St Andrew's Church of England Primary School

ST ANDREW’S CE AIDED 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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ST ANDREW’S CE AIDED 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. St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Buckland Monachorum Yelverton Devon Postcode: PL 20 7NA

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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: Rev. Graham Cotter

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 20 October 1997 St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary School - 4

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Team members

18354 Mrs Rowena Onions Registered inspector 19504 Dr Judith Telfer Lay inspector 15409 Mr David Whalley Team inspector

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Team members

Serco QAA Limited 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 St Andrew’s CE Aided 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

St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary is a school of average size, with 207 pupils on roll. It caters for pupils from the age of four to eleven years, with a broadly equal number of boys and girls. Ninety-nine per cent of pupils are of white United Kingdom heritage. There are no pupils for whom English is an additional language. Currently, six pupils (three per cent) are identified as being entitled to free school meals, which is below the national average. The pupils enter the reception class with a range of attainment and there is some variation between year groups but, overall, it is above average. There are 41 pupils (20 per cent) currently identified on the school’s special educational needs register. This is near the national average. Five pupils have statements of special educational need. Both the number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register and with statements has risen significantly since the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

was last inspected in October 1997. The school has pupils with a range of special needs. Most have mild learning or communication difficulties, but the school has recently admitted a small number of pupils with severe learning difficulties. The school is situated in the village of Buckland Monachorum. It occupies a relatively large site in the centre of the village. It is very popular. As well as drawing from the village and surrounding rural area, it attracts a proportion of its pupils from outside its catchment area.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

St Andrews is a very effective school. Over their time in the school, pupils achieve very well and attain high standards by the end of Year 6. The overall effectiveness is achieved by the complementary mix of a number of different factors. Teaching is good and the leadership and management of the school is very good. Pupils are given the advantage of a very broad range of experiences in a warm, caring environment. They work very hard and behave very well. Parents and the local community make a significant contribution to the education provided. The school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils achieve very well over their time in school and standards in English, mathematics and science are consistently high at the end of Year 6. • The quality of teaching in the school is good overall. • Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to work and to school are very good. Their levels of personal development are excellent. • The school fulfils its aims in valuing all individuals and very successfully encourages each to fulfil his or her potential. • The curriculum provided is very wide and stimulating and actively promotes successful learning. • The overall quality and impact of the leadership and management of the headteacher is very good. In this he is very well supported by the governors, the deputy headteacher and subject co- ordinators.

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What could be improved

• Standards in writing attained by pupils in the reception class and in Years 1 and 2 are currently not as high as they could be, because, although it is satisfactory, teaching of this aspect could be improved. • The organisation of the work of staff in contributing to the success of the school could be more effectively managed. 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 has shown very good improvement since the last inspection in 1997. Standards have risen in English, mathematics and science and in 2001 and 2002 the school has received a national award for significant improvement in results. The curriculum, including the provision for pupils’ moral and social development, is much improved. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are better. Leadership and management are now very good. Financial effectiveness is improved. The school has also made very good progress in St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary School - 7 addressing the issues raised in the last report. There are now good schemes of work and assessment is used well to assist pupils to improve their work. The education provided is well monitored and the information gained from this used to improve the provision. The school development plan has led this improvement well, however, some improvements are still needed in this planning. There is new

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

accommodation for the youngest pupils. This includes a secure outdoor area that is well on its way to completion.

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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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Performance in:

1999 2000 2001 2001 English A* A* A A mathematics A* A* A* A* science A* A* A A

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Key

well above average A above average B average C below average D well below average E

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Key

Children enter the school with above average attainments. In the reception year, they achieve well in their personal, social and emotional development and in improving their speaking and listening skills. They also achieve well in their mathematical development. Although they make satisfactory gains in learning to read and write, they do not achieve as well in this as they do in other areas. Overall, however, achievement is good and the majority of the children are set to exceed the national early learning goals by the end of the year.

