Staveley CofE School

STAVELEY C.E. PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 17 – 19 September, 2001

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STAVELEY C.E. PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short 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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STAVELEY C.E. PRIMARY 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. Staveley Church of England School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Brow Lane Staveley Kendal Cumbria

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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: Cynthia Clark

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1997 Staveley Church of England School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 2615 Eileen Parry Registered inspector 14404 Alan Rolfe Lay inspector 2616 Phil Cole Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Peak Education Partnership 19 Huddersfield Road Barnsley South Yorkshire S70 2LT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Staveley Church of England School - 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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This smallish primary school has 160 pupils on roll; 96 boys and 64 girls. It serves the village of Staveley in South Cumbria and because it enjoys a good reputation, also draws in pupils from the surrounding areas. Pupils come from a variety of backgrounds but with more than usual from advantaged homes; only a small number are eligible for free school meals. The school is almost entirely white and rarely takes in pupils from other ethnic groups. Children’s attainment on entry varies from year to year because of small numbers but is generally higher than is found in most schools. Two pupils have statements of educational need.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides a satisfactory education overall. Its much loved headteacher died recently. His legacy is a school which parents value highly and children like coming to. Staff and children work together well and there is a very caring ethos. The suddenness of his death has left gaps in management skills and information which staff and governors are working hard to address. Results of national tests and assessments are above average in English and science and average in mathematics. Overall, the standards of children’s work are above average. Almost all children make satisfactory progress in their time at school although it is uneven between classes. Achievement in mathematics is not high enough. Differences in progress are because the quality of teaching is variable and is not as good in Years 3 and 4. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Pupils’ results in national tests for eleven year olds are better than in most schools in science and similar to those of schools like Staveley. Results in reading and writing for seven year olds are good with notable success in raising standards of writing. • Has staff who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive attitudes, values and personal development. • Provides good teaching for pupils in reception and infants that gives them a good start. • Provides well for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • Encourages parents as partners in their children's education.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Elements of teaching in Key Stage 2 especially in Years 3 and 4. • Management skills of staff and governors. • Pupils' results in mathematics by Year 6.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

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 last inspected in June 1997 when only minor issues were identified for improvement. In view of the recent circumstances which have delayed some Staveley Church of England School - 7 developments, it has made satisfactory progress overall in addressing those issues. A good response has been made to developing the curriculum for the youngest pupils. They now have more opportunities to learn through play as well as formal activities. Outdoor play is planned every day and a safe area has been developed beside the classroom for this to take place. Over the last three years, results in the national tests for English and science have been sustained but have fallen in mathematics. There is a now an assessment system for tracking how well children are doing. Information from this is not yet analysed formally with the depth needed to plan changes. Some of the points for developing teaching remain the same as at the last inspection and not enough progress

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English B B B D well above average above average A B Mathematics A B C E average below average C D Science A* A* A C well below average E

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STANDARDS

The school's results in the 2000 national tests were well above average in science, above average in English and average in mathematics. They have been consistent in English and science but have fallen in the last three years in mathematics. Compared to schools in similar circumstances based on the take up of free school meals, results are average in science but below in English and well below in mathematics. When taking account of pupils' results when they were in Year 2 and the way that small numbers can affect statistics, these results are acceptable in English and science but should be better in mathematics. The most recent tests for Year 6 pupils in 2001 present broadly similar figures to those of 2000 with science results being the strongest. There is still a need to raise standards in mathematics. The targets which were set at a reasonable level for this year group were not met. For pupils in Year 2, a change in emphasis to the way writing is

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STANDARDS

taught has improved results in 2001 so that pupils now do as well in writing as in reading. Though the results for Year 2 are lower than in 2000, the achievement is better because the number taking the tests was small and contained a higher proportion of children with special educational needs. Attainment by the end of reception class is above average and the group of children who have just started this year show skills and knowledge which are well above average for four year olds. In general, children seem to be starting the school each year with better levels of skill and attainment.

