Toton Banks Road Infant and Nursery School

Inspection Report Toton Banks Road Infant and Nursery School

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122555 Unique Reference Number NOTTINGHAMSHIRE LEA LEA 281296 Inspection number 18 May 2006 to 19 May 2006 Inspection dates Mrs. Georgina Beasley LI Reporting inspector

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

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Banks Road Toton School address Infant Type of school NG9 6HE Community School category 3 to 7 Age range of pupils 0115 9179881 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0115 9189982 Fax number 232 Number on roll Cllr.Tom Pettengell Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Ms. Lyn Merryweather Headteacher 6 June 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281296 18 May 2006 - 3 to 7 19 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

In this medium sized infant and nursery school nearly all of the children come from White British backgrounds. About 8% are from minority ethnic backgrounds and more than average speak English as an additional language. The proportion of children eligible for free school meals is well below average. The proportion of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. No children require a statement of special educational need. Children start the Nursery with skills, knowledge and understanding which are typical for their age.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Toton Banks Road Infant and Nursery School, 18 May 2006 to 19 May 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school which gives good value for money. Inspectors agree with the school's judgement that it is effective in its work. Parents and children are full of praise for what it has to offer. The children thoroughly enjoy school and this results in attendance which is outstanding. They behave well and generally have good attitudes to learning. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory; this is a judgement that differs from the school's view that it is good. Children get of to a good start in the Nursery and learn and achieve well. However, progress slows somewhat in Reception because the good systems for planning, supporting and assessing children's learning established in the Nursery are not always followed consistently through the Reception classes. By the end of Reception, the children make satisfactory progress and, overall, reach the goals expected for their age. Good teaching and learning and

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Grade: 2

a good curriculum lead to good progress in Years 1 and 2. While children make good progress in mathematics overall, compared with the boys, fewer girls attain above average levels. Care and support and guidance are good. Teachers give the children good feedback on how well they have done but, as yet, the children are not involved enough in agreeing and using targets to help them check their own work so they know how to improve. Leadership and management are good overall resulting in good improvement since the previous inspection, especially in boys' achievement in writing and in Information and communication technology (ICT) across the school. There is good capacity to improve. The school has been less successful at identifying precisely the reasons why the more able girls start to lag behind the boys in mathematics. As a result, strategies put into place this year have only been partly effective. Governors

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Grade: 2

provide good support and challenge to the school and are fully involved in helping the school to plan for the future.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Improve the progress of more able girls in mathematics. - Ensure agreed systems for planning, supporting and assessing children's learning are implemented consistently across Nursery and Reception. - Use targets more effectively so the children themselves know what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

Children get off to a good start in the Nursery and make good progress. Progress is satisfactory in the Reception classes for the reasons already identified. Children demonstrate good personal skills and most speak with confidence about a range of topics on entry to Nursery, although in other areas their attainment is typical of most children of their age. The children make satisfactory progress overall in the Foundation Stage and reach expected standards in reading, writing, numeracy, and in their physical and creative development by the end of Reception. Many children exceed these in personal development, speaking skills and their knowledge and understanding of the 2 Inspection Report: Toton Banks Road Infant and Nursery School, 18 May 2006 to 19 May 2006 world Standards have been consistently above average in reading, writing, mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT) at the end of Year 2 for

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Grade: 2

several years. Progress is good. Careful analysis revealed that boys generally do less well in writing and girls make less progress in mathematics by the end of Year 2 in the school. However, challenging targets and a rich curriculum have led to good improvement in boys' writing. While some improvement has been seen this year, targets are still not sufficiently specific and challenging enough to guide learning in mathematics; more able girls make satisfactory rather than good progress. Children with learning difficulties make good progress and many reach average standards by the end of Year 2. Children who speak English as an additional language make very good progress because they quickly learn from other children's good speaking skills.

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Grade: 2

Children's personal development and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good. Attendance is outstanding. Children enjoy coming to school very much and cannot think of a single thing they would like to change. Staff provide very good role models and treat children with great respect. Consequently, children behave well and are confident, polite and considerate towards others. They feel safe because they know that any concerns are taken seriously and any instances of misbehaviour are dealt with very swiftly. At times, some children display a reluctance to face new challenges. In response to this the school tries hard to convince them that 'it's good to have a go and that there may be more than one right answer' to a question. The children have good opportunities to learn about different cultures and faiths and so have good respect for the customs, beliefs and views of others. Children are actively

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Grade: 2

encouraged to make decisions and, particularly, ones which have an important effect on the school environment. For example, discussions in 'Golden Circle' meetings have led to the creation of a conservation area to attract more wildlife. Children contribute well to the community, raising sums of money for charities locally and further afield. They have a good understanding of eating healthily and doing regular exercise to keep fit, and look forward to getting a green sticker when they eat all their vegetables at lunchtimes. Good basic skills in reading, writing, mathematics and ICT and opportunities to work together in groups provide a strong foundation for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good in Years 1 and 2 because teachers plan learning to match most individual children's needs. Most share what they want the children to learn at the start of lessons so the children are clear about this and know what to do. Practical tasks provide interest, and opportunities to share ideas with a partner enable the children to rehearse their answers. Targets are challenging and have been used 3 Inspection Report: Toton Banks Road Infant and Nursery School, 18 May 2006 to 19 May 2006 effectively to improve achievement in writing this year. Targets are not yet used so well in mathematics. Organising the children into boy and girl groups in mathematics has given the girls more confidence to have a go first without always asking an adult for help. When available, teaching assistants offer good support to children, especially to aid girls' learning in mathematics and to children with learning difficulties. Teaching

