Boughton Leigh Infant School

Inspection Report - Amended Boughton Leigh Infant School

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125603 Unique Reference Number Warwickshire Local Authority 293306 Inspection number 11 °12 September 2006 Inspection dates Alison Grainger 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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Wetherall Way School address Infant Type of school Brownsover Community School category Rugby CV21 1LT 3 °7 Age range of pupils 01788 571679 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01788 571679 Fax number 124 Number on roll (school) Alan Webb Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Darren Barrow Headteacher 15 October 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 293306 11 °12 September 2006 3°7

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Amended Report Addendum

Report updated to resolve formatting inconsistency

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Amended Report Addendum

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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Amended Report Addendum

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

The school draws its pupils from both owner-occupied and rented accommodation on the northern side of Rugby. Most pupils are of White British heritage. The percentage with learning difficulties is above the national average, as is the proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. When children start in the Nursery, their attainment is a little below the level expected for their age. There have been several changes of headteacher since the last inspection. The present headteacher has been in post for two years.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Boughton Leigh Infant School, 11 °12 September 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good and steadily improving school, providing good value for money. The inspectors' and the school's view of its overall effectiveness are the same. Pupils enjoy school a lot and parents are justifiably pleased with the quality of education and care. By the time they reach the end of Year 2, pupils achieve well in relation to their starting points and capabilities and are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Many pupils make exceptionally good progress, particularly in writing. Pupils' results in the end-of-Year 2 tests have improved significantly since the last inspection and, for several years, have been well above the national average. The main reason for pupils' success is that teaching and the curriculum are good in Years 1 and 2. These key aspects of provision move pupils on in leaps and bounds, building very effectively on the satisfactory start they make in the Nursery and Reception Year.

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Grade: 2

Although the most significant gains are made in pupils' later years in the school, there is also much that is good in the Nursery and Reception Year. It is here that the sensitive care for children begins. Children are helped to settle well and good foundations are laid for the positive attitudes, behaviour and relationships that are successfully nurtured throughout the school. Pupils feel safe and confident at school and learn the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Leadership and management are good at all levels and make a major contribution to the school's success. The headteacher, staff and governors work well as a team. The headteacher's passionate focus on making improvements is infectious and there is a constant emphasis on 'not letting the good get in the way of the better'. The school has made good progress since the last inspection, with some big steps forward in the last two years. The quality of leadership and teamwork result in the school being well

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Grade: 2

placed to develop further. The school has a secure understanding of its main areas for development. It recognises that to improve pupils' progress further, improvements are required in the Nursery and Reception Year provision. Action is already taking place. The school agrees with inspectors that presently there are missed opportunities for learning during the 'free choice' activities that children select from a range provided. The purpose of these activities is not always sufficiently clear and the adults do not do enough to support children's learning during them. Although pupils' personal development is good, they are not well enough involved in helping the school to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that all 'free choice' activities have a clear purpose and that adults support children's learning effectively during them. • Increase the opportunities for pupils to contribute to the school's improvement. 2 Inspection Report: Boughton Leigh Infant School, 11 °12 September 2006

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Grade: 2

Pupils' performance in national tests shows that they achieve well in relation to their starting points and capabilities by the end of Year 2. Over the three years from 2003 to 2005, the results have been significantly above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The well-above-average standards at the end of Year 2 arise from good progress in Years 1 and 2, with some exceptional progress in writing. In the Nursery and Reception Year, progress is steady across all areas of learning but children's attainment remains lower than expected for their age.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are good. As a result, pupils enjoy school, understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and are well prepared for their future lives. Children get off to a good start in this area in the Nursery. By the time they enter the Reception Year, almost all children are able to sustain involvement well in activities, such as role play. In both the Nursery and Reception Year, children develop good attitudes, behaviour and relationships. These strengths are built on further in Years 1 and 2. In many respects, children gain independence well, moving confidently around their classrooms and the school. Pupils do not, however, develop the independence and initiative of which they are capable in contributing to school improvement. Most pupils' attendance is at least satisfactory, but the school's attendance rate is reduced by a

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Grade: 2

The overall quality of teaching and learning is good, promoting good progress in Years 1 and 2. In these years, expectations of the standards pupils are capable of attaining are high and teachers are clear about what they want pupils to learn. Teaching is well matched to pupils' different needs and pupils with learning difficulties are supported effectively. The pupils themselves know what is expected of them because the purpose of each lesson is explained clearly. Good illustration supports pupils' understanding, for example, when a mathematical calculation is explained using pictures on the interactive whiteboard. Occasionally, the pace of learning slips when lessons are too long. 3 Inspection Report: Boughton Leigh Infant School, 11 °12 September 2006 In the Nursery and Reception Year, accurate teaching of basic skills provides a satisfactory foundation for the move to Year 1. Learning is less effective in 'free choice'

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Grade: 2

activities because the adults do not always set them up with a clear enough purpose. Staff also miss opportunities to support children at these times, for instance, to develop language or an early understanding of science.

