Bembridge Church of England Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 4–5 October 2011 Inspection number 379559 Bembridge Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 118181 Local Authority Isle of Wight Inspection number 379559 Inspection dates 4–5 October 2011 Reporting inspector Diane Wilkinson

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 194 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alan Morris Headteacher Tina Baker Date of previous school inspection March 2007 School address Steyne Road Bembridge Isle of Wight PO35 5UH Telephone number 01983 872668 Fax number 01983 873976 Email address bembridge.cep@tiscali.co.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

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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’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. The inspectors visited 17 lessons and observed 10 teachers. They held meetings with members of the governing body, staff and pupils; a small number of parents and carers bringing their children to school were also spoken to. Inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at analyses of pupils’ progress, records of governing body meetings, development planning and monitoring, local authority reports, a range of policies and procedures including those associated with safeguarding, curriculum planning documents and a sample of pupils’ work. They also scrutinised questionnaires returned by 69 parents and carers, 100 pupils and 12 staff.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 The quality of intervention programmes and the support and guidance provided for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and the lower attainers.

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Introduction

 The effectiveness of provision for pupils in Years 5 and 6.

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Introduction

 How effectively provision is adapted to meet the differing needs and interests of boys and girls.

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Information about the school

Bembridge Church of England Primary is a small primary school. Over the past two years, due to reorganisation, the school has expanded to admit pupils in Years 5 and 6. There have only been Year 6 pupils in the school since September 2011. The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage and almost none speaks English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is well below average. These mainly relate to moderate learning needs and the autistic spectrum. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The school holds Healthy School status and has been awarded the Activemark and Sportsmark. Windmills, the pre-school setting on site, also provides after-school care for pupils. It is run by a private provider and was not inspected by this inspection team. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Information about the school

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

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Main findings

Bembridge Church of England Primary is an outstanding school. Staff are extremely skilled at engaging pupils, and encouraging them to work hard and develop excellent attitudes to learning. Consequently, throughout the school, pupils’ achievement is excellent and attainment is much higher than that seen nationally.

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Main findings

The reason for the school’s success is firmly based on outstanding leadership and management at all levels and the excellent challenge and support provided by the governing body. Self-evaluation is continuous and very rigorous. The school sets itself exceptionally high targets, being determined that all pupils, whatever their needs or difficulties, will be given the very best chance to reach the levels expected for their age with as many pupils as possible exceeding them. Strengths such as these have led to the school making outstanding progress since its last inspection and give confidence that it is in an excellent position to maintain its high quality provision and outcomes.

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Main findings

Staff and the governing body have made outstanding arrangements to extend provision to include Years 5 and 6 pupils, appointing highly skilled staff and developing a curriculum that meets pupils’ needs and interests exceptionally well. Re- organisation issues have raised some difficulties, especially with regard to the accommodation and resources for older pupils and those in Reception. The school works determinedly to ensure that this does not limit pupils’ learning and continues to seek ways to address such issues. From Reception to Year 6, very high quality teaching and learning are evident, especially in the challenging activities provided which meet the needs of both boys and girls, and pupils working at different levels, especially well. Marking provides pupils with excellent advice on how to reach their targets. The assessment and tracking of their progress are very regular and accurate, ensuring staff can intervene very quickly with special programmes to help pupils

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Main findings

whose progress has slowed to catch up. This enables pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who speak English as an additional language and the lower attainers to achieve as well as their classmates.

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Main findings

Underpinned by its close association with the church, the school’s excellent ethos ensures the provision for pupils’ personal development is outstanding. Their behaviour is excellent and pupils are very reflective, considerate, friendly and mature young people who are prepared especially well for their future education and employment. Pupils are extremely well cared for and safeguarding arrangements are rigorous. Outstanding links with the adjacent and other pre-schools, and very 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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Main findings

effective induction procedures help Reception children to settle and start learning new things very quickly. The excellent partnerships the school has forged with parents and carers and other schools and agencies help ensure that the needs of individual pupils are met exceptionally well. This is of especial benefit to the pupils most at risk of underachieving, and pupils’ health and enjoyment are promoted exceptionally well through the wealth of sports activities on offer.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Take further steps to ensure that resources and accommodation are updated to support pupils’ learning, especially with regard to the Reception children’s outdoor area and the library for pupils in Years 3 to 6.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

The skills of most children entering Reception are at the level expected for this age. The excellent progress children make in the Reception class ensures that attainment by the time they enter Year 1 is high. Staff in Years 1 and 2 are very skilled at capitalising on this, developing reading skills exceptionally well through high quality work on letters and sounds and expecting accurate spelling, sentence punctuation and cursive handwriting. This ensures that pupils can concentrate on the content of their writing, using connectives and words like ‘wintery’ and ‘massive’ to engage the reader. With these skills already well developed, pupils in Years 3 to 6 learn to write exceptionally well for a wide range of purposes and audiences and their presentation is excellent. This was evident in the excellent stories set in Carisbrooke Castle that Years 3 and 4 produced, using word processed writing, photographs and art work.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