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STANDARDS

From a small sample of lessons and work, the inspection found that the standards of pupils' work are usually at an appropriate level for older and younger pupils. However, there is evidence to suggest that in Years 3 and 4, there is not as good a match and pupils are not making enough progress. The inspection also looked more closely at mathematics and concluded that although most pupils reach suitable standards, a few at all levels of ability, could do better. Staveley Church of England School - 8

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very positive. Children enjoy coming to the school and respond well to their lessons.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils often showed great consideration for each other in and around the school. Lunchtimes are the most likely times when play can become a little boisterous but it does not become unacceptable.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils are given many opportunities to take on responsibilities and do so willingly.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory. This has dropped in the last year and is currently only average. This is largely to do with holidays being taken in term time.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Pupils behave well in class, do their best and mostly show good levels of interest in what they are doing. Only occasionally in lessons does their attention wander. There were several occasions in lessons and at playtimes when children went out of their way to help each other. Attendance has dropped from better than average last year to just average this year. The drop is mostly related to holidays in school time. Some, however, was as a result of movement restrictions in the area because of the foot and mouth epidemic.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Good Good Satisfactory 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.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching and learning are good for reception and infants. Thorough planning makes sure that all adults know what the children should learn from the activities provided. Everyone works well together to create a warm and caring learning environment. Basic skills in literacy and numeracy are taught effectively. More attention to writing has proved very effective in raising pupils' skills in this area. Teaching in juniors is more variable and satisfactory overall. The large class in Year 6 and the mixed class in Years 3 and 4 have a day when two teachers work together in each class. This is a new arrangement and staff have some teething problems to solve to make it work to best advantage. Teaching in the best lessons is based on good planning that takes careful account of what the range of pupils in the class need to learn. Pupils are clear about what they are to do and the brisk pace of lessons keeps them interested. Teaching that is less effective is much more gently

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

paced and does not keep pupils working at a high level of interest. There is not enough challenge for the range across two year groups and across abilities which can stretch from pupils with learning difficulties to the very able. This shows itself in both English and mathematics lessons for example, when the content and the pitch of questions are aimed almost exclusively at one level of ability and some pupils start to lose interest. The school recognises that it has some youngsters who are gifted in mathematics and is looking at ways of supporting them better. Staveley Church of England School - 9

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good for reception and infants. Satisfactory in juniors. Good overall planning but sometimes the teaching does not deliver it to an appropriate level. There is a very good range of sporting extra curricular activities but fewer of other types.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Sound systems in place and appropriate support for those on the school's register of special need. The school currently does not place gifted or talented pupils on its special needs register.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils who speak English as an additional language At present the school has no pupils who speak English as an additional language

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The school has improved provision in this area. Moral and social development are still the stronger elements.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory. The school offers good pastoral care and support but its systems for seeing how well the children are doing in their work are underdeveloped.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents speak highly of the school and value its care for children as individuals. All feel welcome to help in school and a few do so when they can. They have sufficient opportunities to help in other ways. The curriculum for the youngest pupils is now planned to match the most recent guidance and the provision of outdoor play areas and resources makes this aspect better. A very good range of extra curricular activities for sport is offered over the year, for example water sports on the nearest lake when the weather is warm enough. Caring for pupils is a high priority for staff. Staveley Church of England School - 10

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The recently appointed senior teacher took on the leading management role in March. The headteacher provided caring leadership. Developments for many areas of management were planned but had not been carried out before his death so that there are gaps in leadership and management skills.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Legal responsibilities are met but the governors have not had enough involvement supporting the management of the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Sound. The school has strengths in its care for pupils. It is not sufficiently rigorous in monitoring teaching and learning nor information about pupils' progress.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. The school uses its budget to support planned development. Its knowledge and use of best value principles is satisfactory overall.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

There is a good understanding of the principles of best value such as consultation with pupils and parents as well as staff and governors. In other ways, these principles are not applied well enough. For example, the headteacher and governors have planned to meet the needs of mixed age and large classes by appointing extra staff but have no method in place to check if that is working well.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • They feel comfortable in approaching the school • Their children enjoy learning and come to school happily • The school helps children to become caring and responsible individuals • Good teaching • Children make good progress • The range of extra curricular activities • Information about how their children are doing • Closer working with parents • The level and quality of supervision at lunchtimes

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with most of the strengths identified by parents. Most teaching is good but some could be better. Staff are approachable and work closely with parents. Children do enjoy coming and show this in their smiling faces and their confidence with adults. Extra curricular activities are offered and are similar in number to other small schools. Although not offered at the same time, across the year there is a very good range of sporting opportunities. The school's open door policy means that parents are welcome to talk to staff about how well their children are doing but the school has already recognised that it should look at offering other formal times. The number of lunchtime supervisors has Staveley Church of England School - 11 increased recently but there is still a need for training and advice to make sure that supervision of all areas is equally effective. Staveley Church of England School - 12

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Pupils' results in national tests for eleven year olds are better than in most schools in

science. This year seven year olds have done well in writing.

