Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School

Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School

Reporting inspector: Dr Vivien Johnston OFSTED Inspector No. 8402

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Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School

Dates of inspection: 14 th – 16 th June 2000

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Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary 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.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Bridge Street Wye Ashford Kent Postcode: TN25 5EA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Dr Jane Bryson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: October 1996 Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School - 4

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Team members

Vivien Johnston Registered inspector Jane O’Keefe Lay inspector Marianne Harris Team inspector

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Team members

The inspection contractor was: Qualitas Education Consultants Langshaw Pastens Road Oxted Surrey RH8 0RE

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Team members

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to: The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School - 5 REPORT CONTENTS Page

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

Effective teaching in all year groups enables pupils to learn well, and the standards they attain are well above average. The school has a strong ethos. Everyone is valued, and pupils from all backgrounds and of all abilities are enabled to succeed. Pupils respond very positively to the school’s ethos, and so their attitudes, behaviour and personal development are very good. The partnership between parents and the school is very strong, to the benefit of the quality of education the school provides. The headteacher, governors and other staff with responsibilities manage the school and its improvement very well.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 14

No areas were identified in which significant improvement is needed.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 15

Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School is a community school with 262 pupils on roll. It is roughly the same size as other primary schools. It has an equal number of boys and girls overall, though the proportions in each year group vary considerably. Overall, pupils’ attainment on entry to the reception class is well above average. The proportion of pupils who have been identified as having special educational needs is close to the national average. Mostly, these needs are related to learning difficulties which are not severe. The pupils come from Wye village, the surrounding rural areas and the nearby town, Ashford. The school draws pupils from a wide range of social backgrounds, but overall their background is very advantaged. Few pupils (5%) are known to be eligible for free school meals. A wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds is represented in the school as some pupils, whose parents attend Wye College, come from other countries. Some

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

of these pupils attend the school for only a few years. Thirty-six pupils speak English as an additional language, which is a high proportion. Five pupils are at an early stage of learning the language.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school, with some very good features. It provides good value for money. Standards are well above average, particularly in English and mathematics, and pupils are also successful in their other subjects including science and information technology. This is because pupils of all ages and abilities are taught well and so they make good progress. The school is strongly led and is managed effectively, with the result that it has no significant areas of weakness. Parents provide very good support, which enhances pupils’ education.

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What the school does well

• Effective teaching in all year groups enables pupils to learn well, and the standards they attain are well above average. • The school has a strong ethos. Everyone is valued, and pupils from all backgrounds and of all abilities are enabled to succeed. • Pupils respond very positively to the school’s ethos, and so their attitudes, behaviour and personal development are very good. • The partnership between parents and the school is very strong, to the benefit of the quality of education the school provides. • The headteacher, governors and other staff with responsibilities manage the school and its improvement very well.

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What could be improved

• No areas were identified in which significant improvement is needed.

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What could be improved

The governors’ action plan may be based on a minor point for improvement.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school’s improvement since it was last inspected in October 1996 has been very good. All the key issues identified by the last inspection were dealt with effectively. As a result, standards have risen in English, mathematics and science, and teaching is now consistently effective. Many improvements have resulted from the strengthened leadership and management, including monitoring the effectiveness of what the school does. The curriculum is better organised, and provides appropriately for the pupils in mixed-age classes to make steady progress from year to year. Improvements to assessment have led to the introduction of good systems for tracking pupils’ progress and setting targets for them to achieve in future. Supervision in the playground is now satisfactory. The accommodation has been developed, particularly by building a music room. The school has also maintained its strengths in pupils’ attitudes and behaviour, their personal development, the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

provision for pupils with special educational needs and for those who speak English as an additional language, and the strong ethos. Staff work very effectively as a team, and have already identified the minor point for improvement found by this inspection. The school is well placed to develop further. Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School - 7

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

English C A A B well above average above average A B mathematics B A A A average below average C D science C C A C well below average E

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Key

The school’s results at the end of Year 6 have improved over the last three years, and in 1999 were well above average compared to all schools nationally. Results have been best in mathematics. The overall trend is of an improvement in line with the national trend. In 1999, the school met its target for results in English, but not in mathematics. Challenging targets have been set, but pupils joining or leaving the school after they were set has sometimes made it difficult to reach them. In the tests at the end of Year 2, the 1999 results in reading and mathematics were well above the national average, and above average compared to similar schools. In writing, the results have fallen to average overall, and below average compared to similar schools. Nevertheless, the overall trend is of results being well above the national average over the last four years. The standard of pupils’ work in English, mathematics and science is similar to the test results. Pupils with

