Cherry Tree Hill Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 8 Mar 2007

Inspection Report Cherry Tree Hill Infant School

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112751 Unique Reference Number City of Derby Local Authority 289395 Inspection number 7 °8 March 2007 Inspection dates Keith Edwards 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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Lime Grove School address Infant Type of school Chaddesden, Derby Community School category Derbyshire DE21 6WL 4 °7 Age range of pupils 01332673520 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01332 673520 Fax number 240 Number on roll (school) Mrs Jane Thomas Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Kathy Mayer Headteacher 23 September 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 289395 7 °8 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school serves the suburb of Chaddesden on the outskirts of Derby. Almost all of the children live locally. There are 187 girls and boys who attend full time schooling as well as 53 children who attend the nursery on a part-time basis. Children come from a range of cultural backgrounds, although the majority are of White British heritage. Attainment on entry to the school is about average. The proportion of children with learning difficulties and disabilities, including those with statements of special educational needs, is below that of most schools. Cherry Tree Hill Infant School is federated with a nursery school in the inner city. The deputy headteacher has been seconded to manage another local authority primary school because of long-term illness in that school.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Cherry Tree Hill Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007

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Grade: 2

Cherry Tree Hill Infant School is a good school that has improved significantly since the last inspection. All of the key issues have been resolved and the school is well set to maintain this momentum. Standards are rising, the quality of teaching remains good and the school provides a vibrant curriculum. Pupils now have a clear voice, particularly on health issues, in the affairs of the school. Cherry Tree Infants has the respect of the community that it serves. As one parent comments, 'Both of my children greatly enjoy their time at Cherry Tree. I wouldn't want them to go anywhere else.' The school works well with other schools and support organisations such as the Excellence in Cities project. Children start school with levels of attainment that broadly match national expectations, although their communication skills and aspects of their personal development are below average. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage because they feel

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Grade: 2

safe and secure and the quality of teaching is good. They continue to make good progress in the infant classes because the teaching is well focused. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above average by the age of seven. However, the boys lag behind the girls in reading and writing year-on-year. Although satisfactory, standards in information and communication technology (ICT) could be better. Currently, too little use is made of computers to support learning in other subjects. Because they are well supported, those pupils who find learning difficult make good progress. The school ethos that every child should be the best they can be has supported the progress of the higher-attaining pupils. The school makes good provision for the welfare of its pupils. Each member of staff knows each pupil by name and the adults are excellent role models. As a result, relationships and standards of behaviour are good. The school's ethos, alongside the

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Grade: 2

exciting range of opportunities available to the pupils, strongly supports their personal development and keeps them interested. In particular, pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay fit and healthy. The school's endeavours to prepare its pupils for life in a multicultural society are limited. Nevertheless, pupils really enjoy school and attendance rates are broadly average. The quality of teaching is good, which enables pupils to achieve well. Lessons are planned carefully with a range of activities which engage pupils' interest and provide suitable challenges. The school has developed good procedures to assess and monitor pupils' academic progress. These are used well to identify and support as early as possible pupils who are experiencing learning difficulties, and also to set individual and school targets. Pupils know their targets and what they need to do to improve their work further. Assessment procedures are being used increasingly, but not yet

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Grade: 2

consistently, to provide work that closely matches pupils' level of understanding. The school's view of itself is broadly accurate and has resulted in a clear strategy for further improvement. Because the school has developed the leadership and management roles of key staff so effectively, the school takes in its stride the federation 2 Inspection Report: Cherry Tree Hill Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007 arrangements with a city nursery school and the secondment of the deputy headteacher to a city primary school. The quality of governance has improved since the last inspection because governors now have an increased awareness of the school's effectiveness and how to measure its performance. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise the standard of literacy among boys. • Develop further the use of ICT to support learning. • Give greater emphasis to preparing pupils for life in a multicultural society.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve above average standards. Over time, their achievement is good and test results demonstrate their good progress. The most recent results were above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics and the school met its targets for seven-year-olds. On entry to the nursery most children start with skills that are below average for their age in their communication and personal and social skills. By the time they complete the Foundation Stage they are close to the goals expected for them. However, across the school, many children have difficulty in expressing their ideas clearly, both in speech and in writing. This is much more evident among boys than girls and has an adverse impact on their performance. Pupils with learning difficulties make good progress towards their individual targets because they receive additional support.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good. They benefit from a climate in school that enables them to grow in confidence and self-esteem and to take responsibility. This is particularly evident in the promotion of healthy life styles that stem from school council decisions. Pupils are kind and considerate towards each other and they enjoy trusting relationships with the adults in school. They are confident learners and work very well together. Pupils' behaviour is good. The school has good systems to promote attendance and has been successful in discouraging lateness. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is good; there are particular strengths in the moral and social aspects. The spiritual and cultural development of the pupils is promoted well through assemblies and music. Pupils are aware of other religions through their work in the humanities. Although pupils have a developing sense of their own cultural traditions, their awareness of cultural diversity

