Ivegill CofE School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 27–28 June 2012 Inspection number 378458 Unique Reference Number 112303 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 378458 Inspection dates 27–28 June 2012 Lead inspector Gillian Salter-Smith

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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 aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 72 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Allister Green Headteacher Sue Stainton Date of previous school inspection 16 January 2007 School address Ivegill Carlisle CA4 0PA Telephone number 01697 473397 Email address admin@ivegill.cumbria.sch.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

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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.

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Introduction

Gillian Salter-Smith Additional Inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Five teachers and a number of teaching assistants were observed teaching and supporting learning in 10 part- lessons. Meetings were held with groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and staff. The inspector listened to a sample of pupils from Years 1, 2 and 6 read aloud and she talked to them about their reading. She observed the school's work, and looked at work in pupils’ books and data on pupils’ attainment, progress and attendance. Other documents scrutinised included governing body minutes, records of the monitoring of teaching, the most recent local authority general adviser report and policies and documents relating to safeguarding. Questionnaires received and analysed included 55 from parents and carers and those from pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

Ivegill CE School is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. All pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average. The school meets the current floor standard for the minimum standards expected by the government for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

A privately managed nursery, Ivegill Nursery, operates from the school site and is subject to a separate Ofsted inspection.

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Information about the school

From January to July 2011, the headteacher was seconded for 0.5 of the week to support another 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 an outstanding school. A highly caring environment, an exciting and stimulating curriculum and excellent teaching support pupils’ outstanding achievement and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Parents and carers fully appreciate the warm and welcoming atmosphere in which their children thrive and are very well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Key Findings

 From their variable starting points pupils make rapid and sustained progress in all key stages so that attainment is often above average. Progress in writing and reading are particularly strong. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to that of their peers because the school makes every effort to seek the most effective support for each pupil. Teachers and teaching assistants provide closely tailored support that helps accelerate their progress.

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Key Findings

 Teaching engages pupils’ interests thoroughly and provides many practical activities that challenge pupils and demand a great deal of them. Very careful tracking of pupils’ progress leads to individual support and targets that guide pupils’ learning closely. Pupils’ ability to carry out activities independently supports their outstanding progress. Occasionally, time and teaching assistants are not used to best effect to provide wider opportunities for independent learning.    Pupils are competent and highly enthusiastic learners. They are sensitive individuals with a very mature attitude towards their responsibilities. Behaviour is exemplary and the courtesy and respect pupils show for each other and visitors is outstanding. Pupils say there is no bullying and they have a thorough understanding of how to keep themselves safe in many different circumstances.    The headteacher, fully supported by staff and the governing body, sets high

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Key Findings

expectations alongside a relentless drive for improvement. Teaching is rigorously monitored and performance management and professional development are closely linked to the school’s priorities. Consequently, all staff contribute to improvements in teaching and achievement across the school. 

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

  Further increase the proportion of teaching that is outstanding by making more imaginative use of time and support staff to give pupils even more opportunities to work independently.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils make rapid gains in knowledge and understanding because they apply themselves to tasks with great commitment and exceptional enthusiasm. They rise to challenges and work very well independently and collaboratively. In a challenging Key Stage 2 mathematics lesson on addition of decimal numbers, more-able pupils worked very well in pairs, independently of the teacher, to work out the principles behind a challenging game whilst others collaborated exceptionally well to apply their skills to a practical task. Children in the Reception class very happily work independently. They too rise to challenges, for example, to write purposefully by writing party invitations and lists of guests.

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Achievement of pupils

In these small year groups, attainment on entry and by Year 6 fluctuates from year to year. Over time, pupils’ progress from starting points in Reception to the end of Year 6 is rapid and sustained. Current Year 6 pupils have made outstanding progress from low starting points in Reception and are on track to reach above average attainment overall, including in reading; the proportion of pupils reaching above average levels (Level 5) is impressive. In Year 2 attainment is above average, including in reading, with most pupils reaching the above average level (Level 3) in reading. In 2011, progress was similarly outstanding; from a low starting point in Reception pupils reached above average attainment in English and broadly average attainment in mathematics by Year 6.

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Achievement of pupils

Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similarly outstanding progress. The school’s careful focus on early identification of needs and effective interventions support rapid progress. An exciting and relevant curriculum helps to close gaps. For example, boys catch up on previous weaker writing skills, as was seen in the extended writing of detective stories by Key Stage 2 pupils. These were written and researched with great diligence and excitement by all pupils including the boys, following role play of crime scene investigations and visits from members of the police force. The study in greater depth of books and the encouragement of reading has ensured a great interest and pursuit of reading across the school. Parents and carers are right in their view that their children make at least good progress.

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Quality of teaching

Outstanding teaching leads to pupils’ rapid and sustained progress across the school. Lessons are very well planned to meet pupils’ different needs and ensure high levels of challenge because rigorous ongoing assessment ensures that teachers know the pupils very well and that every pupil works towards individual targets for reading, writing and numeracy. The very well organised programme of teaching early reading and spelling has supported rapid progress in reading and writing in Reception and Key Stage 1. In very good shared reading lessons in Key Stage 1, pupils develop a love of reading and enjoy reading to each other and sharing books together. In the Reception class, a very good balance between activities led by adults, and those selected by pupils, both indoors and outdoors, supports rapid progress; adults constantly engage pupils in talk that develops their thinking; the classroom and the outdoor area are rich in opportunities to develop language skills.

