Cringleford CE VA Primary School

CRINGLEFORD CE (VA) FIRST AND MIDDLE SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11 th – 12 th June 2002

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CRINGLEFORD CE (VA) FIRST AND MIDDLE 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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CRINGLEFORD CE (VA) FIRST AND MIDDLE 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. Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Cantley Lane Cringleford Norwich Norfolk Postcode: NR4 6UG

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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 Frances Donell

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 16 June 1997 Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 4

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Team members

19834 Michael Allcock Registered inspector 9986 William Twiss Lay inspector 23958 Christine Balson Team inspector

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Team members

Serco QAA Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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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 Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle 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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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 17

Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Cringleford Church of England (Voluntary Aided) First and Middle is an eight-class school for boys and girls aged four to twelve, in a popular residential area, south-west of Norwich. It draws pupils mainly from the village but over 40 per cent of pupils come from further afield, due to its academic reputation and strong Christian, family ethos. There are 236 pupils on roll, which is about average. Ten pupils come from ethnic minorities. Four pupils have English as an additional language but very few are at an early stage of acquisition, which is low. Less than two per cent of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals, which is low. About 16 per cent of pupils are on the register of special educational needs, which is below average. However, the proportion with a Statement of Special Educational Needs is close to the national average. Specific learning difficulties, problems with speech and communication and

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

autism are the main areas of disability. Children’s attainments on entry reflect the normal range and vary from year to year but are above average overall.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective and successful school. The pupils attain high standards in lessons and in the national tests at the end of Years 2 and 6. The quality of teaching is good throughout the school, promoting good achievement from the pupils. Pupils display very positive attitudes to their learning, behave well and there are constructive relationships between all in the school’s community. The headteacher provides very strong educational and pastoral direction for the school. She is well supported by the committed governing body and effective staff team. The school has many strengths although, due to high running costs, it offers satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards are well above average by the time pupils leave the school in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. • The quality of teaching is good throughout the school, promoting effective learning and high standards from the pupils. • The headteacher, governors and staff work productively together to promote a positive academic and pastoral ethos. • The pupils’ very positive attitudes to their work and mature behaviour contribute significantly to their good levels of achievement and very good personal development.

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What could be improved

• Not all teachers are confident and competent users of information and communication technology (ICT), so progress in the subject is uneven across the school. 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 had several key issues to address when it was last inspected in June 1997. It has made good progress in successfully tackling the issues raised then, following a detailed action plan to improve standards in the areas identified. Significant improvements have been made to the school’s development planning. The school management plan is now a powerful tool for improvement. It charts, in considerable detail, the short and longer-term targets established to raise standards further and the means to secure this. This has helped maintain an upward trend in standards over the last three years. The school is on course to meet its targets, which are becoming increasingly challenging. Pupils’ standards in subjects are now significantly higher than those reported in 1997, leading to the school receiving two achievement awards recently. The quality of teaching is better, promoting good learning and brisk progress by the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

pupils. Joint efforts by staff, governors and the parent body have resulted in major improvements to the buildings and environment, including developing an arts, music and drama centre and completing a conservation and habitats area. The new information and communication technology suite has been a key factor in improved standards in this subject area. The school has effective procedures to monitor its performance and is well placed to sustain its high standards. Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 7

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

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Key

The high standards that pupils now attain by the end of Year 6 are a significant strength of the school. The 2000 result in English put the school in the top five per cent of schools in the country that year. The school is compared to schools with similar levels of free school meals. It is in the category of schools with between zero and eight per cent, containing the majority of those attaining the highest average points scores in tests at Years 2 and 6. Evidence from this inspection confirms these high standards for the Year 6 pupils, who in lessons seen reached well above the average standards for pupils of their age in English, mathematics and science.

