Corton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Inspection Report Corton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

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124727 Unique Reference Number SUFFOLK LEA LEA 281791 Inspection number 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005 Inspection dates Mrs. Jackie Cousins LI Reporting inspector

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

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The Street School address Primary Type of school NR32 5HW Voluntary controlled School category 4 to 9 Age range of pupils 01502730596 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01502 730010 Fax number 66 Number on roll Dr.Steve Taylor Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. Victoria Cunnane Headteacher 3 July 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281791 17 October 2005 - 4 to 9 18 October 2005 Inspection Report: Corton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005

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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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This small primary school is in the village of Corton near Lowestoft. Most year groups contain fifteen children or fewer. The majority of children live in privately-owned houses and some live in rented homes. Levels of children entitled to free school meals are below average. When the youngest children start school their levels of knowledge and understanding are similar to those expected of four-year-olds. Overall, the school has a slightly above average proportion of children with special educational needs. A significant percentage of children arrive part way through the year. Nine out of ten children are from White British families. A few children are from minority ethnic groups. A small number of children are believed not to have English as their first language.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Corton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005

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Grade: 2

Corton Church of England Primary is a good school and sits in the heart of its community. Most parents are really happy with the quality of education provided. One parent says, 'My children always come home with a smile on their face, to us that means they have enjoyed, and worked hard in their school day.' The leadership and management of the school are effective. The headteacher's leadership is good. Teaching is effective and so children achieve well. Teachers and teaching assistants are dedicated and well-trained. However, marking of children's work does not clearly show children how well they are doing or how to improve, and teachers do not often use the individual pupil targets in lessons. The children are given a good start in the reception class and standards are above average because of effective teaching and leadership. However, children's progress is not tracked as carefully as it could be in the reception class or

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Grade: 2

in Years 1 to 2. There is no safe outside play area for reception children near their classroom. Children's attendance is below average due to holidays taken in school time and through sickness. Many children have opportunities to attend a wide range of after-school and lunchtime clubs. Children's involvement in the community is good. For example, children produce a school magazine available to people in the village. The school offers good value for money. The inspection confirms the school's judgement that the improvement since the last inspection has been good. For example, standards of writing are higher throughout the school. Time given to the teaching of science has improved and the school now places a high emphasis on children carrying out experiments for themselves. The school's capacity to improve in the future is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Raise rates of attendance by establishing a clear policy and helping parents to understand the importance of continuous learning during trm time. - Improve teachers' use of marking and children's targets, so that children know how to improve their work. - Develop a better system to track children's progress in the reception class and in - Create outside play facilities for the youngest children which are near to the classroom and allow them to learn effectively through structured activities.

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Grade: 2

Inspection evidence confirms the school's judgement that most children make good progress. When children enter the school their levels of knowledge and understanding are average overall. They get off to a really good start in the reception class and achieve above average standards. The majority of children make good progress in Years 1 and 2. In the 2004 national tests, Year 2 standards were above average in reading, writing and mathematics and science. Over recent years the school has maintained above average standards. Standards for boys and girls vary considerably from year to year with such small numbers of children in each year group. School data demonstrate that children from minority ethnic groups and with English as an additional language make 2 Inspection Report: Corton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005 good progress. The school is in line to meet challenging targets. Children in Years 1

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Grade: 2

and 2 are not encouraged to learn to use joined up handwriting and so children throughout the school rarely use this fluent style of writing. Most children in Years 3 and 4 make satisfactory progress and attain above average standards. Standards of reading are particularly strong and many Year 4 children read their own poems about school life expressively. Standards last year were affected by children who transferred into the school part way through the year and made it harder for the school to maintain above average standards. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are in line with expectations. For instance, many Year 4 children use computers effectively to research on the Internet. The majority of children with special educational needs, including those with statements of special educational needs, make good progress with regard to their specific targets.

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Grade: 2

The personal development and well-being of the children in the school are good. Children really enjoy coming to school. Their attitudes to learning and behaviour are good. They say that they feel safe and if another child hurts or upsets them it is dealt with thoughtfully and firmly. Children learn about how to stay safe, for example when they find out about road safety. Children are encouraged satisfactorily to lead healthy lives. For instance, children have physical exercise sessions with a variety of specialist teachers. However, the school has not yet set up the 'Free Fruit' project because no one is willing to co-ordinate and manage it. Children's attendance is not satisfactory. Too many children have time off in term time for holidays and with illness. Staff promote children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well through religious education, assemblies and other work. For example, an assembly allowed

