Wellfield Infant and Nursery School

WELLFIELD INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 14 th – 17 th June 2004

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WELLFIELD INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 2 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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WELLFIELD INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 to 7 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 205

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Church Lane Sale Postcode: M33 5QG

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0161 962 1828 Fax number: 0161 912 3664

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr P Woodward

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 12 th October 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Wellfield is an average sized infant and nursery school. At the time of this inspection there were four children attending the nursery full-time and 44 attending part-time. There were 60 children in the reception year. Attainment on entry to the nursery varies from year to year. It is currently average but was below average when the pupils currently in Year 2 and in Year 2 last year started at school. Pupils’ socio-economic circumstances are average overall. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is average. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is below average but the percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is above average. The school has Resourced Provision 1 for eight pupils with social and communication difficulties. Some of these pupils have autistic spectrum disorders. Pupils with special educational needs in the other classes have moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and behavioural difficulties or physical

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

disabilities. The majority of the pupils are from white British families and none of the small number from various other backgrounds has English as an additional language.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Various local organisations use the school facilities beyond the school day. They provide a breakfast club, an after-school club, and French and football clubs. These are attended mostly, but not exclusively, by pupils attending the school. The school has received the following awards: Schools Achievement Award 2001; Investor in People 2002; Basic Skills Quality Mark 2003; Healthy Schools 2003; Beacon School 2003.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

1 This is referred to as ‘the Resourced Provision’ throughout this report. Wellfield Infant and Nursery 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

23696 Mr J Morris Lead inspector Special educational needs Mathematics Information and communication technology Music Physical education 32678 Mrs K Dodd Lay inspector 32751 Mrs L Maskill Team inspector English Personal, social and health education and citizenship Geography History Religious education 32596 Mrs G Phillips Team inspector The Foundation Stage Science Art and design Design and technology Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Boughton Notts NG222 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). Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 6

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and 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 11

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 a good school, with a significant number of very good features. Pupils achieve well. At the time of the inspection, standards at the end of Year 2 were average overall. Teaching and learning are good. Leadership and management are good. The school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The school successfully promotes both the academic and personal development of all pupils. • Pupils achieve well overall and those with special educational needs achieve very well. • Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development are very good. • All aspects of provision for pupils with special educational needs, including the Resourced Provision and teaching and learning, are very good. • Teaching and learning are good in the Foundation Stage and very good in Year 1. • In Year 2, teaching and learning are satisfactory. However, pupils are not always given work that is matched well enough to their different abilities, and marking and target setting do not give the pupils a clear enough idea of what they need to do to improve. • Support staff make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. • The leadership of the headteacher, deputy headteacher and special educational needs co- ordinator is very good.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Parents are extremely satisfied with what the school does for their children and the children are very positive about their teachers, lessons and other activities.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory . The previous inspection report in 1998 was very positive and there were no key areas for improvement. Many of the previously identified strengths have been successfully sustained.

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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 A Writing B A C C Mathematics A C C C Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

All pupils achieve well . Pupils with special educational needs, particularly those in the Resourced Provision, achieve very well.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Children achieve well in the Foundation Stage. Their attainment on entry to the nursery is broadly average although a significant number are above average in communication, language and literacy. By the end of the reception year they are above average in all areas of learning.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2. Standards at the end of Year 2 are currently well above average in speaking and listening and reading. They are above average in religious education and average in writing, mathematics, science and information and communication technology. The school has consistently achieved high standards in reading for several years. Standards in writing and mathematics are always at least average but are not consistently as high as they are in reading. From 1999 to 2003 the trend in the school’s results in reading, writing and mathematics was below the national trend of improvement. This was largely due to the dip in the results in 2003. The groups Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 8 of pupils in Year 2 last year and Year 2 this year started school with lower levels of attainment overall than those in the current Year 1 and reception year. A bigger proportion of pupils have achieved the

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

higher than expected level in the national tests in recent years than did so at the time of the last inspection. This shows that the high standards found at the time of the last inspection have been successfully maintained.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development are very good. The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good . All pupils have very good relationships with each other and the adults in the school. They know, understand and respect school rules and routines and show great maturity for their age when asked to take on responsibilities, such as being members of the School Council or Friendship Squad, which encourages the participation of all pupils in playtime activities. Attendance and punctuality are very good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is good . Teaching and learning are good overall. They are consistently good in the Foundation Stage and very good in the Resourced Provision and in Year 1. In Year 2 teaching and learning are satisfactory overall and sometimes good. Throughout the school, teachers have good knowledge of the subjects and pupils they teach, plan lessons well and assess the pupils’ progress well. However, the teachers in Year 2 do not use assessment information as well as other teachers to meet the needs of pupils of different abilities. Consequently, pupils do not make progress as quickly and consistently in Year 2 as they do in the Foundation Stage and Year 1. The school provides good learning opportunities for all the pupils both during and beyond the school day. The care provided for pupils is very good. Partnership with parents and other schools is good and partnership with the community is very good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and special educational needs co-ordinator provide very good leadership and direction to the work of the school. Governance is good. The school governors are diligent in carrying out their responsibilities and provide good support. A few required pieces of information are missing from the school prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are extremely happy with all aspects of the school’s work. The pupils are very happy at school and are confident and articulate in expressing their positive views of what it does for them.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do are: • improve the quality of teaching and learning in Year 2;

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

and, to meet statutory requirements: • ensure that the school prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents contain all the required information. Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Achievement is good overall and pupils with special educational needs achieve very well. Children in the nursery and reception classes achieve well and get a good start to their education. At the time of the inspection, standards at the end of Year 2 were well above average in speaking and listening and reading, above average in religious education and average in writing, mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT).

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress against the clear targets in their individual education plans. • The school successfully meets the needs of more able pupils.

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Commentary

1. All pupils achieve well. The school consistently achieves standards in national tests in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 that equate to good achievement by the pupils during their time at the school. In the national tests in 2003, pupils’ attainment in reading was well above the national average and it was average in writing and mathematics. There is some variation from year to year in the results of national tests in these subjects and in teacher assessments in science at the end of Year 2. This is due to differences in the overall ability of the different year groups of pupils. The trend in the school’s results since 1999 has been below the national trend of improvement. However, this is largely due to the dip in the results in 2003. The school effectively measures pupils’ attainment from year to year and the groups of pupils in Year 2 last year and Year 2 this year started school with lower levels of attainment overall than those

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Commentary

in the current Year 1 and reception year. A bigger proportion of pupils have achieved the higher than expected level in English and mathematics in recent years than did so at the time of the last inspection. This shows that the school has successfully maintained the previously reported high standards and quality of provision.

