Thorpe CofE Aided Primary School

Inspection Report Thorpe CofE Aided Infant School

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125174 Unique Reference Number Surrey LEA LEA 281909 Inspection number 22 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 Inspection dates Tusha Chakraborti AI Reporting inspector

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

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The Bence School address Infant Type of school Thorpe Voluntary aided School category Egham TW20 8QD 4 to 7 Age range of pupils 01932 562329 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01932 562529 Fax number 49 Number on roll Rev Canon Dr M J Hereward-Rothwell Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority

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Mrs E F C Nichols Headteacher 17 May 2004 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281909 22 June 2006 - 4 to 7 22 June 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a very small infant school, situated in the village of Thorpe. The vast majority of pupils are of White British background and live in the village and the surrounding area. A minority of pupils are eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils having learning difficulties and disabilities is also below average. Attainment on admission is average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Thorpe CofE Aided Infant School, 22 June 2006 to 22 June 2006

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Grade: 2

Thorpe C of E Aided Infant is a good school, not just satisfactory as the school modestly graded itself. The school has many strengths and provides good value for money. Outstanding leadership by the headteacher and excellent care and guidance from staff have raised pupils' standards and achievement significantly. The subject leaders are well aware of their responsibilities but their roles are not sufficiently developed yet. An exciting curriculum and a good range of extra-curricular activities fill the children with enthusiasm and help them achieve well. The vast majority of parents value the school's work highly. At the heart of the school is the strong commitment to equal opportunity and to developing each pupil to their potential. Pupils' personal development is good as is their spiritual, moral and social development. Their awareness of different cultures is satisfactory and the school has rightly identified ways to improve further.

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Grade: 2

A very good start to the children's education is made in the Foundation Stage. Children make good progress in the Reception class and are well placed to continue to do so in Year 1. The quality of teaching throughout the school is good. This has contributed significantly to the good progress made by pupils. Consequently, they attain standards that are above the national average by the end of Year 2. Assessment data are used effectively by the teachers. Nevertheless, marking in Years 1 and 2 is not consistent and does not always guide pupils effectively enough to understand how they can improve. Subject leaders are newly in post and need to develop more in their roles. The school knows its strengths and areas for development very well and has successfully addressed all issues raised in last inspection. The school is very well placed to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that marking consistently help pupils to improve their work. • Improve the effectiveness of the subject leaders.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' achievement is good because of good teaching. Standards in Years 1 and 2 have risen significantly over the past three years and are now above average overall. Results in the national assessments in 2005 were above average in reading and mathematics with a high proportion of pupils attaining the highest level. Results in writing were slightly above average. Teacher assessment data indicates that results this year could be even higher. Effective support from teachers and support staff enables pupils to improve reading, writing and mathematical skills rapidly. Pupils meet the challenging targets set by the school and some exceed them. Parents are very appreciative of the school's hard work to raise standards of their children. One parent 2 Inspection Report: Thorpe CofE Aided Infant School, 22 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 comments that her daughter has 'excelled since starting Thorpe last September', while

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Grade: 2

her performance was 'average' in the previous school. Children in the Foundation Stage make good progress as a result of good teaching and a rich curriculum. Most children achieve in line with the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning and some exceed them. There is very good support for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. As a result, these pupils achieve as well as their peers. There is no significant difference in achievement between different groups of pupils.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral and social development, is good. Their cultural development is satisfactory. Although pupils are aware of their own culture, their knowledge of other cultures is limited because there are too few opportunities in the curriculum for them develop their understanding. However, the school has prioritised this in its development plan. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and want to achieve as well as they possibly can. They take responsibility for their actions and their behaviour is good as a result. Pupils enjoy coming to school and feel that the school is a safe and secure place. They develop a clear sense of community through visits from members of the local community and the fundraising activities for charities. They have very good understanding of healthy lifestyles and are supported very well in this by the healthy diet at lunchtime and the wide range of

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Grade: 2

sports and physical activities. The school council allows pupils to take on responsibility for improving the school, such as promoting a healthy school lunch. Pupils' good literacy, numeracy and computer skills prepare them well for the later life. Attendance has improved as a result of the school's hard work and is now satisfactory.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good. All staff work together effectively to ensure that work is well matched to pupils' individual learning needs and the challenging targets. Relationships between staff and pupils are excellent and staff have high expectations of their pupils' work and behaviour. Consequently, pupils behave well, have very positive attitudes to learning and are determined to achieve well. Teachers make very good use of information and communication technology (ICT), especially the interactive white boards, to ensure that pupils participate fully in lessons and understand what they are expected to learn. In the Foundation Stage, good teaching and very effective use of information derived from assessments of pupils' progress help children to achieve well and to develop independent learning skills. Assessments are used effectively in Years 1 and 2 also, particularly in English and mathematics, to inform planning and identify areas for

