Dunkirk Primary and Nursery School

Inspection Report Dunkirk Primary and Nursery School

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122416 Unique Reference Number CITY OF NOTTINGHAM LEA LEA 281257 Inspection number 15 December 2005 to 16 December 2005 Inspection dates Mr. David Speakman LI Reporting inspector

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

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Marlborough Street School address Primary Type of school NG7 2LE Community School category 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 0115 915 3273 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0115 915 3274 Fax number 132 Number on roll Mrs.M Gotheridge Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. J Alford Headteacher 1 November 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281257 15 December 2005 - 4 to 11 16 December 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 sized primary school. Pupils are taught in single age classes in Years 1 and 2 and in mixed-age groups in the Foundation Stage and in Years 3 to 6. There is a wide mix of ethnic backgrounds, with 21 nationalities and 15 mother-tongue languages other than English currently represented in school. The proportion of pupils entitled to claim a free school meal is above average and there is an above average proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. A number of children are from professional families from overseas on short term contracts at the nearby university and the medical centre. Attainment on entry to the school is well below average, with many children having poor communication skills and personal, social and emotional development. The school has received a number of awards, including ECO schools silver award, Investors in People, Artsmark (silver) and the

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Description of the school

prestigious International School Award. The school has enhanced its arts provision through very effective links with the Arts Council and the Department for Education and Skills.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Dunkirk Primary and Nursery School, 15 December 2005 to 16 December 2005

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school that provides an exceptionally high quality of education. The school modestly judges itself to be good because it is always seeking to do better. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good and children achieve well from a low starting point, particularly in developing their English communication skills and in their personal, social and emotional development. Following a recent re-organisation the school has identified ways to make teaching and the curriculum even better in this part of the school. The excellent quality of teaching and the close monitoring of achievement mean that pupils make exceptional progress. The curriculum is of an exceptionally high quality especially in the way it promotes pupils' global citizenship. There are outstanding links with other schools, including some overseas, and with the community, which contribute to pupils' enjoyment and high levels of interest in learning and in

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Grade: 1

being in school. Pupils know that they are highly valued and cared for. Excellent care and support encourage pupils' outstanding behaviour in and around school, as do the extremely high quality relationships between pupils and with adults. Leadership and management at all levels are outstanding and, because of their high quality, staff skills are recognised by local, national and international organisations, to whose work this school makes a significant contribution. The governors make an outstanding contribution to the success of the school. Improvement since the previous inspection has been exceptional and the school has an excellent capacity to improve. The school provides excellent value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Continue to develop provision in the Foundation Stage in line with the action plan, including helping those who need support in acquiring early English language, and support children's confidence when initiating their own activities.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' achievement throughout the school is outstanding. When pupils start school the vast majority have poor communication and social skills or have very little knowledge of English as their main language. Attainment on entry is very low. Children progress well in the Foundation Stage and by the time they reach the end of the reception year, they have developed good personal and social skills and have acquired sufficient English, particularly in speaking, listening and understanding, to enable them to access the full curriculum. By the end of Year 2, pupils have achieved well and standards are close to the national average. There was a dip in Key Stage 1 results in 2005 because over a third of the pupils had learning difficulties and one fifth of the cohort who were working at the levels above those nationally expected left the school. Inspection evidence shows standards have recovered, particularly in speaking and

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Grade: 1

listening and in reading. By the end of Year 6 standards that are well in line with those nationally expected and in speaking and listening and reading are very good. 2 Inspection Report: Dunkirk Primary and Nursery School, 15 December 2005 to 16 December 2005 Considering that a high proportion of pupils have English as an additional language or have learning difficulties and disabilities, the fact that half of the pupils achieved the higher level in English in 2005 shows exceptional progress. Achievement in mathematics and science is also very good from a low starting point. Information and communication technology, and art work seen during the inspection was of a good quality and better than that nationally expected for pupils of this age. The quality of work in drama was good.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development is outstanding. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school because activities are vibrant and exciting. They work very hard and are extremely well behaved, friendly and polite. They develop very warm relationships with each other and with adults. Pupils value each others' opinions highly and always show the utmost respect for different ideas. They develop exceptionally high levels of self-esteem as demonstrated in the confident way they all take part in imaginative drama activities and present their thoughts about bullying in whole school assemblies. Opportunities to work in teams in lessons, and their experiences outside of school, prepare pupils very well for the world of work and their role as members of the school, the local, and the global community. Pupils feel very safe in school and are confident that there is always someone who will help them if they need it. As a result of the school's efforts

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Grade: 1

to promote the benefits of healthy eating and involvement in sport, pupils show a lot of knowledge about adopting a healthy lifestyle. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. They take part in an extensive range of creative activities, extending their understanding of their own and others' cultures and the spiritual aspects of their lives. Attendance is in line with national averages.

