Chandler's Ford Infant School

CHANDLER’S FORD INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 - 20 October 2004

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CHANDLER’S FORD INFANT SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Chandler’s Ford Infant - 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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CHANDLER’S FORD 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. Chandler’s Ford Infant - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4-7 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 171

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Kings Road Chandler’s Ford Eastleigh Hampshire Postcode: SO53 2EY

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 023 8025 2655 Fax number: 023 8027 3384

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr C Miles

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Chandler’s Ford Infant School has 171 pupils aged between 4 and 7 years. At the time of the inspection 37 children were attending on a part-time basis in the Reception (Year R) classes. The school is located in Chandler’s Ford on the outskirts of Eastleigh in Hampshire. It is average in size and serves an above average socio-economic community. Approximately 2 per cent of the pupils are eligible for free school meals and this is well below average. About four per cent of the pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds and have English as a language different from their mother tongue. This is a below average percentage. No pupils receive specialist language support. Approximately 17 per cent of the pupils have special educational needs, a broadly average proportion. These include specific and severe learning needs, as well as social, emotional and behavioural and speech or communication needs. Currently no pupils have a Statement of Special Educational Needs, and this is below average.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Overall, the attainment of children on entry to the school is broadly average. The school has several local and national awards, including achievement awards and Investors in People. Chandler’s Ford Infant - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

25217 Paul Baxter Lead inspector Science Information and communication technology Physical education Religious education 9079 Ann Moss Lay inspector 30705 Graham Stephens Team inspector English Design and technology History Geography 19916 Deborah Kerr Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Music Foundation Stage Special educational needs

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Serco QAA Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Chandler’s Ford Infant - 5

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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 13

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Chandler’s Ford Infant is a good school with several developing strengths . Children enter the reception classes (Year R) with broadly average skills. In response to mostly good teaching pupils achieve well and reach above average standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 2. The headteacher has created an effective senior management team; together they work closely with other staff and governors to provide good leadership and management. The school gives good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Above average standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 2 reflect good achievement and stem from the good teaching of a very rich curriculum. • Most pupils, including several with emotional and behavioural needs, have good attitudes, behave well and enjoy good relationships as a result of the very good provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • The headteacher has established a clear, shared vision for the development of the school. • Provision for the pupils’ care, health, safety and welfare is very good; the school develops equally effective links with parents, schools and the local community, enriching pupils’ learning. • Teachers’ marking of the work of older pupils does not always give enough guidance to pupils on how to improve. • The quality of presentation of the pupils’ recorded work could be better.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Overall, the school has made satisfactory improvement since the last inspection . Standards and pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching and learning have been sustained. Very good levels of care and partnerships with parents, other schools and the local community have been strengthened. An increased proportion of pupils now need and receive support for their behavioural needs. The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and the curriculum have been improved well; the accommodation has been improved substantially. These improvements are having an increasingly beneficial impact on pupils’ learning. Ongoing changes to key personnel have constrained the effectiveness of leadership and management at times, but a new team approach is now promoting improvement with increasing effectiveness. This augurs well for the future.

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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 A A A B Writing B A B C Mathematics B B B C Chandler’s Ford Infant - 7 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

Achievement is good overall . Although the prior attainment of the pupils in the different year groups varies, the school promotes good achievement for most pupils, including higher attainers and pupils with special educational needs. Standards of pupils currently in Year 2 are above average overall, including speaking and listening, reading and writing skills and attainment in mathematics and science. Standards in art and design are well above average for pupils of this age. The substantial proportion of good and very good teaching across the breadth of the curriculum is promoting pupils’ achievement positively. Children in Year R achieve well and reach expected goals in communication, language and literacy and in mathematics. Many children attain above average standards in their personal, social and emotional skills in response to warm support and very good links with parents.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal qualities are good overall and strengthen their academic learning. Most pupils show good attitudes and behaviour; pupils with behavioural and emotional needs respond well to the support they receive. The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and their attendance are very good.

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The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are

good overall . Teaching is good in Year R and in Years 1 and 2. Teaching is also good in English, mathematics and science and it is very good in art and design. The development of children’s personal, social and emotional skills is a strong aspect of the provision in Year R classes. The promotion of the pupils’ independence in their learning is a developing strength, but at this time it has a bigger impact in Year R and Year 1 than in Year 2, where several pupils still need closer adult support. Teachers use learning support assistants very effectively. Teachers generally use assessments of the pupils’ work well to plan future teaching and learning, but marking is a weakness on occasion, when pupils are not given enough information about how to improve their work. The curriculum is very good. It is enriched by the numerous clubs, the very good accommodation and by strong partnerships with parents, the

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The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are

local community and other schools. The curriculum for children in Year R is also planned very effectively. Provision for pupils with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils is good. All these areas of provision are having an increasingly beneficial impact on pupils’ learning.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher leads well and has set a strong sense of purpose to the work of the school. Other key staff also provide good leadership. Partnerships between staff and governors function effectively. Management is good overall and financial management and control are very good. Governance is good. The chair of governors gives a strong lead and is supported well by the chairs of the governing body’s committees. The governors fulfil their statutory duties effectively.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Chandler’s Ford Infant - 8 The parents are very appreciative of the school. Most work very closely and effectively with staff and this benefits their children’s learning. Pupils express very positive views about their school, especially the warm relationships with adults and the improved accommodation and facilities. The inspection team agrees with these comments.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

(*These are being addressed by the school already)

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• *Improve the quality of teachers’ marking. • *Improve the quality of presentation of pupils’ recorded work. Chandler’s Ford Infant - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils’ attainment is above average by the end of Year 2. This represents good achievement overall, since most children start school with average skills.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• In response to mostly good and often better teaching, standards are above average by the end of Year 2 in all strands of English, mathematics and science. • Most pupils, including those with special educational needs, higher attainers and children in Year R, achieve well in response to good teaching. • Pupils achieve very well in art and design and attain well above average standards in this subject. • A strong emphasis on practical work, particularly involving the use of the school’s much improved and now very good facilities, enriches their achievement. • The presentation of the recorded work of older pupils in particular could be better, and is limiting its contribution to their learning.

