Manor Field Infant School

Inspection Report Manor Field Infant School

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116055 Unique Reference Number Hampshire LEA LEA 279735 Inspection number 21 November 2005 to 22 November 2005 Inspection dates Mike Thompson AI Reporting inspector

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

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Haydn Road School address Infant Type of school Brighton Hill Community School category Basingstoke RG22 4DH 5 to 7 Age range of pupils 01256350300 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01256842139 Fax number 148 Number on roll Mrs Nicky Parker Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Penny Bullough Headteacher 1 November 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279735 21 November 2005 - 5 to 7 22 November 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.

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Description of the school

Manor Field Infant School is located in the Brighton Hill estate on the edge of Basingstoke. Most of its pupils are of white British heritage, and many are from homes which are socially disadvantaged. The number of pupils entitled to free school meals is higher than average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Manor Field Infant School, 21 November 2005 to 22 November 2005

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Grade: 2

This is a good school which gives good value for money.Parents and pupils hold their school in high regard. Their views are fully justified. The quality of education, including teaching, is good. As a result, the pupils achieve well and make good progress from a low starting point. The school's performance in the national tests has improved, and most pupils now achieve average standards by the end of Year 2. The quality of provision and standards in the Foundation Stage are good. All pupils are warmly welcomed and equally valued. Teachers know their pupils extremely well and are very good at using what they know to ensure that they make good progress in their learning. Teachers are good at making sure their pupils listen, but sometimes miss opportunities to improve their pupils' skills in speaking. The school places a strong emphasis on developing pupils' social skills and giving them the confidence to meet the challenges

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Grade: 2

provided for them. Pupils' personal development is very good, although more could be done to improve their awareness of others' cultural traditions. Pupils are very well cared for and feel secure and happy.The leadership of the headteacher is good. She has an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses, and has devised a clear plan for its further development. A highly committed staff team and the governing body give her good support. The school has made good progress since its last inspection in 1999. The good standard of teaching has been sustained and the school's performance in reading, writing and mathematics has improved. There is a strong commitment to continuous improvement at all levels within the school, leaving it well placed to make further progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Ensure that all teachers expect pupils to speak clearly and accurately. * Improve pupils' awareness of other cultural traditions.

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Grade: 2

Children do well in the Reception class, often from low starting points, and make good progress in reading and writing and mathematics and very good progress in their personal development. This is because their introduction into school is managed very well, they are taught well, and the curriculum is carefully adapted to meet their particular needs. The development of children's personal and social skills is strongly emphasised. Despite their good progress, standards are below average overall by the end of the Reception year.In Years 1 and 2, pupils make good progress, regardless of gender or learning ability. This occurs because all pupils are included in activities, their individual needs are carefully assessed. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are given very good quality help. As a result, they make good progress towards their individual targets.The school's performance in the national tests for pupils at the end

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Grade: 2

of Year 2 has steadily improved since the previous inspection. The results in 2005 were an exception to this trend, and were significantly lower than in 2004. However, the 2 Inspection Report: Manor Field Infant School, 21 November 2005 to 22 November 2005 group of pupils currently in Year 2 is on course to equal the school's performance in the 2004 tests and achieve average standards. The school is effective in ensuring that a large proportion of pupils achieve the basic standards expected nationally in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave at the end of Year 2. However, too few achieve higher levels. The school recognises the need to improve in this area and is increasingly successful in challenging its more able pupils.Pupils successfully meet the challenging targets set for them to meet by the end of Year 2. These targets are based on careful consideration of individual pupils' achievements.

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Grade: 2

Pupils behave very well and are keen to learn. Parents say that their children enjoy school, and pupils confirm this. Pupils say that they especially enjoy choosing activities in 'Privilege Time', as a reward for hard work. They also particularly look forward to the 'Huff and Puff' sessions, organised for them at lunch times by pupils from the adjacent Junior School. Pupils are well aware of healthy ways of living and of how they can keep safe. They talk confidently about foods that are good for them and, for instance, about needing 'lots of P.E'. Pupils' spiritual, moral and social development is good. This is seen, for example, in the very good relationships throughout the school, the care and consideration shown for each other and the awareness of even the youngest children of the school's 'Golden Rules'. However, pupils' awareness of the cultural diversity of society needs to be improved. Pupils make a satisfactory

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Grade: 2

contribution to the life of the school. Some feel that their views are not always heard and a School Council is to be set up this year to help address this situation. Teachers successfully equip pupils for their future education by developing their social skills and helping them contribute to decisions about what they should learn next. Attendance rates are satisfactory.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good, with some pockets of very effective practice in both the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. Throughout the school, teachers place a good emphasis on ensuring that their pupils succeed. Teachers and teaching assistants know their pupils well, and use this knowledge to help manage pupils' behaviour and create a positive atmosphere for learning. In all classes, teachers are skilled in using questions to find out how well pupils are learning. They use this knowledge very well to ensure that, in English and mathematics in particular, tasks are set for pupils at different levels of difficulty according to their needs. The teachers also use questions well to involve all pupils in the lessons. However, in some classes, they too readily accept pupils' answers and miss opportunities to correct grammar and poor English. The school has good systems for checking on pupils' progress and setting targets for them. It is

