Archdeacon Cambridge's Church of England Primary School

SCHOOL

LEA area: London Borough of Richmond-Upon-Thames

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SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 3 rd and 4 th May 2000

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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.

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SCHOOL

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. Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: The Green Twickenham Middlesex

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The School Board of Governors

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 11 th – 15 th November 1996 Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 4

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Team members

Mr David Manuel Registered inspector Ms Val Cain Lay inspector Mrs Hazel Callaghan Team inspector Ms Lysbeth Bradley Team inspector

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Team members

Evenlode Associates Ltd 6 Abbey Close Alcester Warwickshire B49 5QW

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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:

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 5

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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

The school achieves high standards in English, mathematics and science, and these are effectively supported by good procedures for assessment and target setting.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

The quality of teaching is good overall. It is particularly good in Years 2 and 6, promoting confident learners who achieve well and enjoy their work.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

Leadership and management are very good throughout the school. The headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other key staff are well supported by the governing body in self- evaluation, strategic planning and monitoring to promote an effective school.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

The broad and balanced curriculum is enriched by a very good range of extra-curricular activities which promote pupils’ intellectual and personal development very well.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

The school provides very good care for its pupils within a strong Christian ethos.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 14

There needs to be a sharper focus on learning objectives for play activities throughout the Early Years, building on the good provision made in the Nursery.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 14

Teachers’ high expectations of pupils and their learning, which are present in the good and better teaching in many areas of the school, need to be more consistent in other teaching.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Archdeacon Cambridge’s School is a Church of England Aided Primary School situated in a residential area of Twickenham. It serves a community of mainly owner occupied housing and admits children aged from four to eleven. Attainment on entry is wide ranging but above average. The school has 366 full-time pupils in the main school, an above average size, organised into 14 classes. There are 85 part-time pupils in the Nursery and Reception classes. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is below average although the proportion of pupils with a statement of educational need is above average. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is below average. Thirteen per cent of pupils come from ethnic minority families and ten per cent speak English as an additional language. This is higher than in most schools.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Archdeacon Cambridge’s Primary School is a good school which provides a good quality of education for all its pupils. Very good leadership provides a clear educational direction for the work of the school. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and staff have a shared commitment to helping pupils achieve high academic standards and high levels of personal development. The governing body provides very effective support and makes a positive input to monitoring and self-evaluation. All are joint partners in the continuing development of the school. Teaching is good overall, with examples of very good practice in Years 2 and 6, which enable pupils of all attainment levels to make good progress in their learning and leave the school with high standards in English, mathematics and science. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

§ The school achieves high standards in English, mathematics and science. These high standards are effectively supported by good procedures for assessment and accurate target setting. § The quality of teaching is good overall. It is particularly good in Years 2 and 6, promoting confident learners who achieve well and enjoy their work. § Leadership and management are very good throughout the school. The headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other key staff are well supported by the governing body in self-evaluation, strategic planning and monitoring which all promote an effective school. § The broad and balanced curriculum is enriched by a very good range of extra-curricular activities which promote pupils’ intellectual and personal development very effectively. § The school provides very good care for pupils within a strong Christian ethos.

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What could be improved

§ There needs to be a sharper focus on learning objectives in play activities throughout the Early Years, building on the good provision made in the Nursery. § Teachers’ high expectations of pupils and their learning, which are present in the good and better teaching in many areas of the school, need to be more consistent in other teaching . The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was previously inspected in November 1996. Improvement has been good and at a faster rate than expected. Plans to produce policies and schemes of work for all curriculum subjects have been successfully completed. The roles of development teams and subject co-ordinators have developed well in terms of monitoring and evaluating standards and strengthening the teamwork throughout the school. The school has developed very good monitoring procedures and these have had a significant impact on Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 7 improvements. All staff are now clearly involved in all areas of school life.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The schemes of work have been used well to support planning and they link the assessment of pupils’ work more closely to planning the next steps in learning. These improvements have had a significant impact on the quality of teaching which was judged as sound at the time of the previous inspection and is now good. In a majority of lessons, teachers have high expectations of what all pupils should achieve and set challenging tasks to meet the needs of all attainment levels. At Key Stage 1, the standard of pupils’ work in art has improved from being below expected levels at the time of the previous inspection to being similar to that normally seen from pupils of this age.

