Long Row Primary School

Inspection Report Long Row Primary School

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112785 Unique Reference Number DERBYSHIRE LEA LEA 279019 Inspection number 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 Inspection dates Mr. David Speakman LI Reporting inspector

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

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Long Row School address Primary Type of school DE56 1DR Community School category 3 to 12 Age range of pupils 01773823319 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01773 828835 Fax number 346 Number on roll Mrs.S Harvey Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Ms. Margaret Cadman Headteacher 6 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279019 19 September 2005 - 3 to 12 20 September 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 a team of three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a large primary school with a nursery. Most pupils are White-British background and a small number come from minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils entitled to claim a free school meal is below average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is about average. Pupils are taught in mixed ability classes and there is a similar spread of ability in each class. The school has achieved a number of prestigious awards.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Long Row Primary School, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005

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Grade: 2

Long Row Primary School provides a good quality of education for its pupils. Inspectors agree with the school's fair evaluations of its effectiveness. Parents are very satisfied with all that the school does for their children. Pupils enjoy school and are heavily involved in helping to shape relevant aspects of school development. Pupils make good progress through their time at the school. Children in the nursery and reception do well as a result of the good quality provision they receive and achieve the standards expected of them. Pupils from Years 1 to 6 also make good progress and standards by Year 6 are now above average. Those who have special educational needs make good progress as a result of the good support they receive. However, a small number of higher attaining pupils do not always make the progress of which they are capable, particularly in writing. Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral,

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Grade: 2

social and cultural development, is good, with some outstanding features. All pupils are valued highly by the school and develop very positive attitudes to learning. Pupils behave very well in and around school. Attendance is above average. The care, guidance and welfare for pupils are given a high priority and the school has a good commitment to their health and well-being. However, the marking of pupils' work is not consistent enough to let them know what they need to do to improve. The headteacher provides strong, purposeful leadership. The school is now well placed to improve further having met the issues for improvement in the previous inspection report. Resources are used efficiently and the school provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Improve the rate of progress made by the more able pupils, particularly in their writing. - Improve the quality of marking to set targets which give pupils a clear idea of what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

By the age of eleven, pupils reach above average standards overall. Most recent test results show above average standards in mathematics and science. Overall standards in English are satisfactory but with attainment in reading and speaking and listening being good and weaknesses in the quality of pupils' writing. The weakness in writing was specifically amongst those pupils in Year 6 last year who were capable of achieving high standards and was linked to weaknesses in the quality of the teaching of writing in one of the three Year 5/6 classes. The school is dealing with this effectively and has provided evidence that standards of writing for higher attaining pupils are improving and are now good. Pupils currently in Year 6 are well placed to meet the challenging targets set for them, including those in writing. In 2005 the challenging targets set in reading, mathematics and science were met. By the time pupils are seven, standards

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Grade: 2

are average overall, and those in reading, speaking and listening are good. Pupils make good progress. They start school with levels of attainment that are in line with those 2 Inspection Report: Long Row Primary School, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 expected for children of this age. Assessment information and the monitoring of pupils' progress indicates that they are meeting the targets set for them and are achieving well, particularly in writing. Those pupils with special educational needs receive a good level of support and achieve well against the targets in their individual education plans.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good. The school has a strong focus on caring for each individual pupil. Pupils' enjoyment is seen in their enthusiasm and very good behaviour. They report few incidents of bullying and, where this does happen, it is quickly resolved. There is a strong sense of community and pupils consider this 'a very democratic school'. The school council is outstanding and these pupils show tremendous pride in their achievements. Pupils support a wide range of charities, often initiated by the pupils themselves. Attendance levels are good. Pupils' spiritual and cultural development is good, with excellent moral and social development seen. Pupils have an acute awareness of personal responsibility and show a high level of understanding of others' feelings. They contribute very successfully to the school and wider community through the school council and opportunities for supporting a wide range of charities.

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Grade: 2

Pupils have a particularly good understanding of healthy lifestyles. Through the personal social and health education programme, pupils have a good awareness of the dangers of drugs for example, and the understanding to make informed decisions on their own health and well-being. This is seen where pupils choose to eat fruit each day and understand the need for clean hands before eating. Pupils enjoy physical activities and the wide range of equipment in the playground helps them to play well together and enjoy their breaks and lunchtimes. The involvement of the whole school in environmental issues is a great strength. Pupils know a lot about inefficiency and waste and have devised systems to reduce these in school through recycling.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good. Teachers are very effective in creating a good climate for learning in classrooms, firmly based on the very good quality of relationships they have with pupils. Teachers value what pupils have to say and this helps pupils gain their self-esteem. Opportunities for pupils to work independently and in groups help them to become confident learners. Teachers work closely in teams: Foundation Stage, Years 1 and 2, 3 and 4 and 5 and 6. They plan lessons together so that pupils in parallel classes receive equal provision. However, occasionally, higher attaining pupils are not provided with learning activities that move them on at a fast enough pace, or to the higher levels that they are capable of achieving. Teachers use assessment information well to set challenging learning activities, which engage pupils in effective learning. Marking of pupil's work does not consistently let them know how they might best

