West Walton Community Primary School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 16 th – 17 th June 2003

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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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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. West Walton Community Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: School Road West Walton Wisbech

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr L. Carter

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: November 1997 West Walton Community Primary School

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Team members

23742 Colin Henderson Registered inspector 9542 Brian Jones Lay inspector 22518 Barbara Darley Team inspector

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Team members

TWA Inspections Ltd 102 Bath Road Cheltenham GL53 7JX

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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 West Walton Community Primary School

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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

West Walton Community Primary is situated in the centre of West Walton village, near Wisbech, on the border of Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. It is an average-sized primary school that currently has 209 pupils on roll (118 boys and 91 girls). This is larger than at the last inspection. Most pupils live in private housing near the school, although an increasing number live outside the school’s normal catchment area. There are significant levels of social and economic deprivation in the area. Almost all pupils are of white, United Kingdom ethnic background. Thirty-four per cent of pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs, which is above average. They have a broad range of educational, behavioural, sensory and physical needs. Two per cent of pupils have specific statements of need. Six per cent of pupils have claimed free school meals, which is below average. Most children enter the reception class

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

with no pre-school educational experience and well below average levels of attainment. The school has received national and international recognition for its work on the Parent Pupil Partnership.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

West Walton is a friendly, supportive and harmonious school that serves its community well. Teachers encourage pupils to have good attitudes to learning. Pupils behave well and relationships throughout the school are very good. Pupils make good progress in their learning, promoted by good teaching, and achieve above average standards by the end of Year 6. The headteacher works closely with staff and governors. He provides good leadership, for example in maintaining good teaching and learning during the recent high number of staff changes. Some management procedures for evaluating and improving attainment are not rigorous enough. The school has developed very good links with parents and the community. The effectiveness of the school is good and it gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Year 6 pupils attain standards that are above the national average in English and mathematics. They attain well above standards in science and music. • Teaching is good and enables pupils to achieve well. It is very good, and occasionally excellent, in Years 5 and 6. • Pupils have good attitudes to learning. They are enthusiastic, friendly and behave well. Relationships are very good throughout the school. • The headteacher, supported by a good staff team, provides good leadership on improving the quality of teaching and learning. • Procedures for pupils’ care and welfare are good and reflect the school’s caring and supportive ethos. • The school enhances the range of learning activities with a very good range of extra-curricular activities and very good links with parents and the community. • The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good.

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What could be improved

• Procedures to evaluate standards of attainment and to set targets for improvement. • Teachers’ planning for the Foundation Stage curriculum. 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 has made good progress since the last inspection in November 1997. It has made good progress on improving teaching and pupils’ behaviour. Teachers’ planning has improved, although plans do not meet the current, specific requirements of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Pupils are attaining higher standards by the end of Year 6 than reported previously. The school has maintained high standards in music. Teachers have improved learning opportunities for pupils using temporary classrooms, for example by sharing resources for information and communication technology. The completion of current building improvements will improve facilities further. West Walton Community Primary School

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

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Key

Inspectors found that Year 6 pupils attain standards that are well above the national average in science and above average in English and mathematics. This reflects the results of the 2002 national tests and the improving standards since the last inspection. The school exceeded, by 7 per cent, its 2002 target in English of 74 per cent of pupils to achieve the nationally expected Level 4 or above. It did not meet its challenging target of 80 per cent in mathematics. Inspection evidence shows that the school is likely to achieve its challenging 2003 targets of 80 per cent in English and 77 per cent in mathematics. The proportion of pupils attaining Level 5 is improving and is in line with the national average in English and mathematics. It is above average in science. Inspectors found that Year 2 pupils attain standards in reading, writing and mathematics that are below average. The proportion of pupils that attain above the

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Key

nationally expected Level 2 is average in reading and just below average in writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils who do not attain Level 2 is above the national average. Inspectors found that standards in Year 2 are improving and are higher than those achieved in the 2002 national tests. The school’s focus on improving pupils’ speaking skills is raising standards in reading and writing. Children start in the reception class with well below average standards, especially in language and social aspects. They make sound progress overall in the Foundation Stage, although few attain their national learning targets by the end of the reception year. Pupils make good progress in their learning through the school. Boys and girls achieve equally. Progress is very good in Years 5 and 6, promoted by consistently very good teaching of pupils’ basic skills. The high standards in science and in music result mainly from very

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Key

good specialist teaching. Pupils with special educational needs benefit from consistently very good support from teaching and support staff. They make very good progress towards their individual learning targets.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good and often very good. Most pupils are enthusiastic and are keen to learn and to succeed.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils are courteous and helpful. They play and work together well.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships are very good throughout the school and contribute strongly to its harmonious and caring ethos.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Pupils enjoy coming to school. The friendly and welcoming start to the school day encourages many younger pupils and their parents to work together to support learning.

