St Anne's CofE Primary School

Inspection Report St Anne's CofE Primary School

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112800 Unique Reference Number DERBYSHIRE LEA LEA 279024 Inspection number 15 December 2005 to 16 December 2005 Inspection dates Mr. Michael Best LI Reporting inspector

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

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School Lane School address Primary Type of school DE45 1RZ Voluntary controlled School category 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01246583298 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01246583298 Fax number 128 Number on roll Mr.Andrew Hay Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr. Martin Finch Headteacher 3 April 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279024 15 December 2005 - 4 to 11 16 December 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school is smaller in size than most primary schools. It serves a relatively prosperous community. Nearly all pupils are White British and speak English as their first language. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is below the national average. The school's roll has risen in the last three years, particularly due to pupils joining the school other than at the usual times. Overall, there are more girls than boys in the school.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Anne's CofE Primary School, 15 December 2005 to 16 December 2005

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school where pupils thrive. They achieve very well and make very good progress. Pupils make a very good start to their education in the Foundation Stage. Standards at the end of Year 2 have been well above average in reading, writing and mathematics for the last five years. Standards at the end of Year 6 in 2005 were exceptionally high compared with national averages, with pupils' results exceeding the school's already challenging targets. Thorough analysis of pupils' performance and regular monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning is enabling the school to focus quickly on how it can help its pupils achieve their best. Throughout the school, staff provide very well for the differing needs of pupils, who are very well prepared for the next stage of their education and life in the community. Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school, work hard in lessons and behave well. The school develops

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Grade: 1

their skills and confidence exceptionally well, promoting full equality of opportunity, and its arrangements for pupils' care, support and guidance are exemplary. The headteacher's leadership of the school is exemplary. The staff work very well as a team and governors are extremely well informed and involved. Together, they have a very clear understanding of how good the school is and have a robust agenda for further improvement and a clear capacity to do so. They have correctly identified the need to improve boys' imaginative composition and pupils' independent planning, organisation and evaluation of investigations, particularly in science. High quality links with parents, the community and outside agencies support all pupils' personal and academic development. Leaders have very successfully proved their capacity to raise standards and improve the quality of education. The school provides outstanding value for

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What the school should do to improve further

- Continue to raise standards in writing, with a particular focus on developing boys' imaginative writing. - Further develop opportunities for pupils to work independently and take responsibility for their own learning.

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress and achieve very well. Most children have a good range of skills and experiences when they join the reception group. They quickly settle into school routines and successfully learn to take turns, work together and share equipment. Standards at the end of Year 2 have been well above average in reading, writing and mathematics for the last five years. Standards at the end of Year 6 have improved in the last two years and in 2005 were exceptionally high compared with national averages, with pupils' results exceeding the school's already challenging targets. These same high standards are found in other subjects, particularly in design and technology, art and design and music. Through detailed tracking and analysis of pupils' performance in all year groups, staff have correctly identified the need to 2 Inspection Report: St Anne's CofE Primary School, 15 December 2005 to 16 December 2005

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Grade: 2

improve boys' imaginative composition and pupils' independent planning, organisation and evaluation of investigations, particularly in science. There are no significant differences between the results of boys and girls overall. Pupils with special educational needs do very well. More able pupils are successfully challenged to achieve their best. Pupils looked after by the local authority make similar progress to their classmates.

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Grade: 1

These are outstanding. Pupils are very keen to come to school and value the calm, supportive and purposeful working atmosphere it provides. Their behaviour in lessons is exemplary because of the high expectations of the staff and the very interesting work they provide. In and around the school, behaviour is good. Pupils say that recent extensions to the playground and the appointment of playground 'buddies' have brought about significant improvements for them. The high quality of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is at the heart of the school's work, and is very evident in its daily life. Parents commend the exemplary way the school helps pupils to cope with significant events in their lives. Relationships are very positive. All members of the school show a high degree of respect for each other. Pupils are enthusiastic about their work and take pride in what they do. They are successfully developing

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Grade: 1

their confidence in tackling new challenges and building up their self-esteem. They speak enthusiastically about the very varied range of activities available to them in the arts, sport and through visits and visitors. Attendance is above average. Pupils arrive punctually, and lessons start on time. Pupils learn about how to lead a healthy lifestyle extremely successfully. They move around the school sensibly, and know how to keep themselves safe. They make an outstanding contribution to the local and wider communities, performing at village events and organizing fund-raising for charities at home and abroad. The school council provides good opportunities for pupils to take part in decision-making and planning improvements. Members are particularly proud of their designs for the new playground markings. Pupils work well together. The school's strong and effective emphasis on reading, writing, mathematics and

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Grade: 1

information and communication technology (ICT) is preparing them well for their future education and the world of work.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good and enables pupils to make good progress. The school's assessment of the quality of teaching and learning is spot on. There are some exemplary features, for example, the pupils' very good response to their teachers' high expectations of behaviour and effort. Teachers successfully challenge pupils to achieve demanding but realistic targets, and provide really effective support to enable them to succeed. They ask probing questions and praise pupils' efforts and successes. Support staff work very well alongside teachers and pupils value their help. Pupils are familiar 3 Inspection Report: St Anne's CofE Primary School, 15 December 2005 to 16 December 2005 with routines, take much pride in their work and willingly help each other. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They manage pupils very well and make very effective use of different teaching styles, including the use of interactive whiteboards.

