South End Infant School

Inspection Report South End Infant School

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121861 Unique Reference Number Northamptonshire LEA 281118 Inspection number 22 May 2006 to 23 May 2006 Inspection dates Mike Capper AI Reporting inspector

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

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Wymington Road School address Infant Type of school Rushden Community School category Northamptonshire NN10 9JU 4 to 7 Age range of pupils 01933 356571 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01933 356571 Fax number 268 Number on roll Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Margaret Claridge Headteacher 11 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281118 22 May 2006 - 4 to 7 23 May 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This large infant school is located in the town of Rushden in east Northamptonshire. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average as is the number of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and there are none at the early stages of learning English. Children’s attainment on entry to the Reception Year is broadly average. The current headteacher was appointed in January 2004.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: South End Infant School, 22 May 2006 to 23 May 2006

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school that very successfully meets its aim of teaching pupils that ‘if you work hard, you will get better and better’. Teaching is excellent throughout the school and, consequently, pupils’ achievement is outstanding. Provision in the Reception Year is outstanding and children make excellent progress. By the start of Year 1, most children are comfortably exceeding the expected standards for their age. Pupils continue to make excellent progress in Years 1 and 2 and by the end of Year 2, standards are exceptionally high. Pupils are very well cared for. They are very happy at school and behave well. They enjoy taking responsibility and are very polite to visitors. There is a good curriculum and teachers make learning fun by linking different subjects together. However, opportunities for pupils to develop and use information and communication technology (ICT) skills in lessons are limited because although

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Grade: 1

there have been recent improvements in resources, there are still not enough computers for the size of school. Leadership and management are outstanding. The headteacher knows the school very well and her calm and purposeful leadership has been pivotal in its success over the last three years. All members of staff have a very clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, though they have a slightly more modest view of the school’s effectiveness than that of the inspectors. There is a continual drive for improvement in all areas of school life and progress since the last inspection has been outstanding. The school is well placed to improve even further and provides excellent value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

•Improve resources for ICT and plan more opportunities for pupils to apply their skills across the curriculum.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ achievement is outstanding and standards are exceptionally high. Outstanding teaching ensures that all groups of pupils make excellent progress as they move up through the school and nearly all reach the challenging targets that have been set for them. By the end of the Reception Year, most children exceed the expected standards for their age in all areas of learning, with progress being especially strong in personal, social and emotional development. Standards by the end of Year 2 have risen significantly since the last inspection and were exceptionally high overall in national tests in 2005. The current Year 2 is on target to reach similar standards by the end of the year. In 2005, nearly all pupils reached the expected levels for their age in English, mathematics and science and a very high percentage of them reached the higher Level 3, reflecting the very good level of challenge for more able pupils in lessons. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities

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Grade: 1

2 Inspection Report: South End Infant School, 22 May 2006 to 23 May 2006 are also supported very well, enabling them to make excellent progress towards their individual targets. In ICT, pupils have generally secure basic skills, but the lack of resources slows progress over time.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are outstanding and are an important factor in their outstanding achievement. Pupils are very happy at school and they enjoy learning. They are extremely positive about all aspects of school life, especially the opportunities to play with their friends. Most pupils behave well and take care to follow the class rules. A very small number of pupils who occasionally display more challenging behaviour are managed very well by teachers and teaching assistants. Attendance is satisfactory and there is no unauthorised absence. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. Pupils are very sensitive to the needs of others and have a very clear sense of right and wrong. They show great independence both in and out of lessons and they work together well. For example, pupils in Year 2 collaborated very successfully when designing and making model lighthouses. They are very confident and considerate and very readily take on

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Grade: 1

responsibilities such as the school council, which has been instrumental in ordering new playground equipment. Pupils contribute very well to the wider community by fundraising and supporting a child in Benin and they have a good understanding of how to stay safe and healthy. These activities, as well as pupils’ excellent basic skills, prepare them very effectively for the next stage of their education and later life.

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Grade: 1

Teaching and learning are outstanding. Consequently, pupils get off to a flying start and they develop skills, knowledge and understanding that will provide a firm basis for learning in their next school. There are some significant strengths in teaching. These include very good quality planning and the way that pupils are grouped by ability for some lessons. This helps to ensure that work builds on their different starting points. Another very positive aspect is the very good relationships between staff and pupils, which enable pupils to tackle work with confidence. The teachers’ very high expectations of pupils’ hard work and good behaviour mean that pupils are keen to do their best in lessons. Teaching assistants make a very good contribution to learning, especially in the sensitive way that they work with pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities. As a result, these pupils achieve very well.

