Monkleigh Primary School

Inspection Report Monkleigh Primary School

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113162 Unique Reference Number Devon LEA 279108 Inspection number 29 November 2005 to 29 November 2005 Inspection dates Alexander Baxter RISP Reporting inspector

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

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Monkleigh School address Primary Type of school Bideford Community School category Devon EX39 5JY 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01805 623269 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01805 623269 Fax number 75 Number on roll (Vice)Mrs Hannah Pettifer Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr David Ellis Headteacher 8 May 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279108 29 November 2005 - 4 to 11 29 November 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 two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Monkleigh Primary is a small school, located in the village of Monkleigh, near Bideford. The vast majority of pupils are of White British origin. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties is low. Children start school with average levels of attainment, although many show good skills in speaking and mathematical development once they settle. The number of children starting school varies from one year to the next and only four children are seeking entry this school year.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Monkleigh Primary School, 29 November 2005 to 29 November 2005

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Grade: 2

The school judges its effectiveness as good and inspectors agree. It is a happy place of learning where all pupils become pleasant, very well behaved children. Equality of opportunity and pupils’ personal qualities are promoted extremely well. Standards and progress are good overall. Many pupils progress very well in mathematics. Most make good progress in writing, although some do not reach their targets in writing. The pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and relationships are excellent and reflect the high level of personal care and guidance from all staff. Pupils’ progress is assessed and targeted very effectively. Attendance is improving this term, but has been inadequate previously. The quality of teaching and learning and the curriculum are good overall; some teaching is outstanding. Learning is affected, very occasionally, by the limited accommodation, but staff compensate effectively through interesting outdoor activities. The provision

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Grade: 2

for children in reception is good. The overall quality of leadership and management is good. The headteacher provides excellent leadership and has improved standards and provision well since he arrived in 2000. He receives good support from staff and governors. Procedures for self-evaluation and monitoring the effectiveness of the school are good. There has been good improvement since the last inspection and standards are now rising in writing. The school has a good capacity to improve and provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

•raise the pupils’ attendance by sustaining a rigorous approach in dissuading parents from taking pupils on holiday during term time. •further develop the focus on raising standards in writing by continuing role-play activities and by visually emphasising the spelling of keywords. •continue the efforts to improve the accommodation.

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Grade: 2

Good provision across the school enables all pupils, including higher attainers, pupils with learning needs, and both boys and girls, to make good progress. Standards are good. Pupils reach high standards in mathematics and reach the challenging targets, which are well matched to their capabilities and starting points. Children make good progress in reception, especially in their personal development and in mathematics. Good progress continues through Years 1 and 2. The results of end of year assessments were slightly above average at the end of Year 2, especially in reading. Most pupils generally achieve well through Years 3 to 6 as a result of good teaching. Often, very good teaching in Years 5 and 6, combined with pupils’ more mature attitudes, strengthens learning. Overall standards are good, but they are not as high in English as they are in mathematics and science, though they are slightly above average. Pupils’ progress is smarter in mathematics and science because of the

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Grade: 2

focus on problem solving and investigation. Because of the school’s emphasis, progress 2 Inspection Report: Monkleigh Primary School, 29 November 2005 to 29 November 2005 is improving in writing. The pupils’ excellent attitudes and improving use of information and communication technology (ICT) enrich learning in other subjects.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good and there are some outstanding features. Pupils become confident, mature learners and enjoy school. Attitudes to learning, behaviour and relationships are excellent. The pupils’ moral and social development is outstanding, with older pupils almost instinctively helping younger pupils. Spiritual and cultural development is good. However, despite the school’s efforts, attendance was below average last year. There has been a positive improvement this term in response to the school’s strengthened actions in dissuading some parents from taking their children on holiday during school time, though there is room for further improvement. From the moment they enter school, children are encouraged to show independence in their learning. They continue to refine and develop these skills well as they grow older and this aids their progress. Pupils are very well aware of healthy and safe

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Grade: 2

lifestyles and talk knowledgeably about their healthy diets. Pupils make a very good contribution to the community through local and church events, for example, the celebration of St. George’s Day, and fund-raising activities chosen by the school council. The pupils’ good academic skills and outstanding personal qualities equip them well for their future life and work. When questioned, pupils eagerly described their school as ‘very popular’, readily explained how teachers make lessons interesting, and how equally caring teaching assistants valued their efforts. When asked what they particularly liked, the response of the school council was ‘everything!’

