Littlehaven Infant School

Inspection Report Littlehaven Infant School

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125837 Unique Reference Number West Sussex LEA 282008 Inspection number 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006 Inspection dates Brenda Spencer AI Reporting inspector

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

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Hawkesbourne Road School address Infant Type of school Horsham Community School category West Sussex RH12 4EH 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01403 260608 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01403 260926 Fax number 162 Number on roll Mrs Annelli Salmon Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Miss Sylvia White Headteacher 5 June 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 282008 4 July 2006 - 4 to 11 5 July 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

Littlehaven is a small town school. Nearly all of the pupils are White British. Only one speaks English as an additional language. Just over a fifth have learning difficulties and disabilities, including one with a statement of special educational needs. Nearly half of the current Year 2 is summer born. The school has experienced staffing difficulties in the recent past but these have been overcome.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Littlehaven Infant School, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006

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Grade: 2

Littlehaven Infant School provides a good education which is held in very high regard by parents and pupils. The school evaluates its work honestly and sets detailed and appropriate priorities for improvement. The school’s view of itself is mostly accurate. However, inspectors judge the academic guidance that pupils are given as satisfactory rather than good. The school has a good capacity to improve and provides good value for money. The leadership of the headteacher is exceptional and with the support of an effective governing body gives the school a very clear sense of direction. The strength of community spirit and determination of staff have seen the school through a particularly testing period. Achievement of pupils is good and from average starting points they achieve standards which are above average by the end of Year 2, except in writing. Standards have been above average since 2004 because of improving

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Grade: 2

teaching, although greater attention should be paid to improving pupils’ handwriting and spelling. Whilst achievement is good, the work of all co-ordinators is not equally effective in contributing to this. Some planning of next steps in learning is not sufficiently precise to support betterthan- satisfactory progress for some pupils. Quality and standards in the Reception Year are satisfactory but the ways of finding out what Reception children know do not always provide useful information to ensure the children’s progress is as good as it could be.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure the work of all subject leaders raises pupils’ achievement. • Improve skills in finding out what children know and can do and the use of this information to plan precisely next steps in learning. • Improve the curriculum for handwriting and spelling.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well. In Reception, children make satisfactory progress from standards on entry which are broadly average, except for writing, where they are below average. By the end of the year, standards are as expected except in personal, social and emotional development, where standards are beyond this, and in writing where standards remain lower. The school’s results have been above average since 2004. In 2005, many children reached the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics. Those children who did not reach the expected levels had particularly low starting points. Despite many internal difficulties experienced during the current academic year, results remain above average except in writing where they are average. Many pupils who have reached the higher levels in writing have done well from unpromising starting points. The very few pupils of minority ethnic backgrounds make good progress

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Grade: 2

and those with learning difficulties, satisfactory progress. Differences in the attainment of boys and girls relate to their maturity and attainment on entry. The school sets itself challenging targets for learning which are achieved in reading but not in writing. 2 Inspection Report: Littlehaven Infant School, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006 This partly reflects the better use made of teachers’ knowledge of what pupils know in reading to plan precise next steps in learning. Standards of handwriting and spelling are relatively weak and are a focus for improvement.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development is good. Pupils are knowledgeable about foods which are good for them. Now the active parents’ committee seeks to improve the pupils’ satisfactory understanding of the importance of exercise to good health. Behaviour in the school is good. Parents say their children are secure and happy. Responding to parental concern, the school has worked on ensuring safe and peaceful playtimes for all pupils. Better equipment is available and children now play happily together. Year 2 pupils have benefited greatly from their training as ‘peer mediators’ and contributed to improving behaviour. Attendance matches the national average, with most absences due to illness. Pupils enjoy school, work hard and their spiritual, moral and social development is good. Many aspects of the school’s work contribute to pupils’ good understanding of cultures different from their own, and displays around the school

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Grade: 2

celebrate this diversity. This has improved since the last inspection. The pupils make a good contribution to the community through the work of the school council, charity work and links with local residents. The good progress pupils make in their basic skills and the opportunities they have to work together prepare them well for future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning, which has improved consistently since 2000, is good. The intentions of lessons and activities are clear so pupils work purposefully. Teaching assistants are well briefed and support pupils effectively. Pupils participate in interesting discussions such as why water is important and what they can do personally to conserve it. This, together with the focus on developing vocabulary, helps pupils become articulate and confident communicators. In Reception, the outside space is used well to extend learning, for example, to play ‘What’s the time, Mr Wolf?’ to link with learning the time. Thoughtful details, such as placing a small building site near the contractors working at the school, allow children to incorporate what they see and hear into their play. In Reception, assessments are concentrated too much on checking knowledge rather than observing its application in everyday activities. This