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Key

By the time pupils leave the school at the end of Year 7, standards in lessons were also high in all three core subjects. Pupils in their only secondary school year in the middle school make particularly rapid progress in mathematics and science, and also in French, due to the specialist teaching they receive and their very good attitudes to learning. The good teaching pupils receive throughout the school contributes significantly to the pupils’ achievement. The present Year 2 group has repeated the high and very high test results in reading, writing and mathematics in results for 2002. The 2001 Year 2 group attained well above average test scores in reading and writing. The mathematics score was in the top five per cent of schools. Teacher assessments for science indicated that an above average proportion of pupils reached the expected Level 2 or better and that a well above average proportion reached the

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Key

higher Level 3 or above. Evidence in lessons seen and work sampled confirms these at present unreported results. Children enter the school in the reception class with a range of attainments but they are above average overall. By the time they enter Year 1, almost all have attained the early learning goals of the curriculum for children under five. In most year groups there are pupils with challenging special educational needs. The school works hard to ensure that all its pupils achieve well right through the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are eager to learn in their lessons and work very hard in them. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. There have been no exclusions in recent years. Personal development and relationships Good overall. Boys and girls of all ages work and play happily together. The school’s very positive promotion of personal development makes for independent, enthusiastic learners. Attendance Very good. Attendance is well above the national average. Pupils arrive punctually, so lessons start promptly. Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 8

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6 Year 7

Quality of teaching Good Good Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6 Year 7

Overall, the teaching in the school is good. During the inspection, teaching was satisfactory or better in all lessons seen. This shows significant improvement on the quality of teaching reported following the last inspection and promotes good learning by the pupils. The improvement in standards of teaching, particularly for pupils in Years 3 to 6, where about one in four lessons seen was unsatisfactory in 1997, is a major factor in the improved standards seen in lessons and national tests. Pupils work productively, concentrate for extended periods, for example for two hours in middle school science lessons, and take an increasing responsibility for their own learning, including by completing independent research.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6 Year 7

English and mathematics are well taught from the reception class onwards. The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught. They are rapidly acquired and consistently applied, due to the pupils’ very positive response to their learning. The school makes appropriate additional provision for the needs of the very highest attaining pupils, including lessons in English led by the headteacher and in mathematics by a lecturer from the local university, working on a voluntary basis with gifted mathematicians. Good levels of well-qualified support staff promote the good progress pupils with special educational needs and the small number of pupils with English as an additional language make. Very good teaching of science for pupils in Years 3 to 6 and excellent teaching in Year 7 promotes pupils’ very good attitudes to the subject and the very rapid progress they make. Specialist teaching of science

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6 Year 7

and French in Years 6 and 7, by very well qualified staff, means that pupils in those years achieve high standards in these subjects. Varied levels of teaching, both in quality and quantity, were seen in information and communication technology (ICT). However, the school has made good progress in addressing key issues to improve pupils’ standards in ICT, which are now in line with those expected by the time pupils leave the school. Some high quality teaching in Year 7 ensures that pupils have appropriate skills and understanding across all aspects of the subject.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. All statutory requirements are met. Subjects are given appropriate consideration in a broad and balanced curriculum. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils are quickly identified and good provision is made for them, so that they make rapid progress towards the targets on their education plans. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Pupils receive regular support from teachers and learning support assistants and make good progress in developing vocabulary and grammar. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall. The school’s very effective provision prepares pupils well for citizenship in an increasingly diverse society. Provision for spiritual and cultural development is very good. Provision for moral and social development is good. How well the school cares

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Aspect Comment

for its pupils Good. There are effective procedures, including a well-phased induction process in reception, thorough assessment of pupils and positive reinforcement of levels of attendance and good behaviour. The school monitors pupils’ overall development well. Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good overall. Very strong educational and pastoral leadership by the headteacher has established a clear sense of purpose and direction to the work of the school. The role of other senior staff and subject managers is being appropriately developed. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors are knowledgeable and well led. They fulfil all their diverse responsibilities effectively and have forged an increasingly critical partnership with the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good overall. The school has analysed its performance carefully and planned for improvement in great detail in its management plan. Levels of direct monitoring of teaching and learning are improving. The strategic use of resources Good. Available money is well used to support identified priorities in planning. The principles of best value are well known and consistently

