Stratton Primary School

STRATTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 3 rd – 4 th December 2002

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STRATTON 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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STRATTON 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. Stratton Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs J Bradbury

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: March 1998 Stratton Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 20865 Mr M S Burghart Registered inspector 9644 Mr M Whitaker Lay inspector 21992 Mrs J Newing Team inspector 32349 Mr J Horrell Team inspector

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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 Stratton 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

Stratton Primary is a slightly below average sized primary school in Stratton near Bude in Cornwall. The school provides very good accommodation (which was once a secondary school) for seven classes. All classes contain pupils from only one age group. There are 197 children on the school roll aged four to eleven. There is an average of 28 pupils per class. Pupils are drawn from the local surrounding area from a variety of accommodation. Most of the pupils attend some kind of pre-school group (many at the on-site facility) before starting Year R. Their attainment on entry to the school, aged four, varies, but overall is slightly below average. The headteacher has been at the school for eleven years. He is supported by seven full time teachers and one part time, all of whom were at the school for the last inspection. During the inspection one teacher was away with a broken knee, her class was taken by a

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

temporary supply teacher. There are 42 pupils on the special educational needs register. This is above the national average. Six pupils have formal statements under the terms of the DfES Code of Practice 1 , which proportionally is above average. Twenty-three children are known to be eligible for free school meals, which is below the national average. No pupils require extra support as a consequence of having English as an additional language.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Stratton Primary is a good school with very good features. It helps pupils to make good progress and achieve well. Children and staff usually get on very well together and the school is true to its aim to include children whatever their ability or background in all activities. Care for children as individuals, and provision for their personal development are strengths of the school. Good, and often very good, teaching has positive effects on learning and pupils respond very well. Very good leadership and management ensure that provision and finance are very effectively targeted, and as a result the school now gives very good value for money for average spending.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Standards, notably in mathematics and science, are above national averages by the time pupils leave the school. • The school is very well led and managed. It provides a very good learning environment. • Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very successfully encouraged. The quality of relationships is very good and pupils’ personal development is very good. • The school takes very good care of pupils and manages target setting effectively to help them make progress. Teaching is good and frequently very good. • Provision for the Foundation Stage is good and still improving. • Support for special educational needs is very good.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Results of National Curriculum tests for seven year olds in mathematics and for eleven years olds in English were not high enough in 2002. • Elements of teachers’ marking and the pace of some lessons could still be better. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

1 Code of Practice: This gives practical advice to schools and local education authorities about their responsibilities and tasks to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. This is a statutory duty under the 1993 Education Act. Stratton Primary School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress against the four key issues identified in the last inspection of March 1998. Assessment procedures, target setting and the subsequent use of data to ensure consistent progress, are much better. The roles of subject co-ordinators have been systematically developed to the point where such staff make a positive contribution to the management of the school. Support staff are now involved in planning and recording with positive effects on pupils’ learning. Lessons usually start and end promptly and, although there is still more to do, the school makes better use of time. In addition, National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy have been successfully introduced, resources (especially for information and communication technology) have been improved, and outdoor facilities are being considerably enhanced with a building programme still under way. The overall quality of teaching has been steadily raised as a result of improved monitoring and the use of

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

performance management procedures for staff. The school is judged suitably placed for further improvement on the basis of policies, planning and procedures already in place.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores 2 in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The table shows that standards for eleven year olds in 2002 were above average in mathematics and science and had been improved over a period of years. Results were disappointing in English in 2002, especially in the element of writing, and have since been the cause of much monitoring, evaluation and analysis. Inspection evidence points to improvements being made and pupils now in Year 6 are performing at levels consistent with their ages, with higher attainers doing better than this. Pupils did well in reading and writing tests for seven year olds in 2002 but their results in mathematics were below average for similar schools 3 . Most of those currently in Year 2 are likely to be at nationally expected levels by the end of the school year, with higher attainers above this. Weaknesses in mathematics are being scrutinised and addressed. New planning and resources for information and communication technology (ICT) are having positive effects and standards are close to

