Wallands Community Primary and Nursery School

WALLANDS COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 6 th – 7 th May 2003

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WALLANDS COMMUNITY 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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WALLANDS COMMUNITY 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. Wallands Community Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Gundreda Road Lewes East Sussex Postcode: BN7 1PU

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1998 Wallands Community Primary School - 2

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Team members

20737 Mr P Evans Registered inspector 9420 Mr D Martin Lay inspector 22778 Mrs A Shannon Team inspector 20444 Mr D Hughes Team inspector

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Team members

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Wallands Community Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 8

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

Wallands Community Primary School is a large primary school which provides education for 424 children aged 3 to 11, 206 girls and 218 boys . The school has a local education authority specialist speech and language unit with space for 16 children. These children travel from various parts of the county to attend the unit and, when they have progressed sufficiently, very often return to their own mainstream school. The inclusion of all the pupils in the speech and language unit in the school’s published results of national tests gives a false picture of the school’s results at the end of Year 2. The proportion of pupils who have been identified as being eligible for free school meals is broadly in line with the national average. The proportion for whom English is an additional language is higher than in most schools, although only a very small number are at the early stages of learning English. The proportion of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

pupils on the school’s special educational needs register is broadly in line with the national average, but the proportion of those who have a statement of special educational need is well above the national average. However, the vast majority of these pupils attend the specialist speech and language unit within the school. The proportion of pupils in the main school who have a statement of special educational need is below the national average. Overall, attainment on entry to the school is below what is expected for children of this age.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Wallands Community Primary School is a very good school with some excellent features. The leadership and management of the headteacher and the senior staff are excellent. The school promotes the personal development of pupils well and relationships between pupils, and between pupils and all staff, are excellent. The school integrates the pupils in the speech and language unit fully. Pupils’ attitudes to school are very good and contribute well to the standards that they reach at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The management of pupils is excellent throughout the school. The school provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities, visits and visitors to the school, which contribute a lot to pupils’ learning. The specialist speech and language unit based in the school provides a very good level of support and education for all the pupils who attend it and is a strength of the school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Taking into account its context, the standards that it achieves, the level of education that it offers to all its pupils and the money that it spends, the school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The leadership and management of the school are very good overall. • The level of care offered to all pupils who attend the school is very good. • The school’s links with parents are very good.

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What could be improved

• Some classrooms are too small for the number of pupils now expected to occupy them. • The urgently needed repairs to the school buildings, identified in the latest building survey of 2002, have not been carried out. • A few aspects in the annual written reports for parents about their children’s progress. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in January 1998, when it was felt that there was the need to introduce whole-school assessment procedures and to ensure that these were simple and clearly understood by all. It was also felt that there was a need to improve the quality and detail of short-term planning and to increase the range of challenge offered to pupils of average and high attainment. All the judged weaknesses at the time of the last inspection have been addressed well or very well. During the last three years, standards have been raised steadily in English and impressively in mathematics and Wallands Community Primary School - 5 science at the end of Year 6. Overall, the school has made a good improvement since the last inspection.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

2000 2001 2002 2002 In the top 5% nationally A*

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Key

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

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Key

Children join the school’s nursery with levels of attainment which are, overall, below expectations for their age. Children make very good progress in the school’s nursery and good progress overall throughout the Foundation Stage. As they move into Year 1, the great majority of pupils have reached the targets for their age in all six areas of learning, as set out in the national Early Learning Goals for the foundation curriculum.

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Key

In the 2002 national tests for seven-year-olds, the school’s results were below the national average in mathematics and well below average in reading and writing. Standards in science, according to teacher assessments, were in line with the national average. Over the past three years standards have fluctuated according to the ability levels of different groups of pupils, but overall have remained below national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. When the results for seven-year-olds are compared with those in schools with a similar entitlement to free school meals, they are below average in mathematics and well below average in reading and writing. However, this is misleading as the school includes the achievements of pupils in the speech and language unit in these results. All these pupils have statements of special educational needs and their inclusion lowers the overall level of attainment of

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Key

In the 2002 national tests for eleven-year-olds the school’s results were well above average in English and mathematics and in the top five per cent nationally in science. Over the past three years the standards achieved at the end of Year 6 have improved steadily in English and noticeably good progress has been made in mathematics and science. When compared to the results of seven-year-olds in schools that achieved similar average points scores in 1998, when these pupils did their end of Year 2 national tests, the standards achieved by the school in Year 6 tests in 2002 were in the top five per cent nationally in all three subjects. This shows that the school has very good added value and that pupils make very good progress in the juniors.

