Setting

Infant School

Reporting inspector: Mrs S. M. Barnes 16249

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Infant School

Dates of inspection: 31 st January – 3 rd February 2000

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Infant School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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Infant School

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary 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. Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School category: Church of England Voluntary Aided

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Gally Hill Road Church Crookham Fleet Hampshire Postcode: GU13 0PU

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr M. Holmes

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 5 th -8 th June 1995 Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs S.M. Barnes Registered inspector Science, information technology, under fives What sort of school is it? The school’s results and achievements. How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further? Dr B. Rance Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Mr R. Braithwaite Team inspector Mathematics, geography, equal opportunities Design and technology Physical education How well is the school led and managed?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr P. Knight Team inspector English, art History, music, special educational needs Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How good are curricular opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Evenlode Associates 6 Abbey Close Alcester Warks B49 5QW

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 06 - 09

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10 - 11

The school’s results and achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 20 - 30

Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Crookham Church of England Voluntary Aided Infant School is situated in the predominantly residential and commuter village of Church Crookham on the outskirts of Fleet in Hampshire. The school is similar in size and nature to the time of the last inspection. At the time of inspection there were 183 boys and girls on roll between the ages of four and seven. There are 27 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs, of whom one is at stages three to five. Approximately five per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Virtually all of the pupils speak English as their first language. Attainment on entry is above average. The head teacher has been in post for two years.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school that has made a good level of improvement since the last inspection. The quality of the leadership and management is very good and this, combined with the satisfactory teaching leads to pupils making at least satisfactory and often good progress. Pupils make good progress in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, and also in history. Progress in all other subjects is satisfactory. The income per pupil, for this financial year, is high compared to nationally. Overall the school provides sound value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils make good progress in English, mathematics and science and attain standards that are well above average at the end of the key stage. Progress is good in history. • The leadership and management of the school are very good. • The school provides an environment in which pupils’ good attitudes, behaviour and personal development support their learning well. • Pupils enjoy coming to school and their attendance is very good. • The curriculum provides a good range of opportunities for the pupils. • Arrangements for child protection and pupil welfare are very good. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and they make good progress towards their learning targets. • The school works well with parents.

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What could be improved

• The quality of teaching is not consistent enough. There is too much variation in teachers expectations of behaviour, marking, planning and knowledge and understanding in some subjects. • The systems in place for the assessment and recording of individual pupil’s progress in information technology and non-core subjects are unsatisfactory and do not provide teachers with enough information to assist them in their planning to meet the needs of individuals and groups. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan .

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

When the school was last inspected in 1995, it was judged to be a good school. The school has made a good level of improvement since the last inspection and is in a good position to continue this improvement. Standards in English, mathematics and science have risen steadily. The positive ethos has been maintained and effectively promotes the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils. Curriculum planning has been effectively reviewed and curriculum maps and schemes of work have been developed which ensure the coverage of the National Curriculum programmes of study. The school development plan is now a clear and comprehensive document that highlights appropriate targets for improvement. Co- ordinators’ roles have been developed and an effective management structure put in place to support teaching and learning. While expectations of behaviour are generally good there is still some inconsistency

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

in this area. An effective partnership has been developed with parents, which has a positive impact on pupils’ learning throughout the school. Standards in history, which were unsatisfactory are now good. Standards in music, which were good are now satisfactory. Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 7

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 7 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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schools

1997 1998 1999 1999 well above average A reading B B A A above average B writing C B A B average below average C D mathematics C B A A well below average E The results in the table above show steady improvement over the last three years. The school also performs well when compared with similar schools. Children in reception make satisfactory progress overall and by the time they start in Year 1 standards are above average in literacy, numeracy and knowledge and understanding of the world. Standards are average in creative development, physical education and personal and social development. At the end of Key Stage 1, standards in reading are well above average overall. The proportions of pupils reaching Level 2 or above, was very high in the end of key stage tests in 1999. The proportion of pupils attaining Level 3 was above average. The pupils’ performance in reading tests was well above average when compared with similar schools. Standards in writing are well above

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schools

average overall. The proportions of pupils attaining Level 2 or above in writing was well above average. The proportion attaining Level 3 was above average. The pupils’ performance in writing tests was above average when compared with similar schools. In mathematics the proportion attaining Level 2 and above was very high and those attaining Level 3 was above average. Standards in mathematics are well above average. The pupils’ performance in mathematics tests was well above average when compared to similar schools. Standards in science are well above average. In the end of key stage assessments in science in 1999, the proportions attaining Level 2 was very high and the numbers attaining Level 3 and above was well above average. Pupils make good progress in history and attain standards that are above those expected by the time they are seven. Progress in information technology is satisfactory and pupils attain

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schools

standards expected by the end of the key stage. Progress in all other areas of the curriculum is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils’ attitudes to school are good. They are generally enthusiastic and involved in their lessons. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in and out of classrooms is generally good. There have been no exclusions. Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development is good. They show good levels of initiative and personal responsibility. Attendance Pupils’ attendance is very good. They arrive at school promptly and lessons start on time.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils are enthusiastic about school. They arrive on time and are rarely absent. When in class and around the school behaviour is generally good. There is little oppressive behaviour and pupils show a good understanding of the values and beliefs of others.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall satisfactory satisfactory N/A Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Teaching is satisfactory overall throughout the school. During the week of inspection it ranged from excellent to poor. In reception it is satisfactory overall and leads to the children making satisfactory Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 8 progress in their learning. However, teaching during the week of inspection ranged from very good to poor. Ninety per cent of the teaching was satisfactory or better and ten per cent was very good. Where it was very good, planning was good and support assistants were well deployed and well briefed. Where it was poor the lesson was not planned at an appropriate level for the children. It did not follow on from previous work and support assistants were insufficiently well briefed. At Key Stage 1, teaching is satisfactory overall and often good. However, during the week of inspection it ranged from excellent to unsatisfactory. Eighty eight per cent was satisfactory or better and eight per cent was very good or better, on occasion it

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

was excellent. Where it was excellent the lesson was very well prepared and proceeded with good pace. The teacher had appropriately high expectations of the pupils. In those lessons that were unsatisfactory, this was generally due to expectations of pupils’ behaviour being too low. Teaching in English, mathematics, science and history is generally good and leads to pupils making good progress in these areas. The skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught. The needs of all pupils are met effectively overall and those with special educational needs have good provision which enables them to make good progress towards their learning targets.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality and range of the curriculum is good.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and they make good progress towards their learning targets. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory. Provision for their moral and social development is good. How well the school cares for its pupils The procedures for child protection and monitoring pupils’ welfare are very good.