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Aspect Comment

The improved standards of behaviour and pupils’ positive attitudes contribute well to pupils’ learning. Very good relationships promote the school’s caring approach and pupils’ enjoyment of school. West Walton Community Primary School

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

Quality of teaching Satisfactory 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

Teaching has improved since the last inspection. It is never less than satisfactory. It is good overall in Years 1 to 6. It is very good, and occasionally excellent, in Years 5 and 6. The consistently very high quality of teaching for older juniors is a key factor in helping them to attain above average standards. The teaching of English and mathematics is good overall, and often very good. Teachers develop pupils’ basic literacy and numeracy skills very successfully, although they do not challenge them consistently to apply these skills in other subjects. An analysis of pupils’ work since the start of the school year shows that staff changes did not always ensure that teachers’ expectations were at a consistently high enough level. Teachers manage their classes very effectively to ensure that pupils sustain their interest and concentration. Many use good subject knowledge to help pupils to attain good standards, especially in

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

science, music and information and communication technology. Teachers work closely with good support staff to ensure that the needs of all pupils, particularly those with special educational needs, are met effectively. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall. Staff changes and weaknesses in teachers’ plans do not ensure that teachers’ expectations are always high enough in the different areas of learning.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The satisfactory curriculum is enhanced very well by very good extra- curricular activities and very good links with parents and the community.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Very good management enables very good quality support staff to work closely with teachers to meet these pupils’ needs.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The good provision for pupils’ social development supports the school’s caring ethos and good relationships. The good provision for moral development helps pupils to have a clear understanding of right and wrong and promotes good behaviour.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The procedures for child protection and for first aid, health and safety are good. Most staff know their pupils well and provide good care and guidance.

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Aspect Comment

The very good links with parents and the community are strengths of the school and contribute significantly to the learning of many pupils. The very good provision for the higher than average number of pupils with special educational needs enables them to be fully involved and achieve well. West Walton Community Primary School

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The positive and supportive leadership of the headteacher has established a good team approach. He works in an effective partnership with his deputy to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning. The contribution of staff with subject responsibilities and its impact on standards have been limited by staff changes.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors work closely with the headteacher and staff to fulfil their duties and responsibilities. They are involved soundly in monitoring the school’s performance, although some aspects are not focused strongly on school improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Sound overall. The headteacher and staff use an increasing range of assessment information to track pupils’ performance and identify weaknesses. The evaluation of performance and follow-up action are not always rigorous enough to set valid targets for improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The governors work closely with the headteacher to ensure that the school uses its funds efficiently to support priorities for improvement. They monitor spending levels closely and effectively apply the principles of best value.

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Aspect Comment

The open, supportive leadership of the headteacher is a key factor in promoting an effective team approach and in encouraging all staff and pupils to contribute to the school’s achievements. An active and supportive school association makes a valuable contribution to improving resources to benefit pupils.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • Teaching is good and helps their children make good progress. • The school has high expectations of work and behaviour. • Teachers are approachable and willing to see parents to discuss any concerns. • The consistent use of homework. • A closer working partnership between parents and the school. • More consistent information about how well their children are achieving.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors confirm the parents’ positive views of the school. The school has developed very good links to promote a close parental partnership. These contribute effectively to the learning of many pupils. Inspectors found that teachers use homework consistently to support learning, especially for older juniors. Inspectors judged that the information sent to parents is good. As well as an annual parents’ consultation evening, teachers provide one afternoon each week for any parents who may wish to discuss their child’s progress. Some comments from some parents showed that they were not fully aware of these opportunities. West Walton Community Primary School

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Year 6 pupils attain standards that are above the national average in English and

mathematics. They attain well above standards in science and music.

