Pirton School

117128 Unique Reference Number HERTFORDSHIRE LEA LEA 279990 Inspection number 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006 Inspection dates Mrs. Joyce Cox AI Reporting inspector

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

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High Street School address Primary Type of school SG5 3PS Community School category 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01462 712370 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01462 713555 Fax number 125 Number on roll Mr.Derek Jarrett Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. Jeni Houghton Headteacher 14 February 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279990 28 June 2006 - 4 to 11 29 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average primary school situated in the village of Pirton in Hertfordshire. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below average. A very small number of pupils speak English as an additional language and 14% are from minority ethnic backgrounds. A below average number of pupils have learning difficulties and disabilities. When children start in the Reception class their abilities are generally slightly above the expected level for their age. The new headteacher took on the position of Acting Headteacher at the school in June 2005 and became the substantive headteacher in May 2006 The school has been accredited with Healthy School status since 2004. Since November 2005 the school has been part of a Primary Learning Network with other local village schools.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Pirton School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with an exceptionally accurate view of how well it is doing. It provides good value for money. Children in the Reception class get off to a good start in their education and virtually all children attain the required standard on entry to Year 1. Pupils make good progress as they move through the school. Standards are above average at the end of Year 2 and high by Year 6. Pupils' personal development is good because of the good provision to ensure their well-being. All pupils including those with learning difficulties achieve well because the quality of teaching is good throughout the school. Pupils are encouraged to think about how well they are doing in their work but they are not always told exactly what to do next in order to improve. The curriculum is planned carefully and enriched through a very good range of interesting activities. Older pupils say they feel well prepared for the next stage in

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Grade: 2

their education. The majority of parents are very happy with what the school provides but a small number have concerns regarding the mixed age classes. The inspector found no grounds for their concerns as all pupils achieve well. The headteacher and the senior teacher provide good leadership. They are relatively new to their roles but in a short time have succeeded in significantly improving many aspects of the school. The headteacher has skilfully made sure that leadership is successfully focused on raising standards, improving teaching and promoting the well-being of all pupils. The school has begun to use assessment information effectively to track pupils' progress but recognises further work is needed. This is also true in the case of subject leaders' involvement in raising standards and achievement in their subjects. The school has made good improvement since its last inspection especially in terms of its

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Grade: 2

self-evaluation leaving it very well placed to make further progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Make sure that pupils are clear about how to improve their work. - Continue to develop how pupils' attainment is recorded to make it easy for staff to track their progress throughout the school. - Carry on improving the way subject leaders influence standards and achievement in their subjects.

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress in the Reception class and almost all children attain the expected standard on entry to Year 1. Year 2 pupils' make good progress and they reach above average levels. In 2005, standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 were exceptionally high in English and science and above average in mathematics. Over half the pupils attained the higher Level 5 in English and science. Senior leaders set increasingly challenging targets for Year 6 pupils to attain in national tests and these are normally achieved and often exceeded. Standards in writing and in information and communication technology (ICT) have improved considerably since the last inspection. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress as they 2 Inspection Report: Pirton School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006 are quickly identified and receive good support from the special needs coordinator,

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Grade: 2

class teachers and support staff. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds also make good progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. The pupils are very happy at school because they feel well cared for and enjoy learning. Behaviour is consistently good and this makes a significant contribution to the safe and friendly atmosphere throughout the school. Attendance is good as is the pupils' spiritual, moral and social development. The headteacher has good plans to improve the satisfactory cultural provision. Pupils take on responsibility readily and make an effective contribution to the school through, for example, the well-established and effective school council. They are pleased that such things as playground waste bins have resulted from their suggestions. Pupils also contribute to the local community, through performances to senior citizens and through involvement with the church. Pupils are very aware of the need to adopt healthy lifestyles and enjoy taking part in the many opportunities for

