King Richard III Infant and Nursery School

Inspection Report King Richard III Infant and Nursery School

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120017 Unique Reference Number Leicester City Local Authority 291604 Inspection number 22 °23 November 2006 Inspection dates Nigel (Nick) Pett 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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Andrewes Street School address Infant Type of school Leicester Community School category LE3 5PA 3 °7 Age range of pupils 0116 2621905 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0116 2422236 Fax number 289 Number on roll (school) Peter Hurst Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Eluned Webb Headteacher 1 October 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 291604 22 °23 November 2006 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 smaller than average school. Pupils come from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds but a significant proportion experience disadvantage. More pupils join and leave during the school year than is usual. Well over a half of the pupils are from minority ethnic families and many of these pupils' first language is not English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is broadly average. The school shares the site with a nursery which is managed by the school's governors.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: King Richard III Infant and Nursery School, 22 °23 November 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with outstanding features and which works successfully in challenging social circumstances. It correctly prides itself in that all of its children and pupils really matter. Pupils' achievement is good. Children have well below average skills on entry into the Foundation Stage. By the time they leave at the end of Year 2, their standards are in line with the national average. This good achievement shows how well the school supports the many different groups of pupils on roll, not only academically but also in their personal development. Pupils' personal development is outstanding and the way that the school helps pupils to gain in confidence helps them to learn well. They all enjoy school and feel secure. In the Foundation Stage, children share and play together very well. Older pupils behave well and all pupils are proud of their school and their achievements. They applaud each other spontaneously when

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Grade: 2

celebrating success and this raises their self-esteem very well. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. The provision for this growth is through a well structured and orderly school in which staff and pupils respect each other. Teaching is good and staff plan carefully to meet the diverse needs of the pupils. However, in a small minority of classes, teaching is sometimes not as good as it could be, targets are unclear and pupils' learning suffers. Good use is made of various methods to track pupils' personal and academic development, and they are helped to improve by good support from school staff and many agencies. Pupils' learning benefits from the good teaching and from the outstanding curriculum which gives them many exciting opportunities, in and out of the classroom. Pupils understand how to be healthy and develop good skills for the next stage of their education. The staff care, support and guide pupils exceptionally

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Grade: 2

well and have very close links with parents and carers. These links include a wide range of support in school and from agencies, which lead to the school being seen as very efficient and popular with parents. Parents recognise how much the school has improved since the last inspection and their views are correct. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has been very effective and she is very well supported by the staff, who have a great sense of teamwork. School activities, such as teaching, attendance and improvement plans are checked for their quality. Not all staff are involved enough in this monitoring, which the school knows is needed to ensure that teaching is of the highest calibre and to give it the extra impetus it needs to meet its aim of being a centre of excellence. There is strong capacity to improve the school further, as the school evaluates itself accurately.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Make better use of planning and target-setting in the minority of classes where this is not as good as it could be. • Ensure that all staff are involved in monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning. 2 Inspection Report: King Richard III Infant and Nursery School, 22 °23 November 2006

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage from their well below average starting points and they achieve well. They improve their language and communication skills and their personal and social development although, by the end of the Reception Year, they have not reached the expected levels for their ages. Pupils continue to achieve well through Years 1 and 2, and teacher assessments in both 2005 and 2006 show that standards are broadly average by the end of Year 2, with many pupils developing good reading, writing and mathematical skills. This represents significant improvement since the last inspection. Pupils who join the school without any command of English make very good progress in speaking but their overall progress is hampered by their writing skills. The achievement of those pupils who frequently move between schools is satisfactory, reflecting how well they are supported. Pupils with learning

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Grade: 1

Children in the Foundation Stage make very good progress in their social and personal development, playing very well together and sharing their resources very well. In Years 1 and 2, pupils gain in confidence and have very good attitudes towards their work. Many behave very well, but a small minority experience difficulties in meeting the high expectations set. Most pupils are very polite, courteous and show a real concern for each other's well-being, and relationships between pupils and with staff are very good. Many pupils have very good attendance. However, overall attendance is satisfactory because a minority of pupils remain for a time on the school's roll after they have moved away. Pupils' spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is very good and they respect the many different beliefs and traditions they encounter. They contribute exceptionally well for their age to the community and make many collections for

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Grade: 1

charities. The members of the school council take their responsibilities seriously and make a good contribution to discussions about school life. Pupils have a good understanding of healthy lifestyles. They know how to be safe and confidently seek advice from adults. Pupils are very proud of their achievements and are developing very good social skills and good basic skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) for their future well-being.

