with their work on measuring. However, overall numeracy is not promoted as well as literacy. The school is aware of the importance of effective links between subjects in making learning as meaningful as possible for young pupils. It is wisely beginning to examine how teachers plan links between the full range of subjects, including mathematics and other areas of pupils' learning.

p.25

SCIENCE

Provision in science is good , enabling pupils to achieve standards that are above average .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average and pupils achieve well. • The teaching is interesting, making good use of resources. • Pupils have very good attitudes and work hard. • There is a very good emphasis on practical and investigative activities. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 26

p.25

Commentary

71. Standards in the subject are above average and pupils achieve well, reaching the levels expected for their age or above. In teacher assessments in 2003 the proportion of pupils reaching the higher Level 3 was average and not as high as in the past. Targets set for 2004 indicate that the pupils currently in Year 2 are likely to attain better results at the higher level, though there are likely to be fewer pupils who reach the level expected for their age (Level 2). Standards have been maintained satisfactorily since the last inspection.

p.26

Commentary

72. The main reason why pupils are doing well is the good teaching. Teachers are confident and knowledgeable in the subject. Lessons are imaginative and hold the pupils’ interest well, as was seen when pupils in Year 2 investigated electricity. The teacher’s questions tested pupils’ understanding and pupils had to think hard, drawing on their own knowledge and past experiences to reach their answers. Homework, which had been completed conscientiously, was used effectively to set the scene for the lesson and enhance teaching. Tasks were matched well to the needs of the pupils so the pupils were engrossed in what they were doing and there was good adult help for those experimenting with batteries and bulbs. Additional adult support for pupils with special educational needs was patient and confident so that these pupils were able to achieve success and make good gains in learning. As a result, pupils of all abilities

p.26

Commentary

made good progress in the lesson and enjoyed learning.

p.26

Commentary

73. Throughout the school pupils are encouraged to record their findings in many different ways such as diagrams and tables. This approach makes a good contribution to their development in literacy but skills in numeracy such as graph making and data handling are not employed so well. The delightful chestnut tree diaries completed by pupils in Year 2 are a very good example of how skills in several subjects came together in one worthwhile project. Pupils visited the tree several times over the course of a year and recorded their observations of its change through the seasons through observational drawing, descriptive writing and scientific recording.

p.26

Commentary

74. Much of the work undertaken by pupils is investigative and practical with a good emphasis on the development of scientific skills and the recording of findings in a broad range of different ways. There is, however, considerable variation in the quality of presentation of pupils’ work, and marking does not always draw attention to untidiness. Early foundations for scientific understanding are laid in the nursery when children begin to understand simple concepts. For example, they found out that ice melts as they gently blew through straws so the warmth of their breath melted the ice. These early experiences are built upon well as pupils grow older. In Year 1, pupils showed a good understanding of simple principles of scientific enquiry as they investigated which was the best cloth for mopping up spills. They predicted the outcome of the test, made the test fair by ensuring all cloths were the same size and recorded their findings.

p.26

Commentary

Such interesting activities do much to introduce the principles of scientific enquiry and make science relevant to their own lives. The school has a good bank of resources to support teaching, which staff use thoughtfully to enliven lessons. As a result of high expectations most pupils are mature and responsible as they undertake their practical work. They work productively in groups, sharing resources sensibly. They listen attentively and follow instructions, showing curiosity in what they are learning.

p.26

Commentary

75. The co-ordination of the subject is satisfactory. There is a clear plan of action for future development, which focuses rightly on assessment in science, which is not yet completely secure and consistent. In order to address this, staff have begun to moderate the assessed work of pupils to ensure parity between classes though the impact of this recent development has yet to be seen. The school has only recently begun to make a rigorous analysis of the information from data in order to assess the progress of individual pupils and to highlight areas for future development. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 27

p.26

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

76. Provision is very good and pupils achieve very well . Assessments made by the school indicate that most pupils are working at a level in excess of the expectation for their age. The school has made great strides in its provision for ICT since the last inspection and standards have risen from above, to well above, average. This is because of much improved resources and extensive staff training, which have built up the confidence and enthusiasm of teachers very effectively. The expertise in ICT of one of the governors has also been a contributory factor in the good progress made by the school. Standards are high because the pupils become confident in using computers right from their earliest days in nursery and as they grow older they are introduced to an increasingly wide repertoire of skills which they use regularly in interesting tasks.

