The Rackham Church of England Primary School and Pre-School

Inspection Report The Rackham Church of England Primary School

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110807 Unique Reference Number CAMBRIDGESHIRE LEA LEA 278518 Inspection number 10 May 2006 to 11 May 2006 Inspection dates Mr. Dilip Kadodwala LI Reporting inspector

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

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Main Street School address Primary Type of school CB6 2HQ Voluntary controlled School category 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01353 662436 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01353 662078 Fax number 312 Number on roll Mrs.Sandra Thompson Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr. Sid Wales Headteacher 6 December 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278518 10 May 2006 - 4 to 11 11 May 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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school is larger than most primary schools. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average. Nearly all pupils are of White British heritage. There are a small number of children from Traveller communities and a few pupils who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties, including those who have a statement of special educational needs, is below average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: The Rackham Church of England Primary School, 10 May 2006 to 11 May 2006

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Grade: 2

A high number of parents returned a questionnaire to the inspection team. The vast majority are highly satisfied and say it is a good school where children enjoy learning and are happy. Inspectors agree. It is a good school with a deserved, high local reputation. The quality of leadership and management is good and the school gives good value for money. Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage because they are well cared for and taught well in a lively setting. Pupils' good progress continues in the rest of the school because senior leaders give the school purposeful direction. There is a good sense of team work which values the contribution made by teaching assistants. The school is not complacent, actively seeks the views of parents and has correctly assessed its effectiveness as good. Minor weaknesses identified in the previous inspection have been addressed successfully. In 2005, assessment and

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Grade: 2

test results attained by pupils at ages seven and 11 were above national averages. In mathematics, standards were exceptionally high at the end of Key Stage 2. High quality relationships create the right climate for pupils to learn and for teachers to use their good knowledge and expertise. The evaluation of teaching ensures continuous improvement. A rich variety of activities is used to enhance pupils' enjoyment of school and their personal development. Two aspects need further improvement within this strong picture. The evaluation of teaching does not focus closely enough on what pupils are learning and their progress. Although pupils are given opportunities to use their enquiry and creative skills during enrichment weeks, these are not systematically reinforced in daily lessons. Nonetheless, the school's strengths far outnumber its weaknesses. Because the school has a good understanding of this it is well placed to

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What the school should do to improve further

- Focus evaluations of teaching more sharply on what pupils are learning and the progress they make. - Ensure that skills which pupils acquire during enrichment weeks are used more routinely in lessons.

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Grade: 2

The pupils attain above average standards overall and their achievement is good. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well. They enter the Reception class with skills that are comparatively weak, but make good progress so that by the end of the Reception year most have attained the goals expected for their age. By the end of Year 2, standards are above average in reading and mathematics and average in writing. By the end of Year 6, standards are exceptionally high in mathematics and above average in English and science. The rate of progress made by the pupils between Year 2 and Year 6 is good overall, especially in mathematics. Pupils have met the challenging targets set as a result of the good teaching that they receive. There is no significant difference in the achievements of boys and girls. Throughout the school pupils with 2 Inspection Report: The Rackham Church of England Primary School, 10 May 2006 to 11 May 2006

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Grade: 2

learning difficulties make good progress. The small number of children from Traveller communities, and those who speak English as an additional language, also make good progress. This is because tasks are well matched to their needs and they are well supported by teachers and teaching assistants.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development is outstanding. Pupils have extremely positive attitudes towards the school, are very well behaved, polite and have good relationships with all staff and with one another. Consequently, the school is a happy and caring place in which all children feel valued and safe. Pupils make a very positive contribution to the community through various means, including raising funds for local and national charities. The school council members are enthusiastic about their role because they know that they can make a difference. They are actively involved in deciding how to spend their allocated budget. Pupils are very clear about what constitutes a healthy diet and readily drink water throughout the day. At lunch times, all the children are involved in purposeful exercise, playing creatively with the excellent resources and equipment provided by the school. They also take part in many sporting activities.

