Healdswood Infants' and Nursery SchoolOfsted inspection, 13 Mar 2007

Inspection Report Healdswood Infants' and Nursery School

p.1

122488 Unique Reference Number NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Local Authority 292417 Inspection number 12 °13 March 2007 Inspection dates Derek Pattinson Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Barker Avenue School address Infant Type of school Skegby, Sutton-in-Ashfield Community School category Nottinghamshire NG17 3FQ 3 °7 Age range of pupils 01623 462449 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01623 462961 Fax number 202 Number on roll (school) Mrs Jennie Marriot Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Janet Newton Headteacher 11 March 2002 Date of previous school inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 292417 12 °13 March 2007 3°7 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

Healdswood Infant and Nursery School is below average in size. Most children come from Skegby and nearby Stanton Hill. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is high. Most pupils have White British backgrounds. Attainment in speech and language on entry to the Nursery is lower than expected nationally. The percentage with learning difficulties and disabilities is below the national average. The school holds Investors in People status and a Healthy Schools' gold award. In April 2007 the Pre-School Learning Alliance will provide 'wrap around' care in a new purpose-built extension to the school building.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Healdswood Infants' and Nursery School, 12 °13 March 2007

p.3

Grade: 2

The inspection confirms the school's judgement that this is a good school. It has strong leadership and management and makes pupils' progress in literacy and numeracy a high priority. As a result, pupils' progress is good. They go from well below average standards when they enter school to standards that are close to national standards when they leave. Parents rightly think highly of the school, and are increasingly involved in its work. Despite the school's considerable efforts, attendance levels are low. The school is innovative and has a good capacity for continued improvement. Pupils from all social and ethnic backgrounds achieve well. They enter it with low skill levels, especially in speech and language. Nursery children love school, settle quickly and make good progress due to lively, confident teaching and enticing activities. Despite this good start, which is consolidated in reception classes, pupils are still below

p.4

Grade: 2

national standards when they enter Year 1. They continue to make good progress as they move through Years 1 and 2 from the mostly good teaching they receive and reach average standards when they leave. However, occasionally teachers do not use time to good effect, which slows learning. The curriculum makes learning fun and enjoyable and prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education. Good enrichment opportunities are widely available. The school is successful in helping pupils to understand the need to stay fit, healthy and safe. Good care is taken of pupils, and vulnerable pupils are well supported. The adjoining Children's Centre contributes well to pupils' care. Pupil's' personal development is good. Relationships are good and underpin learning. Pupils behave well and are happy to take on responsibility. The headteacher leads the school well. Her clear vision has helped secure improvement

p.4

Grade: 2

since the last inspection. Other key staff have clearly defined roles and responsibilities and fulfil them well. All work together to help raise standards, such as through the monitoring of performance data to help track children's progress over time. All make pupils' health and welfare a priority. Relationships at all levels are good and successfully underpin learning. As a result, children are well behaved, like school and willingly assume responsibility. Assessment information is used well to facilitate learning. However, the setting of targets to help pupils learn is at an early stage of development and pupils do not always know what they need to do to improve. The governing body increasingly holds the school to account for what it achieves. The school provides good value for money.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Help pupils understand what they must do next to improve their work. • Develop more effective strategies of working with parents to improve attendance. • Share best practice to ensure that teaching is always good or better. 2 Inspection Report: Healdswood Infants' and Nursery School, 12 °13 March 2007

p.4

Grade: 2

Most pupils have well below average skills when they start school, especially in speech and language. In the Foundation Stage they make good progress in all areas of learning, but especially in the development of language, personal and social skills. When they enter Year 1 they are still below national standards. In Years 1 and 2 pupils, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, continue to make good progress. By the end of Year 2, standards are broadly average, although few pupils achieve the higher levels in national tests. Results fell significantly in 2006 as the school expected because more pupils than usual had learning difficulties and disabilities. However the school's robust tracking procedures show that this was unusual and not the start of a downturn in results. Data analysis indicates that Year 2 pupils are on course to perform better in reading, writing and mathematics, and next year's Year 2 pupils are likely to

p.5

Grade: 2

perform better still. Pupils are taught with those of similar ability for literacy and numeracy. As a result work is usually matched carefully to their needs and most achieve well. The inspection identified no significant differences in the achievement of boys and girls or different groups.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good. They are well behaved, welcoming to visitors and like school. They enjoy learning new skills, and participate in all that the school provides. In the Nursery, they develop a strong sense of self-worth and learn to work and play together amicably. Thoughtful assemblies and discussions help ensure good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils respond well to the spiritual guidance that comes from the school's close links to the local church. The school council meets too infrequently to give it a powerful voice for improvement in school, although pupils have many opportunities to work together to develop social skills. They have a growing understanding of culture and religion, but they do not have enough opportunity to learn about different cultures. Attendance is just satisfactory, and the school does much to promote it. It is working with neighbouring institutions

p.5

Grade: 2

to develop a more rigorous approach to attendance. Pupils understand the importance of keeping safe and having a healthy lifestyle. This is reflected in the school's gold accreditation for the Healthy School's initiative. They understand the importance of eating fruit, drinking water and enjoying a breakfast snack. They enjoy fundraising initiatives that involve exercise, such as the 'Jump Rope for Heart'. They enjoy taking responsibilities, such as helping to host a Cafe Day, which helped them acquire a wide range of skills to assure their future well being. 3 Inspection Report: Healdswood Infants' and Nursery School, 12 °13 March 2007

