St Michael and All Angels CofE Infant School

ST MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS CE INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 and 19 January 2005

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ST MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS CE INFANT SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 2 - January 2005 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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ST MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS CE 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. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 3 - January 2005

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant School category: Voluntary aided Age range of pupils: 4 to 7 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 74

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: High Street Lyndhurst Hampshire Postcode: S043 7BB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 023 80282244 Fax number: 023 80282890

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs D Bennett

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

St Michael and All Angels Infant School is in the centre of Lyndhurst, a large village in the New Forest. It is much smaller than most other primary schools with 74 pupils on roll aged from 4 to 7. It has achieved the nationally recognised Investors in People award. Whilst many pupils live in owner occupied accommodation nearby and come from socio-economically advantaged backgrounds, some do not come from such advantaged backgrounds. Overall attainment of most pupils on entry to the reception class in the Foundation Year in 2004 was in line with that expected for their age and this was lower than in previous years. The 11 per cent of pupils entitled to free school meals is in line with most other schools and the 12 per cent of pupils with special educational needs is below the national average, as is the percentage of pupils in receipt of a statement. Pupils with special educational needs receive support mainly for language delay, behaviour difficulties, dyslexia and for

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

numeracy and literacy difficulties. The three per cent of pupils who learn in English as their additional language is slightly above the national average. There are very few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. Mobility of pupils in and out of the school, other than at the normal times of admission, is low. This school is an active partner with different clusters of schools to share best practice and it values highly its partnership with the church and diocese. It is in partnership with a local college for 16-19 year-olds to provide opportunities for students to gain vocational qualifications and with Winchester University College to assist in the initial training of teachers and to research the school’s effectiveness. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 4 - January 2005

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

7704 Mr M Phillips Lead inspector English Geography History Special educational needs English as an additional language 9457 Mrs G Bindoff Lay inspector 32136 Mrs L Brookes Team inspector Mathematics Science Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology Music Physical education Areas of learning in the Foundation Stage

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Anglia House Carrs Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 2LA

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 5 - January 2005

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 29

St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 6 - January 2005

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This excellent school provides very good value for money. The headteacher’s outstanding leadership and the very effective support provided by governors contribute to excellent teaching, pupils’ very good achievements and very high standards by the end of Year 2.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The headteacher, the senior teacher, governors and staff are committed as a team to high standards and continuous improvement. • All this school strives to achieve is underpinned by its strong Christian ethos and principles that are shared by staff. • Outstanding teaching contributes to the pupils’ excellent behaviour and a school alive with the buzz of busy pupils wanting to do their best. • There is exemplary practice in the use of assessment to plan lessons. • Pupils with special educational needs make excellent progress. • Excellent links with the church and community enrich the curriculum and improve learning. • Very effective parental partnerships contribute to pupils’ excellent attitudes and very good achievement. • Information for parents does not set out clearly what their children will learn, how well they have achieved and what needs to be done so that they improve. • Some information provided by governors for parents does not meet statutory

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OVERALL EVALUATION

There is good improvement since the last inspection in May 1999, which is a great achievement for a school that was rebuilt whilst still functioning. Despite this disruptive time of more than a year, pupils continued to achieve very well. The school’s learning atmosphere is still outstanding and standards have risen in reading, writing, science and mathematics. Progress made in governors meeting some statutory requirements is unsatisfactory.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004 Reading A* A A* A* Writing B C A* A* Mathematics A A* A* A* Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is very good. Outstanding teaching that inspires pupils and makes learning fun is very well established at this school. It contributes to the pupils’ confidence when challenged, their eagerness to learn and the excellent progress made by pupils with special needs. Standards on entry to the reception class in the Foundation Stage this year are in line with those expected, which was not the case in previous years. When the present Year St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 7 - January 2005 2 pupils joined the school in the Reception Year their standards were well above those expected and most of them achieve very well. By Year 2, standards are very high in comparison with national averages in reading, writing, mathematics and science and they are above those expected nationally in information and communication technology (ICT). St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 8 - January 2005

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Pupils’ personal development is excellent, as is their spiritual, moral, social and

cultural development. Staff share a strong commitment to meeting the different academic, emotional and social needs of pupils in ways that challenge and inspire them. The school’s great concern for others is evident in the exemplary relationships pupils have with staff and in the excellent role models provided by teaching and non-teaching staff that pupils follow so that they are exceptionally well behaved, sensitive to the needs of others and polite and welcoming to visitors. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong. Provision for pupils to learn about their own and other cultures and faiths in lessons and worship assemblies is outstanding and enriched through excellent links with the community and the church. Pupils’ exemplary social development is evident in the responsible ways Year 2 pupils take turns to act as ‘buddies’ at lunchtime, working with staff and using their initiative to ensure boys and girls play well together, and in ways they work each week with

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Pupils’ personal development is excellent, as is their spiritual, moral, social and

reception children to help them to read. They say learning is fun and parents say that their children are always eager to attend. Attendance at this school is very good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Teaching is excellent. The quality of education provided by the school is excellent.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The great strength of this school is its commitment to continuous improvement through evaluations of its own effectiveness. This enables it to respond swiftly and appropriately to the emerging needs of pupils through excellent use of assessment, inspirational teaching and a curriculum that is often innovative. This is a school where not only pupils are eager to learn but staff as well. The dramatic improvement in standards of writing over the last 18 months is an example of how well this school responds to areas in need of improvement. As a result, there is a vibrant learning atmosphere where everyone is busy doing their best. Imaginatively planned lessons make innovative use of computer generated images on whiteboards (interactive whiteboards) and a variety of resources to tailor the curriculum to the needs of pupils so that they are fully included, involved and challenged. Excellent planning for lessons, community and church activities results in outstanding provision for

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

pupils to learn about cultures and faiths different from their own. Very well trained and deployed learning support assistants work exceptionally well within a teaching team, using their initiative and skills to help pupils learn. As a result, pupils with special educational needs make excellent progress. All this exemplary practice sweeps pupils along in their learning and sustains the school’s outstanding quality of education.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership of the headteacher is excellent. The support of the senior teacher is outstanding as is the leadership and management of other teachers. The school is very well supported by governors.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

All who work in this school share the headteacher’s commitment to high achievement based on team work, care and valuing each other, all of which is underpinned by Christian principles. The headteacher led the school successfully through a time of considerable disruption when the school was rebuilt, with the highly effective support of governors and the church. Standards remained high then and have improved further since because the tool for continuous improvement through self-evaluation is an excellent and frequently reviewed strategic plan to which staff contribute. The small teaching team work exceptionally well together to lead on subject and school improvements and to assist in the highly effective day-to-day management of the school. Governors make very good use of their experience and skills as critical friends and are actively involved in the life of the school. Although they do not meet all statutory requirements, at the time of inspection they

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 9 - January 2005 had secure plans in place to do so in the future. They are very ably led to shape the future of the school and to hold the headteacher to account for the quality of education provided. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 10 - January 2005

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils are very satisfied with the quality of education provided. At their meeting before the inspection, and with inspectors during the inspection, they expressed their admiration for the leadership of the school and ways the school teaches their children about different cultures and faiths. They valued highly the imaginative use of homework and provision for special educational needs. Pupils and parents say that teaching is a great strength of this school. Pupils say they like school very much, teachers are kind and help them a lot and that learning is fun. Inspectors agree with parents who say that there is not enough information about what their children will learn and how well they are getting on. Inspectors disagree with the few parents who expressed concern about behaviour and harassment of their children. Behaviour is outstanding and the school has an excellent early warning system to identify and deal with bullying should it occur.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• to improve information to parents about what their children will learn, how well they achieve and what needs to be done so that they improve;