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STANDARDS

expectations for pupils aged seven and eleven, with some pupils, especially higher attainers making rapid progress. As a result of good and improving provision for Year R, children make consistently good progress in the Foundation Stage and most reach the Early Learning Goals 4 before they enter Year 1. Overall considering that the proportion of pupils with special educational needs is above average, the school does well with the majority of pupils achieving well for their ability. This is particularly the case for pupils on the school’s register of

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STANDARDS

2 Average points scores refers to the average of pupils’ scores weighted by Ofsted for each level attained in each subject. 3 Schools with more than 8 per cent and up to 20 per cent of pupils entitled to free school meals.

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STANDARDS

4 QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) has produced a set of ‘Early Learning Goals’ for children in this stage of education. These outcomes are a set of skills, knowledge and understanding that children might be expected to achieve by the age of six. Stratton Primary School - 8 special needs and especially true of those with formal statements. Aspects of other subjects which even in a short inspection appear as strengths are in art and history, whilst music has an apparently low profile.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good: pupils are keen and sustain their interest and attention.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good: despite those who have personal, behavioural and emotional targets, and are prone to occasional outbursts.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good: pupils show good maturity for their ages and are ready to take responsibility and show initiative.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good: better than the national profile.

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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 Very good and sometimes excellent. Usually good, often with very good features. Usually good, often with very good features. 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 overall profile of teaching as evident from a combination of lesson observations and scrutiny of pupils’ work is good. There are very good features notably in literacy and numeracy where almost all observed teaching was at least good as a result of good planning and good staff training. Teaching in reception is consistently very good and based very clearly on opportunities for children to make choices and develop independence. Strengths in teaching generally are in very good relationships, very effective questioning and very good management of behaviour with an emphasis on rewarding the positive. In the best lessons pace is crisp, expectations of work and behaviour are high, and learning objectives are made very clear. None of the 27 lessons observed were unsatisfactory during the inspection and all teachers present were observed unannounced on a variety of occasions. More than four- fifths of lessons were good or better, with eleven lessons very good and one Year R lesson

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

excellent. Very creditably seven teachers had sessions judged very good and one member of staff had no lessons less than very good. Aspects of teaching which even in this positive situation could still be improved are in the pace and timing of some sessions, and in marking which in a minority of cases is not rigorous enough and does not show pupils how they can make improvements. Stratton Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good: broad and mostly balanced, although the school is reviewing the amount of time available to each subject. Strengths are in planning for literacy and numeracy and in provision for children in the Foundation Stage.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good: pupils are very effectively taught, and supported, both personally and academically. Learning support assistants make a very positive contribution.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good: very good provision for moral and social development, and good spiritual and cultural opportunities. From Year R, children are successfully encouraged to become more mature and consider the effects of their actions on others.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good care both physical and, through good assessment and target setting, academic. The school has a very good ethos.

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Aspect Comment

There is a good partnership between school and parents. The school has a good reputation. The majority of parents are very supportive of the school: for example in fund raising, helping in school and in encouraging pupils with homework.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The excellent leadership of the head ensures the staff make a very good team. In a very good partnership with the deputy, the head, now well supported by teachers in their subject co- ordinator roles, maintains excellent vision and educational direction for the school. Development planning is very good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good: governors are very supportive and are well informed. They make strong contributions to the school’s management, especially of finance, personnel and the buildings.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good: the school is very aware of strengths and areas for further development. The excellent analysis and insight of the head sets a very good example of how monitoring and evaluation can lead to meaningful change.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good use of finance to support the curriculum. Staffing, excellent accommodation, and resources used well to promote learning. The school gives very good, and improved, value for money. Stratton Primary School - 10

