Mrs Mary King's CofE (Controlled) Primary School

Inspection Report Mrs Mary King's Church of England (Controlled) Primary School

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120530 Unique Reference Number LINCOLNSHIRE LEA LEA 280835 Inspection number 19 June 2006 to 20 June 2006 Inspection dates Mr. Richard Cheetham AI Reporting inspector

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

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Moor Lane School address Primary Type of school LN4 3RB Voluntary controlled School category 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01526 378330 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01526 378330 Fax number 104 Number on roll Mr.Shaun Ashfield Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr. Ralph Slaney Headteacher 5 June 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280835 19 June 2006 - 4 to 11 20 June 2006 Inspection Report: Mrs Mary King's Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 19 June 2006 to 20 June 2006

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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 small rural school serves the village of Martin and its locality. Children's attainment on entry varies significantly each year but is average overall. The proportion of children who start or leave at times other than usual is above average, partly because the school caters for children from service families. The proportion of children entitled to a free school meal is below average. The proportion of children with learning difficulties or disabilities is also below average. Almost all children have White British backgrounds and a very small number have African British backgrounds. The school has close links with a nearby school and with the local church. It receives additional annual funding from the Mrs Mary King Trust.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Mrs Mary King's Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 19 June 2006 to 20 June 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school which provides well for its children and gives good value for money. This judgement matches the school's view of itself. Children thrive in the good Foundation Stage (Class 1) and make good progress. Many reach above average standards by Year 1. Children's progress has improved in Years 1 and 2 since 2005 and children now reach above average standards in most areas, except in writing. Children's standards in Year 6 are above average and children make good progress. Children's personal development and well being are good. Children behave well, enjoy school and help make decisions. Staff and children get on well together and children carry out duties responsibly. The school takes parents' and children's views seriously and most have a high opinion of the school. One parent commented, 'Over the past three years, I've been delighted at how my children enjoy school and make very good

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Grade: 2

progress.' Teaching is good and there is a lively curriculum that engages children's interests. Staff provide good quality care, guidance and support. The headteacher has a clear general overview of how the school is improving and has a dedicated team to bring this about. Effective leadership and management have secured good improvement since the previous inspection and the school has a good capacity to improve further. However, the school development plan does not show clearly how well children's progress is expected to improve as a result of working on the priorities in it. The school does not analyse results year on year in enough detail to find trends and patterns in children's progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Ensure Year 2 children's progress and attainment, especially in writing, continues to improve. - Analyse assessment data more thoroughly to give a more accurate view of overall progress children make each year. - Link school development planning priorities to measurable outcomes in children's learning.

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Grade: 2

Children are achieving well overall. Children start school with average standards. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage and many reach above average standards by Year 1. Achievement has improved in Years 1 to 6 this year. In 2005 children's standards were below average in Year 2, and in Year 6 they dipped to average. Writing standards were particularly affected. Better teaching has improved children's progress this year. In Years 1 and 2 children now make at least satisfactory progress. They are likely to reach above average standards in reading, mathematics and science but below average standards in writing. In Year 6, children make good progress and are on course to reach above average standards in English, mathematics and science. Standards in reading are higher than those in writing. Challenging work set by teachers is ensuring that higher attaining children make good progress. Children in Year 6 are on course

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Grade: 2

to reach their more challenging attainment targets this year. Children with learning 2 Inspection Report: Mrs Mary King's Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 19 June 2006 to 20 June 2006 difficulties and disabilities and from minority ethnic backgrounds make similar good progress because of the effective support they receive.

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Grade: 2

Children's personal development and well being are good. They like school and this shows in their enjoyment in lessons and in their above average attendance. They behave very well and are considerate towards others. Older children look after younger ones well. Children feel safe in school and know there is someone to turn to if necessary. Children have a good understanding of how to keep healthy and safe. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. In the Foundation Stage children soon learn how to work on their own and in groups for periods of time. Children have a well developed sense of fair play. They relate very well to one another and are very confident when speaking to adults. They look after the school and help it run smoothly. They have a good understanding of different cultures and beliefs. Through music, art and personal reflection, they develop the spiritual aspect of their lives well.

