Meysey Hampton Church of England Primary School

MEYSEY HAMPTON 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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MEYSEY HAMPTON 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. Meysey Hampton Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Meysey Hampton Cirencester Gloucestershire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Bruce Ginnever

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: Feb 9 th 1998 Meysey Hampton Primary School - 4

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Team members

18974 Stuart Dobson Registered inspector 13450 Jennifer Madden Lay inspector 30266 Hilma Rask Team inspector

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FULL CIRCLE / PARKMAN

35, Trewartha Park Weston – Super- Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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FULL CIRCLE / PARKMAN

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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FULL CIRCLE / PARKMAN

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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FULL CIRCLE / PARKMAN

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Meysey Hampton Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school serves the village of Meysey Hampton, Gloucestershire, some of the surrounding areas and also takes a significant number of pupils from the NATO Base at Fairford. There are 103 pupils on roll who are taught in 4 classes, three of which have pupils of mixed ages. There is a separate reception class for children in the Foundation Stage 1 . The pupils are from a mixture of backgrounds though most have had pre-school learning in a recognised setting. Few experience significant economic deprivation. An above average proportion of pupils arrives at and leaves the school each year due to airforce personnel movements.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

An average number of pupils have special educational needs, mostly general learning difficulties. A slightly above average proportion have statements of need. None of the pupils have English as an additional language.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school which is improving rapidly under the leadership of the headteacher. It has great potential to continue to improve. The pupils consistently achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6 and similarly achieve very well in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2. The quality of teaching is consistently good and often very good throughout the school. The school is very well led and managed by the headteacher, most ably supported by the governors and staff. The school gives very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The pupils reach high standards in English, mathematics and science as a result of consistently good teaching of the skills involved. • It provides very well for pupils’ social and moral development, resulting in the pupils having very positive attitudes and values and behaving very well. The relationships between all members of the school are very good and this helps create a supportive and welcoming atmosphere. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good in every class because it is based on a thorough system of identification and review. • The quality of leadership given by the headteacher and the governors, particularly the chair of governors, is very good and the school is managed very well. This supports continuous school improvement.

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What could be improved

• The balance of the curriculum so that there are more regular opportunities for pupils to study the foundation subjects 2 and reach the same high levels that they reach in English, mathematics and science. • The range and extent of opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills, their curiosity and spirit of enquiry and in particular to develop their creative talents. • The resources available to the children and staff in the foundation stage. 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

There has been very good improvement since the last inspection. The curriculum is now well matched to pupils’ needs in all classes including Years 3 and 4. There is a much improved school improvement plan which details a clear, costed agenda for school development. Performance management is now in place and this is helping to develop the roles of the teachers as co-ordinators. Parents are well informed about the school and about the children’s learning. There has been very good improvement in the provision for pupils to learn to use information and communication technology (ICT). There has been improvement to the quality of written curriculum planning.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

1 The stage of education from age 3 onwards, before children begin the National Curriculum in Year 1. 2 Art and design, Design technology, Geography, History, Information and Communication technology, Music, Physical Education. Meysey Hampton Primary School - 7

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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

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

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Key

The school consistently achieves very good results and in 2002 results were well above average in English, mathematics and science when compared with schools nationally and schools of a similar background. In English for the last three years, the school’s results have been in the top 5% of schools nationally. Results in tests at the end of Year 2 show a similar, very positive picture in reading, writing and mathematics. Results in both reading and mathematics in 2002 were in the top 5% of schools nationally and of similar schools. Standards were well above average in writing. This was an improvement in writing on the previous year. Teacher assessment of science at the end of Year 2 indicates that pupils attain well above average.

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Key

The school results have improved more rapidly than the national trend of improvement. The school has appropriately challenging targets for improvement. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who are talented, are suitably challenged and achieve well because the staff plan challenging lessons. Most children in the Foundation Stage reach the Early Learning Goals 3 and many surpass them in language, literacy and communication and personal, social and emotional development.