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Aspect Comment

The school works well with parents and this has a positive impact on teaching and learning within the school. Statutory requirements are met in all curricular areas. There is satisfactory provision for extra curricular activities. All pupils have equality of access to the full curriculum. The provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is good.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff The leadership and management of the school are very good overall. The leadership by the head teacher and key staff is very good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is very effective in fulfilling their responsibilities. The school’s evaluation of its performance The school’s monitoring and evaluation of its own performance are good. The school has effectively introduced the literacy and numeracy strategies to improve teaching and learning. The strategic use of resources The school makes very good use of strategic resources including grants and other funding to provide a good quality of education for its pupils. Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 9 There is a good match of teachers and support staff to the demands of the curriculum. The accommodation and learning resources are good and are well used. The quality of leadership is very good, particularly that of the head teacher and governing body. The school applies the principles of best value very well.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Most parents feel their children like school. • They feel their children make good progress and that behaviour and teaching are good. • They feel the school has high expectations for their children and is easily approachable. • They feel school is well led. • It works well with parents. • They feel that the range of activities foster maturity and responsibility. • Some parents do not feel the amount of homework is appropriate. • Some parents do not feel well enough informed. • Some parents do not think the school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The findings of the inspection broadly reflect the positive views of the parents. The use of homework is satisfactory, as is the provision for extra-curricular activities. The information provided for parents is good. Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 10

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The school’s results and achievements

1. The attainment of children on entry to the school is above average. This is borne out by the results of the base-line assessments, which are administered during the children’s first term in school. In reception, progress is satisfactory overall and, by the age of five, children attain the desirable learning outcomes for reception children in the six areas of learning and are well on their way to working within the National Curriculum programmes of study in literacy, mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world. This broadly reflects the findings of the previous inspection, which judged that the children in reception developed a sound foundation for work at Key Stage 1.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. At the end of Key Stage 1, the 1999 National Curriculum test results in English indicate that the proportion of pupils attaining Level 2 and above in reading was very high in comparison with the national average. The percentage achieving Level 3 was well above the national average. Standards in the writing tests are well above the national average for pupils who attained Level 2 or higher, and the proportion attaining the higher Level 3 was also well above average. When compared with the performance of pupils in similar schools, standards are well above average. This is a significant improvement on the results of tests in 1997 and 1998 and represents an overall improvement on the findings in the last inspection report. The inspection evidence confirms this improvement. Pupils enter the school with above average skills, particularly in speaking. Their listening skills improve rapidly. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good

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The school’s results and achievements

progress in learning in all aspects of English.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. At the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment in mathematics is well above national expectations. This is an improvement on the findings of the last inspection when standards overall were in line with national expectations, though many pupils reached above average levels. Standards of attainment have continued to rise with the effective introduction of the National Numeracy Project. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. The latest published results for 1999 indicate the percentage of pupils achieving Level 2 and the higher Level 3 is well above the national average, and the average for similar schools.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Pupils of all levels of prior attainment make good progress in science and achieve standards that are well above average at the end of the key stage. This represents an improvement on the findings of the last inspection, when pupils’ achievements were judged to be “equal to or above national expectations”. In the most recent end of key stage assessments, all of the pupils attained the average Level 2, which is the level expected of pupils at the age of seven. Fifty five per cent of the pupils were judged to be at Level 3, which is the level expected of pupils of nine. This indicates a significant upward trend in attainment and is attributable to the impact of the good teaching in the subject.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. Pupils make good progress in history due to the consistently good teaching in this subject. This represents a considerable improvement since the last inspection when standards were not high enough. In information technology, art, design and technology, geography, music and physical education, pupils make satisfactory progress overall and attain standards in line with those generally expected by pupils of this age. This represents a maintenance of standards in most Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 11 subjects, but a decline in standards in music and some aspects of information technology, which were judged to be good at the time of the last inspection.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. Pupils of all levels of prior attainment, including those with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils make at least satisfactory progress, and good progress in English, mathematics and science. The school has been effective in raising standards in these subjects and in meeting the targets set to increase the numbers of pupils achieving Level 3 in the end of key stage tests. Progress in the acquisition of the core skills of literacy and numeracy is good. Progress in the core skill of information technology is satisfactory.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They come into school with their parents and quickly search out their friends. They move about the school in a positive way and quickly get to know the routines, which are consistently applied. Children under five quickly learn the systems of the school and settle happily into their classrooms. Pupils work well in groups, and show appropriate independence in tackling the work set in daily activities. They enjoy learning and are very articulate. They work particularly well when challenged by the teacher to complete their tasks in a set time. They show good levels of co-operation in the classroom and in the playground where they learn to share the equipment provided by the school. Behaviour is good overall. However, there were examples of unacceptable behaviour in the few lessons where the teacher’s management of the pupils was unsatisfactory, or where the tasks set did not match the needs of the pupils. Pupils

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

generally demonstrate good levels of consideration and kindness towards each other. Pupils with special educational needs are well provided for and as a result, have positive attitudes to school and their learning. Pupils share equipment well from reception onwards. Attendance figures for the school are very good and there have been no exclusions in recent years.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Relationships between pupils and adults, and amongst the pupils themselves are good. The school places great emphasis on developing positive attitudes through its “golden rules” and effective use of circle time. The development of personal and social education is good. The school is particularly successful in developing positive attitudes between pupils and non-teaching assistants. The home school contract has been agreed by most parents and lays the foundation to the good relations and co-operation between the school and home. Parents are proud of the behaviour of their children and support the attitudes and values that the school fosters. The smart and functional school uniform, worn by all pupils, creates a good corporate attitude and impacts well on the school ethos. Overall the positive attitudes shown towards each other, the good behaviour and the success of the personal and social education programme are a strength of the school and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

have a positive impact on pupils’ learning. This is a similar picture to the last inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

9. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. However, the teaching within the school is variable and, during the week of inspection it ranged from excellent to poor. In approximately nine tenths of lessons observed teaching was at least satisfactory and nearly half was good. This broadly reflects the picture at the time of the last inspection when the quality of teaching was judged to be sound or better in more than nine out of ten lessons. In half of those it was good and some outstanding teaching was in evidence.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

10. In the reception classes the teaching is satisfactory overall. During the week of inspection it ranged from very good to poor. The great majority of the teaching observed was at least satisfactory, and fifty per cent was at least good, with a small amount of the teaching being very good. The teaching of the elements literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative skills, physical education and of personal and social development are satisfactory overall, and have a positive impact on the progress made by the children in these areas. The impact of the usually satisfactory and often good teaching is that the children make satisfactory and sometimes good progress in all areas of the curriculum for children under five. In those lessons where the teaching Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 12 was good or better, the teachers had a good understanding of the needs of the children and of the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

subject being taught. Routines were well established and support staff and volunteers were well informed about the content of the lesson and well deployed to ensure that the children made good progress. The pace of these lessons was brisk and the children remained interested and on task as a result. On the one occasion when the teaching was poor, this was due in the main to the teachers’ lack of knowledge and understanding of physical education, which led to a lesson being planned which was inappropriate for the age and attainment of the children. This was not part of the planned programme of lessons and the skilled support staff were not well briefed or deployed. There was very little opportunity for the children to develop their skills and they became fractious and poorly behaved as a result. 11. At Key Stage 1, the teaching is satisfactory overall. During the week of inspection it ranged from

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

excellent to unsatisfactory. Eighty eight per cent of the teaching was at least satisfactory and just under a half of it was at least good. Some very good and even excellent teaching was observed. The teaching of English, mathematics, science and history is consistently good, and as a result, pupils make good progress in these subjects. The teachers show enthusiasm for these subjects. Work is well planned and there is an expectation of high standards. The introduction of the literacy and numeracy strategies has had a positive impact on teaching and learning and pupils make good progress in literacy and numeracy throughout the school as a result. Teachers’ knowledge and skills are variable in music and some lack confidence in this area. During the week of inspection, much of the teaching of music that was observed was unsatisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

12. There were a number of positive factors in the lessons where good teaching was observed. Good planning matched the needs of all of the pupils and took consideration of their previous learning. High expectations of attainment and behaviour led to pupils being encouraged to do their best. Explanations were clear, and effective teachers’ questioning of the pupils helped them to clearly understand what they needed to do improve their work further. For example, in an excellent lesson in English, the teacher had very good knowledge of the literacy strategy and also of the needs and capabilities of the pupils in the class. As a result, the lesson was very well planned and prepared with a focus on the characters in the story of little Red Riding Hood. Her very good questioning involved all pupils and assisted her in assessing their understanding of what was being taught, so that they searched the text enthusiastically searching for descriptions. The teacher had high