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Key

special educational needs are taught very effectively, and so almost all reach the nationally-expected standard at the end of Years 2 and 6. Pupils’ speaking and listening are particularly strong, and they are very competent, fluent readers. The younger pupils’ writing is average as they have had too few opportunities to learn to write at length, but the older pupils’ written work is of a high standard. Pupils of all ages are very successful in investigative work in mathematics and science. Work on display showed high standards are also reached in information technology and in design and technology. Overall, pupils have covered a wide range of work well in all subjects, and their achievement in relation to their prior attainment is good.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are keen to participate. They enjoy their work, and try hard in lessons and with their homework. They are appreciative of the teaching and support the staff provide. Many pupils take an enthusiastic part in clubs and other activities after school.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good, in and out of lessons. Pupils are sensible and thoughtful towards each others’ needs, and so behave maturely and responsibly. They play well together at breaks and lunchtimes. No pupils have been excluded in recent years, and few instances of misbehaviour occur.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships are good-humoured, both among pupils and between pupils and adults. Pupils are supportive of each other, and so work very well in pairs and small groups, sharing resources and ideas collaboratively. This helps all to do well. Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School - 8 Attendance Very good. Rates of attendance are well above the national average, and few pupils arrive late in the morning. Almost no unauthorised absence occurs.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. All the teaching observed was satisfactory or better, and 25% was very good. A particularly strong feature of teaching is that joint planning makes teachers’ practice consistent, and so they provide effectively for the range of needs in the mixed-age classes. Lesson activities are well organised, and build on pupils’ previous learning systematically. Teachers use a variety of resources, interesting pupils and encouraging them to think for themselves and work independently. They have high expectations of what pupils will achieve. Pupils are confident learners who try hard, concentrate well and enjoy their work. They learn very well through collaborative activities, and also from listening thoughtfully in whole-class discussion.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

English and mathematics are taught well, and the skills of literacy and numeracy are further developed in other subjects. However, teachers miss opportunities to extend the younger pupils’ skills in writing independently. Teachers are particularly good role models in their use of language, broadening pupils’ vocabulary. They encourage numeracy especially well in science, through the use of tables and graphs to present data. Pupils with English as an additional language are taught well. They are helped to make very good progress in learning the language, enabling them to do well in their other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. All National Curriculum subjects, together with religious education, are covered systematically. The curriculum is enriched by French for all pupils, and a very good range of extra-curricular activities including the orchestra, dance, netball and Spanish. Pupils in mixed-age classes have an appropriate curriculum for their ages.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Well-qualified staff provide plenty of well-organised support. Teachers use the pupils’ individual education plans very effectively, and adapt the teaching to ensure that their needs are met. The targets in these plans are reviewed regularly.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. Class teachers are alert to these pupils’ needs and adapt the work well when necessary. Visiting specialists provide very effective support to the pupils and school staff.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Personal development is encouraged in many ways, including setting all pupils targets for their academic and personal development. Moral, social and cultural development are promoted very actively, to build an ethos of mutual respect and positive relationships between all in the school community.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very well. The staff are caring and supportive. Pupils are secure and happy in the school because staff are consistent in how they relate to pupils, all of whom are valued as individuals. This contributes to the school ethos, and to pupils’ success academically. Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage-ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher provides strong and supportive leadership and manages the school very efficiently and effectively. Other key staff contribute much, enabling the school to run smoothly. Subject co-ordinators manage their subjects effectively. The staff work well together as a team. They implement school policies consistently, enabling pupils in all classes to do well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very well. Governors know the school well, and visit regularly. They are very focused on improving the school and raising standards, including sometimes taking an initiative such as finding sources of funding in order to improve the accommodation. They fully meet their statutory requirements.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. Formal and informal monitoring have been introduced, successfully involving staff, governors, pupils and parents. The headteacher and staff know the school well. They have identified areas of weakness and dealt effectively with them.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. The focus is on providing as well as possible for all pupils’ learning. Staff are deployed carefully, and resources and accommodation are used well. The budget is managed very carefully, and good use is made of funding for pupils with special educational needs. The school applies the principles of best value well.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school, and are being helped to become mature and responsible. • Their children are expected to work hard and do their best, and they are making good progress. • The teaching is good. • They are kept well-informed about how their children are getting on. • The school is approachable, and works closely with parents. • Its strong ethos values all as individuals. • It has improved greatly because of the strong leadership of the headteacher. • Some parents are concerned whether the older pupils in the mixed-age classes make enough progress.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with parents on all the positive points they made. Although some parents raised concerns about how well their children were getting on in mixed-age classes, inspectors found that the teachers plan carefully to ensure that the work is suitably challenging for all in the class, and that they adapt their teaching well to meet the needs of all the pupils. As a result, the older pupils are not held back and the younger pupils do not find the work too difficult for them. Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School - 10