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Commentary

1. The children’s attainment on entry to school is broadly average, but variation occurs from year to year, as the proportions of pupils with special educational needs or with above average skills changes. Children are inducted into school very carefully. Most come with good attitudes to school and in response to good teaching and warm support the children enjoy their work. They achieve well in their personal, social and emotional skills. These are developed the most successfully and many children attain above average skills in this area of learning. The children achieve well in communication, language and literacy and in mathematics and reach the early learning goals by the time they enter Year 1. The children enjoy books, contribute well in group reading sessions and show a developing recognition of words. Children develop their speaking, listening and writing skills through a variety of opportunities including purposeful play; for example, by writing appointments in the role-

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Commentary

play ‘doctor’s surgery’. Teachers are seeking to raise standards in writing and new approaches are helping children to develop a fluent, joined style. Most children develop their number skills appropriately and can count up to ten, with several higher attainers already counting up to twenty and beyond.

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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 17.3 (17.4) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 15.5 (15.7) 14.6 (14.4) Chandler’s Ford Infant - 10 Mathematics 17.3 (17.4) 16.3 (16.5) There were 88 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. The pupils’ performance in National Curriculum tests and teachers’ assessments in recent years shows that good achievement has been sustained for most pupils. Results compare well with those found in similar schools, especially in reading. The school is committed to raising standards, especially the performance of potentially higher attaining pupils. However, ongoing changes to key personnel and other staff have limited the school’s ability to move forward as far as intended, although standards have been sustained since the last inspection. The school is better placed now to achieve their goals and the pace of improvement is strengthening rapidly. In addition to full inclusion combined with effective teaching and support in class, pupils with special educational needs and able and talented pupils now benefit from specialist teaching and support, and this is helping their progress.

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Commentary

3. Most pupils achieve well in reading, writing and speaking and listening. Year 2 pupils are currently attaining expected standards in writing, but since a smaller proportion of pupils reach the higher level 3 in writing than do so in reading, the school is now seeking to rectify this aspect. Inspection shows that pupils also achieve well in mathematics and have many opportunities to work practically with weighing, measuring and money. Higher- attaining pupils are proficient with numbers to 100 and above and multiply and divide accurately. Most lower-attaining pupils use numbers to 20 but understand place value of higher numbers. Pupils develop good observational skills in science, for example, when examining fruit and vegetables or observing melting ice. They utilise the well-equipped school grounds and understand ‘fair testing’ and ‘prediction’ by the end of Year 2. The recorded work of older pupils is not always as well presented as it could be for pupils of

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Commentary

this age. The school is taking effective steps this term to address this weakness that has had a limiting effect on pupils’ achievement.

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Commentary

4. Pupils with special educational needs are fully included in all the school’s activities and achieve as well as their classmates. They make good progress in learning, and in the development of self-esteem and confidence. This is due to the support they receive and to the account teachers and support assistants take of the carefully chosen targets in their individual education plans. Several pupils who have particular behavioural problems achieve very well in the well-ordered and calm environment the school provides.

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Commentary

5. An increasing number of pupils achieve very well as a result of often very good teaching in Years R and 1. Occasionally, learning for Year 2 pupils is limited, due to variation in the management of their behaviour. In general, however, the vast majority of pupils achieve well and receive good quality additional support from talented, well-deployed learning support assistants. Pupils achieve very well in art and design and reach well above average standards by the end of Year 2, as a result of the high quality specialist teaching and the wide range of interesting experiences offered to them. The scope of this inspection did not include an analysis of standards in other subjects. However, evidence indicates that pupils are benefiting significantly from a very well planned, very well resourced and stimulating curriculum. ICT is being used with improving effect to enrich pupils’ work and to promote their independence in learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Chandler’s Ford Infant - 11 Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good overall. Attendance and punctuality are very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ good attitudes to learning and good behaviour in the classroom help them to achieve well. • The school makes very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • Attendance and the school’s action to promote attendance are very good. • The caring ethos of the school and the good example set by the staff contribute to the good relationships between pupils and between pupils and staff. • Pupils are very willing to show initiative and take responsibility and are given many opportunities to do so. • A few pupils in Year 2 need close support to sustain concentration. Chandler’s Ford Infant - 12

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Commentary

6. Overall, pupils have good attitudes to their work and collaborate well with other children. They listen attentively, undertake tasks enthusiastically and are keen to answer questions. This happens in classes where lessons have been planned well and teachers have set appropriately challenging tasks for pupils of all abilities, so that they find them interesting. Pupils with special educational needs show the same positive attitudes to school as their classmates. They enjoy their lessons, concentrate well and try hard to succeed at their work. With support from caring adults, children in Year R behave very well and show a genuine consideration for the needs of others and this aids their learning.

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Commentary

7. Standards of behaviour are good overall in the classroom and around the school and are sometimes very good. There is some challenging behaviour, however, from a few pupils who find sustaining good behaviour difficult. These pupils are supported well by the staff. The majority of pupils are very keen learners, listening well and undertaking tasks enthusiastically. All pupils are fully aware of the high standards expected and insisted upon by all staff. The caring ethos of the school results in pupils knowing right from wrong and showing consideration for others. They work happily together and show increasing maturity and self-awareness as they progress through the school. The pupils play harmoniously together at playtimes and no signs of aggressive behaviour were seen during the inspection. Pupils and parents spoken to stated that bullying rarely occurs and that any instances of inappropriate behaviour are dealt with quickly and efficiently. Racial

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Commentary

harmony is promoted very well. There were no exclusions during the previous school year, but one pupil with emotional and behavioural needs has been excluded on two occasions this year. The inspection team judge that the school has acted appropriately in accordance with the procedures laid down in the agreed policy on behaviour.

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Commentary

8. Pupils are encouraged to take on a range of responsibilities appropriate to their age, which they willingly do. These range from acting as monitors (VIPs) to being members of the TED (together everyone decides) group - the equivalent of a school council, where elected pupils represent other pupils. Pupils’ personal and academic performance is further enhanced by the school’s reward system that helps boost still further their self- confidence and esteem. The wide variety of clubs is well attended. Discussions with pupils clearly showed that they take their responsibilities of living in a community seriously.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.1 School data 0.1 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

9. Provision for pupils’ moral development is very good, as staff act as very good role models, consistently demonstrating the schools’ values, treating pupils with respect and valuing their views and opinions. Pupils respond very positively; no aggressive behaviour was observed and both parents and pupils confirm that hardly any bullying occurs.

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Commentary

10. From entry, pupils are encouraged to become independent and are frequently given the opportunity to take on meaningful responsibilities. These range from being classroom Chandler’s Ford Infant - 13 VIPs (very important people) and energy savers, to membership of the TED group. This group contributes to the development of the school and has led pupils throughout the school in a campaign against dangerous parking by the school gates. Members were observed by governors interviewing candidates for the post of deputy headteacher. These activities and responsibilities demonstrate very high levels of maturity and social development, showing how seriously the pupils take living in a community. These aspects represent very good provision for social development. 11. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is very good. Assemblies celebrate the contributions that pupils make to the school community, the importance of friendship and

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Commentary

also collective responsibility. The pupils’ views and opinions are valued, but pupils are also consistently reminded to understand and appreciate the views of others. The pupils’ work is displayed and celebrated to good effect.

