Inkpen Primary School

Inkpen Primary School Weavers Lane, Inkpen, Hungerford, RG17 9QE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. As they move up the school they do well in reading, writing and mathematics. By the time they leave school, they are reaching high standards.  Teaching is good because small-group teaching is matched well to the needs of each child.  Teachers plan interesting lessons. Music and drama are particular strengths.  Pupils read widely, speak clearly and confidently. Their mathematical skills support their learning in other subjects. Pupils are well prepared for secondary school.  Behaviour is excellent. Attendance is much better than in most schools. This is because pupils feel safe, valued and thoroughly enjoy their learning.  The headteacher and governing body provide very effective leadership. All the issues raised at the last inspection have been resolved. Leaders have a track record of bringing about improvement.  Parents hold the school in high regard and feel

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

that their children are getting the best possible start to their education. The school works well with the local community and other local schools.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Sometimes the teachers in Key Stage 1 give the brighter pupils work which is too easy.  Standards of handwriting are not high enough.  Goals within school improvement plans are not clear enough.  The way in which leaders check on the quality of teaching is not systematic enough.

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Information about this inspection

 The school was notified about the inspection the day before it started.  The inspector saw teaching in every class. He observed an assembly and eight lessons, taught by five teachers. Some lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body, the headteacher, staff and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector observed many aspects of the school’s work. He heard pupils read and scrutinised their work in their exercise books and on classroom wall displays.  The inspector looked at a number of documents including plans for what pupils will learn in each subject, plans for the school’s future development, the school’s arrangements for keeping pupils safe, pupils’ attendance records, minutes of governing body meetings, records of how pupils’ progress is checked and tracked, and records of how the quality of teaching is checked.

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Information about this inspection

 The views of parents were taken into account through scrutiny of the 28 responses to the on- line Parent View survey, a discussion with a representative group of parents and scrutiny of the results of the school’s own recent parental questionnaire.  Staff views were taken into consideration by looking at questionnaires completed by nine staff members.

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Inspection team

Chris Nye, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is a much smaller-than-average primary school which serves the village of Inkpen and surrounding area. A privately-funded pre-school group on the same site is not managed by the governors, so was not part of this inspection. Most of the children who go to the pre-school join the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations of pupils’ attainment and the progress that pupils make.  The proportions of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and who need extra help are less than in other schools nationally. All have specific learning difficulties, but none has a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for additional government funding, known as the pupil premium, is below the national average.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve standards in writing by:  giving the brightest pupils in Key Stage 1 more demanding work  helping pupils to improve their handwriting − encouraging pupils who can write in a joined-up handwriting style to use a pen at a younger age.  Strengthen the influence of the school’s leaders by:  evaluating thoroughly the effect of lesson observations on improving teaching  ensuring that plans to improve the school contain clear goals for raising pupils’ standards.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children do well in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They start school with skills that are at the expected levels for their age. By the time they move to Year 1 they are doing better than expected in all areas of their learning.  In Key Stage 1, pupils do well in reading and mathematics, although this varies from year to year. The result of last term’s test in phonics (linking letters with the sounds that they make) was well above the national average. This good result is because pupils were taught in small groups. In writing, progress is satisfactory. The school has decided to use a similar approach to raise standards in writing, especially in Year 2. Early indications suggest that this is a successful strategy and standards are starting to rise. Most pupils do well, but the brightest do not do as well as they could because the work that they are given is not always hard enough.  In both Key Stage 2 classes the pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

Results of national tests in Year 6 are consistently above the national average. In the most recent tests, half or more achieved the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics and all made the expected progress or more.  Standards in spelling, grammar and punctuation are high. In handwriting they are not high enough. Not enough pupils in Key Stage 2, who are confident in writing with a joined style, are encouraged to use a pen in their writing.  Pupils are successfully encouraged to read widely in all the subjects that they learn and can talk with enthusiasm about books and poems that they have enjoyed. For example, in an outstanding lesson on performance poetry, the teacher’s passion for poetry was reflected in the pupils’ enthusiasm and the pupils read with fluency and expression to an impressively high standard.  Parents and pupils express very positive views about learning and progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and others receiving additional support make good progress from their starting points. This is because they are very well supported by teaching programmes which have been especially well designed and delivered to meet their individual needs. As a result, the gaps between what they and other pupils can do are closing fast in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching in all subjects, including English and mathematics, is good. Some teaching, especially in Key Stage 2, is outstanding. This is an improvement since the last inspection and is the main reason for the steady improvement in the standard of pupils’ achievement.  Pupils who were interviewed by the inspector said that they enjoyed their lessons and felt that this was because the teaching motivated them and helped them to learn well. The parents who met the inspector and those who completed the on-line Parent View survey also expressed high levels of confidence in the quality of teaching.  Lessons are well planned and structured. They take good account of how well pupils learnt in previous lessons and ensure that imaginative and clearly explained activities meet the needs of each pupil. As a result, pupils are enthusiastic about their learning and most make good progress in developing their literacy and numeracy skills, knowledge and understanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading is well taught because teachers and teaching assistants have a very good understanding of how to teach phonics and actively encourage a love of reading and literature. This is achieved through sharing an enjoyment of books, linking studies of literature with drama and other subjects, and encouraging pupils to regularly read for pleasure.  The best teaching is characterised by high levels of teacher subject knowledge and a passion which inspires the pupils and effectively supports their spiritual, social, moral and cultural development. For example, in an outstanding music lesson, tuneful and enthusiastic singing resulted from highly inspirational and skilful teaching.  Teachers skilfully use questioning to judge how well pupils understand what they are learning and adjust their teaching accordingly when misconceptions occur. Although some activities do not challenge the most able pupils sufficiently because the work set is too easy, generally

