Copthorne Community Infant School

Inspection Report Copthorne Community Infant

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112687 Unique Reference Number DERBYSHIRE LEA LEA 278991 Inspection number 16 January 2006 to 17 January 2006 Inspection dates Mr. Keith Edwards LI Reporting inspector

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

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Rodgers Lane School address Infant Type of school DE55 7FF Community School category 4 to 9 Age range of pupils 01773832362 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01773832362 Fax number 82 Number on roll Mr.Alan Wragg Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. Helen Smith Headteacher 14 February 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278991 16 January 2006 - 4 to 9 17 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school serves the town of Alfreton. Almost all of the children live locally. There are 82 girls and boys on roll who are taught in separate year groups. There are four classes in the morning and three in the afternoon. All of the pupils are White and come from homes where English is the first language. The range of socio-economic circumstances is broad. Attainment on entry to the reception class is below average. The proportion of children entitled to a free school meal and the proportion with special educational needs, including those with statements, is above most schools. The substantive headteacher has recently returned to the school after her maternity leave. Her absence in 2005 had been covered by two acting headteachers.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Copthorne Community Infant, 16 January 2006 to 17 January 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school that has made effective progress since the last inspection and is well placed to make further improvements. Although there were three different headteachers in post in 2005, the school has continued to provide the children with a good education that is full of enrichment. There are effective systems and routines that are clearly understood by the staff and these support the smooth running of the school. Successive leadership teams have built on the strengths identified in the last inspection and standards have risen. The inspection report agrees with the school's view of itself. The school recognises where it needs to make further improvements, particularly in aspects of its multi-cultural provision, and has set out a clear plan of action. Although numbers have fallen since the last inspection, the parents and their children hold the school in high regard. The school works well in partnership with the

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Grade: 2

local community and with the local authority. The school provides an outstanding level of care for its pupils and the personal development of the children is a strength. As a result pupils behave very well and make good progress in their learning. The quality of education and of pupils' achievement in the Foundation Stage is good and is well supported by the imaginative development of the accommodation. The children continue to make good progress in Years 1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils' progress in speaking and listening and the tracking of their achievement in science are less well developed. The governors provide good support for the work of the school but need to develop their role as critical friends. Nevertheless, the school is effective and continuing to improve. It provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Implement the curriculum plan to ensure there is sufficient emphasis on raising standards and the children's awareness of different cultures and preparing them for life in a multi-cultural society. - Develop the role of the governing body in budget monitoring and as critical friends of the school. - Track pupils' progress more effectively in science and ensure they know specifically how to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

Standards and pupils' achievement are good. This partly because the children feel safe, secure and valued they progress effectively. From the outset in the reception class, the quality of teaching is good. The children receive good individual attention and benefit from a well planned curriculum that is well resourced. Consequently, the children are on course to meet the early learning goals for their age group. Results in the national tests over recent years have shown good improvement. Attainment in the tests for pupils in Year 2 in 2005 closely matched the national picture. This represents a key success for the school given their lower than average attainment on entry. The school has been particularly effective in enabling the children to achieve well in reading and mathematics. Speaking and listening, and writing are current priorities in the 2 Inspection Report: Copthorne Community Infant, 16 January 2006 to 17 January 2006

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Grade: 2

school improvement plan in a bid to further raise standards. Good progress continues in Years 1 and 2 because the teachers plan effectively for the next stages in the children's learning. This is particularly evident in reading, writing, mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT). The children are very aware of what they need to do to improve and are keen to do their best. The teachers are skilled in challenging the children to achieve their potential. Those children with learning difficulties are very well supported and provided with a good grounding in literacy and numeracy.

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Grade: 2

The children's' personal development is good. They benefit from a climate in school that enables them to grow in confidence and to take responsibility. For example, those children elected to the school council take their responsibilities seriously. The staff provide very good role models in terms of high quality relationships and they work hard to boost the children's confidence and self- esteem. Those children who find school life difficult receive sensitive support and guidance that enables them to make friends and work as part of a group. The children work hard and standards of behaviour are outstanding. Attendance rates are satisfactory. They have improved markedly since the last inspection because the school is very vigilant in monitoring absence and punctuality and the children thoroughly enjoy their time in school. Pupils' basic skills are developing well which contributes effectively to their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

The children have a very good understanding of healthy lifestyles and the school has been awarded with certificates that recognise its work as a health promoting school. The children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. There are particular strengths in the children's moral development as they clearly make the distinction between right and wrong. However, their cultural development is lacking sufficient emphasis on their preparation for life in a multicultural society.