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Grade: 2

also very good at identifying pupils who are in need of extra help and deciding precisely 3 Inspection Report: Manor Field Infant School, 21 November 2005 to 22 November 2005 how to provide this. The well-trained and experienced teacher with responsibility for special educational needs gives her colleagues good advice, ensuring that the needs of these pupils are met in full. The small number of pupils who are more able are also identified and their needs are properly met.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a wide range of activities which interest its pupils. Its curriculum for the youngest children is very good and ensures that children are given a secure platform for future learning.The school is good at constantly looking for further ways to make its curriculum more relevant to its pupils. Strengths that help pupils to do well include the use of play and of the outdoor environment to stimulate their learning and enjoyment. Many varied opportunities are planned in all subjects to develop pupils' speaking skills, although there is inconsistency in how well teachers use these. Planning takes good account of what pupils of all abilities have learned and often links subjects well to make learning more meaningful. There is a good range of activities to enrich pupils' experiences. For example, a specialist ICT teacher from the local secondary school regularly works with groups of the pupils. A very good, short animated film of

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Grade: 2

'Goldilocks and the Three Beavers', produced by pupils in Year 1, resulted from an enjoyable challenge which did much to help develop pupils' self confidence. A comprehensive programme of personal, social and health education is underpinned by good community links.

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Grade: 2

The parents are very appreciative of the quality of care that the school provides for their children. It helps pupils to feel valued and secure, and contributes significantly to their good learning and very good personal development. All staff work hard to raise pupils' self-esteem and to meet their different needs. They have developed very good links with parents, pre-school groups, local schools and outside professional agencies. Health and safety routines, risk assessments and procedures to safeguard the most vulnerable pupils are all secure. Pupils' behaviour is managed very effectively, resulting in a calm, safe and supportive learning environment. Children say that there is little bullying and any incidents are dealt with straight away. The school works energetically to involve parents as closely as possible in their children's learning. There are good systems for checking on how well pupils are getting on and providing extra

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Grade: 2

help whenever it is needed. Pupils discuss their learning targets with their teachers, so they know exactly what to do to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher's leadership is good. She knows the school very well and makes very good use of information gathered through her regular monitoring to guide its 4 Inspection Report: Manor Field Infant School, 21 November 2005 to 22 November 2005 development effectively. She has helped introduce a range of initiatives designed to improve pupils' learning. These include the 'brain gym' techniques seen in some lessons, where teachers use short routines of coordinated movements to refresh pupils' concentration. She has also ensured that the curriculum contains a wide variety of activities so that all pupils can find something in which they can be successful. Teachers monitor their areas of responsibility well and use the information which they gather to make useful contributions to the school's improvement. The evaluations made by the headteacher and her staff are thorough and accurate. They are used well to set

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Grade: 2

challenging targets for the school's performance. The headteacher has a good staff team, and deploys them effectively. There is a clear sense of shared purpose to ensure that pupils do well and are fully included in activities. There are good opportunities for staff training, closely linked to their individual responsibilities and the school's priorities set out in its clear improvement plan. Very good use is made of the high quality buildings and the grounds provide a stimulating learning environment. Governance is good. Governors care about their school and hold it to account. They provide useful support for school initiatives and ensure that it meets its legal responsibilities. 5 Inspection Report: Manor Field Infant School, 21 November 2005 to 22 November 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: Manor Field Infant School, 21 November 2005 to 22 November 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 3 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 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 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

Following our visit to inspect your school we would like to tell you what we think about how well you are getting on and how well your school is helping you to learn. We enjoyed seeing you at work and at playtimes, and liked talking to you. There are lots of things that we like about your school. Some of them are:* Your school is friendly and welcoming. You behave really well and get on very well with each other.* You listen carefully to what your teachers have to say and try very hard in your lessons.* Your teachers teach you well, and when you find work hard you are given the right sort of help.* All of the adults who work in your school make sure that you are safe and are really well looked after.* Your headteacher, and all of the other people who help run your school, are good at making sure that you get the very best education.We agree with your parents that you go to a good school. All of the adults in your school want it to be even better. To help them to do this we think that

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

the things to do next are:* Make sure that your teachers come to look at each other's lessons to see how well you are learning to talk about what you are doing. Then they can share the good things that they see with their own class.* Make sure that you learn more about the ways that people from different countries live their lives. Yours sincerely, Mike Thompson Lead inspector

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