Stonesfield Primary School

123022 Unique Reference Number Oxfordshire LEA LEA 281385 Inspection number 8 June 2006 to 9 June 2006 Inspection dates Jeffrey White AI Reporting inspector

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

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High Street School address Primary Type of school Stonesfield Community School category Witney OX29 8PU 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01993 891687 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01993 891074 Fax number 137 Number on roll Mr Russell Shearer Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Edward Read Headteacher 15 November 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281385 8 June 2006 - 4 to 11 9 June 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Pupils are drawn from a fairly affluent area with some pockets of socio-economic disadvantage. Almost all pupils are of white British background. Eligibility for free school meals is well below average. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is also well below average. There has been considerable turnover of teachers in the last two years. Attainment on entry to the Reception class is broadly average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Stonesfield School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 2006

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Grade: 2

The inspection's findings support the school's view that it is a good school which provides good value for money. The Foundation Stage provides an excellent start to the children's education, especially in fostering their personal, social and emotional development. Pupils' personal development is excellent throughout the rest of the school and ensures that they have the right attitudes to learning and to their relationships with others. Behaviour is extremely good. Pupils' overall achievement is good across the school and outstanding by the time they reach Year 6. Standards are good overall and very good in the Year 5 and Year 6 class. A good curriculum supports pupils' learning and is very well enriched by extra-curricular activities. The quality of teaching is good and ensures that pupils make good progress towards reaching their targets for learning. The teaching is outstanding in the Foundation Stage and in the Year 5 and Year 6 class. Pupils are well cared for by teachers and

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Grade: 2

support staff. Pupils of all abilities are generally given good guidance to improve their work but expectations of how they present it are not always high enough. The school is well led by the headteacher, especially in promoting pupils' personal development. The recent high turnover of staff and the repercussions of a recent arson attack have been well managed so that disruption to pupils' learning has been minimal. Induction of new teachers is effective and they feel well supported. Governors are supportive of the school and monitor its progress regularly. There is scope for them to improve their evaluations of the school's work so that their identification of the areas requiring improvement is more focused. The school has made good progress since its last inspection and has good capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• have higher expectations of pupils' presentation of work • sharpen the governors' role in identifying the areas for improvement.

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Grade: 2

Children achieve well in the Foundation Stage because of the excellent teaching. They respond exceptionally well to the outstanding teaching of personal, social and emotional development. The children are on course to exceed many of the early learning goals. The good achievement is sustained throughout the school and accelerates in the Year 5 and Year 6 class because of outstanding teaching. By and large, pupils' targets for learning are challenging. Overall standards in English, mathematics and science are average at the end of Key Stage 1 but this group of pupils have progressed well from lower starting points than usual. Standards by the end of Key Stage 2 are high. Speaking 2 Inspection Report: Stonesfield School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 2006 and listening skills are very well developed and enable pupils to talk well about their work and interests. In an excellent lesson, pupils in Year 5 used their oral skills very

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Grade: 2

well to explain their work in rotational symmetry. Pupils do not always take sufficient care in the presentation of their work. However, the quality of the content of the oldest pupils' writing is often extremely good, for example, when writing narrative or comparing poems. The needs of high attaining pupils are met well and consequently they are achieving their potential. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities also achieve well.

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Grade: 1

Pupils respond very well to the provision for their personal development and for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Their behaviour is excellent and they talk confidently about how they respect others and develop good friends. They thoroughly enjoy their work and have extremely positive attitudes. They especially enjoy working with others. They feel they are well challenged by what they do, for example, in mathematics in Year 5 and Year 6. Pupils know about healthy eating and healthy lifestyles and particularly enjoy the wide range of sporting activities. They are very keen to come to school and attendance is very good. The school council enables pupils to take on a wide range of responsibilities and air their views, which they do very effectively. For instance, they decided on what the new playground equipment should be. Pupils are well prepared for their future economic well-being by their good

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Grade: 1

grasp of basic skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT). They are very actively involved in the local community.