By Year 6, pupils are extremely thoughtful and skilled writers who use imagery to excellent effect, for example in poems such as those inspired by Bembridge Windmill. Very effective guided reading activities ensure their comprehension is excellent. A wide range of opportunities in lessons enhances pupils’ reading skills, including the use of non-fiction books to find information. However, the library is very small which makes it more difficult for pupils to undertake independent research.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

From Reception, calculation skills are taught exceptionally well so that, by Year 2, pupils have an excellent understanding of place value, many accurately working with hundreds, tens and units. Older pupils use these skills to especially good effect solving problems or working with measures like temperature where they accurately calculate with negative numbers. Their excellent presentation and accuracy in recording work significantly support attainment, for example in angle measurement.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

Staff have an excellent awareness of the need to develop pupils’ personal skills so that pupils’ outstanding behaviour and capacity to concentrate and work hard support learning exceptionally well. Relationships throughout the school community are excellent and pupils play an outstanding role in the school and local community life; for example, taking part in the local horticultural club’s annual show. Links with schools in France and Swaziland extend pupils’ awareness of other ways of life 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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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

especially well. Church life and the school’s very strong Christian ethos not only support pupils’ excellent spiritual development but foster an extremely mature and thoughtful attitude towards others and the world around them. Pupils exhibit great respect for others and themselves, resulting in an outstanding awareness of ways in which to keep safe, for example on the roads. Their commitment to a healthy lifestyle, especially through their very enthusiastic participation in sport, helped achieve Healthy School status.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils’ attainment 1 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which pupils feel safe 1 Pupils’ behaviour 1 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 1 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils’ attendance 1 The extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum provides an excellent range of very interesting and high quality learning experiences. Staff have an outstanding awareness of how to plan activities that engage both boys and girls, which was evident in an excellent history lesson where pupils investigated the working life of Victorian children with great enthusiasm. Activities consistently set out high expectations of pupils and throughout lessons staff continually remind pupils what is expected of them and how they can achieve this, for example when learning to add or subtract accurately. Staff skilfully link subjects together to support learning, such as in an outstanding mathematics lesson on shape where pupils’ information and communication technology skills were used to especially good effect. Staff are also extremely good at focusing on subject vocabulary; for example, ensuring in a mathematics lesson on angles that pupils not

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How effective is the provision?

only understand and used terms such as ‘obtuse angles’, but also spell them correctly. The excellent analysis of pupils’ progress leads to high quality intervention programmes being used to target specific aspects. In particular, a programme to

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low 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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How effective is the provision?

enhance girls’ progress in mathematics not only improved their skills, but also engaged their interest in this subject especially well. Pupils’ education and welfare are enhanced considerably by the links the school has forged with other agencies so curriculum enrichment is excellent. Outstanding sports activities promote pupils’ health and safety exceptionally well; for example, in the football activities for both boys and girls provided by a local professional football club. As a result the school has been awarded both the Activemark and Sportsmark.

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How effective is the provision?

Staff are extremely good at explaining things clearly, including when using the interactive whiteboard and are very skilled at engaging pupils in discussions that extend their learning. Resources are used to excellent effect to promote learning. This was apparent in a literacy lesson based around the story ‘The Bog Baby’ where the teacher used objects from the pond to enhance pupils’ creativity and vocabulary. The outstanding relationship staff have with pupils and excellent behaviour management mean that learning is rarely interrupted. Teaching assistants are very well trained and deployed and make an important contribution to learning, especially that of vulnerable pupils. Specialist support and guidance for pupils with learning, behavioural or social needs are excellent and gifted and talented pupils are offered an outstanding range of ways to extend their skills. Excellent enterprise activities

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How effective is the provision?

help prepare pupils exceptionally well for the future. Induction and transfer arrangements are very good and staff are working very closely with the secondary schools to ensure a smooth transfer for Year 6 pupils.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide outstanding leadership, exhibiting great enthusiasm and commitment, and excellent organisational skills. Morale is very high and outstanding teamwork among the whole school community ensures that all are working very effectively together to continually refine and enhance provision. Excellent self-evaluation ensures the school has an exceptionally good awareness of where it needs to improve, with development planning especially well focused on these areas. Through excellent monitoring procedures the governing body works exceptionally well with subject leaders in addressing weaker aspects and offers exactly the right level of challenge and support. It is providing outstanding support for staff in managing the reorganisation and resulting changes. Excellent support from senior staff, together with the strong commitment of both teachers and classroom assistants, ensures learning is consistently of high quality.

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How effective are 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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How effective are leadership and management?

The school’s excellent ethos is a major factor in its drive to prevent discrimination in any form and all associated with the school work hard to ensure pupils benefit from excellent equality of opportunity. To achieve this, outstanding partnerships have been forged with a range of agencies to help support pupils’ education and welfare. Good policies and procedures, for example with regard to risk assessment, child protection and the vetting of staff, keep pupils safe and free from harm at all times. Community cohesion within the school and local area is especially good. Staff ensure that pupils develop a good awareness of and empathy for different communities elsewhere and links are being set up with schools on the mainland to extend this further. The school has an extremely positive relationship with parents and carers who are very well informed about their children’s progress and the school’s work.

