St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 9 th – 11 th June 2003

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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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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. St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Preston-upon-the- Wealdmoors Telford

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1998 St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 4

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Team members

10638 Martin Newell Registered inspector 19361 Keith Ross Lay inspector

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Team members

Lynrose Marketing Ltd Bungalow Farmhouse Six Mile Bottom Newmarket Suffolk CB8 0TU

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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 St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 26

St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is situated in the village of Preston- upon- the-Wealdmoors, about 6 miles from the town centre of Telford in Shropshire. It is a popular school and is over subscribed with 85 pupils on roll, 47 boys and 38 girls. A high percentage of pupils do not live locally. There is quite a high level of pupil mobility, with 8 pupils joining and 4 pupils leaving the school during the last 12 months at times other than the usual times. The majority of pupils are of white ethnic origin and approximately 7% of pupils do not have English as their mother tongue. This is higher than found in most primary schools. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is rising and currently stands at approximately 11% which is a little below the national average. Approximately 18% of pupils are identified as having special educational needs and this is broadly in line with the national average. However, this fluctuates from year group to

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

year group, ranging from 11% to 40%. The percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational need is below the national average. Assessment data shows that attainment of children soon after they start school covers the full ability range and is at an average level overall.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school. The very good teaching and pupils’ very good attitudes to learning form a most effective combination, which impacts most positively on the standards pupils attain and the progress they make. The school puts a great deal of effort into promoting pupils’ personal development and sets high expectations for pupils to take responsibilities and to take initiative for their own learning. The school is very caring and supportive and pupils’ academic progress is rigorously assessed and tracked. The school and parents have formed a strong partnership which impacts most positively on pupils’ learning. The school is very well led and managed. This is a school that is providing good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in English, mathematics and science. • Pupils have very good attitudes to learning, behaviour is very good and relationships are excellent. • The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much to pupils’ personal and academic development. • Teaching throughout the school is very good. • The welfare and well-being of all pupils are given a high priority with very effective procedures in place for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress. • The school is very well led and managed by the headteacher who is supported by a committed and dedicated teaching and non-teaching staff and an effective Governing Body.

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What could be improved

• The good standards in writing so that they more closely align with the higher standards in reading. • The standard of accommodation. 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 very good progress since the time of the last inspection in 1998. Standards have improved. The quality of teaching has improved and is now a major strength St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 7 of the school. Many of the strengths identified at the last inspection have been maintained and in many instances have been further built upon. In terms of the specific key issues that had to be tackled, there has been significant improvement in pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology and design and technology. Any imbalances in staff expertise have been systematically addressed through a more even allocation of curriculum responsibilities and through improving teachers’ subject knowledge and expertise through good quality in-service training. The quality of curriculum planning is now good and the procedures for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress are very good. The quality of

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

information provided for parents is now of a good standard and helps to keep parents fully informed about events in school and, importantly, about the progress that their child is making. The headteacher, with the support of all staff and governors, has been the driving force behind improvements since the last inspection. This is a school that is always looking to move on and because of this it is particularly well placed to continue to develop.

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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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schools

English C D A B well above average above average A B mathematics C D A B average below average C D science D B A A well below average E

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schools

The above table shows that on the basis of the 2002 end of Year 6 National Curriculum test results, pupils’ attainment, when compared to all schools nationally, is well above average in English, mathematics and science. When compared to similar schools, attainment is well above average in science and above average in English and mathematics. Inspection findings show that pupils are on target to maintain these high standards in English, mathematics and science although more pupils, as is the picture nationally, are on track to achieve or exceed the expected level for 11-year-olds in reading than in writing. The results vary from year to year because of the small number of pupils in each year group and the fluctuating number of pupils in different year groups that have special educational needs and/or have not spent their full educational lives at the school. The school sets challenging targets in English and mathematics both in terms of the number of pupils expected to attain

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schools

the expected level (Level 4) and for the percentage of pupils expected to reach the next higher level (Level 5). The school’s trend of improvement is similar to that found nationally. Evidence clearly indicates that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those whose mother tongue is not English, achieve well and make good and at times very good progress. There is no significant evidence of differences in attainment between boys and girls, throughout the school, that cannot be explained by natural differences in ability.

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schools

The results at the end of Year 2 in the 2002 National Curriculum tests in English and mathematics show that attainment is well above the national average in writing and above average in reading and mathematics. Teacher assessments in science show attainment to be above average. When compared to similar schools, attainment is above average in writing St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 8 and average in reading and mathematics. Inspection findings indicate that standards are well above average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics and science. There is some variability from year to year in attainment levels which is caused by the small number of pupils in each year group and the differences in natural ability between groups of pupils. All pupils, regardless of ability or ethnicity make good and at times very good progress and achieve well.

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schools

Test and assessment data show that attainment soon after children start school covers the full ability range and is at an average level overall. The reception aged children are taught with the Year 1 pupils but the very good quality of teaching ensures that their needs are met well. As a result, children of all abilities make good and at times very good progress and by the end of the reception year most children are on track to exceed the nationally recommended Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils throughout the school have very good attitudes to work and all that the school has to offer. They thoroughly enjoy their learning and take an enthusiastic part in all activities. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils are very well behaved at work and play and show a high regard and concern for the needs of others. Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils show high levels of independence, take initiative and responsibility for their own learning and contribute much to the life of the school as a community. Relationships across the school are excellent and contribute much to the ethos of the school. Attendance Good. Attendance is above the national average and this reflects the fact that pupils enjoy coming to school.

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

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

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

The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good. Children get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage. The reception aged children are taught alongside the Year 1 pupils but the quality of teaching and provision ensure that the needs of these younger children are fully met. The tasks that are set provide many opportunities for children to learn through investigative activities, through finding things out for themselves and through structured as well as child initiated play. None of these activities are at the cost of more formal tasks where the direct teaching of reading, writing, mathematical, physical and creative skills alongside the more ‘hands on’ tasks ensure that all children make good and at times very good progress in these important early stages of learning.

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

The teaching of English, mathematics and science is generally very good across the school. Reading skills are taught very well. Pupils are systematically taught referencing and research skills which means that they can locate information at speed. Teaching provides many good opportunities for pupils to write for a variety of audiences and purposes and pupils do so well. St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 9 The school has increasingly placed more emphasis on the direct teaching of specific writing skills and for opportunities to be capitalised upon where pupils can enhance and expand their writing in other areas of the curriculum.

