John T Rice Infant and Nursery School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership and management by:
  • refining strategic plans so that targets are focused and defined, enabling the governing body to hold leaders more precisely to account for the impact of the school’s work on pupil’s progress
  • actively seeking collaborative projects to broaden teachers’ understanding of outstanding practice
  • analysing the impact of interventions regularly to check that they are improving learning.
• Improve the quality of teaching and accelerate pupils’ progress by all teachers:
  • making better use of assessment to match work more closely to the varying needs of all pupils
  • raising aspirations for all pupils, but particularly for boys, to improve attitudes to learning
  • providing more opportunities for pupils to practise mathematical skills across the curriculum.
• Improve the effectiveness of early years provision by:
  • ensuring that the outdoor environment contains rich and imaginative experiences that promote language and mathematical opportunities for all pupils
  • fostering relationships with parents and carers at an earlier stage to establish stronger bonds between home and school.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. The school’s improvement plan identifies clear priorities and action to tackle the key issues facing the school. At its heart is a focus on developing and engaging the child, physically, emotionally and socially, to ensure that they are ready and able to learn. Leaders, staff and pupils alike embrace the school’s motto ‘aim high and shine’.
• Leaders have created a highly nurturing community. Pupils benefit from good provision in the Nursery and Reception classes. As pupils move through the school, they learn to take increasing responsibility for their learning and behaviour. They make good progress in all aspects of their personal and academic development.
• The school’s investment in a ‘challenge curriculum’ is securing good progress for pupils across a wide range of subjects. During the inspection, pupils enjoyed their learning and engaged well during lessons. A particular strength is the focus on role play. This encourages pupils to take part in speaking and listening activities to develop their language skills.
• A wide range of curriculum enrichment enhances pupils’ development and deepens their understanding through first-hand experiences. Visits to the zoo, Bolsover Castle and the pantomime were successful in broadening pupils’ knowledge. Regular visits to the school’s allotments provide opportunities for pupils to plant, tend, harvest and eat freshly grown vegetables.
• Primary physical education (PE) and sport funding is used effectively to provide good professional development. This has improved teaching and enhanced the physical education curriculum. Pieces of equipment such as the cardio walls and external video screen are successful in promoting fitness throughout the community.
• Staff promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. They use assemblies, curriculum topics and displays successfully to celebrate global festivals and develop links with the wider community. The school council, eco team and playground pals are effective frameworks that develop in pupils an understanding of democracy and the importance of being a responsible citizen.
• Leaders’ strategies to improve the quality of teaching have been successful. They have accelerated pupils’ progress across the curriculum. Professional development is steered towards the collective needs of the school. Staff are willing to improve their skills and take responsibility for leading different initiatives.
• The vast majority of parents are pleased with the progress their children make. They particularly value the support they get from staff. They are grateful for the help their children receive. When parents raise concerns, they are swiftly resolved. One parent explained that she would rather educate her children at home than send them to any other school.
• Leaders acknowledge the benefit of belonging to wider network of schools. A lack of local networks has hampered the school’s recent involvement in external groups. Representatives of the local authority are not directly involved in the school but provide support when needed. Leaders are not active enough in seeking collaborative projects and widening professional contacts to strengthen and improve practice throughout the school.
• Leaders are clear about the barriers that impede learning for this community and particularly for disadvantaged pupils. They target resources to provide valuable support for this group of pupils. As a result, most disadvantaged pupils are making good progress from their starting points. Leaders do not, however, analyse the impact of these interventions rigorously enough. This reduces the extent to which they can set aspirational goals and accelerate the progress of specific groups and individuals.