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Year 6 pupils attain standards that are above the national average in English and

1. Inspection evidence and the results of the 2002 national tests show that pupils at the end of Year 6 attain standards in science that are well above the national average. They attain above average standards in English and mathematics. Standards of attainment are higher than at the last inspection. The key factors in enabling pupils to achieve these standards are: • consistently high quality teaching of pupils’ basic skills in literacy, numeracy and scientific enquiry, particularly in Years 5 and 6; • an increased school focus on promoting pupils’ speaking skills is improving pupils’ reading and their use of a broader range of vocabulary in their writing; • most pupils have an enthusiastic approach to their work and are keen to succeed, for example by achieving their individual literacy targets; • the school makes good use of different support strategies, particularly in literacy and numeracy, to help individual pupils improve their understanding and standard of work.

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Year 6 pupils attain standards that are above the national average in English and

2. Teachers combine national guidance in literacy and numeracy effectively with their own topics and methods to plan interesting learning activities. Pupils respond well, especially when teachers challenge them to initiate and develop their own ideas. This showed clearly in a Year 6 lesson on fantasy stories when pupils discussed their ideas with each other sensibly before drafting out their own starting points for their stories. Pupils share ideas well and try to improve the quality of their writing, for example by suggesting more dramatic words, such as ‘shimmering’. They learn how to build up a good sense of atmosphere in their stories that will capture the reader’s interest. This is reflected clearly in some of the interesting ideas that pupils develop, showing careful choices in their use of imaginative and precise vocabulary. Years 5 and 6 pupils attain high standards in science. They develop and apply their enquiry skills very effectively to gain a well above average

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Year 6 pupils attain standards that are above the national average in English and

knowledge and understanding. In a Year 6 lesson, a large proportion of the class was achieving standards above those expected of their age. They discussed and agreed what aspect they would investigate when comparing the effect of changing the ratio of water to washing up liquid on making bubbles. Some looked at how the number of bubbles changed and others investigated how long the bubbles lasted before bursting. They enthusiastically completed their investigation and showed a very good understanding of how to check their results were both fair and reliable. Pupils recorded their results accurately and wrote a conclusion to illustrate what they had found. More-able pupils achieved well above average standards by applying their knowledge to explain their results, for example by identifying that some water samples contained additives, such as sugar. They explained that this could have combined with the liquid so that the bubbles

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Year 6 pupils attain standards that are above the national average in English and

3. Pupils continue to achieve high standards in music, as reported in the last inspection. Their knowledge and understanding are well above the levels expected for their age. For example, in a Year 5 lesson, many pupils’ knowledge of different cadences and chordal progression was very good. They applied this knowledge very successfully to improvise and compose melodies, rotating rhythms very effectively. The high quality of singing was clearly evident in assemblies and in the Family Choir. The school choir has given public performances, for example in Kings Lynn and in Peterborough and Ely cathedrals. Pupil’s instrumental skills are promoted well through opportunities to receive professional tuition in a wide range of instruments, for example piano, guitar, woodwind and brass. Pupils benefit from performing in concerts, for example, in the Family Band and when working with musicians from the City of London Symphonia Orchestra. Pupils’ involvement in the

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Year 6 pupils attain standards that are above the national average in English and

West Walton Community Primary School very good range of musical activities increases their self-confidence and contributes to raising standards in other subjects. A parent commented how her son’s participation in the choir had raised his confidence, led to a more positive approach and improved his reading.

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Teaching is good and enables pupils to achieve well. It is very good, and occasionally

4. Twelve lessons were observed. Teaching was very good in five lessons and excellent in one lesson. It was never less than satisfactory. Teaching has improved since the last inspection. Very good teaching was observed in both the infants and juniors. An analysis of pupils’ work since the start of the school year reflected the high expectations of most teachers, especially in the amount and standard of work. These were not consistently high in some classes, particularly those who had been affected by staff changes. Teaching was of a consistently high quality for pupils in Years 5 and 6. This is a significant factor in enabling pupils to achieve above, and often well above, average standards and confirms the parents’ positive views.