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

A great strength of the teaching in mathematics and science is the manner in which pupils throughout the school are provided with opportunities to investigate numbers and to solve real–life problems where pupils can put their mathematical knowledge and skills to the test. Invariably the pupils rise to the challenge. A similar situation occurs in science where pupils are asked to carry out experiments and investigations and to use their scientific knowledge to hypothesise, predict and explain why things happen as they do. Older pupils are expected to instigate their own investigations and do so with a high level of success and maturity. From an early age, pupils are expected to take responsibility for their own learning and to become effective independent learners. They take on board these expectations very well, often undertaking independent research at home, with no prompting, on a range of topics where

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

the teaching has enthused and motivated them. Some very good examples are in evidence of computers being used to support and enhance pupils’ learning in other subjects of the curriculum and this adds another dimension to the quality of pupils’ learning.

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

The teaching for pupils with special educational needs and pupils for whom English is not their mother tongue is very good and this enables pupils to make similar progress to their classmates. The support staff in school make a significant and valued contribution to how well these pupils achieve. Higher attaining pupils are fully stretched and challenged and this enables them to achieve consistently high standards in their work.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The school provides a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum which is enhanced by a good range of visits and visitors and a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities. Good curriculum provision is made for children in the Foundation Stage. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The school provides well for pupils with special educational needs. Good quality individual education plans and very good support enables pupils to achieve well Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Pupils are well supported and fully included in all aspects of the curriculum and the life of the school as a community.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The school makes very good provision for the overall personal development of pupils and this is helped by the good provision that is made for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. This is a school where the welfare of all pupils is afforded a high status. Very good procedures are in place for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress as they move through school and in setting targets for pupils to achieve. St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher provides very good leadership and management of the school and has played a pivotal role in improving the school. She enjoys the full support of a dedicated teaching and non-teaching staff. Good procedures are in place to monitor the quality of teaching and learning and these have played an important role in helping to improve the quality of teaching, learning and standards. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The Governing Body has a good grasp of the strengths and areas for development in the school and plays an effective role in ensuring that all statutory responsibilities are met and in holding the school to account for the quality of education that it provides. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good procedures are in place for analysing test and assessment data and this information is used very well to set priorities for

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Aspect Comment

development and improvement. The school consistently and very effectively evaluates its performance against schools both locally and nationally. The strategic use of resources Very good. The school makes very good use of all available funds and grants to help improve the quality of pupils’ learning and ensures best value when making spending decisions. Good use is made of available space and learning resources and of the individual skills and expertise of teachers and support staff.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The fact that children enjoy school. • The quality of teaching and the good progress that all children make. • The good behaviour in school. • The approachability of the school and information relating to how children are getting on. • The expectations that the school sets and the manner in which the school helps children to become mature and responsible. • The partnership between school and parents. • How well the school is led and managed. • The amount of homework. • The range of activities outside of lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents are very happy, proud and appreciative of the quality of education that the school provides and of how well children achieve. Inspection findings fully endorse these very positive views of parents and show this to be a very good school. The amount and range of homework tasks that are set are similar to those found in most primary schools and are therefore satisfactory. Given the small size of the school and the fact that a high number of pupils live a distance from school, the range of extra-curricular activities is satisfactory. St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 11

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

1. When children start school assessment data shows that attainment covers the full ability range and is at an average level overall. The school provides a very good quality of education for all pupils. This enables pupils throughout the school to make good, and at times very good progress, and to achieve well. The work that is set for pupils is consistently matched to their individual needs and this ensures that higher attaining pupils, pupils who have special educational needs and pupils for whom English is not their mother tongue, are stretched and challenged. The school is small and only a small number of pupils are assessed each year. In addition there is a fluctuating percentage of pupils with special educational needs in each year group and there is a considerable level of pupil mobility in school. These factors make comparisons with national statistics unreliable and can lead to fluctuations in results from one year to the

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

next. However, the results of the National Curriculum tests for Year 6 pupils in 2002 show attainment to be well above the national average in English, mathematics and science. When compared to similar schools attainment is well above average in science and above average in English and mathematics. Inspection findings indicate that these high standards are set to continue in all three subjects.

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

2. National Curriculum tests for Year 2 pupils in 2002 show attainment to be well above the national average in writing and above average in reading and mathematics. Teacher assessments in science indicate that pupils’ attainment is above average. When compared to similar schools attainment is above average in writing and average in reading and mathematics. Inspection findings show that standards are well above average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics and science. Again, there is variability from year to year in attainment levels because of the small number of pupils assessed, the natural ability of the cohorts and the incidence of pupil mobility.

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

3. The children make a very good start to their educational lives in the Foundation Stage, make good progress and achieve well. The teaching and learning experiences that are provided for children ensure that they are given every opportunity to learn through the direct teaching of specific skills in different areas of learning, through investigative, open-ended and practical tasks and through play activities that are both structured and child initiated. The reception aged children are educated in the same class as the Year 1 pupils but teaching and curriculum provision consistently ensure that the needs of the younger children are met in a most effective manner. By the time that children are ready to start in Year 1, most children have met, and in many instances exceeded, the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning and attainment is above average overall. Children have acquired good early reading and writing skills. Children recognise initial

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

sounds and blends. They know that print conveys meaning and a good percentage of children read simple texts and produce correctly formed letters in simple sentences. Many children have well developed number skills and recognise numbers to 10 and beyond. Children make sets of 5p and 10p, with the higher attainers working out the change from 20p when spending different amounts. Children recognise many two- dimensional shapes and use a good level of mathematical vocabulary. Children use the computer well. The wide range of activities that is on offer, together with the timely interventions of adults, really helps to push on children’s learning so that they can, for example, recognise the different properties of materials and which materials are more suited for a particular purpose than another. They differentiate well when deciding St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 12

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

which objects will float and which will sink, giving good reasons for their predictions. Children are well aware of the conditions needed for a sunflower to grow and list a number of appliances that need electricity to make them work. Children make informed comparisons between now and the past are well aware of their position in their extended as well as immediate family. Children develop painting skills well, control different tools well when using playdough and are effective model makers. These skills are all developed well alongside the promotion of children’s ability to become inquisitive learners and alongside more imaginative activities where children take part in role-play on a pirate ship, in the home corner, or construct vehicles which have remarkable capabilities. There is little doubt that children’s time in the Foundation Stage prepares them well for work on the National Curriculum Programmes of Study.

