Guiseley Primary School

GUISELEY INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 27 th – 30 th September 2004

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GUISELEY INFANT SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Guiseley Infant 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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GUISELEY 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. Guiseley Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 – 7 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 244

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Guiseley Infant School Oxford Road Guiseley Leeds Postcode: LS20 9DA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01943 873359 Fax number: 01943 873031

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr P Callender

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Guiseley Infant School is housed in a former secondary school building on a large site close to the centre of Guiseley, about nine miles from Leeds city centre. A privately run playgroup shares part of the building. Most children come from the surrounding area. There are currently 244 pupils on roll, the vast majority of whom are white. The school is broadly average in size compared with others of this type, with its pupils organised into seven classes and a nursery. The mobility of pupils is average, with 15 joining the school other than at the time of first admission in the last school year and six pupils leaving during this period. The area around the school displays the characteristics of socio-economic advantage, and around two per cent of pupils are entitled to a free school meal, which is low. Attainment on entry is generally above average, although there is a wide spread of ability. There are 20 pupils (9.8% per cent) on the school’s register of special educational needs,

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

which is below average compared with schools nationally. Most of these pupils have learning difficulties, but some have communication difficulties. No pupils have statements of special educational need, which is below average. A very small number of pupils have English as an additional language.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is involved in the Excellence in Cities initiative. It won a Department for Education and Skills (DfES) achievement award in 2000 and achieved Investor in People status in 2003. Guiseley Infant School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

6327 Dr J N Thorp Lead inspector The Foundation Stage; History; Music; English as an additional language 19365 Mr G Stockley Lay inspector 23319 Mr V Leary Team inspector Mathematics; Science; Design and technology; Geography; Physical education 30651 Mrs M Entwistle Team inspector English; Information and communication technology; Art and design; Citizenship; Religious education; Special educational needs

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peakschoolhaus ltd

BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Boughton Nottinghamshire NG22 9HQ

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peakschoolhaus ltd

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). Guiseley Infant School - 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 11

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 31

Guiseley Infant School - 6 Guiseley Infant School - 7

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Overall the school provides a good quality of education . The commitment to the care, well-being and all-round development of pupils is very good and helps create the conditions in which individuals can learn. Teaching is good overall ensuring most pupils’ learning is good. Standards in most subjects are higher than those normally expected of pupils at the end of Year 2, but boys could do better in writing and, in some lessons, the insufficient demands made of higher attaining pupils limits their progress. A good range of additional activities effectively enriches the curriculum. 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 provides high levels of care and a secure environment in which children gain confidence and can learn • Overall standards in English, mathematics, science and religious education are above average • Standards of boys’ writing could be better • The needs of higher attaining pupils are not always sufficiently clearly identified and met • Pupils’ attitudes and interest in school life are very good; attendance is very good • A very good range of additional activities enriches the curriculum very effectively • Procedures for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching are under-developed • The governing body has a strong and effective relationship with the school and has the potential to support further school improvement • The school has built very effective partnerships with parents and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

There has been satisfactory improvement overall since the previous inspection in May 1999. The curriculum for religious education has been improved and is now good; this is enabling pupils to achieve standards that are higher than those normally expected of pupils of their age. The quality of assessment has improved and this is supporting teachers’ planning for most pupils. The needs of higher attaining pupils are still not sufficiently clearly identified with specific activities planned to meet them.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

All schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English A B A A Mathematics A C B C Science A B A C Key: A – well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Overall achievement is satisfactory . Children generally start school with above average attainment, although there is a wide spread. They make progress at the rate expected of them, so by the time they enter Year 1 most have exceeded the goals children are expected to reach by the end of the reception year in all areas of learning. Achievement is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2, because most pupils make appropriate progress in relation to their capabilities, and standards are above average in English, mathematics, science and religious education. There is a significant variation in the standards of girls’ and boys’ writing; boys could do better and their achievement in this subject is unsatisfactory. Some higher attaining pupils could also do better, but they are insufficiently challenged and stretched in some lessons. Throughout the school pupils’ achievement in information and communication technology is good.

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Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

development, is good . High levels of care and very good relationships contribute to pupils’ positive attitudes. Behaviour is good. Pupils’ well above average attendance and their punctuality have a positive impact on their learning.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Overall the quality of education provided by the school is good . Teaching is good overall , with some lessons of high quality. This ensures that pupils’ learning is good. Teachers have very good relationships with their pupils and they manage behaviour well. They encourage positive attitudes and stimulate pupils’ interest and curiosity effectively; this contributes positively to pupils’ learning and their increasing independence. There is a clear framework of assessment and procedures are good, but the information gained is not helping teachers identify and plan to meet the needs of higher attaining pupils. Very good care and support for pupils ensure that their personal needs are identified and met, and promote their self-confidence. The curriculum meets pupils’ needs satisfactorily overall, but there is a very good range of activities to enrich it. Pupils’ views are valued. The school’s links with parents and the community are very good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall leadership and management are good . The headteacher provides good leadership, with a clear commitment to school improvement. Her concern for the welfare of everyone in the school contributes to its positive ethos. Management systems are effective in ensuring the school runs smoothly. Subject co-ordinators are not yet contributing to the monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching or supporting the development of teachers’ skills as effectively as they might. The governing body fulfils its responsibilities well and is increasingly effective in promoting school improvement. Governors are making an effective contribution to the management of the school.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The majority of parents have very positive views of the school. Most are pleased with their children’s progress. Parents value the rich variety of activities the school provides, which extend beyond the core curriculum and which contribute to the all-round development of their children. They find teachers friendly and approachable and are pleased with the purposeful learning environment they have created. Pupils also have positive views about the school. The vast majority enjoy coming to school, are happy and secure and feel that their teachers help them to learn.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• raise the standard of boys’ writing • improve the use of assessment to more sharply focus specific learning activities to meet the learning needs of individual pupils, particularly those of higher attainers • develop procedures for monitoring and evaluating more rigorously the quality of teaching, and devise strategies to support the development of teachers’ skills Guiseley Infant School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Overall pupils’ achievement is satisfactory . Standards on entry to the school are generally above average, although there is a wide spread of attainment. Children make expected progress through the Foundation Stage; the vast majority achieve the goals children are expected to reach by the end of reception and many exceed them. A higher proportion of pupils than is usually found achieve standards which are above average in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2. This represents satisfactory achievement. Pupils make particularly good progress in science and information and communication technology (ICT), and their achievement in these subjects is good. Girls do significantly better in writing than do boys, whose achievement in writing is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards on entry are above average overall, and the majority of children attain better than expected standards in all areas of learning in the Foundation Stage; • overall standards in reading, writing and mathematics are better than expected by the end of Year 2; • boys’ achievement in writing is unsatisfactory; • pupils achieve well in science and ICT; • some higher attaining pupils could do better.

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Commentary

1. Children enter the school with wide ranging levels of attainment, but their overall standards are better than average. This is broadly similar to that reported in the previous inspection. The good provision made for these children, in both the nursery and classes with reception age children, ensures they make a good start to their time in school and enables them to make progress at the rate expected of them. The majority achieve the goals children are expected to reach by the end of reception; many exceed them. This represents satisfactory achievement. There is a strong emphasis on personal, social and emotional development and children make good progress in this area of their learning in the nursery, particularly in the way they develop independence. All staff working with children in the Foundation Stage are skilled at promoting language development and this has a positive impact on children’s learning in other areas.