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• in the information governors provide for parents. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 11 - January 2005

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

Achievement is very good by the end of the Foundation Stage and Year 2 and standards are high. Children entered the reception class of the Foundation Stage this year with standards in line with those expected nationally. This is different from past years when standards on entry to the Reception Year were well above expectations. By the time the children in the reception class of the Foundation Stage entered Year 1 in 2004 they exceeded national expectations in their Early Learning Goals. It is likely that children who entered the reception class this year will also achieve very well by Year 1 and Year 2 but, because many of them begin learning from a lower base, some may not reach the very high standards by the end of Year 2 as in previous years. Through the school, very able and talented pupils achieve very well. At the end of Year 2, standards are very high in comparison with national averages in reading, writing and mathematics and well above

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

those expected nationally in science. They are above average in ICT and since resources have improved for this subject in this rebuilt school standards are rising, which is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils with special educational needs make excellent progress. • By Year 2, standards are very high in reading, writing and mathematics, in science they are well above the national average, in ICT they are above.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 19.1 (18.1) 15.8 (15.7) Writing 17.5 (14.5) 14.6 (14.6) Mathematics 18.8 (18.8) 16.2 (16.3) There were 26 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

1. Due to the small number of pupils in Year 2 each year, national test results statistics need to be treated with caution. Over or under-performance of two or three pupils can make a significant difference to national test results. This was evident in writing standards when the Year 2 national test results in 2002 fell from being above national averages to average in 2003. A different cohort of pupils and decisive action by the school, taken at a time of considerable disruption due to building work, saw writing standards soar the following year and the national test results for 2004 were in the top five per cent in the country. Despite the expected variations in national test results, the trend since 2000 is above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Commentary

2. In comparison with similar schools over the last five years, national test results for reading have been consistently well above national averages or very high. In 2004, the national test results were very high and in the top five percent for reading, as they were for writing and mathematics. The trend in national test results for mathematics is one of steady improvement from a good base. In 2001, test results were above the St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 12 - January 2005 national averages for similar schools. In 2002, the results improved to be well above, where they remained in 2003. In 2004, the test results rose again to be at their highest for five years. Whilst the 2004 national test results for writing are also at their highest for five years, in comparison with similar schools St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 13 - January 2005 they have risen and fallen sharply over time. In 2001, test results were well above

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Commentary

national averages for similar schools, in 2002 the results fell steeply to be in line and in 2003 they fell again to be well below. In 2004, the national test results for writing rose dramatically to be very high. In 2004, the school exceeded the numeracy and literacy targets it set itself.

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Commentary

3. Standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science reflect the 2004 national test results for Year 2 and pupils’ speaking and listening skills are high. Literacy and numeracy standards are very high and these skills are constantly used to help pupils learn in other subjects. The use of these skills in science contributes to standards in this subject by Year 2 being well above those expected nationally. Year 2 pupils achieve very well in science. One of the reasons why standards are well above average and have improved well since the last inspection is because pupils learn through scientific enquiry and other work that is relevant to their needs and meaningful to them. By Year 2, ICT skills are above those expected nationally. Over the last term ICT resources have improved and pupils’ skills and knowledge are improving swiftly. From the time children enter school in the Reception Year they learn to use computers

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Commentary

and by Year 2 achievement is good. They skillfully use computers to improve their reading, writing and research skills as well as interactive whiteboards and programmable toys to improve thinking and problem solving skills.

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Commentary

4. In the reception class of the Foundation Stage and throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs make excellent progress. This is due in part to an exceptionally well planned curriculum that matches their needs and includes them fully in all learning. In addition, these pupils receive highly skilled support from trained teaching assistants and provision is managed and led exceptionally well.

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Commentary

5. There is little evidence upon which to make secure judgements about standards reached by Year 2 in other subjects. Standards seen in a Year 1 art lesson were very high as they were in a Year 2 PE lesson. Analysis of pupils’ work, teachers’ assessments and planning in other subjects indicate that across all other subjects through the school pupils achieve very well by Year 2 and reach standards well above those expected nationally.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

The pupils’ excellent attitudes and behaviour contribute significantly to their very good achievement and high standards by Year 2. There were no exclusions at this school over the last five years. Attendance is very good and excellent provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social development contributes to pupils’ exemplary personal development.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Excellent relationships between the pupils themselves and pupils and adults ensure that pupils thrive in the excellent environment for learning. • Pupils’ attitudes to learning are excellent because their teachers make lessons exciting and fun. • Excellent provision for pupils’ personal development helps them to understand the impact of their actions on others. • Pupils value diverse cultures and beliefs because the school makes excellent provision for their cultural development. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 14 - January 2005 • Pupils’ very good attendance ensures that they have very good continuity in their learning. • The recording and monitoring of the few pupils who arrive late for school is not systematic enough.

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Commentary

6. The school has very good strategies for promoting good attendance and parents make a very good effort to keep absences to a minimum. They value the high quality education the school provides and pupils themselves are very keen not to miss anything because school is an St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 15 - January 2005 exciting and interesting place. Late arrivals at school are a small but significant problem because pupils’ learning is disrupted on occasion at the start of the day. The school does not have satisfactory procedures to record, explain and monitor these instances in order to improve punctuality but has improved some procedures for registration since the previous inspection. Provision for children’s personal, social and emotional development in the reception class of the Foundation Stage is very good and children are on track to exceed their Early Learning Goals in this aspect of their

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Commentary

7. Pupils are very enthusiastic about their lessons. Parents say that their children are often bubbling over with excitement about what they have learned at school and want to continue their learning at home. The school is alive with learning. This was evident during a morning of the inspection. The reception class was full of the happy sounds of children engrossed in different activities. In a Year 2 literacy lesson, hands shot in the air, so eager were pupils to answer questions before settling swiftly to written tasks. In an excellent Year 1 art lesson, pupils beamed with pride when showing an inspector how to operate the interactive whiteboard to check their learning targets and others proudly shared their work and explained how to improve their use of different pencils to improve their drawings. A group of special needs reception children next door worked with great concentration and co-operation to set to music a story about a

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Commentary

bear hunt, their musical efforts blending with the other sounds of busyness through the school. Pupils’ excellent attitudes contribute to the outstanding learning atmosphere ever present in this school.

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Commentary

8. Pupils feel loved and valued at this school because the headteacher leads a team that provides excellent role models for the children in caring for each other and responding to each other’s needs. Excellent relationships throughout the school flow from this supportive environment. Pupils develop very good self-esteem that is promoted very effectively by inspirational assemblies where pupils, parents and staff celebrate the personal qualities of individual pupils. Every pupil is celebrated over the course of a year. All this outstanding practice contributes to two striking features of this school: pupils’ confidence to learn from their mistakes and their confidence to find things out for themselves. By Year 2, pupils are becoming highly successful independent learners.

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Commentary

9. Excellent opportunities for pupils to develop social responsibility begin in the Reception Year and by the time they are in Year 2 pupils are able to resolve arguments in the playground and to support pupils who may be unhappy. Year 2 pupils work responsibly alongside children in the Reception class to improve the younger pupils’ reading. There is a very harmonious atmosphere in the school and pupils from different backgrounds get on very well together. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary because staff have consistent high expectations and any instances of behaviour that could remotely be considered bullying are resolved very effectively. No pupils have been excluded in the past five years and this reflects the school’s determination to give effective support to all pupils.

