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Other · Ofsted report

Longnor CofE Primary School

Inspected — · published 27 Feb 2002 · URN 123482

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Praiseexcellentvery welleffectivelyenjoyconsistentlygood progresssuccessfullylove
Criticismpoornot metweaknessesconcernsnot well ledbelowmissednot positive

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FindingsAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improve positive critical
  • Findings3162w+92
  • What needs to improve2353w+83

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Flesch 54, typical 45
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Full report text

LONGNOR C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 5 th – 6 th November 2001

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LONGNOR C of 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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LONGNOR C of 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. Longnor C.E. Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Frodesley Road Longnor Shrewsbury

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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: Dennis Naylor

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 17/03/97 Longnor C.E. Primary School - 4

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Team members

23196 Sue Chesters Registered inspector 19694 Moira Kerr Lay inspector 7994 Pam Weston Team inspector

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Team members

85 Shores Green Drive Wincham Northwich Cheshire CW9 6EJ

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Longnor C.E. 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

Longnor Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled primary school located in the village of Longnor, about six miles south of Shrewsbury. It is smaller than many primary schools, having 86 pupils on roll (43 boys and 43 girls). The age range is four to eleven. The school is larger than at the time of the last inspection and it is anticipated that the roll will continue to rise. Currently the school is over-subscribed. Children start school in the reception class in the term in which they are five. They have a wide range of abilities when they start school. This varies year-on-year. Some years have a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs balanced by a similar proportion of more able pupils. Other year groups have a more even spread of ability. Even so, for a number of years, the overall intake has been in line with the national average. The vast majority of pupils are of white ethnic origin. There are no pupils for whom English is an additional language.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

There are no pupils receiving free school meals, although it is likely that there are pupils who are eligible for them. In some year groups there have been pupils joining the school at times other than the beginning of the reception year. This, in a small cohort, can represent a high percentage of pupils. There are 22 pupils (24 per cent) on the register for special educational needs, which is higher than in most primary schools. Six pupils have statements of special educational needs; this too is above the national average. The disabilities and difficulties that the pupils on the special education needs register experience range from moderate learning difficulties and speech and communication difficulties to physical and multi-sensory impairment. The number of pupils with special educational needs has risen steadily.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an outstandingly effective school, of which the parents, governors and the community are very proud. It achieves above average standards in all subjects. It is a warm and welcoming community, in which pupils learn happily and achieve very well. The quality of teaching is very good and this means that pupils learn very well. It is outstandingly well led and managed by a most dedicated headteacher. The very good governing body and all of the enthusiastic and committed staff give him extremely able support. All constantly strive to give the best quality of education possible. The school gives excellent value for money.

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What the school does well

• Its pupils achieve above average academic standards because they have high self-esteem and enjoy learning. • It provides excellent opportunities for pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This results in the pupils’ high levels of self-discipline and thirst for learning. • It has a consistently very high quality teaching. This enables the pupils to learn very well. • It is led and managed outstandingly well by the headteacher who is supported very effectively by the governing body and his colleagues.

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What could be improved

The school has identified that by developing writing skills across the school, it can raise standards even higher. 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 1997. Since then, it has made considerable improvements and addressed, very effectively, the issues raised in the report of that time. The curriculum for physical education is much improved and now covers all aspects of the subject. This has been considerably helped by the improvements in accommodation, with the addition of a new hall and classroom. Planning now clearly focuses on providing a most appropriate curriculum for all pupils. Teachers plan together, so that they teach basic skills for each subject, in progressive, simple steps. Governors are now very knowledgeable about curricular matters and play a full role in developing initiatives in order to raise standards. In addition, the school has kept abreast of all recent initiatives. It constantly and consistently questions and evaluates all aspects of its work. It has very effectively and efficiently introduced the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, which have helped to raise standards.

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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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Key

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

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Key

Similar schools are those having up to and including 8 per cent of their pupils receiving free school meals.

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Key

The above table shows that standards in English were above the national average by the time pupils left the school at 11 in 2000. In mathematics, standards were very high and in science, they were in the top five per cent nationally. In English, the school’s results were the same as those of schools in similar contexts. In mathematics and science, results were well above those of similar schools. Results for 2001 show a similar picture in English and science. However, mathematics has dipped slightly. Inspection findings endorse these standards for English, mathematics and science.

