Mrs Bland's Infant School

Inspection Report Mrs Bland's Infant School

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109887 Unique Reference Number West Berkshire LEA LEA 278303 Inspection number 8 June 2006 to 9 June 2006 Inspection dates Charalambos Loizou AI Reporting inspector

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

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Jordans Lane School address Infant Type of school Burghfield Common Community School category Reading RG7 3LP 4 to 7 Age range of pupils 01189 832332 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01189 835867 Fax number 214 Number on roll Mr Andrew Crossley Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Janet Tyas Headteacher 13 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278303 8 June 2006 - 4 to 7 9 June 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 infant school is below average in size and is situated in a mixed area of private and social housing. The very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage and other pupils come from a diverse range of backgrounds. A small but significant number of pupils are from traveller families. A very small number of pupils are in the early stages of learning English. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is below the national average, although an average proportion of pupils have a statement of special educational needs. The number of pupils joining the school at different times is quite high. The school has extensive links with its community and other schools.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Mrs Bland's Infant School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 2006

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory education and enables the pupils to make satisfactory progress in relation to their starting points. Although the school evaluated its effectiveness as good, inspectors believe there is still more to do to ensure consistently good teaching. Teaching is good in the Foundation Stage. Although there is some good teaching across the school which accelerates pupils' progress, teaching is satisfactory. Standards are above average overall, however, writing standards have been below those in reading and mathematics for several years. With the exception of the Foundation Stage, there are inconsistencies in the pace and challenge of lessons so that some pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable, especially in writing. The children in the Foundation Stage do well and achieve good standards. The teaching is particularly strong in the nursery. In the rest of the school the curriculum

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Grade: 3

is satisfactory with a good range of clubs, educational visits and visitors that enable the pupils to enjoy school. The majority of parents think well of the school but some are concerned about the behaviour of a few pupils and their supervision. Inspectors judge that behaviour is satisfactory but not always as good as it should be. Pupils' personal development and care are satisfactory. Teachers' marking and assessments are good and provide good guidance for pupils. The headteacher, senior staff and governors provide satisfactory leadership. However, the monitoring of teaching and learning has not been sharp enough to accelerate consistently pupils' progress. The school demonstrates that it has the capacity to improve further because there have been satisfactory improvements to standards and good improvements to assessment, teachers' marking and information and communication technology (ICT) since the last inspection. The school provides

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve writing standards and ensure that pupils are given more opportunities to write in subjects across the curriculum. • Sharpen the monitoring of teaching to ensure that the pace and challenge of lessons are consistently good across the school. • Improve behaviour further so it is consistently good.

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Grade: 3

The pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve standards that are above average. Children in the Foundation Stage make good progress and exceed the standards expected for their age in all areas of learning by the time they start Year 1. Pupils start school with standards that are above average and national test results confirm that Year 2 pupils attain above average standards in reading and mathematics and average standards in writing. Writing standards are lower because fewer pupils achieve the higher levels in writing compared with reading and mathematics. The school has 2 Inspection Report: Mrs Bland's Infant School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 2006 targeted writing as a priority and as a result, a higher proportion achieved higher levels this year. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Good assessments enable teachers to set accurate and challenging targets. However, the teaching is not

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Grade: 3

consistent enough to ensure that the targets set are achieved by all pupils. The school has improved standards in ICT since the last inspection and are now in line with national expectations. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make satisfactory progress. The small number of pupils in the early stages of learning English make good progress because they receive appropriate support.

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Grade: 3

The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils treat each other with respect. This is particularly evident amongst the younger pupils who work and play harmoniously. They take responsibility for their environment and enjoy watering the flowers and vegetables they are growing. In lessons and on the playground pupils have positive attitudes, 'I like playing with my friends', many say. They are happy and enthusiastic about school and say they feel safe and know what to do if other pupils are upset. They can organise themselves to work in teams and independently. Behaviour is satisfactory. Most pupils respond well to school initiatives that promote good behaviour but the behaviour of some older pupils is not always as good as it should be. Attendance is satisfactory because the school monitors this effectively. Pupils have an understanding of how to be healthy. They drink water, eat fruit and are active during the school day and in their out of

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Grade: 3

school clubs. Special topics, such as 'healthy schools', reinforce this. Pupils develop an understanding of other cultures when listening to African stories in assembly and they make a good contribution to the community through their involvement with local churches and partner schools. The development of their thinking and problem solving skills in language, mathematics and ICT prepares them adequately for the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 3

