Bernards Heath Infant and Nursery School

Inspection Report Bernards Heath Infants' School

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117135 Unique Reference Number HERTFORDSHIRE LEA LEA 279993 Inspection number 21 March 2006 to 22 March 2006 Inspection dates Mrs. Linda Killman LI Reporting inspector

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

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Sandridge Road School address Primary Type of school AL1 4AP Community School category 5 to 8 Age range of pupils 01727852106 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils - Fax number 203 Number on roll Mrs.Alison Marsay Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. Kathleen Scruton Headteacher 27 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279993 21 March 2006 - 5 to 8 22 March 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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is an average size school for children aged from three to seven years. There is a higher than average number of children from minority ethnic groups, some of whom do not speak English at home. The number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. When children start in the Nursery at age three, their abilities are generally at the level expected. The school provides education for some children awaiting a place in the school nearest to their family home. Consequently, higher than average numbers of children join or leave the school mid-year. The school has gained the Artsmark Silver Award for its commitment to art, music, dance and drama.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Bernards Heath Infants' School, 21 March 2006 to 22 March 2006

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Grade: 2

This school judges itself to be a good, inclusive school and the inspectors agree. It provides good value for money. Families from many walks of life are warmly welcomed and their young children flourish. Parents overwhelmingly support the school and appreciate all that it provides. From an average starting point in the Nursery, children make good progress as they move through the school. In Year 2, standards are above the national average in reading and writing and broadly average in mathematics. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those whose first language is not English also make good progress. Teaching is mostly good and children's basic skills develop successfully. The teachers place a strong emphasis on speaking and listening in lessons and consequently, the children are articulate. The children know how well they are doing but they are not always told exactly how to improve their

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Grade: 2

work. High achievers are not always provided with activities that sufficiently challenge them. The school's curriculum is enriched by clubs, visits and visitors. A wealth of good resources enhances the children's learning. Leadership and management are good. The school successfully focuses on raising standards and promoting the personal well-being of the children. Managers have begun to use data and assessment information to check the children's progress and to set targets for improvement. However, this information is not yet analysed in sufficient detail or used by all staff. A combination of dedicated, effective leadership and a strong spirit of teamwork have successfully moved the school forwards since its previous inspection and it shows a good capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Provide more demanding and challenging work for high achieving children. - Ensure that children are clear about how to improve their work. - Further develop the way assessment information and data is used throughout the school to track children's progress.

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Grade: 2

The children's achievements are good. From an average starting point in the Nursery they make consistently good progress as they move through the school. All children in Year 2, regardless of when they join the school, are expected to achieve a secure national average Level 2 in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Most of them successfully achieve this. Standards of attainment in Year 2 are above average in reading and writing, and broadly in line with the national average in mathematics. National assessments in all subjects improved from 2004 to 2005. An average number of pupils achieved the higher Level 3 in all subjects. The school keeps a watchful eye on the progress of children with learning difficulties and disabilities and children whose first language is not English. As a result, they also achieve well. Children use information and communication technology (ICT) in many areas of the curriculum and the standards

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Grade: 2

2 Inspection Report: Bernards Heath Infants' School, 21 March 2006 to 22 March 2006 achieved are good. Due to the emphasis the school places on speaking and listening, standards achieved by the children in spoken English are exceptionally good throughout the school.

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Grade: 2

Children's personal development is good. They form good relationships with staff and one another. As a result, the school is a happy and caring place in which all children make good progress in acquiring literacy, numeracy and social skills that will benefit them in later life. For example, children make considerable gains in their numeracy and social skills when deciding how to spend money donated to each class by the parents' association. Children learn how to stay safe, which is vital in a school so close to a busy road. They say that there are many people they can go to for help if they are unhappy or frightened. They enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in the improving attendance figures, which are now average. Children generally behave well. However, casual chatter in assemblies and restlessness in some lessons detracts from the otherwise calm atmosphere. The school encourages the children to eat healthy

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Grade: 2

food and to take regular exercise. Year 2 children enjoy football training provided by Watford Football Club coaches and all children benefit from aerobic sessions taught by a specialist teacher. Older children happily take responsibility for younger children by being 'buddies' and by sharing books with Nursery children. The school is successful in encouraging children to think of others by supporting several charity collections each year. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The school succeeds in celebrating and valuing many different religions and cultures.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning is mostly good. In all classes, teachers have established very good working relationships. The children enjoy their learning but occasionally they are expected to sit for too long listening to the teacher talking and as a result, become restless. There is a lack of consistency in how effectively teaching assistants are used to support individuals and groups. In the Foundation Stage children make good progress. The teachers provide an appropriate balance of teacher directed activities and those that children initiate themselves. In Years 1 and 2, the teachers plan activities that are well matched to the needs and abilities of most learners. However, high achieving children are not always provided with activities to challenge them and accelerate their learning. In the best lessons seen, the teachers frequently assess how well the children are progressing and use this information to adjust their planning for