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Teaching is good and enables pupils to achieve well. It is very good, and occasionally

5. The teaching of English and mathematics is good, and often very good. Teachers have a good understanding of the school’s literacy and numeracy strategies and use a very good range of methods to promote pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. In a very good Year 2 lesson, for example, the teacher’s good subject knowledge, enthusiastic approach and very good use of resources extended pupils’ knowledge and use of words to match particular sound patterns. She used questions successfully to help pupils identify mistakes in a sentence and deliberately missed out punctuation to challenge pupils to point out what was missing. The positive, encouraging learning atmosphere generated much interest and an eagerness to succeed. In a Year 5 mathematics lesson, the teacher planned in detail, and identified clear and specific learning objectives. She shared these with pupils so that they knew what they were trying to achieve and could assess their progress. The teacher

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Teaching is good and enables pupils to achieve well. It is very good, and occasionally

maintained good class control and a brisk pace in the lesson. Pupils developed their mental multiplication effectively then applied them accurately in more formal, written methods of multiplication.

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Teaching is good and enables pupils to achieve well. It is very good, and occasionally

6. Many teachers have good knowledge of the subjects, which they use successfully to extend pupils’ skills and understanding. This was observed in science, music, English, mathematics and information and communication technology. The school makes very good use of different strategies to enable many pupils to benefit from specialist subject knowledge. For example, Years 5 and 6 pupils change teachers and classrooms to receive specialist science teaching. A member of staff with musical expertise works with teachers and support staff to provide very good teaching and support in music. The use of the deputy headteacher and headteacher to work with some classes in their information and communication lessons improves pupils’ skills.

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Teaching is good and enables pupils to achieve well. It is very good, and occasionally

7. Although there have been a number of staff changes recently, relationships between teachers and classes remain good. Teachers manage and control their classes well to ensure that pupils sustain their interest and concentration. Most teachers make good use of pupils’ targets in literacy and numeracy to identify what needs improving, although this is not consistent in each class and reflects some of the parents’ comments. Most teachers mark pupils’ work regularly, although they do not use constructive comments consistently to identify how the standard could be improved. Discussions with pupils and an analysis of their work show that most teachers use homework effectively to support pupils’ achievements, especially in literacy and numeracy.

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Teaching is good and enables pupils to achieve well. It is very good, and occasionally

Pupils have good attitudes to learning. They are enthusiastic, friendly and behave well. Relationships are very good throughout the school. West Walton Community Primary School 8. Pupils clearly enjoy school. They have positive attitudes to learning and are keen to participate and succeed. This is an important factor in their good achievements. Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. This has improved since the last inspection. Teachers expect pupils to be friendly and show respect. This was clearly evident in the very good relationships in the school and the friendly and courteous manner of most pupils when they talk to teachers, visitors and to each other. Personal development is promoted very successfully through, for example, class councils, a school council and the ‘friendship buddy’ scheme. Older pupils are encouraged to look after younger ones and there is a caring and supportive approach, for example to ensure that

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Teaching is good and enables pupils to achieve well. It is very good, and occasionally

pupils with physical disabilities are looked after and involved fully. Teachers encourage pupils to show initiative and take increasing responsibility in their learning. They respond very well and are keen to contribute their ideas and to know how they can improve.

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The headteacher, supported by a good staff team, provides good leadership on improving

9. The headteacher continues to provide strong and clear leadership to the work of the school, as reported in the last inspection. He has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. He works in an effective partnership with his deputy. They have been successful in monitoring teaching and learning, particularly during recent staff changes and staff recruitment difficulties. The headteacher has established a good staff team. His supportive, open style of management is effective in encouraging staff to contribute ideas towards school improvement. Throughout the school, there is strong emphasis on teamwork and the important part played by teaching, support staff, administrative and ancillary staff and other adults who come into school and help with pupils’ learning. This was recognised in the school recently receiving an ‘Investors in People’ award. Working closely with the staff and governors, the headteacher

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The headteacher, supported by a good staff team, provides good leadership on improving

is using an increasing range of assessment information to track pupils’ achievements. Staff analyse the results of national tests to look at areas for development and to inform teaching plans. These procedures contribute to the very detailed school improvement plan, although the action plans are not always focused rigorously on targets for improvement. Some co-ordinators, for example in information and communication technology and special educational needs, provide good subject leadership. The roles and contributions of other co-ordinators have yet to be developed fully, mainly due to staff changes.

