Howbridge Infant School

THE HOWBRIDGE INFANTS SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 8 – 10 November 2004

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THE HOWBRIDGE INFANTS SCHOOL

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

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THE HOWBRIDGE INFANTS 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. The Howbridge Infants School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant School category: Foundation Age range of pupils: 4 to 7 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 211

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Dengie Close Howbridge Road Witham Essex Postcode: CM8 1DJ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01376 512153 Fax number: 01376 512153

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Carole Brine

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 1 March 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The Howbridge Infant School is in Witham near Chelmsford in Essex . It is a foundation, formerly grant maintained, school. The site is shared with the Junior School . There are 211 pupils aged between four and seven on roll, which is average for a primary school. Pupils come from a variety of social backgrounds. Although the school’s overall context is broadly typical, recent changes in the area are affecting the school and far more children are starting in the reception classes with very limited communication skills. An average number of pupils are known to be entitled to free school meals. Nearly all pupils are of white British origins and few are believed to have a first language other than English . The overall percentage of pupils with special educational needs is average, but a local education authority survey has confirmed that children’s standards on starting school are now lower than in previous years. Attainment on entry is now well below nationally expected levels

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

and has changed from the time of the previous inspection . The Howbridge Infants School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

16408 Chris Rhodes Lead inspector English Music Physical education Religious education English as an additional language 9561 Husain Akhtar Lay inspector 21103 Val Ives Team inspector Mathematics History Geography Foundation stage 32574 John Hobden Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology Special educational needs

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a satisfactory and rapidly improving school . Current standards in Year 2 in English and mathematics are below average, but most pupils make good progress in comparison with their attainment in previous years. Standards in science match expected levels. The quality of teaching and learning, and of leadership and management, is good. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The curriculum is too rigid and limits teachers’ opportunities to adapt it to the needs of the pupils. • The new headteacher is committed to improvement and is managing change effectively. • Staff make sure that all pupils take a full part in all lessons. • Pupils make good progress in response to the good teaching. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to the quality of pupils’ learning. • Pupils behave very well at all times. • Teachers know what pupils can do but the current system of target cards is not fully understood by many pupils, and they do not use them enough to improve their work. • Attendance is below average.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Progress since the previous inspection in 1999 has been satisfactory overall, with significant improvements since the appointment of the new headteacher. The key issues from the previous report have been largely addressed, although there is still work to be done to relieve the congestion in the shared car park. The specific weaknesses in the curriculum have been addressed successfully but aspects of curriculum planning are too inflexible. Standards in English and mathematics are not as high as those previously reported, but attainment on entry is lower.

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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 B A C C writing A B C C mathematics C A D D 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

Overall achievement is good. The table illustrates that standards in reading and writing in the 2004 assessments were then in line with the national average. Nearly two thirds of the pupils made better than expected progress when the results were compared with their own levels of attainment when they started school. Over half made good progress in mathematics and a third in writing.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The inspection found that current standards in English in Year 2 are not as high as last year. Overall progress is good, but many pupils do not have the depth and range of spoken vocabulary seen in previous years. This affects their work in reading and writing. Standards remain below average in mathematics. Standards are close to nationally expected levels in science, information and communication technology, design and technology, history and religious education. They are above in art and design. There was insufficient inspection evidence to make a judgement about standards in geography, music or physical education. Children in the reception classes make good progress, and most are on course to achieve the early learning goals expected for their age in personal, social and emotional development, and creative development, by the end of the summer The Howbridge Infants School - 7 term. Many are unlikely to reach the goals for communication, language and literacy, mathematical

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

development or have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the world. There was insufficient inspection evidence for a judgement about children’s physical development.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal qualities are good . Most pupils arrive punctually in the morning, although authorised absence is above national levels. Behaviour is very good and pupils have positive attitudes. There was one fixed term exclusion during the previous year. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good , and contributes positively to the strong school ethos.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is good. The overall quality of teaching is good. Staff are particularly skilled in managing their classes and ensuring that all pupils take a full part in the lesson. Teaching is stronger in Years 1 and 2 than in the Foundation Stage - where the teachers’ relative lack of experience with the age group, and the lack of a co-ordinator to lead them, have limited the introduction of the full Foundation Stage curriculum. Pupils’ work is assessed regularly, and marking helps pupils to improve individual pieces of work. Teaching assistants are very effective because they are skilled and very well prepared. The overall quality of learning is good. Pupils work hard and respond positively to good teaching and adult support.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum is unsatisfactory. It was largely designed before the new headteacher took up her post and does not meet pupils’ needs in full, especially in aspects of literacy, numeracy and the Foundation Stage, because it is over-prescriptive and limits teachers’ freedom to adapt it to the needs of their pupils. Accommodation and resources are good. The level of care, and links with parents, the community and other schools, are good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The overall leadership is good . The new headteacher is passionate about the school, understands its current strengths and weaknesses very clearly, and is building a strong leadership team to bring about improvement and raise standards. She is managing change firmly but sensitively. The quality of management is also good. Many subject co-ordinators are relatively new in their roles. The good governing body meets all statutory requirements.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils feel positively about the school. Parents find the headteacher and staff very approachable. Some would like to know more about how well their children are doing. Pupils welcome the easy access they have to an adult if they feel worried.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Re-plan the curriculum for literacy, numeracy and the Foundation Stage so that it meets pupils’ needs more precisely, and leads to higher standards in English and mathematics. • Use teachers’ knowledge of pupils’ attainment more effectively to set more meaningful targets. • Continue to work to raise levels of attendance. The Howbridge Infants School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Current standards in English and mathematics are below average in Year 2. Pupils have made good progress in comparison with their previous attainment at the age of five, when they started school with well below expected levels of speaking and listening. Overall achievement in response to the good teaching has been good. Boys and girls achieve similar standards. Pupils with special educational needs, and the few with English as an additional language, have made good progress because tasks are set at appropriate levels of difficulty, and they receive very good additional help from the skilled teaching assistants. Current standards in Year 2 are not as high as in previous years, reflecting the increasing number of pupils with special educational needs, and lower levels of attainment on entry. This has been confirmed in a local education authority survey.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in English and mathematics are below average, and are not as high as formerly. • Pupils have a limited spoken vocabulary. This affects standards in all subjects. • Pupils’ overall progress over time is good, but has become constrained by the way the curriculum has been planned in recent years.