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Teaching is good. • The school is well led and managed. • It is approachable. • Their children like school. • The building and facilities. • The consistency of homework. • Extracurricular activities. • How the school works with parents. • Information about progress.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Sixty-five parents returned the Ofsted questionnaire and 13 attended a meeting with the registered inspector prior to the inspection. A further five parents met with the lay inspector during the inspection. Most views expressed were positive, especially about the school’s caring ethos. Inspectors are pleased to support these views. With regard to homework inspectors find provision is satisfactory and is still being improved in terms of organisation and how procedures are communicated. Extracurricular activities are judged satisfactory for after school clubs, but good overall when trips and visitors which enrich the curriculum are considered. A very small minority of parents were concerned with the quality of relationships. Given that not all pupils or staff were present during the inspection, observations indicate that the majority of relationships are very good. The school works well with parents and continues to look for ways of building on this. Information available to

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

parents about their children’s progress, much improved this year, is considered good, with more to do regarding homework and attainment levels. Stratton Primary School - 11

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time pupils leave the school.’

1. Improvements since the last inspection have resulted in standards being raised. Notwithstanding a dip in English results in 2002 for eleven year olds and in mathematics for seven year olds, trends over time are upward and are broadly in line with the national profile.

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time pupils leave the school.’

2. In 2002 in both mathematics and science the school’s performance for eleven year olds was above the national averages for all and similar schools. In mathematics the proportion of pupils achieving the higher level, Level 5, was significantly better than the national average suggesting that higher attainers did well. In science all but one pupil reached at least the nationally expected Level 4 which indicates that the above average percentage of those with special needs were well catered for.

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time pupils leave the school.’

3. Analysis of National Curriculum test results shows boys did slightly better than girls in 2002. This does not match the national trend and reflects the extra effort the school has directed to supporting boys following evaluation of results from previous years. This is appropriate considering that boys outnumber girls at this school by 116 to 81, and in the Year 6 group tested in 2002 by nineteen to eleven.

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time pupils leave the school.’

4. Lesson observations and work scrutiny of those currently in Year 6 show the majority of pupils (including a significant proportion of the above average percentage with special educational needs) are at at least appropriate levels for their ages in English, mathematics and science. Higher attainers are doing better than this.

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time pupils leave the school.’

5. Careful analysis of results by the head and leadership team is being used to set targets for individuals and to modify the curriculum where necessary. Nevertheless the school fell short of exacting targets set by the local education authority for English and mathematics in 2002. Such targets for 2003 have been pitched lower to take into account that almost a third of the current Year 6 have been identified as having special needs.

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time pupils leave the school.’

6. In a short inspection it is neither possible nor intended to collect sufficient evidence to make detailed judgements on standards in all subjects. However strengths were noted in two dimensional art: for example in Year 1 wallpaper designs, and Year 4 Rangoli patterns; and in the quality of work in history: notably Year 5 pupils’ knowledge and understanding of life in Victorian times; and a Year 6 study of Ancient Greece.

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time pupils leave the school.’

7. Overall it is clear that the quality of pupils’ learning is good and in some cases, (especially Year R) very good. The school helps pupils to achieve well and effectively adds value to their learning.

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environment.’

8. Under the excellent leadership of the head, in a very good partnership with the deputy, the school has made good progress against the good situation described in the last report. The head leads the staff as a very good team and takes into account their contributions together with those of governors, pupils and parents to ensure the school has excellent educational direction. Development planning is very effective in highlighting priorities, setting timescales, allocating responsibilities, identifying success criteria to gauge progress, and making best use of finance. Stratton Primary School - 12 9. Change is well managed and the head is very good at maintaining the motivation of staff, all of whom have been in post since the last inspection. He makes good use of performance management and appraisal techniques to set targets and monitor success. Teachers and support staff are clear about what is expected of them and play a positive part

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environment.’

in the overall management of the curriculum and the school.

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environment.’

