Chapel Break Infant School

Inspection Report Chapel Break First School, Norwich

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121018 Unique Reference Number NORFOLK Local Authority 291953 Inspection number 25 °26 September 2006 Inspection dates Mrs. Kathleen Yates 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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Thurlby Road School address First Type of school Chapel Break, Chapel Break Community School category Norwich, Norfolk NR5 9LU 4 °8 Age range of pupils 01603 749550 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01603 749550 Fax number 213 Number on roll (school) Mrs.Pat Gyte Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. Jane Rolph Headteacher 11 October 1999 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 291953 25 °26 September 2006 4°8 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 situated in an area of mixed private and rented housing. The proportions of children entitled to free meals and of those who have learning difficulties are higher than average. Most pupils are of White British heritage. A small proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. A few pupils speak English as an additional language. When children start in the Reception class their skills and knowledge are below average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Chapel Break First School, Norwich, 25 °26 September 2006

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Grade: 1

This outstanding school provides its pupils with an exceptional standard of education, giving excellent value for money. The school is rightly heralded as a model of good practice in the county. Children do exceptionally well in Reception, building rapidly on their skills and knowledge. There continues to be an accelerated rate of progress through the whole school, so that by the end of Years 2 and 3, standards are above average in English, mathematics and science. They are particularly high in reading. All pupils' achievement is exceptional because teaching is inspirational. Teachers work very hard to make the work exciting and memorable, using a wide range of strategies, including philosophy and 'Thinking through Art.' Therefore, pupils respond extremely well, often totally immersing themselves in lessons and concentrating hard throughout. Parents and carers are delighted with the progress their children make. Staff

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Grade: 1

commitment to pupils' personal development is outstanding, raising pupils' morale so that they grow in confidence and give of their best. An increasing number of pupils need help with social skills and the school's wise choice of employing support for them is helping to raise their self esteem so that their behaviour improves and most behave well. As a result, pupils enjoy school very much, taking great pleasure in all that it provides. Provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is particularly good, and pervades the whole of what the school offers them. Pupils are developing an extremely good range of skills that will help them to become good citizens, such as teamwork and an understanding of a healthy lifestyle. A few children regularly arrive late at school and the school's rate of attendance is below the national average. It is improving because the school is constantly appealing to parents to ensure

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Grade: 1

their children do not miss lessons. Attendance figures are lower because of a small number of children from overseas who return home during term time. The school's curriculum is outstanding. It is so successful because all teachers plan activities with a clear purpose so that pupils are highly involved in their learning and consequently they make excellent progress. The development of pupils' thinking skills is at the forefront of all planning. Pupils are prompted to think for themselves, to investigate, explain and reflect on their findings. Care for the pupils is excellent, which means they find it easy to settle to their work. All health and safety requirements are met. The school has excellent systems for checking that pupils are making as much progress as they can and for making arrangements to support those who need additional help to meet their challenging targets. All the areas of the school work so well because the

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Grade: 1

headteacher and her deputy provide outstanding leadership and management. They have particularly strong systems for ensuring that they know which areas need to be improved and for planning to bring about change. The staff and governors provide excellent support, managing their responsibilities very well. Everyone in the school has a determination to achieve and maintain the highest standards and very good strides have been made since the previous inspection. There is, therefore, outstanding capacity for further improvement. 2 Inspection Report: Chapel Break First School, Norwich, 25 °26 September 2006

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What the school should do to improve further

- Encourage parents to send their children to school regularly and to ensure they arrive on time.

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Grade: 1

From their below average starting point on entry to Reception, children make very rapid progress and achieve exceptionally well. By the time they enter Year 1, most are attaining the standards expected for their age in all areas of learning. Pupils continue to achieve very well throughout the school. In the national tests at the end of Year 2 in 2005, results were above national averages in writing and mathematics and significantly above in reading. Provisional results for 2006 indicate a similarly consistent picture, with even greater improvement in mathematics. Pupils often exceed the challenging targets set. The school works tirelessly to improve standards in writing and this is seen in the work of Year 3 pupils. Standards in Year 3 are above average in English, mathematics and science.

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Grade: 1

The school provides exceptionally well for pupils' moral, social and cultural development. Pupils also develop an exceptional spiritual awareness. For example, in a Year 3 lesson which covered elements of geography, science and literacy pupils asked questions such as, 'Will the ocean ever take over the land?' A key factor of pupils' success in school is their exceptional attitudes to learning. This is a result of the teachers' high expectations and a stimulating curriculum. Despite the hard work of staff to encourage good attendance, a few parents do not bring their children to school regularly and on time. Pupils learn what is expected of them through the sensitive approach by staff and the consistent use of school procedures. As a result most pupils behave well and develop exceptionally good relationships. They are encouraged to keep themselves safe and happy very successfully and know that regular exercise and eating a range

