Bawdsey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection Report Bawdsey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

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124719 Unique Reference Number SUFFOLK LEA LEA 281788 Inspection number 13 June 2006 to 14 June 2006 Inspection dates Ms. Cheryl Thompson AI Reporting inspector

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

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School Lane School address Primary Type of school IP12 3AP Voluntary controlled School category 5 to 11 Age range of pupils 01394 411365 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01394 411365 Fax number 72 Number on roll Mr.Paul Bradford Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr. Stephen Green Headteacher 17 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281788 13 June 2006 - 5 to 11 14 June 2006 Inspection Report: Bawdsey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13 June 2006 to 14 June 2006

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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

Bawdsey Primary is much smaller than most schools. Year groups are small and almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds. The school serves local villages with about half of the school population coming from further away. Attainment on entry is around that typical for the age group but can vary considerably from year to year. An average proportion of pupils have learning difficulties.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Bawdsey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13 June 2006 to 14 June 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. The inspector agrees with the school's view that it provides a good education. Academic and pastoral support is good. Children achieve well as they move through the school, making good progress both academically and in their personal development. Children behave well and are kind and considerate to one another. They enjoy school and by the time they leave Year 6, usually attain above average standards, especially in English. In some years, standards have been exceptionally high. Standards attained by Year 2 are generally around the average for the age group and the younger children in Key Stage 1 make satisfactory progress. Parents and children value the school and all it has to offer. It provides good value for money. Teaching is generally good but better for Years 5 and 6 where it is often outstanding. Teaching and support for children with learning difficulties are good but a few children do not have the right

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Grade: 2

work to help them make optimum progress. The curriculum is good with an effective start made on linking subjects, such as history and literacy, to make lessons relevant. However, there are not enough opportunities for children to learn about cultures other than their own. In Reception, standards are around those typical for the age group and children make satisfactory progress. The curriculum and teaching for the mixed Reception and Year 1 class are satisfactory but lack clear structure to make sure that all children, consistently, make good progress. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has a clear understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement. There are suitable systems for checking on the school's work but checks on teaching are not yet sharp enough to unpick what needs to be done to improve satisfactory teaching to good. Governors are very supportive of the school and fulfil

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Grade: 2

their roles satisfactorily. Improvement since the last inspection is good and standards have improved considerably which demonstrates a good capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Raise standards further especially for Key Stage 1 children, through monitoring teaching and learning more effectively. - Improve the provision for children to learn about cultures other than their own. - Improve the provision for children with learning difficulties making sure they always have suitable work to help them make the best progress.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good overall. In Reception, Years 1 and 2, achievement is satisfactory and for older children it is good. The majority of pupils with learning difficulties make good progress but a few do not have the right type of work to help them make the best progress. The small numbers of children taking national tests in Year 6 make statistics unreliable but the school has been successful in sustaining standards that are usually above average, especially in English. Indeed, in some years, standards have been exceptionally high. Older children enjoy reading and attain particularly good 2 Inspection Report: Bawdsey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13 June 2006 to 14 June 2006 standards because teachers expect them to read a good deal and parents are expected to help at home. Children's enjoyment and skill in reading are reflected in their writing, especially in their high quality poetry. Standards in information and communication

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Grade: 2

technology (ICT) are above average and children make good use of their ICT skills in other subjects. Over time, standards in Year 2 have been broadly average and usually have been better in mathematics than in reading and writing. The current Year 2 are being taught with Year 3 for English and mathematics. This arrangement has been successful as standards in reading are well above average and the highest for the past six years. Standards in writing and mathematics have improved on last year and are broadly average. Given their starting point at the end of Reception, this group of children have made sound progress. The school knows all its pupils very well and sets challenging targets for their attainment in tests at Year 6. These targets are met.

