Edmund de Moundeford VC Primary School, Feltwell

Edmund de Moundeford VC Primary School, Feltwell The Beck, Feltwell, Thetford, IP26 4DB

p.1

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 Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils achieve well and standards of work have improved across the school because teaching is good. Pupils, therefore, make good progress in their learning.  In a number of classes, pupils are making rapid gains, especially in literacy, and producing work of high quality.  Children in Reception get a good start to their education and enjoy their time at school.  Increasing use of practical approaches to teaching mathematics means that pupils are developing more secure understanding of mathematical ideas, especially girls.  Pupils feel safe at school and are happy to be there. They behave well in lessons and around the school.  There is strong teamwork amongst staff.  The headteacher provides outstanding leadership. Together with other leaders and governors, she has worked in a very systematic way to develop and improve the quality of the school’s work so that the performance of teachers and pupils is now better than at the

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

time of the last inspection.  Teaching staff receive good quality training and support based on observations of their work. This training and support have enabled them to become increasingly more effective.  Teaching assistants make a significant contribution to the day-to-day teaching and learning across the school.  Governors provide good oversight of the work of the school. They are actively involved in checking how well it is performing and ask challenging questions of school leaders.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some overuse of worksheets in a few classes limits the opportunities to develop pupils’ literacy skills even more fully.  Occasionally, pupils are not moved on quickly enough in mathematics or given sufficient guidance on how to improve their numeracy.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed nine lessons and three of these were seen jointly with the headteacher. In addition, shorter visits were made to lessons to focus on specific aspects such as marking or how well pupils with special educational needs are taught.  The team held meetings with a group of pupils and listened to some reading.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, and other senior and middle leaders. The lead inspector met with a small group of governors, including the Chair and Vice Chair of the Governing Body, and held a telephone discussion with a representative from the local authority.  The team took account of the 34 responses to the online questionnaire for parents and carers, Parent View, as well as the 14 responses to a survey for school staff. A member of the inspection team also spoke to a number of parents attending the school sports day, to gather their views about the school.

p.2

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors looked closely at a range of documentation, including information on pupils’ performance, the school improvement plan, safeguarding and behaviour policies, as well as documents relating to the school’s monitoring of teaching, behaviour, attendance.

p.2

Inspection team

Gulshanbir Kayembe, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Gay Whent Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is smaller than most other primary schools.  The large majority of pupils are White British. About 28% currently are from minority ethnic backgrounds. A very small number speak English as an additional language but none are beginners in English.  A broadly average proportion of pupils are supported by the pupil premium, which is extra government funding given to the school for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in the care of the local authority and those with a parent in the armed services.  The school did not have any pupils in the care of the local authority at the time of the inspection. The school regularly has pupils with a parent in the armed services as there is an American Military Airbase close to the school. A number of these pupils arrive partway through their primary education or leave before the end of Year 6.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are

p.3

Information about this school

supported at school action is above the national average, and the proportion at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment in English and mathematics.  The school’s voluntary controlled status is related to the Edmund de Moundeford Charitable Trust. This provides additional funds and facilities for the school, such as a swimming pool. The Trust is represented on the governing body by two foundation governors, one of whom is the Vice Chair.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop pupils’ writing further by reducing the use of worksheets and providing pupils with opportunities to write in different ways, for varied purposes and audiences and developing and extending their vocabulary across different subjects more effectively.  Raise standards of work and improve achievement in mathematics by:  ensuring that all teachers spot quickly when pupils have grasped a particular method or mathematical idea and move them on to tackle more challenging sums and problems  providing clearer guidance on their next steps in learning when marking work  ensuring that pupils correct their work more systematically and show that they have understood where they went wrong.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 The broadly average results of external assessments in 2012, especially at the end of Key Stage 2, are not fully reflective of the improvements in progress and standards of work achieved by the headteacher since her arrival at the school three years ago. In 2012, pupils in Year 6 made good progress from their starting points in English, but progress in mathematics, though improved from the previous year, was largely as expected. Progress in both subjects is stronger in the current year.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Children’s and pupils’ exercise books and the school’s data indicate that progress from their starting points is good right across the school. In some year groups, pupils are making rapid strides in developing key skills in literacy and numeracy. Progress in reading is particularly good across the school. There is little difference in the attainment or progress of pupils based on gender or ethnicity.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Children begin in Reception with skills and knowledge that vary from year to year but, on balance, are usually lower than age-related expectations, especially in literacy and numeracy. They make good progress and achieve well in their Reception year.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 The results at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage have been rising well over the last three years. Most children currently in Reception are on track to meet national expectations and some to exceed these. Children of all different abilities and backgrounds are making good progress from their starting points.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment has been on a steadily rising trend at the end of Key Stage 1 over the last three years and current Year 2 pupils are working at above average standards of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics. This signals good progress both from the time they started school and from the end of their Reception Year.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2012, pupils in Year 1 attained similar results as pupils nationally in the Year 1 check on letters and sounds (phonics). Current Year 1 pupils are attaining better results with nearly all reaching the expected standard in phonics. Their writing skills have also benefited from their use of phonic knowledge to help them with spelling.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 The performance of pupils currently in Year 6 is strong and they are on track to attain above average standards in both English and mathematics this year. Most have made significant progress between the end of Key Stage 1 and Year 6 especially in writing and mathematics.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Across Key Stage 2, pupils are developing more adventurous vocabulary and many show a real flair for expressive writing. Work across the school in subjects such as science, history and geography is good. Practical work in science means that pupils are developing good skills in experimental and investigative methods.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Computers are used regularly in all classes and this is helping children in Reception and pupils in the rest of the school to develop good skills in information and communication technology.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 The skilled use of teaching assistants supports the learning of pupils with disabilities and those with special educational needs. This, coupled with work that is set at just the right level for these pupils, and the increasing use of practical apparatus in subjects such as mathematics, helps them to make good progress. Practical work in mathematics is also helping girls to do better in mathematics and to catch up with boys.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has invested the pupil premium funds wisely in additional staff and teaching programmes, for literacy particularly. Both these strategies are enabling the school to narrow the gap between those eligible for the pupil premium and others. Pupils from forces families tend to perform well both in relation to the standard of their work and the progress they make.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is good