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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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schools

1997 1998 1999 1999 very high A* English A A A A well above average above average A B Mathematics B A A A* average below average C D Science C A A A well below average E

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schools

Over the three years from 1997, standards attained by pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 have been consistently high. They are well above national averages in English, mathematics and science and when compared to similar schools, are well above average in English and science and very high in mathematics. Percentages of pupils attaining the higher Level 5 are well above average. The school sets challenging but realistic targets for pupils in each year group, based on careful tracking of individual performance and there is a shared commitment by staff and pupils to maintain the high standards.

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schools

Evidence from the inspection confirms that a significant majority of pupils at Key Stage 2, attain standards in English, mathematics and science which are above expected levels and the school is well placed to maintain its high standards.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils’ attitudes are very good. They are very enthusiastic about their work and are greatly involved in all aspects of school life.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is good. Pupils respond well to the strong values that the school promotes. They uphold the school rules well.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships These are very good. The quality of relationships is a significant strength of the school. Pupils show initiative and thoughtfulness for others from an early age.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good levels of attendance have been consistently maintained.

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

Lessons seen overall Good Good Good 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. Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 8 The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection when it was judged to be sound overall with a minority of good teaching and 11 per cent being unsatisfactory. Teaching observed during this inspection was good overall. 94 per cent of lessons were satisfactory or better, with 12 per cent being very good or excellent and only six per cent being unsatisfactory. Almost all lessons are well structured, build upon previous learning and meet the needs of pupils of all attainment levels. Teachers have good knowledge of the pupils and assess their work regularly to track progress in learning.

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

Where teaching is good or better, teachers have high expectations of what all pupils should achieve and lessons provide stimulating and challenging learning experiences. At both key stages, the skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well and as a result, pupils gain in confidence, using and applying these skills well in other subjects, such as science, history and geography. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are taught well and make good progress. Higher attaining pupils and pupils with particular interests are encouraged to develop their talents. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and make good progress in relation to their set targets. In this school, boys and girls are keen to succeed and work with high levels of concentration. In a small proportion of lessons seen, where strengths outweighed weaknesses, teachers’ expectations were inconsistent. In a very small proportion of lessons

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

seen, the planned activities did not sufficiently challenge pupils and progress in learning was unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is broad and balanced and provides a good range of learning experiences. It is enriched by a very good range of extra- curricular activities which promote pupils’ intellectual and personal development very well.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and make good progress in relation to their set targets.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Pupils who speak English as an additional language are taught well and make good progress. Individual tracking ensures that each pupil’s progress is monitored. The school also monitors different ethnic groups.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision is very good. Each aspect is thoughtfully developed within the strong Christian ethos and the very good relationships that exist within the school and the local community.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school community is secure and very caring. All staff know pupils very well and work together for the good of all. Procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare are very good.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage-ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher and the deputy headteacher form a highly effective partnership. They are well supported by all staff in a range of key roles. The headteacher has a strong sense of purpose and brings the best out of staff through effective consultation and delegation.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very well. Governors are effectively involved in all aspects of school life and have a clear input into the effective self-evaluation and development of the school. Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 9 The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. There are very good systems for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning. There is a shared commitment, to achieve higher standards and further improvements.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes good strategic use of resources and is continually seeking ways to improve provision by applying the principles of best value. The school gives good value for money.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school. • The school is well led and managed. • Parents would feel comfortable approaching the school with problems. • Teaching is good. • Children are making good progress. • The right amount of homework for children. • Better information about how their children are getting on.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team endorses what pleases parents most. With regard to what parents would like to see improved, the team found clear evidence of regular homework being set, twice a week, for most children. This was predominantly in literacy and numeracy. Homework was regularly referred to and supported class work.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The team acknowledges that the school provides adequate opportunities for parents to discuss progress and regular information about curriculum work in different year groups is provided. However, a scrutiny of written reports showed that some were too descriptive and lacked details of particular strengths and weaknesses. There is room for improvement in this matter. Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 10

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The school achieves high standards in English, mathematics and science. These high standards are

effectively supported by good procedures for assessment and target setting.