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like coming to school and make good progress. • Children are expected to work hard and achieve their best. • The good quality of teaching their children receive promotes high standards. • The good behaviour, which is helping make their children into good citizens. • The open door policy, which means staff are visible and accessible and parents get a sympathetic hearing. • They feel that the leadership and management of the school are strong. • The information provided about how their children are getting on. • The amount and consistency of homework provided. • The range of activities the school provides outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection findings fully support the many positive views parents have about their school. Parents have a good range of formal and informal opportunities to meet with members of staff. A good level of information is available. A good feature of the school’s work is the regular sampling of parent opinion by questionnaires on a range of aspects. Reports are detailed and give comprehensive information on what children can and cannot do and contain a section on improvement. Parents would appreciate an indication of how their children are doing against national expectations for their age. Homework is satisfactory overall. Parents’ views were mixed about what constituted an appropriate level of homework. Inspectors found that homework was appropriately set and followed up in all parts of the school. That for the older pupils in Years 5 to 7 prepares them well for their upper school experiences. The range of

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

activities pupils experience outside school is interesting and varied. It is in line with that normally seen in a school of this size, for pupils of this age. The residential courses pupils have the opportunity to enjoy and the range of visits and visitors to support their work within the curriculum, help promote pupils’ good achievement. Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 10

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Standards are well above average by the time pupils leave the school in the core subjects of

1. Work seen during the inspection shows that pupils attain well above average standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Years 2 and 6, and by the time they leave the school at the end of Year 7. They achieve well throughout the school, due to the good teaching they receive and their very positive attitudes to their lessons and good behaviour. This represents good improvement since the last inspection, when standards were reported to be broadly average by the end of Year 2, just above average by the end of Year 6 and broadly above average by the end of Year 7. Children enter the reception class in the September of the school year in which they become five. The spring and summer born children attend part-time for the first term. Their attainment on entry, as measured by the local authority’s baseline assessment procedures, varies from year to year and has fallen recently but is above average overall.

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Standards are well above average by the time pupils leave the school in the core subjects of

Children quickly lay firm foundations for future learning. They are responsive to good teaching and generous levels of classroom support and achieve well. Evidence of very high standards in both literacy and numeracy were seen during the inspection. Higher attaining children, being introduced to the National Curriculum towards the end of their time in the reception class, were seen working within Level 3 in reading and at Level 2 in writing. These standards are those expected of pupils in Year 2. In mathematics, their standards were almost as high and well within Level 2.

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Standards are well above average by the time pupils leave the school in the core subjects of

2. Standards in all three strands of English - speaking and listening, reading and writing - are all well above average by the end of Year 2, Year 6 and Year 7. The literacy strategy is well established and effectively taught. Booster classes and extension sessions for higher attaining pupils ensure that all pupils achieve well. Key literacy skills are well promoted in subjects like science and history, where extended writing for specific purposes, including detailed reports and personal research, are strong features. Well-focused oral sessions within English, work in drama and personal, social and health education promote active listening and confident speaking. Almost all pupils develop as fluent, accurate and expressive readers. Whole class and guided group reading elements within lessons are used effectively to develop understanding of texts and to develop reading skills. Older pupils keep very detailed reading logs, including

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Standards are well above average by the time pupils leave the school in the core subjects of

assessments of holiday reading, alongside books read in school and for homework. However, in conversation most seemed unsure of the level they had reached and what they needed to do to improve further. Pupils attain high standards in writing, both in lessons and tests. A consistent cursive handwriting style is acquired by the end of Year 2. Formal aspects of grammar and spelling are well taught, so that by the time pupils are in the middle school content and form can be developed and a wide range of contexts for writing undertaken. Older pupils match the style they use to achieve different effects, for example in letters, dialogue, poetry, note taking and when recording information. Pupils display clear pride in their work. Presentation is good and middle school pupils use pens rather than pencils to enhance it further. Much redrafted work in subjects across the curriculum is done using word processing packages. This is less

