The Ilsleys Primary School

Inspection Report The Ilsleys' Primary School

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109813 Unique Reference Number West Berkshire LEA LEA 278278 Inspection number 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 Inspection dates David Marshall AI Reporting inspector

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

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East Ilsley School address Primary Type of school Newbury Community School category RG20 7LP 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01635 281225 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01635 281363 Fax number 55 Number on roll Mr Paul Richardson Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Felix Rayner Headteacher 3 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278278 27 June 2006 - 4 to 11 28 June 2006 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The Ilsleys' Primary is a small school serving the two villages of East and West Ilsley. The school has families from a variety of backgrounds, with 70% from higher socio-economic groups and 30% living in social or tied housing. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average. The school's ethnic mix is mainly White British although a small percentage of the pupils come from Australia. Children's attainment on entry is in line with expectations for their age. Currently the number of pupils who have learning difficulties is around the national average. The school is a member of a federation of schools who all feed into The Downs Secondary School in Compton.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: The Ilsleys' Primary School, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006

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Grade: 2

Inspection evidence agrees with the school's judgement that it provides a good, and rapidly improving, education for all its pupils. It has made many significant improvements in the last two years and now provides good value for money. Strengths and weaknesses are speedily identified because the school has introduced very good systems for monitoring its work. Pupils' progress is good and standards are now well above average. Children make a very positive start to their education in the Foundation Stage. Many are achieving above expected standards in their reception year as the provision is very good. Teaching and learning are good overall throughout the school. Teachers are now clear about the most effective ways to ensure that learning is successful for every pupil. Parents are very pleased about this. One commented that, 'This is a school where every child can be a star'. Lessons are well planned and teachers aim to make learning

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Grade: 2

fun. Teachers' expectations of pupils' behaviour are very high. Pupils' personal development is outstanding. They are cared for very well, and all of them, including the most vulnerable, feel safe and secure. Although the curriculum covers all subjects and is enhanced by a good range of additional activities, there are insufficient effective links between subjects. The leadership and management of the school are outstanding. The headteacher provides first-rate leadership both through his guidance and his excellent teaching. This is having the effect of raising standards throughout the school. He is very ably supported by all staff and the outstanding governing body. Very good improvements have been made since the last inspection. The changes the headteacher has introduced have transformed the overall provision. He says, 'There is still more to do for us to be the school we want to be'. Teamwork, under his guidance, is excellent and the school's

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Grade: 2

capacity to improve further is very good.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Adapt the current curriculum provision to give pupils more opportunities to use their skills in a wider range of subjects.

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Grade: 2

The school and inspection evidence agrees that currently pupils' attainment in English, mathematics and science is above average and their achievement is good. Most children enter the school with average skills for their age. Thanks to very good provision, they settle down very well in the Foundation Stage, make very good progress and many attain standards above those expected for their age. In Years 2, 3 and 4 much emphasis is put on developing speaking and listening skills and this has a positive impact on the standards pupils reach in writing, and especially in reading. Standards in mathematics were lower than in English but new arrangements 2 Inspection Report: The Ilsleys' Primary School, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 for pupils to have individual improvement targets this year have already raised their performance. Standards at the end of Year 2 are above average and improving. There is now a rigorous system in place that tracks the progress each pupil makes and

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Grade: 2

identifies where additional support will be most beneficial. As a result, pupils in Years 5 and 6 are working at levels above expectations for their age and are making good progress. Targets are challenging and seem likely to be exceeded this year with all pupils expected to gain at least average standards and a high proportion of them are expected to gain even higher levels. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) have improved, and pupils achieve average standards by the end of Year 6. The provision for pupils with learning difficulties is very good, and they often make excellent progress.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding and are strengths of the school. The very good ethos and relationships between pupils and staff have a positive impact on all aspects of personal development. Pupils are polite, well-mannered and confident when talking with each other and adults. They speak warmly about their school. As one council member said, 'Being a small school we all know everyone and we are all friends'. Pupils attend regularly, they are made to feel safe and have confidence in knowing that they can ask any adult for help if they need it. Pupils are developing a very good understanding of how to stay healthy, by eating sensibly and enjoying physical activities. There are excellent opportunities for regular exercise in physical education lessons and using the new, very popular, play equipment. These outdoor facilities contribute very well to pupils' physical and social development.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils are respectful of each other, follow a clear moral code, and are keen to take responsibility both for classroom tasks and by taking on school roles. They participate in a wide range of activities that help them to understand about the beliefs and lives of people from different cultures. Pupils' contribution to the community is outstanding. They are involved well in both the school and the village, for example through the excellent school council discussions on how to make the locality more environmentally friendly. The pupils' developing skills in English, mathematics and ICT and the many opportunities they have to work together prepare them very well their future-economic well being.