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Pupils' results in national tests for eleven year olds are better than in most schools in

1. In the national tests for eleven year olds, pupils' results have been better than those for schools nationally in science. This has been consistently the case for a number of years and the results for the current year, 2001, maintain this pattern. The comparison between what the test results of these pupils were when they were seven and what they achieved as eleven year olds suggest that they have made very good progress since they started at comparatively lower levels. This applies equally to all pupils, from those who have special educational needs to those who can reach the higher level. Achievement is comparable to that of similar schools, such as those with a similar number of pupils who have free school meals. Pupils are reaching standards which are suitable for them.

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Pupils' results in national tests for eleven year olds are better than in most schools in

2. In 2000, seven year olds did well in reading and writing compared to the national average. About two thirds of the pupils reached the higher level in reading. Only a quarter of these matched the high standard they reached in reading with a similar high standard in writing. This year, 2001, pupils did equally well in both aspects. Achievement is better because of the greater number who have some degree of special educational need.

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The school has teachers who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive

attitudes, values and personal development.

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The school has teachers who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive

3. This is a strong area of the school's life. A warm and friendly atmosphere is evident from the moment a visitor walks into the school. Quite often, inspectors were engaged in spontaneous conversation by pupils or genuinely wished a pleasant visit. Pupils are very confident individuals who are also courteous and caring to each other and to adults without prompting. A good example of this was observed when two girls offered encouragement and help to another pupil who was struggling with a number programme on the computer.

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The school has teachers who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive

4. In almost all lessons, pupils' attitudes to their work were good. They listened attentively as teachers and adults talked to them and worked as hard at written tasks as practical ones. Even when the teaching was less demanding, pupils behaved well. Their greatest form of protest was lack of attention. Pupils work well together, for example when they work on group problem-solving tasks in mathematics and a strength of their learning is their willingness to ask questions to help their understanding. They all enjoy discussions, and are quite confident to challenge each other and the teacher if an answer is thought to be wrong. They often offer extended and complex explanations. Pupils' good attitudes are fostered by the warm and supportive relationships which teachers provide. Pupils and teachers work together well to create a calm and purposeful working atmosphere in classrooms enabling teachers to teach and to concentrate on helping those pupils who

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The school has teachers who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive

5. The formal programme for personal and social education includes a weekly circle time when staff and pupils consider together issues such as helping a friend. Pupils take part in these sessions with enthusiasm and also with respect for the rules of circle time. Whenever, enthusiasm is in danger of becoming too exuberant, teachers quickly and sensitively remind pupils of the rules. Staveley Church of England School - 13 6. An elected School Council meets at least once a half term to consider suggestions made by their class. Election of officers such as the chair and the secretary, and formal agendas and minutes teach pupils some basic principles of meetings. They are trusted to run the meetings themselves and to make decisions such as how they will spend the money allocated to the Council. Pupils are willing volunteers needing no encouragement to offer help such as making suggestions boxes or scanning documents from home

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The school has teachers who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive

computers. The school has also created JAMs (Just Ask Me). These are pupils who are chosen to help others at playtimes and lunchtimes. To distinguish who they are, the JAMs wear red baseball caps. They take their responsibilities seriously especially when younger children are involved.

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The school has teachers who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive

Teaching for pupils in reception and infants is good. 7. There has been a thoughtful response to the recent curriculum guidance for the reception class which has produced a well balanced experience to help children make a secure start to their education. Taught activities are matched by good quality learning through play. For example a literacy lesson included structured phonic work and guided writing for some groups whilst others used the office and puppet theatre or painted their ideas about a story. There has been a good response to the need identified in the previous report of providing regular time for outdoor play. A special area close to the classroom has been provided with both hard and soft surfaces. It is good that almost every area of learning is planned for in outdoor provision. Some refinements still need to be made to increase the quality. For example, the hard surface is too small for both wheeled toys and