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Key

In Years 1 and 2 pupils are currently achieving well in mathematics. Pupils in Year 2 should attain above average standards by the end of the year. This will represent an improvement over previous years. This improvement is a result of careful analysis of standards and well targeted action taken to improve areas of relative weakness. Standards in speaking and listening are high. Pupils achieve well and become increasingly articulate. Standards in reading are above average and pupils are achieving in a satisfactory way. Currently standards in writing, including spelling, are about average. This represents a drop since previous years when standards were well above average. Standards in handwriting in Year 2 are below average and frequently prevent the pupils from communicating their ideas in a sufficiently legible way. Because of this variability, achievement over Years 1 and 2 in English as a whole is currently

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Key

Standards at the end of Year 6 are consistently high. The school has been given national awards for improvement in standards in both the last two years. In most years, the results of the national tests show that standards in English, mathematics and science are in line with those attained in the top five percent of schools nationally. The current Year 6 group is set to maintain these standards. With respect to the standards they attained in the national tests at the end of Year 2, their achievement is very good. The school has high expectations and these are reflected in the targets set for attainment in the future. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs, including those with the greatest difficulties, make good progress and achieve well. Pupils with higher attainments do well and attain very high standards.

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Key

Although in a short inspection there is not time to collect sufficient evidence to make firm judgements about standards in other subjects, it is clear that pupils respond very well to the broad curriculum offered and that they achieve well in many other subjects. Standards in physical education are well above average, reflecting the importance that the school has placed on ensuring the physical fitness of its pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. The pupils like school. They are interested in their work, try hard and expect to succeed. The vast majority join in fully with the life of the school. These attitudes play a major part in the progress they make.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils are well mannered, friendly and polite. They behave well in class and in the playground.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent. Pupils become mature and responsible. They show initiative in both their work and socially. Their ability to evaluate their work and to wish to improve it plays a very significant part in the quality of their learning. Relationships between adults and pupils and between pupils are very positive.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good. Attendance is well above the national average. The level of unauthorised absences is below the national average.

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

Quality of teaching 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

Teaching and learning throughout the school is good overall. This judgement, however, masks some variability. In all lessons seen, teaching was at least satisfactory, but there was a significant proportion of the lessons, particularly towards the top of the school, where teaching was very good or excellent. Teaching throughout the school has some strong features. Pupils are very well managed and relationships are excellent. Discipline is very good and all lessons are conducted in a relaxed and orderly way. This produces an atmosphere in which pupils can concentrate, try hard and do well. Pupils are actively encouraged to be self-evaluative and this plays a very significant role in the way that they learn. Marking is often of high quality, providing pupils with feedback about what they have achieved as well as showing them clear ways in which they can improve. The best lessons are conducted at good

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

pace with a good balance of teacher talk and pupil activity. Where teaching is most successful, expectations are very high and the general atmosphere gives pupils a confidence that allows them to strive hard and attain these high expectations.

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

The teaching of mathematics, including numeracy, throughout the school is good. The teaching of English, including literacy, in Year 3 to 6 is good overall and it is very good in Year 6. Although satisfactory, the teaching of English, in particular writing, in the reception year and in Years 1 and 2 is in need of further improvement. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs are well taught. Teachers support these pupils well. Teaching assistants play a particularly valuable part in helping these pupils to make progress. Pupils of higher attainment are also well taught. Teachers are well aware of their needs and meet them accordingly. St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The school provides a very interesting and stimulating range of opportunities for learning. Pupils are taught the full range of the National Curriculum and religious education. Very good arts education and a very wide range of sporting activities further enrich the curriculum. There are also a very wide range of clubs and other activities outside lesson hours. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Through the good quality support they receive, pupils are given full access to the curriculum and appropriate adaptations are made where necessary. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Pupils are presented with a wide range of opportunities to learn to become mature and responsible young people. The provision for pupils’ moral and social development is very good. The provision for

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Aspect Comment

promoting pupils’ cultural understanding is good. The school provides very good opportunities for pupils to learn about other cultural traditions world wide, but there is a need to provide more planned opportunities for pupils to understand about the diverse cultures represented in Great Britain. Provision for spiritual education is sound. How well the school cares for its pupils Very well. The school provides a very safe and secure environment in which pupils can work and play together. Pupils are very well known as individuals and every effort is made to ensure that each grows and develops well.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher gives very good leadership towards clear goals that are firmly rooted in the raising of attainment as well as the personal development of the pupils. In this, he is ably assisted by the deputy headteacher and other senior staff.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities well and are very supportive of the school. Through the information they seek and are provided with, they are very aware of the strengths and areas for improvement of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school has effective systems for checking and evaluating the education provided particularly in English, mathematics and science.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. Very good use has been made of funds in maintaining standards in English and mathematics and in supporting the wide curriculum opportunities offered. The school is very adept in obtaining extra funding and in using this to the benefit of all pupils. The school applies the principles of best value well. Senior management and governors use well information available to them to compare the effectiveness of the school with other similar schools and they consult with parents about their perceptions of how the school could be improved. Over 2000 -01, while building work was going on, the school overspent its budget by a small percentage. Through careful management, this was repaid and there was a small budget surplus at the end of the 2001-02 financial year. St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary School - 10

