Green Lea First School

Age group Published Reference no. Green Lea First School

p.1

Unique Reference Number 124105 LEA Staffordshire

p.1

Inspection number 274797 Inspection dates 17 May 2005 Reporting inspector Mr M S Burghart

p.1

Inspection deemed to have been carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 according to section 12(3) of the same act.

p.1

Type of School First School address School category Community Age range of pupils 4 - 9 Mill Lane Milwich Stafford ST18 0EA Gender of pupils Mixed Telephone number (01889) 505 309 Number on roll 37 Fax number (01889) 505 309 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair of governors Mr T Bragg Date of previous inspection April 1999 Headteacher Mrs S Chambers

p.1

4 - 9 June 2005 274797 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.1

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 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. Inspection Report: Green Lea First School, 17 May 2005 1

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was a pilot of the new arrangements for inspection announced by Ofsted in its consultation paper of February 2004. It was carried out with the support and co-operation of Green Lea First School and of the local education authority.

p.3

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one additional inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

This is a very small rural first school in Milwich near Stafford serving seven small villages. There are 37 pupils in two classes. The head teaches for three days of the week. Nearly a quarter of pupils have special educational needs. This is above average. There are no children in the care of the local education authority and the proportion of children eligible for free school meals is very small. There are no pupils from minority ethnic heritages or with English as an additional language. Children start school with average levels of experience and ability. The school received an Achievement Award in 2002.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 2 Good Grade 3 Satisfactory Grade 4 Inadequate Inspection Report: Green Lea First School, 17 May 2005 2

p.3

Overall effectiveness of the school

This is a good school, very popular with parents and pupils, where pupils make very good progress, academically and personally, by the time they leave. These judgements confirm the school’s own views. Standards are above those expected nationally at the end of Year 2 and well above expectations at the end of Year 4 because of very good quality teaching and a well planned curriculum. The school takes outstanding care of pupils, and because of the staff its ethos is excellent. All pupils are fully included in all activities and work is well matched to their abilities. These are two reasons why progress is very good. Provision for children in Reception and those pre-school children who attend part-time is good. This leads to good standards. Links with outside agencies and the community are good.

p.4

Overall effectiveness of the school

The school has made sound progress since its inspection in 1999 and good improvement recently since the head returned from long-term absence and her teaching commitment was reduced to allow her more time for management. Currently, leadership and management of the school are good. This judgement reflects positive features in the contributions of head and staff to leadership and management, but recognises that although governors are very supportive, they need to be more rigorous in holding the school to account. The school’s capacity to improve is satisfactory. As a very small school its costs are very high, but nevertheless Green Lea gives satisfactory value for money.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

In order for the school to be even better:

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Governors should be more rigorous in their monitoring of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and in developing ways to evaluate the impact of initiatives on improving performance.

p.4

Achievement and standards

Children start school with average levels of experience and ability. This represents a wide range which, coupled with the very small size of each year group, makes judgements about progress difficult. Pupils currently in Year 2 have made good improvement since they joined the school. Teachers’ assessments, confirmed by this inspection, show that all pupils reach at least the levels expected nationally for seven-year-olds in reading, writing and mathematics and a significant proportion reach beyond this. For example, in an outstanding mathematics lesson on the properties of three-dimensional shapes, Inspection Report: Green Lea First School, 17 May 2005 3

p.4

Achievement and standards

some seven-year-olds showed skills and understanding usually associated with older pupils because they were challenged very well.

p.5

Achievement and standards

As a consequence of very good teaching and learning, pupils, including those with special educational needs, make very good progress by the end of Year 4 and most reach standards in English and mathematics normally expected of 11- year olds. This represents very good achievement for both boys and girls, and shows how effectively work is planned and taught to suit different abilities. Pupils are very well prepared for the middle school. Staff know pupils very well. This knowledge helps teachers to set challenging, but realistic, targets for pupils to achieve. This has been the case for several years, with a trend of improvement above the national profile, and is a credit to the school.

