Church Lench CofE First School

Age group 5-10 Inspection date(s) 10–11 July 2012 Inspection number 379303 Church Lench CofE First School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 116792 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 379303 Inspection dates 10–11 July 2012 Lead inspector Clive Kempton HMI

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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 First School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 5–10 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 61 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Sommers Headteacher Anne Freer Date of previous school inspection 9 June 2009 School address Main Street Church Lench Evesham WR11 4UE Telephone number 01386 870297 Fax number 01386 870297 Email address office@churchlench.worcs.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

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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 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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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Three full-time teachers were observed. Three hours were spent in lessons including a learning walk. Meetings were held with a group of parents, three groups of pupils, governors, and the four teaching staff including one part-time. The inspector also attended the school play, Hansel and Gretel, performed on one of the evenings of the inspection. He took account of the responses to the on-line Parent View survey in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, looked at the school and subject development plans, an up-to-date school analysis of pupil performance data, the school’s self-evaluation of its own effectiveness, records of visits from the local authority, and the 43 parental questionnaires and those from staff and pupils received as part of the inspection process.

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Information about the school

Church Lench CofE First School is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. Pupils are taught in three mixed-aged classes. The very large majority of the pupils are from White British families and a small minority are from a settled community of Romany Gypsy families. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs, is above the national average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The school’s Early Years Foundation Stage provision comprises a Reception group taught jointly with Year 1. More pupils join and leave the school at times other than the normal times compared with other schools. A new headteacher has been appointed since the last inspection. 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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Key findings

 Church Lench is an outstanding school. It is at the heart of the community and held in high regard by all parents and carers. One described it as, ‘a wonderful small school with a fabulous family feel to it where my children have had a super start to their education’.

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Key findings

 Most pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics due to the consistently good and often outstanding teaching they receive. All the parents who returned the questionnaire agree. Romany Gypsy pupils make less progress in reading than in mathematics because some parents and carers are less confident to support them at home.

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Key findings

 Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are polite and courteous to visitors and kind to each other. Their attitudes to learning are excellent.

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Key findings

 The leadership of the headteacher is outstanding. In a short period of time, she has successfully brought the school and local community together with her dogged determination to raise standards, improve the quality of teaching and accelerate pupil progress. As a result of her high expectations and strategic deployment of the team of adults and helpers in the school, she has broadened and enriched the curriculum which has contributed significantly to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of every pupil.

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Key findings

 The whole-school and subject-development plans to improve pupil outcomes are detailed and very accurately identify the key points to improve the school. However, they do not contain enough specific steps to success, which can be measured, or set out specific times by which these should have been achieved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in the reading of the Romany Gypsy children by July 2013 to at least the national average by increasing the confidence of their parents 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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By October 2012, ensure that whole-school and subject improvement plans contain steps to success that can be measured and set out specific times by which these should be achieved to enable governors to hold the headteacher to account.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils start the school with skills and abilities below that expected for their age and make good progress as they move through the school. By the time they leave the school in Year 5, their attainment is above national expectations for the majority of pupils. In the Early Years Foundation Stage and Year 1 class, the wide range of stimulating activities ensures children make good progress with their speaking and listening skills. Here, children work well with each other and are keen to talk with confidence to visitors about their work. Some high quality art work was observed during the inspection with children concentrating hard and using a range of media and brushes to develop their fine motor skills. They were skilfully supported by teaching assistants helping them look carefully when painting pictures of real flowers. They use the computers with ease and know how to create text boxes on their computer-generated building designs.

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Achievement of pupils

Throughout the rest of the school, pupils continue to make good progress. In the recent national tests, every Year 2 pupil attained Level 2, the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Less confident readers as well as able, read fluently and are able to work out unfamiliar words by sounding them out. The majority read at home, often inspired by their parents’ reading habits. By the time they leave the school in Year 5 almost all pupils have attained at least the national expectation in reading. Romany Gypsy pupils however, make slightly slower progress in reading than they do in mathematics as they move through the school, as many of their parents and carers are not as confident to support their reading at home to the same extent.

