Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre

Someries Infant School

Dates of inspection: 10 th – 13 th January 2005

p.1

Someries Infant School

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

p.1

Someries 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. Someries Infant School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant school School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3-7 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 215

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Wigmore Lane Luton Bedfordshire Postcode: LU2 8AH

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01582 414545 Fax number: 01582 414545

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr R Davies

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Someries Infant School serves an urban area on the edge of Luton. The school has 215 pupils and is an average size. Numbers on roll have fallen slightly in the last four years. The number of pupils moving in and out of the school is relatively low although a large proportion of the pupils attend the school from outside the usual area. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is slightly lower than is usual. The majority of pupils are of white British heritage and about 20 per cent of pupils come from a range of other ethnic backgrounds. Two pupils are at the early stages of speaking English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is below the national average. Those pupils on the register of special educational needs have a range of learning difficulties. No pupil has a Statement of Special Educational Need. The attainment of the children on entry

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

to the school is average. The school achieved a healthy schools award in 2002, 2003 and 2004 and is part of the Leadership Development strategy in Primary Schools. Someries Infant School - 4

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities 21750 Mrs S E Hall Lead inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology English as an additional language 11437 Mr A Anderson Lay inspector 20301 Mr P Isherwood Team inspector Science Personal, social and health education and citizenship Music Physical education The Foundation Stage curriculum Special educational needs 20369 Mrs S McIntosh Team inspector English Geography History Religious education

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Altecq Inspections Limited 102 Bath Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 7JX

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

p.4

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

p.5

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

p.5

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

p.5

OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a satisfactory school that provides a satisfactory quality of education. With the recent appointment of a new headteacher, the school is well placed for change and development. All pupils are welcomed and valued as individuals. Standards are average for the age of the pupils and they achieve satisfactorily. Teaching and learning are satisfactory as is leadership and management. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.6

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Pupils have good attitudes to learning, they behave well and relationships are very good. • The new headteacher provides a clear focus upon areas for school improvement. • The planning and provision for children in the nursery and reception classes is not fully effective. • The quality of teaching across the school requires improvement to support maximum progress. • Assessment procedures and the use of information on progress are not good enough in all subjects. • Pupils achieve well in mathematics. • The management of special educational needs is good. • The monitoring of the work of the school lacks rigour in accurately evaluating the quality of education offered and identifying the steps needed to bring about further improvement. • Administrative procedures ensure a warm welcome and efficient running of the school.

p.6

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

There has been satisfactory overall improvement since the previous inspection. The school has addressed the requirement to involve parents more in the education of their children and to improve the effectiveness of acts of collective worship. Standards have been maintained in most subjects but have dipped in others, although the downward trend has begun to reverse.

p.6

Year 2 results

all schools Similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004

p.6

Year 2 results

Reading D C B B Writing D D C D Mathematics D C C C Key: A – well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Someries Infant School - 7 Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals

p.6

Year 2 results

Achievement is satisfactory overall. Children enter school with skills that are generally average in all areas of their early learning. Overall, achievement is broadly satisfactory in the nursery and whilst currently satisfactory in reception there are early signs of improvement following the very recent appointment of a new co- ordinator for this age group. Satisfactory progress is maintained in Years 1 and 2. At the age of seven standards are average overall for the age of the pupils. The large majority of pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language, achieve satisfactorily across the school. Pupils do well in mathematics. Whilst the majority of pupils with higher attainment achieve satisfactorily there is the potential for more pupils to achieve at the higher levels if presented with a consistently high level of challenge.

p.7

Year 2 results

Pupils’ personal development is good. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall although there is room to extend pupils’ multi-cultural learning experiences. Pupils have good attitudes to their work. Behaviour is good and relationships are very good. Attendance is satisfactory.

p.7

Year 2 results

The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory . Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Teaching in the nursery and reception classes and in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory although lacking the impact and vibrancy often seen for pupils of this age. Throughout the school, teachers and support staff have warm and caring relationships with pupils and support them well. However, the level of challenge and expectations of what they can achieve are not consistently high enough. The planning of work is sometimes ineffective in identifying sufficiently what the pupils are to learn and where extension work can be provided. The marking of pupils’ work is very brief and often limited in identifying how improvement can be achieved. Assessment procedures are satisfactory in some subjects including mathematics but not as effective in many other subjects. The information available from assessments is not used sufficiently well to ensure the highest appropriate level

p.7

Year 2 results

of challenge is planned in subsequent tasks and is unsatisfactory.

p.7

Year 2 results

The curriculum is satisfactory. The work of children in the nursery and the reception classes indicates there are areas for improvement in the balance and level of challenge in activities and the depth of planning to achieve this. The many free play activities do not move children’s learning forward sufficiently well and limit the opportunities for sufficient focused and structured in-put to lift the children’s early learning skills. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The accommodation and resources are satisfactory overall although there are shortfalls in resources for nursery children. The care, welfare and safety procedures are satisfactory whilst there are some areas identified with the school for further improvement. Links with parents are good.

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The recently appointed headteacher provides good leadership because she has good vision, a sense of purpose and high aspirations for the school. She has clearly identified where the Someries Infant School - 8 school had not moved forward as much as it might in recent years and many aspects that need to be updated. However, as yet there has not been time to make significant improvements. Management of the school is satisfactory. There are suitable procedures for monitoring the work of the school. However, this monitoring has lacked evaluative rigour in identifying the exact quality of provision and has led to a sense of complacency in some areas. Staff and governors are not always fully aware of where improvements are needed. Governance of the school is satisfactory and new governors are keen to develop their first hand knowledge of the school and their role in holding the school to account for the quality of provision.

p.7

PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have positive views of the school. They are pleased that their children settle happily to school and that it provides a caring and supportive start to their education. A small number do not feel that they are well informed about their child’s progress or that the school seeks and acts upon parental views. The school has recently begun to identify and respond to concerns well and has made immediate changes including the arrangements to transfer from nursery to reception. Pupils are happy in school and particularly enjoy playtime activities and the friendships they make.

p.9

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

p.9

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Enhance the quality of provision for children in the nursery and reception classes. • Raise the quality of teaching throughout the school by planning consistently to provide greater levels of challenge for the pupils. • Extend assessment procedures and the use of such information to provide work that matches the needs of pupils of different abilities, particularly those of higher attainment. • Ensure there is evaluative rigour in the monitoring of the work of the school. Someries Infant School - 10

p.9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

The achievement of pupils is satisfactory overall. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve satisfactorily. At the age of seven standards are average for the age of the pupils and they achieve satisfactorily overall.

p.10

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in mathematics. • A small number of often higher attaining pupils across the school do not achieve all they could.