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Standards are well above average by the time pupils leave the school in the core subjects of

3. Standards in mathematics are consistently high across the school. Very strong test performances over the last five years in Year 2 have been repeated this year. This thorough grounding has prepared pupils very well for their subsequent career in the subject. The numeracy strategy is deeply embedded. The introductory mental and oral starter session is well used by teachers to develop pupils’ mental agility and confidence with numbers. By the time they leave the school at the end of Year 7, most pupils are able to solve complex equations, for example y = 3x, when x is positive or negative, in quick fire oral work. In follow up activities pupils plot the graph of families of equations, then generalise about the slope that a given set might have. Higher attaining pupils plotting quadratic equations worked out that the lines on their graph were curved not straight due to the x² in the equation. Teaching is particularly strong for

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Standards are well above average by the time pupils leave the school in the core subjects of

this year group, who in a nationally recognised end of Year 7 test had all gained a level since Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 11 their well above average result in the previous year’s 2001 end of Year 6 national test, making about two years’ progress in one year. Work throughout the middle school is well matched to the pupils’ attainment. In Year 6, clear assessment of pupils’ learning needs further supports pupils’ progress, as diagnostic comments give pupils a clear understanding of what they must do to improve further. The particular emphasis the school places on practical and investigative approaches to the subject helps promote effectively the pupils’ numeracy skills and their understanding of the different aspects of the subject. Teachers’ expectations of recording and presentation are rigorous, so pupils develop an organised approach to their work. The teachers at the end of the middle school have a very well qualified learning support assistant, who is able

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Standards are well above average by the time pupils leave the school in the core subjects of

to extend the learning of the higher attaining pupils, as well as reinforce the understanding of less confident mathematicians, to promote their progress briskly.

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Standards are well above average by the time pupils leave the school in the core subjects of

4. Standards of science are high throughout the school. Very effective teaching of the subject in the middle school has ensured that by the time pupils leave the school about half have attained Level 5 and half Level 6 in end of Year 7 tests, results normally associated with pupils about two years older. The subject manager is an inspirational teacher of the subject. Her influence extends into Year 6, as the graduate linguist teaches French in Year 7, while the chemist teaches science to the Year 6 pupils. This benefits both year groups, as high standards are attained in both subjects due to the very effective teaching and learning that ensues. The process is impeded by the lack of facilities normally expected at Year 7. The classroom has to double as the laboratory; equipment and storage levels are reduced by financial constraints and the lack of specialist facilities. However, the teacher makes do admirably. Throughout the

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Standards are well above average by the time pupils leave the school in the core subjects of

school, teachers insist on scientific rigour. The use of appropriate terminology is expected. Pupils soon develop a very good awareness of investigative and experimental methods. They show an above average understanding of what constitutes a fair test, keeping the process identical and testing only one variable at a time. Much of the work is done in social groupings, so relatively little direct match of task to prior attainment is seen. However, the level of challenge is high and although the ability to design their own experiments is more limited, all pupils are expected to put forward plausible hypotheses, devise appropriate methods of recording results and draw their own conclusions from the data gathered. They quickly become accustomed to double-checking results, getting a second opinion or re-testing to make sure of a finding. Presentation is a good feature of work in the subject, supporting pupils’ literacy and numeracy

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Standards are well above average by the time pupils leave the school in the core subjects of

skills and an appropriately well-organised, scientific approach.