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Grade: 2

The teachers are particularly successful in teaching the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT. This is because the teachers are systematic in their approach and they provide the children with good opportunities to apply their skills in different subjects. For example, in their current topic on food, the children enjoy discussing their purchases from the class shops and using the correct money. The team of teaching assistants provide sensitive support and work well with the children. Assessment procedures are used very effectively to support the children's learning in literacy and numeracy. The children's progress is tracked very carefully and the information is used to both raise expectations of the children's performance and to identify those areas where the children are having difficulty. This practice has not yet been extended to science. The quality of the teaching is underpinned by the warmth of the relationships, both with

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Grade: 2

3 Inspection Report: Copthorne Community Infant, 16 January 2006 to 17 January 2006 the children and with their parents. The children like their teachers and find learning fun. The strong home-school links contribute strongly to the children's reading programme. The teachers provide the children with good feedback on their progress through discussions of their work and the children have a good knowledge of how they can improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum for the children in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 is good and it supports the children's learning well. Statutory requirements are met and national initiatives, such as in literacy and numeracy, are reflected well in lessons. ICT, an area of weakness at the time of the last inspection, is now used effectively to support learning across a range of subjects. There is very good provision for the children's personal, social and health education. The staff provide very good role models and strongly support and promote healthy eating and active lifestyles. The school day is well organised and there is a good balance of time across subjects for pupils of all ages. The school's planning links subjects well so that lessons are interesting for the children. The staff ensure that the curriculum is enriched by a good range of visitors, including a popular school assembly group, and by visits to places of interest.

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Grade: 1

The care of pupils is outstanding. The school's family atmosphere provides the basis of the high level of care. The children know that they can always turn to a member of staff should any problems arise and feel confident that concerns will be resolved. Furthermore, the children are very good at looking after each other, particularly on the playground. The children feel safe and secure and appreciate that they have a voice in the affairs of the school through the school council. Child protection procedures have been fully reviewed and updated. Vulnerable pupils are very well supported. The school's assessment procedures are very highly effective in keeping track of the pupils' progress in most subjects, so that the children are given clear advice on what they need to do to improve. The only exception is science where the school could be more explicit about the children's achievements. Parents and carers are very well informed

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good. The staff and governors have used the school's well-established procedures and guidelines well to maintain the quality of what the school has to offer during the recent unsettled period in the school's leadership. The substantive headteacher has made a welcome return. She has a very good knowledge of the school's strengths and of those areas requiring further development; the school's self-evaluation is good and closely reflected the practice 4 Inspection Report: Copthorne Community Infant, 16 January 2006 to 17 January 2006 seen during the inspection. The school's capacity to improve in the future is good. She has built a team that has shown great resolve in guiding the school to a position of real strength. There has been very good progress since the last inspection. This is particularly evident in the provision for ICT which is now a key strength of the school.

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Grade: 2

The pupils' academic performance is now stronger, whilst the school has maintained its caring ethos. Children of all abilities and backgrounds are happy in school and share its values. 5 Inspection Report: Copthorne Community Infant, 16 January 2006 to 17 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: Copthorne Community Infant, 16 January 2006 to 17 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 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 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 3 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 2 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 2 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 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 NA 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

I really enjoyed my visit to your school. I was particularly thrilled that I was able to meet the school council and talk to so many of you. What a lovely school you have and it seems to be getting better and better. I can really understand why you enjoy it so much. Your teachers are doing a splendid job and I noticed that the standard of work that you do is much better than it used to be, particularly in mathematics and ICT. All of the staff make a very good job of looking after you and plan many exciting things to make your school interesting. In fact, there are many things that make your school special. Here are some of them: - you clearly try to do your best to learn in lessons and are making good progress - everybody understands the school rules and you behave extremely well - everybody tries to be friendly, thoughtful and helpful - you seem to know so much about how to be healthy - Mrs Smith is a good headteacher who

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

wants you all to enjoy school and to do well. But, of course, as in all schools, there are still things that can be done to make your school even better: - firstly, I am asking your teachers to help you understand a little bit more about families from different backgrounds - i would also like the governors to use more challenging questions in their work with the school. I would like to wish you all the very best for the future.

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