Landscore Primary School

Inspection Report Landscore Primary School

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113117 Unique Reference Number Devon LEA 279096 Inspection number 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006 Inspection dates Laurie Lewin AI Reporting inspector

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

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Threshers School address Primary Type of school Crediton Community School category Devon EX17 3JH 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01363 772018 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01363 777732 Fax number 288 Number on roll Mr David Smith Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Gary Read Headteacher 3 April 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279096 4 July 2006 - 4 to 11 5 July 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a large school. Nearly all pupils are White British, with a very small number coming from other cultural backgrounds and five who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is below average as is the proportion of those eligible to receive free school meals.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Landscore Primary School, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006

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Grade: 2

The many comments received from parents show that they are in no doubt that this is a good school. The judgement of the inspection team verifies this, as does the school’s evaluation of its own performance. The school provides good value for money. It is very good at ensuring that all members of its community feel fully included and involved in new developments and initiatives. Under the inspirational leadership of the new headteacher, rapid improvements have been made over the last year and very good improvement has been made since the last inspection. Pupils now achieve well throughout the school as a result of good teaching, and reach above average standards. Particularly high standards are attained in mathematics by the end of Year 6. Much good quality artwork is seen throughout the school. Due to good quality provision, children get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage and most reach above the

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Grade: 2

expected levels by the time they start in Year 1. The headteacher, ably assisted by the deputy headteacher, provides an atmosphere in which staff and governors work together as a very effective team. The initiative for staff to work in project teams to focus on developing specific areas has fuelled the school’s development extremely well. Very good communication established by the headteacher between staff, governors, parents and pupils is another key strength that has helped the school move forward rapidly. These developments have created a strong momentum and capacity for further improvement, with very clear plans laid down to help the school move from strength to strength. In particular, while there has been much recent improvement in the quality of pupils’ writing, the school rightly identifies the need for further improvement in this area in all year groups. As a result of good quality support,

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Grade: 2

guidance and care, pupils behave well and show very positive attitudes. The good curriculum is enriched by a wide range of extra activities so that pupils enjoy a lively and interesting time. The school has adopted a rigorous and rightly cautious approach towards evaluating its own performance. A few areas judged satisfactory by the school are now shown to be good, for example, in the light of very recently released national test results.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Bring standards in writing up to the same level as those in other subjects.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good. Children’s attainment when they start in the Foundation Stage is close to the level expected for their age. They progress well and most attain higher than expected levels by the time they reach Year 1. This good progress is generally sustained across the school. Pupils attain above average levels by the end of Year 2. By the end of Year 6, they attain above average standards in English, particularly in reading. Although standards in writing are much improved and are now slightly above average, this is a comparatively weaker area and the school has rightly identified it as 2 Inspection Report: Landscore Primary School, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006 a main priority for further improvement. Standards in mathematics are well above average and those in science, having improved significantly this year, are close to being well above average. Good quality and very imaginative artwork is seen on display

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Grade: 2

around the school. The improving standards and achievement are strongly rooted in the school’s successful initiatives that provide a powerful basis for sustaining improvement in the future. While pupils make good progress by the time they leave in Year 6, the school recognises rightly that there remain occasions in some year groups where achievement is not as good as it could be. However, in general, all groups of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and those learning English as an additional language, make good progress by the end of Year 6. Challenging targets are set for pupils’ attainment and the school has exceeded these in recent times.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development is good and the school does an excellent job of ensuring that all individuals feel fully involved in all activities. Children gain good social skills, independence and confidence in the Foundation Stage. Throughout the school, pupils get on well with each other and with staff and show very positive attitudes to all aspects of school life. They enjoy school immensely and, unsurprisingly, their attendance is good. Younger pupils thoroughly enjoy the good opportunities they are given for working with older pupils. Pupils gain a good sense of working to improve the community. For example, the older ones show maturity in their school-wide responsibilities, such as being school councillors, play leaders and working very effectively to help other pupils as part of the school’s ‘Problems and Listening Services Team’ (PALS) . Also, through the school council and questionnaires, they have very good opportunities to express their views

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Grade: 2

and contribute ideas to influence what happens in their school community. Behaviour is good. Pupils say that bullying is virtually non-existent and know it would be dealt with promptly by staff. They have a good knowledge of safe practices and most are confident to seek help from adults when they have worries or concerns. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils know right from wrong and show care and consideration for each other. Their cultural awareness is enhanced by work in various curriculum areas, but the school is aware that it does not do enough to extend pupils’ knowledge of life in multicultural Britain. Through their thorough involvement in sports activities and the strong focus placed on healthy lunches, healthy snacks and regular chances for drinking water, pupils gain a very good understanding of the importance of keeping fit and healthy. Pupils’ good basic skills and very positive

