New Cangle Community Primary School

Inspection Report New Cangle Community Primary School

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124537 Unique Reference Number SUFFOLK LEA LEA 281744 Inspection number 7 March 2006 to 8 March 2006 Inspection dates Mr. Andrew Matthews LI Reporting inspector

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

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Chapple Drive School address Primary Type of school CB9 0DU Community School category 4 to 9 Age range of pupils 01440 702143 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01440 708554 Fax number 197 Number on roll Mr.Brent Bottomley Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. Lyn Beale Headteacher 1 March 2004 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281744 7 March 2006 - 4 to 9 8 March 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

This is an average sized first school which serves an area of Haverhill with a mix of private and rented housing. The majority of pupils are White British and no pupils have English as an additional language. A below average number of pupils are eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is above average. The school has achieved Investors in People status.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: New Cangle Community Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 2006

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Grade: 2

New Cangle Primary has made significant improvements since its last inspection and is now an effective school that provides good value for money and uses its resources well. The school's accurate view of how good it is matches the inspectors' judgements. The school knows its strengths and weaknesses extremely well and plans future developments that continue to improve its provision. Pupils achieve well both academically and personally, particularly in Reception where they make an excellent start to their learning. By the end of Year 2 standards are above average. Pupils in Year 4 have also made good progress but their standards are average overall because of a much higher than average proportion of pupils with learning difficulties. Teaching is now good because staff have a clear idea about how to build effectively on the pupils' previous learning. However, more able pupils are not always consistently

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Grade: 2

challenged and some could do better. Assessment is good and used very effectively to track pupils' progress towards their end of year targets. Pupils are cared for in an environment where they feel very safe and confident. They identify many positive features about school, and parents are highly supportive. Whilst the curriculum is well planned, there are too few opportunities for problem solving and investigative work. The school is part of a local cluster of schools where effective practice is shared to maximise pupils' learning. The leadership and management of the school are good because of the high quality strategic direction given by the headteacher, senior staff and governors. Teachers have benefited greatly from regular monitoring of their work but not enough opportunities exist for them to observe each other so that the best teaching practice is shared. The school is in a strong position to continue the

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Grade: 2

improvements made since the last inspection.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Ensure, more able pupils are consistently challenged and more attain higher standards. - Further improve the quality of teaching by creating regular time for teachers to observe each other in the classroom. - Provide more opportunities for pupils to develop their problem solving and investigative skills.

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Grade: 2

Although most pupils enter the school with average attainment, an increasing proportion have weaknesses in their language skills. Children make very good progress in Reception because of the outstanding provision. The teachers assess children's individual abilities very carefully and the work planned builds most effectively on their level of understanding. Children experience a very good balance of exciting opportunities to learn through play and more formal teaching. By the end of reception, the great proportion of children achieve the expected standards with a growing number exceeding expectations, particularly in mathematical development. Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 1 and 2 and, by the end of Year 2, achieve standards that 2 Inspection Report: New Cangle Community Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 2006 are above average. Standards have also risen in Year 4 since the last inspection because

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Grade: 2

pupils make consistently good progress from Year 2. In reading, writing, mathematics and science, attainment is now average and progress good. Girls recently have performed better than boys, but the school has put in place effective measures to reduce the difference. The great majority of pupils achieve well because there is an expectation in every lesson that pupils will listen, behave well and work hard. More able pupils are not consistently challenged in all lessons and some could do better. Pupils with learning difficulties receive well focused support which enables them to be fully included in lessons and make good progress towards their targets.

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Grade: 2

The pupils' personal development and well-being are good. They approach their education with great enthusiasm. They behave well and show good attitudes to their work. They come to school on time and their attendance is above the national average. Pupils have many opportunities to contribute to life in the community. They raise money for charities and present concerts for parents and friends. The school council makes a valuable contribution to school life. The representatives regularly consult classmates, manage their own budget and organise meetings using agendas and minutes. The pupils understand the need to stay safe and the value of adopting a healthy lifestyle, supported by the provision of fresh fruit at break time, and the healthy options for mid-day meals. The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is now good. The daily assemblies are happy gatherings with a strong spiritual element and a respectful atmosphere. The pupils have a keen sense of justice

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Grade: 2

and realise how to boost others' self-esteem. The school has promoted social and moral values well through a system that recognises the pupils' friendly and supportive behaviour towards each other. Cultural understanding is developed effectively through a good range of activities, including visits by dancers and story tellers. The school rightly recognises that more needs to be done to teach the pupils about the variety of cultures that are part of modern Britain.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good overall. It is never less than satisfactory and some of it is outstanding. Lessons are well structured and mostly planned around clear objectives for learning and criteria for success that are shared effectively. The range of activities is good, and sometimes the provision challenges the pupils' different capabilities, but this is not always the case for the more able. The best lessons encourage pupils to think independently. However, the school is rightly seeking ways to improve the quality of the pupils' problem solving and investigative skills. In most classes the efficient use of time means that learning continues at a brisk pace. Knowledgeable teaching assistants are employed very effectively and their involvement with the pupils is well 3 Inspection Report: New Cangle Community Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 2006 planned. Assessment is generally used well. Marking is up to date, conscientious and

