Longstone CofE Primary School

Inspection Report Longstone CofE Primary School

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112887 Unique Reference Number DERBYSHIRE LEA LEA 279046 Inspection number 28 March 2006 to 29 March 2006 Inspection dates Mr. Glynn Storer LI Reporting inspector

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

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The Cross School address Primary Type of school DE45 1TZ Voluntary aided School category 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01629 640377 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01629 640874 Fax number 157 Number on roll Mrs.Jean Gledhill Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr. David Pryor Headteacher 24 May 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279046 28 March 2006 - 4 to 11 29 March 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

This small primary school serves families from Great and Little Longstone and from outlying farms and communities. The school serves a socially and economically advantaged area. Levels of hardship in the community are low and very few families register for free school meals. Virtually all pupils are from White British families and the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is low for a school of this size. Children's attainments on entry are generally above average for their age. The school received the Artsmark Silver Award in 2003.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Longstone CofE Primary School, 28 March 2006 to 29 March 2006

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Grade: 2

The school considers that it provides a good education. Inspectors agree, and also find outstanding qualities in some aspects of its work. Children receive a good start to their education in the Reception class, although the current Foundation Stage curriculum does not give enough emphasis to choice or to outdoor learning. Nevertheless, almost all children attain or exceed the standards expected of five-year-olds and are well prepared for the transition to the National Curriculum. Teaching is good. Lessons, which are both demanding and fun, help pupils to achieve high standards in most aspects of their learning and personal development. Consequently, pupils make good progress and standards are exceptionally high by the end of Year 6. Pupils' personal development is excellent. They are extremely well behaved and their enjoyment of learning is an outstanding strength of the school. The curriculum for pupils in Years

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Grade: 2

1 to 6 is good. It is given added depth by an excellent range of additional activities and special events that promote enjoyment and encourage pupils to become confident learners. The school's strong focus on music and sport is particularly impressive, since it enables many pupils to achieve high personal standards in a very wide range of related activities. Overall standards of care are good, although staff require further training to enable them to comply with best practice in some formal aspects of the care and supervision of pupils. The headteacher, ably supported by senior staff and governors, provides excellent leadership. His inspiration has built a highly motivated staff team that is striving for excellence in all aspects of the school's work. However, there is scope for subject leaders to be more involved in checking standards and quality. The school provides good value for money. It is stronger than it was at the time of its

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Grade: 2

last inspection and is in a good position to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Give children in the Foundation Stage more opportunities to make choices and put greater emphasis on the outdoor curriculum. - Ensure that staff are trained to comply with best practice in formal aspects of the care and supervision of pupils. - Give subject leaders a more prominent role in monitoring the work of the school.

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Grade: 2

Achievement and standards are good. The school sets extremely challenging targets for its pupils and the majority achieve them. Children's attainment on entry to the school is above average. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage. By the time they move into Year 1, standards are considerably higher than those normally expected of five-year-olds, especially in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 1 and 2. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 have been above average, and at times exceptionally high, for much of the last five years. Last year, almost two thirds of pupils exceeded the expected standards for their age. The work 2 Inspection Report: Longstone CofE Primary School, 28 March 2006 to 29 March 2006 of pupils currently in Year 2 indicates that standards remain high and that the proportion attaining above average standards is set to rise again. Standards by the

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Grade: 2

end of Year 6 are exceptionally high. In the 2005 tests for 11-year olds, virtually all pupils attained the expected standard for their age in English, mathematics and science and a high proportion gained above average scores. However, these results do not do justice to pupils' actual achievements. The school's own assessments demonstrate that several pupils were working at even higher levels in mathematics, more typical of 13- or 14-year olds, and well above that required for success in the national tests for pupils in primary schools. Standards in other subjects are also above those in schools nationally. Inspection evidence confirms that all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, make consistently good progress. Higher attaining pupils make excellent progress in mathematics.

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Grade: 1

The school sees the personal development and well-being of its pupils as good. Inspectors judge it to be outstanding. Pupils enjoy school enormously. They have very positive attitudes to learning and work extremely hard. They have high self-esteem, are confident and feel valued. Consequently, attendance is good. In lessons and at play, pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They take care, keep themselves and others safe and demonstrate that their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils make a positive difference to school through the school council. They initiated the provision of playtime equipment and are soon to introduce a healthy tuck shop. Pupils learn community responsibility through litter-picking, raising money for charity and sharing their many talents in public performances. Pupils enjoy working together and develop literacy, numeracy and other skills that lay firm foundations for

