Instow Community Primary and Pre-School

Inspection Report Instow Community Primary School

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113156 Unique Reference Number Devon LEA 279106 Inspection number 12 June 2006 to 12 June 2006 Inspection dates Anna Sketchley AI Reporting inspector

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

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Instow School address Primary Type of school Bideford Community School category Devon EX39 4LU 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01271 860545 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01271 860545 Fax number 144 Number on roll Mr Arthur Hodgetts Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Peter Kent Headteacher 22 May 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279106 12 June 2006 - 4 to 11 12 June 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

Instow is a small school situated in a rural coastal village not far from the town of Bideford. Approximately half of the pupils come from the village and half choose to come to the school from the surrounding area. There are five classes, all of which are mixed age groups. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals and those with learning difficulties is below average. A very low percentage of pupils are from minority ethnic groups and none of these are in the first stages of learning English.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Instow Community Primary School, 12 June 2006 to 12 June 2006

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Grade: 2

Instow Primary is a good and effective school. It provides good value for money and has many outstanding features. The school is to be complimented upon the way it manages its archaic and cramped accommodation so that is not allowed to detract from the very real enjoyment of the pupils or the progress they make. Despite the significant challenges presented by the nature of the premises, the school provides pupils with a very exciting and enriched curriculum. It excels in the way in which it involves all pupils and develops them personally and socially. They are confident and happy, playing a very real part in decision-making. Pupils and parents alike hold the school in high regard, both for its standard of care and for the many rich and varied opportunities it offers for learning. Pupils begin school with average standards and receive a good start in Reception. Teaching is good and sometimes outstanding and

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Grade: 2

as a result, they achieve well throughout their time at the school, reaching exceptionally high standards by the time they leave. In recent years, standards reached by seven year olds were not as high as they should have been but the school recognised this and improvements in teaching, especially setting clearer learning intentions, has meant that this year standards have returned to above average and pupils are maintaining the good progress made in Reception. The leadership and management of the school are good and there has been good improvement since the last inspection, especially in the outdoor provision for the youngest pupils and in the provision and use of computers. There are good annual monitoring and evaluation procedures in place although the tracking of pupils’ progress is not carried out on a regular termly basis and pupils are not always precisely sure about what they must do to improve their

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Grade: 2

work. The school is accurate in its own judgement of its effectiveness, is fully committed to further improvement and has the capacity to achieve this.

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What the school should do to improve further

• improve the tracking of pupils’ progress ensuring regular monitoring so that all pupils achieve as well as they can • improve individual target setting to ensure that all pupils know what they need to do to improve further • continue to press for the provision of new accommodation to replace the archaic and cramped conditions.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ achievement is good. Attainment on entry to the school is average. During the Reception Year, pupils make good progress in all areas of learning so that by the time they enter Year 1, many reach the early learning goals and significant numbers exceed them. During 2004 and 2005, progress dipped in Year 2. Pupils made satisfactory progress and attained average standards, although some more able pupils did not do as well as they might. The school identified this weakness and evidence gathered during the inspection indicates that standards have improved considerably this year. Recent assessments show that pupils are attaining above average standards and 2 Inspection Report: Instow Community Primary School, 12 June 2006 to 12 June 2006 maintaining the progress made in the Foundation Stage. Year 6 pupils do especially well and targets were exceeded last year. They make good progress and by the time

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Grade: 2

they leave the school, they attain standards that are exceptionally high. The school provides particularly well for the small number of pupils with learning difficulties. As a result, their progress is outstanding.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are outstanding, as is their moral, social and cultural development. Spiritual development is good. Pupils are lively and enthusiastic and their love for their school is very clearly evident. Attendance is good and behaviour and attitudes are exemplary. They show an intense pleasure in all the exciting activities offered to them. Pupils realise the benefit of the school’s strong focus on staying fit and healthy and enjoy to the full the new healthy meals, walk to school arrangements and a wide range of sports activities. Strong social and moral messages mean that they play and work very happily together. Pupils feel totally secure and delight in the strong family feel of the school and the absence of any bullying. They say that any very infrequent problems that might arise are immediately sorted out by the adults who care for them. The school council has a real influence on decision

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Grade: 1

making and is at the heart of change. Pupils use their very good literacy and computer skills to compile agendas and minutes. This presents them with an excellent opportunity to develop their lifeskills for the future. Pupils show how much they care for others through such projects as “Farm Africa”, and because the school is rooted in the community, they are often invited to take part in a range of local art and music activities.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good, with some outstanding features. Lessons are planned thoroughly and learning intentions are clear. Information and communication technology is used well to support pupils’ learning. Relationships are outstanding and all adults are excellent role models. Teachers usually challenge pupils effectively so that all pupils make good progress and are keen to participate in lessons. However, occasionally there is insufficient challenge for higher-attaining pupils, which results in slowing the pace of learning for these pupils. Although extension work is set, in some instances, these pupils start with the same and sometimes unnecessary task as the rest of the class. The deployment of teaching assistants is outstanding. Pupils with learning difficulties are identified early and the level of support in each class is regularly reviewed so that additional support can be provided as soon as possible. Consequently,