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The school achieves high standards in English, mathematics and science. These high standards are

1. The school has maintained high standards over the past four years. Although attainment on entry shows that overall, standards are above the local education authority’s average, there is a significant proportion of pupils with special educational needs regularly admitted to the school. By the time they leave the school at the age of eleven, pupils’ standards are well above national averages in English, mathematics and science. When compared to similar schools, standards are well above average in English and science and very high in mathematics. These high standards are the result of a shared commitment by all to achieve higher standards and further improvement.

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The school achieves high standards in English, mathematics and science. These high standards are

2. Assessment procedures and their use in monitoring the progress of individual pupils are very good and make significant contributions to continuing high standards. Teachers assess work rigorously on a regular basis and set realistic but challenging targets for all pupils in their classes. Teachers form very good relationships with their pupils and know them well. Whatever the potential of each pupil, all are encouraged to achieve the best possible standards in all areas of the curriculum and in national tests.

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The school achieves high standards in English, mathematics and science. These high standards are

3. In English, pupils’ written and oral work confirm the high standards that pupils achieve in tests. Teachers’ very good subject knowledge and a wide range of stimulating and challenging texts ensure that pupils’ literacy skills are developed very well. Pupils of all ages read, speak and write confidently attaining standards which are often above and well above expected levels and indicating the considerable pleasure that they get from literature. For example, younger pupils in Year 1 read with good expression when sequencing a story about ‘Olly the Octopus’. Older pupils tackle demanding texts and offer perceptive comments about characterisation, as shown by Year 6 pupils when considering the style of Jacqueline Wilson.

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The school achieves high standards in English, mathematics and science. These high standards are

4. In mathematics, pupils not only attain above average levels in numeracy skills but also use and apply their knowledge and understanding well to make quick and accurate mental calculations when solving problems. Teachers’ good subject knowledge and high expectations result in pupils having a good understanding of mathematical terms and the ability to explain how they approach a problem solving situation. All pupils in Years 2 and 6 in particular, make good progress in their learning and attain higher levels than expected. This was clearly emphasised in Year 2 in pupils’ knowledge of tables when challenged to play mathematical games and design their own ways to reach correct answers. Year 6 pupils work confidently and inspirationally when challenged to solve problems involving fractions, percentages and ratios. Most pupils are secure at the expected Level 4 with a significant minority secure at the higher Level 5.

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The school achieves high standards in English, mathematics and science. These high standards are

5. In science, pupils at Key Stage 1 show good all round knowledge and understanding of all aspects of science and show the same confident approach when using and applying their skills to carrying out experiments. Year 2 pupils use opportunities well to experiment in designing electrical circuits. Good open-ended challenges by the teacher enables pupils to build on their previous experiences and successfully solve the tasks. Pupils systematically extend their skills across Key Stage 2 in tasks closely linked to the scheme of work. By the end of the key stage, Year 6 pupils demonstrate the ability to predict outcomes, observe details carefully and present written work of good quality. Completed tasks indicate that most pupils attain above expected levels in their understanding of materials, physical processes and living things and the part that these play in their own lives.