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Key

Standards in most other subjects are as expected nationally. There is some good work in history and some particularly good examples of writing in this subject. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are improving rapidly as the teachers become more skilled with the hardware and programmes which have recently been made available in school. Standards in swimming are very high but in gymnastics they are not as good as they should be because the school does not have the facilities to teach this aspect of physical education.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school The pupils have very positive attitudes to the school, towards themselves and to each other. They try hard in lessons, cooperate very well and support each other. They show real enjoyment in learning.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils’ behaviour is very good. They behave responsibly in the confined spaces of the classrooms and equally well when less closely supervised at break and lunchtimes.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships are very good. The pupils are always willing to listen to and to help each other and they have very positive relationships with the staff.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is unsatisfactory because it is below the national level and a minority of pupils is regularly late.

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Aspect Comment

3 Nationally agreed targets for the end of the reception year. Meysey Hampton Primary School - 8 The pupils work hard in school but nevertheless find time to enjoy their learning. They are very positive and respond very well to the range of stimulating learning opportunities offered to them by the staff. Meysey Hampton Primary School - 9

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

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

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

The quality of teaching in English and mathematics is a strength of the school. Lessons are always good or better. They are very thoroughly planned and well organised and pupils’ individual needs are met. This means that all pupils learn well and make good progress in each lesson. In Year 3-6, the pupils are divided into sets based on previous attainment for mathematics and this helps the teachers to match their teaching very well to meet pupils’ needs. The teachers make very good use of the National guidance on the teaching of literacy and numeracy and use ICT well to support learning.

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

Teaching in science is also very good. In these lessons the teachers make good use of opportunities for pupils to undertake practical tasks, which support their understanding of science, and they encourage the pupils to record in their own words. This helps the pupils to rationalise their ideas and sequence them accurately.

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

Teaching throughout the school is rarely less than good. The main area for further development is for teachers to develop ways of providing more opportunities for pupils to work independently and investigate for themselves. This is particularly the case in the reception class where the teaching and learning are predominantly good, but there are too few opportunities for children to pursue independent activities because the resources are poor and insufficient.

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

The pupils learn consistently well and are particularly successful when they employ their good literacy skills in the support of other subjects. There are some very good examples of a range of literary styles being used in history.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is satisfactory overall. There is good provision for English, mathematics and science but there are too few opportunities for pupils to regularly develop skills in some of the other subjects. Some aspects of physical education cannot be taught. However, French is taught very well throughout the school.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The school system is administered very well and the individual plans for pupils with needs are specific and achievable.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language There are no pupils with English as an additional language

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. The provision for pupils’ moral and social development is very good. Provision for cultural and spiritual education is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory. There is very good assessment of all pupils’ needs and very good planning to meet those needs. However, procedures for child protection and training for staff in this area need to be reviewed and improved. Meysey Hampton Primary School - 10 The school works very well and very closely with parents who make a very positive contribution to their child’s learning. The curriculum could be improved if there was more, regular teaching of the foundation subjects. The school is working hard to improve attendance.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher leads the school very well and has managed to maintain the very high standards achieved whilst making many improvements in other areas. The school is well managed and daily routines are secure. Other teaching staff are developing well in their roles as subject leaders.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors fulfil all their responsibilities very well and are very well led by the chair of governors. They make a very good contribution to the leadership of the school, being fully involved with school development and independently monitoring its outcomes.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance There is very thorough evaluation of school performance and in particular the outcomes of pupils’ learning through the school self-assessment process. This enables the managers to match development to the needs of the children and to the development needs of the school as a whole.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Resources are used well to support learning and there is a clear overview of the current and future needs of the school. However, over-ambitious planning sometimes has the effect of overstretching human resources. Some areas of the school suffer from lack of well organised, good quality learning resources.