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Effective teaching in all year groups enables pupils to learn well, and the standards they attain are

well above average. 1. Standards in English are consistently well above average in speaking and listening, and in reading. Throughout the school, pupils’ learning in all subjects is helped by their confident, articulate contributions to class discussion and in small group activities. Many children learn to read while they are still under five. Older pupils are helped to become fluent readers of a wide range of texts. Their enthusiasm for reading at school and at home is encouraged strongly, for example by the regular opportunities they are given to change the books they borrow from the school library, and to discuss their choices. The standard of writing is average at the end of Year 2, whereas it is well above average by the end of Year 6. Teachers give the children who are under five a good start in learning to write. This is built on satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2, though with variation between the classes. The sample

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Effective teaching in all year groups enables pupils to learn well, and the standards they attain are

of pupils’ work showed that some pupils are set a wide range of different types of writing to do independently. They are taught how to organise their ideas effectively, such as when planning a story. In other classes, teachers have placed too much emphasis on short written tasks, such as completing sentences, and so have given pupils too few opportunities for writing independently and at length. This means that few pupils learn to extend their ideas and to organise them into paragraphs. As a result, although almost all the pupils have attained the nationally-expected Level 2 in writing by the end of Year 2, few reach Level 3. In contrast, over a third of pupils reach Level 3 in reading as it is taught well. 2. The pupils in Years 3 to 6 are set a wide variety of demanding tasks, and so their writing skills develop rapidly. For instance, Year 6 pupils have compiled ‘anthologies’ which include biography and

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Effective teaching in all year groups enables pupils to learn well, and the standards they attain are

autobiography, poems, news reports, and extended stories. The lower-attaining pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because they are given good encouragement, and are guided skilfully in how to improve such aspects of their writing as its spelling, punctuation and organisation into paragraphs. Displays in classrooms and samples of pupils’ previously-completed work showed that teachers make good use of opportunities to develop pupils’ literacy both in English lessons, following the National Literacy Strategy, and in work in other subjects including history and information technology. For instance, Year 4 pupils have written clear accounts of aspects of the lives of ancient Greeks, displayed with drawings of Greek ships and vases and other artefacts such as small clay masks. They have also collaborated to produce chapters of a pirate story. This has been word processed very well, and written accurately in a lively, expressive style.

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Effective teaching in all year groups enables pupils to learn well, and the standards they attain are

3. Teachers have very good mathematical knowledge. They expect pupils to attain high standards, and give those who have special educational needs very good support to enable them to do as well as possible. As a result, standards in mathematics are well above average as very few pupils do not attain the national expectation and many do very well. For example, 44% of the pupils achieved Level 5 in the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 1999. This was almost twice the national percentage for results at this above-average level. 4. Pupils’ written work is neatly presented, and covers all aspects of mathematics thoroughly. It is marked carefully, with encouraging comments and corrections where mistakes have been made. Teachers focus well on teaching numeracy skills, and give pupils good opportunities to apply them in other subjects. For example, Year 6 pupils are expected to record the results of their scientific