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Grade: 2

improve. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is of a good quality. Children's learning 3 Inspection Report: Long Row Primary School, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 activities are closely monitored and staff ensure that all take part in a well-balanced curriculum. Planned activities are based well on previous learning and children are confident to move on. Activities excite the children, who are keen to learn and progress well.

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Grade: 2

Learners of all ages follow an interesting curriculum and experience a wide range of learning activities. The school has paid much attention to enriching the curriculum, enabling pupils to achieve high levels of personal development and enjoyment in learning. There is a strong focus on developing healthy lifestyles. The curriculum is well organised to meet the learning needs of pupils of all ages and abilities in the mixed age classes and provides for the progressive development of pupils' skills, knowledge and understanding. Support for pupils with special educational needs is good. There is a satisfactory range of clubs taking place out of school hours, mainly in the summer term and for older pupils. Outside visits and visitors have added to the learners' academic and personal achievements and have increased their enjoyment of learning. Information and communication technology (ICT) has been identified by the

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Grade: 2

school as an area for further development. The school has worked well to improve provision as required in the previous inspection report. The ICT curriculum now provides for skills development and the use of ICT to support learning in other subjects.

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Grade: 2

The school achieves its stated aim of providing a 'climate of respect and a love of learning' by providing a secure and caring environment. The high priority placed on pupils' personal well-being encourages them to care for each other. The provision for health, safety and well-being is very good. Pupils are confident that any adult will listen to them if they have problems. Child protection procedures are in place and staff are fully aware of their responsibilities. Pupils who have special educational needs or other difficulties are supported well in school and through the school's links with outside agencies. One aspect that is not as effective is in the guidance pupils are given on how to improve the standards of their work, for example, setting targets for improvement in writing, but the school is concentrating on improving this area.

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Grade: 2

The quality of leadership and management is good. The headteacher provides very strong and purposeful leadership. She has been instrumental in creating an atmosphere in which all those concerned with the school feel valued, cared for and respected, not least of all the pupils. With the effective support of the senior leadership team and the Governing Body, she has brought the school through a period of difficulty caused by a high level of staff turnover and the subsequent fall in results in some National 4 Inspection Report: Long Row Primary School, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 Curriculum tests, most significantly in writing. This resulted in the need for the school to re-assess the systems for subject leadership and monitoring of teaching and learning. The self-evaluation carried out by the school effectively identified areas in need of development. The clear strategic thinking that followed formed the basis of the way

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Grade: 2

forward and there is clear evidence that these moves are having immediate impact. Standards in writing are now improving and the school is set to achieve the challenging targets it has set. The senior leadership team works closely with the headteacher in effectively evaluating quality and standards, leading to a good level of school improvement. New roles have been created to meet changes in the conditions of employment and all those with responsibility have a clear remit, which is very much focused on improving the quality of teaching and learning and on raising standards to previous levels. New monitoring opportunities for team leaders have been recently implemented, but already there are clear indications of progress in the focus areas of their work. Staff at all levels, governors, parents and pupils are all consulted in the self-evaluation process, through the 'Change Team'. The headteacher's very good

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Grade: 2

leadership skills, the quick response to the issues identified and the strategies planned, demonstrate a good capacity for improvement. 5 Inspection Report: Long Row Primary School, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 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: Long Row Primary School, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 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 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 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

Thank you for helping us when we visited your school. We enjoyed getting to know about you, your school and how well you are doing. You have a good school and we were pleased to see that you do well in your work. We were very impressed by the way in which you behave in school and go about your work. We found you to be friendly and helpful pupils who get on very well together, with your teachers and with other grownups working in the school. The school looks after each of you very well and we found all the staff to be very caring in the way they support each of you every day, including giving you advice on how to stay healthy, fit and safe. We found that teaching in lessons is good and that your teachers help you to do well. Your headteacher runs the school very well. She knows each of you individually and how you are doing in your work and school life in general. It is good that she and other teachers listen

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to what you have to say about school and use your views in planning its future. We did find some things that could be improved and we are asking your headteacher, the governors and teachers to think about helping some of you to do harder work, particularly in writing and marking work more helpfully so that you know better what to do next. We hope you all do well in the future.

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