Lyndon Green Infant School

Inspection Report Lyndon Green Infant School

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103229 Unique Reference Number Birmingham Local Authority 286598 Inspection number 13 March 2007 Inspection date Mary Hamby HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Wychwood Crescent School address Infant Type of school Sheldon Community School category Birmingham B26 1LZ 4 °7 Age range of pupils 0121 6753543 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0121 6750771 Fax number 276 Number on roll (school) Steve Innes Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Barry Walter Thomas Yeardsley Headteacher

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22 January 2003 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 286598 13 March 2007 4 °7 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 one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The majority of children attending this large infant school are from White British backgrounds. There is a small proportion from other ethnic heritages, the most significant groups coming from Asian backgrounds. A small proportion of the children are learning to speak English as an additional language, but few are at an early stage with this. The school has a special class for children with speech and language difficulties; it also integrates children from the local special school where appropriate. Consequently, the school has a higher-than-usual proportion of children with statements of special educational need. Very few children leave the school other than at the usual time of transfer to the junior school. The staffing of the school is stable, although the headteacher and deputy headteacher are relatively recently in post.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Lyndon Green Infant School, 13 March 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good and a happy school where everyone works hard. Outcomes are good because the headteacher leads the school with vision and integrity and he is well supported by a dedicated team of staff and governors. The parents are strongly supportive of the school and are right in their views that the children achieve well in each year group, including the Reception classes. Two parents wrote that their children 'come on in leaps and bounds' and this sums up the views of others. Standards on entry to the Reception class are broadly average, but by Year 2 are higher than average and have been so over the last few years. A significant strength of the school is the outstanding personal development of the children. The children have a very strong sense of right and wrong and are fully aware of procedures to follow if they have a concern. They are polite, open and honest, and have a clear commitment to a healthy lifestyle. The children enjoy their lessons very

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Grade: 2

much and are very well behaved and keen to contribute. They say how much they enjoy school and their attendance is good. The teaching is good. Staff know the children well and provide a high level of care for them. Children who need more help with learning are identified quickly and appropriate support is provided by well-trained, enthusiastic teaching assistants. Marking and record-keeping, along with other forms of assessment, are developing, but currently assessment is not rigorous enough to ensure that the next steps for children are identified clearly. The curriculum is good. It is rich and varied and the focus on basic skills and personal development helps the children to make good progress; this prepares them well for the next steps in their education. However, there are not yet enough opportunities to develop speaking and listening skills in a range of different contexts. Procedures for keeping children safe are effective, and there are good systems in place to cater for

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Grade: 2

children's individual needs. The headteacher has developed a strong team approach and this motivational style ensures that everyone knows they share responsibility for school improvement. Most aspects of leadership and management are effective, but evaluation procedures are at an early stage of development. Governors are highly supportive of the school and offer a good level of challenge through their regular meetings with the leadership team. The staff are developing their roles as subject coordinators. They have a thorough understanding of the curriculum, but not all of them have sufficient awareness of the quality of teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Refine assessment and record keeping procedures so that children are given specific feedback on their work, the next steps in learning are clear and more opportunities are given for the children themselves to contribute to the assessment of their own work. 2 Inspection Report: Lyndon Green Infant School, 13 March 2007 • Improve leadership and management by ensuring that subject coordinators check on the quality of teaching and learning and that evaluation procedures are more rigorous. • Extend opportunities for speaking and listening in all subjects.

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Grade: 2

The children achieve well because the teaching is good and they enjoy learning. There are no significant differences in the achievement of pupils from different ethnic backgrounds. Most girls make exceptional progress in literacy and numeracy and their standards are well above average when they leave school. Although most boys make good progress, a few of the more capable boys could do better. Children with learning difficulties and disabilities make rapid progress towards their targets because the special support they receive is focused well on their particular needs. The provision in the unit for children with communication difficulties is very effective and so these children achieve particularly well. Standards in Year 2 have been above average for several years. The children enter school with broadly average standards and make good progress through their first year at school. They are well prepared for the National Curriculum when they start

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Grade: 2

Year 1. All children make exceptional progress with their personal development because of the well-planned programme of activities and their positive dispositions to learning.

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding aspect of the school. The children are keen to respond to all that is provided, and thoroughly enjoy all the learning opportunities each day. When the children start school they settle and make friends quickly. They persevere with activities, behave very well and soon learn a sense of responsibility. The excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the children results in a harmonious school where children know the school motto, 'If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours'. They enjoy being rewarded for their efforts with 'busy bee' stickers and are learning that helping each other is a reward in itself. The children are starting to understand each other's feelings and are kind and tolerant, particularly towards children who have learning difficulties and disabilities. The children have a good awareness of how to keep healthy and stay fit and enjoy

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Grade: 1

opportunities for a variety of activities during recreation times. A special aspect of their development is the eager way they respond to opportunities to improve their school, for example, the current research to find out how they can make lunchtimes even better. Opportunities to apply for special jobs within the school help the children to understand the importance of commitment and develop their sense of responsibility exceptionally well. 3 Inspection Report: Lyndon Green Infant School, 13 March 2007

