Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Carlton Road, Kelsale, Saxmundham, IP17 2NP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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.  The headteacher, staff and governing body work very effectively as a team. They share clear plans to increase achievement by further improving the quality of teaching.  Pupils make good progress because teaching is good. Pupils’ attainment is good in all subjects although slightly lower in writing.  Teachers increase pupils’ enjoyment of learning through a stimulating range of activities. This contributes well to pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The headteacher inspires all members of the school community to do their best. The school is a happy and caring community.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make expected progress and are fully included in all learning.  Leaders and managers spend pupil premium money effectively; this group of pupils is also making good progress.  Behaviour is outstanding. Pupils know how to keep safe and are kept very safe in school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Parents are overwhelmingly happy with the care and education the school provides for their children.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There are some inconsistencies in teaching because teachers do not always use time effectively in lessons.  Marking in writing does not always make it clear to pupils how to improve their writing.  Teaching assistants do not provide effective support in all parts of lessons. Inspection report: Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 19–20 June 2013 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed eight lessons, all of which were joint observations with the headteacher.  Year 6 pupils were on a residential visit.  The inspector listened to pupils read in Year 1 and Year 5, and observed the teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) in every class.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, subject leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors. She also spoke to a representative from the local authority on the telephone. She met with a group of pupils and spoke informally to many pupils during the inspection.  The inspector considered 48 responses to the online Parent View survey and a letter sent by a parent. She also considered 10 responses to the staff questionnaire.  The inspector looked at work in pupils’ books with the headteacher.  The inspector looked at a number of documents including the school’s self-evaluation, school

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Information about this inspection

improvement plans, safeguarding files, information on pupils’ current progress, information on the management of teachers’ performance and the monitoring of teaching.

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Inspection team

Emily Simpson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Inspection report: Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 19–20 June 2013 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than most primary schools.  Almost all pupils come from White British backgrounds.  There are no pupils who speak English as an additional language.  An above average number of pupils join the school at different times during the school year.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is broadly average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or who have a statement.  The proportion of the pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding to be used for children looked after by the local authority, pupils with a parent in the armed forces and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average.  Under the recent reorganisation of schools in Suffolk the school has pupils in Year 6 for the first time this year. The government’s current floor standards (which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics) have therefore not applied.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching to outstanding by all teachers:  using time more carefully in lessons so that pupils have more time to complete tasks on their own or in small groups  making sure teaching assistants provide good support to pupils at all times in lessons  show pupils more precisely what is expected of them in all subjects  improving the quality of written feedback on pupils’ writing by linking what they need to do next to improve to the style of writing they are working on and then giving them sufficient time to act on this advice. Inspection report: Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 19–20 June 2013 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and knowledge expected for their age. They make excellent progress in the Reception class and join Year 1 with skills that are well above those expected especially in their personal, social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In recent years attainment at Key Stage 1 was variable in reading, writing and mathematics but the relatively small number of pupils in each year group means standards fluctuate every year. Pupils now make good progress from their individual starting points especially in reading and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has Year 6 for the first time this year. Work in pupil books and the school’s information about pupil achievement show this cohort are on track to attain levels above national expectations and make good progress overall.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement in mathematics has improved because the school has successfully increased the challenge of work given to pupils. A significant number of Year 6 pupils were entered for the Level 6 national test in 2012.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 A significant number of pupils join the school during the school year. The school checks the progress of this group carefully and the school’s information indicates that they make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs are fully included in all lessons. As a result of high expectations set by their teachers the progress of these pupils is high when compared to similar pupils nationally. These pupils are supported both academically and emotionally and develop a keenness to work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils love to read and they use the strategies taught to them to help them read unfamiliar words. They read widely and often and are very excited by the books they read.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding make similar progress to their classmates. This funding is used to keep class sizes small and provide additional adult time to accelerate pupils’ skills in reading, writing and mathematics. The school is looking at additional ways to use the funding to support pupils, not just in English and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is mainly good, some is outstanding and a small amount requires improvement. In the best lessons work is carefully planned to match pupils’ different abilities and pupils are challenged to think deeply thus enabling them to make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is best when instruction is broken into small ‘chunks’, interspersed with pupil activity; this keeps pupils interested in their learning at all times. In some lessons instruction is lengthy and there can be too few opportunities for pupil involvement. This can limit the progress made by pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants provide good support when pupils are working independently or in small groups. They ask good questions to develop pupils’ understanding. They do not always provide this high level of support during whole class parts of the lessons, thereby missing the opportunity to help pupils progress.   In the best lessons teachers demonstrate new skills to pupils precisely and then provide time for pupils to practice these new skills. In Reception children were shown how to find a missing number; they then had plenty of time to complete a wide range of problem solving activities based on finding missing numbers for themselves. They approached these tasks confidently as the teacher had demonstrated the skill so effectively. In some lessons teachers’ demonstrations are less effective and pupils become confused about their work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers work effectively to plan interesting themes to engage and stimulate pupils. In Year 1 and 2 the class were learning about George’s Marvellous Medicine. At the end of a lesson about writing instructions, the pupils reflected on key features of instructions, wrote down their ideas and put them into George’s cooking pot. This enabled the teacher to assess pupils’ understanding and engaged the pupils in reflecting on what they had learnt.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers frequently check pupils’ understanding in lessons and provide effective personalised feedback. This was seen in a Year 4 and 5 English lesson where pupils were writing a ‘letter in a bottle’. The teacher suggested improvements to pupils on how to use emotive language to make the reader want to come and rescue them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and leave positive comments. Comments about pupils’ writing are not always closely linked to the style of writing being asked of pupils, so targets do not lead to rapid enough progress in pupils’ work. Pupils are not always given time in lessons to use the teacher’s marking to improve their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exemplary. They are eager and keen to learn. They enjoy their lessons, especially the opportunity to work with other pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Behaviour is impeccable both in class and around the school. Everyone in school treats each other with respect, care and dignity. This was confirmed by speaking to a number of pupils who have recently joined the school who say they feel happy and well looked after in school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils say that there is no bullying in school and school records support their view. They understand the difference between bullying and falling out with friends.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils feel very safe in school and have an appropriate understanding of risk. They know how to keep themselves free from danger, for example when they are outside of school or when using the internet.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils enjoy coming to school because teachers make lessons fun. They arrive on time in the morning. Attendance is average and has improved over the past three years.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are rightly proud to attend Kelsale. Year 6 pupils were on a residential visit during inspection so two pupils emailed a letter for the inspector apologising for missing the inspection as they would have ‘loved the opportunity to show how amazing our school is!’ They continued that ‘we all love learning and feel safe and secure at Kelsale.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is passionate about the school and is determined that every child and adult should achieve the very best they can.

