Limes Farm Infant School and NurseryOfsted inspection, 2 Mar 2007

Inspection Report Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery

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114962 Unique Reference Number ESSEX Local Authority 290090 Inspection number 1 °2 March 2007 Inspection dates Marianne Harris 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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Limes Avenue School address Infant Type of school Chigwell Community School category Essex IG7 5LP 3 °7 Age range of pupils 020 8501 1115 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 020 8501 2993 Fax number 162 Number on roll (school) Mr A Ogunsanlo Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs J Tunney Headteacher 7 October 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 290090 1 °2 March 2007 3°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

This is a small infant school with a nursery, situated in a socially disadvantaged area. Pupils are predominantly of White British heritage, although a minority have a mixed or Asian background. There are a small number of pupils who are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities is about average and the number of pupils who leave or join the school part way through their education is higher than is normally seen because there is temporary housing close to the school. When they begin school, children have skills and knowledge that are well below those expected for their age.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery, 1 °2 March 2007

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Grade: 2

Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of this good school and most correctly believe that their children make good progress. They think that the school is well led and managed and that all staff are very approachable. Pupils are very enthusiastic about school and especially like their teachers. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good. Although few children will reach the expected standards by the time they enter Year 1, they nevertheless make good progress. Standards are a little below average by the end of Year 2 and are rising because the focus on reading has also had a significant impact on standards in writing. All pupils achieve well. Teaching and learning are good across the school and the leadership team has been particularly successful in improving these. Lessons are interesting and work is planned well to meet the needs of all pupils. While teachers generally have high expectations of pupils' academic and personal development, there are times when the most able

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Grade: 2

pupils spend too long on work that they find easy and do not move on to more challenging work quickly enough. Work is marked well so that pupils know what it is they have to do to reach their targets. Pupils receive good care, guidance and support and know that there is an adult they can go to if they have a problem. Good leadership and management have also led to pupils' personal development being promoted well. Pupils have a good understanding about staying safe and healthy and know that only healthy snacks should be eaten in school. Attendance is satisfactory but, in spite of the school's good efforts, there are a high number of pupils who arrive very late for school and this disrupts their learning as they miss vital parts of lessons. The curriculum is good and promotes pupils' growing understanding of the local area and beyond through good enrichment activities. Governors are doing a good job and are very supportive of the school. They understand

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Grade: 2

its strengths and appreciate the challenges they face. Staff work together very well as a team and this has been a significant factor in improving teaching across the school. Areas for development have been correctly identified and these have been followed up to make sure they have been tackled effectively. The issues from the last inspection have been addressed and the school has clear plans to improve further. There is good capacity to continue these improvements.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Work closely with parents to make sure that pupils come to school on time. • Make sure that the most able pupils move to challenging work quickly enough in lessons, so that they can reach higher standards. 2 Inspection Report: Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery, 1 °2 March 2007

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Grade: 2

Children in the Foundation Stage get off to a good start. Although standards are below those expected by the time they enter Year 1, children make good progress, especially in learning basic skills in English and mathematics and in learning to work together. Results in the national assessments for pupils at the end of Year 2 have improved over the last few years. In writing and mathematics, standards are close to average, and they are just below average in reading. The school has identified this and there has been an emphasis on systematically teaching the skills needed so that reading standards are rising. Good support is given to pupils who are learning English as an additional language so that they achieve well. Pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress because work is well matched to their ability and they gain in self-confidence. Pupils who join the school part way through their education make

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Grade: 2

good progress and reach standards similar to those of other pupils in the school.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. The pupils get on well with each other and with adults and are beginning to appreciate the diversity of the world around them. They say that they really enjoy coming to school and their attendance is satisfactory. However, punctuality continues to be a cause for concern. Pupils' behaviour is of a high standard, both in lessons and in the playground, and they work together very co-operatively. They are enthusiastic about the school council and believe their views are listened to. Most of them talk confidently about how they are getting on in lessons and are clear about what they need to do to improve their work. Even the youngest children have an understanding of the need to keep safe and healthy. They know which foods are bad for them and that they should make healthy choices at lunchtime. The school has done