p.10

Commentary

1. Children enter the nursery with wide ranging early learning skills, which overall are average for their age. Children settle happily to school. Most communicate happily with each other and are willing learners. Children in the Foundation Stage make satisfactory progress and achieve satisfactorily. By the time they enter Year 1 pupils meet most of the goals for their age and exceed these in personal and social development. Provision for these children has remained very similar over a number of years. Some of the free choice activities lack sufficient focus and purpose and do not move learning forward as well as they might. The recently appointed headteacher and the very newly appointed Foundation Stage leader have identified the lack of structure to some activities which currently affect the progress some higher attaining children make and have clear plans to add greater depth to learning.

p.10

Key Stage 1

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

p.10

Key Stage 1

Standards in: School results National results Reading 16.5 (15.9) 15.8 (15.7) Writing 14.4 (13.7) 14.6 (14.6) Mathematics 16.5 (16.7) 16.2 (16.3) There were 53 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

p.10

Key Stage 1

2. In the national tests of 2004 pupils aged seven attained standards that were above the national average in reading, and average in writing and mathematics when compared to all schools. When these results are compared to schools with similar numbers of pupils entitled to free school meals standards were above average in reading, average in mathematics and below average in writing. In 2004 pupils did better in the national tests than in several previous years where standards have been average overall although sometimes below, Someries Infant School - 11 and rarely above, the national average. In 2004, the trend in the school’s average National Curriculum points for all core subjects was below the national trend. Data from recent years indicate that overall boys have done better than girls have at the age of seven. This is the opposite of national trends although in all areas, this was reversed in 2004 and currently there is no significant

p.10

Key Stage 1

3. Pupils have average skills in speaking and listening and achieve satisfactorily. Most pupils listen well and are happy to discuss their ideas when asked but several choose to offer little to class discussions. This is partly because the school does not make enough use of strategies including briefly discussing their ideas with a neighbour to regularly involve all pupils in discussions.

p.11

Key Stage 1

4. Standards in reading are average for the age of the pupils and they achieve satisfactorily. In national tests in 2004 pupils did well in reading but the current group of pupils have skills that are not at quite such a high level. In writing standards are also average and pupils achieve satisfactorily. Over time, writing has been an area of weakness in the school, but this has been recognised and the school has started to put into place additional writing activities to enhance the pupils’ skills. However, the school misses opportunities to encourage pupils to write using an imaginative vocabulary about what they have found out in other subjects of the curriculum.

p.11

Key Stage 1

5. In mathematics, standards are slightly above average for the age of the pupils and most achieve well in the subject. This is because pupils have a firm and confident understanding of numbers and how they can use them in a wide range of traditional calculations. Standards have improved in this area since the previous inspection largely because the subject co-ordinator has worked to good effect with colleagues to raise the expectations of what pupils can achieve and to provide work that has a good level of challenge. However, the over use of commercial workbooks that appear to be filler activities while staff concentrate on other tasks does little to enhance pupils’ skills in problem solving and the school is wisely considering a review of such materials.

p.11

Key Stage 1

6. Standards in science are average for the age of the pupils and they achieve satisfactorily. In recent years, teacher assessment routines have indicated not as many pupils achieved at the higher levels as they did in other subjects. Following in-service training the school has reviewed its teacher assessment procedures and note that a greater proportion of pupils are achieving at the higher levels. Standards in information and communication technology and religious education are average for the age of the pupils and they achieve satisfactorily. In some information and communication technology activities pupils make good progress but staff do not always make full use of classroom computers as a day-to-day tool to boost learning and miss opportunities to extend skills further.

p.11

Key Stage 1

7. The overall achievement of pupils is satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs achieve at the same rate as other pupils in lessons. They achieve well towards their targets on individual educational plans because targets match their needs and additional support is of good quality. Pupils Someries Infant School - 12 speaking English as an additional language achieve as well as their peers and some individual pupils do better than their classmates do. The two pupils identified as at the early stages of English receive additional informal support in the classroom and make satisfactory progress.

p.11

Key Stage 1

8. Pupils of average attainment mostly achieve satisfactorily in relation to their ability. Most higher attaining pupils achieve what they are capable of, but the planning of lessons rarely identifies extension activities for the more able and sometimes they are not fully extended and indicate they find the work easy. The school has identified two pupils as gifted and talented in specific areas and staff successfully aim to provide appropriate activities to take account of their abilities. Someries Infant School - 13

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils' attitudes and behaviour are good . The provision of pupils' spiritual, moral and social development is good overall, and that for cultural development is satisfactory . Pupils' attendance and punctuality at the school are satisfactory .

p.13

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most pupils exhibit good attitudes and behaviour in the classroom and around the school. • Pupils' personal development at the school is good, and their relationships are very good. • The provision of spiritual, moral and social development is good and but opportunities are missed to develop cultural awareness.

p.13

Main strengths and weaknesses

9. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well in their personal and social development. Most pupils throughout the school behave well in lessons and around the school. For example, in a very good Year 1 and 2 numeracy lesson, pupils demonstrated very positive attitudes to their work as they concentrated on the partitioning of numbers and in the creation of number sentences. In lessons in which the observed teaching was not as dynamic and interesting, pupils' attitudes and behaviour were no better than satisfactory. Very occasionally, where teaching is unsatisfactory and pupils are not managed well, attitudes are unsatisfactory. In the playground, pupils play well together and demonstrate good relationships with teaching and support staff. Pupils with special educational needs show positive attitudes to learning because all members of staff value them. They receive good quality support and as a result

p.13

Main strengths and weaknesses

gain confidence in their learning. There have been no formal exclusions from the school over the past year.

p.13

Main strengths and weaknesses

10. The provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is good overall but there are weaknesses in the provision of multicultural education. Good elements of spirituality were observed in a whole school assembly, which had a positive moral theme linked to the 'light' of Jesus. The moral and social development of pupils at the school is good and is enhanced, for example, through the many opportunities provided for speaking and listening and in working and playing with other children. Most pupils have a developing understanding of the difference between right and wrong. Although the school's study of the local culture is good, the opportunities to learn and understand the richness and diversity of other cultures and traditions, including the local area, are severely limited and are at present unsatisfactory.

p.13

Main strengths and weaknesses

11. The overall attendance of pupils at the school is satisfactory and is in line with the national average. There is also some occasional pupil lateness and a minority of parents are not supportive of the school in helping to ensure that their children attend school regularly and promptly. The school is active in promoting the attendance of all pupils at the school. The current practice of using 'post it' notes in the back of the school registers to signify late arrivals or early leavers is not as effective as the school's previous use of a 'late' and 'early’ leavers' book. Someries Infant School - 14 Someries Infant School - 15 Attendance in the latest complete reporting year 2003/2004 (%)

p.13

Main strengths and weaknesses

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.

p.15

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The overall quality of education is satisfactory . The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory . Assessment is unsatisfactory overall. The provision for pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety is satisfactory . Links with parents are good .

p.15

Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are satisfactory across the school. Whilst procedures for assessment are improving, as yet assessment overall is unsatisfactory .