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Procedures for pupils’ care and welfare are good and reflect the school’s caring and

10. The school continues to provide good care and support to its pupils, as reported in the last inspection. Many parents, both in their replies to the questionnaire and at the meeting, value the support and guidance given to their children. This helps them mature and grow in self-confidence and encourages their positive approach to learning. Many parents commented positively on the school’s ‘friendly, family atmosphere’ and the inspectors agree with this view. Procedures for child protection and pupils’ welfare are good. Governors regularly complete checks to ensure that the site and premises are safe and secure. The school provides good quality first aid and medical care is provided. The premises are maintained in a clean and safe condition, although the school has concerns over the location of and access to toilet facilities for disabled pupils.

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The school enhances the range of learning activities with a very good range of extra-

curricular activities and very good links with parents and the community.

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The school enhances the range of learning activities with a very good range of extra-

11. The school has focused strongly on developing links with its parents and with the wider local community to enhance the range of educational activities for its pupils. Its West Walton Community Primary School involvement in a ‘Family Learning Initiative’, the Pupil Parent Partnership, has encouraged pupils, parents and members of the local community to contribute to and participate in a wide range of activities. For example, during the current term, pupils and their families, and other adults and their families from the community, participate in 19 different activities, ranging from various sporting clubs, musical and craft activities, computer sessions and French. Some adults even take GCSE English and mathematics courses. These offer good opportunities for parents and pupils to extend their learning, especially those with particular abilities and interests. When the school investigated the efficiency of this range

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The school enhances the range of learning activities with a very good range of extra-

of activities in supporting pupils’ learning, staff found that only two families had not attended any after-school club. The school uses a good range of visits, for example, through strong links with the parish church, and visitors. These extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding of our own traditions and cultures and those of other cultural and religious groups. Some parents were concerned about the lack of residential trips. The school used to go to the Mepal Outdoor Activity Centre but has not been offered the opportunity recently. The school is planning a visit to France next year.

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The school enhances the range of learning activities with a very good range of extra-

12. In 2000, the Pupil Parent Partnership received national and international recognition for its work in developing effective parental links. It has resulted in many procedures being developed that have contributed significantly to pupils’ learning and positive attitudes. Better parental awareness and involvement have improved the behaviour management practices. The school has established very good induction procedures for children new to the school, with a Family Worker helping to encourage early language and social development. A newly commissioned Family Centre will provide further opportunities to extend these procedures.

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The school enhances the range of learning activities with a very good range of extra-

13. A significant proportion of parents’ questionnaires indicated some concerns over links with the school and the information they receive. Inspectors looked carefully at these aspects of the school’s work. They talked to many parents, formally and informally, both at the pre- inspection meeting and during the inspection itself. The school provides many opportunities for parents to talk to teachers, for example by offering a specific time each week when class teachers are available. The relaxed and friendly start to the school day, when many parents, especially of younger pupils, come into the classrooms to sit and talk to, or read with, their children, also encourages contact with class teachers. The school’s ‘open door’ policy provides opportunities for parents to contact the class teacher as soon as possible about any concerns they may have. The school’s use of ‘Learning Zone’ booklets and its very good use of home-school diaries and termly curriculum newsletters

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The school enhances the range of learning activities with a very good range of extra-

provide comprehensive information. Most parents co-operate closely with the school, for example in completing the home-school diaries. This provides for a very effective, on- going dialogue between parents and the class teachers. An analysis of a good sample of these booklets shows that many parents contribute considerably to helping their children improve their work, for example in reading.

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The school enhances the range of learning activities with a very good range of extra-

The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good.

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The school enhances the range of learning activities with a very good range of extra-

14. The school has established very good, detailed and systematic procedures for assessing individual pupils’ needs quickly. The special educational needs co-ordinators work closely with class teachers, pupils and parents. Together they draw up a detailed individual education plan, with clear and specific learning targets. The school makes very good use of well-qualified and experienced support staff. They communicate closely with class teachers to ensure that pupils’ progress towards their targets is assessed regularly. The school has very good review procedures, involving parents and pupils fully. The special educational needs governor is involved effectively and has a good understanding of the school’s procedures. The school makes good use of a group room to provide very good targeted support and provides a good range of resources to match the differing needs. Pupils have a broad range of learning, sensory, behavioural and physical needs. They

