St Mark's CofE Primary School

Inspection Report St Mark's C of E Primary School

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112325 Unique Reference Number Cumbria LEA 278903 Inspection number 20 June 2006 to 21 June 2006 Inspection dates Mr Andrew Margerison Reporting inspector

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

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Oxenholme Lane School address Primary Type of school Natland Voluntary aided School category Kendal, Cumbria LA9 7QH 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01539 560719 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01539 561769 Fax number 149 Number on roll Priest in Charge Tim Evans Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Headteacher 1 November 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278903 20 June 2006 - 4 to 11 21 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

St Mark’s Church of England Primary School in the village of Natland near Kendal serves the local community, but also takes pupils from Oxenholme and the outskirts of Kendal. A significant proportion of pupils are brought to school by bus. Pupils come from areas where social and economic circumstances are above average and the proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is below average. When children enter the Reception class their attainment is above average because most children have experience of education before they start school. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average, but varies from class to class. Most pupils are of White British origins and there are few pupils of other ethnic backgrounds. A very small minority of pupils have English as an additional language. The headteacher joined the school in September 2005.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Mark's C of E Primary School, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 2006

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Grade: 3

This satisfactory and rapidly improving school has some strong features. The school’s own evaluation rates itself more highly. The main reason for the good pace of recent improvement is the new headteacher’s effective drive to improve teaching and learning, assessment and subject leadership. Pupils start school with above average standards of attainment. They make satisfactory progress overall to reach good standards in Year 6. Teaching is strongly focused on developing pupils’ basic skills, but the way that assessment information is used to plan lessons and ensure that all pupils are sufficiently challenged is not consistent. In addition, pupils are not always told what they need to do to improve their work. Inspection evidence confirms the school’s view that pupils’ personal development and the support, care and guidance provided for pupils are good. Pupils really love coming to school. The curriculum is well enhanced

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Grade: 3

by an extensive programme of extra-curricular activities, but there is more scope for teachers to use all subjects to develop pupils’ writing and their ability to use and apply mathematical knowledge. The school is establishing effective procedures for monitoring the quality and impact of its work. It has recently introduced effective systems to track pupils’ progress so that those who need extra support are identified quickly. Subject leaders are beginning to use this information to identify strengths and weaknesses in their subjects, but it is too early for the impact of this to be reflected in pupils’ achievement. In a relatively short time, the headteacher has created a positive ethos of shared direction and vision for the school among staff and governors so that the school is in a good position to move forward. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Provide more opportunities for pupils to use their basic literacy and numeracy skills in all subjects to improve their progress in writing and mathematics. • Use assessment information more consistently to give all pupils the information they need to know how to improve their work.

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Grade: 3

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Children start in Reception with above average levels of attainment in all the areas of learning. Their progress is satisfactory overall, but good in speaking and listening, reading and number. Currently, most are working at the expected levels for their age in all the areas of learning and several work at higher levels. Standards in Year 2 have been above average in three of the last five years, but fell significantly in 2005 to be average. Inspection evidence shows that current pupils in Year 2 have made satisfactory progress this year in reading, writing and mathematics. Standards in Year 6 have been above average overall for the last five years. However, this has been mainly because of pupils’ high attainment in English. Achievement in mathematics and science has generally been average. This pattern is 2 Inspection Report: St Mark's C of E Primary School, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 2006

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Grade: 3

continuing this year with pupils making satisfactory progress overall in Years 3 to 6. However, they make better progress in reading, speaking and listening and number than in writing and their ability to use and apply their mathematical knowledge. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress due to the good quality support they receive.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. Parents are pleased that their children very clearly enjoy coming to school. Their outstanding enjoyment is reflected in their consistently good attendance and behaviour. Pupils play safely and understand the importance of eating healthily. Pupils are proud of their achievements and have good attitudes to school and their work. These attributes and the development of sound basic skills prepare them well for later schooling and life. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong and there have been no exclusions in recent years. Excellent relationships with adults and between pupils are based on respect for all and reflect the strong Christian ethos of the school. Children in the Foundation Stage quickly develop the social skills necessary for school. Pupils welcome the many opportunities to take on responsibilities