p.5

Grade: 2

Secure relationships, effective management of pupils and high levels of care successfully underpin the good teaching and learning. For Foundation stage children, a good balance is struck between practical activities and the teaching of key skills. As a result, they are interested, involved and sometimes excited, and know what they must do to succeed. Pupils of all ages find most of the the lessons interesting, challenging and fun. Teaching is especially successful when time is used to good effect, tasks are demanding and help pupils enjoy learning. Teaching assistants contribute very well to the quality of pupils' learning, especially those with learning difficulties and disabilities. All adults give pupils much encouragement and praise, and as a result, all are keen to do their best. Most teaching enables pupils to achieve well. However, occasionally teachers do not give enough time for pupils to work independently, the pace of lessons

p.6

Grade: 2

is not brisk enough, and learning slows. Teachers' marking of children's work always acknowledges their efforts but does not always indicate what they must do next to help them improve. Assessment is thorough and embedded in the school's work. Effective procedures are in place for assessing and tracking pupils' progress.

p.6

Grade: 2

The school provides a good curriculum for all pupils. Innovative teaching opportunities are provided for Foundation stage children thus inspiring them and motivating them to learn. For example, ideas such as the 'Forest School' make good use of the impressive resources and the outside environment. This approach helps pupils get off to a good start. A recent review of curriculum planning increasingly gives pupils more opportunity to learn at their own pace. It is also giving teachers the confidence to depart from the constraints of a formal structure and make exciting use of other learning opportunities. As a result, the curriculum is becoming more diverse, creative and inclusive. It caters well for pupils' academic and personal needs while also giving strong emphasis to the development of literacy and numeracy. Themed weeks, based on the 'Life Education Caravan' and drama workshops, bring learning to life. Sports coaches and the

p.6

Grade: 2

introduction of a positive play programme contribute to a good range of extra-curricular activities and promote health and physical fitness.

p.6

Grade: 2

Good care, guidance and support, strengthened by the establishment of the Children's Centre, contribute well to pupils' good personal development and achievement. The positive and welcoming atmosphere enables pupils to succeed and thrive. The school has good systems for safeguarding pupils. Staff know them well and pupils know who to turn to if they need help. The school prides itself on its effective day to day health 4 Inspection Report: Healdswood Infants' and Nursery School, 12 °13 March 2007 and safety procedures and assessing of risks that ensure that pupils stay safe and secure. Child protection procedures, reinforced by the learning mentors, are clearly understood and well established. The school has succeeded in increasing the involvement of parents in their children's education. It does all it can to ensure that there is a smooth transition when pupils move to and from school. Academic guidance

p.6

Grade: 2

is satisfactory. The school has a new system for checking the progress pupils are making. This is proving effective in identifying those who need extra help with their learning. The use of targets to guide pupils' learning is underdeveloped except in literacy.

p.7

Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good and contribute well to the school's continued successes. The headteacher, supported effectively by the deputy head and senior teachers, leads and manages the school well. She has ensured good improvement since the last inspection. Her impressive knowledge of the school is reflected in the school's self-evaluation, which is honest and accurate and takes the views of staff, governors and parents into account. There is no sense of complacency. The strong track record of continuous development shows good capacity for further improvement. The school improvement plan focuses on the right issues to raise standards. Staff are united in their determination to provide a good quality of education for all pupils. Subject leaders play a crucial role in monitoring the school's work and performance. Governors challenge management, but are very supportive and increasingly play their part in monitoring

p.7

Grade: 2

performance. The school makes effective use of staff and resources. The school recognises the need to work more with parents to improve the rate of attendance. 5 Inspection Report: Healdswood Infants' and Nursery School, 12 °13 March 2007 .

p.7

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: Healdswood Infants' and Nursery School, 12 °13 March 2007

p.8

Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

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: Healdswood Infants' and Nursery School, 12 °13 March 2007

p.9

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: Healdswood Infants' and Nursery School, 12 °13 March 2007

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

13 March 2007 Healdswood Infant and Nursery School, Barker Avenue, Skegby, Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire. NG173FQ. Dear Children Thank you very much for making our visit so enjoyable and for taking time to talk to us and to answer our questions. We really enjoyed talking with you and visiting your lessons. Many of you told us how much you like school. We thought that you would like to hear what we found out when we came to visit: • We agree with your parents that Healdswood is a good school. • You make good progress by the time you leave to go to Daneswood. • Your headteacher, teachers and all the other adults in school work hard to make sure that you are safe and that you treat each other with respect. • Your lessons are interesting and sometimes exciting. There are many visits, visitors and special events organised to help you learn and develop new skills. • You behave well and are friendly, kind and polite towards each other and the adults who

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

work with you. • Ms Newton is a good headteacher and, together with all staff, makes sure that you are happy and successful at school. Some of you don't come to school as often as you should or arrive on time. You must try to come to school every day so that you benefit from all the good things that the school gives you. We have asked Ms Newton and the staff to continue to encourage you to come to school. You can help by making sure you do, and then you will be able to join in the fun of learning! We have also asked Ms Newton and staff to give you more guidance on what you need to do to improve your work. You can help by telling them how well you think you are getting on and if the work you are given is too easy or hard. We have asked the teachers to share their ideas more so that your lessons can be even better. It was really good to find that all of you are happy and doing well. We wish you all the very best for the future.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Derek Pattinson (Lead inspector) 9 Inspection Report: Healdswood Infants' and Nursery School, 12 °13 March 2007

p.11