Lynton Church of England Primary School

Lynton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Market Street, Lynton, Devon, EX35 6AF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Require improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Early years provision Good 2

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because:

 There has not been enough good or better teaching for all pupils to make good progress, particularly the more able.  The pace of learning, although improving, is not raising standards fast enough. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is not high enough.  Standards reached in spelling, grammar and punctuation are below the national average.  Attendance is below nationally expected levels. Too many pupils have time off during term time.  The work that teachers set is sometimes too easy for pupils. As a result, not all pupils make the progress of which they are capable.  Until the beginning of the year, there has been instability in the leadership of the school. This has now been improved, but as yet has not had sufficient impact on raising pupils’ achievement.

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The school has the following strengths:

 Pupils in Key Stage 1 achieve well and attainment at the end of Year 2 is above the national average.  The quality of marking has improved. It is now supporting pupils’ progress well and encouraging positive attitudes to learning.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are well taught and make good progress.  The governors have provided steady direction and support for the school during a period of instability.  Pupils feel safe, and are safe, at Lynton. Friendships are strong. Pupils are supportive and respectful of each other and their teachers.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven lessons. In addition, the inspector made short visits to other lessons and looked at pupils’ work. He also observed two assemblies and listened to individual Year 1 and Year 2 pupils read.  Meetings were held with staff, parents and pupils. The lead inspector met with six members of the governing body. Telephone calls were made to a representative from the local authority and the Chair of the Governing Body.  The inspector took account of the 24 responses to the Ofsted questionnaire and considered the four staff questionnaires that were returned. The inspector also spoke to parents at the beginning and end of the school day.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation which included national test results, the school’s own information about pupils’ achievement, the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans. Safeguarding policies and information relating to staff performance, behaviour and attendance were also scrutinised.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector examined the school’s arrangements for spending the additional sport and pupil premium funding.

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Inspection team

Mark Anderson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Lynton is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The number of pupils on roll has declined in recent years. However, numbers have begun to increase this academic year.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after.  The proportion of disabled pupils or those who have special educational needs, including those with a statement of special educational needs, is also below average.  Lynton is a member of the West Exmoor Federation, which consists of three rural primary schools. The federation has an executive headteacher and a single board of governors.  Lynton meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for the attainment

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Information about this school

and progress of pupils in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  No pupils are educated off site in other institutions or alternative placements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better and thereby raise attainment, by ensuring that:  all teachers have consistently high expectations of what pupils can achieve in lessons and set work that is challenging, especially for the more able pupils.  teaching in Key Stage 2 improves quickly and builds more successfully on the foundations laid in Reception and Key Stage 1  all teachers have a clear focus on improving pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar.  Strengthen leadership and management by:  ensuring that all leaders and staff work together effectively in promoting the pupils’ achievement and in strengthening teaching standards.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Following a period of instability of leadership, the executive headteacher returned to post at the beginning of the year. However, the disruption to leadership has had a negative impact on the school’s performance over the last two years. Some pupils have not achieved as well as they could and teaching standards have been inconsistent. As a result, leadership and management require improvement.  During the period of instability and underperformance, the local authority has monitored the school regularly and has provided effective support. A Targeted Intervention and Support Plan (T.I.S.P.) has been put in place which sets out clear attainable goals with timescales for the school. These actions are successfully improving the rate of pupil attainment and progress.  The headteacher has a clear grasp of Lynton’s strengths and areas for development. She has an accurate view of the quality of teaching and learning. There are now focused plans in place to improve pupils’ rates

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The leadership and management require improvement

of progress and standards of attainment. This demonstrates that the school has the capacity for further improvement.  Since the headteacher returned, the school has reviewed all aspects of its performance and there are effective systems in place to track and monitor the progress of all pupils. Teachers and middle leaders in charge of subjects are held to account more robustly, with clear targets that are aligned to their pupils’ progress. There are procedures to manage their performance, to reward good teaching and tackle any weaknesses. This is accompanied by further training and by support if necessary. As a result, teaching standards are beginning to improve.  The new curriculum offers a broad and interesting range of topics and learning activities. All year groups have an annual six-week Forest School programme. Pupils gain a good understanding of the wider world, including different faiths, cultures and lifestyles. For example, pupils in Key Stage 1 have the opportunity

