Holmer Green First School and Pre-School

Inspection Report Holmer Green Infant School

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110268 Unique Reference Number Buckinghamshire LEA LEA 278397 Inspection number 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005 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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Watchet Lane School address Infant Type of school Holmer Green Community School category High Wycombe HP15 6UG 4 to 7 Age range of pupils 01494 712050 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01494 712050 Fax number 183 Number on roll Mrs Tricia Graham Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Susan Huntley Headteacher 10 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278397 20 September 2005 - 4 to 7 21 September 2005 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 with the support and co-operation of Holmer Green infant school pupils, parents, staff and governors.

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Description of the school

Holmer Green is an average size infant school. The vast majority of pupils are of white British heritage. A very small number are from mixed backgrounds. The number of pupils entitled to free school meals is very low compared with most schools. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is well below average. Attainment on entry to the reception classes is above average. Very few pupils leave or join the school at other than the usual times. The headteacher was in post at the time of the school's last inspection in 2000. The school has extended school status because it accommodates an extensive range of activities including after school clubs and a breakfast club.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Holmer Green Infant School, 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005

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Grade: 2

Inspection judgements confirm the school's self evaluation that this is a good school with some outstanding features. The school provides good value for money.The leadership and management of the school are good with some notable strengths. The headteacher and governors provide outstanding leadership. They have carefully guided improvements by maintaining high standards and creating an enjoyable and enriching experience for the pupils. Standards are good overall and the school is very well placed to improve further. The pupils achieve well above average standards by the time they leave the school. Although writing standards are above average and improving, they could be higher, especially for the many more able pupils.Teaching and learning are good overall. There is outstanding provision in the 1Foundation Stage because the teaching is of high quality. This enables reception children to make very good progress.

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Grade: 2

They are doing very well for their age and, with the exception of writing, reach well above average standards.The pupils enjoy school and this is reflected in the high attendance rates. The pupils are safe and secure because the provision for their personal development and well-being is outstanding. Parents are very pleased with the school and the all round care and education it provides.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Tell the pupils how to improve their writing and set them more challenging targets in order that more of them reach the higher levels.

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Grade: 2

The school assesses standards and achievement as good and inspectors agree. Standards are good in relation to the pupils' starting points because the school sets challenging targets to ensure that standards continue to rise well. There are no significant differences between the achievements of boys and girls.The children in the reception year are making rapid progress because the teaching is highly effective. This is built on well so the pupils make good progress as they move up the school. Consequently, the pupils achieve good standards by Year 2 with a high proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels in national tests in reading, mathematics and science. Writing standards are above average but fewer pupils reach the higher levels in writing compared with other subjects. Although the school sets challenging targets individual writing guidance for the most able pupils is not precise enough to enable them to improve their writing.

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Grade: 2

The school has begun to address this resulting in the much improved test results for writing in the most recent national tests.The very small number of pupils with special educational needs do well. Individual needs are identified and appropriate support is given in lessons so the pupils are able to work towards their learning targets. 2 Inspection Report: Holmer Green Infant School, 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005

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Grade: 1

The school has rightly judged the provision it makes as outstanding. This is a core strength of the school and is central to its ethos, 'learning, caring and being happy together'. The pupils show excellent behaviour and respect for others and relationships are very positive throughout the school. A group of Year 2 pupils commented on how they enjoyed being given responsibilities such as the supervision of playground equipment.The school works very closely with its local community. The 'Panda Library' provides excellent opportunities for parents to bring their pre-school children to school before they start. Pupils are aware of the need to live healthily, for example, they are enthusiastic about snack times and the 'free fruit' scheme. A national 'healthy schools' award was granted for encouraging pupils and parents to walk to school each day. The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developments are very good. Assemblies

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Grade: 1

are carefully planned to provide opportunities for the pupils to think of others. For example, when asked to reflect on the plight of children in less developed countries. Cultural and ethnic diversity is incorporated into special topics and festivals from around the world, for example, when looking at African or Chinese artefacts, foods, music and customs.Attendance is excellent. The staff are successful in encouraging the pupils to be punctual and to try hard. This prepares the pupils well so they form positive attitudes towards school.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good and there are some outstanding features in the Foundation Stage. Throughout the school there is evidence of effective teamwork between all those involved in teaching the pupils. In the Foundation Stage children soon settle to their tasks because the staff are vigilant and attentive to their needs. The children quickly learn to hold pencils, crayons and brushes correctly. They paint well formed self-portraits and can trace letters and numbers accurately. Tasks are very well planned to match the specific learning needs of all the children.In Years 1 and 2, the pupils enjoy reading stories and this is made more stimulating when computers are used to introduce characters in books. Learning is fun because teachers offer regular opportunities for the pupils to work practically. For example, in a Year 2 science lesson pupils made good progress investigating properties such as elasticity. 'Look