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Grade: 2

around school. The 'buddy' system is rightly praised by pupils throughout the school and demonstrates mature and confident attitudes. Pupils of all ages are beginning to contribute to decision-making through the recently introduced class councils. The school promotes pupils’ cultural development well, for example, through the strong links with a multi-ethnic school in Blackburn.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall with a number of strong features that are consistent across the school. Teachers clearly set out the aims of lessons at the start and are explicit in their expectations. Their management of pupils is good. As a result, pupils behave well and most lessons are positive learning experiences for pupils. Teaching in Reception very strongly emphasises the development of children’s basic reading and number skills so they are well equipped to tackle more difficult work in subsequent years. In Years 1 to 6, the teaching of basic reading, spelling, grammar, punctuation and number skills is particularly effective so pupils make good progress in these aspects. Most teachers use questions well in class discussions to extend the learning of pupils of different abilities. Support staff make an important contribution to lessons and also to the progress made by pupils with learning difficulties and those

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Grade: 3

with English as a second language. However, activities in lessons are not always varied enough to provide sufficient opportunities for all pupils, particularly the more able, to use and apply their good basic skills. The school has recognised that this is needed, 3 Inspection Report: St Mark's C of E Primary School, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 2006 particularly in writing and mathematics. There are some good examples where teachers’ marking really helps pupils improve their work, but this is inconsistent across the school.

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Grade: 3

The satisfactory curriculum is particularly effective in promoting pupils’ personal, social and health education. Basic skills in reading and information and communication technology are used and developed well across many subjects. However, the use and development of basic writing and number skills are only satisfactory. The curriculum is well enhanced by a rich and varied number of school journeys, visiting speakers and clubs. Pupils benefit considerably from a wide range of sports, arts and other activities. The subject leader for physical education has forged strong links with other local schools which has resulted in the basic curriculum for physical education being enhanced well by the use of specialist coaching. Dance, drama, music and physical education make a good contribution to the quality of the curriculum, such as the development of a performance by the 4 to 7 year olds for the local community. The

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Grade: 3

curriculum in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and strongly fosters basic literacy and numeracy skills. However, the school has recognised that aspects of the provision, such as the use of the outdoor space, are not developed enough. The good provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is managed well by the special educational needs coordinator so that these pupils are well supported and make good progress .

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support of pupils are good. Staff know pupils and their families well. Parents and pupils agree that the school is a secure and safe place to be. Arrangements for children starting in Reception are good and a strong relationship is forged with parents. As a result, children settle quickly into school routines. Procedures for child protection and health and safety are robust. Effective communication between staff, parents and external agencies ensures that pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive carefully focused support that meets their needs well. The headteacher has recently introduced good procedures that monitor and track pupils’ achievements. As a result, the school now has better knowledge and understanding of the learning needs of individual pupils and where there are areas of learning that need to be improved. Pupils are involved in discussions about their progress, but there

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Grade: 2

is more scope to use this information more effectively to make sure they all have a really secure understanding of what they need to do to improve. 4 Inspection Report: St Mark's C of E Primary School, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 2006

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The headteacher leads the school well and, in a relatively short time, he has introduced a number of measures to improve pupils’ achievement. Most significantly he has established good procedures to evaluate the work of the school, to monitor the quality of teaching and learning and to track the progress pupils are making in different subjects. He has begun to involve subject leaders and governors more closely in this process so that everyone involved is beginning to develop a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in their subjects. Initially, this work has mainly focused on mathematics and science which the school has correctly identified as not being as strong as English. Governors have also been kept informed of the outcomes of the monitoring and tracking, although they do not yet have a clearly defined role in the process. The school has begun to identify

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Grade: 3

groups of pupils who may need extra support and has accurately identified the main priorities for improvement. Staff have begun to work on these priorities, but there has been insufficient time for them to have a significant impact on pupils’ progress. However, there is a shared vision in the school and a commitment to change and innovation so it is well placed to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: St Mark's C of E Primary School, 20 June 2006 to 21 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: St Mark's C of E Primary School, 20 June 2006 to 21 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 3 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 3 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 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 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 1 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 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

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 To the pupils of: St Mark's C of E Primary School Oxenholme Lane Natland Kendal Cumbria LA9 7QH 20 June 2006 Dear Pupils Thank you for welcoming us to your school this week for the inspection. Thank you for lending us your books, talking to us and letting us join in with some of your lessons. We were particularly impressed by your behaviour and how much you obviously enjoy being at school. We were also pleased with the standards of your reading and basic number skills. However, we feel that some of you could make better progress in writing, mathematics and science. We think that your school is satisfactory now, but will improve because of the new approaches Mr Barfoot has put into place to check how well you are doing. In particular, we have asked the governors, Mr Barfoot and the staff to provide more opportunities for you to

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

use your literacy and numeracy skills in all subjects and to use the information they get from assessments to make sure you know what you need to do to improve your work. Thank you again for helping us and best wishes for the future. Yours sincerely Andy MargerisonJohn Heap (Lead inspector)(Team Inspector)

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