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Grade: 2

attitudes to work prepare them well for securing their future economic well being. 3 Inspection Report: Landscore Primary School, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006

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Grade: 2

‘Teachers make even the boring stuff fun ‘ …. ‘they’re brilliant’ … ‘they’re the best thing about this school’. These are just a few of the comments from the pupils, and their perceptions sit comfortably alongside the inspectors’ judgement that teaching is good. Good teaching in the Foundation Stage ensures all children settle in and progress well when they start school. Throughout the school, the intensive programmes of training set in motion alongside the very rigorous procedures for regularly assessing pupils’ progress are now paying dividends. Teachers say they now feel much better informed as to how the pupils are progressing and, as a result, tasks are matched very precisely to the needs of all individuals. The deployment of teachers to make good use of their particular expertise and interests, such as in art and music, is supporting pupils’ learning well. Staff manage pupils’ behaviour very well and use praise effectively to raise pupils’ self-esteem. Teaching

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Grade: 2

assistants are well deployed to support pupils with learning or behavioural difficulties and to conduct programmes aimed at raising the achievement of lower-attaining pupils. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are very well supported and make rapid progress. Although much improvement has been made in teaching writing, more work is needed to ensure consistently good teaching in all classes.

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Grade: 2

Curricular provision is good and there is a good range of extra-curricular activities. Exciting plans are well advanced to make the curriculum even more interesting and well matched to pupils’ needs. The good curriculum for the Foundation Stage ensures the children have a wide range of interesting practical activities. It places a good emphasis on giving individuals the opportunity to gain confidence in working independently. There are good opportunities for children to plan their own activities. The lack of easy access to the large outdoor area means that staff cannot exploit outdoor activities to the full with this age group. Throughout the school, the curriculum is enriched well through specialist teaching in art and music, a good range of sports and creative activities and a good number of visitors to the school and educational visits. The school uses the local community and environment effectively as a resource.

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Grade: 2

Good provision is made for the care, guidance and support of pupils. All pupils are extremely well cared for. The school has very good systems to ensure the safety of its pupils. Child protection procedures and risk assessments are thorough. The school 4 Inspection Report: Landscore Primary School, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006 works closely with outside agencies, such as the Education Welfare Officer, school nurse and behaviour support team, to ensure that the needs of all pupils, particularly those with learning and behavioural difficulties, are fully met. The school has established clear assessment systems and teachers generally use the information well to help all individuals progress. However, there is some inconsistency in practice, with some teachers giving pupils a very clear and specific idea of their ‘next steps for improvement’ and other cases where this is not happening.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. Through very clear and open communication and through setting a clear educational direction for the school, the headteacher provides inspiring leadership. On appointment, he quickly established a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and rapidly gained the respect of governors, parents and all members of staff. Discussions with staff and governors indicate that everyone is fully involved in the school’s good quality self-evaluation and development planning. The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and has been used very well by staff to successfully formulate strategies for improving areas such as teaching and achievement. The formation of the school project teams is a particularly impressive initiative which has been the powerhouse behind the rapid improvement that has taken place. This forms a strong platform on which the school can continue

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Grade: 2

to develop. Overall improvement since the last inspection has been very good. With the school rightly focusing on the improvement of achievement in English and science and sustaining strong achievement in mathematics, there has been insufficient chance to develop the roles of other subject co-ordinators. However, the school is now moving forward with detailed action plans to make this good. 5 Inspection Report: Landscore Primary School, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 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: Landscore Primary School, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 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 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 1 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 1 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 am writing to let you know how much we enjoyed visiting your school. Thank you for making us so welcome and for helping us during the inspection. Particular thanks to those of you who sent us some chocolate from your cooking activities – this helped us to find the energy to finish writing the report for your school! We were impressed by the things we saw and here are some of them: You work hard in lessons and show a lot of interest in the activities you are given. You reach good standards in English and science and very good standards in mathematics. Your behaviour is good. You show outstanding enjoyment in the activities you carry out. You like your teachers and you told us that they work really hard to make lessons interesting and fun. We also think the teachers do a good job. You really appreciate all of the extra, interesting activities that the school provides for you. We think the school is good at taking care of you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We were impressed to see how knowledgeable you are about the need to eat healthy foods and stay fit. We think that your headteacher does a first rate job of organising the school, helping everybody to work together to improve things rapidly. To make things even better in the future, we think the school needs to help you become as good at writing as you are at other aspects of your work. Thank you again for being so helpful and friendly when we came to see you.

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