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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 17.8 (16.5) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 15.9 (14.7) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 17.5 (17.5) 16.3 (16.5) There were 69 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

2. This table shows that pupils achieved above or well above average standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 in 2003 in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with pupils in all schools. These test results also show that in reading and writing pupils in the school did better than they had the previous year. When comparisons are made with similar schools, the picture is just as positive in the case of reading, with pupils attaining standards well above the average in these schools. In writing and mathematics, however, pupils achieved standards in line with those achieved by pupils in similar schools. This table hides the significantly better performance of girls than boys in writing. There are some fluctuations in standards from one Guiseley Infant School - 10 year to the next because sometimes there is a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs in a particular year group, as there was in 2002. Generally speaking,

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Commentary

however, over the past five years standards have been above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics, and they are improving at a rate in line with that achieved in schools nationally.

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Commentary

3. Pupils of all ages achieve satisfactorily in reading, given that most of them have better than average attainment by the time they enter Year 1. Pupils are interested in books and they get good support from home. This ensures they make progress and by the end of Year 2 standards of reading among a significant proportion of pupils are above average. Work seen during the inspection indicates that, overall, pupils achieve satisfactorily in writing. However, while girls achieve well in writing, the standard of boys’ writing is significantly poorer and their achievement is unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

4. Pupils continue to make expected progress in mathematics and standards are generally better than average. This represents satisfactory achievement. In science, however, pupils make particularly good progress and achievement is good. Pupils’ achievement in ICT is good and they learn enthusiastically. A major contributory factor to this good learning is the much better resources acquired since the previous inspection.

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Commentary

5. While pupils with special educational needs achieve as well as they should, the achievement of some higher attaining pupils could be better.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils' attitudes and behaviour are good . Their personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is also good . Attendance is well above the national average.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school promotes relationships, including racial harmony, very effectively and pupils form very good relationships with others; • the school sets high standards for attitudes and conduct and works hard to achieve them; • pupils have a very high level of confidence and self-esteem and show a great deal of interest in school life and the range of activities provided; • parents take great care to ensure that their children attend regularly and arrive on time; consequently attendance and punctuality are both very good.

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Commentary

6. Pupils enjoy being at school because their efforts are encouraged, their good achievements are celebrated and they feel safe and secure. They work hard, showing very good levels of interest in lessons and in the very good range of additional opportunities which the school provides for them. In the Foundation Stage children’s attitudes are very good.

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Commentary

7. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour and as a result pupils behave well. Pupils are courteous and respectful to school staff and visitors and enjoy discussing their work and school life. They recognise and support the need for school rules and have been effectively involved in agreeing classroom rules. They know that they should tell their teacher or parent if another pupil is being unkind to them. Pupils’ positive attitudes and good behaviour are similar to those found at the time of the previous inspection. There have been no recent exclusions.

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Commentary

8. Pupils are very confident, enterprising and willing to take responsibility. For example, the older pupils look after the younger ones when they move into the main school from the nursery, helping them with their coats and shoelaces. In classes, the children undertake a range of responsibilities well that support various activities, such as sharpening pencils and handing out Guiseley Infant School - 11 exercise books. In the playground pupils maturely take responsibility for giving out play equipment and collecting it in again.

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Commentary

9. Pupils' relationships with other pupils and their teachers are very good and this results in a pleasant and harmonious school community where everyone works hard and supports each other. The school’s ethos and promotion of Christian ideals provide a strong basis for pupils to develop positive values. There are valuable links with two local churches, enabling pupils to attend services at both. A member of the local clergy has visited the school and pupils have benefited from talking with him, although he has not yet led collective worship. Pupils experience a spiritual sense of reflection and enjoyment in their artwork, music and singing. They also have the opportunity to see some of the wonders of nature by watching a pair of ducks raise their family in the central quadrangle of the school.

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Commentary

10. Pupils develop a strong sense of moral responsibility through supporting and helping others. This is highlighted and reinforced effectively in lessons, in assemblies and by staff in their daily contact with pupils. This aspect was seen during the inspection when a child told an adult that she had found a penny in school. The adult explained that she would look after the penny and see whether another child claimed it. If not it would be put in a special box for children who had no money. The school also helps pupils to think of others by collecting for charities.

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Commentary

11. The school promotes pupils’ social development very well, with staff setting good examples through their own conduct and promoting routines of sharing and taking turns. Pupils’ achievements are celebrated in weekly assemblies and this, together with the extensive range of their work on display around the school, raises pupils’ confidence and self-esteem very effectively.

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Commentary

12. Pupils gain a good insight into aspects of their own culture through their studies in history. These are well supported by visiting actors and storytellers who bring historical characters such as Florence Nightingale and Samuel Pepys to life for the children. Pupils are also made aware of the range of other cultures around the world by their studies of Islam and through looking at life in Africa, well supported by appropriate artefacts.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.4 School data 0.0 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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Attendance

13. Attendance rates are consistently well above the national average, with no unauthorised absence. Parents support the school very well in ensuring that their children attend regularly and on time.

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Exclusions

14. There were no exclusions during the previous school year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a good quality of education , which is enabling pupils to learn and make progress. The curriculum ensures that pupils have a good range of learning experiences, with very good opportunities provided for enrichment. Teaching is good overall. Pupils are very well cared for. The school has very good links with parents and the community. Guiseley Infant School - 12 Guiseley Infant School - 13

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good overall. Effective planning enables teachers to provide a good range of activities which engages pupils in learning well. The organisation of teaching and learning is particularly effective in the reception classes and this contributes to the good start children make. There are satisfactory procedures in place for assessment, but teachers do not always use the outcomes of assessment sufficiently rigorously to help them plan the next steps in learning for all groups in the class.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is consistently good teaching for all children in the Foundation Stage; the organisation of teaching and learning is particularly effective in the reception classes; • teachers have good relationships with pupils and this has a positive impact on their attitudes to learning; • teachers manage behaviour well, so lessons are orderly and pupils can learn; • many lessons for children in the Foundation Stage provide good opportunities for talking and this good use of language promotes pupils’ learning well; • teachers’ ability to plan appropriate learning activities for different groups in the class has improved considerably, but it is not yet precise enough for higher attaining pupils; • appropriate systems and procedures for assessment provide the opportunity to track progress, but this information is not used with sufficient rigour to evaluate pupils’ achievement.

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Commentary

15. Teaching is good overall in the Foundation Stage. Some good and very good features were observed in individual sessions or lessons in both the nursery and the reception classes, ensuring a consistency in provision across the whole key stage. In the nursery, the teacher and nursery nurses plan and introduce a wide range of appropriate practical learning activities, which they exploit well to promote children’s learning. As children work on their chosen activities all the staff are good at involving them in discussion about what they are doing and participate well to extend their learning effectively. This is particularly effective during indoor activities, but opportunities are sometimes missed to extend children’s learning outdoors. Good classroom routines are established right from the start in the reception classes and these ensure that children are able to learn. The skilful organisation of teaching and learning in these

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Commentary

classes enables teachers to manage a variety of groupings, so that children can work on the different activities to which they are directed or which they choose. Children have successfully learned how to work independently and they can manage resources for themselves well. As a result teachers have good opportunities to work with different groups and individuals, on most occasions managing the work of their classroom assistants to support them doing this effectively.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 37 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.

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Commentary

16. Throughout the school teachers work hard and are fully committed to the school. This has a positive effect on teachers’ relationships with pupils; it influences how pupils see school, their attitudes to learning and their enjoyment of planned activities. Overall the quality of teaching has been maintained since the previous inspection, when it was judged to be good, although some of the weaknesses identified at that time have not been fully addressed. In around six out of ten lessons seen in this inspection teaching was good or better; there was one unsatisfactory lesson. Teaching of literacy is good and teaching of numeracy is satisfactory. Guiseley Infant School - 14 17. Teachers plan an interesting range of activities to promote pupils’ learning. Joint planning ensures consistency across classes with similarly aged pupils. At the start of most lessons instructions and explanations are clear; teachers use a range of strategies effectively to check

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Commentary

on pupils’ earlier learning. Teachers have improved the pace at which they manage their lessons so that in the main this is now good and contributes effectively to moving pupils’ learning on. Teachers manage behaviour well, so lessons are orderly and pupils can learn. The good use of resources supports pupils’ learning and promotes independence well. In many lessons there is a strong focus on the use of language to promote and check on pupils’ learning. Teachers are skilled at drawing pupils into discussions, make good use of strategies like talking partners, and pose questions to involve pupils or to extend their thinking. On the occasion when teaching fell below this good standard, there was a lack of direction and clarity in the lesson so that pupils were confused about what they had to do or found the tasks too difficult.

