North Nibley CofE Primary School

115695 Unique Reference Number Gloucestershire LEA 279657 Inspection number 13 September 2005 to 13 September 2005 Inspection dates Alison Grainger RISP Reporting inspector

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

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The Street School address Primary Type of school North Nibley Voluntary aided School category Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 6DL 4 to 11 Age range of pupils

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01453 542600 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01453 542600 Fax number 115 Number on roll Mr A Kennett Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Barbara Freeman Headteacher 11 December 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279657 13 September 2005 - 4 to 11 13 September 2005 Inspection Report: North Nibley Church of England Primary School, 13 September 2005 to 13 September 2005

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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

The school presently draws its pupils from the village of North Nibley. It used to take pupils from a wider area, so there are some pupils in Years 3 to 6 who travel to school from further afield. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. No pupil has English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is lower than in most primary schools, as is the number of pupils claiming free school meals. Overall, children enter the Reception Year with attainment at the level expected for their age. In some years, attainment on entry is above this level. Significant staff changes have taken place since the last inspection. The headteacher joined the school in January 2003. Most of the teachers have been in the school for little more than a year.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: North Nibley Church of England Primary School, 13 September 2005 to 13 September 2005

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school that provides satisfactory value for money. The school’s view and the inspectors’ view of its overall effectiveness are the same. The quality of education is satisfactory for pupils in all year groups, and from the moment children start in the Reception Year. As a result, pupils progress at much the same rate as most other pupils across the country in relation to their starting points and capabilities. Pupils have good attitudes to learning, behave well and form good relationships. They develop the independence and initiative expected at this age. However, not enough is done to help pupils to gain awareness and understanding of the wide range of traditions, values and beliefs that make up modern multi-cultural society. This is an area that has not developed well enough since the last inspection. Pupils and parents appreciate the good features of the care for pupils’ personal

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Grade: 3

well-being. The school recognises that it needs to do more to guide pupils about how to improve their school work, to involve them in setting their targets, and to use assessment to adapt work for different pupils. Pupils are not given enough opportunity to use and develop their skills in reading, writing, mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT) in their work across the curriculum. The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The headteacher, staff and governors are working closely together to improve the school. Given the recent rate of improvement and the understanding of new staff about what needs to be done now, the school is satisfactorily placed to make further progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

• ensure that pupils have a clear understanding of what they need to do to improve their work and match work more closely to their differing needs • increase the use and development of pupils’ skills in reading, writing, mathematics and ICT across the curriculum • develop pupils’ awareness of the diversity of traditions, values and beliefs in modern Britain.

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Grade: 3

Children normally enter the school with attainment at the level expected for their age. In some years, a higher proportion of children than in most schools start with skills that are better developed than normally found at this age. From the start of the Reception Year to the end of Year 6, pupils make satisfactory progress in relation to their starting points and capabilities. Standards by the end of Year 2 are broadly at the level expected in reading, writing and mathematics. In recent years, the standards at the end of Year 6 have been above the national average in 2 Inspection Report: North Nibley Church of England Primary School, 13 September 2005 to 13 September 2005 English, mathematics and science. The higher standards at the end of Year 6 reflect the good attainment that these particular year groups had at the end of Year 2. Pupils’ results in the national tests show some areas of strength. In 2004, for example,

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Grade: 3

pupils in Year 6 had made good overall progress from where they started in Year 3 in English. In 2004, the progress the girls had made from Year 3 to Year 6 was significantly better than expected. In 2005, pupils in Year 6 did well overall in reading. Throughout the school, pupils with learning difficulties do as well as others. Pupils meet targets that are suitably challenging in relation to their starting points.

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Grade: 3

Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is satisfactory overall. There are a number of good features, in particular pupils’ attitudes, behaviour, attendance and punctuality. They get on well with each other and with the adults in school. These positive features contribute well to pupils’ enjoyment of school and help them to make progress. Pupils make good gains in their moral and social development. However, their spiritual development is no better than satisfactory and their awareness of how the values and beliefs of others differ from their own is underdeveloped. Pupils have too little knowledge and understanding of the rich diversity of modern multi-cultural Britain because the school’s attention to this area is inadequate. Growth in spiritual awareness is supported by the Christian ethos of the school but is not a strong focus of work across the curriculum.

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Grade: 3

Pupils make a satisfactory contribution to the school and wider community. They respond well to the reasonable opportunities for responsibility that they are given. Their initiative and independence as learners have improved since the last inspection and make a satisfactory contribution to their future economic well-being. Pupils adopt healthy lifestyles such as through exercise in physical education and understand the importance of eating healthily. They understand the importance of safe practices, for example, in moving sensibly about the school and in activities in science and physical education lessons.

