Rake CofE Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 24–25 January 2012 Inspection number 381166 Rake C of E Primary School Inspection report

p.1

Unique reference number 125989 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 381166 Inspection dates 24–25 January 2012 Lead inspector Eileen Chadwick

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 74 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Elizabeth Brown Headteacher David Bertwistle Date of previous school inspection 14 October 2008 School address London Road Rake Liss GU33 7JH Telephone number 01730 892126 Fax number 01730 894860 Email address office@rake.w-sussex.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

p.1

after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.2

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

p.2

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.2

Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspector spent five hours observing teaching, which included visiting nine lessons and observing five teachers. The inspector heard samples of pupils’ reading in Years 1, 2 and 6 and held meetings with pupils. Meetings were also held with the Chair of the Governing Body and staff. The inspector took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at documentation including policies, the school improvement plan, pupils’ work and records of their learning and progress. The inspector analysed 57 completed questionnaires from parents and carers.

p.3

Information about the school

This primary school is below average in size and draws its pupils from the local rural community and further afield. Most pupils are White British although a few, of Eastern European heritage, are at early stages of learning English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is average. The percentage of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average. The Early Years Foundation Stage children are taught in a single-age Reception class while all other classes contain pupils from two year groups.

p.3

Information about the school

The headteacher took up post two years ago. Most teachers have joined the school since then and the number of pupils on roll has increased by 65%. The number of pupils who join the school other than at the normal times is high, particularly for the current Year 6, where most pupils joined the school in Key Stage 2. Cohort sizes vary between 15 and six. Refurbishment of the building has recently been completed. The school meets the government’s floor targets for academic performance. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.3

Key findings

 This is a good school where pupils achieve well. It is on a journey of sustained improvement and has many strengths with a few areas in need of improvement.  Good progress leads to pupils’ average attainment by Year 6 although, at higher levels, pupils’ individual attainment is not always the same in reading, writing and mathematics. Most pupils are competent writers although their spelling and punctuation are not always accurate. A few pupils do not quickly recall multiplication facts.  Children settle well in Reception and get off to a good start. Good progress continues so that attainment at the end of Year 2 is above average in reading, writing and mathematics and still rising steadily.  The school is vigilant in helping pupils from all backgrounds to do well. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. Later entrants to the school also do well because they are quickly helped to

p.4

Key findings

adjust. There are robust procedures for helping pupils to catch up.  Teaching is good overall. Good teaching of reading enables pupils to make good progress in this subject. However, when demonstrating writing, teachers do not consistently involve pupils in spelling out words. Work in a small minority of lessons is not always matched sufficiently to pupils’ abilities.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They are very well cared for and are kept and feel very safe. Attendance is average and has improved considerably. The curriculum engages pupils and supports their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.  The headteacher gives strong leadership and is well supported by staff and governors. Leaders have tackled the issues from the previous inspection well and attainment at the end of Year 2 has risen. Parents and carers are delighted with the school and their children’s progress. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

p.4

Key findings

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.5

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the proportions reaching the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics by December 2012 by:  rigorously monitoring individual pupils’ performance to ensure attainment is more even between reading, writing and mathematics  strengthening pupils’ spelling, punctuation and mental arithmetic skills by addressing any gaps in their knowledge of multiplication facts.  Build on current good teaching and pupils’ good learning and progress by July 2012, by:  refining the use of assessment in the few situations where work is not consistently matched to all pupils’ abilities, including in phonics  ensuring pupils are always given good opportunities to apply their phonics skills to spell words during writing lessons.

p.5

Achievement of pupils

Pupils achieve well. On entry to the Early Years Foundation Stage, children’s starting points are in line with age-related expectations. Good progress in Reception lifts their attainment. Attainment on entry to Year 1 has risen in recent years and is now above average. Good progress continues and pupils’ attainment is above average in reading, writing and mathematics by Year 2. This is built upon well in Key Stage 2 but larger proportions are reaching higher levels in younger classes than do so in Year 6. Although Year 6 pupils’ attainment is average in reading, writing and mathematics, this represents good progress from their below average starting points into Key Stage 2. This includes the many later entrants who join the school with gaps in their knowledge and skills. Well-focused, individual support for later entrants, disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and those learning English

p.5

Achievement of pupils

as an additional language promotes their good progress. Pupils’ individual attainment at higher levels is not always even between reading, writing and mathematics. Occasional spelling and punctuation weaknesses and pupils’ relatively slower recall of multiplication facts prevent attainment rising more quickly. Pupils’ communication skills develop well and, by Key Stage 2, many are articulate and confident speakers.

