Haxey CofE Primary School

Inspection Report Haxey C of E Primary School

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118011 Unique Reference Number North Lincolnshire LEA 280213 Inspection number 7 March 2006 to 8 March 2006 Inspection dates Mr Eric Jackson Reporting inspector

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

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The Nooking School address Primary Type of school Haxey Voluntary controlled School category Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN9 2JQ 4 to 11 Age range of pupils

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01427 752294 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01427 754350 Fax number 189 Number on roll Mrs Helen Durdy Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Miss Lynne Messom Headteacher 1 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280213 7 March 2006 - 4 to 11 8 March 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 is a smaller than average primary school. Children’s attainment on entry is broadly average. Fewer children than average have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The number who leave or join the school during the school year is below average, but Year 6 in 2005 had a very high turnover since reception. The number of children eligible for free school meals is below average. Almost all the children are white British. The school has national awards for its work in sport and the arts, and for promoting healthy lifestyles. It has active links with a school in China, and a multi-ethnic school in Scunthorpe. A new headteacher was appointed in January 2006.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Haxey C of E Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 2006

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Grade: 2

Haxey C of E Primary is a good school with some excellent features. This confirms the school’s judgement. Almost all parents share this view, as do the children. Standards and achievement in English, mathematics and science are good, with very high results in national tests in science at the end of Year 6 in 2005. Achievement in other subjects of the curriculum is sometimes lower than in these core subjects and children’s creativity is restricted. Children’s personal development is good and their behaviour is excellent. They make good progress in all aspects of the national drive to promote the ‘Every Child Matters’ agenda. Their contribution to the school and wider community is outstanding. Overall provision is good, including quality and standards in reception. Teaching and learning are good and lead to good progress for all children. Good developments that are underway to improve assessment procedures recognise that

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Grade: 2

children do not yet have enough involvement in their own learning. Children are well cared for, and the school is a safe and secure learning environment, improved significantly by recent changes to the accommodation. Good links with other schools and support agencies contribute well to children’s learning. One parent of a reception child wrote, ‘The work with a school in China has widened my child’s knowledge and understanding of the world significantly.’ Leadership and management are good, and the school runs smoothly. Its self-evaluation is good and the headteacher sets an excellent direction for the school’s continued improvement. It is well-placed to develop further and continues to provide good value for money. not applicable

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise the quality of provision and achievement in other areas of learning to the levels achieved in the core subjects. • Give children more opportunities to assess their performance more effectively and to take greater initiative in their own learning. • Develop more effective links between learning in different subjects to further promote children’s creativity and independence.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good. Children make good progress across the school. From average attainment at entry, reception children make good progress in all areas of learning, so that most reach and some exceed the expected goals by Year 1. Standards are above average in Year 2, a rising trend. By the end of Year 6, they meet challenging targets and are well above average in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. In 2005, the school’s results in science were in the top 10 per cent nationally, reflecting staff’s subject expertise. Results fell in English from their usual very high standards because some children new to the school had lower attainment in writing than is usual in the school. Despite this, the number reaching the level expected in English was well 2 Inspection Report: Haxey C of E Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 2006 above average. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress

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Grade: 2

across the school. There is no significant underachievement, but achievement in other subjects is not as high as in core subjects. For example, in gymnastics and art and design the level of challenge is lower than in the core. The school has identified this as an area for further improvement.

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Grade: 2

Children’s personal development and well-being are good, with some outstanding features. They behave excellently in lessons and around the school, and are well-mannered and considerate of others. They have good attitudes to learning, and relationships between them and the staff are warm and productive. This promotes the high self-esteem shown by Year 2 children when they confidently and accurately led a visitor through an interactive whiteboard presentation of the life-cycle of a frog. Children’s spiritual development is good; their social, moral and cultural development is outstanding and is supported very well by valued links with schools in China and Scunthorpe. The staff ensure a good focus on the national ‘Every Child Matters’ agenda, so that children make good progress in understanding healthy lifestyles and in learning to be safe. When Year 6 conducted an instructive survey of how much water each class