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• That children like the school. • The progress the children make • That children behave well in the school. • The quality of the teaching. • The approachability of the school and the information it provides. • That the school expects children to work hard • The way the school helps children to become mature and responsible. • The way the school is led and managed • A very small number of parents are concerned about the homework pupils are given.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agree with parents’ positive views. They find, however, that homework is structured and linked to lessons and that it extends the learning done in school well. St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary School - 11

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Pupils achieve very well over their time in school and standards in English, mathematics and

science are consistently high at the end of Year 6.

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Pupils achieve very well over their time in school and standards in English, mathematics and

1. Over the last four years, pupils in Year 6 have attained standards in English, mathematics and science that are generally amongst those of the top five percent of schools in the country. Results have risen steadily in line with the improvement seen nationally. Standards are also very high when they are compared with pupils attending schools of a similar type. These results show that pupils have achieved very well over their time in the school. The school has high expectations and this is reflected in the targets set for attainment in the future.

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Pupils achieve very well over their time in school and standards in English, mathematics and

2. By the time they leave the school, pupils are articulate and literate. They are able to read and write for a number of purposes. They are, for example, able to select, read and use information from books and the Internet to further their studies in geography and history. The pupils have a wide knowledge of authors and are able to talk with enthusiasm about their work, for instance about ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. They use spoken and written language to good effect in discussing issues such as apartheid. Standards of spelling and handwriting are good, although the school rightly continues to strive to improve these still further. Pupils throughout Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6) achieve well in English, although their levels of achievement are increased in Year 5 and 6 where they are generally high.

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Pupils achieve very well over their time in school and standards in English, mathematics and

3. In mathematics, Year 6 pupils are able to compute speedily and accurately both mentally and on paper. They are aware of different methods for calculating and are able to talk about their work. They understand the language of mathematics and are able to use this when solving problems and when thinking about methods to use. Pupils have good knowledge of other aspects of mathematics, for example statistics, in the production of pie charts showing favourite authors. Standards in mathematics amongst pupils in Years 1 and 2 have been a matter of concern to the school because standards were well below those attained in similar schools. Considerable productive work has been done to raise these standards and the current Year 2 pupils are set to attain above average results. Pupils now achieve well in mathematics throughout the school. As with English, however, achievement is even better in Years 5 and 6.

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Pupils achieve very well over their time in school and standards in English, mathematics and

4. In most aspects of their learning, children in the reception year do well. They achieve particularly well in their personal, social and emotional development and in their spoken communication. The children rapidly learn to work and play together, to concentrate well, to be interested and questioning as well as to conform to the expectations of school life. They successfully gain basic skills in their mathematical development, for example counting objects, adding objects within 10 and in gaining a mathematical vocabulary. They learn skills in reading and writing, including phonics, but their progress in these aspects could be faster.

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Pupils achieve very well over their time in school and standards in English, mathematics and

5. Pupils of differing levels of attainment do well in the school. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and almost all pupils reach the nationally expected level (level 4) by the time they leave the school. Pupils with greater levels of difficulty are currently achieving well in relation to their prior attainment. These pupils make particularly good progress in aspects of personal development. Pupils of higher attainments, including those who are identified as being gifted and talented, also do well. The school is very successful in assisting these pupils to attain very high standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6.

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Pupils achieve very well over their time in school and standards in English, mathematics and

6. Although the inspection was too short to judge overall standards in many other subjects, it is clear that pupils achieve well and that standards in most areas are at least satisfactory, and in many are better than this. Standards in physical education are very good. Considerable successful effort is put into pupils becoming and remaining fit. By Year 6, pupils are confident in gymnastics, being able to develop and perform sequences of movement of very good quality. The school successfully competes with other (often much larger) schools in a wide variety of team and individual sports and there is an impressive array of certificates and trophies to confirm that very good standards are reached! St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary School - 12 7. There are a number of complementary reasons for the quality of work and standards seen and these are detailed in the paragraphs below.