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Aspect Comment

The leadership of the school is very good because the head, staff and governors regularly and honestly review the school’s performance. The school has very good procedures to get best value for money. The school managers are fully aware of the major shortcomings of the school buildings and try very hard to lessen the negative impact of the premises on pupils learning. However, the buildings are inadequate for the delivery of the national curriculum, most notably physical education and independent access to the library; one classroom is very difficult to use effectively and staff and administration facilities are poor.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children are happy at school • The children work hard and achieve high standards • Children are taught well • The school is approachable and well managed. • A small minority of parents would like to the children get more regular homework.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

This is a good school and the parents’ views accurately reflect its strengths. There is a policy for homework and pupils get sufficient but it is not always given out regularly. Meysey Hampton Primary School - 11

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The pupils reach high standards in English, mathematics and science as a result of consistently good teaching

1. Pupils reach high standards and all pupils make good and often very good progress in these three subjects. These high standards are achieved because throughout the school, all of the teachers take responsibility for ensuring that the pupils develop basic skills well and consistently. This begins in the reception class where through their lessons and activities, children are exposed to language and number and are encouraged to find out how and why things work.

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The pupils reach high standards in English, mathematics and science as a result of consistently good teaching

2. Most of the pupils have good spoken language skills. Even the youngest speak well and construct sentences correctly. The teachers build well on this strong foundation, offering lots of opportunities for pupils to talk about their ideas and their learning, to pose questions and to seek solutions. This was seen in a mathematics lesson for example, when pupils were encouraged to share with others the ways in which they discovered they could draw angles with a good degree of accuracy. Similarly in science, pupils readily talk with each other, their teacher and visitors about the ways in which they can tackle the process of water purification. Even with these articulate pupils, the teachers stress the need to use appropriate vocabulary; for example filtration, evaporation etc. This constant use of spoken language means that when the pupils write they know how to express themselves clearly to the reader.

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The pupils reach high standards in English, mathematics and science as a result of consistently good teaching

3. Throughout the school there is systematic teaching of spelling, punctuation and grammar and this is used in a variety of forms and situations. The pupils are given a very broad range of opportunities to write. This includes for example – a job description for a Tudor King, recording of scientific knowledge about blood, chronological and non-chronological reports about the Tudor period, narrations, lists and synopses. They re-write the stories of plays and through this gain good insight into direct and reported speech. The pupils are encouraged to make good use of ICT in recording their work.

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The pupils reach high standards in English, mathematics and science as a result of consistently good teaching

4. The pupils have lots of opportunities to be guided in their reading and most read very well. The oldest pupils continue to enjoy books and read regularly for pleasure.

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The pupils reach high standards in English, mathematics and science as a result of consistently good teaching

5. Standards are high in numeracy for much the same reasons as in English. The basic skills are taught and reinforced systematically and there is very good coverage of the national curriculum content. In each class, pupils’ recorded work shows that they have learnt to set out work well to support accuracy and that they have regularly worked on number and algebra, shape, space and measures and data. There is clear evidence of investigative work. Worksheets are extensively used in Y1-4 but their use is judicious and the pupils have clearly done a lot of other non-recorded work. In some lessons there is excellent teaching which is memorable and enjoyable. This was seen when the pupils were rapidly taught ‘vogue dancing’ so that they could demonstrate their knowledge of the various types of angles. The teacher used this as a meaningful assessment opportunity.

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The pupils reach high standards in English, mathematics and science as a result of consistently good teaching

6. The teachers make very good use of national guidance on literacy and numeracy. They include all of the elements of the subjects which are contained in the guidance but are increasingly using the strategies more creatively to maintain and extend the pupils’ interest. Meysey Hampton Primary School - 12 7. In science, the teachers cover the curriculum continuously and the high quality of marking helps to ensure that pupils have regular feedback on their progress. The teachers try to make learning interesting by using practical science tasks whenever possible.

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The pupils reach high standards in English, mathematics and science as a result of consistently good teaching

8. Throughout the school, teacher make good use of ICT to support learning in these subjects and in others. The classroom computers, many of which are new, are in almost constant use.