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Grade: 2

drinks, they showed their clear understanding of the beneficial effects. The children really enjoy their education. One said, ‘Everyone is having fun and loving it at our school!’ The skills and abilities that will later help them in the world of work are developed well and children’s contribution to the school and wider community is excellent. They achieve this through the School Council, by taking their music into the community and by raising significant funds for charity. Attendance is good.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good, particularly in core subjects. Children concentrate well and try hard in lessons. For example, two boys in reception explained clearly to each other why they wanted specific features in their garden design. Children listen very well, but occasionally staff talk for too long before engaging the children in other learning tasks. Between them, the staff apply their good subject knowledge well, especially in science. Their planning in English, mathematics and science is effective because it stems from a good understanding of children’s progress and provides good challenge for all. This leads to some high level work, as when Year 4 children write poetry in the style of favourite poets. Children in Year 5 also make rapid progress in using known number facts to create and solve a wide range of challenging problems. However, children have too few opportunities to develop higher level learning skills

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Grade: 2

through independent creative and problem-solving tasks that link learning across subjects. Good improvements are underway in assessment procedures. These fully involve older children in judging their own performance, but are not yet embedded 3 Inspection Report: Haxey C of E Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 2006 well enough across the school to push learning to the highest level. Support staff make a good contribution to children’s progress, particularly for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school’s highly inclusive approach helps these children to make good and sometimes outstanding progress towards their targets.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good, and enriched well by a wide and varied programme of extra activities. It meets all statutory requirements and concentrates well on English, mathematics, science and, increasingly, on information and communication technology. All children are included in what the school offers and children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities have their work adapted very effectively to meet their needs. The local authority recognises this as exemplary practice. Significant awards have been achieved in the past for work in sport and the arts; and the curriculum is well adapted to meet new requirements for preparing children to lead safe and healthy lives. However, children have too few opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning and so to improve their progress and achievement further.

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Grade: 2

This aspect is good overall. The school is a safe place, and its ethos of care is strong. Bullying is not tolerated, and children say that there is always someone to turn to if they need help. Child-protection procedures are fully understood and applied by all staff, and effective risk assessments are in place. Occasionally, an over-protective concern for children’s safety during physical activity holds them back from achieving their best work. Children needing extra support receive it and guidance is good. One parent said that her child had made better progress than she could have hoped for because of the dedicated approach of the staff. A child said, ‘When we do work, teachers make it at our level. People have work that is right for them.’ Inspection findings confirm this view in the main, although children do not yet know enough about how well they are performing in the wider curriculum.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The school’s strengths from the last inspection have been maintained, and other areas improved, such as the school building. Following the retirement of the well-respected previous headteacher, the new head has been received well by children, staff and parents. She has already put her strong stamp on the school’s development. The revised action plan she has agreed with governors and staff sets a very clear direction for the school’s further improvement. Development planning focuses keenly on improving achievement, standards and children’s personal development and well-being. Self-evaluation is accurate, and staff performance management is precise. All the points for improvement raised in the inspection have 4 Inspection Report: Haxey C of E Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 2006 been included in the most recent development plan. Governors are involved effectively

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Grade: 2

in monitoring and supporting the school. Parents say that they are kept well-informed, recently through regular newsletters. They and their children are consulted regularly and their views acted on. The staff ensure that any obstacles to children’s learning are minimised and that all are fully included in the school’s work. Good partnerships with other schools and agencies include a Network Learning Community and higher education providers. Leadership and management have good impact on children’s progress, their safety and well-being. The school continues to provide good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Haxey C of E Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 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: Haxey C of E Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 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 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 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 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 1 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 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

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 Miss Lynne Messom Haxey C of E Primary School The Nooking Haxey Doncaster South Yorkshire DN9 2JQ 9 March 2006 Dear Children Mrs Winyard and I would like to thank you for your welcome when we visited your school. You showed us why everyone thinks that Haxey C of E Primary is a good, happy school. You behave exceedingly well, and try hard almost all the time with your work. This helps the staff to help you. One of you said, ‘None of the staff are scary – they help you when you are stuck.’ We agree. They make sure that you are safe, and plan your work carefully to help you make good progress in learning. You told us that the tasks they give you are just at your level, and that they are interesting and fun. We agree with you. Many of you do very well in reading, writing, maths and science. We have asked the staff to help you understand more about how

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

well you are doing, and to help you reach these higher standards in other areas of your work. Your school runs very smoothly, and you help this to happen when you have jobs to do. You also know how to live healthily, and keep fit. We have asked the staff to give you opportunities to be more creative and independent in such areas as art and PE. You clearly enjoy these already, and we think this will help you enjoy them more, and reach higher standards. We also think that your school is making good improvements, and if you continue to work hard, you will all do even better. With best wishes for your future. Your sincerely Eric Jackson Julie Winyard (Lead Inspector)(Additional Inspector)

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