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Grade: 2

Learning is good because lessons are generally well planned to meet pupils' different needs. The good way that activities are structured in the Foundation Stage helps children to make good progress across all of the learning goals, although they are not 3 Inspection Report: King Richard III Infant and Nursery School, 22 °23 November 2006 always given enough opportunities in the Reception classes to explore writing skills for themselves. Across all age ranges, the very good use of questions develops children's language and vocabulary skills very well. The effective teamwork between teachers and the teaching assistants means that individual support and group work provide good learning opportunities, and good explanations are given by adults to make sure the pupils understand their work. Staff also keep pupils concentrating on their work by giving them additional tasks or challenging them to think for themselves. In many

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Grade: 2

lessons, the setting of time targets also helps pupils to concentrate on their work. Pupils learn well when work is set in everyday situations which help their understanding. Interactive whiteboards are used very well to involve pupils in the learning activities. Occasionally, learning slows when teachers' planning leads to work being done in too many groups, or the work set is too easy or too hard.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum provides a very good range of exciting opportunities. In the Foundation Stage, all of the learning goals are very well covered. In Years 1 and 2, the curriculum is very well planned with many links across the different subjects which support literacy, numeracy and computer skills exceptionally well. The wide range of visits, visitors and workshops significantly enhances pupils' learning and helps them to understand the differences that exist in their community. For example, 'the family days' bring in parents and community representatives so that pupils have outstanding opportunities to learn about diversity in their community. Pupils describe the days as being 'magic!' There is very good provision for clubs in sport, art and environmental activities which are taken by staff, coaches and experts from outside of the school.

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Grade: 1

Parents and carers feel that the school cares outstandingly for their children. This is a strength of the school as it works very successfully to help all of its pupils through the high expectations it sets. Staff know pupils very well, and are very committed to their well-being. Pupils are very clear about whom they can turn to for help and do so very confidently. Child protection and health and safety procedures are very good. The procedures for dealing with misbehaviour are very effective, with rewards and sanctions which are understood. The support provided for pupils for whom English is an additional language, those with learning difficulties and the many pupils who move between schools is very good. Good assessment systems track individual pupils' progress and targets are generally used well, although not every pupil understands what they mean and what they need to do to improve their work. 4 Inspection Report: King Richard III Infant and Nursery School, 22 °23 November 2006

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Grade: 2

The headteacher gives very clear educational direction which has led to very good improvement since the last inspection. She is well supported by the staff team, which works very well together. They are all involved in the leadership and management of the school, sharing the vision and willingly examining what works well and what needs to improve. The monitoring of teaching and learning and other areas of the school's work is effective so that all pupils have good opportunities to succeed. However, the observation of lessons is not shared sufficiently amongst staff to help teachers develop the best practice. The way that the school works with parents, carers and agencies is outstanding, and helps pupils' development exceptionally well. Governance is good and governors have developed their skills and now challenge the school well. 5 Inspection Report: King Richard III Infant and Nursery School, 22 °23 November 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: King Richard III Infant and Nursery School, 22 °23 November 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? 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 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 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: King Richard III Infant and Nursery School, 22 °23 November 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: King Richard III Infant and Nursery School, 22 °23 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for being so friendly and helpful when Mrs Underwood and I came to visit your school. We enjoyed seeing you working in your lessons and also talking to you about your school. We have found that your school is a good school and some of the things that it does are outstanding. The best features of your school are that: • You are all helped to do your best in your work. • You all enjoy school and many of you behave well. • You are well taught and make good progress. • You have many really great activities in your work and in the many clubs and visits that take place. • You are given very good support when you have any worries. • Your headteacher, the governors and staff run your school well and work very well with your parents and carers. These are the things we have asked your school to do to make it better: • Help some of you to learn even better by making sure that the work you are given makes

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you try even harder and that you understand your targets. • Make sure that the way that the school checks how well it is helping you is shared more between your teachers. Thank you again for being friendly and courteous. We hope that you will carry on working hard and help the adults, as they give you a really good start in your learning. 9 Inspection Report: King Richard III Infant and Nursery School, 22 °23 November 2006

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