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching of pupils in the mixed Year 1 and 2 class is very good. • The planning of lessons and the level of challenge for pupils across the school is not consistently at a high enough level, especially for higher attaining pupils. • Assessment procedures, including the marking of pupils’ work, are too informal in several subjects and the information available is not used to best effect to track pupils’ progress and to inform lesson planning. • Individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs are well focused on their learning needs. • There is a good level of challenge in mathematics activities when pupils record their own findings.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 35 lessons

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

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 to the nearest percent.

p.15

Commentary

12. Teaching and learning in the nursery and reception classes are satisfactory. This teaching is warm, caring and supportive but is lacking vibrancy and impact. For budgetary reasons the nursery is staffed by nursery nurses under the direction of the Foundation Stage co-ordinator who is based in a separate building. Current planning lacks depth and does not provide a sufficient focus Someries Infant School - 16 and clarity in how to develop the children’s skills to the highest possible level. The very brief plans available show a very heavy emphasis on free play. Whilst this has many benefits in building children’s self-confidence, the lack of structure, in-put and focus to such activities adds little more to learning than could be provided in other settings. The very new co-ordinator has immediately recognised the need for more structure to activities and is keen to develop teaching and learning to a more effective level.

p.15

Commentary

13. Teaching in the mixed Year 1 and 2 class is very good. This teaching is particularly effective because the planning of lessons is detailed and identifies exactly what each group of pupils is to learn. Teaching consistently provides a high level of challenge that the pupils are keen to live up to. Here the setting of tasks and giving of information is clear and pupils know exactly what they have to do. Classroom computers are used well to support learning.

p.16

Commentary

14. Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory overall. The strengths lie in the good relationships most staff have with pupils. They encourage them well and make good use of support staff particularly to work with lower attaining pupils, which boosts their learning well. The teaching of mathematics is generally good because the co-ordinator has worked closely with colleagues to raise the expectations of what pupils can achieve. Most tasks provide a good level of challenge, which allows a growing proportion of pupils to achieve at the higher levels. However, not all staff are secure in their understanding of what good teaching is and have not always implemented new ideas and organisational strategies.

p.16

Commentary

15. The weaknesses in teaching in Years 1 and 2 often reflect those seen in the nursery and reception. Sometimes the overall level of challenge provided in a task is not as high as it might be and staff do not consistently expect enough of the pupils. This has affected learning over some time and not all pupils, including those of higher attainment, have achieved all they could. The planning of lessons lacks depth and detail in identifying what the pupils are to learn and how this is to be achieved. Planning rarely identifies extension activities and this negatively impacts on the progress pupils make particularly those of higher ability. The marking of pupils’ work is generally very brief and often little more than ticks. This fails to identify to the pupils what they have done well and especially what they need to do to improve. Occasionally teachers talk for too long at the expense of moving the pupils onto practical learning tasks, which

p.16

Commentary

affects concentration and occasionally the behaviour of pupils. Staff rarely use opportunities for ‘Talking Partners’ where pupils briefly discuss their ideas and feedback to the rest of the class.

p.16

Commentary

16. Where teaching is unsatisfactory there is a mix of limited opportunities for pupils to do something other than listen to the teacher, weak subject knowledge, ineffective management and organisation of tasks that do little to interest the pupils. The quality of teaching is a key area for further improvement.

p.16

Commentary

17. Teachers plan work satisfactorily to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs. They identify special educational needs well and produce Someries Infant School - 17 good quality individual education plans. Targets in the plans are linked very closely to the requirements of the National Curriculum. Because of these procedures and regular good quality reviews, pupils make good progress towards their individual targets.

p.16

Commentary

18. The school’s procedures for assessment and its use are generally satisfactory in mathematics and science but less effective in English and other subjects and unsatisfactory overall. Teachers’ assessments about pupils’ progress in several subjects have not been systematically linked to National Curriculum levels. Hence, there have been only informal systems to track and monitor pupils’ progress in reading, for instance. Teachers use the termly assessments of pupils’ writing to help them allocate pupils to different ability groups in literacy and monitor their progress but do not use the information to set targets for pupils to help them improve. 19. In literacy lessons teachers use questioning effectively based on their knowledge of the pupils to evaluate how well pupils learn and adapt their lesson plans where needed. However, this relies too much on teachers’ individual expertise. There are no systems established and used throughout the school

p.17

Commentary

for recording how well pupils are doing and how to help them improve. For example, not all teachers make clear to pupils what they expect them to learn in the lesson and whether they achieve it. In addition, teachers mark pupils’ books and praise pupils’ efforts, but few of the comments tell pupils how to do better. Consequently, some pupils do not achieve as well as they might, in some lessons where their work is not challenging enough. This is a key area for further improvement.

p.17

The curriculum

The curriculum is satisfactory . The school provides satisfactory opportunities for enrichment. The quality and quantity of accommodation and resources are satisfactory overall.

p.17

The curriculum

• There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs • Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is good • The curriculum is not regularly reviewed and does not consistently meet the needs of the higher attaining pupils. • The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is not fully effective in meeting their learning needs. • There are shortfalls in library accommodation and resources for the nursery.

p.17

The curriculum

20. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. The curriculum meets the requirements of the National Curriculum in all subjects. There has been little review and development of the curriculum recently, however, to make it more relevant and vibrant, with the exception of the effective Healthy Schools Initiative. All pupils are fully included in all aspects of the curriculum. In some lessons, however, activities and tasks for higher Someries Infant School - 18 attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenging so they do not achieve as well as they might. There are no clubs at lunchtime or after school to enrich the curriculum opportunities further. There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs and the effective management of this area ensures this is a strength of the school. Pupils with special educational needs are identified at a very early stage and the special educational needs co-ordinator and staff put in

p.17

The curriculum

21. All aspects of the personal, social and health education curriculum are fully covered including the danger of drugs and alcohol, and sex and relationships education, through the Healthy Schools Initiative. This initiative is a very positive aspect of the school curriculum and an area of development since the last inspection.

p.18

The curriculum

22. The satisfactory curriculum in the Foundation Stage covers the expected areas of learning for children of this age but there are insufficient opportunities for planned outdoor play. Planning relies too much on individual expertise of teachers and nursery nurses and as a result, there is no full guarantee of balance and skill development as children move through the Foundation Stage.

p.18

The curriculum

23. The previous inspection identified the need to improve links with parents including their information about the curriculum. A homework policy is now in place with a weekly programme for Years 1 and 2. Homework is varied covering a range of subjects and tasks and encourages parents and carers to support their children in completing it which works well. This is an improvement since the last inspection but more could be done to provide parents with information about the curriculum.