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Commentary

12. Provision for cultural education is very good. Religious education lessons provide an insight into other cultures associated with different faiths, and an ongoing programme of visits and visitors further enhances this understanding. Opportunities for role-play and work in art and design throughout the school also celebrate and focus on cultural differences, helping pupils to become aware of the diversity of cultures in Britain today and the contributions made by them.

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Commentary

13. Attendance and punctuality are very good, due to efficient monitoring procedures and very good co-operation from parents. Such regular attendance contributes significantly to the standards achieved.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a good quality of education. The quality of teaching and learning is good. All other aspects that also contribute to the pupils’ achievement are very good and these include the curriculum, provision for the pupils’ care, health and welfare and the school’s partnerships with parents, schools and the local community.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning and the teachers’ assessment of pupils’ work are good overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers and learning support assistants promote very good relationships with the pupils that make learning interesting and enjoyable. • Teachers are placing a strong emphasis on developing the pupils’ independence and this is having an increasingly supportive impact on their learning. • Additional support for pupils with special educational needs and for able and talented pupils is effective in meeting pupils’ needs. • Teachers make very good use of resources to enrich pupils’ learning and use questioning effectively to build on pupils’ previous knowledge. • Teachers do not always give enough written feedback to pupils through marking or annotation of work, to show them how to improve. • The management of pupils’ behaviour is less effective on occasion, in Year 2.

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Commentary

Chandler’s Ford Infant - 14 Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 25 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory 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

14. The overall good quality of teaching and learning in the school has been sustained since the last inspection. Ongoing development of teaching and significant re-structuring of the teaching and learning across the school this term is having an increasingly positive impact. Consequently, the quality of pupils’ learning is now improving at a pace. Strengthened support for pupils with special educational needs and for able and talented pupils is also enabling the school to promote the learning of all pupils effectively. In response, an increasing number of pupils are now achieving very well in lessons.

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Commentary

15. The quality of teaching was good in most lessons observed and teaching was very good in over a fifth of the lessons seen. In particular the shared whole school philosophy of promoting pupils’ independence is having a beneficial impact on their learning. The organisation introduced in Years R and 1 is enabling teachers to develop the pupils’ independence in learning from an early age and augurs well for the future. Provision is also improving in Year 2, but several pupils in these classes still need support in developing their personal qualities, so as to take advantage of the rich curriculum offered.

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Commentary

16. Teaching in the Year R classes is good overall and occasionally it is very good. The teachers work closely with their assistants and provide a very wide range of practical activities to engage children in learning; role-play is used particularly well to support learning in all areas. The warmth and encouragement given to young children from the moment they enter school underpins learning very effectively. As a consequence, children are enabled to learn and play meaningfully, in the ‘doctor’s surgery’ for example.

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Commentary

17. The philosophy of valuing pupils and their efforts and in developing their independence and ownership of learning is continued effectively in Year 1 and Year 2 classes where teaching is good overall. Occasionally, teaching is very good, in art and design and English, for example, when pupils are challenged and enthused and concentrate fully. Occasionally in Year 2, where several pupils have less developed personal skills, learning is limited when the management of their behaviour slips and they lose concentration. However, the school has recognised the needs of such pupils and, in response to close support, several have made good progress and sustain concentration for longer periods than in the past and their learning is improving.

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Commentary

18. The quality of teaching and learning observed was very good in art and design. Here, the pupils were enthused by the variety of creative learning opportunities presented by a talented learning support assistant, for example, when completing careful pencil drawings of the cross-section of red cabbage. The quality of teaching is good in English, mathematics and science. It reflects careful planning of a rich, broad and interesting curriculum and well-planned use of resources and the very good accommodation and facilities. For example, learning in science is enriched significantly by the stimulating outdoor environment and the consistent emphasis on practical investigation. The scope of this inspection did not involve the evaluation of teaching in other subjects, but it was clear Chandler’s Ford Infant - 15 that learning across all subjects is enriched by the very good accommodation and the range of resources available, as well as by very effective planning and development of the

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Commentary

19. Teachers question the pupils well in lessons. They establish close links with the pupils’ previous work and are careful to develop pupils’ understanding, so that it builds on their previous understanding and knowledge. Teachers are diligent in sharing the specific learning objectives of lessons with the pupils, for example in mathematics, when studying the place value of numbers. This is particularly effective in focusing the pupils’ concentration and including them in their learning. Teachers are also successful in reviewing these objectives at the end of lessons. Most of the very good lessons observed included particularly effective ‘plenaries’ or reviews at the end that reinforced the pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

20. Teachers use learning support assistants very effectively. They are included fully in lessons, bringing individual skills and warm support to the pupils. A developing feature is the increasing use of learning support assistants in monitoring the progress of pupils and in supporting pupils’ learning through close questioning. The teachers know their pupils and include them well. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils with special educational needs and those identified as particularly able benefit from additional support from skilled learning assistants and from some specialist teaching. Assessment for these pupils is good. Individual education plans accurately identify the next steps of learning for each pupil and teachers carefully review these half- termly with the special educational needs co-ordinator. Potentially higher attaining pupils and able and talented pupils are also taught well and benefit from specialist provision.

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Commentary

21. The teachers use display well throughout the school to celebrate pupils’ efforts, to enrich the learning environment and to stimulate the pupils’ ideas. This consistent approach, which reflects the school’s shared philosophy of valuing pupils, is having a positive impact on their achievement and enjoyment of school. The teachers’ use of ICT is also an improving feature that is enhancing the emphasis on promoting the pupils’ independence in learning. Teachers generally use assessments of the pupils’ work well to plan future teaching and learning, but marking is a weakness on occasion when pupils are not given enough information about how to improve their work. In addition, pupils are not always required to present their recorded work as well as they could. The school has recognised the need to improve these aspects and has introduced strategies to address these this term.

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The curriculum

The curriculum provided by the school is very good. There are very good opportunities for enrichment and the accommodation and resources meet the needs of the school very well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• A wide range of practical activities supports learning across the school. • Teachers make very good use of role-play in all classes. • Spacious and attractively presented accommodation supports good achievement. • Very good quality resources engage pupils’ interest in their learning. Chandler’s Ford Infant - 16 • There is very rich extra-curricular provision through visitors to school and after-school clubs.