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Key

The majority of the children in the foundation stage are making very good progress and are on course to exceed the early learning goals set for the age group, by the time they start Year 1. This is because of the very high quality teaching they receive and the excellent curriculum provided for them. They are thus enabled to learn very rapidly and achieve very well. Attainment for the current Year 2 pupils is above average in English, mathematics and science. In the year 2001 national tests and tasks for seven-year-olds, 100 per cent of pupils reached the expected levels for the age group in reading and writing. Ninety-two per cent reached the expected level in mathematics. This is a direct result of the very good teaching and the interesting and challenging opportunities that they enjoy.

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Key

Current standards in English, mathematics and science in Year 6 are above average. There is no difference between the attainments of boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs, particularly those with specific learning difficulties, make good progress and achieve very well in relation to the targets in their individual education plans. The school sets itself, and its pupils high targets, which are usually met or exceeded. However, the 2001 targets were not met in mathematics, mainly because one third of the pupils in the year group had special educational needs. The overall trend in standards is upwards, mirroring the national trend. Throughout the school, pupils achieve well because of the very good teaching and appropriate curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Attitudes to school are excellent. All pupils enjoy school and show enthusiasm and high levels of interest in their work. One hundred per cent of returns to the parental questionnaire endorse that all the children like school.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. The pupils are very polite, very trustworthy and behave very well both in lessons and around the school. They have an advanced sense of self- discipline.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent. The pupils make excellent relationships with adults and other children. They take responsibility for their own actions and learning and do so Longnor C.E. Primary School - 8 outstandingly well.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Satisfactory. The pupils love coming to school and arrive promptly. Pupils take great interest in school. They work and play hard and are happy. They understand very well the effect of their actions on others and show very great respect for other peoples’ feelings, values and beliefs. The older pupils are mature, show extremely good initiative and take on personal responsibility outstandingly well.

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

Quality of teaching Very good Very good Very 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 of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The pupils learn happily at this school. One of the reasons for this is because the quality of teaching is consistently very good. The consequences of this very good teaching are seen in the very good learning and achievements of all pupils. Teaching, in both literacy and numeracy, is very good. Teaching in science is particularly successful, because it is based on practical investigation and exploration. This results in the pupils' high achievement. Teachers succeed in making lessons exciting, by challenging all groups of pupils and encouraging them to work independently. The staff are a very strong team and work together exceptionally well. This results in a purposeful, but relaxed, atmosphere in school, in which pupils thrive very well and learn very successfully. Teachers plan lessons very effectively and organise a very good level of practical activities, through which pupils experiment and develop their own ideas imaginatively. Teachers place great emphasis on

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

developing the pupils’ sense of self-worth and endeavour. This gives them a love of learning. The result is confident, self-disciplined pupils, who are keen to learn and do so rapidly. Teachers make particularly good use of resources to promote rapid learning. They involve the very good quality learning support staff most effectively. The efforts of these learning support assistants keep the pupils interested in their work and consequently they learn very well. Teachers do not over-direct the pupils but have the confidence to allow pupils to explore their own ideas. They intervene at timely moments, to move individual pupils forward to the next stage of their learning. The very good teaching that the pupils receive is a major strength of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality and range of the curriculum is excellent. It is relevant and matches, very well, the needs of all pupils. The school offers a particularly good range of activities outside of lessons. There are a number of sports and music clubs as well as science, French and gardening clubs.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The school makes very good provision for pupils with special educational need. They are very well supported and make very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Spiritual, moral, social and cultural provision is excellent. Pupils know right from wrong and care about each other. The school successfully encourages the pupils to become independent learners and they develop an enthusiasm for learning.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school knows and understands its pupils very well. All staff care for their pupils in a very sensitive and supportive way.

