Iford and Kingston Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Iford and Kingston Church of England Primary School

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114530 Unique Reference Number East Sussex LEA 279405 Inspection number 1 February 2006 to 2 February 2006 Inspection dates Carole Skinner AI Reporting inspector

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

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Wellgreen Lane School address Primary Type of school Lewes Voluntary controlled School category East Sussex BN7 3NR 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01273 474973 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01273 486799 Fax number 156 Number on roll Mr Mike Sumner Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Stephen Elliott Headteacher 20 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279405 1 February 2006 - 4 to 11 2 February 2006 Inspection Report: Iford and Kingston Church of England Primary School, 1 February 2006 to 2 February 2006

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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 is a small village primary school. Attainment on entry to the school varies from year to year and ranges from average to above average. There is a high proportion of pupils who join the school at times other than the start of the school year. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is lower than average. Over half of these pupils have joined the school in different year groups during the past two years. There are no pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Iford and Kingston Church of England Primary School, 1 February 2006 to 2 February 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with many outstanding features. The school has a similar view of its own effectiveness. Parents are full of praise for the school and pupils enjoy learning and achieve well. The school gives good value for money. The headteacher, staff and governors are constantly striving towards excellence, which is reflected in the outstanding curriculum and high standards achieved in all subjects. Excellent provision for children in Reception ensures that they get off to a flying start. Throughout the school teaching is consistently good, and some is outstanding. As a result, most pupils make good progress throughout the school. The school has successfully raised standards for the most able pupils in writing and mathematics through refinements in teaching. A few pupils, who are reaching broadly average standards, could still be doing better than they are, as the targets that are set for them

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Grade: 2

to achieve in Year 6 are not sufficiently challenging. Pupils’ personal development and well-being are outstanding and these underpin their good progress. The school provides excellent levels of care and support for all pupils. It is particularly successful in helping pupils with learning difficulties and those who join the school during Years 3 to 6 to make good progress. Weaknesses identified by the previous inspection have been addressed very well. The school’s determination to strive for excellence places it in a strong position to make further improvements.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Refine the procedures for setting end of year targets and checking pupils’ progress towards them to ensure that all pupils capable of higher attainment are given sufficient challenge.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ good achievement is not limited to the high standards they reach in English, mathematics and science but is also evident in other subjects, such as design and technology, history, art and physical education. Children in Reception make very good progress in all areas of learning and many exceed the goals expected for 5 year olds. Standards are also high in Years 1 and 2, especially in reading and mathematics. The school is particularly successful at teaching younger children to recognise sounds and spell words correctly. The pupils who are now in Year 6 are also achieving high standards. Pupils generally make good progress towards their end of year targets, although for a few pupils in Year 6 these are not always sufficiently challenging based on their previous attainment. In 2005, the results of the national tests in Year 6 were lower than in the previous three years due to the large proportion of pupils who entered

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Grade: 2

the school during Years 4 to 6, most of whom had learning difficulties. The school identified that some more able pupils were not doing as well as they should in writing and mathematics. Good strategies were put in place to improve achievement and consequently, the most able pupils are achieving well in writing and mathematics. One 2 Inspection Report: Iford and Kingston Church of England Primary School, 1 February 2006 to 2 February 2006 pupil wrote movingly… ‘tears, like glistening domes, rolled gently down his soft cheeks, while inside his body his heart drowned in a pool of them’.

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Grade: 1

Pupils love school and take a great delight in learning. Behaviour is exemplary. Relationships are excellent because, as one boy put it, ‘Everyone knows each other’. Pupils are polite and happily enter into discussions with each other and adults. They are very well mannered, for example in holding doors open for visitors. Parents are virtually unanimous in saying their children enjoy school. Attendance and punctuality are very good. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They show genuine reverence during prayers and they appreciate and value art. Pupils have a very good understanding of right and wrong. Their social skills are outstanding. Pupils develop a good awareness of the cultures and beliefs of people who live in different countries, for example through their close links with a school in Sierra Leone. Pupils enthuse about sport and take great delight in explaining the need to keep fit

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Grade: 1

and healthy. They know that Mondays to Thursdays are ‘Healthy Snack’ days while on Fridays, it is ‘regular’ snacks; there should be ‘no sweets or chocolates!’ Pupils take part in many community events and are very involved in fund-raising for charities, such as Cancer Relief. The school council has a budget, which is managed by two treasurers. This example, together with the good progress they make in learning key skills, prepares pupils successfully for adult life.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well because teaching is consistently good and sometimes outstanding. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and challenge them to do their best. Just occasionally teachers’ expectations for a few pupils are not high enough to ensure that they reach the highest standards of which they are capable by the time they leave. For the most part, teachers make lessons interesting and enjoyable so that pupils are engrossed in learning and participate with enthusiasm. Teachers show that they value pupils’ work through the comments they make and the care they take in explaining how pupils can improve it. Where teaching is outstanding, the pupils are highly motivated and inspired by the teacher’s energy and enthusiasm. Skilful questioning extends pupils’ understanding. There was a wonderful example in a Year 6 literacy lesson where pupils compared a formal letter with an informal note and were led to

