Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School

STOKE HILL FIRST SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 21 st – 22 nd October 2002

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STOKE HILL FIRST 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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STOKE HILL FIRST 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. Stoke Hill First School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: November 1997 Stoke Hill First School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 20865 Mr M S Burghart Registered inspector 9487 Dr F Hurd Lay inspector 21992 Mrs J Newing Team inspector 32286 Mrs J Parker 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 Stoke Hill First 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

Stoke Hill First School is in the district of the same name in Exeter. The school is housed in 1940s buildings which, with various additions, provide accommodation for ten classes. The school is larger than average, with 302 pupils on roll aged from five to eight. A further 40 children are set to join reception at Easter. All classes contain pupils from single age groups. There is an average of 30 children in each class. Pupils are drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds, but overall their attainment on entry to the school, aged five, is slightly below the average for the local education authority. The school was recognised with an achievement award from the DfES for improvements in results in 2000 and received the Basic Skills Mark in September 2002. The head has been in post for nine years and is supported by eleven full time, and three part time, teachers. Five teachers are new since the last inspection. There are 37 pupils on the special educational needs register. This is in line

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

with the national average. Four pupils have formal statements under the terms of the DfES Code of Practice 1 , which is above the national picture. Fifty-one children are known to be eligible for free school meals, which is broadly average. Twenty-eight pupils have English as an additional language which is above average. Ten pupils are in the very first stages of learning English. The school has a high proportion of pupils who join, or leave other than at the start of Year R and the end of Year 3, mainly due to families of students at Exeter University moving in and out of the area. Half of the current year group of 77 pupils in Year 3 joined after reception.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Stoke Hill First is a very good school with many excellent features. Above average standards and pupils’ very good response and personal development are ensured by very good assessment and good, and often very good, teaching. Staff, pupils and parents get on very well together and expectations are high. Excellent leadership and management ensure that the school is very effective, and efficiently run. The school takes very good care of all pupils, both physically and academically, and maintains excellent links with parents. For slightly above average spending the school provides a very good learning environment and now offers very good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Standards in English and mathematics are above average when pupils leave Year 3, as a result of very good teaching, planning and assessment, and very good support for special educational needs. • The school makes very good provision for pupils with English as an additional language. • Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and relationships are very good. Provision for pupils’ personal development is excellent. • The quality of the school’s leadership and management, and its links with parents, are excellent. • Provision is very good for children in the Foundation Stage 2 . • The school provides a very good learning environment and extracurricular provision is excellent.

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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. 2 The Foundation Stage refers to children from entry up to and including age six when they complete the reception year. Stoke Hill First School - 7 What could be improved

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

No aspects for improvement beyond those already identified in the school’s own planning are raised by this short inspection.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Priorities already identified in the school’s own improvement plan will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The last inspection in November 1997 found this to be a good school and raised four key issues for improvement. Good progress has been made in overcoming these. Much improved provision and teaching for information and communication technology (ICT) has raised standards. There are now very good procedures for measuring pupils’ performance against planning, which has been systematically improved. Successful monitoring continues to have very positive effects on pupils’ learning. Satisfactory progress has been made in raising attendance rates and reducing lateness. Resources have been improved, especially for ICT (although there is still more to do) and for the physical development for those in the Foundation Stage. In addition, the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy have been very successfully introduced and improvements to curriculum planning have raised still further the quality of teaching. There is now good provision for those pupils identified as being

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

gifted and talented. Outdoor facilities have been considerably enhanced. The school is judged very well placed to continue to improve, based on policies and planning already in place .

