St Martin's East Woodhay Church of England (Aided) Primary School

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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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 Martin’s C of E Primary School - 3 - April 2002

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Age range of pupils: 4 to 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: East End Newbury Berkshire Postcode: RG20 0AF

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01635 253489 Fax number: 01635 253880

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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: Mr R Bullivant

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1998 St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 4 - April 2002

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 3108 Mr E Jackson Registered inspector 9457 Mrs G Bindoff Lay inspector 12394 Mrs C May Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 1BB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 5 - April 2002

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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 16

St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 6 - April 2002

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Martins is a small rural Church of England primary school serving a wide area between Newbury and Andover. There are 83 pupils on roll from Reception to Year 6. Some year groups have large imbalances between boys and girls: there are 11 boys and only one girl in the reception class, and five boys and 10 girls in Year 5. Almost all the pupils are ethnically white, although there is a small number of pupils from minority ethnic groups in the reception class. There are no pupils learning English as an additional language. The pupils’ eligibility for free school meals is well below the national average. The number of pupils with special educational needs is about average, as is the number with statements of their need. These needs cover dyslexia, physical disability, emotional and behavioural needs, and dyspraxia. Attainment at entry varies year-on-year, and is generally above average, although this year it is average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school with many very good features. The head teacher works very well with the governing body to provide very good leadership, supported well by the teaching and support staff. This leads to high expectations from everyone in the school, and high standards of attainment for the pupils. The good teaching is reflected in the good progress pupils make in their learning across the school, particularly in Years 3 to 6. The pupils relish the good learning opportunities provided by the staff, and work hard and behave very well. The governors’ decision to invest in more teaching and support staff has proved effective. The school provides good value for money, improved since the last inspection.

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What the school does well

• The head teacher leads the school very effectively, supported well by the whole staff, governing body, and parents. • Pupils’ standards of attainment have been maintained at high levels for a number of years. • The quality of teaching and learning is good, and it is very good in Years 3 to 6. The staff identify and provide well for pupils with special needs, and those who are gifted or talented. • The school has maintained a rich curriculum, as well as adopting the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies effectively. • The pupils’ attitudes to their work, their behaviour and their personal development are very good.

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What could be improved

• The school has no significant weaknesses. Its development plan accurately addresses how to maintain its high standards, and improve further.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Very good improvements have been made since the last inspection in January 1998. High standards have been maintained and all the key issues from the last inspection have been effectively dealt with, except that regarding the accommodation. The governors and parents have worked hard to save and raise funds in order to provide extra teaching space. This has resulted in a recent agreement to build a new classroom, releasing space for a hall, and also creating better staff facilities and storage space. The staff have developed very good systems to assess pupils’ attainment and to track their progress from year to year. This is effective in setting new learning targets that are shared with the pupils and their parents. The current development plan includes measures to improve pupils’ independence and choice in their learning. After recent very effective training, the staff are far more confident and competent in

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

teaching information and communication technology.

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STANDARDS

St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 7 - April 2002 The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Caution is needed in interpreting and comparing the school’s results statistically, as the number of pupils in each year group is small. * indicates that the results were in the top 5 per cent nationally.

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STANDARDS

The school’s Year 6 pupils attain consistently high results in national tests in English, mathematics and science. In English in 2000, and in science in 2000 and 2001, these results were in the highest five per cent nationally, and in science in 2001 in the top five per cent in comparison to schools in similar circumstances, based on the incidence of free school meals. Results in the national tests at the end of Year 2 have improved over the last three years to be well above average in reading and above average in writing and mathematics in 2001. Reading results last year were well above those in similar schools, and results in writing and mathematics were about the same. By the end of the Reception year, standards are generally above average. The improving trend in test results by Year 6 pupils is consistent with the rise in national standards. The school has set challenging targets for this year’s 11-year-old