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Commentary

2. The headteacher and deputy headteacher, in particular, rigorously analyse assessment information and use it to set challenging targets which are always achieved and at times exceeded. The school is particularly successful in enabling pupils to make very substantial gains in speaking and listening and reading and this enables them to participate fully in their learning across the curriculum. The progress of pupils in Year 2 is not as rapid and consistent as it is in Year 1. This is because the teaching in Year 1 is very good but the teaching in Year 2 is satisfactory overall and sometimes good. Pupils do not achieve as well in Year 2 as they do in Year 1 in writing, mathematics, science and ICT. Nevertheless, standards are well above average in speaking and listening and reading and they are above average in religious education. Furthermore, although other subjects were not inspected in full, evidence indicates that

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Commentary

standards are above average in singing and art and design at the end of Year 2.

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Commentary

3. Pupils with special educational needs, particularly those with a statement of special educational needs based in the Resourced Provision, make very good progress in both their academic and personal development. This is because the teacher and trained support assistant in the Resourced Provision are highly knowledgeable and skilled in meeting the pupils’ individual needs and their entitlement to the National Curriculum. The use of assessment information to set precise, achievable targets for these pupils is very good indeed. Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 10 4. Children in the Foundation Stage make good progress in the nursery and reception classes in all aspects of their learning. Most of the children in reception this year are exceeding the expected standards for their age in all of the six 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 17.0 (16.7) 15.7 (15.8)

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Commentary

There were 54 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Throughout the school pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. Moral and social development are very good, as is spiritual development, and this is an improvement since the last inspection. Cultural development remains good. Attendance and punctuality are very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are very good independent learners. • There are very good relationships between staff and pupils. • There are very good procedures for encouraging and improving attendance.

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Commentary

5. Pupils have very good attitudes to learning and behave very well in lessons and around the school generally. Pupils arrive at school in an orderly fashion and find a quiet activity to do straight away. They play co-operatively at lunchtimes, sharing and taking turns sensibly with the wide range of equipment provided, and in the clubs before and after school. There is an effective system of rewards for positive behaviour including praise, stickers and ‘Golden Time’. Pupils understand the school rules, which are displayed throughout the building. Teachers and other staff apply rewards and sanctions consistently. The school drew attention to the inspectors that there is a small number of pupils in Year 2 who have presented challenging behaviour throughout their time at the school. However, there were no significant incidents noted during the inspection. Almost all parents think that their children like school, behaviour is good and bullying is not an

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Commentary

issue. There were no exclusions in the year prior to this inspection. The children in the nursery and reception years achieve well in their personal, social and emotional development.

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Commentary

6. Pupils with a statement of special educational needs are fully involved in the curriculum as a whole and are eager to achieve. Relationships between pupils with special educational needs and support staff are excellent and ensure that these pupils feel secure and confident in all aspects of school life. This was demonstrated in a Year 2 literacy lesson, when the teaching assistant successfully supported and encouraged a lower ability group to participate actively. Staff show how they value their pupils in many ways, such as displaying and celebrating individual birthdays throughout school and celebrating the achievements of pupils in the Resourced Provision, ‘We share’, ‘We take turns’, ‘We sit nicely’.

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Commentary

7. The pupils’ very good level of independent learning was seen, for example, during guided reading sessions where the very good behaviour of the rest of the class enabled the teachers to work with a particular group without interruption. Pupils are also used to talking things over very sensibly with a partner, particularly during lessons in Year 1, to give them confidence before offering their answer. This responsible attitude is demonstrated by pupils’ willingness to work as Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 11 members of the School Council and the Friendship Squad, which encourages the participation of all pupils in playtime activities.

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Commentary

8. There are very good opportunities for pupils to reflect on their own feelings and empathise with others during the timetabled self-esteem groups, personal, social and health education sessions and assemblies. An example of this was when a small group, of mixed ages, was asked to think how the character in the story felt when his beloved pet went missing. Spiritual awareness was evident in the poetry of Year 2 pupils when they pondered on the miracle of birth and the richness of the environment. They show good expression in their writing, for example, “I love spring. It makes me feel happy. The white graceful cygnets…”

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Commentary

9. The promotion of cultural understanding is good. Pupils have opportunities to think about their culture and compare it with others as was seen in a Year 1 religious education lesson when the clothing of a Muslim girl was compared with that of the majority of the class. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 have visited the local church and discussed and compared different religious symbols. Pupils have the opportunity to learn some French at lunchtime, and have produced work in the style of a range of famous artists from other countries and cultures. Families are celebrated in a collection of photographs in the entrance hall and the ‘Euro 2004’ display reflected the enthusiasm of the pupils for worldwide sport. The school choir regularly joins with an adult band to play a range of music and visitors representing different occupations and charities successfully promote the development of the pupils’ understanding of the world at large.

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Attendance

10. Attendance has risen over the last three years and is now well above the national average. Parents report that their children are happy to come to school and pupils agree that they enjoy school. The school monitors pupils’ attendance patterns very well and parents know and support the school’s absence reporting procedures. Lessons start promptly because punctuality is very good and registration is efficient.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 3.8 School data 0.2 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is good. Teaching, learning and assessment are good overall. The curriculum and opportunities for enrichment are good. The way the school cares for the pupils and involves them through seeking their views is very good. Partnership with parents and other schools is good and partnership with the community is very good.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching, learning and assessment are good overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• In the Foundation Stage, there is a good balance between the direct teaching of facts and skills and learning through investigating and exploring. • In Year 1, teachers very successfully meet the needs of pupils of different abilities. • Support staff make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 12 • The teaching in the Resourced Provision very successfully meets the needs of the pupils with social and communication difficulties. • In Year 2, where teaching and learning are satisfactory, pupils are not always given work that is matched well enough to their different abilities, and marking and target setting do not give the pupils a clear enough idea of what they need to do to improve. • There are good procedures and systems to assess what pupils, know understand and can do. However, this information is not used well enough in Year 2.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 38 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

11. Teaching and learning are good overall. They are good in the Foundation Stage, very good in Year 1 and the Resourced Provision, and satisfactory in Year 2. The quality of the teaching was satisfactory or better in all of the lessons seen. These judgements are supported by the examination of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work in books and on display. Common strengths of the teaching throughout the school are the very clear and high expectations of work and behaviour and the very positive encouragement of all pupils. This frequently results in all pupils being very involved in lessons and completing a good amount of work in the time available. The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection in that the proportion of lessons judged to be very good has increased significantly. However, there are some clear and important differences between year groups.

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Commentary

12. Children learn well throughout the Foundation Stage, in all areas of learning, because the quality of teaching is good in the nursery and the reception classes. A significant factor is the effective way that teachers plan and structure lessons. This enables these young children to learn both through good quality direct teaching of facts and skills in whole class and small group activities, and through experiencing high quality imaginative play activities.

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Commentary

13. Teaching and learning are very good in the Resourced Provision. The teacher and support assistant have a very good knowledge and understanding of the pupils’ particular needs. They provide them with a highly structured learning environment and use language and resources very well to help them learn and apply new facts and skills. There is a very strong commitment to transferring pupils to the mainstream classes as early as possible and there are particularly good arrangements for the children in the reception year to join in activities with their mainstream peers.

