Rose Green Infant School

Inspection Report Rose Green Infant School

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125928 Unique Reference Number West Sussex LEA 282024 Inspection number 17 May 2006 to 18 May 2006 Inspection dates David Curtis AI Reporting inspector

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

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Hawkins Close School address Infant Type of school Bognor Regis Community School category West Sussex PO21 3LW 4 to 7 Age range of pupils 01243 262318 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01243 268201 Fax number 266 Number on roll Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs S Carter Headteacher 20 November 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 282024 17 May 2006 - 4 to 7 18 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 is an above average-sized infant school. It is popular and oversubscribed. Children start school with standards which are average for four year olds. Most pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is below average. Although increasing each year, the proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is below average. The school has achieved eco status.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Rose Green Infant School, 17 May 2006 to 18 May 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school, with some outstanding features. It gives good value for money. Inspection evidence supports fully the school’s view of its own effectiveness as being good. The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage are good. Teaching is good and children make particularly good progress in the key skills of reading, writing and number. In Years 1 and 2, pupils’ achievement is good and they reach above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2. Pupils love school and are very enthusiastic learners. Behaviour is excellent. Attendance is good. Teaching and learning are good. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and they are challenged effectively in lessons. Planning is a significant strength. Teaching assistants make a very strong contribution to pupils’ learning. Currently, teachers do not tell pupils sufficiently how well they are doing or what they need to do to improve

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Grade: 2

in subjects other than English and mathematics. The curriculum is good. Curriculum enrichment is very good, especially through the use of the excellent school grounds. Care, guidance and support are good. Pupils are cared for extremely well. However, support for their academic development is not thorough enough. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has a very good vision for the school’s future. Improvement since the last inspection is good. Governors are very supportive and challenging. Together with the headteacher, their self-evaluation of the school’s performance is accurate. Targets in the school improvement plan are not evaluated against improvements in standards. The school has good capacity for further improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

• build on the current initiatives to improve assessment in order to let pupils know how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve their work in all subjects • develop the school improvement plan so that targets have clear and measurable outcomes linked to standards.

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage. By the end of Reception, most work beyond the goals which they are expected to achieve. Their achievement in the key skills of reading, writing and number is particularly good. As the result of imaginative use of the excellent school grounds, children’s achievement in knowledge and understanding of the world is very good. In Years 1 and 2, pupils’ progress is good. By the end of Year 2, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above average. Achievement is good and pupils achieve 2 Inspection Report: Rose Green Infant School, 17 May 2006 to 18 May 2006 challenging targets. There is no significant variation in the achievement of boys and girls. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress. Most achieve the expected levels in the National Curriculum assessments at the end of Year 2. Pupils use their literacy skills especially well in other subjects. In science, individual

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Grade: 2

booklets made on ‘Animal Groups’ combine research and writing skills to a high standard. A notable feature of pupils’ written work is the high quality of handwriting. Good standards are achieved in other subjects. Singing is very good and clearly enjoyed by pupils. In Year 2, pupils show a good knowledge and understanding of ‘The Victorians’.

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Grade: 1

Personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils love being at this school and attend regularly. They are extremely enthusiastic about many aspects of their work. One pupil said ‘I wouldn’t change anything in my school -- it’s perfect’. Behaviour is outstanding. The playground is a hive of activity at break time with boys and girls of different ages playing very happily together. Bullying is very rare and dealt with swiftly and effectively. This is largely as a result of the excellent social and moral development in school. Pupils are encouraged to be friends through pupil ‘Playground Patrols’. They understand how important it is to be kind and helpful. Pupils’ spiritual development is outstanding with a very large focus on appreciating the wonders of nature coming from the excellent outdoor areas and the school‘s eco status. Religious education lessons and assemblies give pupils the chance to reflect

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Grade: 1

on wider issues. Cultural development is good. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of other cultures by celebrating various religious festivals. Pupils feel very safe in school. They are very confident that adults will sort out any problems. Pupils know about the benefits of healthy eating and enjoy exercise. They are involved in the community through local visits and the choir giving performances. Pupils’ economic well-being is enhanced well. They are equipped with good literacy and numeracy skills. They understand the need to cooperate and work together.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning across the school are good. Lessons run at a brisk pace so pupils sustain involvement in their lessons. There are excellent relationships between adults and pupils. This gives pupils confidence to contribute in lessons, for example, by explaining why using hand spans cannot provide a reliable form of measurement. The pupils work purposefully as the aim of their lessons is always made clear. Planning very often ensures that the pupils' activities are well matched to their abilities. This is particularly effective in writing. Teaching assistants play a valuable part in lessons supporting pupils in tackling challenging work. In excellent lessons, the level of 3 Inspection Report: Rose Green Infant School, 17 May 2006 to 18 May 2006 challenge helps pupils achieve high level intellectual performance. The interactive whiteboard is well used to illustrate, explain and explore learning both by the adults

