All Saints CofE VC Infants School

Inspection Report All Saints CofE First School

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123754 Unique Reference Number Somerset LEA 281552 Inspection number 4 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 Inspection dates Diane Wilkinson AI Reporting inspector

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

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Fishers Mead School address First Type of school Dulverton Voluntary controlled School category Somerset TA22 9EE 3 to 9 Age range of pupils 01398 323231 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01398 323231 Fax number 105 Number on roll Mr D Belam Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr C Pope Headteacher 9 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281552 4 May 2006 - 3 to 9 4 May 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

All Saints is a small village school to which pupils travel from a wide area. Some of the five classes have more than one year group and the Nursery class is now part of a Children’s Centre. Standards on entry are generally below average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is below average, but varies considerably from class to class. Almost all pupils are White British. The school holds the Healthy Schools Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: All Saints CofE First School, 4 May 2006 to 4 May 2006

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Grade: 3

All Saints is a satisfactory and improving school, with strengths in some aspects of its work. This judgement reflects the school’s view of itself. The school cares well for its pupils and consequently they enjoy school, behave well and are increasingly making better progress in their academic development. Good guidance and support help pupils make good progress in their personal development although their social development would benefit from more opportunities to contribute to the school’s work. Children are given a good start in the Foundation Stage and the effective provision enables them to make good progress to reach the expected goals for learning. Teaching in other year groups, whilst sometimes good, misses opportunities to challenge pupils to reach higher targets and too few activities encourage the development of independent learning skills. Occasionally, some higher attainers mark time in lessons.

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Grade: 3

Nevertheless, progress is satisfactory. Results in last year’s national tests for Year 2 pupils were below average, but standards have improved and are now broadly average. Pupils in Year 4 reach the standards expected for their age. In recent years, lengthy staff absences have contributed to the school’s slow progress in bringing about improvements. However, since September, improved procedures for analysing pupils’ progress and monitoring the quality of the school’s work are helping to bring about rapid improvement. Self-evaluation is accurate and the school now has a more detailed understanding of how well it is doing and is successfully addressing weaker aspects. Standards have risen and pupils’ achievement has improved, and they continue to do so. Overall improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory and the school is securely placed to improve further. The school gives satisfactory

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What the school should do to improve further

•Make more use of target setting, particularly in lessons, to help raise pupils’ aspirations and ensure that the activities for higher attaining pupils always help them to achieve their best. •Strengthen the systems for analysing standards and checking the school’s work and make effective use of the information gained to help bring about further improvement. •Take more account of pupils’ views and give them more opportunities for responsibility and independent work.

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Grade: 3

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. Standards vary considerably from year to year, depending partly on the size of the year group and the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. On entry to the Nursery, children’s skills and experiences are generally below average, particularly in their language and social skills, with girls doing less well than boys. Children make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes and, by the time they join Year 1, most children reach the expected 2 Inspection Report: All Saints CofE First School, 4 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 goals for learning. In Years 2 and 4, standards in English and mathematics are average. There is considerable variation in the national test results for Year 2 pupils. Last year some pupils made insufficient progress, particularly in writing and mathematics, with too few reaching the higher levels. Improvements in teaching and learning and in

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Grade: 3

target setting have led to all pupils, including the higher attainers, making better progress in both writing and mathematics this year. Progress in Years 1 to 4 is satisfactory and pupils are reaching the realistic targets set with an increasing number making good progress. Pupils with learning difficulties receive effective support to enable them to make satisfactory progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good. Spiritual and moral development is good and enriched by well planned assemblies, including the ‘Well Done assembly’. Pupils relate well towards each other and are polite, helpful and cooperative. They work well together and confidently express their views when asked. However, their social development is satisfactory overall as it is constrained by limited opportunities to express their views about the school or to assume responsibilities. They say, ‘We like talking about our feelings in circle time in class but would like more ways of suggesting ideas’. The school has recognised this and it is a priority area for development. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of cultural matters. From the moment they start school children learn to work happily together, follow safe practices and feel safe. Their behaviour and attitudes to learning are good,

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Grade: 2

especially when activities are interesting. Pupils say, ‘We enjoy learning with our friends’. Encouraged by clear guidance from the school, most pupils attend regularly, but ill health, transport difficulties and the poor attendance of a very small minority of pupils mean that the attendance figures are below average. Pupils have a good understanding of how to live healthily and safely, aspects promoted strongly through the school’s aims. They contribute to the community satisfactorily through charitable fundraising and visiting old people’s homes. Pupils make satisfactory progress in the key skills required to prepare them for future education and working life.