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Commentary

14. Teaching and learning are very good in Year 1. Relationships are very good and expectations are very high. Planning is of a very high quality. The pupils are grouped by ability for literacy and numeracy. One teacher takes both classes for numeracy lessons and the other teacher takes both classes for literacy lessons. This very effective use of teacher expertise contributes significantly to the pupils’ learning in the key skills of literacy and numeracy. The procedures to assess what pupils know, understand and can do are good and this information is used well to plan the next steps in learning and to help pupils understand what they need to do to improve.

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Commentary

15. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in Year 2. The teachers have good knowledge of the subjects of the curriculum and the pupils they teach. However, they do not always use this to best effect. In mathematics, the pupils are taught in two ability sets and the teachers effectively meet the needs of the pupils of different abilities within the set they teach. The grouping of pupils Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 13 is not as effective in English and, in both these core subjects, there are relative weaknesses in individual target setting and the quality of teachers’ marking. Pupils’ understanding of what they need to do next is not always clear enough in their written targets. As a result, pupils do not make progress as rapidly and consistently as they do in Year 1. Nevertheless, they achieve well in reading and mathematics and satisfactorily in writing and other aspects of their work.

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The curriculum

The curriculum and enrichment are good. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is a significant strength. Accommodation and resources are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well because the curriculum is adapted well to meet their personal and educational needs. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good, particularly in the Resourced Provision. • Although the school has carried out a satisfactory review of curriculum organisation and planning, new initiatives are not always followed through and the impact evaluated. • The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities that extend pupils’ learning experiences well.

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Commentary

16. Staff have done well to maintain the good curriculum provision previously reported. Pupils achieve well because teachers mostly give them work that is at just the right level but challenging enough to make sure they learn and make good progress. The provision in personal, social and health education and citizenship, including drugs education and sex and relationships education, is good. Pupils successfully use the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT in other subjects. For example, in a science lesson pupils used literacy and numeracy skills well, when they wrote about the investigation about how chocolate changed when it was heated and recorded the results in graphs. Children in the Foundation Stage have a good start to school life and, by the end of Year 2, pupils are prepared well for the next stage of their education. The accommodation and resources are good throughout the school. The outdoor areas have been very well planned

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Commentary

and are used very well to develop all pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

17. Teachers have successfully adapted the curriculum so that pupils with special educational needs achieve very well. All pupils receive good support and their progress is carefully monitored by the class teachers and very effective co-ordinator. In particular, the needs of the pupils in the Resourced Provision are met very well indeed.

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Commentary

18. The headteacher has taken the lead in reviewing the curriculum and some of the changes implemented have helped to raise pupils’ attainment. For example, all pupils participate in mixed- age self-esteem groups led by teachers or support staff. These have successfully helped to raise attainment in personal, social and health education and have helped to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills. However, other initiatives such as developing pupils’ ‘thinking skills’ are not yet embedded into practice and have not impacted on teaching, learning or standards.

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Commentary

19. Teachers provide a good range of extra-curricular activities. The school has a detailed programme of visits and visitors, and makes good use of these experiences to develop pupils’ learning in all areas of the curriculum, throughout the school. Pupils in Year 2 talked excitedly about the visit to Styal Mill where they found out “what happened to children long ago”. They talked about what they had learnt when visitors such as firemen and a member of the British Legion had visited the school. One child explained that going on visits and having visitors to school “helps me to like school more and helps us to learn more and do our work better”. The school provides a good range of clubs, for example cookery, ICT and country-dancing clubs. These boost pupils’ skills and enhance their learning well. Pupils regularly take part in plays and musical activities and the choir sings in several different venues and has had the opportunity to

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Commentary

Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 14 work with a local showband. Organising and running these clubs and activities represent a great commitment from all the staff.

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Care, guidance and support

Provision for the care, welfare, health and safety of all pupils is very good. The school gives a good level of support and guidance to pupils. Arrangements for involving pupils in the work and development of the school are very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils benefit from the very good and trusting relationships they have with adults in the school. • Very good opportunities are provided for pupils to express their views. • The school has developed very good procedures to ensure that pupils work in a healthy and safe environment.

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Commentary

20. Parents feel their children are very well cared for. Relationships between pupils and adults are very good. Staff give a high priority to caring for the well-being of pupils. Staff know their pupils very well as individuals and the very positive atmosphere makes pupils feel happy, secure and valued at school.

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Commentary

21. Very good steps are taken to ensure the health and safety of pupils whilst at school. A structured approach has been adopted to carrying out risk assessments around the school site. These are very detailed and consistently and rigorously applied. Potential risks to pupils are identified and minimised. Risk assessments for educational visits are carried out and are satisfactory. Very good child protection procedures are in place and staff are fully aware of their responsibilities. Good consideration is given to safeguarding pupils’ use of the Internet and the school has sought parental agreement for using photographic images of their children on the school website. The school has been awarded Healthy School status, as a result of working hard to meet all the required targets. The school promotes healthy eating and living, for example during snack time, at lunch and through the curriculum.

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Commentary

22. Pupils’ views of school are very positive. They know that their views are important and will be taken seriously by adults. Membership of the School Council is open to pupils of all ages and capabilities, including pupils in the Resourced Provision. Pupils clearly enjoy the responsibilities of gathering views from others in school, discussing issues with adults and giving feedback following meetings. Self-esteem groups provide very good support for all pupils to discuss any worries they have. These groups consist of pupils from all year groups and offer youngest pupils good opportunities to form relationships with the older pupils.

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Commentary

23. Children starting in the nursery and reception classes are well supported through good induction programmes. These arrangements have been developed following consultation with parents, who agree that their children are helped to settle quickly into their new surroundings. Pupils in Year 2 are prepared well for transfer to their new school.

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Commentary

24. The school works well with other agencies to ensure that pupils get additional help when they need it. The education welfare officer, speech therapist and school nurse are regular visitors. Close links between the school, the local education authority’s behaviour unit and parents ensure that pupils with behavioural difficulties get the support they need.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 15 Links with parents and other schools are good. Links with the community are very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good community links enrich pupils’ learning. • Parents are very comfortable approaching the school and agree that concerns and complaints are handled very well. • Information contained in the governors’ annual report to parents does not fully meet statutory requirements in some minor areas.

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Commentary

25. The school warmly welcomes parents and they respond by getting involved in their children’s education. They give good support to the various fund-raising and social events organised by the Parent Teacher Association. Parents organise themselves to help in school regularly, providing valuable support to teachers and pupils during lessons. The school has used specific parental skills to benefit pupils and teachers, for example, offering computer and cookery workshops. Curriculum evenings help parents to find out more about what their children learn at school. These have been well attended.