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Grade: 2

how bouncy the sponge is', remarked one pupil and this prompted others to find objects with similar properties. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to write at length. However, when marking pupils' work, teachers are not always making it clear how pupils can improve their writing.The pupils with specific learning needs are supported well by teachers and teaching assistants. Tasks are well matched to their needs and their progress is closely monitored to ensure they do as well as they are able. 3 Inspection Report: Holmer Green Infant School, 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005

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Grade: 2

The school has a good curriculum. The reception children get an outstanding start to their education. There are excellent opportunities for the children in the reception year to learn through well-chosen practical activities. These contribute extremely well to the children's love of learning and enjoyment, especially in the development of early literacy skills. For example, a mysterious parcel arrived from 'Fred the bear's' grandma with an accompanying letter asking the children to look after 'Fred' at home and to keep a special diary.Throughout the school the pupils celebrate cultural diversity through the creative and expressive arts, including music and drama. Themed weeks, for example, about Africa or South America, involve a range of practical and engaging activities.The curriculum develops in the pupils an awareness of the local community through its links with pre-school providers and the local junior and secondary schools.

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Grade: 2

Learning is made practical and relevant, for example, when the pupils join the nearby junior school pupils to share in a mediaeval banquet as part of their history project.

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Grade: 1

The care, guidance and support for pupils is outstanding. Child protection arrangements are fully understood by all staff. Health and safety procedures involve very well structured risk assessments of practical activities such as day visits or walks in the area. The pupils feel safe and secure in school and are happy to work with others. The school has effective assessment systems that help the staff to track the progress their pupils make. Individual targets are set that help the pupils do well in reading and mathematics. However, precise writing targets are not being set for more able pupils in writing and this hinders their progress.Parents think highly of the school and a very effective partnership has been established. This involves surveys of parents' views and special workshops. Parents are often asked to participate in activities with their children. This ensures that they are involved and knowledgeable about their school.

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Grade: 2

The school has evaluated leadership and management as outstanding. Inspectors agree that it is of high quality in many areas but judge that it is good overall. This is because teachers are at different stages of developing their roles in monitoring and managing subjects and aspects of the curriculum. More remains to be done now to enable all staff to monitor standards, particularly in writing, but the school has very good potential for further improvements. The Foundation Stage is very well managed and has ensured that staff and resources are very well deployed to support the children.The headteacher provides outstanding leadership and sets high expectations so that standards continue to improve. Although writing standards have tended to lag behind those seen in reading and mathematics, the headteacher has been alert to this and put in place strategies that have seen an upturn in writing standards over the last three years. The school is

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Grade: 2

4 Inspection Report: Holmer Green Infant School, 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005 well aware that further improvements are needed and is very well placed to address these.Rigorous self-evaluation by governors and senior staff is clearly informed by their thorough monitoring of the school's performance. This helps to identify key priorities and subsequent effective action. The school development plan provides very clear guidance to help the staff address priorities. The school's budget is very well managed and staff are deployed effectively. The headteacher inspires and motivates the staff and the pupils. Her leadership brings the best out of the staff and encourages parents to work in partnership. 5 Inspection Report: Holmer Green Infant School, 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005 .

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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: Holmer Green Infant School, 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005

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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 1 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 1 The behaviour of learners NA 1 The attendance of learners NA 2 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 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 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 2 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 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

The inspectors would like to thank you all for making us feel so welcome. We enjoyed being in your school and were pleased to see that you are very well behaved and enjoy school. Holmer Green is a good school and Mrs. Huntley is an excellent headteacher. All your teachers, governors and adults working in the school look after you very well and we know this because many of you told us. The inspectors were so pleased to see how proud you are of your school. Many children offered to show inspectors around. We know that you are very pleased with the many things you can do in the playground and you told us many times how you like your lessons. Your parents like the school very much and many have written kind letters to the inspectors to say good things about the teachers and your work. We are very pleased with your work and we know this because we have looked at your books. Your teachers are good at helping you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to learn and we have asked them to do a bit more to help you do better with your writing.We are very pleased with your school and know that you and your parents will carry on working with all the adults working in the school to make it even better.

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