Lyndhurst Infant School

Inspection Report Lyndhurst First School

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125960 Unique Reference Number West Sussex LEA 282030 Inspection number 8 June 2006 to 9 June 2006 Inspection dates Eileen Chadwick AI Reporting inspector

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

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Lyndhurst Road School address Primary Type of school Worthing Community School category West Sussex BN11 2DG 4 to 8 Age range of pupils 01903 235390 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01903 823627 Fax number 320 Number on roll Rvd S Lomas Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs A Lawrenson Headteacher 8 November 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 282030 8 June 2006 - 4 to 8 9 June 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 school serves a mixed area of Worthing. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is above average. The school has a specialist unit for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder. The proportion of pupils with English as an additional language is above average. A significant minority of pupils with either limited English or learning difficulties and disabilities join the school other than at the usual time.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Lyndhurst First School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with some outstanding features. The very good leadership provided by the headteacher and the governing body, together with the strong focus on staff working together as a team, ensures the school is constantly improving. The special support class (SSC) is an outstanding feature of the school where pupils with autism make excellent progress. Children in Reception achieve well and reach expected standards, including in literacy and numeracy, because the provision is good. Despite standards in Years 1 to 3 being below average in English and mathematics, pupils make good progress from their starting points. Pupils’ progress is good in writing and mathematics, excellent in ICT and satisfactory in reading. The quality of teaching is good, with some outstanding mathematics lessons. The teaching of reading is weaker than other aspects of English. Pupils with English as an additional language also achieve well because the quality of

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Grade: 2

support is good. Pupils’ personal development is excellent. Pupils come to love learning and behave well. The broad and rich curriculum is enhanced through a wonderful range of extra activities and visits, including international links. The school’s self-evaluation is good. It has an accurate view of its overall effectiveness. However, the systems for checking and evaluating pupils’ progress in reading are not always regular. This limits the speed at which the school improves its provision in order to raise standards in reading. The school provides good value for money and has a good capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the teaching of reading skills and make more frequent assessment of pupils’ progress in Years 1 to 3.

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Grade: 2

Throughout the school, pupils make good progress. This includes those pupils who are learning English as an additional language. Children’s attainment on entry to the school is below that often found. Children in Reception make good progress and many reach their early learning goals before they begin Year 1. Improvements made to teaching in the last two years have had good impact on children’s progress. In Years 1 to 3, pupils make good progress from their initial starting points in writing and mathematics, and satisfactory progress in reading. Standards have been consistently below average in English and mathematics. However, the picture of standards in Year 2 and 3 is adversely affected by the low attainment of later arrivals to the school, especially boys. Those pupils who begin in Reception reach average standards in writing and mathematics, although reading standards are below average. Improvements to

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Grade: 2

the teaching of writing have led to a significant rise in the proportion of Year 2 pupils who are attaining above-average levels. 2 Inspection Report: Lyndhurst First School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 2006 In Year 3, standards are average in mathematics and below average in reading and writing. Standards are rising in mathematics because of consistently good and occasionally outstanding teaching throughout the school. Year 3 pupils write well for a range of purposes, although lower-attaining pupils often have difficulty with spelling. More-capable pupils make good progress in reading in Year 3, whilst the progress of average and lower-attaining pupils is satisfactory. In ICT, pupils’ progress and standards are outstanding. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities make good progress, with excellent progress for pupils in the SSC. Progress is so good in the SSC that many are ready to join mainstream education by the time they leave in Year 3.

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding feature of the school. The school’s aim of meeting the full range of pupils’ needs is very effectively achieved. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is integral within all the school provides. Pupils speak highly of their wonderful garden, reflecting very thoughtfully on the wonders of nature. A rich cultural education arises out of an outstanding range of international links. Pupils develop a love of learning because of the exciting curriculum. Attendance is about average but showed a marked increase last term. The school is doing all it can to encourage good attendance. Pupils are friendly and polite and behaviour is usually good, although when the pace of a lesson falls, a few pupils occasionally lose concentration. Pupils are responsible and take care of themselves and each other. They are very aware of the need to adopt healthy lifestyles through a good diet and plenty of exercise. They have many responsibilities, such as