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Key

Inspection evidence shows that standards in art and design, information and communication technology, music and design and technology are in line with expectations at the end of the infants and above expectations at the end of the juniors. Standards in all other foundation subjects are at least sound throughout the school. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good and they make the same rate of progress throughout the school as their peers . The very few pupils who speak English as an additional language are well catered for and make good progress overall. Wallands Community Primary School - 6

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are keen to come to school and enthusiastic about the work they undertake.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. The behaviour of pupils in and out of classrooms is very good and is very well managed by all staff. While the number of exclusions is high, this involved a small number of pupils and the strategy is well used as part of the school’s behaviour policy.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. The relationships between pupils, and between pupils and their teachers, are excellent.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good. Attendance is well above the national average.

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Aspect Comment

Relationships in the school are excellent and pupils’ behaviour is always very well managed. Attendance is well above the national average.

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

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

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

During a short inspection few lessons are observed. Overall judgements are based not only on the quality of teaching seen in lessons but also on evidence gained from looking at pupils’ past work.

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

Overall, the quality of teaching throughout the school, including the speech and language unit, is very good. Twelve lessons were seen during the inspection. The quality of teaching was very good in five lessons and good in three more. In the four remaining lessons the quality of teaching was sound. The quality of teachers' planning is very good in all classes. The quality of marking is very good throughout the school and it is used very well to guide pupils on how to improve their work further. Written comments often include guidance for pupils, showing how well they are doing. This, together with the constant sharing of learning intentions, contributes very well to their very good knowledge and understanding of how well they are learning. In all classes all teachers and learning-support assistants have very high expectations of how well pupils will achieve. All teachers demonstrate excellent skills in

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

managing pupils’ behaviour. Pupils’ work is always closely matched to their levels of ability and this contributes very well to their rate of learning.

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

Assessments of how well pupils are progressing are gathered by teachers and learning-support assistants and this information is used very well to match pupils’ work carefully to their rate of progress. It is also used very well to set targets for pupils and to track their progress as they move through the school. These systems and their consistent use throughout the school ensure that all pupils achieve the standards that they are capable of. All staff have high expectations for pupils’ progress and ultimate attainment.

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

Throughout the school, expectations of the pupils’ presentation of work, including their handwriting, are high. This results in neatly written and well presented work which pupils take great pride in, which in turn contributes greatly to raising pupils’ self-esteem and self-confidence and has a positive effect on their learning. The school’s strategies for teaching literacy are very good and the strategies for teaching numeracy are good. Wallands Community Primary School - 7

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The statutory curriculum is fully in place and is enhanced by a very good range of extra-curricular activities, visits and visitors. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The support given to these pupils throughout the school is very good. The specialist speech and language unit provides very high-quality support for its pupils and the school uses the expertise of the unit staff very well. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. The very small number of pupils who are at the early stages of learning English are enabled to make the same progress as their classmates. Provision for pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Good. The school plans very effectively for the spiritual development of pupils, and this area and their social development are both very

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. The systems for assessing pupils’ progress in lessons and as they pass through the school are very effective.