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

4. The very good start that children make in the Foundation Stage is effectively built on in Years 1 and 2. Pupils are directly taught reading and writing skills in a systematic and progressive manner. Pupils are introduced to a wide range of literature, fiction, non- fiction and poetry. From an early age, they are encouraged to develop a love of literature. By the end of Year 2 many pupils are fluent and expressive readers. Every opportunity is capitalised on for pupils to read through guided and shared reading sessions, through reading their own work out and in assemblies. Pupils are taught and have acquired a good range of strategies to help them when they come across unfamiliar words or phrases. Pupils have a good understanding of alphabetical order, which helps them when they are locating words in a dictionary or searching for information using an index. When responding to fiction and non-fiction texts pupils

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

demonstrate a good understanding of the main points and express preferences. Although writing standards are not as high as reading standards across the school, they are nevertheless of a good standard. Pupils use a good vocabulary and some powerful adjectives when writing fables and are able to re-tell stories, such as ‘Mr Gumpy’s Outing’, well in their own words. Pupils write instructional texts, book reviews and letters in an effective manner as well as more imaginative and creative texts. Pupils are attentive listeners and are always ready to make contributions in class and group discussions. A significant minority of pupils speak with a very highly developed vocabulary and speak eloquently about their views, opinions and experiences. The sharp, incisive and open-ended questioning of the teacher ensures that these pupils are always challenged in their views in a sensitive manner. At the same time, pupils are

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

expected to value and respect the contributions made by other pupils in the class.

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

5. This very good start is built on very well as pupils move through Years 3 - 6. Reading standards are often of a high standard when pupils leave school. Many pupils leave school as accomplished readers. They read fluently, expressively and with a high level of understanding. Pupils are taught higher order reading skills in an effective manner. This is particularly important because of the high expectations that the school sets in terms of pupils functioning as independent learners. There is a high level of expectation that pupils will carry out personal study and research both at school and at home. To this end the teaching ensures that pupils are fully equipped with skills such as skimming, scanning, locating information at speed and being able to assimilate lots of information whilst at the same time being able to identify key pieces of information or facts and to develop an understanding of the text beyond the literal level. Writing skills

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

continue to be taught well during Years 3 - 6 and pupils are provided with many opportunities to write for a variety of audiences and purposes. Pupils are taught how to take notes effectively, how to write factual narratives, letters, diary accounts, radio and television advertisements, extended writing such as ‘The Marwell Manor Mystery’, expressing views and opinions on issues such as fox hunting as well many other tasks. Pupils invariably complete these tasks well with accurate spelling, with good use made of literary devices such as the use of metaphors and similes to help bring the text even St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 13 more to life. There are some good examples of pupils’ writing skills being promoted and enhanced in other areas of the curriculum when, for example, pupils are asked to write Minotaur monologues, about life in Ancient Greece or Egypt, nativity playscripts or

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

Easter poems. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are of high standard. Pupils listen very well to instructions and to the contributions of classmates. Many pupils have a well developed vocabulary and talk about their work in an animated and very clear and articulate manner. Teaching ensures that pupils are often expected to justify their views and opinions and many opportunities are provided for drama and role-play activities. A very good example was when pupils were asked to film and record radio and television advertisements that they had written. The finished pieces were of a high standard and showed very good levels of humour and animation and would be certain to sell the products if they went on the commercial market.

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

6. Pupils attain well above average standards in mathematics. By the end of Year 2 pupils have a very good mental recall of addition and subtraction facts to 10 with most pupils going beyond this level. Pupils have a very secure understanding of place value and use this knowledge to order numbers to 100 with a significant percentage of pupils showing place value understanding to 1000. Pupils use mental recall of the 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 multiplication tables to help them in the calculations that they are set. A strength is the manner in which many opportunities are provided for pupils to put their number skills to the test in investigative and problem solving tasks. The pupils carry out these tasks well and are most competent in the way in which they solve word problems, select the correct operation to use and use a good level of mathematical vocabulary when talking about their work. Pupils’ knowledge of shape, space and measures is

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

strong and many pupils extract and interpret information presented in simple tables and graphs. The good progress continues as pupils move through Years 3 - 6 and this results in pupils attaining well above average standards in mathematics by the time that they leave school. Pupils’ number skills are at a high level and their mental agility is very good with pupils solving mental calculations at speed. Pupils understand and calculate mean, median and mode, draw and measure acute, obtuse and reflex angles accurately, handle data very well, fully understand and explain reflective symmetry, translations and rotations and calculate the perimeter of irregular shapes with ease. A strength is the emphasis that teaching continues to give to problem solving and investigative activities. Teachers ensure that pupils are provided with tasks where their number and mathematical knowledge are put to the test in meaningful and real life

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

problem solving tasks. The pupils thoroughly enjoy these activities and complete them in an accomplished manner. Pupils have developed their own strategies for solving problems and check their answers for reasonableness. They draw simple conclusions and articulately explain their reasoning.

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

7. Standards in science are well above average. There is a great deal of evidence to indicate that in Years 1 - 2 teaching places as much emphasis on pupils developing their experimentation and investigative skills as developing scientific knowledge. From an early age, pupils are expected to use their knowledge to help them make more informed and accurate predictions in their work in science. Through this work, pupils gain a good understanding not only of which materials are more absorbent than others but also why they are. Pupils have a very good understanding of where light comes from and how shadows are formed. Pupils recognise very well the importance of fair testing and explain why it is fair. They communicate well, in a scientific way, what they have found out and are only too ready to suggest how their work could be improved. Topics are often covered in depth so, for example, when pupils are studying electricity it

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

goes beyond talking about appliances that use electricity but involves pupils in constructing circuits and in developing their awareness that electricity also makes things move, heat up or light up. Pupils show a very good ability in classifying plants, St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 14 insects and animals and have a very secure knowledge of materials and their properties and of physical processes. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ scientific enquiry skills remain at a high level. Pupils use their scientific knowledge very well to make accurate predictions and to explain why things happen as they do. Pupils use a good scientific vocabulary to articulate their thoughts and views. Pupils present their findings in a variety of different formats including text, graphs, pie charts and tables. Many pupils have good interpretation skills and are able to explain what results and outcomes tell

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Pupils make good progress, achieve well and attain well above average standards in

them. Pupils have a very good knowledge of processes such as pollination, fertilisation, and seed dispersal. They are knowledgeable about the solar system, light and sound, irreversible change, materials and forces. The pupils’ early experimentation skills are built on very well so that by Year 6, pupils are confident in initiating their own investigations such as devising an experiment to test the best denier or the best brand name for Robin Hood’s tights as he undertakes different feats in his battle against the Sheriff of Nottingham.

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Pupils have very good attitudes to learning, behaviour is very good and relationships

8. Throughout the school pupils have very good attitudes to learning and behave very well. Relationships across the school are excellent and these factors together with the very good quality of teaching form a powerful combination which impacts most positively on how pupils learn and progress and on the life and ethos of the school.

