Scamblesby Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Scamblesby Church of England Primary School

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120584 Unique Reference Number LINCOLNSHIRE LEA LEA 280845 Inspection number 7 March 2006 to 7 March 2006 Inspection dates Mr. Paul Brooker 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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Old Main Road School address Primary Type of school LN11 9XS Voluntary controlled School category 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01507343629 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01507343629 Fax number 81 Number on roll Mr.Tim Hannam Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr. Adrian Sanders Headteacher 5 July 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280845 7 March 2006 - 4 to 11 7 March 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.

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Description of the school

Scamblesby Church of England Primary School is smaller than average. Pupils come from the local village and a wide rural area, with some from the nearby towns of Horncastle and Louth. All pupils are of white British origin. The proportion of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is broadly average. The proportion entitled to free school meals is very low. Pupil mobility is relatively high because the school's good reputation attracts a number of pupils who transfer from other schools. The headteacher joined the school in January 2006.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Scamblesby Church of England Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 7 March 2006

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Grade: 2

The inspection confirms the school's judgement that its overall effectiveness is good. The school has some outstanding features, particularly in the pupils' personal development and in aspects of teaching. When children start in the Reception class their skills are broadly in line with those expected for their age, but by the time that they leave the school at the end of Year 6 their standards of attainment are significantly above those seen nationally. This represents good achievement. The pupils' personal development is outstanding. The school's Christian principles underpin its excellent ethos. Pupils of all ages show care and consideration for one another and develop the personal skills that equip them well for the next stage in their education and later life. The pupils' behaviour and attitudes are excellent. Nonetheless the school recognises that it could exploit further opportunities to give pupils greater responsibility within

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Grade: 2

the school community and, occasionally, for their own learning. The role of the school council is under developed. The pupils make good progress in lessons in response to good teaching. The school sets challenging targets and guides the pupils' next steps well with marking. However, tracking of pupil progress is not as systematic or rigorous as it should be. Better use of target setting would enable staff to monitor progress more closely and encourage pupils to check their own progress. The school is well led and managed. Governance is good and the active support from parents is a strong feature of the school. The headteacher and governors recognise areas for development. There is good capacity for further improvement. The school has sustained and developed the strengths identified at the last inspection and has addressed the issues raised. The much improved accommodation provides a very good environment for

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Grade: 2

learning. The school provides good value for money.

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Grade: 2

Small cohorts make year on year comparisons unreliable. However, given their starting points, pupils achieve well because they make good progress as they move through the school. Children enter the Reception class with skills that are broadly average. They make good gains across all areas of learning so that, by the end of their first year, their progress is above average. The pupils' good start is consolidated in Years 1 and 2, although the progress is not as rapid as that of either the younger or older pupils. Standards of attainment of 7 year olds are broadly average. In the most recent Key Stage 1 tests in 2005 all pupils achieved the expected level 2 in mathematics, reading and writing, although comparatively few achieved the higher level 3, particularly in reading or writing. The pupils make outstanding progress in Key Stage 2. Results in national tests have been consistently above national figures, with a significant

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Grade: 2

proportion of pupils gaining higher levels of attainment. There is no significant difference between the progress of different groups of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Pupils of all abilities achieve very well and higher attaining pupils are enabled to excel. 2 Inspection Report: Scamblesby Church of England Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 7 March 2006

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Grade: 1

The pupils' personal development is outstanding. The school's welcoming and inclusive ethos is immediately evident to visitors. The pupils are friendly, cooperative and impeccably behaved. The school's positive climate encourages the pupils to flourish socially and academically. As a result the pupils develop the skills that equip them well for their future lives. They have excellent attitudes in the classroom and show genuine enjoyment in their work. Pupils are considerate and caring towards each other and maintain very good relationships. They understand the importance of healthy lifestyles and value the importance of regular exercise. The pupils feel safe. Bullying is not an issue. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. The school's strong guidance and high expectations encourage pupils to develop as well-rounded individuals. The impressive range of visiting speakers successfully broadens the pupils'