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on National Curriculum test results.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Performance in: all schools similar school Key

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

1999 2000 2001 2001 very high A* Reading A A B B well above average above average A B Writing C E B B Average below average C D Mathematics A* A A A well below average E

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The table shows standards were above average at the end of Year 2 in 2001. Early indications for 2002 are that pupils’ attainment has been maintained, with progress especially in writing, continuing as a result of the school’s very good focus on assessment, analysis and better target setting and planning. School assessments show science to be above national expectations. Inspection evidence confirms that pupils currently in Year 2 are on course to be above average by the end of the school year, and that standards for those in Year 3 will be above nationally expected levels before pupils leave the school. Standards of literacy and numeracy are good throughout and pupils’ performance in ICT has been raised to what is expected nationally, with higher attainers doing better than this. Children in reception make good progress from generally below average starting points to achieve the recommended

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

3 Schools with more than 8 per cent and up to 20 per cent of pupils entitled to free school meals. Stoke Hill First School - 8 Early Learning Goals 4 ready for Year 1 of the National Curriculum, with many achieving this well before the end of Year R.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

In a short inspection it is neither possible nor intended to make detailed judgements about standards in other subjects but it is clear that there are strengths in art, singing, and some aspects of history and religious education. Pupils’ attainment in terms of personal, social and health education is good.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good: pupils are keen and interested.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good: pupils are polite and well behaved even when not directly supervised.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Excellent: pupils show maturity and are able to take responsibility. There are very good relationships throughout.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good. Although unauthorised absence appears high, this is mainly due to lateness, often the result of traffic congestion, being recorded in this category.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Very good Good, and often very good. Good, often very good, and occasionally excellent. 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

Pupils’ learning is good and often very good as a result of the strength of teaching at this school. During the inspection all teachers were observed. None of the 33 lessons were unsatisfactory, and nearly all were good or better. Over a third of lessons were very good. All teachers had good lessons, eight had very good sessions and two excellent (Year 3 science and Year 3 history). This is an improvement over the good profile of the last inspection. Highlights in teaching are in the Foundation Stage where all but one lesson had very good features; and literacy and numeracy which are consistently well taught. Teachers make very good use of questioning and show that they are prepared to listen to children. They plan very well and manage pupils and resources effectively. Staff now make good use of assessment to set targets for improvement and keep good records of pupils’ progress. Good use of ICT, good and in some cases very good, displays of pupils’ work and effective use of praise,

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

complement very good relationships to promote the school’s very good ethos. In the best

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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. There are six areas of learning: personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development. Stoke Hill First School - 9 lessons teachers make learning objectives very clear. Learning support staff make a strong contribution to teaching. Aspects, which even in this very good profile, could still be improved, are in some elements of religious education and physical education; developing the pace of some lessons; and in ensuring that activities are not too long. Special needs teaching and support is very good and enables pupils to make very good progress. Teaching for those with

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

English as an additional language is good, resulting in pupils being fully included and progressing well.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good: broad and balanced over the school year. Very good provision for those in the Foundation Stage. Strengths throughout in literacy and numeracy. Homework well used.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good: pupils are identified early and given very good support for their individual needs. Learning support assistants make a very positive contribution.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good support from the school and outside agencies enables pupils to be fully included in all activities and make good progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good: excellent moral and social opportunities are complemented by good spiritual and local cultural provision. Multicultural awareness is satisfactorily encouraged, provision is effectively planned for.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good: both in terms of consideration for health and safety and target setting for individuals, based on very good assessment

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents support the school particularly well in fund raising, helping in class and on trips, and in encouraging pupils in homework. The school’s reputation is very good. Year R is oversubscribed and there is a waiting list for next year. There are excellent links with parents and the community. Stoke Hill First School - 10

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher’s excellent leadership and management, very well supported by the deputy, ensure the school has excellent educational direction. Co-ordinators make a strong contribution. Together head and staff, as a very good team, manage the curriculum very effectively to raise and maintain standards.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good: governors are well informed, support the school very well and make a particularly good contribution to managing personnel, finance and accommodation.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Excellent monitoring and analysis mean head, staff and governors are very aware of strengths, and areas for development.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Excellent: all funds are well used for designated purposes. Spending is planned very well against curriculum needs. Best value is sought. Staff, accommodation and resources are all very well used. The school now gives very good value for money.

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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

• Children like coming to school. • Teaching is good. • The school is very approachable and well led. • Behaviour is good. • Extracurricular activities. • The school works well with parents. • Expectations are high. Exceptionally few negative comments were raised and there was no consensus of opinion.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Seventeen parents attended the meeting with the registered inspector before the inspection and a further five met with the lay inspector during the inspection. Ninety people returned the Ofsted questionnaire. Support for the school is very positive, notably about the very caring atmosphere and the approachability of the staff, especially the head. Inspectors are very pleased to support these views. Extracurricular activities are judged excellent and a particular strength of the school. Stoke Hill First School - 11

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for special educational needs.’

