Clatford Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Clatford Church of England Primary School

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116373 Unique Reference Number Hampshire LEA LEA 279806 Inspection number 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005 Inspection dates Grace Marriott AI Reporting inspector

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

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Village Street School address Primary Type of school Goodworth Clatford Community School category Andover, Hampshire SP11 7RE 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01264352091 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 012641264729085 Fax number 201 Number on roll Mr Jeremy Wright Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Irene Fielding Headteacher 12 June 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279806 17 October 2005 - 4 to 11 18 October 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

Clatford is an average sized, Church of England primary school in Goodworth, Clatford near Andover in Hampshire. It also serves two neighbouring villages. Forty per cent of the pupils come from outside of the neighbouring villages. Most children come from advantaged homes and few are entitled to free school meals. The proportion of children with special educational needs is below average. Almost all children are from white British backgrounds and no children have English as an additional language.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Clatford Church of England Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school's judgement that Clatford is a good school. Most pupils achieve well. The more able pupils and those with special educational needs are making particularly good progress, but some in the middle range could be doing better. Pupils attend regularly and work and behave well. They join in a wide range of activities enthusiastically. Teaching is good and is improving because teachers have raised their expectations of what pupils can achieve. They are working hard to improve pupils' writing skills and also assessment to give pupils a better understanding of how to improve their work. The Foundation Stage is good and gives children a very secure start. The development of the children's independence, in making decisions about their activities and of their language skills are particularly good. Leadership and management are good. The acting head teacher, senior management team, staff and

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Grade: 2

governors have evaluated the school's standards and achievement and have a good understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. They want to make Clatford an outstanding school, and plan carefully to achieve this. The governors budget prudently and have made major improvements to the buildings and facilities. Good links with parents support children's learning well. The school dealt well with most of the issues from the last report, though standards in writing are not as good as they could be. Staff and governors are working hard to ensure that pupils receive a good education and the school is well-placed to improve further. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Improve the quality of pupils' written work so that it matches the quality of reading and oral work* Make sure that day-to-day assessment is used well by teachers to plan the next steps in work and that the pupils act on the advice given.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' achieve well throughout the school. Children join reception with above average social and speaking skills. They play well together and independently. They held lively discussions about the extension they were 'building' and they had organised a 'site office' well. Several pupils already read simple words and count objects to five, but early writing skills are not as good. Most pupils in Years 1 to 6 make good progress, but some, often boys, in the middle range of ability are not achieving as well as they could. Pupils make good progress in reading and speaking because of the good teaching. Pupils do not always use their knowledge of grammar and spelling well enough in their written work. In mathematics, pupils often have very good factual knowledge, but do not always apply this well to solving problems. In the Year 2 results in national assessments in 2004, reading and mathematics were well above average

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Grade: 2

and writing was above average. In 2005 the results improved in writing. In the Year 6 national tests in 2004, science results were well above average and much better than 2 Inspection Report: Clatford Church of England Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005 at the time of last inspection when it was a key issue. The 2005 results were better still. Reading results in 2004 were well above average, but writing standards were average. Mathematics results were above average. The 2005 results were slightly better, particularly those for the more able. Pupils exceeded the targets for 2005. Current work shows standards rising because teachers are concentrating on improving pupils' written English and problem solving in mathematics.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Behaviour is very good and often outstanding when pupils are totally motivated. Pupils' attitudes to work are positive. They enjoy coming to school, want to succeed and take pride in their work. From an early age pupils have a mature attitude to work and try hard to succeed. Attendance is good. Pupils are punctual to school and lessons. Right from the start, pupils learn how important it is to stay safe, be healthy and make a positive contribution to society. They grow in confidence and independence and at all stages they are encouraged to take on responsibilities. They are consulted and the school council has real responsibility and makes a significant contribution to the running of the school. All staff ensure that pupils with special educational needs are fully included in all aspects of school life. They plan effectively to meet their individual needs which results