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Commentary

26. Parents of children in the nursery and the reception years appreciate the contact they have with teachers when their children arrive at school. This ‘open-door’ policy is a strong feature of the school. Parents find staff approachable and concerns can be resolved quickly. The school seeks the views of parents whose children are starting or leaving school each year and uses information to make improvements that benefit both parents and pupils. For example, the induction arrangements were adapted to allow the youngest pupils to start school first.

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Commentary

27. The quality of information and guidance for parents is good. This includes newsletters, school prospectus and pupils’ annual reports to parents. However, the information contained within the governors’ annual report does not fully meet statutory requirements. The school has been informed of a few required missing pieces of information. Communication to parents has recently been supported by the launch of a website. This offers good information to current and prospective parents on the work of the school. Promotion of the website is in the early stages, and the school continues to identify where improvements can be made.

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Commentary

28. The school has worked hard to develop very productive links within the community. Local community groups make good use of the school building, for example the church and the before and after-school clubs that serve pupils from this and other local schools. A good number of visitors to school and visits out of school, including trips to museums, churches and the local village, increase pupils’ understanding of the wider community and enrich their learning in several subjects. Very good links exist with local charities and other community professionals, for example the police. In addition, some members of the School Council have discussed their views on future plans for the local area with members of the local council.

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Commentary

29. Close links with the main partner junior school ensure a smooth transfer to the next stage of the pupils’ education. Transfer arrangements for pupils with special educational needs are particularly well supported by the co-ordinators from both schools and by continuity of support from external agencies. Good partnerships have been developed with other schools as a result of school achieving Beacon status. This has allowed teachers to share best practice to benefit pupils of both schools.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 16 Leadership and management are good overall. Governance is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Leadership is characterised by high aspirations for the development of the pupils’ personal and academic knowledge, skills and understanding. • Staff and governors work well together in managing the curriculum and available finances. • Governors are very supportive of the school and are involved in all aspects of school life. • The management of staffing is very good.

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Commentary

30. The headteacher is highly committed to the whole school community – pupils, staff, governors and parents. This is most effective in relation to the school’s approach to meeting the needs of different groups of pupils. The provision for pupils with special educational needs, particularly in the Resourced Provision, is very good and the school successfully meets the needs of the more able pupils.

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Commentary

31. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and special educational needs co-ordinator are very effective in their role as leaders of the school’s work. Together with the Year 1 teacher, who has recently been appointed as the Foundation Stage co-ordinator and will be teaching in a reception class in September, they form an effective senior management team that is well placed to maintain the high standards and strive for even higher ones. At a time of change in the delegation of responsibilities, there a strong sense of teamwork and the leadership and management of the subjects of the curriculum are good.

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Commentary

32. The school’s evaluation of its own effectiveness is good and closely matches the findings of this inspection. The school development and improvement plan is a very important document in setting down where the school is, where it wants to be and how it intends to get there. It is extremely detailed and comprehensive. However, it does identify the priorities in a clear and straightforward manner. The headteacher’s approach to managing change is by reviewing provision in all subjects on a three-year cycle. Whilst this ensures that ‘nothing is missed’ it also results in a substantial annual plan in which the real priorities are not always clearly at the top of the list.

p.16

Commentary

33. The governing body has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors are highly committed to playing a key role in the leadership and management of the school. They are actively involved in the implementation and review of the school development and improvement plan and setting and monitoring of the budget. Available finances are used to good effect and the principles of best value are applied well. School administration is efficient and effective and the office staff provide a very welcoming and helpful first point of contact for parents and visitors.

p.16

Commentary

34. The arrangements for the induction of new staff, staff training and placement of students are very good. There have been no difficulties with recruitment and retention of staff, and the delegation of staff responsibilities is very effective. Support staff are used very well and make a significant contribution to the pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 524,436 Balance from previous year 13,911 Total expenditure 519,597 Balance carried forward to the next 4,839 Expenditure per pupil 2,428 Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 17

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

35. Provision in the nursery and reception classes is good . There has been good improvement since the previous inspection, particularly in providing better opportunities for children’s creative development and for children to explore and investigate. Attainment on entry is average overall though a significant number of children have above average communication, language and literacy skills. Children achieve well and by the end of the reception year most children exceed the expected standards for their age.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

36. Teaching and learning are good in the nursery class and reception classes. The teachers’ planning is good and they give children plenty of exciting activities. All staff create a very caring environment in which children feel secure, are very keen to learn and work very hard. There is just the right balance between teaching children new facts and skills and letting them experiment and find out for themselves. Good teamwork by teachers and well-briefed teaching assistants means that children often benefit from individual attention and in effectively taught small groups. All adults in the nursery and reception classes regularly observe the children and check what they can do so they know what children need to work on next. Children with special educational needs achieve very well because of the very good teaching in the Resourced Provision, where the teacher and teaching assistant give children very good support.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

37. There are good resources and facilities, both indoors and outdoors, that are used effectively to support the wide and exciting range of activities offered to children in the nursery and reception classes. Children have continuous access to secure and very well organised outdoor areas that are used imaginatively to successfully develop all areas of learning. Children’s work is celebrated in many attractive displays and written captions and questions provide good opportunities for children to develop their reading and writing skills and think about their work. Leadership and management are good. The newly appointed co-ordinator, who currently teaches in Year 1 but is moving to reception in September, has developed an effective team of teachers and support staff. The previous co-ordinator was on maternity leave at the time of the inspection and will be returning to teach part-time.

p.17

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are enthusiastic and concentrate very well because activities are fun to do and adults successfully share their enthusiasm. • Teachers make sure that children understand school routines so that they become confident in moving around and choosing activities. • Children share well and work together well because adults set them very good examples.

p.17

Commentary

38. Good teaching in this area of learning means that many children exceed the expected standards by the end of the reception year. There is a buzz of activity everywhere because teachers provide exciting activities, like the role-play underwater cave in the nursery class and the ‘explorers’ tent’ in the reception classes. The adults join in with questions and discussion so that children make the most of each experience and are very eager learners. Children behave very well because all adults have very high expectations and children know what is expected of them. For example, children in the reception classes quickly and sensibly put away materials and equipment with little help from adults. All adults have a kind and supportive manner and regularly Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 18 praise children’s efforts so children become increasingly confident. They encourage children to be independent and as a result those in the nursery, for example, put their completed pictures on

p.17

Commentary

the rack to dry and hang up their aprons after they have painted. Children enjoy working together and share well. For example, children in the reception classes shared the construction materials and played well together in the role-play tent. Children in the reception classes enjoy being chosen as ‘Busy Bee’ helpers and sensibly take on responsibilities such as taking the register to the school office. Children are polite and regularly say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ because adults set them good examples.

p.18

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers and other adults provide good opportunities for children to talk and listen. • Good teaching of the skills children need for reading means that children achieve well. • Teachers provide good opportunities for writing, so children become confident writers, but occasionally miss opportunities to explain how sounds and letters are linked.