Teaching is satisfactory overall and it is good in the Foundation Stage. Although the school believes that teaching is good, its long term effect on standards and achievement has been only satisfactory. Relationships are good and pupils try hard. Inspectors saw many good lessons which maintained the pupils' interests and were appropriately challenging. In an English lesson, Year 1 pupils enjoyed the challenge of editing their writing about 'The Owl and the Pussycat'. Year 2 pupils grappled with some challenging problem solving in mathematics. In other lessons, satisfactory teaching has inconsistent pace and challenge. Overlong class discussions resulted in the pupils becoming restless 3 Inspection Report: Mrs Bland's Infant School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 2006 so their progress slowed and tasks were not always challenging enough. Children in the Foundation Stage were provided with a good range of stimulating activities that

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Grade: 3

enabled them to make good progress. The school has improved its assessment procedures since the last inspection. These are now good and, along with teachers' marking, help to check how well the pupils are doing, including those who join the school at different times. A close check is kept on the progress of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities enabling them to make satisfactory progress.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory with some good features. As a consequence, the pupils make satisfactory progress. Since the last inspection there has been investment in provision for ICT and this has resulted in a significant raise in standards. Computers are used effectively by pupils for research, presentation and art. Pupils have good opportunities in art lessons and Year 2 produced vibrant paintings in the style of Joan Miro. The pupils receive first-hand experiences to develop their knowledge and understanding of their environment. The school gardens and grounds provide a rich outdoor classroom. Nursery and reception children enjoy stimulating outdoor activities and older pupils use the pond and gardens for their science lessons. Pupils enjoy visits, visitors and a wide range of out of school clubs which include choir, country dancing, art and wildlife as well as sporting activities and opportunities to learn French and

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Grade: 3

Spanish. These are popular and successfully extend pupils' skills and raise their self-esteem. The leadership team has correctly identified the need to improve pupils' writing; it is particularly in other areas of the curriculum where there are missed opportunities for pupils to demonstrate and improve their writing skills.

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Grade: 3

The quality of personal care and support is satisfactory. Senior staff and governors carry out systematic safety checks, including risk assessments and arrangements for effective child protection. The majority of parents believe their children are safe but some raised concerns about the supervision of pupils. Inspectors have pointed out where supervision is not always as effective as it should be. In response, the school has put in place measures to ensure pupils are safe and secure at all times. This is especially important in the many play and recreational areas around the school site. There are effective arrangements in place for partnership with outside agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils are well cared for. The school makes good use of data from tests to provide challenging targets, especially in reading and mathematics. Teachers' marking is helpful so pupils have a clear understanding of what they need

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Grade: 3

to do next to improve. 4 Inspection Report: Mrs Bland's Infant School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 2006

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory and initiatives already in place demonstrate that there is a satisfactory track record in improving the school. The headteacher has introduced a distributed approach to school management which delegates specific responsibilities for monitoring the effectiveness of the school and enables staff and governors to work in teams. Consequently, governors and curriculum managers are increasingly aware of the strengths and areas for development in the school. For example, governors monitor activities such as the healthy schools week and visit classes to observe the use of interactive whiteboards in lessons. Taking account of the views of pupils is becoming well established and responsibilities given to pupils have increasingly ensured that attitudes and behaviour have improved. These changes have been achieved through discussion and evaluation of the needs of the school with pupils, governors and all staff. Parental involvement is increasingly

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Grade: 3

effective and parents report that communication has improved. The self-evaluation process is still at the development stage and strategies for ensuring its accuracy are not yet consistent, particularly in relation to teaching and learning. There has not yet been time for strategies implemented to impact fully on pupils. These include the headteacher's introduction of behaviour management strategies, the development in pupils' writing and constructive targets in lessons. These initiatives are already having a positive effect on pupils' learning and achievement demonstrating that the school has the capacity to keep on improving. 5 Inspection Report: Mrs Bland's Infant School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 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: Mrs Bland's Infant School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 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 3 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 3 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 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 3 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 3 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 3 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 3 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 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 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 I was pleased to visit your school together with another inspector. I write to thank you for your help and for making us feel welcome. We believe that yours is a satisfactory school.We think these are the best things about your school:* it helps you to enjoy learning and try hard* you do well in reading, mathematics and art and you use computers well* the children in the nursery and reception classes do well because their lessons are interesting and exciting* the school provides you with a good number of clubs, trips and visits and you use outdoor areas well in lessons and playtimes. We have asked your teachers to do the following to improve your school:* we would like your teachers to find ways to help you do better in your writing* your teachers are checking to find ways of making all lessons good. We would like them to do this better and to keep checking that every lesson helps you to do as well as you can* many of you are well behaved but we

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

know that some pupils are not always well behaved in lessons and other times. We would like the school to make sure that behaviour is good all the time.I wish you all the very best. Yours faithfully Charalambos Loizou Lead Inspector

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