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Grade: 2

identify specific grammatical and stylistic differences. Thorough assessment procedures are used effectively to check pupils’ progress and to plan work to meet their individual needs. 3 Inspection Report: Iford and Kingston Church of England Primary School, 1 February 2006 to 2 February 2006

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Grade: 1

The school provides pupils with a rich and exciting curriculum, which begins from the moment they start in Reception. For these children, the curriculum is stimulating and very well planned. They get an excellent start to schooling. The enjoyment in learning, which is evident through the school, starts from day one. The school’s curriculum is planned imaginatively, with a particular emphasis on the key knowledge, skills and understanding required in every subject. As a result, pupils achieve high standards in many subjects. The highquality planning for pupils to use literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills in other subjects is evident in the topquality work in pupils’ books and displays. The school gives children an impressive range of extra-curricular clubs, which are very well attended. These clubs cover sport and the arts and are genuinely appreciated. An excellent range of visits

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Grade: 1

and visitors contributes to pupils’ enthusiasm for learning in all subjects. The school celebrates the many successes that pupils have in sport and music within the local community.

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Grade: 1

The school provides excellent care, guidance and support for all its pupils. It is totally committed to ensuring that each pupil is fully included in all aspects of school life. It is particularly successful at welcoming pupils who join the school at times other than the start of the year. Child-protection procedures are very secure. The pupils’ health and safety is a number one priority for staff and governors. The school has very effective links with outside agencies to support pupils with social and emotional needs. The support for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is very good. There are particular strengths in the involvement of parents and pupils in the writing and review of individual education plans. Pupils enjoy having their work marked, particularly because, as one said, ‘It helps us to know how we can get better’. They express total confidence in the adults in the school, especially with regard to having someone to

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good, with some outstanding features. The headteacher, governors and staff are committed to achieving excellence in both pupils’ achievement and their personal development. The senior managers provide dynamic leadership and clear direction for the school. They have created a very strong staff team who share their vision for the school. Very good leadership of the curriculum is reflected in the quality of planning and high standards in all subjects. Excellent leadership of the Reception has resulted in very high quality provision, which has been recognised by the local authority as exemplary practice. Governors are both supportive and challenging to the school and are involved productively in evaluating its 4 Inspection Report: Iford and Kingston Church of England Primary School, 1 February 2006 to 2 February 2006 effectiveness. Very good financial management keeps the school exceptionally well

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Grade: 2

resourced. Self-evaluation is thorough and accurate and takes into account the views of staff, governors, pupils and parents. Regular monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning keeps the school’s effectiveness constantly under review. However, the procedures for ensuring that end of year targets are sufficiently challenging for all pupils in Years 3 to 6 are not sharp enough, as a few pupils who did well in Year 2 are currently only expected to reach average standards in Year 6. The school has been very successful in raising standards in Years 1 and 2 since the previous inspection. It has also developed excellent relationships with parents who are now fulsome in their praise of everything the school does. The school is very well placed to continue its pursuit of excellence. 5 Inspection Report: Iford and Kingston Church of England Primary School, 1 February 2006 to 2 February 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: Iford and Kingston Church of England Primary School, 1 February 2006 to 2 February 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 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 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 2 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 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 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 1 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 Pupils We would like to thank you for being friendly and welcoming when we came to look at the work of your school. We enjoyed sitting in on some of your lessons and talking to you about your work and all the other things you enjoy about your school. Thank you, too, to the members of the school council who met with one of the inspectors to talk about the school. These are some of the things we like about your school: • The children in the Reception class get off to a really good start. • You all work hard and do well in English, maths and science, as well as in lots of other subjects. • Your teachers make learning interesting and exciting and this means that you enjoy being at school very much. • All of the adults look after you very well and help you to feel safe and secure. • Your headteacher and the staff and governors are always looking for ways to make the school even better. In order to help you do even better,

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

we have asked the school to make sure that you all have challenging targets to aim for so that you reach the highest standards you are capable of by the time you leave. We are sure you will help your teachers to do this by working hard and continuing to enjoy your time in school. Yours sincerely Carole Skinner Lead Inspector Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 www.ofsted.gov.uk

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