Bushey and Oxhey Infant School

Inspection Report Bushey and Oxhey Infant School

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117157 Unique Reference Number HERTFORDSHIRE Local Authority 290740 Inspection number 13 °14 December 2006 Inspection dates Mary Summers 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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Aldenham Road School address Infant Type of school Bushey, Bushey Community School category Watford, Hertfordshire WD2 2NB 4 °7 Age range of pupils

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01923 229731 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01923 229731 Fax number 109 Number on roll (school) Mr S Hall Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs S McGregor Headteacher 26 February 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 290740 13 °14 December 2006 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 Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This small infant school caters for pupils from the local community and also from further afield. The school roll has fallen steadily since the last inspection but looks likely to rise in the next year. Three quarters of the pupils come from White British families and the remainder represent a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds. Very few are in the early stages of learning English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is much lower than in most schools. Attainment on entry to the school is above that expected for their age. There has been a change of headteacher and deputy headteacher since the last inspection.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Bushey and Oxhey Infant School, 13 °14 December 2006

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Grade: 2

This school provides a good education for its pupils. Some aspects of its work are outstanding. Adults know each child very well and provide excellent levels of support and encouragement both personally and academically. 'The school is a warm, welcoming, stable, supportive environment,' noted one parent. As a result, pupils feel safe, confident and ready to approach new learning. They make a positive start to their education in the Reception class, settling in quickly and responding well to new routines and adults' high expectations. They are nurtured well during the early days, and positive relationships are built with parents. This good rate of progress continues through Years 1 and 2 and pupils leave at the end of Year 2, having reached standards in literacy and numeracy which are significantly and consistently above national expectations. Their achievement is good. The school is also successful in enabling pupils to reach very high standards in their

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Grade: 2

personal development. Pupils work together very effectively, respecting one another's opinions and different cultures and backgrounds. One parent remarked, 'I have been amazed at the children's work ethic; how well they help each other and how successfully they work independently.' These attributes stand them in good stead to become responsible citizens of the future. Pupils enjoy the diverse curriculum that the school offers, including lessons and the good range of extracurricular activities. Pupils play an active role within the school community as school councillors and class monitors. They are developing a very good understanding of how to keep safe and healthy. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education in terms of their literacy and numeracy skills but their opportunities to develop the same high levels in information and communication technology (ICT), while satisfactory, are not as good.

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Grade: 2

Good quality teaching contributes considerably to pupils' positive achievement. Teachers are skilled at presenting their lessons in an interesting and stimulating manner, using a good range of resources to make learning enjoyable for the pupils. They plan lessons carefully, providing challenging work for pupils of different capabilities. The school is well led and managed and this results in good teamwork and a shared commitment to improve. It evaluates its own performance well and provides good value for money. The headteacher has established extremely positive relationships with parents who show strong support for the school and their children's education. 'My son looks forward to going to school every day,' noted one, 'I am thrilled with his progress!'

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve provision and achievement in ICT to the same high level as in literacy and numeracy. 2 Inspection Report: Bushey and Oxhey Infant School, 13 °14 December 2006

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Grade: 2

Children start school at levels which are above those expected for their age. They settle quickly into Reception, make good progress and, by the time they start in Year 1, most reach the goals expected for their age in all areas of learning. They make particularly good gains in their personal and social development, transferring to Year 1 as keen, independent learners with very high levels of motivation. Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 1 and 2. Standards in the national tests in Year 2 have been significantly higher than average for the past six years. The proportion of pupils exceeding expectations for their age fluctuates from year to year and the school has rightly identified the need to maintain these numbers at a high level. Pupils with learning difficulties, English as an additional language and those from minority ethnic backgrounds receive effective support and all make good progress.

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Grade: 2

They are well prepared to move on to the next stage in their education.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are outstanding. Pupils are proud of their successes. They enjoy their lessons, responding eagerly to teachers' questions, listening carefully to one another's ideas and working extremely well together to complete tasks. These skills help them to prepare for the next stage in their education as well as life beyond school. They are extremely well behaved. They value one another's different cultural backgrounds highly, one girl saying proudly that her Indian friend had two names, and spoke two languages. 'Isn't she clever?' she remarked. Pupils readily accept responsibility and take their roles seriously, keen to make a difference within the school community. They appreciate the school council, describing how they want to improve arrangements for wet playtime and provide books at lunchtime for pupils who prefer quieter activities. In developing very good healthy

