Setting

PROTECT-INSPECTION

September 2010 PROTECT-INSPECTION Page 1 5 May 2011

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PROTECT-INSPECTION

Miss Lorraine Oldale Wix and Wrabness Primary School Colchester Road Wix CO11 2RS

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Wrabness Primary School

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 4 May 2011, for the time you gave to our phone discussions and for the information which you provided before and during the inspection. Discussions with staff, members of the governing body, the pupils, a small group of parents and the representative from the local authority were also very helpful in evaluating the progress the school has made. Please pass on my thanks to all concerned for the time they gave to talk to me and for the welcome I received.

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Wrabness Primary School

Since the last inspection, one teacher has left the school and the number of classes has reduced to three. New governors have been appointed and the school now has a growing roll. All pupils are taught in mixed-age classes. The temporary appointment of a Well-Being Mentor has been made permanent.

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Wrabness Primary School

As a result of the inspection on 9 March 2010, the school was asked to address the most important areas for improvement which are set out in the annex to this letter.

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Wrabness Primary School

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time the school has made:

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Wrabness Primary School

satisfactory progress in making improvements.

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Wrabness Primary School

good progress in demonstrating a better capacity for sustained improvement. Serco Inspections Cedar House 21 William Street Edgbaston Birmingham B15 1LH Ofsted T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Serco Direct T 0121 683 3888

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September 2010 PROTECT-INSPECTION Page 2 Attainment in mathematics and English at Key Stage 2 fell in 2010 and was significantly below average overall. In response to these low standards the leadership team, supported by the local authority, implemented a range of strategies to raise standards and improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. Systematic and accurate tracking indicates that the majority of pupils are now making good progress and their attainment is improving rapidly particularly in mathematics and English. The impact of the leaders’ work is in these areas is significant and demonstrates improved capacity for improvement. Pupils have increased opportunities to apply their mathematical skills in other areas, particularly in science.

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Teaching is improving as a result of regular monitoring, developmental feedback and individual targets for teachers. Better planning ensures that metal maths sessions are sharper and focused on securing key number facts. Whole-school training for staff on how to meet the needs of individual learners is supporting the progress of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. In the best lessons all pupils are engaged in activities which support and challenge their learning. In a minority of lessons, though, learning slows because assessment data is not used accurately enough to provide activities which meet pupils’ varying needs. Consequently, they are not clear about what they need to do or how well they are doing.

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The curriculum is well planned to ensure suitable coverage across the school linked to the progressive development of pupils’ key skills and knowledge. The school is developing whole-school themes with engaging starting points which excite the interest of all pupils, particularly the boys. Pupils say they enjoy learning in this way and would like more opportunities to decide what they are going to learn in their topics.

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Behaviour is improving. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is good and they are keen to learn, hence attendance is high. Some pupils are concerned about incidents of poor behaviour, particularly at lunchtimes, and feel that better provision of playground games and equipment would help. Despite this, pupils say they feel safe at school and that bullying is rare.

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The enthusiastic leadership of the headteacher is driving improvement at a rapid pace. She is clear about the strengths and weaknesses of the school and communicates this well to the school community.

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Members of the governing body are aware of the challenges the school faces and know that standards have needed to improve. The governing body is beginning to challenge the school’s work but is not routinely comparing achievement against national standards or reviewing independent data. Thorough safeguarding records are routinely and accurately checked.

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September 2010 PROTECT-INSPECTION Page 3 Progress in improving attainment in science has been limited because the school has focused its efforts on improving achievement in mathematics and English. An enthusiastic co-ordinator has been appointed and trained and is in the process of developing and implementing improvement plans. Teachers are planning opportunities for pupils to carryout scientific investigations more often and most pupils are making at least satisfactory progress in science.

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The school plans to make links with schools in contrasting areas of the UK and beyond but this work is at an early stage. The school has made little progress in this area or improvement because of the need to address weak teaching and low standards.

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The local authority has provided satisfactory support which has contributed to improvements in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. Their support is now focused on building the school’s capacity for sustained improvement by strengthening the role of all subject leaders. The impact of this work can be seen in the strong leadership of literacy.

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I hope that you have found the inspection helpful in promoting improvement in your school. This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website.

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September 2010 PROTECT-INSPECTION Page 4

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place in March 2010

 Improve pupils' rates of progress and levels of attainment in mathematics by:  sharpening up mental sessions in mathematics lessons  using numeracy more extensively in different subjects

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place in March 2010

 Increase attainment in science by Year 6 through:  providing more opportunities for pupils to plan their own investigations  making better use of mathematics to record results and draw conclusions.

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place in March 2010

 Enable the pupils to have a better understanding of diversity in belief and culture in the United Kingdom and globally by linking up more directly with areas different in character to that of the school.

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