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The leadership and management require improvement

to talk via the computer with pupils of their own age in Hounslow.  The pupils benefit from numerous visits, visitors and events throughout the school year. These include annual drama productions at Lynton Town Hall, London residential trips, Science Weeks and performances at Exeter Cathedral.  The school’s use of the primary school sport funding has been successful in extending pupils’ physical education skills and their awareness of healthy lifestyles. In addition, the school provides for good staff training and specialist teaching. Lynton has also recently secured a substantial sports grant which will enable the school to transform the playgrounds into multi-sports areas.  The curriculum makes a good c ontribution to the pupils’ academic and sporting achievement and well- being and to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Parents appreciate what Lynton offers their children and are supportive of the school.  Every pupil is valued as an individual and the school is committed to ensuring an equality of opportunity for everyone. The performance of the pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium provides evidence of this. They achieve as well as their peers as a result of appropriately directed use of the funding and careful checks on their progress .  The headteacher and governors ensure that all statutory safeguarding requirements are met.  The governance of the school:  Governors maintain close links across the federation. They ensure that all three schools work closely together in order to extend the pupils’ learning experiences and opportunities. Governors have provided support and direction during a period of instability in leadership. Many of the governors are relatively new in their role but already have a reasonable knowledge and understanding of how the school

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The leadership and management require improvement

performs and its strengths and areas in need of improvement. Governors take advantage of available training and are regular visitors to the school. They appreciate that the level of attainment of some pupils is in need of improvement, especially that of the more able. Governors ensure that the budget is carefully managed and that statutory requirements, such as those for safeguarding, are in place. The governing body is informed as to how the pupil premium is spent and how effective the impact has been on raising attainment.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They behave well inside and outside of the classroom and want to do well at school. Pupils are happy and proud of Lynton. They consider it to be ‘their’ school. One pupil commented to the inspector, ‘Lynton is really friendly − it’s for us!’ All pupils have an equal opportunity to be happy and succeed.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pastoral care is of a high standard and every pupil is valued as an individual. Pupils are polite, friendly and welcoming. They are keen to be rewarded for demonstrating good manners and courtesy.  The school has comprehensive systems for undertaking risk assessments. All pupils said they feel very safe at school and this view is supported by parents who consider that Lynton did all it could to keep their children safe.  Although attendance is improving, it is still below average and this has had a negative impact on the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

pupils’ achievement. The school now follows a clear and rigorous policy regarding unauthorised absence which is having a positive impact.  The school’s records of behaviour provide evidence that inappropriate or disruptive conduct is extremely rare. In recent years there have been no recorded instances of bullying. Pupils have a good understanding of what constitutes bullying in its different forms. They confirm that there is no bullying at Lynton and they feel safe at school. Pupils, for example, learn how to keep safe when using the internet through ‘e- safety’ lessons.  Teachers encourage pupils to discuss their work and pupils work well together in pairs and small groups. Relationships are secure within the small school community. Pupils take care of each other and value each other’s successes, similarities and differences. Older pupils look out for the younger ones as a matter of course.  During the inspection, the close friendships that are in place were seen in action on a number of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

occasions. For example, an excited group of pupils were observed holding informal ‘X Factor’ auditions for their peers in the playground!  The school has close links with the local church and pupils develop good spiritual, moral, social and spiritual understanding and awareness. They clearly know what is right and wrong.

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The quality of teaching require improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because it does not yet ensure that all pupils make good progress from their starting points. Therefore, they do not reach the highest levels of which they are capable. Not all teachers have high enough expectations of pupils.  Although some teaching is good, more so in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, the quality varies between lessons and year groups. This results in variable rates of progress, particularly in Key Stage 2. Pupils’ achievement has been more limited in Key Stage 2 because teaching over time has not been consistently effective. The more rigorous checks on teaching, however, which have been introduced this year, along with good opportunities for further training, coaching and support are raising standards of teaching rapidly.  There is still some inconsistency in the quality of work provided for the older pupils. On occasion it is too