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Commentary

1. Essex has been part of the national pilot to develop a programme of teacher assessments at the age of seven that is broader than a series of formal tests. The table below shows that standards in the assessments for pupils in Year 2 in the summer of 2004 were average in reading and writing, and below average in mathematics. Children start school with lower standards than they did five years ago, a reflection on the changing neighbourhood in which the school is situated. A comparison between the pupils’ actual results and their previous levels of attainment at the age of five shows that two thirds of the pupils made good progress during Years 1 and 2, and that all but one pupil made satisfactory progress. More pupils made good progress in mathematics than in writing. More girls than boys reached higher levels in reading and writing. There was no difference between girls and boys in mathematics.

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Commentary

2. The new headteacher has been able to move quickly since September to identify the main reasons for the lower results, and made all aspects of English the school’s most urgent priority. New books have been purchased to extend the reading scheme, and a greater emphasis has been placed on the development of high quality speaking and listening skills. The headteacher has also identified that the planning for Year 1 for literacy and numeracy did not take sufficient account of the significant number of pupils who need to consolidate their early skills in communication, language and literacy, before they start more formal work within the National Curriculum. The curriculum for both Year 1 and Year 2 was based too rigidly on national expectations of what pupils should be doing in particular terms, and teachers did not feel free to adapt it to the needs of their pupils. This affected pupils’ overall standards,

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Commentary

especially when the work was too advanced, and remains an area of major concern.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 15.9 (17.5) 15.8 (15.8) writing 14.6 (15.3) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 15.8 (17.7) 16.2 (16.3) There were 75 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year. The Howbridge Infants School - 9 3. The inspection found that many children in the reception classes are unlikely to achieve the early learning goals expected of their age in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, or knowledge and understanding of the world. Their progress, however, from a well below average start, has been good. Most are on course to reach the goals for creative and emotional, behavioural and social development. This represents very good progress in these particular aspects. There was not enough inspection evidence to make a judgement about children’s progress towards the goal for physical development.

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Commentary

4. Current standards in Year 2 are below average in reading, writing and mathematics. This matches the school’s own judgement that the current Year 2 is of generally lower ability than the pupils who were assessed in the previous year, and that the overall levels of attainment on entry into the reception classes are lower than in previous years. There is a direct link between standards in all subjects and the difficulties many current pupils have in expressing themselves orally. Much of their spoken vocabulary and writing lacks the depth, range and imagination usually seen in pupils of this age. However, given their well below average attainment at five years of age, pupils’ books and records indicate that they have made good progress over time to reach current below average levels. There is a direct link between pupils’ progress and the motivating teaching they receive in lessons. Inspectors found no

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Commentary

current evidence of any difference between boys’ and girls’ attainment and progress.

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Commentary

5. Current standards in Year 2 in science, information and communication technology [ICT], history and design and technology are in line with national expectations and reflect good progress. They are above expected levels in art and design. Standards in religious education match those expected in the locally agreed syllabus. Standards in ICT are not currently as high as at the previous inspection. Pupils’ attainment has not kept pace with increased national expectations and the room containing most computers cannot be used at present because of problems with the air conditioning. There was insufficient inspection evidence to make overall judgements about standards in geography, music or physical education.

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Commentary

6. Pupils with special educational needs make generally good progress with the skilled support of the teaching assistants and most achieve the goals set out in their individual education plans. Staff match the planning objectives carefully to group or individual work so that it meets pupils’ actual needs. The school’s positive atmosphere involves all pupils equally, and ensures that they take an active part in all lessons and subjects. The few pupils speaking English as an additional language also make good progress because they receive specialist support, and the skilful teaching assistants give them extra help when they come across unfamiliar vocabulary.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes are good and behaviour is very good. The school makes good provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and pupils respond well. Attendance is unsatisfactory. Punctuality is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils behave very well in lessons, in the playground and as they move around the school. • Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. • The school works hard and successfully to ensure that all pupils take a full part in activities. • The level of authorised absence is too high.

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Commentary

7. Very good standards of pupils’ behaviour have been maintained since the previous inspection. The behaviour code has come from the pupils as well as the staff and is applied consistently. The school is calm and orderly, and pupils look out for each other. Behaviour is very good largely because the pupils themselves want it to be so. They enjoy their work and take a full The Howbridge Infants School - 10 part in school life. They are increasingly given responsibility for tasks that help to make school life more enjoyable. For example, they look after and distribute toys for pupils to use on the playground. The school council has discussed ideas for playground rules and the creation of a ‘friendship stop’ where pupils could go for company if they felt lonely in the playground. There is an effective anti-bullying policy, which is used consistently, so that incidences of bullying are rare and are dealt with swiftly.

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Commentary

8. Pupils have good attitudes and relate well to each other and to adults. They are polite and co- operative. Teachers encourage this in lessons and assemblies, and praise pupils who demonstrate appropriate behaviour. The school makes good use of its limited outdoor play facilities and staff actively promote good behaviour and co-operative play.

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Commentary

9. Pupils’ personal and social development is encouraged effectively in lessons and informally during ‘snack time’ when pupils are encouraged to discuss such things as their food preferences. They take part in fund-raising for charities, including, at the time of the inspection, making contributions to ‘Operation Christmas Child’. This gives pupils an opportunity to become involved in a practical way by making up parcels as well as by giving money. The school has improved pupils’ awareness of the customs and beliefs of those from a range of cultures by joining a scheme for loan of multicultural resources. These were seen in use during the inspection in lessons and in an assembly on the theme of Diwali. The school recognises the need to encourage an understanding of every pupil’s own culture.

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Commentary

10. The school acts positively to ensure that pupils with special needs and disabilities are fully included in all aspects of school life. Well-trained classroom assistants make an effective contribution in supporting the personal and social development of pupils with particular needs by involving them naturally with their friends in all types of lesson including physical education.

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Attendance

Attendance is below the national average. Authorised absence is above average but unauthorised absence is in line with national expectations.