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Achievement of pupils

Challenging work and special provision is made for gifted and talented, and more- able pupils. As a result, an increasing proportion are attaining above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are very well supported by a number of dedicated teachers and teaching assistants, ably led by the special educational needs co-ordinator. Individual children or small groups receive bespoke support, for example: speech therapy, memory training, social skills, additional help in phonics (the sounds that letters make), mathematics, reading, motor skills and so on. As a result, the overwhelming majority make good or outstanding progress and are closing the gap on the national average. This additional support is appreciated by parents and carers who are thrilled Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Achievement of pupils

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

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Achievement of pupils

with the rapid progress their children make.

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Quality of teaching

Every child and every parent or carer who responded to the questionnaire agree that the teaching at the school is of a high quality. The inspector agrees. As a result, pupils are making rapid and sustained progress. All the lessons during the inspection were observed jointly with the headteacher. She has an accurate view of the quality of teaching in the school. All the lessons contained outstanding features, for example, a range of exciting and independent group activities are interspersed with whole class teaching and; effective questioning strategies are used to challenge pupils, as well as providing opportunities for them to respond to questions with hands up. Through careful monitoring and accurate assessment, teachers know the ability of every child and plan work that appropriately meets their needs. Marking is a strength of the teaching. All pupils know the level they are working at and what they

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Quality of teaching

need to do to improve, especially in literacy. Strategic deployment of teaching assistants in each class ensures that all pupils receive good challenge and support. Some pupils are even challenged to work with older children and succeed well.

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Quality of teaching

The headteacher effectively models high quality teaching in regular whole school assemblies where pupils are skilfully taught key values, such as wisdom, and learn how these values apply to their lives. The richness of the taught curriculum and the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities such as textiles, engineering, cooking, as well as the traditional sports activities, contribute significantly to pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development. In one assembly, the whole school celebrated the achievement of the textile club who had knitted a series of squares which had been sewn together to form a blanket that was going to be sent to an orphanage in Russia. Pupils were encouraged to look at the blanket in the library during the week, alongside other crocheted blankets and to locate Russia on the map.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

All the parents and carers and the overwhelming majority of pupils feel that behaviour is at least good in the school. The inspector found that behaviour is exemplary at all times. In the classroom, pupils are focused and attentive, a look from the teacher is all that is ever needed to ensure they all keep on task. In the playground, pupils play well with each other and share play equipment. Even during ‘Hansel and Gretel’, the school play held on one evening during the inspection, pupils waited patiently for their turn to perform, and sang with enthusiasm and tangible enjoyment. There have been no entries in the school behaviour log and no racist incidents recorded in recent years. Pupils who are identified with weaker social skills receive additional support. New arrivals from other schools settle very quickly and conform to the school’s high expectations in this regard. It is central to the ethos of

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

the school that all develop a role and take on responsibilities that help to mould their character and moral values, developing a strong sense of giving something back to the school, village and global community. For example, after lunch every day, the children wipe down the tables and chairs and help put them away; older children 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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Behaviour and safety of pupils

help younger children and play together outside. Charity fund raising is impressive.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The very large majority of parents and carers and pupils agree that the school deals effectively with bullying. Bullying is very rare and dealt with immediately when reported. Pupils are aware of different types of bullying and its impact. They say that if at all, it takes the form of name calling when friends fall out. They know about how to stay safe on the internet and how to protect passwords. Pupils are extremely happy and keen to come to school, to learn and make a contribution to the school and local community. As a consequence, their attendance is above the national average.

