Northrepps Primary School

Inspection Report Northrepps Primary School

p.1

120836 Unique Reference Number NORFOLK LEA LEA 280901 Inspection number 3 July 2006 to 3 July 2006 Inspection dates Ms. Cheryl Thompson AI Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Church Street School address Primary Type of school NR27 0LG Community School category 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01263 579396 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01263 576631 Fax number 42 Number on roll Miss.Sarah Hopkins Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. Susan Travis Headteacher 30 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280901 3 July 2006 - 4 to 11 3 July 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

Northrepps is much smaller than most schools and serves the local village and beyond. Numbers in year groups are very small. Almost all pupils are White British with a very small number of pupils who have English as an additional language. A high number of pupils join and leave at different times of the school year. Attainment on entry varies greatly from year to year but is generally around average. An average proportion of pupils has learning difficulties and disabilities.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Northrepps Primary School, 3 July 2006 to 3 July 2006

p.3

Grade: 3

Northrepps Primary provides a satisfactory education with some good features although the school views itself as good. Parents and pupils now hold the school in high esteem. It provides satisfactory value for money. Since the previous inspection in 2000, the school has been through a long period of instability. Its standing in the community declined as did the number on roll. Since her appointment in 2002, the headteacher has put the school back on its feet. It is now at the heart of the community, numbers have doubled and standards have risen from exceptionally low levels. Standards and the provision for Reception children are satisfactory. Achievement and progress are satisfactory overall although more able pupils, especially in Year 2 are not making enough progress. Standards fluctuate depending on the group of pupils taking the tests. With such small numbers of pupils taking national tests, statistical data are

p.4

Grade: 3

unreliable. Low expectations of what pupils can achieve lead to standards of handwriting, presentation and spelling of commonly used words that are not good enough. The school provides excellent pastoral care for all its pupils and their personal development is good. Older pupils are reliable and responsible young people. Pupils are keen to learn from a good curriculum which includes strong links with a French school and the local community. Teaching and learning are satisfactory with a strength in the excellent relationships between teachers and their pupils. However, teachers' planning is not good enough to make sure that more able pupils are stretched. Pupils' work is not marked well enough to help them know what they need to do to improve. Leadership and management are satisfactory with strengths in good governance. Currently, the headteacher does not have a clear enough picture of what needs to be

p.4

Grade: 3

done to improve teaching, learning and pupils' progress to a good standard because they are not monitored often enough and with sufficient rigour. There has been satisfactory improvement in the issues raised by the last inspection which demonstrates a satisfactory capacity to improve further.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

- Raise achievement and standards, especially for more able pupils by making better use of the tracking system to set challenging targets and checking rigorously and regularly that pupils are meeting them. - Improve the quality of teaching to a consistently good level by regular and rigorous monitoring. - Improve standards of handwriting, presentation and spelling. - Improve the quality of teachers' marking so that pupils are clear about what they have to do to improve their work.

p.4

Grade: 3

Standards attained by Year 6 have risen steadily since 2002 so that by 2005, standards in national tests were around average. This year, however, within the small group of pupils taking the test there is a high proportion with a degree of learning difficulties, consequently, standards were much lower. There is a similar picture of rising standards 2 Inspection Report: Northrepps Primary School, 3 July 2006 to 3 July 2006 at Year 2 although in 2005 and 2006 they have dropped back again to below average. With so many pupils leaving and joining the school, it is difficult for the school to set targets for groups of pupils to attain. However, the reasonably challenging targets set for pupils who have been at the school for more than two years are met. Standards in handwriting, presentation and spelling of commonly used words are not high enough because teachers do not have high enough expectations of pupils. The great majority

p.4

Grade: 3

of pupils make steady progress from their starting points. However, more able pupils, especially those in Year 2, do not make enough progress to attain as well as they should. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make satisfactory progress. Pupils with English as an additional language also make steady progress.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well being are good overall and by the time pupils leave the school, are very good. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The twinning with the French school has had a very good impact on pupils' personal development. Attendance is satisfactory. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning are good overall. However in Reception and Years 1 to 4, they are only satisfactory. By Years 5 and 6 pupils are responsible and reliable young people who have good attitudes to their work. They take on responsibilities very efficiently around the school, such as, running the healthy tuck shop and being playground monitors. The school council has a positive effect on school life, for example, other pupils are well aware that they can talk to a member if they are worried. They also draw attention to children less fortunate than themselves by

p.5

Grade: 2

organising fund raising events. In the local community, pupils entertain elderly residents in the village hall. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and about the benefits of healthy eating through the school's good programme of personal, social and health education. Pupils make steady progress with developing basic literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills which prepares them adequately for their future economic well-being.