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Attendance

Absences are mainly due to illness and a small number of family holidays taken during the term time. Unauthorised absence occurs when parents have not supplied a reason, or a good enough reason, for absence. Good attendance is rewarded and most pupils arrive on time in the morning. The school writes to parents every term to inform them of their child’s individual pattern of attendance. The administrative staff maintain attendance records efficiently and follow up absences by contacting parents when necessary. All authorised absences are monitored carefully by the Education Welfare Officer, who has written an action plan for the school in order to increase levels of attendance. Toilets are cleaned every midday as well as in the evenings in order to minimise the spread of common illnesses which might cause absence.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.2 School data 0.4 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. The Howbridge Infants School - 11

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Exclusions

There was one fixed term exclusion in the previous school year, which has been followed by the successful re-integration of the pupil concerned.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 135 1 0 White - Irish 1 0 0 White – any other White background 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 1 0 0 Black or Black British – African 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 1 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 17 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The overall quality of education is satisfactory. The quality of teaching and learning is good. The curriculum is unsatisfactory. The overall level of accommodation and resources is good. The quality of care, and links with parents, the community and other schools, is good.

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Teaching and learning

The overall quality of teaching and learning is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is stronger in Years 1 and 2 than in the reception classes. • Teachers manage their classes well and prepare very thoroughly for lessons. • Teaching assistants make a major contribution to the quality of pupils’ learning. • Teachers do not always insist on high standards of spoken English.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 25 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Commentary

11. The good standard of teaching has been maintained since the previous inspection, and there was no unsatisfactory teaching. The best teaching is in Years 1 and 2. Teaching in English and mathematics lessons is good. It is rigorous and motivational. Pupils respond purposefully and make good progress in lessons and over time. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is The Howbridge Infants School - 12 satisfactory. Staff in the reception classes are relatively inexperienced with the age group, and do not have a co-ordinator to lead them. A Foundation Stage co-ordinator has been appointed for the new term.

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Commentary

12. Teachers plan carefully for the different ability groups within their classes, but a past requirement to follow centrally set planning has limited individual teachers’ freedom to adjust the content of lessons so that pupils’ activities wholly match their stage of understanding. Lower attaining pupils in Year 1, for example, tried very hard with a writing task suitable for pupils of their age nationally, but which was too difficult for them to complete without considerable adult support. Teachers have started to plan more freely this term but some past practice lingers, and limits the overall quality of the teaching to good rather than very good. It was very apparent during the inspection that teachers are keen to improve and have the capacity to do so. The more confident teachers have started to change their planning; for example, in English lessons. Pupils’ books are marked thoroughly in all classes and contain

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Commentary

developmental as well as supportive comments. Pupils have longer-term written targets for improvement in English and mathematics but are not always clear what they have to do to achieve them because they do not make sufficient links between their target cards and their current work.

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Commentary

13. Teaching assistants are full and valued members of the staff team. They are very thoroughly briefed by teaching staff and work in happy and close partnership with them and the pupils. They are skilled in supporting individual pupils and when working with groups. They play a vital part in helping pupils to make progress. Their use of questions, encouraged by the teachers’ own very good examples, makes pupils think more carefully about their answers. Each class teacher keeps a file of individual education plans for any pupil with special needs and uses them with support staff to provide suitable activities. Examples were seen when the assistant made sure the teacher took answers from particular pupils in whole-class sessions, and in an ICT lesson where good support ensured that every pupil made progress; a pupil who could not work on the floor was given a large set of joined tables so that he could

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Commentary

complete the task in a standing position.

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Commentary

14. The teaching of basic literacy and numeracy skills is satisfactory. Staff have good levels of technical subject knowledge. Although there is an increasing awareness of the need to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills, some teachers do not always encourage a rich spoken vocabulary. Some accept too many single word answers rather than encouraging pupils to speak in sentences or do not help them to find the words they need to explain their ideas more clearly. This has a direct and depressing effect on standards in all subjects because pupils struggle with written work or give only limited responses to questions. Several teachers use the conversational opportunities that arise at ‘snack time’ effectively to encourage conversation, but this approach does not extend sufficiently into lessons.

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The curriculum

Curricular provision is unsatisfactory. The current curriculum does not sufficiently meet all the pupils’ needs, especially in aspects of literacy, numeracy and the Foundation Stage. Accommodation and resources are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The current curriculum in all year groups is too rigid and limits teachers’ opportunities to work more flexibly. • The Foundation Stage curriculum is at a relatively early stage of development, is too heavily weighted towards the National Curriculum and does not take sufficient account of the more flexible national guidelines for pupils in the reception classes. • Parts of the Year 1 curriculum are not suitable for pupils who are still working towards the early learning goals of the Foundation Stage. The Howbridge Infants School - 13

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Commentary

15. The curriculum is unsatisfactory because it is based too inflexibly on an external view of what pupils should be learning. For example, teachers needlessly hold rigidly to aspects of the national guidelines for literacy and numeracy. Many adhere too closely to the lesson plan for the week and day set out in external guidance, irrespective of whether all the pupils are ready to move on or not.

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Commentary

16. A key issue from the previous inspection was the improvement of provision for children in the Foundation Stage by ensuring that the curriculum met their needs. There has been some improvement in the specific areas identified, but the overall curriculum remains inappropriate. The current curriculum does not meet the children’s needs well enough in the reception classes because it does not sufficiently follow the guidelines for the Foundation Stage. It is too heavily weighted towards the National Curriculum for Year 1 pupils, and takes little account of the early learning goals for the Foundation Stage of learning. As a result, for example, children’s reading targets are selected from the National Curriculum, instead of from the steps set out in the early learning goals. Teachers have not felt free to adapt the curriculum to the needs of their children. This means that when the children transfer to Year

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Commentary

1, and have not achieved all the areas in the early learning goals, their needs are not met in full because the Year 1 National Curriculum is started too soon. The new deputy headteacher will act as Foundation Stage co-ordinator and will work with staff to develop the curriculum as her most urgent priority.