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Effective teaching in all year groups enables pupils to learn well, and the standards they attain are

investigations accurately in both tables and graphs. As a result of the effectiveness of the teaching, the older pupils are confident in adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing, and explain clearly how they have worked their calculations out. They apply their existing knowledge to other number problems successfully. For example, Year 6 pupils explained the rule for dividing by ten, and then applied this reasoning to explain the rule for dividing by a hundred. A further strength in teaching is that pupils of all ages are expected to learn and use relevant mathematical language. For example, Year 2 pupils have a clear grasp of the processes of addition and subtraction and explain them confidently in discussion Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School - 11 using mathematical vocabulary, and by Year 6 pupils use terms such as ‘acute’ and ‘obtuse angles’ accurately. 5. Teachers also have good expertise in science. They plan well for pupils’ work, and give good

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Effective teaching in all year groups enables pupils to learn well, and the standards they attain are

support to all in the class. All aspects of the subject are covered systematically, with a good emphasis on investigations. This is an improvement since the last inspection, and has contributed to the rising standards in science. For example, Year 6 pupils plan and carry out experiments carefully, and are keen to share their findings. They have a clear understanding of how to carry out a fair test. The concept of fair testing is successfully introduced much earlier, by encouraging Year 2 pupils, for example, to consider it when exploring floating and sinking. 6. Other subjects in which the evidence indicated pupils do well include information technology and design and technology. Pupils cover a wide variety of interesting work in information technology, following the well-planned curriculum which develops their knowledge and skills progressively. Pupils in Years 1 and 2, and Reception children, have experimented in making patterns using a computer art

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Effective teaching in all year groups enables pupils to learn well, and the standards they attain are

program. They have also used a digital camera and word processor to prepare reports on a visit to a castle, and many other programs to help develop their skills in literacy. Year 4 pupils have entered the findings from a survey of the local area in geography. In Year 5, participation in a national project has involved pupils in collating data and using spreadsheets and a database, in geography and environmental work that also has links to mathematics and science. Year 6 pupils have used digital cameras, and imported these pictures and other graphics into a word processor to create very professionally presented gazettes each term. They have also designed Web pages. Many pupils word process their work; the Year 6 pupils observed doing this during the inspection were confident and skilled. Pupils of all ages have regularly used email and the Internet. The evidence shows that standards in information technology are well above average.

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Effective teaching in all year groups enables pupils to learn well, and the standards they attain are

7. Pupils have also been given challenging tasks in design and technology. They have been taught to plan carefully, as was shown by some of their sketches and planning sheets on display in classrooms, and the older pupils have written detailed evaluations of their work successfully. The youngest children have opportunities for such tasks as weaving, and were observed working well together and sharing the resources co-operatively. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 have looked at ways of using materials, such as techniques for joining wood and how to assemble components into a buggy. Year 6 pupils have made computer-controlled toys to stimulate a baby, made from a wide range of materials to well-thought-out designs. The work indicates that design and technology is taught well throughout the school, enabling pupils to make good progress in planning, making and evaluating. 8. A strength in teaching, which has contributed to the consistently good quality of pupils’ learning,

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Effective teaching in all year groups enables pupils to learn well, and the standards they attain are

is that links between subjects are made. For instance, younger pupils have written about a visit to Dover Castle and drawn and coloured in pictures to illustrate their accounts, and made sand pictures of seaside objects. Music has been linked to art, through listening to ‘The Carnival of the Animals’ and drawing and painting animals in response. 9. Other strengths in teaching, seen in many lessons, are: • the way lesson activities build systematically on what pupils have previously learned, and take account of the wide range of needs in mixed-age classes; • the purposeful pace of lessons, because teachers are well-prepared and have the necessary resources at hand; • the effectiveness of teachers’ management of learning activities; • the way they check how well pupils are getting on and intervene when necessary to keep them hard at work.

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The school has a strong ethos. Everyone is valued, and pupils from all backgrounds are enabled

to succeed. 10. Parents and governors see the strong ethos as one of the school’s major strengths. The ethos is one of valuing all as individuals, based on the philosophy that ‘Together Everyone Achieves More’. This Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School - 12 attitude underlies all that the staff do. It shows in their interactions with and care of individual pupils and in the way that they promote equal opportunities for all. 11. The school is very successful in the way it integrates new pupils, particularly those from other countries. Some of these pupils already speak English but many do not. Staff are sensitive to their needs, and take great care to involve them from their first day in school. For example, various notices and displays around the school use other languages as well as English. Pupils who come from other cultures and speak other languages are seen bringing much to the school, and their contributions (and