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Commentary

18. The school has appropriate systems and procedures for assessment. There are clear expectations of what is required, with assessments built into each scheme of work providing the opportunity for teachers to track pupils’ progress. However, the analysis of this assessment information is not yet sufficiently rigorous in providing a clear indication of the relative achievement of individuals and groups of pupils. As a result teachers are not always fully aware of pupils who could be making more rapid progress.

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Commentary

19. The precision with which teachers plan appropriate learning activities has improved significantly since the previous inspection, when it was reported as a weakness. Lessons now usually incorporate different activities for the various groups in the class. At times classroom assistants are effectively deployed to help teachers manage this effectively. However, these different activities do not always meet the particular needs of the higher attaining pupils. They are often insufficiently challenging because they are not always based on an accurate assessment of the prior knowledge and understanding of these pupils.

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The curriculum

The school’s curriculum is satisfactory overall. Although there are some good and very good features, particularly in the opportunities provided for enrichment, it does not always meet the needs of higher attaining pupils.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides a broad and varied curriculum that is well suited to pupils aged three to seven years; • planning has improved since the previous inspection, but the intellectual needs of the highest attaining pupils are not yet being met consistently in all lessons and classes; • the ICT curriculum has significantly improved, but is still under-used as a tool for learning in other subjects; • the curriculum is effectively enriched by the use of visiting specialist providers, and by strong community and parental links; • there is a good programme of personal, social and health education, which fosters personal growth and self-esteem; • the learning mentor is used effectively to support pupils’ learning in a variety of contexts; • the school provides well for pupils with special educational needs.

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Commentary

20. The school has maintained all the features of the curriculum that were identified as good at the time of the previous inspection, whilst also maintaining above average standards in most subjects. This ensures that for most pupils, the school continues to meet its aim of providing a Guiseley Infant School - 15 broadly based and challenging curriculum. However, despite revised planning, which now ensures teachers plan for three levels of difficulty, tasks planned and set for the most capable pupils are not always sufficiently demanding. While this aspect has not improved sufficiently since the previous inspection, in other ways the curriculum has been improved. Provision for ICT has been significantly strengthened by the installation and subsequent up-dating of a computer suite. This has given the pupils access to good quality, well-focused teaching of ICT skills. Teachers have begun to plan for the application of ICT in other subjects, but this needs to

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Commentary

be developed further. The curriculum for religious education is now good. It is enabling pupils to achieve higher than average standards and makes a strong contribution to the pupils’ spiritual development, which has also improved and is now good.

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Commentary

21. Parents value the variety of activities offered, because they believe they result in interested children who want to learn. The range of extra-curricular clubs has been extended to include a recorder club, a choir, and football and gardening clubs. In addition, specialist providers such as sports coaches, theatre groups and other outside speakers are used effectively to enhance the curriculum with their expertise. The local community plays an important part in the life of the school, making a valuable contribution to the school’s good programme for personal social, health and citizenship education.

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Commentary

22. The school is innovative in its means of supporting the transition from home to nursery and from the reception class to Year 1. The learning mentor’s time is used creatively and to good effect. Her work in the Foundation Stage playground has a positive impact upon all of the children’s ability to settle to tasks without disturbance. Links with the junior school are growing, but there is more to do.

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Commentary

23. An exciting new feature of the curriculum is the imaginative use of time to strengthen the links between subjects. Year 2 teachers are experimenting with blocking subjects together in order to teach basic skills, such as writing accounts of historical events within a meaningful context. This positive change has the potential flexibility of approach to foster creativity and increase the level of challenge for all pupils.

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Commentary

24. The curriculum provides well for pupils with special educational needs. School systems for identifying children with particular needs early in the Foundation Stage are efficient and effective, and are quickly translated into appropriate intervention. The special needs assistant’s dual role as learning mentor successfully enables her to be a part of this process as she supports the newest children’s transition from home to school. Partnership and dialogue between the assistant and teachers are established at the outset. The mechanisms for feedback between the assistant and teachers are effective, and the quality of the records is good. The special educational needs co-ordinator has set in place robust procedures for very regular monitoring and review that are carried out meticulously. Parents are properly involved, and the special educational needs co-ordinator is well informed about each pupil’s

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Care, guidance and support

The school has very good procedures for ensuring pupils' care, welfare, health and safety. It provides pupils with good support and guidance, and involves them well in the work of the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good attention to health and safety ensures that pupils can work in a safe and healthy environment; • the procedures to ensure that new children settle quickly into school life are good and children are very well supported when they move from the nursery to the main school; • pupils have very good relationships with their teachers and other adults in the school; • the learning mentor provides effective support for those pupils having difficulty in forming effective relationships; Guiseley Infant School - 16 • teachers’ comments on pupils’ work do not always guide them well enough in how they could improve their work, especially the higher attainers. Guiseley Infant School - 17

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Commentary

25. The school pays very good attention to health and safety and this ensures that pupils are happy and safe in school and that they can work and play in a healthy and caring environment. This is an improvement on the position reported at the time of the previous inspection. There are frequent health and safety inspections of the building and grounds, and the whole site is kept very clean and well maintained by the capable and conscientious caretaker and cleaners. All staff are aware of basic first aid procedures and there are good arrangements for dealing with the few accidents that occur. There are effective procedures for child protection in place and all staff are aware of what they need to do if they have any concerns about a pupil. Pupils’ understanding of healthy practices, such as washing hands, cleaning teeth and choosing healthy food, is effectively reinforced. On occasions such as the healthy school week, visiting

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Commentary

health experts support staff with promoting understanding of general health matters.

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Commentary

26. The school's very good induction arrangements help children to settle into school life easily, ensuring that they quickly become familiar with expected routines. Very effective support is provided as children move from the nursery into the main school, with the younger children visiting the main school several times so that they become familiar with its layout and organisation. The learning mentor supports well those individual children who are less confident and older children help to show the younger ones where everything is and what they need to do, for example at break times and dinner times. The learning mentor also provides effective support to those children who are having difficulty in forging good relationships in the playground.

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Commentary

27. The children have very good, trusting relationships with their teachers, support staff and the headteacher. Teachers and the learning mentor know the pupils well and this enables them to provide well-informed support, advice and guidance. Teachers effectively identify children who have learning difficulties and, with appropriate provision, enable them to achieve a satisfactory standard. However, while oral feedback is generally positive and encouraging, teachers’ written comments on pupils’ work, especially the higher attainers, do not always help them understand how to improve or extend it.

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Commentary

28. The school involves pupils well in the running of the school, seeking their views from time to time by means of questionnaires and the suggestion boxes in the classrooms. Pupils also discuss and agree class rules each year and some pupils have been involved in setting up the programme for the healthy schools initiative. This gives a clear message to the children that their opinions and ideas are valued and respected.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has a very good partnership with parents and the community. Links with other schools and colleges are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school regularly seeks parents' views and takes account of them; • the written annual reports on pupils and the other information that the school provides for parents are very good; • parents make a very good contribution to their children's education; • there are very good mechanisms to ensure the smooth transfer of pupils to the junior school.