10. The school is very good at evaluating strengths and weaknesses and is well aware of what is needed to make improvements. Very good examples of this are evident in the excellent nature of accommodation and good quality of resources, where very effective management has brought about considerable developments to ICT opportunities, and is making substantial improvements to outdoor facilities for the Foundation Stage and the grounds in general. Together with very good display and good use of space the school makes the most of its facilities to provide a very good, stimulating learning environment. Pupils’ very good response is a measure of its success.

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environment.’

11. A real strength of the school, amongst many good elements, is in the management of behaviour. Pupils are treated with respect and, where necessary, firmly. Expectations are very clear and procedures are consistently observed by all staff. Pupils know where they stand and are beginning to monitor and modify their own responses accordingly. The outcome is a well ordered school with a very good ethos, where people are valued as individuals.

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environment.’

12. Governors are very supportive of the school and play an effective part in its management especially in personnel, finance and accommodation. They act as critical friends to staff and question and evaluate perceptively. Whilst taking their responsibilities seriously, governors clearly enjoy their involvement. There is a very good partnership between the leadership team and the governors.

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environment.’

13. As a result of very effective management, provision is generally very good and pupils achieve well, and for much of the time very well. With expenditure about average for this size school, notwithstanding the demands of above average levels of special educational needs, it is possible to judge that the school now gives very good, and improved value for money. The school very effectively provides for pupils’ personal as well as academic needs.

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relationships is very good and pupils’ personal development is very good.’

14. In all lessons seen during the inspection pupils’ behaviour and responses were at least satisfactory and for the vast majority of the time better than this, even on the few occasions where activities were not particularly stimulating. Pupils are usually keen and interested and eager to please. They respond very well to staff and the very good relationships observed show that there is a very secure basis for good learning in the school.

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relationships is very good and pupils’ personal development is very good.’

15. Pupils of all ages show that they are ready to take responsibility: for example as class monitors, members of the school council, and buddies to younger children as learning partners. This reflects the very good provision the school makes to encourage personal development, notably in moral and social aspects. Pupils are very clear about what is right and what is unacceptable and are developing a good sense of citizenship. There are many opportunities created to get pupils to work and play together and these enhance communication and social skills. For example in a very good Year 2 English lesson the teacher and learning support assistant skillfully managed pupils into groups which represented a variety of abilities and through discussions fully involved all pupils with others they might not have chosen to work with. Stratton Primary School - 13 16. Throughout the school pupils show consideration and are given opportunities to

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relationships is very good and pupils’ personal development is very good.’

appraise the work of others as well as themselves. They are learning to show tolerance, appreciate differences of opinion and take criticism. This was very evident in the way Year 3 and Year 4 pupils evaluated each others’ art work, and in how well Year 6 pupils received suggestions as to how to make improvements to their movement sequences in physical education. However, opportunities are missed to develop this kind of evaluation in music because of this subject’s relatively low profile in the school.

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relationships is very good and pupils’ personal development is very good.’

17. In discussions with inspectors pupils were polite and helpful. Pupils demonstrated that they are proud of their school and are keen to talk about it. Those on the school council were able to describe how they have helped to shape school policy and influence decision making. Pupils generally show a good degree of maturity for their ages and this indicates that the school’s stated aims and objectives to cater for the needs of the individual in terms of personal as well as academic development, are well met. A high proportion of parents reported on the Ofsted questionnaire that ‘the school helps their children to become responsible and mature’. Their views are well founded.

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help them make progress. Teaching is good and frequently very good.’

18. The school has very good procedures to ensure that children are safe in school and that security is good. Levels of physical care are very good, with all staff, especially learning support assistants and administrative officers playing a crucial part. Pupils know that there are people to turn to if they unwell or have a problem.

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help them make progress. Teaching is good and frequently very good.’

19. Consideration for the individual, which is central to the school’s stated aims, is very evident, not only in attention to health and safety, but in target setting derived from much improved assessment procedures. All pupils have targets for literacy to help them make progress and these are being developed for numeracy. The best marking uses these as the basis of a dialogue between staff and pupils to help pupils progress.