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Leadership and management

The skill, dedication and determination of the headteacher is celebrated by a large number of parents and carers in their questionnaire responses. One wrote, ‘The headteacher is superb, listens to everything and leaves nothing undealt with.’ The inspector agrees. Every child, teacher, parent, carer and helper is valued and as a result, smiles a lot and gives of their best. The headteacher is ambitious for the school and the role that the whole village community plays in working together and contributing to its success. Her devolved style of leadership means that all the staff are equal partners in the school’s development. The headteacher monitors teaching thoroughly and has been successful in improving its quality through peer coaching and the sharing of ideas between staff. Visits are also arranged for staff to visit and learn from outstanding teachers in others schools. As a result of this sensitive and

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Leadership and management

supportive monitoring and training, teaching quality is constantly improving and pupil progress is accelerating. Points for improvement from the last inspection have been acted upon. Children are now more structured in their free play in the Early Years Foundation Stage and all teachers have made the pace of their lessons brisker throughout the school.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is rich and constantly evolving to meet the spiritual, moral, social and cultural needs of all pupils. For example, the wide range of clubs, pre-school breakfast opportunities, instrumental music tuition, art, design technology, French, Forest School, and links with schools in other countries. The Governor of the Month initiative adds another dimension to the curriculum and to governance. One of the governors spends more time in the school for one month and gets more involved with the pupils, for example telling them about their job or one of their hobbies. Examples to date include one governor talking about and showing scuba-diving equipment, another poultry and another flowers and plants. The older pupils enjoy a careers day where a number of parents and carers come into school to talk about their profession, for example a nurse, a barrister and an airline pilot. Pupils have written, published and sold a book of jokes to raise money for charity, ’Have a hoot

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Leadership and management

for Haiti’, and regularly organise other events to support those less fortunate than themselves. Promoting equality and tackling discrimination is central to the work of the school.

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Leadership and management

Governors are regular visitors and extremely supportive of the school. They receive 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

timely information from the headteacher and ask probing questions at meetings. However, the extent to which they can hold the headteacher to account for the school’s performance is somewhat limited. This is because improvement plans sometimes lack steps to success that can be measured, and clear deadlines by which these should be achieved. Governors ensure that the school meets safeguarding requirements. One parent summed up the views of many in their opinion of the school, ‘I love Church Lench School. The teachers are brilliant and I couldn’t think of a better school for my children to go to’.

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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 means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. 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 ). 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.

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Church Lench CofE First School, Evesham, WR11 4UE

Thank you very much for the warm welcome you gave me when I inspected your school at the end of the summer term. I enjoyed talking to you, looking at your work, watching you learn and coming to see your school play, ‘Hansel and Gretel’.

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Inspection of Church Lench CofE First School, Evesham, WR11 4UE

You go to an outstanding school where everyone is happy and friendly. These are the things I liked most about your school.

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Inspection of Church Lench CofE First School, Evesham, WR11 4UE

 You are all very well behaved and kind to each other.  You all get on and play well together, taking turns and the older children helping the younger ones.  By the time you leave the school your work is better than children of the same age in other schools.  The teachers work hard and prepare interesting lessons for you and allow you to have lots of interesting new experiences, like the after-school clubs, the Forest School, and when the governors come into school to tell you about their jobs or their hobbies.

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Inspection of Church Lench CofE First School, Evesham, WR11 4UE

I could see that you enjoy your lessons and try hard. Some of you find reading and writing harder than others and are given good support from other adults in the school to help you get better. I really liked the way that the school is like one big happy family, with everyone getting on well with each other and lots of your parents and carers coming into school to support you.

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Inspection of Church Lench CofE First School, Evesham, WR11 4UE

To make your school even better, I have asked Mrs Freer and the teachers to:

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Inspection of Church Lench CofE First School, Evesham, WR11 4UE

 make sure that every one of you has someone to read to at home  make sure that the plans to improve your work have more specific targets.

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Inspection of Church Lench CofE First School, Evesham, WR11 4UE

I really enjoyed visiting your school and wish you all the best for the future. Work hard, do your best and come to school every day.

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Inspection of Church Lench CofE First School, Evesham, WR11 4UE

Clive Kempton Her Majesty's 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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