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The quality of teaching is good throughout the school, promoting effective learning and high

5. The quality of teaching has been improved significantly since the last inspection. A large majority of the lessons seen were good or better. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen. This represents a marked improvement, as one in ten lessons were unsatisfactory in 1997, one in five in Years 3 to 6. In this inspection, all the high quality teaching was seen in Years 3 to 6 and in Year 7. More high quality teaching was seen in the current inspection, up from about one in 25 to almost one in three. This better quality of teaching promotes more effective learning from the pupils and is a major factor in the well above average standards pupils attain in the end of Year 2 and 6 tests and by the time they leave the school at the end of Year 7. Weaker teaching has been eliminated by more regular monitoring of lessons, with clear feedback on strengths and areas for improvement. This process is capable of further development, for example by

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The quality of teaching is good throughout the school, promoting effective learning and high

increasing the frequency outside English and mathematics. Improvements to planning and assessment of the curriculum have resulted in more targeted teaching of individuals and groups. However, there is no agreed format to inform daily planning, which therefore varies considerably in quality and quantity. The majority of teachers plan tasks carefully to match pupils’ learning needs, although in some lessons similar work is presented to the whole class, with extension tasks or levels of support catering for the differing attainments of pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good throughout the school, promoting effective learning and high

6. Parents at the pre-inspection meeting and in the questionnaires they returned almost all expressed their satisfaction with the quality of teaching in the school. Inspection evidence fully supports their views. Teachers display secure subject knowledge, with some specialist teaching showing excellent personal skills. Science and French graduates teaching in Year 6 and 7 Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 12 promote high attainment from very well motivated learners, who are switched on to the subjects by the very good teaching they receive. Almost all teachers teach the basic skills of literacy and numeracy effectively, promoting high standards in English and mathematics and supporting work in other curriculum areas. Basic skills are also well taught in other subjects. For example, in science experimental rigour is encouraged, for instance in Year 4 by the use of keys to help pupils identify different species of living things and in French, after following a largely oral course

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The quality of teaching is good throughout the school, promoting effective learning and high

early in Year 6, a substantial level of written work with a widening vocabulary and for a range of purposes is undertaken.

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The quality of teaching is good throughout the school, promoting effective learning and high

7. Teachers manage pupils well but overt discipline is rarely needed, as most pupils are compliant, ready learners. They are quick to settle, interested in their work and keen to answer and take lead roles in class activities and assemblies. Teachers share learning objectives with pupils, often when revisiting them in review sessions, suggesting additional, impromptu homework. Older pupils particularly follow this sort of lead avidly, showing a mature understanding of their own learning needs. Year 7 pupils were asked to consider that as they knew that the positive and negative values of x produce straight lines on graphs, what is the minimum number of equations they would need to plot such a graph. Homework is satisfactory overall and good at the top of the school, where it prepares pupils effectively for a high school career at a range of schools in Norwich and South Norfolk. Expectations are mostly high but in some completed

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The quality of teaching is good throughout the school, promoting effective learning and high

work, pupils from across the attainment range had been set the same written task, often using the same words, reducing the level of challenge provided. Most lessons are conducted at a brisk pace, with stimulating whole class teaching, very good use of questioning, good use of whiteboards and overhead projectors to organise ideas and smooth transition from one part of the lesson to another. Most lessons follow the three part organisational format and use it well to reinforce key learning intentions. However, where too long is spent on the oral introduction, as in a Year 2 mathematics lesson, pupils’ practical activities are curtailed and the plenary sessions rushed.

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The quality of teaching is good throughout the school, promoting effective learning and high

8. Teachers interact regularly with individuals and groups during activities. Their probing questions put the higher attaining pupils on the spot and give them plenty to think about and sensitively challenge the lower attaining, supporting them by the way questions are framed. Learning support staff effectively promote the learning of pupils with special educational needs. Good provision is made for them, with the deputy headteacher, in her role as special educational needs co-ordinator, and a special needs support teacher leading withdrawal groups and learning support staff working with pupils within lessons. These pupils make good progress towards targets set for them, both academically and behaviourally. Marking does not all comply with the school’s policy. For example, that used to support pupils in Year 6 is detailed, gives pupils a clear idea what they should do to improve and invites the pupil to comment on the marking.