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Pupils achieve very well over their time in school and standards in English, mathematics and

The quality of teaching in the school is good overall.

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Pupils achieve very well over their time in school and standards in English, mathematics and

8. Although there is some variability in the quality of teaching in the school, overall it is good. Teaching of the eldest pupils in the school is at times excellent and overall, is very good. Particular strengths of the teaching throughout the school include the very successful way in which the pupils are managed and the way in which they are taught how to learn. Lessons are conducted in a friendly and orderly fashion and the atmosphere created allows pupils to concentrate well. Relationships are very good. Teachers value their pupils and teach them to have very good levels of self-esteem and to have confidence in themselves. This encourages pupils to be active participants in learning. They are, for example, willing to try out a new method in mathematics and to learn from the mistakes they make.

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Pupils achieve very well over their time in school and standards in English, mathematics and

9. The school has spent a good deal of time and effort in improving the understanding that pupils have about their own learning. What is to be learned is clearly explained to the pupils and very good emphasis is given to pupils talking about the difficulties and success they have met in doing their work. Marking is often of high quality, being tightly focused on the aspect of work in hand and giving pupils clear information about what they have done well and how to further improve. Clear targets are set for individuals as well as for groups of pupils and pupils are expected to evaluate their own performance against these targets.

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Pupils achieve very well over their time in school and standards in English, mathematics and

10. Teachers are also very enthusiastic about the work in hand and this enthusiasm is very successfully communicated to pupils. In the music lessons observed, for example, the teachers clearly showed their own liking for music and the energy with which the lessons were taught made this liking infectious. A good range of different types of activity are used to promote good learning. There is good emphasis on practical activity, not only in subjects like art and design and technology, but also in geography where field-work is frequently used. There is good emphasis given to learning through play for pupils in Years 1 and 2 as well as in the reception class. Pupils in Year 1, for example, greatly enjoyed learning about forces when rolling toy cars down a ramp during a planned play session. Good use is made of information and communication technology (ICT) in promoting learning in other subjects. In a Year 5 history lesson, for example, pupils were asked to

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Pupils achieve very well over their time in school and standards in English, mathematics and

use information about Greek schools gathered during an ICT lesson earlier in the day, thus giving relevance to the learning in the ICT lesson as well as increasing historical knowledge. Links are very carefully drawn between learning in English and in other subjects, for example, linking note taking in ICT to literacy objectives. Mathematical skills are used in science, for example drawing a graph showing the rate at which liquids cool.

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Pupils achieve very well over their time in school and standards in English, mathematics and

11. Where teaching is particularly strong, expectations of the pupils are very high. The atmosphere created allows pupils to trust that their teachers have set realistic goals and thus they strive very hard to reach the goals set. The planning that underpins these lessons shows very clearly what the teacher expects of different groups of pupils over the course of a lesson, a week and over a unit of work. This means that pupils of both high and lower attainments learn well. The most successful lessons are also conducted at very good pace. Teachers are careful to balance the amount of time they talk to pupils with sufficient opportunity for pupils to work independently. This, together with ongoing reminders about how much a pupil should have completed at different stages of a lesson, means that pupils complete a good amount of work during a lesson, with a resulting impact on their rate of learning. The spreading of these particular qualities would help all teaching to be of this high

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Pupils achieve very well over their time in school and standards in English, mathematics and

12. Teachers generally use resources well to enhance their teaching. Careful collections of objects, for example, give a practical context to phonics teaching in the reception class. The ICT suite is well resourced and used to promote learning. Teachers generally deploy teaching assistants well and the good quality of the work of these staff members greatly enhances the progress that pupils make. The good number of teaching assistants means that pupils can have more direct adult support. This has great benefits for all, particularly in the development of communication skills, but is particularly effective in helping lower attaining pupils to make good progress. St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary School - 13

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Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to work and to school are very good. Their levels of

13. The school provides a warm and secure environment in which the pupils are helped to become increasingly mature and responsible. The sense of community is created both in school and through the way in which the village supports and plays a part in school life. Expectations of the way pupils will behave are high and pupils live up to these. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is characterised by a respect for others. Pupils display a sensitivity to others, as seen when an older pupil gently assisted a younger one to behave appropriately with a visitor. Very good playground behaviour is promoted by the range of activities available for pupils in the playground. Mealtime assistants are well trained and play a very positive role in the promotion of the standards of behaviour seen. Occasional instances of poor behaviour are consistently and effectively dealt with and pupils report that they are happy and secure in school. This very good behaviour promotes a

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Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to work and to school are very good. Their levels of

very good working ethos that encourages and allows pupils to learn well and make good progress.