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

expectations of behaviour that were well enforced by good classroom routines and this established a good environment for learning. Relationships were good and the pupils were very responsive, quickly joining in clapping multi syllabic words. Support staff were well organised and gave good support to the groups. As a result of this excellent teaching and the very good climate for learning it created, all of the pupils, including those with special educational needs, made excellent progress in developing their writing skills during the lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13. During the inspection the quality of teaching varied considerably. Although there was excellent, very good and good teaching observed, there was a significant amount of unsatisfactory, and on one occasion poor teaching observed. This is a far wider range of teaching quality than is the case in most schools. Where the teaching is unsatisfactory or where there are unsatisfactory elements to teaching which is satisfactory overall, this is usually due to a number of factors. In some cases there is unsatisfactory teacher knowledge and understanding of the subject being taught, resulting in activities being planned which are not appropriate and as a result pupils make unsatisfactory progress. For example, on one occasion a lesson was planned for children in reception which did not follow on from previous work and which was too hard, being more appropriate for pupils in Year 2. The children could not manage the tasks safely and routines were not well established. In

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

some subjects teachers do not assess pupils’ prior attainment carefully enough and tasks do not ensure that pupils build on their existing skills. Marking is variable, and while some good quality marking takes place which helps pupils and their parents to see how to progress further, some is illegible or uninformative. Sometimes the teacher has insufficiently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and involvement. For example in an unsatisfactory information technology lesson in the hall, the teacher had expectations of the pupils’ behaviour and involvement which were too low. The timing of the lesson was unfortunate as it had been planned to follow on from a physical education lesson and pupils quickly became bored and disinterested. A significant number of them opted not to join in with the tasks set and this was not enforced sufficiently by the teacher. By the Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 13

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

end of the lesson, many were not co-operative and several chose to slide across the floor on their knees rather than do as the teacher had asked them. As a result learning in the lesson was unsatisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good and enables them to make good progress towards their learning targets. Teaching of higher attaining pupils in special support groups is good and enables potentially higher attaining pupils to attain Level 3 by the end of the key stage.

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PUPILS?

15. The curriculum for children under five is appropriate and covers the six areas of learning for children of that age, linked to the National Curriculum. The curriculum for Key Stage 1 is broad and balanced and provides good learning opportunities for all pupils through the planning and organisation of the teaching, particularly in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. High priority is given to developing skills, knowledge and understanding in these core subjects. The school has good strategies to ensure that there are equal learning opportunities for all pupils. This reflects the picture found at the time of the last inspection.

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PUPILS?

16. The school takes good account of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. Information technology is satisfactory. The arrangements for history are much improved since the last inspection. All the other non-core subjects are at least satisfactory, apart from the practice of teaching some aspects of music to pupils of all ages and abilities together, which limits the progress some pupils make.

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PUPILS?

17. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and they make good progress in achieving the targets set in their Individual Education Plans. This is a similar situation to that found in the last inspection. The school follows the Code of Practice efficiently, and a scrutiny of the documentation between the different agencies and the parents of pupils with special needs indicates that all procedures are followed correctly. The special needs co-ordinator and the governor responsible are both highly experienced and provide very good support to teachers. Procedures such as the statements in the school prospectus and the annual report to parents also give the correct information. The baseline entry assessment in the reception classes provides the appropriate information to identify pupils who give cause for concern. At the end of the year pupils are suitably tested using the dyslexia early screening test. All the needs of pupils with

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PUPILS?

special needs, both lower and higher-attaining pupils, are well met.

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PUPILS?

18. There are two extra-curricular activities, French and a sports activity, for which parents pay a fee. The school makes suitable arrangements for sex education through its comprehensive personal, social and health education policy. The policy also includes the appropriate sections on citizenship and drugs awareness. The local community policeman also warns pupils, as part of the programme, about the dangers of drugs in the community.

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PUPILS?

19. The school has good links with the community. This reflects the picture found at the last inspection. The parish church is a major influence in the life of the school. The pupils attend the church regularly for Collective Worship and to celebrate Christian festivals. The vicar is a member of the governing body and gives good support to the school by regularly taking assemblies. The pupils regularly collect for worthwhile causes, and many of the local voluntary associations visit the school to acknowledge the pupil’s generosity. The close proximity of the military establishments has an appropriate impact on community relations and Remembrance Day is of particular importance. There are good links with both the junior schools who either visit the school to play music for the pupils or invite the older pupils to visit their school, for example to a Christmas production. There is also good liaison on the transfer of pupil records, and before

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PUPILS?

Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 14 pupils move up the appropriate teachers from the two schools meet to discuss pupils’ progress and their needs. There are good links with the pre-school groups and suitable visits arranged. This also extends to parents, who have a number of opportunities to visit the school and acquire a good understanding of the ethos and its requirements. This culminates in the completion of the baseline profile during the first few weeks of term, providing the school with a valuable assessment of the child’s needs.

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PUPILS?

20. Provision for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory. The provision for their social and moral development is good. The school places great emphasis on the pupils’ social and moral development from the day they enter the school as reception children and has maintained the good provision noted at the time of the last inspection. There are also suitable opportunities to experience spiritual development as part of the normal curriculum. For example, during a Year 2 science lesson, pupils were presented with a tray of cooked cakes from a toy oven. The event was greeted by gasps of astonishment. In circle time pupils are given the opportunity to talk about special moments in their lives, which has a positive impact on their spiritual development. Teachers and support staff are good role models and the pupils respond well to their lead and generally act in a responsible and considerate manner. They understand the difference between

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PUPILS?

right and wrong and the majority of parents feel that being members of a church school has a beneficial impact on moral issues. Pupil’s social development is good. Pupils are suitably involved in helping to support communities in developing countries through the close links with the church and the community. The school places appropriate importance on the culture and history of the locality, through visits and studies. For instance classes have visited Christ Church and Syon Park plus community walks as part of their geography studies this year. During the past year the pupils’ cultural development has been significantly developed by visits from theatre groups, visiting zoologists and a local librarian. Pupils’ understanding of the multi cultural society in which they live, is suitably developed by celebrating major festivals in other faiths such as Diwali, Hanukkah and The Chinese New Year.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

21. The steps taken by the school to ensure the welfare, health and safety of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and children under five, are very good. The last report commented on a happy and very secure environment and an ethos that was warm and caring. These descriptions continue to apply to the school. Procedures for dealing with first aid, medicines and accidents are well established. Health and safety risk assessments are carried out regularly, as are checks on potentially dangerous equipment and practice evacuations of the premises. Appropriate child protection procedures are also in place.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

22. The procedures for promoting attendance and punctuality are very good. The great majority of pupils arrive at school in good time and are settled ready for registration which is taken promptly so that the day gets off to a good start and the pupils have the chance of a full days’ learning. The behaviour policy is effective in promoting the good standard of behaviour throughout the school. It is implemented consistently by teachers and all other support staff and helpers, including the lunchtime supervisors and voluntary parent helpers. Pupils know the school rules as well as the “Golden rules” in each class, and they also understand the rewards and sanctions system in the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

23. The assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress has improved since the last inspection and is now satisfactory overall. In English and mathematics it is good, but in science, information technology and the non-core subjects the same rigour has yet to be achieved. Similarly the use of assessment to inform lesson planning has not been developed to a satisfactory level across the whole curriculum. Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 15 24. The school provides good support and guidance for all pupils, which helps to raise their levels of achievement. Monitoring academic performance in the core subjects through analysis of end of key stage test results is thorough with all pupils having targets for their learning. All the staff know the pupils very well, and teachers monitor and record their development at a personal level, including their behaviour and attendance. The teachers’ understanding of their pupils is clearly