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The quality of teaching require improvement

hard or too easy. Teachers do not always carefully check on pupils’ understanding in lessons to ensure that work is of the right level of difficulty. Some lessons do not fully engage the interest of the more able pupils because they are not challenged enough.  Expectations relating to the quality and accuracy of pupils’ spelling, grammar and punctuation are not generally high enough. These skills are not developed well enough, and consistently, in all subjects.  The quality of marking has, however, improved over recent months, and on most occasions highlights strengths in individual pieces of work, as well as next steps for improvement. All teachers follow the federation’s marking key which ensures consistent feedback to all pupils. This is ensuring that activities are more closely matched to the pupils’ ability and interest and is having a positive impact on their progress.  Teachers create attractive and welcoming classrooms. They establish positive relationships with pupils and

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The quality of teaching require improvement

know their classes well.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 the teacher and teaching assistants work closely together to ensure a purposeful and calm learning atmosphere. Teaching assistants work well with class teachers and contribute positively to pupils’ learning, particularly for those who need extra help.  There is a strong focus on teaching pupils to read throughout the school. There are daily guided reading sessions which help to instil a genuine enjoyment of books, helping to develop pupils’ literacy skills.  Homework is used effectively to support the learning completed in class.

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requires improvement

 The majority of pupils make expected progress through Key Stage 2, but only a minority make more rapid progress. This is because the quality of teaching is variable and has not been consistently good enough to enable more pupils to achieve well by the end of Year 6.  Children enter Lynton in the Early Years Foundation Stage with levels of skills and knowledge in line with those expected for their age, although the speaking and communication skills of some pupils are less well developed. Effective teaching helps the younger pupils acquire new knowledge, skills and understanding quickly. They make good progress in their first year at Lynton.  A significant number of pupils join the school in different year groups and at varying times of the school year. In recent years this has lowered the overall standards reached by some cohorts.  Pupils make steady progress in their first year at school. This is maintained through Years 1 and 2. At the

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requires improvement

end of Key Stage 1 they achieve standards above the national average in all subjects, particularly in mathematics. Pupils have secure foundations in their learning as they move into Key Stage 2.  However, progress has slowed for a significant number of pupils as they move through Key Stage 2. This has been because of a lack of consistency of teaching, and expectations that were not high enough, particularly for the more able. The proportion of pupils who achieve the higher Level 5 is currently below the national average in all subjects.  Recently, this trend has been reversed and the more able pupils are now making progress at faster rates.  The progress and attainment of different groups of pupils and all individuals are tracked accurately. Currently, there is no gap in attainment between the pupils eligible for the pupil premium and their classmates. Because of the very small numbers involved, comparison cannot be made with national

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requires improvement

standards. The allocation of the funding is carefully matched to the individual needs of the pupils. This includes one-to-one support and specific activities to build up pupils’ confidence and personal, social and emotional development.  Pupils who are disabled and those with special educational needs are making rapid progress and reaching standards well above similar pupils nationally.  Reading habits are well formed in the Early Years Foundation Stage and built upon as pupils move through the school. Pupils develop a good understanding of phonics, which supports good progress in reading. Pupils have many opportunities to read for a variety of purposes in lessons.  All pupils develop good social skills in their mixed-age classes. They also benefit through their links to fellow cohorts in the other federation schools, and by participation in a range of after-school clubs and activities. This results in them being well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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is good

 The majority of children join Lynton from the local pre-school. The youngest settle quickly when they arrive at their new school. They benefit from mixing with older children in Key Stage 1. In only their third week, all the youngest children were keen to explain to the inspector what, as individuals, they really enjoyed at Lynton.  The teaching staff work well as a tight-knit team and provide for the individual needs of all their children. The Early Years Foundation Stage is well managed by the class teacher who is also the senior teacher in the school. She provides focused direction and leadership.  Children benefit from a broad curriculum in the Early Years Foundation Stage, which includes a wide variety of learning activities. The children achieve well in all the areas of learning. The children’s enthusiasm was seen when children were given the opportunity to measure and compare the height of

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is good

their teddy bears. This significantly increased their understanding of ‘taller’ and ‘shorter’ and extended their numeracy development.  Parents of Early Years Foundation Stage children are all very pleased with the way their children have settled in so quickly and happily.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 113451 Local authority Devon Inspection number 449105

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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 Aided Age range of pupils 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 55 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jan Stokes Executive Headteacher Jayne Peacock Date of previous school inspection 18–19 January 2011 Telephone number 01598 753309 Fax number 01598 753309 Email address admin@lynton-primary.devon.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 and 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

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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School details

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

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