p.5

Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Great strengths are that class teachers know their pupils very well and relationships are excellent. Pupils say they like their teachers. Teachers' planning is not precise enough to make sure more able pupils get on as well as possible. This is most obvious in the younger class where more able Year 2 pupils are not making enough progress. Teaching assistants play an important role in working alongside groups but the school has correctly identified that they need more guidance to make sure that the pupils they work with achieve as well as possible. Teachers do not always mark pupils' work well enough for them to be able to know how to improve. They are not expecting enough of their pupils in terms of handwriting, correct spelling 3 Inspection Report: Northrepps Primary School, 3 July 2006 to 3 July 2006 and punctuation. Consequently pupils' work does not always reflect their abilities.

p.5

Grade: 3

Individual education plans for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are generally adequate but they are not checked regularly enough to make sure pupils are making enough progress or if strategies need to be changed.

p.6

Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and includes French. It is made interesting and relevant through a very good range of visits and visitors such as the Britten Symphonia and the exceptional commitment to developing links with a French school. The school is beginning to make suitable links between subjects but at times planning lacks precision. For a small school, there is a good range of clubs which many pupils join. The curriculum promotes pupils' personal development very well. Older pupils take part in residential visits, the last one being to Belgium which included a visit, together with the French schoolchildren, to the European Parliament building in Brussels.

p.6

Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. The pastoral care for pupils is excellent. In this small school all pupils are known very well and valued as individuals by staff. Parents of pupils new to the school remark on how quickly they are happy and settled in school. Close links with the on-site pre-school ensure a happy transition to Reception. Pupils say there is no bullying in school and they feel safe. They are confident that if they have any problems or difficulties they will be dealt with quickly. The school has good procedures in place for ensuring pupils' safety and welfare. Police checks are carried out on all the adults who work with the children, whether as staff or volunteers. There are satisfactory systems for keeping track of children's progress. However, the information gained from the tracking system is not yet being used efficiently enough to help teachers plan suitable work and set challenging targets for pupils to attain.

p.6

Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher has worked very successfully to regain respect for the school. Standards have risen since her appointment. The views of all members of the school community are taken into consideration and acted upon. There is a very strong team spirit and commitment to pupils' success. Whilst this commitment is evident in their good personal development, it is less successful in securing good academic achievement. The school is not rigorous enough in evaluating whether it can help children to do even better and how it might do so. The headteacher has a reasonable understanding of the school's strengths and where it needs to improve. However, there is an assumption that teaching, learning and pupils' achievement are good when, in fact, they are satisfactory. Currently, the headteacher does not have a clear enough picture of what needs to be done to improve

p.6

Grade: 3

4 Inspection Report: Northrepps Primary School, 3 July 2006 to 3 July 2006 teaching and learning to a good standard because they are not checked often enough and with sufficient rigour. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. Pupils now cover the full ICT curriculum. Governance has improved considerably and is now good. Governors are very supportive of the school and are very involved in its work. They visit lessons and check whether resources, such as computers, are being used efficiently. In their committees, they make profitable use of their own skills such as in ICT and have co-opted associate members with specific expertise, for example, to help with the production of the school brochure. The capacity for further improvement is satisfactory. 5 Inspection Report: Northrepps Primary School, 3 July 2006 to 3 July 2006 .

p.6

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Northrepps Primary School, 3 July 2006 to 3 July 2006

p.8

Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

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 3 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

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 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 3 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

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.

p.9

and supporting all learners?

NA 3 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for making me so welcome to your school. I really enjoyed my day with you and hearing about the things you like doing. You told me how much you enjoyed meeting up with your French friends and visiting Brussels. I was impressed with how responsible school councillors are and how they help around the school. You told me that there is no bullying in the school and that if you were worried about anything, you know that an adult will deal with it quickly. You also told me that you like school and your teachers. I noticed how all the adults in school know you very well and take very good care of you. Your headteacher is making sure you get a satisfactory education. I have asked her to do a few things to make it even better and there are some things you can help with, too. I have asked her to check on your progress and lessons to make sure that you get on as well as possible. I have also asked her to make sure that teachers

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

mark your work carefully and tell you what you need to do to improve it so that you can make even better progress. When I looked through some of your books I thought that your handwriting and presentation of your work do not really show how clever you are. Please could you try hard to make your work neater? I hope you continue to enjoy school and that all your planned fund raising activities to support 'your' child in the Mozambique school are successful.

p.11