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Grade: 1

‘Environment Inspectors’ or elected ‘Junior Governors.’ Their developing skills in English, mathematics, ICT, Italian and international issues as well as business and enterprise awareness prepare pupils well for their future life.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Pupils’ learning is accelerating owing to the regular monitoring of teaching and the identification of teachers’ targets. Good teaching in Reception helps children to make a good start to their education, particularly in literacy and numeracy. Throughout the school, teachers’ planning is good and they manage pupils well. Lessons are interesting and there is a good balance between enabling pupils to learn through listening and watching, and learning through talking and doing. In Years 1 to 3, the teaching of writing, mathematics and ICT is good, while the teaching of reading is satisfactory. In Years 1 to 3, the teaching of reading skills within literacy sessions and in other subjects is not as regular as in Reception, and systems for hearing pupils read 3 Inspection Report: Lyndhurst First School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 2006 vary from class to class. In Reception there are strong and uniform systems throughout

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Grade: 2

all three classes. Specialist teaching in mathematics and ICT, where subject leaders teach alongside their colleagues, helps to extend good practice throughout the school. The teaching of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is good. It is exceptionally good in the SSC, where very close assessment of pupils’ needs is used to plan very well-matched work. Elsewhere, teachers’ assessment is good. Teaching assistants have a good impact on helping pupils to learn.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is well designed to meet pupils’ needs and interests. The well-planned Reception curriculum is practically based so all children can make a good start. The creative curriculum, developed recently, is innovative in the way subjects cross subject barriers and learning is made meaningful to pupils. The curriculum is particularly strong in giving the school an international dimension. It very successfully develops pupils’ keen awareness of life beyond their immediate environment. Very good links between subjects and exciting practical activities underpin academic learning and make learning relevant. Environmental projects such as the ‘Arctic’ and ‘Rain Forests’ are used well to develop pupils’ speaking, thinking and writing skills. However, in Years 1 to 3, key reading skills are not covered systematically, for example, phonics, and pupils do not always read enough. Italian extends the curriculum for pupils in Years 2

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Grade: 2

and 3. There is strong provision for pupils with English as an additional language. The ICT curriculum is excellent and has significantly improved since the last inspection. Children enjoy an excellent range of clubs.

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Grade: 2

The quality of care, guidance and support throughout the school is good. Very good levels of support are provided for the significant minority of children who speak English as an additional language. As a result, these children make good progress in their learning. Child protection and health and safety procedures are securely in place and known by all. The school works well with other agencies to support pupils and their families. Pupils are aware of their targets in English and mathematics. The school keeps very thorough and detailed records of pupils’ attainment and sets appropriate targets. However, the use of data to check and improve pupils’ progress in reading is not always regular. Systems for measuring pupils’ progress from entry to the time they leave are improving but are rather cumbersome. This prevents the school quickly identifying strengths and weaknesses in provision and, where needed, making more rapid

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Grade: 2

improvements. 4 Inspection Report: Lyndhurst First School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 2006

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher provides very good leadership and management. Supported by an able senior team, she has created an effective teaching staff. There is a strong and inclusive ethos. The vast majority of parents are pleased with the standards of care and education provided, although a few feel, rightly, their children could sometimes make faster progress in reading. The leadership team have introduced a range of appropriate initiatives to raise standards. These are making a positive impact in Reception and on pupils’ progress in writing and mathematics in the rest of the school. An innovative approach to providing a relevant and broad-based education, with pupils’ creativity at its heart, is already bearing fruit. Monitoring of teaching is good and supports individual teachers. Steps to improve the teaching of reading have begun, although more work is needed

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Grade: 2

to make sure that systems for teaching reading are thorough in every class. Subject leadership is good, with strengths in mathematics and ICT, where the leaders have been in post for some time. The recently appointed English co-ordinator is fully aware of what needs to be done. Systems for senior managers to analyse assessments are improving but are still not frequent enough in reading. This limits the school’s regular evaluation of its provision in order to raise standards more rapidly in reading. Governors are very active and effective in the way they both support and challenge the school. 5 Inspection Report: Lyndhurst First School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 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: Lyndhurst First School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 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 2 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 3 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 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 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 taking part in the inspection. We really enjoyed seeing you at work and at playtimes and liked talking with you. There are lots of things we like about your school. I am writing to let you know what we found out. There are many good things: Your school is getting better all the time. Your good manners and friendly behaviour help to make the school a happy place. Your headteacher runs the school very well. The school provides exciting things for you to do and looks after you really well. Your teachers help you to make good progress in your writing and mathematics and excellent progress in your computer work. Your junior governors let the school know what you think about the school. So that your school can do even better we have asked your school to: Help you get better at reading. Check more regularly how well you are all learning. You need to help your teachers by practising your reading more at home.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Keep up the good work. Yours sincerely Mrs Chadwick, Mr Bradshaw and Mr Manuel.

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