Buxworth Primary School

Inspection Report Buxworth Primary School

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112526 Unique Reference Number DERBYSHIRE LEA LEA 278949 Inspection number 1 November 2005 to 1 November 2005 Inspection dates Mr. Roger Fry LI Reporting inspector

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

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Station Road School address Primary Type of school SK23 7NJ Community School category 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01663732426 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils Fax number 30 Number on roll Mrs.Caroline Rofer Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. Lesley Hartley Headteacher 15 November 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278949 1 November 2005 - 4 to 11 1 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Buxworth Primary School serves the village and surrounding area. Children are from White British or Irish families and all speak English as their first language. The proportions of children who are eligible for free school meals or with learning difficulties are well below average. When children join the reception year, their knowledge and skills are typical of children nationally. During the last two years, the school has decreased in size. There are 30 children on roll.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Buxworth Primary School, 1 November 2005 to 1 November 2005

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Grade: 2

Buxworth Primary provides a good education for its children. Year 6 children's standards in English, mathematics and science have been above average for the last two years. Standards were equally good last year in Year 2. Children make good progress. Children make a good start in reception and reach the standards expected nationally. Although children make good progress in Years 1 and 2 overall, the progress of a few boys is limited at times because they do not concentrate well enough. Buxworth is a school in which every child matters and it provides good care. Children make outstanding progress in becoming responsible young people. They are happy in school and are keen to do well. Standards of behaviour are good and they are particularly good amongst the oldest children. Teaching is good and the curriculum is interesting to children. Children study a wide range of topics in all subjects and make very good use

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Grade: 2

of the site. The headteacher leads the school well. The school has continued to be successful during a period when it has declined in size. The results of the inspection match closely with the school's self-evaluation. The school has correctly identified children's reading for further improvement in order to advance standards. The school has good plans to involve parents further in this initiative. The school development plan (SDP) makes good reference to the school's priorities but does not identify clearly how the school will know it has achieved some of the targets. The school has successfully tackled the issues from its previous inspection. For example, the provision for information and communication technology (ICT) is much better than it was. The school now has excellent new accommodation. The school has a good capacity to improve further and gives good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Improve the progress that boys make in Years 1 and 2. - Improve children's attainment in reading. - Include more measures of success in the school development plan to mprove the school's efficiency.

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Grade: 2

Children's attainment on entry to reception is typical of four-year-olds nationally overall. They make steady progress and reach the expected standards by the time they transfer to Year 1. The standards attained by children in Year 2 were above the national averages in 2005. All children attained the expected standards for their age or higher. There is a significant difference in the performance of younger boys and girls. Boys do not perform as well as girls in Year 2 tests. Some younger boys do not concentrate well enough, but the school is aware of this and targets are in place to help them improve. Children in Year 6 regularly meet and sometimes exceed the challenging targets that the school sets. Standards in English, mathematics and science have risen in recent years as a result of good teaching and children's willingness to learn. In 2005, standards at the end of Year 6 were significantly higher than those in schools nationally.

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Grade: 2

2 Inspection Report: Buxworth Primary School, 1 November 2005 to 1 November 2005 Children made good progress. The most able children make good progress because teachers plan effectively to meet their needs. The small number of children with special educational needs make very good progress. Many attain the nationally expected standards because they receive intensive individual help from adults. The school has correctly identified the need to raise standards of reading further so that children have more ideas to use in their work.

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Grade: 2

Every child has the opportunity to participate in everything, hence children enjoy school. Many come to school with very good attitudes to work. Teachers insist on high standards of behaviour and reinforce these good attitudes. Children's behaviour is good, particularly in Years 3 to 6. Attendance is above average and has improved greatly. There are exceptional opportunities for children to develop into well-rounded young people. For example, children learn to play a full part in school life. Because numbers are small, a third of the school is on the school council, and everyone is offered a turn to take part. Children have offered their ideas to the Parish Council about how to improve the local community and they have been well received. The school has gained the Healthy Schools Award and adopting a healthy lifestyle is normal for most children. Children learn business and enterprise skills successfully in

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Grade: 2

conjunction with a nearby secondary school. They also learn to keep safe when near water and roads. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good because the school has a good curriculum that shows children what the world is like. They are sensitive to the feelings of others and listen well in assemblies to new ideas. They understand right from wrong and appreciate some of the features of cultures other than their own, such as why Hindus celebrate Diwali.

