Ash Church of England Primary School

ASH C of E VC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 15 – 17 October 2001

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ASH C of E VC 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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ASH C of E VC 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. Ash C of E VC Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Main Street Ash Martock Somerset Postcode: TA12 6NS

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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: Mrs Jacinta Elliot

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1997 Ash C of E VC Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 15334 Mrs Julie Hooper Registered inspector 9146 Mr Mark Brennand Lay inspector 20752 Dr John Collings Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Full Circle The Brow + 35 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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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 Ash C of E VC Primary 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

The school is a smaller than average sized primary school catering for boys and girls between the ages of four and 11. It is a voluntary controlled Church of England school situated in the village of Ash, some five miles from the market town of Yeovil. Less than half of the pupils who attend the school are from the immediate area. Most come the neighbouring town of Martock and further afield because their parents choose to send them to the school. Currently, there are 145 pupils on roll which is 16 more than at the last inspection; they are in five classes. Nineteen of the pupils are still under five. The children enter school with a wide range of experiences, and attainment overall is as expected of children of their age nationally. The school has identified 19 pupils as having special educational needs, which, as a percentage of the total number of pupils in the school, is well below the national proportion; none has a Statement of Special Educational Need. All

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

pupils speak English as their first language, which is unusual when compared with most primary schools. Six per cent of the pupils are eligible for free school meals, and this is well below the national figure.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Ash C of E VC Primary School is a very popular school. It provides a safe, warm and friendly environment that strongly supports learning. Teaching, overall, is good, and often very good for the older pupils and this has had a very positive impact on pupils’ learning. The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum enriched by a wide range of stimulating activities outside of school hours. Pupils enjoy being at school, are well behaved and very keen to learn. Very good relationships exist between pupils, and staff and pupils. Parents are very supportive of the school. The headteacher, with the full support of the staff and governors provides very effective leadership. He is committed to creating a team spirit within the school where all members of staff are valued. The school continues to give good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The quality of teaching is good, overall, and it is often very good for the older pupils. This has a significant impact on pupils’ learning and contributes greatly to the high achievement of pupils in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave the school. • Pupils are well behaved, enjoy very good relationships with each other and the staff and the very positive attitudes they have to their work enable them to make good progress in their learning. • A wide range of activities enriches the curriculum and enhances pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development during and outside the normal school day. • The headteacher provides very effective leadership so that the entire school community is committed to raising standards.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Develop the use of information and communication technology across the curriculum as identified in the school’s development plan. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Ash C of E VC Primary School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Since the last inspection in June 1997, the school has successfully addressed the key issues identified in the last report. Policies and planning aids for teachers are in place for all subjects and these are being reviewed on a four-year cycle. Much work has been done on assessing pupils’ work and performance and results of tests are analysed carefully to provide appropriate work for groups and individual pupils. The provision for design and technology has improved considerably. A regular programme of monitoring and evaluating the curriculum and teaching, and the effects they have on pupils’ learning, is in place. In addition, the school has introduced effectively the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and bought extra resources needed to support teaching in these lessons. The school now has an information and communication technology suite which is well equipped with computers and a ‘technician’ assistant has been employed to work with groups.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Teachers are improving their skills and understanding of information and communication technology greatly through training. Targets for the headteacher and teaching staff have been set as part of the performance management procedure. Governors have developed a useful committee structure which has improved the efficiency of their management. The school grounds are being continually improved and more recently a pond has been created for scientific and environmental studies. Since the last inspection the school has made good improvements and is well placed to develop further.

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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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schools

Science A A A* A* very high well above average above average average below average well below average A* A B C D E

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schools

The table shows that, since 1998 the standards pupils achieved by the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science have been consistently well above the national average. In 2000, in science, the school’s performance in these tests was in the top five per cent nationally. Also, the results in all three subjects were very high when compared with schools where pupils have similar backgrounds. In 2001, although currently there are no published comparatives, the standards pupils achieved in mathematics and science were similar to those in 2000. However, the standards in English were slightly lower as pupils did not achieve such good results in their writing test. Even so, in both English and mathematics the school exceeded its targets.

