New Swannington Primary School

Inspection Report New Swannington Primary School

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119917 Unique Reference Number Leicestershire LEA 280686 Inspection number 10 January 2006 to 11 January 2006 Inspection dates Mike Capper RISP Reporting inspector

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

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Church Lane School address Primary Type of school Coalville Community School category Leicestershire LE67 5DQ 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01530 832656 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01530 832656 Fax number 204 Number on roll Mr Nick Fordyce Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Rachel Rees-Jones Headteacher 25 September 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280686 10 January 2006 - 4 to 11 11 January 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 primary school is situated on the edge of a small village near the town of Coalville. About half of the pupils come from the local community which comprises of a mix of old and new housing, with the rest coming from further afield through parental choice. The great majority of pupils are of white British background with a small proportion having other ethnic heritage. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below average. The number identified as having learning difficulties and disabilities is broadly average. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the Reception year has been improving in the last three years and is now broadly average. The headteacher was appointed in September 2004.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: New Swannington Primary School, 10 January 2006 to 11 January 2006

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school that provides sound value for money. Senior managers and governors have an accurate view of school effectiveness and standards are beginning to rise after several years of decline. Pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching are satisfactory, with the best teaching seen in Years 1, 2 and 6. In the Reception year, pupils make sound progress and, by the end of the year, their attainment is similar to that found nationally. In Years 1 and 2, standards are improving and are now above average, with pupils making good progress. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment is broadly average, with pupils making satisfactory progress from their starting points. Throughout the school, teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well. In most lessons there is good challenge for more able pupils, but teachers do not always meet the differing needs of other pupils. Pupils are well cared for and their

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Grade: 3

personal development is good. Pupils enjoy school and behave well. Older pupils are confident and articulate but have too few opportunities to work independently or to take responsibility for their own learning in lessons. Leadership and management are satisfactory because more remains to be done to ensure that all pupils achieve equally well. Nonetheless, the headteacher has very high aspirations for the school and there have been many good recent developments. The monitoring of teaching is thorough but in order to further improve standards it now needs to focus even more rigorously on whether teachers have high enough expectations of all pupils. Weaknesses from the last inspection have been successfully addressed and the drive and commitment of senior managers mean that the school is now moving quickly in the right direction and is in a good position to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

•Improve the progress in the Reception year and in Years 3 to 6 by ensuring that teaching consistently meets the differing needs of all pupils. •Improve the consistency of teaching across the school by rigorously monitoring and supporting teachers to ensure that their expectations are high enough in all lessons. •Improve the independence of older pupils by giving them more opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning.

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Grade: 3

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory, though there are variations across the school. Pupils make the best progress in Years 1 and 2 where teaching is consistently good. Consequently, by the end of Year 2, standards are now above average in English and mathematics. Pupils make satisfactory progress in the Reception class, and by the end of the Reception year, their attainment is similar to that found nationally. A strength is the speed at which they become independent. 2 Inspection Report: New Swannington Primary School, 10 January 2006 to 11 January 2006 By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment is average in English, mathematics and science. The attainment of this year group was also average at the end of Year 2. The school sets challenging but realistic targets for individual pupils and these were largely met in 2005 when test results improved after several years of decline. The current Year 6 is on target to maintain this rising trend and more pupils are already working at the

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Grade: 3

higher Level 5 than in the past, with teachers helping these pupils to make good progress. The progress of other groups of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, is more patchy and, though satisfactory overall, there are occasions when their progress is slower than it should be because work has not been closely enough matched to their needs.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ good personal development and well-being are evident in their attentiveness in lessons and their good attendance. There is a buzz of enjoyment throughout the school, with pupils consistently behaving well, even when bad weather means that they are unable to go outside at playtimes. Pupils are very polite and friendly to visitors and they talk confidently about their work. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. In the Reception class, pupils quickly develop independence. Older pupils have good social skills and support each other well, for example, helping younger pupils with activities such as a design and technology project. Pupils know how they can improve their health, and they enjoy taking regular exercise in lessons and clubs. Pupils feel safe at school, and most are happy with the way the school deals with any bullying, including racism. Pupils’ sound basic skills prepare them suitably for the next stage of their education and

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Grade: 2

eventually for the world of work. Pupils make a good contribution towards the wider community by planting trees in the local woodland, making harvest hampers for the elderly and by working with other schools in dance and drama workshops. They carry out responsibilities around the school diligently but do not take sufficient responsibility for their own learning in lessons. The school council does not yet give a full voice to pupils.