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being are good. Behaviour is satisfactory in Reception and Year 1, and improves as children move through the school with excellent behaviour noted in Years 5 and 6. Children's attendance is good and they enjoy school. Pupils respond seriously to taking responsibility, for example, by being a school council member or a buddy for a younger child. Children's attitudes towards learning develop very well as they move through the school. By Years 5 and 6, in response to very good teaching, children are very positive about their work. Basic literacy, numeracy and ICT skills are taught thoroughly and contribute well to their future economic well-being. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall but there are weaknesses in their knowledge and understanding of cultures other than their own. Children develop a good understanding of how to be healthy and safe through

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Grade: 2

an effective programme of personal, social and health education as well as through cycling proficiency courses. There are good links with the close local community and with the National Trust at Sutton Hoo.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Children's learning is underpinned by the good relationships that exist in all classes. Pupils have confidence in their teachers and know that they will listen to them and respect their ideas. Teaching and learning in Reception and Year 1 are satisfactory but there is not always enough planning and organisation to make sure children can learn at a good rate. Teaching for older children is good with outstanding teaching noted in Year 5 and 6. Teachers have a very clear idea of what their children know and need to learn next. Consequently, children learn at a good rate and take great pride in their achievements. Teachers mark children's work thoroughly and make helpful comments to help them improve. 3 Inspection Report: Bawdsey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13 June 2006 to 14 June 2006

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and enriched with a reasonable range of clubs, visits and visitors to the school. It is suitably broad and balanced and includes French. It provides good opportunities for children to learn literacy, numeracy and ICT skills. The curriculum also provides good opportunities for children's personal development; for example, Years 5 and 6 have a residential visit to an outdoor activities centre. Older children have the opportunity to practise French on their week-long trip to Normandy. Due to the school's proximity to the sea, it places great emphasis on making sure that all children can swim. The curriculum for pupils in the Reception class is satisfactory but does not have a clear structure.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. The school has good procedures in place for ensuring pupils' safety and welfare. In this small school all children are known and valued as individuals. Parents say how happy their children are in school. Children say there is no bullying in school and they feel safe. They are confident that if they have any problems or difficulties they will be dealt with quickly. Similarly, they know their suggestions for improvements will be listened to, for example, they influenced the provision of games and equipment for playtime and 'houses'. There are good systems in place to check on children's academic progress and these are used well especially for setting challenging targets in the older classes. However, strategies identified in the individual education plans of a few pupils who have learning difficulties do not always use specialist advice effectively.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The head and deputy lead by example with very good teaching. There is strong team spirit and a commitment from all staff to provide a school where each child is valued and enabled to achieve. A particular feature is the very effective deployment of a most experienced teaching assistant to support teaching so that there are small, single age groups for specific lessons. Parents' and pupils' views are regularly sought and acted upon, for example teaching Year 2 with Year 3 and improving school dinners. School improvement planning is satisfactory and based on a very clear picture of standards and achievement but there are not enough measurable targets for the school to easily judge its success. Teaching and learning are checked on but not with sufficient rigour to identify what needs to be done to improve satisfactory teaching to good. Governors are very supportive of the school

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Grade: 2

and fulfil their roles satisfactorily. However, they need to develop their understanding of the standards achieved in the school so that they can act as a 'critical friend' and encourage the school to do even better. The quality and use of school self-evaluation are good. Areas noted for improvement in the last inspection have been dealt with 4 Inspection Report: Bawdsey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13 June 2006 to 14 June 2006 well. Standards have risen overall, especially in mathematics, demonstrating a good capacity to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Bawdsey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13 June 2006 to 14 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: Bawdsey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13 June 2006 to 14 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 NA 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 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

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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

Thank you for welcoming me to your school and being so friendly and helpful. I enjoyed sharing lunchtimes with you and talking to you about what you like doing in school. I was very impressed with how children in Years 5 and 6 behaved in lessons. I also thought your poetry was of high quality. You told me that you enjoyed your lessons and that your teachers and everyone else in the school look after you and listen to you if anything is worrying you. I noticed that all the adults know each of you and look after you very well. Your headteacher is making sure that you get a good education. I have asked him to do a few things to make it even better. I have asked him to make sure that the older children continue to make good progress and to help the younger ones make better progress. Also, there are some children that need a little extra help and I have asked that he checks that they are getting the right sort of work to help them

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

get on as well as possible. Some of you will remember that I asked you questions about different religions and cultures and I was a bit disappointed with your answers. So, I have asked your headteacher to make sure you have chance to learn more about these. I hope you continue to enjoy school. To Year 6 - 'Good Luck' in your new schools. All good wishes

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