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Pupils have very good attitudes to learning, behaviour is very good and relationships

9. The school sets high expectations from the outset in terms of behaviour, independence and the contribution that children are expected to make to their own learning. This starts in the Foundation Stage. As part of the teaching of personal and social development, all adults in the Foundation Stage make expectations clear in terms of how children are to behave and to contribute to classroom routines. The children respond very positively to this. They behave very well both in class and at play. Children are very enthusiastic and talk animatedly about their work. When playing in the ‘’pirate ship’ with toys or when sharing resources in child initiated and planned play activities, they do so with high levels of maturity and responsibility. Children are ready to wait their turn and even from this early age show a heightened awareness of the needs of others. When taking part in class discussions or listening to stories, they listen very attentively,

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Pupils have very good attitudes to learning, behaviour is very good and relationships

often desperate to relate their own experiences if they are similar to events in a story. The activities that are provided for children in the Foundation Stage are often stimulating, and children carry them out with eagerness and demonstrate good levels of concentration and perseverance. Behaviour is often of a very good standard. At times some boys are a little boisterous but this is simply enthusiasm for the activities or play in which they are taking part. Whenever they are asked to modify their behaviour, many do so immediately and even offer an apology. The quality of relationships is established at this early stage and children know that they will be listened to, and know that if they approach any adult with a problem, it will be dealt with in a sensitive manner.

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Pupils have very good attitudes to learning, behaviour is very good and relationships

10. In Years 1 - 6 pupils’ attitudes to work and all that the school has to offer are very good. Pupils take a full and active part in class and group discussions. Many are confident and articulate speakers and, although they are always ready to volunteer a view or opinion, this is not overbearing and pupils listen attentively to the views of others, affording them good levels of courtesy and respect. All classes in school contain mixed year groups and older pupils do not over dominate discussions or debates. This is partly because of the very good quality of teaching but also because pupils respect one another and recognise that others’ viewpoints are as valid as their own. Pupils put a great deal of effort into all that they do and thoroughly enjoy their work. Whether working St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 15 out the function of some rather obscure historical artefacts, putting together

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Pupils have very good attitudes to learning, behaviour is very good and relationships

PowerPoint presentations or acting out television commercials they have scripted, pupils do so with high levels of motivation and enthusiasm and with great humour. All these factors help to create a most effective learning environment and equally an atmosphere where learning is to be enjoyed. Pupils show a genuine desire to do well and a thirst for new knowledge and skills. Scrutiny of pupils’ books show that they have a strong work ethic and complete a lot of work both within individual lessons and over time. Pupils often carry on and extend things that they have learnt in class, at home – often carrying out further research on the Internet or through reference books. Pupils readily take on board constructive criticism both verbal and written and this invariably leads to improvements in their understanding or in the presentation or amount of work that they subsequently complete.

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Pupils have very good attitudes to learning, behaviour is very good and relationships

11. Pupils enjoy taking part in all manner of activities. They are as enthusiastic when writing stories or completing complex mathematical problems as they are when painting in the style of different artists, making puppets, designing a healthy sandwich or finding out about the Ancient Egyptians. Teaching encourages pupils’ imaginative and creative talents to come to the fore. The pupils respond very well to this and put their stamp of originality on work that they complete in subjects such as art and design, design and technology and drama activities. Pupils show high levels of independence and certainly see one another as a valuable learning resource rather than depending heavily on adults in the classroom. This is particularly helpful when teachers or other adults in class are working with a particular group of pupils. Throughout the school the pupils are entrusted with responsibility and they respond very maturely to this, which helps to

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Pupils have very good attitudes to learning, behaviour is very good and relationships

establish excellent relationships between pupils and adults in the school. Staff and adults are relaxed in one another’s company and there is a clear bond of respect. Humour is a constant feature of many lessons. At the same time pupils fully understand the boundaries which, if crossed, would constitute inappropriate behaviour.

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Pupils have very good attitudes to learning, behaviour is very good and relationships

12. Behaviour in school is very good. The school has had no temporary or permanent exclusions in the last 5 years. Pupils are taught about the impact that their actions and behaviour can have on others. Behaviour within lessons is often very good. The school has a distinct shortage of space and no school hall. This means that collective acts of worship and lunches take place in classrooms. The pupils cope remarkably well with this. They move around the school in a very sensible and mature manner, act responsibly at all times, readily help out dinner staff at lunch times and help to make lunchtimes pleasant and social occasions. Behaviour in the playground is often of a high standard. Pupils all play well together with older pupils showing a very good awareness of the needs of younger pupils, often joining in games with them and offering help and support if they have any concerns. Some pupils arrive at the school

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Pupils have very good attitudes to learning, behaviour is very good and relationships

presenting quite challenging behaviour. Adults in school deal very firmly but sensitively with these pupils and positive and effective procedures are in place for promoting good behaviour. What is equally effective, however, is the manner in which other pupils in school offer very good role models and the pupils themselves are active in demonstrating, and at times explaining, the code of behaviour that is expected within the school. This has a very positive impact and is reflected in the fact that there are very few behaviour issues in the school. The very positive attitudes of the pupils, the very good level of behaviour and the excellent quality of relationships all help to create a great sense of community that permeates the life of the school.

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to pupils’ personal and their academic development. St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 16 13. The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum with the exception of physical education where the lack of a school hall means that pupils cannot take part in gymnastics which is a requirement of the National Curriculum. However, the rest of the curriculum is catered for very effectively with a vibrant range of activities catered for both within and outside of the formal curriculum.

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

14. The activities that are planned in the Foundation Stage are interesting and stimulating and promote pupils’ learning well. Alongside the formal teaching of early reading, writing and mathematical skills, many activities are on offer for children to learn through experiential and practical activities. These activities still have a specific learning focus so that children are constantly learning even if at times they are not aware of it. Children have opportunities for structured play in sand and water, to paint and draw, to write freely in the office area, to play matching and number games on the computer, to bake, to control different tools when using playdough, to take part in many role-play activities, to make models and to use a variety of construction kits. A very good initiative is where the pupils sit down with the adults and plan out a structured play session where children choose and plan the tasks that they are to take part in and to evaluate how

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successful they have been or what they would change for the next time. The children, and staff, thoroughly enjoy these sessions and there are groans of disappointment when children are asked to put away resources that they have used.