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Grade: 2

is weak. Throughout the school there is a strong emphasis on promoting personal and social development so that pupils have a good understanding of citizenship and keeping 3 Inspection Report: Cherry Tree Hill Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007 healthy. The school makes good use of the local community as a resource for learning and the pupils support a range of charities at home and abroad.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning are good. A parent comments, 'I have been extremely satisfied with my child's educational development and I am full of praise for the excellent teaching staff.' Particular strengths in the teaching lie in the good teamwork between teachers and teaching assistants, which ensures that all are clear about pupils' learning and progress. Relationships between teachers, adults and pupils are good and across the school clear emphasis is placed on the promotion of pupils' personal development. As a result, classrooms are happy places where children enjoy learning. Good organisation and well-established routines ensure that most lessons move at a lively pace which helps pupils become enthusiastic and engaged learners. Teachers are skilled at using discussion and well focused questions which extend pupils' learning and encourage them to develop their language skills. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities receive good support from their teachers

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Grade: 2

and teaching assistants so that they make good progress towards their individual learning targets. The school has good systems in place to assess and track pupils' progress. Teachers know their pupils well so that, along with the information from assessment, they are able to set clear individual and group targets. However, this information is not always used as well when planning work that fully matches the needs of all pupils.

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Grade: 2

The quality of the curriculum is good because it is particularly well enriched with a wide-ranging programme of visits, including a residential visit, and visitors to school. The special activity days and weeks such as the 'Multiple Intelligences' week, when all classes are focused on developing a range of activities, provide a good range of further learning opportunities. These provide good support and enjoyment and make a positive contribution to pupils' learning. The curriculum for the Foundation Stage children is focused well on developing social and early communication skills. Through this approach the youngest children make good progress and access other areas of learning well. Although the school has improved its provision for ICT since the last inspection this is not yet used as well as it could be for developing pupils' learning across the curriculum. 4 Inspection Report: Cherry Tree Hill Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007

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Grade: 2

This aspect of school life is good. Parents appreciate that their children are well cared for and the effort that the school makes to ensure that pupils feel safe and secure. Teachers and other staff know the children well so that they are confident that, should they have a problem, there is always an adult to whom they can turn for advice and help. Procedures for health and safety, risk assessments and child protection are secure. The school has positive strategies to manage pupils' behaviour. A good programme for personal and health education ensures that pupils know how to stay fit and healthy. Pupils receive good academic guidance. Pupils who have identified difficulties with their learning are supported and guided well so that they are able to progress in their work at rates similar to those of others. The school has identified a number of pupils who have specific gifts and talents in English and mathematics and provides additional

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Grade: 2

opportunities for them to extend and develop these.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides good leadership. She maintains a clear view of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the school through careful monitoring and evaluation and has resolutely fashioned the strategy to bring about school improvement since the last inspection. Key elements of her success are the strength of the teamwork and the quality of the relationships within the school. These have enabled the staff to grow in confidence and to share the responsibility for school effectiveness. This is particularly evident in the way that the leadership team has both strengthened and sharpened the school's assessment arrangements. Furthermore, the school has a comprehensive programme of professional development that has honed the skills of the staff. Such is the success of the school, that it has become a focal point of the community that it serves. The community recognises the success of the school and,

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Grade: 2

consequently, pupil numbers have remained buoyant within a climate of falling rolls in neighbouring schools. Governors provide good support and are increasingly involved in the strategic development of the school. 5 Inspection Report: Cherry Tree Hill Infant School, 7 °8 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: Cherry Tree Hill Infant School, 7 °8 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 2 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 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 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: Cherry Tree Hill Infant School, 7 °8 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: Cherry Tree Hill Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

12 March 2007 Dear Pupils, Cherry Tree Hill Infant School, Lime Grove, Chaddesden, Derby, DE21 6WL Miss Rogers and I really enjoyed our visit to your school because everybody was so helpful and friendly. We were very pleased to be able to work with you in your classrooms, join in with your morning assemblies and to listen to your wonderful singing. We can understand why you enjoy your school so much as there are so many things that make your school very special. Here are some of them: • You clearly want to do your best to learn in lessons and are prepared to work hard. • Your school council is doing a great job in making the school a better place to be. • Everybody understands the school rules and your behaviour is good. • Everybody tries to be friendly, thoughtful and helpful. • All of your teachers work hard to make your lessons interesting and fun. • The school provides a great range of activities and visits to keep you interested.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

As in all schools, there are still things that can be done to make your school even better. First, we know that some of you can do even better with your work, particularly the boys in your reading and writing. You must keep on working hard to get better. Your teachers will make sure that you know exactly what you need to do to improve. We also want your teachers to make sure that you have more opportunities to use the computers. Finally, the school needs to do more to help you learn about children from other countries. There is still work to be done to make your school even better and the staff are already working hard on their ideas. You might want to think about how you can help and you may also want to say a big thank you to them too. I wish you all the very best for the future. Yours sincerely, Keith Edwards Lead Inspector 9 Inspection Report: Cherry Tree Hill Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007

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