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schools

In their tests in 2001, the Year 2 pupils showed great improvement over previous years in reading, writing and mathematics with nearly all pupils achieving the expected Level 2, and about 40 per cent achieving the higher Level 3, in reading and mathematics. Ash C of E VC Primary School - 8 Judgements on attainment of the current year groups of pupils are that, by the time children reach the end of the reception year, most are on line to achieve the standards expected for children of their age. By the end of Year 2 most pupils are likely to achieve average standards in English, mathematics and science with a significant minority surpassing these, especially in reading. Most of the current Year 6 pupils, by the end of the year, should achieve at least average standards in these subjects with many achieving beyond this, such that results in the national assessment tests are likely to be similar to those of last

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schools

year, although better in English. The school has set challenging and realistic targets for pupils by the end of Key Stage 2 for 2002 in English and mathematics. The trend for improvement is in line with that found nationally and should remain so. The standard of some of the art work displayed around the school is good.

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schools

The history, geography and science work of some of last year’s Year 6 pupils was of a high standard and very well presented.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils are enthusiastic, enjoy their work and make positive contributions to all aspects of school life.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils are polite, considerate and well behaved in and around the school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships The good personal development promoted by the school leads to very good relationships between pupils, and pupils and staff.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good. Pupils are keen to be in school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Pupils contribute greatly to the purposeful and orderly atmosphere existing in the school. They display a genuine interest and pleasure in their learning.

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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 Insufficient evidence Satisfactory 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.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching observed was good overall and some very good teaching was seen in the classes of the oldest pupils. Teaching of English and mathematics is generally good, and pupils learn effectively because areas for development, such as writing, have been carefully identified and focused upon. For example, pupils learn to write in a variety of styles and for a range of purposes in lessons other than literacy lessons, in order to extend writing skills further.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Pupils in all classes learn effectively because most lessons are planned with a clear focus on what pupils are going to learn. Teachers frequently involve pupils in their own learning by telling them what they are going to learn at the beginning of the lesson, and, at the end, by asking them to demonstrate that they have achieved this. Class discipline is usually Ash C of E VC Primary School - 9 good and most pupils, especially the older ones, listen attentively and respond thoughtfully to well-focused questions, which enhance and extend their learning. All teachers have good subject knowledge and, in general, teachers have high expectations of what their pupils can achieve. This was clearly observed in class music lessons, when the specialist teacher used her very good knowledge to encourage pupils to give of their very best, promoting learning extremely effectively. In these lessons the pace of learning was also

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

good as not a minute of time was wasted. Teachers use assessment information effectively to help plan future lessons. This means that tasks are, in general, well matched to pupils' needs and enables them to learn effectively. This is especially so in literacy and numeracy, as the school has implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies well for the mixed ages of pupils in the classes. There are a few weaknesses. Teachers, especially those of the younger pupils, do not always curb pupils' enthusiasm when they call out through insisting the pupils put their hands up to answer questions and make comments. This has the detrimental effect of slowing the pace of lessons and pupils' learning. Time is also wasted when teachers do not give clear instructions for individual and group work.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall and good when pupils have individual support.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Support staff make a very valuable contribution to the pupils’ education and are well briefed by teachers as to what the pupils are learning and how they should make their input. Voluntary helpers also provide very good help for teachers.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum A wide range of stimulating activities outside school time significantly enriches the very broad and balanced curriculum within the school.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory, overall. Pupils have clear targets which enable them to make appropriate progress based on their prior attainment.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good, overall. The provision the school makes for the pupils’ moral and social development is very effective.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school is a caring environment in which the pupils are looked after well.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school provides a wide range of activities outside school. The school is effective in promoting the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, provided in a pleasing atmosphere where positive relationships between pupils, and pupils and adults facilitate learning. The vast majority of parents are very supportive of the school. Ash C of E VC Primary School - 10

