Oakfield Infant School - Part of Oakfield Schools Federation

Inspection Report Oakfield Infant School

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108332 Unique Reference Number Gateshead LEA 277947 Inspection number 26 January 2006 to 27 January 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Gianna Ulyatt Reporting inspector

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

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Chowdene Bank School address Infant Type of school Low Fell Community School category Gateshead, Tyne and Wear 4 to 7 Age range of pupils 0191 4870354 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0191 4870354 Fax number 179 Number on roll Mrs Rachel Taylor Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Louise Easton Headteacher 1 June 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277947 26 January 2006 - 4 to 7 27 January 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 two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Oakfield Infant School serves a mixed social area in Gateshead and has 179 children on roll, aged from 4 to 7 years. Of these, 113 are boys and 66 girls. The take up of free school meals is much lower than average and the number who do not speak English at home is half the national average. The percentage of children who have learning difficulties is below the national average and very few have a statement of special educational need.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Oakfield Infant School, 26 January 2006 to 27 January 2006

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Grade: 2

Oakfield is a good school that gives good value for money and has some outstanding features. This confirms the accuracy of the school’s own view of its performance. The children are eager to learn, and they enjoy a good education in a very caring and supportive environment. Their personal development is outstanding. They have very good attitudes and behave well. Children achieve exceptionally well and standards are very high, largely because of good teaching, a strong parental partnership and excellent uses of assessment. Teachers plan the curriculum well and place very strong emphasis on setting clear learning targets for all children and tracking their progress. In day-to-day planning, some activities do not take enough account of the gender imbalance. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good because adults provide a rich range of practical and physical activities throughout the day. Standards are slightly

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Grade: 2

above average by the end of the reception year. All children benefit from a good range of learning opportunities within and beyond the school day. The school is well led and managed. The senior management team, staff and governors work well together as a team with a clear and successful focus on providing the best education. The school has improved significantly since its last inspection and has good capacity for further improvement. not applicable

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What the school should do to improve further

• Modify the day-to-day planning so that lessons take better account of the different dispositions and interests of girls and boys.

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Grade: 1

Standards are very high and achievement is outstanding. Children start school with a very broad range of ability, but overall attainment on entry is average. By the end of the Foundation Stage, they reach standards slightly above national expectation and are well placed to begin the National Curriculum. Children throughout the school make outstanding progress so that, by the end of Year 2, they consistently attain very high standards in national tests. Test results in 2005 in reading and mathematics were particularly impressive, with more than half attaining the higher Level 3. In writing, one third reached the higher level. The school has quickly identified the fact that in general boys do less well than girls in reading, and girls achieve less well than boys in mathematics. Overall, however, the school caters very well for all its children. All those who have above average ability reach the higher levels. Children with learning

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Grade: 1

difficulties and those who speak English as an additional language also achieve exceptionally well. 2 Inspection Report: Oakfield Infant School, 26 January 2006 to 27 January 2006

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Grade: 1

Children’s personal development is clearly at the heart of the school’s work and is outstanding. Children love coming to school and say that the activities provided are ‘great!’ Their good behaviour, very good attitudes to work and relationships with others create a very happy learning environment which contributes to their success. Attendance and punctuality are excellent. Children show care and eagerly accept responsibilities such as becoming playground buddies. School council members are proud of the way they raise money to support projects like a new friendship bench. Children know teachers value their ideas. They are successfully encouraged to adopt a safe and healthy lifestyle through numerous physical activities and the annual ‘Health Week’. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They are sensitive to others’ feelings and work and play happily together. They enjoy learning

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Grade: 1

about different cultures and religions, and they understand that all people are different. Children’s involvement with a local care home and their efforts to raise funds for charities reflect their very good awareness of the community outside school. Their very good grounding in social and academic skills prepares them very well for the next stages of learning and life in the wider world.