p.27

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

77. No direct teaching was seen during the inspection, mainly because teaching takes place in small groups and with individuals rather than through class lessons. This is a strength of the provision because it means that pupils are given the right level of individual support by adults to help them learn and they have plenty of time to work on computers to practise their skills. ICT is an integral part of most lessons and teachers are good at selecting very suitable programs from the wide range of programs the school has built up to complement and extend what is taught in lessons. Pupils have good opportunities to use computer software and word processing to help them produce good quality work, with illustrations, photographs and captions.

p.27

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

78. The subject is well co-ordinated by a teacher with very good subject knowledge, which has been used well to train classroom assistants so that they too are familiar with programs and the expectations of the teachers. The co-ordinator benefits from regular time away from the classroom to oversee and monitor the subject. This time is used profitably, for example to target individual pupils who need extra help to catch up with their peers. The school does not yet have a consistent system for assessing what pupils know and recording their progress in the subject, although there is a useful file of accurately assessed work samples for staff to use as exemplars of attainment at each level.

p.27

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

79. One of the main strengths of the school’s provision in ICT is the way in which pupils use computers to help them learn in most other subjects. In just about every lesson computers are in use, enabling pupils to extend their knowledge and skills through well-chosen programs that complement or extend what is being taught in lessons. Consequently, ICT is well used as a tool for learning and is an integral part of teaching and learning.

p.27

HUMANITIES

Provision in geography and history is good . By the end of Year 2, pupils attain standards above national expectations.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils develop historical and geographical skills well. • Pupils have access to good quality resources through the use of ICT. • Effective schemes of work are now in place. • Teachers provide good opportunities to develop pupils’ language and literacy skills. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 28

p.27

Commentary

80. The quality of teaching and learning is good in both subjects and pupils develop their skills well. In history, pupils in Year 1 develop an understanding of the past by bringing in old toys from home. They observe and comment on features of the old toys, such as how they would be used and how you can tell they are old. In this way they develop their historical skills of observation and hypothesis effectively. This is built on in Year 2. Pupils are very clear about how the Great Fire of London started and how the fire was put out, and the differences between then and now, such as how the fire service has changed over time. They understand that we know about things in the past due to ‘eye witness’ accounts. They understand the significance of Remembrance Day and poppies – “People used to send them home”, “Loads of poppies grew in the fields where the soldiers died.” Pupils achieve well because they are interested and

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Commentary

81. In geography, in Year 1 pupils begin to develop mapping skills effectively when they research and draw plans of their local area and then of their route to school. They post their maps home and then, with an adult, try them out on the way to school. In Year 2 pupils understand and use the words ‘key’ (“It helps you to find places”) and ‘symbols’ when describing their maps of the imaginary island of Struay. Their mapping skills develop well as they use co-ordinates accurately to locate features on them. They develop an understanding of scale on maps, explaining why the school looks bigger on one map than another. Most pupils in Year 2 have good skills in selecting information from resources such as Ordnance Survey maps. The wide range of resources and activities in lessons fosters very good levels of interest and ensures that pupils develop good geographical skills and understanding.

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Commentary

82. In geography and history, the co-ordinator has based the schemes of work on the national guidelines, adapted to fit the school situation by making links with other subjects such as art and design or to a geography topic. This has helped to make the curriculum more coherent to young children and has improved the quality and the standard of the work. Furthermore it provides more opportunities to develop pupils’ writing. ICT is used well in both subjects, for example in Year 2 geography when pupils competently ‘drag’ images such as fences to create their own maps on the computers.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory . Standards of attainment in the very limited sample of lessons seen during the inspection remain in line with expectations of the locally agreed syllabus, as they were at the time of the last inspection. Analysis of pupils’ books and talking to pupils indicate that their achievement overall is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Visits to places of worship and visitors into school enhance pupils’ learning opportunities. • The telling of predominantly Christian stories in assemblies supports pupils’ learning effectively. • The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development. • The teaching provides pupils with good opportunities to develop their language and literacy skills.