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Grade: 1

This excellent provision was recognised through a national sports award. Attendance is just above the national average and the school is working to make it even better. Whilst pupils' moral and social development is exemplary, the promotion of their understanding about cultural diversity is not as well developed. The school recognises that pupils could be given wider opportunities for understanding cultural differences and for spiritual development within the curriculum. By the end of Year 6, pupils' very good communication and social skills, together with competence in literacy and numeracy, have prepared them very well for their future life.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. In all classes, teachers and pupils have very good working relationships. Consequently, pupils enjoy their learning, are hard working, well behaved and eager to succeed. Teaching is good in Reception with children learning through a good variety of interesting and carefully planned practical activities. Within the rest of the school, teachers' secure subject knowledge underpins similarly well planned lessons. Tasks are well matched to the needs of the pupils so that all, including those with particular needs, are able to engage fully. Teachers are making increasingly good use of the interactive white boards to enliven lessons and motivate the pupils who respond well. The effective deployment of teaching assistants and support staff contributes well to the good progress made by pupils with learning difficulties. Whilst work planned for the higher attainers is challenging, particularly in English and

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Grade: 2

mathematics, the school recognises this as an area for further development. Assessment procedures are effective. The pupils respond to the extensive feedback that they get 3 Inspection Report: The Rackham Church of England Primary School, 10 May 2006 to 11 May 2006 on their work and improvement is seen as a result. Pupils' self-assessment is developing well. Most are able to say whether or not they have understood the work that they have done. Some pupils are less secure in this respect and staff are taking steps to help them to develop a clearer understanding of how well they are doing.

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Grade: 2

The school judges the curriculum to be outstanding. Whilst inspectors consider that some aspects are outstanding, the overall judgement is that the curriculum is good. The broad and balanced curriculum meets requirements and the interesting curriculum in the Foundation Stage links the areas for learning well. The school enriches the curriculum further by providing two separate innovative weeks that enable pupils to experience and use enquiry and creative skills. However, the skills pupils gain during this time are not yet systematically built upon in everyday lessons. Pupils with learning difficulties are well provided for, with good support from teaching assistants. The curriculum is effective in guiding the pupils towards being safe and healthy and to contributing to the local community. There is an exceptional range of enticing enrichment activities such as art, music, drama and sports clubs, which are extremely

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Grade: 2

well supported by both pupils and staff. These, together with a good number of visits and visitors, plus the enrichment weeks during the year, make a very positive impact on the pupils' personal and social development.

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Grade: 1

The school takes excellent care of pupils and makes sure that they are safe. This first rate level of care makes pupils feel very well looked after. Teachers and support staff know the pupils very well. Child protection arrangements are in place and understood by all staff. The school works effectively with outside agencies to ensure that all pupils receive the support and guidance they need. For example, the local authority's Traveller support service provides an excellent level of support for Traveller pupils, who are fully integrated into the life of the school. The staff make very effective use of the checks made on an individual pupil's progress to identify the next steps that need to be taken. Parents provide much help at home and in school that benefits pupils' learning.

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Grade: 2

The quality of leadership and management is good. The headteacher is particularly effective in giving the school good direction which successfully promotes high standards and pupils' outstanding personal development. He and the deputy headteacher have complementary skills and this has created an atmosphere where teachers and managers have the confidence to be self-evaluative. This ensures that the school has a good capacity to improve. Senior leaders work well as a team and teachers receive good 4 Inspection Report: The Rackham Church of England Primary School, 10 May 2006 to 11 May 2006 professional development. The school's investment in teaching assistants is a well-judged strategy because it is successful in promoting pupils' progress. Parents and pupils are consulted regularly and their views help to inform school self-evaluation which is strong at all levels. Routine monitoring of teachers' planning and pupils' work

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Grade: 2

by subject leaders is good because the evaluations lead to continuous improvement. Assessments of the quality of teaching are accurate overall, but are insufficiently focussed on pupils' progress. The school's plan to improve the quality of teaching and learning further is being implemented well but needs to be more closely tied to how it impacts on pupils' progress. The governing body provides strong backing for the school and are good ambassadors for the school in the community. It is effective in its role as 'critical friend' and has improved its approach to evaluating how well the school implements its priorities. Financial planning is secure and carefully monitored. 5 Inspection Report: The Rackham Church of England Primary School, 10 May 2006 to 11 May 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 Rackham Church of England Primary School, 10 May 2006 to 11 May 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 2 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 1 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

Thank you very much for the warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school. We think your school is a friendly and happy place and we particularly liked the following things: - You enjoy coming to school and being with your friends. - You try hard and do very well in your work. - You behave very well and show care and kindness for one another. - You like to be healthy and take part in lots of games and activities. - The grown-ups in your school work hard to keep you safe and make sure that you get the most out of being at school. The people in charge of the school run it very well. They know how to make it even better. We have asked them to keep a close check on your learning in lessons and to make sure that you get many more chances to use the skills you show during your exciting 'discovery' and 'arts' weeks. We think that you and your parents are right to feel proud of your school. It is a credit to you and

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

the staff who work hard because they want the best for you. Thank you again for helping us with our work.

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