p.5

Achievement of pupils

Pupils make good progress overall in phonics (knowledge of letters and their sounds), and in applying these skills to reading. In the lessons observed, it was evident that by Year 2, the majority read confidently and fluently, enjoy factual and fictional books and write neatly for a range of purposes. In Reception, staff seize opportunities to develop children’s interest in reading and writing. For example, children created pictures of signs and used their phonics skills well to write simple instructions to control traffic, following purposeful outdoor play with wheeled vehicles and simple traffic signs. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.5

Achievement of pupils

In Key Stage 2, focused reading, writing and mathematics activities enable pupils to develop and apply their skills well. For example, this was seen in Years 3 and 4 when pupils used reference books to research facts about mini-beasts’ habitats. Very regular individual reading practice in school ensures lower attaining pupils achieve well. However, in Reception and Years 1, 2 and 3, pupils’ progress in phonics occasionally slows when activities are too hard for lower-attaining pupils or pupils are not given enough opportunities to spell out words. The vast majority of parents and carers agree that their children make good progress and say they would recommend this school to other parents.

p.6

Quality of teaching

Teaching capitalises on pupils’ interests and practical learning opportunities underpin academic work. Relationships are excellent and teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well. The school’s rewards and sanctions policies are clear to pupils and used consistently. Throughout the school, information and communication technology (ICT) is used well to help pupils learn. The attractive and well-organised environment makes a strong contribution to pupils’ learning. The broad curriculum focuses on the basic skills and is well planned to promote good progress and over time. Interesting reading texts support pupils’ learning in literacy. This was seen in a good lesson in Years 1 and 2 when, after reading and discussing dragon stories linked with the Chinese New Year topic, pupils wrote stories about dragons. Working in ability groups, pupils made good progress in applying their phonics skills when spelling words. Staff encouraged pupils towards independence by encouraging them to use

p.6

Quality of teaching

phonics to spell out words. They prompted younger pupils to use sounds and letter cards if they needed to clarify how to write a particular sound. The curriculum is well designed to support both academic and personal skills and effectively extends pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, including pupils’ knowledge of the world.

p.6

Quality of teaching

The accuracy of assessment has been strengthened and lessons are usually well matched to pupils’ prior attainment. This was seen in a good mathematics lesson in Years 5 and 6 when pupils, after exploring properties of three-dimensional shapes, searched for patterns. The teacher’s clear use of National Curriculum levels when planning helped to promote well-matched work for the range of abilities. More- capable pupils were given consistent opportunities to learn at higher levels and made good progress as they applied their more advanced understanding of angles to problems. In a few lessons, assessment was not consistently used to plan work to the range of pupils’ abilities, including more-able pupils. The setting of targets and marking of pupils’ work are developing well. Teachers provide constructive comments although, occasionally, there is not enough advice on how to improve. Almost all parents feel the teaching is good. Some parents and carers of pupils who were later

p.6

Quality of teaching

entrants wrote to say how very pleased they are with the way in which their children had settled and were progressing. The inspection findings agree with these views. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.6

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Parents and carers are rightly pleased with pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to school. Pupils and staff also say that pupils behave well in the playground and in lessons. The inspection findings echo these views. There is a delightful atmosphere in lessons, at lunch and at playtimes. The school is a very harmonious community where pupils of all backgrounds work and play together. Pupils who have been in school from Reception through to Year 6 are adamant that the school has always been a happy and safe place to be. Pupils develop a maturity and confidence in their own abilities and they are courteous and friendly. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage learn to take some responsibility for managing their own learning, often sustaining concentration well when working and playing individually and in small groups. By Years 5 and 6, pupils are very attentive and have developed good teamwork skills. They successfully take some responsibility for their own learning.