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Commentary

17. The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs is better because staff have adapted the pupils’ activities so that they match the objectives in their individual education plans. Monitoring by the local education authority indicates that the number of pupils with speech and language difficulties is increasing. Activities for these pupils are planned in consultation with a speech and language therapist, who has set up programmes for support staff to implement in school. The few pupils for whom English is an additional language are well supported so that they have full access to all National Curriculum subjects. Dual language dictionaries and books are provided for specific pupils. Two teaching assistants have been trained in techniques for working with them.

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Commentary

18. Despite current problems with air conditioning in the ICT suite, the overall quality of the internal accommodation is good. A useful range of special or adapted resources has been purchased for pupils with special educational needs. A room has been equipped with multi- sensory equipment such as a projector and bubble tube. It is used for calming activities and for work on thinking skills, and is available to all as appropriate. Considerable progress has been made in ensuring that pupils are kept away from the congested car parking area, a major concern at the time of the previous inspection. Both the schools on the site have, funds permitting, ambitious plans to develop the area further. The general level of resources is good.

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Care, guidance and support

The school makes good provision for pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety. Pupils are given satisfactory support and guidance for their work. The involvement of pupils in seeking and acting on their views is satisfactory and typical for pupils of this age.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides high standards of pastoral care. • Pupils are supported effectively in classrooms and in the playground. • Their views are listened to and acted upon so that they help to improve the school. • Assessment of pupils in the Foundation Stage is good. • Arrangements for induction into the school and into the junior school are good. • Assessment data is not used enough to chart individual pupils’ progress or to set targets. The Howbridge Infants School - 14

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Commentary

19. The school has maintained the high standards of care seen at the time of the previous inspection. Arrangements for child protection and safety are fully in place with appropriate procedures to implement them, including full risk assessments carried out on all activities, including visits away from school. The school promotes healthy lifestyles by encouraging pupils to bring in healthy snacks and by distributing fruit. Participation in the Healthy Schools scheme has led to a recent award.

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Commentary

20. Induction arrangements are good for children who join the reception class, and very good for pupils transferring to Year 3 in the adjoining junior school. Teachers from both schools work closely together throughout the year, and pupils feel confident about the move. They are allocated a buddy from Year 5 to ease their transfer.

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Commentary

21. Staff know their pupils very well and respond quickly when anyone is in difficulties. The well- trained teaching assistants work closely with class teachers to support all pupils and especially those with special needs or disabilities. This extends to the playground, where staff support pupils by joining in games and encouraging good relationships. Pupils are increasingly being given opportunities to shape the life of the school through, for example, the school council, although their current difficulties in expressing their thoughts clearly limit its effectiveness.

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Commentary

22. The school collects assessment data on a regular basis. Pupils have targets on cards, but not all know what they mean or make enough connection between improving their current work and achieving their next target. The school is aware of the need to improve on this practice, and is developing a simple and effective record on which results, targets and actual progress can be seen at a glance. Pupils understand the marking system, and value the guidance it gives them for improving individual pieces of work.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with parents are good and have a positive effect on the quality of pupils’ learning. Links with the local community extend their learning experiences. The high standards seen at the time of the previous inspection have been maintained.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents’ confidence in the school is high and they readily support their children’s learning. • Links with other schools and the wider community are productive .

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Commentary

23. Parents say that they feel comfortable approaching the school, and that the staff are friendly and helpful in resolving any issues or problems. Parents at the pre-inspection meeting said that they are notified promptly of any accidents or problems. The information provided by the school for parents meets requirements and procedures are explained in a helpful way in the ‘Working together’ booklet. Pupils’ annual progress reports, however, are only satisfactory since they say what pupils have been doing in the different subjects but not what pupils are achieving, with reference to National Curriculum levels. They do not say enough about how parents could help their children to improve their work. The school has already planned to make the reports more informative when they are next sent out. Parent-teacher consultative meetings are generally well attended and helpful to parents.

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Commentary

24. The school gains useful information and opinions from parents on the direction they think the school should be going through letters, surveys and open mornings and afternoons. This has included consultation about the safety hazards caused by congestion inside and outside the school gate, with the result that parents have supported the school’s introduction of safe The Howbridge Infants School - 15 walking routes. Parents and family members support their children with spelling and reading homework, and make detailed entries in the partnership exercise books. Educational visits are well supported by parents and the work of the Parents Association raises significant funds for the school.

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Commentary

25. The school makes good use of community resources to extend pupils’ learning and is well supported in the neighbourhood. The local vicar takes assemblies on a regular basis and a road safety officer helps to raise pupils’ awareness about safety. Pupils give back to the community by inviting local residents to the summer fete and Christmas concert. Good liaison with the junior school ensures that pupils move to their next school smoothly and uneventfully.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good, and standards have been maintained since the previous inspection despite many changes in the senior staff.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The new headteacher provides clear leadership and gives the school a very strong sense of purpose. • Governance is good. The governing body works closely with the school. • Senior staff are developing their roles effectively.

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Commentary

26. The quality of governance is good. The governing body is new but governors have worked very hard to understand the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They liaise closely with the headteacher to develop areas that require improvement and are keen to extend their own individual skills. Governors visit the school regularly and fulfil their statutory duties. They have made some tough personnel decisions, guided by a clear focus on achieving what is best for the pupils. The chair and headteacher work closely and harmoniously together, and their regular discussions are relevant and analytical.

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Commentary

27. The new headteacher has a passion for the school and its pupils, and leads effectively. She has a very clear vision of what needs to be achieved, has handled key staffing issues sensitively and has made a rigorous and accurate assessment of the school’s current strengths and weaknesses. She has started to implement curriculum and management change, based on the priorities she has identified. She recognises that the current curriculum is unsatisfactory, but correctly decided to establish a culture of change based on a shared understanding of what needs to be improved and why, and a secure management structure, before taking the school into a major shift in the way in which they plan their work. She is building very effectively on existing staff strengths by raising morale, taking senior staff with her, and encouraging them to take on more responsibility and to be accountable for the results

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Commentary

of their work. She has used a staff vacancy effectively to recruit a deputy headteacher to provide leadership in the Foundation Stage and reverse the current unsatisfactory position of a team with no leader.