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help them make progress. Teaching is good and frequently very good.’

20. The school has recently introduced a scheme of work for personal, social and health education. This is being effectively applied across the school and is having very positive effects on pupils’ awareness of how to take care of themselves and how their actions affect other people. There are very good links with different subjects such as science for healthy eating in Year R; and religious education in Year 1 where skilled use of circle time activities and drama is made to consider forgiveness by looking at how Zaccheus reacted to Jesus. Topics are dealt with sensitively and children are listened to. The school is well on the way to achieving the Healthy Schools award for its work to promote pupils’ wellbeing.

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help them make progress. Teaching is good and frequently very good.’

21. During the inspection no lessons were unsatisfactory and only five out of the 27 observed were simply satisfactory and these featured four different members of staff. Over four-fifths of lessons were good or better with over half of these at least very good. One lesson in the Foundation Stage was judged excellent. All teachers present were observed and all had at least one good lesson and seven had very good sessions. Staff were unaware of the lessons which would be seen.

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help them make progress. Teaching is good and frequently very good.’

22. A combination of a scrutiny of planning, pupils’ work and lesson observation evidence, leads to the judgement that teaching is good with very good, and occasionally excellent, features. This is having positive effects on pupils’ learning, especially in literacy and numeracy where very good planning and good assessment focuses on targets for improvement. All literacy lessons, and all but one mathematics lesson, were at least good during the inspection.

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help them make progress. Teaching is good and frequently very good.’

23. Particular strengths in teaching are in: Stratton Primary School - 14 • Reception where intentions to encourage pupils’ independence, choice and sharing are proving very effective; • Year 6 where a range of subjects including English, mathematics and history are all taught very well; • Planning which identifies learning objectives that are then communicated well to pupils and support staff; • Special educational needs, where very good support is consistently applied across the school in withdrawal, individual and group work; • Some ICT teaching, which makes very good use of the suite to improve pupils’ understanding and skills. Teachers’ knowledge and confidence continue to be developed through effective in-service training; • Very good relationships between all staff and pupils who could be observed during the inspection. The atmosphere of trust enables pupils to learn from their mistakes without fear of recrimination, and to appreciate that their views are listened to and considered,

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help them make progress. Teaching is good and frequently very good.’

especially by the head and deputy. This makes a very good contribution to the school’s very good ethos and re-emphasises the very strong commitment to child centred education; • Very good quality questioning which in good and very good lessons probes pupils’ understanding and prompts them to answer on the basis of reasoning to explain and express opinions or preferences; • Very good, consistent management of pupils, reinforcing the positive, and debating the negative.

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help them make progress. Teaching is good and frequently very good.’

24. Aspects which even in this good profile of teaching could still be better, are in developing the pace and variety of some lessons, and in improving marking to ensure that pupils know how to progress. However, strengths considerably outweigh weaknesses and it is clear that teaching makes a significant contribution to pupils’ personal and academic development.

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‘Provision for the Foundation Stage is very good.’

25. The last report was complimentary about aspects of provision for those pupils who were under five. Since then the school has reviewed planning, organisation and resources in the light of the newly introduced guidance for the Foundation Stage. It has adopted the philosophy that children learn through activity, and that structured play opportunities are essential to children’s personal and academic development.

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‘Provision for the Foundation Stage is very good.’

26. Currently planning addresses all the required elements of the curriculum for the Foundation Stage and seeks to encourage children to make choices, take turns and share. Improvements are on going, particularly aimed at developing communication and social skills.

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‘Provision for the Foundation Stage is very good.’

27. Considerable improvements to resources for the very good outdoor area are in hand, with a view to raising the profile of physical and social opportunities in a wider space than the classroom. This will soon enhance provision and extend the very good learning environment that has been created in the Year R base. Here display is very good: for example themed areas include a role play shop; art and creative tables; and an interactive mathematics corner designed around the theme of ‘Gingerbread Man’ to promote the use of terms such as smaller and greater than, and investigations of different types of food. The room presents a very stimulating environment and makes excellent use of children’s own work: such as prints made with cotton reels and string to explore pattern, shape and colour.

