Stogursey Church of England Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 10 May 2006

Inspection Report Stogursey Church of England Primary School

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123839 Unique Reference Number Somerset LEA 281574 Inspection number 10 May 2006 to 10 May 2006 Inspection dates Ian Hancock AI Reporting inspector

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

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Tower Hill School address Primary Type of school Bridgwater Voluntary aided School category Somerset TA5 1PR 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01278 732389 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01278 732378 Fax number 68 Number on roll Mr P Farmery Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs J Bonus Headteacher 22 January 2001 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281574 10 May 2006 - 4 to 11 10 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 a team of two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

In this small village school almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds with a small number of Traveller pupils. The school has high mobility, some deprivation and a high proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. The school has attained the Basic Skills Quality Mark, the Healthy Schools Award and renewed the Investors in People award recently.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Stogursey Church of England Primary School, 10 May 2006 to 10 May 2006

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Grade: 2

Stogursey CE VA Primary School is a good school because the headteacher, staff and governors are dedicated to continuous school improvement. The support that the headteacher has received from all the staff has been exemplary. Governors are committed to the school. They are hardworking, although they need to develop further their knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The school’s thorough and detailed self-evaluation is accurate. It is well placed to build on its many successes and move forward. It provides good value for money. Improvement since the previous inspection is good. Underpinning the school’s work is a strong commitment to pupils achieving high standards and enjoying their education. Children in Reception, where the provision is good, settle well and make a positive start to their education. As pupils move through the school they continue to make good progress. By the age

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Grade: 2

of 11, many reach standards that are above the national average. Standards in speaking, listening and writing are key areas identified by the school for improvement. Good teaching and a well planned curriculum ensures pupils behave very well, work hard and want to do their best. Teachers help them grow in confidence but there are few opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities and make decisions in the running of the school. Pupils value being involved in their learning and know their own targets for improvement. The school is a central part of the community it serves and is highly valued by parents. The school has created a caring environment where everyone feels valued.

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What the school should do to improve further

•continue to raise standards in speaking and listening and writing by increasing opportunities for pupils to use their skills in subjects across the curriculum •provide more opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities and make decisions in the running of the school •develop further the governors’ knowledge of their roles and responsibilities.

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage. Many start school with below average skills, particularly in language, and many lack confidence. Emphasis is placed successfully on promoting a love and enjoyment for school with a focus on developing children’s independence. As a result, children achieve well and are happy, settled and eager to learn. However, only a minority achieve all the goals they are expected to reach by Year 1. Pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2, where they achieve well in relation to their capabilities. Standards at the end of Year 2 are broadly average. They are higher in mathematics than in writing due to pupils’ poor speaking and listening skills. Pupils continue to make good progress as they move through the school where high emphasis is placed on developing basic skills. Work to further improve pupils’ skills in writing is beginning to have a positive impact. As a result, all groups

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Grade: 2

2 Inspection Report: Stogursey Church of England Primary School, 10 May 2006 to 10 May 2006 and abilities of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and higher attaining pupils, achieve well. Traveller pupils settle quickly and are well integrated into school. They make good progress. Last year, standards were above national average in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6. For the current Year 6 pupils, standards are broadly average as there is a high proportion of pupils with learning difficulties in this group. Teachers set challenging targets and pupils work hard to meet them.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are very good and have been successfully maintained since the last inspection. Pupils show evident enjoyment in their learning and most take part with enthusiasm. Classrooms are characterised by good teamwork and cooperative learning, for instance, in guided reading lessons. Pupils show respect for each other and for all adults in the school. Attendance is satisfactory. For the vast majority of pupils, attendance is good, but there is a small minority of persistent poor attenders. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has improved since the last inspection and is now good. Pupils show respect for the beliefs and value of others as a result of a well planned programme of visits and visitors to the school. Special days devoted to a study by all classes of a particular theme, for instance, Jewish Day and Caribbean Day, contribute well to pupils’ knowledge and understanding of different

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Grade: 2

cultures, faiths and religions. These good features are the result of clear guidance for pupils on behaviour, an effective system of rewards and the generally good quality of the activities related to the promotion of pupils’ personal development. A recently formed school council is helping pupils to be more responsible for and to make decisions about the daily life of the school. However, the range of such opportunities is limited. Incidents of bullying or unkind behaviour are rare. Pupils have a good understanding of right from wrong. They enjoy having visitors in the school and talk happily to them. Pupils make a positive contribution to the village community by participating in the Harvest Festival, May Fair, Church fete and Fun Day. They are involved with many activities, including sports fixtures with local schools, which all have a positive impact on their social development. Pupils are encouraged to eat a healthy diet and they report that they have many