p.18

The curriculum

24. The accommodation is satisfactory and contains all that is needed to ensure that pupils receive an appropriate curriculum. The library area, however, is limited in its effectiveness due to its size and position. This was the same at the time of the previous inspection and the school has been awaiting an extension since then. This is now set to take place, and includes an improved area for teaching information and communication technology. To supplement the library, stocks of books from which pupils borrow regularly are therefore kept on corridors so pupils have easy access to them. Accommodation in the Foundation Stage is good, but resources for the nursery and outdoor play are unsatisfactory. Resources and artefacts are generally satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and support pupils’ learning effectively but some school computers are unreliable and nearing the end of their useful life. Pupils have recently improved

p.18

The curriculum

the outdoor play areas by planting wild flowers and tubs.

p.18

Care, guidance and support

The school’s provision for care, welfare, health and safety is satisfactory. The procedures for supporting and guiding pupils through monitoring are satisfactory as are those for seeking and acting on pupils' views.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

Someries Infant School - 19 • Child protection procedures are in place but key staff lack recent training. • Teaching and support staff know their pupils well and procedures to identify and support pupils with special educational needs are very well considered. • Medical records are well maintained and the regularity of fire drills is good. • The school has identified a number of health and safety issues which it is actively seeking to address.

p.19

Commentary

25. Child protection systems and procedures are in place but the reporting person and other key staff have not had recent training in this area. This is unsatisfactory. The school teaching and support staff, who clearly know their children well, provide a high degree of welfare and pastoral support to individual pupils. They are very well supported in this area by additional staff in the administrative reception area of the school. Pupils’ academic performance and personal development is monitored both formally and informally by the school but the consistency of the academic advice and support resulting from this monitoring is not always as effective as it might be. There are very good systems in place to identify pupils with special educational needs. There is regular monitoring of progress for these pupils and outside support is used effectively to develop learning.

p.19

Commentary

26. The school operates a good first aid system for minor accidents and appropriate records are maintained and include a note to confirm that parents have been informed of any head injuries. Effective systems are in place to ensure regular safety checks take place and appropriate records are maintained. Very good use was made of the notes taken following a recent fire drill to improve health and safety systems and procedures.

p.19

Commentary

27. Pupils' personal development is enhanced through the responsibility given to them for small tasks around the school and in the way they conduct themselves in the classroom. The opportunities at present given for children to feel they have a voice in the way the school is run and managed are limited.

p.19

Commentary

28. The headteacher and key staff carry out regular health and safety audits of the site and are active in carrying out safety checks in advance of external school visits. The positioning of the school site near to a large roundabout and a very busy road is a clear hazard, which is handled with great care by the school staff, particularly at the end of the school day. The school is taking active measures to address a number of current health and safety issues linked to systems and procedures.

p.19

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The majority of parents and children like the school. Someries Infant School - 20 • The information provided to them is good, although a minority of parents feel that the school does not take their views into account and that they are not kept well informed about their child's progress • Parents of children with special educational needs are given good opportunities to help in the development of learning. • The school's use of the community and other schools to support the curriculum is limited.

p.19

Commentary

29. The parents' meeting with the inspectors was attended by only a small minority of parents and the parental questionnaire was returned by a modest percentage of parents. A significant majority of parents who returned the questionnaire are supportive of the school and of its aims and objectives. Parents feel that their children like school and that they are making good progress. However, a minority of parents feel that the school does not seek their views or take their ideas or suggestions into account. The previous inspection identified the need to raise standards by giving parents greater involvement in their children’s learning. There has been satisfactory overall improvement but there are areas where links could be developed even further.

p.20

Commentary

30. The information provided by the school through the prospectus, annual governing body report to parents and via regular and informative newsletters is of a good standard. However, the school does not provide parents with any advanced information covering curricular topics to be studied by their children. Annual academic reports to parents are of a good standard and they include targets for each pupil's improvement in the core subjects. There are three parents' evenings planned each year and these are usually well attended. Although the present headteacher has not been in post for very long, she has recently provided parents with a questionnaire linked to the contents of the annual reports. The school is actively taking on board suggestions made by parents, particularly in relation to the reports on the Foundation Stage, which will now be significantly redesigned as suggested by parents. 31. Parents are informed at an early stage if their child has special educational

p.20

Commentary

needs. They are informed regularly how their child is progressing. Targets are discussed regularly. Parents, and where appropriate pupils, are able to contribute to the target setting process.

p.20

Commentary

32. The school makes satisfactory use of the local environment to enhance pupils’ access to the curriculum. The school has satisfactory links with the community and occasional field trips are made to study the local environment or to visit places such as the church, library or post office. Occasional incoming visitors are also used to enhance the curriculum but the school misses opportunities for additional visits and visitors to make the curriculum more vibrant.

p.20

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The headteacher provides good leadership and the leadership of other key staff is satisfactory. The governance of the school and management are satisfactory. Someries Infant School - 21

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has a clear vision of how to move the school forward. • The monitoring of teaching and learning lacks rigour and the role of subject managers is not fully developed. • Leadership and management of special educational needs are good. • The administration of the school is smooth and efficient and has a positive impact on the relationship parents have with the school.

p.21

Commentary

33. The leadership of the recently appointed headteacher is good. She has a clear vision for development and awareness that some long established procedures lack focus, clarity and rigour. In a short time, she has identified and started to address areas for improvement. She has put in place changes in the Foundation Stage including some raised after consultation with parents. These changes have started to have an impact on learning for the children but are not yet fully addressed in all areas. The headteacher also has good awareness of the need to involve long established staff in planning for further improvement.

p.21

Commentary

34. The headteacher is satisfactorily supported by other members of staff. The quality of the management of subjects is satisfactory and staff work well together when addressing their roles. Subject leadership is good in mathematics and this has a positive effect on the higher than average standards attained. There has been monitoring of teaching and learning across most subjects but this has not always been as thorough and rigorous as it could have been and as a result has not had sufficient effect on improving learning. With the very recent appointment of a new assessment co-ordinator, the analysis of data has begun to improve and the school is now starting to evaluate achievement in terms of both gender and different ethnic groups to ensure that the needs of all pupils are met. However, over time, the school has not made best use of data to compare achievement with schools nationally and this has led to a sense of complacency when only compared to Luton.

p.21

Commentary

35. The special educational needs co-ordinator leads this area effectively. She has put in place good quality systems which ensure that pupils who have special educational needs are quickly identified and make good progress towards their individual education targets. 36. The governors show satisfactory understanding of the school’s strengths and are developing a growing understanding of its weaknesses. They assist in the monitoring system through their role as subject link governors. There is a full range of committees and the governors meet their legal responsibilities including those involving disability legislation and race equality. Performance management systems meet requirements and are effectively linked to the needs of staff and the whole school and are planned to raise achievement. Recently appointed governors are keen to further develop their role as critical friends of the school.