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Commentary

29. The school engages parents’ support and involvement in their children’s education very successfully. This has been maintained since the previous inspection. The school is welcoming of parents so that they feel comfortable and the headteacher and teachers are Guiseley Infant School - 18 always accessible and willing to listen to any concerns that parents might have. A significant number of parents help regularly in classrooms, listening to children read for example. The very active parents’ group raises considerable extra funds for the school, providing valuable additional resources like dictionaries, a cooker for the nursery and digital cameras. Parents are very supportive of their children’s education, making a very good contribution by hearing them read at home and ensuring that they complete their homework.

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Commentary

30. The school provides an informative prospectus and other useful guidance for new parents in order to help them to support their children’s education. The written annual reports on pupils’ progress show parents clearly how well their child is doing and whether this is above or below average, or in line with national standards or expectations. They also indicate the next steps that the child should take in order to make further progress in English, mathematics and science.

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Commentary

31. Parents' views of the school and what it provides are sought regularly by means of a written questionnaire. The school values these opinions and uses them, where appropriate, to contribute to the school development plan. Parents also have the opportunity to say what they would like to see in newsletters, by means of a tear-off slip which they can complete and return. There is also a suggestions box in the reception area for parents’ use.

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Commentary

32. Pupils in Year 2 are very well prepared for their transfer to the junior school. They have the opportunity to visit the junior school during the summer term with their teachers and spend some time getting to know their new school. The learning mentor is also effectively involved, spending time particularly in supporting those children who are most likely to find the change daunting. There is good liaison between the staffs of the two schools. Shortly before the children are due to start at their new school, the headteacher sends them a personal letter through the post to wish them well and to let them know that she will be thinking of them. Pupils find this helpful and very reassuring.

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Commentary

33. The school's very good involvement with the community includes links with two local churches, which contribute positively to pupils' religious education, and regular liaison with the other local pre-school providers. The school is involved in an extensive range of activities with the local community and pupils play a full and valuable part in these. Examples include the Guiseley Festival, the ‘Guiseley in Bloom’ competition, and craft fairs and farmers’ markets held in school. A visitor to school demonstrated how to make corn dollies and pupils then made their own, working alongside residents from a local elderly persons’ home. Some pupils recently had the valuable opportunity to help in the creation of the Leeds entry to the Royal Horticultural Show – a garden celebrating Nelson Mandela’s walk to freedom. All these community links significantly enhance the pupils’ education. The school’s good links with other local educational

p.18

Commentary

establishments include the provision of work experience opportunities for pupils from local secondary schools and training opportunities for students from local colleges.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The headteacher is providing good leadership. Other key staff are making a satisfactory contribution to leadership and management. The governance of the school is good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The leadership by the headteacher is resolute and committed, with a firm focus on school improvement; • the role of subject co-ordinator is underdeveloped; co-ordinators are ineffective in monitoring, evaluating and supporting the further development of teachers’ skills; • data analysis has enabled the school to identify some groups whose achievement is not good enough, but too little has been done to address the underachievement of higher attaining pupils; Guiseley Infant School - 19 • the governing body has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and is becoming increasingly effective in its role as critical friend; • the school’s budget is monitored carefully and finances are used efficiently and effectively.

p.18

Commentary

34. The headteacher is enthusiastic and provides good leadership, taking appropriate action to improve the school’s performance. She has a clear vision and shows a strong commitment to improvement and has sought specialist help in doing this. One of the very recent outcomes of this has been the useful enrolment of key staff in the local education authority’s primary leadership programme to improve leadership and management skills. The headteacher works hard and is effective in maintaining and improving teamwork. She shares information on the performance of the school with staff, which is effective in raising expectations and provides a secure basis for planning further development.

p.19

Commentary

35. Individual subject co-ordinators have previously spent time on managing resources and ensuring that the curriculum is in place. This has been satisfactory. Co-ordinators are now given regular release time to lead and manage their subjects and areas of responsibility, but more now needs to be done to develop their skills in monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning. While some observations of teaching have been undertaken, evaluations have not been objective or rigorous enough in identifying strengths and weaknesses and as a result their usefulness in helping and supporting teachers develop their skills is limited.

p.19

Commentary

36. Assessment data has been analysed and this has recently identified weaknesses in boys’ writing. It is too early to evaluate the effectiveness of action taken to improve boys’ achievement in English. In science, however, strategies to improve the performance of girls in scientific investigations have been effective in raising standards, contributing to their good achievement. However, weaknesses in the achievement of higher attaining pupils, a key issue from the previous inspection, have not been effectively addressed and underline a management weakness in the monitoring of learning and teaching.

p.19

Commentary

37. There have been recent changes in the leadership of the governing body. Through the strong and determined leadership of the chair of governors there is now a sharper and more rigorous focus on the overall effectiveness of the school. Governors now consider external evaluations of the school and take appropriate account of data that shows how well pupils are achieving. As a result they are developing a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors have initiated regular visits to look at the work of some subject co-ordinators, which is valuable in helping them understand what is happening in school. However, this is at an early stage of development. Governors have taken assertive action to clarify the school’s budget situation and to tackle a possible overspend and while doing this have weighed up the possible impact of their spending decisions. The professional skills of individual governors have been

p.19

Commentary

central to effective financial control and management. Governors have a clear understanding of how they want the school to develop and they are beginning to challenge the senior staff to justify their plans for the school.

p.19

Commentary

38. The budget is well managed and the school provides good value for money. The headteacher and governors link spending securely to the needs of the school. This is why the quality of learning resources, for example, is so good. In addition, the school is eager to ensure that it achieves the best value from its budget and so its spending is monitored closely by governors. As a result, the school has a healthy budget. The administrative assistant ensures that all financial procedures are very smooth and efficient.

p.19

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.19

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Guiseley Infant School - 20 Total income 522,870 Balance from previous year 21,080 Total expenditure 524,709 Balance carried forward to the next 19,241 Expenditure per pupil 2,033 Guiseley Infant School - 21

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

39. At the time of the inspection, children had been in the nursery for less than two weeks. Some children had attended on very few occasions because of the school’s policy of phased entry. The situation was similar with regard to children in the reception classes. Consequently, judgements on provision in each area of learning are based partly on observations of children currently in the nursery and reception classes, but also on a careful scrutiny of samples of the previous year’s work, of teachers’ planning and records, and of work retained and on display.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

40. Children enter the nursery with generally higher than average prior attainment, although there is a wide spread of ability. By the time they enter Year 1 the majority are still working above expected levels in all areas of learning.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children settle quickly into the nursery because they feel safe and secure; • teachers, nursery nurses and classroom assistants all give high priority to promoting children’s self-confidence and self-esteem; • children’s achievement in their social and emotional development is good; • children are encouraged to try new activities and are well supported in gaining confidence to work independently; • reception age children enjoy learning and are able to sustain their interest and concentration for longer.

p.21

Commentary

41. This area of learning is given an appropriately high priority right from the start when children enter the nursery. All the nursery staff are skilled in building good relationships with children and this enables them to settle quickly. Children build successfully on this good start throughout their time in the Foundation Stage and, by the time they enter Year 1, the majority of them have achieved the goals children are expected to reach by the end of reception and many have exceeded them.

p.21

Commentary

42. In the reception classes and the mixed-age reception and Year 1 class, learning to share, take turns and co-operate with others are successfully reinforced. As a result, children develop the skills and confidence to work independently. Children demonstrate an increasing ability to concentrate and sustain their interest for longer in both directed and chosen activities. They interact confidently with both the adults and each other. Children enjoy learning, are well behaved and work together well; this also contributes positively to their social development.

