Great Doddington PrimaryOfsted inspection, 10 Oct 2005

Inspection Report Great Doddington Primary

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121821 Unique Reference Number Northamptonshire LEA 281109 Inspection number 10 October 2005 to 10 October 2005 Inspection dates Graeme Bassett RISP Reporting inspector

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

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Church Lane School address Primary Type of school Great Doddington Community School category Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN29 7TR 4 to 11 Age range of pupils

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01933 225 814 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01933 225 814 Fax number 132 Number on roll Mr N Peasnell Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Jan Nesbitt Headteacher 29 November 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281109 10 October 2005 - 4 to 11 10 October 2005 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average size school (138 on roll) and serves mainly the village of Great Doddington, Northamptonshire. Most children are White British and none speaks English as an additional language. The economic status of the local area is broadly average and there are more pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities than expected. Major changes of staff over recent years have caused disruption to the pupils’ learning. Recently, the school gained a Bronze award as a Healthy School.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Great Doddington Primary, 10 October 2005 to 10 October 2005

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Grade: 3

The overall effectiveness of the school is satisfactory and it is improving. Parents and pupils agree that it is a happy and supportive school. The quality of provision for the Foundation Stage is good. The school’s self-evaluation is good and reliable. The quality of education has improved over recent years, with the school having good capacity for further improvement. It gives satisfactory value for money. Standards vary from year to year but, by the end of Year 6, all pupils make satisfactory progress. Currently, standards are broadly average by the end of Year 2 but, because of previous disruption to their learning, many pupils in Year 6 are not yet reaching the expected standards. The pupils’ personal development and well-being are good, with behaviour and attendance being good. Their moral, social and cultural development are good and spiritual development satisfactory. Pupils are cared for well and those with learning difficulties are given effective support.

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Grade: 3

Teaching is satisfactory and improving. It is good in the Foundation Stage and especially good in Year 6 where learning accelerates and pupils’ progress is improving. Even though effective strategies to improve teaching and learning of reading and writing are having a strong impact, standards are still not high enough. The curriculum is satisfactory and the development of cross-curricular work especially through use of information and communication technology (ICT) is progressing satisfactorily. The leadership, management and governance of the school are good. The headteacher gives a clear direction to the work of the school, providing stability to school development. The delegation of subject responsibilities to the teachers is progressing well and the headteacher is aware that improvements are required in their management skills.

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What the school should do to improve further

•Raise standards, especially in reading and writing •Improve the coordinators’ management skills so that they can monitor their subjects more effectively •Improve the use of ICT to enhance teaching and to provide more cross-curricular threads to the pupils’ learning.

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Grade: 3

The children settle quickly to the routines in the Reception class and make satisfactory progress from a broadly average attainment on entry to the school. By the end of the year, they attain standards that are in line with those expected. This satisfactory progress continues in Years 1 and 2. Standards in Year 2 have risen steadily since 2002 and are now in line with the national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. Standards at the end of Year 6 fluctuate from year to year but are average, over time. For example, standards in 2004 were average and in 2005 were above average. These 2 Inspection Report: Great Doddington Primary, 10 October 2005 to 10 October 2005 pupils had made satisfactory progress in English, mathematics and science. Currently, standards in Year 6 are below average but the pupils’ learning is already accelerating and their progress is improving. In all classes, pupils reach the individual targets set for them. Improvements in English

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Grade: 3

are most noticeable because of the school’s emphasis on writing but standards are still not high enough. Pupils with learning difficulties make good progress because of the good individual support they receive.

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Grade: 2

The pupils’ personal development and well-being are good. In the Foundation Stage, this aspect is catered for well. Pupils feel safe and adopt safe routines. Attendance rates are above average and pupils enjoy coming to school. Pupils’ moral, social and cultural education is effective and their spiritual development satisfactory. Their behaviour is now good. Pupils show enthusiasm for the many out of school activities. Older pupils support each other well with the organisation of ‘Huff and Puff’ playground activities which develops their awareness of responsibility effectively and improves their healthy lifestyle. Pupils are proud of their school and they say there are a lot of good things and little that needs improving. The views of pupils are taken seriously and acted upon well. Through the actions of the school council, all pupils are currently well involved in making an effective contribution to the school community. They are developing

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Grade: 2

satisfactory skills that contribute to their economic well-being.