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Grade: 2

opportunities to play games and sports. Each day starts with an energetic “shake and wake” session to increase pupils’ fitness levels and their attention spans.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good throughout the school because teachers have high expectations and plan their lessons well to challenge and include all pupils. Teachers benefit from the opportunity to plan work together and share ideas. Lessons are often 3 Inspection Report: Stogursey Church of England Primary School, 10 May 2006 to 10 May 2006 lively and contexts are well chosen to interest and motivate the pupils. One parent commented ‘Our son always comes home with something to tell us about what he’s learnt, be it in a formal teaching session or from the resources in the library or classroom.’ Teachers use assessment information and data well. For example, teaching has improved in mathematics where more emphasis has been placed on developing pupils’ mental arithmetic skills and providing more opportunities for them to use and apply their knowledge to problem solving activities. Classroom assistants and the large

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Grade: 2

number of volunteers make a valuable contribution to pupils’ progress. Pupils are given clear learning targets. The teachers’ marking helps pupils improve, as well as giving encouragement.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It is broad and balanced. Effective adjustments have been made in recent years to the way the curriculum is planned. As a result, pupils benefit from regular “focus days” when the whole school works on a particular aspect of the curriculum, such as thinking skills and team building. A strong emphasis on providing creative activities to extend pupils’ skills in speaking, listening and writing is proving successful. Pupils report that they very much enjoy these and speak highly of art, design and technology and sporting activities, in particular. Pupils’ learning is extended well by a wide range of extra-curricular activities and residential experiences. Pupils of differing capabilities tackle tasks that are well matched to their needs and this helps them to make good progress. Gifted and talented pupils, for example, benefit from a specific enrichment programme. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties

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Grade: 2

includes effective support in lessons from classroom assistants. The curriculum for Reception children is good. Children have access to a well equipped outdoor play area and delightful garden area. There are strengths in the provision for children’s personal, social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy, resulting in good progress in these areas of learning.

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Grade: 2

These areas are a major strength of the school. Pupils report that they enjoy school, like their teachers and feel safe. Care is evident in the effective routines and practices to ensure pupils’ health and safety, for instance, procedures to ensure the safe movement of pupils around the site. Links with parents are good and have improved since the previous inspection. As a result, most children from the village now attend the school. Where there are concerns about pupils’ attendance, the school works closely with parents to try to bring about improvements. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities receive good levels of care. Non-teaching staff play a significant part in providing a safe and caring environment, by, for instance, supervising during lunch in the hall and at playtimes. 4 Inspection Report: Stogursey Church of England Primary School, 10 May 2006 to 10 May 2006 Procedures for assessing pupils’ academic progress are good. Teachers gather an

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Grade: 2

extensive range of information about individual pupils’ attainment such as “I can do” booklets. They generally use information well to provide challenging and interesting activities for all pupils in daily lessons. Pupils are aware of what they need to do to improve and are given effective opportunities to evaluate their own work. Teachers know their pupils well but procedures for collating information about pupils’ personal development are largely informal. Child protection procedures are good and have improved since the last inspection.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school is good. The work of the school is driven by the very good leadership of the headteacher. She has every child’s interest at heart and high expectations that they will achieve their best. She continually explores ways to improve the quality of education and receives tremendous support from the dedicated, highly skilled staff. The newly restructured leadership programme has proven to be successful and popular in helping subject leaders plan work together more effectively, besides building a strong team spirit. The effective partnership established with local schools reflects the school’s desire to share expertise and learn from others for the benefit of pupils and staff. The quality of the school’s self-evaluation is good. It knows what it is doing well and is justifiably proud of its achievements. It continually seeks new ways to improve further, such as new writing

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Grade: 2

initiatives, and evaluates and monitors the quality of its effectiveness and its development. Parents’ views are often sought and carefully considered and the majority are very happy with the school. However, there are currently limited opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities. Governors are supportive and often give their time freely to the school. Many governors are relatively new and inexperienced but have already received useful training from the diocese and local authority. However, their roles and responsibilities need to be developed further to help them to play a full part in the running of the school. The school is well placed to build on its considerable and sustained successes. 5 Inspection Report: Stogursey Church of England Primary School, 10 May 2006 to 10 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: Stogursey Church of England Primary School, 10 May 2006 to 10 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 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 3 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 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 2 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 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

Dear Pupils Thank you very much for welcoming us to your school. We really enjoyed our time with you and looking at your work. We were impressed with how polite and friendly you all were. You are right to be proud of your school, as it is a good school. Your school does a number of things really well. We think the most important are the following: •Your behaviour and your attitudes to work are very good. •You work hard and make good progress in your work. •Your teachers plan interesting lessons to help you succeed. •All adults take good care of you to make sure you are safe. •Your headteacher is working hard to make your school even better. There are a few things we think your school could improve; they are already working on these: •To help you improve even more in speaking and listening and writing by making sure you use these skills in all subjects. •We think that you should have opportunities to take on more

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

responsibilities and make decisions in the running of the school. •We are encouraging the governors to continue training so that they know and understand how the school works. Yours sincerely Ian Hancock Lead Inspector

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