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Commentary

28. Subject co-ordinators have realistic but ambitious plans for their subjects but have not had enough opportunities in recent years to influence the work in classrooms. This has already started to change, and senior staff are benefiting from their involvement in the national Primary Leadership Programme because it is making them think as a team about issues that affect the whole school. The special educational needs co-ordinator monitors the teaching and planning for pupils on the Register, and has established good links with outside agencies.

p.15

Commentary

29. Although some analysis of the outcomes of National Curriculum and other assessments has taken place in the past, the results have not been brought together in a useful way so that individual pupil progress could be tracked systematically. This has meant that some of the The Howbridge Infants School - 16 current curriculum weaknesses have gone unchallenged because insufficient links were being made between assessment and planning. The headteacher is introducing a simple but effective way to record how well pupils are doing, set targets and link assessment outcomes to teachers’ planning.

p.15

Commentary

30. The school is managed and organised efficiently. The headteacher has introduced a supportive programme that releases teachers during the working day so that they can mark books and plan and prepare their lessons. The school development plan has been radically revised and improved. As a result, it is much more concise and contains appropriate success criteria so that governors and staff can judge when they have achieved their objectives. Office staff carry out their management functions in a friendly and well-organised way. Parents feel very positively about the way they are treated and welcomed when they visit the school. School systems work like clockwork .

p.16

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.16

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 623,005 Balance from previous year 47,096 Total expenditure 628,080 Balance carried forward to the next 42,021 Expenditure per pupil 2,976

p.16

Financial information

31. Financial management is very good. The carry forward into the current year was above recommended levels but is part of the governing body’s financial strategy for the continued development of the school site and for improvements to the curriculum identified in the development plan, such as the extension of the school reading scheme. The school is part of a consortium that employs a full-time financial manager. Financial records are kept meticulously and all expenditure is closely monitored. The funding supporting pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language is spent very effectively. The governing body applies the ‘best value’ principles of challenge, comparison, consultation and competition rigorously. The school gives satisfactory value for money. The Howbridge Infants School - 17

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Children are admitted to the reception classes in September and January. Staff are sensitive to the needs of young children and the admission arrangements reflect this. Staff work hard to establish a good relationship with parents. They settle the children quickly and there are suitable links with other local pre-school settings from which many of the children transfer. Assessment processes are improving and staff use the information gained from assessments effectively to identify the children’s future needs. They work very well as a team and proficient teaching assistants are deployed very effectively to the benefit of all. There is insufficient emphasis in teachers’ planning on the guidelines for the early learning goals with the result that formal work is planned as an introduction to the National Curriculum rather than for the Foundation Stage in its own right.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Overall, teaching is satisfactory, with some good elements. Teachers have clear expectations of behaviour and the children respond well. They are developing good attitudes to school. Assessments of the children on entry to the reception classes indicate that the general level of attainment is well below the level expected for children of this age. They make good progress and, by the end of the summer term, most are on course to achieve the early learning goals in personal, social and emotional development and creative development. However, they are unlikely to reach the goals for communication, language and literacy, mathematical development or have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the world. Insufficient evidence was collected to judge the standards of the children’s physical development.

p.17

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well and make good progress. • Clear routines have been established and the children rapidly become secure, settled and happy. • The children are in line to achieve the expected goals by the summer. • Children form good relationships with adults and enjoy coming to school.

p.17

Commentary

32. Children make good progress because learning is consistently well organised. Children enter the reception with poor social skills. The school has suitable strategies to deal with these and most children are on course to reach the nationally expected standards by the end of the reception year.

p.17

Commentary

33. Considerable emphasis is placed on the personal and social development of the children. All children, including those with particular needs, are making good progress. However, not enough account is taken of the national guidelines set for this age group. This means that the planning of activities, such as ‘snack time’, can be too formal and opportunities are missed to promote the children’s social development.

p.17

Commentary

34. The teaching is satisfactory with some good aspects. Behaviour is good. With helpful encouragement and sensitive handling, the children form positive relationships with one another and with adults. The display of class ‘Golden Rules’ reminds the children, for example, to help everybody and share, to put things away and to listen to each other. The children understand class rules and why they need to have them. The Howbridge Infants School - 18

p.17

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory although there are weaknesses in aspects of the planning.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most children are unlikely to achieve the early learning goals by the summer. • Resources are well chosen to stimulate interest and motivate learning.

p.18

Commentary

35. Children enter the reception classes with poor speaking and listening skills. Many have a limited spoken vocabulary and, whilst they make good progress in writing and speaking and listening, and satisfactory progress in reading, their overall attainment is below the nationally expected standard when they enter Year 1.

p.18

Commentary

36. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teachers in the reception classes recognise the need to develop speaking and listening skills. Support staff make a valuable contribution to this area of learning. Elements of the literacy hour are taught in both reception classes. The children are encouraged to recognise initial sounds. Writing is encouraged and there are appropriate areas in the classrooms for children to develop their skills. For example, a ‘Bob the Builder’ site office encourages the children to write, speak and listen. In reading, most children are aware of where to start on the page, and are increasingly aware of the way a book is handled. In the class with the older children, higher attaining children read simple texts and retell a story with prompts, while others tell the story simply in their own words from the pictures.

p.18

Commentary

37. Progress in reading is satisfactory although, generally, early reading skills are underdeveloped. The current curriculum makes an inappropriate use of the curriculum designed for older pupils in Year 1. For example, the children’s reading targets in the reception classes are taken from the early stages of the National Curriculum instead of from those outlined in the stepping stones of the early learning goals, which are more appropriate for their age and ability.

p.18

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory although there are weaknesses in aspects of the planning.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are unlikely to achieve expected standards by the summer. • Staff work well together to provide a range of interesting mathematical things for children to do.

p.18

Commentary

38. The children enter the school with well below expected standards for this area of learning. Overall, they make good progress, but are unlikely to achieve the early learning goals by the summer. Adults effectively build on what the children know and provide many useful opportunities to reinforce the use of number and develop mathematical language. For example, in a numeracy lesson the children compared the heights of three children and then ordered the size of three houses by using such words as ‘biggest, smallest and middle-sized’. Children learn to sequence the days of the week correctly as they complete the calendar each day. The Howbridge Infants School - 19 39. Teaching is at least satisfactory and sometimes good. However, the teachers’ planning does not take sufficient notice of the Foundation Stage curriculum. This is a similar concern as that reported at the last inspection, and means that the targets set are not always appropriate for

p.18

Commentary

all of the children. The careful selection of resources stimulates the children’s interest and develops their understanding about numbers and shapes. The good collaboration among the staff supports the children’s learning effectively because they plan together closely, and approach their work as a cohesive team.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are unlikely to achieve the goals for this area by the end of the summer term. • Children achieve well and make good progress in their learning. • There are good opportunities for using the computer.