p.21

Commentary

43. Teaching is good. Effective routines ensure that children feel secure and they come into nursery happily and confidently. The effective organisation of teaching and learning throughout the Foundation Stage contributes positively to the opportunities children have to develop their skills and confidence in working independently. All staff work hard to ensure the children learn to share and play together co-operatively and they are very good role models. As a result children’s learning is good. Guiseley Infant School - 22

p.21

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children continue to make progress throughout the Foundation Stage and achieve standards which are higher than those expected by the end of reception; • there are good opportunities provided to develop children’s speaking, so by the end of reception children communicate confidently; • good opportunities are provided to develop children’s writing, so many children achieve the goal expected by the end of reception; • there is good provision for developing children’s reading, including the creation of language-rich learning areas in both nursery and reception.

p.22

Commentary

44. Children enter the nursery with generally better than average language and communication skills and they are provided with good opportunities to develop them further. Throughout the Foundation Stage teaching is good, with teachers, nursery nurses and classroom assistants giving a high priority to extending children’s language skills. This enables children to continue making progress and the majority achieve the goals they are expected to reach by the end of reception; a good number of children exceed them.

p.22

Commentary

45. The teacher and nursery nurses in the nursery reinforce good routines for speaking and listening right from the start so that children learn how to listen to each other and take turns in speaking. All the staff provide good opportunities for children to speak, encouraging them both in groups and as they interact with them individually. This helps to give children confidence and encourages those few who are more reluctant speakers. Staff use questions and discussions effectively to extend children’s vocabulary. By the time children are in reception, they are generally confident speakers, take turns in speaking and listening well and communicate effectively with adults and each other.

p.22

Commentary

46. A good range of activities in the nursery promotes the early development of children’s writing well, by providing opportunities to include mark-making in the role-play office where, for example, children can write and post letters, make lists or make notes on a telephone conversation. Opportunities for large-scale mark-making are also effective in helping develop children’s early skills. The approach is continued effectively with the reception children in their role-play in Percy the Park Keeper’s office, for example, and later in opportunities to write their own little books, like those entitled All about me . Teachers challenge children to write in other contexts, with good questions like “Can you write a label?” More formal teaching of handwriting begins at an appropriate stage, so by the time the children enter Year 1 most have made good progress in this aspect of their learning.

p.22

Commentary

47. In the nursery, listening to stories, sharing books with the teacher or nursery nurses, or singing action songs and rhymes are all used effectively to help children learn letter sounds and some simple words. There is good use of language displayed around the nursery, which promotes children’s recognition of appropriate words and stimulates their interest and curiosity. In reception, children listen to stories with interest and concentration and most can retell them accurately. There is good provision to promote reading, and children handle books appropriately. At times, books are provided and effectively displayed to support children’s work in other areas, such as the model-making area, although more could be made of this strategy to extend children’s learning in relation to their specific activities or tasks. Children enjoy the opportunities they have to share books with other children and adults.

p.22

Commentary

Guiseley Infant School - 23 Guiseley Infant School - 24

p.23

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching ensures children’s learning is good, with the provision of a good range of opportunities to learn about numbers, and to sort, match and compare groups of objects; • most children achieve the goals they are expected to reach by the end of reception and many exceed them; • there are good practical activities provided for nursery and reception children which help them learn and a clear emphasis on appropriate mathematical vocabulary.

p.24

Commentary

48. Teaching is good, with teachers and nursery nurses making good use of a variety of practical activities to promote children’s mathematical development throughout the Foundation Stage. This ensures children’s learning is good and contributes to the progress they make so that the majority achieve the goals children are expected to reach by the end of reception and many exceed them.

p.24

Commentary

49. The teacher and nursery nurses in the nursery provide a good range of practical activities to promote children’s understanding and are good at helping them use appropriate mathematical language. They take every opportunity to reinforce children’s understanding in counting and ordering numbers. This good teaching contributes to children’s good learning. By the end of nursery, most children recognise common flat shapes, and they learn their names. Most can recognise sets that contain more or fewer objects, and order numbers up to 10.

p.24

Commentary

50. Staff working with reception age children provide a good range of practical activities to extend children’s mathematical understanding. Number lines of various kinds, like the lily pads to 10, or the flowers to 20, are used effectively to reinforce understanding of number and counting. Good displays of words, such as empty or half full , for example, effectively promote children’s learning in the water area, and questions in the construction area, like “How many wheels have you used?” encourage children to count. The story of Noah is used to reinforce their ability to count in twos and by the end of reception many of the children can count in twos and understand doubling.

p.24

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children’s learning is good; good teaching ensures that children have good opportunities in this area of their learning; • children in the nursery have too few opportunities to work with a computer; • the outdoor area is used very effectively to promote and support children’s learning.

p.24

Commentary

51. Teaching is good. In the nursery children are provided with a good range of practical opportunities to learn about their world, which extends their horizons effectively. Provision is very good in the reception classes, with teachers making very good use of the excellent resources outside to promote children’s early understanding of science and the natural world. This ensures that children’s learning is good and the majority of children achieve the goals they are expected to reach by the end of reception, with a good number exceeding them. Guiseley Infant School - 25 52. Children in the nursery have good opportunities to manipulate the play dough well as they use the tools to roll it or cut it into shapes. They are able to manipulate small construction toys well, to create scenes for their imaginary play with the garage, for example. Children in the nursery have too few opportunities to work with a computer.

p.24

Commentary

53. In reception, there are very good opportunities provided, which at times engender a real excitement in learning. Interest is stimulated effectively through the very good displays, on which there are good supporting materials, like books to promote and support learning and questions to provoke thinking. As they work with the construction equipment, children are challenged to follow a plan and in making a model watering can they are introduced to aspects of designing and making. Good resources support children’s making, with a good variety of equipment for fixing and labelling. Making bread hedgehogs provides good opportunities to manipulate the dough and helps children understand change. The school’s outdoor area provides a first class resource to encourage children to use all their senses and to promote their learning about plants and habitats and staff use it very well indeed. In working with the

p.25

Commentary

computers most children are confident as they learn effective mouse control and many are able to move the cursor around the screen well.

p.25

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are good opportunities to work with a variety of tools in both the nursery and reception; • the outdoor areas are used effectively to promote children’s learning, although opportunities to provide further challenge for children in the nursery are sometimes missed; • in their physical education lessons, reception children would benefit from more opportunities to explore space, direction, speed and balance for themselves

p.25

Commentary

54. Teaching is good, ensuring children’s learning is good. Children in the nursery have good opportunities to develop their skills in manipulating equipment such as writing and drawing pencils, paint brushes and scissors. They use the tools well to roll or cut the play dough into shapes or spread the margarine on the bread as they make sandwiches. They use the domestic play equipment effectively in the role-play. When working outside they have good opportunities to move, climb, ride and balance, and many show a good level of confidence as they steer the bikes, scooters and cars. There is a very good range of equipment which is helping children develop an appropriate awareness of space and enabling them to learn to control their own bodies in various situations. This contributes effectively to children’s learning. Opportunities are sometimes missed at this stage, however, to reinforce children’s learning

p.25

Commentary

55. Reception children also have a good range of opportunities to extend their skills with various tools and equipment in the classroom and these are effective in helping them make progress in developing their hand and eye co-ordination. Their development in this area of their learning is also well promoted outdoors. The majority of children achieve the goals they are expected to achieve in this area of their learning by the end of reception and some exceed them. At times, however, there is a tendency to push them on to lessons in physical education in the hall which are too formal or directed, with too little opportunity for children to explore space, direction, speed and balance for themselves. Guiseley Infant School - 26

p.25

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is satisfactory .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children in both the nursery and reception enjoy the range of activities provided for them; • there are good opportunities planned for painting, printing, drawing and model-making; • children enjoy participating in action songs and rhymes; • children work well co-operatively at times as they develop their play in the sand or water or with other resources provided.