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Commentary

10. The excellent provision for pupils’ personal development has been sustained since the previous inspection. There is a particular strength in the opportunities provided for pupils to experience a sense of wonder and of themselves as spiritual beings. This is underpinned by the strong Christian ethos of the school. Cultural diversity is celebrated in the school through all areas of learning and is an integral part of pupils’ experience. This excellent practice is led very effectively by the headteacher. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 16 - January 2005 11. Provision for pupils to learn about Christianity and other faiths and cultures is excellent and highly appreciated by parents. There are very close links with the local church throughout the year. At Christmas and Easter times pupils contribute to religious services that the community attends. A project to teach pupils about the Eucharist in

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Commentary

partnership with the Rector that was shown to the community and other schools and was widely praised. Visitors from diverse backgrounds work with pupils and share their knowledge and expertise. For example, a visiting African drummer helped pupils from this school perform an African Nativity and an St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 17 - January 2005 African ‘Cinderella’ with other schools. An elderly ex-pupil of the school talked to pupils about her experiences during World War Two. There is highly effective provision to learn about different cultures and traditions across the curriculum, evident in the music pupils learn, sing and play, in the range of literature they read and in resources available in the library. Learning is brought alive by pupils acting out small dramas, using costumes, examining religious artifacts from different faiths and singing traditional Jewish hymns in worship assembly. During weekly French lessons, pupils

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Commentary

not only learn to speak French but they learn about lives, customs and traditions in France. Parents from France and other European countries living in the community with children at the school described the ways their children learn about how people live in other countries as ‘wonderful’.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 2.8 School data 0.0 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

12. The attendance rate in the 2003/2004 academic year was very high in comparison with other schools. The rate of unauthorised absence, in the same year, was below that of most schools.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is excellent. Outstanding leadership by the headteacher, highly effective leadership and management by other staff, the very good support of governors, excellent teaching and learning, an exemplary planned curriculum and very effective partnerships with parents, the church and community all contribute to the pupils’ very good achievement and very high standards.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are excellent. There is excellent use of assessment to plan lessons.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Excellent teaching inspires pupils to do their best. • There is exemplary deployment of very well trained learning support assistants. • There is excellent use of assessment to plan lessons. • Support for special educational needs pupils is outstanding. • Pupils’ behaviour is managed extremely well.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in nine lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

5 3 1 0 0 0 0 St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 18 - January 2005 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

13. Outstanding teaching is one of the main reasons why this is such a successful school. In order to reach judgements during the inspection nine lessons or part of lessons were observed for a total of six hours and support for pupils’ learning by assistants was observed St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 19 - January 2005 separately for almost an hour. Inspectors spent almost five hours with pupils, teachers, governors and parents discussing teaching and learning. Three and three quarter hours were spent analysing pupils’ work.

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Commentary

14. Excellent behaviour management through the school sets very high expectations to which pupils eagerly respond. The excellent provision for pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is evident in lessons through the school from the Foundation Stage, contributing to pupils’ very good personal and social development. The school is highly successful at meeting its aim to make learning and teaching so enjoyable that children do not want to misbehave. Children enter the reception class from the nursery school knowing how to behave and they soon understand, follow and appreciate the few school rules.

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Commentary

15. It is within this framework of calm and order and very high expectations that learning flourishes. Lessons begin by reviewing previous learning with the whole class. Probing questions test pupils’ knowledge and understanding, enabling teachers to share with the class what they need to do and know by the end of the session. In an excellent Year 1 art lesson, pupils were challenged to review learning about portraits so that they understood what they had to learn that lesson. From the Reception Year, pupils learn to link different types of knowledge, and to transfer skills, from one subject to another so that learning becomes increasingly relevant to their needs and meaningful in their lives as they grow older. As a result, lessons are not a series of different events but linked learning experiences. For example, the need to set hypotheses in Year 2 science lessons and predict outcomes reflect and reinforce

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Commentary

learning strategies in mathematics to solve problems and the skills of prediction in science and mathematics are used in literacy lessons to improve pupils’ understanding of text. The use of the library and computers for pupils to find out things improves their enquiry skills, for example when learning in history and geography.

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Commentary

16. Very good teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage prepare pupils very well for the National Curriculum, providing a secure base for them to continue reaching high standards and making very good progress during numeracy, literacy and other lessons when they enter Year 1. Teachers have extremely good knowledge of subjects they teach because they plan and prepare so well together, resulting in challenging lessons taught at a swift pace that pupils’ enjoy. This was evident in literacy and numeracy lessons where Year 2 pupils explained what adjectives are and then in groups they learnt how language creates different moods, provides clues for what might happen next and insights into characters in the story they read together. In numeracy, the sharp focus on the basic skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and knowing their times tables enabled pupils to make very good progress through

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Commentary

imaginatively planned problem solving tasks that they enjoyed and found relevant to their lives. Teachers’ planning in science also ensures that pupils engage in meaningful and relevant tasks and the highly effective ways pupils are taught to use scientific knowledge to undertake scientific enquiry contributes to their ability to work independently, making the best use of the thinking skills they are taught.

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Commentary

17. It is due to the outstanding use of assessment to plan lessons that learning is relevant, meaningful, joyful and constantly challenging. Not only do teachers record progress and measure achievement consistently through the school, they also analyse how best pupils learn to decide upon the most effective teaching strategies and use of resources to tailor lessons to individual learning needs. In addition, teachers assess how well pupils think about and learn from tasks and, as a result, employ techniques St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 20 - January 2005 to improve thinking skills. Assessment embraces analytically a cocktail of learning needs to plan challenging lessons that sweep pupils joyfully along in their learning. This was seen in an outstanding Year 2 literacy lesson that used techniques to improve thinking which brought the text alive. Pupils sat enthralled, exclaiming at times with delight, and shooting their hands in the air to answer questions.

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Commentary

St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 21 - January 2005 18. Another outstanding feature of teaching and learning is the use of well trained and enthusiastic learning support assistants. These valued members of the teaching team contribute hugely to teachers’ knowledge of the pupils. Assistants know the purpose of each lesson, the ways they are to contribute and they use their initiative and skills to great effect to support pupils’ learning. Some of their most effective work is in support of pupils with special educational needs, in class and at times in spaces nearby. An outstanding session led by an assistant was observed when reception children used musical instruments to improve their understanding of how different events in a story were linked. They made excellent progress with very good improvements in speaking and listening. In partnership with the class teacher, assistants measure special needs

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Commentary

pupils’ progress against learning targets in their education plans, contributing to the next planned stage in pupils’ learning. These pupils know what they have to do to improve and are consulted about the best ways to do so, which is excellent practice. It is due to the very high quality of teaching and support these pupils receive that their progress is excellent through the school.

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Commentary

19. The use of resources and accommodation are excellent. The ways in which teachers use interactive whiteboards are extremely impressive. For example, projections of pupils’ previously completed work, notes made by teachers during class discussions or conferences with pupils about their work, learning objectives, digital photographs of artifacts and of work in PE were all used for pupils to review previous work and in order to take them to the next challenging stages in their learning. PE lessons begin in the classroom with discussions of projected photographs of pupils at work during their last lesson to help them decide what to do next to improve. In Year 1, pupils operate the whiteboard with great skill; using projected icons to ‘click’ back to past work and learning targets to help them learn. In an art lesson, a projected picture of the work of a famous artist and of pupils’ work and the use of exceptionally well

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Commentary

chosen materials are used with great skill to create classrooms full of the buzz of busy pupils enthusiastically producing a great deal of high quality work, eagerly meeting challenges and confidently learning from their mistakes. In an excellent Year 2 literacy lesson, expertly chosen artifacts were conjured from a box to the delight of the class, driving their learning forward on a tide of enthusiasm. Throughout the school, pupils spill over from their classrooms to spaces nearby to work, sometimes with learning assistants. It is within this excellent management of the ebb and flow of pupils and staff during parts of lessons that the school’s highly effective strategies to include and value all pupils are starkly apparent.