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Grade: 2

The school considers teaching to be satisfactory but inspection evidence shows teaching to be good overall, with some outstanding lessons seen. Teachers have high expectations of pupils' involvement and make learning enjoyable. They build well on 3 Inspection Report: The Ilsleys' Primary School, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 previous learning and work is well matched to pupils' interests. This, combined with pupils' excellent attitudes and behaviour, results in good progress. The needs of all pupils are diagnosed very well. For example, in an outstanding lesson, Year 2, 3 and 4 showed huge enthusiasm when discussing the books of Quentin Blake. They were then all enabled to learn very well through carefully prepared tasks that were appropriate to their very different needs. Skilled and outstanding support contributes to pupils' good achievement. Lessons consolidate pupils' thinking skills and include good opportunities to express their

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Grade: 2

ideas. Very good use is made by teachers of questions and pupils' responses in lessons. Throughout the school, pupils concentrate well. Opportunities for them to reflect on and evaluate their own work are now being developed. Teachers' regular marking of books to assess and reward pupils' work is good, although it varies in its effectiveness to promote further improvement. Regular homework is set which complements class work and promotes pupils' enjoyment.

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Grade: 2

Inspection evidence supports the school's judgement that the curriculum is good. The curriculum is well balanced, meets the basic needs of pupils and stimulates an enjoyment for learning for all. The school is currently revising the way that subjects are presented in order to promote further enjoyment through an approach based on selected topics involving all subjects. Teachers have used this approach in themed days and weeks, such as their 'Australia Week'. In these weeks, good emphasis is given to pupils to apply and develop their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills in other subjects. As one teaching assistant said, 'The children learned so much without realising it.' The school recognises there is scope for further links like this to be made. The school very successfully promotes pupils' knowledge of staying healthy and safe. The well attended good range of after school activities, enrich the curriculum and

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Grade: 2

promote pupils' development and enjoyment. Good provision is made for ICT. Every class has an interactive whiteboard, which adds to the impact and interest of lessons. Opportunities for higher attaining pupils are good and include local visits to stimulate learning. The school makes good use of visits, visitors and residential trips to enrich learning and pupils' personal skills.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are very well cared for and receive very good guidance and support. The school is a happy, safe community where learning thrives. All members of staff are alert to the personal safety of pupils and child protection procedures are good. All adults are briefed regularly to ensure that they are up-to-date with the latest requirements. There are very good procedures to ensure pupils' day-to-day health and safety. Teachers assess pupils' work very thoroughly and marking is good. Records of pupils' progress are very good. Pupils have individual learning targets for English and 4 Inspection Report: The Ilsleys' Primary School, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 mathematics. These are reviewed regularly and shared with parents and carers as well as pupils. As a result, pupils are clear about what they need to improve and teachers are better able to plan work that challenges and extends pupils. Teachers are now

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Grade: 2

working to involve pupils more in assessing their own work. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make very good progress because their needs are accurately identified and classroom support is exceptional.

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Grade: 1

The headteacher's leadership is outstanding. All staff and governors provide very good support. One of the key roles of all staff is to follow the headteacher's exemplary lead and relate effectively with all pupils, parents and the local village community. Teamwork now is of high quality. One parent summed up the impact of the headteacher's arrival by saying, 'I believe that under the leadership of the new head this school has been re-energised and is being transformed into a school that we can all be proud of'. There is a clear understanding of the strengths of the school and areas that need development. The school's self evaluation is detailed, effective and understood by everyone. The school's development plan provides clear guidance on relevant issues for raising standards and takes into consideration support and initiatives from all sources. Many governors who are new to their roles are now very effectively involved

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Grade: 1

in this process. They bring a wide range of skills to bear as they support the school outstandingly well, challenging decisions and requesting explanations where necessary. The opinions of parents and pupils are valued and acted upon. The school has developed good links with a range of other schools and organisations, to promote a high quality education. Management at all levels is very good due to the effective systems now in place to monitor pupils' progress and the quality of teaching and learning. The school is very well placed to build on its successes and has a very good capacity to improve. 5 Inspection Report: The Ilsleys' Primary School, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 .

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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: The Ilsleys' Primary School, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006

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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 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 1 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

Children Thank you very much for welcoming me so warmly during my recent visit to your school. Thanks especially to those children who helped me find my way around and those who talked to me during the inspection. I did appreciate all the help and comments which you offered. I am glad to tell you that I think your school is good and provides you with a really good start to your education. I was particularly pleased with these things:* your headteacher and staff do a super job in organising the school and looking after you* you all really enjoy being in school* you are all making good progress with your work* you behave very well, work hard and listen carefully to your teachers, all of which help you to succeed* all the adults in the school look after you very carefully. They always make sure that you get help if you need it* your school council does a great job. Your teachers are always trying to help you do even better in lessons and I have asked them

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to look again at ways in which you can use what you have learned in English, mathematics and ICT to help you in other subjects. I know that you will continue to work hard and extend my very best wishes for your future success. David Marshall Lead Inspector

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