p.26

Commentary

56. Teaching in this area of learning is satisfactory overall, although it was not possible to observe many such activities. Teachers plan an appropriate range of activities, which stimulate children’s imagination. As a result their learning is satisfactory and they make appropriate progress towards the goals they are expected to achieve. Children experiment with colour mixing, as they paint or print, for example. They enjoy the role-play opportunities they have, using the props provided to support their play effectively. These stimulate good interaction as children work together in pairs or small groups. Teachers provide good opportunities for children to sing simple songs and rhymes, which they enjoy, and these also contribute to their creative development.

p.26

Commentary

57. In reception, there is also a satisfactory range of opportunities provided for children to make progress in this area of their learning and so, by the time they enter Year 1, the majority have achieved the goals they are expected to reach. Children concentrate well as they work at their pictures or models and they manipulate the available tools well. In both the nursery and reception, children enjoy exploring the sand or water, especially when they use some of the equipment provided for them. In reception children relate well to each other, sometimes sharing in an imaginative story, as they work in the role-play garage, for example.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers have substantial expertise in the teaching of reading, enabling pupils to achieve better than average standards; • the quality of pupils’ writing is not as good as their reading; girls’ writing is better than that of the boys, who underachieve in this area of their learning; • teachers do not always set writing tasks that are challenging enough for the more able writers or that engage boys’ interest; • teaching of reading is good, contributing effectively to the high standards pupils achieve; • the recent initiative to teach literacy through other subjects has good potential for improving writing, particularly amongst the boys; • the subject co-ordinator does not have sufficient opportunity to monitor the work in classrooms and critically review progress.

p.26

Commentary

58. Standards in reading are high, as at the time of the last inspection. Test results for the past four years, including 2004, have been well above average, because the school teaches reading well. Guiseley Infant School - 27 Very few pupils fail to reach the expected level, and more pupils reach the higher levels than in most schools, including those in similar contexts. Writing, too, has been better than average and continues to be slightly above that of most seven year olds. However , girls are much more competent writers than boys, and it is the girls’ performance that lifts the overall test results in 2004. Currently, there are more boys in Years 1 and 2 who struggle with the early stages of writing, and fewer who are reaching the higher levels. This is a concern for the school.

p.26

Commentary

59. A substantial number of pupils come into school with good communication skills. Warm relationships between teachers and pupils result in generally confident and expressive pupils. They respond well to the teachers’ questions, and learn to express their ideas with assurance. Pupils’ oral skills benefit from the regular opportunities to speak with adults in the wider community and when visitors come to the school. However, the frequent emphasis upon written outcomes in lessons leads sometimes to missed opportunities for pupils to talk through and extend their work and explain it to others in engaging ways. Similarly, pupils – especially boys – are not often enough tempted into writing through taking part in role-play, drama or debate.

p.27

Commentary

60. Pupils build upon the good start they make in the reception year in learning to read. In this strand of English, the more capable readers make good progress and are well launched into reading when they leave Year 1. By the start of Year 2, pupils are already able to extract deeper levels of meaning from a text and speculate as to the motives and feelings of characters in their group reading of a story. Most pupils enjoy reading and try very hard to decode unknown words when reading aloud. There are a number of reasons for the high standard of reading:

p.27

Commentary

• pupils enjoy phonic lessons, because the learning is fun, and so they learn how to link letters and sounds at a good rate; • books and stories are celebrated and promoted in all corners of the school, as well as in the well-stocked library; • a well-organised home-school partnership means that pupils are encouraged to read at home, and come to value reading all the more; • pupils with special educational needs are quickly identified and given extra support with learning letters and sounds to help them to catch up; • teachers use small group reading sessions effectively to challenge higher attaining pupils to interpret what they read and to dig for meaning ‘between the lines’.

p.27

Commentary

61. Standards in writing are not as high as they are in reading, although they are in line with those in similar schools. Girls’ writing is significantly better than that of boys, who underachieve in this area of their learning. By the end of Year 2, most pupils can produce a sustained piece of writing, which is appropriate for its purpose and contains some interesting language. However, apart from the very best writers, pupils do not learn to organise and structure their writing, or use the different sentence forms that would improve its clarity and effect. At times, there is an emphasis upon quantity rather than quality. Pupils write a good deal in the course of a week, but their writing does not necessarily improve because of this. Sometimes standards of handwriting, punctuation and general presentation, are not high enough.

p.27

Commentary

62. Teaching is good overall, because of the teachers’ knowledge of how to teach reading, their good management skills and their firm but fair, caring and enjoyable relationships with the pupils. Assessment is satisfactory, but is not sharp enough yet, particularly in helping teachers identify and plan to meet the specific learning needs of higher attaining pupils. Although teachers know their pupils very well as individuals, they do not always expect them to learn fast enough, in as great a depth as they are capable of. They almost always set three levels of work within the lesson, but often the task set is not demanding enough of the more capable groups in the class. There are too many practice writing tasks, rather than sharply selected writing pieces that have a real purpose and meaning to the pupils. Marking helps the lower attaining pupils to see their faults, but is less helpful in showing the higher attaining pupils how to do better.

p.27

Commentary

Individual teachers do not have ready access to tracking data that helps them to see where the learning of groups or individuals may be slowing down. Guiseley Infant School - 28 63. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory, with some good features. The co- ordinator is a very good role model for other teachers, and is keen, interested and a valued support to other staff. Her work is hampered by the limited time available for her to monitor and evaluate provision in her subject, alongside her other key responsibilities. She has not yet been able to formally monitor the quality of teaching and learning in every classroom, or to rigorously interpret tracking data to identify where action needs to be taken.

p.27

Language and literacy across the curriculum

64. Provision is satisfactory overall but with some aspects already very good. The recent initiative to teach different forms of writing through writing activities specific to other subjects – for instance, an account of Florence Nightingale’s life, or a list of comparisons between one geographic location and another – is a well-judged move towards excellence.

p.28

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards by the end of Year 2 are above average; • there is a positive learning atmosphere in most lessons; • there is an over-reliance on published plans and worksheets in some lessons; • the specific needs of higher attaining pupils are not always met; • the subject is well monitored and pupils’ performance data analysed, but the information is not used effectively to raise standards by the end of Year 2.

p.28

Commentary

65. Pupils’ attainment by the end of Year 2 is above average and has been sustained since the previous inspection. Pupils have good number skills because teachers are clear in their explanations and ensure that pupils have plenty of practice and make learning fun. A striking feature of the learning and teaching is the very good rapport between teachers and pupils. As a result all pupils feel valued and behaviour is good. While mental strategies are generally well taught there is no clear expectation of what pupils should know by the end of the year and how rapidly they should be able to calculate. As a result by the end of Year 2 pupils’ achievement is satisfactory, rather than better, despite the above average standards. Pupils in Year 1, for instance, swiftly reinforced their knowledge of money in a domino game. Good number skills enable pupils to deal efficiently with other areas such as solving real-life money problems and

p.28

Commentary

constructing graphs. However, higher attaining pupils do not always have the opportunity to develop their own strategies. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory by the end of Year 2 and there is little difference between the achievement of girls and boys. Pupils with special educational needs achieve as well as other pupils.

p.28

Commentary

66. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Where teaching is effective, lessons start with a brisk mental arithmetic session, which pupils enjoy. Some teachers use resources adeptly to reinforce learning. For instance, the use of a puppet gave pupils in Year 1 an enjoyable opportunity to demonstrate and consolidate their counting skills. Although they are used at times, there were no opportunities to observe pupils using their individual whiteboards. Classes are well managed and learning support assistants and the learning mentor are used satisfactorily to support pupils with special educational needs. Despite these various strengths, teaching can, on occasions, be routine and dull. A feature of this less effective teaching results from planning which is taken straight from the numeracy strategy, with little individual input and an over-reliance on activity sheets which direct pupils‘ learning too much. In these situations

p.28

Commentary

pupils can quickly lose interest and so the pace of the lesson and their learning slows down. Despite providing varied activities to match the particular needs of most pupils, the teachers Guiseley Infant School - 29 are not skilled enough at providing for the specific needs of the higher attaining pupils. This explains why achievement at the end of Year 2 is only satisfactory. Pupils are well supported in small groups but higher attaining pupils do not regularly receive challenging work.

