Greens Norton Church of England Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 7 Dec 2005

Inspection Report Greens Norton Church of England Primary School

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121974 Unique Reference Number Northamptonshire LEA 281143 Inspection number 6 December 2005 to 7 December 2005 Inspection dates Lois Furness RISP Reporting inspector

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

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Calvert Road School address Primary Type of school Greens Norton Voluntary controlled School category Towcester, Northamptonshire NN12 8DD 4 to 11 Age range of pupils

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01327 350648 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01327 350648 Fax number 167 Number on roll Mr Richard Jones Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Jan Pickering Headteacher 7 February 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281143 6 December 2005 - 4 to 11 7 December 2005 Inspection Report: Greens Norton Church of England Primary School, 6 December 2005 to 7 December 2005

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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 small primary school situated in the village of Greens Norton. The majority of pupils live in the village or in nearby villages. Most pupils are of White British heritage and there are no pupils who are at an early stage of learning English. The number of pupils having learning difficulties is similar to the national average. Few pupils are entitled to free school meals. Attainment on entry to the Reception class is above average and most children attend some form of pre-school or nursery before starting school.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Greens Norton Church of England Primary School, 6 December 2005 to 7 December 2005

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education for its pupils. The school judges itself as better than this but it has some work to do before it can demonstrate that it is good. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall but there is some variation in how well they do in different subjects. By the end of Year 2, standards are above average in reading and writing but only broadly average in mathematics. By the end of Year 6 standards are high in English and mathematics and above average in science. However in English, while pupils do exceptionally well in reading, they do not achieve as well as they should in writing. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Throughout the school, teachers’ expectations of what pupils are able to do are insufficiently high. Pupils who are more able are not always sufficiently challenged by their work. Provision for children in the Reception class is good. Children make good progress in all areas

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Grade: 3

of learning because of good teaching. Pupils really like school and their attendance is good. A good range of enrichment activities enhances the curriculum. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher has a good understanding of what needs improving but the action taken to secure improvements is not always followed through to check that it is making a difference. Governance is good. Governors provide the leadership of the school with good support and challenge. The school has shown its capacity for further improvement by rectifying the weaknesses identified in the previous inspection and accurately identifying areas where it could be doing better. It provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

•Raise standards in mathematics in Years 1 and 2 and standards in writing in Years 3 to 6. •Raise teachers’ expectations of what pupils are able to do and ensure that more able pupils are given activities that challenge their thinking. •Ensure that the action taken to bring about improvement is followed through and check rigorously the impact that it is making.

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Grade: 3

Children make good progress in the Reception class and reach standards above those expected for their age by the time they enter Year 1. They do particularly well in their personal, social and emotional development and receive a good grounding in basic literacy and numeracy skills. In Years 1 to 6, pupils make sound progress overall but they do better in some subjects than in others. In Years 1 and 2, pupils achieve as well as they should in reading and writing and reach above average standards at the end of Year 2. In mathematics, standards are broadly average, but, given the good base of skills that children have at the end of the Reception Year, they should be achieving more. Their skills in calculation are not stretched as far as they should be. In Years 3 to 6, pupils do much better in mathematics, science and reading than they do in writing. Lack of opportunities to write for a range of purposes affects pupils’ achievement and

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Grade: 3

2 Inspection Report: Greens Norton Church of England Primary School, 6 December 2005 to 7 December 2005 they do not achieve the standards that they should. This is particularly evident for the more able pupils. Reading and mathematics are strengths. However, in writing, too few pupils attain the higher level. The difference in reading and writing performance has been evident for a number of years. Targets for pupils’ performance in national tests at the end of Year 6 were exceeded, apart from those set for the more able pupils in writing. Achievement is satisfactory, but throughout the school more able pupils do not always receive work that sufficiently challenges their thinking. The school is aware of the weaknesses in mathematics, writing and provision for the more able pupils. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make satisfactory progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good. Most pupils learn to take responsibility for their actions and to appreciate the feelings, values and beliefs of others. They know right from wrong and understand the need for class rules. Older pupils have specific responsibilities and act as ‘buddies’ to new pupils to help them settle into school life. The school council members are enthusiastic about the opportunities they have to make changes, for example, improving playtime facilities. Attendance is good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are keen to take part in all that it offers. Their behaviour is satisfactory. A few pupils misbehave both in class and in the playground but this is being successfully rectified by the school. Pupils show a good understanding of the need for a healthy lifestyle including the importance of physical exercise. They know what to do if faced with potential dangers,

