Leighterton Primary School

Inspection Report Leighterton Primary School

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115507 Unique Reference Number Gloucestershire LEA 279611 Inspection number 11 July 2006 to 11 July 2006 Inspection dates Martin Cole AI Reporting inspector

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

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Leighterton School address Primary Type of school Tetbury Community School category Gloucestershire GL8 8UH 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01666 890273 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01666 890273 Fax number 105 Number on roll Mr Fred Cowperthwaite Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Jenny Kiss Headteacher 11 April 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279611 11 July 2006 - 4 to 11 11 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This small primary school serves a rural area with favourable social and economic circumstances. The school’s assessments show that children start at the school with attainment which is a little above average. Almost all pupils are White British. An average proportion of pupils have learning difficulties.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Leighterton Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 11 July 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school that has some outstanding features, and it provides good value for money. This is also the school’s own view. Good, challenging teaching, which is sometimes of outstanding quality, promotes good progress that paves the way for pupils to leave the school with exceptionally high academic standards. The standard of pupils’ personal development is equally high. Right from the Reception class, where the quality of provision and standards are good, pupils develop very responsible attitudes, high levels of independence and much self-confidence. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary and they greatly enjoy school. The combination of excellent academic attainment and outstanding personal qualities is preparing pupils extremely well for their future education and for later success in life and work. The lively curriculum and wealth of additional activities provided, together with the thorough care, guidance

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Grade: 2

and support given to pupils, play an important part in pupils’ development. The school’s many praiseworthy features reflect the significant strength of the leadership, which has successfully committed itself to the maintenance of high standards over a substantial number of years. The school keeps a good general check on its own performance and plans for improvement with ambition. However, a newly improved system for keeping track of pupils’ progress is not applied with sufficient rigour and there is some inconsistency in the progress pupils make from year to year in their writing. There are also variations in the quality of the procedures for setting targets for pupils to show them how to improve their work. Overall, the school has achieved a good level of improvement in what was already a very good school when previously inspected. The capacity for still further improvement is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve precision in the use of the new system for keeping track of pupils’ progress and use the information gained to ensure that pupils make appropriate progress from year to year, particularly in writing. • Ensure consistency in the quality of guidance for pupils on how to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well. Pupils of all abilities make very good progress between starting at and leaving the school, when they meet and sometimes exceed the challenging targets set for them. Those who have learning difficulties or disabilities also make very good progress towards their individual targets. Pupils start their Reception year with attainment a little above average but end the year with clearly above-average standards reflecting the good progress they have made. Most pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2 and pupils end Year 2 with generally above-average attainment. However, more able Year 2 pupils achieve less well in writing than might be expected. In Years 3 to 6, pupils make very good overall progress, despite some inconsistencies in the 2 Inspection Report: Leighterton Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 11 July 2006 rate of their progress in writing. The overall progress pupils made between the national

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Grade: 2

tests they took in Year 2 and the tests they took in Year 6 in 2005 was exceptionally good and put the school in the top 5% of schools nationally. By the end of Year 6, standards are exceptionally high. This was shown by the school’s overall results in national tests of English, mathematics and science in both 2004 and 2005. The recent 2006 test results of present Year 6 pupils also point to very good achievement and a significant improvement in science standards after a slight dip in 2005.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are outstanding. In the ways lessons are taught and opportunities in school life provided, pupils are very successfully challenged and encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and behaviour. Behaviour is excellent and attitudes most constructive. A rich curriculum, with very many exciting additional activities, the lively teaching and very good care of pupils result in the exceptional level of enjoyment of school that pupils show and express. Attendance is good. Very good provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development helps pupils to reflect deeply on rights and wrongs and act accordingly. They develop a good understanding of their own and other cultures. Pupils value and respect others, work very well together and celebrate each other’s achievements. Pupils say upsets or disagreements are rare and are quickly resolved by staff.

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Grade: 1

The school gives pupils a very good understanding of how to be healthy and safe. They translate this into practice, as illustrated by their very enthusiastic take-up of the multitude of opportunities the school provides for pupils to engage in exercise. Good opportunities to contribute constructively to the community and take responsibility are also very well used by pupils. The school is involving pupils well in the running of the school. The combination of pupils’ very good academic achievement and their excellent personal qualities of confidence, independence and responsibility is preparing them extremely well for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. The teaching is very challenging and very successful in promoting pupils’ willingness to learn. Pupils rise keenly to the tough challenges offered and believe in their ability to succeed. Sensitive guidance and full encouragement develop in pupils a very good capacity to work independently, think for themselves and solve their own problems. Pupils say that when they are not sure if they can do something, staff give them the confidence that they can and ‘make us feel good about ourselves.’ Teachers’ imaginative planning makes lessons interesting and enjoyable and promotes pupils’ enthusiastic response. Lessons are both very 3 Inspection Report: Leighterton Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 11 July 2006 purposeful and fun, with teachers and pupils often making appropriate use of humour. Pupils are attentive to what their teacher or classmates say and keen to express their