p.21

Commentary

37. The overall efficiency of the school is satisfactory. The headteacher and governors have good procedures in place to support the school’s educational Someries Infant School - 22 procedures. The school applies the principle of best value satisfactorily. The day-to-day financial controls are very good and are administered very well by the office manager. This first point of contact for parents and visitors is rightly highly regarded by parents who value the support they get from the administrative staff. This allows the headteacher and her staff to concentrate on educational matters. The school has a slightly higher than expected carry forward figure because of delays in building work.

p.21

Commentary

38. There has been satisfactory progress since the previous inspection. All issues raised have been tackled at least satisfactorily and new areas for development have been identified and are being satisfactorily addressed to raise levels of achievement.

p.22

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.22

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 570 538 Balance from previous year 32 696 Total expenditure 559 817 Balance carried forward to the next year 43 417

p.22

Financial information

Expenditure per pupil 2 615 Someries Infant School - 23

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

39. Children are admitted to the nursery from the age of three. They attend on a part-time basis. Some children were admitted during the inspection week. The majority of children move into one of two reception classes when they leave the nursery. There has been good improvement in accommodation since the previous inspection. There is now a purpose built nursery with an enclosed play area. Links with parents seen during the inspection period were very good. Parents were made very welcome and encouraged to stay with their child to help them settle in. A very small number of parents raised concerns at the inspection meeting; these already appear to have been addressed very effectively by the school.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

40. Attainment on entry covers a broad range but it is in line with expectations for the age of the children, particularly in the development of social skills and communication, language and literacy. The curriculum covers the expected areas of learning for this age but there are insufficient opportunities for planned outdoor play. Planning relies too much on individual expertise of teachers and nursery nurses and as a result, there is no full guarantee of balance and skill development as children move through the Foundation Stage. Assessment meets statutory requirements but it is not used effectively to develop learning. Again, there is too much reliance on individual adult expertise to ensure step- by-step skill development.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

41. There is satisfactory leadership and management of the Foundation Stage. The co-ordinator had only been in place for three days at the start of the inspection. Nonetheless, from prior visits to the school and discussions she has already identified and started to address areas for improvement. The potential for future development and improvement in achievement is very good. Resources are satisfactory in the reception classes but are limited in the nursery. There has been satisfactory overall improvement since the previous inspection and there is scope to provide a more vibrant and imaginative learning environment. The improvement of provision for children in the Foundation Stage is a key issue for school improvement.

p.23

Personal, social and emotional development

Provision for personal, social and emotional development is good.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Effectively planned routines have a positive effect on developing social skills. • Children achieve well because teachers and nursery nurses put good emphasis on developing independence Someries Infant School - 24 • Occasionally children could be given more guidance in choosing activities.

p.23

Commentary

42. Children have a wide range of social skills. Teachers and nursery nurses provide good quality teaching and learning activities and as a result, children achieve well. From the moment children enter the nursery and reception classes, they are made welcome and valued by all adults. Routines, such as choosing an activity, help to develop social skills well. Some of the younger children find it a little confusing when they are told to choose an activity without much guidance. Opportunities to share equipment and play in the role-play area ensure children achieve well in developing good quality relationships, although there is scope to develop these areas more imaginatively. By the end of the reception year, children have achieved well and are at higher levels than expected in the Early Learning Goals for children in the Foundation Stage. They have good attitudes to learning. They work very well without direct adult

p.24

Commentary

supervision, relate well to others and respect each other’s views.

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Communication, language and literacy skills are developed effectively in group sessions but there are missed opportunities to develop skills in free-choice activities. • Children with special educational needs receive good individual support. • Work is sometimes set at too difficult a level.

p.24

Commentary

43. Children enter the nursery with communication, language and literacy skills at the expected levels. Many children are confident in speaking to adults. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. It is good in group sessions in reception, resulting in good achievement in these sessions. Children improve their understanding of letter sounds well but in the past, they have not always had enough opportunities to use their knowledge to build up words. Speaking and listening skills are developed satisfactorily but in the free choice activities there are missed opportunities to discuss with children what they are doing or to record progress. Writing exercises are satisfactory overall. Analysis of work completed previously shows that occasionally work is too difficult and this limits achievement for the lower attaining children. Stories are used effectively to develop children’s literacy skills. Stories are well read but

p.24

Commentary

structured activities allowing children to handle books are limited. Achievement in understanding that words and pictures convey meaning is satisfactory. Children identified as having special educational needs in language development receive good support in individual or group sessions with work that matches their needs and as a result achieve well in these sessions. They do not achieve as well in the less focused free choice activities. There is Someries Infant School - 25 satisfactory achievement, with almost all the children reaching the Early Learning Goals.

p.24

Mathematical Development

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Mathematical skills are developed effectively in small group sessions. • There are missed opportunities to develop mathematical skills in sand and water play. • Children are eager to learn. Someries Infant School - 26

p.25

Commentary

44. Children enter the nursery with expected levels of mathematical skills. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. There are examples of good teaching in the reception classes. In small group work, children learn well because teachers explain things clearly and use resources effectively to develop an understanding of numbers. As they progress through reception, work becomes more challenging and children perform simple addition and subtraction. There are opportunities for water and sand play but these lack focus, particularly for younger children. There are many missed opportunities to develop the language of capacity both by providing good quality resources and reinforcing vocabulary both orally and by using labels. Children are eager learners and this has a positive impact on their learning. All children achieve satisfactorily and by the time they reach the end of the reception year almost all

p.26

Commentary

have attained the expected Early Learning Goals.

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory.

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

• A wide range of activities is provided to develop children’s knowledge and understanding. • Monitoring systems do not ensure that all children benefit from all activities.

p.26

Commentary

45. Children are given a wide range of activities to learn about the world about them. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory as is children’s achievement. Children talking or working with adults achieve well, for example, when identifying body parts, but the free choice system is not sufficiently monitored to ensure that all children cover all areas. In reception, there are good opportunities to learn about other cultures. Children in both the nursery and reception classes achieve satisfactorily in the use of information and communication technology, showing confident use of the computer mouse. Activities, which interest the children, such as cake making, result in good achievement. There are many construction kits available for children but often they are used without particular purpose and as a result, children do not always achieve as well as they could do and there is no guarantee of step-by-step skill

p.26

Commentary

development. Children enter the nursery with skills at expected levels, they almost all attain the expected Early Learning Goals by the end of the reception year.

p.26

Physical development

The provision in physical development is unsatisfactory.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are insufficient planned outdoor activities. • Indoor formal physical education sessions in reception are good. Someries Infant School - 27 • There is insufficient monitoring of cutting and handling skills.

p.26

Commentary

46. Children enter the nursery with physical skills at the expected levels. Teaching and learning are satisfactory but children do not have sufficient opportunities to develop outdoor play skills in an organised way. There are satisfactory resources but the teaching in outdoor sessions does not enhance learning sufficiently. Children are well supervised but there is too little intervention by adults to ensure that children learn from their experiences and develop their physical skills. As a result, achievement is less than it could be. In formal physical education lessons, the quality of teaching is good in reception and satisfactory in the nursery. In reception, children learn well because they are well challenged by discussions on the importance of exercise. There is good step-by-step development of skills and as a result, they achieve well. Children use scissors to cut but there is no systematic monitoring of what they are doing

p.27

Commentary

and as a result, there is no guarantee of step-by-step development of skills. Adults do not always talk sufficiently to children to find out what they are planning. By the end of the reception year, almost all pupils attain the Early Learning Goals.