1. Results of 2002 National Curriculum assessments for seven year olds confirm the school’s good performance in 2001 is being continued in reading, writing and mathematics. Inspection evidence shows that the majority of pupils are above average in these core areas when they leave Year 3. Pupils make good progress from a slightly below average attainment on entry to Year R. Those with special educational needs often make very good progress against the targets of their individual education plans. In many cases these pupils do very well to reach the average levels expected.

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for special educational needs.’

2. Most pupils are articulate and contribute well for their ages to discussions in all classes. They show confidence and, even in Year R, an awareness of other people. Staff set a very good example in their listening to children. Together with very good questioning of pupils this ensures that all pupils participate and are usually challenged to the best of their ability. There is good support for pupils whose first language is not English which results in good and often rapid progress. Help in lessons such as science ensures pupils are given insight into correct vocabulary and the meaning of words in the context of a particular subject.

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for special educational needs.’

3. Good speaking and listening skills make very good contributions to other subjects: for example in Year R role play as spiders; Year 1 describing how things feel in science work on the senses; Year 2 retelling of Bible stories in religious education; and Year 3 very perceptive questioning of Queen Boudicca in the history hot seat. A real feature of the school is that teachers and support staff set a good example in listening to what pupils have to say.

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for special educational needs.’

4. Very good planning based on very good assessment and tracking of pupils’ performance is having very positive effects. For example, the school identified writing as an area in need of extra attention and raised it as the number one priority of the school improvement plan. As a result standards have been improved and are now above average for the majority of pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 3. There are particularly good examples of writing describing the Great Fire of London by Year 2 pupils; and expressing how things make people feel by Year 3.

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for special educational needs.’

5. In mathematics nearly all pupils achieve above what is expected nationally of seven and eight year olds. Pupils’ mental recall is good and because of good teaching there are good and varied opportunities to experiment with strategies to solve problems. Teachers have helped create an atmosphere where pupils are not afraid to make mistakes and make good progress as a consequence.

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for special educational needs.’

6. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of shape, space and measures is good at the end of Year 2 and Year 3. This builds successfully on good work begun in Year R in sorting and classifying shapes; and extended in Year 1 to identify particular characteristics. Very good use is made of ICT to develop pupils’ awareness of the properties of two-dimensional shapes in Year 2. Teachers’ consistent use of correct mathematical vocabulary is a key factor in pupils’ good progress. Stoke Hill First School - 12 7. Most pupils have good numeracy skills. Work in counting on and back, and tallying in Year R is developed in establishing secure number bonds to make ten in Year 1. This leads to good use of number lines and estimation in Year 2, and this is then put to good use in timelines to illustrate history in Year 3.

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for special educational needs.’

8. All lessons were at least satisfactory in the inspection. All teachers were observed on several occasions and all had at least one good lesson. Eight staff had very good lessons and two excellent (both in Year 3). More than one in three lessons were very good.

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for special educational needs.’

9. The consistently overall good profile of teaching has a very positive impact on pupils’ learning. On the vast majority of occasions observed staff interaction with pupils brought about improvement in skills and understanding. For example staff in reception joining in role play very successfully prompted children to use their language skills to express themselves; and Year 2 teachers encouraged much improved understanding of healthy foods, by their skilful questioning.

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for special educational needs.’

10. Good teaching extends beyond normal lessons into extracurricular activities where pupils’ performance is significantly enhanced as a result. A very good example observed was in the excellent dialogue between teacher and school council members which traded on high quality relationships to improve pupils’ literacy skills and personal development.

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for special educational needs.’