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

15. The school ensures that the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are catered for in a most effective manner. Reading skills are developed well and the school places a great emphasis on pupils developing their investigative and enquiry skills alongside their acquisition of knowledge and understanding. This level of provision plays an important role in the high standards and in how well pupils of all abilities achieve. A strength is the manner in which the school provides for other subjects of the curriculum. Information and communication technology plays an important role in pupils’ learning. Throughout the school pupils use computers on a regular basis to support and enhance their learning in subjects such as literacy and numeracy, for research tasks and for recording findings in either text, table or graphical form. As pupils get older the computers are in constant use for word processing tasks and when

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

appropriate are used for PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, control and sensors and for access to the Internet. A good amount of time is given to developing pupils’ understanding and knowledge of different religions in addition to Christianity. Pupils study different festivals such as the Passover, Divali, and look at similarities and differences between a Christian and Hindu wedding. Pupils compare communities such as their own to that of a city such as Birmingham. These activities help pupils to gain a deeper insight into the diverse society in which we all live.

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

16. In art and design pupils study the work of many famous artists such as Escher, Ando Hiroshige, Klee and Gaudi. Pupils carry out screen printing, press prints, blown ink portraits, wax and ink pictures. They consistently use a variety of different media. Younger pupils carry out observational drawings of the locality, make individual mosaic tiles, work in textiles and look at Mother Nature as an artistic designer. Older pupils are given the opportunity to make thumb and coil pots and other clay pots and visit Ellesmere to make a study of canal art. Pupils have also visited Walsall gallery to look at landscape and still life paintings. The experiences that pupils are provided with are supplemented by very good quality teaching, which ensures that specific artistic skills are taught in a direct and progressive manner. In design and technology, pupils first of all design and then make and evaluate a wide range of products that include

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

sandwiches, bags and containers, puppets, wheeled vehicles and toys with moving parts. A strength is the manner in which pupils are given a wide choice of different materials to work with and are given the opportunity to experiment with different ways of St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 17 joining and fixing materials together and then evaluating at the end of the project and using the information very well to guide their future work when completing other tasks.

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

17. In history and geography, whether they are studying the Great Fire of London, Ancient Egypt, climate or the rain cycle, a strength is that all topics are covered in depth rather than at a superficial level. The emphasis is on the acquisition of knowledge and also on developing pupils’ ability to act as historical or geographical enquirers. Pupils are learning to interpret history and to study in depth issues such as conservation or pollution and recognise that people’s lives, expectations and culture may differ markedly from one country to another. In music, pupils are provided with opportunities to perform both within school and in the local community and to appraise and compose music. The vibrant and in depth learning experiences that the school provides in the different subjects of the curriculum contribute significantly to the standards that pupils attain and equally importantly make a telling contribution to the spiritual, moral, social

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

and cultural development and to their personal development overall.

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

18. The school makes good use of learning opportunities that arise out of activities outside of the formal curriculum. Pupils have made visits to places of historical, geographical and artistic interest. The school hires a local theatre to put on their own school production and makes yearly theatre trips to major cities such as Birmingham. Pupils visit museums, art galleries and universities. Pupils take part in music workshops in other schools and benefit from listening to musicians that visit the school. Every year the school has a European Day when the whole school focuses on aspects of life and culture of a specific country. Every two years a specialist teacher, subsidised by a multi-national oil company, leads a range of exciting and innovative activities which extend well beyond the normal science curriculum. Pupils also benefit from visits from representatives of the emergency services who make pupils aware of various health

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

and safety issues as well as heightening pupils’ awareness of the dangers of drugs. The school nurse teaches a sex education programme to the Year 5 and 6 pupils which fits into the long-term curriculum plan and supplements provision for sex education that is covered in the science curriculum. The school is small in size and extra-curricular provision is somewhat limited by the school’s facilities and the fact that some teachers at the school are part-time teachers. However, activities on offer to pupils during the last 2 years have included board games, craft club, recorders, sewing, Spanish, netball, and rounders. 2002 saw the reinstatement of a residential visit to an outward bound centre and this is to take place again this year. Such activities and events add another dimension to pupils’ learning as well as enhancing their social and personal development.

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

19. Pupils are constantly encouraged to be independent learners and to take initiative and responsibility for their own learning. Pupils respond to these expectations very well and are often seen carrying out independent study and research and fully realise the part that they can play in advancing their own learning. Pupils are just as willing to contribute to the life of the school as a community. Pupils carry out a wide range of tasks around the school. They help to set out and put away resources for assemblies, lessons and sporting activities and play a major role in helping out at lunchtimes with the serving of meals and drinks. The tasks that pupils carry out are done on a voluntary basis. A list is completed where pupils sign up to carry out jobs and there is never a shortage of volunteers. Older pupils are really good role models for the younger pupils and are often seen helping them out or simply chatting to them at lunch and break times. There are

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

also reading sessions where older pupils listen to younger pupils read. Pupils have a well developed awareness that others in the world are less fortunate than themselves and, with this in mind, pupils regularly organise and take responsibility for fund raising St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 18 events for different charities. For example, pupils have organised a talent contest and raised a good sum of money.

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20. This is an inclusive school and makes great efforts to ensure that all pupils’ personal and academic needs are met in a highly effective manner. The needs of the higher attaining pupils are consistently met and teaching and curriculum provision are successful in ensuring that work and tasks that are set for these pupils are sufficiently demanding and challenging and that pupils make the progress of which they are capable. Pupils with special educational needs and pupils whose mother tongue is not English are supported well and all staff ensure that their academic and social needs are always met. This means that these pupils have full access to all aspects of the formal and informal curriculum and take a full and inclusive role in the life of the school as a community.

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Teaching throughout the school is very good.

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

21. The quality of teaching is very good across the school and this makes a very important and significant contribution to the good and at times very good progress that all pupils make and to the standards that are attained. Teaching is effective in ensuring that the individual needs of all pupils are met regardless of age, ability or ethnicity. There are three classes in school and in two classes teaching is shared between more than one teacher. Very good liaison procedures are in place so that these arrangements work most effectively in ensuring that there is continuity in pupils’ learning. In these classes the individual skills and talents of the teachers are put to best use so that teachers teach subjects or elements of subjects in which they are strongest and have particular skills. This has a positive impact on pupils’ learning. During the week of inspection teaching was never less than good and was very good in almost 60% of lessons.