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The school achieves high standards in English, mathematics and science. These high standards are

6. In information and communication technology, all pupils are very interested in extending their skills and in learning how technology can be used to improve their work and make good links with most areas of the curriculum. Most attain expected levels with a small minority attaining higher Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 11 than these. A new computer suite has just been completed in the school and adds to the classroom resources and the computer bay already in use. Teachers are now developing effective strategies for half-class and whole-class teaching to extend pupils’ skills still further. Year 2 pupils were observed making good gains in skills when programming a complex sequence of instructions to direct a floor model round, and through, a series of skittles. Pupils in Year 3 used computers well to compose a series of chords and beats in music and Year 4 pupils built up a data base, taking

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The school achieves high standards in English, mathematics and science. These high standards are

into account the need for careful questioning to produce relevant answers for classifying and sorting information. Year 6 pupils extended their knowledge well when using spreadsheets to analyse how their leisure time is used.

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The school achieves high standards in English, mathematics and science. These high standards are

7. Teachers provide a good variety of activities which enable all pupils to achieve their full potential in all areas of the curriculum as well as in test results. Pupils use these opportunities well to develop their academic, personal and social skills to the full. A good range of pupils’ art work is displayed throughout the school and drama and music have a high profile at regular times in the year when pupils enjoy demonstrating their many skills. These performances are much appreciated and enjoyed by parents. Good standards are attained by most pupils in gymnastics, various sports and swimming. Geography skills are developed effectively across the age range as pupils learn about their own country, comparing it with other countries such as India and Africa. In history, local resources, such as nearby Hampton Court and museum visits are used well to develop knowledge and understanding about events and characters of the past, such as the Tudors and the

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The school achieves high standards in English, mathematics and science. These high standards are

Second World War. Pupils’ learning experiences in design and technology are less well developed. The school has identified this as an area for further development and the co-ordinator has drawn up an action plan to ensure improved provision and better development of subject skills.

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The quality of teaching is good overall. It is particularly good in Years 2 and 6, promoting confident

learners who achieve well and enjoy their work.

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The quality of teaching is good overall. It is particularly good in Years 2 and 6, promoting confident

8. When the school was previously inspected three and a half years ago, the overall quality of teaching was judged to be sound. A significant minority of teaching was judged to be good and 11 per cent of teaching was unsatisfactory. Issues included setting tasks which match the abilities of all pupils, especially the most able, raising expectations of pupils’ attainment and improving the quality and consistency of marking by applying the new marking policy.

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The quality of teaching is good overall. It is particularly good in Years 2 and 6, promoting confident

9. The quality of teaching has improved substantially since the previous inspection and is now good throughout the school. In lessons observed, 94 per cent of teaching was satisfactory or better, 60 per cent was good or better and 12 per cent was very good or excellent. Six per cent was unsatisfactory. Teaching was particularly good in Years 2 and 6. Detailed schemes of work and improved assessment procedures have contributed greatly to improvements in teaching. Good use is also made of learning support staff who work closely with designated pupils, monitor their learning closely and enable many pupils with learning problems to reach expected levels.

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The quality of teaching is good overall. It is particularly good in Years 2 and 6, promoting confident

10. The teaching in the Nursery is good and takes full account of the nationally recommended areas of learning, providing a good balance between structured learning experiences and play activities. Together Nursery staff form an effective team who monitor children’s learning closely and adjust planning accordingly. Children benefit from the good provision which ensures that they get off to a good start in their learning. In the Reception classes, teachers’ planning provides an appropriate range of activities but occasionally the tasks lack sufficient challenge for children of all attainment levels, resulting in a slowing of progress in learning. There is a need to build on the good practice found in the Nursery. The school has identified the need to review teaching and provision to meet the new Early Learning Goals from next September. Planning and practice will be reviewed to ensure more consistency for all pupils who are under five.

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The quality of teaching is good overall. It is particularly good in Years 2 and 6, promoting confident

11. Almost all lessons are well structured and build upon previous learning experiences. In the best lessons observed, teachers have high expectations of what all pupils should achieve and provide stimulating tasks to challenge them. Teachers form very good relationships with the pupils, have good knowledge of their needs and assess work regularly to track progress and plan the next stages Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 12 in learning. Good subject knowledge is evident in these lessons and teachers make good use of subject vocabulary to add quality to the learning and understanding. These qualities promote confident learners who achieve well and enjoy their work.

