Caversham Primary School

Inspection Report Caversham Primary School

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109778 Unique Reference Number Reading LEA LEA 278269 Inspection number 22 November 2005 to 23 November 2005 Inspection dates Vanessa Ward AI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Hemdean Road School address Primary Type of school Caversham Community School category Reading RG4 7RA 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 0118 9015454 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0118 9015456 Fax number 385 Number on roll Mrs F Smith Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs C Tomkins Headteacher 21 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278269 22 November 2005 - 4 to 11 23 November 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school is larger than average. The pupils are predominantly from white British backgrounds. A very small number of pupils speak English as an additional language and all do so fluently. The pupils come mainly from homes where they, and the work of the school, are well supported. The percentage of pupils claiming free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is very low. Two of the five members of the leadership and management team are relatively new to the school. The school has gained a range of awards in recent years, including Investors in People and gold awards for Healthy Schools, Arts Mark and Active Mark for sports.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Caversham Primary School, 22 November 2005 to 23 November 2005

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Grade: 2

This is a good school where pupils make outstanding progress. By Year 6, they attain high standards in the national tests in English, mathematics and science. In the Foundation Stage, the children receive a good start to their education and they achieve well.The curriculum is outstanding and offers the pupils many rich and stimulating experiences. Links with external agencies are used very effectively to enhance pupils' learning and their personal development. The school cares for and guides its pupils well and they develop a good understanding of how to keep healthy and safe. They behave well and have positive attitudes to learning. Parents express strong support for the school.Teaching and learning are good, with some outstanding and some satisfactory features. However, pupils have insufficient understanding of how well they are doing and of what they should do to improve. The inspection findings confirm

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Grade: 2

the school's judgements regarding its performance, and in particular that leadership and management are good. The headteacher and senior management team know where the school can improve further, for instance with regard to the pupils' personal development. Good progress has been made with all of the areas of concern raised at the previous inspection, though the marking of pupils' work still requires further improvement. The success of recent initiatives, combined with the commitment of staff and governors to support necessary change, indicate that the school is well placed to improve. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Teachers should consistently make clear to pupils what they have achieved and how they can improve, both when marking their work and when setting and monitoring progress towards individual targets.

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Grade: 1

Achievement and standards are outstanding. Children enter the Foundation Stage with skills that are better than those typically found in four-year-olds, particularly in aspects of social, language and mathematical development. The children make good progress and, by the end of the reception year, a large majority exceed the expected goals in all areas of learning. With notably strong support from parents, the school builds on this good achievement year on year. By the end of Year 6, the pupils achieve standards which are very high in the national tests in English, mathematics and science. Although results are high, the school is not complacent. The school sets challenging targets and the staff are diligent in tracking pupils' progress, and in monitoring strengths and weaknesses in the school's provision. For example, when results in writing at Year 2 were lower than expected in 2004, the staff analysed the causes and

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Grade: 1

took action. As a consequence, results rose significantly in 2005. Although large numbers of pupils achieve high standards, the school is working to improve the challenge it provides for its higher attaining pupils. Pupils with learning difficulties 2 Inspection Report: Caversham Primary School, 22 November 2005 to 23 November 2005 make very good progress because of the additional support they receive, and because they have access to a rich curriculum which helps them to achieve well.

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Grade: 2

The overall development of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Most pupils show respect for each other and for the views of others. In lessons and at break times, their behaviour is good, and they show consideration and care for each other. They have a good sense of right and wrong, and the playground 'buddy' system is appreciated because 'It helps children who want looking after,' as one child put it. The school council is also valued because, as one child said, 'It lets you do useful things for everybody.' Cultural development is well supported by a good range of visits and visitors, including visitors from different faith groups. Pupils are aware of the value of a healthy lifestyle and know what steps to take to keep themselves safe. They readily accept responsibilities within school and have been active in raising funds for charities and for children less fortunate than themselves, through links with a school

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Grade: 2

in Kenya. The progress they make in developing basic skills in literacy and numeracy is outstanding.The great majority of pupils show good attitudes to learning. Attendance is above the national average and punctuality is good. Most pupils participate well in discussions during lessons and are pleased to offer ideas and opinions. They work well collaboratively. In the Foundation Stage, children make good progress in their personal development and this provides them with confidence and high self-esteem.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning range from satisfactory to outstanding and are good overall. In an outstanding lesson in Year 3, pupils learned how to round numbers to 10 and 100. The lesson activities were finely tuned to pupils' learning needs and pupils confidently tackled the challenging tasks with evident enjoyment and success. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are supported very well within lessons and in small groups when they are withdrawn. Teachers use pupil data to track progress carefully so that teaching accurately meets pupils' needs. The school is now more focused in its planning and teaching and this ensures that more able pupils are challenged to achieve as well as they can. Teachers make clear what is to be learned and how success will be achieved, and this helps pupils to understand the purpose of their work. Realistic targets and well-planned activities ensure that work is matched