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Grade: 2

approach is leading to some inaccurate judgements on children’s attainment and leads to children making only satisfactory progress. 3 Inspection Report: Littlehaven Infant School, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good, with all statutory requirements met. It is creative, with strong links made between subjects. This has improved pupils’ motivation and use of writing; however, not enough attention is paid to spelling and handwriting. Since the last inspection the accommodation for Reception children and their opportunities to choose activities are much improved. Provision for information and communication technology (ICT) is a current focus of school improvement. The school has purchased new software and hardware, including interactive whiteboards, and is working towards ensuring that the new equipment is used consistently well to support pupils’ learning. The school has made good provision for pupils’ personal education. Events such as ‘anti-bullying week’ and ‘healthy eating week’ contribute well to pupils’ understanding of a safe and healthy lifestyle. A ‘try out Tuesday’ policy is in place to encourage a more adventurous

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Grade: 2

approach to healthy eating. The social skills group and family activity sessions are examples of the school’s good support for the needs of all its pupils and their families.

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Grade: 3

This area of the school’s work is satisfactory. Pupils’ welfare is a high priority. All the required checks are in place to ensure pupils are protected, are free from unnecessary risks and work in a safe environment. The school regularly seeks pupils’ and parents’ views and takes swift action to promote the pupils’ well being. Relationships are good and pupils have someone to turn to at times of difficulty. The progress pupils make in learning is tracked and analysed carefully year by year. This has improved since the last inspection. Those who are underachieving are identified and where appropriate are involved in a supportive programme, for example, to improve their ability to express themselves. Pupils are involved in assessing targets for learning, however, although these are recorded in work books, not all pupils are clear what they mean. Assessment across the curriculum is focusing on intended learning rather than completion of tasks.

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Grade: 3

This is being used increasingly well, but not consistently yet, to plan the next steps in learning. It is most detailed in reading and supports good achievement for pupils of all abilities. In other areas sometimes the next steps are too vague to ensure they support better-thanaverage progress, particularly for those who find learning difficult.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides exceptional leadership. Under very difficult circumstances she has successfully raised morale and maintained a rigorous focus upon raising standards and promoting the personal well-being of all learners. Because of systematic and thorough self-evaluation systems, she knows the school extremely well and sets a very clear direction for improvement. Consequently, the quality of teaching and learning and standards and achievement are all improving. The headteacher is well supported by an effective, enthusiastic 4 Inspection Report: Littlehaven Infant School, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006 governing body. The governors’ role has improved significantly since the last inspection. They have a good strategic overview of the school; for example, set-aside finance is currently funding improvements to the accommodation to meet the needs of mixed-age classes. Their work is underpinned by firm knowledge and understanding gained from

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Grade: 2

clear information, challenging discussion and focused visits to many aspects of school life. The views of parents and pupils are actively sought and appreciated. These views feed into an effective school development plan clearly targeted at providing a safe and happy educational setting where pupils can achieve the highest standards possible. Subject leaders contribute well to the evaluation process. Some use their understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in their subject to drive and monitor the impact of improvement actions very well. However, this is not consistent and is a focus of the school improvement plan. Since the last inspection, an outside learning area has been added to the reception classes and its use is contributing to children’s good achievement in personal, social and emotional development. 5 Inspection Report: Littlehaven Infant School, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 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: Littlehaven Infant School, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 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 3 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 3 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 3 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

Dear Pupils Thank you for making us feel so welcome when we came to your school recently. We enjoyed talking to you. A particular thank you must go to those of you who gave up your lunchtime to talk to Mrs Duke. We read lots of letters from your parents saying how well the school is run, that you are looked after properly and taught well and how your headteacher is keen to hear their views of the school. We were very impressed by your behaviour and how much you enjoy your lessons. Because of good teaching you are making good progress and the headteacher and governors are working hard to make your school even better. You told us you thought your school was perfect and did not need to improve. We agree you have lots to be proud of but we do have a few suggestions for ways to make it even better: We saw very helpful ideas for how you could become even better readers. Your teachers knew this because they

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

looked carefully at how you were getting on and then planned the next steps in your learning. If this were done as well in other areas you would know what to work at to get on really well. Throughout the year teachers look at how well you are learning and what is being taught to see if there are any improvements to be made. Some come up with thoughtful suggestions and it would be useful if this happened equally well in all subjects. You write about interesting things but you need to work harder with your teachers to improve your handwriting and spelling. I hope you find these suggestions helpful. Once again, thank you for making our visit so enjoyable. Yours sincerely, Brenda Spencer (Lead inspector)

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