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The school has teachers who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive

balls and hoops. The whole area is quite small for the whole class to be in together. 8. In both reception and the Year 1/2 class, planning is very thorough. All adults working in the classrooms have clear tasks and the teaching and learning are at a consistently challenging level. Basic skills in literacy and numeracy are taught effectively because the teachers evaluate their work carefully and consider the pupils' responses. A good example of this is that there was a large gap between reading and writing results in the year 2000 which promoted the two teachers to consider how writing skills could be better taught. Their measures have been so successful that writing was, in the Year 2001, better than reading and well above the national average. This was the more impressive since it was achieved with a small cohort in a mixed age class. The group also contained about a third of pupils with some degree of special educational needs who did as well as

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The school has teachers who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive

There is good provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The school has teachers who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive

9. This area has improved since the previous inspection with all elements being judged good. Assemblies are well led to add to pupils' moral awareness as well as to the spiritual. For instance, pupils were made an integral part of the process in a small drama. Six pupils came to the front and were asked the same simple questions which all answered equally correctly. Only some were rewarded for their answers not because of their accuracy but for unfair reasons such as having the same hair colour. Questions were asked of the assembly as to whether this was fair and if not, why not. The approach successfully drew attention to issues such as human differences and fairness in addition to delivering the message that God's love is for everyone. There are good links with the church which is opposite the school. Pupils take part in the school choir and perform in the church. The church and its grounds offer a rich resource for learning.

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The school has teachers who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive

10. The combination of formal and informal ways of developing pupils' moral and social consciousness is very effective. Circle times are a valued part of the school week with a Staveley Church of England School - 14 carefully planned programme. In lessons, there are often group activities which expect pupils to work together to solve problems. The staff provided good models of care and concern in the way they listen carefully to pupils and treat their contributions in lessons with equal value. Respect for each other as individuals is fostered through good relationships. It is evident, for example, when pupils talk about which of them is good at a particular subject or activity. They are encouraged to value success at any level and to celebrate achievements. They can say as a matter of fact, without envy, that one of them is better than another at a particular activity. At playtimes and lunchtimes, pupils mix well and it is

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The school has teachers who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive

possible to see different groupings other than by class.

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The school has teachers who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive

11. The school has a range of extra curricular activities such as French or music activities and brings in a range of visitors to extend pupils' learning about other people. This is also supported through the religious education programme.

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The school has teachers who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive

The school encourages parents to be partners in their children's education.

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The school has teachers who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive

12. There is an open door policy towards parents and its success is evident in the response to the Ofsted questionnaire and the parents meeting where parents said that they felt comfortable in approaching the school. They have a high regard for the way that the school educates children. Especially important to them is the way that children are treated as individuals. An example given was that the late headteacher greeted every child by name and made a point of talking to as many as possible in the mornings.

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The school has teachers who care for pupils as individuals and promote very positive

13. The school values parents' opinions and makes positive efforts to find out what they think. For example, a questionnaire sent out before the school development plan was constructed, sought parents' views on a range of issues. An area that some parents raised concerns about was special educational needs. The headteacher's response was to establish a School Parent Forum. Every effort was made to inform parents and to show them what happens in school. This group continues to meet termly but on a range of issues now so that parents can comment on and contribute to the school's work. Similarly, other concerns such as lunchtime supervision and different opportunities for talking to teachers about their children's progress are being addressed. Parents at the meeting felt that their help in school was welcomed and that there were sufficient opportunities for them to help in other ways.

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14. Although the majority of the teaching and learning in juniors is good, there are some weaknesses. These fall into two areas; those that have just arisen from the new arrangements for two teachers to work in the same class and those that are of a longer term nature.

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15. Because of its size, the Year 6 class has two teachers once a week as does the Year 3/4 class to address the needs of the two year groups. These are new arrangements this term and teachers in both classes have yet to come to grips with the best way to deal with this. When both teachers were working in a class on direct teaching with the class spread out, it was difficult for pupils to hear, especially those in the middle. Sometimes those particular pupils were clearly affected by discussions and demonstrations and would, Staveley Church of England School - 15 for a moment or two, turn in the opposite direction to see what was happening. Lessons that were most affected were when both groups were working on literacy or numeracy where there is an established format for lessons to follow. In both subjects, the times when teaching and learning were adversely affected were the introductory sessions and as one

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group of pupils moved to group activities and the noise of movement intruded on what was happening in the other group. Plenaries (the final parts of lessons) were less affected because pupils were more closely gathered together at the ends of the classrooms. Lessons that were least affected overall were those of a different nature as when science and ICT were offered at the same time. In this case, because the computers are at one end of the room, the pupils were collected as close to these as possible for the introductory part of the lesson and naturally faced away from the other group. This made concentration on listening easier. In addition, once the tasks were clearly explained, some of the pupils went into another room to use computers there. The practical activities of science were no distraction since those working on computers were quite able to work and concentrate on their individual tasks on computers.