• Consistently good literacy and numeracy lessons, founded on very good planning; • Learning objectives made clear in the overwhelming majority of lessons; • Very good provision for the Foundation Stage; • Very good questioning, prompting pupils to express themselves in standard English; • Pupils and resources managed well; • Strong contributions of learning support staff following teachers’ good planning and example; • Good, and much improved, use of assessment to modify the curriculum where necessary and set targets for individual pupils; • Good use of ICT (despite a lack of resources in classrooms as opposed to the new suite) to support the curriculum in general; • A very good commitment to raising and maintaining standards and ensuring all pupils are fully included.

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for special educational needs.’

12. Provision, teaching and support for pupils with special educational needs is very good. There is an excellent consideration of each child as an individual. Planning to enable pupils to achieve their best is very well managed by the special needs co-ordinator. She works very effectively with teachers, support staff and outside agencies to ensure work is set at appropriate levels. The success of this provision is evident in the high proportion of pupils on the special educational needs register achieving (and in some cases surpassing) nationally expected levels at the ages of seven and eight. Recent successful initiatives to develop challenges for more able pupils have resulted in higher attainers consistently reaching above average levels by the time they leave, especially in literacy and numeracy.

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language.’

Stoke Hill First School - 13 13. The above average proportion of pupils with English as an additional language is very well provided for. The school maintains very good links with the local education authority support service and has recruited a member of staff with particular skills in this field.

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language.’

14. Pupils receive extra, unobtrusive support in a combination of withdrawal and in-class group work. Most help is directed very successfully to develop pupils’ vocabulary and understanding: for example in science to interpret technical terms; and in literacy to appreciate words with dual meanings.

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language.’

15. All staff demonstrate a good awareness of the needs of such pupils and there is an excellent commitment to including everyone in all activities that make up school life. Communications with parents are very well managed. Very good assessment of pupils’ needs and target setting to encourage improvement is successful in helping pupils with English as an additional language to make good progress throughout their time at the school.

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personal development is excellent.’

16. At all times during the inspection pupils demonstrated very positive attitudes. The good situation described in the last inspection has been built upon. Pupils are keen and interested; and very often well self motivated.

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personal development is excellent.’

17. Very good provision in terms of personal, social and emotional development opportunities on offer in Year R pay dividends further up the school with pupils ready to participate, take turns, share responsibility and make reasoned choices. Throughout the school provision for pupils’ moral and social development is excellent. The school’s aims and values are extremely well reflected in high expectations and the many opportunities for pupils of all abilities and backgrounds to work and play together. Pupils respond very well and as a result their personal development is excellent. There are many examples of pupils demonstrating considerable maturity for their ages; such as taking their elected roles as members of the school council very seriously; and being trusted to organise their own working groups – negotiating roles and carrying out meaningful evaluations.

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personal development is excellent.’

18. Staff know pupils very well. The powerful combination of detailed tracking of pupils’ progress (both academic and personal) and the very good relationships that are evident throughout, ensure the school has a very good ethos.

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personal development is excellent.’

19. A high proportion of written comments from parents to the Ofsted team were very much in favour of the school’s success in considering the ‘whole child’. Virtually all parents report that their children like coming to school.

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personal development is excellent.’

20. It is to the school’s credit that even on the rare occasions when children were not fully challenged by activities that they behave well. Standards of behaviour both inside and out, including lessons, assemblies, clubs, lunchtimes and breaks, are judged very good, and notably in some Year R and Year 3 sessions, excellent.

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personal development is excellent.’

21. Pupils respond very well to staff’s very successful use of praise and encouragement and show that they are ready to reach up to targets. This is especially the case for pupils with special educational needs. Very good examples were seen in the ‘jumping beans’ special needs room where Year 2 and Year 3 pupils were very eager to please and sustained concentration for relatively long periods of time. Stoke Hill First School - 14

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excellent.’

22. Over a period of years the management of the school has been systematically improved. Management roles of the head, deputy, staff and governors are now very clearly defined and this contributes very successfully to the very good school development and improvement plan. Each teacher is responsible for creating an action plan for a subject or aspect of the curriculum and these plans are skillfully drawn together by the head to drive the school’s priorities for development.

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excellent.’