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall; occasionally, it is outstanding. The teaching of pupils with learning difficulties and of children in reception is also good. Teachers and their assistants promote excellent relationships with the pupils and encourage high expectations for attainment and behaviour. Pupils’ efforts are valued, and in return they appreciate the teachers’ and assistants’ help and advice, and become committed learners. Outstanding teaching is typified by excellent questioning and interesting activities. Occasionally, practical learning is constrained due to the limitations of the accommodation. The teachers know their pupils very well. Excellent assessment procedures based on the school’s sharp marking of the pupils’ work enable specific targets to be set to promote achievement successfully. The pupils understand this approach and speak highly of its usefulness. Pupils’ work is matched

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Grade: 2

accurately to their different starting points, pupils know what is expected of them and work well. All teachers also provide an effective balance of teacher-led and practical 3 Inspection Report: Monkleigh Primary School, 29 November 2005 to 29 November 2005 learning activities that pupils enjoy and undertake willingly. For example, the current emphasis on developing pupils’ writing through role play is helping to improve their skills. There is a strong emphasis on promoting children’s skills as independent learners. This has a beneficial impact on their achievement.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is broad and balanced and is effective in promoting pupils’ good progress, personal development and well-being, especially their enjoyment in learning. Issues for development identified by the last inspection, including provision for children in reception, for pupils with learning difficulties and the use of ICT, have been addressed well. A very extensive range of additional activities during and after the school day, notably for outdoor physical education, enriches the curriculum. The school provides work that is challenging and well matched to the needs of pupils of all abilities. Children in reception enjoy well planned experiences in all the required areas of learning. Pupils with learning difficulties are supported effectively by informative and accurately focused individual education plans. The school has improved outdoor facilities since the last inspection and uses the limited indoor facilities to best effect. It rightly

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Grade: 2

continues to seek additional accommodation to strengthen its provision further.

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Grade: 1

The school provides outstanding care, guidance and support. The current excellent procedures for assessing pupils’ work reflect recent innovation and very good improvement. They now enable staff to identify pupils’ needs very accurately. All adults working in the school are diligent in addressing these needs equally and effectively, including for higher attainers and those with specific learning difficulties. High expectations of very good behaviour and attitudes to learning are reinforced consistently by all staff throughout the day. Clear policies underpin the extremely supportive personal care shown to the pupils by staff. Strengthened procedures to improve attendance this term have significantly reduced holidays taken during term time. Pupils enjoy their learning in the knowledge that they are safe and valued. As a result, excellent relationships, behaviour and attitudes greatly enrich learning. The

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Grade: 1

way the pupils care about each other is another outstanding feature. Encouraged by the staff, parents are extremely supportive and also enrich the consistency and high quality of the guidance given to the pupils. Among many appreciative comments, parents agreed that “The school is an extension of our family. It is a happy place, which promotes children’s self-confidence and makes them more relaxed, enthusiastic learners.” 4 Inspection Report: Monkleigh Primary School, 29 November 2005 to 29 November 2005

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management and the school’s capacity to improve are good. This is clearly evident in the pupils’ good academic achievement and personal development. The headteacher sets high expectations and is an excellent leader, inspiring respect and appreciation from all the school community. A strong team approach underpins leadership and management; it is committed to raising standards and promoting pupils’ enjoyment of learning. A very successful focus on fostering the pupils’ personal qualities alongside their academic attainment has created a school in which pupils care about others in an exemplary way. This is greatly appreciated by parents who commented “This is an idyllic, well managed school where a great sense of teamwork promotes an ethos of pupils valuing themselves and each other.” Self-evaluation is accurate, matches and takes fully into account the views of staff, governors, parents and pupils. The staff and governors play an important and effective

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Grade: 2

role in the good leadership and management of the curriculum. There is good leadership of the provision for pupils with learning difficulties and those in reception. In the past, not all pupils have achieved their targets in writing, but strengthened assessments of the pupils’ work are now used very effectively to enrich learning. This is enabling an increasing number of pupils to reach their challenging targets in writing. The school’s capacity to improve is good and all issues from the previous inspection have been dealt with. Improving standards in writing, in the use of ICT, and the sustained high standards in mathematics and science show that the school is equally successful in achieving its priorities for development and in securing strengths. Resources and the cramped accommodation are used well to provide good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Monkleigh Primary School, 29 November 2005 to 29 November 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: Monkleigh Primary School, 29 November 2005 to 29 November 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 1 The behaviour of learners NA 4 The attendance of learners NA 2 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 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 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 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

The School Council Monkleigh Primary School Monkleigh Bideford Devon EX39 5JY 30 November 2005 Dear Pupils Thank you for welcoming us to your school. We really enjoyed talking to you and visiting your lessons. You were all extremely polite and helpful throughout the day. There are a number of strengths in the school: •we liked your excellent attitudes to learning and your excellent behaviour and relationships. We liked the way that the oldest pupils readily helped younger pupils. We saw that you tried to do your best and help each other. Well done! •we noted your good achievement, the high standards you are reaching in mathematics and your good performance in science. •we were very impressed by the high level of care and consideration shown to you by the staff of the school. •your headteacher is a very fine leader and teacher, and he is supported well by staff and governors. •the quality of teaching and learning is good, sometimes it is even better and

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

we were delighted at the way so many of you enjoy being at school. •we thought the range of outdoor activities was very good and especially liked your playground exercises at the beginning of each day. •we were also pleased by the way your parents appreciate and support the school and your learning. What we have asked your school to do now: •we want your attendance to improve. •we think the staff should continue to help you to improve your writing. •we would like the governors to continue their work to improve the accommodation. Thank you again. Yours sincerely, Alexander Baxter Lead Inspector

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