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Despite a heavy teaching commitment, the headteacher provides very effective leadership. He is well supported by the deputy headteacher and other staff.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are very supportive, take an active role in the management of the school and fulfil their statutory requirements.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has a broad overview of its work, and improvements needed are generally linked into school development planning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school makes effective use of all staff, material resources and its excellent accommodation.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The headteacher, deputy headteacher and the staff work together as an effective team to meet the school’s wholly appropriate aims, so that a very positive ethos pervades the school. Governors are enthusiastic and have developed a useful committee structure to improve the efficiency of their management. The school monitors and evaluates its performance closely and governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The budget is operated according to the factors of best value.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The headteacher, and teachers in their roles of subject co-ordinators, are making an effective input into monitoring and evaluating the curriculum and teaching and the impact it has on pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The excellent school building and grounds provide an aesthetic environment facilitating a calm and pleasing atmosphere.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • They appreciate the quality and range of the extra-curricular activities. • They think the teaching is good. • They consider that the standards of behaviour are good. • The school is well managed. • Some parents would like more information about how their child/ren are progressing.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team agrees with the parents’ positive comments. However, the team do not agree with what parents feel needs improving. The annual written reports are very informative, the school has two evenings when parents can come and discuss their child’s progress with the teacher. Also, the school has an ‘open door’ policy so that parents can make an appointment to talk to the teachers or the headteacher about their child’s progress at any time. Ash C of E VC Primary School - 11

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achievement of pupils in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave the

1. All teachers are experienced, conscientious and work extremely hard for the benefit of all of the pupils. The quality of teaching observed was good overall, and some very good teaching was seen in the classes of the oldest pupils . There was insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement on the quality of teaching of children in the reception group, as only one lesson was observed when all of the children were in the class. Of the teaching observed in the rest of the school, 94 per cent was satisfactory or better, 69 per cent was good or better and 31 per cent very good. For the five to seven year old pupils, the quality of teaching was satisfactory overall, with 57 per cent being good or better. In one music lesson the teaching was very good. In the classes of seven to 11 year old pupils, although there was one unsatisfactory lesson, 88 per cent was satisfactory or better, 78 per cent was good or better and 44 per cent very good. Because of this high quality

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achievement of pupils in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave the

teaching, pupils frequently make good progress in their learning and this leads to high achievement and standards in English, mathematics and science by the time pupils leave the school. It is also important to note that care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson in the overall school statistics, represents more than six percentage points.

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achievement of pupils in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave the

2. In all classes, teachers plan work appropriately to meet the demands of the National Curriculum, and literacy and numeracy lessons are taught in line with the strategy requirements. Most teachers use assessments effectively to provide appropriate challenge for all pupils, which is an improvement since the last inspection. In this way, teachers cater very well for the wide range of attainment levels of pupils in their classes. Teachers also promote learning for pupils with special educational needs successfully. They provide appropriately matched work for the lower attaining pupils and support these pupils effectively with additional input or one-to- one assistance during the activity.

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achievement of pupils in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave the

3. Teachers are generally enthusiastic and clear about what they expect pupils to learn. In the best lessons, teachers share with the pupils at the beginning of lessons what they are going to learn, and then at the end encourage pupils to demonstrate that they have achieved this. This is particularly so in literacy and numeracy lessons when teachers successfully provide a good balance between building on and reinforcing pupils’ previous knowledge, and presenting them with new ideas and information. Also, in these lessons basic skills are taught effectively. For example, in a very good numeracy lesson, the teacher of Year 4 and 5 pupils used a wide range of strategies to reinforce basic concepts and encouraged pupils to use the correct mathematical language when explaining the methods they had used to work out their answers. She explained the group activities clearly and motivated each group well with enthusiastic explanations. This resulted in a purposeful

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achievement of pupils in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave the

working atmosphere in the classroom so that pupils made very good progress in their learning. Ash C of E VC Primary School - 12 4. Teachers frequently use skilful questioning techniques to extend pupils’ thinking and learning. For example, in a very good history lesson, the Year 5 and 6 pupils showed clearly, through their answers and discussion prompted by the teacher’s in- depth questioning, that they were learning to use and interpret historical information effectively. Also, learning was clearly taking place in a science lesson with Year I and 2 pupils, as the teacher, through careful questioning, built on the pupils’ previous knowledge and ideas to give them greater understanding of the life cycle of the butterfly.