p.28

Commentary

67. Teachers are very aware of how well pupils are learning on a day-to-day basis, and give them sound oral advice on how to improve. However, teachers’ marking of pupils’ work does not consistently inform pupils why mistakes have been made and how they might extend their learning, particularly the higher attainers.

p.29

Commentary

68. The co-ordinator provides sound leadership. The structure of the curriculum is very solid and enables pupils to build on their skills progressively. The co-ordinator has a regular programme of checking colleagues’ planning and pupils’ work, which gives her an overview of the subject. There is detailed analysis of test results to inform teachers’ future planning and weekly target setting. However, the impact of this data-gathering on raising standards is unsatisfactory. There is little change since the previous inspection in the quality of teaching and the issue of providing more challenge for higher attaining pupils has not been effectively resolved. To raise standards this assessment information needs to be used to set short-term challenging targets that pupils understand, and must be rigorously monitored. Currently the co-ordinator has few opportunities to evaluate teaching and learning. This reduces the opportunity to ensure that all teaching is of

p.29

Mathematics across the curriculum

69. The development of mathematics through other subjects is satisfactory. The school has made a decision to teach mathematics through other subjects. Good practice is evident and can be very effective. In a Year 1 geography display on traffic, for example, a range of graphs has been produced to show information on traffic volume. Pupils’ writing shows a good understanding of interpreting graphical information.

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ learning is good and they achieve well; • teaching and learning are good overall, effectively stimulating pupils’ curiosity; • there are not enough opportunities for pupils to record work in their own way; • the co-ordinator provides good subject leadership, but has too few opportunities to monitor, evaluate and support the development of teaching; • very good resources, including the extensive grounds outside, are used effectively to support pupils’ learning.

p.29

Commentary

70. Although it was possible to observe only a very small number of lessons in science, the careful analysis of pupils’ work indicates that standards are above average. Pupils’ learning is good and this enables them to make good progress in developing a firm understanding of a range of scientific topics. This contributes positively to their good achievement in science. They draw on first-hand practical experiences effectively to make predictions. Pupils show a good understanding of the scientific aspects of a wild-life garden. They know about life cycles and how different forms of life depend upon each other. Pupils develop a good understanding of the characteristics of humans and other animals. As a result of such practical activities, pupils achieve well, building effectively on their learning in the Foundation Stage. Guiseley Infant School - 30 71. Teachers have good subject knowledge and high expectations of the pupils. These contribute

p.29

Commentary

to the good standards pupils achieve. Pupils learn how to carry out and record investigations systematically and this reinforces their good learning. A striking feature is how the teaching stimulates the pupils’ curiosity about living things. For instance, a pupil having grown a sunflower made the following observation: “All the sunflowers turn to face the sun. As the sun moves across the sky the flowers’ heads turn to follow it.” Opportunities are provided for pupils to record work in their own words and this results in scientific writing of a good quality. This independent writing is a significant factor in raising the levels of achievement, as pupils have to organise their own thoughts and also practise their writing skills. However, this practice is inconsistent and opportunities are missed for pupils to record work in their own words. Teachers’ comments on pupils’ work do not always help them understand how to improve it.

p.30

Commentary

72. In discussions, pupils spoke enthusiastically about their activities in science. In lessons they are well behaved and show much interest and curiosity in what they are doing. This has a positive impact on their learning and the quality of their work. The school has maintained the good provision noted in the previous inspection.

p.30

Commentary

73. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable and fulfils her current responsibilities well. She scrutinises pupils’ work and analyses the results of national tests. This gives her a clear picture of how well pupils are learning and enables teachers to focus on areas of learning which are less secure. For instance, she has provided model lessons on planning a scientific investigation and introduced effective strategies to improve girls’ achievement in science. These initiatives have improved the teaching of science by giving pupils more opportunities to show initiative and take some responsibility for their own learning. However, currently the co-ordinator has no opportunities to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning formally or to support the further development of her colleagues’ skills. This restricts her understanding of what needs to be done to make further improvements.

p.30

Commentary

74. There is a very good range of books and equipment that supports learning well. This is complemented by the extensive school grounds, which are very well used for scientific investigations. These good quality resources and facilities contribute positively both to the curriculum and to extra-curricular activities.

p.30

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The co-ordinator has been pro-active in ensuring that the school has kept up with nationally rising standards in ICT; • there have been good improvements since the last inspection; • pupils have a very good attitude towards the subject and parents give good support at home; • the school has made a good start in using ICT to support learning in every subject, but it needs to extend this further; • Year 2 pupils exceed national expectations in their ability to read and respond to e-mails and to access the Internet; • the subject co-ordinator does not have sufficient opportunity to monitor the work in classrooms and critically review progress.

p.30

Commentary

75. Standards of work of the pupils in the Year 2 classes are firmly in line with those in most other schools, and an analysis of stored work from 2003 -2004 indicates that they are likely to be above average by the end of the year. Given the rapid rise in ICT standards nationally, this represents good achievement for the pupils and the school. Guiseley Infant School - 31 76. Several factors account for this improvement:

p.30

Commentary

• the installation of a 15-piece computer suite and its recent up-dating have ensured that the focused teaching of skills is regular and thorough; • the co-ordinator has been able to monitor and influence teaching more than other subject co- ordinators because of her ‘trouble-shooting’ technical support role; • staff confidence and expertise have risen significantly so that teachers teach the core skills with confidence; • the ICT curriculum has benefited from the subject co-ordinator’s involvement with the local cluster group of schools, particularly in the area of assessment and through receiving up-to- date information about new programmes and schemes; • parents are very supportive and help their children to use home computers to find information about topics in school.

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Commentary

77. Year 1 pupils quickly gain confidence with basic computer skills. In a Year 1 lesson, they could open up the program, although some required help or reassurance. They used the mouse capably and were able to navigate their way through a CD-ROM using the links; some were able to successfully visit a new part of the program independently. During a short Year 2 lesson, pupils quickly revised the use of the ‘enter’ key to create a list from a prepared continuous text, and applied this to creating lists independently, saving or deleting letters and changing capitals to small case letters. Work on display and on stored pupil files from the previous year shows that, by the end of Year 2, most pupils were proficient in all the required aspects of ICT, often to a higher level than expected for seven year olds. They read e-mails from the crew of a sailing boat on a world journey, and monitored the progress of a charity

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Commentary

78. Overall teaching in ICT is good, although the particular circumstances of the lessons observed did not display this to the full. The revised scheme of work gives good support to teachers in planning for the fine detail of lessons, so that pupils succeed in small, regular learning steps. A simple assessment procedure is in place, but the subject co-ordinator intends to pilot a new assessment scheme shortly. The co-ordinator is active, committed and efficient, and up to date through involvement with local initiatives. She keeps an eye on the quality of teaching in her support role but needs more opportunity to monitor and evaluate formally.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

79. As yet, pupils learn about ICT more thoroughly than they learn other subjects through ICT, but the balance is beginning to change. The school has a satisfactory bank of CD-ROMs to support learning in other subjects, and other subject co-ordinators highlight opportunities to use ICT in the schemes of work. Teachers are beginning to value the enhancement to lessons that ICT can bring, but ICT is not used often in the introductory phase of lessons. There are no interactive whiteboards in the classrooms.

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HUMANITIES

80. It was possible to observe only one lesson in history and one in geography during the inspection. Consequently there was insufficient evidence to support a judgement about provision in these subjects.