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

22. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good. The reception aged children are educated in the same class as the Year 1 pupils but the high quality of planning ensures that the individual needs of the younger children are consistently met. Every activity is seen as a learning opportunity. Tasks and activities have specific learning foci and it is clear what children are to learn in each task whether it be making a construction with a limited number of pieces, painting a picture that involves children mixing colours to achieve the right effect, comparing which containers hold more water than others or the level of vocabulary that children are expected to use in their role play activities. Children’s communication and language skills are developed very well. Children are encouraged to read at every opportunity and when reading ‘Owl Babies’ with the teacher the children were asked to predict the next step in the story and to use

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

their most expressive vocabulary to describe the owls. Immediately the children came up with ’ruffly, beady eyes and sharpened claws’. Teachers provide good opportunities for modelling writing and for children to constantly develop their speaking and listening skills in high quality question and answer sessions.

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23. In mathematics lessons in the Foundation Stage children are given every opportunity to learn through practical activities, through play in water and sand, through the playing of mathematical games alongside the development of their mental agility in well paced and challenging activities that start off many lessons. Good and on-going use is made of computers to support children’s learning. The formal teaching of specific skills alongside the emphasis given to learning through practical and investigative tasks significantly enhances children’s learning. The initiative of child initiated play activities has proved very effective and successful in helping children to develop as independent learners. The children have to choose a particular activity which has a specific and St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 19 challenging learning focus. They have to record what they do, what is successful and

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

what is not and there is plenty of scope for children to put their own imaginative and creative ideas into action. Adult interventions are well focused and never over directed. The fact that staff record their observations on the child’s planning sheet means that there is very good on-going assessment which is used very well in future play sessions. These play sessions are very effective, successful and children are completely engrossed from start to finish. Another strength in the Foundation Stage is the contribution that support staff and other adults make. Their contributions are valued and valuable and play a pivotal role in how well children learn.

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24. The quality of teaching in Years 1 - 6 is very good. Teachers plan work very well and ensure that the tasks that are planned take full account of the different abilities of the pupils. This means that work is often demanding and challenging and asks a lot of the pupils. Invariably the pupils rise to the challenge. A thread of teaching and learning throughout the school is the high expectation that all teachers have in terms of pupils taking initiative and responsibility for their own learning. Pupils are expected to undertake personal study and research. Younger pupils are expected to use a dictionary, thesaurus or an index to locate words or information. Teachers constantly encourage pupils to let their own individuality and creativity shine through. The result of this is that art and design work or the models that pupils make in design and technology are not uniform and have a stamp of originality on them. A further example of this

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

creativity was in evidence when older pupils in school had to write original, imaginative and creative scripts for radio and television advertisements. The opportunity was certainly a good vehicle for enhancing pupils’ literacy skills but the pupils were then asked to act out the advertisements whilst other pupils filmed and taped the results. The result was a series of polished and inventive commercials which were both very humorous and highly effective in promoting a wide range of products.

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25. A strength of the teaching in English is the manner in which reading skills are directly taught. From an early age pupils are provided with a range of strategies to help them tackle more difficult words. These strategies are constantly reinforced in guided reading sessions. As pupils move through school teaching then ensures that pupils are taught more advanced skills. As a result pupils are able to skim and scan and to locate information quickly. Pupils are effective independent learners because they have such well developed referencing skills that are borne out of the systematic teaching of higher order reading skills. The school has increasingly put more emphasis on ensuring that writing skills are taught in the same manner and has identified the need to ensure that these skills continue to be taught systematically and for opportunities to write in other areas of the curriculum to be consistently capitalised on so that writing standards

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

match those of reading. A very good example of this was seen in Years 2/3 where the teacher directly taught the skills to write a lively, interesting letter to a special friend or person. The teaching not only concentrated on the layout but also the style and type of language to be used. By the end of the lesson many pupils had written letters of a high standard that hooked the attention of the listener and also enhanced pupils’ reading skills as they read them out to the rest of the class with high levels of expression and animation.

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

26. Mathematics and science are taught very well in Years 1-6. Much emphasis is given to the development of pupils’ mental agility skills in mathematics and the opening sessions of many lessons are characterised by pacey and challenging tasks which put pupils’ mental agility to the test. All aspects of the subject are covered in depth and this means that pupils are well rounded mathematicians by the time that they leave the school. The teaching also places a great emphasis on problem solving strategies and using these strategies in real-life and relevant mathematical problems. An example of St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 20 this was seen in Years 2/3 where the pupils were confronted with well differentiated but challenging money problems that needed 3 or 4 steps to complete. The pupils had to decide which steps to take and to look for short cuts. The work was demanding but

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

was very successful in enhancing pupils’ numeracy skills as well as interpreting word problems and then deciding which mathematical strategies and operations to use. In a very successful lesson for pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 the pupils had to use spreadsheets and then calculate the mean, median and mode. The task was challenging, made very good use of computer technology to enhance pupils’ learning and then added an extra layer of challenge for the highest attaining pupils by asking them to formulate their own questions about the data. In science, teaching strikes a very good balance between ensuring that pupils acquire a good base of scientific knowledge and also in ensuring that pupils learn through carrying out experiments and investigative tasks. Evidence indicates that practical experiments and investigations are a regular occurrence. During the inspection younger pupils were examining how seeds

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

grow and are dispersed, not through looking at books but by closely examining a whole range of plants and flowers, locating their seeds and discussing and recording how they felt the seeds could be dispersed. This practical approach certainly advanced pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Older pupils in school were seen instigating a range of their own experiments and investigations to check out the best denier or brand name for Robin Hood’s tights. The pupils record their results in a variety of formats and it is clear that pupils carry out such pupil initiated investigations on a regular basis.

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27. Teaching is strong in other subjects such as information and communication technology, art and design and history. In information and communication technology lessons pupils are directly taught a wide range of skills that cover all aspects of the subject and very good use is made of computers to support and enhance pupils’ learning in other subjects of the curriculum such as science, mathematics, for research purposes and in music. The interactive whiteboards are used very well by teachers as a teaching aid and they certainly capture the interest of the pupils and make specific teaching points very clear which all help to enhance the quality of learning. Teachers use their subject knowledge and enthusiasm for subjects such as history and art and design to motivate and enthuse the pupils and to enhance their knowledge and skills. Pupils are given the opportunity to work with a wide range of materials and are taught, for example, how to sketch more proficiently or how to shade

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

using different techniques, both of which led to immediate improvement in the quality of pupils’ work. In history, pupils are constantly encouraged to become historical enquirers, finding out about different facets of history, examining why different people view the same period of history from very different viewpoints and through examining primary and secondary sources of evidence. In a very good lesson the detailed examination of a varied and fascinating array of artefacts produced great excitement and interest as well as expanding pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the Victorians.