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Grade: 2

The children make good progress in all classes because teaching is consistently effective. The staff know the children well, provide a high level of care for them and use a range of teaching strategies to engage the children's interest and to motivate them to learn. For example, the interactive whiteboards are used expertly to bring lessons to life and reinforce basic skills. Classes are managed very well and the children are keen to do their best. The teaching for children with learning difficulties and disabilities is very effective and the high level of adult interaction with these children helps them to achieve their targets. The teachers assess work regularly and accurately. However, marking does not identify what the children need to do to improve, and reading progress records are not specific enough to plot progress. Question-and-answer sessions are lively, but some of the questions are not hard enough for the most able children, and occasionally children

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Grade: 2

are not encouraged to develop their speaking and listening skills well enough.

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Grade: 2

The broad range of activities offers the children a richly stimulating curriculum that captures their interest and helps them to enjoy school. The children in the Reception class enjoy opportunities to learn outdoors and there is a well-judged mix of work and play throughout the day. A striking feature of the curriculum for these young children, as well as those in Key Stage 1, is the way that it provides excellent opportunities for their personal development. The emphasis on this aspect of the curriculum helps children to understand how they can contribute to their community as young citizens. The curriculum is tailored carefully to meet the needs of children with learning difficulties and so these children experience success and grow in confidence. The topics in the curriculum and visits to places of interest are well chosen and make learning meaningful and relevant. However, opportunities for speaking and listening are not

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Grade: 2

yet developed well enough through the whole curriculum.

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Grade: 2

The children receive good care, guidance and support. All the staff understand their roles in caring for the children and this effective approach ensures that the children feel safe. The consistency of provision and emphasis on staff training means that all children are supported well. Visitors from other professions, such as the health service, extend the good range of guidance and care offered by school staff. The school is currently developing its systems to assess and track the children's academic and personal progress. Most tracking of academic progress is good, but 4 Inspection Report: Lyndon Green Infant School, 13 March 2007 aspects of assessment are not rigorous enough, particularly in pinpointing the next steps for individuals and groups of children.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good. The leadership team is committed to providing the best for its pupils and is resolute in doing so. The inclusion of children in all activities, whatever their talents or limitations, is successful because it is central to the school's ethos. Despite the good standards achieved over the last few years, there is no hint of complacency and there is a clear, shared vision for further improvement. The governors support the staff well and provide them with a good balance of support and challenge. Teamwork is very effective and this creates a high level of consistency in the education the children receive. Resources are used well and funds are spent wisely. The school has taken effective action to remedy the issue identified for improvement at the time of the last inspection and has worked successfully on its own improvement plan. This shows that the school

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Grade: 2

has good capacity to improve. There has been a recent restructuring of responsibilities within the school, with teachers taking on different subject responsibilities. They are developing these roles well, but are not yet effective enough in evaluating provision. Whole- school systems for evaluation vary in quality. For example, there are some good reports on teaching and learning, where staff are given insightful feedback on the quality of their lessons. This effective management tool helps to maintain the good quality of teaching. On the other hand, the evaluation of policies and procedures is less effective; it lacks an analytical element and so the impact of particular initiatives is not as clear as it should be. 5 Inspection Report: Lyndon Green Infant School, 13 March 2007 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Lyndon Green Infant School, 13 March 2007

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Lyndon Green Infant School, 13 March 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Lyndon Green Infant School, 13 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for making me feel so welcome when I visited your school. I really enjoyed talking to you and learning about all the things which make your school so good. I saw how hard you worked and was pleased to see that you were polite and well behaved. One of the special things that I will remember is how sensibly you carry out your responsibilities and how well you are developing into young citizens. You learn well in each class because the staff are good at their various jobs, and those of you who find learning that little bit harder are doing brilliantly. Well done! Even though the teaching is good, I have asked your teachers to consider a few things to make your school even better. When they are marking your work and writing about your reading, I have asked them to make clear comments to help you know what you need to learn next. I have also asked them to give you more chances to speak for longer in class discussions. This isn't an opportunity for you to

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

chatter! I would like you to answer in complete sentences, explain your viewpoints and pose questions for your friends. Your headteacher and the governors are good at leading the school. I have asked them to get even better by sharing some of their jobs with all the teachers so that they can develop as leaders too. The thing they all need to do next is to make sure they weigh up all the new things they are doing to see how successful they have been. This is a bit like the research that you are doing to find out how to make things even better at playtime. I'm sure that they will be able to do this because of all the good things they have done in the past. Please pass on my thanks to your parents for filling in the questionnaires. It was good to see that they too thought that Lyndon Green is a happy place to learn. Please accept my very best wishes to you all for more happy days at your school. 9 Inspection Report: Lyndon Green Infant School, 13 March 2007

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