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. For Reception children, teaching is often formal but they make good progress, particularly with their literacy and numeracy skills. In the best lessons in Years 1 to 6, pupils make good progress due to thorough planning, interesting content and lively and confident teaching. Teachers make good use of assessment information to plan lessons that meet the needs of all pupils. Relationships between pupils and adults are very positive, enabling pupils to feel secure and confident to rise to the challenges set for them. The school is making good progress in the development of teaching and learning in subjects that are led by specialist teachers, for example in ICT, art and physical education. These teachers have particularly good subject knowledge and high expectations of what pupils can achieve. At its best, marking is evaluative and informs pupils' learning. However, in lessons that rely too

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Grade: 2

heavily on the use of worksheets, for example in some mathematics lessons, pupils' 3 Inspection Report: Longstone CofE Primary School, 28 March 2006 to 29 March 2006 learning is slowed. There is thorough monitoring of pupils with learning or behavioural difficulties. As a result, teaching assistants are well briefed and make valuable contributions to the learning of these pupils.

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Grade: 2

Curriculum provision is good overall. It is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements. Pupils with learning difficulties are supported effectively with work closely matched to their needs. The curriculum contributes to the high standards pupils achieve because planning benefits from the input of specialist teachers and from links being made between subjects. Learning is significantly enriched by an exceptional range of extra-curricular activities. These are very popular and considerably enhance pupils' personal and academic development. Pupils value the opportunities to learn to play instruments and to excel in musical and sporting performances. These, along with other pursuits that are both challenging and fun, develop pupils' understanding of safe and healthy living. The use of ICT to support learning across the curriculum is developing well and helps to prepare pupils for their lives as young adults. The

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Grade: 2

curriculum for children in Reception is formal and focuses on ensuring that children make good progress in their literacy and numeracy skills. However, there are too few opportunities for children to make their own choices and learning outside does not form part of their everyday experience.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good overall. Pupils feel valued and supported in all they do and this is a reflection of the excellent way the school carries out its nurturing role. In this supportive environment pupils develop into confident and happy individuals. Relationships throughout the school are trusting and respectful. Pupils are helped to achieve well by adults who encourage them to do their best and celebrate their successes. Pupils respond extremely positively and work very hard to achieve the challenging targets they are set. Teachers use assessment information well to guide and support pupils. The school works productively with outside agencies and parents to ensure that pupils who need additional specific support are also able to achieve well. Constructive links with the local playgroup and secondary schools ensure that pupils transfer smoothly into the Reception class and on to secondary education. There

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Grade: 2

are satisfactory procedures to ensure pupils' safety and well-being. However, the school is aware that these, along with the training of staff, need to be updated to reflect current best practice.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good overall. The headteacher is an exceptional leader. He leads by example and his commitment and enthusiasm are an inspiration 4 Inspection Report: Longstone CofE Primary School, 28 March 2006 to 29 March 2006 to staff, pupils and parents alike. He has created a school in which all staff have high expectations of themselves and of pupils. The school has a deliberate policy of appointing staff who have particular expertise. This policy works well. Senior staff and governors value the contributions of specialist staff, because they provide good quality teaching and insights into the curriculum, which effectively support the school's drive for ever higher standards. Systems for checking on standards and quality are generally effective. Most improvement initiatives are successful because the school has an accurate picture of what it needs to do. However, there is scope for subject leaders

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Grade: 2

to take a more prominent role in evaluating the school's work. Governors perform their duties conscientiously and are properly involved in planning, monitoring and holding the school to account for what it achieves. The school has fully addressed the issue of inadequate standards in ICT that was raised by the previous inspection, although the school is, rightly, still developing pupils' use of ICT skills in their work in other subjects. Nevertheless, the commitment that staff show to this and to other improvement initiatives puts the school in a good position to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Longstone CofE Primary School, 28 March 2006 to 29 March 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: Longstone CofE Primary School, 28 March 2006 to 29 March 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 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 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 1 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 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

You may remember that the inspectors visited your school a little while ago. Thank you for making our visit so enjoyable and for taking time to talk to us and to answer our questions. I thought that you would like to know what we found. There are many good things happening in your school. - Almost all of you make good progress in English, mathematics and science. - You attain high standards, especially in mathematics. - You really enjoy school because teachers make learning interesting and fun. - You really like joining in with all of the activities that the school provides. - You are rightly proud of your achievements in music and sport. - Mr Pryor, the staff, governors and pupils work hard to make the school a better place. There are some things that could be even better. - We have asked staff to provide more opportunities for the youngest children to choose what they would like to do and to work and play out of doors. -

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We think that staff would benefit from additional training so that the care they provide for you is even better. - We also think that other staff should help Mr Pryor to check how well you are doing in the different subjects that you learn. We hope that you will all continue to work hard and do well.

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