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Aspect Comment

The partnership between the school and parents is very good. The school has good procedures for promoting good attendance.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Excellent. The headteacher provides outstanding, clear educational direction for the school. The delegation of responsibilities and the fulfilment of them by all staff are very good. Teamwork is a great strength of the school and the capacity to improve further is very good. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governing body has a very good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and plays a full part in shaping the direction of the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school evaluates very well the effects of its provision on the standards achieved by its pupils. The strategic use of resources Good. The school ensures that all resources available are used appropriately and effectively.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher has excellent educational vision for the school. The partnership between him and the deputy headteacher is very good. The partnership between the senior management team and the governing body is very effective. The school is good at judging how well spending decisions affect the learning of pupils. Some classrooms are too small for the number of pupils now expected to use them. The urgent repairs highlighted in the latest buildings survey, commissioned by the county council in 2002, have not been undertaken. Wallands Community Primary School - 8

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The quality of teaching in the school. • The fact that their children like attending school. • They are comfortable about approaching the school with any questions or concerns. • The leadership and management of the school. • The good progress that their children make in school. • The fact the school helps their children to become mature and responsible. • The high expectations the school has for their children. • The information they receive particularly about their children’s progress. • They feel the school could work more closely with parents. • The range of extra-curricular activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection evidence supports the positive views of the great majority of parents who completed the questionnaire and attended the meeting. The general level of information provided for parents is very good. However, there are a small number of improvements required in the annual written reports about pupils’ progress. In this area inspection evidence supports the concerns of a few parents. The school constantly strives to provide parents with opportunities to join in the work of the school and to understand how their children are taught. Parents are consulted in the annual round of school development planning. The partnership with parents is very good. The school provides a very good, high-quality range of extra-curricular activities. In these areas inspection evidence does not support the views of a small minority of parents. Wallands Community Primary School - 9

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The leadership and management of the school are very good overall.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. Top-quality leadership is having a highly beneficial impact on the management of Walland’s school, and a very strong influence on school improvement and the raising of pupils’ standards further. Senior staff set high standards for the performance of both pupils and staff at the school. The headteacher works extremely closely with senior staff to strive for excellence and the raising of standards is very much reflected in the aims of the school. The inspiration and motivation of staff are a top priority for the leadership of the school and the staff functions very well as a team. Because of this very strong teamwork, the school has a very good capacity to succeed and is highly committed to further school improvement. The aims of the school place very great emphasis on raising standards and pupil achievement. Responsibilities are very clearly delegated to and accepted by management staff.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. The effective monitoring and evaluation of performance are very important features of the management of the school. The development of teaching is monitored and evaluated continuously. Senior staff regularly visit classrooms to monitor the quality of teaching in lessons. Feedback is given to the teacher which focuses effectively on their strengths and the areas for development in their teaching. Support is provided within the school and is supplemented by the provision of professional development courses if necessary. Governors visit lessons regularly. Their focus is rather different, monitoring the delivery of the curriculum and the pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning. In addition to this the senior staff regularly monitor teachers’ planning and pupils’ work to ensure that the required curriculum is delivered to the high quality that the school requires. These three elements of monitoring successfully complement each other and

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

are effective in maintaining the very good quality of teaching seen throughout the school.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. Good teachers are very often used to help others and develop the overall level of subject expertise and there are very effective strategies to rectify any aspects of inconsistent teaching, should they be identified. The school's strategy for performance management very significantly enhances the quality of learning and all members of staff have performance targets related to their individual needs. Subject co-ordinators consult with their colleagues regularly about the effectiveness of provision within their subjects. This information is used very well to identify priorities for improvements in the standards achieved. Action plans are developed with clear targets for improvement. Sometimes these targets are included in teachers’ performance-management assessments and are always used to contribute to whole-school development planning. As a part of this cycle of development there is a strong evaluation element which is used to determine

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. Teachers and the very good support staff work extremely well together as a team to ensure that pupils achieve their best. The priorities for professional development are very well matched to the needs of all staff and pupils and this very significantly enhances the quality of teaching and learning within the school. Staff development has improved since the previous inspection and, as a result, training is very well matched to the needs of the school.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. The governing body is very effective in the way it discharges its duties in support of the school's work. Almost all the governors make frequent contact with the school. The strengths and weaknesses of the school are very well understood by the governors, who work very hard, in partnership with the senior management team, to shape the strategic direction of the school. School improvement is very fully monitored throughout the school year by the governing body and governors place great emphasis on setting targets for further improvement. The governing body meets its statutory responsibilities. The governing body works very closely with the headteacher to raise pupil standards further. Governors very regularly appraise and set performance targets for the headteacher. All the key issues from the previous inspection have been addressed well or very well by the school. The governing body regularly suggests ways forward for the school when

