The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury

Inspection Report The Abbey CE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury

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113850 Unique Reference Number Dorset LEA 279263 Inspection number 13 June 2006 to 14 June 2006 Inspection dates Susan Walsh AI Reporting inspector

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

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St James's Street School address Primary Type of school Shaftesbury Voluntary aided School category Dorset SP7 8HQ 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01747 852620 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01747 854122 Fax number 166 Number on roll Mrs SV Hinshaw Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Miss E Scott Headteacher 20 November 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279263 13 June 2006 - 4 to 11 14 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

Abbey Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has recently changed from a first school to a medium-sized primary school. This has involved extensive building work which, although now completed, has caused considerable disruption to the school’s work. Most pupils come from the immediate locality and are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who are entitled to free school meals is low and the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is average. The school has strong links with other local primary schools through the Primary Strategy Learning Network and has achieved Active mark for sports.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: The Abbey CE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury, 13 June 2006 to 14 June 2006

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory and improving school that provides satisfactory value for money. This is also the school’s view of itself. The future looks bright. The building work has been completed and the school has been extensively renovated and now provides a high quality learning environment. Staff morale is high and staff are eagerly embracing new ideas and are very keen to improve. They are behind the headteacher’s huge commitment and exciting vision. There is a good ethos with a very strong sense of community. Pupils’ personal development is good and this is reflected in their outstanding behaviour. Pupils’ personal needs are well catered for and as a result they feel very safe and secure. The curriculum is satisfactory, and extra-curricular provision is outstanding, with pupils enjoying a wide range of clubs and activities, including many exciting trips. Although achievement in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory, children have insufficient

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Grade: 3

opportunities to initiate their own learning or engage in well-planned play. Pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2 and reach standards that are above average. Achievement is satisfactory in Years 3 to 6, standards are broadly average in Year 6, and an increasing proportion of pupils are working at the higher Level 5. Teaching is satisfactory, but assessment information is not used consistently to plan lessons which meet pupils’ individual needs, and marking does not always tell pupils how to improve. Although the tracking of pupils’ progress has improved, uneven progress is not always identified. Improved monitoring of teaching and the curriculum has resulted in the school knowing itself well and being able to plan sensibly for improvements. Parents and other stakeholders are very supportive of the school; as one parent wrote, ‘It is a heartening feeling to leave one’s child in this environment’. The school has made satisfactory

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Grade: 3

improvements since the previous inspection. It has responded well to challenging circumstances and is now poised to move on.

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What the school should do to improve further

•Improve provision in the Foundation Stage and ensure that there are sufficient opportunities for well-planned play and that all areas of learning are robustly planned for and effectively delivered. •Use assessment information more consistently to plan work that is better matched to pupils’ needs and ensure that marking of pupils’ work consistently indicates what they need to do to improve further. •Track pupils’ performance more rigorously in order to identify where teaching and learning are less effective and where improvements could be made.

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Grade: 3

Achievement and standards are satisfactory. Children join the Reception class with standards that are broadly average, with a significant proportion doing better than expected and an equally large proportion with limited communication and social skills. 2 Inspection Report: The Abbey CE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury, 13 June 2006 to 14 June 2006 Children’s progress in communication, language and literacy skills and mathematical skills is satisfactory, but children have less opportunity to develop other skills. Standards at the end of Year 2 have significantly improved since the previous inspection and are now above average, although standards in writing are not as high as those in reading and mathematics. Achievement is good in Years 1 and 2 and pupils in Year 2 make particularly good progress. Although standards are broadly average by the end of Year 6, they have improved this year, and a higher proportion of pupils are working

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Grade: 3

at the higher Level 5. Achievement is satisfactory overall but progress across the year groups is inconsistent. The school is likely to meet its targets except in English, where there may be some shortcomings at the higher levels. Pupils with learning difficulties are achieving well, with effective support promoting good progress, especially in reading and writing.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are good. As a result of good social development, pupils are polite and have very good manners. They are sensible and trustworthy and genuinely care about each other. Pupils say they feel very safe in school. Relationships between pupils and staff are good and pupils are not afraid to ask questions. As one girl said, ‘Everyone has friends here’. Pupils gain confidence and many are very self-assured. Pupils really enjoy coming to school and they work hard in lessons. Pupils talk animatedly about the many trips and visits, for example, to the busy city of Bristol where they can appreciate a lifestyle that contrasts with their own. Behaviour in lessons and around school is outstanding. Most pupils attend school regularly but attendance is only satisfactory because of the number of families taking holidays in term time and