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Grade: 1

lifestyles, most choose healthy options at lunchtime and are keen to take part in physical education lessons and out-of-school sports activities. Most pupils attend regularly and punctually.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Teachers know their pupils well and this helps them quickly identify their strengths and weaknesses and prepare lessons which provide a good degree of challenge for pupils at different levels. Teaching assistants perform a valuable role in this, working well with small groups to help pupils who need extra 3 Inspection Report: Bushey and Oxhey Infant School, 13 °14 December 2006 support. Pupils learn effectively because the activities provided for them are stimulating and practical. They offer plenty of opportunities for pupils to discuss and share ideas as well as develop very good levels of independence. Even during the Christmas festivities, Year 2 pupils were keenly involved in writing a list of instructions about how to play their Santa game. They tested these out on one another to see if they made sense and to assess how well they had completed the task. Teachers use a good range of resources including computer technology to make lessons

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Grade: 2

interesting and easier for the pupils to understand. This also enables them to show pupils good models of handwriting and spelling which help them in their future work. Only in a few instances do lessons lack pace. This results in pupils becoming restless and losing their concentration.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum, including that in the Foundation Stage, is good. It enables pupils to achieve well and develop their capabilities though stimulating, relevant learning experiences. There is appropriate emphasis on literacy and numeracy but not at the expense of other subjects, all of which receive appropriate coverage. The school is correctly developing the creative side of the curriculum and evidence of this is apparent in attractive displays of pupils' work in design and technology, and art and design. There is also a good variety of extracurricular clubs for children to develop confidence and skill in, for example sport and music. Although pupils receive satisfactory teaching and coverage of ICT, provision is not as strong as in literacy and numeracy. The school offers a well-organised personal, social and health education programme which teaches pupils how to make sensible choices, for example, and how to look after

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Grade: 2

the environment. The school's mission of 'educating today's child for tomorrow' is fulfilled well.

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Grade: 1

Care, guidance and support are outstanding. The environment is extremely warm and welcoming for pupils. They feel safe, confident in the knowledge that problems are dealt with quickly. Adults know every pupil well and this means that they feel valued and confident to attempt new learning. Rigorous checks are carried out to ensure pupils remain safe. The school promotes a healthy lifestyle by monitoring pupils' choices at lunchtime carefully and providing a good range of physical activities, within and outside lesson time. Awards for good work and effort are designed to build pupils' confidence and prepare them well for the future. Pupils are well supported in class. They receive good advice about what they need to do to improve. The school has well-established systems to check pupils' progress and these highlight any pockets of underachievement. Very effective links with outside specialists, for example, speech and language therapists, help pupils to surmount

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Grade: 1

barriers to their learning so they can learn effectively. Pupils with learning difficulties 4 Inspection Report: Bushey and Oxhey Infant School, 13 °14 December 2006 and those with English as an additional language are carefully supported in class and small groups; teachers plan work which helps them move on at a good pace.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher maintains a strong focus on school improvement and has very good levels of support from staff and parents. She and her deputy set very clear direction for the school's work. Good teamwork ensures a consistent approach and high expectations. Governors support the school well and carry out their duties well. Suitable systems have been developed to check the effectiveness of the teaching and offer appropriate professional support if necessary. The positive relationships between staff enable these checks to be carried out in a supportive and non-judgemental way, so that everyone feels valued and part of the team. These systems mean that the school gains an accurate view of its performance and is able to identify where it needs to improve. School improvement planning is satisfactory but is not always focused sharply enough on how actions will improve pupils' learning, with measurable indicators to evaluate

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Grade: 2

success. However, the school's past record, its good commitment and teamwork stand it in good stead to continue to improve in the future. 5 Inspection Report: Bushey and Oxhey Infant School, 13 °14 December 2006 .

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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: Bushey and Oxhey Infant School, 13 °14 December 2006

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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? 1 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?

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 1 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?

1 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: Bushey and Oxhey Infant School, 13 °14 December 2006

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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: Bushey and Oxhey Infant School, 13 °14 December 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

15 December 2006 Dear Pupils Bushey and Oxhey Infant School, Aldenham Road, Bushey, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD23 2QH Thank you for your warm welcome and for telling me all about your school. I very much enjoyed being with you in lessons and chatting with you in the dining hall and in the playground. Everything I saw during my visit convinced me that you go to a good school. These are the things I think are good. • You are growing up as confident, extremely well-behaved children who enjoy learning and know how to keep safe and healthy. • You do well in your work and reach very high standards by the time you leave. • Teachers and other adults take very good care of you and give you help if you need it. • You enjoy your lessons and work well together, listening carefully to one another's ideas. • The people in charge do a good job in running the school. We have asked your headteacher and teachers to improve one aspect of school life.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• You need to use computers more to help your work in all sorts of subjects. I know that you will continue to work hard and I wish you every success in the future. Yours faithfully Mary Summers Lead Inspector 9 Inspection Report: Bushey and Oxhey Infant School, 13 °14 December 2006

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