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The school provides a good range of vibrant learning opportunities which add much

28. The support staff across the school make a significant contribution to the learning of all pupils. They work very well with teaching staff and very good liaison procedures are in place. Their support is much valued by teachers and pupils alike. The support and direct teaching that they provide is most effective in ensuring that work and tasks match the individual needs of pupils and in enabling pupils with special educational needs to take a full and inclusive part in lessons and in all aspects of the curriculum. Teaching for pupils for whom English is not their mother tongue is equally effective and enables pupils to take an inclusive role in all that the school has to offer. St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 21

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The welfare and well-being of all pupils is given a high priority with very effective

procedures in place for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress.

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The welfare and well-being of all pupils is given a high priority with very effective

29. The school is a caring and supportive school where the welfare and well being of all pupils is afforded a high priority. The school places a great emphasis on the tracking of pupils’ personal and academic development and these procedures have had an important impact on how well pupils attain and achieve. The school is an inclusive school where the individuality of all pupils is recognised and celebrated.

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The welfare and well-being of all pupils is given a high priority with very effective

30. Good procedures are in place to promote good attendance. Parents are regularly reminded of the importance of good attendance and punctuality and are actively discouraged from taking holidays in term time. The school is generally effective in its aims and this is reflected in the attendance rates, which are above the national average and also clearly reflect the fact that pupils like coming to school. Equally good procedures are in place for promoting good behaviour. The school operates a positive approach to behaviour management. Praise and constructive criticism are given in equal measure. Pupils are very well aware of what is expected of them in terms of behaviour and respond very well to these expectations, which is shown in the standards of behaviour which are very good. Sanctions come into play if behaviour is not at an accepted level and parents are kept fully involved and informed. Younger

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The welfare and well-being of all pupils is given a high priority with very effective

pupils in school have classroom behaviour codes and reward systems whilst for the older pupils the code is negotiated and revisited termly. Positive behaviour and deeds are recorded in a ‘playtime’ book and these are praised in weekly assemblies. The school has a strong sense of community and pupils know that should they have any concerns or worries they can approach any adult in school, knowing that their concerns will be listened to and dealt with swiftly and sensitively.

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The welfare and well-being of all pupils is given a high priority with very effective

31. Good procedures are in place to ensure the health and safety of pupils. The headteacher is the named person for Child Protection and is about to undertake refresher training in this important area of school life. All staff are aware of the procedures to follow should any concerns arise. A good quality health and safety policy is in place and there is a designated governor who carries out regular health and safety assessments and reports back to the full Governing Body who ensures that any identified issues are tackled as a matter of urgency. All visits that take place off the school site are assessed for risk and very careful records are kept. Plans are in place to deal with a wide range of emergency situations in the unlikely event that such an incident should occur. Two staff are qualified first aiders and very effective procedures are in place to ensure the safe administration of medicine to pupils. Very good

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The welfare and well-being of all pupils is given a high priority with very effective

procedures are in place to inform parents of any accidents at school and parents are very confident and secure in the fact that the school places a high priority on the safety, care and welfare of each and every child.

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The welfare and well-being of all pupils is given a high priority with very effective

32. Very good procedures are in place for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress and these procedures have made an important contribution to how well pupils attain and achieve. Children are assessed soon after they start school and the information is initially used to identify children that may have special educational needs or children that may have particular talents. After this initial use the information is used well to guide and inform curriculum planning and to ensure that work is consistently matched to the individual needs of children. Good on-going assessments in the Foundation Stage mean that work can be modified or extended to suit the needs of all children.

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The welfare and well-being of all pupils is given a high priority with very effective

33. As pupils move through the school, very good procedures are in place for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science. In addition to statutory tests the school carries out a range of other assessments and tests with the St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 22 information being used very well to set targets for individual pupils, for groups of pupils and for year groups. The school is most effective in setting targets in literacy and numeracy. These targets take into account the individual attainment of the pupils and so targets differ between individual pupils rather than them being generic for a year group. All pupils have profile books in which samples of their work across many areas of the curriculum are collated. Their literacy and numeracy targets are included in the book and it is clear that pupils are well aware of the targets that are set for them, which

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The welfare and well-being of all pupils is given a high priority with very effective

reinforces the fact that they too have a responsibility for their own learning. Pupils are also given the opportunity to make comments in the profile book about how they feel their work is progressing. This profile book is also sent home on a termly basis so that parents can see how their child is progressing. There are equally good procedures in place for assessing pupils with special educational needs and for pupils whose mother tongue is not English. The procedures ensure that pupils’ needs are identified at an early stage and that support is targeted to where the need is greatest. Effective use is also made of assessment data to ensure that work is accurately matched to the needs of the higher attaining pupils. The effectiveness of assessment and welfare procedures is another indication of the inclusive nature of the school as it seeks to ensure that the individual personal, social and academic needs of all pupils are met regardless of

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The welfare and well-being of all pupils is given a high priority with very effective

gender, ability or ethnicity. The school is not one for resting on its laurels and there is no sense of complacency. This is shown in the way that the school is improving assessment procedures in the foundation subjects by measuring pupils’ performance against level descriptors as outlined by national guidance.

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34. The headteacher provides very good leadership and management of the school and has played an important role in the development and improvement of the school since the time of the last inspection. The headteacher has a strong and clear vision for the continued improvement of the school. She has a very astute awareness of the strengths and areas for development and puts in place effective strategies for tackling any weaknesses should any become apparent. The headteacher has played a pivotal and significant role in developing a very good and effective team spirit that is at the foundation of all that the school does and achieves. All who work at the school are committed to attaining and sustaining high standards and in providing a high quality of education for all pupils. The team spirit is evident in the manner in which all new initiatives are discussed with the full staff and debated and refined as a whole school

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exercise before they become embedded in school practice. The strengths in leadership and management of the headteacher are further reinforced by the fact that the small size of the school means that the headteacher has a heavy teaching commitment in addition to her management responsibilities. She leads by example in her teaching and in balancing the two roles so effectively she has gained the full respect of staff, pupils, governors and parents.

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35. The school has made very good progress since the time of the last inspection. In terms of the key issues that were identified there have been many and significant improvements in the provision made for information and communication technology and design and technology and in pupils’ attainment in these subjects. Curriculum responsibilities are now distributed more evenly and a consistent programme of in- service training has led to increases in teachers’ subject knowledge and expertise. Curriculum planning and procedures for assessing and tracking pupils’ attainment and progress have improved to such an extent that the latter are now strengths of the St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 23 school. Information for parents is good and parents are kept well informed about how their child is progressing. In addition to significant improvements in terms of the key issues, improvement in the wider sense is just as impressive. Standards overall have

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improved and teaching has improved with many of the strengths identified at the last inspection being maintained and in many instances built upon and improved. This is a school that is not content to rest on its laurels. There is no sense of complacency. These are important factors that indicate that the school is particularly well placed to continue to move forward and improve.