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

demonstrated in the full and comprehensive reports on each pupil at the end of the year. Most parents believe that the school helps the pupils to become more mature.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

25. As reported in the last inspection, the great majority of parents are more than satisfied with what the school provides for their children, in both their academic achievement and their personal development. In their responses to the questionnaire the great majority of the parents were supportive of the school in nine of the twelve questions asked. They believe that the teachers are approachable and prepared to discuss any concerns that they may have at any time, as is the head teacher. 26. The information provided to parents is good, and most parents believe that they are well informed about the school. Regular newsletters and other notes keep them informed about school activities and any special functions and events. All parents are notified at the beginning of each term about the forthcoming topics. In the reception area the parents’ notice board is updated on a weekly basis about the plans for the week ahead. Even so some parents in full time work feel that more

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

information could be sent home. The annual report about each pupil is good. The format for each subject starts with a description of what all the pupils have done and then goes on the explain effectively how well the individual pupil has progressed during the year. The best reports outline what pupils need to learn next.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

27. Parents’ involvement in the work of the school is good. A large proportion of parents have signed and returned the “Home-School Contract” for each pupil. Although a minority of parents do not favour the use of homework for pupils of this age, parents do work with pupils at home on reading and spelling. The reading record book also provides a useful means of ongoing dialogue between teachers and parents. The support of parents and the wider community for the school through the Friends Of Crookham Infants’ School (FOCIS) is very good as illustrated by the substantial funds raised through their numerous functions, in excess of £4,000 last year. A large number of parents come into school to help on a regular voluntary basis. Their work is generally well managed by the teachers, it is effectively timetabled and integrated into the detailed lesson plans, and makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning.

p.15

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

28. The leadership and management of the school are very good. The school is led very well by the clear-sighted, caring and determined head teacher who sets high standards in her expectations of the quality and development of learning in the school. The head teacher inherited a particularly difficult time of staff instability when first appointed, but with the strong support of the chairman, and school governing body, she has taken the school through considerable change, resulting in an improvement in standards. An effective structure of improvement teams for various areas of the school and its curriculum, involving all teaching staff, has been established. It is working effectively, enabling staff to share responsibilities and have ownership in the development and success of the school, which was highlighted as a key weakness at the time of the last inspection.

p.15

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

29. The income that the school receives for each pupil is higher than the national average. There was a large under-spend carried forward from the last financial year, which has been earmarked for the continuing improvements to the accommodation and resources. The success of the school leadership has been enhanced by the close partnership between the head teacher and governing body. For example, a major building extension has been undertaken in the last two years. This Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 16 has needed great vigilance by the governors, and careful management by the head teacher. As a result of their good partnership, the schools’ needs have been met well within the limits of its priorities and available finance. The governors have shown considerable skill in their application of the principles of best value, have monitored closely both their advisory consultants and their

p.15

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

builders, and shown resourcefulness in bidding for financial support from a variety of sources. They are, at present, embarking on a lesser, but nevertheless important scheme for the development of the school grounds, again using their considerable skills for such projects effectively. The strength of the school’s management through all the recent development, has been the appropriate emphasis that decisions should benefit all pupils. This has resulted in the maintenance and then improvement of the quality and standards of education in the school.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

30. The aims and values of the school, published in its prospectus, which the last inspection indicated did not adequately reflect the clearly visible aspirations of the school, have been reviewed effectively and now are clearly incorporated into the daily life of the school. The school development plan is thorough and focuses precisely on whole school targets. It is suitably detailed and this represents an improvement since the last inspection, when the school development plan was judged not to define the necessary detail of planned improvements. The emphasis on academic improvement has been implemented very successfully in the core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science, where standards are now well above average. This is not yet the situation however in most other subjects taught in the school where standards are generally average. The head teacher has now put in place a clear timetable for rigorous monitoring and evaluation of curriculum

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

progress, co-ordinators have targets and opportunities to develop their subjects, and all governors are involved in taking subject area responsibilities where they may act as a critical friend. The school has a clear view of its strengths and weaknesses and its development plan effectively identifies major priorities and the steps needed to achieve improvement. The building work has resulted in considerable enhancement to accommodation of the school, which is now good. Learning resources within the school are generally good, well stored and accessible, and well used by staff. Although the size of classes is large, the school has prioritised the provision of high quality non-teaching assistants, meaning that for most of the time all classes have two adults present. With the addition also of a considerable number of parents and friends helping voluntarily, the school is in a strong position to achieve the higher standards it identifies. A

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

strength of the school is the high quality of the classroom assistants, their very good partnerships with the teachers, and the efforts of teachers to ensure that assistants and helpers are generally well briefed and valued as contributors to pupils’ progress. Likewise, all staff and governors have a complete commitment to the provision of equal opportunities for pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and potentially higher attaining pupils, who are thus enabled to make good progress.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

31. Although the school is still awaiting appraisal guidance, it already has a good professional development programme of its own. Staff have effective job descriptions, and teachers have professional discussions on aspects of their work, their future development and needs, and targets to be achieved. The governing body also applies the principles of performance management to the head and deputy. There is a good programme of induction for new teachers, especially those starting their careers. They are given good opportunities through mentoring, training and visiting other schools to develop their skills and knowledge of successful teaching.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

32. The school also has good links with local colleges of higher education, and welcomes students into the school to gain experience under teacher supervision. New members of staff have an effective induction into the life and routines of the school.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

33. The vision of the head teacher and governing body to achieve high standards is now embedded firmly throughout the school. Teachers pupils and parents all share the school aim to raise standards still further.

p.16

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 17 34. To improve standards of work and pupils’ learning, the governors, head teacher and staff should: 1) Improve the consistency of the quality of teaching by:- a) ensuring there are high expectations of pupils’ behaviour in all classes. (Paragraph Nos. 13. 78)

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

b) improving the quality of marking of pupils’ work including consistently implementing and monitoring the agreed school policy. (Paragraph Nos. 13. 48)

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

c) ensuring that teachers take full account of pupils’ prior attainment when planning and that work is well matched to individuals and groups of all levels of prior attainment within lessons. (Paragraph Nos. 23. 36. 53. 79)

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

d) improving some teachers’ knowledge and understanding in some subjects, most notably, physical education, music and information technology. (Paragraph Nos. 10. 11. 78. 81)

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2) Develop systems for the assessment and recording of individual pupil’s progress in information technology and non-core subjects so that teachers have the information to assist them in their planning to meet the needs of individuals and groups more exactly. (Paragraph Nos. 23. 65. 79)

p.17

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 35 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 30

p.17

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 3 6 40 40 9 3 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons. The numbers may not always add up to one hundred due to the rounding up or down of fractions.

p.17

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR-Y2 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/A 183 Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/A 7

p.17

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR Y2 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/A 1 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/A 26

p.17

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1 Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 18 Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 19 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 17

p.17

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 3.2 School data 0.0 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

p.18

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 26 34 60

p.18

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Boys 26 25 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 34 34 34

p.18

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Percentage of pupils School 100 97 100 at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (85)

p.18

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 26 26 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 34 34 34

p.18

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 100 100 100 at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

p.18

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

No of pupils Fixed period Permanent Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 19 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0 Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 0 Black – other 0 0 Indian 0 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 0 Chinese 0 0 White 107 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.18

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y2

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7.4 Financial year 1998-1999 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 30.7 Average class size 20.7 £ Total income 334317

p.19

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y2

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total expenditure 324768 Total number of education support staff 7 Expenditure per pupil 1835 Total aggregate hours worked per week 136 Balance brought forward from previous year Balance carried forward to next year 38853 Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 20

p.19

Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 44 45 5 1 5

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 42 51 0 0 7

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 30 48 15 1 6

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 25 51 19 3 3

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 66 33 1 0 0 Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 21 The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 52 38 1 1 8