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Quality of teaching

Across the school, a brisk pace to learning with a strong focus on practical, relevant tasks and active learning ensure that pupils are fully engaged and eager to learn. In an outstanding Key Stage 2 personal, social and health education/religious education lesson, pupils showed exceptional maturity and deepened their thinking about the relevance to everyday life of a Bible story by working independently of the teacher in small groups to act out or debate key questions. The contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development was outstanding. In exceptionally good teaching in Key Stage 1, Year 2 pupils were challenged to calculate complex addition following on from their measurement of each other’s jumps.

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Quality of teaching

Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are exceptionally well supported by skilled staff. Detailed planning ensures that work is closely targeted to their needs and successful in accelerating progress. In most lessons all pupils are challenged to work independently, but the impact of this is not so strong on the rare occasions when time and support staff are not used to best effect. Parents and carers hold an accurate view that teaching is at least good.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary over time and they are exceptionally keen to learn. Pupils thoroughly enjoy the challenge and excitement of learning. They particularly enjoy discussing their work with each other and developing their ideas. The high quality of presentation of pupils’ written work reflects their commitment to the school’s high expectations. Their very positive attitudes and excellent behaviour support rapid progress.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils feel very safe and secure in school. They say there is no bullying, that everyone gets on well with each other and behaves well. This was highly evident at playtimes and during assemblies when older pupils readily supported their younger ‘buddies’ to make sure they were happy and involved. Pupils know that there are different types of bullying including cyber-bullying and they know what to do should it occur. They have every confidence in the support that adults provide in the school. They have a good understanding of how to keep safe in many situations and pupils are involved in making risk assessments of out-of-school visits. During the inspection, older pupils benefited from sessions on cycle safety. The attendance of the vast majority of pupils is above average. However, the overall attendance figure is affected by a very small number of pupils who are absent more frequently. The school has worked very effectively with individuals and their families

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

and attendance is improving rapidly. The vast majority of parents and carers responding to the questionnaire consider that behaviour and safety are at least good.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher, highly supported by staff and the governing body, is relentless in the pursuit of improvement. There is a shared commitment to providing an exceptionally welcoming and highly supportive environment based on strong moral values in which every child, whatever their circumstances or capabilities, achieves their best and enjoys school and learning. Equality of opportunity is assured. Frequent monitoring of pupils’ progress and teaching is rigorous and identifies the right priorities for improvement. As a result, performance management arrangements and professional development for all staff are tightly linked to the school’s priorities and most staff successfully take on responsibility for developing and improving key areas of provision and learning. They are held closely to account by the headteacher and the governing body for the impact of these improvements on pupils’ progress. Successful initiatives in the curriculum, teaching and assessment are all helping to

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Leadership and management

close gaps in achievement for individuals and accelerate progress. For example, some boys started school with lower prior attainment in writing and reading but are now rapidly catching up. The capacity to improve even further is demonstrated in the success of these corporate activities and the high level of commitment of all staff to further improvement.

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Leadership and management

The highly experienced governing body brings a wide range of relevant skills to its role. Members hold leaders and staff closely to account for the school’s performance and a number of them visit the school regularly to find out for themselves how the school is functioning. They uphold their statutory responsibilities rigorously and ensure that arrangements for safeguarding and child protection fully meet requirements and are closely monitored.

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Leadership and management

The exciting curriculum, taught through themes relevant to pupils’ interests, alongside a very well organised approach to progression in literacy and numeracy skills, accounts for much of the pupils’ outstanding achievement. The strong focus on developing pupils’ own responsibility for their learning and conduct supports outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A cohesive community is encouraged and discrimination of any sort is not tolerated. Pupils develop very strong interests in music and sporting activities through the wealth of enrichment opportunities.

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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 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This mea ns that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 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 ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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.

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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

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures

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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.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Ivegill CE School, Carlisle CA4 0PA

 Many thanks for the sincere and warm welcome you gave me when I visited your school. Special thanks go to those of you who talked to me about your school or read to me.

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Inspection of Ivegill CE School, Carlisle CA4 0PA

I am delighted to tell you that Ivegill CE School is an outstanding school. You have played an important role because your behaviour is exemplary and you are exceptionally keen to learn. You are developing into very thoughtful, caring individuals who are sensitive to the needs of others. I saw this admirable side of your characters when older pupils took such great care to make sure that their ‘buddies’ in Reception Year were involved happily in activities at playtimes and during assemblies.

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Inspection of Ivegill CE School, Carlisle CA4 0PA

Your school helps you to achieve your very best in your academic work because teaching and the curriculum are outstanding. In lessons, you spend a great deal of time enjoying practical, hands-on activities that you enjoy a great deal, exciting visits and visitors help you to enjoy learning and you get plenty of chances to talk and develop your ideas with each other. I was impressed by the well planned ‘detective’ stories you wrote following your investigations of a ‘crime scene’.

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Inspection of Ivegill CE School, Carlisle CA4 0PA

Your headteacher, the governing body and leaders in the school do a great deal to ensure that your school and your achievement are always improving. I have asked them to find ways to use the time and other adults in different ways in lessons so that you get even more opportunities to work independently on challenging tasks.  You can all help by continuing to enjoy all that your school has to offer you, attending school every day that you can, and doing your very best to reach all that the staff and your parents and carers expect of you.

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Inspection of Ivegill CE School, Carlisle CA4 0PA

Gillian Salter-Smith 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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