p.27

Creative development

The provision for creative development is satisfactory.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are given a wide range of activities but there is insufficient monitoring to ensure that they all benefit from them. • Children are enthusiastic learners.

p.27

Commentary

47. Children achieve satisfactorily in creative development. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Many varied and interesting activities including painting and play dough are provided for the children, but the lack of systematic monitoring of skill development restricts the opportunities for adults to ensure that there is step by step development as the children move through the Foundation Stage. When children choose an activity, they are eager to learn and talk about what they are doing. In sessions led directly by adults, achievement is good: children learn to mix colours well, producing work which is of good standard. By the end of Foundation Stage, the majority of children have attained the Early Learning Goals. However, some activities lack creative imagination and do little to enhance the rather bland learning environment.

p.27

ENGLISH

Someries Infant School - 28 Provision in English is satisfactory .

p.28

ENGLISH

• Pupils listen attentively, are keen to learn and enjoy good relationships. • Assessment, including the marking of pupils’ work, and tracking systems are not yet developed well enough to improve pupils’ learning and achievement. • In some lessons, there is a lack of stimulation and challenge, particularly for the higher attaining pupils. • Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to learn to read. Someries Infant School - 29 Commentary

p.28

ENGLISH

48. Pupils’ level of language when they start in Year 1 is average overall. Their achievement is satisfactory as they reach broadly average standards in speaking and listening, reading and writing by Year 2. This matches pupils’ standards in the 2004 national tests except in reading, which was then above average. From being well above average at the time of the last inspection, which was a particularly high-achieving cohort of pupils, standards have been either average or below average since then until 2004. Although standards have declined since the last inspection, they are now improving. Bearing these factors in mind, improvement in the subject since the last inspection is satisfactory.

p.29

ENGLISH

49. In Years 1 and 2, most pupils listen attentively to their teachers, other adults and each other. Most are keen to learn and enjoy good relationships with others. However, for those pupils in Year 1 who find it hard to concentrate, teachers do not always use a sufficient range of strategies and pace to keep them involved and learning. In most lessons, teachers use questioning skilfully to assess how well pupils are learning. They gear questions to the range of abilities in the class, which encourages all pupils to respond. Teachers miss opportunities, however, for pupils to learn through discussing and working together in pairs or groups.

p.29

ENGLISH

50. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to learn to read and use shared reading as a class to good effect. This helps pupils to identify rhyme in a poem, for example, and read dialogue with appropriate expression. The teaching points are reinforced effectively when small groups of pupils read with the teacher. In addition reading individually with adults at school and at home and visiting the local library helps pupils achieve well. Many pupils in Year 2 develop library and dictionary skills effectively, which is an area of improvement since the last inspection. A few more able readers, however, in Year 2 are not sufficiently challenged by the level and content of the reading scheme books they read and think they are ‘too easy’.

p.29

ENGLISH

51. There has been recent improvement in the standard of pupils’ writing helped by the strategies put in place, including a spelling programme and the teaching of joined writing. Pupils now have regular opportunities to put what they learn into practice in extended literacy lessons for writing and learn to write for different purposes. They write a good amount, particularly the more able writers. Teachers’ written comments do not always show pupils how to improve their writing and teachers do not set pupils group or individual targets based on National Curriculum levels that tell them what they need to do to improve. This hinders pupils from making quicker progress in their writing.

p.29

ENGLISH

52. Teaching overall is satisfactory with some good features. In the more effective lessons, teaching is lively and enthusiastic and pupils listen attentively and are keen to participate. The different tasks stimulate them and as a result, pupils achieve well. The strategies used by the teachers in less effective lessons are not sufficiently varied and do not involve pupils actively in the lesson enough for them to maintain interest, particularly younger pupils. Where the range of Someries Infant School - 30 activities is not sufficiently well matched to the different ability groups in the class, pupils do not achieve as well as they might, particularly higher attaining pupils. In most lessons there are not enough opportunities for pupils to increase their understanding by talking in pairs or working collaboratively in small groups. Teachers do not always share with pupils at the beginning of the lesson

p.29

ENGLISH

what they expect them to learn, nor review with them at the end whether they have achieved it, so pupils do not always understand what they are learning and why. Pupils with special educational needs achieve as well as the other pupils in the class. Where teaching assistants are available, they are often under-used in the shared session on the carpet. However, they support pupils in their group activities effectively.

p.30

ENGLISH

53. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. As a result of monitoring of teaching and the assessment of pupils’ writing, strategies have been put in place recently, which have helped to improve the standard, which was below national averages. Although teachers assess pupils’ writing regularly according to National Curriculum levels, this information is not yet used systematically to help pupils know how to improve their writing. Teachers use the assessments to track pupils’ progress through their time in school. As yet there are few procedures in place, however, to use this information to help pupils achieve more highly.

p.30

Language and literacy across the curriculum

54. Teachers provide satisfactory additional opportunities in other subjects for pupils to use and develop their literacy skills. For example, in Year 2, pupils write an account of the story of Zaccheus in religious education. In geography, they make lists of the different clothes they would wear in hot and cold weather and they write reports in science.

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in the subject and standards are slightly above average. • The mathematics co-ordinator has worked closely and effectively with colleagues to raise expectation of what the pupils can achieve but does not have enough opportunities to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning. • Pupils have a secure understanding of numbers. • There is an over reliance on commercial workbooks, which limits the development of pupils’ recording skills. • The marking of pupils’ work requires improvement.

p.30

Commentary

Someries Infant School - 31 55. Standards in mathematics are slightly above average at the age of seven and have been maintained since the previous inspection of the school. In national tests in 2004 standards were average when compared to all schools nationally and to schools with similar numbers of pupils entitled to free school meals. Information from recent years shows some variation from year to year but generally a picture of average standards. National test data shows that over several years boys have generally done better than girls, which is the opposite of the picture seen nationally. However, in 2004, this trend was reversed and for the first time for at least four years, girls did better than boys.

p.31

Commentary

56. Pupils generally achieve well in mathematics because they have a secure understanding of numbers and are able to use this well in a traditional range of calculations. Currently there is no significant difference in the achievement of boys or girls or in that of pupils with English as an additional language. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in relation to their ability particularly when receiving additional support. 57. Pupils have good understanding of shape, space and measures and of how to handle data. Skills in using and applying their knowledge of mathematics in solving problems are more variable from class to class. For instance pupils in the mixed Year 1 and 2 class have good skills in this area but pupils in other classes are somewhat more dependent on adults to explain what they have to do. This dependency on staff to explain tasks is partly related to the over use of commercial workbooks where pupils practise the skills they have learnt. This

p.31

Commentary

gives little scope to use these skills in practical tasks and limits the development of an additional range of strategies and of recording styles. Staff are very wisely considering the cost implications of such extensive usage of these materials in relation to their effectiveness.

