Stallingborough CofE Primary School

Stallingborough C of E Primary School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 3 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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Stallingborough C of E Primary School

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils: 4-11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 87

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Stallingborough Grimsby Postcode: DN41 8AP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01472 882438 Fax number: 01472 882438

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr Trevor Crofts

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 23 March 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This Church of England voluntary aided school is much smaller than average with 87 pupils currently on roll, slightly larger than at the time of the last inspection. There are variations in intake from year to year, reflecting numbers of children in the local area. Almost all of the pupils are from white backgrounds with none having English as an additional language. The mobility of pupils varies from year to year, but is high in national terms, although no pupils currently come from refugee or traveller backgrounds. Most pupils live in the rural area around the school, with an increasing number from further afield. The socio-economic indicators for these areas are average overall. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals, at 7.1 per cent, is below the national average. Children joining the school have a wide range of attainment although it is average overall for their age. Currently, 13 pupils (15 per cent and around the national

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

average) have identified special educational needs, most of whom have identified moderate learning needs. One pupil currently has a statement of special educational need, which is average. The previous headteacher has just retired after a long period of leading the school. The new headteacher had been in post for a week at the time of the inspection. Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 5

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21512 Tony Painter Lead inspector Special educational needs Mathematics Science Information and communication technology (ICT) Art and design Design and technology Music Physical education 8943 Margaret Manning Lay inspector 12301 Joan Boden Team inspector Foundation Stage curriculum English Religious education Geography History Personal, social and health education and citizenship

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Altecq Inspections Limited 102 Bath Road Cheltenham GL53 7JX

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 6

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 25

Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 7

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This school provides a sound education overall and satisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Very strong trusting relationships establish a positive ethos for learning. • The school successfully helps pupils to gain maturity and responsibility. • Children get a good start to their learning in the Foundation Stage classes. • There is insufficient monitoring of teaching and learning to give a clear view of strengths, weaknesses and standards. • Assessment information is not used enough to plan challenging tasks for all pupils. • Very good links with parents and the local community contribute positively to pupils’ learning. • The school’s very good accommodation supports teachers’ planning of the whole curriculum. • The new headteacher has made a good start in analysing the school and identifying priorities.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Satisfactory action has been taken on all the issues identified in the last inspection, particularly in raising pupils’ achievement and standards in information and communication technology. However, the school has not maintained the overall strengths in standards and teaching that were described in that report. Pupils’ standards of attainment have fallen over time, although there have been recent improvements and achievement is now satisfactory.

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Year 6 results

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004

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Year 6 results

English A D D E mathematics C E A C science A* E E E* Key: A - well above average; B - above average; C - average; D - below average; E - well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2

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Year 6 results

Pupils’ overall achievement is satisfactory . There are many variations in attainment from year to year, reflecting the different groups of pupils involved and the high level of mobility amongst pupils. Children’s overall attainment is average when they start school and they achieve well in all the areas of learning in nursery and reception classes. Current children’s standards are above those expected by the time they begin Year 1. Year 2 national test results have varied from year to year, but the overall trend has been downwards. The 2004 results were well below the national average and in the lowest 5 per cent in writing and when compared with results in similar schools. Current teaching in Years 1 and 2 leads to satisfactory progress and standards of attainment by the end of Year 2 are now average. Year 6 test results have also varied and, despite some good results such as science in Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 8

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Year 6 results

2002, the trend has fallen over time. Although overall attainment in 2004 was average, there were big variations between subjects, with English and science comparing particularly weakly with similar schools. Overall achievement in Years 3-6 is currently satisfactory and pupils are reaching average standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6.

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Year 6 results

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall and this supports their growing maturity. Teachers’ high expectations and very good relationships lead to pupils’ good attitudes and behaviour. Attendance is above average and punctuality is good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The overall quality of education is satisfactory . Good teaching and a good range of activities in the nursery and reception classes get children off to a good start. The curriculum in the rest of the school is satisfactory, enriched by a good range of clubs and other activities. Although the overall quality of teaching is satisfactory, there are strengths in teachers’ relationships and personal knowledge of pupils. Teachers organise and manage their lessons well. They are beginning to track pupils’ attainment and set targets, but do not make full use of assessment information to set tasks to challenge pupils at all ability levels.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory overall. The leadership of the newly appointed headteacher and key staff is satisfactory. There is a good team spirit amongst the staff and a clear commitment to improvement under the new leadership. Management is satisfactory. The school evaluates its performance soundly and identifies a number of appropriate developments but does not monitor teaching and learning closely enough. In particular, subject co-ordinators have not had a strong enough role in establishing a secure view of strengths, weaknesses and standards through the school. Governance is satisfactory and ensures that all statutory requirements are met. Supportive governors have an increasing awareness of the school’s strengths and weaknesses but do not consistently ask sufficiently challenging questions about standards and provision.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have very positive views of the school and feel that their children are given a good range of experiences that help them to mature well. Pupils are very happy in school, knowing that they are always able to turn to caring adults to support them at any time.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • improve self-evaluation and management, including increasing the involvement of co- ordinators in monitoring teaching and learning; • make more use of assessment information to match tasks to pupils’ abilities better when planning lessons. Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall , although children make good progress in the nursery and reception classes. There are many variations in attainment from year to year, primarily relating to the different abilities of the very small groups of pupils involved. Current pupils’ standards of attainment by the end of Year 6 are average .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Effective strategies are improving pupils’ achievement and have halted the decline in standards. • Children achieve well in the nursery and reception classes. • New resources and training are helping raise achievement in ICT.