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Grade: 2

Children attain good standards and make good progress because teaching and learning are good. The very good ratio of children to adults means that all children receive much individual attention and help. Teachers manage the mixed age classes effectively. Teachers include each child in lessons by teaching a common theme to the whole class, yet each child has work set that matches their age and ability. Teachers are well aware that they need to extend more able children so that they attain the standards of which they are capable. This is happening effectively in practice. Teachers have good subject knowledge, and although the school is very small, the combined staff have a wide range of knowledge and many areas of expertise. Teachers provide a good range of interesting activities that capture children's interest and attention. This often results in children developing great interest in what they learn about, particularly the older

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Grade: 2

children. Teachers keep good records of the progress that each child makes. They mark children's work constructively in order to help them to improve. They use learning 3 Inspection Report: Buxworth Primary School, 1 November 2005 to 1 November 2005 targets successfully to tell children what they need to do to make their work better. This approach contributes well to raising standards.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good because it provides children with many chances to develop their own ideas. Children find learning enjoyable through practical activities. These approaches allow children to make good progress. Children of all abilities have the opportunity to fulfil much of their potential. Learning activities, such as finding out about the Second World War from evacuees' letters on the Internet, are lively and children agree that 'lessons are interesting'. Such lessons are used to reinforce writing skills well. Teachers also make good use of children's numeracy and ICT skills in a broad range of subjects, such as science. The school makes visits to interesting places. Extra-curricular activities are good. They are well attended and enhance children's understanding of safe practices and healthy living. Children in Years 5 and 6 work regularly with a disabled group on a project to remove barriers and prejudice towards

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Grade: 2

disability. Children have made an excellent audio presentation for all the school to experience in the near future. The project is an outstanding example of a community working together.

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Grade: 2

Buxworth is a school with a friendly atmosphere, where children are happy and are looked after well. Child protection procedures are clearly understood and all necessary systems are in place to protect those children who need extra care. Arrangements at lunchtimes and playtimes are particularly good. The excellent accommodation and the results of the school council's work mean that children are happy and well occupied. There are plenty of things to do, such as balancing on the 'wobbly bridge' or playing team games in the fenced area. Staff support children's personal and academic development well. Adults encourage children to work hard and make good progress. Older children fully understand how they should be progressing in their work as the year proceeds.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides good leadership. She has successfully guided the school through a challenging phase, during which numbers of children in school have declined. She receives effective support from all staff and governors and, together, they have maintained good staff morale and have continued to improve children's standards of work. Current arrangements for school self-evaluation are good. The school consults governors, staff, children and parents and reflects their views in its improvement planning. Checks on the school's work are carried out informally and staff and governors are fully involved. Consequently, the self-evaluation is accurate. The school provides 4 Inspection Report: Buxworth Primary School, 1 November 2005 to 1 November 2005 well for all children and ensures that all have equal opportunities to participate in what the school offers as they grow older. The school development plan makes good

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Grade: 2

reference to the school's priorities, such as to improve reading standards. It does not identify clearly enough how the school will know it has achieved some of the targets and so improve its efficiency further. For example, the school has identified raising children's standards in reading as a target but has not stated a numerical target to be reached. The school is committed to improving its performance and its record to date is good. Staff have successfully dealt with issues arising from the previous inspection. The school has already identified and begun to work on some of the areas for development that emerge from the self-evaluation document. The teamwork, along with proposed improvements, puts the school in a good position to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Buxworth Primary School, 1 November 2005 to 1 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: Buxworth Primary School, 1 November 2005 to 1 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 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 1 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 enjoyed visiting your school and meeting you all. Thank you very much for being so friendly and helpful. Your school has many strengths. You enjoy your lessons. Your behaviour is good and you are polite and sensible. You make good progress with reading, writing, mathematics and science. Your teachers work hard to help you and they listen to your opinions. Each of you has the chance to sit on the school council. You have thought of some good ideas to make the school better. You have a superb building and playground to use. All the staff work together well to make sure that everything runs smoothly. The school spends its money sensibly and there are many adults to help you. You have all the equipment that you need in lessons. There are two things that you can do to help the school become even better. Some boys in Class 1 do not make such good progress as girls and need to concentrate on lessons even harder to

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

make better progress. Teachers want to improve your reading even more and have some good ideas to involve you and your parents in a joint venture soon. This needs your support. I wish you all every success in the future.

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