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Grade: 2

the next lesson. They also tell the children how well they are doing and expect them to make a judgement about their achievements. Across the school, teachers do not always tell the children what they need to do next to move their learning on. Teachers use ICT effectively to capture the children's interest and motivate them. 3 Inspection Report: Bernards Heath Infants' School, 21 March 2006 to 22 March 2006

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good curriculum. Improved ICT provision and its effective use have a positive impact on learning. The curriculum is skilfully adapted to meet the needs and abilities of children with learning difficulties and disabilities as well as those who speak English as an additional language. Parents say that they greatly appreciate the fact that the school has books and computer programs in their children's home language. Nursery and Reception children get off to a good start because they learn through a wide variety of practical experiences. There is a strong focus on children's personal development. The curriculum for Year 1 and 2 children is planned carefully to be relevant, practical and interesting. Good links are being developed between subjects. A very good range of enticing enrichment activities are provided such as chess, playing the ocarina, French, circus skills training, tennis coaching and drama

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Grade: 2

workshops. These, together with a very good number of visits and visitors bring children's learning to life and have a very positive impact on their personal and social skills.

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Grade: 2

Children are exceptionally well cared for in this inclusive school. Staff know the children well and are quick to respond to their concerns. The school works effectively with other agencies to ensure that children and families in difficult circumstances are sensitively supported. Children with learning difficulties and disabilities are identified quickly and given good support. Child protection as well as health and safety procedures are in place and understood by everyone. Children say they feel safe in school and enjoy it. Their progress is monitored carefully although children themselves are not always sure how they could improve their work. They have target books but the targets are written in complicated language which is difficult for young children to understand. This is why inspectors agree with the school that it provides excellent levels of care to all children, but feel there is more work to do in guiding and involving children in

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. Through the headteacher's dedication and passion for every child to thrive, their education and well-being are cherished. Her accurate view of the school's strengths and weaknesses supports her in driving the school forwards. Key issues raised in the previous inspection have been tackled effectively. Parents speak highly of the school and justifiably, it enjoys a good reputation locally. Subject leaders are working well to develop their subjects. Improvements have been made to raise standards where they are weaker. The school is developing its ability to use data and assessment information to track and improve the performance of individual children. However, the evaluation of this information 4 Inspection Report: Bernards Heath Infants' School, 21 March 2006 to 22 March 2006 is not yet sufficiently rigorous. The school's improvement plan is clearly focused on raising children's attainment and achievements. Managers have adopted a systematic,

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Grade: 2

effective programme for checking and assuring the quality of teaching and learning. Their evaluations are accurate and the feedback provided for staff further develops their expertise. The governing body provides a good level of support and challenge. Parents' views are regularly sought and are carefully considered. The interior and exterior of the building are very well maintained providing a pleasant, vibrant setting for learners. The setting benefits from the investments made in special features such as the outdoor balance trail and sensory garden. The school's managers are leading the school forward purposefully and provide the school with a good capacity to make further improvements. 5 Inspection Report: Bernards Heath Infants' School, 21 March 2006 to 22 March 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: Bernards Heath Infants' School, 21 March 2006 to 22 March 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 NA 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 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 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 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 No 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

We enjoyed our visit to your school. We learned a great deal about your school by talking to you and watching you learn. We thought that you would like to know what we liked about your school and how we thought it could get even better. - You made us both feel very welcome and greeted us with a smile. - You enjoy coming to school because you feel safe and you really like your teachers. - You all get on well together and you know right from wrong. - You work hard. - You are good learners. - You are especially good at explaining what you have learned by talking to the adults or your friends. - Every year that you are at the school, you make good progress. - You have lovely equipment to use in school to help your learning. Your headteacher runs the school well and your parents are right to think that you go to a good school. What we have asked the school to do now to make it even better is: - To make sure that you are all given

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

work that makes you think hard. - To tell you what you need to do to make your work even better. - To keep an even closer eye on how much you are learning. We wish you all the best in the future.

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