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The quality of teaching is good overall. It is particularly good in Years 2 and 6, promoting confident

12. Literacy skills are taught well. For example, in a Year 2 lesson, the teacher’s excellent use of text, structure and highly effective strategies within a ‘Writers’ Workshop’ session, enabled pupils to demonstrate high levels of skills in handwriting, spelling and punctuation in their independent writing. Their commitment to learning enabled them to identify adjectives and use thesauri to select very expressive words. In Year 6, the teacher was very demanding of pupils and their use of subject specific vocabulary when discussing the text of a particular author. The teacher constantly challenged them over the differences between writing in the first person or the third person to convey aspects of characterisation, missing not a single opportunity to reinforce the learning points. Pupils read accurately, fluently and with good expression demonstrating good skills. Teachers provide a good range of opportunities to use literacy skills in other subject such as

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The quality of teaching is good overall. It is particularly good in Years 2 and 6, promoting confident

13. Numeracy skills are also taught well. Pupils in Key Stage 2 are grouped according to their levels of attainment and their different needs. Higher attaining pupils are set challenging tasks, individually or in pairs, sometimes using computers to aid their investigations. Booster groups are provided for pupils of below average attainment, with the potential to reach the average level. In Year 6 teachers’ high expectations, the provision of good learning resources and challenging tasks promote brisk pace. Almost all pupils concentrate very well, listen with great interest and are bubbling with ideas and answers to the challenges, attaining either expected levels or higher levels in work involving fractions, decimals, percentages and ratios.

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The quality of teaching is good overall. It is particularly good in Years 2 and 6, promoting confident

14. Teachers work enthusiastically and imaginatively in their planning and share the learning objectives with the pupils, who respond well accordingly. The good practice developed by teachers in implementing the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies has been effectively transferred into most other subjects. Teachers’ good subject knowledge was also demonstrated in other subject lessons, such as information and communication technology, art, history, physical education and French. The latter is an extra subject to the National Curriculum requirements for this age range, which the school chooses to teach with good effect.

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The quality of teaching is good overall. It is particularly good in Years 2 and 6, promoting confident

15. On a very few occasions, teachers’ expectations are not high enough. Planning does not take enough account of the needs of all pupils and tasks are not sufficiently challenging. This results in pupils losing interest and momentum in their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good overall. It is particularly good in Years 2 and 6, promoting confident

16. All pupils are very interested and involved in their lessons. In many lessons they display high levels of concentration and are keen to play a full part in contributing ideas and answers. Pupils of all attainment levels make good progress in their learning. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are taught well and make good progress due to the close monitoring by teachers. Higher attaining pupils and pupils with particular interests are encouraged to develop their talents, as demonstrated in information technology, art, music and physical education. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and make good progress in relation to their set targets. In this school, boys and girls together are keen to succeed.

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headteacher and other key staff are well supported by the governing body in self-evaluation, strategic

planning and monitoring which all promote an effective school.

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headteacher and other key staff are well supported by the governing body in self-evaluation, strategic

17. The headteacher, staff and governors share a common purpose, and place pupils and their achievement first and foremost. Well co-ordinated teams reflect critically on how they can improve pupils’ learning. The work of the school is very well monitored, particularly the teaching and its impact on learning. Very good delegation to staff with management responsibilities and effective evaluation are followed up to ensure the impact of decision making. Governors monitor the school’s performance well and they have a good understanding of its strengths and the challenges it Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 13 faces to ensure the correct priorities for development and improvement. They also apply effectively, the best value principles, regularly comparing costs and justifying the use of resources.

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headteacher and other key staff are well supported by the governing body in self-evaluation, strategic

18. The headteacher has a strong sense of purpose and a clear vision for the development of the school. He and the deputy headteacher form a highly effective partnership. The headteacher brings out the very best in the staff team through effective consultation and delegation. As a result, all staff are very clear about their roles and responsibilities and their team work involves them effectively in all areas of school life. They are hard working and are committed to continuous professional development. Systems for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching and learning are effective. The school has responded well to the implementation of the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy and these have been well monitored by the English and mathematics co- ordinators. The work of other subject co-ordinators is also of good quality and contributes significantly to the good all round standards and improvements since the previous inspection.