p.18

Commentary

39. Children achieve well because of the good teaching and most children exceed the standards expected for their age, especially in their speaking and listening and reading skills. Throughout the day adults continually provide good opportunities for children to talk and listen to adults and children. Adults successfully help children to develop their language skills by encouraging them to talk about their experiences. For example, in a whole-class session in the nursery, many children talked confidently in front of the other children and adults about sea creatures. One child said that an octopus, “Wraps them (its legs) around your body.” When the teacher extended their learning by explaining how a stingray uses camouflage, another child said, “I touched a stingray when we visited an aquarium and it felt splodgy.”

p.18

Commentary

40. Teachers in the nursery and reception classes encourage a love of books, by choosing interesting ones to share with the children. Consequently, children listen very attentively. In all classes there is a good emphasis on the basic skills children need to be able to read. A systematic approach to the teaching of sounds means that all but a few children know individual sounds by the time they leave the reception classes and most can read a wide variety of words independently. Teachers have successfully enlisted the support of parents and carers in regularly reading with children at home. This helps the children make good progress.

p.18

Commentary

41. There is just the right balance between teaching the skills needed for writing and encouraging children to experiment with letters so that they become confident writers. Children in the reception classes regularly practise handwriting skills so most of them can write letters correctly by the time they leave the reception classes. Children have good opportunities to write for specific purposes. For example, children wrote captions for their paintings of dinosaurs, listed the ingredients for simple recipes and wrote a story about a spider. There are regular sessions when teachers explain, model and share writing. For example, in one session the teacher and the children wrote the middle section of a story together before children wrote it individually, with support from the teacher. However, teachers sometimes do not explain clearly enough how sounds and letters are linked and do not adapt the work so that less able children can complete

p.18

Commentary

their work independently. Teachers provide good opportunities for children to write when they are playing independently. For example, children wrote telephone messages in the home role-play area in the reception classes. Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 19

p.18

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Adults provide a good range of activities that successfully develop children’s mathematical skills. • Children begin to use mathematical language correctly because of the good opportunities that teachers provide.

p.19

Commentary

42. Children achieve well and many children exceed the expected levels for their age by the end of the reception year because the teaching is consistently good. Many activities in the nursery and reception classes encourage children to count and use mathematical language. In a very effective lesson in a reception class the teacher immediately captured the children’s attention by using a spider puppet and model insects to help children to order numbers to 20 and to work out addition and subtraction calculations. As a result, children confidently added and subtracted numbers to 10 and wrote down the calculation correctly using mathematical symbols.

p.19

Commentary

43. Teachers provide good opportunities for children to learn mathematical language. This was evident when, for example, they asked nursery children if they could make the car wider and longer, and asked reception children which letter came first, last and in the middle of a word. As a result, children use mathematical language correctly. For example, nursery children identified the smallest and biggest bricks they were using to build a boat and children in the reception classes could say which numbers were one more or one less than 39.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers provide children with good first hand experiences so they achieve well. • Computers are used well to support children’s learning.

p.19

Commentary

44. Most children exceed the levels expected for their age by the end of the reception year because of the good teaching. Children are excited by their work because teachers plan a good range of activities to stimulate children’s curiosity. For example, children from the reception classes excitedly searched for mini-beasts in the garden. They looked very closely at the mini-beasts and could identify some differences between them. Children experiment with natural materials such as water and sand, and explained that they could not make sandcastles with dry sand because it would not “stick together”. In a very good problem-solving activity based on the rhyme ‘Incy Wincy Spider’, children found out that they could wash the ‘spider’ down the drain pipe more quickly when they poured a lot of water down and tipped the pipe at different angles. Teachers provide good opportunities for children to use a computer to support all areas of learning.

p.19

Commentary

Children in the reception classes regularly use the computer suite and during the inspection successfully used a graphics program to draw spiders and make patterns. They selected tools, Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 20 such as ‘fill’ and ‘stamp’, independently and changed the colours of the background and the patterns. Children develop their skills of using the mouse well and most can print their work.

p.19

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Daily use of the good outdoor facilities contributes significantly to the children’s physical development.

p.20

Commentary

45. Children achieve well because of the good teaching in the nursery and reception classes. By the end of the reception year most children reach the levels expected for their age and many exceed them. The areas outside the nursery and reception classes are popular with children because they have a good range of toys and climbing equipment that successfully stimulates children’s enthusiasm. With minimal supervision they share rides and take turns at manoeuvring bikes and cars around the play areas. Activities are carefully planned and purposeful. Teachers provide good opportunities for children to develop their skills such as cutting and manipulating materials. As a result, children use tools such as paintbrushes and scissors well and can manipulate small pieces of construction equipment to make models. Most children in the reception classes hold pencils correctly and form recognisable letters because teachers give them just the right amount

p.20

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• In all classes there are good opportunities for children to develop their imagination in role-play and art activities

p.20

Commentary

46. Teaching and learning are good. As a result most children exceed the expected levels for their age at the end of the reception year. Children in the nursery and reception classes enjoy playing with others in the role-play activities because adults use the resources imaginatively. For example, in the underwater cave in the nursery class, children put on masks, caught fish and took photographs of each other. Children in the reception classes took on the role of ‘bug hunters’ in the explorers’ tent. One child in the home role-play area talked on the phone arranging an appointment to take her ‘baby’ to the doctor’s, whilst she cooked the dinner. Children develop their imagination well when adults talk to them about what they are doing, ask them good questions and join in their play. Teachers give children plenty of good opportunities to develop their skills and imagination in art activities. For example, teachers in the reception classes

p.20

Commentary

regularly teach children new skills and explain how they can use media such as charcoal, but also give them plenty of opportunities to experiment with different materials. Displays around the classrooms show that children’s drawing and painting skills are developing well. There were few examples of musical activities observed but those that were seen showed that children enjoyed singing familiar songs and sang the words of a new song during the Foundation Stage assembly Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 21 time. All the nursery children know the words of their ‘going home’ song and sing enthusiastically because the adults share their enthusiasm. Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 22

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• For several years the results of the national tests in reading have been above average and in most years they have been well above average. • Teachers have good subject knowledge. • Support staff make a very good contribution to teaching and learning. • Pupils in Year 2 are not given enough support with their writing, and marking does not show them how they can make their writing better.

p.22

Commentary

47. Standards are good at the end of Year 2. Test results indicate that, since the previous inspection, standards have remained well above the national average in reading and around the national average in writing. Importantly, there has been an increase in the proportion of pupils achieving standards above those expected for their age in both areas. All pupils achieve well. Pupils in the Resourced Provision achieve very well. This is because teaching and learning are good overall and they are very good in the Resourced Provision. Overall standards have been maintained since the last inspection and improvement is satisfactory.

p.22

Commentary

48. Standards of speaking and listening are well above average in both Year 1 and 2. This is because pupils have very good opportunities to express opinions and to participate in whole- class discussions in literacy and other lessons. Pupils are confident and articulate and use well- formed sentences.