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positive attitudes and values and they behave very well. The relationships between all members of the school are

very good and this helps create a supportive and welcoming atmosphere.

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positive attitudes and values and they behave very well. The relationships between all members of the school are

9. The head and staff have maintained the school’s very good reputation as a friendly, welcoming and caring place where pupils enjoy learning. This is abundantly clear to all visitors and is often commented upon. The pupils particularly appreciate this and they enjoy coming to school. There is a school council, which gives pupils a voice in the running of the school, and its members agree that the great strength of the school is the staff, both teaching and non-teaching.

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positive attitudes and values and they behave very well. The relationships between all members of the school are

10. All the staff have very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and they model positive behaviour themselves. The staff help pupils to gain a clear understanding of right and wrong. It is clear to the pupils that the staff like and enjoy each others company and they are surrounded by an atmosphere of respect and trust. All pupils are expected to behave in a similar manner; they do so and are confident, relaxed and ready to enjoy learning. This is a highly motivating atmosphere in which to learn.

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positive attitudes and values and they behave very well. The relationships between all members of the school are

11. The teachers plan well for pupils, who as a result, are stimulated and motivated. The pupils fully appreciate the hard work of the staff. Relationships between all members of the school are excellent.

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positive attitudes and values and they behave very well. The relationships between all members of the school are

12. The values of the school are made clear through the various rewards and sanctions which the school employs. Positive behaviour and attiudes are recognised and rewarded and there is rarely the need to invoke sanctions. One very popular feature of the school week is ‘Golden Time’. At this time staff and parent helpers put on a range of interesting learning activities including chess, various arts and crafts, computer clubs etc and the pupils can select their activity. The School Council suggests some of the activities for this time. Pupils know that if they misbehave the will lose some minutes of Golden Time and very few risk missing these activities. Pupils clearly see this time as fun learning and it significantly enriches the curriculum. It provides wonderful opportunities for different groups of pupils of all ages to work together.

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positive attitudes and values and they behave very well. The relationships between all members of the school are

13. The older pupils have a clear sense of responsibility for the youngest. In the playground, Year 6 boys were seen spontaneously caring for a young child who had had a slight bump. The older pupils readily take the hand of younger ones when they are unsure. In group work in class, pupils take turns as a matter of course, reminding friends to participate even when clearly they could complete the task alone. In this atmosphere, pupils of all capabilities are free to talk and discuss without fear of derision. This is a major contribution to pupils’ learning as they articulate their ideas and findings and can therefore record them sensibly when required to do so.

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positive attitudes and values and they behave very well. The relationships between all members of the school are

14. The school provides well for pupils’ social development regularly offering residential and non- residential visits for all pupils. This, along with a good amount of cooperative work, supports pupils’ social development. In addition there is a well-structured personal, social and health education programme during which pupils have many opportunities to talk about their concerns and emotions. The pupils participate in many activities in the local community, giving concerts and attending various events. Meysey Hampton Primary School - 13

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The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good in every class because it is based on a thorough

15. Pupils achieve well because their needs are met. This applies to all the pupils including those with special educational needs. 16. The school has a very thorough system of assessing pupils and monitoring their progress. From their first weeks in school, the teachers are alert to what the pupils are able to do and whether they appear to be making as much progress as others. All of the staff are in regular discussion with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) and any concerns are aired early.

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The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good in every class because it is based on a thorough

17. The pupils are monitored very carefully once even the slightest concern has been established and teachers make particular efforts to include these pupils in the lessons giving them additional chances to make good progress. They provide carefully selected learning opportunities which can help pupils who are unsure to learn with confidence. For example, some of the older pupils know that they can always get practical equipment if this will help them with their mathematics. Also teachers group pupils so that they can help and support each other. If this does not produce the required result the SENCO is consulted.

