Elmsleigh Infant and Nursery School

Inspection Report Elmsleigh Infant and Nursery

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112694 Unique Reference Number DERBYSHIRE LEA LEA 278994 Inspection number 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 Inspection dates Mr. Colin Humphreys LI Reporting inspector

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

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Queen's Drive School address Infant Type of school DE11 0EG Community School category 3 to 7 Age range of pupils 01283216883 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01283216883 Fax number 173 Number on roll Mr.Christopher Rose Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. Christine Matthews Headteacher 27 September 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278994 5 October 2005 - 3 to 7 6 October 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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and an Additional Inspector over two days.

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Description of the school

Elmsleigh Infant and Nursery School is in Swadlincote, on a housing estate where there is a good deal of social and economic disadvantage. The proportion of children on free school meals, for example, is well above that of most schools. Almost all of the children are white British. Elmsleigh is an enhanced resource school that includes a few pupils with complex learning difficulties. Many children start at the school with well below average ability, especially speaking and social skills.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Elmsleigh Infant and Nursery, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005

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Grade: 2

Elmsleigh Infant and Nursery School is a good school, with some outstanding features. The headteacher is rightly confident that the school is doing a good job, and in some areas the inspectors judged that the school is better than it thought it was. For example, the quality of care for the pupils, their personal development and the curriculum, are all great strengths of the school. The children get off to a good start in the nursery and then continue to make good progress as they move through the school. They are well behaved and kind and considerate to each other. They enjoy school. The pupils with learning difficulties are well supported and they make good progress too. The teaching is enthusiastic and the lessons are fun. The relationships between pupils and adults are very good and the school provides a safe haven in which the pupils grow into thoughtful and well-rounded young people. The curriculum is outstanding and

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Grade: 2

gives the pupils many exciting experiences that they might otherwise never have. The headteacher leads the school very well and is well supported by all the other staff. The school has correctly identified the issues that need further attention in order to improve it. These include reducing levels of absence, encouraging parents to be more involved in their child's education and improving mathematics further. The school has made good progress on the minor issues raised in the last inspection: in particular, the school makes good use of computers and interactive whiteboards across the curriculum, and teachers use play very well to help the younger children learn. The school has a good capacity for improving what it does because the headteacher and staff have appropriate systems for checking their effectiveness. The headteacher and staff have the right skills and clear plans to move the school further forward. The school provides

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What the school should do to improve further

To make further improvements, the school should: - Work with parents and the educational welfare service to improve the pupils' attendance. - Seek ways to help parents become more involved in their children's education. - Improve standards in mathematics so that they are as good as those for reading and writing.

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Grade: 2

When they start in the nursery the children's attainment is well below what is expected for their age, but the nursery gives them a good start to their education. By the time they leave the school standards are broadly average, showing that most make good progress as they move through the school. Most meet or exceed the targets the school sets for them. Some pupils achieve particularly well and reach above average standards. Both boys and girls achieve equally well. Standards in mathematics are satisfactory but not quite as good as those in reading and writing. The school has already started to put this right. Pupils whose attendance is poor do not make the good progress that the others do, and the school is rightly concerned about this. The results of the tests 2 Inspection Report: Elmsleigh Infant and Nursery, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 for seven year olds were better in 2004 than in 2005 but the school can clearly show

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Grade: 2

that in both years the pupils achieved well in relation to their attainment when they started in the school. Because the school supports them well, pupils with learning difficulties make good progress in relation to their capabilities. The pupils' work in art is often of a high standard because of good teaching. For example, paintings that involved the careful observation of flowers were sensitively done.

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Grade: 2

The personal development of the pupils is good with some outstanding aspects. The pupils love coming to school and it is obvious that they enjoy their lessons. They especially like the exciting visits out of school to interesting places and when different people visit the school to help them learn new things. They are well behaved and have positive attitudes to their work. Although the attendance of many of the pupils is good, there are some whose attendance is poor, and this has a bad effect on their personal development. However, recent efforts to improve attendance have had some success. In assemblies the pupils enjoy celebrating the achievement of their friends, and opportunities to sing together and to think carefully about important issues, such as how and why we should help each other. The pupils play nicely and safely together and are happy in the playground. Their cultural development is outstanding, helped

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Grade: 2

by the school's excellent work in the arts subjects. The pupils also understand there is a wide range of different cultures and religions and show a lively interest in these. The pupils are encouraged by the school to be healthy, to exercise and to think about eating well, for example, they enjoy their daily fruit snacks. The school meals are nutritious, but the school has more to do in encouraging parents and carers not to give their children so many unhealthy snacks in their packed lunches. The pupils have a good understanding about taking responsibility; for example, they take their duties seriously on the school council. They understand the importance of working together and know about the world of work because they learn about the jobs that people have.