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Grade: 2

They make a good contribution to the community through local visits and involvement with the church. Children contribute well to school life. The school council helps make decisions, such as how to extend playground facilities. They discuss what they would like with governors, having first consulted their classmates. These skills and their improving basic skills ensure children's very good preparation for their futures.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good some teaching is outstanding. At its most effective, teaching inspires youngsters to work out their own solutions. Teachers pose questions or create challenges, such as by asking the Foundation Stage children to find the most effective way of moving water. This technique spurs children on to seek creative solutions and improves their understanding of ideas. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to help children learn. Children with learning difficulties and disabilities are fully included in lessons through the additional support they receive. Less effective teaching includes setting children over complex tasks that children struggle to do or having low expectations of, for example, presentation of writing. Staff set more difficult work for more able children and they respond well. All teachers now make clear what they expect children to learn and then review their progress with

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Grade: 2

them. This process gives children a better idea of how they might improve, especially for older children when writing. Teachers use information on children's progress well to match work to their abilities. Marking is effective because it pin points where children can improve as well as giving them encouragement to try hard. Teachers' marking and suggestions increasingly involve children in assessing their own work. 3 Inspection Report: Mrs Mary King's Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 19 June 2006 to 20 June 2006

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Grade: 2

The school has a good curriculum. Children in the Foundation Stage enjoy some excellent learning activities inside and outside their classroom. This provision increases their self confidence. Staff are working productively with their local school partners to develop a distinctive curriculum to meet children's needs even more effectively. This link makes the most of staff expertise and broadens the curriculum to include drama, badminton skills and French. The school retains an emphasis on literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills by encouraging their practice in other subjects. The provision for ICT has improved since the previous inspection, when it was then inadequate. More able children are increasingly well catered for through enrichment challenges and independent research activities. However, the children would like more access to the libraries. The curriculum is adapted

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Grade: 2

well to the needs of children with learning difficulties and disabilities. There is a very good range of extra activities to broaden children's experiences both in and out of school. Cycling skills help children develop road sense. There are study visits to the local church and joint residential visits to promote older children's social development. Visitors bring story telling and artistic skills and children take part in music festivals to develop their creativity and confidence further.

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Grade: 2

Staff work as a team to get to know children well and provide good quality care, guidance and support. This marks an improvement since the previous inspection. Staff are both supportive and vigilant. They foster good relationships that encourage children's personal development effectively and children respond well to good adult role models. They know how to report matters such as bullying but some have concerns about the behaviour of a few children. The school has good arrangements for handling this. There are good systems for safeguarding children and monitoring attendance. Staff encourage children to drink water regularly and vary lesson activities to promote concentration. Child protection measures are up to date. The school works well with external bodies to provide children with additional support. The school tracks children's individual academic progress well. Teachers use the information effectively to set

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Grade: 2

children's individual targets and to identify children who may need additional support. Teachers record children's personal development to give a rounded view of their progress. The youngest children are sensitively introduced to the school and older children are prepared well for their secondary schools and children have a wider circle of friends because of the partnership with a local school. Teachers do not analyse test results in enough detail to establish how well children in each year are progressing overall. 4 Inspection Report: Mrs Mary King's Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 19 June 2006 to 20 June 2006

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Grade: 2

The quality of leadership and management is good. The school has responded well to the previous inspection report. The leadership has successfully raised children's achievement. Joint activities with a local school have improved staff training and the curriculum. It is too early to assess their impact on academic progress but staff can already see improvements in children's personal development. Teachers work very well as a team to manage curricular developments and support school development planning. However, the school development plan does not show clearly how well children's progress is expected to improve as a result of working on the priorities in it. Governors are closely involved in setting the right priorities with the school. Overall, the school knows itself well and most of its judgements match those of this inspection. Lesson evaluations are now more specific about the impact of teaching on learning and this

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Grade: 2

has improved teaching quality. Staff use assessments of children's learning well to develop more effective practice and set challenging targets. Staff use resources well and the provision for children with learning difficulties and disabilities is well managed. The school successfully encourages parent participation and actively seeks their views. Most are very satisfied with the school. Governors fulfil their duties well and are involved in the local school links. They are well informed, contribute to the school's capacity to improve and its good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Mrs Mary King's Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 19 June 2006 to 20 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: Mrs Mary King's Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 19 June 2006 to 20 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 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 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 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 welcoming me to your school. I enjoyed listening to what you had to say, looking at your work and watching you learn. This letter tells you about what I found good about your school and how it could be even better. There are many good things about your school, such as: you are friendly, confident and can explain your ideas clearly; you behave well and enjoy helping the grown ups decide things and the teachers plan interesting tasks for you and work well with a school nearby to give you more choices. Mr Slaney and the other grown ups have worked hard to bring in new ideas and they make sure you are safe and happy at school. Your teachers, teaching assistants and parents who come into school to help, work together well to help you all. This means that the school is better than a few years ago and it helps you do well in your lessons. Your parents think your school is good and that you learn well. To make it even

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

better, I have asked the school to help younger children especially improve their writing. I would like the school to be clearer about how it plans to help you improve and about how quickly you all reach your learning targets. I am sure that all the adults will carry on working just as hard as possible to help you learn.

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