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The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good in every class because it is based on a thorough

18. The school keeps very accurate records of the progress of pupils with identified needs and there are regular reviews which include the pupils’ parents. The governor with responsibility for special educational needs provision is in regular contact with the SENCO.

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The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good in every class because it is based on a thorough

19. The main strength of the system is the quality of the individual education plans (IEP) which are produced. Each of the identified pupils has a learning plan which they fully understand and the teachers and support staff follow carefully. IEP targets are clear, meaningful and achievable. This means that everyone is working towards the same goal. Pupils on the school register of need often make such good progress that they catch up with their peers and as a consequence are removed from it.

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The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good in every class because it is based on a thorough

20. Some pupils are selected for additional support such as those attending the Early Literacy Strategy. Here they get very high quality additional support which speeds up their learning.

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The quality of leadership given by the headteacher and the governors, particularly the chair of governors, is

very good and the school is managed very well. This supports continuous school improvement.

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The quality of leadership given by the headteacher and the governors, particularly the chair of governors, is

21. The headteacher has been at the school for a little more than two years and has managed to maintain the very good standards which the school had achieved whilst making a number of improvements. One of the key features of the success of the school is the leadership of the headteacher. His enthusiasm, energy and commitment is recognised by the staff, the pupils, the governors and the parents. There is a genuine and shared commitment between all parties, to the aims of the school and to improvement.

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The quality of leadership given by the headteacher and the governors, particularly the chair of governors, is

22. The governors are equally involved with the leadership of the school giving valuable and welcome support to the headteacher and all the staff. They too are keen to see the school improve and completely committed to school improvement. They bring a prudent and intelligent view to the strategic management of the school and are clearly partners in school development. they have committees whose remit is clear and helpful and they regularly visit the school to observe and often to question. This is very helpful to the staff and particularly to the headteacher.

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The quality of leadership given by the headteacher and the governors, particularly the chair of governors, is

23. This very good relationship has been supported and developed through the headteacher’s approach to school self assessment. This cyclical process, which reviews all aspect of the school, uses all Meysey Hampton Primary School - 14 available data, including pupil performance data, to review what the school is doing well and where there are areas for improvement. The performance of the staff and pupils is reviewed systematically, regularly and fairly. The staff are happy with the process and it has supported improvements to teaching across the school. Whilst the headteacher still takes on too much responsibility for the auditing process, the outcomes are shared rapidly and meaningfully with the staff who can then take action. Once a year the staff and governors spend time together reviewing the school and drawing up plans for development. The sharing of the process helps to ensure that everyone is committed to the same goals.

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The quality of leadership given by the headteacher and the governors, particularly the chair of governors, is

24. The headteacher has rapidly been able to establish his own credibility with staff, pupils and parents because his own teaching is consistently very good and often excellent. He has a regular teaching commitment which he clearly enjoys and which is very successful in raising standards. This means that he is easily able to model good teaching and regularly ensures that he works alongside the other teachers. This is effective in helping to raise standards.

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The quality of leadership given by the headteacher and the governors, particularly the chair of governors, is

25. The roles of the staff in managing subject areas are beginning to develop well. They have clearly gained knowledge of standards across the school in their subjects. They are able to contribute to school development and are now in a position to develop individual subject development plans.

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The balance of the curriculum so that there are more regular opportunities for pupils to study the foundation

subjects 4 and reach the same high levels that they reach in English, mathematics and science.

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The balance of the curriculum so that there are more regular opportunities for pupils to study the foundation

26. The school has clearly focused on achieving high standards in English, mathematics and science and has been very successful. In the other subjects, pupils attain levels which are expected at age 7 and 11, and are rarely higher. However, pupils’ recording of their knowledge is very good. The headteacher is fully aware that at least some of the time which is devoted to English could be used more efficiently if the content of these lessons were historical, geographical, art appreciation, science recording etc, thus having a dual purpose. In some classes, most notably Y3/4, the teacher has made a start on this, linking English and history by producing accounts of the Tudors in a number of literary forms. This is very good practice which could be extended across the school.