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Commentary

1. Standards are currently average overall. This is not as high as they were at the time of the last inspection. The results in the national tests in Years 2 and 6 have shown downward trends in recent years. However, the very small size of each annual group of pupils means that variations in overall attainment are often exaggerated. For example, the 2004 Year 2 results were very low when compared with all schools and those with similar socio-economic backgrounds. However, nearly a half of these pupils were identified on the school’s register of special educational needs.

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Commentary

2. Year 6 results have often varied widely between subjects. Overall standards were very low in 2003 after high levels in previous years. New approaches to teaching mathematics helped to raise standards in this subject to well above average in 2004 and overall standards to average. Standards in English and science remained at below average and well below average levels. Comparisons with schools with similar Year 2 results were well below average, but this does not take into account the substantial mobility of pupils in this school. However, the school’s tracking records for individual pupils do not indicate better than satisfactory achievement through Years 3-6. Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004 Standards in: School results National results reading 13.5 (18.0) 15.8 (15.7) writing 11.0 (15.2) 14.6 (14.6) mathematics 14.8 (17.0) 16.2 (16.3) There were eight pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 10 3. Children joining the nursery have varying levels of attainment and experience, although overall this is average. Good provision in the nursery and reception classes builds carefully on children’s prior attainment and allows them to achieve well in all areas of learning. Children progress particularly well in their personal, social and emotional development as they quickly settle into the clear routines. Very good relationships build children’s confidence and this extends and enhances their learning skills. Currently, those children about to join Year 1 are reaching above average standards, although this has not been the case in all year groups.

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Commentary

4. Achievement is satisfactory through Years 1-6 and pupils maintain average levels of attainment. This is overall attainment above that indicated in the most recent national tests in Years 2 and 6. Recent improvements in teachers’ planning, tracking and target setting are improving achievement, but are not yet applied consistently enough. Teachers do not make sufficient use of improving assessment information to match the challenge of work to pupils with different ability levels. As a result, some pupils’ achievement in some lessons is restricted.

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Commentary

5. Pupils with special educational needs achieve soundly and make gains at a similar rate to other pupils. Well-managed arrangements identify concerns and support staff often ensure that these pupils do well. However, progress is sometimes restricted when activities are not carefully designed to address their personal individual difficulties. For example, in lessons where work is not sufficiently well matched to pupils’ abilities, some pupils have difficulty in completing tasks without individual help and do not achieve as well as they could.

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Commentary

6. New resources have enabled pupils’ achievements and attainment in ICT to improve since the last inspection. Achievement is now satisfactory throughout the school and pupils reach average standards by Years 2 and 6. Effective training has given teachers greater confidence and there is a clear programme of work to help pupils gain skills at a satisfactory rate.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes to school and their behaviour are good and they are supported well by the school in their personal development. Attendance at school is good and pupils arrive on time.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are very willing to take responsibility and take initiative. • They mature into well-rounded youngsters who behave well and relate to each other well. • Pupils enjoy taking part in activities in and out of lesson time. Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004 Standards in: School results National results English 26.5 (26.1) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 28.8 (24.9) 27.0 (26.8) science 27.5 (26.1) 28.6 (28.6) There were 13 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 11

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Commentary

7. The school gives plenty of jobs to the youngest children upwards so that helping others and taking responsibility become second nature to them. Pupils take pride in carrying out these tasks and their work helps in the smooth running of the school. Older pupils quickly step in without being asked to undertake jobs where another pupil has been called away for some reason. Pupils are in the early days of developing deeper responsibilities for the school community. This is seen in the recent establishment of a committee to draw influential people’s attention to the possible future changes to the school. Their mature attitudes show that they are likely to be taken notice of.

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Commentary

8. The school has not had cause to exclude any pupils for unacceptable behaviour for many years. Any disruption is minor and soon sorted out by the school. Staff set a good example to pupils so that they learn well to know right from wrong. Misbehaviour is not a problem and parents have confidence that their children are happy in school. Pupils behave well in and around school and times such as lunchtime in the hall are sociable events. It was very noticeable during the inspection that pupils, particularly the older ones, can be trusted to get on well together during, for example, wet playtimes with minimal supervision.

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Commentary

9. Pupils show they are positive about their school in their responses to the questionnaire and they enjoy taking part in what the school has to offer. They show a good level of enthusiasm in lessons and are keen to answer questions from the teachers. Even the very youngest children respond well and sometimes become very involved in what they are doing. The attendance at clubs such as the art club after school is high and pupils enjoy such activities.