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headteacher and other key staff are well supported by the governing body in self-evaluation, strategic

19. Governors provide very effective support and have a positive input in the monitoring and evaluation of the school's work. All are joint partners in the continuing development of the school. Governors take their responsibilities towards staff, children and parents very seriously. They meet with curriculum co-ordinators regularly and are closely involved in setting challenging targets for the school. Governors hold regular ‘surgeries’ to enable parents to raise any concerns. Parents appreciate these meetings greatly. The school also has more formal procedures for consultation such as its own parent questionnaires to enable parents to indicate their own views on a range of developmental matters.

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headteacher and other key staff are well supported by the governing body in self-evaluation, strategic

20. The school makes effective use of resources and the accommodation. Funding for special educational needs is used efficiently and the school is always aware of the needs of all its pupils. All governors and staff have a shared commitment to provide the best for the pupils in the school.

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The broad and balanced curriculum is enriched by a very good range of extra-curricular activities

which promote pupils’ intellectual and personal development very well.

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The broad and balanced curriculum is enriched by a very good range of extra-curricular activities

21. Although the school’s priorities pay due attention to the continuous development of the basic skills of literacy and numeracy, this has not been at the expense of other subjects. Good links are made with other subjects such as science, history and geography to enable pupils to extend their skills. The curriculum is broad, balanced and relevant to the needs of the pupils, whatever their interests and talents. The curriculum is enriched by a wide range of visits and visitors, which extend pupils’ knowledge and experiences. These include well-focused day and residential trips which, in themselves, offer stimulating learning experiences and effectively extend pupils’ personal and social development. The width and variety of extra-curricular activities are very good and involve a large number of pupils in Key Stage 2. Activities cover many sports, music and intellectual pursuits such as chess, an internet club and environmental studies.

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The broad and balanced curriculum is enriched by a very good range of extra-curricular activities

22. This good provision is the result of very good whole-school planning which is based on the consistent use of its schemes of work. Two years ago the school also took the decision to restructure the morning sessions to ensure that literacy, numeracy and one other key subject were taught before lunchtime. This has contributed significantly to a good learning environment. Teachers plan closely together in year groups to provide parity across the age range. The planning is monitored and evaluated well by the senior management team and subject co-ordinators, to ensure proper progression of learning skills across the age range. The good provision and planning enables pupils to make connections between past and present learning by applying their knowledge and understanding in meaningful contexts. Nationally recommended guidelines are used effectively and adapted to the school’s needs.

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The broad and balanced curriculum is enriched by a very good range of extra-curricular activities

23. Information and communication technology also has a high profile in the curriculum. The new computer suite was completed just before the inspection started. The co-ordinators’ action plan identifies the provision of whole-class teaching in addition to the use of classroom computers and those in a small computer bay. The school has access to the Internet and has its own web-site. Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 14 Provision is good and aims to promote young citizens, who are competent and at ease with computer technology in the new century. Although not a statutory requirement at Key Stage 2, pupils are taught French from Year 4. This provision not only gives them an early insight into the learning of a foreign language but supports their learning of skills in their own language. Strong elements of music and drama are also provided in the curriculum and productions are very much valued and appreciated by parents and the local community.

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The broad and balanced curriculum is enriched by a very good range of extra-curricular activities

24. Equality of opportunity and access are very good for boys and girls. Teachers match activities and experiences very well to the needs of all pupils. In most teaching, pupils’ learning is promoted through the careful matching of tasks to pupils’ prior attainment at all levels. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are quickly assessed and needs are identified. Their work is closely monitored and suitable tasks provided to ensure good progress in their learning. This often includes support to enable greater understanding of text. Pupils with special educational needs and particular learning difficulties are also identified early. Good analysis of their needs takes place and suitable learning targets are set to enable them to make good progress. Parents are kept well- informed and realistic but challenging targets are set and monitored closely. This very good support and monitoring enables many pupils to reach the expected national levels in many subjects

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The broad and balanced curriculum is enriched by a very good range of extra-curricular activities

by the time they leave the school at the age of eleven.