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How effective are leadership and management?

They are strongly engaged in their children’s learning and the overwhelming majority are highly delighted with the school.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school’s engagement with parents and carers 1 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 1 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 2 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Reception children benefit considerably from the consistent approach to learning seen throughout the school. This is especially evident in the programmes for children to develop literacy and numeracy skills so that these can be extended exceptionally well not only during the Reception year, but throughout the school. Most children form their letters accurately and a minority write in sentences using punctuation correctly before they enter Year 1. Excellent teaching of the sounds in words helps children to read simple texts easily. Staff plan learning experiences to closely meet the needs of children of this age through providing a highly stimulating environment and a wide range of very interesting activities, for example in the outdoor area and through using computers. Several role-play areas and a wealth of opportunities for Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Early Years Foundation Stage

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

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Early Years Foundation Stage

children to look at books, read notices and write for different purposes encourage their communication, language and literacy especially well. Staff are highly skilled practitioners who promote oral language especially well and take every opportunity to encourage children’s curiousity in the world around them, to count and compare the number of objects and to recognise shapes and colours. Children’s creative development is encouraged exceptionally well through role play which supports the quality of their writing in future years.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children make excellent progress across all areas of learning, developing very good listening and concentration skills, sharing resources, helping others and playing very happily together. The outdoor accommodation is used to very good effect to promote children’s health and physical development although the current arrangements mean it is not possible to monitor all areas at the same time, which limits children’s choice of activities for independent learning. The attention given to ensuring children’s safety and welfare is excellent.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Assessment is very well organised and planned, with the information used to excellent effect to plan new activities. Leadership and management are outstanding because the teachers work in a very effective partnership using their different skills exceptionally well in continually exploring ways to further enhance children’s learning experiences.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

The proportion of parents and carers returning the questionnaires is broadly in line with that seen nationally. The response in these and the written and verbal comments made to inspectors indicate that parents and carers have very positive views and raise very few concerns.

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Views of parents and carers

Parents and carers are extremely pleased with the leadership and management, especially the way in which the reorganisation has been managed. They praise the quality of teaching, commenting on the friendliness and helpful approach of staff and are fully confident that staff deal well with any concerns they raise. All agree that their children are kept safe and enjoy school, expressing no concerns about behaviour. The overwhelming majority are pleased with their children’s progress and 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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Views of parents and carers

feel they are well prepared for the future. Inspection evidence supports these views.

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Views of parents and carers

A very few parents and carers would like more information on their children’s attainment as opposed to their progress. Inspection evidence indicates that the school conforms with the latest regulations on reporting attainment and that, where requested, it supplies this information at other times. There is no pattern to other concerns raised by individual parents and carers.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Bembridge Church of England Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 69 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 194 pupils registered at the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 44 64 24 35 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 50 72 19 28 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child’s progress 29 42 36 52 2 3 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 30 43 38 55 1 1 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 34 49 35 51 0 0 0 0 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 29 42 38 55 1 1 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 30 43 37 54 1 1 0 0 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 22 32 42 61 1 1 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school meets my child’s particular needs 26 38 42 61 0 0 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 27 39 41 59 0 0 0 0 The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 25 36 43 62 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 40 58 29 42 0 0 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 46 67 22 32 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and 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. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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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

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on 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 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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.  The school’s capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Isle of Wight, PO35 5UH

Thank you for welcoming us to your school. We very much enjoyed our time talking to you and seeing all the things you do. I particularly want to thank the pupils who gave up their time to talk to us. We think your school is excellent and are very pleased that you and your parents and carers agree.

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Isle of Wight, PO35 5UH

Here are some of the things we found out were especially good about the school.  From Reception to Year 6 you make excellent progress and by the time you leave your attainment is much higher than in most schools.  You have lots of really interesting activities that help you to learn really well. Teaching is outstanding and you have excellent attitudes to learning.  You are very mature, considerate and helpful young people. Your behaviour is excellent and you make an outstanding contribution to the work of your school and local area.  Adults take good care of you and give you excellent support and advice on how to improve, especially if for some reason your progress has slowed.  The school has set up excellent partnerships with your parents and carers and other schools and agencies to support your education and welfare, especially those associated with sport.  Your headteacher, staff and members of the governing body have helped your

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Isle of Wight, PO35 5UH

school to make outstanding improvement since its last inspection and we are confident that they will work successfully to ensure it stays as good as it is now.

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Isle of Wight, PO35 5UH

Here is what we have asked the school to improve:  Find ways to allow Reception children to use all of their outdoor space for activities and provide a larger library area for older pupils.

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Isle of Wight, PO35 5UH

D Wilkinson 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 .

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