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‘Provision for the Foundation Stage is very good.’

28. Examples of children’s emergent writing derived from work on putting ideas in sequence, and children’s making skills in fabric nativity collages, are both well displayed. This Stratton Primary School - 15 demonstrates the success of the range of activities on offer. Children can see that their efforts are valued and are pleased that their work is celebrated.

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‘Provision for the Foundation Stage is very good.’

29. There is an excellent partnership between the teacher and the classroom assistant and the quality of the teaching that they jointly deliver is consistently very good and sometimes excellent. Excellent management of children, resources and time has very positive effects on learning, and skilled planning takes into account children’s differing needs. Staff know children very well and have established very good links with parents, and, where necessary, with outside agencies such as playgroups and health services.

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‘Provision for the Foundation Stage is very good.’

30. The school’s commitment to the Foundation Stage goes further than to equipment and resources. Although children in Cornwall are admitted at three points during the school year depending on their ages (some starting part time), the school maintains full staffing levels from the beginning of the academic year. This has very positive effects on learning, especially making identification and targeting of children’s particular needs possible, and supports work in small groups and for the individual.

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‘Provision for the Foundation Stage is very good.’

31. In order to develop provision even further more adults are being encouraged (and given guidance) to help in school so that children can benefit from as much hands-on experience as possible and opportunities to use language skills. Activities are planned very carefully to ensure that learning objectives are clear and well communicated to adults, and in appropriate terms to children.

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‘Provision for the Foundation Stage is very good.’

32. Very good record keeping measures progress from assessments made soon after children arrive against the expectations of the stepping stones of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Good observations and notes made during lessons by support staff, highlight children’s participation and their success. In turn this feeds the identification of targets set for individuals to make improvements.

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‘Provision for the Foundation Stage is very good.’

33. The school’s obvious child centred intentions are applied to the full in Year R. All children have equal opportunity to all activities and all contributions are clearly important to the school.

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‘Provision for the Foundation Stage is very good.’

34. A real strength of provision is that staff listen to children and are sensitive, not only to their needs but to their opinions. For example when collage making one boy wanted to select different shapes and materials and was encouraged to do so, taking the activity in another direction.

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‘Provision for the Foundation Stage is very good.’

35. Comparison of the quality of current provision and planned development against the comments of the past report shows that the co-ordinator’s continued vision and initiative are bringing about very good improvement over what was already a good situation. The school is well on the way to achieving its goal of the DfES quality mark for the quality of provision for the early years

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‘Support for special educational needs is good and still improving.’

36. The school has an above average proportion of pupils on its special educational needs register and ‘record of concern’ list. This includes six pupils who have formal statements of need which is above average for a school of this size.

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‘Support for special educational needs is good and still improving.’

37. Provision is judged very good. Not only does the school spend more than its designated special needs budget to employ a greater than average number of support hours, but the quality of this support is very good. Learning support assistants work very well with staff and pupils, and maintain very good relationships. Stratton Primary School - 16 38. The special educational need co-ordinator is very effective in managing provision and leading teachers in assessing pupils’ needs, and planning for progress. Very good individual education plans for all those on the special needs register set achievable, realistic targets to help pupils to make progress. As a result pupils achieve well for their ability (sometimes very well). For example apart from extreme cases most pupils with special needs got close to, and in many cases reached, nationally expected levels in mathematics and science by the age of eleven in 2002, and most seven year olds with special needs achieved at least

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‘Support for special educational needs is good and still improving.’

average levels in reading. This was fundamental to the school’s above average performance in these aspects, and is an obvious success story.

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‘Support for special educational needs is good and still improving.’