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Grade: 2

The teaching at Elsmleigh is enthusiastic and of a good quality, which is why the pupils achieve well. The teachers create just the right atmosphere to capture the pupils' interest and encourage good routines and work habits. Everything is based around the very good relationships between the adults and the pupils and there is often a productive 'buzz' in the classrooms. For example, in an outstanding Year 2 lesson, the pupils were asked to make up a new game to play in the playground. Pupils became completely absorbed in this task, working well together, sharing ideas and discussing how they could make their games better. All the games worked well and gave pupils a great sense of satisfaction. Teachers help the pupils to build their self-confidence and self-esteem by constant encouragement, praising the pupils when they do good 3 Inspection Report: Elmsleigh Infant and Nursery, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005

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Grade: 2

work or try hard. They use their knowledge of what the pupils can do to give them work that stretches them, so that they learn new ideas at a good pace. Teaching in the nursery and reception classes is good. Because teachers keep a close watch on the children's learning, and give them exciting things to do, the pupils are keen to learn and they progress well. Teamwork between teaching assistants and teachers is good. Teaching assistants often lead small teaching groups, and they do this well. The use of computers to support learning has improved and teachers make effective use of interactive whiteboards to help pupils learn faster.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding; it is interesting and stimulating. It is made even more exciting by an excellent range of visits to places outside school, which the pupils greatly enjoy. These activities contribute greatly to the pupils' life experiences, and their social and cultural development. The school rightly places a strong emphasis on practical work, solving problems and making decisions. The curriculum is very well organised and meets the learning needs of all pupils. The school has gained the Arts Mark Gold Award. This is an exceptional achievement and pupils have many rich experiences in the arts subjects.

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Grade: 1

The school's care, guidance and support for pupils are outstanding. The school is a safe and very caring place in which pupils feel extremely secure and appreciated. Child protection procedures are in place and staff are fully aware of their responsibilities. The school contributes very well to pupils' personal development and creates a constructive atmosphere for learning. Pupils take increasing responsibility for their own learning and lifestyle choices. For instance, they learn about road safety and can choose from a range of healthy options to eat at lunchtime. Pupils who have learning difficulties or disabilities are very well supported. Pupils with complex medical conditions are equally well supported by health professionals who visit regularly and work closely with staff to meet the pupils' needs. The school's links with a wide range of outside agencies are excellent. The school makes sure that all pupils have an equal

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Grade: 1

chance to take part in whatever goes on. Parents are rightly confident that their pupils are safe in school. By the time they are seven, the pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 2

The quality of leadership and management is good. The headteacher provides strong and purposeful leadership. She has created an atmosphere in which all at the school feel valued, cared for and respected. Subject leaders have effectively kept an eye on the quality of what goes on in their subject. They carefully evaluate the quality of the 4 Inspection Report: Elmsleigh Infant and Nursery, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 pupils' work and take well-considered steps to make improvements. The governors are supportive of the school and their work is good in some areas, such as appointments of staff. However, they sometimes rely too heavily on the headteacher for information and decision-making and need to have better systems for getting to know the school's work. The headteacher's good leadership skills, the staff's skilful ability to spot things that need attention, and the plans they make to tackle them, all show that the school

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Grade: 2

has a good capacity for further improvement. The self-evaluation carried out by the school effectively identifies areas of its work that need to improve. The school consults parents, pupils and the staff before it makes any major changes, although more need to be done to ensure that parents are more involved in their children's education. 5 Inspection Report: Elmsleigh Infant and Nursery, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 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: Elmsleigh Infant and Nursery, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 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 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 2 The behaviour of learners NA 4 The attendance of learners NA 1 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 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 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 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

Thank you for being so nice to us when we visited your school and thank you for being helpful when we asked you questions. We enjoyed seeing you learn all the different things you did in your lessons and when you talked to us it was clear that you enjoy coming to school. We think you go to a good school. Your teachers are kind and friendly and they help you learn new things well. Mrs Matthews and the other adults work very hard to make sure the school is an exciting place. They make sure you are safe and happy. In your school, the teachers plan lots of very special events, like the trip that Year 2 had to Derby during your school inspection. Not all schools do this as well as your school does and we think you are very lucky. You behave very well in your lessons, and you are helpful to each other. You do lots of good work, but your work in numeracy is not as good as it is in literacy. But don't worry; your teachers have already

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

started to put this right, although you can help too, by trying very hard in your numeracy lessons. Most of you come to school when you should, but a few of you are away from school too often. When this happens, you get behind in your work. We think the school should keep asking everyone's parents or carers to make sure you come to school all the time, unless you are feeling unwell, because then you will learn more good things. So keep working hard.

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