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The curriculum

Provision for the curriculum is excellent. Accommodation and resources are very good. There is excellent practice in ways resources are used. There is a very broad range of opportunities for pupils to learn, and consistent approaches to planning for them. Very good planning enriches learning through links with the community and the church. The school’s strategies for inclusion and equality of opportunity are fully embedded in all planning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Provision for pupils with special educational needs is excellent. • The evaluation of the effectiveness of curriculum provision is outstanding. • The curriculum is enriched through very well planned use of the church and educational visits. • Provision for pupils to learn about faiths, cultures and traditions different from their own is excellent. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 22 - January 2005

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Commentary

20. The curriculum meets statutory requirements. In the reception class of the Foundation Stage, the curriculum very successfully provides a broad range of learning opportunities that challenge and interest the children and these are matched to their individual needs. The very St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 23 - January 2005 good use of accommodation inside the school provides a rich range of learning opportunities. Staff throughout the school respond very well to the diverse needs of the pupils. Pupils with special needs receive outstanding support from the teacher and the assistant so that progress is excellent.

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Commentary

21. From the Foundation Stage and through the school, each subject is allocated an appropriate amount of teaching time. Most provision at the time of the last inspection was very good and since then there has been good improvement in mathematics where planning is now excellent. There is very good progress since the last inspection in the location of the library and in its ease of access for pupils. There is satisfactory improvement in outdoor provision for the reception class and this is expected to improve further very quickly when the building programme is completed.

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Commentary

22. Planning is outstanding and innovative. The curriculum is broad, balanced and highly imaginative and extremely successful at meeting the different needs of pupils. Planning to include and involve all pupils is exceptionally good. All this high quality provision is there because teachers work as a team to pool their ideas, curriculum knowledge and expertise. They make use of their excellent knowledge of the pupils to incorporate within the curriculum innovative use of interactive whiteboards, computers, digital cameras and a wide range of resources to inspire pupils to do their best. Planning includes the use of learning support assistants who contribute greatly to excellent curriculum provision. There is a very good programme for personal, social and health education that includes work on healthy eating and keeping safe.

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Commentary

23. The curriculum is very strongly underpinned by an inclusive and Christian ethos that is a very special feature of this school. This is evident in worship assemblies that provide times for pupils to think about the needs of others and to appreciate cultures and faiths different from their own. This Christian ethos underpins all the school strives to achieve and contributes powerfully to pupils responding sensitively to the needs of others and developing as responsible members of the school community. This ethos within highly effective curriculum planning contributes to the pupils’ very effective personal and social development. This is evident through responsibilities they are given and through ways they are supervised at lunch and break times and when they consider the actions of characters in text studied during literacy lessons.

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Commentary

24. A key feature of curriculum planning is the constant and highly effective evaluation of its effectiveness. Schemes of work are systematically developed and improved to reflect the school’s strategic plan. On-going self-evaluation enables the curriculum to respond to the emergent needs of pupils so they all have equal opportunities to succeed within a curriculum tailored to their needs. For example, teachers expertly adjust their planning and provision should differences in learning emerge between boys and girls and between pupils. This is seen in planning for pupils with special education needs, where great attention is paid to their specific needs. There is similar high quality practice in the identification of very able and gifted and talented pupils to provide for their needs.

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Commentary

25. The school enriches pupils’ learning with a very good variety of activities outside lessons. The range of visits and visitors gives pupils extra chances to learn. Pupils have opportunities to learn to play the recorder and frequently planned educational visits improve pupils’ learning. Visits to local places of interest, such as the New Forest itself and Exbury Gardens, improve learning in geography, history and science.

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Commentary

26. The quality of staffing is excellent. Teachers and assistants seize opportunities to train and there is an excellent system to disseminate knowledge and skills acquired, all of which St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 24 - January 2005 contributes to the outstanding match of teachers and learning support assistants to the demands of the curriculum and the needs of pupils. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 25 - January 2005

p.23

Care, guidance and support

Provision for care, guidance, support and health and safety is very good. Within this overall judgement, the care and guidance pupils receive are excellent, their welfare is very good and there are good procedures to ensure their safety. Pupils thrive in the school’s very loving environment where high quality support and guidance contribute to their very good achievements and very high standards.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The high level of care provided ensures that pupils feel safe and secure. • Excellent support for individual pupils contributes to the school’s outstanding strategies for inclusion. • Excellent guidance helps pupils to make very good progress in their learning and personal development. • Trusting relationships with staff ensure that pupils ask for help when they need it.

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Commentary

27. The school’s provision for child protection and for health and safety is good. The effectiveness of the school’s attention to the welfare of pupils was clearly evident in the way that recent, very extensive building work was carried out in the school with very little disruption to pupils’ learning. The continuity of learning was only possible because the headteacher, staff and governors did everything they could to sustain a calm and orderly atmosphere in very challenging circumstances. Parents are highly appreciative of the school’s outstanding efforts to support their children during this difficult time and say that during that time their children felt as happy and secure at school as they do now. Pupils agree. They also say that they enjoy school very much, that teachers are kind to them and help them learn, that learning is fun and they make good progress.

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Commentary

28. Pupils attain high standards because teachers have very effective strategies to record and monitor what pupils achieve and to identify and advise what they need to do to improve. This very effective support and guidance contributes to most pupils very good achievement and the excellent progress made by pupils with special educational needs. Very good guidance is provided for pupils who need to develop their self- esteem and to improve ways they relate to other pupils. This guidance is highly successful in improving these pupils’ confidence and self-esteem and ensuring their excellent behaviour. The excellent and trusting relationships that pupils have with staff are reflected in the very high number of pupils who say that there is an adult they would go to if they have some worries.

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Commentary

29. There are good arrangements for children to transfer smoothly into the reception class from the adjacent pre-school facility. This helps to ensure a good start for them at school because they know the headteacher and other staff well and are already familiar with the layout and expectations of the school. Parents have good support to help their child settle in well. The school is very sensitive to the needs of children and special arrangements are made for those who may find the transfer difficult at first. Parents of pupils who join the school at other times are full of praise for the care the school takes to support them and their children, especially those from mainland Europe. They say that they quickly learn to trust the school to do the best for their child. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 26 - January 2005 30. Pupils are given very good opportunities to say what they like about school and to

p.25

Commentary

identify things they would like to see improved. They have informal discussions with their teachers and with the headteacher, confident that their ideas will be considered and acted upon. The need for improvement in arrangements at playtimes arose from these discussions and the school has introduced a very effective ‘buddy’ system using Year 2 pupils to support younger pupils in the playground. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 27 - January 2005

p.26

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community is very good. Within this overall judgement, the partnerships with the community and with the church are excellent, there is a very good partnership with parents and good links with other schools and the nursery provision attached to the school.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents contribute very well to their children’s learning at school and at home. • The school knows pupils and their parents very well and is very supportive of their needs. • Parents have trusting relationships with the headteacher and staff and feel welcomed and valued by the school. • Excellent links with the church and with the community enrich learning and contribute to pupils’ awareness of what being a good citizen means by Year 2. • The school does not provide enough formal information in annual reports for parents to underpin its excellent partnership with parents and carers. • The prospectus and the governors’ annual report for parents do not meet statutory requirements.

p.27

Commentary

31. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents are very supportive of the school and value the education provided for their children very highly. They feel valued by the school and make a very effective contribution to its life as volunteer helpers and members of the association for parents and teachers. Opportunities for informal, day- to-day contact between teachers and parents are excellent and facilitate an ongoing flow of information which helps parents to help their children learn. Parents are very supportive of homework that they say is imaginative, involves them and which their children are often very keen to complete. Parents encourage their children’s enthusiasm for learning and this contributes to the pupils’ very good achievement and high standards.