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The quality of teaching is good

lessons proceed at a brisk pace.  Excellent relationships between adults and pupils ensure that everyone is focused on learning. Teaching assistants are well trained and work closely with teachers to ensure that the needs of all pupils, including those disabled or with special educational needs, are met. As a result, pupils thrive in an atmosphere where they feel valued and supported.  Marking is detailed, accurate, celebrates success and provides clear guidance to pupils about how to improve their work. Pupils are aware of their targets, which clearly link to what they are learning in lessons. All pupils, even the youngest, are given time to respond to teachers’ comments and this is helping them to take responsibility for, and reflect upon, their own learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Pupils are consistently polite to adults and caring towards each other. In the playground, pupils of all ages play well together and older pupils demonstrate high levels of care towards younger ones. As one pupil commented to the inspector, ‘This school is like one big happy family.’ Accordingly, the school operates as a highly effective, orderly and caring community.  In lessons, behaviour is consistently outstanding because pupils have an exceptionally positive attitude towards their learning and are keen to do well. They are able to maintain impressive levels of concentration because they are so interested in their learning.  Policies for managing behaviour are very clear and work very well. Incidents of extreme behaviour are very rare, and those few pupils who have found it a challenge to behave appropriately have benefited from exceptionally good support so that their behaviour has

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

improved significantly.  Parents and carers who met the inspector, and those who responded to the on-line Parent View survey, were overwhelmingly positive about pupils’ behaviour. They say that their children enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in their attendance, which is significantly and consistently better than the national average.  Pupils told the inspector that they feel safe and very well cared for in school. They have a clear understanding of all forms of bullying, including racism and cyber bullying. The school is proactive in ensuring that they know how to keep themselves healthy and safe, for example by training them in how to keep safe when using the internet or receiving emails.

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The leadership and management are good

 The passion and vision of the highly regarded headteacher in expecting the best for all pupils are shared by all staff and governors and are the main reason for the success of the school. He has succeeded in ensuring that all staff work effectively together as a united team.  Good leadership and high levels of commitment by all staff have successfully resolved past weaknesses such as in marking and tracking pupils’ progress. Consequently, the school is in a strong position to build further upon its recent improvements.  Systems for monitoring the quality of teaching are well established and effective. Monitoring records are clear, evaluative and detailed. They identify suitable targets for teachers so the headteacher can make accurate judgements on their performance and identify any training needs. However, follow-up observations of teachers’ lessons are not always sufficiently well focused on systematically analysing the impact of such support on improvements in their

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The leadership and management are good

teaching.  Strategic plans to drive improvement are good because they build upon past achievements. They identify suitable priorities and clear actions to address weaknesses. However, it is not always clear how success will be measured in terms of raising standards of pupils’ achievement.  The subjects that pupils study are well planned to ensure that they build up the skills that pupils need to make good progress in literacy and numeracy. Plans are well organised and ensure that pupils’ interest and enthusiasm for learning are developed well. A strength is the way in which drama, music, physical education and information and communication technology are enhancing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The local authority provides effective support, in particular to the headteacher. For example, support in analysing data concerning pupils’ progress has resulted in a much clearer

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The leadership and management are good

understanding of how to use data more effectively to raise standards.  The school works exceptionally well with parents and the local community. It makes very good use of external organisations to support pupils’ learning. For example, it works closely with a group of local small village schools to provide musical, sporting and residential events which enhance pupils’ learning and life experiences.  All safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements. They are securely in place and rigorously applied. Leaders effectively promote equality within the school community and are proactive in tackling all forms of discrimination.  The governance of the school:  A strong working relationship exists between leaders and governors. The Chair of Governors provides clear and effective leadership. Governors visit the school regularly and are well trained. A wide range of information, including progress data and the outcomes of detailed

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The leadership and management are good

pupil and parent surveys, is scrutinised regularly by governors so that they are able to challenge the headteacher and senior staff and ensure that the best use is being made of resources to drive improvement. The pupils’ premium funding has been well used to provide additional specialist resources to support pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable in overcoming barriers to their learning. This means that the school provides good value for money and shows that governors make a positive and well-informed contribution to the development of the school.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 109817 Local authority West Berkshire Inspection number 401081

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 63 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Philip Day Headteacher Gerard Heaton Date of previous school inspection 2−3 December 2009 Telephone number 01488688219 Email address office@inkpen.w-berks.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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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School details

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School details

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

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