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The quality of teaching is good throughout the school, promoting effective learning and high

However, in Year 7, while marking in the progress books is detailed and gives pupils an idea of the National Curriculum level they are working at, that in the majority of pupils’ books is brief and does not give pupils any indication of what to do next.

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The headteacher, governors and staff work productively together to promote a positive

9. The headteacher has a very clear vision of what the school should provide for all its pupils. She has effectively shared this with her supportive deputy headteacher and staff and the committed governing body. The headteacher has established a Christian, family atmosphere, where there is a commitment to both high academic and personal standards. The school has an inclusive ethos, which aims to support pupils of all levels of attainment and special need, regardless of background, in all aspects of their learning. Almost all parents believe that the school is well led and managed. They strongly value the progress their children make and the standards they attain but also their caring attitudes that the school works hard to inculcate. Parents are confident that their children are being developed into good citizens of tomorrow. The same commitment and support is also seen within the cohesive staff team for one another. The

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The headteacher, governors and staff work productively together to promote a positive

headteacher’s introduction of a well-being policy typifies the commitment shown to whole school and pastoral issues. Staff work well together. They are responsive to the senior management Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 13 team’s present focus on the further development of the roles of subject co-ordinators, including regular meetings to set targets and monitor progress, led by the deputy headteacher.

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The headteacher, governors and staff work productively together to promote a positive

10. The key issues from the last inspection have been successfully addressed, overall. As a result, pupils’ attainments in information and communication technology (ICT), design and technology and history are now in line with those expected by the end of Year 7. Pupils achieve as well as they should, overall, in these subjects. However, the quality of teaching in ICT is still variable and pupils achieve more in some years than others. Planning is more secure. Comprehensive policies and schemes of work, most adopted from national or local educational authority models and adapted to the school’s specific needs, ensure that pupils’ skills and understanding are built on progressively as they move through the school. Procedures for assessing pupils’ progress are now good and information gained from the school’s own assessment programme and national statutory and optional tests is appropriately used to plan work for individuals and

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The headteacher, governors and staff work productively together to promote a positive

groups to ensure they achieve well. The direct monitoring of lessons and sampling of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work is better co-ordinated. The governing body and local education authority inspectors have joined the senior management team and the subject managers in this important quality assurance procedure. Information gained is well used to plan for improvement, as with boys’ standards in reading and writing. The deputy headteacher has taken on the lead role in developing this process further.

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The headteacher, governors and staff work productively together to promote a positive

11. The governing body is effectively led and contributes well to the successful management of the school. The headteacher keeps the governors well informed. They are interested in the school’s work, often supporting it through the work they do within the curriculum and their effective links to classes. This gives them first hand understanding and a clear insight into the way the school works but has not been developed into a direct monitoring role. However, it does provide an effective pastoral link between governors and teachers and a thorough working knowledge of an individual year group and of the school as a whole, as governors move through the school with the class to which they are assigned. This way governors acquire information on which to base decisions, augmented by the sound monitoring carried out by senior managers and subject co- ordinators. Governors are very actively involved in development and budget planning and monitor

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The headteacher, governors and staff work productively together to promote a positive

financial matters closely. Current budget surpluses are being used effectively to further improve provision, including for those pupils with special educational needs and for information and communication technology. The school has developed a helpful guide to best value to effectively help those responsible for making financial decisions.

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The headteacher, governors and staff work productively together to promote a positive

12. The school evaluates its performance thoroughly. The governing body effectiveness committee assesses improvement against a range of criteria. It measures the school’s results against all and similar schools by analysing national tests and the progress of year groups using information from optional tests and the school’s own assessment regime. The school effectiveness folder is a very detailed compendium of analysis and information charting progress or establishing areas for development, which alongside the comprehensive school management plan, gives the school very effective tools for further improvement. The level of formal observation of lessons is due to increase, following the agreement of a monitoring policy, one of the management targets for the current year. The sampling of teachers’ planning, pupils’ completed work and teaching and learning has been one of the major factors that has raised the quality of

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The headteacher, governors and staff work productively together to promote a positive

teaching and pupils’ standards throughout the school. The school has maintained the good quality of leadership and management reported in 1997.