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Commentary

32. Whilst information to parents about how well their children are getting on is good, it is not as good as the excellent quality of the informal contacts between home and school. Annual reports to parents do not have enough detailed information about what their children will learn and about the standards expected. These reports do not contain measurable learning targets and advice on how to reach them. Information is not always clearly written because there is too much educational jargon.

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Commentary

33. Improvement in the information provided to parents since the previous inspection is unsatisfactory because the governors’ annual report to parents and the school’s prospectus do not meet statutory requirements. The prospectus lacks information about:

p.27

Commentary

• the admission of pupils with disabilities; • the right of parents to withdraw their children from collective worship and lessons in religious education together with the provision for alternative arrangements; • the school’s policy for dealing with complaints. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 28 - January 2005 Information in the governors’ annual report to parents lacks some required information about arrangements for the admission of pupils with disabilities.

p.27

Commentary

34. The school is very closely integrated into the community and has excellent relationships with local people. The village is used as a resource for learning and pupils regularly contribute to community life. Local businesses support the school very well and visitors often come to school to share their experiences with the pupils. Links with the church are especially strong. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 29 - January 2005 The Rector is very well known and respected and liked by the pupils and contributes very actively to school life by taking assemblies, involving pupils in services at the church and in supporting the pastoral work of the school. Support from parents and the community was very strong during the recent building works and helped the school to overcome the considerable difficulties involved.

p.28

Commentary

35. The school works successfully to foster links with the attached pre-school facility, other schools and educational institutions such as the nearby further education college and a university college. Links with schools pupils go to when they leave at the end of Year 2 are good and there are good links for the transfer of children into the reception class. There are some very good opportunities for pupils to join with pupils from other schools at music festivals and this contributes very well to their social and cultural development.

p.29

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are excellent. The headteacher’s leadership is excellent and the leadership and management of the senior teacher and the rest of the teaching team are outstanding. Very effective governors support the school to shape its future, although not all statutory requirements are met.

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The leadership of the headteacher is outstanding. • The senior teacher’s support for the headteacher is excellent. • There is exemplary practice in ways teachers lead on school improvement and perform management tasks. • Very well led governors have very good knowledge of the school. • Governors do not meet all statutory requirements in the information they send to parents.

p.29

Commentary

36. The leadership of the school by the headteacher is excellent. Staff and governors share her vision of a high achieving and continuously improving school based on Christian principles where pupils are valued and challenged and learning is fun. The outstanding support the headteacher receives from the senior teacher contributes powerfully to the highly successful teaching team and the strategic leadership and management of the school. The school is innovative in ways it achieves continuous improvement because the emphasis on teamwork ensures things get done through mutual trust and respect and creative problem solving. This is seen in ways the school analyses pupils’ learning each term by scrutinising their completed work, using the information gathered to plan the curriculum. The school is very effectively supported by a well led and knowledgeable governing body. All this high quality practice explains why teaching and learning are outstanding, pupils’ achievement and

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Commentary

standards are so high and the school provides very good value for money.

p.29

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 299,686 Balance from previous year 21,233.56 St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 30 - January 2005 Total expenditure 298,530 Balance carried forward to the next 22,482.38 Expenditure per pupil 3,875.49

p.29

Commentary

37. The excellent use of the school’s strategic plan by the headteacher, staff and governors underpins the work of the school and unites all concerned in a common purpose. The way this plan is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the school is typical of the way all activities St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 31 - January 2005 and provision are evaluated. The plan is a frequently reviewed working document that has sections devoted to areas to improve, each with measurable improvement targets that are financially supported. There are times set to review and complete targets, people identified to lead on improvements, strategies briefly described to complete them successfully and success criteria. Full staff consultation about the effectiveness of the plan is an on-going process. The emphases on research in partnership with a university college, and on very well chosen training for teaching and non-teaching staff

p.30

Commentary

and for governors, all ensure that well informed developments sustain school improvement. There are many examples of the excellent use of the school’s strategic plan. It helped guide the school through a very testing time until the end of last year as it was rebuilt around the staff and children. Concern last year about the drop in high standards in writing by a few pupils, led to the highly effective use of the plan to take decisive action to reverse the trend. On-going research into a school target in the plan to improve pupils’ thinking skills provides teachers and assistants with a growing range of skills to interest and challenge pupils and these contribute to their very good achievements. Research into the achievement and standards of very able girls in science has resulted in effective strategies to ensure standards remain high. Training and on-going school based research into the use of interactive whiteboards led to

p.31

Commentary

innovative teaching that contributes to the inclusion of pupils and to learning that is challenging and fun.

p.31

Commentary

38. The headteacher leads on evaluating the effectiveness of teaching, learning and the leadership and management of staff. Governors oversee the performance management of the headteacher and ensure that her targets are met through their support and guidance. In turn, governors evaluate their own effectiveness and identify strategies for improvement. All evaluations of the effectiveness of performance are achieved rigorously within supportive teams of teaching staff and governors. Findings inform the school plan and strategies for improvement.

p.31

Commentary

39. Very well led governors are very effective at holding the school to account for the quality of education provided. They make very good use of their skills and experiences to act as critical friends in order to support the school and shape its future. Their close links with the community and the church help the school to enrich pupils’ learning. Many of them are frequent visitors to the school. They undertake ‘focused’ visits to learn about and examine aspects of the school to increase their knowledge and to forge even closer partnerships with staff. The Rector leads some worship assemblies and is often in the school showing interest in the work and lives of pupils and staff. Another governor visits each week to help improve pupils’ reading. Governors undertake responsibilities very conscientiously to oversee subject provision, for example for numeracy, literacy and ICT and to ensure the effectiveness

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Commentary

of special educational needs provision. They undertake very effective systematic reviews of policies, for example about racial harmony and inclusion and they meet requirements for health and safety. They agreed expenditure for additional staff to meet a recent requirement to relieve teachers of non-teaching administrative duties and they meet a new requirement to help teachers acquire a healthy balance between work and home life. Despite their commitment to effective partnerships with parents, they do not meet statutory requirements in the information they provide for parents, for example in the School Brochure about the admission of pupils with disabilities. This was a weakness at the time of the last inspection and so progress in this aspect of their work is unsatisfactory. They now have secure plans in place to ensure all statutory requirements are met as part of a process begun a short time ago to

p.31

Commentary

evaluate the effectiveness of their governance. Governors oversee the financial management of the school extremely well, demonstrating their highly effective St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 32 - January 2005 adherence to the principles of best value, for example by ensuring outcomes in terms of pupil’s achievements and standards justify expenditure. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 33 - January 2005

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for the children in the Foundation Stage is very good.

p.33

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The pupils in the reception class receive a very good start to their education. Teaching is very good. Very good planning and good assessment systems contribute to the effectiveness of these early years of education. It is closely related to the six areas of learning and to the ‘stepping stones’ that help children achieve their Early Learning Goals. The school is in the early stages of using the Foundation Stage Profile of assessment, supplemented by observations. Planning is good so that lessons match the different needs of the children well, including those of children who learn in English as an additional language. Provision for special educational needs is excellent.