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Commentary

22. The school has improved its provision in this area well since the previous inspection. The recently improved accommodation has enabled teachers to review the way they deliver the curriculum, to make the most of the additional space and very good quality resources that the school now enjoys, both inside and outside. The spacious outdoor area, with its mature trees, wooden sheds, paths and borders is used particularly well for all areas of learning.

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Commentary

23. Ably guided by the headteacher and the co-ordinator of learning in the Foundation Stage (Year R), teachers have worked hard to plan a rich and varied practical curriculum, and establish an environment that inspires and motivates children. This starts in the Year R classes where teachers provide a wealth of practical activities to support all the areas of learning in the early years curriculum. Planning is intentionally flexible, to enable adults to respond to individual interests and needs and provide imaginative play experiences that extend learning. This approach is being developed in Years 1 and 2, to build on the secure start that the youngest children make and enable them to learn through practical, relevant activity that links subjects seamlessly. There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs, who receive very good support from skilled learning support assistants, so that they have full access to the rich curriculum that other pupils enjoy.

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Commentary

Recently introduced support for more able and talented pupils is also having a beneficial impact on pupils' learning.

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Commentary

24. A very strong feature of the provision is the importance placed on role-play. Each class has access to several very well resourced role-play areas, both in their classrooms and in shared areas around the school. Pupils use these to develop imaginative play, learn about the world around them and practise basic skills of language and number. In a Year 1 classroom, for example, pupils playing in the ‘Chinese restaurant’ learnt about Chinese food. Some wrote orders, others paid for purchases and the cooks, professionally dressed in white caps and check trousers, ‘stir-fried’ purposefully at their cookers.

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Commentary

25. Children in the Year R classes and pupils in Years 1 and 2 all benefit greatly from the expertise of visitors to the school. These include artists, people who help in the community and music and theatre groups. After-school clubs and sporting activities all contribute to the wealth of experiences pupils enjoy and to their good achievement in learning. Pupils who have special educational needs have full access to the curriculum that the school provides. Classroom assistants play a particularly valuable role in ensuring they are fully included in the lesson, by adapting work for them and helping them keep up.

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Commentary

26. Teachers are constantly evaluating the curriculum, to see how provision can be further improved. This year, innovative strategies to raise standards of reading and writing have been introduced and the impact of these is already being seen in pupils’ work. The imaginative curriculum contributes very effectively to pupils’ personal development, by promoting very successfully good social and moral development, a growing understanding of other cultures and the wonder of learning.

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Care, guidance and support

Chandler’s Ford Infant - 17 The school provides a very good standard of care and welfare and good support for pupils’ learning and personal development. There are very good procedures for taking pupils’ views into account.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils feel very secure and well cared for. • They have very good and trusting relationships with all adults in the school. • Pupils are introduced to school life very well. • Pupils are very involved in the day-to-day life of the school. • School provides good support and guidance for all pupils.

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Commentary

27. The school provides a happy environment that is conducive to learning. The school has done well to strengthen the very good quality of provision in these areas since the last inspection. Very close attention is paid to health and safety issues. Pupils’ healthy and safe living is promoted through personal, social and health education lessons. Child protection procedures are very good and there is good liaison with other agencies. Designated members of staff are fully up to date in aspects of first aid and risk assessments are undertaken regularly.

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Commentary

28. Teachers and support staff know the pupils and their families very well. They are sensitive to the pupils’ individual needs and are thus able to provide good support and guidance. Assessment procedures are good overall, but there are no formal procedures for tracking and supporting the pupils’ personal development. However, informal procedures are effective and help to raise the achievement of the pupils. Personal targets are shared with parents three times a year and the very good relationships between pupils and staff encourage pupils to raise any concerns they may have, knowing that they will be dealt with sympathetically. The pupils enjoy coming to school and they say that the staff are ‘very nice and very kind’. The parents spoken to during the inspection period described the school as being a ‘warm, safe and caring’ school. All pupils are highly valued and their views are regularly sought and acted upon. For example, members of the TED group

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Commentary

understand their role of representing the opinions of their classmates. They take their responsibilities seriously and have made decisions, for example, about creating a banner for road safety. They have also been involved in interviewing the new deputy headteacher.

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Commentary

29. Pupils with special educational needs are identified early on and their progress is monitored carefully. The school works closely with outside specialists and acts on their advice, to ensure that these pupils receive the best possible help whilst they are at the school.

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Commentary

30. Very good induction arrangements ensure that children settle happily into the Year R classes. Pupils who start school at times other than the beginning of the school year are well looked after and made to feel welcome, which enables them to settle quickly into the school. Very good links with the local junior school ensure that pupils are very well prepared and are able to move confidently to the next stage in their education.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Chandler’s Ford Infant - 18 The partnership with parents and links with the community, other schools and colleges are very good. Together these partnerships contribute most beneficially to pupils’ learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are very supportive of the school and appreciate what it provides for their children. • The good contribution parents make to their children’s learning at school and at home makes a positive contribution to their achievement. • The very good links with the community and other schools help to enrich the curriculum and ensure that pupils transfer happily on to their next stage of education. • Parents receive very good information about the school and about pupils’ standards and progress. • The school involves parents very well through seeking, valuing and acting on their views.

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Commentary

31. The school has been effective in strengthening its very good links with parents, schools and the local community since the last inspection. Parents are very satisfied with the school. They feel very comfortable about approaching it and are very happy with the procedures to deal with any concerns or complaints. They feel that their children are encouraged to be mature and responsible and they appreciate the range of extra- curricular activities. They make a good contribution to their children’s learning, by providing help in the classrooms and helping on educational trips. They also attend sessions arranged by the school to promote a greater understanding of the different aspects of the curriculum. ‘The Friends’, an enthusiastic group of parents, have raised significant funds to buy equipment to help in their children’s learning.

p.18

Commentary

32. Parents are very well informed about the school through the prospectus, regular newsletters and other frequent correspondence. They are also well informed about the children’s progress through consultation evenings and good annual reports. Parents appreciate that they are welcome to discuss their children whenever they want to. They say that they are given lots of help to support pupils’ learning by, for example, being given targets for improvement for their children three times a year. Their views are regularly sought through questionnaires and these views are taken seriously and valued. For example, the pupils now have individual water bottles, following a suggestion made by a parent, and these water bottles have been provided by ‘The Friends’- the parents’ group.

p.18

Commentary

33. Parents of all pupils with special educational needs receive good information about their child’s progress. The school offers regular opportunities for parents to discuss progress. The school’s close partnerships with parents strengthen pupils’ learning.