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achievement of pupils in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave the

5. Where teachers have particular specialisms, these are successfully exploited, as was seen in the very good music lessons taken by the part-time music teacher. For example, in a lesson with the Year 4 and 5 pupils, she reinforced pupils’ understanding of simple musical notation. Pupils then applied this knowledge to undertake a performance of a set score written by the teacher. The pupils played tuned percussion and other instruments, such as cornets, clarinets and recorders which pupils learn to play in other individual and group music lessons. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed performing together, increasing their awareness of other players and, through the teacher’s very good knowledge of the subject, they improved their music making considerably as the lesson progressed. Also, in this lesson, the teacher had a very high expectation of achievement and behaviour, to which the pupils responded.

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achievement of pupils in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave the

6. Class discipline is usually good and most pupils, especially the older ones, listen attentively and respond thoughtfully to clearly delivered explanations and instructions, which enhance and extend their learning. Conversely, there were a few examples of time being wasted because teachers did not give clear enough instructions for individual and group work. Also, teachers, especially those of the younger pupils, do not always curb pupils’ enthusiasm when they call out through insisting the pupils put their hands up to answer questions and make comments. This has the detrimental effect of slowing the pace of lessons and pupils’ learning.

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achievement of pupils in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave the

7. The input learning support assistants make to pupils’ learning is good. Most are experienced and support pupils extremely well, especially those who have learning difficulties. They are well briefed by teachers so they are quite clear as to what pupils are expected to learn. Voluntary helpers also make a very valuable contribution to the pupils’ education.

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and the very positive attitudes they have to their work enable them to make good

8. Pupils’ attitudes to their work are very good and, as at the time of the last inspection, are a strength of the school. This is especially so of the older pupils in the school who act as good role models for the younger ones. Pupils are interested in their work and generally sustain good concentration during lessons, even when they are not directly supervised. For example, during a lesson in the computer suite, Year 5 pupils were totally absorbed in their work reproducing Victor Varsarely patterns on the screen. They only sat back for a very short time to appraise their work in order to make adjustments. Most work well in groups and pairs, for instance Year 6 pupils in a literacy lesson were discussing their story plans and sharing ideas, and were showing genuine interest in each other’s work. Most understand the importance of working collaboratively, as was observed, for instance, in lessons

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and the very positive attitudes they have to their work enable them to make good

Ash C of E VC Primary School - 13 involving practical activities such as science and art and design. In these lessons, pupils discussed tasks, helped one another and shared resources sensibly.

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and the very positive attitudes they have to their work enable them to make good

9. Many pupils show a pride in their work, presenting final copies of their work neatly and organising their work in books tidily. Pupils in the top class last year had presented their topic work in different book forms of high quality, such as spiral binding or with hard back covers, complete with a neatly written contents page, illustrating a clear interest and value in their school work.

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and the very positive attitudes they have to their work enable them to make good

10. Relationships between pupils and staff and between pupils themselves are very good. Pupils are polite and confident with adults and are happy to talk about their work. Pupils with special educational needs, like others in the school, are keen to learn and they form good relationships with one another and the adults who support them in lessons.

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and the very positive attitudes they have to their work enable them to make good

11. Behaviour in class, in assemblies and around the school is good. Parents said that pupils often have compliments passed about their good behaviour when they are on school trips. A warm, family atmosphere exists and older pupils often choose to look after and play with younger ones in the playground. Occasionally however, younger pupils’ enthusiasm overtakes them and they call out in lessons rather than put their hands up to answer questions and make comments.

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and the very positive attitudes they have to their work enable them to make good

12. The positive learning attitudes and good behaviour patterns demonstrated by pupils reflect the high expectations of most teachers and contribute significantly to the pupils’ social and academic progress.

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A wide range of activities enriches the curriculum and enhances pupils’ spiritual,

moral, social and cultural development during and outside the normal school day.