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and 4

16. More important are the weaknesses that are not as a result of teething problems with new arrangements but of a longer standing nature. These occur in Years 3 and 4 and result in teaching which is just satisfactory and occasionally unsatisfactory. They are similar to what was described in the previous report. The strength of this teaching is that it maintains the school ethos of calm, caring relationships. The weakness is that the lessons observed were conducted at too slow a pace. Not enough demands were placed on pupils who do not choose to contribute to question and answer sessions. Questions were too often pitched at one level, and were therefore too demanding for some pupils and not enough for others. In some cases, pupils who were evidently not listening were not drawn into the lesson soon enough. There are times when the teachers' expectations are too low especially for older and more able pupils. For instance a Year 4 literacy lesson that was

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unsatisfactory, lacked a focus on essential elements of literacy. Pupils enjoyed setting poems to music in part of the lesson which made a useful contribution to speaking and listening skills. Their learning of literacy was not sufficiently extended in the remainder of the lesson. For example, they already knew about nouns, verbs and adverbs and were not challenged to find more powerful examples. Their knowledge and use of technical terms was not stretched through using the opportunity to talk about similes and metaphors when phrases such as "thunder is a big elephant thumping on the ground" were considered.

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Management skills of staff and governors are underdeveloped

17. The school's headteacher, who became ill suddenly and died recently, was by all accounts a charismatic and caring person who took on most of the leadership and management responsibilities himself. This has left gaps which staff and governors are working hard to fill. The senior teacher appointment was made in September. Together the headteacher and senior teacher had plans to develop management areas but did not have the time to do so. An example of this is that the senior teacher is shortly to attend training on using assessment information. The headteacher had put in place a system to collect and use information about pupils' progress but no-one on the staff has enough expertise at present to analyse the information fully so that it can be used to plan changes to meet needs. A good example of the effectiveness and benefits of such evaluation, albeit on a smaller scale, is the way that teaching was changed to deal with writing weaknesses

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Management skills of staff and governors are underdeveloped

18. There has been no formal system to see how lessons are taught and how well pupils are learning. This shows in that the weaknesses in teaching that were reported in the previous inspection still remain and do not seem to have been addressed. The Staveley Church of England School - 16 monitoring of teaching does not appear, for example, to have been linked to performance management reviews. Teachers with curriculum responsibilities have begun to take a more active part in managing their subjects. Only those for literacy and numeracy have observed others taking lessons and this has been of a limited nature.

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Management skills of staff and governors are underdeveloped

19. Governors take an interest in the school and know the children well. They are proud of the school and keen to build on its strengths. In the past, they have not taken a strong enough role in supporting management, again largely because the headteacher assumed the responsibility. This shows more in the current circumstances than it would have done earlier, for example there is no clearly nominated governor to oversee finances and procedures in the past have relied on the report of the headteacher rather than through reviewing the budget monitoring statements provided. Governors have accepted the headteacher's recommended changes to staffing but there is no plan to evaluate how successful the unusual staffing arrangements have been.

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Pupils' results in mathematics by Year 6 could be better

20. A summary review of the data from recent national tests shows that for a number of years pupils have done better in English and much better in science than in mathematics. Whilst the inspection initially thought that this might be because the most able pupils were not being stretched enough, a further investigation shows that that is only partly true. About a third of the pupils do better in English and science than in mathematics. This covers pupils at all levels.

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Pupils' results in mathematics by Year 6 could be better

21. This term, two classes have two teachers in the room one day a week which is part of the school's provision to tackle larger classes and two year groups. Mathematics lessons which were observed in these situations benefit from division of the classes into smaller units. Year 6 splits by ability and Year 3/4 into separate year groups. This would seem to offer a good opportunity once a week to push pupils really hard once the early problems of two teachers working in one room are sorted. Even when the teaching is good, occasionally there are times when that extra challenge is not given. An example of this was in Year 6 when a group were spotting patterns from the seven times table and easily found many places where products were doubled. They were not challenged to look more logically and explain how and why. Three very able pupils were given the same task and immediately approached the problem in a logical way. From this they were able to spot