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Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to work and to school are very good. Their levels of

14. The school has very good provision for moral and social education. It provides well for pupils’ cultural education. Adults provide very good role models and pupils are actively taught to distinguish right from wrong. There is a very good emphasis on reflection about the effect of actions and this is successfully extended from the smallest pupils being expected to understand that in order to have a nice classroom they should be partly responsible for clearing up, to older pupils understanding that switching off lights is not only important for economy but also has an effect on world resources. The oldest pupils are given good opportunity to consider moral issues, for example those associated with fox hunting and whaling. Pupils are encouraged to develop a concern for less fortunate individuals and the school raises large amounts for charity each year. Pupils are taught to have an understanding of citizenship through initiatives such as the school council. Pupils elect

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Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to work and to school are very good. Their levels of

representatives who discuss aspects of school life and have, for example, put into place healthy eating activities such as the sale of popcorn at playtimes. Social and cultural education is promoted very successfully through the links the school has with schools in Europe and further afield. Projects, such as looking at the playground games played by children in these communities, give the pupils good opportunity to understand similarities and differences in cultures. The wide curriculum and the successful provision for the arts also support very well pupils’ understanding of their own culture. There is, however, a need to plan more carefully the provision for pupils to gain insight and understanding of the differing beliefs and cultures held by different cultural groups in Great Britain.

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Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to work and to school are very good. Their levels of

15. The school has a very well thought out and planned programme for personal, social and health education. Through focus weeks, like one on healthy eating, pupils are encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle. The school’s belief that fit pupils are happier and more able to learn effectively is promoted through the extensive physical education provision. Very good role models are provided by staff who, outside school hours, regularly join in activities such as cross country runs. Opportunities for discussion of personal issues are regularly provided. Pupils’ personal development is also very successfully promoted by the emphasis on self assessment and improvement identified in paragraph nine. This all round development of pupils has, therefore, a direct impact on the high standards attained.

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The school fulfils its aims in valuing all individuals and very successfully encourages each to

16. The aims of the school clearly identify an ethos in which all individuals, adults and pupils, are valued and assisted to develop. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils receive good support in lessons and there are well taught extra lessons provided for those who need them. The provision is very well managed to the benefit of these pupils. In the last two years, the school has admitted a small number of pupils with much greater difficulties. Much productive and sensible thought has been given to the best way to meet these pupils’ particular needs. Advice has been sought and received and although it is at a relatively early stage of development, the provision means pupils are very well included and are making good progress, particularly in their personal and social development.

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The school fulfils its aims in valuing all individuals and very successfully encourages each to

17. Provision for pupils with particular talents and abilities are also well catered for. As well as good provision in class, the school takes advantage of a number of local initiatives to allow these pupils St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary School - 14 to develop more fully. There is, for example, a mathematics programme currently underway at the local secondary school that allows pupils to both develop mathematically and socially. Through the curriculum provision, pupils with talents in other subjects such as physical education or music are successfully encouraged to work to improve their achievements.

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The school fulfils its aims in valuing all individuals and very successfully encourages each to

18. One of the key contributions to the progress pupils make in a variety of directions is the enthusiasm of staff. This is carefully fostered and encouraged by the headteacher and each member of staff is enabled to develop their area of interest. Of late, for example, the school has worked towards, and been awarded, a national ‘Artsmark’ for its arts education, ‘eco-school’ status and its work in physical education has been used as an exemplar on a government education website. A different member of staff has led each of these initiatives. This provides not only a very stimulating education for the pupils but also enhances professional development. All staff are well trained and encouraged to move forward professionally. The school has had Investor in People status for some time, reflecting the importance it places on adults as well as pupils in the school.

