The Market Rasen Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report The Market Rasen Church of England Primary School

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120577 Unique Reference Number LINCOLNSHIRE LEA LEA 280841 Inspection number 23 May 2006 to 23 May 2006 Inspection dates Mr. Paul Weston LI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 which gives Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools the authority to inspect any school in England. The inspection is to be treated as a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Mill Road School address Primary Type of school LN8 3BL Voluntary controlled School category 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01673 842395 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01673843866 Fax number 242 Number on roll Mr.Douglas Lambie Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr. Paul Thompson Headteacher 29 November 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280841 23 May 2006 - 4 to 11 23 May 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 of Her Majesty's Inspectors. In the course of the day visit, the inspector met with a range of staff and pupils and observed the school at work. Every classroom was visited. Paired observations of two lessons were conducted with the headteacher. The school's clear self-evaluation document, along with a scrutiny of documentation and pupils' work provided crucial evidence in shaping the judgements. Discussions with governors and the receipt of 60 questionnaires from parents further assisted the writing of this report.

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Description of the school

This average sized school is situated in the rural Lincolnshire town of Market Rasen. There are fewer pupils claiming free school meals than average. Pupils start school with skills that are typical for their age. A very small number of pupils are from ethnic minority groups. There are no pupils at the early stages of acquiring English. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is similar to that found nationally. However, the proportion of pupils with a statement of educational need is above average. The school successfully achieved the Investor in People award in 2004.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: The Market Rasen Church of England Primary School, 23 May 2006 to 23 May 2006

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Grade: 2

'Learning together for life', is the value proudly displayed by Market Rasen Primary School. This is a statement not of intent, but of fact. It is at the heart of everything the school does. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the quality of education provided, and rightly so. As one parent said, 'My children are thriving at Market Rasen. They enjoy school and have taken part in some excellent activities. All the staff are approachable and work extremely hard for the children'. Several comments similar to this were written on the questionnaires. This is a good school with some outstanding features, where pupils from Reception to Year 6 are both cared for and stimulated to work hard by a highly committed staff. It provides good value for money. The dedicated and enthusiastic headteacher has a clear vision. He gives a strong sense of direction, with a well-articulated focus on raising standards and on promoting the care and

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Grade: 2

well-being of pupils. The school has come a long way in the last three years. However, the relentless refusal to be satisfied is paying dividends and challenging the school to improve even further. The headteacher is well supported by his deputy, staff and governors who have an accurate understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement. Between them, there is a quiet but steely determination to raise standards further. Since the last inspection, the school has worked to very good effect to improve provision in information and communication technology (ICT). The under-fives have excellent opportunities to take part in creative play. Pupils have a thorough understanding of different cultures and they are presented with increased opportunities to develop their skills of independence. Pupils enter the school with levels of attainment similar to those found nationally. From the outset in the Foundation Stage, the high

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Grade: 2

quality teaching meets pupils' needs well. They enjoy school and, as a result, they make very good progress in all areas. From these firm foundations, good progress continues. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils achieve high standards, particularly in mathematics. All teachers work hard to plan stimulating lessons so that pupils enjoy their learning. Throughout the school, positive relationships, good classroom management skills and excellent knowledge of the pupils contribute to their success. Pupils feel valued, secure and know what is expected of them. They behave very well and are proud of their school, which they say they enjoy a great deal. As one child said, 'I love coming to school because teachers make it interesting and fun.' Not surprisingly, their attendance is very good. The curriculum is successful in meeting the needs of all learners. It makes exceptional provision for enjoyable learning through

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Grade: 2

events such as the recent 'Industry Week', 'Inspiration Days' and 'Multicultural Days'. Excellent use is made of visits and visitors to enhance the curriculum. The range of after school clubs is amazing and makes a valuable contribution to pupils' learning new skills through sporting, music and drama activities. Pupils' attitudes to learning are overwhelmingly positive. They work together amicably and co-operatively on shared tasks, often bubbling with enthusiasm as they work. They willingly undertake responsibilities and enjoy each other's company throughout the day. Support staff are highly effective and well deployed. Pupils in need of small group work or individual support receive extra help from teaching assistants. 2 Inspection Report: The Market Rasen Church of England Primary School, 23 May 2006 to 23 May 2006