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree that teaching and learning are good, with some outstanding features. The learning environment is inspiring and teachers now place more emphasis on developing children’s thinking skills through collaborative talk. A particular strength is the way teachers consistently explain to children exactly what they are going to learn and what will be expected of them. Children are very clear about their targets and work diligently towards them. They talk about their work with pride and enthusiasm. Teachers’ marking is impressive because it shows children exactly what they have done well and what they next need to improve. Older children are beginning to check their work for themselves. Planning takes good account of differences in ability, but gives too little attention to the gender imbalance which makes the different responses of boys and girls more marked. At times, therefore, the concentration of

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Grade: 2

some children drifts. Teamwork is particularly good and the very able teaching assistants offer good support. Children who have learning difficulties progress extremely well because they are carefully assessed, fully included and very well supported

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Grade: 2

Curricular provision is good and national guidelines are successfully adapted to meet the needs of all children in the school. Learning is exciting and meaningful for children because of the good links between subjects. The curriculum for children in the 3 Inspection Report: Oakfield Infant School, 26 January 2006 to 27 January 2006 Foundation Stage is good, with many practical activities planned to engage children’s interest and effectively link all areas of learning. The good emphasis on literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology ensures that the children use these skills well. Children benefit greatly from a wide range of enrichment activities, including days dedicated to special themes such as ‘Dinosaurs’ and ‘Around the World’. Local visits are planned, visitors are invited, and children say lunchtime clubs and after-school physical activities are ‘absolutely great!’ Personal, social and health

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Grade: 2

education very effectively promotes an early understanding of staying healthy, keeping safe and being a good citizen. Well established links with the junior school ensure a smooth transfer to the next stage.

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Grade: 1

The school provides outstanding care, guidance and support for all its children. Procedures for child protection and all risk assessments are securely in place. Relationships are very good; children feel safe and secure and know whom to turn to with any problems or concerns. The very good partnership between teachers, support staff, parents and outside agencies ensures that children’s well-being contributes to their outstanding achievement and personal development. Excellent assessment arrangements give teachers an accurate view of each child’s academic and personal progress, which they track meticulously as children move through the school. All children feel well supported in their learning and well challenged in their work. Parents are delighted with their children’s progress and particularly value the workshops organized to help them support their child’s learning at home. The early identification

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Grade: 1

of children with learning difficulties ensures they receive good support. The very good induction procedures help children settle quickly into school routines.

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Grade: 2

The acting headteacher is well supported by the acting deputy and senior management team, and has worked very hard to maintain the school’s good development during the temporary absence of the headteacher. Expectation is high and staff have a common purpose to give all children the best possible education. The inclusion of all children is at its heart and good links with outside agencies support its work. The school knows its strengths and areas for improvement because it is rigorous and honest in its self-evaluation. Very effective use of assessment information gives the school an accurate picture of areas needing improvement. For example, the analysis of standards at the end of Year 2 identified aspects of provision needing attention. These now feature as a priority for whole-school development. Through peer observation and work scrutiny, subject leaders monitor learning and support colleagues. Their work

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Grade: 2

helps to drive the continued high standards. In response to the last inspection, the school seeks and values parents’ views through a termly forum. Governors are well informed and supportive. They play a full and active role in school affairs. The school 4 Inspection Report: Oakfield Infant School, 26 January 2006 to 27 January 2006 has good capacity to improve further. Oakfield Infants deserves its good local reputation. 5 Inspection Report: Oakfield Infant School, 26 January 2006 to 27 January 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: Oakfield Infant School, 26 January 2006 to 27 January 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 2 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 2 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 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 1 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 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 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 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

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 Mrs Louise Easton Oakfield Infant School Chowdene Bank Low Fell Gateshead Tyne and Wear NE9 6JH 26 January 2006 Dear Children First of all I would like to thank you all for being so helpful, kind and polite during our very enjoyable visit to your school. You are a very happy group of children with wonderful ideas and we know you like coming to school. It was a great pleasure for the inspectors to talk with you about your friendships and things you especially enjoy in school. We particularly enjoyed joining you for assembly. We think you listen very well and say your prayers with true respect. You have a very good understanding about sharing and being friends with others, not like the Rainbow Fish. You also show great kindness in the way you raise money to help other people who have nothing at all. We like the way your teachers and all the other adults care for you and give you many chances

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to learn to read, write, use the computer and work out problems in mathematics. We were very impressed with the way you have improved your playground and we love the dinosaur. We are particularly impressed by the way most of you listen well to your teachers and really enjoy your work. That is why you are doing so well in your tests and why your workbooks are lovely to look at. We like the way teachers mark your work so you know exactly how well you are doing and what you have to think about next. We know there are more boys than girls in the school, so we have asked your teachers to think about different activities that will suit you all better. We hope that you in turn will concentrate harder in lessons and all do your very best in all subjects. With best wishes Gianna Ulyatt Lead Inspector

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