Governance of the school

• The governance of the school is good. ‘Children first’ is the vision and ambition for the school. Governors know this and articulate accurately the strengths of the school and the areas for improvement. They understand that the needs of each child vary and that it is essential to make support available for parents as well as for pupils.
• Governors undertake a wide range of training. This enables them to interpret assessment data and ask pertinent questions so that the governing body can hold leaders to account. Governors fulfil their roles successfully and ensure that additional funding is spent effectively. Governors regularly visit school and meet with staff to gain a good understanding of current issues and see what progress the school is making.
• The governing body’s strategic plans are not refined or detailed enough to allow it to hold leaders precisely to account for the impact of the school’s work on pupil’s achievements.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong culture of safeguarding throughout the school. All staff and governors are aware of their responsibilities and are committed to the safety and welfare of the pupils. Governors carry out regular checks to monitor the effectiveness of policy and practice.
• A rigorous timetable for training encompasses a wide range of issues, including various types of abuse, radicalisation and cyber safety. This ensures that staff are kept up to date. Staff are highly vigilant for any sign that a child may be at risk of harm and clearly understand and follow the reporting procedures.
• Pupils feel safe and said that special assemblies teach them how to stay safe. In discussion, pupils were clear how to react if there was a fire, or a problem on the internet. Pupils have a good understanding of internet safety. They trust the adults in school and are happy to tell a teacher if they have a problem.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers show good subject knowledge and have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and progress in lessons.
• Teachers have built trusting relationships with pupils. They are particularly successful in nurturing and including pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. Effective teaching means that pupils make good progress from their low and very low starting points.
• There is a consistent and effective focus on ‘growth mindset’. This supports pupils in developing their attitudes to learning. Pupils enjoy the challenges in their work and said that ‘sometimes it’s a bit tricky but that’s good’. They appreciate the additional support they are given by the teachers to help them catch up, especially if they have been away from school.
• Teachers have created an effective system to provide feedback to pupils to help them reflect on their work. They apply this strategy consistently throughout the school, resulting in improvements to pupils’ work across subjects.
• Teaching staff model learning well, clearly explaining the purpose of the lesson and what pupils are expected to achieve. Most pupils are engaged and motivated to learn. They make good progress throughout a lesson. Teachers use carefully chosen questions to explore pupils’ understanding and correct misconceptions.
• When pupils are not secure in their understanding and skills, adults provide additional support almost immediately. This ensures that pupils do not fall behind in their learning. Teaching assistants are skilled and effectively deployed to support learning throughout the day.
• Phonics is taught in a tactile and interactive way. This increases pupils’ knowledge and understanding and improves their ability to tackle more difficult words. Pupils can break down sounds to decipher new words but do not always know their meaning. This hinders their understanding. Guided reading sessions focus on supporting pupils to develop a rich vocabulary, fluency and comprehension skills. Pupils enjoy reading and some can talk about their favourite authors. Pupils who are not well supported at home have additional reading sessions to help them make progress.
• The school’s new approach to teaching mathematics is providing additional challenge and helping pupils to develop their reasoning skills. Teachers help pupils to tackle number problems by teaching them a range of ways to reach an answer. This builds pupils’ confidence in their number skills and in how to check their own answers. For example, during the inspection, pupils in Years 1 and 2 showed a good understanding of how to use inverse operations to check the accuracy of their work. Teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to practise their mathematical skills across the curriculum.
• The thematic approach to the curriculum provides pupils with the opportunity to write in a range of styles, such as ‘super hero’ writing. Engaging and motivating boys to write has been a key area of focus. Handwriting is rapidly improving with the introduction of a cursive style in the early years. This is being consistently applied and evident in all books.
• In some classes, teachers use assessment effectively to differentiate activities to meet the needs of all groups of pupils. As a result, pupils are engaged, focused and make good progress. This is not consistent throughout the school, however. Some pupils, and particularly the more able and disadvantaged pupils, are not always making enough progress.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are taught to respect each other and their environment. The majority of pupils show pride in their school and know it is important to treat all people equally.
• There has been a significant focus on developing pupil’s ‘growth mindset’ and a ‘can do’ attitude. Pupils understand that to be a successful learner you need to make mistakes and keep trying.
• Pupils know how to stay safe and can explain the steps taken to look after themselves in a variety of situations. The new anti-bullying initiative is supporting pupils in gaining a good understanding of what constitutes bullying.
• Leaders promote healthy lifestyles effectively. Pupils explained to inspectors how to stay healthy by eating well and exercising regularly. Investment in a specialist sports coach, training with the local football team and a visit from the ‘Life Education Bus’ provide pupils with several experiences to support their health and well-being.
• The emotional growth and mental well-being of the community is a high priority for leaders. Pupils empathise with others and engage and play well together. There is a strong ethos of friendship and tolerance. Pupils enjoy their playground roles as ‘playtime pals’. They enjoy taking responsibility as representatives on the school council or the eco committee.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are courteous and well mannered. Their conduct is good at different times of the school day and around school. The majority of pupils respond quickly and accurately to adults’ instructions.
• Pupils are proud of their school. They show respect and consideration for others. They enjoy receiving rewards and understand the sanctions should they choose to misbehave.
• Pupils are keen to concentrate on their work. They are motivated by the ‘quiet critters’ on their tables to help reduce noise levels. Their attitudes to learning are mostly good and staff are consistent in supporting pupils to behave well. Positive working relationships between teachers and pupils mean that pupils want to do well. Pupils enjoy gaining stickers in recognition of the good choices they have made in work and play.
• Attendance is good. Leaders work well with parents to tackle any issues relating to absence. Governors deal actively with individual cases of significant absence. As a result, all groups of pupils attend well.
• The significant majority of parents consider that behaviour is good and that staff are supportive in helping pupils resolve disputes. The nurturing environment ensures that pupils make rapid progress from their starting points in the Nursery in managing their own behaviour.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standard in the phonics screening check in Year 1 has improved over the last three years. In 2017, although below the national average, 71% of pupils passed the check. This represents good progress from their entry to school. Staff give disadvantaged pupils additional help to ensure that they make rapid progress. Changes to the teaching of phonics and increased knowledge among parents are securing rapid progress with all the current pupils in Year 1.
• There has been a steady increase over a three-year period in the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard at the end of key stage 1. In 2017, pupils in Year 2, including disadvantaged pupils, achieved results in line with national expectations. These figures represent good progress from very low starting points. Current assessments show that these gains have been sustained. Larger proportions of pupils are on track to reach the expected standard and the higher standard. This is a positive step forward for the school.
• Work in their books shows that pupils make good gains in their knowledge and understanding. They develop their skills effectively. Staff help them to overcome barriers to learning so that they leave the school prepared for the next stage in their education.
• Work in pupils’ books is presented neatly. It shows good development in skills and secure gains in knowledge and understanding. For example, over time, pupils improve their ability to write in correctly punctuated sentences, use adventurous vocabulary to describe characters, and apply numeracy and reasoning skills to solve problems.
• In the strongest practice, well-planned work builds effectively on pupils’ prior learning. This ensures that pupils make rapid gains in their knowledge and understanding. Generally, pupils have a solid understanding of their learning, enjoy their lessons and make good progress throughout the year.
• Teachers and teaching assistants ask questions skilfully to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding. They check on pupils’ learning throughout lessons. This helps to deal with any misunderstandings quickly.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities typically make good progress because of the targeted support they receive during the day.
• The introduction of the ‘challenge curriculum’ has breathed new life into the learning environment. The themes appeal to the pupils and provide them with opportunities to broaden their knowledge and understanding across a range of subjects.