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STANDARDS

pupils, which it is on track to achieve. This current small group of pupils all work at least at expected levels in English, mathematics and science, with a number of them achieving higher than expected levels, particularly in mathematics where two Year 6 pupils work at levels expected of pupils in Years 7 and 8. This represents good improvement in mathematics compared with last year. Almost all the few Year 2 pupils attain expected levels, with a small number achieving at a higher than expected level. Achievement and progress in reading are generally better than expected. Progress from entry to leaving the school is generally good. Those pupils with special educational needs make good progress because they receive effective help, particularly from teaching support staff.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good: pupils are keen to learn, and work hard.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good: in lessons, in assembly, in the playground and during the lunch hour the pupils are a credit to the school, their parents and themselves.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good: the youngest pupils make good progress in their social development, and older pupils take pride in caring for them. Working relationships are strong.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Well above average. St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 8 - April 2002

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching and learning is good, and has some very good features. All the teaching observed in 14 lessons was satisfactory or better, and the pupils’ learning in a mathematics lesson for Year 3 pupils was outstanding because the teaching and pupil support was so well organised. There are examples of very good teaching and learning in all classes, and the teaching throughout the school is consistently good or better. Teachers have adapted the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies to meet the pupils’ needs and teach both literacy and numeracy effectively. A particularly good feature is the high quality of oral work at the beginning and end of sessions. This helps the pupils to clarify their thinking, and to share their ideas for writing and for mental strategies in number work. The growing number of pupils with special needs is very well catered for because the staff know them well, target

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

their learning tasks accurately to help them make progress, and provide them with good support to achieve this. The teaching support staff and the special needs’ coordinator are particularly effective here, and the high number of adults to pupils is also significant. The school has also developed good techniques and practices to support gifted and talented pupils, often providing tasks that challenge and stretch them. The teaching and learning of information and communication technology are also improved features, particularly in Years 3 and 4. The school has rightly planned to increase opportunities for pupils to become more independent in their learning, and teachers have begun to plan for this more effectively, offering the pupils more choice. For example, Year 2 pupils took part in a ‘plan, do, review’ activity where they had not only to choose what they wanted to do, but say what they expected to learn from it, then

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

evaluate their learning with the teaching assistant at the end of the session.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The staff have maintained a broad and rich curriculum, with a range of stimulating activities that motivate the pupils to work hard.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The coordinator manages the provision for pupils with special needs very well, and support staff make a very good contribution to their learning.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development A maintained strength: the staff promote the pupils’ personal development well, and make very good provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Parents rightly feel that their children are very well looked after by the school, including the use of assessment information to plan appropriate new work for them.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The staff provide the pupils with rich learning opportunities through a very good range of subject and topic work, covering the whole curriculum. This includes music, with part-singing of high quality by the whole school, and physical education, where a wide range of activities is fostered despite the cramped indoor accommodation. Parents are rightly very pleased with the quality of education provided for their children, and the school’s partnership with them is very good. St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 9 - April 2002

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The head teacher provides very clear direction for the school’s work, and she is well supported by the whole staff team. Teamwork is a key aspect of the school’s success, and parents rightly welcome the close parish and community links established.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors fulfil their duties very effectively, and are very active in monitoring, supporting and seeking to improve the education offered to the pupils.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The staff and governors work together very well in using monitoring information to decide how effective the school is.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Very good use is made of the financial and other resources available, and the school follows the principles of best value in its work. The accommodation is still limited, but the governors have won agreement to extend it this summer.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• That their children like school, their behaviour is very good, and they are helped to become mature and responsible; • That the school expects them to work hard, and they make good progress; • That the school is well led and managed, and the teaching is good; • That they find the school approachable, and are well-informed about their children’s progress. No significant concerns were expressed.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection confirms the parents’ high opinion of the school. St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 10 - April 2002

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The head teacher leads the school very effectively, supported well by the whole

1 The head teacher has maintained and further improved her leadership and management since the last inspection, providing clear direction for the school’s work. She does this through her teaching, shared with another teacher in the Year 5/6 class, and through her close working knowledge of the standards of work throughout the school. The school secretary is an invaluable aid here, as she ensures that general administration and day-to-day organisation run smoothly. The whole staff team work together successfully to maintain the school’s high standards, and deliver its aims founded in its Christian ethos. Teamwork is a key aspect of the school’s success. During the inspection, for example, the staff discussed their development planning, and how they share information and ideas in constant dialogue throughout the working week, and sometimes on the ‘phone in the evening! This illustrated vividly how well they cooperate, and how carefully they plan to meet each child’s needs.

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The head teacher leads the school very effectively, supported well by the whole

Parents rightly welcome the close parish and community links established.

