Folksworth CofE Primary School

Inspection Report Folksworth CofE Primary School

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110812 Unique Reference Number CAMBRIDGESHIRE LEA LEA 278522 Inspection number 13 July 2006 to 14 July 2006 Inspection dates Mr. David Speakman AI Reporting inspector

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

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Apreece Road School address Primary Type of school PE7 3TY Voluntary controlled School category 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01733240562 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01733241523 Fax number 97 Number on roll Mr.Peter Lloyd Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Miss. Caroline Adams Headteacher 7 February 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278522 13 July 2006 - 4 to 11 14 July 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

This is a smaller than average school, which serves children from the village of Folksworth and the surrounding locality. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds with a small number from minority ethnic groups. There are no pupils with English as an additional language. A very small number take up free school meals. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those with a statement, is below average. Attainment on entry is average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Folksworth CofE Primary School, 13 July 2006 to 14 July 2006

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Grade: 2

Inspection evidence confirms the school's own judgement that it is effective. It gives good value for money. Progress is good and by Year 6, standards are generally above average. This represents good achievement for pupils at all stages of the school. Provision in the Foundation Stage and standards achieved are good. Through good levels of care and guidance, pupils' personal development is good. Although there is some challenging behaviour, this is managed well and pupils' attitudes and behaviour are good. The quality of teaching is good overall and that seen during the inspection ranged from satisfactory to good, with some very good aspects. The curriculum effectively meets the learning needs for pupils at all ages and abilities in the mixed age classes. Support and guidance for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are good and teaching assistants work well with teachers to achieve this. Leadership

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Grade: 2

and management is good. The headteacher leads the school well and she is supported effectively by the staff team. Governors support the school well and provide a healthy level of challenge to keep the school moving forwards. The school improvement plan is written for the current year only and there is no documented indication of long-term developments, although the headteacher and governors have clear ideas about these. There has been a good level of improvement since the previous inspection, both in issues raised and in those identified since then. The quality of school self-evaluation is good and the school therefore has a good capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Share good teaching practice so that all lessons come up to the best and pupils' achievement can be even better throughout the school. - Extend the term of the school improvement plan to include outlines of long-term improvements for consideration when deciding upon priorities.

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Grade: 2

Children start school with average attainment. They make good progress in Reception and by the time they enter Year 1 most achieve the goals they are expected to reach and a significant number exceed them. Good achievement continues through Years 1 and 2 and standards at the end of Year 2 are generally above average. This year teacher assessments indicate standards are likely to be average in reading, writing and mathematics. The school has detailed tracking data to show these pupils have progressed well and all have achieved challenging targets based on a rate of progress greater than that expected nationally. Indications are that third of pupils have exceeded their targets. There are a significant number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in this class and they have also made good progress. Pupils continue to make good progress and all achieve well throughout Key Stage 2 regardless of any

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Grade: 2

learning difficulties they may have. In 2005, attainment was well above average in mathematics, above in science, but average in English. The school has worked hard to 2 Inspection Report: Folksworth CofE Primary School, 13 July 2006 to 14 July 2006 improve writing and this year standards in English are well above average. However, in 2006 they are average in mathematics and science, but this still represents good achievement since Year 2 for each pupil. Inspection outcomes and school assessment data for the current Year 5 shows standards in English, mathematics and science are already at the nationally expected level for the end of the key stage.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The school has successfully improved pupils' multicultural awareness in response to issues from the previous inspection. Behaviour is good. A number of pupils occasionally show challenging behaviour but this is managed well by teachers and teaching assistants, enabling lessons to proceed smoothly. Behaviour at breaks is generally good, with pupils engaged in active play. Pupils have good attitudes to school and relationships in school are good. Attendance is good and has been above average for some years. Pupils say they enjoy coming to school, and the companionship of their friends. They feel teachers know them well and care about them. Through the school council and opportunities for other pupils to express their views, pupils have a meaningful say in how the school can be improved. Older pupils contribute to the smooth running of

