Oaklands Infant School

Inspection Report Oaklands Infant School

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109865 Unique Reference Number Wokingham District Council LEA 278295 Inspection number 8 May 2006 to 9 May 2006 Inspection dates Nicola Davies AI Reporting inspector

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

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Butler Road School address Infant Type of school Crowthorne Community School category RG45 6QZ 4 to 7 Age range of pupils 01344 774644 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01344 772375 Fax number 183 Number on roll Mr Alistair Crooks Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Miss Julie Sheppard Headteacher 15 May 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278295 8 May 2006 - 4 to 7 9 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is an average-sized infant school serving a socially advantaged area. The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is well below average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Oaklands Infant School, 8 May 2006 to 9 May 2006

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Grade: 2

Oaklands Infants is a popular school where pupils work hard and enjoy their education. Inspectors agree with the school and the local community that this is an effective and caring school that gives good value for money. Although some children spend only a term in the Foundation Stage, they all get a good start to their education. Good teaching and a varied curriculum throughout pupils' time in the school mean that they make good progress and attain good standards. Leadership and management are good. One reason for this is that the headteacher, staff and governors work well together to identify what they need to improve and jointly plan how to do this. For example, they have identified that not all more-able pupils exceed the expected standards in reading and mathematics. As a result they have set higher targets and are tracking pupils' progress carefully towards these. However, they are not yet using lesson observations to make sure that activities

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Grade: 2

for more-able pupils are challenging enough in all lessons. The good care and support for pupils is appreciated by parents and means that pupils mature as they go through the school. Pupils are friendly and confident but have limited opportunities to use their growing personal skills to support the work of the school. Clear leadership and management mean that the school has successfully addressed all the issues raised in the previous inspection. For example, it has improved the way that teachers monitor pupils' progress. It has significantly improved standards in writing by giving pupils opportunities in which they let their imaginations run riot. Such successes indicate that the school has the capacity to continue improving.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Use monitoring of teaching and learning to ensure that activities for more-able pupils are consistently challenging. • Ensure that pupils have good opportunities to use their personal skills to contribute to the life of the school community.

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Grade: 2

Children join the Foundation Stage with a variety of strengths and experiences but generally have appropriate skills for their age. They make good progress and meet the expected learning goals by the end of their time in the Reception classes. Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 1 and 2 and achieve good standards overall. The school has significantly improved the quality of pupils' writing over the past two years and standards in writing are now exceptionally high. The school has now turned its attention to ensuring that more-able pupils achieve just as highly in reading and mathematics. As a result it has set challenging targets in these subjects which pupils look on-course to meet. There are no significant differences between how well girls and boys achieve overall. However, the school has identified that fewer girls do 2 Inspection Report: Oaklands Infant School, 8 May 2006 to 9 May 2006

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Grade: 2

exceptionally well in mathematics and, similarly, fewer boys in English. It has taken action to address this. Pupils with learning difficulties make good progress in relation to their starting points.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy school. This is one of the reasons why their attendance is good. Another is that they say that their lessons are 'fun'. Children make good progress in their personal development in the Foundation Stage and this is built on effectively in Years 1 and 2. Pupils are friendly, confident and respect the feelings of others. They co-operate well. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. This is in response to the good relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils follow the school and their class rules and understand that these rules help keep everyone safe and happy. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They respond well to opportunities for reflection in collective worship and within the curriculum. Pupils know how to stay safe and healthy. They eat healthy snacks and enjoy taking part in physical exercise. Pupils take their responsibilities as monitors seriously but they have

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Grade: 2

limited opportunities to contribute to the school community. Pupils have a growing awareness of economic matters. They participate in charity events and carefully collect supermarket vouchers to help the school buy extra equipment. Their good basic skills, positive attitudes and good behaviour prepare them well for their next school.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good and contributes to pupils achieving well. Teachers plan carefully and make good use of resources. This means that pupils are keen to learn and enjoy their lessons. For example, Reception children were delighted to help a puppet parrot identify the sounds at the beginning of words. Pupils work well with their 'carpet chums' to explain their thinking and discuss their work and ideas. Teachers work well with teaching assistants who make a good contribution to pupils' learning, particularly in supporting small groups of pupils. Teachers use a good range of strategies to assess pupils' work and to set targets for improvement. However, this information is not always used sharply enough in setting challenges for some more-able pupils in lessons. Teachers involve pupils well in assessing their own learning and judging their own progress. This means that even some of the youngest pupils can explain what they do well and what they need to do