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Grade: 2

3 Inspection Report: Thorpe CofE Aided Infant School, 22 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 improvement. Pupils' work is marked frequently but marking does not always guide pupils how to improve.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a broad, balanced and stimulating curriculum that contributes effectively to pupils' achievement. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and more able pupils is very good and a wide range of strategies are used to support them. Effective links are developing between different subjects which enable pupils to use their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills to support their learning across the curriculum. Pupils' skills for working independently of the teacher are promoted throughout the school and help to develop their confidence. The school offers an extensive range of educational visits and extra-curricular activities which enhance pupils' learning experiences successfully. Events like science and technology weeks, when pupils work with engineers, and a writing workshop with an author, make valuable contributions to pupils' learning experiences. Children in the

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Grade: 2

Foundation Stage have a curriculum tailored to meet their needs.

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Grade: 1

The school gives outstanding care, guidance and support to its pupils. The vast majority of parents are very pleased with all aspects of the school's work. Pupils are very appreciative of the way the school supports them; one pupil comments, 'we can go to our teachers with any problem because they always help us.' Excellent relationships across the school, coupled with the high priority placed on treating each child as an individual, creates an excellent learning environment for all pupils. All health and safety issues are addressed, and risk assessments are rigorous. Child protection procedures are well established. Tracking pupils' progress is very effective and individual target setting is used very well to guide pupils' academic development. The assessment system in the Reception class is particularly effective and is used very well to plan lessons. The support for the pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is excellent and

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Grade: 1

the needs of these pupils are monitored very successfully through a highly co-ordinated support system. As a result, the number of pupils requiring such help has reduced significantly. The school works very successfully with parents, volunteers and external agencies to support all children.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management are good and have a significant impact on the good quality of pupils' achievement and personal development. The school has an accurate evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses, although it is modest in some of its views. The headteacher, aptly supported by the senior teacher and other staff, provides outstanding leadership and strong and clear direction for the school's work. She, 4 Inspection Report: Thorpe CofE Aided Infant School, 22 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 together with the governors, steered the school safely out of special measures in 2004, continues to bring improvements and is successful in recruiting and retaining experienced staff. Good progress has been made since the previous inspection and the school is well placed to secure further improvement. The newly-constituted leadership structure has clearly defined roles that are closely focused on improving pupils' learning. The senior teacher leads the Foundation Stage very effectively, giving

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Grade: 2

children a good start to their education from early on. However, the roles of some of the co-ordinators are not well developed yet as they are new to the posts. The school is aware of this and plans are in hand to improve this area. The school monitors its effectiveness well and parents' views are encouraged and acted upon. Rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning ensures that teaching is consistently good despite recent staff changes. Information from tests and assessments is analysed carefully and used effectively to plan for improvement. As a result, standards and achievement have risen significantly in recent years. Each child is valued and the school has been highly successful in ensuring that all have equal opportunities. The governing body fulfils its responsibilities effectively and are committed to raising standards. They are well informed and provide a good level of challenge and support.

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Grade: 2

5 Inspection Report: Thorpe CofE Aided Infant School, 22 June 2006 to 22 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: Thorpe CofE Aided Infant School, 22 June 2006 to 22 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 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 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 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 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

Pupils I would like to thank you for the wonderful welcome you gave me when I visited your school. It was a great pleasure to hear that you really enjoy coming to school and think it is very good. I am pleased to tell you that you are right to do so because I also think that your school is good. You receive good teaching, support and guidance from all the adults. When they give you difficult work, you do it well. I know that your headteacher and all other staff really do a very good job in organising the school to help you to do so. I also liked your attitudes to school, your good behaviour and the way you join in. I was pleased to see that you understand the importance of staying safe very well and take part in the wide range of physical activities to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Your school is helping you to learn even better. I have asked your teachers to help you more when they mark your work. I have also asked them to plan your subjects so that they are even

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

more interesting. I am sure your school will carry on improving in the future and that you will all carry on working hard.With every good wish for the future. Yours sincerely, Tusha Chakraborti Lead Inspector

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