p.5

Personal development and well-being

This is an outstanding strength of the school. Pupils respond extremely well to the school’s excellent ethos with excellent behaviour and attitudes. Even the youngest children and those with special educational needs sustain attention and interest for considerable periods with very positive effects on learning. There is plenty of evidence, much of which comes from talking to pupils and parents, to demonstrate that pupils very much enjoy school.

p.5

Personal development and well-being

Pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is good whilst their moral awareness and social interaction are excellent. This is very much a consequence of the very small nature of the school and the high quality of relationships throughout. Pupils show excellent consideration for each other and the environment, a very good example of which was the school’s success in achieving a local award for being eco-friendly.

p.5

Personal development and well-being

The school is very successful in encouraging pupils to consider their own safety and that of others, and is effectively teaching consideration of healthy lifestyles. School meals present menus based on a healthy diet and physical activities are promoted well in the curriculum and extra-curricular activities. Pupils respond extremely well and display just as much enthusiasm when given opportunities to take initiative and show responsibility. For example, pupils of all ages make very positive contributions through the school council, raising money for charity, and joining in village events. In mathematics, children are successfully introduced to the basic skills which will support their future economic well- being.

p.5

Teaching and learning

Teaching is usually very good and has several outstanding features. Strengths of teaching include:

p.6

Teaching and learning

• Very well presented work to suit the needs of pupils of different ages and abilities in the same class, and ensure that they are well challenged. • Well planned work and very clear learning objectives that are shared with pupils. • Excellent relationships. • A strong contribution to teaching and learning by teaching assistants, especially for children in Reception and those with special educational needs. • Very good questioning that is successful in getting pupils to think about their own opinions and conclusions before answering. • The good guidance that staff give pupils about how they can improve.

p.6

Teaching and learning

Teachers are good at assessing what children can already do when they join the school to gauge progress accurately. They carefully identify pupils with special educational needs to ensure that they receive appropriate work. Whilst a good range of tests and assessments is completed to show what pupils know, understand and can do, there is still more scope to analyse results and trends to set targets and plan future work.

p.6

Teaching and learning

Successful teaching in both classes, but especially for Years 2 to 4, has an outstanding impact on pupils’ learning and underpins the very good progress from Reception to the end of Year 4.

p.6

Curriculum and other activities

The school provides a good, broad and relevant curriculum which meets all pupils’ needs and the requirements of the National Curriculum. Recently improved planning to make learning more interesting and enjoyable is effective and pupils are responding very positively, as well as making very good progress.

p.6

Curriculum and other activities

Learning is enhanced by a good variety and number of extra-curricular activities which include visits, for example, Reception and Year 1 joining pupils from other schools on a Bluebell walk, and after-school activities such as the football club run by apprentices from Stoke City FC. Inspection Report: Green Lea First School, 17 May 2005 5

p.6

Curriculum and other activities

Pupils are very successfully encouraged to be fit and healthy and there is appropriate attention paid to the dangers of drugs, smoking and alcohol.

p.7

Curriculum and other activities

Consideration of security and personal safety is outstanding and entirely consistent with the school’s commitment to caring for everyone in the school community. The school knows that the lack of a safe and well resourced outside space for Reception children adjacent to their classroom is a disadvantage for their learning through outdoor play.

p.7

Care, guidance and support

Parents are quite correct in believing that the school takes excellent care of their children. This is fundamental to this school’s intentions to be fully inclusive and provide support and guidance for all pupils. Pupils are well known to all adults and this serves to show pupils how much they matter. Pupils are rightfully confident that they will be listened to and that their contributions will be valued.

p.7

Care, guidance and support

Child protection procedures are in place and ensure that all staff are aware of what to do to keep children safe. The last inspection found weaknesses in aspects of risk assessment relating to school visits. These have been remedied, but the action taken is not documented carefully enough; for example, in governors’ records, to enable systematic evaluation.

p.7

Leadership and management

Leadership and management are good overall. This judgement represents a mix of strengths and some areas for further development.