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Grade: 2

these pupils make outstanding progress. Assessment procedures on a daily basis are good and used well in planning and in lessons. Pupils are encouraged to learn from 3 Inspection Report: Instow Community Primary School, 12 June 2006 to 12 June 2006 their mistakes but do not have individual targets to aim for on a regular termly basis so that they can judge for themselves how well they are doing.

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Grade: 1

Curriculum provision, including extra-curricular activities, is outstanding. The school makes excellent use of the local environment to support all aspects of the curriculum. Visits and visitors to the school are a regular feature. For example, the fire service visited pupils in Class 2 during the inspection. The multicultural aspect of curriculum provision is particularly strong as is the emphasis on the creative arts which pervades many areas of the curriculum. The Foundation Stage curriculum is planned effectively, ensuring the curriculum is appropriate for a mixed age class and the outdoor area has been developed well since the last inspection. There are extremely good cross-curricular links and the school is developing the use of information and communication technology well in all subjects. The provision for information and communication technology has improved significantly since the last inspection and this has had a positive impact on

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Grade: 1

improved standards in ICT. There is an extremely good range of after-school activities for pupils of most ages, including sports, music, gymnastics and dance. The school has very good links with the local secondary school where pupils have opportunities to take part in sports and science activities, making very good use of the facilities and staff expertise. Residential visits are made annually for all pupils in Key Stage 2. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about all the activities available to them.

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Grade: 2

All pupils are given high quality care and good support and guidance for their academic progress. The twice-weekly “Family Group” meetings ensure that pupils feel safe and are very confident in approaching adults with their concerns. Pupils say that they “love the friendliness” of the school. This is a significant factor in the good progress they make. Arrangements for child protection, health and safety, drug awareness and sex and relationships education are all very securely in place. Pupils are helped to improve their work, on a daily basis, but they are unclear about the next steps in their learning in relation to making the best possible progress. Pupils do not have enough information to set their own goals for improvement. The school works very effectively with a number of outside agencies for the benefit of individual pupils with learning difficulties. Clear measurable targets on individual education plans for those who have particular

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Grade: 2

difficulties in learning ensure they are extremely well supported in lessons.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher is a very experienced professional with a deep sense of caring which is very inclusive. He is an exemplary role model for both adults and pupils alike. His attitude influences the whole 4 Inspection Report: Instow Community Primary School, 12 June 2006 to 12 June 2006 school community creating a very positive ethos and tangible team spirit in which all adults and pupils play their part well. All issues related to the last inspection have been successfully dealt with and there is a good capacity to improve further. The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and supports a comprehensive development plan for the future. Monitoring is secure and as a result, recent issues concerning progress in the lower years have been effectively tackled. Good systems for tracking pupils’ progress are in place and the school uses its data well to identify individual pupils’ needs on an

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Grade: 2

annual basis. However, this annual information is not currently used to follow up and check pupils’ progress on a termly basis to identify those pupils who, during the year, might not be making as much progress as they could. Governors are very well informed about the school and have considerable educational understanding of their role. As a result, they are not afraid to ask critical questions or set challenging targets and they carry out their duties very well. The accommodation is exceptionally cramped and many rooms lead off one another, causing disturbances that sometimes hinder learning. The headteacher and governors are rigorously pursuing the long-promised new school building. 5 Inspection Report: Instow Community Primary School, 12 June 2006 to 12 June 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: Instow Community Primary School, 12 June 2006 to 12 June 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 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 1 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 1 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 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 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

Dear Children, Thank you for the very warm welcome to your school and for being so polite and helpful. We enjoyed talking to you in lessons and at lunchtime. We thought you would like to know what we found out about your school and what we have suggested the school can do to make things even better. What we most liked about your school: • your enjoyment, enthusiasm and involvement in the life and work of the school • the careful way your teachers plan your lessons • the good progress you make and the high standards you reach • your exemplary behaviour and attitude to your work • the exciting work and excellent range of clubs you enjoy and the visits that broaden your experience • your friendliness towards each other, the very good care you are given and the family atmosphere it creates. What we have asked your school to do now: • make sure that your progress is checked every term so that your teachers are sure

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

that you are making the best possible progress all the time • set each of you individual targets so that you know exactly what you can do next to improve your work • continue to work to improve the buildings. With best wishes, Anna Sketchley Lead Inspector

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