Chirbury CofE VC Primary School & Busy Bees Nursery

Inspection Report Chirbury CofE VC Primary School

p.1

123467 Unique Reference Number Shropshire LEA 281483 Inspection number 18 January 2006 to 18 January 2006 Inspection dates David Driscoll AI Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Chirbury School address Primary Type of school Montgomery Voluntary controlled School category Powys SY15 6BN 5 to 11 Age range of pupils 01938 561647 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01938 561647 Fax number 90 Number on roll Mrs Heather Kidd Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Tim Roberts Headteacher 6 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281483 18 January 2006 - 5 to 11 18 January 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 two Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

Chirbury is a small rural primary school serving an area that has similar social characteristics to the rest of the country, with the exception of having very few pupils from a minority ethnic background. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is above the national average.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Chirbury CofE VC Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 18 January 2006

p.3

Grade: 2

The school provides a good education, where attention to the individual pupils’ needs ensures they make good progress in a safe and secure environment. Pupils behave well and are particularly polite, especially when working with other children. Their social and moral development are very good, but they are not learning enough about other cultures. Children do well in the Reception class. Attainment on entry is usually well below average, but children are taught to work and play together so their communication and personal skills quickly improve. Children make good progress because they are taught well and are given lots of interesting activities. Pupils then go on to make good progress in most other years, although progress is slower in Years 3 and 4, because they do not get the good advice and guidance seen in other years. The school’s view of its performance is accurate and agrees with that of the inspectors.

p.4

Grade: 2

The accuracy in judging performance is mainly due to the outstanding way that data is used to ensure all involved have a clear picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The managers have clearly shown they can take the school even further forward, by the way in which they have improved performance in the past and are already working on the areas for improvement listed below. The school provides good value for money.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

•Raise the already satisfactory progress of pupils in Years 3 and 4 to the good level seen in other years by providing clearer guidance to pupils on what they need to do in lessons •Develop pupils’ understanding of other cultures, so they are better prepared to be part of a multi-cultural community.

p.4

Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress at the school and leave with standards that are average. More than one pupil in four has a learning difficulty. Good levels of support ensure these pupils make progress that is equally as good as others. Children join the Reception class with standards that are well below average, particularly the boys. By the time they have finished their first year at school, pupils have made good progress but their standards remain below average, particularly in mathematics. Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 1 and 2, so they start Year 3 with average standards, including in mathematics. By this time, the boys have caught up with the girls. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 3 and 4, before progress improves again in Years 5 and 6. Standards of English show significant improvement in Year 5 and the same is true of mathematics in Year 6. The school’s results show that progress was

p.4

Grade: 2

2 Inspection Report: Chirbury CofE VC Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 18 January 2006 closer to satisfactory than good for Year 6 in 2005, because results in writing and mathematics were not quite as good as the school were expecting. With this exception, pupils met the challenging targets set for them and progress is now considerably better in writing and mathematics.

p.4

Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development is good. Pupils have good attitudes, respect each other’s differences well and enjoy being at school. Their social and moral development is very good and they work exceptionally well together in class. Comments such as ‘I don’t think that is right, try this way of doing it’ are not only common, but also very well received. They also behave well and are keen to tell visitors how much they enjoy being with pupils from other classes. Pupils play a full role in the local community and take on responsibility in school. Older pupils organise activities that all pupils can participate in, showing a good awareness of making sure that all involved are safe. Pupils are respectful towards each other, whatever their background or particular needs, and relationships are good. Pupils say that if bullying happens it is dealt with quickly and effectively. Attendance is good and remains above the national average.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils develop a good understanding of how to live a healthy life and develop good ideas about work through, for example, setting up and running a healthy eating tuck shop which they are expected to manage independently. They also show the importance of linking these two aspects, saying, for example, ‘if more people were healthy, it would not cost so much to make them better’. Pupils’ spiritual development is good but their cultural development is only satisfactory because they are not learning enough about the different cultures represented in Britain today. Pupils’ good progress in their basic skills, and their improved self-confidence, are equipping them well for their futures.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy their lessons because the teaching is good. The wide range of ages and abilities in each class means that teachers have to plan and structure their work well, in order that each pupil can be given work that is demanding, without being too hard. Pupils’ comments such as ‘I can do this, but sometimes I need some help’ show that the teachers are successful. The clear plans also mean that teaching assistants can provide good support for pupils with learning difficulties, while at the same time helping any other pupil who may just be struggling with a particular task. Pupils do not make quite as much progress in Years 3 and 4 as they do in other years. The difference is because the quality of guidance is not as good, so sometimes pupils are left unsure of what they need to do. They are very good at helping one another, but sometimes the pupil who is doing the helping has also misunderstood the task.