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The pupils’ very positive attitudes to their work and mature behaviour contribute significantly

to their good levels of achievement and very good personal development.

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The pupils’ very positive attitudes to their work and mature behaviour contribute significantly

13. The school makes very good overall provision for pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Regular opportunities are planned for this, within the curriculum, in assemblies and social times and during residential courses, visits and extra-curricular activities. Pupils’ self-esteem is further promoted by the good displays of their work that are seen around the school. Teachers use limited space in some classrooms, for example in Year 4, to create a stimulating environment, with pupils’ output at the centre. Pupils respond very positively and behave well overall, and very well in some years, notably Year 7, in Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 14 lessons, in the hall and in the playground. Parents are particularly proud of the way their children behave when representing the school as ambassadors. The school’s positive, inclusive ethos ensures that there are commendable levels of racial harmony. There are active

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The pupils’ very positive attitudes to their work and mature behaviour contribute significantly

mechanisms for older pupils to care for younger ones. There have been no exclusions in recent years. Behaviour was very good in just under half of all lessons seen and good in all the rest. This has a positive impact on the good progress pupils make, as lessons are seldom impeded by routine disciplinary matters and the learning environment is calm and purposeful.

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The pupils’ very positive attitudes to their work and mature behaviour contribute significantly

14. Parents report that their children like coming to school, which helps keep attendance levels high. This is further promoted by the school’s active procedures to ensure good attendance and punctuality, helping to reduce authorised absence still further in the current year. Pupils’ high levels of attendance have a positive impact on the standards they attain. Pupils show an eagerness for learning in their lessons and other activities, including extra-curricular clubs. All pupils show maturity and responsibility in their attitudes from the reception class onwards. Pupils collaborate willingly with each other and their teachers, promoting high standards in subjects and very good personal development. Pupils accept responsibility willingly. Routine tasks around the classroom are completed cheerfully. Those who are monitors or school council representatives discharge these additional responsibilities dependably. The school now provides

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The pupils’ very positive attitudes to their work and mature behaviour contribute significantly

a good range of opportunities for pupils to become more independent. Pupils respond well, for example by conducting their own personal research around topics they are studying and by initiating their own charitable activities. Parents reported overwhelmingly that the school’s Christian, family ethos was having a beneficial effect upon their children’s social skills and that they are being taught very clearly the notion of citizenship. Standards have improved on those reported following the school’s last inspection, particularly in terms of pupils’ personal development.

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Not all teachers are confident and competent users of information and communication

technology (ICT), so progress in the subject is uneven across the school.

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Not all teachers are confident and competent users of information and communication

15. The school has worked hard to address the key issue to raise pupils’ standards of attainment in ICT and to ensure that they achieve as well as they should, identified following its previous inspection. Provision is much improved, both in terms of hardware and software for the subject and the documentation the school has in place to support teaching and learning. The new computer suite is already proving an invaluable asset, as part of this improving picture. National funding for ICT through the National Grid for Learning and the parent teacher association’s unstinting support, currently running at about £10,000 per annum, have helped in the process. A nationally recommended scheme of work has been adopted to help ensure that pupils acquire skills and understanding in the subject and apply them progressively, in subjects across the curriculum, as they move through the school. Appropriate assessment procedures are in place

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Not all teachers are confident and competent users of information and communication

to ensure coverage of all the Programmes of Study of the National Curriculum and to allow teachers to accurately monitor the progress of individuals and groups of pupils.