p.18

Commentary

34. The very good links with the community enrich the pupils’ learning. They include involvement with the church, local shops, the library and pre-school groups. Pupils sing carols at the Masonic Hall and have visited the local garden centre. The school receives many visitors from the local community, including people who come in to help with general classroom duties. Visitors also include the fire brigade, the police force and the proprietors of a local fish and chip shop.

p.18

Commentary

35. The wider community is also used well as an education resource. For example, pupils have visited a museum in Winchester and the Sea Life Centre in Portsmouth. The school Chandler’s Ford Infant - 19 takes in students from two local universities for the initial teacher training and is a member of a number of small schools’ groups. These links with other schools are very productive and support pupils’ learning very well, as the school gains access to additional activities for pupils and training for staff. Very good links with the local junior school ensure that pupils are very well prepared and are able to move confidently to the next stage in their education.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good overall. The leadership of the headteacher and other key staff is good. Governance and management are good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher, who has very high aspirations for the school, is an effective team builder and has ensured that all staff share a common vision. • Financial management and control are very good. • Governors are led well by the chair of governors. They support and work effectively with the staff, to sustain good governance. • Co-ordination is very good in the following areas: Year R, special educational needs, provision for more able pupils, art and design and ICT. • Co-ordinators in several subjects are at an early stage of monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects.

p.19

Commentary

36. The leadership and management of both key staff and the headteacher are good. This represents satisfactory progress since the last inspection, as the headteacher’s actions are already impacting positively on both pupils and staff, although she has only been in post for a year. She has a very clear vision for the future development of the school that she has shared with governors and staff. The headteacher is pursuing this with energy and determination, presenting a very good role model to both teachers and pupils. Her open style of leadership has established effective lines of communication with all staff, encouraging them to be involved in the decision-making process and thereby engendering good teamwork. As a consequence, the pace of improvement is increasing. She recognises and values the contributions that all staff make. Well supported by her senior management team, she has worked hard to empower all staff by identifying their

p.19

Commentary

key responsibilities and tasks and identifying areas for their future development. The headteacher has a good overview of the curriculum and has introduced a programme of work to further improve pupils’ handwriting.

p.19

Commentary

37. Since her appointment, the headteacher has evaluated the roles and responsibilities of all staff and has improved the accommodation still further, ensuring that it is safe. She is also establishing procedures to monitor and evaluate classroom practice. Consequently, key staff are becoming involved, with the headteacher, in monitoring teaching and learning and have developed appropriate procedures to take account of performance data. This is at an early stage of development, because the headteacher is determined that it should become embedded throughout the school with greater involvement of staff than previously. Chandler’s Ford Infant - 20 38. This is an inclusive school and the management of the provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. Administrative tasks are carried out efficiently and funds targeted for special educational needs are spent appropriately. The governors are further

p.19

Commentary

developing their role this year to enable them to monitor the school’s provision systematically.

p.20

Commentary

39. The headteacher and chair of governors collaborate well to promote close and effective working relationships between the staff and governors. Under the careful direction of a hard-working chair and with effective support from committee chairs, the governors fulfil their statutory duties well. These include well considered strategies for ensuring racial harmony and the inclusive ethos of the school. They have been instrumental and successful in improving the accommodation and facilities available at the school, so that they promote learning well. Several governors visit the school regularly, to support pupils and staff. In recent years, the governors have undertaken a particularly effective role, for example, in appointing new staff. This collaborative approach to leadership and management is increasing the pace of improvement.

p.20

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.20

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 607,598 Balance from previous year 47,346 Total expenditure 598,506 Balance carried forward to the next 56,438 Expenditure per pupil 3,235

p.20

Commentary

40. The headteacher, the chair of the governors’ finance committee and administrative assistants plan the budget very effectively, so that best value is achieved to promote pupils’ learning. For example, the large carry-forward from 2002-2003, shown in the table above, contained funding specifically earmarked for additional staffing and for the refurbishment of the school; most of this has now been spent prudently to meet pupils’ needs. Overall financial control and management are very good. A relatively new and successful feature, the teaching of more able pupils by the co-ordinator responsible, is impacting well on pupils’ achievement. Although expenditure per pupil has been above average in recent years, the pupils’ good achievement represents good value for money. Chandler’s Ford Infant - 21

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

41. Provision is very good for children in the Foundation Stage (Year R) and the children’s achievement is good, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development. This represents good ongoing improvement since the last inspection. Children are admitted to the Reception classes (Year R) at the beginning of the school year in which they become five. At the time of the inspection, the majority had only been in school on a part-time basis, although a small group of older children were attending full time. Children enter school with a wide range of attainment, but overall this is around average for all areas of learning.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

42. The provision is led and managed very well. The curriculum is exciting and innovative and as a result, achievement is good in all areas of learning. Teaching during the last inspection was judged as good and this good teaching has been maintained. Teaching and learning are now consistently good in all areas of learning and there are some very good features. Teachers provide a very wide range of practical activities to engage children in learning, and role-play is used particularly well to support learning in all areas.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

43. The main strengths of the teaching seen during the inspection were: • the imaginative way in which activities are presented through play to make learning fun; • the very good use of the environment and good quality resources, to stimulate interest in learning; • the very good teamwork between the teachers, assistants and helpers.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

44. Children’s progress is also monitored well. All adults manage the children very well and the good ratio of adults to children ensures that the needs of all are well met. The last inspection identified the need to offer greater challenges to more able children so as to extend their learning, and to improve the accommodation and use of the shared areas in the Year R classes. These have been addressed well. Parents appreciate the very good induction arrangements put into place this year.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is very good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• All children achieve well, because good teaching ensures they behave responsibly from the time they start and make sensible choices about their work. • Very good teamwork amongst adults ensures children feel secure in the well-established daily routines and calm, purposeful environment.

p.21

Commentary

Chandler’s Ford Infant - 22 45. The teachers, learning support assistants and adult helpers work closely together to provide children with a well-organised day in which expectations for behaviour and co- operation are very high. There is a very wide range of practical activities on offer, both inside and outside the classroom, from which children make choices about what they would like to do. From the start, children learn to make sensible selections, co-operate with one another on group tasks and tidy up their work at the end. There is a good balance of directed and self-chosen work and children understand that they will be expected to carry out some tasks with their teacher, joining in readily when asked. At the end of each session, children review with the class what they have learnt, developing at an early stage an understanding that their time must be spent productively.

p.22

Commentary

46. Teachers make good use of music as a signal to children that it is time to tidy up. Children learn to make quiet hand signals to indicate that they have something to share in group discussion times. They take turns, line up considerately and move quietly and sensibly around the school. As a result, children learn from the start that school is a happy, purposeful place where they are secure and cared for. Almost all are on course to reach the early learning goals by the end of Year R.