p.7

Leadership and management

Leadership of the curriculum and other areas of the school’s work, by head and staff, is good and leads to the high standards of work already reported. The school is well managed on a day-to-day level. Systems and routines are securely in place and these ensured stability even during the head’s absence. Resources are well managed and pupils fully included in all activities. The educational direction and vision of the school have been improved since the head’s teaching load was reduced earlier this year, but her absence meant that some planned developments were put on hold.

p.7

Leadership and management

Governors, many of whom are parents, are very supportive of the school, but do not check rigorously enough the impact of decisions and initiatives. This has restricted their influence on school development. Recent moves to raise Inspection Report: Green Lea First School, 17 May 2005 6

p.7

Leadership and management

governors’ awareness of curriculum issues and to link these more effectively to the use of finance are having positive effects. Overall, the governance of the school is satisfactory, but there is a tendency to depend too much on the staff for evaluating the effects of initiatives on the quality of learning. This, coupled with the stalling effect of the head’s absence, means that the school’s capacity to improve is currently satisfactory rather than good. Staff are effective in monitoring and evaluating pupils’ progress and provision, but carry a large load in this very small school. Governors could do more to reduce this.

p.8

Leadership and management

Positive features of governors’ work include:

p.8

Leadership and management

• Making effective decisions about staffing. The increased classroom assistance and additional office hours are now successfully supporting the head in managing the school. • Improving accommodation and outdoor facilities to enhance the learning environment.

p.8

Grade: 2

procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about HMI-led Ofsted inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

p.9

INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Key to judgements: Grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate.

p.10

2 N/A

How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners’ well-being?

p.10

2 N/A

The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 N/A The effectiveness of the school’s self-evaluation 3 N/A The capacity to make any necessary improvements Y N/A Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

p.10

How well do learners achieve? 1 N/A

The standards reached by learners 1 N/A How well learners’ make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners

p.10

1 N/A

How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.10

1

The extent of learners’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

p.10

2

The behaviour of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community.

p.10

2

How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

p.10

2 N/A

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education

p.11

2

How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review

p.11

3

How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can

p.11

1

How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money

p.11

3

The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities

p.11

3

The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

p.11

The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy Yes/No/NA

Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Y Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Y Learners are taught about sexual health risks Y Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Y

p.11

The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe Yes/No/NA

Procedures for Child Protection meet the requirements of Working Together to Safeguard Children Y

p.11

The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe Yes/No/NA

Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them Y

p.11

How well learners enjoy and achieve Yes/No/NA

Support is given to learners with poor behaviour and attendance Y Learners’ personal and academic development are monitored Y

p.11

The extent to which learners make a positive contribution Yes/No/NA

Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Y Learners, individually and collectively, are consulted when key decisions affecting them have to be made and their views are listened to Y

p.11

The extent to which learners make a positive contribution Yes/No/NA

Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Y

p.11

Yes/No/NA

There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Y Learners have opportunities to develop their enterprise and financial skills, and work in teams Y

p.11

Yes/No/NA

Education and training for all learners in 14-19 is co-ordinated to give experience of work based learning N/A

p.11

Annex B

Green Lea First School Mill Lane Milwich Stafford ST18 0EA

p.12

Annex B

It was a treat to meet you and to spend time at your school. I was impressed by the way you welcomed me and especially by the Year 4 boys and girls who showed me around the grounds.

p.12

Annex B

The inspection found that there are lots of things to be pleased with at your school. From talking to you I know that you all like Green Lea and really enjoy being there. You are lucky to be part of a good school.

p.12

Annex B

These are some of its strengths: • The school takes excellent care of all of you and makes sure you are all treated fairly. • Teachers do their job very well. This helps you to do your best. • When you leave you will be very well prepared for the middle school because Green Lea’s standards are high. • The school is extremely good at helping you to learn how to be caring, sensible people.

p.12

Annex B

Most things about the school are good, but here are two improvements that could make it even better: • Governors are keen to help look after the school. They need to think of more ways to find out about what is good and what still needs to be improved. • Everyone knows that Reception children deserve a nicer and safer outside play space near their classroom.

p.12

Annex B

Mike Burghart Lead inspector Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.12