23. Excellent analysis and evaluation of the school’s performance is used very effectively to determine what to do next: for example producing very good improvements in ICT. Initiatives are carefully costed. Planning states who is to be responsible, sets timescales, and lays down criteria for success in advance. This excellent process is the key to the school’s continued development and the good progress made from the good situation reported at the last inspection. The school has excellent educational direction and makes excellent use of funding to create a very good learning environment.

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excellent.’

24. The excellent leadership of the head, very well supported by the deputy, encourages and enables staff and governors to fulfil their roles to the best of their ability. The head very successfully leads the school as a very good team. Her commitment is a first class example which is in no small part responsible for the school’s very good ethos and the excellent quality of relationships. She applies the school’s commitment to caring for the individual, to staff and parents as well as to pupils and they respond very well. Partly because of this, the school maintains excellent links with parents and communication is managed very well. Many parents commented in their response to the Ofsted questionnaire on the high quality of the headteacher’s care and leadership. They say that they find the school very approachable.

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excellent.’

25. Links with parents are underpinned by the much improved (and now very good) assessment and tracking of pupils’ performance. This means that staff know pupils well and set targets very effectively to encourage improvement. The school has an excellent partnership with parents in supporting pupils. An outstanding example of the effectiveness of this is that very unusually very few parents responding to the Ofsted questionnaire or in meetings with inspectors made negative comments concerning the school’s management of homework.

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excellent.’

26. The school manages finance very efficiently and effectively and regularly uses all funds available to the benefit of pupils. Governors, administrative staff and head ensure that the principles of best value are followed, and as a result resources are good.

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excellent.’

27. With standards above average, provision very good (and in some cases excellent) the school now gives very good value for money.

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‘Provision is very good for children in the Foundation Stage.’

28. Planning for the Foundation Stage against all six areas of learning for children of this age group is very good. Staff provide a relevant, well balanced curriculum with plenty of opportunities for children to make choices, take turns, share and show initiative. Children are well challenged and very well taught as a result of very good understanding of early years education and excellent management. There is a very good partnership between teachers Stoke Hill First School - 15 and support staff, with very clear learning objectives, very good record keeping and target setting.

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‘Provision is very good for children in the Foundation Stage.’

29. Children are given a rich diet of opportunities to develop language, mathematical and personal skills. An exciting range of activities appeal to children’s senses and encourage children to communicate their feelings. For example, the corridor is currently converted into a cave, inhabited by spiders, prompting the use of language to describe shades of light and dark and the sensation of webs falling across faces!

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‘Provision is very good for children in the Foundation Stage.’

30. Children are emerging as readers and writers and are systematically being introduced to the structure of the literacy hour ready for Year 1. From a slightly below average starting point children make good progress and the vast majority achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they join Year 1, with some more able children reaching them before this. For example all children can recognise their own names and a minority are already able to read simple books even not long after the start of the school year.

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‘Provision is very good for children in the Foundation Stage.’

31. All children’s efforts to commit ideas to paper are valued by staff and are often used very effectively in classroom and school displays. Children are encouraged to make meaningful marks on paper with pencils, crayon and paint. Skilful intervention by staff gets children to retell the ‘story’ of what they have ‘written’. A testament to good provision in terms of writing is that children frequently choose to go to the ‘writing area’: for example to describe the colours of autumn leaves they have collected.

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‘Provision is very good for children in the Foundation Stage.’

32. Much sorting, counting and matching in mathematical activities (sometimes using ICT as well as conventional games and apparatus) helps children to develop good number awareness and lays a good foundation for their appreciation of size, shape and properties. This complements children’s knowledge and understanding of the world very effectively. Teachers prompt the use of terms such as smaller than and greater than and provide good practical opportunities for children to make comparisons in weight and volume.

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‘Provision is very good for children in the Foundation Stage.’

33. Following negative comments about outdoor provision for those under five in the last report, significant developments to space and resources have resulted in a very good learning environment inside and out, particularly good for physical and creative development. Staff make excellent use of accommodation and equipment to stimulate children, who in turn respond very well. As a result the quality of learning is good, children sustain interest and attention for relatively long periods, get on very well with staff and each other, and behave very well.

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‘Provision is very good for children in the Foundation Stage.’