p.22

Commentary

49. Reading has a high profile in school and standards are well above average by the end of Year 2. A number of adults come into school regularly to hear their ‘Reading Partners’ through the ‘Adopt a Reader Scheme’. The school library has a good range of fiction and non-fiction books and is used well by all the pupils. Pupils are enthusiastic readers. Pupils in Year 1 talked enthusiastically about their favourite books and how they read their books at home. Pupils in Year 2 discussed fiction and non-fiction books, named favourite authors and said they like to read through a range of work by the same writer. In reading lessons, teachers display very good knowledge and skills. For example, in a Year 1 guided reading session, the teacher had sensitively chosen the book to interest both boys and girls and was able to support the pupils in using the illustrations to help them with the text and give them specific strategies for blending the

p.22

Commentary

letters. In the Resourced Provision, knowledgeable, well-prepared staff enabled pupils to achieve very well when working on letter sounds. In Year 2 pupils are beginning to understand the meaning behind the text and are able to discuss this within a small group. Teachers use effective assessment systems for reading which record teacher assessments and the results of the twice-yearly formal tests. Overall, this ensures that very good progress is made in reading.

p.22

Commentary

50. In writing, pupils initially make good, and sometimes very good, progress as was seen in the very well prepared lesson in Year 1 linked to the book Handa’s Surprise . In a recent geography lesson, the very knowledgeable teacher had ensured that the pupils knew exactly what the writing task required and then provided a variety of writing frames to help pupils of different abilities structure their writing. The teaching assistant had been well briefed by the teacher and worked very well with a small group of less able pupils so that they were able to complete the task well. As pupils move into Year 2 they tackle a good range of different kinds of writing and teaching assistants continue to work very well with small groups of less able pupils. However, a similar support structure for writing is not provided as in Year 1 and although the more able pupils have sufficient knowledge to write on their own, the rest flounder and much of their work is left unfinished. This

p.22

Commentary

Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 23 support is also lacking in the marking of writing, where pupils in Year 2 would benefit from clearer messages as to what the elements are which make a piece of work good and simple instructions on what they should do to improve. The writing targets, which are pasted in the pupils’ work books, are not sufficiently individualised and specific nor are they understood well enough by the pupils. There is a thorough system of assessment throughout Years 1 and 2. However, teachers in Year 2 do not use this information to group pupils in an effective way and consequently pupils do not make progress as rapidly as they do in Year 1.

p.23

Commentary

51. Leadership and management are good, in spite of significant ongoing changes in the delegation of responsibilities within the school. The co-ordinator has a good understanding of national data and has correctly identified strengths and weaknesses. Individual progress is tracked and group targets are set and updated every two months. The co-ordinator supports other teachers well with their planning and assessment activities.

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

52. Pupils have good language skills and have opportunities for development across the curriculum where teachers encourage full answers to their questions, as in a Year 1 religious education lesson where pupils gave extended answers and discussed the features of a mosque with a partner. Self-esteem groups provide a good timetabled opportunity for pupils to express themselves in a small mixed age group. In history, pupils in Year 2 wrote interesting accounts of their visit to Styal Mill, showing a good understanding of what it would have been like when it was fully operational. There is insufficient use of ICT to support literacy work.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school is very successful in meeting the needs of the more able pupils and pupils with special educational needs • Individual target setting in Year 2 is not sharp enough.

p.23

Commentary

53. Standards in the current Year 2 are broadly average. The school has exceeded the targets it set and the results of the national tests are likely to be very similar to last year, which were at the national average. The trend in the school’s results has been broadly in line with the national trend of improvement over the past five years. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher than expected level has increased since the time of the last inspection. There is some variation from year to year and this is due to the abilities of different year groups of pupils. Standards in the current Year 1 are above average. All pupils are assessed and tested, including those with a statement of special educational need in the Resourced Provision, who achieve very well in relation to their ability.

p.23

Commentary

54. Teaching and learning are good. In Year 2, pupils from the two classes are setted for numeracy lessons and there are three ability groups within each set. This is effective because teachers plan work that matches the different needs of the pupils well. During a good lesson, the more able pupils in Year 2 responded well to a challenging task in which they solved problems in different ways and decided which way was the best. They were successful in completing the problems and made good gains in understanding the idea of using different strategies but they had some difficulty in explaining why one way was better than another. Other pupils in Year 2 made satisfactory gains during an addition activity in the computer suite. The adults offered good support to the pupils, most of whom were working in pairs, and the assistant skilfully explained to one pair how they would be able to work quicker if they worked as a team. However, the teacher

p.23

Commentary

did not use the program to vary the difficulty of the task for different pupils. In Year 1, the same Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 24 teacher takes all the numeracy lessons. This is effective because he is a very good teacher of the subject and he knows all the pupils very well. In two lessons, he set challenging tasks and there were very good opportunities during whole-class activities for individual pupils to contribute and show what they understood. 55. There are good procedures to assess what pupils know, understand and can do in both Years 1 and 2, and this information is used well to set year group targets, to predict where individuals should be by the time they move on to the junior school and to track their progress from term to term. All pupils in Year 2 are aware of their individual targets, which are pasted into their mathematics exercise books or their commercial scheme workbooks. However, these targets

p.23

Commentary

are often not described in sufficiently small steps for the pupils to fully understand exactly what they need to learn next. Leadership and management are good. There are good procedures to monitor the quality of teaching and learning and to carry out scrutiny of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work.

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

56. Pupils have good opportunities to apply and consolidate their mathematical knowledge and skills in other subjects. For example, there is good use of number and mathematical language in ICT activities, such as during the Year 2 lesson when pupils gave bees instructions to move in different directions to fly to flowers. The mathematical ideas of sorting, sequencing and ordering are used frequently in science activities.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• In Year 1, very good questions and problem-solving activities challenge all pupils, especially the more able. • A clear focus on investigation and experimentation enables pupils to have a good understanding of scientific ideas. • Marking in Year 2 does not give pupils sufficient understanding of how they can improve their work.

p.24

Commentary

57. Standards at the end of Year 2 were average last year and are average again this year. These pupils’ attainment was lower when they started school than that of pupils in previous years. Indications are that many pupils in the present Year 1 are working at levels above those expected for their age. There has been satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection. Leadership and management are good and the co-ordinator knows the strengths and areas for development in the subject.