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The curriculum provided is very wide and stimulating and actively promotes successful

19. The school provides a very wide, stimulating curriculum in which all subjects of the National Curriculum and personal and social education are well represented. The quality of the curriculum is such that it excites the pupils, who work hard and make good gains in learning as a consequence. This curriculum is underpinned by suitable schemes of work. It is very successfully enriched in a number of ways. There is very good use made, for example, of weeks that are focused on a particular topic such as school grounds week, when pupils gained first hand experience of environmental issues. There are regular trips to places of educational interest and older pupils have opportunities to join school visits to Newquay to look at changes in local industry and Ironbridge to study the Victorian period. Pupils have the opportunity to extend their sporting experiences through, for example, sailing and climbing. As well as the curriculum provided in lesson time, the school has

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The curriculum provided is very wide and stimulating and actively promotes successful

an impressive range of extra curricular activities encompassing, amongst others, sports, music, drama, ICT and ecological activities.

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The curriculum provided is very wide and stimulating and actively promotes successful

20. The curriculum for education in the arts is very wide. Pupils regularly undertake activities, for example, school productions that give them experience of rehearsing and performing to a very good standard. Visits from artists and musicians provide both breadth and interest. There is a large number of visiting teachers who offer pupils lessons in a wide range of instruments and there are opportunities to make music together in the school choir and orchestra.

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The curriculum provided is very wide and stimulating and actively promotes successful

21. The school staff are very good at seizing opportunities to broaden the curriculum. The European projects undertaken with a group of schools in different countries and the ‘eco schools’ project focusing on the school environment, for example, have been taken up with energy. The pupils are consequently provided with a curriculum that meets the needs of each and engenders an enthusiasm for learning that is well beyond that normally seen. This type of project also ensures that pupils have a good understanding of the cultures of others. This successfully breads understanding and respect for others.

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The curriculum provided is very wide and stimulating and actively promotes successful

22. The overall provision for pupils is greatly enhanced by the contribution of both parents and the local community. Parents are very supportive of their children and are active in helping them at home by the supervision of homework and by displaying an interest in what happens in school. This plays a very positive role in the progress pupils make and in the standards they attain. In addition, a large number of parents give very valuable support in school, providing both a very positive link between home and school as well as valued extra adult time to assist pupils in school. The community also is very supportive of what goes on in the school. A large number of local people have association with the school through, for example, shared projects such as the joining of the village and school choir to sing in the church. Other support is financial; the sharing of the facilities such as the ICT suite and swimming pool is of benefit to all parties. These links enhance the pupils’ feeling of

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The curriculum provided is very wide and stimulating and actively promotes successful

community and add to the security they feel within it.

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good. In this he is very well supported by the governors, the deputy headteacher and subject

co-ordinators. St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary School - 15 23. The headteacher provides very good leadership in developing a very effective school. He has clear vision and a deep commitment to an ongoing programme of improvement. He provides a good balance of support and encouragement for staff and pupils alike. A key strength is the way staff are empowered to take action for the benefit of the pupils. Relationships are very strong and are central to the success of the school. The deputy headteacher leads by example, being both a strong teacher and a dynamic force for change and improvement. Subject co-ordinators are keen to raise standards in their subjects and spend much time and energy in promoting their subject within the curriculum. Each member of staff, including teachers, teaching, administration and meal time assistants and the caretaking and cleaning staff play a full role in ensuring the quality of education

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good. In this he is very well supported by the governors, the deputy headteacher and subject

24. The governing body is a very effective and supportive group. Since the time of the last inspection, they have strengthened the role they play in shaping the school. They have very good systems for gaining first hand information about the school and are able to use this to both support and challenge the headteacher and other key staff. They ensure that their statutory duties are met and take very seriously the work they undertake. They are justly proud of their school, but are aware of where it has areas for improvement and they wish to support the headteacher and staff in improving these. Financial matters are very well managed and the school is very adept at gaining monies from a wide variety of sources. As a consequence, the school is mainly very well resourced.

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good. In this he is very well supported by the governors, the deputy headteacher and subject

25. A self evaluative approach is part of the ethos of the school and permeates each level of activity from strategic action to pupil self assessment. At a strategic level, data is well used to identify areas of weakness and strategies are put in place to improve these. The disappointing mathematics results at the end of Year 2 have, for example, been identified as an area of concern and, as a result, the headteacher has been providing teaching support for the current group. The standards have risen accordingly. The work of the school is regularly monitored, through the observation of lessons, looking at planning and pupils’ work. Action to improve is identified as a result of this monitoring and the results of such actions can be seen in the standards achieved.