34. From the start of Year R children are introduced to the routines of the school such as assemblies, break times and lunch arrangements. This makes a significant contribution to their social and emotional development. Many parents returning the Ofsted questionnaire reported not only that their young children like school, but that they are helped to become mature and responsible. Clearly, very successful provision for the early years is the basis of excellent personal development by the time children leave Year 3.

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is excellent.’

35. Wise spending and excellent management of the building and site have provided a very good learning environment. Display of pupils’ work is very good and is used effectively to stimulate, as well as decorate. Resources and equipment are very well stored and labelled in order to provide for good access. This school is efficiently organised, and teaching and learning both benefit as a consequence. Stoke Hill First School - 16 36. Developments to the site have resulted in much increased space, and excellent facilities, including the sensory garden and the recently planted willow sculpture. The head’s excellent vision, with very good support from staff and parents, continues to encourage innovative ventures: such as the parents’ garden which is a feature of green fun days where parents, staff and children together enjoy creating new growing areas; and the soon to be established cycle track.

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is excellent.’

37. Children are excited by the school environment with very positive effects on their aesthetic awareness and social skills, as well as their behaviour. There is no doubt children take a pride in their school and are developing responsibility as citizens to society. For example, there is much healthy interest in the school’s own recycling area.

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is excellent.’

38. Extracurricular provision includes not only the very good range of clubs and activities on offer, such as art, ICT, music, gymnastics, sport, horse riding and an excellent school council, but a wide variety of visits (for example to Dartmoor and France) and visitors. Pupils are very enthusiastic about the ways in which the curriculum is enhanced and although there is sometimes disappointment because some activities are designed for older children, or others are full, there is plenty on offer. Clubs are open to pupils of all ages. The very popular ones are organised into blocks of five weeks to ensure that every child who wants to take part is guaranteed a place in one of the sessions. Events such as book and arts weeks are used as a focus for work and enjoyment, and are popular with pupils, staff and parents.

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is excellent.’

39. An excellent feature of provision is the school’s commitment to developing playtime activities to stimulate children and encourage them to learn through play. All lunch and break supervisors are trained as play leaders and have been provided with an excellent range and quality of equipment to encourage children to explore physical and social skills. Learning traditional games, rhymes and activities at playtime makes a strong contribution to pupils’ cultural development as well as being good fun! All pupils are fully included and the very good behaviour consistently observed at break times (in addition to in class) is a direct response to this excellent initiative.

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is excellent.’

40. The high quality of the learning environment and its very good use; together with the school’s commitment to providing excellent extracurricular opportunities, are true reflections of the school’s stated aims to consider the ‘whole’ child as well as cater for academic development.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

41. No aspects for improvement beyond those already identified in the school’s own planning are raised by this short inspection. There is a detailed action plan for each subject and aspect of the school, which in turn forms part of the very good school improvement plan. Amongst others the school’s priorities feature: improving further pupils’ writing, and continuing to raise standards in ICT.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

42. In the context of this very good school, which is well aware of its strengths and areas for further development, there are no key issues for it to address. Stoke Hill First School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 19

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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 one percentage point.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 302

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 51

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 37

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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 28

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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 21

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 21

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Attendance

% % Stoke Hill First School - 18 School data 4.5 School data 0.72

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Attendance

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. Stoke Hill First School - 19

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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 35 42 77

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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 24 31 30 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 38 38 40

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

Percentage of pupils School 81(89) 90(76) 91(98)

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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 29 28 33 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 38 37 39

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

Percentage of pupils School 87(84) 84(98) 94(92) 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. Stoke Hill First School - 20

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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 24 0 0

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Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 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 4 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) 12.8 Financial year 2000/1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.75

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y3 Total income 677149

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 10 Total expenditure 690585

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 253 Expenditure per pupil 2131

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 20739

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance carried forward to next year 7303 Stoke Hill First School - 21

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1

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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. Stoke Hill First School - 22

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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. 63 34 0 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 74 26 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. 53 38 6 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 72 25 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. 84 16 0 0 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. 78 21 0 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 82 16 0 1 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 81 18 0 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 74 23 1 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 84 16 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Due to rounding percentages may not total 100.

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