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Aspect Comment

The school arranges a number of very good quality educational visits for all of its pupils and regularly invites visitors into the school to work with the pupils. It has very good links with the community. Longnor C.E. Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides excellent leadership. He is very well supported by the dedicated and hard working staff. All are committed to raising standards even higher.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very well. The Governing Body fulfils all of its statutory obligations very efficiently. It is knowledgeable, supportive and acts very effectively as a critical friend of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The procedures for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching are excellent. There are excellent strategies in place to enable the school to monitor and review its work and take effective action when needed.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school development plan provides a clear perspective on educational priorities. It applies the principles of best value very efficiently.

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Aspect Comment

The school has admirable aims and values, which direct its work. It very effectively evaluates its performance and takes decisive action to ensure that teaching and learning are consistently very good. There is an appropriate number of well qualified staff to meet the demands of the curriculum. Learning resources are good. Accommodation is good. It is bright, pleasant and provides a stimulating learning environment. However, space for pupils to work in independent groups is at a premium.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• They feel their children get an appropriate amount of work to do at home. • All their children like coming to school. • Their children make good progress at school. • The children behave well. • Children work hard and the school expects them to do their best. • Leadership and management and teaching are good and staff are approachable. • Children are developing sensible and mature attitudes. • A few parents feel that they are not kept well informed about their children’s progress and that the school does not work closely with them. • A few parents feel that behaviour is not good in school. • A small number of parents feel the school is not well led or managed. • A small number of parents feel that the school does not provide an interesting range of activities outside of lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

One hundred and sixty nine questionnaires were sent out to parents. This represents 59 families. The inspectors agree wholeheartedly with the positive views, expressed by parents at the pre-inspection meeting, through the 60 returned questionnaires and in discussion during the inspection. With regard to information the school gives to parents about their children’s progress and how it works with parents, the inspectors find no evidence to support the less positive statements. The written reports sent to parents are very good quality and the school offers many opportunities for parents to discuss any concerns. The inspectors found that behaviour in school is Longnor C.E. Primary School - 10 very good, the school is outstandingly well led and managed and it provides a very good range of activities outside of lessons. Longnor C.E. Primary School - 11

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Its pupils gain above average academic standards because they have high self-

1. Standards are above the national average in English, mathematics and science throughout the school. Although results in national tests fluctuate, the trend overall is upward, matching the national picture. It is not reliable to compare the school’s results year-on-year, because year groups vary considerably in size. Results also vary noticeably because of the percentage of pupils in each cohort who have special educational needs. For example, in Key Stage 2, the percentage of pupils who have special educational needs can vary from 16 to 40 per cent and, on average, is 29 per cent in each year group. This, plus the fact that in some year groups, a high proportion of the pupils come to the school, or leave, at times other than in the reception year, makes comparing results most unreliable. However, because of the way in which the school works, all pupils achieve very well against their individual targets and, since the able

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Its pupils gain above average academic standards because they have high self-

pupils are constantly stretched and challenged, standards are high in all subjects.

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Its pupils gain above average academic standards because they have high self-

2. The major factor contributing to these high standards is the school’s philosophy that pupils should learn for the love of it, not because they have to. All staff encourage pupils consistently and challenge them suitably in the tasks set. They value the pupils’ learning and encourage them to develop as individuals. Thus, pupils feel good about themselves and value their own self-worth. Because staff allow the pupils space to think for themselves and make choices independently, pupils learn that sometimes things go wrong. They also have strong enough self-esteem to learn how to cope with this and redress the balance of their learning. Staff encourage, intervene and suggest without interfering. They ensure the pupils’ success without being oppressive. This allows the pupils to make decisions about their work for themselves. The result of this is that pupils want to learn and enjoy the fact that working hard brings its own rewards.

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cultural development. This results in the pupils’ high levels of self-discipline and

3. The school provides an excellent range of learning opportunities, in all subjects. The curriculum is relevant to all pupils and also provides outstandingly well for their personal development. It has good balance and great depth. Wherever possible it uses a practical starting point. The school has a genuinely inclusive policy. It values everyone in its community and takes pleasure in recognising what each person brings to enrich school life. The subjects of English, mathematics and science are each given a good proportion of school time, as are religious education, information and communication technology, design and technology and art and design. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been fully and most effectively implemented.