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Grade: 2

sport and physical activity. Pupils make good progress in acquiring the numeracy, literacy and social skills, which will help them in their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good throughout the school. Teachers have good levels of expertise, are lively and convey their enthusiasm to pupils, who in turn enjoy learning. They have positive relationships with their classes and develop pupils' interest in their work effectively. Throughout the school, teachers challenge pupils of differing ages and abilities well. The one area to improve is to make sure that pupils are fully involved in their learning by using assessment data to set individual targets. Teaching assistants are capable, competent and highly valued members of the team. They happily and confidently provide good support in lessons to all pupils and in particular to those with learning difficulties and disabilities. Teachers diligently record the standards and progress that pupils make and the leadership team is currently working on ways to help teachers to track pupils' progress throughout the school.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher has worked very hard to improve the curriculum provision to make sure that it meets the needs of all pupils in the mixed aged classes. Improved ICT provision and its effective use have a positive impact on learning. For example, a group of Year 6 pupils have just completed a highly successful project about the village using a digital camera. The curriculum is skilfully adapted to meet the needs and abilities of 3 Inspection Report: Pirton School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006 pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. Reception children get off to a good start because they learn through a wide variety of practical experiences. The curriculum for other pupils is planned carefully to be relevant, practical and interesting. Good links are being developed between subjects. A very good range of enticing enrichment activities is provided, such as sword dancing, choir, sports and musical clubs. These,

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Grade: 2

together with a good number of visits and visitors, bring pupils' learning to life and have a very positive impact on their personal and social skills.

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Grade: 2

The school takes good care of its pupils and this contributes well to their good progress, sense of well-being and to their great enjoyment of school. Pupils feel safe and are confident that they can talk to adults if they have any concerns. Procedures to ensure they are kept safe and secure, including those relating to child protection, are well established. Heath and safety issues highlighted in the last inspection report have been completely resolved. Pupils talk warmly of how their teachers help them learn and they greatly appreciate the sports and other activities organised outside the school day. Support for pupils who have learning difficulties, or disabilities, is good. Adults in the school know the pupils well and are sensitive to any who may be upset or needing support. The school makes good use of help and advice from outside agencies. Although some teachers are beginning to give pupils targets for their learning, this process is

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Grade: 2

not yet sufficiently developed to give pupils a full and clear understanding of how to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. Since her arrival just over a year ago the new headteacher has successfully made many improvements to curriculum planning, teaching and assessment. She has also implemented many much needed improvements to the accommodation, which has resulted in a bright learning environment. A good programme has also been established to check and improve teaching and learning which has led to improved pupil achievement. Together with the senior teacher the headteacher has also made significant strides forward in involving all staff more in school improvement. Subject leader roles have been developed and they now monitor teaching and learning in their subjects by completing lesson observations and the scrutiny of planning and completed work. The headteacher is a highly skilled communicator and has established very good links with other local schools and external agencies. As a consequence the school has become increasingly popular and pupil

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Grade: 2

numbers have risen. Governors provide a very good level of support and have developed effective strategies, which enable them to be involved in evaluating the school's work for themselves. They are currently evolving ways to judge their own effectiveness. The headteacher's commitment and purposeful leadership together with a strong sense of teamwork has successfully moved the school forward rapidly. The school's self-evaluation is excellent as the new headteacher and the senior teacher have an 4 Inspection Report: Pirton School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006 exceptionally accurate and clear view of its strengths and areas to develop. Good progress has been made since the last inspection, which together with the headteacher's intelligent and purposeful leadership means that the school shows a very good capacity to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Pirton School, 28 June 2006 to 29 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: Pirton School, 28 June 2006 to 29 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 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 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 1 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

I enjoyed my visit to Pirton. I discovered a great deal about your school by talking to you and watching you learn. I thought that you would like to know what I liked about your school and how I thought it could get even better. - You made me feel very welcome and greeted me with a smile. - You enjoy coming to school because you feel safe and you really like your teachers. - You all get on well together and you know right from wrong. - You work hard and you are good learners. - Your headteacher has improved many aspects of the school. - Year 6 pupils reach high standards in their work. Your headteacher runs the school well and your parents are right to think that you go to a good school. What I have asked the school to do now to make it even better is: - To make sure you know how to improve your work by giving you targets. - To make it easy for teachers to track how well you are doing. - To ensure that subject leaders

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

help the headteacher to make your work even better in all subjects. I wish you all the very best in the future.

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