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The school has a strong ethos. Everyone is valued, and pupils from all backgrounds are enabled

those of their parents) are valued and built upon in lessons. The use of wall displays demonstrates this, as they often draw on or illustrate aspects of other cultures and places. 12. Pupils with special educational needs are also given much encouragement to succeed. Teachers adapt the work appropriately, for example by asking questions of differing levels of difficulty in whole- class discussion. They group pupils carefully to maximise their learning, and keep a careful eye on how well they get on. Support staff are very effective as they are well trained and deployed. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is managed very well. Their individual education plans are detailed and helpful, with targets that cover both developing pupils’ skills in English and mathematics, and improving their behaviour and confidence. The system of sharing this information between special educational needs staff and class teachers is highly efficient. The pupils’ progress is assessed regularly,

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The school has a strong ethos. Everyone is valued, and pupils from all backgrounds are enabled

involving parents in the reviews that are held each term. As a result of the very good provision, these pupils do well. Their achievement is good as almost all reach the standards expected nationally at the end of Years 2 and 6.

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Pupils respond very positively to the school’s ethos, and so their attitudes, behaviour and personal

development are very good. 13. Pupils enjoy school, as their parents commented. For instance, on several occasions during the inspection some pupils wanted to stay in the classroom at breaks in order to continue with their work, rather than going outside to play with their friends. Many were not in a hurry to leave at the end of the school day, and the take-up of after-school activities such as orchestra, dance, cricket, netball and learning Spanish is high. 14. In lessons, most pupils take part enthusiastically in class discussion. They are interested, well- motivated, confident learners, both when working with teachers and in independent activities. Pupils of all ages particularly enjoy working in small groups. They are very successful in this as relationships between them are very good. This was shown in the co-operative way they worked together on science investigations, for instance. They are patient with and supportive of each other, which helps those

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Pupils respond very positively to the school’s ethos, and so their attitudes, behaviour and personal

whose English is not yet fluent and those with special educational needs to be successful. Pupils listen carefully and with interest both to their teachers and to each other, showing respect for what others say in whole-class and small-group activities They also take turns well, and share ideas and resources fairly. 15. Pupils are sensible and thoughtful in carrying out the responsibilities they are given. In lessons, they help to clear up willingly. Year 6 pupils have a variety of jobs to carry out, including helping with the overhead projector and playing the music in assemblies, and setting out the canteen ready for lunch. Their approach to these tasks is mature and confident. Pupils of all ages are aware of others’ needs. They are friendly and polite, and are quick to notice when help is needed such as holding a door open. Many make close friendships with the pupils from other countries who join the school for a few years.

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Pupils respond very positively to the school’s ethos, and so their attitudes, behaviour and personal

16. In the playground, pupils mix well. The older pupils sometimes play with the younger ones. Very little misbehaviour occurs, and is usually minor and quickly sorted out. No pupils have been excluded from school in the past few years, and bullying is rare. Pupils have a keen sense of right and wrong, and accept the reprimands that are occasionally given as being fair. They are confident that staff will help them sort out any problems or worries they may have. Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School - 13 17. In all these ways, pupils show that they have absorbed the school’s ethos of valuing everyone as an individual and of working together as a team. It benefits both their academic achievement and their personal, moral, social and cultural development.

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The partnership between parents and the school is very strong, to the benefit of the quality of

education the school provides. 18. Parents feel strongly that the school is very good, and are highly committed to supporting it. They do this in many ways. Some provide valuable and valued assistance during the day, for example by helping in lessons and when pupils are taken on educational visits. Parents have been very successful in fundraising and contributing to the school’s improvement of its facilities. The music room was built as a result of the efforts of parents and governors, and provides a very good environment for instrumental lessons, class teaching and after-school activities. Other adults also contribute, although their children are no longer pupils at the school. For instance, helpers run the library and ensure that pupils in all classes have opportunities to borrow from the good range of books available. This encourages pupils’ love of reading and supports their development of literacy skills.