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Commentary

10. Attendance is not a problem in school as pupils enjoy coming and the vast majority of parents make sure they attend regularly. They are also conscientious in letting the school know if their children have to be away because of illness.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 4.0 School data: 0.1 National data: 5.1 National data: 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The satisfactory quality of education is supported by the school’s strong positive ethos. Teaching, learning and the curriculum are satisfactory. The school gives pupils good care and guidance and has established very good partnerships with parents and the wider community.

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Teaching and learning

Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 12 The overall quality of teaching and learning through the school is satisfactory . Good teaching ensures children learn well in the Foundation Stage classes. Assessment is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good relationships and teachers’ clear expectations of behaviour contribute to a positive atmosphere for learning in lessons. • Teachers do not make consistent use of the improving assessment information to plan tasks that challenge all pupils to achieve well. • Good teaching in the nursery and reception classes gives children a good start to their learning. • Teachers make good use of resources to aid pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 24 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

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Commentary

0 2 8 14 0 0 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Commentary

11. The quality of teaching is not as good as it was in the last inspection, although it remains satisfactory overall. Insufficient attention has been paid to using information from self-evaluation to pursue developments to maintain the quality of provision. However, teachers continue to have very good relationships with pupils, which form a strong foundation for well-managed lessons. The very positive atmosphere that builds up captures pupils’ interest and encourages them to do their best in their learning. Staff have consistent approaches to behaviour management that ensure little time is usually lost in keeping control of classes. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are good, which aid their learning further.

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Commentary

12. The school has established a satisfactory system to track pupils’ progress through the school. It is beginning to be used to identify underachievement and to establish challenging targets. As a result of this work, teachers identify more clearly in their planning what pupils will learn and this helps them to judge the success of lessons. In many lessons, teachers make good use their personal knowledge of pupils to plan activities that encourage good learning.

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Commentary

13. However, there is not enough use of assessment information to plan tasks that are closely matched to the needs of pupils of different abilities. The levels of challenge for groups of pupils at different attainment levels are not consistently secure. This weakness is particularly apparent in some lessons where all pupils have the same tasks. It is also present where tasks are not planned with the specific concerns of pupils with special educational needs in mind. This limits the extent of their progress, despite often having good support in lessons.

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Commentary

14. The school has maintained the good quality of teaching in the nursery and reception classes that ensures children learn well in the Foundation Stage. A strong Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 13 atmosphere of caring and positive responses contributes effectively to children’s development. Good partnerships between the staff help to provide a wide range of well-paced activities in all areas of learning. Staff are clear about what children are to learn and plan activities carefully. They know the children very well and thus develop good understanding of their personal needs. They successfully use this knowledge to match work to different levels of ability.

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Commentary

15. Teachers use stimulating and imaginative resources in most lessons to capture pupils’ attention and help them to learn. They give clear explanations and generally ensure that new and specialist terms are explained thoroughly. Good questioning in many lessons makes pupils think hard about their work and gives them opportunities to apply their new terms and vocabulary.

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The curriculum

The school provides a satisfactory breadth of learning opportunities and a good range of enrichment activities for all its pupils. The accommodation and resources are very good .

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The curriculum

Main strengths and weaknesses • The good curriculum in the Foundation Stage gets children off to a good start. • There is not always a consistent match of work to pupils’ needs. • A varied programme of experiences through visits, clubs and other activities helps to enrich the curriculum well. • Very good accommodation and resources allow teachers to plan a wide range of activities.

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The curriculum

16. The school’s provision meets statutory requirements as it is securely based on national guidelines and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good because they enjoy a wide range of well- thought-out and carefully matched activities that make learning fun.

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The curriculum

17. The curriculum in the rest of the school is planned to ensure that pupils in mixed age classes do not repeat work. However, the work is not always matched accurately enough to pupils’ needs. This means that some pupils, particularly the higher and lower attaining pupils, do not always achieve as well as they could because some mark time while others struggle. Similarly, pupils with special educational needs are often supported well and all play a full part in the life of the school. However, their provision is not always planned sufficiently precisely to enable them to make the best progress.

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The curriculum

18. The school has adopted national guidance and this has led to an improvement since the last inspection. Programmes of learning prepare pupils soundly for the next stages of their education. There are increasingly effective links between pupils’ learning in English, mathematics and ICT and other subjects of the curriculum. Provision is made for personal, social and health education and citizenship, including sex education and drugs awareness. Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 14 19. The school makes good use of visits and visitors to supplement work done in the classroom. This is particularly the case with history and geography where visits bring the subjects to life. There is a good range of activities organised outside the school day and these are well attended by boys and girls.

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The curriculum

20. The accommodation has been vastly improved since the last inspection and is now very good. There is a very good quantity of high quality resources and teachers make good use of these to support learning.

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Care, guidance and support

The school gives good attention to pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety. It gives them very good support, advice and guidance. The involvement of pupils through seeking, valuing and acting on their views is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are totally confident that they can approach an adult in school if they need help. • Very good links with outside agencies are maintained to obtain professional help and advice when needed. • The arrangements made for children and pupils to start at school are good.