p.24

Commentary

58. Pupils achieve well. The pupils with special educational needs achieve very well, especially those in the Resourced Provision. This is because of the very good teaching and the very good support they receive. Overall teaching and learning are good. Throughout the school, teachers use the national guidance for planning well. This ensures they teach all aspects of the curriculum and pupils build their knowledge and skills progressively. In the most effective lessons teachers provide the right balance between direct teaching of facts and skills and opportunities for pupils to experiment and try out their ideas in investigations. In a very good lesson in Year 1, the teacher challenged the pupils to find out how they could move a vehicle across the table using cubes and string. As they worked the teacher questioned pupils skilfully so that pupils’ understanding of new ideas was drawn from their existing knowledge. For example, he asked them to consider factors

p.24

Commentary

such as the length of the string and the number of cubes. As a result, pupils developed a good understanding of the forces used to make their vehicles move. Teachers use precise scientific Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 25 terms in their explanations and, as a result, by the time they are in Year 2, pupils use terms such as ‘circuit’ and ‘environment’ correctly.

p.24

Commentary

59. Teachers place an appropriate emphasis on investigative work, especially in Year 1, so that pupils can understand new scientific concepts at first hand. In Year 1, pupils develop their skills of prediction well and carry out investigations with minimum support. Open-ended problem- solving tasks challenge the more able pupils and they are beginning to understand how to make a fair test. For example, some pupils knew that they had to use the same size table to try out their investigation during the lesson and to demonstrate it to the class at the end of the lesson. In a Year 2 lesson, pupils developed their observational skills well when they looked for animals and plants in the school grounds and drew labelled diagrams, showing features such as antennae and the segments of the bodies of woodlice. Pupils record their results in a variety of ways and sometimes use graphs, for example when they recorded the number of beads they could pick

p.25

Commentary

up. With help from the teachers, pupils draw reasonable conclusions from the information they have recorded.

p.25

Commentary

60. There are good procedures for recording what pupils have learnt and the progress they have made. However, pupils do not always know how they can improve their work, or have targets to work towards.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils make good gains in basic ICT skills and in understanding how computers can help them learn in other subjects. • The school has very good resources but they could be used to better effect.

p.25

Commentary

61. There has been good improvement since the last inspection. The provision has been enhanced through the considerable development of the resources and staff training, including training for the subject co-ordinator. There is a good quality computer suite. In the Year 1 and Year 2 teaching areas there are good numbers of laptop computers and there is a good range of software available. All teachers in the reception year, Year 1 and Year 2 make good use of the computer suite to teach ICT skills on a weekly basis and have additional time-tabled sessions, which are predominantly being used this year for mathematical work. The laptop computers are used regularly to reinforce and consolidate ICT skills and to support work in other subjects. However, they were not seen in use in any observed lessons during the inspection. The school has recently acquired an electronic whiteboard but this was not installed at the time of the

p.25

Commentary

inspection. These developments have enabled this infant school to keep up with the rapid pace of developments in this subject nationally.

p.25

Commentary

62. Pupils achieve well and standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Standards in the current Year 2 are broadly average. This shows good achievement by these pupils since they started at school. Pupils have at least satisfactory mouse and keyboard skills for their age. For example, in a Year 2 lesson, when pupils were giving instructions to bees to make them move in different directions, very few of them needed the prompts they had been given to help them remember left and right. This activity satisfactorily introduced the pupils to a control activity, which is an important element of the National Curriculum. Pupils know how to open and close programs and are familiar with the screen menus and, for example, some of the tools available when using a graphics program.

p.25

Commentary

63. Teaching and learning are good. This judgement is based on the observation of a small number of specific lessons in ICT, lessons in other subjects, primarily mathematics using ICT, and Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 26 examination of teachers’ planning and saved examples of pupils’ work. Teachers have good knowledge of the subject and the pupils. Learning activities are planned well for the different elements of the National Curriculum. Pupils learnt well during two lessons in Year 1 because of the very good relationships between the pupils and adults, the clear instructions and good support provided by the staff, and the high level of pupils’ interest and involvement in the activities. There are good arrangement to assess pupils’ attainment and progress. Leadership and management are good.

p.25

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

64. ICT is used well to reinforce and consolidate learning in mathematics and this was seen in two lessons during the inspection. However, the computer numeracy program was used more effectively in the Year 1 lesson than in the lesson with Year 2 because the work met more precisely the needs of pupils of different abilities. Displays and saved examples of pupils’ work show reasonable use of ICT to support pupils’ learning in literacy and art and design. The laptop computers are used to good effect in several subjects. For example, number work is regularly reinforced and pupils have recorded what they have found out about plants in science and the British Isles in geography. Pupils also have opportunities to process text and produce colour poems, letters and short stories but their keyboard skills are not yet well enough developed for them to enter text at speed. The use of ICT to support and develop pupils’ literacy skills is a well-

p.26

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

chosen high priority in the current school development and improvement plan.

p.26

HUMANITIES

65. Religious education was inspected in full and is reported on below. It is not possible to make reliable judgements about the provision, including teaching and learning, in geography or history, because no lessons were observed. However, inspectors looked at pupils’ work, talked to pupils in Year 2 and to the geography and history co-ordinators.

p.26

HUMANITIES

66. In geography , work is planned using the national guidance materials. In Year 1 there are examples of pupils following the adventures of Barnaby Bear in Britain and abroad. In Year 2 pupils use the correct symbols to record the weather on their own chart. They name the main countries on a map of the British Isles and identify mountains, lakes and rivers. They compare and contrast different localities, such as the town and the seaside. Pupils have satisfactory knowledge of different environments and describe the amenities in their local area. Pupils are assessed at the end of each unit of work and their results are recorded and monitored by the co- ordinator, who also examines samples of pupils’ work and observes lessons.

p.26

HUMANITIES

67. In history , pupils in Year 1 wrote enthusiastically about their visit to Macclesfield Museum where they experienced a Victorian classroom, including writing on a slate. One pupil wrote, “There was no electric lights. Children weren’t allowed to talk.” Pupils in Year 2 produced a wide range of pieces of extended writing about their visit to Styal Mill, which were to a good standard. They were fascinated by accounts of doctors using leeches for healing and empathised with the young people who had to sleep on straw mattresses. Pupils recall the main points about Poppy Day and showed a satisfactory understanding of the symbolism of the flower, after a visit by a representative of the British Legion. Such first-hand experiences contribute significantly to the development of the pupils’ literacy skills and cultural awareness. The co-ordinator monitors planning, samples pupils’ work and observes lessons.

p.26

Religious education

Provision in religious education is good .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers prepare exciting resources for use in lessons. Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 27 • Pupils use skills from other lessons well. • There is a good system of assessment in place. • Pupils in Year 2 are not able to relate sufficiently to religions other than Christianity.

p.26

Commentary

68. At the time of the last inspection, standards were above those expected in the locally agreed syllabus and those standards have been maintained. Teaching and learning are good overall and as a result pupils achieve well. There is an effective system of assessment and individual progress is monitored well.