p.33

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The Foundation Stage is very well led by an experienced practitioner. On entry to the Reception Year of the Foundation Stage this year, most children’s attainment was in line with that expected nationally and this lower than previous years. However, there is a broad spectrum of attainment because within this class there are those whose attainment is very high and others whose standards are below those expected. At the time of the inspection, about a third of the children had been in school full-time for only two weeks. For these children, standards achieved at this stage are much better than expected and the progress of other children is also very good. They achieve so well because teaching is very good and there is very good deployment of learning support assistants. The current rate of achievement indicates that most of the children will reach and exceed their Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception Year.

p.33

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

p.33

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

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

p.33

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

• Children make good progress learning to be independent. • They behave exceptionally well for their age. • Their personal and social skills develop well.

p.33

Commentary

40. Teaching, learning and achievement are very good. Children learn with great confidence soon after joining the reception class because of the very good teaching of social skills. They work and play co-operatively through a strong rapport between them, their class teacher and classroom assistants. All this high quality provision contributes to an excellent learning atmosphere within which learning thrives and achievement is very good. Staff successfully establish high expectations for attitudes and behaviour. Children receive plenty of praise, encouragement and advice on how to improve. They behave extremely well and are encouraged to be considerate of others. Staff capture children’s interest effectively, and promote concentration, by the very good use of resources and the provision of a very well planned curriculum. These qualities ensure that children’s involvement is fostered and maintained to a high standard. They cope well with their personal needs, such as changing

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Commentary

for physical education when they needed little adult help.

p.33

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good . St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 34 - January 2005

p.33

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Speaking and listening skills are developed and extended very well. • Early writing skills are promoted and fostered effectively. • Early reading skills are encouraged well.

p.34

Commentary

41. Teaching and learning are very good and children achieve very well. Many opportunities are provided for children to extend their speaking skills in all areas of learning. When they start school, most children are good at speaking and are keen to talk about their interests and activities. They enjoy listening to stories and sharing books, which they do well so that over half of them predict how a story will develop. The classroom has a good range of picture books, including non-fiction texts, which are easily accessible to the children. Many make good progress learning to write their names and higher attaining children begin to write words and phrases. Good use of classroom computers improves children’s early reading and writing skills well. Most children are on track to achieve the Early Learning Goals. With the very good standard of teaching and the planned increased emphasis on literacy skills over the next

p.34

Commentary

two terms, it is likely that many will be working within the early stages of the National Curriculum by the time they enter Year 1.

p.34

Commentary

Provision in mathematical development is very good .

p.34

Commentary

• Children’s mathematical vocabulary is developing well. • Most children count and calculate well. • Their emerging skills are used effectively across a range of curriculum areas to help them learn.

p.34

Commentary

42. Due to very good teaching and learning, children’s achievement is very good, as seen in their very good progress in understanding of number, shape and measure. They handle simple calculations with numbers to five very well, and the more able work with higher numbers. The good range of games and puzzles, specifically designed to support early understanding of number, is used well. The staff use games and activities very effectively to support number work and children are enthusiastic about their lessons. The use of a range of resources, including soft-toy birds, is planned and organised well. In an excellent lesson, children used the toys as a stimulus for simple calculations and to form number sentences. Their use of mathematical vocabulary is developing well. Most children are likely to be working within the National Curriculum level 1 by the end of their time in the reception class.

p.34

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is very good .

p.34

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A stimulating environment introduces children to the wonders of the world. • They have very good opportunities to explore and learn about their world. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 35 - January 2005

p.34

Commentary

43. Teaching and learning are very good overall and sometimes excellent. Children achieve very well in this area of learning because they have plenty of opportunities to experience a wide range of stimulating activities. Almost all children will reach and exceed their Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception Year. The children are very interested in all activities presented to them and make very good gains in their learning. They quickly learn to use programmable toys (roamers) and computers and are skilled in their use. The children learn about their world by observing, handling and discussing a variety of objects. Probing questions extend the children’s vocabulary and use of language to help them to explain their thoughts and ideas and to think about and understand their world. This was evident when learning about the habitats of different sorts of bears and creating different environments from a range of

p.35

Commentary

natural resources, such as ice and bamboo. Well planned activities extended and improved learning by adapting this topic to all other areas of learning.

p.35

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is very good .

p.35

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good provision results in children’s very good progress in the use of pencils, scissors and other small tools. • Very good planning and teaching develops physical skills well.

p.35

Commentary

44. Teaching and learning are very good overall and they are sometimes excellent. Children achieve very well and are likely to reach and exceed their early Learning Goals. They have almost continuous access to a small courtyard area adjacent to their classrooms. Its frequent use is planned well and it is used effectively for a range of outdoor activities. A more spacious area and appropriately resourced outdoor area is to be completed soon after the inspection. There are very well planned indoor activities to teach gymnastics, dance and drama that ensure children’s very good progress in skills and co-ordination, as seen in a very good PE lesson. Children’s dexterity is developed effectively through the use of pencils, brushes, scissors and other activities. Children have very good opportunities to manipulate a range of small equipment and construction apparatus.

p.35

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is very good .

p.35

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good provision promotes independence and creativity very well. • There is very good support for children’s learning. • Musical ability is fostered and developed well.

p.35

Commentary

St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 36 - January 2005 45. Teaching, learning and pupils’ achievement are very good. The children are likely to reach and exceed their Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception Year. Very good teaching and support from adults that include parent helpers, means that a wide range of different activities is on offer during creative sessions. Planning for this area of learning is carefully thought through, giving children a broad range of experiences. They use a wide variety of tools and materials to create all sorts of different images. They select from very varied St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 37 - January 2005 materials to create storyboards of the book, ‘We’re all going on a bear hunt’. Many examples of children’s work are on display that show how well they use many different techniques and media. They learn to sing a good number of songs and rhymes.

p.36

Commentary

Times for them to listen to music and play percussion instruments are very well planned. Provision for them to use their imagination and improve their speaking and listening is good, often achieved through role-play, for example in the ‘Healthy Eating Cafe’.

p.37

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievement is very good. • Pupils with special educational needs make excellent progress. • Outstanding teaching challenges and inspires pupils. • Excellent use of assessment tailors teaching to the needs of pupils. • The use of interactive whiteboards and other resources bring learning alive. • Pupils’ excellent literacy skills are used very effectively in other subjects to improve learning.

p.37

Commentary

46. By Year 2, pupils’ achievement is very good and standards in reading and writing are very high. Very able and gifted and talented pupils achieve very well. These findings reflect the 2004 national test results for Year 2. Speaking and listening skills are also very high. Pupils with special educational needs make excellent progress. There are no significant differences in learning between boys and girls or between those whose first language is not English.

p.37

Commentary

47. It is due to outstanding teaching that standards achieved are so high by Year 2. Teachers work as a team with their learning support assistants to plan work that interests and inspires pupils to do their best. Excellent use of assessment identifies swiftly the emerging needs of pupils, and strategies and resources are expertly chosen to bring learning alive. Imaginative homework, that includes learning to spell, reinforces learning and prepares pupils very well for the next lesson. Thinking skills are expertly taught so that pupils become increasingly independent, creative and thoughtful learners who are able to set and solve their own problems. This extremely good practice was seen in a typically challenging, excellent Year 2 literacy lesson about character and plot. Through whole class teaching and probing questions the teacher reviewed previous learning. She then thought aloud with the class, very

p.37

Commentary

cleverly involving them in thinking about and explaining what might happen next in the text they studied. This excellent practice is typical of the way pupils are swept along in their learning. In Year 1, the use of the interactive whiteboard and the active involvement of pupils in their learning improved their understanding of text, inspired them to improve their punctuation and handwriting and to use words new to them. By the end of Year 1, pupils produce joined up, well organised writing and by Year 2 handwriting standards are high. Year 2 pupils use various strategies to make sense of text they do not understand at first, including sounding the letters of words unfamiliar St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 38 - January 2005 to them. Reading sessions and library visits, individual sessions with an assistant and lesson times devoted to improving reading, all contribute in exemplary fashion to