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Grade: 2

and the pupils. In Reception classes, use of attractive resources, sometimes created by the children, helps to keep them interested and motivated. Teachers in all classes celebrate pupils work through vibrant classroom displays. Pupils' work is marked regularly. Occasionally, this work is annotated with helpful comments which ensure pupils understand clearly why their work is good. However, such comments are not used consistently enough in subjects other than English and mathematics. In-service training is planned imminently to spread this good practice across the school. Feedback to pupils is best for writing. The quality of assessment is not as strong in other areas so pupils are not so clear on where they should focus to make best progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy a good curriculum which prepares them well for the future. The strong development of key skills in all year groups results in good standards in reading, writing and mathematics. The enrichment of the curriculum through well chosen visits, such as to the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, deepens pupils' knowledge well. Themes such as ‘The Victorians’ are explored through a range of subjects. This results in a curriculum which is coherent rather than disjointed. Special events, such as ‘Day of Action’, significantly promote pupils' ecological awareness and actively involve them in recycling, growing vegetables and thinking about their use of energy. The curriculum for Reception children achieves a good balance of work inside and outside allowing them to be active. This generates positive attitudes to learning as well as ensuring their understanding is deeply rooted. The use of the school grounds results in

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Grade: 2

outstanding spiritual development. The provision for multicultural development is satisfactory.

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Grade: 2

The school makes extensive efforts to ensure pupils' well-being is safeguarded. The governors regularly check the premises to ensure it is safe. Staff are trained in child protection procedures and adults working with children are screened to ensure they are suitable. There are excellent procedures in place to support pupils joining school, transferring to Year 1 and to move onto junior school. This does much to ensure pupils maintain good rates of progress and feel happy in school. Academic guidance is satisfactory overall. Assessment in writing gives clear direction as to what pupils need to do next to improve and their progress is tracked well. Similar procedures are being developed in mathematics. In other areas of the curriculum, academic guidance is not clear enough and assessment procedures are under review. This is identified as an action point in the school improvement plan. Pupils with learning difficulties and

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Grade: 2

disabilities are supported effectively. 4 Inspection Report: Rose Green Infant School, 17 May 2006 to 18 May 2006

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has a very clear vision for the school’s future. The school reflects on and evaluates its own performance accurately. There were no issues identified at the time of the previous inspection. However, the current priorities for improving the use of assessment in mathematics and guided reading are good examples of the school’s commitment to raising standards even further. The reorganisation of management roles has given subject leaders greater shared responsibility in reviewing policies, schemes of work and assessments. The school improvement plan has clear priorities aimed at raising standards. However, the means by which their success is measured are not precise enough in relation to evaluation against improvements in standards. The school actively seeks the views of parents through questionnaires. Pupils’ views are sought more informally through lessons, especially in personal, social, health and

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Grade: 2

citizenship lessons. The majority of parents feel that the school does take account of their concerns and suggestions. Governors are very supportive of the school. They challenge the headteacher and set challenging performance management targets. Five members of the governing body are in school on a regular basis and this contributes to a very detailed understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. The comment from the chair, ‘We don’t stand still, we are reaching forward all the time’, reflects governors’ strong commitment to school improvement. The school clearly has the good capacity to improve. 5 Inspection Report: Rose Green Infant School, 17 May 2006 to 18 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: Rose Green Infant School, 17 May 2006 to 18 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 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 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 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 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 when we came to your school recently. We enjoyed talking to you in lessons and around the school. A particular thank you must go to those of you in Year 2 who gave up part of your lunchtime to talk to Mrs Lindsay. You are very lucky to go to such a good school and a school with such lovely grounds. We noticed how much you enjoy your lessons and your playtimes. We think that the work you do in reading, writing and mathematics is very good indeed. Your handwriting is superb. The singing we heard in assembly was lovely and the way in which you smile when you sing is brilliant! You like your teachers and work very hard for them in your lessons. We noticed how much you enjoy it when you have the chance to use the interactive whiteboard. There are two things that we think would make your school even better. The first is that we have asked your teachers to tell you how well you are doing and what you need to do to get

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

better in all of the work that you do. The second is that we have asked your teachers and the school governors to make sure that the plan they write to improve your school has very clear targets so that they know when they have met their targets.

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