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The head teacher leads the school very effectively, supported well by the whole

2 As this is a small school, each teacher is responsible for a number of areas of the school’s work, including as many as four subjects. They fulfil their roles very effectively, keeping themselves and their colleagues up-to-date with developments, and monitoring and evaluating the quality of delivery for the pupils and parents. They use training opportunities well, such as the recent training in information and communication technology. From their training, they have devised an effective system to use their assessments of pupils’ attainment and progress to set shared targets for the next steps in their learning. This is to be extended this year to develop further independence and choice for the pupils, from the Reception class to Year 6.

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The head teacher leads the school very effectively, supported well by the whole

3 The governors fulfil their duties very effectively, and are very active in monitoring, supporting and seeking to improve the education offered to the pupils. Many of them work in the school as members of staff or volunteer helpers, whilst others visit regularly to keep a close overview of what is going on. A feature of this is that the previous head teacher, now retired, is an active and welcomed governor, working closely with the current head teacher, for instance, in planning how the proposed extension can provide the maximum extra facilities for the school within the available budget. The discussion about this at a governing body meeting to discuss revised architect’s drawings was lively, incisive and focused directly on achieving the best deal possible for the children and the staff from the proposed work. Links with the church are also strong here, and parents, staff, co-opted and foundation governors all

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The head teacher leads the school very effectively, supported well by the whole

work as part of the school team to question how well the school is operating in providing high quality learning opportunities for the pupils. The staff and governors work together very well in using monitoring information to evaluate standards of attainment, progress and the quality of teaching.

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The head teacher leads the school very effectively, supported well by the whole

4 Very good use is made of the financial and other resources available. The governors have determined to maintain a high level of adults to pupils, particularly as the number of pupils with special needs is growing. They have also carefully budgeted to stay close to their legal requirement to maintain a balanced budget whilst also successfully earmarking funds for the anticipated building project in high interest accounts. They are aware of the need to secure best value, and constantly monitor spending and use of resources through the finance sub-committee. Parents and pupils are consulted St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 11 - April 2002 appropriately about major developments, and welcome the school’s open and constructive relationship with them. For example, the special needs’ coordinator runs parent classes to help them to develop their children’s literacy skills. This includes sharing a range of stories and other texts, so that parents understand how to use

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The head teacher leads the school very effectively, supported well by the whole

them more effectively to improve children’s ability to get the most out of them. One parent, after one of these sessions, commented very favourably on the amount she had learned, and how useful it was in helping her children.

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Pupils’ standards of attainment have been maintained at high levels for a number of

5 The school’s Year 6 pupils attain consistently high results in national tests in English, mathematics and science. The parents feel that the quality of teaching and learning is very important in maintaining these standards. As the intake is small, and attainment at entry varies significantly year-on-year, there are apparent large fluctuations in the results compared with those nationally, or in similar schools. This is because as few as two pupils with special needs in learning may account for 25 per cent of the school’s total, when there are only eight pupils in the year group. However, the underlying trend in the results has continued to rise in line with the national rise, but from a starting point well above the national average. Those pupils with special educational needs make good progress because they receive effective help, particularly from teaching support staff, and often attain the expected level for their

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Pupils’ standards of attainment have been maintained at high levels for a number of

6 In a discussion to summarise their topic work on the Ancient Greeks, Year 6 pupils described what they had found out about the influence of this civilisation on western culture. They referred to sport, architecture, education, art, philosophy, democracy and medicine amongst others. When asked, the pupils explained that democracy was a system of electing a government, where the majority vote carried the election. In further discussion, it was decided that insufficient information had been gained about Greek influence in medicine. A group of pupils promptly set about researching the influence of Hippocrates, from a mention of him in a poster about Ancient Greece. They were clear about how to locate the information, using text and internet sources. This summary of their work exemplified how well the pupils use their skills from a variety of subjects to support work in other areas, and illustrated the high levels of

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Pupils’ standards of attainment have been maintained at high levels for a number of

their knowledge and understanding across the subjects of the curriculum.