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not as high as they could be, because, although it is satisfactory, teaching of this aspect could

26. The teaching of the writing aspects of communication, language and literacy in the reception class and the teaching of writing in Years 1 and 2 is currently not as effective as it should be. As a consequence, the pupils are not achieving as well as they do in other subjects. Standards of reading in the current Year 2 group remain above average, but standards in writing and spelling are now average overall. This represents a drop in standards over previous years. Additionally, standards of handwriting are below average and in too many cases, a pupils’ handwriting gets in the way of the easy understanding of what is written.

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not as high as they could be, because, although it is satisfactory, teaching of this aspect could

27. A number of factors are contributing to this drop in standards. English lessons are conscientiously planned and teachers are identifying the focus of a lesson. There is not, however, a direct enough link between what is taught in the beginning part of a lesson and what activities pupils subsequently undertake. Thus, the impact of what is often good teaching is lost. In other lessons, activities undertaken by different pupils are not linked to a common theme and pupils are not sure of what they have learned and cannot as effectively build on it in the future. Some of the teachers’ planning does not clearly enough show how skills in writing will be built up over the course of a week or a unit of work. This means that teachers are not always sufficiently clear in their teaching and pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable. Resources currently pose an additional problem to teachers. There are insufficient numbers of ‘big books’ to enable teachers to teach

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not as high as they could be, because, although it is satisfactory, teaching of this aspect could

reading and writing in a whole class setting. In addition, there are too few sets of books of appropriate levels to use when teaching groups of pupils.

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The organisation of the work of staff in contributing to the success of the school could be more

effectively managed. St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary School - 16 28. Both the headteacher and the governors express concern at the pressures placed on staff in undertaking their class responsibilities and in leading or contributing to the many initiatives undertaken by the school. Whilst staff are very enthusiastic, there is a feeling amongst many that the current workload is not sustainable in the long term. This situation has arisen in large part because each member of staff has ideas that they wish to develop. The last school development plan was a very weighty document and it is to the credit of the staff that they managed to complete the greater part of it. The new plan is in the course of development and it too describes a large number of improvements to be undertaken. This plan is for a three year period and at present it lacks a clear timetable of what activities will be undertaken at different times during the course of

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The organisation of the work of staff in contributing to the success of the school could be more

the plan or how much time each is estimated to take. As a result, the headteacher cannot be sure that what is proposed is manageable, nor can he identify times when workload is too great and so that staff can prioritise to prevent this.

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The organisation of the work of staff in contributing to the success of the school could be more

29. Although largely successful in outcome, assessment procedures are not always as streamlined as they could be. In some cases, for example, records are kept that have in effect been superseded by more effective systems. This means that some record keeping is inefficient of staff time and is not directly related to the raising of standards. St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary School - 17

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to further improve the education provided by the school the staff and governors should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Planning lessons in which the pupils’ activities relate directly to the teaching they have just received. § Identifying clearly how skills in reading and writing will be built up over a unit of work. § Ensuring that teachers have sufficient, good quality resources to teach reading and writing in both whole class and group settings.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve the management of the workload taken on by teachers by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Showing in the school development plan when actions for improvement will be started and completed, the time they will take and how this fits into an overall timetable of work to be undertaken. (See paragraph 28)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Reviewing and slimming down current assessment and recording procedures, maintaining only those that have a direct impact on standards or that are necessary in reporting to parents. (See paragraph 29) St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary School - 18

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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 20

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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) 207

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 6

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 41

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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 0

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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 4

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 4

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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. St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary 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 13 14 13 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 97 (100) 100 (100) 97 (100) 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 14 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 100 (97) 97 (100) 100 (100) 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 17 13 30

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 97 (97) 100 (97) 100 (97) 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 16 17 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 13 13 13

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 100 (97) 100 (94) 100 (97) 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. St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary 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 1 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 0 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) 8.3 Financial year 2000-2001

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.4:1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 404,518

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 10 Total expenditure 405,165

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 181 Expenditure per pupil 1,930

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Balance brought forward from previous year -5,390

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Balance carried forward to next year -6,037

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 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

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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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Andrew’s CE Aided Primary 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. 59 40 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 54 44 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 47 46 7 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 37 57 5 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. 65 31 4 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. 70 30 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 51 45 4 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 77 23 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 59 38 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 78 18 2 0 2

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