Clough and Risegate Community Primary School

120412 Unique Reference Number LINCOLNSHIRE LEA LEA 280810 Inspection number 6 July 2006 to 7 July 2006 Inspection dates Mr. David Speakman AI Reporting inspector

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

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Chopdike Drove School address Primary Type of school PE11 4JP Community School category 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01775750297 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01775750297 Fax number 75 Number on roll Mr.Robert Haresign Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr. Alan Hughes Headteacher 6 April 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280810 6 July 2006 - 4 to 11 7 July 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Clough and Risegate is a small school with pupils from the immediate locality and further afield. Most pupils are White British and none has English as an additional language. About 10% come from Traveller communities. The take up of free school meals is below average. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, and with a Statement of educational need is average. Pupils are taught in one of three mixed-age classes. Pupils in Year 1 are taught with Foundation Stage children and those in Year 2 with pupils in Years 3 and 4. Attainment on entry is average. In 2005 the school gained Investors in People and a Department for Education and Skills achievement award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Clough and Risegate Community Primary School, 6 July 2006 to 7 July 2006

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Grade: 2

Inspection outcomes agree with the school's own assessment that its overall effectiveness is good and it provides good value for money. Pupils achieve well over the course of their time in school in relation to their starting points. Progress is good overall and standards at the end of Year 6 are above average. Provision in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and children generally reach levels expected at the end of Reception. Although the curriculum is satisfactory overall, it has weaknesses at Key Stage 1. Teaching is generally good, however the curriculum for younger pupils is not sufficiently structured to enable them to build on their knowledge and understanding and attainment at the end of Year 2 could be better. There are particularly good levels of care and guidance. As a result pupils' attitudes to school, behaviour and enjoyment of school are outstanding. Teachers move pupils on at a good pace, particularly the older ones. Assessment of pupils' progress is based on

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Grade: 2

achievement of targets set for them but teachers do not have a sufficiently clear picture of where pupils are in relation to the National Curriculum levels and end of key stage expectations. The headteacher leads and manages the school well and he is supported effectively by teachers and the governing body. They have a good view of the school's strengths and the challenges that face them. Issues raised at the time of the previous inspection have been dealt with well and the school has the capacity for further improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Raise standards at the end of Year 2. - Develop assessment to include National Curriculum levels to track pupils' achievement more effectively and have a clearer knowledge of standards in relation to end of key stage national expectations. - Ensure pupils in Years 1 and 2 experience a more appropriate curriculum.

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Grade: 2

Children make satisfactory progress in the Foundation Stage. Most achieve the goals expected by the end of Reception. Caution is needed when the school's test results are compared with national averages because the small numbers in each year group mean that small changes in individual attainment can have a big impact on overall results. However, results of teachers' assessments show that pupils achieve satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2. Standards in speaking and listening are good, in reading they are average, but in writing and in mathematics they are slightly below average. By the end of Year 6, standards in the past have been above average and, in 2005, were exceptionally high. Pupils achieve well throughout Key Stage 2 and generally meet the challenging targets set for them. This year's test results are likely to be lower because pupils in the current Year 6 had slightly lower starting points than those of

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Grade: 2

the previous Year 6 cohort. Nevertheless good progress has been maintained and pupils have achieved well. Standards are above average in English, broadly average in 2 Inspection Report: Clough and Risegate Community Primary School, 6 July 2006 to 7 July 2006 mathematics but slightly below average in science. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities achieve well throughout the school. Children from Traveller communities achieve as well as other pupils when in school.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual and social development is good and cultural development is satisfactory. Their moral development is outstanding. Pupils know what acceptable behaviour is and behaviour in class and around school is excellent. Pupils enjoy being in school very much because of the calm and safe atmosphere in which they learn and play. They have excellent attitudes towards school and the quality of relationships between pupils of different ages and between pupils and adults is of a high quality. Attendance is broadly average overall. The great majority of pupils attend regularly and punctually but there is poor attendance among a small minority. Through the school council and councillors' discussions with their classes, all pupils have good opportunities to have a positive impact on school life. Pupils are aware of healthy lifestyles and take part willingly in the many opportunities to eat healthily and stay physically fit. They know

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Grade: 2

the school's guidelines for their safety and stay safe whilst in school. They know who to go to if they ever need help. Pupils gain skills in literacy, numeracy, using computers, and work well in teams and therefore are prepared well for their future.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good, although its impact is better at Key Stage 2 where pupils' achievement accelerates. In classes where there are pupils from more than one key stage, lesson planning is complicated by the need to cater for the wide range of age and ability, and this is not always successful. In the best lessons, seen in the class for older pupils, teaching is inspirational, moves at a rapid pace, makes clear exceptionally high expectations and the teachers' enthusiasm motivates pupils to do their very best. Planning is detailed and ensures pupils of all ages and abilities are challenged enough to make excellent progress. All teachers manage pupils very well and there is a calm and productive working atmosphere. Full inclusion is a strong feature of teaching in this school and all pupils, from whatever background or ability, receive the same level of encouragement to do well. Teachers know pupils well and