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Wallands Community Primary School - 10 areas of difficulty are identified. For example, there are some problems caused by aging buildings, such as the old heating system. This is costing the school a lot of money to run. Governors, together with the senior management team, are presently investigating the possibilities of solar heating and developing the school as an eco-friendly area. Even at this very early stage, thought is being given to how this could be linked to pupils’ learning and how best the school could promote eco-friendly practices among parents. This is a good example of the ways in which the school links all its planning and spending to the best interest of its pupils.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

6. Overall, the management and co-ordination of special educational needs provision are very good and comply completely with the new code of practice. The school is host to a county unit for pupils with specific speech and language difficulties. This unit provides high-quality education for the 16 pupils who attend from a very wide area. Not only does the management of the school ensure that pupils attending the unit are completely integrated into the life of the school, but also that pupils within the mainstream school are given full access to the high-quality specialist provision of the unit when necessary.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7. An overview of special educational needs is the responsibility of a specific governor and governors are fully aware of the changes to the new code of practice. There is frequent contact between the special educational needs governor and co-ordinator and the governors are kept very well informed about special educational needs. Spending on pupils with special educational needs is very regularly monitored by the governing body, the outcomes of spending are monitored and great emphasis is placed on supporting individual pupils.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

8. The management team works hard to use its financial resources for the benefit of all its pupils. A very good level of skill is employed by governors and senior staff to ensure that financial resources are used wisely to support school improvement. The financial administration systems are very effective and efficient. The school responded very well to the last auditor's report and all the issues raised have been fully addressed. The senior management team is kept extremely well informed of the school's financial position by the very good financial and clerical staff. The school's administration and pupils’ learning are well supported by new technology. The school ensures that all specific grants are used for their designated purpose. Very regularly the school monitors the effectiveness of its spending against specific targets and ensures that the outcome of expenditure is matched with the school's current objectives, as shown in the school

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

9. The principles of best value are a high consideration in school spending. The school compares its costs with those of other schools and makes good use of benchmarking to make further efficiencies. Members of staff are always expected to justify their use of resources. The school always consults widely on major expenditure decisions. Indeed, the management works very hard to include all elements of the school community in its development planning. All members of staff are involved in developing priorities in the annual school development planning. Pupils are involved through the very good school council and parents are provided with consultative documents so that they can contribute to the process. This is a very open and effective way of developing the school’s forward planning and has a positive effect on the self-esteem of pupils and, thus, ultimately on their learning.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

10. The overall range of teachers' skills and staffing levels are very well matched to the requirements of the current school population. There is a good number of staff to teach the pupils. Current recruitment methods are effective in helping the school to maintain staffing levels. The needs of the curriculum are well matched by the range of teaching qualifications. The level of expertise and subject knowledge among the staff is very good and is supported by a very efficient use of staff development funds. Teachers and co-ordinators have very good job descriptions which are used very well to support performance management and teachers and staff are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities. Administrative and other staff are well deployed. Staff absence is very well managed by the school to ensure continuity for pupils. The space for the use of large equipment for the under-fives is adequate. However, these classes have immediate access to a large, well

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

equipped area which has a good range of permanent, large-scale climbing equipment and safe floor surfaces. These two areas combine to provide a very good area for the physical development Wallands Community Primary School - 11 of children in the Foundation Stage. The cleanliness and day-to-day maintenance of the indoor accommodation are good and the outdoor facilities are very extensive and of very good quality. A stimulating environment is provided for pupils.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The level of care offered to all pupils who attend the school is very good.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

11. Teachers are fully aware of and are invariably sensitive to the personal and home circumstances of each pupil. Procedures for meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs are very well established. The integration of the local education authority speech and language unit is very good. Pupils attending the unit are fully integrated into mainstream classes for subjects which do not require the high quality, specialist expertise of the unit. Even in these circumstances, pupils are often accompanied by unit staff to ensure that they have complete access to all aspects of the lessons that they attend. The school also uses the expertise available in the unit to support pupils from mainstream classes whenever this is judged to be helpful. The high-quality support offered by the speech and language unit is very well used by the school and provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good overall. This enables all pupils to achieve the same