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The broad and balanced curriculum is enriched by a very good range of extra-curricular activities

25. Very good provision is also made for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school promotes a strong Christian ethos which is developed through assemblies and religious education lessons. This enables all pupils to reflect on and raise awareness of their own and others’ values and beliefs. The school has a strong code of conduct which is consistently reinforced by high expectations. Pupils are given good opportunities to take responsibility, such as helping with appointments on parents’ interview evenings. Citizenship is well promoted through the school council in Key Stage 2 and links with senior citizens in the local community.

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The broad and balanced curriculum is enriched by a very good range of extra-curricular activities

26. There are well developed links with art, music and literature from different cultures and theme days, such as ‘French Day’ and ‘Africa Week’. There are also celebrations of many different festivals. Collectively, these provide rich experiences to extend pupils’ learning about, and understanding of, many elements within our multi-cultural society. This enrichment of the curriculum fully endorses the school’s belief that, … .”all our children deserve a greater range of opportunities than the National Curriculum provides.”

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The broad and balanced curriculum is enriched by a very good range of extra-curricular activities

The school provides very good care for its pupils within a strong Christian ethos.

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The broad and balanced curriculum is enriched by a very good range of extra-curricular activities

27. The strong Christian ethos that the school successfully promotes, is effectively cultivated in partnership with parents and the Church. Careful planning ensures that all aspects of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is very well nurtured. Very good arrangements are in place for handling child protection issues. Good levels of attendance are promoted by close and regular monitoring and follow up. Very good procedures are in place to ensure support and guidance for all aspects of pupils’ welfare. The site is kept clean and safe and regular risk assessment takes place. Pupils’ medical needs are well met. Children and their needs are placed at the centre of school life.

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The broad and balanced curriculum is enriched by a very good range of extra-curricular activities

28. The headteacher plays a very important and high profile role in these aspects. Pupils are encouraged to give thought for others and very good relationships are developed. The headteacher is directly involved in sorting out any problems and disputes and these are resolved quickly and effectively. Pupils’ own views are sought on matters, such as the type of equipment that should be provided at break-times to ensure harmony. Very good progress has been made since the previous inspection in monitoring academic performance and personal development. When pupils leave the school, they are well rounded individuals. The efforts made by the school are much appreciated and highly valued by parents – and rightly so.

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There needs to be a sharper focus on learning objectives in play activities developed throughout the

Early Years, building on the good provision made in the Nursery.

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There needs to be a sharper focus on learning objectives in play activities developed throughout the

29. The school’s own monitoring systems have identified the need for learning objectives in the planning for Reception children, to be sharper, along with the need for better provision to meet the full range of needs of children in this age range. Inspection evidence confirms these judgements.

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There needs to be a sharper focus on learning objectives in play activities developed throughout the

30. In the Nursery, activities are well structured with all adults alert to the learning potential of all children. Children’s assessed needs are well provided for and children make good progress in their learning and enjoy a good start to their school lives in the Early Years. Many are in line to achieve expected levels in the nationally recommended areas of learning. In the Reception classes, although children were seen being involved in a wide range of learning activities, there was a lack of specific focus in two lessons observed and assessment of pupils’ skills was too general. No account was taken in the planning, of the different attainment levels of children and as a result, those children working independently were not sufficiently extended.

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There needs to be a sharper focus on learning objectives in play activities developed throughout the

31. Currently, Reception teachers attend planning meetings with Year 1 staff and there are limited opportunities for them to share good practice in planning and teaching with the Nursery staff. The Early Years co-ordinator has identified the need for planning and assessment procedures to be more consistent for all children under five. An action plan is being drawn up to link targets for improvement in these aspects to preparations for the introduction of Early Learning Goals in September. Attention to these targets is much needed to improve the consistency in children’s learning throughout the Early Years.