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Grade: 2

plan the next stages in learning based on assessments of what pupils have achieved in relation to their targets. This planning does not relate to National Curriculum levels sufficiently closely. Consequently, assessment of pupils' work does not give teachers a clear enough picture of how well individual pupils are progressing compared with what is expected for pupils of the same age. 3 Inspection Report: Clough and Risegate Community Primary School, 6 July 2006 to 7 July 2006

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is planned to ensure a satisfactory balance of time for all subjects, thus resolving the issue from the previous inspection. The Reception curriculum is based appropriately on the areas of learning for the Foundation Stage. However, curriculum planning has weaknesses. Because Year 1 pupils work with Reception children and Year 2 pupils with Years 3 and 4 there is no distinct Key Stage 1 curriculum planned. This arrangement means pupils are not prepared well for their end of Year 2 assessments and test results are lower than standards seen in class. There is no overview of the whole school curriculum to guarantee continuity of learning or to guide teachers in planning for mixed-age classes. There is a good programme of personal, social and health education, which promotes personal development well. Curriculum enrichment is good and includes a good range of visits and visitors. There is a satisfactory range

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Grade: 3

of extra-curricular activities catering for a variety of tastes, including hobbies, sports and music.

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Grade: 2

There is excellent care and support for pupils' pastoral and emotional well-being. All necessary checks have been made on adults having contact with pupils. There is a high regard for pupils' health and safety. All teachers have up-to-date certificates of first aid training. Risk assessments and health and safety checks are completed as necessary. Pupils are well supervised at all times and are safe and secure in school. Pupils receive a satisfactory level of guidance related to their academic achievement. Although teachers know their pupils very well and talk regularly to them about their work, teachers are not yet fully aware of pupils' attainment in relation to the expected levels in the National Curriculum and therefore how well they are doing in terms of achieving their best at the end of the key stages.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher knows all pupils and staff well. The headteacher gains a good insight into how well the school is doing through formal observations of lessons. He visits all classes frequently, working and talking to pupils about their work and teaches older pupils part-time. There is an effective team approach to leading and managing the school. The headteacher works in close collaboration with other teachers and governors to monitor the impact of the work of the school on standards and plan the next stages in school improvement. Therefore, leadership and management provide a clear vision and direction for the school. However, there is not enough rigour in the monitoring of the whole school curriculum to ensure that pupils are always working at the appropriate level and that the work in one year builds on that of the previous year. Nevertheless, progress towards achieving targets

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Grade: 2

set in the school development plan is carefully monitored throughout the year to good 4 Inspection Report: Clough and Risegate Community Primary School, 6 July 2006 to 7 July 2006 effect. Governance of the school is good. Governors understand the school's strengths and weaknesses and the challenges facing them. They have supported the school well in overcoming weaknesses through taking appropriate and successful action. They are very involved with the school and fulfil a number of roles, including forging links with the parent and wider communities. Governors have a strong commitment to the school and work hard to help it succeed, whilst still being challenging and holding the headteacher and staff to account. There has been a good level of improvement since the previous inspection and all issues have been dealt with. The school has successfully addressed other issues they have identified and has the capacity to sustain further

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Grade: 2

improvement. 5 Inspection Report: Clough and Risegate Community Primary School, 6 July 2006 to 7 July 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: Clough and Risegate Community Primary School, 6 July 2006 to 7 July 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 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 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 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 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

Thank you for making me welcome in your school. I enjoyed talking to you and finding out about what you do at school. You go to a good school. You make good progress overall and achieve good standards by the time you leave. I thought your behaviour in class was excellent and it is clear that you enjoy school enormously. Most of the lessons are good and teachers plan lessons well but there is some difficulty in planning for pupils in Key Stage 1 because Year 1 pupils are taught with Reception and those in Year 2 with Years 3 and 4. However, teachers do have a good idea of what you need to learn next because they know you so well. A strong feature of your school is the way in which all adults working in the school care very much for your well-being and safety. In turn you show great care and consideration for each other. Your headteacher leads the school well, and other staff and governors work closely with him to

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

support him in his work. Some of you can help by coming to school more regularly. I am asking your headteacher, staff and governors to: - Help pupils do even better in the tests at the end of Year 2. - Develop the systems for assessing your work so teachers have a good idea of which National Curriculum levels you have reached. - Make the class organisation less complicated so that the curriculum for pupils in Years 1 and 2 can be improved. I wish you well in the future.

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