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The partnership between parents and the school is very strong, to the benefit of the quality of

19. Pupils are given very good support for their learning at home. For instance, they are strongly encouraged to do their homework, and parents like the information they are given on what is being taught. Parents ensure that their children attend school regularly and on time. School functions are well attended, and parents appreciate the efforts made by the school to involve them in its life. 20. The school has promoted and developed this partnership with parents and other adults very successfully. It welcomes their contributions, and provides many opportunities for them to become involved. It also provides parents with regular, good quality information such as through newsletters and the pupils’ contact books. Parents’ expertise is drawn on, for example in talking to pupils about aspects of the countries they come from, which broadens pupils’ social and cultural awareness.

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The headteacher, governors and other staff with responsibilities manage the school and its

improvement very well. 21. The headteacher provides very strong, clear-sighted leadership and has managed the school’s improvement very well, ably supported by the deputy headteacher. His priority is to provide the best possible education for all pupils, and he uses a variety of strategies to achieve this. For instance, he has thought carefully about how to group the pupils into classes and which teachers they should have, given that mixed-age classes are necessary. The teachers plan collaboratively, ensuring that pupils in each year group have equivalent opportunities for learning. At the meeting prior to the inspection, some parents expressed concern that their children might be held back by being in a class with younger pupils, but the inspection found that the school’s arrangements for lesson planning prevent this happening. 22. The governing body is very knowledgeable about the school. Governors have a clear picture of its

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The headteacher, governors and other staff with responsibilities manage the school and its

strengths and the areas needing further improvement, gained from their regular, mostly informal visits to the school and the reports they receive from the headteacher and other staff. The initiative they took in raising the money to enable the new music room to be built is an example of the effectiveness of their support for the school. The governing body now provides a much stronger lead to the school than at the time of the last inspection. Its relationships with staff are very good, and it ensures that statutory requirements are met. 23. The headteacher promotes an ethos of team work very successfully. This has helped other staff with responsibilities to work well together, and gives all staff confidence. For example, subject co- ordinators have a good knowledge of the standard pupils in each year group attain as they monitor teachers’ planning and review the quality of pupils’ work. This gives them a clear insight into what

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The headteacher, governors and other staff with responsibilities manage the school and its

Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School - 14 needs to be improved, and enables them to contribute significantly to the process of preparing the school development plan.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

No areas were identified in which significant improvement is needed. 24. The school has no significant weaknesses. The area of teaching and learning in which a minor weakness was found has already been identified, and is being improved. This is in the teaching of sustained, independent writing to pupils in Years 1 and 2. Many opportunities for writing are provided, which is a strength in the teaching, and pupils are encouraged to learn to spell and punctuate accurately and to join up their handwriting. This teaching is successful, and so almost all pupils attain the nationally-expected standard by the end of Year 2. This includes the pupils learning English as an additional language. Pupils use ideas and vocabulary learned from reading and discussion in their writing, and enjoy creating different kinds of texts including stories and informative accounts. Teachers do not make the best use of the opportunities to extend these short pieces, however, such as by

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

organising questions on a text into a structure for a sequence of paragraphs. As a result, pupils of all levels of attainment are generally not being enabled to do as well in writing as they do in reading. This is why the results for writing in the national tests at the end of Year 2 were below average compared to similar schools, although the results for reading were above average.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

25. The headteacher, governors and staff are already working on improving the minor issue identified by the inspection: • to provide additional opportunities for pupils in Years 1 and 2 to write independently and at length, so that they do as well in writing as in reading. Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School - 15

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 14

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 262

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 12

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 53

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 36

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 18

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School - 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 19 10 29

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 18 18 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 9 9

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 93 (98) 93 (100) 97 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 18 18 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 9 9

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 93 (94) 93 (82) 93 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 16 16 32

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 11 12 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 15 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 84 (78) 84 (77) 97 (73) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 13 15 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 16 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 91 (73) 97 (83) 91 (73) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School - 17

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 2 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 7 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 5 Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10.5 Financial year 1999-2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Total income 447,003

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 446,068

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Expenditure per pupil 1,750

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 82 Balance brought forward from previous year 7,526

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 8,461 Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School - 18

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 53 41 5 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 63 36 0 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 36 50 12 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 46 48 4 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 77 22 0 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 71 26 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 56 36 5 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 78 19 1 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 59 35 5 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 41 40 12 3 4

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Other issues raised by parents

The older pupils in mixed-age classes may not be stretched enough by the work they are set. The school has improved greatly as a result of the strong leadership of the headteacher.

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