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Teachers’ high expectations of pupils and their learning, which are present in the good and better

teaching in many areas of the school, need to be more consistent in other teaching.

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Teachers’ high expectations of pupils and their learning, which are present in the good and better

32. Following the previous inspection, a key issue was to improve the consistency of teaching, focusing particularly on setting tasks which match the ability of all pupils and raising expectations of pupils’ attainment. Monitoring by the headteacher and other key staff indicates that the expectations of most teachers have improved. Inspection evidence confirms that high expectations have a considerable impact on learning in a significant majority of lessons. Teachers make clear to pupils what they should be learning and what is expected of each and every one of them by the end of the lesson. These qualities are best exemplified in literacy lessons where teachers use stimulating texts and place strong emphasis on subject specific skills which enable pupils to voice their opinions using very good levels of vocabulary, mature perception and considerable sensitivity.

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Teachers’ high expectations of pupils and their learning, which are present in the good and better

33. Evidence shows quite clearly that significant improvements have taken place in these areas in much of the teaching, particularly in Key Stage 1 and the upper half of Key Stage 2. Where teaching is good or better, teachers have high expectations of what all pupils should achieve in each lesson. Stimulating challenges are set and pupils work at a brisk pace with great enthusiasm. In a minority of lessons, there are inconsistencies in the expectations of teachers. This results in less challenging tasks, the pace of the lesson slows and progress in pupils’ learning is slower than normally seen in lessons.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Archdeacon Cambridge’s Primary School is an effective school. In order to sustain the high standards and ensure that the governors, headteacher and staff are even more successful in their shared commitment to further improvement, the school should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Improve the continuous development of children’s learning in the Early Years by providing better planned and more structured learning experiences in the Reception classes which challenge children of all attainment levels and build on the good practice found in the Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 16 Nursery;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Build on the improvements made in the quality of teaching by ensuring that the high teacher expectations evident in the good and very good teaching are consistently applied in all areas of the school. Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 35 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 44

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 3 9 48 34 6 0 0 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

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 24 384 Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 45 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 7 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3 64

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 39

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 21 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 30

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 4.9 School data 0.01 National comparative data 5.5 National comparative data 0.05 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 18

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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 28 29 57

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 23 23 25 level 2 and above Girls 28 28 28 Total 51 51 53

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Percentage of pupils School 89 (86) 89 (90) 93 (93) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 83 (79) 87 (84)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 23 23 23 level 2 and above Girls 28 28 28 Total 51 51 51

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 89 (90) 89 (89) 89 (90) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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 27 22 49

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 26 24 25 level 4 and above Girls 20 20 22 Total 46 44 47

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 94 (82) 90 (73) 96 (79) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 21 24 26 level 4 and above Girls 20 20 22 Total 41 44 48

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 84 (80) 90 (77) 98 (77) Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 19 at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (71) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0 Black – African heritage 11 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 1 Black – other 0 0 Indian 5 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 3 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 2 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 4 Chinese 0 0 White 296 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 24 Other minority ethnic groups 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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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 17.18 Financial year 1998/99 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.3 Average class size 28 £ Total income 758,921

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 742,220 Total number of education support staff 8 Expenditure per pupil 1,734 Total aggregate hours worked per week 203 Balance brought forward from previous year 70,783

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Balance carried forward to next year 87,484

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Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

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Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

Total number of education support staff 1 Total aggregate hours worked per week 30 Archdeacon Cambridge’s CE Primary - 20 Number of pupils per FTE adult 12 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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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. 41 53 5 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 39 51 6 1 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 27 48 15 2 8

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 37 50 13 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 69 27 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 53 41 4 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 44 50 5 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 65 34 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 54 39 5 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 37 41 7 1 14

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