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Grade: 1

cultural horizons and prepares them well as citizens in a multicultural world. The pupils are encouraged to make a positive contribution to the wider community. They have raised large sums of money for a variety of local and national charities. Pupils are given good opportunities to work in teams, for example on the recent Wolds' project, and also run their own mini-projects, with one of these raising 84 pounds for 'Children in Need'. The school has very high expectations of the pupils' conduct and behaviour, but could do more to develop their independence and roles of responsibility. In this respect, the school council is underdeveloped. Attendance and punctuality are good.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall, with some outstanding features. In general the pupils make good progress because they are motivated to work hard, and learning activities are well planned and structured to meet their different needs. However, they make most rapid gains when teaching is sharply focused and stimulating. In these lessons specific learning objectives guide the pupils' work and are effectively used to assess their progress. The best questioning is skilfully used to engage the whole class, to probe and extend pupils' understanding, and to accurately gauge their progress. In other lessons, the management of whole-class discussions, although effective, lacked the clarity and engagement of the best teaching. Teachers and teaching assistants support the pupils' learning very positively because they understand well their individual needs. Around the school there are good displays of pupils' work,

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Grade: 2

such as the excellent 'Light Poems' in Class 3, which model and promote high achievement. Marking is good. The pupils are given clear guidance on what to do to improve. Older pupils know what level they should achieve. However, target setting is underused. Teachers assess and record the pupils' progress, but systems are not sufficiently rigorous to give a clear overview of the pupils' ongoing progress. In addition, target setting could guide the pupils' progress more systematically and ought to engage the pupils more actively in improving their own learning. Provision in the Foundation 3 Inspection Report: Scamblesby Church of England Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 7 March 2006 Stage is good. The pupils are very well taught and consequently make good progress. The facilities have been transformed since the last inspection so that the classroom and outdoor areas provide a stimulating place to learn. Teaching is well adapted to

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Grade: 2

meet the specific needs of individual pupils, with a good range and variety of well planned activities.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding. It is suitably broad and balanced and is adapted well for mixed age classes so that lessons build systematically on what has been covered previously. The Foundation Stage curriculum is good. The teaching of information and communication technology (ICT) has improved since the last inspection. The school offers pupils an excellent range and variety of activities to enhance the curriculum, both during and after school. This provides, as one parent said, 'a broad spectrum of opportunity as a well as fun'.

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Grade: 1

The school's care, guidance and support for pupils are outstanding. As one parent said: 'we have nothing but praise for the commitment and care shown by all the staff at the school.' The headteacher, staff and governors work together as a team to ensure that every child in their school does matter and that their individual needs are met. They are keen to provide the best possible level of care, and provide sensitive support to pupils and their parents. Child protection arrangements are properly implemented. The provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is very good.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has quickly assessed the strengths and areas for development and has drafted an appropriate plan to guide the school's improvement. Development planning is soundly based on the school's accurate self-evaluation. In addition, the school takes care to seek and act on the views of parents. Parents are overwhelmingly positive in their praise for the school and are also enormously supportive in raising funds through the active 'parents, teachers and friends association'. Governance is strong. Governors are closely involved in the school and procedures are in place to ensure that they can effectively hold the school to account. They are regular visitors and monitor the school appropriately. There has been good improvement since the last inspection. In particular, the new accommodation is excellent, and the resources for children in the Reception class have been very well

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Grade: 2

developed. The staff all work very well together as a team to ensure that the school continues to improve. 4 Inspection Report: Scamblesby Church of England Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 7 March 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: Scamblesby Church of England Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 7 March 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 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 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 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 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 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 NA 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 really enjoyed my day with you, looking at all the good work that you are doing and listening to what you told me about your school. I was very impressed in many ways: - your behaviour is excellent; - you get on well together when you are working and playing and really take care of one another; - you concentrate very well in lessons, take your turn to answer questions and take a real pride in your written work; - your lessons are good and some are really excellent; - lots of your work is of a very high standard and you obviously make good progress over time; - the excellent range of clubs and after-school activities, as well as the opportunities for music during school time, give you excellent opportunities to develop new skills and enjoy your time at Scamblesby Primary. The lack of a proper school hall is obviously a problem and some of you told me just how slow the computers

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

are. However, there are not many other things that need improving, especially now that you have such lovely new classrooms and resources for the Reception class. Nonetheless, I have suggested that your teachers might think about ways of giving you more responsibility, for example through the School Council. I have also said that teachers could use the results of your tests and assessments to set you targets, so that you might do even better! Thank you again for being so helpful and friendly.

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