p.19

Commentary

40. School records show that the children enter the reception classes with limited knowledge of the world around them. Teaching and learning are effective and all children make good gains. However, the majority of the children are unlikely to achieve the nationally agreed early learning goals by the end of the summer term.

p.19

Commentary

41. An examination of the children’s past work in books and photographs shows that they are provided with a number of relevant experiences to enrich their learning. For example, they look closely at bulbs and plants to see how they grow. They have looked for signs of autumn and made clay hedgehogs to talk about hibernation and snails for their mini-beast topic. The photographs show that the children are alert, attentive, and keen to participate in the lesson. The children’s interest is further stimulated, and their knowledge of the wider world is extended, by walking around the local area and through visits from the Road Safety team and the railway police.

p.19

Commentary

42. Children make good use of the multimedia room and the different computer programs available in the classrooms. Good use was made of the interactive whiteboard on which the children used a pointer competently to start a program to identify words beginning with ‘e’, and another group used the classroom computer program ‘Animated Alphabet’ to develop their understanding on initial sounds. The children make good progress using the mouse and keyboard.

p.19

Commentary

43. There was insufficient inspection evidence for a judgement about provision or standards in physical development , but teachers’ planning, photographic evidence and classroom displays indicate that children are given a suitable range of carefully planned experiences. Stimulating resources and equipment are used purposefully to develop the children’s skills.

p.19

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good provision for role play in each class links well to other areas of the curriculum. • The good adult involvement in all creative activities ensures that children make the best use of these opportunities. • The children are on course to achieve the expected goals by the end of the reception year. The Howbridge Infants School - 20

p.19

Commentary

44. Indications are that the children are in line to achieve the expectations of the early learning goals by the summer. The activities provided for the children ensure that they receive a wide variety of experiences, which enables them to develop their creative skills. They learn how to handle paints and brushes. This activity is continued outside when, for example, they have the exciting opportunity to create space pictures with water, rollers and bigger brushes and then make water footprints on the ground.

p.20

Commentary

45. They explore colour, texture and shape, and have plenty of opportunities for personal expression in painting, printing, collage, colour mixing and clay model-making activities. The staff support all the creative activities and ensure that children make the best use of their opportunities by encouraging originality and individual ideas. There are good links to literacy through the careful choice of stories to heighten interest, together with words related to the story that build up the children’s vocabulary.

p.20

Commentary

46. Music is used to stimulate interest and develop the children’s listening skills. For example, the children identified a number of different untuned percussion instruments accurately and were encouraged to listen carefully to the sound that each made. Role play is used successfully to nurture imagination and to give children opportunities to act out their own experiences. For example, the house of the three bears is named ‘Porridge Cottage’ and children are keen to talk about what they are doing. ‘ We’re making the three bears a cup of tea.’ A very large spaceship with sound effects successfully stimulates the children’s imagination as they enter the capsule.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils make good progress in comparison with past work completed in their books. • Standards in Year 2 are below average. • The curriculum is too rigid and does not fully meet pupils’ needs. • Pupils do not have the speaking skills or vocabulary they need to communicate effectively.

p.20

Commentary

47. Current standards in Year 2 are below average in speaking and listening, reading and writing. Standards are not as high as at the time of the previous inspection, but attainment on entry is lower. Pupils’ books and records in Year 1 and Year 2 show that nearly all make satisfactory progress over time and many make good progress. This is especially true of the higher attaining pupils, a matter of concern at the time of the previous inspection. Pupils with special educational needs, or who use English as an additional language, also make good progress because they receive skilled additional support, and the school’s high emphasis on inclusion ensures that they take an active part in all lessons.

p.20

Commentary

48. Standards in speaking and listening are below average. Many pupils have limited vocabularies and find it difficult to put into words what they know in their heads. This limits their progress in all aspects of English because it affects the depth of their understanding of books and they do not have a wide range of interesting words to use in their own writing. The standard of reading is below average. Most pupils enjoy reading. Higher attaining pupils read challenging texts confidently but sometimes guess words incorrectly. They are keener on finishing the page than on enjoying or understanding the story. Pupils of middle ability have The Howbridge Infants School - 21 been taught a range of appropriate skills but confuse quite common words such as leaf and left , indicating a lack of understanding. Lower attaining pupils are only just beginning to read familiar words with any fluency and depend heavily on the pictures to give them clues for the

p.20

Commentary

49. Standards in writing are below average. Books contain a limited range of examples of extended writing when compared to other schools. Pupils’ work shows a secure understanding of basic punctuation and grammar but most do not use an imaginative or interesting vocabulary to develop their stories or ideas. The standard of spelling is satisfactory. However, pupils’ concern about getting words spelled correctly limits their creativity because they tend to go for the ‘safe’ word that they know they can spell. The school’s current policy to delay the introduction of a joined script until the spring term in Year 2 is holding back several pupils from developing their handwriting skills.

p.21

Commentary

50. The overall quality of teaching is good. Teachers work very hard and prepare their lessons thoroughly. Basic skills are taught rigorously, lessons have pace and tasks are set at different levels of difficulty. Teaching assistants work effectively alongside them and contribute significantly to the overall good progress seen. However, staff do not give sufficient emphasis to speaking and listening, although it is a current school priority, because they feel that they have to follow a preset curriculum which does not give them sufficient freedom to develop pupils' oral skills before they think about writing. The more confident teachers have started to base their work more accurately on what pupils need to learn or do next, and their progress is greater. Teachers use questioning very effectively to keep lessons lively but do not make enough use of these opportunities to extend and enrich pupils’ vocabularies.