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Grade: 2

to get better. 3 Inspection Report: Oaklands Infant School, 8 May 2006 to 9 May 2006

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and meets the needs of all pupils. It is interesting and makes good links between subjects so that pupils' work in one subject helps develop their skills in other areas. For example, in one outstanding session, Year 2 pupils assembled a Stuart street scene from their models of timber framed buildings. A fire was started in the baker's shop and pupils watched excitedly as the 'Great Fire of London' took hold on their school field. This led to some very thoughtful historical talk but was also used as a stimulus for creative writing. One pupil wrote about 'dancing flames which looked like they were waving at me' whilst another compared the flames to 'a dragon's fiery breath'. The curriculum is enriched by a good range of visits and visitors to the school and by special weeks where the whole school works creatively on a theme such as 'Nature'. The school does not organise clubs although external agencies provide French, music

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Grade: 2

The school's provision for pupils' care, guidance and support is good and contributes significantly to their good personal development and good progress. There are robust procedures for child protection and for assessing and dealing with risks. Health and safety matters are paramount and add to pupils' feelings of security. Pupils also feel safe because their concerns are taken seriously and they know who to turn to if they have a problem. As a parent commented, 'All the staff, from the headteacher to the dinner ladies, are helpful and friendly.' Pupils' progress is tracked effectively and teachers use this information increasingly well to set targets for improvement for pupils. The school works well with specialist agencies to identify problems which pupils face and make sure they get the support they need. This means that pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and those who are more vulnerable are well supported within school. As a result, they achieve

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Grade: 2

the challenging targets in their individual education plans.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides effective leadership focused on maintaining good academic standards and promoting good standards of care for pupils. The school has addressed successfully the issues from the previous inspection. For example, the deputy headteacher and the senior teacher now contribute well to the leadership of the school. Similarly, teachers successfully evaluate and improve standards and provision in their areas of responsibility, although their role in monitoring the quality of teaching is underdeveloped. The successes of this team approach demonstrate the school's capacity to continue to improve. 4 Inspection Report: Oaklands Infant School, 8 May 2006 to 9 May 2006 The school evaluates itself well. Staff and governors share an accurate understanding of what needs to be improved and have clear procedures for checking on the progress that is being made. Governors are well informed. They maintain a good oversight of

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Grade: 2

the school which helps ensure that the school's finances are managed well. The school works hard to keep parents informed. For example, they regularly seek the views of parents and display teachers' weekly planning so that all parents can see what their child is learning that week. Despite their best efforts, a recent reduction in the number of pupils to be admitted to the school and an increase in class sizes have been unsettling for parents. As a result, a few feel their views are not sufficiently taken into account. However, parents overwhelmingly agree that 'the school is well run and has a happy atmosphere'. 5 Inspection Report: Oaklands Infant School, 8 May 2006 to 9 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: Oaklands Infant School, 8 May 2006 to 9 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 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 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 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 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 3 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 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 2 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 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

Pupils We enjoyed meeting you and seeing how much you enjoy your work when we visited you recently. Like you and your parents, we think you go to a good school. Talking to you helped us to find out that: * you learn a lot because your lessons are interesting and fun* you all get along well * your teachers and all the other adults take good care of you* everyone in the school works together The headteacher, your teachers and all the governors have lots of good ideas about how they can make the school better. But they are always looking for more. We saw that you really enjoy helping the school. So we have asked them to think about more ways that you can help the school get even better. We have also asked them to watch how you learn in lessons to see if your work is always hard enough. Although there was a lot happening at the school this week, we were pleased we could see some of the interesting things that you do. We were especially pleased that all that rain didn't

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

put out the 'Great Fire of London'. Good luck with all the things that the school has planned for you to learn. With best wishes Ms Davies Lead Inspector

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