Barningham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Age group 4–9 Inspection date(s) 2–3 February 2012 Inspection number 380958 Barningham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 124689 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 380958 Inspection dates 2–3 February 2012 Lead inspector Cheryl Thompson

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

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–9 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 67 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Elizabeth Hall Headteacher Frances Parr Date of previous school inspection 20 September 2006 School address Church Road Barningham Bury St Edmunds IP31 1DD Telephone number 01359 221297 Fax number 01359 221297 Email address ad.barningham.p@talk21.com Inspection report: Barningham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2–3 February 2012 2 of 12

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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 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

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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’.

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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.

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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 Inspection report: Barningham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2–3 February 2012 3 of 12

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspector observed six lessons taught by three teachers. The work of teaching assistants teaching individuals and groups of pupils was also observed. The inspector heard a number of pupils read in each class except the Reception class. Meetings were held with staff, members of the governing body and groups of pupils. The inspector took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at school evaluation documents, safeguarding documentation, data on pupils’ progress and development planning. Responses from questionnaires completed by 47 parents and carers were analysed, as well as those from pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

This school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school and serves the village and surrounding area. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below average. The school has three classes: Reception; Years 1 and 2; and Years 3 and 4. There are increasing numbers of pupils joining the school part-way through their primary education.

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Information about the school

Since the last inspection the school has been through an unsettled period with a considerable turnover of headteachers.

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Information about the school

Consultations have taken place in regard to reorganisation of schools in the area. If the local authority plans proceed, this school will be changing its status to an all- through primary to cater for pupils from Reception to Year 6 in September 2013.The school has attained Healthy Schools status, the Activemark award for high quality provision in physical education and the Bronze Eco-schools award.

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Information about the school

The school provides the ‘Early Risers’ breakfast club each school morning. Inspection report: Barningham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2–3 February 2012 4 of 12

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Information about the school

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

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Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school. Since the appointment of the current headteacher, the school has entered a period of stability and standards of attainment are rising.  Pupils enjoy school; their attendance is above average. Parents and carers appreciate how the school helps them support their children’s learning. They contribute significantly to the progress their children make in reading and in research tasks for homework.  The headteacher and governing body have a clear picture of what needs to be done to improve the school, especially in increasing the rate of pupils’ progress further. Monitoring of teaching is sometimes not rigorous enough.  Children in the small Reception class settle quickly into school and make particularly good progress in developing early literacy and numeracy skills.  Pupils’ attainment is above average by the end of Year 2 and above national expectations by Year 4 and their achievement is satisfactory. Standards of

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Key findings

pupils’ handwriting and presentation of their work do not fully reflect their abilities.  The breakfast club is appreciated by parents and carers and thoroughly enjoyed by pupils.  Teaching is satisfactory with good teaching for Reception children. On occasions, teachers give teaching assistants too large a group of pupils to teach and do not provide them with explicit directions as to what it is pupils are expected to learn. During the daily phonic (letter-sound/spelling) sessions, groups taught by teaching assistants do not always make sufficient progress.  Provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is satisfactory. Pupils’ behaviour in and around the school is good. They are positive about learning and interested in the tasks set them. They are very confident that they are safe in school and there is no bullying.

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Key findings

Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection. Inspection report: Barningham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2–3 February 2012 5 of 12

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Key findings

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

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and the use of assessment to a consistently good level in order to accelerate pupils’ progress by:  ensuring lesson planning takes full note of what pupils already know and has explicit objectives for what it is each group of pupils is expected to have learned by the end of the lesson  making effective use of teaching assistants by giving them precise instruction about what and how pupils are expected to learn  teaching an agreed style of handwriting and providing pupils with regular time to practise this  setting higher expectations for presentation of work throughout the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leaders and managers, including the governing body, in driving improvement by:  sharpening the school’s monitoring of the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning so that it is regular and rigorous  using the outcomes of monitoring to focus support, training and challenge for individual staff  setting timescales for improvement so that the governing body can hold the school to account for progress towards these targets.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of the daily phonic lessons to a good level by:  keeping groups to a manageable size, especially those taught by teaching assistants  providing specific training for teaching assistants to improve their knowledge and understanding of how to teach phonics correctly  monitoring pupils’ learning in these lessons rigorously and regularly.