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Grade: 1

of good food helps to keep them healthy. Good links with the local community help to widen pupils' experiences of life. The school council works well to ensure that pupils have a say in improving the school. Pupils are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 1

The outstanding work of teachers and support staff is central to the high standards that pupils achieve. Staff work particularly well together, sharing their expertise and 3 Inspection Report: Chapel Break First School, Norwich, 25 °26 September 2006 experience, to ensure that teaching is of a consistently high quality. They have high expectations of what pupils can achieve, which are based on a thorough understanding of how young children learn. They plan work which is particularly challenging and this helps pupils to achieve very well. Staff are adventurous in how and what they teach so that learning becomes fun. In many lessons there is a buzz of excitement and activity as pupils set about their work and because activities are interesting, they really enjoy what they are doing. Pupils particularly like drama activities, such as in a Year 2 class when they acted a scene from Midsummer Night's Dream. The very successful work

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Grade: 1

on developing pupils' thinking skills results in pupils developing enquiring and questioning minds. Parents make a significant contribution to their children's learning through working with them on the exceptionally well thought out homework set by teachers.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is particularly well planned. Pupils make connections between subjects by applying their knowledge, skills and understanding in one area to their work in another. The focus on systematically developing pupils' skills is a particularly strong feature of the school's work and can be seen clearly from the first weeks in the Reception class. Here, the focus on developing the children's social skills alongside early reading, writing and number work helps them to settle quickly and develop exceptionally good attitudes to learning. Information and communication technology is used effectively wherever possible. The curriculum is enriched with an extensive range of educational visits, clubs, themed events and knowledgeable visitors. These occasions help pupils gain a very good appreciation of the wider world as well as acting as an excellent stimulus for learning.

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Grade: 1

Outstanding support, care and guidance for pupils make a particularly strong contribution to pupils' progress, enjoyment and well-being. Pupils feel very safe and happy in school because staff listen to any concerns they have and respond sensitively. Individual care and support programmes are very successful in helping those children who find it difficult to adapt to school life and for those who find learning difficult. Excellent procedures help Reception children to settle happily into school routines. Pupils have a very good understanding of how to improve their work because staff frequently celebrate what they have achieved and discuss the next steps in learning with them. Meticulous attention is paid to health and safety matters and child protection procedures. Parents are rightly delighted with what the school offers and are pleased that their contributions are welcomed and their ideas acted upon.

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Grade: 1

4 Inspection Report: Chapel Break First School, Norwich, 25 °26 September 2006

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Grade: 1

The headteacher is an exceptional leader. She and the deputy headteacher have a very clear vision of the educational direction for the school and are committed to high standards in all areas. Together, they lead a very dedicated and happy team who deliver high quality teaching. Governors carry out their duties diligently. Alongside subject leaders they check the quality of the school's work rigorously and know precisely where improvement is needed. Planning for improvement is thorough and action is highly effective, so that areas for development are clearly identified and are rigorously pursued. The school works closely with parents and outside agencies that are rightly very positive about what the school provides. All these factors help the pupils to achieve exceptionally well and consistently attain good standards. 5 Inspection Report: Chapel Break First School, Norwich, 25 °26 September 2006 .

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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: Chapel Break First School, Norwich, 25 °26 September 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? 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 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 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: Chapel Break First School, Norwich, 25 °26 September 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: Chapel Break First School, Norwich, 25 °26 September 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

26 September 2006 Dear Pupils Chapel Break First, Thurlby Road, Chapel Break, Bowthorpe, Norwich, NR5 9LU As you know, Mrs Frith and I came to your school recently to carry out an inspection. This letter is to thank you for the warm welcome you gave us and for helping us with our work. We think you are very lucky to go to such a wonderful school. You do really well there and are very good at English, mathematics and science. You do especially well in your reading and your parents are very pleased with how well you are doing. Your teachers work very hard to make your lessons as interesting as possible. You enjoy the activities and try to do your best. The topics you do are really exciting, so you join in well in lessons and concentrate on your work. Teachers make you think hard so that you are good at investigating and finding the answers to questions. You enjoy lots of clubs and this makes your learning so much more

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

fun. You were right when you said that the school takes very good care of you. Your teachers make sure that you get help when you need it and that you grow up to be sensible and to do things for yourselves. Your behaviour is improving and you get on with each other and the staff really well. The headteacher and all the staff are always planning new ways to help you to do your very best and to learn as much about the world as you can. You could all help your teachers by making sure you come to school as regularly as you can. For those of you who are often late, PLEASE try very hard to get to school on time! This will make your teachers very happy. Congratulations - you work very hard and enjoy it, because you go to a great school which is giving you a fantastic start. With our very best wishes for your future at Chapel Break First. Mrs Yates and Mrs Frith (Inspectors) 9 Inspection Report: Chapel Break First School, Norwich, 25 °26 September 2006

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