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Grade: 2

to individual needs. However, teachers do not involve pupils fully in helping them to understand how well they are doing. In the marking of work, pupils are not consistently shown how they can improve. 3 Inspection Report: Caversham Primary School, 22 November 2005 to 23 November 2005

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding. There is a wide range of well-planned activities to engage pupils' interest and support their progress. The school effectively promotes pupils' understanding of how to stay safe and healthy through the curriculum. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties is very effective.There are outstanding features in music, information and communication technology (ICT), art and sport. Pupils benefit greatly from participation in concerts, productions and sports fixtures. They learn to speak French from an early age. The curriculum is greatly enlivened by educational visits and by visitors to school. Special events, including an arts week, music workshops, an outdoor adventurous activities week in Year 6 and drama activities in history, add richness to pupils' learning. The enhanced provision of a new computer suite and interactive whiteboards is having a very positive impact on learning in many lessons.

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Grade: 1

The range of lunchtime and after-school activities is outstanding, and these are so popular they are often over-subscribed. These activities offer pupils the opportunity to broaden their experience of music, sport, cultural and leisure pursuits.

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Grade: 2

Child protection and health and safety arrangements are secure, and all adults working in the school are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities. The school provides a calm and orderly working environment where children feel safe, secure and valued. Pupils feel confident in approaching adults for help and advice. The academic and personal development of all groups of pupils, including those with learning difficulties are tracked thoroughly, and this enables the teachers to know their pupils well. Increasing the involvement of pupils in understanding their own progress is an area for development.Outside agencies and parents provide strong support and make a very effective contribution to pupils' achievements, helping them to attain high standards. Parents expressed their confidence in the school in the pre-inspection questionnaires. As one parent wrote, 'I have two children with very different needs.

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Grade: 2

The school has helped both of them enormously'. There are good links with pre-school groups that help children to settle in well, and links with secondary schools successfully ease the transfer for Year 6 pupils.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher, ably supported by the senior management team, has a clear vision for school improvement. She shares this with staff and governors, who are suitably involved in planning and monitoring activities. As a result, the school's capacity to improve is good. All teachers observe lessons and give feedback, but sometimes the quality of this reduces its potential for improvement. The procedures for checking on subsequent improvement lack rigour. The analysis of data, and subsequent planning and action, is given high priority and contributes to the outstanding achievement. 4 Inspection Report: Caversham Primary School, 22 November 2005 to 23 November 2005 However, the tracking of pupils' progress has been less accurate and, in 2004 and 2005, some of the test results, whilst still good, were lower than anticipated. The school is monitoring the effectiveness of its tracking processes and improving its

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Grade: 2

provision for pupils in these areas. For example, it is taking action to raise the achievement of its higher attainers in mathematics. However, the involvement of pupils in assessing their own progress is unsatisfactory and requires development.The Foundation Stage is well led and managed and this contributes to the children's good achievement. The roles of the subject leaders have improved since the previous inspection. They support staff well in implementing new initiatives, as in ICT, for example. Subject leaders analyse pupils' work, but have insufficient impact on ensuring that the quality of written feedback to pupils is adequate.Governors fulfil their statutory duties and carry out their responsibilities conscientiously and effectively. They are closely involved in all aspects of school development, such as in monitoring the developments taking place in mathematics. The school works hard to increase the

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Grade: 2

involvement of parents, and they are very supportive of their children's education. 5 Inspection Report: Caversham Primary School, 22 November 2005 to 23 November 2005 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Caversham Primary School, 22 November 2005 to 23 November 2005

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Overall

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

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

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

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Pupils As you know, we visited your school recently for two days. I am writing to you, on behalf of the inspectors, to tell you what we found out about your school. We talked to some of you, and we would like to thank you for making us feel welcome and for talking to us about your school. It was very useful to listen to what you had to say about what you enjoy doing. The things we think are good about your school are:* the very good progress you make through the school and the excellent results you achieve in the national tests in Year 2 and Year 6;* your school provides you with lots of very interesting things to do, including after-school clubs, concerts and sports fixtures;* the grown ups in school look after you and help and support you as you grow; you told us that you feel safe and happy in school and that you know the grown ups will always help you if you are upset or worried;* this is a happy school and your parents

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and carers speak well of it. We think your school could be even better if your teachers:* help you to understand better how well you are doing and what you need to do to improve. We hope you carry on enjoying your school and help your teachers as much as you can. Yours sincerely Mrs Vanessa Ward Lead Inspector

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