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Commentary

21. Pupils are overwhelmingly positive that they have a good and trusting relationship with at least one adult in school. Teachers showed very good relationships with their pupils during the inspection and know them well, providing very good pastoral care. This is supplemented by innovative ’bubble time’ when individual pupils can request a quiet meeting with a school friend or adult to talk over a problem. Staff rightly feel that pupils have the confidence to be open with each other in this way.

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Commentary

22. The school makes very good use of outside agencies to support pupils and give them the help they need. This is seen in a variety of instances, including medical and emotional problems. Parents appreciate how well their children are supported and know the school community is strongly concerned for their welfare. Staff in turn are grateful for the guidance which is available from outside professionals so that they can help pupils.

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Commentary

23. Parents are pleased with the way their young children settle into school and are perfectly happy with the arrangements. Children are well supported in class and make a good start. Older pupils who come from other schools are evidently happy to be there and have settled in well.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The partnerships made with parents and the community are very good . Links with other schools are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents pay a very strong role in supporting the school and their children’s learning. Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 15 • Pupils benefit very well from the very good links the school has with the community. • Staff are open with parents and share information well, although many parents would appreciate knowing more about the curriculum. • Links with other schools benefit pupils in the curriculum.

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Commentary

24. Parents are very satisfied with the school and support it very strongly. Many willingly help in school and clubs and lend items from home for use in lessons. The school has played its part in involving them further in their children’s education by developments such as the recent reading challenge. The Friends of the School organisation is long established and is fully committed to making improvements for the benefit of the pupils. Substantial funds are raised by involving the village community and these are used to buy equipment to help pupils. The group is very keen to find out what is needed and to develop projects with the co-operation of the school.

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Commentary

25. The school has built up a very good range of links within the community, which help to broaden the curriculum and help pupils in their personal development. People from the village take part in celebrations and events such as the Christmas concert and the school is very much a part of village life. There are strong links with local industry and police and fire services make their contribution too. The Bishop is kept in touch well with what is happening at school by his visitor, who comes regularly and works with the pupils.

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Commentary

26. Parents evidently feel comfortable about discussing their children with staff and information is shared well. In particular, annual reports on pupils’ progress are of a high standard and clearly set out what parents should be told. Although parents are clearly informed about dates and events through newsletters, a few parents feel there is not enough termly information on which topics pupils are doing in each class. This was confirmed in the inspection. Such information is useful for parents to help their children. The school’s web site is very out of date because of changes in staffing. However, its upkeep is part of the current school development plan.

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Commentary

27. Pupils benefit well from the links developed with the local comprehensive school. These are strongest in supporting the school in science, for which the comprehensive school is a centre of excellence. There are regular meetings between staff in the schools to share information and ensure that pupils move on without problems. Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 16

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory . The leadership of the headteacher and other key staff is satisfactory . Governance is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has made a good start to evaluating the school and identifying priorities. • Information from self-evaluation is not used sufficiently to plan developments. • Co-ordinators are enthusiastic, but do not have opportunities to monitor teaching and learning in other classes. • Governors are very supportive, but are not rigorous enough in holding the school to account for its performance.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

28. At the time of the inspection, the headteacher had only been in post for five days, out of this two of these were training days. However, he worked closely with the school in the previous term and has made a good start to identifying what the school needs to do to raise standards.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

29. Although the school evaluates its performance, the information gained is not used effectively to set priorities and plan clearly the actions necessary to increase achievement and raise standards. There is a need for closer monitoring of the curriculum and teaching and learning in order to ensure that there is a closer match of work to the needs of individuals and groups of pupils.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

30. There is a good team spirit amongst the staff and a clear commitment to improvement. The Foundation Stage is led and managed well and very good planning gives children’s learning a good start. The management and organisation of provision for pupils with special educational are good and meet all statutory requirements. However, although subject co-ordinators are very enthusiastic and informally support their colleagues well, they do not have any opportunities to monitor teaching and learning through direct observation of lessons. Hence they do not have a clear picture of what goes on and they are not in a position to influence standards. The headteacher has identified this as a weakness and has plans to address it.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

31. Governors are very committed and want what is best for the school. They recognise, for example, that in such a small school the small number of pupils within year groups and high mobility are barriers to raising overall achievement. Additionally, the school attracts a number of pupils with special educational needs into the older classes. However, although governance is satisfactory overall, there is a need for them to ask more challenging questions about the school’s performance rather than accepting low attainment in tests as being always due to small cohorts.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

32. Financial organisation and management are clear and ordered, with the secretary playing a strong and confident role. The current surplus is at an acceptable level. The headteacher recognises the very high staffing costs inherent in the structure of teaching staff currently in the school. He has made restructuring one of his priorities Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 17 for development. The level of resources is very good. The school applies the principles of best value satisfactorily. Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 18 Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 282,364 Balance from previous year 12,357 Total expenditure 284,798 Balance carried forward to the next 9,923 Expenditure per pupil 3,351 Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 19

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

33. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good. Children are admitted the term after their fourth birthday, which means children born in the summer term have only three terms in the Foundation Stage while older children have five. Attainment on entry varies from year to year because of the small cohorts, but overall it is broadly as would be expected. The curriculum is planned well to meet the needs of all the children in all the areas of learning. The accommodation is very good. The school has benefited from a new classroom and an extensive range of high quality resources that support learning well.

