Setting

Mrs Shipley Headteacher Hunter’s Bar Infant School Sharrow Road Hunter’s Bar Sheffield S11 8ZG

p.1

Education (PSHE)

Thank you for your hospitality and co-operation, and that of your staff, during my visit on 10 October 2006 to look at work in PSHE.

p.1

Education (PSHE)

As outlined in my initial letter, as well as looking at key areas of the subject, the visit had a particular focus on working with parents.

p.1

Education (PSHE)

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the names of the contributing institutions, but individual institutions will not be identified in the main text. All feedback letters will be published on the Ofsted website at the end of each half-term.

p.1

Education (PSHE)

The evidence used to inform the judgements made included: interviews with yourself and the leadership & management team, a school governor and a parent, the current School Council members as well as some of last year’s members who are now in Year 3 and at the junior school; scrutiny of relevant documentation; observation, with yourself, of two ‘circle time’ lessons; and brief visits to the Year 1 health and exercise aerobic style workout, the class 4 snack time and to the Year 2 singing session.

p.1

Education (PSHE)

I undertook to provide a brief written report on the main points made in my feedback at the end of the visit, to support development in PSHE. This follows.

p.1

Education (PSHE)

The overall effectiveness of PSHE was judged to be good. Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 404045 F 020 7421 6644 www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

Achievement and standards

 Children of all abilities make good progress in developing their personal skills. They behave well in class and around the school. Their attendance and punctuality are satisfactory. Children reach the appropriate standards for their age in PSHE.  As they move through the school children respond positively to the school’s very clear guidance on issues to do with their social and health awareness. Because of the school’s work most children become confident young people, aware of the importance of making the right choices and of the impact of their actions on themselves and others.  Many children take on responsibilities for helping others and these opportunities increase appropriately as they move through the school. They have a real say in what happens to them through the very active School Council. The results of their ideas can be seen in the improvements to the school meals and the school logo.  Children understand how important it is to be healthy. They appreciate

p.2

Achievement and standards

how to care for their environment and are very keen supporters of parents/carers and governors in their ongoing and impressive work to improve the school’s grounds.

p.2

Quality of teaching and learning

 Teachers encourage responsibility and independence and find time to enable the children to work together as often as possible. Children know that they will be listened to. The high quality displays around the school reinforce well the messages that they communicate to children and celebrate children’s work.  Teachers know children very well but their assessment of the progress they make in all aspects of PSHE is inconsistent.  Parents are well informed about the overall progress children make in their social and personal development but are not well informed about their achievement in all aspects of PSHE.

p.2

The curriculum

 Good planning ensures that the school’s curriculum reflects the appropriate aspects of children’s needs. Outside ‘specialists’ are brought in to develop children’s physical activity, and all children benefit from a very extensive range of visits in support of their learning.  The school works very hard to minimise the disadvantages of working on a site with no grass, and this work is continuing apace. As a result of the use of an hour every Friday afternoon for ‘free flow’ in Foundation Stage, through to ‘golden time’ in Year 1 and then ‘privilege time’ in Year 2, children become increasingly aware about issues of right and wrong, and how to make appropriate choices.  Much of the good work this term focuses on the important issues in the school such as the development of friendships, including through the drawing up of a ‘friendship charter’.

p.2

Leadership and management

Leadership and management of PSHE are good.

p.3

Leadership and management

 School leaders and staff are committed to PSHE and ensure its place within the school’s planning. All teachers, in collaboration with their teaching assistants, are aware of the pivotal role PSHE plays in all that the school seeks to achieve. Governors take a clear steer in the subject’s development. Parents and carers are well involved.  Outstanding management of this aspect of the school’s work reflects very effective partnership with others, and the school is very much part of its local community.  Support for the youngest children as they enter school is good. Links with the adjacent junior school to ensure smooth transitions are good. The initiative to introduce the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) project is enhancing these links.  The school has a good understanding of where its strengths and weaknesses lie in PSHE. Since its last inspection the school has maintained its effective work in the subject.

p.3

Subject issue-working with parents

Parents are positively encouraged by school governors and leaders to take a very active role in school life. Their contributions in raising funds and taking the lead in major school initiatives are greatly valued. More could be done by some parents to improve children’s attendance and punctuality to school.

p.3

Inclusion

This is an inclusive and harmonious school community. Children get along well with each other and adults. The school successfully develops their tolerance and understanding of others. Since September a new staffing structure has successfully brought all aspects of inclusion together under the direction of a senior school leader, working with the three Year group managers.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

 to ensure rigorous assessment of pupils’ progress in all aspects of their work in PSHE  To include reference to all aspects of PSHE when reporting to parents about the progress their children have made.

p.4

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

I hope these observations are useful as you continue to develop PSHE in the school.

p.4

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

As I explained in my previous letter, a copy of this letter will be sent to your local authority and will be published on Ofsted’s website. It will also be available to the team for your next institutional inspection.

p.4