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 36 53 7 0 4

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 41 53 1 0 4

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 49 1 0 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 21 40 14 4 22

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The numbers may not always add up to one hundred due to the rounding up or down of fractions.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

35. The children come to school happily each day, with their parents, carers and friends, and settle quickly into the routines of the day. They generally respond well in the supportive, structured environment of the reception classes. Their attainment on entry to the school is above average overall. This is borne out by the results of the base line assessments, which are administered during their first term in school. In reception, progress is satisfactory overall and, by the age of five, children attain the desirable learning outcomes for reception children in the six areas of learning and are well on their way to working within the National Curriculum programmes of study. This broadly reflects the findings of the previous inspection, which judged that the children developed a sound foundation for work at Key Stage 1. However, at that time there was judged to be a significant variation between the classes. Now teachers and classroom assistants plan

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

together for each week’s work to ensure coverage is the same in both classes. Children start their schooling in the reception class in line with the agreed procedures of the Local Education Authority. Satisfactory arrangements are in place for children to learn about the school prior to starting school and for the staff to make home visits to ensure a smooth beginning. Most of the children attend pre-school provision at local play-groups and the school has effective liaison with these.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

36. The curriculum is broad and is appropriately based on the desirable learning outcomes for children under five, linked to the National Curriculum programmes of study. Relationships are sound and adults provide good role models for the children in their care. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall and has a positive impact on the progress the children make. However, there is some variation in the teaching. During the week of inspection, whilst good teaching was observed in both classes, and the great majority was satisfactory, the overall quality of lessons observed Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 22 ranged from very good to poor. The very good lesson was characterised by very good planning, a very well briefed and deployed support assistant and a very positive ethos. The poor lesson did not follow on from previous lessons and was at an inappropriate level of difficulty. Very able support

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

staff and volunteers were insufficiently briefed about what was to happen and their role in it. All staff involved with the provision for children under-five are dedicated and generally work effectively as a team to provide a varied and appropriate range of activities for the children in their care. Lessons are usually planned well and suitable use is made of an appropriate range of resources.

p.22

Personal and social development

37. The teaching of personal and social development is satisfactory overall. There is appropriate provision for the development of children's social and personal skills and this leads to the children making sound progress in this area of their learning. Suitable opportunities are given to the children to take responsibility for themselves and their belongings. They learn to comply with the regular and well-established routines of class and their behaviour is generally good, owing to the high expectations of the teachers and classroom assistants. For example, in literacy lessons the children display good attitudes to their learning and concentrate well. On the rare occasions when their behaviour is less than satisfactory, this is largely due to anxiety and boredom, for example when they are expected to remain inactive for too long. Children make appropriate progress in developing a suitable awareness of what is acceptable behaviour in the classroom and the

p.22

Personal and social development

playground, and what is right and wrong. The support assistants make a very positive contribution to this at playtimes when they lead the children in group games and songs. Children generally work and play happily together and maintain concentration well. This is particularly the case in lessons where routines are well established and where the children are given tasks that challenge them at an appropriate level. They are generally polite and respectful to adults and to each other, and have positive attitudes to their learning. Children develop an appropriate sense of responsibility through taking the register to the school office, switching the tape recorder to play music during tidying up sessions, and other small tasks.

p.22

Language and literacy

38. Progress in language and literacy is satisfactory. The teachers have a sound knowledge and understanding of the teaching of language and literacy and the development of children under five. Lessons are planned appropriately to take consideration of the children’s needs and lead to them making steady progress in the acquisition of literacy skills. This enables them to develop their vocabulary and knowledge of language. Children of all levels of prior attainment, including those who are potentially higher attaining, are all suitably challenged by the work provided. The children’s attainments in speaking are above average, and are generally better developed than their ability to listen carefully to instructions or to extract information. The teachers and the classroom assistants provide the children with good opportunities to extend and develop language and listening skills. Good opportunities are provided to learn about reading and writing. The attractive

p.22

Language and literacy

book corners are well used by the children who enjoy looking at books quietly and re-telling the stories they have heard. Children make suitable progress in developing a neat and readable style of handwriting and standards of work are at least in line with the desirable learning outcomes by the time they are five, and many are working within the National Curriculum programmes of study. Higher attaining pupils write simple sentences using short words, with minimal assistance.

p.22

Mathematical development

39. The teaching of mathematics is satisfactory overall and leads to the children making sound progress in developing mathematical awareness. During the week of inspection all of the teaching was at least satisfactory and some was very good. Where it was very good, the clear explanations by the teacher, combined with her careful checking of what the children were learning, contributed positively to the good levels of learning within the lesson. In this lesson information technology was used well to enable children to learn about groups of numbers. Most children attain standards of work in numeracy which are in line with those expected by the time they are five and many are working within the National Curriculum programmes of study. Some children count well to beyond Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 23 ten and recognise patterns in groups of objects, and the written number symbols. The teachers and

p.22

Mathematical development

the classroom assistants provide a suitably wide range of opportunities for the children to use number and mathematical vocabulary in an interesting way. Good use is made of number rhymes and songs, involving counting forwards and backwards. The lessons are interesting and the children are encouraged to count and estimate in a wide range of situations, including playtimes as well as lessons. These regular opportunities lead to the children developing confidence in their ability to handle number. Children learn effectively about patterns, using small connecting cubes. They also use these to make good progress in developing mathematical language to describe and compare size.

p.23

Knowledge and understanding of the world

40. The teaching of knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory and, as a consequence, children make sound progress in this area of their learning. They are given a suitably wide variety of interesting experiences, which enable them to learn about the world in which they live. Knowledge of materials in the world is gained appropriately through activities such as playing with sand, water and dough. The classroom home corners are transformed into vets’ surgeries where there are good opportunities for children to learn about caring for animals. This is especially the case when volunteers work with the children developing and extending their understanding through careful questioning. They look at photographs of themselves and their teachers when they were younger and talk about the changes they can see. The children are given suitable opportunities to use information technology and it is appropriately used to support their learning in numeracy and

p.23

Knowledge and understanding of the world

literacy. They use the computer with enjoyment and increasing confidence, supporting each other well. They use the computer mouse carefully to control and select options in simple matching games, and confidently turn on a cassette player to listen to music.

p.23

Physical development

41. Children are given a variety of suitable opportunities and make satisfactory progress overall in the development of physical skills. They climb and balance with appropriate skill and confidence. During the week of inspection, a wide range of opportunities were provided for children to develop their skills of balance and control. These included opportunities in the classroom and playground as well as lessons in the hall. There are lessons for physical development in the hall each week. Teaching in these lessons is satisfactory overall, but during the week of inspection the teaching in one lesson was poor. At playtimes, children have good opportunities to develop muscle control and balance by jumping, hopping and skipping, led by the classroom assistants. They also have good opportunities to develop co-operation and balance, using bikes, trikes and trolleys. In class they handle construction toys and small tools with appropriate levels of dexterity, and they use crayons

p.23

Physical development

and pencils with appropriate skill when writing and drawing. The teaching of fine physical skills is satisfactory. Children write some letters and their names legibly. When using small tools such as scissors, they demonstrate increasing control and appropriate attention to safety.