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Grade: 3

Teaching is satisfactory overall. Better monitoring of teaching and pupils’ work has led to improvements, and is helping pupils to make better progress. Marking is good and gives pupils a clear idea of how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve. Classroom assistants support pupils well, particularly those with learning difficulties. Teachers pay good attention to the age range and ability of pupils in most lessons although they sometimes miss opportunities to move some higher attainers on further. Mathematics lessons provide effective activities to encourage pupils to 3 Inspection Report: All Saints CofE First School, 4 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 develop problem solving skills, which are helping to raise standards. However, pupils are not always given enough opportunities to work independently or to research projects on their own, for example through using a computer. Teaching and learning in the Nursery and Reception classes are good. Teachers pay

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Grade: 3

good attention to developing children’s language and social skills and encourage them to explore and find out things for themselves. Formal target-setting, although relatively new, is helping both teachers and pupils to check on progress. However, not enough use is made of setting targets in lessons to encourage pupils to do their very best.

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory curriculum and an appropriate range of activities to support pupils’ learning. The needs of pupils with learning difficulties and of potentially higher attainers are met with increasing effect. Information gained from assessment is being used more productively to raise expectations and meet pupils’ diverse needs. Provision for the development of pupils’ key skills in literacy and numeracy is satisfactory and improving. Information and communication technology (ICT) is not always used to best effect to promote pupils’ independence in learning. Provision for pupils’ health and emotional development is good. Pupils’ enjoyment and interest in learning are successfully boosted by regular use of the school’s good outdoor facilities and by educational visits and visitors to the school. A satisfactory range of well attended and much appreciated after school clubs, such as the choir and craft club, also extends

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Grade: 2

The care, guidance and support given to pupils are good. Warm relationships between staff and pupils, and with parents, ensure good day-to-day personal care. Clearly documented and shared policies, including for child protection, ensure the pupils’ health and welfare. Links with parents and other agencies are effective. The opportunities created by the new Children’s Centre are strengthening the support given to pre-school children and their parents. Parents readily praise the staff for their caring efforts. Guidance and support for pupils’ personal development are good. Strategies for measuring pupils’ progress through the use of academic targets, for example, are satisfactory and are becoming stronger but, as with other recent improvements, are still developing. They have yet to make a full impact on pupils’ academic learning. Past difficulties in appointing staff weakened the additional support given to pupils

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Grade: 2

with learning difficulties and has constrained their achievement on occasion. Improved 4 Inspection Report: All Saints CofE First School, 4 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 procedures now ensure that pupils’ needs are met effectively and pupils say, ‘We get lots of attention’.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher has created a caring ethos in which pupils do well in their personal development. Recent high staff absences have added considerably to his workload. In the past, systems for monitoring and evaluating the school’s work have been too informal. Until recently, although the school accurately judged where improvement was needed, the lack of regular and detailed information on how well it was doing meant it had been slow to address some areas, particularly in mathematics and writing. New procedures introduced last September, together with more regular and effective monitoring of teaching and pupils’ work, have led to rapid improvements. Improved measures to track how well pupils are doing have resulted in them making better progress. There is a secure capacity for further improvement. The Foundation Stage is well led and managed. Subject leaders are playing a greater

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Grade: 3

part in helping to bring about improvements although their expertise in monitoring and evaluating the school’s work is still developing. Consultation with parents is good and they view the school very positively. They give good support, especially through fund raising and extra-curricular activities. The newly constituted governing body carries out it statutory duties satisfactorily. Governors are becoming increasingly involved in checking how well the school is doing. In particular, the chair of governors provides good support in this aspect and has a clear understanding of what needs to improve. 5 Inspection Report: All Saints CofE First School, 4 May 2006 to 4 May 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: All Saints CofE First School, 4 May 2006 to 4 May 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 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 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 3 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 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 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

Dear Pupils Thank you for welcoming us to your school and being so friendly and helpful. We particularly want to thank the pupils who gave up their lunchtime to talk to Mr Baxter. You and your parents think your school looks after you well and we agree with you. What we liked most about your school •Staff take good care of you. •Your behaviour is good and you get on well with each other. •You enjoy school and this helps you to concentrate and work hard in lessons. •The youngest children get a good start in school. What we have asked your school to do now •Make sure that all the information on how the school is doing is used to make it even better. •Help you use your targets for improvement better so that you will be encouraged to do your very best. •Take more account of your views and give you more responsibility and opportunities for working by yourself. Thank you again for all your help and good luck for the future.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Yours faithfully D Wilkinson Lead Inspector

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