p.27

Commentary

69. Pupils achieve very well in the Resourced Provision, where very good teaching was seen in a lesson about birthdays, being the first of a series about celebrations. Pupils in Year 1 were fascinated during a very good lesson about Islam, because it had been carefully planned and prepared by the teacher. Consequently, they were able to recall facts about previously studied religions and compare them with those of the Muslim faith. In a subsequent very good lesson, the teacher assessed the pupils’ understanding of Muslim rituals when they made a book together. This activity showed that all the class had made very good progress. The teacher also brought in a range of clothing worn by Muslim girls and one of the girls in the class was invited to try an outfit on. This totally captured the pupils’ interest and stimulated a very good discussion. Pupils in Year 1 developed a satisfactory understanding of Christian symbols when they wrote about their

p.27

Commentary

visit to a church. Pupils in Year 2 spoke knowledgeably about stories from the Bible. They recalled the parable of the man who built his house on the sand and the story of Noah’s Ark. They talked about Adam and Eve and the snake that brought about their downfall and they knew that these accounts were from different parts of the Bible, called the Old and New Testaments. They knew about some of the Christian festivals, particularly Easter, but their knowledge of world religions was very limited.

p.27

Commentary

70. Literacy skills are used well in many lessons. Staff in the Resourced Provision used the opportunity of their topic on celebrations to look at the spelling the months of the year and the pupils’ names. Pupils in Year 1 wrote very good accounts of the Bible story, ‘The feeding of the five thousand’, containing such sentences as, “If you trust God he will do amazing things,” which the teacher then made into a well-presented class book. However, pupils in Year 2 do not have sufficient opportunities to write at length.

p.27

Commentary

71. Leadership and management are good. The co-ordinator has had this responsibility for only eight months but as this is her specialist subject area she has made comprehensive plans. She has already observed lessons across school and each half-term collects individual assessments so that she can monitor pupil progress. Time has been set aside for her to scrutinise pupils’ work. She has made a sound start.

p.27

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

72. All of the subjects reported in this section were sampled. It is not possible to make reliable overall judgements on the provision, including teaching and learning. However, there are positive indicators about standards, teaching and learning and leadership and management in all these subjects.

p.27

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

73. Examination of pupils’ work in art and design shows that they complete a wide range and good amount of work. The indications are that standards are above average at the end of Year 2. Teachers plan the curriculum to ensure that pupils are introduced to a wide range of techniques and materials. Pupils’ skills are developed sequentially and the quality of work becomes noticeably more proficient and precise as the pupils grow older. For example, pupils in Year 2 include details such as freckles and nostrils when they draw portraits of their friends. Through the many interesting and challenging activities on offer, pupils are able to produce high quality end products that are vibrant, imaginative and carefully executed. Teachers give pupils very good opportunities to create art work in the style of different artists. For example, pupils in Year 1 Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 28 accurately reproduced the characteristic features of Kandinsky’s style in their own colourful

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

pastel work. Pupils in Year 2 talked excitedly about the work of Lowry and their completed work showed a very good use of different techniques. They explained how they had looked at several paintings by Picasso before completing their own portraits with ‘mixed up’ features.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

74. Teachers plan work to develop many aspects of design and technology . For example, pupils in Year 1 made musical instruments from recycled materials and practised sewing skills when they made cushions. The work pupils had completed following a lesson about healthy food showed that they had a good understanding of food hygiene and had found out about the different textures and tastes of the fruits they used to make fruit kebabs. The work completed by pupils in Year 2 demonstrates practical skills. This includes completed hand puppets, displayed with their clearly labelled designs. The pupils sewed the sides together using neat and even stitches and developed their skills when they cut different materials to decorate the puppets and found different ways of joining the materials together. Pupils in the Resourced Provision used recycled materials when they made a range of musical instruments and they make recognisable models

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

using different construction kits. In the one lesson observed, the pupils in the Resourced Provision chose from a number of toppings to make individualised pizzas. They achieved very well because of the very good teaching.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

75. In music , observations of whole school assemblies and the school choir showed standards of singing to be good. These sessions were led very well by the music co-ordinator on piano. Year 2 pupils were observed very briefly carrying out a percussion activity in which one pupil played an instrument and the other made matching sounds using parts of their body. Although this was taught in a very large group, all pupils were participating well. Displays around the school, particularly in the main hall, show that there are frequent opportunities for pupils of all ages to participate in musical and dramatic productions and activities. The school choir has sung to local elderly people. All pupils participated in an African singing workshop and a ‘big drum’ workshop and have learnt songs in different languages. These activities make an important contribution to the pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. These observations and a brief discussion with the

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

subject co-ordinator suggest the subject is well led and managed.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. There are positive indicators about provision and outcomes in physical education . Brief parts of two lessons in Year 1 and one lesson in Year 2 were observed and the lesson plans were examined. All these lessons were well planned and structured and, in the parts seen, carried out at a good pace with all pupils fully involved. Pupils in Year 1 carried out different tasks on the field or playground, which developed their ball control skills well. Pupils in Year 2 were developing different movements to a musical accompaniment with a focus on changing direction. During a lunchtime discussion, a small group of pupils in Year 2 were very articulate about their interest in a wide range of sports and positive about the opportunities they have at school. The school benefits from the input of community organisations, particularly coaches from two local Football League teams. The evidence suggests that standards are at least in line with expectations and

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision in personal, social and health education and citizenship is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop their ideas of self-worth and individual responsibility.

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Commentary

77. The good range and number of initiatives in this area have had a positive effect on pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. Standards are broadly average in Year 2, and above average in Year 1. Pupils achieve well. This is an effective aspect of the school because pupils Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 29 are encouraged to think about the feelings of others and the impact of their own actions. Lessons are timetabled in all classes and are planned from a mixture of national guidelines, a commercially published scheme and the school’s own ideas. Teaching and learning are good. In observed lessons, they ranged from satisfactory in Year 2 to good in Year 1 and very good in the Resourced Provision. A lesson in the Resourced Provision dealt very successfully with the topic of how to keep safe. A teacher in Year 1 drew good responses from the class, through careful questioning, when discussing dangers at home, at school and when going on trips. The lesson

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Commentary

seen in Year 2 was not as successful because too many children were grouped together which made it difficult for individual pupils to respond to the questions. Mixed-age self-esteem groups, with about ten pupils and a member of staff in each group, meet once a week. They provide pupils with good opportunities to express their views and listen to those of others on a wide range of issues. In one lesson, the group thought about how they would feel if they were in the same shoes as the character in the story, who had lost a beloved pet. This activity effectively developed the theme of ‘empathy’ considered during an assembly earlier in the week. The school has a Healthy Schools Award and actively promotes the eating of fruit and the drinking of milk or water during the school day. Emphasis is placed on healthy bodies at lunchtime and pupils are encouraged to join the Fitbods Club, which organises a range of activities for the pupils outside.

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Commentary

The work of the School Council enables pupils to develop an understanding of the principles of democracy and to make decisions at a young age. Leadership and management are very good. Wellfield Infant and Nursery School - 30

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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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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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The quality of education provided by the school 3

The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 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 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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The leadership and management of the school 3

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

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The leadership and management of the school 3

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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