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The balance of the curriculum so that there are more regular opportunities for pupils to study the foundation

27. Currently, almost all of the morning sessions are devoted to English and mathematics. This is too long and some lessons begin to lose their pace when they last for well over 1 hour, as when literacy drifts into guided reading. There is an opportunity within the current school day, to reorganise the timetable to produce up to 20 periods a week in addition to English and mathematics, which could be used for the teaching of the foundation subjects.

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The balance of the curriculum so that there are more regular opportunities for pupils to study the foundation

28. The long-term curriculum plan needs review; this is already planned. At the present time, the foundation subjects are taught on an either/or basis, for example this term the Y5/6 class is covering geography and not history, art and not design technology. As these foundation subjects are planned on a termly basis, this means that this year, these pupils will only have one set of geography and art lessons; this is too irregular. Each of the subjects needs to be taught more regularly, albeit for less time, so that there are shorter gaps between the subject blocks and therefore better continuity of learning. This offers the potential to raise standards in these subjects. The school has begun to develop the idea of blocking time, for example all the design technology time for the term is put into one week. This is proving successful as it helps to consolidate learning and fully engages the interest of the pupils. They talked animatedly about the DT week.

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The balance of the curriculum so that there are more regular opportunities for pupils to study the foundation

29. The issues in physical education are different. The school does not have easy access to a playing field for games and there is no school hall or suitable area for many aspects of gymnastics. This means that the physical education curriculum cannot be taught in full. The school spends a great deal of time and money on

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The balance of the curriculum so that there are more regular opportunities for pupils to study the foundation

4 Art and design, Design technology, Geography, History, Music, Physical Education Meysey Hampton Primary School - 15 swimming and this is clearly of benefit for the pupils. However, there is a need for the school to consider the balance of the curriculum for physical education as it might be possible to spend some of the money and time on accessing other facilities.

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The range and extent of opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills, their curiosity and

spirit of enquiry and in particular to develop their creative talents.

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The range and extent of opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills, their curiosity and

30. Currently, the teachers have not systematically addressed the need for pupils to develop their independent learning skills and there is little in the teachers’ planning to indicate that they are aware of the need for this. In most lessons, teaching and learning is good or better but mostly the activities and outcomes are prescribed and there is little scope for the pupils to tackle problems creatively.

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The range and extent of opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills, their curiosity and

31. Limited access to all that the school can offer, restricts pupils’ independent learning. They cannot, for example, easily access the library because the pupils are taught in three separate buildings. Other resources are similarly inaccessible. It is not possible, for security reasons, for pupils to make independent visits to other classrooms during the course of the working day.

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The range and extent of opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills, their curiosity and

32. Within the classrooms there is a shortage of space caused in part by organisation of the rooms and in some cases by the form and layout of the building. For example there is a huge spiral staircase in the centre of one classroom. The storage units in most of the rooms are old and are fixed and do not support or encourage pupil access. However, more creative use of space is possible.

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The range and extent of opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills, their curiosity and

33. The library has recently been moved and though not accessible to all pupils independently, it is an improvement on its former position. However, many of the books are placed in positions which are inaccessible to all except the tallest pupils and the display of books throughout the school, does not encourage selection or excited enquiry.

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The range and extent of opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills, their curiosity and

34. Creativity is not developed as well as it might be. This is particularly due to the restrictions on the foundation curriculum in particular the lack of time available for some of these subjects.. It is also due in part to the teachers being so keen for pupils to have a record of their work that they tend to prescribe its recording rather than expecting pupils to judge the best ways to record. This is noticeable in science. To the credit of the staff, all pupils record their work in their own words but the format for recording is standard. Displays are not used to best advantage.

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The range and extent of opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills, their curiosity and

The resources available to the children and staff in the foundation stage.