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Grade: 2

the erratic attendance of a few. Pupils are aware of the need to adopt healthy lifestyles. They can explain what constitutes a healthy diet and know what they should do to keep safe. They like exercise and are enthusiastic about the ‘huff and puff’ activities at playtime. Pupils make an outstanding contribution to the school and wider community. Year 6 talked excitedly about helping out in the school’s café in a local park. Pupils’ mature attitudes combined with improving academic standards ensure that they are well prepared for their futures.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory throughout the school. In the Foundation Stage, communication, language, literacy and mathematics skills are adequately taught. However, there are too few opportunities for children to make their own discoveries. Planning lacks rigour and makes limited reference to the small steps individual pupils need to make in order to reach early learning goals. There are examples of good 3 Inspection Report: The Abbey CE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury, 13 June 2006 to 14 June 2006 teaching in Years 1 to 6. In these well-planned, carefully structured lessons it is made very clear to pupils what they need to learn and why. Challenging questions are used to develop learning and make pupils think. In the less effective lessons the teacher’s guidance is not clear enough and this results in pupils being uncertain about what they are expected to do. Teaching assistants provide very effective support for pupils

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Grade: 3

with learning difficulties. However, in the Foundation Stage there are missed opportunities for teaching assistants to extend pupils’ learning. Assessment information is not used consistently to plan lessons that build on pupils’ previous learning. This results in some activities being too easy for higher-attaining pupils or too difficult for others. The quality of marking is variable and often pupils are not sufficiently informed about how they can improve their work. The school’s strategies for monitoring and supporting teaching are starting to improve the quality of teaching.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. Provision in Years 1 to 6 is satisfactory, with good provision for music and physical education. There is good provision for pupils with learning difficulties and satisfactory provision for gifted and talented pupils. In the Foundation Stage, there are not enough planned opportunities for child-initiated activities and planning for some aspects of provision lacks rigour. Opportunities for curricular enrichment are outstanding. There is an exciting range of visits and visitors, and very good links with the church, including the vicar’s excellent contribution to school assemblies. Pupils have participated in valuable musical and sports events, such as performing in the Albert Hall and representing the school in athletics at county level. Pupils are given the opportunity to set up their own clubs and this makes them feel ‘grown up’ as well as ‘getting to know the younger children’.

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Grade: 3

Care, support and guidance are satisfactory. Pastoral care is good. The school is a happy, safe place where all staff take pride in caring for the pupils and improving provision. Pupils say that the school has a ‘warm feeling.’ Child protection procedures are in place. Vulnerable pupils are well supported and good use is made of outside agencies to provide support and advice and specialised training for staff. The monitoring of academic performance is satisfactory. A great deal of work has been done to assess and track pupils’ progress. The information is now being used to identify and support pupils who are underachieving in English. However, tracking information is not always used to spot when learning slows in other subjects. 4 Inspection Report: The Abbey CE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury, 13 June 2006 to 14 June 2006

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The new headteacher has led the school well during a difficult period, providing a clear sense of direction and creating a new primary school identity. This has included establishing a capable senior leadership team and enabling subject leaders to start to develop their skills. There is a much clearer understanding of standards and this has supported the production of useful subject action plans and has underpinned the school’s accurate self-evaluation. The monitoring of teaching and learning is getting better and there is a concerted effort to develop staff expertise, including working in partnership with other local schools. The analysis of data has also improved; however, data is not always used rigorously enough to identify uneven patterns of learning. Governors are very supportive and well informed about the work of the school. Parents’ views have been gathered but

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Grade: 3

not yet responded to. However, parents appreciate the staff’s hard work and commitment. The school is in a good position to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: The Abbey CE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury, 13 June 2006 to 14 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: The Abbey CE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury, 13 June 2006 to 14 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 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 3 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 3 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 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 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 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 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 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 3 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 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 for making us so welcome when we visited your school. We really enjoying talking to you and were very impressed by your good manners and outstanding behaviour. We know it has been very hard for you while all the building work has been going on but I am sure you will feel it is well worth it now you have such lovely classrooms and a big new hall. The headteacher and other staff are working very hard to improve your school and make sure you are well looked after. We were glad to hear that you enjoy school so much, including the after-school clubs and interesting visits. It was nice to see that everyone in school is very friendly and you really try to help each other. We appreciate all the work you do in the local community. We liked hearing about your work in the school’s café in the park. You work hard in your lessons and make satisfactory progress. Staff help those of you who find school work difficult and make sure you do well. We have

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

asked your teachers to make sure that younger pupils have better opportunities to learn through play. The marking of your books could be improved and teachers need to make sure that work is not too hard or too easy for you. We have also asked teachers to keep an eye on how much progress you make from one year to the next. Thank you again for your help and good luck for the future.

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