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

34. Children learn well because of the good teaching and the very effective links between all the areas of learning. The teacher and the support assistant make a highly effective team. Activities are planned well, with effective adult intervention to check on learning and move children on. Leadership and management are good. Children’s progress is tracked effectively. The information from assessments is used well. Recently four higher attaining children were moved into the Year 1 class. Their capabilities enable them to integrate well into the class and they benefit from being with the older children.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Adults adopt a warm, friendly approach that helps the children feel secure. • Children know that they are expected to behave well and work hard, and they achieve well as a result. • There are good opportunities for children to take on responsibilities. • Children do not always have enough opportunities to make their own decisions. • Adults could do more to develop good social skills.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

35. Consistently good teaching leads to good learning and achievement by all the children. Most of the reception age children are on course to exceed the expectations for their age in this area of learning. Nursery children are working at their expected level. Children settle in quickly because of the very caring attitudes of the staff. They adapt quickly to school routines and work hard because they get on well with the adults and want to please them. They willingly undertake responsibilities such as tidying up and taking the register to the office. However, they are not always challenged enough to make independent choices in activity sessions. Sometimes, for example at snack time, the adults are too keen to serve the children instead of taking the opportunity to develop their social skills. The adults constantly encourage the children to co-operate in groups. As a result, they get on well together and take turns

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Main strengths and weaknesses

and share equipment fairly. Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 20 COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Main strengths and weaknesses • Meticulous attention is paid to developing early reading and writing skills and children achieve well as a result. • Speaking and listening skills are developed well because adults frequently engage children in conversation during practical activities. • There are not enough opportunities for children to read and write independently.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

36. Teaching is good and allows children to learn and achieve well. Higher attaining reception age children, for example, have already exceeded the expectations for their age and the overall standards are above average by the end of the reception year. Nursery children have a good understanding of how books are organised and they know some letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make. They have make a good start to writing. Children in reception are well launched into reading and writing and particularly enjoy sharing stories in whole-class lessons. Their handwriting is good for their age because of the good attention the teacher pays to letter formation and spacing. Children make good gains in speaking and listening because opportunities to develop these skills are built into all the learning activities. They benefit from the interaction with teachers during these activities as they answer questions and explain what they are doing. Although children are making good

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Main strengths and weaknesses

progress, they could achieve more if they had more opportunities for independent learning, for example with a listening station, a book corner and a writing area.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Provision in mathematical development is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Main strengths and weaknesses • Children achieve well because the teacher makes learning activities fun. • Children’s numeracy skills are actively promoted in other areas of learning. • There are not enough opportunities for children to explore mathematical ideas independently.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

37. Through good, imaginative teaching children achieve well. Overall standards are above those expected by the end of the reception year. The most notable characteristic of the teaching is the teacher’s ability to make learning fun. Children work hard and join in enthusiastically with what they regard as games. Games such as skittles and bingo are well-thought-out activities to take their learning forward. Nursery children join in well because of the support they get and the fact that the work is matched so well to their needs. Children develop a good mathematical vocabulary because of the strong emphasis that the teacher puts on this. Children’s knowledge and understanding is constantly reinforced through other activities such as sand and water play where ideas of weight and capacity are developed. They learn to apply their knowledge, for example in setting the breakfast table for The Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 21

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Three Bears or shopping in the role-play area. Children would benefit from more opportunities to discover mathematical concepts through independent play.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Main strengths and weaknesses • Children achieve well because good planning and preparation ensures that they have a well balanced range of experiences. • Adults use questions very effectively to draw out children’s ideas and increase their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. • Children do not have enough opportunities to explore and find things out for themselves.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

38. Good teaching ensures children’s good learning. They achieve well overall and reach standards above the expected goals by the end of the reception year. Children learn a lot about the world around them because of the good range of activities. Adults are particularly good at framing probing questions to draw out what children already know and lead them on to a better understanding. The role-play area supports learning well. For example, it is currently set up as a service station and children clearly understand the part that customers and workers play. They assign roles to one another and demonstrate their knowledge of using the telephone and filling in forms.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

39. The children learn scientific concepts such as light and shadow and plant growth through formally taught lessons. Large play equipment is used very effectively to introduce the concept of pushes and pulls as a foundation for learning about forces. They have good computer skills for their age and use computers independently to support learning in other areas. They have a good understanding of how computers aid daily life because interactive whiteboards are used effectively by teachers to deliver lessons.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

40. Although teaching and learning are good, children do not have enough opportunities to explore and find things out for themselves, for example through playing with magnets, mirrors, torches etc.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

41. No judgement is made of provision or teaching as only one lesson was seen in each of these areas.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

42. The adverse weather during the inspection meant that the planned outdoor sessions did not take place. In the one physical education lesson where children were taught alongside Year 1 pupils they reached the expectations for their age. The children have access to a good variety of equipment within the classroom. This includes construction kits, jigsaws and simple tools. However, during the inspection, only the construction kits and a limited range of tools were seen in use. Photographic evidence indicates that children enjoy a wide range of activities to develop their Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 22 physical skills. In the outdoor area they have a very good range of equipment to develop their spatial awareness and balancing skills.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