39. Expectations are high and pupils respond very positively, especially in withdrawal and small group work. They enjoy being challenged at their own levels. The school goes to great lengths to raise and maintain pupils’ self esteem showing children that they will be listened to and that their contributions are valued.

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‘Support for special educational needs is good and still improving.’

40. Pupils are not necessarily considered as having special needs in all subjects simply because they need extra support in literacy, and are successfully encouraged to shine in other areas, such as science, ICT and art. For example the best interpretation of perspective in a Year 4 art and design and technology lesson came from some of those pupils least capable in English work.

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‘Support for special educational needs is good and still improving.’

41. Good, and often very good, teaching provides work at a variety of levels in the majority of lessons and this has very positive effects on the learning of all pupils, but especially those with special educational needs.

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‘Support for special educational needs is good and still improving.’

42. The requirements of the new Code of Practice for special educational needs are fully met, and communications and partnership with parents are good.

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eleven years olds in English were not high enough in 2002.’

43. The school is aware that results of 2002 tests were below average for mathematics for pupils aged seven, and in English at eleven compared with all and similar schools. In both cases this constituted a decline from the previous year. In Year 2 this was expected and reflected the school’s own evaluation of the potential of the year group. However, English results for Year 6 were notably disappointing in the aspect of writing considering that teachers’ own assessments anticipated pupils would do better than this. This followed a review of 2001 results, when extra time and resources had already been directed to making improvements.

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eleven years olds in English were not high enough in 2002.’

44. Considerable scrutiny and analysis of possible reasons for this situation, concluded that for Year 2 mathematics:

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eleven years olds in English were not high enough in 2002.’

• The year group tested had an above average level of special educational needs with a significant proportion of pupils working well below national expectations for seven year olds; • Considerable emphasis had been placed on numeracy following the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy since these pupils had begun work on the National Curriculum in Year 1, and this resulted in pupils having less experience in other elements of mathematics; • Too little emphasis had been placed on investigative and problem solving in planning for mathematics. Stratton Primary School - 17 45. Inspectors find these explanations plausible, but consider that the lower than average proportion of pupils achieving the higher level, Level 3, had the most marked effect on the school’s recorded performance. The school’s renewed commitment to providing challenging work for higher attainers is likely to improve the situation in 2003.

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eleven years olds in English were not high enough in 2002.’

46. In English the school’s possible explanations for results being below those expected for Year 6 are:

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eleven years olds in English were not high enough in 2002.’

• The year group tested had an above average level of special educational needs with several pupils working at well below average standards; • Pupils lacked experience and some were unfamiliar with test-taking techniques; • Some higher attaining pupils failed to achieve the higher level, Level 5, by a small margin and this had a marked effect on the school’s overall average point score.

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eleven years olds in English were not high enough in 2002.’

47. Inspection evidence confirms that these elements contributed to the dip in performance, but indicates that the same children at the same time achieved above average results in mathematics and science. Analysis of pupils’ scripts from the English tests in 2002 shows that higher attainers were indeed close to Level 5 but that their performance suffered partly by a lack of their use of complex sentences. Since September 2002 the school, led by the head and the English co-ordinator, has undertaken a detailed review of planning, provision and standards with a view to ensuring those currently in Year 6 will be more successful. Early indications are that this is proving effective.

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eleven years olds in English were not high enough in 2002.’

48. Following a key issue raised in the last inspection the role of subject co-ordinators has been systematically improved with clearer job descriptions and opportunities for in-service training. Levels of monitoring have been improved. However, the school is now aware that with much of the analysis of results and trends carried out by the head and assessment co- ordinator some subject leaders have yet to come to a sufficient understanding of standards: for example in terms of average point scores, and how they could be improved. Although this is being addressed, there is still more work to do in this direction.

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‘Elements of teachers’ marking and the pace of some lessons could still be better.’