 There were not enough pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in Years 2 and 6 in 2012 to comment on their attainment without identifying them.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is good

 While progress is good across the school, there are some differences between classes in writing and mathematics in particular. This is because pupils are not always given enough opportunities to practise varied types of writing in different subjects including to help them to use subject- specific vocabulary. Pupils sometimes do too many routine practice questions in areas of mathematics in which they are already secure before moving on to new and more challenging work.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching is good and some is outstanding and this makes a strong contribution to the rising levels of attainment and achievement across the school. Teachers prepare lessons with care and usually set work at just the right level for different groups of pupils in a class.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants work in a very effective partnership with teachers. They provide well-judged levels of help so that pupils, especially those with special educational needs, learn to do things by themselves.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Reading is taught well and pupils enjoy books. Children in Reception and pupils in Key Stage 1 use their phonics knowledge well to help them read new and unfamiliar words. The literacy programme purchased by the school is used with skill to match the different ability levels of pupils. It is also used in a lively and interesting way to make literacy come alive.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Able pupils are well taught and their progress is promoted by working with older pupils, especially in mathematics. Overall, the school’s flexible approach to organising pupils into groups, often, but not always, by ability enables teaching to be tightly focused on pupils’ next steps in learning.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make good use of questioning to help pupils to understand the work and to find out how secure this understanding is. Where teaching is best, teachers analyse pupils’ on-going learning, with considerable insightfulness, and amend and adjust their teaching with skill to help pupils grasp key ideas.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Sometimes too much use is made of worksheets that restrict the types of response pupils can make. This prevents pupils from developing their own explanations or practising more varied types of writing that allow them to apply what they have learned.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Marking in English provides good, sometimes excellent, guidance to pupils on how they can improve their work. This is helping to drive pupils’ progress very effectively in English.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 In mathematics, while work is always checked and marked, feedback on the next steps in learning are not always specific or clear. Opportunities are missed to challenge pupils whose work is correct with a question or problem that will take them to the next level. In addition, teachers do not always ensure that pupils correct mistakes.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive. Most parents agree that their children are happy and safe at school, and are well taught and make good progress. At play and lunchtimes, pupils of different ages play or interact with one another. Different groups get on well with one another.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 In lessons, pupils readily work with one another in pairs and groups. In a good mathematics lesson, a group of boys made good progress after discussing how they should set out the intervals on their axes when drawing a graph. Talking through their ideas helped them to clarify any misconceptions and firm up their understanding.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has risen well over the last three years and is in line with national averages. The monitoring of attendance and behaviour is very thorough and this has enabled the school to pin point exactly where improvements might be needed in order to raise levels of attendance further.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils agree that behaviour is good and they are clear that issues of bullying or harassment are not a problem. They are confident in the school’s ability to deal with any such issues should they occur. Pupils also know how to keep themselves safe and learn about the issues of safety on the internet.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour is consistently well managed across the school so that pupils have a clear understanding of what is expected of them.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Rigorous checking of teaching and learning provides leaders with a clear picture of performance across the school. The information from monitoring activities is used very effectively to identify and address important areas for development. Feedback to individuals on how well they are doing is clear and constructive. They are left in no doubt as to how to improve their work and offered a wide range of support to enable them to keep improving.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The school has a wide range of assessment information and achievement data on how well pupils are doing. It analyses these very thoroughly to help it understand which pupils are not progressing quickly enough or to pin point any groups with lower levels of attainment. The improvements secured are down to the highly effective use of data to inform future priorities. Thus, the school is aware that progress in writing and mathematics is not always even between classes.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The deputy headteacher provides excellent support to the headteacher in helping to take the school forward. Most other leaders are developing their roles well and making good use of information from lesson observations, book scrutinies and data analyses to help them identify and address any shortcomings.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The school draws from courses run by the local authority and has effective support from an improvement partner. The support given is light touch. Money from the trust is used well to fund additional activities and resources beyond those needed to meet National Curriculum requirements.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 A wide range of subjects are taught and these are supplemented by French, Spanish and cooking as well as regular visits, visitors and special focus days. These enable the school to promote pupils’ personal development well, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school ensures equality of opportunity for all and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors receive good quality information from the headteacher but also actively seek out first-hand information through regular visits to the school and classrooms. They have a good understanding of the school’s data and, therefore, how well different groups of pupils are performing. Governors manage the finances well and have made informed decisions about the way pupil premium funding should be spent. They receive regular reports on the impact of this funding. Arrangements for managing the performance of teachers, including that of the headteacher, and links between performance and pay are well in place. The governing body ensures that the school’s arrangements for pupils’ safeguarding meet the current regulatory requirements.

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 121037 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 405986

p.9

School details

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

p.9

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 179 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Pam Dare Headteacher Julie Lillycrop Date of previous school inspection 2 February 2011 Telephone number 01842 828334 Fax number 01842 827655 Email address office@edmund-de-moundeford.norfolk.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

School details

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’.

p.10

School details

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

p.10