p.23

Creative development

42. The teaching of creative areas of development is satisfactory overall. As a result children make satisfactory progress in the development of their creative skills and attain standards in line with those expected by the time they are five. They are given suitable opportunities to use a range of materials to express themselves. They learn a variety of techniques such as painting and printing, and produce attractive pieces of work. Children use paint, pencils, crayons, fabric and glue to make pictures and collages linked to their work in other subjects. They have suitable opportunities to participate in imaginative role-play, and are developing appropriate skills in imagination and communication. Children happily sing favourite rhymes and songs that are used effectively by their teachers to reinforce their learning in literacy and numeracy. They are given appropriate opportunities to make independent decisions and use their imagination, for example, in their daily

p.23

Creative development

movement around the classrooms or when tidying away.

p.23

ENGLISH

Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 24 43. The proportion of pupils attaining Level 2 and above in the end of key stage tests in 1999 was very high in comparison with the national average and the proportion achieving Level 3 was well above the national average. Results in the writing tests for Level 2 and above were well above the national average and those for the higher Level 3 showed a similar picture. When compared with the results of pupils in similar schools, standards are well above the average. This is a significant improvement on the results of tests in 1997 and 1998 and represents an overall improvement on the findings of the last inspection. Current inspection evidence confirms this improvement. Pupils enter the school with above average skills, particularly in speaking. Their listening skills improve rapidly. The improvement in listening skills is directly linked to the quality of teaching and the

p.24

ENGLISH

challenge and pace of the lessons. Pupils have good vocabularies and express themselves clearly. These good standards have a positive impact on learning in all subjects. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in learning in all areas of English.

p.24

ENGLISH

44. Throughout Key Stage 1 pupils make good progress in reading. They have well structured literacy sessions with a sound emphasis on learning how to apply a range of reading strategies including phonics. By the end of the key stage pupils skills in speaking and reading are much above average. Pupils have a good sight vocabulary; they use phonics well to build up words in unfamiliar texts. By the end of the key stage, the majority of pupils use the contents and index to find information and the glossary to increase their knowledge of special words. Most pupils receive good or very good support from home. Most have a wide range of their own books including non-fiction. A significant number have computers. These additional resources have a good impact on attitudes towards learning, development of skills and a wide vocabulary.

p.24

ENGLISH

45. By the time pupils leave the school and move on to the junior school, attainment in writing is well above the national average and they make good progress in their learning. Pupils enjoy writing and make good use of their vocabulary. They refer to their own wordbooks for correct spellings and for the inclusion of new words. They write well on a range of subjects including imaginative stories, poetry, book reviews, lists of events, letters and menus. A significant number write grammatically, using direct speech. The only weakness is in the quality of the handwriting. A number of pupils were observed forming letters incorrectly. Handwriting is taught as a lesson and a form of cursive handwriting is followed to conform to the requirements of the junior school that incorporates loops to some letters. This style is too difficult for some of the younger pupils to follow and limits real progress.

p.24

ENGLISH

46. The school has implemented the National Literacy Strategy well, and pupils make good progress in developing their skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing. Since the introduction of its literacy strategy standards of attainment have risen significantly. This improvement has had a good impact on learning in other subjects, particularly in history and science.

p.24

ENGLISH

47. Pupils’ attitudes are never less than satisfactory, they often very good and occasionally excellent. These positive attitudes have a direct bearing on the high standards achieved. Levels of concentration are generally good. Pupils discuss and share ideas well with those in Year 2 becoming independent and showing responsibility for their own learning. Behaviour is good or better in all lessons owing to the teachers’ good management skills. The good use of the classroom assistants and parent volunteers has a beneficial influence. Pupils with special educational needs, in particular, benefit from this support.

p.24

ENGLISH

48. The quality of teaching is good overall, and was never less than satisfactory in the lessons observed. The majority of lessons observed were good and occasionally excellent. The teachers’ planning is good and matches the needs of the pupils, which enables them to make good gains in their learning. Teachers showed a good understanding of the literacy hour, though more effective use of the plenary session is required in some cases. In the best lessons the teachers showed a very good rapport with the pupils, which ensured that pupils behaved well and got on with their work. The learning objectives were sharply focused on the needs of each group and this led to good pace in the lessons. There were many good examples of the effective use of support staff, and this is a strength of the school. Marking is inconsistent however, and while some is good, some of the comments are difficult for pupils to read. The use of rewards lacks a whole school approach.

p.24

ENGLISH

Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 25 49. Good co-ordination and careful monitoring of teaching and learning supports pupils’ learning effectively. The school has an up to date and appropriate policy and scheme of work. Records of individual pupil work are annotated each half term and used to monitor progress. This is a useful tool when setting targets for achievement. These records support teaching and learning effectively. The school is currently without a library but there are plans to develop one in the coming year.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

50. At the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment in mathematics is well above national expectations. This is an improvement on the findings of the last inspection when standards overall were in line with national expectations. Standards of attainment have continued to rise with the effective introduction of the National Numeracy Project. The latest national test results for 1999 indicate the proportion of pupils achieving Level 2 and the higher Level 3 is well above the national average and also the average for similar schools.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

51. During Key Stage 1 pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. In Year 1 pupils perform a range of calculations with numbers up to twenty. Higher attaining pupils taught in a small group, count quickly to 100 and also count on in twos, fives and tens. They also calculate magic square numbers to 15. In problem solving exercises involving number, most pupils can make up their own questions involving subtracting 3, knew when the teacher had made a deliberate mistake in subtraction, and correctly used mathematical language to give alternative words for addition and subtraction. In Year 2, pupils correctly take multiples of 10 from 100, and make rapid simple mental calculations against the clock. Almost all have a good understanding of reflective symmetry, and are able to identify lines of symmetry in capital letters of the alphabet, and copy increasingly complicated symmetrical patterns with the aid of a mirror. Pupils also are

p.25

MATHEMATICS

able to complete accurately simple problem solving exercises in everyday activities such as shopping. Most pupils have good knowledge of two and three-dimensional shapes, sort objects such as toys and communicate their findings in block graphs. Most pupils also use simple mathematics programmes, on the computer, such as subtraction from 10. Numeracy skills are above average and are used well to support work in other subjects such as science.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

52. Pupils enjoy mathematics, especially their number work and the application of their knowledge to practical problems. The introduction of the numeracy strategy has played a significant part in creating this pupil enthusiasm. They persevere well with their tasks, and work well in small and large groups, pairs and independently. Relationships are good in all classes, and this supports their daily group work effectively. Pupils are especially animated in introductory and plenary sessions where they always respond enthusiastically.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

53. The quality of teaching is good overall. It is never less than satisfactory, nearly always good, and occasionally very good. This has a positive impact on the progress pupils make. All teachers plan effectively and are confident in their subject knowledge. Tasks are well prepared and teachers usually differentiate them according to the ability needs of pupils, but this is not consistent over every class. Pupils are questioned with skill, and most teachers have high expectations and consequently bring significant challenge into their lessons. Pupils’ response to mathematics is uniformly good and on occasion very good, such as when they become totally absorbed in their problem solving, or when they are challenged at a high level by their teachers. They also work very well with very competent classroom assistants who make a substantial contribution to pupil learning. Volunteer helpers, mostly parents, are also effectively briefed and valued by teachers.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

Pupils with special educational needs are well cared for, given appropriate work and consistently supported. Good links are made with other areas of the curriculum, and information technology is used satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2 and well with reception pupils.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

54. Assessment is used well, with comprehensive and regular analyses of national and school test data. This leads to a good knowledge of pupil progress, accurate prediction and consequent careful target setting to improve attainment in specific areas. The very thoughtful and effective co- Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 26 ordinator has, with the head, monitored teaching throughout the school and has a clear vision of the present standard of mathematics in the school, and its needs and priorities in the future to sustain and improve its already high standards.