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Grade: 2

Like teaching, the curriculum has a positive impact on pupils' progress in Years 1 and 2. There is a firm focus on developing pupils' competence in reading, writing and mathematics as well as on increasing their knowledge, understanding and skills across other subjects. Exciting links between subjects help to make learning meaningful and fun, such as when a theme is explored in English, dance and history. Opportunities are provided for writing at length, which encourages creativity and imagination as well as the application of basic skills. Many stimulating opportunities additional to day-by-day lessons enhance learning for children of all ages and contribute well to their personal development. Children gain a wealth of experiences through visits out, visitors who talk to them and participation in clubs and productions. In the Nursery, Reception Year and Year 1 in particular, the structure of the school

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Grade: 2

day means that there are some very long sessions in which pace slackens and some are too drawn out.

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Grade: 2

Good care, guidance and support contribute well to pupils' enjoyment of school and to the progress they make. Adults are very sensitive to and supportive of pupils, creating an environment in which pupils grow in confidence and feel safe. Pupils know, for example, that they have an adult to whom they can turn should the need arise. All of this begins with the home visits to Nursery children before they start school and is continued to the end of Year 2 when pupils leave the school. Pupils' attainment is tracked carefully and a swift response is made to any drop in progress. The involvement of pupils in assessing their performance helps them to meet challenging targets. The school works closely with parents to meet their children's needs, fully involving parents of children with learning difficulties in reviews of progress. Pupils have some good opportunities to express their thoughts and feelings. In 'circle

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Grade: 2

time', for example, they sit together to discuss issues of importance to them. Pupils do not, however, have significant opportunities to influence the work of the school and contribute to its improvement. There is currently no forum, such as a school council, to develop pupils' initiative and responsibility in this way. 4 Inspection Report: Boughton Leigh Infant School, 11 °12 September 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a school in which everyone is working together well for the benefit of the pupils and this has led to the improved standards and pupils' good personal development. The headteacher, staff and governors are not complacent and are keen to make the school even better than it is. As a result, there is currently a major focus on improving provision in the Nursery and Reception classes so that children make a stronger start. Much has already been done, for example, to improve the outdoor area and the planning of activities, and the school is clear about what needs to be done next. Over the last two years, the involvement of all staff and governors in taking responsibility for the school's performance has increased. Good self-evaluation means that the staff and governors know the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They are keen to follow the strong educational direction provided by the headteacher and

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Grade: 2

also welcome their increased ownership of the school's strategic direction. The extent to which parents' views are sought and acted upon has also increased. The school agrees that the pupils now need to be more actively involved in making the school even better. 5 Inspection Report: Boughton Leigh Infant School, 11 °12 September 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: Boughton Leigh Infant School, 11 °12 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? 3 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? 2 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 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 3 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?

2 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: Boughton Leigh Infant School, 11 °12 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: Boughton Leigh Infant School, 11 °12 September 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for helping us when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking with you and finding out about all the lovely things you do at school. We agree with you and your parents that the school is good. We think that you are very lucky to have such a lot of space indoors and outside. We saw that the adults have been working hard to make the outdoor area even more exciting for the Nursery and Reception children. We saw how much the Reception children enjoyed being outdoors. We found that you are getting on well at school. You do really well by the time that you get to the end of Year 2. We were amazed by how much some of you can write in Years 1 and 2 and really enjoyed reading your stories and book reviews. We saw that you are very sensible. You behave well during your lessons and at other times such as when you eat your lunch. You get on well together and with the adults. The adults look after you well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

All the adults in your school are working to make Boughton Leigh Infant School an even better school. We have asked the adults to look at how they can help you to learn even more during your 'free choice' activities. We would like you to work with them in making the school better. The adults are going to be using your ideas for this and will be giving you more responsibility in this way. Thank you once again for helping us. 9 Inspection Report: Boughton Leigh Infant School, 11 °12 September 2006

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