p.22

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching ensures that there is an appropriate balance between directed and self- selected activities, enabling children to achieve well. • Children learn and are encouraged to speak, read and write for a wide range of purposes.

p.22

Commentary

47. Teachers build opportunities for language into many of the exciting activities on offer during the day, helping children develop their skills through purposeful play. Direct teaching sessions focus on teaching basic skills, encouraging them to enjoy books in group reading sessions, for example, and guiding their learning through skilled questioning. In play activities, particularly role play, there are many opportunities for writing. Children are confident to have a go, when making notes in their police notebooks as they investigate a ‘crime’, or when writing in an appointment book at the doctor’s surgery. All adults take every opportunity to talk to children about their play and encourage them to explain it. In formal discussions children soon learn to take turns when speaking and listen carefully to each other.

p.22

Commentary

48. Teachers are constantly looking at ways of improving provision in this area and this year they have introduced new approaches to teaching handwriting, to raise standards further. As a result children are quickly developing skills to enable them to write with a fluent, joined style. Letter sounds are taught systematically and teachers keep up-to-date records of children’s progress. Children are on course to reach the early learning goals by the end of Year R. Chandler’s Ford Infant - 23

p.22

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.23

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Teachers use a wide range of practical activities and games to promote learning. • Computers are used well to reinforce counting.

p.23

Commentary

49. Good teaching ensures children achieve well in this area and most children are likely to reach the early learning goals by the time they leave Year R. Many of the daily activities on offer are planned to promote learning in this area and children learn through games, role-play and taught activities. A good example was seen in the teaching of shapes during the inspection. Children constructed pictures out of two-dimensional shapes, went on a ‘shape walk’ around the school and identified shapes by their properties as they appeared slowly through the curtains of the puppet theatre. Teachers encourage children to count daily at morning registration and use computer games well to reinforce learning. These are particularly effective in challenging higher-attaining children who can already work confidently with numbers to 20. In the best teaching, adults take every opportunity to develop and reinforce number when they intervene in

p.23

Commentary

children’s play, when counting out spoonfuls of flour in cooking, for example, or helping them to thread beads.

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

The scope of this inspection did not include overall judgements of the provision or standards in these areas of learning.

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

50. Teachers plan a wide range of practical and imaginative activities to promote learning in these areas and the work seen during the inspection was good in all three. Role -play was used very effectively to promote learning in knowledge and understanding of the world. Children in the ‘doctor’s surgery’ learnt how to use a system of appointments, and the very good quality play medical instruments supported their learning well. The teacher played in role with the children, to guide their learning and help them understand how the system works, and what they could expect when visiting a surgery themselves. Physical development is well catered for in the very well resourced outdoor area, in which children moved around with confidence. Children practised their manipulative skills in many activities, when working with clay and dough, for example, and when cutting, pasting, hammering, writing and drawing. In creative development there were many

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

opportunities for children to develop their imagination through play. Teachers joined in with the role-play, pretending to be the victims of a robbery, to help children in their search for clues as policemen. Examples of children’s work from last year demonstrated a high standard of drawing and painting skills and the photographic record of work illustrated that children experienced many exciting opportunities to experience and participate in art, dance and drama.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching results in pupils achieving well and attaining standards that are above average in reading, writing, and speaking and listening by the end of Year 2. • The standards of presentation of the work of older pupils could be better. • Opportunities for extended writing across the curriculum are not always explored to best effect. • The very well resourced library is well used by all pupils, supported very effectively by the librarian.

p.24

Commentary

51. As at the time of the last inspection, the majority of pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well in reading, writing and speaking and listening, against prior attainment. In recent years pupils have, overall, exceeded the expected levels, including those expected in writing and this is an improvement since the last inspection. Year 2 pupils are currently attaining expected standards in writing but there are strong indications that they are achieving well and standards are already improving. However, a smaller proportion of pupils reach the higher level 3 in writing than in reading. The school is aware of this and has a dedicated teacher whose role it is to support more able groups and individuals. Marking has improved very recently with teachers’ comments encouraging pupils to evaluate their work, although there is little evidence to indicate that pupils have been given sufficient opportunities to revise and improve it. The presentation

p.24

Commentary

of the work of older pupils has been identified by the school as an area for improvement. Although handwriting is cursive, which is good, letters formed are not always equal in size and pupils’ expectations with regard to overall presentation are not high enough. This term, additional time has been given to encouraging pupils to write well. Although it is too early to evaluate the overall impact of this work, early indications in Year 2 are positive.

p.24

Commentary

52. Pupils in all year groups have many opportunities to improve their speaking and listening skills through activities such as role-play, the extensive use of response partners and teachers asking questions that encourage pupils to reflect, justify and explain. Opportunities for group work and the need to make decisions in consultation with others further encourage the development of these skills and help pupils attain higher than average standards. All adults present themselves as very good role models, often deliberately planning conversations in front of pupils to demonstrate the impact of the spoken word, as was observed in a Year 1 class.

p.24

Commentary

53. Reading is given a very high profile throughout the school. The reading stock has recently been expanded and reclassified and now represents a very good and well-used resource. Parents support pupils in their reading activities very well, not only listening to them read at home, but also encouraging many pupils to visit the local library. Bookmarks detailing how parents can best support their children, according to the level of difficulty of the book being read, are also useful. The well-stocked school library, efficiently organised and run by the part-time librarian, is well used and represents a very good resource. Chandler’s Ford Infant - 25 54. The quality of teaching is good and this reflects good teamwork and a focus on activities that motivate and engage the pupils. Teaching assistants work in close co-operation with teachers and offer very good support. Occasionally during group work the management of

p.24

Commentary

the behaviour of older pupils could be more effective. Planning is satisfactory and reflects work well matched to pupils’ abilities, including those with special educational needs. However, learning objectives are not always clear and sometimes need to be more specific to the tasks in hand. This would also facilitate ongoing assessment during lessons. Pupils’ work is tracked well and individual learning targets are set. However, pupils are not always aware of what these targets are, as they are rarely referred to when work is marked. The targets therefore need to be given a higher profile.

p.25

Commentary

55. The co-ordinator leads the subject well. Working with a colleague, she responded very well to advice from the local adviser concerning the provision of reading resources, and has a clear vision for the future development of the subject. Secure procedures have been put in place to monitor work and the quality of teaching and learning.