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Grade: 3

Teaching is satisfactory with especially good teaching in Year 6 and in the Foundation Stage. Most lessons are interesting with good use of interactive whiteboards sustaining pupils’ interest. Teachers’ marking is good and pupils respond well to comments that show them what they need to do to improve. In the Foundation Stage, the teacher creates a stimulating classroom and quickly identifies children who need support. Teaching in Year 6 is particularly good and expectations are high, helping pupils to improve upon their prior standards of below average. Teaching in the middle years of the school is satisfactory and is improving. Where teaching is satisfactory, ICT is not used sufficiently well to enhance teaching and learning. The assessment records are thorough, providing clear indicators of each pupil’s achievements and are used well in planning. The school is now developing ways to allow the pupils to judge what they understand and can do.

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Grade: 3

3 Inspection Report: Great Doddington Primary, 10 October 2005 to 10 October 2005

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory with some good features. This is especially so in the programme of out-of-school activities and in the curriculum provided in the Foundation Stage. The school has made good improvements to the curriculum for ICT since the previous inspection, and provision is now satisfactory. The school has planned well to develop this further by using computers to improve links between subjects. Pupils’ basic skills are developed satisfactorily because of improved planning. This can be seen in the rising performance in English and the improving achievement in ICT. The school has good plans to improve this further, especially in writing. The school ensures that all pupils have full access to the curriculum. This is evident in its good provision for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, which is enabling these pupils to progress as well as the others.

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Grade: 2

Parents and pupils say that the school provides good care, guidance and support and the inspection evidence supports this. The lunchtime supervisors, like the other adults in school, go out of their way to get to know the pupils’ needs and to be able to respond effectively. The results of assessments are used carefully to track pupils’ progress and to identify the next steps in their learning. Pupils are also well informed about healthy lifestyles and the risks of smoking and drug misuse. Child protection matters are dealt with conscientiously. Pupils are expected to look after each other. This is a prime focus of the successful school council. Older and younger pupils play and work together harmoniously. The gardening club and classroom recycling schemes are examples of the

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher has a clear vision for future developments and is supported well by the staff and governing body. She is the driving force behind the developments made over the past four years. When the headteacher was appointed, staffing problems were causing disruption to pupils’ learning. She has appointed new staff and the previous staffing problems have been resolved. Pupils who were previously affected by these disruptions receive additional help, especially during English and mathematics lessons. The school recognises the significant contribution that is made by the teaching assistants, especially for those pupils with learning difficulties. Effective strategies have brought about improvements to teaching and planning is now good. Consequently, pupils’ achievement has improved, especially in writing. 4 Inspection Report: Great Doddington Primary, 10 October 2005 to 10 October 2005

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management in the Foundation Stage and also for the provision for pupils with learning difficulties are good. The school knows its strengths and weaknesses well and this information is used effectively. As a result, the school is well placed to improve further. Consultations with parents and pupils are good and their views are also considered well when setting priorities. The headteacher has sensitively delegated coordination of subjects and she is very aware that teachers need support to develop good management skills. The governance of the school is good and the governors are knowledgeable about its strengths and weaknesses. They are fully involved in setting priorities and work alongside the headteacher and staff to monitor the effectiveness of the school. The governors meet all statutory requirements. 5 Inspection Report: Great Doddington Primary, 10 October 2005 to 10 October 2005

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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: Great Doddington Primary, 10 October 2005 to 10 October 2005

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

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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

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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 3 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

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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 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

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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 us to your school. The inspectors enjoyed their time with you, looking at your work and visiting lessons. We enjoyed chatting with many of you during lunch time. Thank you for telling us all about your school. What we liked most about Great Doddington Primary School: Your headteacher leads the school well. Your behaviour is good and we like the way you all get on with each other. Your teachers plan interesting activities and this helps you to improve your work. Your attendance is good and you show that you enjoy coming to school. You all try hard to do your best and especially to reach the targets set for you. What we have asked your headteacher and staff to do: Help you to improve your work, especially in reading and writing. Improve your teachers’ skills to lead subjects well. Make more use of ICT to link subjects together and improve your understanding. We hope that you try hard to improve your reading and writing and that you enjoy using ICT

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