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A wide range of activities enriches the curriculum and enhances pupils’ spiritual,

13. The school offers a wide variety of experiences which enrich pupils’ learning opportunities and enhance curriculum provision. Many activities are linked closely to the curriculum and pupils make a wide and varied range of educational visits to support their topic work. For example, the youngest pupils visited Wardour Castle as part of their studies on castles, Class 3 visited Taunton Museum to handle genuine historical artefacts and pupils in Class 4 visited the Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury looking at rural Victorian life. Year 6 pupils had history brought alive for them when they dressed up as Victorian children and had an experience of life in those days. The scrutiny of work also showed that pupils often make effective use of their literacy skills to write interesting accounts of their visits. Teachers make good use of the local environment through visits to the village and the local bakers

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A wide range of activities enriches the curriculum and enhances pupils’ spiritual,

to extend pupils’ learning. Further afield, pupils visit such places as The Tower of London, the Millennium Dome and the Eden Project in Cornwall giving them a broad insight in both Britain’s history and innovative ability. Organised residential trips for the Year 5 and 6 pupils give them a greater social awareness.

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A wide range of activities enriches the curriculum and enhances pupils’ spiritual,

14. Through the daily act of collective worship and the curriculum in general, pupils’ spiritual awareness is developed successfully. Assemblies provide regular opportunities to discuss and promote the school’s values and aims and give time for reflection. The school values its links with the church and pupils often celebrate Christian festivals there. Visitors, such as the vicar, the curate and members of the community church regularly join the school assemblies. Most pupils are acquiring sensitive attitudes to each other and respect for the world around them. Many parents said they were pleased with the friendly attitudes and caring values the Ash C of E VC Primary School - 14 school promotes. Pupils often help to raise money for charities and through such activities they are made aware of people less fortunate than themselves.

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A wide range of activities enriches the curriculum and enhances pupils’ spiritual,

15. Moral issues are addressed very well. Pupils clearly know the difference between right and wrong. Through good example and the positive mutual respect that exists between pupils and adults in the school, the staff constantly distinguish between what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. Pupils are encouraged to discuss issues or any worries they may have during circle time, designated sessions for promoting their personal, social and health education through whole-class discussion.

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A wide range of activities enriches the curriculum and enhances pupils’ spiritual,

16. The school makes good provision for the pupils to enjoy the expressive arts. Visitors to the school, such as authors, poets and musicians work alongside pupils developing their skills through sharing their expertise. Pupils are involved in a performing arts programme. They are encouraged to take part in drama performances and these provide opportunities for, not only good social interaction, but also the development of pupils’ speaking and listening skills. The school provides well for pupils who show an aptitude and interest in playing musical instruments such as flute, clarinet, guitar and cornet, by giving them the opportunity to have lessons at a reduced cost. Many pupils play in the school band and frequent opportunities are given for them to perform publicly. Pupils’ visits to a traditional pantomime and other theatre performances enrich their cultural awareness. They also take part in country dancing lessons. Year 5 and 6 pupils

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A wide range of activities enriches the curriculum and enhances pupils’ spiritual,

have regular French lessons as part of their curriculum, which helps them to become familiar with the life and culture of France.

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A wide range of activities enriches the curriculum and enhances pupils’ spiritual,

17. The school is nearly always alive with pupils well after normal finishing time enjoying the after school clubs. The wide choice of extra-curricular activities ranges from sporting sessions such as tag rugby, netball and table tennis, to art, bridge and chess clubs. These opportunities stimulate pupils, develop existing skills and provide new experiences and also provide further opportunities to develop pupils’ social awareness. Parents make a valuable contribution in providing support. Pupils meet other schools for sporting and other activities and there are many cups and awards displayed around the school to show that teams and individuals are successful in competitions. However, although pupils are encouraged to do their best and win, they are also expected to accept that they sometimes have to lose.

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A wide range of activities enriches the curriculum and enhances pupils’ spiritual,

18. The school positively reinforces its equality of opportunity policy and no child is excluded from any activity. Girls and boys work and play happily together and games that were traditionally single sex, such as football and netball, are enjoyed by both sexes. Should any pupil show a particular talent in a sporting, musical or more academic direction, he or she is actively encouraged to develop this.

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The headteacher provides very effective leadership so that the entire school

community is committed to raising standards.