p.21

Commentary

51. The subject is led and managed appropriately by an experienced senior member of staff. She is aware of current strengths and weaknesses but does not currently have enough opportunities to encourage and spread good practice. She is very conscious of the need to increase the emphasis placed on speaking and listening. Progress since the previous inspection has been satisfactory overall.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

52. Pupils’ limited vocabularies and difficulties in expressing themselves affect standards in all subjects. Pupils carrying out a science investigation, or discussing a moral issue in religious education, struggled to express themselves. New technical words are explained carefully, and key vocabulary is put up for pupils to use, but words such as ‘nice’ and ‘lovely’ are accepted too readily. Teachers make good use of other skills, note-taking for example, when encouraging pupils to jot down their thoughts while watching a history video. Pupils make satisfactory use of ICT skills to present their work in an attractive way.

p.21

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are below average in Year 2 but average in Year 1. • The curriculum is over-prescriptive and does not meet the needs of all pupils. • Teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2 are good.

p.21

Commentary

53. Standards are below nationally expected levels in Year 2 but, given pupils’ well below average levels of attainment when they start school, they make good progress. Standards are not as high as those reported at the time of the last inspection. There has been a change in the area’s social and economic profile and standards on entry are currently lower than previously. The Howbridge Infants School - 22 54. Pupils make good progress in number work, and exercise books occasionally show suitable variations in the level of challenge given to pupils of differing abilities. In a Year 2 lesson, pupils were beginning to identify the differences between two and three-dimensional shapes. The good teaching effectively supported their learning about ordinal numbers and good use was made of the correct mathematical vocabulary to extend the pupils’ knowledge and understanding. There is evidence of higher attainment in the scrutiny of pupils’ work and in

p.21

Commentary

the lessons seen in Year 1 and pupils are attaining in line with the expectations for their age. During the inspection, pupils in a Year 1 class made good gains in their understanding of finding different ways to make 10. The quality of their learning was good because of clear explanations and well-chosen practical tasks that generated interest and extended their learning.

p.22

Commentary

55. The overall quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is good. Teaching is good because teachers plan carefully, explain tasks clearly, use skilled teaching assistants effectively, and ensure that their lessons contain a good balance between time for direct instruction, time for pupils to concentrate on their individual tasks, and time for learning to be reviewed and consolidated. They manage their pupils well and have high expectations of behaviour. As a result, they create a good climate for learning in which pupils are able to concentrate on their work. Overall, learning is good, because pupils have positive attitudes and work hard in response to their teachers’ high expectations.

p.22

Commentary

56. Lessons are often pre-planned from a school document and few adaptations for age and ability are made by the teachers. Several staff report that they find the individual target cards unmanageable. They have been introduced since the last inspection as a clear statement of each pupil’s next step in learning, but pupils are not always sure what they have to do to improve because they do not make consistent links between the next target and the work in hand.

p.22

Commentary

57. The subject is satisfactorily led and managed. The current subject leader has only recently come into post, but is experienced and ready to take on the responsibility the post requires. Her own teaching provides a good model for others.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

58. There are good links between numeracy and other curriculum subjects. For example, pupils have used their understanding of measurement to help their designing and model-making in design and technology, and used data-handling and graph-drawing in science. In history, they ordered photographs in sequence from the present to the past, and used a timeline to reinforce their understanding, while in ICT the pupils identified a left hand turn as 90 degrees and estimate the distances between different points when using floor robots. In literacy, they used a mathematical vocabulary, such as square, diagonal and triangle to follow origami instructions.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are close to expected levels. • Teaching of research skills is good. • There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop their investigative skills.

p.22

Commentary

59. Standards are close to expected levels. However, inspection evidence shows that pupils understand factual knowledge much better than how to apply scientific skills in investigations. The Howbridge Infants School - 23 The school is aware of this shortcoming and plans to increase the amount of investigational work. From a very low starting point on entry, pupils make good progress as they move through the school.

p.22

Commentary

60. Pupils are taught about the main processes of life and can recognise and name the important parts of plants and animals. They can sort these into groups using simple criteria. They know the characteristics of common materials and can distinguish between natural and man-made materials. They have some understanding of the processes which change some materials and that some changes are irreversible. Scrutiny of previous work shows that pupils understand the characteristics of electrical circuits and some of the important processes of life. In discussions pupils demonstrate a good understanding of a number of scientific ideas but they lacked appropriate speaking and language skills to communicate their ideas effectively.

p.23

Commentary

61. Much of the work is recorded using structured worksheets and there is little evidence of the work being modified significantly to take account of the different abilities of the various groups of pupils. Pupils use a simple computer program to create graphs of their findings and some use an online source of information in their research. The quality of teaching in the only science lesson observed during the inspection was good. The subject is well resourced and the school has set out good outdoor resources for science, including a garden and a raised pond.

p.23

Commentary

62. The headteacher is the science co-ordinator for the time being, but a recently appointed newly qualified teacher has expertise in the subject and is expected to take over the role in the future. The school is active in the district in setting up a science network, which is planned to promote teachers’ knowledge. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory, but the subject is not currently a priority. Progress since the previous inspection has been satisfactory.

p.23

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Resources are good, but significant sections of the equipment were not fully functional at the time of the inspection. • The quality of teaching of ICT skills is good. • Insufficient use is made of computers in classroom lessons.

p.23

Commentary

63. Year 2 pupils achieve standards that are close to the national average. This represents a fall from the above average standards seen at the time of the previous inspection, and has been due in part to problems with the school’s computer hardware.

p.23

Commentary

64. The school has a well-equipped ICT suite and each classroom has three computers linked to the school network. Some of these classroom machines are old and several were out of action during the inspection week. The ICT suite is timetabled for class use. However, it could not be used during the inspection due to insufficient ventilation, a problem that cannot be resolved until a dispute about the leaking flat roof over the room is settled. Consequently, pupils have not had sufficient opportunities to develop their ICT skills, and standards are lower.