43. In the music lesson taken by a visiting specialist, the children reached the standards expected for their age. Planning shows that children have good opportunities to paint and create pictures using a good variety of media including crayons and pastels. Pictures in the style of Monet show that children are taught the skills of painting well. However, children do not appear to have enough opportunities to explore and experiment, choosing paint and other media for themselves. Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 23

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Reading is taught well and this benefits pupils’ writing. • Work is not always matched accurately enough to pupils’ needs. • The co-ordinator does not have opportunities to monitor teaching and learning in other classes and gather a clear grasp of standards throughout the school. • Literacy skills are developed well through other subjects.

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Commentary

44. Results from national tests vary substantially because of the very small numbers of pupils taking the tests from year to year. Standards in reading and writing by Year 2 have been mostly below or well below average apart from 2003 when standards in reading were well above average and standards in writing were average. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in the current Year 2 are average. Although all the pupils are on course to reach the levels expected for seven-year-olds, few are on course to reach the higher level. This is below the standards seen in the last inspection. In Year 6, there is evidence of improvement compared with the below average overall standards of the past two years. Most pupils are on course to reach the expected level for 11-year-olds and nearly half should reach the higher level. Overall standards are depressed by the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs in such a small cohort. This is a similar picture to that at the last

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Commentary

45. Standards in speaking and listening are average. Teachers plan good opportunities for pupils to talk about their work and put forward their own ideas. However, teachers do not place sufficient emphasis on pupils answering in whole sentences. Higher attaining pupils are very confident and speak clearly and articulately. Lower attainers are less confident despite the efforts that teachers make to include them in discussions.

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Commentary

46. Standards in reading are average at the end of Year 2. Good teaching of letter sounds gets pupils off to a good start. Parents support their children well by listening to them read at home. Throughout Years 3-6, pupils read a wide range of literature and appreciate different styles of writing. Most read confidently and this benefits their learning in other subjects. They use their reading well to gain ideas for writing imaginative stories. Reading throughout the school has benefited from the focus of the ‘Reading Challenge’ that encouraged pupils to read more. Additionally, good relationships were encouraged as older pupils helped the younger ones with their reading.

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Commentary

47. Standards in writing are average overall at the end of both key stages. The school has had a clear focus on raising standards throughout the school. This is paying dividends in Years 3-6. The writing by the higher attaining pupils is impressive. They Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 24 write with flair and imagination, using an increasing range of vocabulary. They take pride in the presentation of their work.

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Commentary

48. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall throughout the school, which allows pupils to achieve soundly through the school. However, there are significant shortcomings that stop pupils’ learning from being better than satisfactory overall. While grammar, punctuation and spelling are taught well in most classes, this is not always the case. Although teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is usually good, they do not use the information they gain from assessments to plan further work. This means that higher attaining pupils can be marking time in lessons while lower attainers are struggling. In the Year 2/3/4 lesson seen, for example, the pupils in Year 2 did not make the progress they should because, for the most part, the work was beyond them.

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Commentary

49. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall, with good informal support. However, the co-ordinator does not have the opportunity to monitor teaching and learning in other classes and does not have a clear view of standards.

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Language and literacy across the curriculum

50. Pupils use and develop their reading skills well when they research information across a wide range of subjects. They have good opportunities to use different forms of writing to suit the purpose of the task and this contributes to their skills in English and other subjects. They use word-processing well to refine their finished work and enhance their ICT skills.

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MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Recent improvements in tracking and target setting have helped to stop declining achievement. • Teachers do not make consistent use of assessment information to plan tasks in lessons to match pupils’ prior attainment. • Good relationships ensure a positive atmosphere for learning.

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Commentary

51. Some aspects of standards are lower than those seen in the last inspection, although recent improvements in assessment are having a positive impact. This has led to improved results in Year 6 tests in 2004 that were well above average. National Curriculum test results in Years 2 and 6 have varied from year to year, generally reflecting the different very small groups of pupils involved and particularly the proportions of pupils with special educational needs. The overall trend at both ages has been downwards, although the school’s tracking of individual pupils confirms that pupils’ achievements have been satisfactory. The current pupils in Years 2 and 6 are performing at levels around the national averages for these ages and their achievement is satisfactory. This represents good improvement in Year 2, although Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 25 standards in Year 6 are limited by the high proportion of pupils with special

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Commentary

52. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, with strengths in the ways teachers’ very good relationships lead to pupils’ good responses in lessons. Consistent behaviour management and good organisation produce a positive atmosphere for learning that gives pupils confidence. Teachers give clear explanations and instructions, often aided by good resources. In many lessons, teachers use well- targeted questions to extend pupils’ thinking and their explanations.

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Commentary

53. The improved assessment and tracking systems give teachers information to plan work, group pupils and set targets. The small size of the school and the close relationships mean that teachers usually have good knowledge of pupils’ strengths and weaknesses. However, teachers do not make full use of detailed information to ensure that tasks are sufficiently challenging for pupils of all abilities. Some good support for pupils with special educational needs helps them to succeed, although there is greater scope to design tasks that meet their personal needs more effectively. Homework is being increasingly used to support pupils’ learning further.