p.5

Grade: 2

3 Inspection Report: Chirbury CofE VC Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 18 January 2006 The school has moved to a system of more precise targets for pupils, and this is already working well in some classes, by ensuring that pupils know what they need to do to improve. However, in other cases, pupils stop when they are unsure of what to do and wait for the teacher to spot them, which results in time wasted for the pupil.

p.5

Grade: 2

The curriculum meets pupils’ needs and develops their basic skills well. The emphasis on literacy, numeracy and ICT is good, especially in the lower years of the school. The work is carefully matched to the very varied needs of children in mixed age classes and teachers keep a careful note of what each individual has done to ensure that there is no unnecessary repetition. There are good opportunities for pupils to learn a foreign language, which helps them to understand another culture, but not enough about cultures represented in Britain. Several clubs run by sports coaches contribute to developing a healthy lifestyle. Those that attended the extra Year 6 booster mathematics classes last year saw their standards improve considerably. The school has a very good range of residential activities, including outdoor education, and there are visits for all age groups that are well attended and are greatly appreciated

p.6

Grade: 2

The school provides good care, guidance and support for pupils. This is highly appreciated by parents. There is good guidance for pupils as the teachers know them extremely well and this also helps teachers to plan accurately to meet their needs in class. Teachers have a very good system of tracking pupils’ performance so they give pupils good guidance on how to improve in class. All groups of pupils therefore make good progress, including those with learning difficulties, although guidance is not as quite as good in Years 3 and 4. Pupils in this class are not as clear about how they could improve their work. Child protection and health and safety procedures are robust and well documented. Any pupils who are at risk are identified and supported well. Pupils are well aware of the potential risks of, for example, accessing the internet and are very aware of school policies on this. The school works successfully with outside agencies to help its pupils

p.6

Grade: 2

The school has been able to maintain its good standard of education because it is well led and managed. One of the most important aspects of the management is the way in which all managers are able to gain a clear view of what is happening in the school 4 Inspection Report: Chirbury CofE VC Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 18 January 2006 through the outstanding analysis of data. All teachers are aware of the progress that pupils make in their classes because the data is very clearly presented. The analysis shows clearly where pupils’ progress could be improved and gives good pointers as to how to do it. This quality of self-evaluation means the school is well placed to make further improvements. Checking that improvements are actually taking place in lessons is less consistent. In some cases, it is detailed and provides a very clear picture of strengths and areas for improvement, but in other cases the recording is not good enough to provide a teacher

p.6

Grade: 2

with clear points for improvement. Recent innovations, such as questionnaires for parents and pupils and voting on a school uniform, ensure that the school knows what they are thinking and can act on what they would like to see changed. 5 Inspection Report: Chirbury CofE VC Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 18 January 2006 .

p.7

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

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Chirbury CofE VC Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 18 January 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 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

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.9

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

p.9

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 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

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 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 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

As you know, we visited your school recently to check on how well it was doing. Thank you very much for saying hello to us, and a special thank-you to those who gave up some of their lunchtime to tell us about their life at school. We think you are very polite to grown-ups and well behaved. What we thought was really good was the way you help each other when you are working together. You told us how much you liked being at school, and we can see why. The teachers and other grown-ups make sure you learn more than we usually see. They are also good at keeping you safe and teaching you the right ways to behave with others. They are good at these things because they know you very well and so can help you in just the right way. The people who run the school make sure that it does all the things it should well, but they want the school to be even better. We have made some suggestions to help them do this. We

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

have asked the headteacher to make sure that you learn more in Years 3 and 4, and to teach you more about the way people live in other parts of Britain. Thank you again for helping us with our work.

p.11