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cultural development. This results in the pupils’ high levels of self-discipline and

4. The school makes first-rate links between subjects. These are not contrived. Teachers ensure that pupils learn in a continuous and purposeful way. They bring subjects together, so that pupils can make connections and see that their learning joins up and makes sense. For example, in the foundation stage the children’s work in all areas of learning was aimed at a celebration that involved everything that they had been doing in separate activities. Children made decorated place mats, birthday cards and baked a Longnor C.E. Primary School - 12 cake. They counted out and discussed the number of candles that they would need for the cake, and designed and made their own party hats. This culminated in an outdoor party for their teddy bears. They sang songs, played games and enjoyed eating the birthday cake. The reasons for the work that they had been doing became clear. Similarly, having considered how a Victorian ice-house worked in a history lesson, pupils

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cultural development. This results in the pupils’ high levels of self-discipline and

in Years 3 and 4 embarked on an investigation in science to find the most effective insulating material. Again, tasks from a number of subjects were brought together to make sense of the overall learning.

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cultural development. This results in the pupils’ high levels of self-discipline and

5. However, what makes this school’s curriculum exceptional is its excellent provision for the pupils’ personal development and understanding of citizenship, through spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. All these aspects are planned naturally into the work of the school, and contribute greatly to the excellent climate for learning. Teachers plan into lessons spiritual moments for reflection. For example, as one class lesson changed from reading to science, the teacher paused and gave the pupils a few moments to reflect on what they had just done and to think about what they were going to do next. Pupils used this time well and this resulted in the pupils settling very quickly into a highly practical science session.

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cultural development. This results in the pupils’ high levels of self-discipline and

6. Similarly, teachers plan opportunities for pupils to explore moral issues. They teach pupils right from wrong. Their expectations are that the pupils will make the right decisions for themselves. This results in pupils who think for themselves, who are trustworthy and who can be relied upon to make good decisions. Very good support is given to those pupils who find this difficult. They are encouraged to find the ‘right way for them’ through discussions with staff, and a concerted effort is then made to find the aspects of the curriculum that most interest and challenge that particular pupil. This is further developed by the use of ‘Circle Time’ 1 . For example, in a Year 1 and 2 lesson, Circle Time centred around ‘families’ and ‘who belongs to our family?’ Pupils discussed openly, and with a great deal of sensitivity, for such young children, who belonged to their family and why. This led to one pupil taking the idea further, to include people, such as

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cultural development. This results in the pupils’ high levels of self-discipline and

child minders, who were not related to us but who love and care for us. Pupils listened to each other’s ideas and views very sensibly, and valued, most respectfully, each other’s contributions about caring for and loving one another. The excellent relationships between adults and pupils, evident throughout the school, act as very good role-models for those pupils who have difficulties. The respect that the teachers show towards each pupil is reciprocated, and this has a positive effect on how well the pupils learn.

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cultural development. This results in the pupils’ high levels of self-discipline and

7. The opportunities that the school provides for the pupils’ social and cultural development through visits, visitors and in lessons are very good. Pupils become aware of their own and other cultures, through the various educational visits that they make. For example, on a visit to Stokesay Castle, the pupils in Years 5 and 6 performed Othello, which they had studied in literacy lessons, to an enthralled audience. This not only enhanced their own understanding of Shakespeare’s work but also that of a group of American tourists. They learn to socialise well, and respect each other’s ideas through these activities, particularly visits such as the ‘Lone Pine Camping Trip’. They study and explore customs and beliefs of other cultures, through music, art and religious education. These experiences are wide-ranging. Through them, pupils learn to respect and value traditions and customs other than their own.

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cultural development. This results in the pupils’ high levels of self-discipline and

8. The pupils are inspired by this rich, well-rounded curriculum. The outcome of the school’s provision is seen in its mature, sensible and socially-adept pupils and in the

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cultural development. This results in the pupils’ high levels of self-discipline and

1 Circle Time: in these lessons, pupils sit in a circle and, through agreed rules, have the opportunity to speak and listen to each other talking about issues which touch them all. Longnor C.E. Primary School - 13 outstandingly good relationships that exist throughout the school. Pupils learn to become sensible, mature citizens who take responsibility for their own actions. This contributes very effectively to the good standards. The school prepares the pupils very well for the next stage of their education and for life in a diverse society.