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Commentary

83. Pupils acquire a sound understanding of Christianity through a varied curriculum based on the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. The subject contributes very well to the pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development, particularly to the development of their awareness of other faiths. Assemblies are also a valuable vehicle for the development of spiritual and moral awareness and link well to work in religious education. The pupils learn about the main events in the Christian calendar as they occur through the year and make links with major events in other faiths, particularly Judaism, and the Hindu festival of Diwali. Pupils in Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 29 Year 2 retell the Hindu story of Rama and Sita, sequencing the events carefully, and relate it to how present-day Hindus celebrate Diwali in their homes. They understand the significance of the lamps (‘diva’), “to guide Rama and Sita home”. The school has good links with a range of

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Commentary

Christian places of worship and recently pupils visited a local church for Harvest Festival. Such visits deepen pupils’ understanding well, though there are few visits or visitors from a wider range of faiths to enhance this even further.

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Commentary

84. In the one lesson seen, the teacher told the story from the New Testament about Jesus and Lazarus. The pupils were drawn into the story by the expressive voice of the teacher and listened attentively. Her good questioning checked they were listening with understanding but did not disturb their concentration. Encouraged by the teacher and engrossed in the story, they all practised looking ‘astonished’, mouths open, as the onlookers in the story were. “Is this a true story?” asked one pupil, which the teacher answered with sensitivity.

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Commentary

85. The current arrangement, where the same teacher teaches the subject to three out of the four classes in Years 1 and 2, works well because it ensures the curriculum is appropriately covered and that there is continuity in the subject, with one topic leading on from another in increasing depth.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well. • The subject is well represented in the curriculum. • Strengths in teaching effectively develop pupils' skills.

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Commentary

86. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve well. For example, Year 1 pupils produced good quality, well- observed self-portraits by mixing paint and applying it carefully, with good attention to the detail of facial features. Pupils in Year 2 created thoughtful observational drawings of fruits and leaves, using a range of materials including pencil crayons and wax crayons. This detailed work was then extended to printing onto textiles and stitching to represent leaf veins. Such worthwhile units of work help pupils see how different techniques and materials can create different effects of the same subject.

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Commentary

87. The school takes steps to give the subject the emphasis that it needs for the benefit of the pupils by ensuring that enough time is given for pupils to produce good quality work. Teachers plan carefully what they want pupils to learn and the school is well aware of any fall in standards that needs to be addressed. For example, self-evaluation has shown that current plans do not fully ensure that pupils always build the full range of skills systematically and so the action plan for the subject shows how this will be remedied. Teachers make good use of visiting specialists to enrich pupils' knowledge and understanding of art and design.

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Commentary

88. Strengths in teaching contribute well to pupils' achievements. In a Year 2 lesson for example, the teacher gave pupils valuable opportunities to talk about examples of Australian Aboriginal art. This focused their attention well on the good resources that they were given. The teacher demonstrated very clearly, through her own drawing, the kind of ideas that the pupils might want to use, while at the same time encouraging them to use their own original thoughts in their designs. These strengths led to pupils designing Aboriginal representations that were detailed, Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 30 thoughtful and intricate. Such worthwhile experiences do much to enhance the spiritual and cultural awareness of the pupils.

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Design and technology

89. Teaching and learning were not seen during the inspection and there was insufficient evidence to judge the school's provision for the subject. However, teachers' planning and pupils' completed work, including photographs, indicate the following effective features:

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Design and technology

• There is a good range of construction equipment in Year 1 to give pupils valuable experience in building and assembling in different ways; • Teaching in Year 2 provides pupils with good opportunities to make decisions for themselves. For example, when they design a bedroom, they have to think carefully about where they will place windows, doors and furniture including beds and tables, for best effect. Teaching ensures that when pupils design a vehicle from recycled materials they effectively include in their drawings a note of the materials that they intend to use. Importantly, teachers expect pupils to explain why they have chosen each material, and this requires them to think deeply about their designs and their reasoning for their choice of materials; • Pupils produce well-finished products; for instance the wheels and axles on their vehicles turn effectively; • The school makes good use of visitors to support learning, as when a parent showed pupils

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Design and technology

different techniques for making three-dimensional features on the Mexican masks that they made. Activities such as this make a valuable contribution to the cultural awareness of the pupils; • The school is keen to ensure that design and technology receives the emphasis that it needs to enrich pupils' learning, and it keeps a watchful eye on pupils' achievements to make sure that standards do not fall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well. • There is a rich music curriculum. • Teaching is good. • Pupils’ good singing makes an effective contribution to the life of the school.

