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OFSTED Inspection Report – May 2004 |
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This is a summary of the last OFSTED inspection
report to take place at the school: INSPECTION
NURSERY LEA
area: Buckinghamshire Unique
reference number: 110214 Headteacher:
Mrs Karol Whittington Lead
inspector: Mrs June Punnett Dates
of inspection: 17th -19th May 2004 Inspection
number: 259904 Inspection
carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 . INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL ·
Type
of school: Infant ·
School
category: Community ·
Age
range of pupils: 3 – 7 years ·
Gender
of pupils: Mixed ·
Number
on roll: 229 ·
School
address: ·
·
Buckinghamshire ·
Postcode:
HP8 4JJ ·
Telephone
number: 01494 872160 ·
Fax
number: 01494 870560 ·
Appropriate
authority: The governing body ·
Name
of chair of governors: Mr Peter Coe ·
Date
of previous inspection: October 1998 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL This is an average sized infant and Nursery school with 229
pupils, including 61 children, who are part-time in the Nursery, and 51
children in the Reception classes. There are similar numbers of boys and
girls. The school has changed in character since its last inspection when it
was designated as a First school. Numbers have increased since then. No
pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is well below that found
nationally. There are very few pupils from minority ethnic groups, and none
has English as an additional language. Around five per cent of pupils have special educational needs, this is a much lower percentage than
is normally found. Five children have a statement of special educational
needs, and this percentage is above that normally found. The attainment of
pupils on entry to the school is average overall. The school has achieved
School Achievement and Investors in People awards. INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM Members of the inspection team Subject
responsibilities
SUMMARY OF THE REPORT OVERALL EVALUATION Good teaching and learning combined
with effective leadership and management enables pupils to achieve well. The
school has many strengths and provides good value for money. The school’s main strengths and weaknesses
are · By the end of Year 2, standards are
above average overall · The provision for pupils’ spiritual,
moral, social and cultural development is very good · Teaching is good in all parts of the
school, and very good in the Nursery · Provision for pupils with special
educational needs (SEN) is very good and they achieve very well, but not
enough attention is paid to the needs of the gifted and talented pupils in the
foundation subjects · The leadership of governors,
headteacher and senior staff is good · Curriculum co-ordinators do not yet
regularly monitor the quality of teaching and learning, although the school
has already identified this in its improvement plan The
school has made good improvement since the last inspection in 1998. It has made good progress in
rectifying the main weaknesses identified in that report, and made
significant improvements in the teaching, assessment, curriculum planning and
the provision for higher attaining pupils. Standards have improved in
speaking and listening, and ICT. They have been maintained at high levels in
reading, writing, and mathematics. In science,
standards are not as high as they were in 1998. STANDARDS ACHIEVED Achievement
is good overall.
Children enter the Nursery with average skills, and achieve very well. By the
time children leave the Reception classes a good proportion attain above average
standards in almost all areas of learning. By the end of Year 2 pupils
achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics, but boys did better than
girls in writing in the 2003 national tests. Literacy and numeracy skills are
well used across the curriculum. Standards in science, ICT, art and design,
physical education and religious education are above average. Pupils with special
educational needs make good progress, especially in reading. Gifted and
talented pupils’ achievements are satisfactory. Pupils are not identified
early enough and the school does not yet provide for them in the foundation
subjects. Higher attaining pupils are given very demanding work to make the
best of their skills. These are reflected in the proportion of pupils gaining
Level 3 in the national tests. Results in National
Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, compared with: All
Schools Similar Schools 2001 2002 2003 2003 Reading A A
A B Writing A A
B C Mathematics A* A
A B Key: A*- very high;
A-well above average; B–above average; C–average; D–below average; E–well
below average Similar schools are
those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals. Pupils’ personal qualities and their
spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness arevery good. This is why they behave very well,
respect other people’s views and have very good attitudes to learning.
Attendance is good. QUALITY OF EDUCATION The
quality of education provided by the school is good. The good teaching means that
pupils learn quickly and make good progress. The curriculum is good and meets
all statutory requirements. The good accommodation and range of resources enhance
learning. Teachers are well prepared, and are skilled at making lessons interesting
so that pupils enjoy learning. They give pupils the confidence to attempt
difficult work and take risks with their answers to questions. In the Nursery
the teaching of children is very good, and good overall in the Foundation
Stage (Nursery and Reception classes); this prepares them well for Year 1.
The knowledgeable Foundation Stage staff work very well as a team and provide
work that is challenging and fun. The school has good assessment systems to
evaluate and track pupils’ progress. The teaching of pupils with special
educational needs is good and ensures that all pupils have equal
opportunities to learn. The curriculum is planned well to provide teachers
with a good basis for their lessons. Good provision for personal, social and
health education teaches pupils how to live healthily. The very good
partnership with parents makes an effective link between home and school.
Links with the community are good. Pupils are well cared for and feel
confident to ask for help when necessary. LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT The
leadership and management of the school are good. The leadership by the headteacher is
good, and her sharp awareness of how to make improvements in the curricular planning
has done much to raise standards over the last three years. She is supported
very well by the deputy headteacher who plays a key role in school
improvement. Good management and financial systems ensure that the school
runs smoothly and makes good use of its funds. All staff are clear about
their role in the school’s improvement and curriculum coordinators are
developing well in their roles. There is good governance and support from the
knowledgeable governing body. PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE
SCHOOL Parents’
views are very positive. They are very pleased with the standards their
children achieve, the good quality of teaching and the leadership of the
school. Pupils are very proud of their school, and enjoy their work. IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED The most important things the school
should do to build on the current good practices are to · Identify more clearly the gifted and
talented pupils in the foundation subjects, and ensure they are consistently
challenged by the work they are given · Plan for curriculum co-ordinators to
monitor teaching and learning more regularly, so that pupils’ achievement is
enhanced* (* This has already
been identified in the school’s improvement plan.)
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