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

level of progress. However, the inclusion of pupils in the speech and language unit in the school’s level of achievement in these tests falsely lowers the school’s overall results. Pupils in mainstream classes in the infants make good progress and their achievement in these tests is above average.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

12. Individual education plans for pupils identified as having special educational needs are of very good quality and help them to make very good progress. The reviews of these targets are undertaken as and when required and not at particular points in time. This means that all pupils progress at their own individual rate and this contributes very well to their learning. The school liaises well with support agencies. The statutory provision required to meet the needs of pupils with statements of special educational needs is very good.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

13. There is only a very small number of pupils who are the early stages of learning English. The school makes great efforts to enable them to be fully involved in all their lessons. This is well supported by the strong teamwork between teachers and learning-support assistants. When learning-support assistants work with individuals or small groups, the support offered to pupils is very good and they make the same progress as their classmates.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

14. Great emphasis is placed on helping pupils to protect themselves and others. The school complies with local authority child-protection procedures and has developed satisfactory procedures for dealing with child abuse. A member of staff has been designated Child Protection Co-ordinator. The quality of liaison with other welfare agencies is good. The welfare of pupils on the child-protection register is satisfactorily monitored and staff are aware of the child-protection procedures.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

15. The school's procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are good. The procedures for recording and reporting attendance comply with statutory requirements. Attendance monitoring procedures are well established and arrangements for following up unexplained absences are good. Improving attendance is high on the school agenda and has resulted in attendance being well above the national average. The school makes good use of the support of its education welfare officer.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

16. Systems for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are excellent. The school's policy for promoting positive behaviour is very good and is implemented consistently by all staff. This results in pupils knowing exactly what to expect in any given circumstances and in the promotion of very good levels of self-confidence. This, in turn, has a positive effect on pupils’ learning. While there is a higher than usual number of exclusions, these apply to a small number of pupils. Exclusion is only used in extreme cases as an integral part of the school’s behaviour policy. This deterrent is very well managed.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

17. Records of pupils' behaviour are very good. The school helps create a happy atmosphere which promotes good behaviour and self-discipline. The procedures for monitoring and eliminating Wallands Community Primary School - 12 oppressive behaviour are very good. Instances of unsatisfactory behaviour are managed very well by the school. The anti-bullying policy is very good and records of incidents of bullying and harassment are carefully kept. Incidents of bullying are handled well by the school. The way in which the school's anti-bullying policies are implemented is very effective.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

18. Pupils themselves are very much involved in the review and improvement of these policies through the school council. The headteacher attends all council meetings, although the orderly conduct of the meetings is very firmly in the hands of the pupils. Recently the council considered an extension of the “Buddy system” for pupils in junior classes and further action is planned on this in the near future.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

19. Overall, the school's arrangements for monitoring pupils' academic performance are very good. The procedures for assessing their attainment and progress are very good and are invariably applied consistently for all pupils from the time that they join the school. Statutory assessments in Years 2 and 6 are very well established. The teachers make very effective use of assessment information to guide their lesson planning in all subjects. This carefully matches pupils’ work to their prior attainment and is a key factor in the progress that they make. Very good use is made of these records to help pupils make academic and social progress. The procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils' academic progress are very good and are implemented consistently across the school. Assessment information is also used to track the progress that each pupil makes as she or he moves through the school. The target-setting system is very good

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

and targets are challenging but attainable. The school’s tracking system quickly identifies whether pupils are on course to meet, exceed or fall below their targets and the school is very efficient in modifying targets or providing extra support as required.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

20. Teachers’ marking is an integral part of the assessment of pupils’ progress and is very well used throughout the school. They mark all work, very often add written comments which praise pupils for their progress and regularly give guidance on how pupils can improve further. In lessons, targets for pupils’ learning are shared with groups and whole classes, which leads to pupils having a very good understanding of their own learning.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