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The range and extent of opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills, their curiosity and

35. The reception classroom is poorly resourced. Many of the resources and much of the equipment is old and in need of replacement. Despite the efforts of the staff, none of the areas of the classroom are particularly inviting. However the staff make up for this with the high level of encouragement and support which they give the children.

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The range and extent of opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills, their curiosity and

36. The furniture in the reception classroom to not lend itself to flexible organisation or easy child access. The resources which are available are mostly stored in containers which are difficult for children to handle or in cupboards whose doors are closed. The huge storage unit in the classroom is difficult to move and cannot be used to create interesting or welcoming spaces for work.

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The range and extent of opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills, their curiosity and

37. There are some samples of suitable materials for children’s work. There is construction equipment but it is limited in amount and variety. The materials for art are in poor condition and are poorly stored as there is basically no storage equipment of a suitable type. This means that the adults have to provide for each session, getting out paint, brushes and water pots. The children need to be able to do this, and to clear up for themselves.

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The range and extent of opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills, their curiosity and

38. There has been an attempt to improve the outdoor provision and the children are treated regularly to time for physical work out of doors. There is no dedicated outdoor area for these children but Meysey Hampton Primary School - 16 the teacher compensates really well, for example taking the children out on a ‘bear hunt’ to help their language, personal and social and mathematical skills.

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The range and extent of opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills, their curiosity and

39. The adults in the reception class are working very hard to overcome the shortcoming of the room. This is very difficult for them in the current circumstances. The children make good progress because of the efforts of the staff but it is clear that resourcing of this part of the school has been neglected for many years.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

40. This is a good and rapidly improving school. In order to improve further and maintain the current high standard, the headteacher and governors should:

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(1) improve the provision for the foundation subjects by:

a] reviewing the long term plan for the curriculum so that all subjects are taught more often in the course of the school year; b] reviewing and changing the daily timetables so that more teaching periods are provided; c] review and change the balance of the curriculum so that there is more focus on the foundation subjects, possibly by teaching literacy alongside other subjects for part of the time; d] improve the provision for physical education to bring breadth and balance to the PE curriculum. Paragraphs 26-29

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(2) ensure that there are more opportunities for pupils to develop their

independent learning skills and creative talents by : a] providing best access to resources and equipment throughout the school b] reviewing the teaching and learning policy to raise awareness of the need to provide opportunities for pupils to lead their own investigations and decide on ways of recording their findings. Paragraphs 30-34

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(3) improve the resources and equipment in the reception class by;

a] fully auditing the current resources and equipment and reviewing the needs of the children in relation to all 6 areas of learning 5 ; b] purchasing new materials, equipment and furnishings from the budget surplus, to provide a stimulating and challenging learning environment; c] requiring the staff to organise the room to provide for targeted activities to support all six areas of learning. Paragraphs 35-39

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(3) improve the resources and equipment in the reception class by;

5 personal, social and emotional / language, literacy and communication / mathematical / knowledge and understanding of the world / creative/ physical. Meysey Hampton Primary 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 9

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory 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 five percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 103

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 12

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 8

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 11

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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. Meysey Hampton Primary School - 18

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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 5 9 14

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total 14 14 14

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 100 (80) 100 (100) 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 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total 14 14 14

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (90) 100 (90) 100 (90) 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 6 8 14

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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)

Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Total 14 14 14

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 93 (100) 100 (100) 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)

Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Total 12 12 14

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

Percentage of pupils School 86 (100) 86 (100) 100 (100) 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. Meysey Hampton Primary School - 19

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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 11 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 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 0 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 2 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. Meysey Hampton Primary School - 20

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5.4 Financial year 2001-2003

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 272436

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Total expenditure 263888

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 60 Expenditure per pupil 2513

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 26092

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0 Balance carried forward to next year 34640

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0

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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 1.6

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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. Meysey Hampton Primary School - 21

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 55 44 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 69 29 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 40 40 16 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 53 45 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 79 19 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 69 30 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 54 44 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 74 26 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 64 32 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 58 35 1 0 6

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