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Grade: 3

Satisfactory teaching ensures that all groups of pupils make adequate progress as they move up through the school. Lessons are well organised and resources are well prepared in advance. Teaching is accurate and is pitched at an appropriate level for the vast majority of pupils. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities are identified and given the assistance they need by support staff, often through one-to-one activities. Positive relationships between adults and pupils in lessons support learning in lessons. 3 Inspection Report: North Nibley Church of England Primary School, 13 September 2005 to 13 September 2005 The main reason why teaching promotes satisfactory rather than good progress is that some important aspects of the use of assessment are underdeveloped. Not enough use is made of assessment to adapt and fine tune activities to meet pupils’ differing needs. There are occasions when all pupils work at the same level of difficulty and

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Grade: 3

only the amount that they are expected to do is varied according to their capabilities. The setting of targets for individuals and groups of pupils to make progress, with involvement of pupils in the process, is not well enough established. This, together with a lack of clear direction given to pupils through marking, results in pupils not being as aware as they should be of what they need to do to improve. Pupils know when they have done well, but they are not told clearly what they have done well so that they can build on their strengths.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum meets pupils’ needs and external requirements satisfactorily. There is a reasonable range of activities additional to lessons, including a residential visit for older pupils. The attention given to the children’s personal, social and emotional development in the Reception Year is better than at the last inspection, laying secure foundations for the development of pupils’ initiative and independence. The provision for physical education has improved well as a result of developments in the internal and external accommodation and the employment of a specialist sports teacher. Parents appreciate these improvements and also the increased opportunities for pupils to learn a musical instrument. There are some features of the curriculum that require improvement to help pupils to do better. Although progress in English and mathematics is supported satisfactorily, some opportunities are missed to promote the skills of reading, writing and mathematics

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Grade: 3

through the work in other subjects. Likewise, pupils’ competence in ICT is not used and developed fully across the curriculum.

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Grade: 3

The overall care for pupils makes a satisfactory contribution to their progress. There are good features to the care for pupils’ personal well-being. All staff are successful in safeguarding pupils and making them feel secure and confident at school. Pupils work in a hazard-free environment. Child protection procedures are securely in place, with staff and governors aware of their responsibilities. The good relationships and the approachability of staff contribute much to pupils’ enjoyment of school. Pupils are confident that they have an adult to turn to should the need arise. They feel listened to, trust their teachers, and know that they matter as individuals. Although pupils receive adequate feedback from teachers about how well they are doing with their school work, this aspect of support and guidance requires improvement. They are not sufficiently involved in identifying how they might do 4 Inspection Report: North Nibley Church of England Primary School, 13 September 2005 to 13 September 2005

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Grade: 3

better. As a result, they are a bit vague about how to improve their work other than by working harder.

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Grade: 3

The leadership and management of the school ensure that pupils receive a satisfactory standard of education and make satisfactory progress as they move up through the school. The school’s evaluation of its effectiveness is satisfactory. The headteacher, staff and governors are clear about the main priorities for improving the school and share the inspectors’ view of the effectiveness of leadership and management. Satisfactory use is made of the parents’ and pupils’ views in identifying these priorities. The headteacher has a good knowledge of the school and ensures that the committed and well involved governing body is fully informed. What makes the leadership and management satisfactory rather than good is the pace of development. The overall rate at which the required changes are implemented is no better than satisfactory. To some extent, recent staff changes have slowed the pace of improvement as almost all teachers have held their areas of responsibility

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Grade: 3

within the school for little more than a year. Even allowing for this, however, the involvement of all staff in checking the effectiveness of provision and in leading new initiatives is somewhat underdeveloped. The school is successful in promoting equal opportunities for pupils. It has sufficient resources, including staff, and deploys them satisfactorily. In the light of the school’s track record of improvement, the capacity for further improvement is satisfactory. 5 Inspection Report: North Nibley Church of England Primary School, 13 September 2005 to 13 September 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: North Nibley Church of England Primary School, 13 September 2005 to 13 September 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 3 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 2 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 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 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 3 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 3 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 helping us when we visited your school. We enjoyed meeting you and looking at your work. We are impressed by your new school hall and how much the school grounds have improved since inspectors last visited. It is good that you can now do more physical education and have a better area for play. We found that the school helps you to learn and to make progress as quickly as most other pupils in primary schools. These are the things that we are most pleased about. how much you enjoy school and want to learn. how well you behave and get on with each other and with the adults in school. The pupils in Years 5 and 6 set a good example for the younger ones. the way that the adults make sure that you are looked after and are safe. There are some things that we think your school could do to be better. They are things that we think that you can help with. we have asked your teachers to let you know more clearly how to improve your work and we

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

would like you to be involved in setting your own targets. Occasionally some of the work given to classes is too easy or too difficult for some pupils. we have also asked your teachers to get you to use and improve your reading, writing, mathematics and computer skills more in the different subjects. we think that you should know more about people in Britain who come from backgrounds different from yours.

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