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It has a consistently very high quality teaching. This enables the pupils to learn very

9. Teaching and learning are very good. Teaching is consistently very good in all year groups and is frequently excellent. Teachers enjoy teaching and inspire their pupils, who consequently enjoy learning. During the inspection, all teaching was at least good and 87 per cent (13 lessons) was very good or better. Twenty-seven per cent of lessons seen (4 lessons) were excellent. A result of this exceptionally high quality teaching is that the pupils learn well and achieve good standards.

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It has a consistently very high quality teaching. This enables the pupils to learn very

10. Teachers succeed in making lessons interesting and fun. They challenge pupils, most successfully, at a level appropriate to each individual’s needs. Thus, all groups of pupils (from the able to those who have specific learning difficulties, behaviour problems, multi- sensory or physical disabilities) achieve very well in relation to the targets set for them. Classroom assistants give strong support to teachers and this, together with the consistent approach adopted by staff, leads to the pupils making very good progress. Teachers plan lessons very carefully. They precisely target what each pupil is to learn in each lesson. This means that pupils have a very clear understanding of what they are to do. For example, in a Year 3 and 4 science lesson, the clear and precise instructions that the teacher gave the pupils, meant that they knew exactly what they were to do, and why. The pupils tackled enthusiastically the task of making insulated pots for their

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It has a consistently very high quality teaching. This enables the pupils to learn very

11. Teachers expect pupils to behave well, work at a good pace and be independent. The pupils respond well to this encouragement, and quickly learn to think for themselves. In a Year 5 and 6 lesson, the teacher’s enthusiastic approach and her expectation that all the pupils would join in and enjoy themselves, but achieve well and produce an acceptable quantity of good quality work, meant that the whole class did just that. They had fun interrogating websites to find out about the Bermuda Triangle. They went on to evaluate the quality of the websites used. Others enjoyed comparing modern maps of the world with Tudor charts, and analysing differences and similarities between the two. Yet another group ‘beavered away’, producing fascinating self-portraits. All worked independently and purposefully, and with impressively mature attitudes. This allowed the teacher to become the facilitator and consultant. She intervened, as appropriate, advising

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It has a consistently very high quality teaching. This enables the pupils to learn very

and guiding learning; moving individual pupils’ knowledge and understanding forward at a rapid pace.

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It has a consistently very high quality teaching. This enables the pupils to learn very

12. Teachers plan interesting lessons, with challenging activities that are well matched to the needs of individual pupils. They do not over-direct pupils but allow them to make decisions and choices for themselves. Because of this and the way that it is presented and because of its highly practical nature, the work catches the imaginations of all pupils very successfully. The pupils are very well motivated and work to a high standard. They say that they enjoy their lessons and want to learn more, because they have fun. The only drawback is that teachers do not have enough room in which to allow pupils to work independently, as they would wish. The accommodation, whilst much improved since the last inspection and very pleasant, does not have the space to allow the freedom of choice for more than two or three groups of pupils to operate independently, at any one time. Longnor C.E. Primary School - 14

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It is led and managed outstandingly well by the headteacher who is supported very

effectively by the governing body and his colleagues.

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It is led and managed outstandingly well by the headteacher who is supported very

13. The professional leadership of the school by the headteacher is excellent. He has a most clear vision for the school. He holds the philosophy that pupils shall achieve very well and to high standards because they want to, because they love learning and not because they have to. This works in this school because he inspires his staff and pupils. He is instrumental in creating the purposeful but relaxed atmosphere which pervades all of the work of the school. A very knowledgeable and committed governing body supports him very successfully as do his colleagues, who work with him as a team.

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It is led and managed outstandingly well by the headteacher who is supported very

14. The headteacher is an excellent practitioner and has a very heavy teaching commitment. This makes the quality of his leadership even more impressive. He teaches 80 per cent of the school week (four full days) which is high for the size of the school. He works very successfully with the teacher who shares the teaching of his class to ensure that pupils’ learning is not adversely affected because he is not with them 100 per cent of the week. In his ‘non-teaching’ time, the headteacher works most efficiently to ensure that the school is managed and run for the benefit of the pupils. He has a very clear understanding of the strengths of the school and constantly works to develop and improve all aspects of the school even more.

