Barnabas Oley CofE Primary School

Inspection Report Barnabas Oley CofE Primary School

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110814 Unique Reference Number CAMBRIDGESHIRE LEA LEA 278523 Inspection number 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005 Inspection dates Mr. Ian Nelson LI Reporting inspector

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

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Great Gransden School address Primary Type of school SG19 3AE Voluntary controlled School category 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01767 677294 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01767 677894 Fax number 169 Number on roll Mrs.Rachel Fogg Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. Jacky Jones Headteacher Not applicable Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278523 15 November 2005 - 4 to 11 16 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 2 Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a village school serving communities in rural Cambridgeshire. It is smaller than average and pupils are almost all of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below average. The number of pupils with learning difficulties is below average although the proportion with statements of learning needs is average. The number on roll has increased in recent years. The head teacher took up her post at the start of the term in which the school was inspected and the deputy head teacher has been in post for two and half terms.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Barnabas Oley CofE Primary School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005

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Grade: 1

This is a highly effective school that gives excellent value for money and is well placed to improve even further. Parents and pupils think very highly of the school. The recently appointed head teacher has gained a very accurate picture of how well the school is doing after taking time to reflect on and evaluate its strengths and areas for improvement. The school's view of its outstanding performance matches that of the inspectors. The school has maintained exceptionally high standards over recent years and pupils make excellent progress in their learning and personal development. A high proportion of pupils gain the higher levels in the national tests, although they do slightly less well in writing than in other subjects. The caring Christian ethos of the school is a great strength that ensures that pupils and adults work harmoniously together in an atmosphere of mutual respect that values each individual. Consequently,

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Grade: 1

relationships between pupils and adults are excellent and pupils always have someone to turn to for support. Teaching and learning are outstanding. with a strength being appropriate provision of good quality support. This ensures that children in reception get off to a flying start and make very good progress which prepares them very well for Year 1. The curriculum is outstanding overall, although the school is already working to further improve the use of information and communication technology (ICT) across the curriculum. Pupils who find learning difficult receive excellent support so that their progress is exceptional. The school has tackled the issues for improvement from the last report including establishing a computer suite. Teachers are making more use of computers in all subjects although they recognise this could be even better.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Help pupils to develop their use of paragraphs and punctuation so that their writing improves to reach the exceptionally high levels of other areas of learning. - Continue to develop the use of ICT across all subjects.

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Grade: 1

Children enter the reception class with skills and knowledge beyond those expected of their age. They make very good progress in reception so that most reach the goals expected by the time they enter Year 1 with many exceeding these. Pupils make excellent progress through Years 1 to 6 so that standards are exceptionally high by the time they leave. The school has maintained very high standards consistently over recent years. Many pupils gain higher than expected levels in the national tests at Year 2 and Year 6, although fewer gain these levels in writing than in other subjects. The school has identified that older pupils need to improve their use of paragraphs and punctuation. Pupils who find learning difficult make exceptionally good progress because of the excellent support they are given from teaching and support staff. There are no significant differences in the progress made by boys and girls or different groups

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Grade: 1

of pupils because the school is committed to helping all pupils, whatever their ability, 2 Inspection Report: Barnabas Oley CofE Primary School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005 to do their best. Consequently, the school meets its challenging targets each year and fully prepares pupils for the next stage of their schooling. The excellent progress they make in literacy and numeracy ensures that they have the skills needed to prepare them for the world of work. The school has addressed the issue for improvement from the last report on raising standards in ICT so that pupils are confident and competent on computers.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is outstanding. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They are exceedingly polite and well-mannered with each other and with visitors and they have great self-confidence, as shown in discussions with inspectors. They respond exceptionally well to opportunities to take responsibility. The school council is excellent at representing the pupils' views to the staff and bringing issues and potential solutions to council meetings. Pupils know about healthy eating and enjoy nutritious school meals and fruit for snacks. They have ample opportunities to keep fit and healthy through physical education and after school sport and play energetically at break times. Pupils enjoy their lessons, and refer to the recent pupils' survey results as evidence of this. Attendance is exceptionally high. Pupils make a significant contribution

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Grade: 1

to the day-to-day running of the school, with the older ones supporting younger ones. They are heavily involved in the life of the wider community. Their growing self-confidence and inter-personal skills ensure that they are well equipped for the next stage of schooling and are being prepared well for the world of work. The school's excellent programme of personal, social and health education ensures that pupils know how to stay safe, leading them to act sensibly at all times.