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Grade: 2

generally helpful in pointing out the next steps for improvement. Teachers make good use of the information gathered from tests to devise the next targets for learning. As a result, progress is good and pupils take pride in their achievements. Teachers build well on the pupil's individual suggestions. They seize opportunities to reinforce what pupils already know, to underpin new learning. Teachers make good use of interactive resources to enliven whole-class learning and to gauge the pupils' responses to see when to move on briskly.

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Grade: 2

The school provides its pupils with a programme for learning that is broad, balanced and gives suitable emphasis to different subjects and the development of skills. The school keeps the curriculum under constant review and makes appropriate modifications in the light of the pupils' needs. The curriculum is particularly effective in the Foundation Stage. Satisfactory use is made of information and communication technology by the pupils. The school rightly views this as an area for continual development and is proposing to improve the availability of computers in each classroom. Very good attention is paid to developing basic skills in literacy and numeracy throughout the school. The programme for extending pupils' personal, social and health education helps them to find out how to stay safe and healthy, and is preparing them well for their future lives. The curriculum is enhanced by the teaching of French to the older pupils and is supported by a small number of activities during

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Grade: 2

and after school hours. However, a wider programme of additional events is being considered. Additionally, a good number of trips to places of interest are organised and the Year 4 children particularly look forward to their residential visit to Burwell for a varied range of activities.

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Grade: 1

The school's care, guidance and support for its pupils are outstanding. Pupils are cared for sensitively in a very welcoming and friendly environment. Procedures for protecting and caring for those who are vulnerable are clear, thorough and most effective. All members of staff have a good awareness of child protection and health and safety procedures. They know the families very well and the pupils in turn can confidently name an adult to whom they can turn to for help. The parents are very happy with the high quality care and guidance given to their children. Most feel that the school consults them and acts upon their views. Regular opportunities are provided for them to meet the staff and to receive newsletters and progress reports. The support for those children who have specific learning or language needs is good. The parents of these pupils are kept well notified of their children's progress, enabling them to give

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Grade: 1

relevant support at home. The rewards structure is a very strong feature of the school. It encourages support across the age groups and provides real incentives for good behaviour, effort and success. The few sanctions that the school uses were developed 4 Inspection Report: New Cangle Community Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 2006 following discussion with the pupils themselves. The extremely good monitoring of the pupils' academic progress enables teachers to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses and set pertinent targets for individual pupils. These are recorded on pupils' individual target cards, regularly referred to by both teachers and pupils, and have a positive impact on pupils' progress.

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Grade: 2

The school's leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides very astute leadership which is clearly focused on raising standards and promoting the personal development and well-being of all the pupils. She and her deputy form a very strong team and have worked very effectively with the local authority to address the key weaknesses of the last inspection and improve standards. The senior management team has very good skills and regularly monitors pupils' work and the quality of teaching and learning. However, there are too few opportunities for teachers to observe each other so that the very best practice is shared more widely. The school's strong commitment to staff development is recognised in the Investors in People award. The school has outstanding self-evaluation procedures which take into account views of staff, governors, parents and pupils. The school knows itself extremely well and

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Grade: 2

priorities in its present improvement plan are very relevant to its current needs. These are correctly focused on raising standards further, making learning more fun and ensuring all pupils achieve as well as they can. Resources are carefully managed and the financial carry-forward into this year is earmarked to ensure the school's good provision is maintained during a fall in pupil numbers. Governance is now good and governors provide a well-informed, critical challenge to the school as well as giving knowledgeable support in areas such as finance and personnel. Their work has made a significant contribution to recent developments and the school's ability to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: New Cangle Community Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 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: New Cangle Community Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 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 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 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 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

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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 2 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 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

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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

Thank you for being so welcoming and helpful when we came to inspect your school. We really enjoyed talking with you and watching you working with your teachers. It was good to speak with your teachers about how well you work at school. We also enjoyed your singing in assembly. We think that your school does many things well, but there are a few things it needs to do better. What we liked most about your school - You really enjoy school and most of you do well. - Your behaviour is good and you get on well with each other and your teachers. - Your headteacher is doing a good job. She knows how to make the school better for you. - Your teachers look after you really well. - Those of you who find work difficult are getting the right sort of help and you use it well. What I have asked your school to do now - Make sure those of you who find work easy get hard work to do. - Give you more chance to do maths problems

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and science investigations. - Let other teachers see you working in your classrooms.

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