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Grade: 2

is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage. Learning is good in the Nursery. Adults plan carefully what they want the children to learn and provide activities which build well on what they have assessed the children to have learned previously. They join in and interact with the children's play at relevant moments to challenge and take learning forward. In the Reception classes, adults work effectively with groups of children on specific activities. While learning in these is generally good, other children are left too much to their own devices. Learning in some activities is not always identified clearly enough and so assessments do not identify precisely what the children have learned and what they need to learn next.

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Grade: 2

A good and rich curriculum in Years 1 and 2, and good links across subjects add interest to learning. The school's focus on developing investigative skills in mathematics and science has given the children a greater understanding in these subjects. Initiatives to motivate boys to write are successfully raising achievement. However, there is still some work to do to provide activities to help the more able girls do as well as they can in mathematics. The curriculum is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage. The children's natural curiosity and inquisitive natures are developed well through topics about the world in which they live and so they make good progress in their knowledge and understanding of the world. However, in the Reception classes, planning focuses too much on the activities rather than children's learning. Visits and visitors are used to inspire the children and make learning fun. Children with a particular talent or gift are

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Grade: 2

given good additional activities which challenge and extend their learning. A good range of clubs and extra curricular activities enhances the children's learning and helps them to gain self-confidence. The good programme of personal, social and health education helps children learn how to stay safe and healthy, and to care for others.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. Children feel safe and secure. The children are happy to share concerns with adults, confident that any problems, such as bullying or racism, will be dealt with firmly. Close attention is given to health and safety issues and child protection arrangements are rigorous. All adults are sensitive to the needs of individuals and work hard to support the personal and academic development of all children. Children with learning difficulties have clear targets that are shared with the children and parents. Progress is carefully monitored, and parents are kept well informed. Teachers provide targets for reading, writing and mathematics but not all children are clear about what these are. As a result, they do not know as well as they 4 Inspection Report: Toton Banks Road Infant and Nursery School, 18 May 2006 to 19 May 2006 should how to improve their work. In some cases targets are not specific or challenging

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Grade: 2

enough, especially for more able girls in mathematics, to help them make better progress. Nearly all parents welcome the good care, guidance and support that their children receive. Good arrangements prepare the children well for school, and for when they go to the juniors.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides good leadership and management. She is supported effectively by a strong leadership team and a good governing body. The school actively involves staff, governors, parents and children when making decisions about developments. Staff and governors ensure provision is in place that enables all children to take part in all activities. The school evaluates how well it is doing fairly rigorously and has accurately identified its key weaknesses. The children's achievements in reading, writing, mathematics, science and ICT are monitored closely. Effective strategies have raised the boys' achievement in writing and improved provision in ICT. More able girls have achieved better this year in mathematics, but the school has still not identified precisely enough the reasons why they start to lag behind the boys. Leadership and management of other subjects and the Foundation Stage are satisfactory. Steps to ensure systems are followed consistently in all Foundation Stage

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Grade: 2

classes are not yet as effective as they could be, partly due to the distance between the classrooms. Improvement since the previous inspection is good. The range, quality and use of ICT resources to support learning in other subjects have improved considerably and above average standards have been maintained. The school is well placed to make further improvements. 5 Inspection Report: Toton Banks Road Infant and Nursery School, 18 May 2006 to 19 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: Toton Banks Road Infant and Nursery School, 18 May 2006 to 19 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 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 3 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 1 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 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 making us feel so welcome and for telling us about your school. You told us that you liked your school, and your parents like it too. You will be pleased to hear that we think you go to a good school. We think you behave well, in lessons, when walking about the school and when you are outside playing. Everybody we talked to made us think that you are happy to come to school and that you feel very safe. In fact, your attendance is excellent! You know how to take care of yourselves and know that if you have any problem or have some good news to share, you can go to any adult at any time. You are all doing well because your teachers plan some fun things for you to do. You all pay good attention in lessons and generally work hard. We have asked Ms Merryweather and the teachers to make sure that you know your targets in reading, writing and mathematics and that you use them more often in lessons to help you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

learn. You can help by trying harder when you are given extra challenges and problems to solve and by not giving up so easily. We particularly think some girls can do even better in mathematics. We would like to see the adults in the Reception classes joining in with your learning when you choose the activities yourselves. Ms Merryweather is a good headteacher. She works hard with governors, the teachers and other adults to make sure that the school is a happy place where you can all learn and grow into confident young people. We think you make a good contribution to the school and world around you by helping the school make decisions about the things it wants to improve and by raising money for charity. We hope you will continue to enjoy going to school and wish you all the very best.

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