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Commentary

pupils’ very good achievement by Year 2. Pupils use books and computers very well to find, read and use information. Throughout the school, pupils listen carefully as a class to the teacher and each other in ways that enable them to build upon the ideas of others and explain their learning so that their achievement and standards are high by Year 2 in speaking and listening skills. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 39 - January 2005 48. Lessons function as hives of purposeful activity because teachers set clear boundaries for, and have extremely high expectations of, pupils’ behaviour. Behaviour is managed with deceptive ease and great skill. It is largely due to this excellent management of behaviour that such high quality teaching and learning flourishes.

p.38

Commentary

49. Leadership and management of this subject are excellent, as they were at the time of the last inspection. Teaching, learning and the curriculum are evaluated for effectiveness in order to lead on improvements and to sustain high standards. The high quality of subject leadership is evident in the way the school improved writing standards so dramatically by the time of the Year 2 national tests in 2004.

p.39

Language and literacy across the curriculum

50. By Year 2, pupils’ language and literacy skills are excellent due to their exemplary use to help them learn in other subjects. A Year 1 art lesson was typical of the way literacy skills are used to improve learning through the school. Pupils practised reading skills to research a portrait, with very good effects on speaking and listening skills when discussing their findings. In science, they learn new words, read instructions and write about their learning with a strong emphasis on improving spelling, punctuation and handwriting. In mathematics, they record ways they solve problems, ensuring their writing clearly shows their thinking. It is largely due to the large number of planned times for pupils to write, read, listen and speak that achievement and standards are so high.

p.39

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is excellent. • Provision of high quality practical work enthuses pupils so that their learning is excellent. • Pupils’ attitudes are excellent. • The use of outstanding assessment informs lesson planning extremely well. • There is very effective application of pupils’ excellent mathematical skills in other subjects.

p.39

Commentary

51. By Year 2, pupils’ achievement is very good and standards are very high in comparison with national averages. Pupils’ with special educational needs make excellent progress because of the high quality support they receive. There are no significant differences in learning between boys and girls or between pupils from different backgrounds.

p.39

Commentary

52. By the end of Year 2, almost all pupils count, order, add, subtract and multiply numbers to at least twenty, with the more able working confidently to numbers of 100 and more. Whole class teaching at the start of lessons ensures pupils know what to learn through the very effective and imaginative use of interactive whiteboards, reviews of previous learning, probing questions and challenging discussions. Highly effective teaching of mental mathematics at the beginning of lessons provides very good encouragement for pupils to progress well. They attempt mental calculations St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 40 - January 2005 with alacrity, and benefit from these very structured introductory sessions that act as springboards for the rest of their numeracy lessons. All this highly effective practice was evident in an excellent Year 1 lesson where pupils made very good progress arranging numbers into tens and units. Very well deployed learning assistants

p.39

Commentary

supported pupils who needed additional help to learn through the use of colour coded bead strings. Teachers use a very good variety of strategies and a range of extremely well chosen resources to drive learning forward, as was seen in this Year 1 lesson when pupils progressed from problem solving ‘games’ to designing their own investigative puzzles using a variety of resources. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 41 - January 2005 53. Excellent teaching and learning provide many very well planned times for pupils to reinforce and extend their learning through practical activities that are relevant to them and meaningful to their lives. A Year 2 pupil wrote that ‘… maths is useful if you are watching a football match - you need to know how much time the game has left and so does the referee’. Where teaching is at its best, skillfully chosen questions evaluate pupils’ understanding to take them to the next stage in their learning. Pupils have

p.40

Commentary

extremely positive attitudes to their work. They enjoy their lessons immensely, behave extremely well and develop great confidence in using a variety of different methods to work out their answers. This has a positive impact on pupils’ social development as they develop very good self-esteem by becoming increasingly independent learners with highly developed thinking skills by Year 2.

p.41

Commentary

54. An outstanding feature of teaching is the innovative use of interactive whiteboards by staff and pupils. The constant interaction between staff and pupils as they discuss and explore learning contributes to classrooms that are full of the sound of busy pupils fully included and involved in activities that they enjoy and that inspire them to do their best. These computerised whiteboards contribute to their greater understanding of technology and improvements in their ICT skills, particularly when using computers. Pupils say that they like being able to save their work on computers, as well as save their class work and learning targets through the use of interactive whiteboards, because they can revisit it all almost at will to help them learn.

p.41

Commentary

55. The quality of assessment is excellent and the information gained is used very well to plan lessons, although some work is not dated, making it difficult to track learning over time. Nevertheless, the regular analysis by teachers of pupils’ work enables them to identify and then deal effectively with areas in need of improvement. Assessment leads to the sharing of measurable learning objectives for each lesson and pupils’ individual learning targets, enabling pupils to develop a very good understanding of how well they achieve. Highly trained learning support assistants are very well deployed and are given very good information on how best to support the groups they work with.

p.41

Commentary

56. Leadership and management of the subject are excellent. The subject leader has a thorough knowledge of standards in the subject, evaluates the effectiveness of teaching, learning and the curriculum to lead on improvements and sustain high standards. The careful analysis of national tests is used to identify where a particular focus is needed. There is a strong emphasis on maintaining a practical approach to teaching in the subject. There is very good progress on this aspect of provision because it was a weakness at the time of the last inspection.

p.41

Mathematics across the curriculum

57. Basic numeracy skills are taught very well and pupils’ excellent mathematical skills are very well used to improve learning in other subjects. For example, pupils improve learning in science by using mathematical and numeracy skills when they produce charts and graphs and in history when they use time lines to calculate how long ago events occurred.

p.41

SCIENCE

Provision in science is very good . St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 42 - January 2005

p.41

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The strong practical element of lessons captures pupils’ interest and enthuses them. • By Year 2, achievement is very good and standards are well above those expected nationally. • Well-planned cross-curricular links ensure that pupils’ literacy skills are used effectively. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 43 - January 2005

p.42

Commentary

58. Standards by Year 2 are well above the national average and reflect the school’s assessment of standards at the time of the 2004 national tests. Due to the small cohort of pupils over time in Year 2, national test results rise and fall a little but the trend over the last five years is above the national average. Very high standards found at the time of the last inspection are sustained. Pupils achieve very well by Year 2 and the progress of special educational needs pupils is excellent. The school’s relentless attention to equality of opportunity, and to the analysis of achievement, results in no significant differences in learning between boys and girls or pupils from different backgrounds.