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Commentary

54. Leadership and management are currently being undertaken by the new headteacher and are satisfactory. Past attention to identifying weaknesses and improving provision has had a positive impact on standards. Greater analysis of test and other data is helping to identify development needs. However, there has been insufficient attention to first-hand monitoring and analysis of strengths and weaknesses in teaching. The headteacher identifies this as a priority for the school.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

55. There is satisfactory use of mathematics to support teaching and learning in other subjects. For example, pupils use their mathematical skills in subjects such as science and ICT when collecting, displaying and interrogating data. These opportunities contribute soundly to the development and consolidation of pupils’ mathematical skills, knowledge and understanding.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Improved assessment allows the school to track pupils’ progress and identify areas for improvement. • Teaching is improving through support from the local secondary school and greater attention to scientific enquiry. • Assessment is not used thoroughly enough to match tasks to pupils’ attainment. • There is insufficient monitoring of teaching to support improvements.

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Commentary

56. Standards dropped significantly in 2003 to well below average when the school changed from having a specialist teacher for the subject. The 2004 Year 6 result was Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 26 better and current standards are average but still below the above average standards seen in the last inspection. However, improvements are underway throughout the school and standards in Year 2 have also risen to average levels. Overall achievement is currently satisfactory.

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Commentary

57. Teaching and learning are satisfactory and teachers manage their classes well, contributing to positive relationships and learning. Teachers track pupils’ progress more effectively and are beginning to set targets to monitor progress. Their good knowledge of their pupils allows them to tailor work to their needs, particularly when questioning to extend learning. Support is given to pupils who have special educational needs to ensure they play a full part in lessons. However, there is only limited evidence of tasks that have been specifically designed to cater for the needs of pupils of different levels of attainment. This means that opportunities to lift achievement further are sometimes missed.

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Commentary

58. Close links with the nearby science specialist secondary school make a positive contribution to teaching. The visiting teacher focuses strongly on developing Year 5/6 pupils’ investigation skills and giving them a strong foundation of specialist vocabulary. Good progress is being made and younger pupils are achieving well, suggesting higher standards in future years.

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Commentary

59. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The co-ordinator has established a system for collecting pupils’ work and making assessments that teachers are beginning to use to evaluate progress. She has used the analysis of data to identify areas that need attention such as the current concentration on developing pupils’ investigative skills. No time has been available, however, for the co-ordinator to monitor teaching and identify strengths and weaknesses. This restricts the management of the subject.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• New resources and improved teachers’ skills are improving provision and pupils’ achievement. • Assessment information is not consistently used to inform planning. • There is insufficient monitoring of teaching and learning to share good practice.

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Commentary

60. Pupils’ standards of attainment are in line with the expected standards by the end of Years 2 and 6. This is an improvement on the standards described in the last report for pupils at both ages. The school has brought about the improvement through successful action to improve resources, planning and training. Thus, the previously unsatisfactory progress has been remedied and overall improvement is good. Pupils and staff show confidence in managing and using the new resources and this helps lessons to proceed successfully. There are greater opportunities for pupils to gain new skills and understanding in all classes. This suggests that there is potential to raise standards further. Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 27 61. Satisfactory teaching and learning allows pupils to achieve soundly throughout the school, particularly in lessons in the ICT suite. Very good relationships with pupils play an important role in promoting learning in many lessons. Teachers have gained

p.26

Commentary

greater confidence through effective training and support. They draw on this to ensure a satisfactory range of work for pupils in all aspects of the curriculum. Pupils’ past work shows satisfactory skills in word-processing, drawing programs and using the Internet. Pupils program a small robot and use digital cameras with confidence. Where available, teachers show growing confidence in their use of the interactive whiteboard to present information and capture pupils’ attention.

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Commentary

62. Teachers plan activities to include necessary revision of past learning that pupils are not confident with but are not using all the information at their disposal to promote pupils’ learning. A developing system keeps records of pupils’ attainments and achievements, with some annotated against National Curriculum levels. Most activities, however, are given to all pupils with little modification to suit those with different levels of attainment and expertise. As a result, opportunities to promote achievement further are sometimes missed.

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Commentary

63. There is currently satisfactory leadership and management from the new headteacher. Past leadership has successfully established the new resources and supported staff in developing their skills. A developing assessment system has been introduced although it is not fully used to plan work. There have been insufficient opportunities to identify strengths in teaching and learning that can be shared. The headteacher is aware of this weakness and has identified it as a priority for the school.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

64. Teachers make sound use of other subjects to contribute to pupils’ learning in ICT. Tasks have close links with their learning in different subjects, for example when Year 3 pupils combine text, pictures and other graphic elements in their displays about Gainsborough Old Hall. When pupils word-process different forms of writing about the same events it contributes well to both literacy and ICT skills. There are many instances of pupils creating and interpreting graphs from data collected in mathematics and science lessons. However, these links with other subjects are not yet carefully planned to ensure systematic progress through the school.