p.31

Commentary

58. The overall quality of teaching and learning is good as exemplified in the sample of pupils’ work. This is largely because staff have good expectations of what the pupils can achieve and provide a range of activities that are geared to pupils achieving at the higher levels if they are capable of doing so. These improving expectations are reflected in the better proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels in national tests than in the last inspection. Pupils enjoy mathematics including the use of workbooks, partly at least as some pupils explain ‘because it’s easy’. However, where pupils are unable to read the instructions of what they have to do and if adult support is not available some pupils achieve little in these parts of the lesson. This is seen where pupils’ concentration dips, they are not managed well and where teaching in Year 1 is unsatisfactory. The marking of pupils’ work across the school is often very brief

p.31

Commentary

and does little to indicate to pupils what they need to do to improve.

p.31

Commentary

59. The leadership of the subject is good. The subject leader has high levels of teaching skill and provides a very good role model to other staff and pupils. She has a clear sense of purpose and commitment to raising standards and has worked hard to create an effective team approach to the subject. Assessment routines and the use of information to inform planning are satisfactory. The management of the subject is satisfactory, although there are areas for improving the evaluative rigour in monitoring aspects of the subject. Examples of recent monitoring are largely descriptive and at times fail to sufficiently Someries Infant School - 32 identify and clarify the exact quality of teaching and areas for further improvement. The school has not made best use of national data to clearly establish how standards are in relation to all schools nationally and there has been some complacency that the school is doing well in relation to Luton

p.31

Mathematics across the curriculum

60. There is a satisfactory range of opportunities to develop mathematics skills across the curriculum including in science, history and geography. However, as the design element of design and technology activities is often under-developed opportunities are missed to extend measuring skills even further. There is satisfactory use of ICT to support learning as seen in a mixed year group but in other classes computers are not switched on in activities where it would be entirely appropriate.

p.32

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are eager to learn. • Lower attaining pupils are well supported but work does not always challenge the higher attaining ones sufficiently. • There has been no very recent monitoring of the teaching and learning to identify areas for development. • Marking is not used effectively to develop learning. • There are good links between science and literacy.

p.32

Commentary

61. Teacher assessments in 2004 show that standards of attainment at the end of Year 2 are above the national average at the expected Level 2 but well below at the higher Level 3. Inspection evidence found that standards are average and with an increasing number of pupils at Level 3 because of improvements in assessment procedures. Pupils achieve satisfactorily overall. There is no measurable difference between the achievement of boys and girls or other groups. Pupils show particularly good knowledge and understanding of healthy living and the classification and use of materials. They are not as confident in suggesting how they could improve investigative work.

p.32

Commentary

62. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Teachers use introductory sessions effectively to check what pupils have learned earlier. Questions meet the needs of different attainment groups, ensuring that all make similar progress. In group sessions, particularly good support is given to pupils with special educational needs and lower attaining pupils and, as a result, these pupils learn well and make good progress. Higher attaining pupils are not always challenged enough and are given similar tasks to other pupils. Analysis Someries Infant School - 33 of previous work shows an over-reliance on work sheets for all pupils in some classes; as a result, achievement is lower than it could have been. Marking is not used to develop learning; it is usually positive but does not challenge pupils to think about alternative ways to do things or how to improve their work. Teachers link science very effectively with literacy by using ‘big books’ on

p.32

Commentary

scientific topics and this develops both reading and scientific skills. Teachers develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of scientific vocabulary effectively by the use of novel methods such as a ‘light bulb shaped’ dictionary. Pupils are eager to learn and they respond very well to teachers, enabling the teacher to concentrate on developing skills and understanding.

p.33

Commentary

63. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The co-ordinator is committed to raising the profile of science in school. There has been no very recent monitoring of the teaching and learning to identify areas for development. This was originally due to take place during the inspection period. Assessment procedures have been improved but they are not yet used to show pupils what they need to do to move to the next level. There has been satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection. Standards have been maintained; there have been improvements in resources and assessment procedures.

p.33

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is satisfactory .

p.33

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The co-ordinator has supported colleagues well in developing the use of information and communication technology to support literacy • Staff do not always make sufficiently effective use of computers and some classroom computers are not used to their maximum. • Some computers are coming towards the end of their useful life and are unreliable.

p.33

Commentary

64. Standards in ICT are average for the age of the pupils, which indicates a dip since the previous inspection. This is largely because schools nationally have caught up with and in some cases exceeded the quality of provision in the school. This is both in terms of resources and in embedding the use of computers as a learning tool across the curriculum. All groups of pupils achieve satisfactorily.

p.33

Commentary

65. Pupils attain average standards and learn satisfactorily when practising their skill in word processing by changing the font size and colour. They use art packages quite confidently to create a range of their own pictures showing average skill in changing to tools they use. They learn to enter simple data onto databases and print off their results as bar graphs and pictograms. However, the progress they make in this area is not always consistent and does not build on what they have learnt. Someries Infant School - 34 66. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall although quite variable across the school and with some areas for improvement. In lessons where groups of pupils work in rotation, pupils are taught by class teachers and at other times by support staff. This is generally suitable and the ‘hands on’ opportunities for pupils to practise their skills are at least satisfactory and sometimes good.

p.33

Commentary

However, teaching is unsatisfactory when it limits pupils’ opportunities to use computers and concentrates on listening to the teacher’s instructions, and where there is insufficient awareness that the sample of recent work indicates they have previously produced similar pictograms.

p.34

Commentary

67. Leadership of the subject is good because the subject leader has high levels of teaching skills and works hard to bring about improvements with restricted resources. This provides staff with a good role model for how to use information and communication technology both in specific in-put sessions and to develop the use of computers as a tool to support day-to-day activities across the curriculum. The co-ordinator has worked effectively to help colleagues improve their confidence and competence in teaching the subject and realises this is an on-going challenge. Management of the subject is satisfactory. Whilst there has been some monitoring of teaching and of pupils’ work this work has not been sufficiently rigorous in identifying the exact quality of work and there is some misplaced confidence about the quality of teaching. Some computers are unreliable and coming to the end of their useful life. There are well advanced

p.34

Commentary

plans to improve facilities and resources for information and communication technology, which now need to be pursued

p.34

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

68. The school makes satisfactory use of information and communication technology across the curriculum. All classes have timetabled slots to use the computer suite especially to support the development of literacy and numeracy skills. However, on too many occasions during the inspection class computers were not used to support learning in lessons where it would have been eminently suitable. Someries Infant School - 35

p.34

HUMANITIES

69. No lessons were observed in geography or history . Therefore, it is not possible to form an overall judgement about provision and standards in these subjects. Teachers’ planning, samples of work and discussion with pupils indicate, however, that they receive a satisfactory range of learning opportunities and that standards are broadly average in both subjects.