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Grade: 1

Teaching and learning are outstanding. This is a view shared by pupils at the school who thoroughly enjoy their education. In all classes, great emphasis is placed on enjoyment through learning and pupils demonstrate enthusiasm and maturity of approach to their work. Pupils are encouraged to develop as independent learners. In a Year 4 lesson, the teaching of mathematics was outstanding with the pupils demonstrating a love of learning and a desire to succeed. The strengths included the teacher's high expectations combined with a real understanding of how to get the most out of pupils in a stimulating lesson that captured their mathematical creativity. In assembly, the whole school thoroughly enjoyed learning songs, as well as having an opportunity for quiet reflection to promote an air of spirituality. Teaching assistants and helpers are an excellent resource and work very effectively with pupils. They are

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Grade: 1

fully engaged in the learning process and have a very positive effect on the quality of teaching and learning. Target setting and tracking are well established in numeracy 3 Inspection Report: Barnabas Oley CofE Primary School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005 and literacy so that pupils know what they need to do to make their work even better. The school is committed to improving this further still as a priority in the school development plan.

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Grade: 1

The activities provided for pupils to learn are outstanding, and meet statutory requirements and the pupils' needs exceedingly well. The development of the computer suite has helped considerably to improve provision in ICT and computers are increasingly used in other subjects, although this is still requires further development. The school provides many excellent enrichment activities, some of which are linked to the local community, such as the local bowls and tennis clubs, as well as the church. The school greatly values its cultural heritage as part of the village and links much of the school activity to the church and life in the community, to outstanding effect. Pupils also gain enormously from a residential trip to an outdoor adventure centre that promotes their personal development very effectively. Learning about a wide range of cultures and religions is embedded in the pupils' learning, including an enrichment week

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Grade: 1

involving the Harambee Centre. The school is now working to improve this aspect of learning even further.

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Grade: 1

The quality of care is outstanding. Great emphasis is placed on the relationships between adults and pupils and this helps to promote purposeful learning and high attainment. Pupils feel safe and secure and say they enjoy coming to school where they can learn lots. Child protection procedures are fully in place. Pupils know they can approach an adult in school if they have any worries or problems and know they will be listened to. One of the strengths of the school is the number of adults who are working to promote care, guidance and support in both the pastoral sense and in the academic sense. Another strength lies in the fact that pupils also look after and care for each other exceptionally well. The school council plays a big role in this area. There are very good relationships with external agencies.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. The school has established and maintained an exceptionally caring ethos, in line with its Christian status, that values and nurtures everyone associated with it. The recently appointed head teacher has recognised the school's great strengths very quickly. She has taken time to get to know the staff, governors, pupils and parents and to evaluate their strengths and seek their views. This has led to a very accurate view of how well the school is doing and what it needs to do to maintain its ethos and exceptional standards. The school seeks the views of parents and pupils on how well it is doing and tells them the results of 4 Inspection Report: Barnabas Oley CofE Primary School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005 surveys and the actions being taken about issues they have raised. Governors are fully committed to the school. They have very clear systems for checking how well the

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Grade: 1

school is doing through programmed visits. They are fully aware of the need to have a better understanding of the information on how well pupils are doing and have arranged training to help with this. They ensure that they fulfil all their statutory responsibilities. Performance management is fully in place and feeds into long term school improvement planning. The school has tackled the issues for improvement from the last inspection and maintained its exceptionally high standards. It is very well placed to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Barnabas Oley CofE Primary School, 15 November 2005 to 16 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: Barnabas Oley CofE Primary School, 15 November 2005 to 16 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 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 1 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 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 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 1 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 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 1 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 for making us so welcome when we came to inspect your school. We enjoyed talking with you and hearing what you thought. This letter is to tell you what your school does well and how it could become even better. You are very lucky to attend your school. All the staff care for you very well and want the best for each of you. Teachers make lessons interesting so that you enjoy learning. They help you with your work so that all of you make exceptionally good progress. You do very well in the tests you take at Year 2 and Year 6, although your writing is not quite as good as some other subjects. Your work in ICT has improved no end and the school is busy now finding new ways for you to practice these skills in other lessons. Those of you who find the work hard get lots of help so that you can make good progress. Your behaviour is excellent. You get on very well with each other and with the staff. The older pupils

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

make an excellent job of looking after the younger ones. Your school council does an outstanding job of telling your teachers what you think about the school and how to make it better. We are pleased that you have helped your new head teacher to settle into the school very quickly. She likes working with you and has good ideas for helping to improve your school further. We have asked your teachers to help you to make your writing better and to continue to help you to use computers in your learning in all subjects.

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