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Grade: 2

Occasionally, teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to plan and carry out work on their own. Teachers share and review learning targets with pupils. Staff are good at adapting teaching plans to stretch the more able and give confidence to those who are less certain. In marking work, teachers refer to these targets and provide very clear and explicit pointers as to how pupils can improve further. Pupils know their targets for improvement. Homework is set regularly and pupils' response to this is good.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is well planned, meets requirements, and successfully interests and motivates the pupils. It successfully meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs, the more able and those looked after by the local authority. Recent reviews of the curricular plans in literacy and numeracy have been very strongly based on analyses of pupils' performance in national tests and other assessments. There is a three year plan to further raise standards in ICT, and staff are currently revising the science curriculum to include more opportunities for pupils to plan and carry out investigations. There are particular strengths in design and technology, art and music. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage takes good account of children's skills and experiences and is successfully linked to the subject areas in Key Stage 1. Through the school's programme for personal, social and health education and citizenship, pupils develop

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Grade: 2

an exceptional understanding of safe and healthy living and in their role as members of the community. Classroom activities are successfully enriched by a very good range of after-school activities, which are supported by over 90% of pupils.

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Grade: 1

These are outstanding. Staff show a very high level of commitment to the pupils, and forge strong links between home and school. Parents have confidence that their children are in safe hands. They commend the school for the way in which it focuses on the all-round development of their children. Parents also praise the very good support and help for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. The school has very thorough procedures in place to monitor and record pupils' development in all aspects of their school life. Pupils' targets are challenging but they know what they have to do to improve and are very well supported in achieving their goals. Pupils' annual reports are detailed and give them clear targets for improvement. Pupils feel safe in school and trust the adults who care for them. They say that recent improvements have made playtimes much more enjoyable. The school very successfully

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Grade: 1

promotes high standards of behaviour, positive attitudes and good attendance. School routines are well established. Health and safety and child protection procedures are exemplary and are well understood by staff and governors. Links with outside agencies 4 Inspection Report: St Anne's CofE Primary School, 15 December 2005 to 16 December 2005 are very well developed, and the school acts promptly to secure whatever help individual pupils need. There are very good arrangements for settling new pupils into the school and very effective links with partner schools. The school provides excellent information for parents about the curriculum and school routines.

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Grade: 1

The headteacher's leadership of the school is first rate. His strong and purposeful vision is successfully driving the school forward. The staff team works very well together, and they are fully committed to pupils' success and well-being. Induction arrangements for staff new to the school are exemplary. The school promotes equal opportunities for all pupils exceptionally well. The school's analysis of pupils' performances is very thorough. Leaders have a very clear and accurate understanding of the work of classroom staff through a programme of regular visits. Their prompt evaluation and use of this information to drive up standards is excellent. The school evaluates its work honestly and constantly looks for ways in which it can do better. It actively involves pupils, parents and other stakeholders in this process. Staff and governors know the school's strengths and weaknesses and work hard to bring about

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Grade: 1

improvement. Plans for development have clear targets and are closely linked to the budget. The governing body is well led and it discharges its duties in accordance with the law. Through high quality reports, and from their regular visits to school, governors have an exceptional understanding of the impact of good teaching and learning and on the progress made by children. Their detailed knowledge of the school enables them to act as the school's 'critical friend'. The school's budget is extremely well managed and major improvements are efficiently achieved. The buildings are well cared for and provide good quality teaching and outdoor accommodation. The school is well staffed and, with the active support of the Parent Teacher Association, well resourced. 5 Inspection Report: St Anne's CofE Primary School, 15 December 2005 to 16 December 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: St Anne's CofE Primary School, 15 December 2005 to 16 December 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 2 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 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 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 1 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 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 very much for making me so welcome when I visited your school last week. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with you, seeing your lessons and looking at your work. Thank you too for inviting me to your Christmas lunch and to see you act out the Christmas story in the stable at Chatsworth. What superb singing! St Anne's is an outstanding school. I am delighted to hear how much you like it. With the help of the governors, your teachers and all other staff, your headteacher runs the school outstandingly well. You say you work hard but that lessons are fun and all the staff give you a lot of help; that's great news. You also told me about all the interesting things you do in your after school clubs and around the village, and how you organise fund raising events for charities. You are right to be proud of your contribution to making the school a happy and friendly place, particularly through your help in improving the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

playground. I think you behave well and I can see that you all get on very well with each other. I'm really impressed by your levels of knowledge, understanding and skill, and I can see from your work how well you are making progress. I agree with your teachers that some of you need more help in making your stories even better. Your teachers know you very well and take a lot of care to plan interesting and challenging lessons. I am impressed by how you work on your own and I think it would help if your teachers sometimes gave you more chances to plan and carry out your investigations. I am delighted so see how well you use your 'steps to success' to improve your work. I am very impressed with the way the staff take care of you, especially the way in which they organise extra help when you need it, and in the way they help you get ready for your next school. I am so pleased that you all feel you can talk to the staff whenever you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

want to. Everyone wants the very best for you and they work extremely hard to help you succeed. Well done to you all - keep working hard and enjoying school.

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