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Grade: 2

the school through a range of responsibilities, which they take seriously. Pupils develop a good awareness of how to stay healthy and safe in and out of school. They gain skills important to helping them cope well in the next stages of their education, including literacy, numeracy, using evidence to make informed judgements and collaborative working skills.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and teaching seen during the inspection ranged from satisfactory to very good. Although some pupils show challenging behaviour, generally it is managed well, although sometimes pupils are allowed to talk whilst the teacher is addressing the class. Teaching assistants support pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities well. They are clear about what is expected of them and show good initiative when working with pupils in their care. They make a significant contribution to the smooth running of lessons. The school has been working on improving teachers' questioning skills. In the best lessons teachers ask open questions, which make pupils think, encouraging them to use their knowledge and skills to work out problems for themselves. Teachers know pupils well, have high expectations and promote good progress. Targets set for pupils' individual progress

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Grade: 2

are challenging and represent achievement greater than nationally expected. Assessment is good. Information on achievement and standards is used well to plan the next steps in learning. Pupils are kept informed of how well they are doing through 3 Inspection Report: Folksworth CofE Primary School, 13 July 2006 to 14 July 2006 being involved in assessing their own gains in knowledge and understanding and through informative comments in the marking of their work.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is planned effectively to meet the learning needs of all pupils in the mixed-age classes. It is adapted to suit pupils' needs and some pupils are taught in classes where they can make the best progress, for example, some Year 1 pupils are taught alongside Reception children. Teachers are very careful to make sure that these pupils do not miss out on any learning opportunities, joining Year 1 when appropriate. The Foundation Stage curriculum is good and is based on the areas of learning for young children. Each day they get a good balance and variety of learning opportunities. There are good links between subjects and often learning intentions include additional literacy targets. This good practice enables pupils to develop writing skills further. Curriculum enrichment is good. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities catering for a range of preferences. The range and number of visits and visitors are

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Grade: 2

good and help to make learning interesting.

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Grade: 2

The school makes good provision for pupils' pastoral care. Procedures for child protection are fully in place and adults know what to do if action is needed. Health and safety checks and risk assessments are completed fully. This ensures that pupils take part in activities in complete safety. Staff provide good support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Pupils receive a good level of guidance related to their academic achievement. The progress of individual pupils is carefully monitored and appropriate support is provided where needed. Pupils say that marking of their work helps them know what they need to do next to improve. Pupils are involved in assessment of their own work and therefore have a good idea about how well they are doing and how to get better. They agree they are well informed and value this information.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher has a clear vision for school improvement and since joining the school has initiated some significant developments, including major building work which has led to better organisation of classes and the curriculum. The leadership of the school successfully identifies any potential barriers to learning and plans appropriate strategies to minimise the effect. The headteacher is supported in her work by dedicated teachers and teaching assistants, who work well as a team for the good of the children in their care. All staff carry a heavy load of responsibility. There are good arrangements that enable them to carry out the subject leaders' monitoring and evaluation roles effectively and they make a significant contribution to school self-evaluation. Governors are 4 Inspection Report: Folksworth CofE Primary School, 13 July 2006 to 14 July 2006 effective in their support of the school and provide a healthy level of challenge, holding

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Grade: 2

the headteacher and staff to account for their work. They are self-critical to ensure they work effectively and new governors are helped into their roles by more experienced ones. School self-evaluation is good. The whole staff team and the governors are fully involved. It is a priority that the views of parents are sought and carefully considered when planning for improvement. The school improvement plan is well thought out for the current year. However, there is no documented indication of longer-term improvement, although the headteacher and governors have a good long-term vision. The school has made a good level of improvement since the previous inspection. The good quality of school self-evaluation, identification of issues and the effective actions taken mean that the school has a good capacity for further improvement. 5 Inspection Report: Folksworth CofE Primary School, 13 July 2006 to 14 July 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: Folksworth CofE Primary School, 13 July 2006 to 14 July 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 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

I was pleased to meet you when I came into your school. Thank you very much for talking to me, making me feel welcome and helping me find out about you and how good your school is. You go to a good school. The headteacher, teachers and other adults working in your school do their best to help give you a good start to your education. They look after you well and I noticed that you also look after each other. Your teachers know you well and help all of you to make good progress. The teachers work hard to make sure that you get interesting lessons and that all your needs are met. Although some of you find good behaviour difficult to achieve, you cooperate with adults and behaviour in lessons is good. You had good things to say about your school, your teachers and friends and it is obvious that you enjoy being there. I am asking your headteacher, teachers and governors to make sure that the quality of teaching and learning

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

in all your lessons is even better so that you all continue to make good progress, and to look further into the future when they are planning improvements for the school. I wish you well in the future.

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