p.7

Behaviour and safety of pupils

For example, after reading the book ‘The Vanishing Forest’ they acted out the feelings of characters as they explored ‘the forest’.

p.7

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ well-established understanding of right from wrong is developed strongly through staff’s consistent approach to behaviour management. Several later entrants and their parents told the inspector how much they love this school and that both their attendance and progress had greatly improved since they transferred. The inspection finds poor behaviour is very rare because pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties are helped very well and learn to adjust to school. However, occasionally when lesson introductions do not fully meet their needs, pupils’ concentration wanes and they become fidgety. Pupils enjoy the playground and say they feel very safe and know how to keep themselves safe. Pupils understand the different sorts of bullying and how to prevent it. They say there is no bullying and that they trust adults to deal with any that might occur. Punctuality and attendance have much improved in the past year. Both pupils and parents are clear about

p.7

Behaviour and safety of pupils

attendance targets and pupils’ attendance is now average and still improving.

p.7

Leadership and management

The headteacher has introduced clear systems and structures for managing the school. These include robust school self-evaluation and monitoring systems with a strong focus on improving teaching. Analysis of pupils’ attainment and progress involves all teaching staff. Much has been done to improve the accuracy of teachers’ assessments so that staff play a full part in raising achievement. Middle leaders are being trained and empowered to play a full part in raising achievement. Governors have worked hard to secure substantial improvements to the building and ensure that the premises are very well maintained. In recent years, they have developed their skills in evaluating pupils’ achievements and are now able to support and challenge the school in equal measure. The good curriculum focuses on the basic skills and a rich array of practical activities during and after-school bring learning alive. Thoroughly planned opportunities support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and

p.7

Leadership and management

cultural development well. The school has improved well since its previous inspection Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.7

Leadership and management

and pupils’ achievement and teaching are better. The school is vigilant in tackling discrimination and promotes equality of opportunity well although it recognises that further work is required to raise attainment at higher levels. The school engages very well with parents and carers who are rightly very pleased with the ways in which leaders and staff are improving the school and create a nurturing atmosphere. There is a strong focus on keeping safe and safeguarding arrangements are good. This is affirmed by the high degree of endorsement from parents in the questionnaires returned. The school has a good capacity to continue to improve.

p.8

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

p.9

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

p.9

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

p.9

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

p.10

Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

p.10

Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

p.10

Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

p.10

Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

p.10

Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

p.10

Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

p.10

Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

p.10

Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

p.10

Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

p.10

carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

p.11

Inspection of Rake C of E Primary School, Liss GU33 7JH

Thank you very much for welcoming me to your school. I enjoyed talking with you and your teachers. This letter is to tell you what I found out about your school.

p.11

Inspection of Rake C of E Primary School, Liss GU33 7JH

You need to know your school is a good one. Here are some of the many things your school does well.  You make good progress as a result of good teaching.  Those of you in Reception get off to a good start and enjoy all of the activities.  You help to make your school a very friendly place because you are polite, helpful and behave well.  You are very welcoming to newcomers and those of you who were later arrivals told me how much you enjoyed coming to this school.  You have many interesting opportunities for using computers, and you told me how you enjoyed your topic work.  Your headteacher leads you all well and all the staff and governors think very carefully about what is best for you.  Staff take very good care of you. You told me you that get extra help if you need it so you can learn new things as quickly as possible and I agree.

p.11

Inspection of Rake C of E Primary School, Liss GU33 7JH

This is what I am asking your school to do to improve.  Make sure all of you do equally well in reading, writing and mathematics.  Help some of you to improve your mental arithmetic, spelling and punctuation.  Help your teachers to always plan activities for you that build on what you already know.

p.11

Inspection of Rake C of E Primary School, Liss GU33 7JH

Well done to those of you who have improved your attendance! Please keep this up! We hope all of you will continue to enjoy school and carry on working hard in all you do – including improving your mental arithmetic, spelling and punctuation.

p.11

Inspection of Rake C of E Primary School, Liss GU33 7JH

Eileen Chadwick Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.11