p.25

SCIENCE

55. Pupils of all levels of prior attainment make good progress in science. Standards are well above average at the end of the key stage. This represents an improvement on the findings of the last inspection, when pupils’ achievements were judged to be “equal to or above national expectations”. In the most recent end of key stage assessments in 1999, all pupils attained Level 2, which is the level expected of pupils at seven. This is above the national average. Fifty five per cent of the pupils were judged to be at Level 3, which is the level expected of pupils of nine. This indicates a significant upward trend in attainment and is attributable to the impact of the good teaching in the subject.

p.26

SCIENCE

56. In Year 1, pupils make good progress in learning about the features of different materials. They taste different foods and sort them into types according to flavour. They have a good knowledge of the uses of electricity in daily life. In Year 2, pupils learn about electricity. They understand a circuit drawing and make simple comparisons and predictions. They confidently write and draw about circuits and demonstrate appropriate awareness of health and safety issues. They have a good knowledge of the body and name some major organs and their functions. Pupils develop a good knowledge of the five senses and know, for example, that light affects the size of the iris in the eye. They make good progress in their studies of materials and their properties. They complete charts to record how quickly ice melts in different situations. They learn about the features of various materials and sort them into natural and man-made. They are aware of naturally occurring

p.26

SCIENCE

metals and alloys and can name some of them. They make good progress in learning about changes to food during cooking.

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SCIENCE

57. Pupils’ attitudes to science are good and this is directly linked to the good teaching in the subject. There was a real sense of awe and wonder when the teacher produced cooked cakes from a toy oven in a lesson on changing materials. Pupils are generally well behaved and eager to join in discussions and experiments because the good teaching enables them to do so. On occasion the enthusiasm of some pupils for the lesson causes them to forget to consider those behind them, and they kneel up, but they are swiftly compliant when teacher’s good management ensures they know what to do. Lessons are well prepared and planned with the pupils’ interests in mind. Teachers plan effectively in year groups to ensure equality of access to the subject. Introductions to lessons are effective, and teachers make good use of questioning to reinforce learning. The teaching observed of Year 2 classes was particularly effective in the links that were made with literacy and

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SCIENCE

numeracy. Relationships are generally good and this has a positive impact on the progress pupils make.

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SCIENCE

58. The scheme of work is being re written and the new draft is effectively linked to the new national guidelines. It provides an effective structure to support teaching and learning throughout the school. The co-ordinator is only recently appointed, has not yet monitored the teaching in her subject, but does monitor planning. She has however introduced sound systems to record individual pupil’s progress within the areas taught and this will help to track their progress. As yet, however, these have not accumulated sufficient data to help with teachers’ planning.

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ART

59. Pupils of all levels of prior attainment make satisfactory progress in their learning, and good progress in observational drawing. At the end of the key stage, standards are similar to those expected at the age of seven. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection. Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 27 60. At the end of Key Stage 1, pupils use a range of media successfully. This is particularly evident in observational drawing, where they have developed their learning to produce good standards, using, pastels, paints, chalk and charcoal. Pupils mix colours to a satisfactory standard and create pictures to express their feelings. They use dark backgrounds well to create pictures with sharply contrasting colours. There are some examples of three-dimensional art, but this aspect has weaknesses and lacks variety in the range of materials used. An exception to this, is the work

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ART

being undertaken to complete a patchwork tapestry depicting the Millennium. The first pieces have been completed and the quality of this work shows sound hand and eye co-ordination skills. Teachers’ planning shows examples of work using dyes and resists but there was no evidence of this during the inspection. There were satisfactory but limited examples of clay work on view. Famous artists are represented around the school and currently Year 2 has been following the style of Brueghel in their paintings and collages of winter scenes.

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ART

61. Teaching is satisfactory overall, and in the one lesson observed it was good. The consistent quality of the teaching has a positive impact on the progress pupils make. Pupils enjoy art and in the one lesson observed were progressing well with their learning. Behaviour was good and the pupils showed considerable pride in their work. Co-ordination was good and the standard of observational drawings was generally above that normally expected. There are a number of good quality displays around the school, which reflects the teachers enthusiasm for the subject. However teachers’ planning does not focus sufficiently on the development of pupils’ skills. The main focus of teaching is a topic approach involving other subjects rather than the systematic teaching of skills across all three years. The newly appointed co-ordinator is aware of this weakness and has plans to incorporate new national guidelines.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

62. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress and attain standards in line with those expected of pupils of seven. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection, which stated that standards were “appropriate to the capabilities of the majority of pupils”.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

63. Pupils in Year 1 construct moving picture mechanisms including hinges and sliders, and during the inspection were examining local buildings and structures and planning their own house designs. They had already used construction kits to make houses, and several pupils had worked hard at home with parents to design and make dolls houses of good quality. However, some pupils are not evaluative when designing their houses, merely drawing simple pictures. There are appropriate and useful links in their work with geography and information technology. In Year 2, pupils use patterns and join fabrics to construct attractive puppets. In the present term they have linked their work in design and technology to a transport theme, planning and making vehicles, with an emphasis on the wheel and axle mechanisms. They choose to use cardboard, tissue, plastic and various modelling kits. Pupils also recalled with pleasure some of their cookery work when

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

64. Pupil’s response to design and technology is positive and enables them to make suitable progress. They are well behaved and enthusiastic in their approach, though they can easily become distracted if their task is insufficiently challenging and too teacher led. Pupils discuss their work with adults and each other keenly and are happy, when asked, to suggest ways in which they can improve their designs.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

65. Teaching is satisfactory. Lesson planning is generally detailed and clear in its objectives, and teachers make consistently good use of design and technology in other subjects. Good support is given to teaching and learning by classroom assistants. The recently appointed co-ordinator is in the process of integrating the new national planning guide into a school scheme, and is aware of the need to raise the profile of assessment, to ensure that teachers are aware of the individual development and needs of their pupils in the subject. Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 28

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GEOGRAPHY

66. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress and attain standards, which are consistent with those expected for pupils of a similar age. This is broadly in line with the findings of the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

67. Pupils in reception classes have linked their story of ‘Davey’s’ journey’ to their own journeys to school, discovering the most important aspects of their immediate locality. This theme is continued effectively into Year 1, where pupils are making a detailed study of the area around the school, with particular emphasis on the local shopping precinct ‘The Verne’. Pupils describe in detail their walk around the village, the different houses and shops there, and especially the reasons for their location. They are also beginning to develop opinions on the attractiveness or otherwise of buildings and other features in the local environment. Several pupils have a good knowledge of details of streets and directions to land marks, and are able to use opportunities in map making on the computer to identify these places.

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GEOGRAPHY

68. Pupils in Year 2 use their work in literacy, through the adventures of ‘Katie Morag’, to examine the features of ‘an island home’. They can describe in detail the differences between town and island environments and characteristics. Most pupils have developed a good facility for recall of facts and detail, which they use well in developing more analytical skills when considering human and physical features of places. Pupils throughout the school talk about the travels of Barnaby Bear, and the cards and letters he sends back from many parts of the world. Some also recall their interesting visit to Syon Park last year. Their work, particularly about the Isle of Struay, is well displayed in the classrooms.

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GEOGRAPHY

69. Pupils use their speaking and listening well to support their learning in geography. It is enhanced by the work in other subjects, but there is insufficient evidence of writing in geography, and few opportunities are offered for extension of this skill.

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GEOGRAPHY

70. Pupil’s response to geography is satisfactory and often good, and they discuss their knowledge confidently. They enjoy working independently, especially at the computer and also participate enthusiastically, when recording their observations on tape during the village walk.