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36. Good procedures are in place for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning. The headteacher, LEA advisers and some co-ordinators have monitored teaching through the direct observation of lessons. Formal feedback is provided and any pointers for development then form the focus for future observations. Staff work very closely together, know the pupils very well and there is an ongoing dialogue regarding pupils’ attainment, progress and achievement. Teaching and learning are further evaluated through the regular scrutiny of pupils’ work and through discussions with the pupils. Good procedures are in place for analysing test and assessment data and the information is then used in a very effective manner to identify areas for development for the whole school, or phases of school, and for setting targets for improvement for individual pupils, groups of pupils or for year groups. Good attention is paid to criteria

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such as gender, ability, ethnicity or mobility when analysing data and this means that the headteacher and staff have a very good grasp and awareness of whether all pupils are making the progress of which they are capable or if some pupils achieve better than others. If this is the case, for example, if there are differences in attainment between boys and girls, the school closely examines the reasons and acts immediately upon their findings if differences in attainment cannot be explained by natural ability differences between different pupils.

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37. The Governing Body fulfils its duties well and plays an important role in holding the school to account for the quality of education that it provides. Governors are very supportive of the work of the school and relationships between the staff and governors are excellent and add a further layer to the sense of community that pervades the life of the school. Governors have a good working knowledge of the school. Governors visit school and have observed lessons and support many social and sporting events. Some governors have helped to run after school sporting activities. Their involvement and awareness of the school at work gives them a good insight into the quality of education that the school provides and how factors such as accommodation impact on the quality of pupils’ learning. The Health and Safety governor visits the school regularly to carry out risk assessments. Governors take a key role in appointments, curriculum

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changes, school development planning, threshold assessment, target setting and performance management issues. The governors have played an equally important role in seeking to address the problems of the school’s accommodation. Whilst they remain unsuccessful in their continued and much needed quest for a school hall, they have been successful in securing the building of an additional classroom which is due to come into use in September.

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38. The School Development Plan is an effective document which accurately identifies the areas that the school needs to address to improve still further. All staff and governors are fully involved in identifying priorities and monitoring progress towards them. Financial planning is of a good standard and spending is monitored well by the headteacher and the finance committee with assistance provided by the LEA finance officer. Accumulated reserves over time have always been allocated to and earmarked for improving the accommodation. Good links are made between spending patterns and identified educational priorities. Good procedures are in place for assessing the St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 24 impact of major spending decisions on the quality of pupils’ learning. The school makes very good use of funds and grants to which it has access. The school applies the principles of best value well when purchasing goods and services. Recommendations

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of the latest auditor’s report have been acted upon. The school secretary carries out her duties in a most pleasant and effective manner which enables the school to run in a smooth and efficient manner on a day-to-day basis. Taking all factors into account the school is providing good value for money.

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The good standards in writing so that they more closely align with the higher

39. The school already achieves good standards in writing but has rightly identified in its School Development Plan the need to try and align more closely the standards that are achieved in writing with the higher standards that are achieved in reading. The school has over time consistently ensured that reading skills are taught in a systematic, direct and progressive manner. Recently the school has stared to ensure that writing skills are taught in the same manner so that pupils are fully equipped with the necessary skills to write for a wide range of audiences and purposes, and for pupils to develop a stamina in writing that will enable them to sustain a story line or characterisation over an extended piece of writing and whilst using a powerful and arresting vocabulary. These procedures and initiatives are proving increasingly effective and it is important that they continue to be developed and become more embedded in school practice to

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The good standards in writing so that they more closely align with the higher

have their greatest possible impact on helping to raise standards even further. Although there are some good examples of writing in other subjects of the curriculum being used to enhance pupils’ writing skills, this good practice is not as regular or as consistent as it could be, with opportunities sometimes missed in subjects such as history, science, religious education, art and design and music.

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The good standards in writing so that they more closely align with the higher

40. The school and the Governing Body have constantly over the years sought ways to improve the quality of the accommodation. Their great efforts have been rewarded to some extent by the fact that a new classroom and other accommodation has recently been completed and is to be ready for use in September. The main weakness, however, remains the fact that the school does not have a school hall. This restricts the school’s ability to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum in physical education because pupils cannot take part in gymnastics or elements of dance. Whole school assemblies have to take place in classrooms, which necessitates moving furniture and then returning it. The school is left with no choice but to ask pupils to eat their lunches in classrooms which means that lunch times are often a little rushed because classrooms have to be cleaned at the end of the session in readiness for the afternoon

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The good standards in writing so that they more closely align with the higher

lessons. The situation is far from ideal as it has a negative impact on pupils’ learning in physical education, prevents lunchtimes from being as socially pleasant an occasion as they could be and it is only the commitment and enthusiasm of staff and pupils alike that enable acts of collective worship to be as uplifting as they are.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 25 41. In order to build on the very good standards and quality of education that the school provides, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

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1) improve standards in writing further by:

• ensuring that teachers continue to directly teach a wide range of writing skills in a systematic manner to enable pupils to write effectively for a wide range of audiences and purposes; • ensuring that opportunities to enhance pupils’ writing skills in other subjects of the curriculum are capitalised on.

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2) continue to examine and evaluate ways in which to improve the

accommodation, particularly the provision of a school hall. St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 26

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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 Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than seven percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR-Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/A 85

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/A 10

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/A 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/A 15

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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 6

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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 4

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Attendance

School data 4.7 School data 0.1 St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 27 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. St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 28

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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 4 9 13

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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 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 100(87) 100(93) 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

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 100(87) 100(100) 100(93) 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. Total figures only are given where the number of boys and/or girls in the cohort is fewer than ten.

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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 10 16

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 94(80) 88(60) 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)

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 94(70) 94(60) 100(70) at NC level 4 or above National 73(72) 74(74) 82(82) St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 29 Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Total figures only are given where the number of boys and/or girls in the cohort is fewer than ten. St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 30

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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 3 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 4 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 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. St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 31

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 3.6 Financial year 2002/2003

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.6

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR-Y6 Total income 239 295

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Total expenditure 261 518

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 85 Expenditure per pupil 3077

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 32159

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) N/A Balance carried forward to next year 9936

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher N/A

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff N/A

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week N/A

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0.2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 0.6

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0.0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0.0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0.0

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 32

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 72 28 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 66 34 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 50 28 16 6 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 81 16 3 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 91 9 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 81 19 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 75 22 0 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 72 28 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 78 22 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 28 50 19 0 3

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