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Pupils’ standards of attainment have been maintained at high levels for a number of

7 By the end of the Reception year, standards are generally above average, although the attainment of each intake varies. For example, this year’s entry-level tests show that the attainment of the current year group was about average when they started school. However, they are making good progress, and are on track to attain above average levels in speaking and listening, reading, number and personal and social development by the time they move into Year 1. In a mathematics lesson, for example, the children computed amounts of money up to 20 pence at levels expected of Year 1 pupils.

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Pupils’ standards of attainment have been maintained at high levels for a number of

8 Currently, almost all the few Year 2 pupils attain expected levels, with a small number achieving at a higher than expected level. Achievement and progress in reading is generally better than expected, and it is good in writing. For example, during a literacy lesson to use descriptive sentences about islands, higher attaining pupils working independently of the teacher discussed the various properties of an island very well. At the same time, lower attaining pupils worked with a teaching assistant to produce well-crafted sentences, achieving the expected level in this aspect of writing for their St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 12 - April 2002 age. This illustrates how the teaching provided by teachers and support staff leads to the high standards attained.

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staff identify and provide well for pupils with special needs, and those who are gifted

9 The quality of teaching and learning is good, and has some very good features. All the teaching observed in 14 lessons was satisfactory or better, and the pupils’ learning in a mathematics lesson for Year 3 pupils was outstanding because the teaching and pupil support was so well organised. Here, the pupils were excited in answering quick-fire questions from the three times table. The teacher skilfully aimed her questions at pupils who would be able to answer them, which reinforced the self- esteem of lower-attaining pupils who answered accurately and at good speed. She also targeted more complex questions at higher attaining pupils, so that they had to think to find the answer. The school’s systems for identifying pupils who need particular support to help them learn at the appropriate level are very good, and extra help or work at the right level are quickly organised for them. Higher attaining pupils

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staff identify and provide well for pupils with special needs, and those who are gifted

often work with older groups in literacy and numeracy sessions so that they are challenged to progress at the right level. Similarly, pupils who are socially or academically at a lower stage of attainment than their own year group will work with younger pupils sometimes to help them consolidate aspects of their learning.

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staff identify and provide well for pupils with special needs, and those who are gifted

10 There are examples of very good teaching and learning in all classes, and the teaching is consistently good or better throughout the school. Teachers have adapted the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies to meet the pupils’ needs and teach both literacy and numeracy effectively. A particularly good feature is the high quality of oral work at the beginning and end of sessions. This helps the pupils to clarify their thinking, and to share their ideas for writing and for mental strategies in number work. In these oral sessions, the staff explain what the learning targets are for that session, and what the pupils need to look for to help them make progress. This is very effective as it involves the pupils directly in their own learning so that during the summary they often refer to how close they are to achieving the agreed target. The school plans to extend this idea to enable the pupils more choice and independence in setting their

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staff identify and provide well for pupils with special needs, and those who are gifted

own targets. This already happens for two high attaining Year 6 mathematicians, who work at a very high level using a range of commercial texts. Year 2 pupils also took part in a ‘plan, do, and review’ activity where they had not only to choose what they wanted to do, but say what they expected to learn from it, then evaluate their learning with the teaching assistant at the end of the session.

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staff identify and provide well for pupils with special needs, and those who are gifted

11 The growing number of pupils with special needs is very well catered for because the staff know them well, target their learning tasks accurately to help them make progress, and provide them with good support to achieve this. The teaching support staff and the special needs’ coordinator are particularly effective here, and the high number of adults to pupils is also significant. This ensures that pupils who need individual help are likely to receive this quickly. For example, during whole class sessions, support staff often sit next to pupils who need extra help to make sure that they follow the discussion, and to encourage them to contribute fully.

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The school has maintained a rich curriculum, as well as adopting the National Literacy

and Numeracy Strategies effectively. St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 13 - April 2002 12 The staff provide the pupils with rich learning opportunities through a very good range of subject and topic work, covering the whole curriculum. This includes music, with part-singing of high quality by the whole school, and physical education, where a wide range of activities is fostered despite the cramped indoor accommodation. Assemblies and mealtimes are always accompanied by very tuneful and carefully enunciated hymns and sung prayers. This is both aesthetically pleasing, and also adds to the school’s fulfilment of its Christian mission through its focus on the spiritual and moral aspects of pupils’ development. In English, the study of different styles of poetry exemplifies the staff’s approach to high quality learning for the pupils, and their emphasis on the beauty and wit of well-written prose and poetry, as well as its

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The school has maintained a rich curriculum, as well as adopting the National Literacy

functional quality. For example, Year 3 and 4 pupils wrote epitaphs to a particular format:

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The school has maintained a rich curriculum, as well as adopting the National Literacy

Here lies the body Here lies the body Here lies the body Of a youngster, not Of a tragic cat Of the Man in the Moon Who lay in bed too late He did not see the carFell in custard Started to rot. Now he’s flat! Instant doom!