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The school enhances the range of learning activities with a very good range of extra-

benefit from high quality provision and are included fully in the school’s programme. The West Walton Community Primary School very good progress made by pupils with special educational needs is reflected clearly in the high levels of movement by pupils, especially older juniors, between the different stages on the school’s register of needs. The regular reviews identify where progress is being made. Levels of need and learning targets are then adjusted accordingly. This very good provision contributes significantly to raising standards of attainment as the school has a larger than average proportion of pupils with special educational needs.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Procedures to evaluate standards of attainment and to set targets for improvement.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

15. The headteacher and class teachers are using an increasing range of attainment information, for example in reading, writing and mathematics, to identify areas for development and target teaching and learning. The headteacher meets termly with class teachers to review pupils’ progress, although recent staff changes have limited the impact of some of these procedures. Some teachers use progress targets for groups and individual pupils well in literacy and numeracy to focus on improvement. Many of these are clearly expressed in ‘pupil friendly’ language so that pupils know precisely what they are trying to improve. Some are displayed in classrooms and others are in pupils’ books or folders, although there was some inconsistency in the use of pupils' improvement targets in some classes.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

16. The school has focused recently on improving pupils’ speaking skills. There is evidence that this focus is improving standards, for example in reading and writing, although the school has not developed procedures to evaluate rigorously its impact on pupils’ written work. It has tried to extend to other subjects teachers' good procedures for tracking pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and science. For example, it has looked at mapping skills in geography and knowledge in religious education. These are beginning to be used to target weaknesses, although are not yet fully established.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

17. The school’s good team approach encourages staff to take part in agreeing issues for development. Many co-ordinators draw up action plans for their subjects. The headteacher uses these effectively to establish a comprehensive school improvement plan. This gives a good direction to the work of the school. However, the procedures to evaluate progress on the different priorities, involving key staff and governors, are not rigorous enough. Staff changes have restricted the development of some of these procedures. Key staff and governors do not check consistently on how well the school is doing on the different issues and adjust the priorities if required. The good monitoring and evaluation of teaching have improved classroom practice, but they are not always focused on how they raise standards, particularly in the key improvement issues.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Teachers’ planning for the Foundation Stage curriculum.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

18. Teachers in the reception and infant classes plan well to ensure that they build pupils’ skills and knowledge soundly on prior learning, especially in preparing the children to move on to National Curriculum subjects. An analysis of teaching plans from earlier in the year shows that teachers plan learning objectives linked to the National Curriculum rather than meeting the specific requirements of the Foundation Stage. Although there are some references to children’s early learning goals, teachers do not plan and identify assessment opportunities consistently to show how children are going to progress towards their goals in all the required areas of learning. They use aspects of the school’s strategies to develop satisfactorily children’s language, literacy and numeracy skills. They do not indicate a broad range of opportunities, for example to extend children’s personal, social and emotional development by promoting their independence through increasing

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

involvement in choosing their activities. This does not help young children to make consistent progress towards the national targets set for their age. West Walton Community Primary School

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

19. In the context of its many strengths and the good quality of education it already provides, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) establish more rigorous procedures to monitor and evaluate the impact of the school’s action plans on standards of attainment;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) use national guidance to improve teachers’ planning for the Foundation Stage curriculum. West Walton Community Primary School

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 8 42 17 33 0 0 0 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 eight 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) 209

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 13

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 71

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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 2

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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 14

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. West Walton Community Primary School

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 17 13 30

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 8 6 11 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 12 11 12

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

Percentage of pupils School 67 (77) 57 (80) 77 (97) 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 7 9 8 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 11 10 10

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

Percentage of pupils School 60 (73) 63 (90) 60 (87) 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)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 8 18 26

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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 21 18 25

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

Percentage of pupils School 81 (75) 69 (78) 96 (91) 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 19 19 21

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

Percentage of pupils School 73 (63) 73 (78) 81 (77) at NC Level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. As the school has fewer than 11 boys or girls in the year group, the table omits totals for boys and girls. West Walton Community Primary School

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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 2 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 0 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. West Walton Community Primary School

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8 Financial year 2002 / 03

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 451,833

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 472,465

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 205 Expenditure per pupil 2,374

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 98,443

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 77,811

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 2

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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) 1 FTE means full-time equivalent. West Walton Community Primary School

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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. 27 71 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 17 71 10 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 19 54 17 10 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 21 35 35 9 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 50 46 0 4 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 52 44 2 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 29 38 29 4 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 35 50 4 9 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 33 54 8 4 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 54 30 10 6 0

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