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Commentary

59. High quality teaching enables pupils to develop a good understanding of scientific enquiry through a consistent ‘hands-on’ approach so that learning and achievement are very good. Evidence in work books shows that pupils are consistently involved in challenging explorations and experimentation that encourages them to improve their thinking skills, evaluate their own learning and know how to improve. All this very good practice contributes to the very good standards by Year 2. Teachers prepare resources carefully, use teaching assistants very effectively, and constantly challenge their pupils to draw scientific conclusions based on their careful consideration of evidence. Pupils frequently work in small groups on tasks that interest and challenge them so well that they have no inclination to misbehave, contributing to their excellent personal development. They make very good progress designing their own

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Commentary

experiments and some more able pupils’ creative ideas lead to very thoughtful and imaginative solutions to problems. Experimentation is supported very well by challenging homework that interests them and often involves their parents or carers, to the delight of all concerned. For example, pupils spoke of putting eggs in the freezer ‘to see what would happen’. It is obvious that their original thoughts and ideas are fostered most effectively. This was evident when a pupil said, ‘I wonder if it would make a difference if I put a hard-boiled egg in the freezer?’ The contribution of science to the development of pupils’ literacy skills is consistent and well-developed through reading and writing and numeracy skills are used to improve learning when pupils calculate, weigh and measure.

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Commentary

60. The subject is lead and managed extremely well. There is constant evaluation of the effectiveness of provision to identify shortcomings in the teaching and learning and in the units of study so that effective action is swiftly taken.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

Provision in information and communication technology is very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very effective use of resources helps pupils make very good progress. • Resources for the subject are good and improving rapidly. • Teachers are enthusiastic, confident and knowledgeable. • Pupils enjoy the subject and work very well.

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Commentary

61. By Year 2, standards are above national expectations but not as high as those for reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils achieve well by Year 2 and pupils’ progress through the school is now very good because since the building has been completed there has been an increase in resources and opportunities for staff to improve learning. There is a very good improvement since the last inspection in the number and range of available resources. Pupils with special educational needs make very good use of ICT and are exceptionally well supported so that their progress is excellent. There are no differences in learning between boys and girls or other groups of pupils. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 44 - January 2005 St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 45 - January 2005 62. Very good teaching and learning ensure that from the time children enter the Reception Year they learn to use programmable devices, (roamers), computers and lately interactive

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Commentary

whiteboards so that by Year 2 they achieve very well. Planning is very well informed by assessment. By Year 1, pupils operate listening stations and classroom computers very well and use a good range of computer tools very effectively when drawing. They use word-banks to help them write and they produce text that improves their literacy skills. By the end of Year 2, pupils type on screen, save and print their work. More able pupils use the mouse and keyboard to find and open different programs. The excellent use of interactive whiteboards by teachers with pupils, results in pupils’ recent very good progress in the use of technology to help them learn, as seen when they rapidly ‘clicked’ the large screen icons to find their way around programs to display class work and learning targets they had saved. All this high quality provision contributes to swiftly rising standards and pupils learning enthusiastically.

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Commentary

63. ICT is extremely well led and managed to evaluate the effectiveness of provision, and this is a satisfactory improvement since the last inspection when leadership and management were very good. There is a whole school commitment to further improvement in achievement. The budget is well spent. There are secure financial plans in place to increase further the number of computers.

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Commentary

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

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Commentary

64. ICT skills are above average and used well in all subjects to help pupils learn. The use of interactive whiteboards, computers and roamers contribute greatly to pupils’ very good achievement. There are numerous examples of the use of ICT in art around the school and in the completed work for many subjects, including science, mathematics and English and in research undertaken in history and geography.

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HUMANITIES

No lessons were seen to make secure judgements about provision. Evidence from examinations of teachers’ planning, assessment records and of pupils’ work, and from discussions with teachers, shows that provision meets statutory requirements and suggests that standards are high. There are very well planned times to reinforce learning in geography and history in other lessons, such as literacy, religious education and art. Planning to use numeracy, literacy and ICT skills to improve learning is very good and explains in part why achievement is so high and why writing standards rose so sharply over the last year. In an excellent Year 1 art and design lesson, pupils demonstrated their very good understanding of time to reinforce learning in history when deciding when a portrait was painted. In classrooms and in displays, standards reached in history and geography appear to be high, as seen in pupils’ understanding in history of lives lived in the past.

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HUMANITIES

Work seen in geography suggests equally good understanding by Year 2 of the physical and climatic characteristics of other countries, especially when referring to places visited or where pupils used to live. Year 2 pupils have a very good understanding of the use of maps.

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HUMANITIES

Subject leadership for humanities subjects is excellent. Provision is evaluated extremely well to identify and lead on improvements.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Too few lessons were seen of art and design, design technology, music and physical education to make secure judgements about provision. Inspectors analysed teachers’ planning, pupils’ work in books and on display and they held discussions with teachers and pupils. Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education (PE) were not St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 46 - January 2005 a focus of this inspection and no overall judgements have been made about standards achieved, or teaching and learning in those subjects. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 47 - January 2005 In an excellent Year 1 art and design lesson, the use of a range of resources was particularly inspirational. The use of the interactive whiteboard enabled pupils to focus on small details in a well-known painting to learn how it was painted. The teacher provided an excellent range of objects and fabrics for pupils to examine and to use as inspiration for

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

detailed drawings. These items were produced, as if by a conjuror, from a large, decorated leather bag to the excitement and awe of the children. They spoke enthusiastically about their observations, producing some careful, detailed drawings to a high standard. Pupils’ learning in art benefits greatly from a talented learning support assistant and from a project undertaken with the National Portrait Gallery.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Pupils benefit from the presence of a part-time dedicated music teacher and take part in music workshops and performances in school and with other schools. They say they enjoy learning to play the recorder in Year 2.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

An excellent Year 2 physical education lesson used digital photographs of the previous lesson’s work to challenge and inspire pupils so that they achieved very well in their gymnastics work. Pupils were constantly challenged to decide how to improve, often offering advice and support to others. Their behaviour was exemplary.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Few lessons were seen in this area of the school’s work and so no overall judgement is made about provision. The school regards pupils’ personal development as very importantly based upon Christian principles that permeate all aspects of learning. This is seen in subject planning, the varied activities provided outside lessons, the use of visitors to the school, partnerships with the church and diocese and through links in the local forest and village communities. There is an excellent emphasis on learning about and sharing with others their own cultures and traditions that contributes greatly to the inclusion of pupils from mainland Europe. Strategies to ensure that pupils are fully included in all the school offers is frequently evaluated for effectiveness in order to sustain the outstanding inclusion practice through the school. There is excellent provision for pupils with special educational

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

needs and that is highly valued by their parents. The programme for personal, social and health education is very good and includes work on healthy eating and keeping safe. In the reception class children learn about healthy eating when playing in a ‘Healthy Eating Café’. There is excellent practice in improving pupils’ thinking skills and the school is in the early stages of introducing strategies to improve learning further through emotional and social education, known as emotional literacy.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

As pupils grow older, the school increases the range of opportunities for pupils to use their initiative and be responsible, to which they eagerly respond. This was seen in the highly responsible ways pupils through the school help teachers and assistants with tasks and in the way Year 2 pupils act as ‘buddies’ to ensure boys and girls play well together and work with Year 1 pupils to improve their reading. All this very good provision contributes very effectively to pupils’ awareness of what being a good citizen means by Year 2. They are proud of their school and delighted that their views are respected. They are amazed that inspectors ask them questions about people being unkind to them and they know what to do should another pupil attempt to bully them. St Michael and All Angels CE Infant School - 48 - January 2005

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 1 How inclusive the school is 1 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 1 Pupils’ achievement 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 1 Attendance 2 Attitudes 1 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 1 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 1 The quality of teaching 1 How well pupils learn 1 The quality of assessment 1 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 1 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 2 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 1 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 1 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 1 The governance of the school 2 The leadership of the headteacher 1 The leadership of other key staff 1 The effectiveness of management 1

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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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