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The school has maintained a rich curriculum, as well as adopting the National Literacy

13 Year 5 and 6 pupils were asked to reflect on how people at the time might have felt about the Resurrection of Jesus. One child wrote, ‘I think the crowd had a lot of mixed feelings. Some were probably happy, and others sad and scared. They were all amazed, and some probably felt guilty.’ These examples illustrate the high quality of thought and expression the staff expect, and receive, from the pupils.

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The school has maintained a rich curriculum, as well as adopting the National Literacy

14 The Reception class teacher has worked hard to adopt the recently established Foundation Stage curriculum for nursery and reception classes. She dovetails this effectively into the early stages of the National Curriculum, using the format of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies appropriately as the children are ready for it. She works closely with the Year 1 and 2 teacher to make effective use of the space available, and also makes use of an attached conservatory and dedicated outdoor play space. During a numeracy session, the teacher challenged the pupils, all boys, to count accurately to nine, and then to combine two amounts of money to make nine pence. She extended this ‘game’ to test how far they had grasped which numbers combine to make nine by covering some coins, and asking them to work out from those visible how many were covered. This was a good activity to make the children think mathematically, and to test the extent of their understanding. This was followed

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The school has maintained a rich curriculum, as well as adopting the National Literacy

by a choice from a number of activities, but with concentration on a recorded exercise to combine coins from two purses to make a target amount. This was work at a high level for the age group, and the teacher made good use of a trainee support assistant to work with small groups. A short session when the older pupils work with all the infants in paired reading was very effective in helping the younger pupils to enjoy books and stories, but also in the wider social context of the school in giving the older pupils a sense of how they might help and care for those younger than themselves.

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The school has maintained a rich curriculum, as well as adopting the National Literacy

15 The teaching and learning of information and communication technology are also improved features, particularly in Years 3 and 4. In a lesson with Year 3 pupils, the teacher taught them how to create a ‘tree’ or branch diagram, using questions with only two possible answers. She had made a very good diagram using a tree and leaves, with the task of answering questions such as ‘Is it lobed?’ or ‘Does it have smooth or spiky edges?’ The pupils quickly worked this out, and moved on to creating a similar diagram on screen using a pre-loaded program. The teacher demonstrated this using an interactive touch screen, and the pupils then worked at high levels for their age from carefully staged information provided by the teacher. St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 14 - April 2002 16 On display, there are very good examples of the pupils’ work in all the subjects, including good paintings and weavings based on a spinning wheel in the Reception

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The school has maintained a rich curriculum, as well as adopting the National Literacy

class, paintings of the Garden of Eden and science experiments in growing plants in Years 1 and 2, and designs to construct a moon buggy in Year 5 and 6. There are also very good examples of the use of the digital camera to record historical drama in Year 3 and 4, and high quality butterfly and rug designs using a computer drawing program that are based on work on symmetry in mathematics. This illustrates the richness and variety of the curriculum, which also supports effective work to cover cultural development, including multicultural education. For a small school, the enrichment provided by activities outside lessons is also very good.

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The pupils’ attitudes to their work, their behaviour and their personal development

17 The pupils have very good attitudes to school and to their lessons. Parents were unanimous in their view that their children like school, one of them writing that her child refused to stay off school even when she was ill. In lessons, pupils are almost always focused on the work they have been given, and describe what they are doing with enthusiasm. They are keen to learn, and work hard. The youngest children in the reception class are expected to settle to their work quickly, and to work at good levels for their age. Occasionally, some of the younger boys need to be reminded by the teacher or support staff of what is expected of them, and they usually respond well to these reminders.