p.23

Commentary

65. Pupils are able to open programs, select colours, shapes and text and place them on the screen to create pictures to illustrate their work, for example when making pictures in the style of artists such as Mondrian and Pollock. Teachers and pupils have used a digital camera to take pictures of their work in a range of subjects. Pupils can save their work with help. They have used a ‘Roamer’ floor turtle to explore how to control movements. The Howbridge Infants School - 24 66. The teaching seen during the inspection was good overall. One lesson was very good because it was prepared meticulously, all pupils spent their time actively using computers, and the teacher and support staff were knowledgeable and encouraged individual investigations so that pupils were guided but also learned for themselves. Staff demonstrate how to use different aspects of ICT when making labels for the classroom, using the digital cameras and

p.23

Commentary

67. The subject is well led and conscientiously managed. The co-ordinator is newly appointed but has already overseen the set up of the computer suite, or multimedia room. She has written an ambitious but achievable development plan, and is determined to help her colleagues to restore the high standards recorded previously.

p.24

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

68. ICT is used to support some aspects of work in literacy, numeracy, science, design and technology, religious education and art and design, but this is not extensive and opportunities were missed in several of the lessons observed during the inspection. Resources are available to support other subjects but limited evidence was seen of their use.

p.24

HUMANITIES

69. As only two history and two religious education lessons were sampled during the inspection, it was not possible to make judgements about the quality of teaching and learning, or of the overall provision. Evidence was gathered from an examination of pupils’ present and past work, the sample lessons, by talking to pupils and by looking at work on display.

p.24

HUMANITIES

70. In history , the quality of teaching and learning observed in lessons was good and pupils reached appropriate standards. Teachers used resources effectively to stimulate pupils’ interest and focus their attention. Good cross-curricular links were made with mathematics, through sequencing photographs and using a timeline, and in speaking and listening by recalling evidence they had collected in a ‘detective notebook’ while watching a video presentation about Remembrance Day. The pupils were visibly moved when they looked at a picture of a field full of poppies and understood its significance. Well mounted wall displays use artefacts, posters, photographs and books to stimulate the pupils’ attention and interest but little of the pupils’ work was on show during the inspection.

p.24

HUMANITIES

71. Geography was not on the timetable during the term of the inspection and only a small amount of pupils’ work was seen. No overall judgements could be made about teaching and learning, standards or provision.

p.24

HUMANITIES

72. In religious education , standards are in line with those set out in the locally agreed syllabus and have been maintained since the previous inspection. Progress is satisfactory. Pupils in Year 2 have a sound understanding of key aspects of Christianity, Hinduism and Judaism. Their detailed recall of previous lessons indicates good teaching and learning. Teachers work hard to make lessons interesting rather than just learning new facts, and good use is made of a wide variety of resources and artefacts. Effective links are made to other subjects, for example the rangoli patterns in a Year 1 lesson about Diwali developed work for an art and design project. Older pupils are given good opportunities to reflect on deeper issues and use their speaking and listening skills as when Year 2 debated moral ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs’ in a lesson about the Torah. Leadership and management are good because the co-ordinator is

p.24

HUMANITIES

knowledgeable and has given staff a stimulating curriculum to teach.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

73. As only one lesson in physical education, and none in art and design, design and technology or music, was sampled during the inspection, there is insufficient evidence to make overall judgements about provision. Inspectors looked at a representative sample of pupils’ past work and talked to them about what they had learned, but no judgement about standards in Year 2 in music or physical education was possible. The Howbridge Infants School - 25 74. In art and design , standards in Year 2 are above expected levels. Pupils achieve well and derive pleasure from their efforts, producing work to a higher standard than that seen at the time of the previous inspection. Bright, attractive displays that celebrate pupils’ work are a conspicuous feature of the classrooms and hall. In some classrooms they include the work of popular artists, artefacts, and photographs taken by the pupils and teachers. Pupils use a

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

wide variety of media including paint, wax-resist, pencil crayon, weaving, tissue collage, pastels and clay. Work is planned jointly for each year group but each class interprets the task in a different way. The Arts Week and an artist in residence have given pupils additional inspiration and helped to raise standards.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

75. Art and design is effectively linked to other subjects of the curriculum, for example a wreath created from individually made tissue poppies illustrated current work in religious education about Remembrance Day. ICT is used both to produce digital pictures and to create pictures in the style of artists such as Mondrian and Pollock. The co-ordinators manage the subject well, are enthusiastic and support other staff by offering advice. They have produced a development plan for the subject and have carried out work sampling to evaluate standards of work produced.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. In design and technology, evidence from displays and from talking to staff indicates that pupils continue to attain satisfactory standards in Year 2, and enjoy being able to create models and designs that are attractive and well made. Pupils have used a variety of materials to create three-dimensional designs, for example a cover for floor robots in Year 1 and Year 2. Year 2 pupils have created finger puppets in felt and photographs of previous work showed large twisted wire figures. The work seen indicates a large amount of direction by teachers, with few opportunities for pupils to create their own designs. The newly appointed co- ordinators bring enthusiasm to the subject and have set about creating a realistic development plan for taking the subject forward.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. In music , pupils sang enthusiastically and tunefully in assemblies, indicating positive attitudes and good teaching and learning in previous sessions.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

78. In physical education , standards in basic games skills in Year 2 match national expectations. Pupils understand the health benefits of exercise and have regular opportunities to swim in Year 1. The quality of teaching and learning seen in the sampled lesson was good. Pupils were very well behaved, and understood how to move vigorously but safely. They made very good progress in developing their throwing and catching skills in response to high quality teaching. The progress made by pupils with special educational needs was particularly evident, and came as a direct result of their own enthusiasm and confidence in the support assistant who enjoyed their success as much as the pupils themselves. The new co-ordinator is enthusiastic and knowledgeable. She has a clear vision for the development of physical education in the school.

p.25

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

79. Pupils’ personal development is given a high priority. They are given an increasingly wide range of opportunities to discuss ideas and matters of importance in class discussions and at ‘snack time’. The school is introducing ‘circle time’, when sensitive issues can be discussed in classes in an atmosphere of trust. Collaborative work and positive relationships are features of most lessons. Pupils are made fully aware of social and moral issues appropriate to their ages and levels of understanding, and are encouraged to develop a healthy lifestyle. Their views are sought on a regular basis through the school council, giving them a practical introduction to the idea of citizenship. The Howbridge Infants School - 26

p.25

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 4

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 3

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 5 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 5 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 4 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 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 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.26

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.26