Sir John Moore Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Sir John Moore Church of England Primary School

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120192 Unique Reference Number Leicestershire LEA 280757 Inspection number 6 June 2006 to 6 June 2006 Inspection dates Frances Gillam AI Reporting inspector

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

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Top Street School address Primary Type of school Appleby Magna Voluntary aided School category Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE12 7AH 4 to 11 Age range of pupils

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01530 270330 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01530 270330 Fax number 127 Number on roll Mrs S D Kent Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Judith Boston Headteacher 13 November 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280757 6 June 2006 - 4 to 11 6 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Located in rural Leicestershire, Sir John Moore is smaller than the average primary school. It is over 300 years old and is of great historical interest and educational value to the pupils. Children’s attainment when they start school is broadly average. Almost all the pupils come from a White British background. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is average. Pupils are taught in five mixed-age range classes, and reception-aged children are taught with the younger Year 1 pupils. The number of children joining and leaving the school other than at the normal time of starting is high, particularly in Years 5 and 6.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Sir John Moore Church of England Primary School, 6 June 2006 to 6 June 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. Parents have confidence that their children will do well and they have good reason to feel their children are safe and well cared for. This is because the school places a strong emphasis on making pupils feel special and part of a caring school community. As a result, pupils are kind and thoughtful, grow in confidence and learn to work and play together effectively. Pupils contribute very well to their school community. They eagerly put forward their ideas and they are confident their views are valued and help to make a difference. Positive features such as these contribute to the pupils’ high degree of enjoyment of school, and their eagerness to work hard and achieve. A rich and varied curriculum enables pupils to make good progress and realise the importance of a healthy diet, regular exercise and how to keep safe and free from harm. The shared vision of the headteacher, staff and governors ‘to develop

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Grade: 2

Christian, caring learners who are confident and who are developing their independence and creativity’ is at the heart of how the school works. It is realised in the pupils’ enthusiasm for learning and explains why pupils achieve well to attain above-average standards by Year 6. Senior managers and governors have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They lead and manage the school effectively and are determined to deal with issues raised through the school’s self-evaluation. This has brought about improvements, for example, in the quality of writing and provision in the Reception Year. Information from assessments and tracking of pupils’ progress leads to mostly well-focused support for groups and individuals in Years 1 to 6. However, the assessments of children’s skills in the first term do not always accurately reflect the skills they have acquired prior to starting school. Consequently, these

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Grade: 2

assessments do not provide a firm starting point for measuring how well children do in the Reception Year. Otherwise, good quality provision in Reception gives children a positive start to school. Good opportunities to explore the school and their local environment spark children’s interest and make them eager to learn. Pupils continue to achieve well across Years 1 to 6 as a result of lively and enthusiastic teaching. In Years 3 and 4, though, planning in one class is not always adapted sufficiently well to take account of the younger and less able pupils, who sometimes find work too difficult. Overall, the school gives good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the arrangements for assessing children’s attainment on entry to school to measure more accurately their rate of progress during the Reception Year. • Ensure greater consistency in the quality of teaching, particularly in Years 3 and 4.

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Grade: 2

Almost all pupils make good progress. By the end of Year 6, standards are above the national average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils’ achievements have improved considerably over the past two years, particularly in writing. Evidence of 2 Inspection Report: Sir John Moore Church of England Primary School, 6 June 2006 to 6 June 2006 their good progress emerged from the school’s comprehensive tracking of progress, discussions with the pupils and the quality of the work in their books. This good progress is not consistent in Years 3 and 4, where teaching has not been consistently strong. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities do well. They receive good support in helping them to meet their individual targets for improvement.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils enjoy school greatly and feel they are members of a caring ‘family’ in a special place. They keep themselves safe and make sensible choices about their diet and take part in regular exercise. They work together with staff and governors to make their school a better place and recognise and appreciate that they are part of a much wider and more diverse community. This shows in the pupils’ good understanding of different cultures and beliefs and in their very good contribution to the wider community through charitable and fundraising events. Pupils describe how being responsible for their own behaviour and being able to collaborate with others create a foundation for success in secondary education and adult life.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are taught well. From Reception to the end of Year 6, pupils show a lively interest in what they are learning because lessons are interesting and fun. Most teachers’ planning is adapted well to meet the differing needs of pupils. This enables pupils to build and extend on what they have learned before and is a main reason for the good progress overall. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and explain to them how they can do even better. This is particularly effective in Years 1 and 2. Pupils here talk knowledgably about the things they need to think about to improve their work. Importantly, they follow the teacher’s advice and consequently do well in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are fully involved in lessons because of the well-focused support of learning support assistants. Some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching lead to a slower rate of learning,

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It is greatly enriched through clubs and visits and makes a significant contribution to the pupils’ good progress. The school carefully considers the impact of the curriculum. Senior managers are currently looking at ways in which the curriculum can be adapted to enable pupils in the mixed-age classes make the best progress they can. Weakness in the way curriculum planning meets the needs of some 3 Inspection Report: Sir John Moore Church of England Primary School, 6 June 2006 to 6 June 2006 pupils has been identified. The action being taken is not yet fully effective in remedying the comparatively slower progress of pupils in Years 3 and 4 and at the start of the Reception Year.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well because they are safe, well cared for and supported effectively. Pupils understand, as do their teachers, that ‘every child matters,’ and say that they are valued equally, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities. Guidance for pupils’ academic progress is, however, not equally good in all classes, particularly in terms of helping and involving pupils in setting targets for improvement.

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Grade: 2

This is a well led and managed school. A shared sense of purpose gives direction to the school’s work and leads to effective teamwork at all levels. Parents have confidence in the leadership of the headteacher with good reason. She has built a strong leadership team with a clear focus on improving pupils’ achievements. Governors and parents are well informed and play an active role in the life of the school. Robust and rigorous systems to evaluate the school’s work mean that priorities for improvement are well conceived. Throughout the school, assessment and the tracking of pupils’ progress are well established but do not provide an accurate picture of children’s attainment on entry to school. Improvements to the quality and standards in the Foundation Stage, which are now good, and the improvement in pupils’ progress over the past two years are measures of the school’s good capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 2

4 Inspection Report: Sir John Moore Church of England Primary School, 6 June 2006 to 6 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. 5 Inspection Report: Sir John Moore Church of England Primary School, 6 June 2006 to 6 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 NA 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 2 The behaviour of learners NA 1 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 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

7 June 2006 Dear Children, Thank you for making Mr Lilly and myself so welcome when we came to visit you. We enjoyed talking with you and seeing the things you were doing. We would like to tell you what we thought about your school. Your school is a happy place; we saw lots of smiling faces and met children who were polite and hardworking. You are well cared for, you feel safe and you told us how you are made to feel special. You enjoy being involved in making decisions about how to improve your school and adults listen to and value what you have to say. You certainly know all about keeping safe and healthy and many of you choose to take part in the sporting activities and clubs after school. These exciting clubs, your wonderful school building, places you visit and the people who come to talk to you make your learning really interesting. Many of you told us that your lessons are exciting because the teachers make

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

learning fun. They help you and encourage you to do your best. Right from the time you start school you are helped with your reading, writing and mathematics. Many of you become really good readers, writers and mathematicians but we think some pupils in Years 3 and 4 could do even better. Mrs Boston, the governors and your teachers make good decisions about how to make your school a better place. They carefully check how well you are doing but we have asked them to check more closely if children in the Reception Year are doing their very best. With best wishes for the future, Fran Gillam Lead inspector

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