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Achievement of pupils

Parents and carers are correct in their view that their children develop good skills in communication, reading, writing and mathematics and achieve satisfactorily. The school’s unsettled past few years have had a significant impact on pupils’ attainment and progress. From the school’s usual pattern of above average attainment at the end of Year 2, attainment dropped to broadly average for two years before rising to significantly above average in 2011 as a result of changes introduced by the current headteacher.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils’ work and teachers’ assessments indicate that Year 2 pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is above average and that Year 4 pupils’ Inspection report: Barningham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2–3 February 2012 6 of 12

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Achievement of pupils

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

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Achievement of pupils

attainment is above that expected for their age, especially in reading. Scrutiny of pupils’ work, hearing pupils read and lessons observed, show that in the main, they are making satisfactory progress in all areas of their work.

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Achievement of pupils

In most years, children start their Reception year with skills and aptitudes that are generally above those expected for their age. Good teaching in this small class ensures children make good progress in developing early literacy and numeracy skills. Almost all can use letter sounds to spell and read simple words such as ‘tin’ and ‘hat’ with over half knowing and able to use sounds such as ‘th’, ‘ch’ and ‘sh’ to help them read and spell. All can easily name shapes such as squares, circles and triangles and have made an excellent start on naming 3-D shapes such as cuboids and prisms. When planning the moves for their programmable ‘beetles’ they count accurately.

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Achievement of pupils

Year 1 and 2 pupils enjoy reading and almost all can apply their knowledge of how to blend letter-sounds together to help them read unknown words. Year 4 pupils have favourite authors and characters in stories. They are enjoying the class focus on poetry and use adjectives, similes and metaphors to good effect when writing their dinosaur poems. Pupils’ reading diaries indicate that most parents and carers support their child’s progress by hearing them read regularly at home.

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Achievement of pupils

Across the school, pupils with special educational needs are identified and appropriate support provided. The great majority achieve satisfactorily. There are no gaps in the performance of different groups of pupils within the school; all groups are making satisfactory progress from their starting points, including those known to be eligible for free school meals. Pupils new to the school are provided with appropriate work and make satisfactory progress.

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Quality of teaching

Almost all parents and carers agree that their children are taught well. Inspectors found that this is the case in the Reception class, but in Years 1 to 4 teaching is satisfactory. Pupils say they like their teachers and think they make them work hard. There are good relationships in all classes. Teaching has a positive impact on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, pupils work together to agree their class ‘Golden Rules’ and have a good understanding of the rules needed for a harmonious community. When working with ‘talk partners’ they listen well to each other and respect each other’s ideas. Pupils are known very well and are very confident that their ideas and contributions to discussions are valued.

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Quality of teaching

In the small Reception class, good teaching contributes significantly to children’s good progress. Planning is detailed and almost at an individual level to cater for children of all abilities and stages of social and emotional development. For example, the teacher asks questions at the right level to challenge individuals and devises situations where particularly shy individuals can practise speaking to a small group.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching in the other two classes is satisfactory. A strength is the teachers’ Inspection report: Barningham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2–3 February 2012 7 of 12

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Quality of teaching

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

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Quality of teaching

adherence to the school’s marking policy. Pupils’ work is always marked and usually a comment made on how to improve their work further. However, teachers tend to accept poorly presented work and do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to practise a joined and legible style of handwriting. The impact of the planned curriculum for the class age and ability range, though satisfactory, is not precise enough to secure good progress. For example, teachers do not routinely provide explicit guidance for teaching assistants about what focused questioning to use or what key vocabulary to explain and reinforce. Neither do teachers and teaching assistants always make checks on pupils’ understanding during lessons so that they can adjust the level of challenge or address misconceptions.