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Grade: 1

Children’s progress in the Reception classes is checked very carefully and the information is used very well to plan subsequent work for them. Very good quality assessment is also evident in Years 1 and 2, where teachers are very clear about how 3 Inspection Report: South End Infant School, 22 May 2006 to 23 May 2006 well pupils are doing and use this information very effectively to set challenging targets for individual pupils.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good because the work planned for pupils is exciting and interesting and successfully meets their individual learning needs. For example, in the Reception classes, members of staff are very good at taking into account the needs of the high number of boys currently in the year group. Throughout the school, teachers make very good links between different subjects and this helps to make learning purposeful. In Year 1, ‘group times’ provide wonderful opportunities for pupils to develop their skills in subjects such as music and art. However, work in ICT is restricted by a limited number of computers. This slows the pace at which pupils learn new skills and is the only thing that prevents the curriculum from being outstanding. The school provides a very wide range of stimulating activities outside lessons. These include an interesting variety of visits and visitors, such as trips to farms and visits

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Grade: 2

from a children’s book illustrator, as well as a good number of clubs. These activities bring subjects alive and contribute significantly to pupils’ academic and personal development.

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Grade: 1

Care guidance and support are outstanding. The school places great emphasis on ensuring that all pupils learn and thrive in a safe and caring environment. Child protection arrangements are robust and the school is outstanding in the way it promotes its links with other agencies to safeguard pupils’ well-being and to ensure that those who may be vulnerable or at risk are properly supported. Attendance is monitored carefully to ensure that all absences are legitimate. Systems to monitor pupils’ progress are very thorough and pupils with differing needs are supported very well. Inspectors agree with the views of one parent who wrote, ‘The school has taken on board my child’s individuality and has made the most of his abilities whilst encouraging him with aspects he has struggled with’. All pupils are set challenging targets to work towards, helping to ensure that they excel in their learning. Individual education plans for pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities set clear

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. The headteacher knows how to get the best out of the children and her staff and this has been the main reason why the school has improved so much over the last three years. Her high aspirations for the school are shared by all members of staff, and at all levels, leadership is reflective, purposeful 4 Inspection Report: South End Infant School, 22 May 2006 to 23 May 2006 and rigorous. Systems for finding out how well the school is doing are very thorough and this means that senior managers and subject co-ordinators are able to deal with minor problems as soon as they arise. Members of staff share a common purpose and there is a strong drive for continual improvement, based on a very good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The school takes very good account of pupils’ and parents’ views through questionnaires and an annual ‘parents’ forum’. The vast majority of parents are very

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Grade: 1

happy with the school. The school uses its budget wisely. Over the last three years, senior managers have rightly concentrated on improving standards in English and mathematics and the school has only recently begun to focus on improving provision in ICT. Nevertheless, there have already been some good recent improvements in ICT, including the purchase of interactive whiteboards for some of the classrooms. There is a very good understanding of what remains to be done. Governance is good. Governors are fully aware of their responsibilities and these are taken seriously for the benefit of the pupils. They make a good contribution to planning for improvement and have good systems for finding out how well the school is doing. The school has successfully dealt with the weaknesses from the last inspection and over the last three years, progress has been outstanding. Nonetheless, there is no complacency and the continued drive and commitment of senior managers and

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Grade: 1

governors mean that the school is in a strong position to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: South End Infant School, 22 May 2006 to 23 May 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: South End Infant School, 22 May 2006 to 23 May 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 1 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 1 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 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 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 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 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 1 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 1 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

Thank you for welcoming us to your school and for showing us your work. You were very polite and friendly and we think you are very lucky to come to this school. What we liked most about your school: teachers help you to learn new things very quickly you really enjoy school and behave well the school is good at teaching you how to stay safe and healthy your teachers are very kind and caring. They look after you very well and make lessons fun your headteacher, teachers and governors lead the school very well and they are working very hard to make the school even better your parents and carers are very pleased that you come to this school. What we have asked your school to do now: •provide more computers so that you are able to learn ICT skills more quickly. We thoroughly enjoyed talking to you about your work and watching you learn and we wish you all well for the future.

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