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Grade: 2

a lot of work to promote good health and ensures that the pupils develop an appreciation of environmental issues. The basic skills they will need in later life are promoted well so that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Lessons are interesting and enjoyable. The pupils describe them as 'fun!' Good use is made of the interactive whiteboards so that everyone can be involved in lessons. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are well supported and make good progress. Teachers explain tasks well and the purpose of each lesson is clear. Work in books is marked effectively so that pupils know what it is they have to do to reach the targets that have been set for them. 3 Inspection Report: Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery, 1 °2 March 2007 Teachers' planning is detailed and takes account of all abilities within the class. However, there are a few examples where the most able pupils spend too much time on easy tasks before they are encouraged to move on to more challenging work.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good curriculum that is enriched very effectively with visits and visitors into school. The pupils are very enthusiastic about learning football skills with local premier league coaches and improving their tennis skills with specialist teachers. They also talk very excitedly about the theatre groups and music specialists that provide many opportunities for them to explore themes such as The Great Fire of London and African drumming and dancing. Although there are fewer out of school clubs than normally seen, the pupils benefit from trips into the local area and beyond. The programme for personal, social and health education is effective and helps pupils understand about keeping safe and being healthy.

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Grade: 2

The standard of care, guidance and support given to pupils is good and all staff are very committed to pupils' well-being. Pupils' progress is rigorously tracked and effective support put in place should anyone be falling behind. Child protection procedures are firmly established and there are robust systems for keeping pupils safe and to promote good health. Risks are appropriately assessed so that pupils can be kept safe when on trips out of school. The needs of pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities are carefully assessed and are met effectively through focused support. Pupils who are at an early stage of learning English are well supported and make good progress.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides clear direction for the school and is highly committed to raising standards and achievement further. She is held in very high regard by parents. One said, '... she is never too busy to help and knows the children so well.' There has been good improvement since the last inspection. All of the staff work very well together to evaluate how well the school is doing. This approach has been significant in improving teaching and in implementing the effective strategies for raising standards in reading. Monitoring of the school's work is very thorough and the headteacher and managers at all levels have an accurate picture of its strengths and weaknesses. Pupils and parents say that their views are regularly sought and taken into consideration. Links with the nearby junior school are satisfactory and improving. The governors give strong support to the school as a whole and provide

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Grade: 2

appropriate challenge to managers. They know what improvements have taken place and what the school needs to do to improve further. 4 Inspection Report: Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery, 1 °2 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. 5 Inspection Report: Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery, 1 °2 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? 3 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 2 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. 6 Inspection Report: Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery, 1 °2 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? 7 Inspection Report: Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery, 1 °2 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

6 March 2007 Dear Children Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery, Limes Avenue, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 5LP Thank you very much for welcoming us into your school a few days ago. I am now writing to tell you what we found out. You were all very helpful in telling us about your school and we were especially impressed by how well you concentrated during ERR time. We know that you have worked very hard at improving your reading and writing and your teachers help you a lot. You told us that you really like your teachers and we think that everyone in school gets on very well together. You are all polite and well behaved and know about how to eat healthily and keep safe. You told us all about the extra things you do in school, like football, tennis and trips out. You said that you enjoyed lessons and we certainly liked being in your classes. Learning is definitely fun in your school. We have asked your teachers to make it even more interesting by providing

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

some of you with harder work so that you do not have work that can sometimes be too easy. We noticed that some of you were late for school. We have asked your headteacher to work closely with your parents to encourage them to bring you to school on time. You could help by getting ready for school quickly so that you don't miss important parts of your lessons. Once again thank you very much for being so helpful in telling us all about your school. We wish you all well in the future. Marianne Harris Lead inspector 8 Inspection Report: Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery, 1 °2 March 2007

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