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The headteacher provides very effective leadership so that the entire school

19. The headteacher provides quiet, purposeful and very effective leadership. He has a heavy teaching commitment (although this has been reduced since the last inspection) and yet he manages to both teach and lead the school extremely well through hard work and total dedication. Parents appreciate this and expressed this view strongly in the returned questionnaires and at their meeting with the registered inspector. The headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the staff work together as an effective team to meet the school’s wholly appropriate aims so that a very Ash C of E VC Primary School - 15 positive ethos pervades the school. With the staff and governors, he has developed a detailed school development plan indicating his clear vision for the future of the school and how he sees it moving forward in its developments. In addressing an area for improvement from the last inspection, the headteacher has a

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The headteacher provides very effective leadership so that the entire school

regular programme of monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning throughout the school, and this is currently being developed further to involve all subject co- ordinators.

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The headteacher provides very effective leadership so that the entire school

20. Governors are very supportive, well informed and meet their statutory requirements. They have developed a useful committee structure to improve the efficiency of their management. Many visit on a regular basis and the Chair of Governors is kept well informed about all school issues through regular meetings with the headteacher. The school monitors and evaluates its performance closely and governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. It makes good use of the detailed analysis of assessment results, and compares them with other schools both locally and nationally. For example, through the careful analysis of last year’s Years 2 and 6 national assessment tests, a weakness in sentence structure was identified as a key area for development in order to improve pupils’ writing. As a result, the curriculum has been evaluated and adapted appropriately to meet this learning deficiency.

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The headteacher provides very effective leadership so that the entire school

21. The budget is operated according to the factors of best value. For example, when buying computers for the information and communication technology suite, the governors set up a working party to ensure they got best value for money in their purchasing. All funding, including designated grants, is used properly and linked appropriately to school development planning. Together, with the headteacher and staff, governors have a commitment to providing the best education they can for the pupils and thus raising standards.

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Develop the use of information and communication technology across the curriculum

as identified in the school’s development plan.

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Develop the use of information and communication technology across the curriculum

22. This year, the school has provided an up-to-date computer suite to develop pupils’ information and communication technology skills. Through training, teachers are continuing to develop their expertise in order to teach the subject effectively. In addition, the school employs a ‘technician’ assistant to support groups of pupils, as currently the school is appropriately concentrating on developing pupils’ computational skills. This is proving to be very effective as most Year 5 and 6 pupils were observed to be very competent at using the keyboard to write and edit work. They retrieved saved work from files, using icons, for example, to copy and paste, and the mouse to drag pictures and text across the screen. Some of the older pupils have had the opportunity to access the Internet, use CD-ROMs for information for topic work and take photographs with a digital camera. However, very little use is made of these skills to support their learning in other subjects. For

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Develop the use of information and communication technology across the curriculum

example, these older pupils do not use spreadsheets to aid their work in mathematics, or computers for composing music, or make multi-media presentations, perhaps, to display their topic work. Also, currently pupils are not developing their communication skills through utilising electronic mail as a means of gathering information to aid their work. However, the school has identified this, and the development of a school web site involving all members of the school community, as an area for improvement with its school development plan. Ash C of E VC Primary School - 16

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

23. To build on the current success of the school, the headteacher, staff and governors should now:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) as identified in the school’s development plan, develop the use of information and communication technology across the curriculum. (Paragraph 22). Ash C of E VC Primary School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 8

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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 31 38 25 6 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than six 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) 138

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 8

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 19

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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 0

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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. Ash C of E VC Primary School - 18

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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 2000 10 9 19

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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 7 8 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 6 6 8

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

Percentage of pupils School 68 (81) 74 (76) 89 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

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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 9 10 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 6 8 8

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

Percentage of pupils School 79 (76) 95 (90) 79 (90) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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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 2000 13 9 22

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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 13 13 13 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 95 (85) 100 (90) 100 (95) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (68) 85 (78)

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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 13 13 13 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 95 (90) 100 (95) 100 (95) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Ash C of E VC Primary School - 19

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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 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 295,561

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 284,636

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 82 Expenditure per pupil 1,936

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent Balance brought forward from previous year 1,430

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 12,355

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1

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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. Ash C of E VC Primary School - 20

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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. 51 39 4 0 7

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 48 47 1 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 33 47 12 0 8

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 31 45 17 2 5

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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. 61 29 5 4 1

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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. 64 25 6 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 40 48 6 5 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 64 33 1 1 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 51 39 2 0 8

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 80 20 0 0 0

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