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HUMANITIES

It is not possible to make an overall judgement on provision in these subjects because, during the inspection, only one geography lesson and no history lessons were seen. These subjects were sampled but not examined in detail. There was a limited amount of pupils’ work available but discussions took place with staff and pupils.

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HUMANITIES

65. In geography , pupils in Years 1 and 2 have opportunities to use the local area to develop early mapping skills and find out about physical features and the jobs people do. Planning shows that pupils’ knowledge and skills are built progressively as they move through the school. Pupils in Years 2/3/4 visit a local seaside resort to compare Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 28 the features of this with their own village environment. In Years 5/6, pupils extend their learning and contrast other countries with their own.

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HUMANITIES

66. In history , pupils understand some aspects of how people lived in the past. Well- planned visits make a good contribution to pupils’ learning because they bring the lessons to life. For example, the youngest pupils gain a good insight into homes in the past through a visit to the Museum of Lincolnshire Life, while pupils in Year 5/6 visit a Victorian schoolroom at the museum.

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HUMANITIES

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

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HUMANITIES

Main strengths and weaknesses • The subject is used well to develop pupils’ literacy skills. • Monitoring of teaching and learning is not rigorous enough.

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HUMANITIES

67. Standards at seven and 11 are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. This is a similar picture to that found at the last inspection. In Years 1 and 2, there was very little work in pupils’ books because the work centres appropriately around discussions. It was clear in the lesson seen in Reception/Year 1 that children listen well and enjoy stories from the Bible. They recalled in detail the story of Moses leading the people out of Egypt. They are introduced to a range of other faiths through radio programmes that are used well by teachers for class assemblies. In Years 3-6, pupils build on their knowledge of Christianity and study other faiths, such as Hinduism and Judaism, in greater depth. Work in books shows that they can compare aspects of different faiths.

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HUMANITIES

68. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory throughout the school and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Teachers are good at framing questions to probe pupils’ understanding and take their learning forward. They plan good opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy skills through the subject. Pupils enjoy their work and most are confident in expressing their views. Their written work is neat and they pay good attention to spelling and punctuation.

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HUMANITIES

69. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The co-ordinator has good subject knowledge that enables her to support her colleagues with confidence. A weakness is that she does not have a clear view of standards throughout the school because she does not have any opportunity to monitor teaching and learning.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Subjects in this area of learning were not the main focus for this inspection and were sampled. It is not therefore possible to make judgements about provision. Leadership and management have been restricted by the very small size of the school and disrupted by recent changes in staff. Although there are general outline plans of how subjects are to be improved, co-ordinators have had few opportunities to monitor and evaluate the school’s work. This has severely limited the impact of management. Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 29 70. Only one lesson was seen in art and design , where pupils explored different viewpoints, recording what they saw in drawings and digital images. Past work shows that pupils develop a satisfactory range of art techniques. These include drawing and painting using a range of media and making images using a computer. Much work is linked with their learning in other subjects, such as pencil drawings of historical

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

artefacts. Pupils gain understanding of the work and techniques of famous artists such as Monet.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

71. It was not possible to see any lessons in design and technology . Throughout the school, pupils’ past work shows that they develop skills similar to those expected for their age. They collect ideas for their designs from different sources and apply these to projects such as creating and marketing a healthy snack food. Work encourages pupils to co-operate with each other well and contributes to personal development.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

72. In music , most lessons are taken by a specialist part-time teacher who plans work through the school. This aids continuity of learning and ensures that pupils undertake activities in all aspects of the subject, although the allocated time is limited. In the observed lesson, activities were pitched at a suitable level, although slow pace did not hold the attention of all pupils. Hymn practices and singing in assemblies contribute to pupils’ learning, where good attitudes help pupils to reach average standards overall.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

73. Only one physical education lesson was seen, which encouraged good learning through well-organised teaching of sports skills. Staff set challenging targets for pupils, who worked hard to achieve them. Pupils throughout the school take part in a good range of sports and other physical activities. There are very good facilities for indoor and outdoor physical education. However, the school does not currently offer a residential visit to older pupils, which misses an opportunity to present them with greater challenges.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

No lessons were seen in personal, social and health education and citizenship so no judgements can be made about overall provision.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

74. Pupils are given opportunities to discuss social and moral issues. For example, in a Reception/Year 1 religious education lesson pupils discussed the importance of rules and whether or not they were fair. Pupils throughout the school generally accept that it is necessary to have rules. The school’s behaviour policy is implemented consistently by all adults. The school provides drugs, sex, alcohol and relationships education and the basics of healthy living as part of its overall programme. Pupils’ understanding of their wider society is promoted by the many visits they make into the local area. Stallingborough C of E Primary School - 30

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Inspection judgement Grade

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 5 Value for money provided by the school 4

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Inspection judgement Grade

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

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Inspection judgement Grade

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos) 3 Attendance 3 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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Inspection judgement Grade

The quality of education provided by the school 4 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 2 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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Inspection judgement Grade

The leadership and management of the school 4 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 4 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 4

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Inspection judgement Grade

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

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