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HUMANITIES

81. In history , the evidence in pupils’ completed work indicates that standards are broadly in line with those expected by the end of Year 2 and sometimes better. This reflects the picture reported in the previous inspection. Pupils are developing their understanding of chronology through the use of timelines, and of change as they compare things past and present. Very good use of historical sources supports pupils’ learning effectively, like the artefacts and photographs in their work on the Victorians and Pepys’ diary in their work on the Great Fire of Guiseley Infant School - 32 London. Teachers make good use of artefacts, posing detailed questions to help pupils evaluate their previous use. This good use of questions helps to stimulate and extend pupils’ thinking.

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HUMANITIES

82. Pupils learn about famous men and women in the past, like Florence Nightingale, Mary Seacole and Samuel Pepys. The imaginative recording of aspects of their work contributes to pupils’ good learning, as in the postcards they made following their study of holidays in the past.

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HUMANITIES

83. In geography , the scrutiny of pupils’ completed work indicates that all aspects of the curriculum are covered. Teaching ensures that pupils have good opportunities to study both the local area and the wider world. Pupils undertake fieldwork investigations such as traffic and local business surveys and these contribute positively to their learning. By the end of Year 2, they know about places further afield such as the seaside town of Filey and even the Caribbean. Most pupils are able to identify differences and similarities between these different locations and Guiseley.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has carried through a well-judged programme for improvement so that standards are now above average; • teachers have worked hard to improve their knowledge and expertise, and now teach the subject effectively; • the school’s scheme of work is well balanced and sensitively adapted to the needs of younger children; • the subject contributes well to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; • the use of ICT is not sufficiently developed to support the subject.

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Commentary

84. The headteacher acts as subject co-ordinator, and she has been instrumental in wisely guiding teachers towards improving provision since the previous inspection. As a result, the issue of comparatively lower standards in religious education compared with those in other subjects has been successfully addressed. Examination of the work in pupils’ books shows that it is now always properly completed and is of a slightly higher standard than in most schools. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a good grasp of the Islamic faith. They know some of the stories, religious practices and symbols of Islam and know what they mean to the believers. They have a sound understanding of aspects of Jesus’ life, his relationship with his family and some of the stories that he told to explain Christian ways of living.

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Commentary

85. Pupils learn well in lessons. This is because teachers seek out ways of adding immediacy and first-hand experience to many lessons. For example, there was a wonderful spiritual moment during a Year 2 lesson, as children peered into the ‘virtual image’ of a mosque at dusk, accompanied by the call to prayer. The pupils’ response to this place so special to Muslims was very good. At other times, pupils have visited the local church and written with feeling about the sanctity of a Christian place of worship. Class discussions are well led, as teachers use supportive questioning to encourage pupils to share what they have learned with each other. For instance, Year 1 pupils made good gains in understanding the concept of special and ordinary places during the final part of a lesson because of the teacher’s sensitive management of the discussion.

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Commentary

86. Work in the pupils’ books shows that teachers make every effort to help the pupils to understand complex religious concepts by relating them to childhood experiences and everyday Guiseley Infant School - 33 life. The follow-up tasks also sometimes make a good contribution to pupils’ writing development. This occurs when the teachers find different ways for the pupils to record their learning, such as lists, captions, labelled illustrations, or sequencing narrative. As a result, work is completed, and to a generally good standard for pupils aged seven.

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Commentary

87. Leadership and management of the subject are good, and very supportive of teachers’ needs, so that teaching staff are committed and keen to develop their personal and professional knowledge. There are sufficient resources and assessment is satisfactory, but is to be developed further. When ICT is used, it is used well, but as yet it has not been fully exploited to enrich learning in the subject. Overall, the school has addressed the issue from the last inspection successfully.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

88. It was possible to observe only a very small number of lessons in music and no lessons in art and design, in design and technology and in physical education during the inspection. Consequently there was insufficient evidence to support a judgement about provision in these subjects. In the lessons seen in music teaching and learning were satisfactory overall, but in some lessons they were good.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

89. Examination of stored work, pupils’ sketchbooks and work on display indicates that standards in art and design have improved slightly since the last inspection, although they remain broadly average. Three-dimensional work continues to be underdeveloped, but other aspects are stronger. For instance, pupils show an increased confidence in experimenting with pattern and design and in using colour on a larger scale. Also, Year 2 pupils now keep a sketchbook, although its use could be increased, especially to evaluate and develop ideas. Observational drawing continues to be a strong feature and achievement here is good, as it was in the previous inspection. It is often used well as a starting point for other work.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

90. A particular strength of the art curriculum overall is the range of starting points for practical work, including direct observation as a first step in the process. Pupils are taught to find inspiration for pattern and design in natural objects and living creatures, and from visiting buildings or places of worship in the locality. For instance, the stained glass windows in St Oswald’s church prompted meticulous mosaic patterning; insects and leaf shapes initiate collage work in felt and sparkling stones. Pupils try out different tools and media to represent front elevations of different kinds of homes and structures, moving from observation and sketches to the use of paint and fine brushes as a drawing tool. They achieve well in brush control by the end of Year 2, and are able to control paint accurately enough to complete miniature paintings of intricate Elizabethan garments, with costume detail carefully painted in.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

91. Pattern and design overall emerge strongly in the work on display, blending together various media and techniques. Pupils gain a good eye for detail and develop this steadily across the classes. There is evidence that pupils work well together on joint enterprises and the street scenes painted onto colour-washed textile hangings are of a high quality. However, there is not enough three-dimensional work in the school, and ICT is not an integral part of art and design in all classes.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

92. In design and technology teachers’ planning and saved work indicate that pupils are successfully introduced to the full design process. They draw pictures and simple diagrams of their designs, make lists of what materials will be needed and often evaluate the finished work. For example, Year 2 pupils wrote sets of instructions for making puppets and wheeled vehicles and then completed an evaluation sheet explaining what was difficult to execute in the making process and how the design was changed, and commenting about the final outcome.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

93. In music good use is made of teachers’ expertise to ensure that all pupils enjoy a varied musical curriculum. This also ensures that pupils enjoy appropriate extra-curricular music- making activities, including recorder playing and singing in the choir. It was possible to observe Guiseley Infant School - 34 only lessons in singing, in which larger groups of pupils worked with a number of teachers. Pupils enjoy these opportunities and their singing was frequently better than expected of pupils of their age. Teachers make these occasions enjoyable and pupils participate enthusiastically.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

94. Pupils have good opportunities to perform music, in the choir for example, including performances in other schools at Christmas. Pupils develop their skills in recording their own compositions with graphic notation and they have benefited from working with visiting musicians in developing their understanding of instruments from other parts of the world. Opportunities to use a computer program to develop their compositions are at an early stage of development. Opportunities are provided for pupils to listen to music, but more could be made of these to help them appraise it.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

95. In physical education pupils enjoy a satisfactory range of opportunities to develop their skills, because the planned curriculum is satisfactory. Evidence from teachers’ planning files and timetables indicates that pupils participate on a regular basis in lessons in dance, games and gymnastics. The curriculum is enriched by extra coaching in football skills for both boys and girls by specialist instructors. There are spacious grounds and good quality challenging apparatus which pupils use to improve their skills. Since the previous inspection there has been an improvement in resources for games activities.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

96. Personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) is well promoted across the curriculum and in separate lessons. In the one lesson seen during the inspection, teaching was good and enabled pupils to make good progress in developing their understanding of feelings. The work in PSHCE is often closely linked to provision for religious education. Health topics are taught mainly through science and physical education. It is very evident that through this effective provision the school is successfully raising pupils’ self-esteem and developing their personal and social skills. Guiseley Infant School - 35

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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 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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