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Grade: 2

own ideas. Careful checks on pupils’ short-term progress ensure teachers plan tasks generally well matched to pupils’ capabilities. Where pupils find difficulty in learning they receive good extra help, often through the close support for individuals or groups given by support staff. There is a wide range of suitable activities which provide pupils of higher ability with an appropriate level of challenge. However, some able younger pupils are not helped to achieve as highly in their writing as they could.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum provided for all pupils is good. It meets national requirements and is well adapted to meet the needs of individuals and groups. Pupils enjoy a rich and stimulating range of opportunities for learning. Good links between subjects enhance the interest and relevance of pupils’ work. Programmes of work and support for pupils with learning difficulties are well designed. Skilful planning ensures that Reception children have a good range of experiences despite the lack of a designated outdoor play area for them. Plans are in place to provide such an area. There is a very good programme of personal, social and health education and citizenship which gives pupils a good awareness of how to be healthy, safe and responsible citizens. An excellent range of clubs, educational visits and links with other schools and the community greatly enriches pupils’ experiences. Pupils say they much appreciate and enjoy these

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Grade: 2

The care, guidance and support of pupils are good. A strong ethos of care and concern for each other underpins all that the school does. This is backed up by rigorous procedures for ensuring pupils’ safety and welfare. Pupils in all parts of the school say that they feel safe and valued. The school’s arrangements for preventing and dealing with any incidents of bullying are effective. Pupils say they feel comfortable approaching staff for support and are confident their concerns will be resolved. A sound watch is kept on how well pupils are thriving academically and personally. Pupils who need extra help are quickly identified and full support given as necessary. Good use is made of such help as external agencies are able to offer. New processes of setting targets for pupils to aim at in their work are helping many to understand what they have to do to improve their work. However, some pupils are unclear about this,

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Grade: 2

reflecting some inconsistency in the quality of this guidance.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher and senior staff are fully committed to providing pupils with a high quality education and to 4 Inspection Report: Leighterton Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 11 July 2006 helping pupils achieve the best they can. All staff work hard together in pursuit of these aims. The consistency of their approach is very well demonstrated by the outstanding quality and effectiveness of the provision for pupils’ personal development. However, an exception to the consistency found in most of the school’s practices is the variation in the quality of the procedures for setting targets for pupils. Much enterprise has been shown in developing strong partnerships with other schools and organisations in order to strengthen the resources at the school’s disposal and enrich pupils’ opportunities to learn and develop. The school keeps a good overall check on

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Grade: 2

its performance. However, recently refined procedures for keeping track of pupils’ progress from term to term are not yet used with sufficient rigour to allow early identification of progress that is slower than it should be, as with some pupils’ writing. The school’s good general understanding of its strengths and of how it can be still better forms the basis of carefully planned programmes of action for improvement. Governors contribute effectively to processes of school self-evaluation and planning, and good account is taken of parents’ and pupils’ views. Senior staff’s commitment to improvement and the endeavour of all staff have led to good improvement since the previous inspection and minor weaknesses found at that time have been resolved. 5 Inspection Report: Leighterton Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 11 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: Leighterton Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 11 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 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 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 2 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 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

The inspectors who visited your school recently would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to you all. You were very friendly and we really enjoyed talking to you. Some of you told us how much you liked your school and we can see why. It is a good school. The adults in charge of the school are doing a good job. We were impressed with your excellent behaviour and the way you try really hard with your work. You make good progress in your work and achieve some excellent results. You also get on very well with each other and with the adults. Many of you told us how much you enjoyed school. We saw this for ourselves when we came to some of your lessons. Your teachers make lessons interesting and fun and give you lots of help. They also work hard organising visits, after-school activities and other events to make school exciting for you. We also noticed that all the school staff look after you very well. We have said that we think you are getting a good education. However, we have suggested

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

some ways the school could help you learn even more. We are asking your teachers to keep a closer watch on your progress, particularly in writing. This is because we found that some of you do not always improve in your writing as quickly or smoothly as you might. Also, we would like the teachers to make sure that you always understand how you can improve your work. This is because we found that some of you were not clear how you can do better or did not fully remember or understand the targets your teachers had given you. We wish you the very best for the future. Yours sincerely, M H Cole Lead inspector

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