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The pupils’ attitudes to their work, their behaviour and their personal development

18 Pupils behave very well in lessons, in assembly, in the playground and during the lunch hour. The pupils are a credit to the school, their parents, and themselves. For example, the Year 5/6 classroom is also used for assembly, as a dining hall, and for physical education lessons. This involves the older pupils in a constant process of changing the classroom round to suit the different purposes. They do this cheerfully, speedily and in a well-organised and safety conscious manner, with the help and guidance of the staff, who also involve themselves fully in the process. This is a good example of the way that the pupils do what is required effectively and in a well- controlled manner. On one occasion during the inspection, the Year 4 pupils had been to a whole day rugby event. Because the weather was so bad, the event was curtailed at mid-day. The Year 3 pupils in the same class were involved in a mathematics and

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The pupils’ attitudes to their work, their behaviour and their personal development

information and communication technology lesson when a number of the Year 4 pupils returned to school, wet and bedraggled, but still cheerful. The teacher suspended what she was doing, greeted the returnees, and invited them to explain to the rest of the class what had happened. All the children paid close attention, and spontaneously applauded when told that the school’s team had won the sportsmanship trophy at the event. When the Year 4 pupils left to dry out, the Year 3 pupils settled back to their work with good concentration and application.

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The pupils’ attitudes to their work, their behaviour and their personal development

19 The whole staff promote the pupils’ personal development well, and make very good provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. During assemblies, the pupils take part fully in moral and spiritual occasions that give them very good opportunities to understand themselves in relation to others, and to grow in understanding of how to make choices based in Christian morality. In one assembly led by the head teacher, two older pupils demonstrated how two donkeys harnessed together needed to work together in order to reach grass on either side of them. In discussion, the other pupils showed in their explanations how well they had understood the message. St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 15 - April 2002 20 Cultural development is well fostered through visits related to history and geography topics, such as to Southampton docks, and a Roman villa, as well making good use of the local environment, including the parish church. Older pupils will take part in a

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The pupils’ attitudes to their work, their behaviour and their personal development

residential visit to Dorset later in the year to study rock formation, fossils and coastal erosion. As well as studying Islam and other world faiths in religious education lessons, the older pupils take part in a comparative study of a village in India. The staff seek every opportunity to widen the pupils’ multicultural awareness, such as by inviting a visiting Ugandan head teacher to talk to the pupils, celebrating Chinese culture during Book Week, and helping the pupils to understand the effect of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan on the education of girls. Older pupils discussed a poster display about this in a mature and thoughtful way, reflecting the skilful manner in which the staff had presented the issues to them.

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The pupils’ attitudes to their work, their behaviour and their personal development

21 Attendance is very good. It is well above the national average, and provides further evidence of how much the pupils enjoy their school life.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

22 There are no significant weaknesses for the school to address. The current school improvement plan accurately reflects the areas for development in the school. It has full and clear details of the areas the school has decided to work on to improve further, including to develop further strategies to increase pupils’ independence and choice in their learning. These areas are endorsed by the inspection as fully appropriate to the school’s current situation. There is excellent evidence to show that the school acts decisively to fulfil its plans, and that its governors are determined in their pursuit of improvement.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL SHOULD DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER

There are no key issues for the school to address, but governors should ensure that the current development plan is fully implemented. St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 16 - April 2002

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 4

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than seven percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) - 83

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals - 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs - 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register - 20

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 0

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Attendance

School data 4.2 School data 0 St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 17 - April 2002 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 5 9 14

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

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

Percentage of pupils School 93 (100) 93 (91) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

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

Percentage of pupils School 93 (91) 100 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

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

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 7 10 17

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls * * *

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (89) 82 (89) 100 (89) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls * * *

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

Percentage of pupils School 88 (89) 82 (89) 100 (89) St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 18 - April 2002 at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. * left blank because the number of boys or girls in this category is too small to be statistically recorded. St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 19 - April 2002

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.8 Financial year 2000/01

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 245,349

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 255,587

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 68 Expenditure per pupil 2,938

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 9,748

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Martin’s C of E Primary School - 20 - April 2002

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 62 32 6 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 77 23 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 42 46 11 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 63 34 3 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 75 20 3 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 69 28 2 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 63 23 14 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 75 22 0 3 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 69 25 2 3 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 35 43 15 3 3

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