p.35

HUMANITIES

70. In geography in Year 2 pupils develop their geographical understanding and vocabulary when they learn about the weather and use the terms ‘temperature’ and ‘degrees’ to describe hot and cold weather. They apply their understanding when they make lists of appropriate clothes to wear in cold or hot weather. They know which countries make up the United Kingdom and can indicate them on a map.

p.35

HUMANITIES

71. In history pupils in Year 2 find out about a range of famous people, such as Florence Nightingale, Guy Fawkes, Elizabeth 1, Henry V111. They recount details of their lives and the times they lived in and give reasons as to why they are remembered. They develop an understanding of the passing of time, for example of when the different events happened. Their historical skills and understanding develop effectively as a result.

p.35

HUMANITIES

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

p.35

HUMANITIES

• Pupils display a positive attitude to the subject and respect for different faiths. • Good links with a local church and the community enrich the subject. • Where teachers’ knowledge and understanding is not good enough, pupils do not learn and understand as well as they might. • There has been no recent monitoring of teaching in the subject.

p.35

HUMANITIES

72. Standards remain in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus, as they were at the time of the previous inspection. In addition to the two lessons seen, samples of work and discussions with pupils indicate that their achievement overall is satisfactory. Pupils’ work shows a growing knowledge and understanding of aspects of Christianity, Islam and Judaism through planned themes such as ‘special times’. Pupils have positive attitudes to the subject and show genuine interest in the range of activities, including the work on different faiths.

p.35

HUMANITIES

73. Teaching is satisfactory because pupils learn effectively overall. In one lesson seen, however, the teacher’s subject knowledge was not good enough, and pupils understood and learnt less as a result. A visit to the local church and visitors from the local community help to enhance learning and bring the subject to life. For example, the vicar performs the baptism ceremony in class, Someries Infant School - 36 and Hindu and Muslim parents come in to talk about how they celebrate the festivals of Diwali and Eid respectively. In this way, the school also acknowledges and celebrates the different faiths represented in the school community, but more could be done to extend the range of these activities and pupils’ cultural development.

p.35

HUMANITIES

74. Leadership in the subject is satisfactory, with the themes in the scheme of work linked in to the new locally agreed syllabus and new matching resources. However, little has been done recently to monitor teaching in the subject to enable the co-ordinator to have a clear picture of standards in the subject. This limits the evaluative rigour employed in school and does little to identify where there are areas for further improvement, making management barely satisfactory overall.

p.36

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

75. As no lessons were seen in art and design, design and technology and physical education judgements cannot be made about overall provision, standards or achievement in any subject.

p.36

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. In art and design it is evident from displays, samples of pupils’ work and photographic evidence that the school provides a broadly satisfactory range of activities. Pupils have the chance to work with a satisfactory if somewhat narrow range of materials, but few of the activities show imaginative flair and some do little to encourage individuality and creativity. There are a few interesting pieces of textile work produced in Year 1 but the general standard of much of the collage work is of limited quality. Work is displayed around the school but this lacks the vibrancy often seen in work of pupils of this age and does little to create a bright, lively and stimulating environment.

p.36

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. Where pupils’ work is all the same or very similar the design element of the art and design curriculum is under-developed and pupils appear to often copy each other or the source of the lesson. There appear to be few opportunities where they can choose the materials or techniques they wish to use or the size, shape or colour of backing papers. There has been insufficient emphasis on the teaching of higher order drawing and painting skills to ensure that pupils use pencils, crayons and paints skilfully and creatively. This is largely because assessment in the subject is informal and there have been few opportunities for the enthusiastic subject co-ordinator to monitor the quality of teaching and learning and rigorously evaluate the type and quality of work produced.

p.36

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

78. In design and technology pupils appear to have fairly secure skills in following instructions and making a range of appropriate artefacts. They have satisfactory opportunities to use construction kits and reasonable opportunities to develop sewing skills. However, as in art and design, pupils appear to have little scope to design their own work and pursue their individual ideas for a piece. Pupils have few opportunities to evaluate the success of their work and identify what they could improve. For instance, they use pre-shaped outlines for glove puppets and the whole class produce the same work when decorating their Christmas calendars. Very similar pieces of sewing indicate pupils are not Someries Infant School - 37 encouraged to employ designing and evaluation skills and the work is too prescriptive to allow them to achieve all they are capable of. This restriction and confinement of ideas does little to enhance pupils’ self-confidence in their skills.

p.36

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

As in art and design, assessment in the subject is largely informal and the subject leader has had insufficient opportunity to rigorously monitor and evaluate the quality of work produced.

p.37

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

79. No lessons were observed in physical education . Analysis of planning shows all areas are covered and pupils and parents indicate that children enjoy such activities. Someries Infant School - 38

p.37

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Resources are used effectively to develop pupils’ musical skills. • Standards in singing are good. • Too long is spent on particular activities in some lessons.

p.38

Commentary

80. Standards in music are at the expected level at the end of Year 2 and children sing tunefully in assembly. Pupils of all attainment levels including those with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. All pupils achieve satisfactorily. There has been good progress since the previous inspection because levels of performance have improved.

p.38

Commentary

81. By the end of Year 2 pupils perform well using percussion instruments including body percussion. They listen to each other and follow patterns very well. In lessons, pupils show improvement in their performance. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. There are examples of very good teaching. In very good lessons, pupils understand what they are going to learn because objectives are clearly explained. The very good use of ‘body percussion’ develops pupils’ awareness of loud and quiet in music. Pupils’ learning of musical vocabulary is very well reinforced by the use of word cards. Pace of lessons is usually brisk and pupils are kept interested and are eager to learn. Occasionally, teachers spend too long on a particular activity and as a result pupils become a little restless and progress slows.

p.38

Commentary

82. There is satisfactory leadership and management in the subject. There is a recently appointed co-ordinator who has not yet had time to monitor teaching and learning in the subject.

p.38

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

83. There is insufficient evidence to make a judgement on the provision in personal, social and health education and citizenship. The program is good. One lesson was observed and it was of very good quality. Pupils are encouraged to discuss a wide range of topics including trust and honesty. Sex and relationships education and drugs and medicines awareness are taught sensitively throughout the school. Discussions with pupils show that they learn about different people and this helps them to develop an understanding of citizenship. The school is rightly very proud of its involvement and successes in the Healthy Schools project. Pupils understand the importance of being healthy. There are good links between personal, social and health education and citizenship and religious education and science. Someries Infant School - 39 Someries Infant School - 40

p.38

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.40

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

p.40

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 4 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

p.40

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.40

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.40

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).

p.40