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Quality of teaching

Each day, there is a lesson in phonics where pupils from all classes are grouped according to their stage of learning in how to use letter-sounds to spell and read. Teaching in these sessions is variable. Groups taught by teachers, in the main, receive good, precise teaching so that pupils make good progress in developing their spelling and reading skills. Pupils in Year 1 at the early stages of using letter-sounds work effectively with the Reception children and their teacher and also make good progress. However, groups taught by teaching assistants are often too big and in the wrong location to be taught effectively. Teaching assistants do not always have sufficient expertise to help pupils enunciate sounds correctly and do not always set the highest expectations for pupils to listen carefully and work hard. Consequently, pupils in these groups do not always make the progress of which they are capable.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils like coming to school; their attendance is above average. Almost all parents and carers and pupils think behaviour is good. Pupils say they feel safe in school and are confident that there is no bullying. They know that, should they have concerns, their teachers would help them. For their ages, pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Almost all parents and carers feel the school looks after their children well. The school is quick to respond to any concerns raised by parents and carers, pupils or teachers. Pupils new to the school say that they have been welcomed and helped to settle in quickly because staff and pupils are friendly. Pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons is good. Behaviour in assemblies and at dinner times is excellent so that dinner times are friendly and sociable occasions. In lessons, pupils respect the opinions of others and work together

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

sensibly. Older pupils are very well mannered and good ambassadors for their school. The school council is active within the school and members enjoy the responsibility of gathering views regarding the choice of school topic.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher has high aspirations for the school’s future and for developing further the good links established with parents and carers and the local community. She has given staff a good understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement in the school’s provision. This clear understanding is also shared by the governing body. School improvement planning is being adapted as a result although Inspection report: Barningham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2–3 February 2012 8 of 12

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Leadership and management

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

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Leadership and management

not all areas have measurable success criteria. The two senior teachers have recently taken on new subject leadership roles and are at the early stages of developing their monitoring roles. The headteacher is introducing new systems and raising expectations for improved achievement. For example, the setting of challenging targets for their attainment has improved the progress of more-able and gifted and talented pupils. The stability the new headteacher has brought to the school and progress to date on key priorities show that it has the capacity for further improvement.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum meets pupils’ needs satisfactorily and is enhanced by the whole school sharing the same topic, such as dinosaurs. Consequently, resources, trips and staff expertise are shared and pupils of all ages like discussing their work. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well in assemblies where pupils are encouraged to reflect on personal qualities such as kindness and perseverance.

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Leadership and management

The governing body is supportive and uses its wide range of individual expertise to benefit the school. The introduction of the school’s high quality website provides parents and carers with very good information about the work of the governing body and the work their children are doing at school and how they can help with this. The school tackles discrimination robustly and equality of opportunity is promoted satisfactorily, for example, the attainment and progress of different groups of pupils, such as gifted and talented pupils, are tracked effectively to ensure they have equality of provision. The governing body ensures the school meets statutory requirements. Governors are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and make sure safeguarding systems follow recommended good practice. Inspection report: Barningham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2–3 February 2012 9 of 12

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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.

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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

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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.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Inspection report: Barningham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2–3 February 2012 10 of 12

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Common terminology used by inspectors

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

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Common terminology used by inspectors

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. Inspection report: Barningham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2–3 February 2012 11 of 12

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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School, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 1DD

Thank you for welcoming me to your school and for sharing your thoughts and ideas. This helped me to decide that your school is providing you with a satisfactory education. These are some of its strengths.

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School, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 1DD

 You say you enjoy school and feel happy and safe.  You make satisfactory progress in your learning and attain above average standards in your reading, writing and mathematics.  You enjoy your trips.  Your headteacher and governing body know what needs to be done next to help improve your education.  Those of you who attend the ‘Early Risers’ think it is great fun.  Children in the Reception class get off to a good start in their education.

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School, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 1DD

There are some key areas where the school can improve.

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School, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 1DD

 I have asked your teachers to make sure that when they organise your group work, they make sure that the teaching assistants helping you have very clear instructions so that they can help you make good progress.  I have asked senior leaders to check on your lessons regularly to make sure that teaching is always at least good and that your teachers set high expectations for you to present your work carefully and practise your handwriting.  I have asked your headteacher to check regularly on how well you are doing in your phonics lessons, and to make sure that your groups are not too big.

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School, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 1DD

You can all help your school to improve further. Please will you always try to present your work to the best of your ability and practise your handwriting so that you develop a good style.

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School, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 1DD

Cheryl Thompson Lead inspector Inspection report: Barningham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2–3 February 2012 12 of 12

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School, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 1DD

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 .

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