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Commentary

90. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve well because of the good teaching and the engaging opportunities they have in the subject. In Year 1, for instance, pupils made good progress in singing and gained important first hand experiences in playing instruments in an enjoyable lesson. By grouping instruments into ‘bangers’, ‘ringers’ and ‘shakers’, teachers helped pupils to develop a good understanding of how various sounds could be made by playing simple rhythms on them, and pupils also practised their singing.

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Commentary

91. The music curriculum is well enriched by the many visitors who bring additional colour and life to the pupils’ experiences. These include opportunities for dance and for playing unusual instruments such as African harp and the Angklung and successfully help to broaden pupils’ knowledge and awareness of other cultures.

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Commentary

92. Teaching is good. Teachers have a lively, positive approach that captures pupils’ interests well. They give pupils lots of chances to talk about the quality of sounds that they make. The school Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 31 uses the co-ordinator’s knowledge well, for example to teach the recorder to pupils in Year 2 so they learn how to breathe correctly, how to hold the instrument properly and how to interpret traditional musical notation. Pupils have good attitudes to singing and they try hard, singing with an awareness of others. Their melodic, sensitive singing makes a strong contribution to the spiritual atmosphere in the school, notably during collective worship and assemblies.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are examples of pupils achieving well. • Strengths in teaching contribute well to the development of pupils’ skills. • Visitors enrich the curriculum for the subject.

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Commentary

93. During the inspection teaching and learning were observed only in Year 1. Here pupils achieve well for their age because teaching is effective. Teachers manage pupils well so that they are fully involved and they are keen to co-operate. Teaching guides pupils effectively. For example, they are told how to make a good ‘balance’ by considering which body parts are used as support and by holding the balancing position “…while you count to three”. Specific challenges, like using three given body parts, help the pupils to investigate and produce imaginative positions. Support assistants effectively watch and note pupils’ progress. In dance lessons, pupils in Year 1 moved imaginatively and expressively, showing tired facial expressions or walking, staggering or stumbling to convey the feeling of exhaustion. While teaching makes good use of pupils to demonstrate, dance lessons do not always include enough chances for

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Commentary

them to discuss their work and to say what might be improved.

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Commentary

94. Visitors to the school contribute well to the development of pupils’ skills in a range of activities including skipping, ‘short tennis’ 5 and gymnastics. Chances to take part in traditional dance, such as Indian dance, contribute well to pupils’ developing awareness of other cultures as well as their physical skills. All pupils with special educational needs are fully included in all that the school offers and they receive all the support that they need.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision is good and helps pupils to become mature and responsible.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The subject is well planned in the curriculum. • It makes a strong contribution to the behaviour of pupils and the ethos of the school. • Teaching is good. • The subject is managed well.

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Commentary

95. Provision is good. The curriculum is well planned to link with moral and social development and it very successfully impacts on pupils’ behaviour and self-esteem. There are good links with literacy when pupils record their observations in written or pictorial form. Pupils are given plenty of opportunities to express their own thoughts and ideas and to consider the feelings of other

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Commentary

5 A game devised to help pupils develop hitting skills in a confined space. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 32 people during ‘circle time’ 6 . There are regular lessons in all classes and the school’s well- planned scheme provides a helpful framework for teaching. The scheme incorporates sex and relationships education at an appropriate level for young children and helps them to begin to become aware of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and the dangers of drugs. The school council enables pupils to have a say in how their school is run and introduces them to an aspect of citizenship that is relevant to their understanding, as aspiring candidates are democratically elected through a balloting process. Although this is a recent innovation the council has already brought about changes to the school by finding ways to reduce noise levels at lunchtime.

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Commentary

96. The teaching is good. ‘Circle time’ is well paced and draws effectively on lively techniques that encourage pupils to take turns, to listen well and to think about how their own behaviour can affect others. Because of the teachers’ high expectations pupils respond maturely and thoughtfully with very good behaviour. The interactive nature of many of the activities adopted provides good opportunities for speaking and listening, although just occasionally teachers miss opportunities to encourage more reticent pupils to participate fully.

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Commentary

97. The subject is well managed by the co-ordinator, who has a good overview of the subject through monitoring teaching, learning and planning. Much work has gone into the development of the curriculum to make suitable links with other subjects. A clear action plan for the subjects identifies appropriate priorities for improvement. Staff are well trained and enthusiastic, having benefited from the expertise of a visiting expert.

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Commentary

Time set aside for pupils to share their thoughts and feelings, and learn to value the opinions of others. Yeadon Westfield Infant School - 33

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 5 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 4 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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