p.25

Language and literacy across the curriculum

56. Pupils have the opportunity to write for a variety of purposes in subjects across the curriculum. This work is sometimes driven by the pupils themselves, who focus on identifying what information they need and how best to record it, making presentation a lower priority. Opportunities for extended writing for older pupils are not always explored as rigorously as they might be but when they are exploited, as in history, pupils respond very well, writing at length and for a variety of audiences and purposes. These skills need to be extended across the curriculum, in subjects such as science where recorded work could be better.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• All pupils achieve well because of good teaching and learning. • Teachers use a very good range of practical activities, to engage and interest children. • Good opportunities are taking in other curriculum areas to promote learning in the subject. • Recorded work is not always neat enough and there are few written comments from teachers to encourage pupils, or help them improve.

p.25

Commentary

57. The school has maintained the above average standards seen at the last inspection and there has been a consistent picture of above average attainment in national tests for the past four years. Boys outperformed girls in the tests, doing better at the higher level, but this is similar to the national picture. Overall, the school does well for its pupils and school records show that all groups make good progress from the time they start, and achieve well.

p.25

Commentary

58. The inspection took place early in the school year, when there was very little recorded work in pupils’ books. Work done by Year 2 pupils last year showed that by the time they left, higher-attaining pupils were working confidently with numbers to 100 and above, and Chandler’s Ford Infant - 26 carrying out simple multiplication and division calculations. Most lower-attaining pupils were confident with numbers to 20 and understood place value when working with higher numbers. They had many opportunities to work practically with weighing, measuring and money. Work in books was not as well presented as it could be for pupils of this age, and there was little feedback to pupils through marking or annotation of work, to demonstrate progress to pupils or their parents. Teachers’ own record keeping is good; they make regular assessments of progress during the year and use the information to help them group pupils of similar attainment.

p.25

Commentary

59. A feature of the good teaching was the importance placed on relevant, practical activity across the curriculum, for which the subject is well resourced. The days started with a whole-class activity in which basic mathematical skills were taught and rehearsed. After that, pupils moved into teacher directed or play activities, many of which consolidated basic skills of number, or developed their mathematical understanding through investigations, games or role-play.

p.26

Commentary

60. In the starter sessions teachers questioned pupils skilfully, targeting pupils of different ability with specific questions, to challenge them appropriately. They made good use of visual aids such as number squares and number lines, and encouraged pupils to look for patterns and short cuts when calculating in their heads. In the best of these sessions, the teacher took the time needed to assess and consolidate what pupils had already learnt and ensured they all understood the purpose of the day’s activities. In the group and play activities, role-play opportunities were used well to develop pupils’ familiarity with money. Graphs were explored in real life situations, as, for example, when pupils collected data on the classes’ likes and dislikes in a topic on food and displayed the results by recording pictures on a class pictogram. Pupils responded well to the practical activities and took full part, as they began to understand the relevance of mathematics to their everyday lives.

p.26

Commentary

Pupils with special educational needs are often well supported by learning support assistants and there are opportunities for some to receive extra help from a specialist teacher. Occasionally in Year 2, pupils’ learning is restricted by less effective management of their behaviour. In general, the practical learning opportunities offered to the pupils assist their personal development. The majority of pupils work sensibly together in pairs and groups, and develop a love of learning through the relevant, practical activity.

p.26

Commentary

61. The subject is soundly managed. It has undergone a change in leadership this past year and is being developed appropriately. Analysis of last summer’s test results has enabled teachers to identify areas for improvement, but the subject manager has not yet had opportunities to monitor the quality of teaching and learning in every class, to ensure that best practice is shared across the school.

p.26

Mathematics across the curriculum

62. The school has moved away from the tight structure of the formal numeracy hour to enable teachers to promote learning more effectively across the curriculum, which it does very successfully. However, it is important that individual teachers keep the time given to mathematics under careful review, to ensure that sessions are long enough to cover the requirements of the subject fully. ICT is used well to support the subject, mainly through computer games. Work on shapes and opportunities for surveys are linked well with studies of the local environment.

p.26

SCIENCE

Chandler’s Ford Infant - 27 Provision in science is good.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The above average standards reached by pupils at the end of Year 2 represent good achievement in response to good teaching. • The curriculum is securely based on promoting pupils’ learning through practical experiences; it is planned very well and ensures that pupils build on previous knowledge and understanding. • The teaching is good; the warm relationships and the interest and challenge generated by the teachers and learning support assistants underpin pupils’ good learning. • The pupils co-operate well during scientific investigations.

p.27

Commentary

63. As at the time of the last inspection, current evidence shows that most pupils achieve well in relation to their capability. This applies equally to pupils with special educational needs and to higher-attaining pupils. The frequent opportunities for pupils to learn through investigation are instrumental in promoting the pupils’ good achievement. The developing use of planning sheets is helping to improve the pupils’ skills. The increasing emphasis on exploring and considering why experiments give certain results is enabling an increasing number of pupils to reach higher than average levels of understanding. These are now being promoted by the co-ordinator and were illustrated well in lessons, for example, when measuring the rate at which ice melts and where pupils’ ideas showed good understanding. There is scope, however, on some of these occasions, for these responses to be recorded more closely, so that pupils’ progress can be assessed and

p.27

Commentary

64. Observations of pupils learning in lessons and of their recorded work show that pupils in Year 2 acquire a good knowledge of fair testing and understand the value of making predictions prior to undertaking investigations. For example, when measuring the rate at which ice melts, the consideration of the accuracy of pupils’ predictions led to interesting observations of how testing could be improved, and whether original hypotheses were sensible. This form of enquiry was successful in promoting new learning. Pupils in Year 1 were observed exploring their senses, for example, by examining various fruits and vegetables and looking for green objects around their classroom. Such practical investigations developed their observational skills and scientific vocabulary well. The quality of the pupils’ recorded work has improved this term, especially in Year 2, where there is an increasing and beneficial emphasis on encouraging pupils to explore why

p.27

Commentary

The quality of teaching and learning is good.

p.27

Commentary

• Very good use of learning support assistants to include all pupils equally and to engage pupils in their experiments through questioning. • Very good planning that enables pupils to build on previous skills. • Very good use of resources, including very well maintained outdoor areas, to support practical work and to interest the pupils. Chandler’s Ford Infant - 28 • Warm relationships between adults and pupils that promote the pupils’ positive attitudes to learning.

p.27

Commentary

Occasionally less successful aspects included:

p.28

Commentary

• Limited use of assessments of the pupils’ responses to inform future learning. • Opportunities for pupils to reflect about their findings through writing or diagrams.

