Bushfield Road Infant School

Inspection Report Bushfield Road Infant School

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117747 Unique Reference Number North Lincolnshire Local Authority 290922 Inspection number 22 °23 February 2007 Inspection dates John Ashton 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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Bushfield Road School address Infant Type of school Scunthorpe Community School category DN16 1NA 3 °7 Age range of pupils 01724 842829 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01724 842829 Fax number 195 Number on roll (school) Mrs Fiona Wilding Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Elizabeth Carr Headteacher 1 May 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 290922 22 °23 February 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 smaller than average sized and over-subscribed infant and nursery school caters for a mixed catchment area of mainly rented housing. Almost all the pupils are White British with very few at an early stage of learning English. A broadly average proportion of pupils is eligible for free school meals but a recently increased, and now above average, proportion of pupils has learning difficulties and disabilities. Pupils’ attainment on entry to Nursery is below that which is typical of children of 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: Bushfield Road Infant School, 22 °23 February 2007

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Grade: 1

This school provides an excellent standard of education. Parents have a high degree of confidence in the school and rightly feel that their children achieve well. A typical comment from a parent is that, ‘the school is well run, well presented and high achieving, resulting from the stimulating environment the school provides’. Pupils understand the importance of how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and of how to keep safe and behave sensibly. Their attendance has improved from below average at the last inspection to consistently above average in recent years. Pupils make a good contribution to their community and are very well prepared for the next stage of their education Children start school in the Nursery with skills and knowledge well below the level expected for children of nursery age. Owing to outstanding provision in the Foundation Stage they quickly settle and make exceptionally good progress, most of them attaining

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Grade: 1

their early learning goals by the time they reach Year 1. This exceptionally good progress continues in Years 1 and 2 and pupils reach standards which are above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave to enter junior school. All groups of pupils achieve very well but girls outperform boys overall, mainly because more of the boys have learning difficulties when they start school. The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. The teachers’ skills at capturing and holding pupils’ attention and the thoroughness and helpfulness of their marking are especially good. The curriculum is broad, challenging and well enriched with extra-curricular activities. ‘Each day is packed with fun and my son, when he comes home, wants to try things he learned at school’, said one parent. Pupils are very well cared for and their individual academic progress is thoroughly monitored and tracked

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Grade: 1

as they move through the school. The quality of leadership and management is outstanding, particularly that of the headteacher. There is a collegiate approach to leadership which is especially effective in maintaining high morale and giving everyone a good sense of involvement. Governors have a thorough knowledge of the strengths and relative weaknesses of the school and of exactly what needs to be done to improve things further. The school has an excellent capacity to bring about that improvement, judging from the improvement brought about since the last inspection and the continual review and re-prioritising of the school’s goals. It currently gives outstanding value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Strive to narrow the gap in attainment between boys and girls by the end of Year 2. 2 Inspection Report: Bushfield Road Infant School, 22 °23 February 2007

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Grade: 1

Pupils achieve exceptionally well to reach standards which are above the national average. The school is able to demonstrate this because of its very effective procedures to check and track the progress children make from entry through to leaving the school. Children’s achievement is outstanding in the Foundation Stage and by the end of Reception most meet and many exceed the early learning goals they are expected to attain. Pupils make significantly better than expected progress in Years 1 and 2. Most reach above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2 and a higher than average proportion attains the higher Level 3 in the national tests. The added value the school gives to the pupils’ attainment is significantly better than expected from their starting points on entry to the school. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities receive very good support in lessons

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Grade: 1

and make very good progress against the targets in their individual education plans. The very few pupils at an early stage of learning English are making rapid progress. Higher attaining and gifted and talented pupils achieve the above average standards expected of them, reflecting the challenging work they are given. Girls outperform boys in reading, writing and mathematics by more than the national difference between girls’ and boys’ results. Narrowing this gap is a key focus of the school’s drive for further improvement.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils enjoy school and have very positive attitudes towards it. Their behaviour in and out of lessons is excellent and they show enormous respect for adults and for each other. Attendance is above average. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. For example, there are very strong links with a local church and the five golden rules underpinning the school’s behavioural expectations result in pupils having strong moral values. Through thematic studies, such as those relating to the Chinese New Year and Africa, pupils have a good understanding of other cultures. They understand about the need for a healthy lifestyle through healthy eating and participating in sports activities. Pupils feel safe in school and are confident that they could talk to an adult if they felt that they needed to. Year 2 pupils act as playground pals to give support and friendship

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Grade: 1

to those who need it. The school council provides pupils with a strong sense of responsibility and community by giving them the opportunities to take part in decision-making by, for instance, enabling them to help with the choice of new seating in the playground area. The school prepares pupils well for later life, as shown by very good development of their literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills and the skills of working together. 3 Inspection Report: Bushfield Road Infant School, 22 °23 February 2007