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GEOGRAPHY

71. Teaching in geography is satisfactory, with good features in the use of resources and the very relevant links to other curriculum aspects. Planning is detailed and focused, and there is good progression and linkage through the school in the development of geographical skills. This has a positive impact on the progress pupils make in their learning. Support staff are competent and deployed effectively.

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HISTORY

72. Due to time tabling arrangements it was not possible to observe history being taught during the inspection. However, from the scrutiny of pupils’ work, discussions with the co-ordinator and pupils, and displays around the school a secure judgement can be made that pupils are making good progress in their learning. At the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are attaining standards above those expected of pupils of seven. This represents an improvement since the last inspection.

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HISTORY

73. At the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have a good understanding of the passing of time through their study of toys old and new. They talk about their families and have interesting talks about life when their grandparents were young. These discussions help to develop an appropriate understanding about chronology. They know about the history of travel through their topic work. They develop an appropriate sense of time long ago by studying the birth of Jesus and the story of St. George. Year 2 pupils study famous people, such as, Florence Nightingale and Guy Fawkes. In these topics they use their good literacy skills well and produce good written accounts, often using the word processor. These are supported by artistic designs in the form of a frieze or sketched Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 29 drawings. Sometimes suitable computer generated pictures, using programs from the CD-ROM

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HISTORY

74. From the scrutiny of work and discussions with the pupils, attitudes are good. Pupils show a good subject knowledge and display a wide knowledge of facts and information about the times being studied. Levels of concentration are good and the pupils take pride in their work. The quality of teaching is good and the teachers show enthusiasm for the subject. Work is well planned and there is an expectation of high standards. The co-ordinator who was recently appointed has introduced the new scheme of work and this is having a good impact on the progressive teaching of skills and pupils’ learning. Teachers are keeping a profile of work, which is annotated. This is good practice and once fully established will help determine standards and progression. Resources are good and the school makes good use of the local environment and places of interest.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

75. Pupils of all levels of prior attainment make satisfactory progress in information technology and achieve standards that are average at the end of the key stage. This represents a slight lowering of standards since the last inspection, which judged standards to be average in using information technology to investigate, but good for communicating and handling information.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

76. Pupils learn to use the mouse confidently, for example to drag icons on the screen or to use simple drawing programs. They make suitable progress in learning to use word processing to support their work in English and to produce attractive pieces of writing. They learn to use a concept keyboard and an ordinary keyboard effectively. Younger pupils are given good opportunities to use the computer to reinforce their reading skills. Pupils learn to use equipment such as cassette recorders and players confidently to help in their geography work or to provide background music when clearing away.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

77. Pupils are generally compliant and well behaved when studying the subject. They treat equipment with respect and take turns appropriately. They are generally keen to learn and are attentive and responsive to instructions. On occasion however, their behaviour is unsatisfactory, as in a hall lesson observed when pupils were being introduced to the concept of giving directions. The teacher’s expectations of pupils’ response and behaviour was too low and as a consequence many pupils were non compliant and opted out or behaved inappropriately.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

78. Teaching is satisfactory overall. However during the week of inspection the quality varied considerably from one unsatisfactory to one good lesson. In the better teaching clear instructions enabled the pupils to understand exactly what to do. Where the teaching was less than satisfactory a failure to manage pupils’ behaviour appropriately resulted in them making little progress. The good scheme of work and curriculum map, provide clear guidelines for teachers to ensure that the full programmes of study are covered at an appropriate level. There are good links with other subjects. Work is well linked to the teaching of art, and pupils have regular opportunities to draw with the computers. There is also effective use made of programs in school to support work in geography. Good voluntary support helps pupils make suitable progress. However although teachers’ confidence and knowledge of the subject is generally satisfactory, this is not the case in

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

all classes. As a consequence, there are frequent occasions when insufficient use is made of information technology to support learning in other subjects, such as mathematics, and computers are often on but unused.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

79. As yet there are no systems in place to record the progress of individual pupils. Although it is possible to track what classes have covered as a whole, the coverage or progress made by individuals in the different areas is not recorded. The co-ordinator has wisely identified this as an area for improvement, especially in view of the significant amount of pupil turnover within the school. There are plans to address this in the near future. Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 30

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MUSIC

80. Pupils make satisfactory progress in their learning, but this indicates a decline in standards since the last inspection, when it was good. Most pupils sing in tune with good diction and pitch. They enjoy singing, and effectively introduce rhythm through clapping and beating time. A recorder group in Year 2 has made a sound beginning and most members of the group play a limited number of notes correctly. There are suitable opportunities for pupils to perform, for instance at Christmas and during school assemblies. Pupils have limited opportunities to compose, but there are examples of pupils composing suitable words to match the songs for performances. There are suitable planned opportunities for the appreciation of music, but at assemblies during inspection there was insufficient emphasis on the music being played. The pupils have appropriate opportunities to see performances, for instance, a local junior school production of “The Wizard

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MUSIC

81. The pupils’ enjoyment of music and the progress they make is directly related to the quality of the teaching and the teachers’ subject knowledge. In this area in particular, standards have declined since the last inspection. While teaching is satisfactory overall, teachers’ knowledge and skills are variable and some lack confidence in the subject. During the week of inspection, much of the teaching that was observed was unsatisfactory. For example, in one session the written planning was good, but this bore little relationship to what happened. There was poor use of time and the teacher spent much of the lesson re-gaining control as the pupils banged instruments without any real purpose. As a result of the teachers’ lack of confidence and knowledge, the school has organised a weekly singing lesson in the hall, where a peripatetic teacher plays the piano. Pupils of all ages and prior attainment are taught together and this is unsatisfactory and does not lead to

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MUSIC

them making optimum progress. While a senior member of staff stands at the front, it is not clear who is in charge of the session. Currently all the other teachers sit and listen. This is not a good use of their time. The scheme of work does not effectively support the systematic teaching of skills by teachers who are essentially non-experts. The co-ordinator has been recently appointed, she is aware of the difficulties caused by shortcomings in the planning and the limitations of the teachers’ knowledge and plans to review the subject in the near future.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

82. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress throughout the school and by the end of the key stage they attain the standards expected of seven year olds. Although the last inspection indicated that some pupils achieved above average standards, the school has had considerable difficulties in teaching physical education for the last 18 months, as extensive building work curtailed the use of the hall and playground areas for physical activities. In this context the school has done well to maintain satisfactory standards.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

83. Year 1 pupils understand and discuss the importance of warming up prior to skills development. They practise partner movement such as pulling and pushing appropriately, and talk about which movements are easiest and hardest. They recognise the importance of safe movement, and are careful in taking out and erecting apparatus. Year 2 pupils sustain energetic activity for a suitable length time when learning ball skills in the playground. They are able to throw and catch large balls accurately and quickly over a short distance, with a partner. They use space well, and incorporate their skills into co-operative team games. They are also aware of the need for safety in their activities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

84. Pupil’s response is satisfactory overall. They are often very enthusiastic, sometimes becoming over excited. However the large majority listen well to instruction and usually behave appropriately during their activities. Most accept responsibilities well, but a few were observed arguing and not co-operating with each other after being asked to put equipment away. Crookham C of E Voluntary Aided Infant School- 31 85. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Most teachers have good subject knowledge, and implement the satisfactory scheme to the benefit of pupil’s skills development across dance, gymnastics and games. However, occasionally teachers are over elaborate and lengthy in their instructions, resulting in pupils having insufficient meaningful activity in their lessons. The experienced co-ordinator has been able to monitor teaching in lessons, together with a governor with subject responsibility, and is currently working hard to induct staff into the effective use of the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

extensive and good quality equipment in the spacious new hall. The governing body is also working with the staff to develop the school grounds further so that they can be used for a wider range of activities.

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