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Grade: 2

in them making good progress. The spiritual, moral, social, and physical development of pupils is good because of the planned opportunities they are given in lessons and after school. Cultural development is good overall.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good overall, with some that is outstanding. The strengths are in the way teachers question children to check understanding and in the variety of work set. From reception onwards teachers develop pupils' reading, and oral skills well. As a result, pupils speak and listen well, and read with expression. In mathematics, the emphasis on mental mathematics is giving pupils confidence. Teachers have clear routines and plan carefully, so pupils can follow lessons easily and find them interesting. This means that pupils behave well. Sometimes too much time is allowed for activities and pupils do not achieve as much as they could have done.Teachers know that pupils' written work is not as good as their oral work and they are working together to improve standards. They mark pupils' work regularly with constructive comments, though sometimes more specific guidance on matters such as spelling would be helpful. Pupils,

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Grade: 2

however, do not always take enough notice of the comments and do not always apply what they have learnt to new work. Teachers use information well from regular testing to plan work, but do not make enough use of the day-to-day assessment of pupils' progress to plan the more immediate next steps. 3 Inspection Report: Clatford Church of England Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005

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Grade: 2

From the Foundation Stage onwards the range and richness of work provided is good. Pupils' literacy and numeracy skills are being developed through work in other subjects, although the school has rightly identified it as an area for further development. Links between subjects are now being developed to make them more meaningful and relevant. Pupils with special educational needs are provided for well and so make good progress. The use of a specialist teacher for music is very effective and enriches the curriculum and pupils' personal development.The many opportunities for visits give first-hand and enjoyable experiences that bring the subjects studied to life. The excellent range of clubs and activities, particularly sport and music are supported enthusiastically. Three residential visits contribute well to the pupils' development. A strong emphasis on personal, social, health and citizenship education helps to ensure pupils understand

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Grade: 2

the importance of staying safe and being healthy, and prepares them well to make effective contributions to the community.

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Grade: 2

The care of pupils is good. Parents are happy with the care and guidance their children receive. They have regular opportunities to meet teachers and to discuss their children's progress. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept fully informed of their children's progress. All staff ensure that pupils feel safe in school. Procedures for child protection are up to date. Staff and governors have had training so they know what actions are to be taken and by whom. Procedures for coping with accidents and illnesses are good. All staff are made aware of vulnerable pupils as appropriate. The level of care shown by pupils towards each other is good. In the playground older pupils act as trained buddies to younger ones. By Year 6, pupils grow in responsibility by spending lunchtime, for example, helping and playing with younger children or looking after the school office at lunch time.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The acting head teacher provides very good leadership and direction. The senior management team and acting headteacher work well together and have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They have ensured the involvement of all staff in evaluating the school's effectiveness and that their contributions are valued and respected. The strategic plan reflects sound evaluation of strengths and weaknesses. It is realistic and sets clear and achievable targets. Responsibilities for action are clear and understood. The strategic plan is supported by subject action plans but these are not always specific enough about how the expected improvements will be achieved. Senior managers and governors are developing a more rigorous approach to data analysis which will give them more reliable information about trends on which to base future development. The governing body is well informed

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Grade: 2

4 Inspection Report: Clatford Church of England Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005 and effective. It is not afraid to ask challenging questions and is fully involved in helping the school to improve. Governors took the considered decision not to appoint a new head teacher until they have found the person who matches fully the needs of the school. They are working closely and effectively with the acting head teacher to ensure that school continues to develop well. They are very active and successful in developing the school's facilities and use the budget sensibly for the benefit of the pupils. Good resources and a well-maintained building encourage pupils to respect the school environment. The school has a good capacity to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Clatford Church of England Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 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: Clatford Church of England Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 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 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 2 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 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 3 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

We really enjoyed meeting you and hearing your views and ideas about the school. Thank you for your help during our time with you.You told us that you enjoy coming to school and appreciate everything the teachers do to help you learn. We think that Clatford is a good school and the best things about it are: * the way you are encouraged to be independent and take responsibility for yourselves and others * that you read well and speak confidently and you do very good work in science * the excellent range of activities particularly in sport and music* the way the staff and governors work together to give you a good education * the very good buildings and equipment which help you to learn well and make the school a pleasant place for you to learn. We think the school would be even better if:* teachers made sure that your written work and your problem solving in mathematics are as good as your reading and your oral work* you and

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

your teachers make more use of what you learn from the day-to-day marking of your work We hope you continue to enjoy attending school. Best Wishes, Grace Marriott, Lead Inspector

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