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Grade: 1

The quality of teaching and learning is excellent. All teaching seen was at least good and a third was outstanding. The style of teaching in this school enables pupils to become very effective learners. A significant number of pupils whose behaviour needs careful management receive support in a very caring and sensitive way. This makes them feel valued and respected so that they willingly engage in the learning process. Teaching assistants provide valued and sensitive support for teachers in this and a wide range of other ways, which helps to promote effective learning so that all pupils make excellent all round progress. Teachers are very aware of the diverse learning and personal development needs of each individual and all pupils are fully included in all learning activities. There is a strong emphasis on developing English communication skills and pupils with English as an additional language are soon able to access the full

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Grade: 1

curriculum. Gifted and talented pupils and those with learning difficulties and disabilities receive the necessary attention to enable them to do well. Assessment is used extremely 3 Inspection Report: Dunkirk Primary and Nursery School, 15 December 2005 to 16 December 2005 well to make sure that the achievement of all pupils is tracked at an individual level, that learning needs are identified and met at an early stage and that all are achieving exceptionally well.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding. It is imaginative, challenging and highly relevant to pupils' interests and learning needs. There are very strong links between subjects which help to extend literacy and numeracy skills in a highly imaginative way through a range of topics, including global citizenship projects. The school works very hard to ensure the curriculum is successfully enriched by an outstanding range of visits, visitors and links with other schools, including some overseas. There are outstanding international links including one with a school in Pakistan. Extremely well planned activities extend pupils' self-confidence and develop their understanding of the world around them and further afield. Excellent use is made of professional expertise to add interest and develop skills particularly in the creative arts. Provision for extra curricular activities is very good. Provision for personal, social, health and citizenship education,

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Grade: 1

including the school's participation in the Healthy Schools' Programme, is excellent and fully supports pupils' personal development.

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Grade: 1

The care and support provided for pupils is outstanding. The school values very highly pupils' achievements and places a high level of importance on their safety and well-being. They are encouraged to care for one another so the school is a very harmonious place. Pupils feel secure and are totally confident that if they have a problem there is an adult they can talk to. Warm relationships based on respect and trust exist between pupils, and with staff. Pupils are very well supported academically because of the robust and effective procedures to check how well they are doing. Challenging targets are set for pupils to help them improve their work. The school works very closely with parents and outside agencies to ensure those who require additional support receive the help they need. The school council plays an effective role in the work of the school. Pupils are listened to and able to secure improvements

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Grade: 1

in what the school provides and to the learning environment.

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Grade: 1

All aspects of leadership and management of the school are outstanding. The headteacher has an extremely clear vision and sense of purpose that is shared with all staff. The very effective influence of key members of staff stems from a strong commitment to provide the very best and to enable each individual to make excellent progress. Teamwork is vital to the success of this school. The headteacher works in very close partnership with the highly competent deputy headteacher who provides 4 Inspection Report: Dunkirk Primary and Nursery School, 15 December 2005 to 16 December 2005 an excellent role model for staff and pupils. The work of the highly experienced, well qualified leadership team has an exceptional impact on standards and school improvement. The leadership skills of a wide range of staff are outstanding and are recognised by local, national and international educational bodies. Staff make a

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Grade: 1

significant contribution to the work of those organisations. Rigorous self-evaluation establishes priorities for improving standards and provision. The school consults widely, including parents and pupils, and responds to their views. Staff have responded very well to issues raised at the time of the previous inspection and to others raised since. The school was judged to be a good school, with many very good features then and there has been a good improvement since. This shows a very good capacity to improve even further. Governors' work is of an exceptionally high quality and they share the senior leaders' ambitions to take the school even further. Through their links with individual teachers, governors have an excellent knowledge and understanding of the school's priorities at any particular time. They are challenging, yet supportive and they are highly effective in holding the school to account.

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Grade: 1

5 Inspection Report: Dunkirk Primary and Nursery School, 15 December 2005 to 16 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: Dunkirk Primary and Nursery School, 15 December 2005 to 16 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 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 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 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 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 3 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 1 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

We were delighted to meet you when we came to inspect your school. Thank you very much for talking to us, making us feel so welcome and helping us to find out about you and how good your school is. We are very pleased to say that you have an excellent school. The head teacher, teachers and all other adults working in Dunkirk Primary do their very best to help to give you an excellent start to your education. They look after you extremely well and we noticed that in turn, you also look after each other. Your teachers know you very well and help all of you to make exceptional progress. The staff also go to great lengths to make sure that you get excellent opportunities to learn about how people in other countries live, and to grow up fit and healthy. You had really good things to say about your school, teachers and friends and it is obvious that you enjoy being there. We thought your behaviour was excellent. We are asking

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

your teachers to continue to develop what they provide for younger children in the nursery and reception.

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