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Grade: 2

children to reflect thoughtfully about the story of the Hare and the Tortoise. Children are satisfactorily prepared for life in a multicultural society through their work in religious education, geography and art. Children's moral and social development is particularly well-established. Children are effectively encouraged to become mature members of the school community. They develop responsibility by helping to solve arguments and supporting others with particular problems. Older children suggest and manage some school clubs with adult supervision. The school has no council for children to discuss ways to improve the things that are of concern to them. Children's contribution to the community is good. They have written to the local council about the village play area and contributed to the Corton Website. Children raise money for many charities. The effective development of key skills in literacy, numeracy, science

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Grade: 2

and ICT promotes children's future economic well-being. 3 Inspection Report: Corton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good with many strengths. One highly significant feature is the teachers' use of open-ended questions which mean that children learn to think deeply about their knowledge. In one good Year 4 lesson, the teacher's high expectations of children resulted in them learning how to compare poems effectively. The teacher's specific comments to children meant that they knew what they had done well and ways to improve. Effective teaching methods allowed children to practise speaking aloud when they read their poems to the class. Good use of learning objectives mean that children are told by the teacher whether they have been successful in the lesson. Assessment activities are used satisfactorily in the school. Individual education plans contain specific targets and so children with special educational needs are supported well. Children's work in most subjects is carefully assessed. The tracking of

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Grade: 2

children's progress in reading, writing, mathematics and science for Years 3 and 4 is good. However, this system is not as strong for the reception class or in Years 1 and 2. Teachers' marking and pupil targets are not consistently used to explain to children how they are doing. This means that children are not always clear, on a daily basis, about what they have done well or how they could improve.

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Grade: 2

The work children do is rich and varied with appropriate time given to all subjects. The children achieve well in English, mathematics and science, but the school works effectively to ensure that children's days are varied and they have the chance to learn about geography, history, art and design and technology. Good provision for music allows children to learn to sing well. Children have many opportunities to perform both to parents and local people in the end-of-term concerts. Lunchtime and after-school clubs enhance the children's experience well. Apart from many sports clubs, children can experience drama, art and ICT club and several other activities. Resources for most subjects are good other than in ICT provision. The school has no field very close by but children experience a wide range of games, dance, gymnastics and swimming activities. No outside play area for the reception class exists and so children can not

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support for children are good. The school is successful in meeting its aim of providing a caring and happy place to be. Staff know their children well and are quick to pick up on any concerns that they have. Child protection procedures are comprehensive. The arrangements to settle in new children and staff are good. A strong emphasis on children's safety and well-being in all activities encourages children 4 Inspection Report: Corton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005 to support and care for each other effectively. For example, a recent project encouraged children and parents to walk part or all of the way to school. Two older children take on the role of road safety officers in the school and run a competition each term to make others aware of the dangers on the road. Children with particular problems are very well supported and so they mature and learn to control themselves effectively.

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Grade: 2

However, the guidance that children are given about how to improve their work is not consistent.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management are effective and improvement since the last inspection has been good. Standards in Years 2 and 4 have significantly improved in writing. This is mainly as a result of further training for teachers, and means that children achieve well. Science is now taught with a high emphasis on children learning through experimentation and investigation. The school evaluates its strengths and weaknesses well. It has created a challenging development plan which is driving improvements effectively. Observations of teaching have helped to maintain the good quality of teaching since the last inspection. Subject leaders manage the development of their areas effectively. They have analysed children's work well and used the information to ensure that most children make good progress. The school's capacity to improve further is good. The clear vision of the headteacher ensures that children from all

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Grade: 2

backgrounds, those from minority ethnic groups and those who have specific special needs are effectively integrated into school life and are treated supportively. Children who have not settled in other schools are included effectively into his school. Governors are involved well in reviewing the school development plan. They come in to visit the school while it is working and have studied various subjects. They are knowledgeable about the strengths and weaknesses of the school and support the school effectively. Parents' ideas are listened to carefully. For example, parents were invited to create designs for a children's play area in the school grounds. 5 Inspection Report: Corton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005 .

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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: Corton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005

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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 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 4 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 3 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 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 helping me find out about your school. I enjoyed watching you learn and talking to you. It was interesting to talk to your teachers and watch an assembly. I thought it was good that older children look after younger ones well in break and lunch times. Mostly you are kind to each other and behave well. You organise your clubs effectively so that other children can learn new skills and have fun. Most of you work hard in your lessons and teachers encourage you to do your best. Teaching assistants care for you well and help you to do good work. Your teachers work hard to make lessons interesting. Your headteacher and some of you have good ideas about ways to improve the school. I have asked your school to look at how they can make things even better. I hope that you will help teachers by listening to them carefully. The most important things include all children needing to come to school more often. Teachers are to

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

mark your work more carefully and use your individual targets more effectively. The school should make an outside play area for the youngest children which is safe, near their classroom and interesting. Keep up the good work at Corton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.

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