21. The overall educational and personal support and guidance for all pupils are good. Arrangements for monitoring and supporting their personal development are positive.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

22. Appropriate support and guidance policies are very effective. The quality of support and guidance given to pupils results in very significant progress, and the principle of acknowledging achievement is very well established. The school keeps very detailed personal records of its pupils’ progress which are kept up to date and stored securely.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents is very good.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

23. The great majority of parents are highly supportive of the school and their views are both realistic and objective. They are very happy about the very good level of improvement by the school. Almost a quarter of parents returned their questionnaires and an unusually high percentage attended the meeting with the Registered Inspector, indicating the good level of interest in and support for the school. A small number of parents felt that the provision for extra-curricular activities was below that normally found in schools nationally. A similar proportion felt that they were not well informed about their children’s progress or that the school works closely with them. Inspection evidence shows that the provision of extra-curricular activities is very good and that the information given to parents is sound. However, there are a small number of omissions from the annual written report to parents about their children’s progress. A similar percentage believes that

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

the behaviour of pupils in the school is not as good as it should be.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

24. Almost all the parents are very happy with the quality of education provided by the school and the level of homework. In general, parents are very happy with the values and attitudes promoted by the school and the standard of behaviour that the school demands. Parents’ contribution to pupils’ work at home and at school is satisfactory overall. A small number of parents do not respond to the school’s initiatives to involve them. The majority of the parents consider that they Wallands Community Primary School - 13 are satisfactorily informed about their children's progress. The parents of pupils of all abilities believe that they are making good progress. Parents believe that their suggestions and concerns are invariably considered most carefully by the school.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

25. The school works very hard to promote effective and productive links with parents. The induction procedures for new pupils are very detailed and the school has detailed arrangements for the transfer of pupils to secondary schools. The quality and quantity of information provided for parents are very good and the prospectus and annual report from governors provide detailed information on how the school works and what parents can expect. The school very regularly consults with and informs parents about curriculum matters and information about how they can help with homework and topics is always available. Pupils' annual reports on progress and attainment do contain explanations of what pupils have learned and targets for improvement are included for many subjects. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are involved in the reviews of their children's individual education plans and are fully aware of how they are

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

progressing. The school provides good-quality information for parents of pupils with English as an additional language about the progress their children are making.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

26. The school operates an effective “open door” policy for parents, which means that they do not have to make an appointment to talk to teachers or the headteacher if they have urgent concerns. Once a month there is an “open class” session when parents accompany their children into classrooms to look at their work or to talk to teachers. This promotes pupils’ learning well as they understand that their parents and teachers are working closely together.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

27. Parents are often seen working in classrooms, effectively supporting pupils’ learning. Presently almost 30 parents undertake this role each week and in the recent past there have been over 30. The school is always aware that it must stay in close contact with parents’ feelings and recently set up a working party to monitor and promote high-quality home/school liaison. Because of concerns that new families joining the school may have particular anxieties, the parent of a pupil who had just joined a reception class was co-opted to the governing body to provide clear lines of communication.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

28. The school invariably consults with and informs parents about all aspects of its development. Each year, as the school evaluates and reviews its school development plan, parents are sent a copy of the draft documentation so that they can offer their comments and be involved in the school’s future development. This has a positive impact on pupils’ confidence and consequently on their learning.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

29. Many parents are active members of the Parent Teacher Association and their contributions are not just seen in funds which are raised to support school projects, but also in projects to enliven the school’s environment. In areas around the playgrounds parents have been involved in painting scenes on the school’s walls, such as a very artistic and attractive school bus in the infant playground. Each class has a designated member of the Parent Teacher Association linked to it so that reports back to the committee are very well informed.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

30. The headteacher is invariably present at the beginning and end of the day when parents can talk informally about any issues or concerns and parents generally have a very good understanding of what is being taught to their children. The homework planner provides a good informal communication link with parents and parents regularly attend assemblies so that they can celebrate the achievements of their children. Almost all the parents make sure that their children attend school regularly.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Some classrooms are too small for the number of pupils now expected to occupy them.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

31. Several of the classrooms are too small for the number of pupils that are now expected to work in them. In Years 5 and 6, over 30 pupils work in each classroom and this is projected to grow in number since the school’s admission number was raised, as the result of discussions with the Wallands Community Primary School - 14 local education authority. There is very limited room once these pupils, their desks and chairs and their essential equipment are in place. This is also the case in some classrooms in the infants. Although there is a projected building plan to extend the number of classrooms, it does not deal with all of these cramped conditions. This is less than satisfactory.