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Grade: 2

All pupils, whatever their background or ability do well at Market Rasen. By the time they reach Year 6, standards are above average in English and science and exceptionally high in mathematics. This is confirmed by the quality of work seen in lessons and in pupils' books. Children with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress because of the high quality support they receive.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding, fostered by the school's Christian ethos. They respond very well to the wide range of opportunities to learn about and contribute to the local and wider community. Pupils eagerly take on responsibilities such as being playground leaders. The school's very successful school council effectively helps pupils to make a positive contribution to school life. All display a strong sense of caring for others and enjoy fund-raising and working with the community. For example, pupils have helped develop the Quad and gardens, and raised funds for local and national charities. The school is working towards The Healthy Schools Award, and a very good range of initiatives helps to promote a healthy lifestyle. Excellent provision is made for physical exercise.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good, with some that is outstanding. The best teaching develops pupils' skills of independence, is practical and provides pupils with opportunities for investigative learning. In addition, it encourages pupils to find ways of recording other than worksheets. The highly committed staff know the pupils very well. One of the secrets of the school's success is the rigour of its assessment systems. The performance of pupils is carefully checked and teaching is modified to meet their needs. At the beginning of each lesson, teachers discuss the learning objective and success criteria with pupils; they return to these at the end of lessons, so that pupils are able to judge their own success. Pupils know and understand their targets. However, they would benefit if all teachers' marked their work with these in mind, providing them with clear guidance about what they need to do next to improve.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is successful in meeting the needs of all learners. All staff constantly strive to meet the needs of pupils of all abilities, seeking ways to motivate and challenge them to raise standards further. One parent wrote, 'The school excels at giving children 3 Inspection Report: The Market Rasen Church of England Primary School, 23 May 2006 to 23 May 2006 life experiences so they are involved and highly interested in what they are learning about'. The school is beginning to make learning more thought-provoking, enjoyable and interesting for pupils by linking work between subjects. Further development of this work is planned.

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Grade: 1

Parents acknowledge that 'the care of the children is of the highest order.' Arrangements for the safeguarding of pupils, including child protection procedures, are robust and meticulously reviewed. Pupils say that it is easy to talk to staff if they have any problems and that they are very well looked after. The school works well with parents and external agencies to ensure that all pupils make good progress. Instances of bullying are very rare indeed, and are dealt with very promptly and effectively by staff.

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Grade: 2

The school staff works effectively as a team. They encourage each other and ensure that the school is run effectively. This teamwork creates a very positive ethos, promoting effective learning for all pupils. The school has robust systems for checking its performance and taking action to improve. The school improvement plan and supporting action plans are good tools to manage change and bring about improvement. A good start has been made by subject leaders in undertaking regular and incisive monitoring of teaching and learning. This is encouraging teachers to reflect on, and improve, their own work. The school seeks and properly considers the views of the parents, pupils, and others in its community. The governors give outstanding support and challenge. They are knowledgeable and act as perceptive and critical friends to the school. The whole team demonstrates the school's crystal clear capacity to improve

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Grade: 2

even further. 4 Inspection Report: The Market Rasen Church of England Primary School, 23 May 2006 to 23 May 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: The Market Rasen Church of England Primary School, 23 May 2006 to 23 May 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 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 1 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 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 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 1 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 1 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 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 1 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

What a lovely school! Thank you for welcoming me to Market Rasen. I enjoyed talking to you and finding out about all the things you do. I do hope all you Year 6 children had a great time on your residential visit in Whitby. I am sorry that I was not able to meet you. These are some of the things I liked about your school: - Market Rasen is a very special place where everyone is appreciated and included; - You enjoy coming to school and your behaviour is outstanding; - Teachers and support staff work hard to make learning fun. You told me how much you enjoyed the recent Industry Week and getting dressed up in your pyjamas for the breakfast fun day! - You have lots of space to learn and play around the school. I really liked the Quad and vegetable garden; - I enjoyed talking to the school council and hearing about all the ideas you have suggested to improve the school, including buying Batman balls; - You have lots of

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

interesting clubs and activities that take place at lunchtime and after school; - I liked the multicultural and World Cup displays around the school - come on England! - I enjoyed watching Merlin's class assembly and learning about your problem solving activities. Mr Thompson, the staff and governors are doing a really good job and have plans to improve the school even more. Teachers are going to link subjects together to make your work even more interesting. They will mark your work so that you know if you are meeting your targets and let you know what you need to do to improve to make your work even better. With very best wishes for the future.

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