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It is led and managed outstandingly well by the headteacher who is supported very

15. The dedicated and very hard working staff ably support the headteacher. Together, they make an excellent team, who work closely together and have the well-being and interest of all of the pupils at heart. They have worked hard since the last inspection, to establish an excellent curriculum, which they monitor and evaluate constantly. They have done this by working together on their planning and sharing their expertise. They welcome improvements and are very positive in their approach to change. As a result, they take on new challenges enthusiastically; for example, recognising the challenge of the increase in the school’s number of pupils with special educational needs. As a staff, they have analysed how able pupils as well as those with particular learning, behavioural or physical difficulties learn, so that they may provide the best opportunities to enable all pupils to thrive and succeed. Every pupil is special to all of the staff and they work hard to ensure

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It is led and managed outstandingly well by the headteacher who is supported very

that each pupil learns to the best standard he or she can, happily and confidently.

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It is led and managed outstandingly well by the headteacher who is supported very

16. The governors meet regularly as a group. They fulfil their statutory duties extremely well, for example through sub-committees for finance, curriculum and premises. Good use is made of the skills of individual governors on these sub-committees. The governing body is fully involved in setting and agreeing the school’s budget. Governors are also fully involved in developing the School Improvement Plan. They support the headteacher and staff, most effectively, in monitoring and evaluating all aspects of the school’s work. They have the success of the school uppermost in their minds and work towards achieving even higher standards. Longnor C.E. Primary School - 15

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The school has identified that by developing writing skills across the school, it can

17. The pupils’ writing skills across the school are good. Pupils work hard to practise their handwriting and are proud of the work that they achieve. Teachers encourage pupils to write neatly in a legible style and the vast majority of written work is very well presented. The content and quality of the writing in all subjects is also good. The school has identified the value of an approach to writing which takes in all subjects. In order to create real and meaningful contexts for writing, it is also working on clarifying levels of progression. It does this by moderating and assessing written work, to raise staff awareness of the levels at which pupils are working, as well as what they need to do next to improve. This will add to the successful learning that already takes place and, once fully incorporated in planning and matched to speaking and listening skills, will support and enhance very positively the constant thrust to raise standards.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

18. The governors, headteacher and staff should raise standards in writing even higher by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• realising the plan for the development of writing across the curriculum, identified in the school’s improvement programme. Longnor C.E. Primary School - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 12

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. [When the total number is substantially less than 100, add] Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one [two, three, etc] percentage point[s]. [Where the total is close to or greater than 100, use only the first sentence.]

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) n/a 86

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals n/a 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs n/a 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register n/a 22

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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 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

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Attendance

School data 4.5 School data 0.0 Longnor C.E. Primary School - 17 National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Longnor C.E. Primary School - 18

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 8 5 13

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (100) 85 (100) 92 (100) 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) 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (100) 92 (100) 92 (100) 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) 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 7 1 8

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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 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (71) 100 (65) 100 (88) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 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 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 75 (76) 88 (71) 100 (88)

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

2 W hen there are fewer than 10 boys and/or girls in a year group, numbers are not included in the tables, in order to avoid identification of individuals. Longnor C.E. Primary School - 19 at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75)

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

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 2 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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.2 Financial year 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.4

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 210570

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 207443

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 72.5 Expenditure per pupil 2184

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 1344

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) n/a Balance carried forward to next year 4471

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher n/a

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff n/a

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week n/a

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1.2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2 Longnor C.E. Primary School - 20 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) .2

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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

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 45 45 3 0 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 20 59 18 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 22 58 13 0 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 28 47 8 10 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 52 40 2 7 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 38 55 2 2 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 32 45 8 12 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 35 38 8 12 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 32 60 2 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 42 30 17 7 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The above table represents a 35 per cent return of the questionnaires. More questionnaires were issued than there were pupils on roll because information is sent separately to all those with responsibility for the child. The result is that in some cases several returns are made on one child. This can skew the reliability of the questionnaire.

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