p.28

Commentary

65. In addition, most teachers use questioning well to develop links with pupils’ previous experience and to extend their understanding. All teachers emphasise appropriate scientific language effectively, for example , by encouraging prediction. The teachers review safe practice and the need for care and detail when observing; these factors enrich learning. Overall leadership of the subject is satisfactory, but the relatively new co- ordinator is bringing fresh ideas and is setting a clear direction for future development. Resources for learning both indoors and outdoors are very good. ICT is used with increasing effectiveness, for example, when pupils use software to illustrate and annotate their diagrams of the human body.

p.28

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in ICT was sampled because it was not possible to observe sufficient whole class lessons to judge provision.

p.28

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

66. Observations of a few group lessons and of teachers and learning support assistants helping pairs or individual pupils in using computers show that ICT is given appropriate emphasis across the school. Teachers and learning support assistants are knowledgeable and promote warm relationships when working with the pupils using computers, and this aids their learning. The co-ordinator has expertise, has plotted the future development of the subject and leads the subject very effectively. Resources for learning, both hardware and software, are very good and their regular, increasing use is aiding the pupils in the development of independent learning skills. Pupils were seen using a variety of software to practise their literacy and numeracy skills. In addition, ICT is used well to support the learning of pupils with special educational needs and that of able and talented pupils. During the inspection, for example, a group of more able pupils were

p.28

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

seen using a digital camera and other ICT equipment very effectively to produce a ‘mind map’ of photographs showing how health is sustained through healthy eating and good hygiene.

p.28

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

67. ICT is used effectively across the curriculum. Work in mathematics and science in particular is enriched by the use of ICT to create pie graphs and to label parts of the body. Across the school, pupils use various art programs to illustrate their ideas and topic work, for example on ‘dragons and castles’. ICT is also used well to promote pupils’ personal development, for example their independence in learning by researching topics, and their good social skills, as when co-operating in using computers.

p.28

HUMANITIES

Chandler’s Ford Infant - 29 Religious education was sampled. Geography and history were not inspected.

p.29

HUMANITIES

68. Discussions with the co-ordinator and examination of teachers’ plans show that religious education is taught in full accordance with the locally agreed syllabus. A new syllabus has just been published and the co-ordinator is preparing for its introduction. The subject is planned effectively in ‘blocked units’ - particular areas of work taught over specific periods of time; these have close links with assembly themes such as ‘special occasions and places’. The curriculum is enriched by the school’s very good links with the local faith communities, for example, visits to the church and visits from Methodist youth workers, contributions from representatives of the Hindu faith and Indian dancers. The co-ordinator has been effective in developing these links and in ensuring that an interesting curriculum meets requirements. Overall leadership is satisfactory as strategies for monitoring teaching and the pupils’ learning in the subject are still being developed. Observation of

p.29

HUMANITIES

Year 2 pupils talking about their visit to the local church showed positive attitudes in response to the good use of resources to interest the pupils and well-directed questioning by the teacher. There is scope to promote the understanding of older pupils by reflecting in writing about religious belief and practice. Work in the subject is enriched, however, by the good use of art and design to develop wider cultural dimensions and to present the pupils’ ideas.

p.29

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Art and design was inspected in full and is reported below, physical education was sampled. Design and technology and music were not inspected.

p.29

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

69. Physical education has a clear emphasis across the school and it is led very effectively by an experienced co-ordinator. A wide range of after-school clubs, including cricket, football and dance, enrich the pupils’ learning to a significant degree. Cross-curricular links with other activities in music and English, such as ballet, country dancing and ‘write- dance’ further enrich pupils’ learning. The accommodation has been improved considerably since the last inspection. The spacious, well-equipped hall and the equally well-equipped and interesting outdoor areas support the variety of interesting activities very effectively. Observations of pupils at play, attending clubs and in lessons showed that they enjoy physical activity and develop their skills, including social awareness progressively. Very good links with local schools and the local community are supportive elements in the school’s provision.

p.29

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Provision in art and design is very good .

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are well above average at the end of Year 2. • Very good specialist teaching ensures pupils achieve very well. • The curriculum is enriched by visitors and whole-school projects.

p.29

Commentary

70. The provision for art and design is a strength of the school and has improved well since the previous inspection, when standards were judged to be above average. Pupils now Chandler’s Ford Infant - 30 achieve very well and standards are likely to be well above average at the end of Year 2. The subject is led and managed well, and carefully planned so that units of work - specific ideas and skills - are developed over time and link where possible with work in other subjects. Most of the lessons are taught by a skilled learning support assistant, who has considerable expertise in the subject. She teaches pupils in small groups and provides a wealth of experiences to engage and interest them. Pupils with special educational needs have good support and take full part in the activities provided.

p.29

Commentary

71. The inspection took place early in the school year and there was only a limited amount of pupils’ work on display. However, work in progress demonstrated the care and imagination that pupils put into their work. Skills and techniques are developed systematically and pupils build on these to produce high quality finished products, of which they are rightly proud. In the Year 2 classes, for example, pupils were making collages based on studies of the inside of fruit and vegetables. Previously they had experimented with the effects produced by hard and soft pencils and made detailed pencil drawings based on close observations. These careful studies enabled them to make imaginative paint, paper and fabric collages of their own designs, which reflected the texture and colour of the original objects. Teachers make very good use of digital photographs as starting points for ideas and to record the progress of pupils’ work and art programs on

p.30

Commentary

72. The subject is well resourced and pupils have opportunities to work with a wide range of tools and materials. Pupils in Year 1 enjoyed sculpting and painting their clay candle holders in preparation for their work on the Hindu festival of Divali. In general, the subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ personal development. They find out about their own and other cultures through their work, and learn to appreciate how the natural world can be a source of inspiration to themselves and other artists. The curriculum is enriched by visiting artists and by whole school events such as the art exhibition last year.

p.30

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Personal, social and health education and citizenship was sampled.

p.30

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

73. No direct teaching was observed and, therefore, no judgements about overall provision are made. Other evidence showed that the curriculum is planned effectively and includes useful links with the school’s collective worship and health education provision. Pupils’ views are valued in all areas of school life and specifically through the school council, whereby elected pupils present their ideas and suggestions. Their opinions on issues such as pupils’ behaviour and playtime activity contribute supportively to the life of the school. The very good curriculum as a whole includes a wide range of themes related to health, and strong links are made with the pupils’ own previous experiences. The school’s very effective provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development also extends the pupils’ personal skills. Chandler’s Ford Infant - 31

p.30

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 3 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 3 Attendance 2 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 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 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 2 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 2 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 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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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 3 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). Chandler’s Ford Infant - 32

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