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Grade: 1

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Teachers know their pupils extremely well. They plan work that matches pupils’ individual needs and capabilities and have very high expectations of them. Clear and straightforward learning objectives are shared with the class at the beginning of each session and revisited near the end of the lesson. At this point, pupils are asked to assess their own understanding of their work. Their ease with which they do this points to how well established this process is. As a result, pupils have a very good knowledge of their own learning. This is one of the reasons why they make such exceptional progress. Pupils enjoy lessons because teachers make the work very interesting. The needs of pupils of all abilities are generally very well met. The classrooms are happy places because the teachers are particularly skilled at behaviour management and in ways of capturing and holding the pupils’

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Grade: 1

attention. Teachers have very positive relationships with pupils throughout the school. Pupils are kept completely busy with challenging tasks. Learning assistants are very well briefed and they support the pupils’ learning well. Teachers' marking is excellent in that it clearly tells pupils how well they are doing, whether or not they have achieved their learning targets and how they can improve further.

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Grade: 1

The outstanding curriculum makes excellent provision for pupils’ different needs and aspirations. It deals well with developing basic skills but also gives pupils much more than this. Notable features include the excellent work in the arts and much wider than average enrichment opportunities. The excellent artwork and ceramics on display show why the school has been awarded the Gold Artsmark. One afternoon per week is devoted to activities taught by outside specialists on a rolling programme in dance, music and outdoor games. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is very good so that they make similar or better progress than others. There is also effective extra provision for higher attaining and gifted and talented pupils in, for example, mathematics, English, textiles and modern languages. Consequently, by the end of Year 2, a greater proportion of pupils than nationally attains the higher Level

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Grade: 1

Care, guidance and support for pupils are outstanding. The school’s provision for the welfare, health and safety of pupils is excellent. Suitable health and safety procedures and risk assessments are carried out. Safeguarding arrangements fulfil the latest government guidelines and all staff are fully aware of child protection procedures. The securely fenced site provides a very safe environment for lunchtimes and breaks, 4 Inspection Report: Bushfield Road Infant School, 22 °23 February 2007 when pupils are also closely supervised. The headteacher has an open door policy and is freely available to speak to parents. The school makes every effort to raise the self-esteem of pupils and good work is regularly celebrated through displays and assemblies. Arrangements for transition at all stages are excellent. Procedures for tracking and monitoring pupils’ progress are extremely thorough and systematic. This

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Grade: 1

enables the school to provide excellent support and guidance, as seen in the very detailed records and analysis of every pupil’s progress from the moment of entry to the school. Parents are kept very well informed of their children’s achievements through reports, meetings and open days.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. The leadership of the headteacher, in particular, is excellent. Her determination and high expectations of everyone associated with the school set the tone. These factors are major reasons for the school’s continued success. Very well supported by the capable deputy headteacher and effective middle management, the headteacher shares the running of the school with every member of staff. This collaborative approach ensures that all staff are effectively involved in every aspect of the school’s continual development. Consequently, morale and self-confidence are high. The school is well ordered yet relaxed and thoroughly child-centred. Very close attention is given to checking on the progress of every pupil. The monitoring of the work of class teachers is especially rigorous, but very supportive too. As a result, teaching and learning are never less than good, and usually

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Grade: 1

outstanding. The school’s self-evaluation is perceptive and concise but too modest. Inspectors judge the school in most respects higher than it judges itself. Improvement since the previous inspection is good and the school has excellent capacity for further improvements. Governance is excellent. Governors are well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They keep themselves very up-to-date and challenge the school in positive ways as well as supporting it. 5 Inspection Report: Bushfield Road Infant School, 22 °23 February 2007 .

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Grade: 1

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Bushfield Road Infant School, 22 °23 February 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? 1 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 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

1 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 1 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?

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: Bushfield Road Infant School, 22 °23 February 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: Bushfield Road Infant School, 22 °23 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Bushfield Road Infant School Bushfield Road Scunthorpe DN16 1NA 23 February 2007 Dear Children Thank you for making Mrs Sparkes and me feel so welcome during our visit to your school last week. A very special thank you should go to those children who gave up some of their lunchtime to talk with us. We think your school provides an outstanding level of education and thoroughly agree with you that it is a happy and secure place to learn. Your teachers are friendly and make your lessons interesting and you have such a lot of exciting activities outside lesson times. We were particularly impressed by how very well managed your school is and how well your teachers follow your progress. Therefore, they know very well what you can do and what help you need to improve further. You yourselves deserve much of the credit for this. We saw for ourselves how much you enjoy your work in class, how well behaved you are and how hard you all work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

To help you even more we have asked the school to encourage even more of the boys to catch up with the best work of the girls before they reach the end of Year 2. You can play your part by making sure that you all continue to work as hard as you do. We wish every one of you well for the future. Mr J Ashton Lead inspector 9 Inspection Report: Bushfield Road Infant School, 22 °23 February 2007

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