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The leadership and management are good

 All staff share the headteacher’s commitment to helping pupils to achieve their best. Leaders know the school’s strengths and areas for development because they frequently work together to monitor the work of the school. New subject leaders have been supported well in developing their roles.

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The leadership and management are good

 Observations of the quality of teaching and learning are accurate and now link more closely with systems to manage teachers’ performance. The headteacher provides good support and training opportunities for staff. Staff appreciate the support and responses to the staff questionnaire show morale is very high.

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The leadership and management are good

 School self-evaluation is accurate and improvement planning identifies key areas for school improvement based on careful analysis of pupil achievement. The plan clearly shows clear roles, responsibilities and monitoring.

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The leadership and management are good

 Due to good pupil achievement over time the local authority has identified the school as a ‘light touch’ school. It has offered support over recent years as the school has included Year 5 and 6 for the first time.

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The leadership and management are good

 All safeguarding requirements are met.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s curriculum is a key strength and it makes optimum use of beautiful school grounds. This was seen in Year3 when pupils went into the willow tunnel, on a rainy morning, to write similes. Being outside stimulated pupils’ imagination and helped them write better sentences. The curriculum contributes well to pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers carefully check the progress of all groups of pupils including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, those eligible for pupil premium funding and those new to the school. They use this information to monitor the impact of teaching and interventions and make changes to programmes if pupils are not making enough progress. This ensures the school promotes equality of opportunity.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is very committed to bringing further improvements to the school. They responded positively to targets set for them at the previous inspection and now review the school’s work with greater rigour. They are provided with good information by the headteacher and work cohesively to plan future school improvements. Governors ensure all policies are up to date, including safeguarding. They monitor the spending of the pupil premium and are provided with information about the impact additional support has on this group of pupils’ learning. Governors understand the link between teachers’ pay and pupil performance and have recently attended training so they can review the school policy. Governors are frequent visitors to the school and have an accurate understanding of the quality of teaching as they monitor lessons and pupil work with the headteacher. Inspection report: Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 19–20 June 2013 7 of 9

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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. Inspection report: Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 19–20 June 2013 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 124735 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 412901

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 128 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Simon Gill Headteacher Carolyn Taylor Date of previous school inspection 4November 2009 Telephone number 01728 602297 Fax number 01728 602297 Email address admin@kelsale.suffolk.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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