49. Work scrutiny from all classes shows that there are variations in the marking of pupils’ work and some inconsistencies in the way the school’s policy is applied. There are examples of a good, effective dialogue between some teachers and pupils, notably in Year 6 English and Year 4 mathematics. Here pupils’ performance is enhanced through reference to targets and learning objectives. However, there are instances in a variety of classes of work not marked in ways which would indicate how pupils can make improvements. Some books are too often unmarked or simply ticked and although the school’s commitment to encouraging pupils through praise is obvious, this is not often enough supported with constructive criticism: for example in Year 5.

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‘Elements of teachers’ marking and the pace of some lessons could still be better.’

50. During the inspection, the quality of oral communication between staff and pupils was usually good, and in the best lessons very good, reassuring pupils that their efforts matter, and prompting progress. This is a credit to the very good relationships observed and the school’s very good ethos.

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‘Elements of teachers’ marking and the pace of some lessons could still be better.’

51. On a minority of occasions during the inspection the pace of lessons, for example in Year 6 physical education, Year 2 ICT and Year 3 art, was too slow. This did not make the best use of time and could result in a lack of challenge for pupils. It is a testament to the school’s very good behavioural management systems, and very good relationships between staff and pupils, that behaviour remained positive in such sessions. Stratton Primary School - 18 52. The last report criticised some lessons and assemblies for failing to start and finish on time. During this inspection staff were careful to begin promptly, but a small minority of lessons overran (with the best of intentions) notably into lunchtimes. This would give support to the school’s argument that there is not enough time for some aspects of the curriculum. In turn this supports the plans already in hand to modify the school day and review short term

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‘Elements of teachers’ marking and the pace of some lessons could still be better.’

planning to promote a variety of approach session by session: for example to avoid pupils sitting too long on the carpet.

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‘Elements of teachers’ marking and the pace of some lessons could still be better.’

53. Although the quality of subject management by co-ordinators has been improved since the last inspection, it could be argued that the negatives in marking and pace highlighted above, would already have been overcome if monitoring was more rigorous. The school is aware that there is still more to do to improve effectiveness and has plans in hand to address this.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

54. In order to further improve the school, governors, head and staff should seek to:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Raise the school’s performance as measured by national testing for seven year olds in mathematics and eleven year olds in English;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Improve still further the quality of teaching and its effect on pupils’ learning by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

o Increasing the pace of some lessons and reviewing, as intended, the length of time available to teach subjects;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

o Ensuring that inconsistencies in marking are overcome and that marking in all classes meets the high standards already evident in some year groups;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

o Developing, still further, the effectiveness of subject co-ordinators’ monitoring. Stratton Primary School - 19

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 18

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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 three percentage points

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 197

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 23

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 42

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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 9

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 6

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Attendance

School data 3.8 School data 0.4 Stratton Primary School - 20 National comparative data 5.4 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. Stratton Primary School - 21

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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 2002 18 12 30

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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 15 16 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 12 12

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

Percentage of pupils School 90(90) 93(100) 93(97) 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 15 16 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 12 12

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

Percentage of pupils School 90(90) 93(90) 93(93) 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 2002 19 11 30

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 13 17 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 7 8 10

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

Percentage of pupils School 67(72) 83(69) 97(97) 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 16 17 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 8 8 9

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

Percentage of pupils School 80(78) 83(78) 93(97) 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. Stratton Primary School - 22

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Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

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Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 4 0 0

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Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 3 0 0

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Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 0 0 0

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Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

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Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 0 0 0

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Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

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Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 0 0 0

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Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, 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) 8.3 Financial year 2001/2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 430127

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 14 Total expenditure 432402

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 170 Expenditure per pupil 2109

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 18054

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 15779

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Stratton Primary School - 23

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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. Stratton Primary School - 24

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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. 55 37 6 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 44 51 3 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 49 15 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 44 39 13 5 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. 72 25 2 0 2

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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. 42 51 5 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 46 37 12 5 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 67 28 0 3 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 48 46 2 5 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 38 22 8 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Due to rounding percentages do not total 100.

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