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The urgently needed repairs to the school buildings, identified in the latest building survey of

32. In 2002 the county council commissioned a buildings survey at the school. This identified a number of repairs that were regarded as having a high priority. This work has not yet been done. Inspection evidence shows that some of these repairs are now more of a priority if potential health-and-safety risks are to be avoided.

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A small number of aspects in the annual written reports for parents about their children’s

33. A small number of parents are concerned about the information that they are given about the progress that their children are making. Inspection evidence shows that there are a small number of weaknesses in the annual reports about pupils’ progress which are sent to parents. The school does not fully report the level of attendance of each pupil. Targets for future improvement are not included in the science section of reports. In addition, reports would give better information to parents if each pupil’s attainment was matched to the levels detailed in the National Curriculum for each subject and parents were given clear indications of the level expected at the end of each year.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

34. In order to raise standards even further, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i. rectify the weaknesses in the school’s buildings by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• arranging with the authority responsible for undertaking those repairs to urgently address the weaknesses identified in the latest building survey commissioned by the county council;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• developing strategies with the appropriate authority to deal with classrooms which are too small for the increased numbers of pupils now expected to occupy them.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ii. improve the quality of annual written reports to parents about the progress that their children are making by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring that they comply with all statutory requirements; and

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• including the National Curriculum levels that each child has reached and providing parents with a simple guide to show the levels expected at the end of each year.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraph 33) Wallands Community Primary School - 15

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 6

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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

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 374

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 50

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 17

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 5 90

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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 11

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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 33

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 20

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Attendance

% % Wallands Community Primary School - 16 School data 1.7 School data 0.0

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Attendance

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. Wallands Community Primary School - 17

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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 29 24 53

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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 21 22 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 23 24

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

Percentage of pupils School 79 (70) 85 (73) 92 (73) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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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 22 25 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 23 24 24

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

Percentage of pupils School 85 (71) 92 (75) 92 (80) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

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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 23 20 43

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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 16 19 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 18 19 20

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

Percentage of pupils School 79 (70) 88 (66) 93 (89) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

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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 13 15 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 13 9 15

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

Percentage of pupils School 60 (50) 56 (54) 74 (56) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

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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. Wallands Community Primary School - 18

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Ethnic background of pupils 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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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 15 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 4 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 1 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 1 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils 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) 17.6 Financial year 2001/2002

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.34

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 1,039,032

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 17 Total expenditure 1,016,118

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 335 Expenditure per pupil 2,769

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: Nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 46,467

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 69,381

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 38 Wallands Community Primary School - 19 Number of pupils per FTE adult 12.5

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2.2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2.8

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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) 1

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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. Wallands Community Primary School - 20

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 55 41 1 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 36 49 9 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 39 42 9 1 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 52 25 17 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 61 29 6 1 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 54 40 3 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 52 29 14 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 61 33 4 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 55 41 0 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 28 12 4 22

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Percentage of responses in each category

Please note that not all rows total 100 because of rounding and because not all parents answer all questions.

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Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

A small number of parents had concerns about the amount of homework given to some pupils and that behaviour in the school is not good enough. The range of extra-curricular activities and the partnership between the school and parents also concerned a small minority of parents. Inspection evidence shows that behaviour in the school is very good and the management of behaviour is excellent. The amount of homework provided is sound. The school works very hard to maintain a close working relationship with all its parents and the level and range of extra-curricular activities are very good for a school of this type. In these areas inspection evidence does not support the views of a small minority of parents. There are a small number of improvements which are needed in the annual written reports about pupils’ progress and attainment. In this area inspection evidence supports the views of a small minority of parents.

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