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Not all teachers are confident and competent users of information and communication

16. The school acknowledges that ICT has continuing areas for development. It figures prominently in both the current and subsequent years’ management plans as a major priority. The subject manager is effective in her role. She has adapted the national scheme and dovetailed it with a range of activities to support less confident teachers, across the eight year groups within the school. A key target for the present academic year has been to raise staff confidence and competence, through both relevant courses and in-house training by the school’s own staff. The employment of a part-time technician has helped ensure that teaching time is not lost due to technical problems. The subject manager has been allocated only one day release time per term to monitor teaching and learning, and to assess how well the curriculum is bedding down and how effectively the 17 new PCs in the suite, along with classroom computers, are being

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Not all teachers are confident and competent users of information and communication

used. Given that she also has responsibility for mathematics at present, this appears too little time for such a major task. There is more evidence that teachers’ planning has been monitored than direct observation of teaching and learning has taken place. However, there is evidence that Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 15 the subject manager appropriately devotes some of her release time to team teaching with her least confident colleagues to support their acquisition of new skills.

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Not all teachers are confident and competent users of information and communication

17. The subject manager’s file usefully contains samples of pupils’ previous work to act as exemplars to allow accurate assessments to be made of future output. She acknowledges that not all teachers are confident with ICT in the classroom environment, so have not yet signed up to take their quota of time in the ICT suite. Attitudes are positive, however. As well as completing the training provided by the school, less competent practitioners have identified their own learning needs and made private arrangements to develop their own personal skills and understanding further. All strands of the subject are taught, though some, including using multi- media presentations and e-mail, are in an early stage of development. Standards are broadly in line with those expected by the end of Years 2 and 6 and when pupils leave the school at the end of Year 7. The range of work seen is better in Year 2 and Year 7. Little evidence is seen in

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Not all teachers are confident and competent users of information and communication

the school of tasks being matched to the different prior attainments or learning needs of pupils. Too little evidence of ICT being used to support pupils’ work widely across the curriculum was seen in some year groups, including Year 6. Pupils achieve as well as they should overall but their progress varies across year groups. Good improvement has been made overall since the school’s last inspection. Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 16

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

18. In the context of the school’s many strengths, the headteacher, governors and staff should address the following in their action plan in order to raise standards and the quality of education still further:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Improve teachers’ competence and confidence in information and communication technology (ICT), so that pupils’ progress in the subject is less variable across year groups by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• providing additional in-service training and in-class support, so that all teachers are comfortable with all strands of the Programmes of Study*; (paras. 10, 16, 17)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• monitoring more closely the amount of time pupils spend using computers and other ICT products, such as listening centres and programmable toys*; (paras. 2, 16, 17)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring that in all classes ICT is well used to support pupils’ learning widely across the curriculum*. (paras. 2, 16, 17)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

*Items already identified by the school. Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 17

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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 four percentage points.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 236

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 3

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 4

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 38

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

English as an additional language No of pupils

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 4

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 13

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

School data 3.9 School data 0.6 Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 18 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 19 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) Year Boys Girls Total

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 14 17 31

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 10 13 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 17 17

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 87 (75) 97 (94) 100 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 12 13 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 16 17

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 94 (91) 94 (91) 97 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 15 17 32

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 11 14 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 17 17 17

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 88 (100) 97 (90) 97 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 11 12 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 17 16 17

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 88 (90) 88 (83) 94 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 20 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Any other minority ethnic group 5 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers and classes Financial information

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10.5 Financial year 2001/2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.5:1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Education support staff: YR – Y7 Total income 520,834

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 11 Total expenditure 535,973

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 193 Expenditure per pupil 2,310

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 56,459

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Balance carried forward to next year 41,320

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1.0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2.0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0.0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0.2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0.0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

FTE means full-time equivalent. Cringleford CE (VA) First and Middle School - 21

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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. 50 43 4 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 43 56 0 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 32 45 16 5 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 32 41 25 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 70 28 2 0 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. 54 42 3 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 47 41 9 2 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 68 29 1 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 60 36 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 35 45 16 2 2

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