Early years provision Good

• The majority of children enter the school with levels of development well below those typically seen. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year has increased over the last three years. Current assessments indicate that children are on track to match national expectations at the end of the academic year. This shows good progress from their starting points.
• Staff work cohesively across Nursery and Reception classes to develop communication and language skills. They also support children in managing their feelings and behaviour. Staff put significant effort into helping children to understand their feelings and develop a ‘can do’ rather than a defeatist attitude. Staff model vocabulary well and demonstrate appropriate behaviour, such as sharing, waiting in turn and having a go at a task.
• Staff assess children’s language on entry. Teachers and parents value the immediate involvement of the speech and language therapist to provide expert advice on developing speech. Most children make good progress from their starting points in language.
• Warm and trusting relationships between children and adults ensure that children are motivated and are happy to engage in their learning. They settle quickly to tasks. Many are able to focus on activities such as reading and model-making for sustained periods. Behaviour is good.
• Children are confident to engage with visiting adults and involve them in their games, read to them and engage in conversation. They are curious and respond well when adults interact with them to develop their thinking and understanding.
• Adults match activities to the needs of children. During the inspection, for example, some children in the Reception class were learning how to use a ruler to measure their beanstalk, while others were counting the height in bricks.
• Funding to support the learning of disadvantaged children is well used. Their progress is similar to or faster than that of their classmates.
• Children are taught their letter sounds in a systematic way using a combination of visual and symbol clues. By the end of the Reception Year, strong gains can be seen in writing, with some children writing in accurately structured sentences.
• The well-established early years leader has a good understanding of how young children learn. She aspires to provide the very best for all children, including greater challenge for the most able children. The leader has not, however, had sufficient opportunities to visit other settings and work collaboratively with practitioners to broaden her skills. In particular, the outside area is a valuable resource but currently underused.
• The school has good links with parents and other settings. Staff encourage parents to contribute to their child’s profile by completing ‘wow’ moments. The leader recognises that an education programme with families in the Reception Year starts too late to support children in the Nursery.

School details

Unique reference number 122452 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 10041592 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Infant School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 to 7 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 196 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Principal Telephone number Website Email address David Randall Zoe Anderson 01623 465 588 www.johntrice.notts.sch.uk/ office@johntrice.notts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 17–18 December 2013

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than the average-sized school of this type.
• The large majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is well below the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed teaching in all year groups, including joint observations with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. They observed the teaching of reading and listened to pupils reading. The inspectors talked with pupils about their school and looked at examples of pupils’ work.
• The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, middle leaders, governors, including the chair of the governing body, and spoke with a representative of the local authority.
• The inspectors spoke with parents informally at the start of the school day. The inspectors also considered 43 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. There were no current comments on the free-text part of the survey. The school was not able to access Ofsted’s survey of staff and pupils.
• The inspectors looked at a range of documents, including the school’s evaluation of its current performance and its plans for improvement; the school’s most recent information on the attainment and progress of pupils; information relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance; and minutes from a number of meetings of the governing body.

Inspection team

Kate Nash, lead inspector Jane Moore

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector