Beddington Infants' School

Inspection Report Beddington Infants' School

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102983 Unique Reference Number Sutton LEA LEA 276801 Inspection number 10 May 2006 to 11 May 2006 Inspection dates George Rayner AI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Croydon Road School address Infant Type of school Wallington Community School category SM6 7LF 3 to 7 Age range of pupils 020 8647 7813 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 020 8773 3138 Fax number 321 Number on roll Mr Neil Gunnell Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Corinne Green Headteacher 2 February 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276801 10 May 2006 - 3 to 7 11 May 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors

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Description of the school

The school is larger than other similar schools. Pupils enter with standards that are broadly average. Socio-economic circumstances are average, with a slightly below average proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is a little above average. The percentage of pupils coming from ethnic minorities is a little below average and few are at an early stage of speaking English. The school has Investors in People and Eco School status.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Beddington Infants' School, 10 May 2006 to 11 May 2006

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Grade: 1

The inspectors agree with the school's view that its overall effectiveness is outstanding. In their highly positive responses to the inspection questionnaire, parents show that they emphatically share this view. Quality and standards in the Foundation Stage are good, but with excellent Nursery provision. Achievement is outstanding in the Nursery and Years 1 and 2 and good in Reception. The outstanding achievement is due to the high success with which the school helps pupils to learn through enjoyment. Where progress is not quite so high, provision, while good, is not helped by weaknesses in accommodation. These have made it difficult for children to develop their social skills and learning through play to the very highest levels. With improvements to accommodation nearing completion, the school is well placed to ensure that all progress in the Foundation Stage matches the best. Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Their excellent social, emotional

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Grade: 1

and moral development are shown by the calm, happy atmosphere throughout the school. Teaching and learning are outstanding. Highly creative strategies help pupils to take an active part in their learning. An outstanding curriculum provides a wide range of exciting experiences for pupils, during lessons and through enrichment activities outside the classroom. The school provides outstanding care. It values every pupil and helps all to develop positive attitudes to learning in a very secure environment. Leadership and management are outstanding. These are characterised by the shared dedication of staff and governors towards meeting all of the needs of every pupil and innovative approaches to securing these aims. The school has evaluated its performance extremely well. Since the last inspection the impact of leadership on standards demonstrates that it has an excellent capacity for further improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that full advantage is taken of the opportunity provided by improvements in accommodation to raise all progress in the Foundation Stage to the quality of the very best.

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Grade: 1

Progress is outstanding in the Nursery. This is because of the high success with which teaching matches the age and needs of the children and encourages them to learn through a variety of play activities. Although similar approaches provide good progress in the Reception classes, the scattered accommodation, exacerbated by upheaval during recent building work, has not helped teachers to share resources and ideas. It has made it difficult to provide opportunities for children to play outside and improve their social skills by mixing with others. Building work to rectify this is almost complete. 2 Inspection Report: Beddington Infants' School, 10 May 2006 to 11 May 2006 The new accommodation will put the school in a strong position to ensure that all progress in the Foundation Stage matches the best. Achievement is outstanding in Years 1 and 2. The school has focused on improving speaking, listening and reading skills as foundations for all other learning. Highly

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Grade: 1

effective strategies for encouraging pupils to enjoy activities are a crucial factor. Equally so are innovative approaches for guiding parents to support their children, by providing workshops and high quality resources to use at home, Consequently, pupils succeed very well in meeting challenging targets and results in national tests are exceptional. The school's high commitment to meeting the needs of all children and effectiveness in doing so, ensure that all groups, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, achieve as well as each other.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Their excellent social, emotional and moral development is demonstrated by the calm, happy atmosphere throughout the school. Cultural and spiritual development are promoted well and as a result pupils are developing a good understanding of different faiths and cultures. Pupils are proud of their school and inspectors particularly noted the enthusiasm they displayed when talking about it. They said they like coming to school because it is fun and they enjoy learning. Parents confirmed this view in their questionnaires with such comments as, 'My daughter cannot wait for the weekend to be over.' Pupils' behaviour is outstanding because the school emphasises positive attitudes so effectively. Pupils readily take on responsibility, for example when litter detectives ensure the playground is kept litter-free. Their enthusiasm for looking after the

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Grade: 1

environment, for example by recycling paper, has been rewarded with Eco School status, of which all in the school are proud. Pupils feel safe and protected. They show high responsibility in keeping themselves safe, playing together and caring for each other. They are polite and friendly. They enjoy explaining what they are doing as well as asking visitors about their work and inviting them into lessons. Pupils make a very strong contribution to their school community. They take turns in the active and influential school council so that every pupil has the opportunity to contribute. They are confident that they have a voice in the school and give examples of where they have had an influence, such as in the choice of playground equipment. Attendance is above average and the school works hard to ensure there are no unauthorised absences. Pupils are very clear about healthy lifestyles including diet and exercise. They speak

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Grade: 1

enthusiastically about the healthy options such as cabbage and coleslaw available at lunchtime. The excellent provision for future economic well-being is demonstrated in the exemplary progress made in learning and life skills. 3 Inspection Report: Beddington Infants' School, 10 May 2006 to 11 May 2006

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Grade: 1

Teaching and learning are outstanding. Excellent relationships make learning enjoyable and give lessons a strong flavour of all pupils and adults working together. Highly creative strategies such as presenting literacy and numeracy challenges in the context of engaging stories, contribute to the very positive learning environment seen throughout the school. Teachers are very skilled in using resources such as interactive whiteboards to engage pupils' attention and make learning an involving, active, process. Pupils say they particularly enjoy being able to use these themselves in lessons. Accommodation constraints in the Foundation Stage have resulted in some variation in the quality of teaching and learning there, as resources have not always been readily available. The school recognises the need to ensure that current improvements allow the best practice to be consistently delivered. Teaching assistants make an important contribution, especially for pupils who have

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Grade: 1

learning difficulties and disabilities. Teachers are conscientious in keeping track of how well their pupils make progress over time. Day to day marking is regular and supportive. Comments clearly indicate to pupils if they have improved in relation to targets set. A key strength is the success with which the school has involved parents and carers in their children's learning by providing excellent guidance and high quality resources for use at home.

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Grade: 1

The school provides an outstanding curriculum. It is highly developed, but flexible enough to be responsive to the needs of all pupils. It succeeds extremely well in providing them with many exciting things to do. A strong emphasis is placed on developing communication, language and literacy skills, coupled with personal, emotional and social development. Carefully selected books frequently provide the themes for activities planned in the different areas of learning. Environmental topics are often covered to give pupils a highly developed knowledge of these and issues in the developing world. Information and communication technology (ICT) is effectively used, with great care being taken to ensure that whenever pupils use computers, this genuinely enhances their learning. Pupils benefit from an extensive range of clubs and visits to museums, art galleries and places of interest. Visitors come into school to discuss topical issues with the

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Grade: 1

children. Cultural activities and sport feature strongly, with teaching by visiting specialists strengthening the quality. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are included very well in all activities. 4 Inspection Report: Beddington Infants' School, 10 May 2006 to 11 May 2006

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Grade: 1

Care, guidance and support are outstanding and the school emphatically succeeds in its aim to help pupils to, 'Reach for the stars.' The school's highly caring ethos values all pupils and the emphasis on self-motivation helps all to develop very positive attitudes to learning. Child protection procedures are secure and well understood. Pupils know that they can go to any member of staff with problems and trust them to help. The school has shown particular strength in the manner in which it has supported its whole community in times of bereavement. The school has a thorough knowledge of individuals because assessment arrangements are very robust and systematic, ensuring the learning needs of all are met and they receive all the support they need. The school has outstanding relationships with parents and other agencies to involve them in ensuring pupils' progress.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding at all levels. They are characterised by the dedicated pursuit of high standards in all areas, balanced by commitment to meeting every need and nurturing all of the qualities of each pupil. The headteacher provides excellent leadership, described by colleagues as 'inspirational'. An innovative approach gives leadership a highly distinctive flavour. The strategic plan for example, is presented in a unique style and arises out of reflective meetings of staff and governors, using strategies similar to those employed to encourage pupils to think independently and creatively. This results in a high level of shared commitment to the school's vision, shared by governors and staff working in all roles. Many parents expressed their appreciation of the extent to which they are also encouraged to be involved in the learning of their children. The school's high effectiveness in evaluating its considerable strengths and identifying

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Grade: 1

those areas in which it could be even better is amply demonstrated by the consistent improvement in standards since the last inspection. This indicates an excellent capacity to improve yet further. Governors provide exemplary support. They value greatly the way in which the school welcomes and supports their involvement in its day to day life and strategic planning from its earliest stages. Financial management is highly efficient. It ensures that all sources of funding are fully utilised and that spending promotes the highest achievement. This is shown in the commitment to provide staffing levels to ensure that all pupils receive the individual support that they need and resources of a quality that strongly supports their motivation and achievement. 5 Inspection Report: Beddington Infants' School, 10 May 2006 to 11 May 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Beddington Infants' School, 10 May 2006 to 11 May 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 1 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 1 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Children Thank you for welcoming us to your school. We really enjoyed our visit. We have decided that your school is outstanding. This means that it is very good indeed. We were very pleased to hear that your parents and other grown-ups at home also think that the school is wonderful. We know that the headteacher and all the other staff really appreciate this - it helps them very much. You do very well indeed in your learning. Best of all is reading. The school makes sure that it gives you many interesting books and works very hard to help you to love reading. In lessons, teachers are very good at making activities enjoyable and making sure that everybody joins in. With the support staff, they make sure that you all get all the help you need. A very important reason why you do well is that your parents and other grown-ups help you so well at home. The school gives them very good training and learning packs to help them in this. They also

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

help by making sure you take very little time off school.Another reason you do so well is yourselves. We thought your behaviour is the very best. You all show you love school. You try your hardest and you look after each other very well. This really helps the teachers a lot. Your headteacher and those who help her are excellent. All of the staff and governors care very much and work very hard for you to feel safe and do well. They know very well how they can make the school even better. The only thing we think needs improving is that it is sometimes hard for staff in Reception to help you to learn by playing and working with each other. This is because the rooms have been spread around and, while building work has been going on, the classes have often had to be in small rooms. Now the new buildings are nearly ready, it will be easier for staff in Reception to help you to learn by playing and working.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Very well done to you all and good luck for the future. George Rayner Lead Inspector

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