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Grade: 2

The outstanding teaching in the Foundation Stage ensures that activities are strongly focused on children's learning, not only when key skills are taught directly, but also when children choose activities. The high expectations engage the children's interests and make sure that they work productively. High expectations are also a feature of the outstanding teaching in the Year 5 and Year 6 class. In all classes throughout the school, lessons are planned well and work is matched carefully to the range of abilities, making good use of assessment information. Discipline is calm and measured and consequently pupils behave exceptionally well. Very good attention is given to pupils' personal development and staff make sure that pupils work in a safe environment. Teaching assistants are well deployed and pupils value their help. Pupils work well independently and often co-operate with each other very effectively. In the best of

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Grade: 2

the teaching, the pace of learning is very brisk, personal development is excellent and pupils achieve very well, including the most able and those with learning difficulties. 3 Inspection Report: Stonesfield School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 2006

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is stimulating and creative and captures pupils' interests. It meets national requirements. Work is well matched to pupils' needs and consequently enables basic skills to be developed well. The good emphasis on creativity begins in the reception class where children work in a wide range of media. A recent art week and exhibition enabled pupils to display their good skills in art and design. Good links are made between subjects, especially history and literacy. Computers are not yet fully in use after the recent fire in the school. However, there is every sign that ICT is used well across the curriculum. Enrichment of the curriculum is a significant strength because of the wide range of extra-curricular activities including the use of visits and visitors to the school. Pupils also contribute to the local community, which enhances their self-confidence and economic skills. For example, pupils in Year 6 organise and

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Grade: 2

manage a stand in the local village fete.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are underpinned by the priority given to treating pupils as individuals, and staff know the pupils' needs well. The foundations for this level of care are securely laid in the Reception class where children learn to be confident and self-reliant. Parents, in general, feel that their children are well cared for and pupils themselves say they are well looked after. Pupils' learning targets are shared with parents and, in addition to homework, help them to make good progress. Child protection procedures are established and ensure that staff monitor any pupils who may at times be particularly vulnerable. Health and safety issues are addressed well. Pupils talked enthusiastically about a sports week held at the school, which included healthy eating, exercise and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Assessment of pupils' academic progress is regular and thorough and findings are used well to ensure pupils

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Grade: 2

of all abilities make good progress. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities are supported well.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher's strong leadership of personal development ensures that the climate for learning is very good. The direction of the school is clear and has resulted in considerable improvement over the last few years. Issues arising from the last inspection have been successfully addressed and there is good capacity to go further. Monitoring of pupils' performance is thorough and action is taken to improve standards and achievement, for example, in literacy. Equal opportunities are fostered well and action is taken to narrow any gaps in gender performance, for example, in the recent focus on improving boys' writing. The induction of new staff is managed effectively and the headteacher is supported well by his senior management team. Staff teamwork is 4 Inspection Report: Stonesfield School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 2006 improving. Most parents are happy with the school and feel it is well led. Links with

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Grade: 2

partnership schools and the pre-school are strong. Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities and control finances efficiently to achieve good value for money. The school is well resourced. Governors are keen for the school to do well. They monitor the progress of the school development plan regularly. They also positively support the school when they visit, including observing lessons and sometimes talking to co-ordinators. However, their visits don't always have a specific focus and their findings are not documented. Consequently they are not as well equipped as they might be to identify the school's strengths and, most importantly, the areas requiring improvement. 5 Inspection Report: Stonesfield School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 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. 6 Inspection Report: Stonesfield School, 8 June 2006 to 9 June 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 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 1 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 1 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 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 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 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

Children Thank you for the help you gave me when I visited your school. Your school is a good school. You work hard, make good progress and behave extremely well. You told me how much you like your school and the adults who help you. I was very pleased to hear that you like giving your opinions and that what you say makes a difference, for example, when choosing playground equipment. The quality of your work is usually good but some of you could take more care in how you present it. You headteacher leads the school well and is supported by the school's governors who are proud of your work and attitudes. The school has improved well in recent years and I have asked your governors to evaluate the work of the school more closely so that they can help the school to improve even more. With best wishes Jeffrey White Lead Inspector

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