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Grade: 2

such as strangers or drugs. Good links are made with the local community and pupils regularly raise funds for charities, such as ‘Children in Need’. Their good literacy and numeracy skills prepare them well for life in the future.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory and have some good features. In the Reception class, teaching is good and children make good progress in all areas of learning. Teaching is better in Years 3 to 6 than in Years 1 and 2. In the best lessons, teachers make clear what is to be learned and pupils are provided with criteria to evaluate the success of their learning. However, this is not consistent practice. Planning is thorough. However, activities do not always suit the needs of all pupils, particularly the most able, who then do not always progress as well as they could. Teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils are able to do. This is evident in Years 3 to 6 in writing activities. Pupils have too few opportunities to write independently in subjects across the curriculum. Teachers’ subject knowledge is satisfactory in mathematics. However, there are weaknesses in the teaching of written methods of

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Grade: 3

calculation and developing pupils’ understanding of three dimensional shape. In most classes teachers ask questions that encourage pupils to think and explain their answers. 3 Inspection Report: Greens Norton Church of England Primary School, 6 December 2005 to 7 December 2005 However, responses often come from individual pupils. Insufficient use is made of strategies to involve the whole class, such as getting all pupils to write their answers on whiteboards. This results in loss of concentration and some restless behaviour. Pupils’ work is regularly marked. Marking is positive but it does not consistently identify why work is good and how it might be improved. Those pupils who have learning difficulties or disabilities are usually supported well and make satisfactory progress.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is broad, balanced and meets all statutory requirements. The curriculum for the children in the Reception class has improved since the last inspection, and provision for all six areas of learning is good. There is well structured planning for teaching English and mathematics. However, work is not always adapted to the needs of all pupils, particularly the more able. This limits their progress. Individual education plans for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities have clear and relevant targets. Curriculum enrichment is good. Pupils say that visits, visitors and theme weeks or days improve their understanding of subjects such as art and design, history and physical education. A recent good initiative is the introduction of French lessons for Years 3 to 6. Pupils enjoy the challenges of learning to play instruments. Many pupils attend clubs or out of school activities.

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Grade: 3

Pastoral care and support is effective and is underpinned by the good trusting relationships within the school community. This is a significant factor in promoting pupils’ good attitudes to their work. Reception age children have good opportunities to visit before they start school. Home visits help the teacher to know the children well. Arrangements for child protection are securely implemented. Health and safety issues are dealt with satisfactorily. The importance of a healthy lifestyle and the need for regular exercise are well promoted. Pupils feel safe and are confident that if an incident with another child occurs, they can tell a member of staff and it will be dealt with effectively. Procedures to promote good behaviour are becoming more consistently applied by all staff. Systems for tracking pupils’ progress and setting targets are satisfactory. Pupils have learning targets for English and mathematics to help them progress. However, planned

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Grade: 3

activities are not always matched sufficiently to the targets. Good systems are in place to offer support and guidance for vulnerable pupils and those with learning difficulties or disabilities.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher provides a clear steer to the school and has a good understanding of its strengths and areas for further 4 Inspection Report: Greens Norton Church of England Primary School, 6 December 2005 to 7 December 2005 development. The governing body provides good support and challenge. Governors know the school well and know that some pupils could achieve more in some areas. The school takes good account of the views of governors, staff and parents in planning for improvements. The school improvement plan is clearly focused on improving provision. Although the headteacher has worked with staff to devise strategies to improve teaching and learning, not all teachers are using these strategies consistently. For example, although there is an expectation that the aims of each lesson should be shared with pupils, not all teachers do this. As a result pupils are not clear about what

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Grade: 3

they should be learning. Because checks made on the agreed strategies are not sufficiently rigorous these sorts of inconsistencies have not been identified. Assessment information is not used as well as it should be to ensure that all pupils make the progress of which they are capable. The school benefits from the good links with parents and external agencies who provide good support for the school’s work. The improvement made since the last inspection and the actions taken so far to raise achievement indicate that the school is getting better and has the capacity to continue to do so. 5 Inspection Report: Greens Norton Church of England Primary School, 6 December 2005 to 7 December 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: Greens Norton Church of England Primary School, 6 December 2005 to 7 December 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 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

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 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 3 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 3 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 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

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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

Greens Norton Church of England Primary School Calvert Road Greens Norton Towcester Northamptonshire NN12 8DD 8 December 2005 Dear Children Thank you for the friendly and helpful way you helped with the school inspection. We enjoyed meeting and talking to some of you. What we liked most about your school •By the time you leave school at the end of Year 6 most of you are very good at reading and mathematics. •The staff in the Reception class make a special effort to make sure you settle quickly into school and feel safe and happy. •You told us you enjoy coming to school and you have plenty of opportunities to visit interesting places which helps your learning. •You know the importance of following school rules to make the school safe for everybody. •You know about which foods are healthy and why you should take regular exercise. What we have asked the school to do to make it even better •To use the information which teachers have about what you know already to plan work that

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

makes you think hard. •To help some of the younger pupils to become better at mathematics and to help older pupils to become better at writing. •We have also asked your headteacher to check carefully that ideas to make learning better are carried out in all classrooms. Thank you again for being so helpful. Yours sincerely, Mrs L Furness (lead inspector)

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