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Pupils' results in mathematics by Year 6 could be better

a pattern and find an algebra which explained it. They were able to hypothesise that the same would happen with other tables and prove it. A difference, then between higher and lower attainers in this class, is the ability to work logically, therefore the lower attainers need more encouragement to develop random answers into logical patterns. In a satisfactory Year 3 mathematics lesson, the oral and mental work was suitable for the middle and higher attaining pupils but none of the questions was simplified so that those who could not cope with the difficult mathematics could respond to questions at a level suitable for them. Some pupils sat quietly but took little part in these activities. Group tasks were aimed at more suitable levels but the plenary again returned to the more difficult problems leaving out those who were not at that level.

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Pupils' results in mathematics by Year 6 could be better

22. The school recognises that it has a small number of gifted pupils in mathematics. It is beginning to look for ways of ensuring that these pupils fulfil their potential. This is easier to deal with when the pupils are in younger classes but problematical at Year 6. There is also a good number of pupils in each class who are not gifted but are above average. On the whole they work at levels and activities which are challenging but occasionally there are times when they might do better. Examples of this were seen in Year 6, when the most able groups were working on problem solving activities within a bingo game by themselves. Staveley Church of England School - 17 Some of the problems were really difficult and as one group did not use any paper recording at all, it would have been difficult for anyone other than an observer to see when an answer was wrong. The benefit of the approach, however, could be seen in the way the

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Pupils' results in mathematics by Year 6 could be better

group worked together to discuss and solve the problem.

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Pupils' results in mathematics by Year 6 could be better

23. Teachers offer another reason for standards being lower in mathematics than in other subjects. They have given more time to establishing the literacy strategy. Mathematics was more recently introduced and they are still working on getting the planning and provision as good as they want it to be.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

24. In order to promote the standards that pupils reach and to raise the quality of teaching and learning further, the staff and governors should:-

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve the quality of teaching, especially in Year 3 and 4 by:- • monitoring the new two-teacher arrangements to see how effectively these work; • preparing a planned programme of monitoring visits to classrooms. These should involve the headteacher and co-ordinators; • using the information from these visits to plan training and support where necessary.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improving leadership and management skills by; • ensuring that the training on using assessment data that the acting headteacher is going to follow is shared with the staff so that all can develop skills of analysis; • ensuring that governors are kept fully informed of all developments; • ensuring that the governing body reviews and amends its roles, responsibilities and terms of reference.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improving the quality of teaching in mathematics by; • monitoring teaching and learning and providing clear and constructive feedback on weaknesses as well as strengths; • making sure that lessons are planned with sufficient content for all to take an equal part; • continuing to find ways to challenge the gifted in mathematics. Staveley Church of England School - 18

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 13

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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

Percentage 0 0 53 40 7 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. The total number of lessons seen was 15, therefore care should be taken when interpreting these as each lesson represents almost 7 percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 160

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 10 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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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 27

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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 0

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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 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 6

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Staveley Church of England School - 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 9 13 22

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys *(10) *(11) *(11) Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls *(12) *(12) *(12)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 95 (96) 90 (100 ) 100(100) at NC level 2 or above National **(83 ) **(88) **(90 )

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys *(10) *(11) *(11) Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls *(12) *(12) *(12)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 95(96) 100(100 ) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National **84) **(88) **(88)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 13 6 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys *(4) *(4) *(8) Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls *(8) *(9) *(9)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 78 (63) 73(68 ) 88(89) at NC level 4 or above National *(75) *(72) *(85)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys *(4) *(5) *(8) Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls *(9) *(9) *(9)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 88(68) 88(74) 94(89 ) at NC level 4 or above National **(70) **(72) **(79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. ** This year's figures are not available. * figures are not included because there are fewer than 10 boys or girls Staveley Church of England School - 20

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 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) 5.8 Financial year 2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 27.4

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR–- Y6 Total income 333698

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Total expenditure 332984

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 82 Expenditure per pupil 2094

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 31254

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 31968

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Staveley Church of England School - 21

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 47 45 6 1 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 36 52 9 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 23 56 11 0 6

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 40 41 15 2 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 76 17 6 1 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 52 44 3 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 51 32 13 1 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 51 31 9 1 8

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 55 43 1 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 29 30 23 2 16

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Other comments

Parents at the meeting and through written comments on the questionnaire were unstinting in their praise of the late headteacher.

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