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Grade: 3

Teaching is satisfactory. Although there is some good teaching, the quality is uneven and, consequently, there are variations in how well pupils learn across the school. Teaching is consistently good in Years 1 and 2. Teachers have good expectations of what pupils should achieve and they make learning fun. Pupils are encouraged to work independently and this has a good impact on personal development. There is also much good teaching in Year 6, and pupils generally make good gains in knowledge in 3 Inspection Report: New Swannington Primary School, 10 January 2006 to 11 January 2006 their final year in school. The teacher motivates pupils well, leading to there being a purposeful working atmosphere in lessons. In the rest of the school, where teaching is satisfactory, there is generally good challenge for the most able pupils, helping them to make good progress, especially in English and mathematics. However, teachers do not always have high enough

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Grade: 3

expectations of other pupils and work does not always meet their needs, being either too hard or too easy for some. This slows the pace at which they develop new skills. In the Reception class, pupils are given good opportunities to develop independence. In contrast, older pupils are not sufficiently encouraged to work independently or to take responsibility for their own learning. Throughout the school, teachers plan thoroughly and manage pupils’ behaviour well. Teaching assistants make a good contribution to learning, especially when working with pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities. Teachers generally make good use of group and individual targets and the marking of work to help pupils understand how they can improve.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. In the Reception Year there is a sound balance between tasks for pupils to work alone, with their friends or with an adult. In Years 1 to 6, the provision for basic skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) is satisfactory. Over the last 18 months, the school has begun to use information about how well pupils are performing in tests to help plan the curriculum for the following year. However, not all teachers use this information fully when planning lessons, meaning that there are occasions when not all pupils’ needs are successfully met. The school is beginning to link subjects to make learning more purposeful, though this could be extended further, for example, by making more use of ICT skills in lessons. Pupils are taught effectively about healthy living and how to keep themselves safe. There are a good number of out-of-school activities which significantly enrich learning

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Grade: 3

and have a good effect on pupils’ personal development. For example, there is a good range of competitive sport, and dance, drama and music workshops. The school carries on traditions such as ‘egg rolling’ and ‘May dancing’ in addition to new activities such as a residential visit for pupils in Year 6.

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Grade: 2

The school provides good quality care, guidance and support for its pupils. Members of staff are kind and caring and have good relationships with the pupils. Clear rules are prominently displayed around the school to support pupils’ behaviour. The school identifies and helps pupils at risk and has good arrangements for safeguarding the 4 Inspection Report: New Swannington Primary School, 10 January 2006 to 11 January 2006 well-being of all pupils. Child Protection procedures are secure and the school works very closely with outside agencies to safeguard pupils. Academic support is satisfactory. It is based on a good understanding of pupils’ potential. The school has recently established thorough systems for measuring pupils’ progress and is beginning to use this information to identify pupils that are at risk of underachieving. Target setting is now well established, though the use of this to match

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Grade: 2

work to need is not yet consistent across the school. There are good procedures for helping children settle quickly when they first start in the Reception class. For example, members of staff visit pupils in their playgroups and parents are given clear and supportive guidance about how they can help their child.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory because more needs to be done to ensure that pupils achieve equally well across the school. However, the headteacher has made a good start to improving pupils’ achievement. A strength of her leadership is the very strong commitment to promoting high standards and good levels of care. There has been a good pace to recent changes and there have been many good recent initiatives. For example, better use is being made of assessment information to set targets and to evaluate how well pupils are doing. The role of subject leaders has been developed and they are beginning to take a more active lead in improving standards in their subjects. Funds have been spent wisely to improve the range of experiences given to the pupils and to improve resources throughout the school. Senior managers and governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. There

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Grade: 3

are satisfactory systems for evaluating the work of the school, involving all members of staff and governors. The monitoring of teaching is thorough and is helping to improve learning but there is more to do to iron out inconsistencies. In particular, the monitoring of teaching and learning by the headteacher and subject leaders now needs to focus more rigorously on teachers’ expectations and whether they have high enough expectations of all pupils. Parents and pupils are consulted through the school council and questionnaires, although the school has rightly identified that more could be done to involve them in school evaluation. There are good links with other local schools and colleges. This has had a good effect on learning, especially in subjects such as physical education, which has improved significantly since the last inspection. The links with other institutions mean that there is now a greater range of activities offered to pupils and teachers’ skills have been

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Grade: 3

extended through shared training opportunities. The relatively new headteacher has a very clear vision for the school and her high aspirations are shared by all members of staff and governors. The school is now moving forward quickly and the main weaknesses from the last inspection have been successfully addressed. This means that the school is well placed to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: New Swannington Primary School, 10 January 2006 to 11 January 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: New Swannington Primary School, 10 January 2006 to 11 January 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 3 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 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 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 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 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 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 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

New Swannington Primary School Church Lane Whitwick Coalville Leicestershire LE67 5DQ 11 January 2006 Dear Children Thank you for welcoming us to your school and for showing us your work. You were very polite and friendly. What we liked most about your school •Children in the Reception class settle well and soon become independent. •In Years 1 and 2, you learn quickly in literacy and numeracy. •We are pleased that you are happy at school and work hard in lessons. •The school helps you to learn about staying healthy and safe and taking exercise. •Your teachers are very kind and caring and they look after you well. They make school fun and provide lots of interesting activities for you to take part in. •The headteacher and governors know what needs to be done to make the school even better. What we have asked your school to do now •We have asked the teachers to make sure that the work that they give you is not too hard or

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

too easy. •We feel that in some lessons, teachers could give you more opportunities to take responsibility for your own learning. •We have asked the headteacher and other staff to make sure that teachers always expect enough of you. We thoroughly enjoyed listening and talking to you about your work and watching you learn. We wish you all well for the future. Yours sincerely Mr M Capper Additional Inspector

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