St Herbert's CofE (VA) Primary and Nursery School

Inspection Report St Herbert's CE VA Primary School

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134789 Unique Reference Number Cumbria LEA 282692 Inspection number 15 June 2006 to 16 June 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Jennie Platt Reporting inspector

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

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Trinity Way School address Primary Type of school Keswick Voluntary aided School category Cumbria CA12 4HZ 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 017687 73017 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 017687 75279 Fax number 295 Number on roll Rev Stuart Penny Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Sara Miller Headteacher Not applicable Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 282692 15 June 2006 - 3 to 11 16 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

St Herbert’s is a larger than average school with a Nursery. It was formed in April 2005 when two schools amalgamated. Recent building work has brought the accommodation on to one site. The school serves an area which is socially and economically similar to the national picture and the proportion of pupils entitled to a free school meal is below average. Very few pupils are from minority ethnic groups or need help in speaking English. Attainment on entry to the school is average. An average proportion of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Herbert's CE VA Primary School, 15 June 2006 to 16 June 2006

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school which provides satisfactory value for money. After a difficult time during the amalgamation, the new united school is now settled. It is a happy and friendly school in which the pupils’ personal development is good. Achievement is satisfactory and pupils are making satisfactory overall progress. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language also make satisfactory overall progress. The provision in the Foundation Stage is good and the children are making good progress, with most of them reaching at least the standards expected for their age. In Key Stage 1, pupils continue to make good progress and standards are above average. In Key Stage 2, the 2005 national test results of Year 6 pupils were below average but the current Year 6 are making satisfactory progress. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall but the work set

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Grade: 3

for the more able pupils is often too easy for them and they should be making better progress. The teachers do not make enough use of the limited resources of computers and software that they have to apply and extend information and communication technology (ICT) skills in all subjects of the curriculum. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The leadership of the headteacher has established a strong team of teachers eager to move the school forward. The school’s own judgement of its effectiveness is accurate but the internal monitoring of teaching, progress and standards is not yet effective enough to give those with management responsibilities all the information they need in their planning for improvement. Nevertheless, the school’s management is effective enough to tackle the issues for improvement identified by the inspection.

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What the school should do to improve further

The school should: • raise standards in Key Stage 2 • ensure that the work set for the more able pupils is challenging and is set at the right level for them • improve the monitoring of teaching and standards, so that managers at all levels have a more informed picture of the work of the school in order to set clear priorities for improvement • provide more opportunities for pupils to apply their computing skills in all subjects.

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory. Children begin school with standards broadly typical for their age. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage because of good teaching of basic numeracy and literacy skills and a rich variety of learning experiences. A high proportion of children reach the level expected for their age and a good number in Reception begin the National Curriculum early. 2 Inspection Report: St Herbert's CE VA Primary School, 15 June 2006 to 16 June 2006 In Key Stage 1, the pupils continue to make good progress and standards in Year 2 are above average in reading, writing and mathematics. In Key Stage 2, the results of the Year 6 national tests in 2005 were below average and indicated some underachievement. However, when these pupils took the tests they had only attended the new school for a few weeks and the school says that they were still very unsettled. Observation of lessons and examination of the pupils’ work

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Grade: 3

agree with the school’s own assessment that this year’s Year 6 pupils are making satisfactory overall progress and good progress in English. Nevertheless, the school is aware that it needs to work towards higher overall standards in Key Stage 2. There is not yet enough data to show statistical trends in the national test results. Although the school met its targets last year, more challenging targets have been set for this year and the school expects that it will meet them. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language make satisfactory progress. Pupils with statements of special educational needs are well supported with specialist help from support agencies and this is helping them to make better progress. However, throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, the more able pupils are underachieving because the work set for them is not always at the right level. This has not been identified by the school because pupils’ progress

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. This new school has quickly come together as a community in which a caring ethos underpins all of its work. Consequently, relationships are very good; pupils enjoy coming to school and like their teachers. Moral and social development is good. As a result, pupils behave well and are courteous and polite. They are sensitive and therefore careful not to let their actions upset others. Attendance is satisfactory. However, many parents take their children on holiday in term-time, which prevents attendance figures from improving further. Pupils celebrate their own culture, especially in art. They study other faiths, and visitors from other countries enable the pupils to learn about music and art of other countries. Older pupils have only a shallow understanding, however, of the multi-cultural nature

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Grade: 2

of the society of modern Britain. Pupils know how to keep healthy. They play enthusiastically together at playtime, making use of an exciting range of equipment. Pupils say they feel safe and listen carefully to advice from visitors such as the mountain rescue team. Pupils help to raise funds and conserve the environment by recycling. Their confidence and basic skills prepare them satisfactorily for the future. 3 Inspection Report: St Herbert's CE VA Primary School, 15 June 2006 to 16 June 2006

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. A strength in all classes is the teachers’ enthusiasm, which inspires pupils to try hard. Pupils eagerly contribute their ideas and work hard in lessons, although some of their work is not neat enough. The introductions to numeracy lessons are especially lively and teachers encourage pupils to explain their answers to the class so that all learn from each other. A variety of activities, including drama and discussions, make lessons fun and enhance learning. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good because it is based on an accurate understanding of the needs of young children and on learning through practical, first-hand experiences, such as baking and model-making. Teachers throughout the school use interactive whiteboards effectively to illustrate new work. However, they do not plan sufficient opportunities for pupils to use computers in lessons. In lessons, tasks are not matched

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Grade: 3

well enough to the needs of pupils of different ages and abilities, and pupils of all abilities are often tackling the same work. This is most noticeable in the case of the more able pupils because the work set for them is too easy. Marking is completed regularly and is supportive but the teachers’ written comments do not always correct errors or help the pupils to improve their work.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. It has a good balance of academic, physical and creative skills which helps to make school enjoyable. Literacy and numeracy are taught effectively through other subjects. The resources for ICT are poor, both in terms of hardware and software. There are a small number of computers in each class but the teachers do not plan the use of the limited resources they have to give the pupils sufficient opportunities to use computers in the range of curriculum subjects. The teachers’ planning ensures that pupils in mixed-age classes do not miss or repeat aspects of the national curriculum but the planning to meet the needs of pupils of different abilities is not good enough. The school provides a broad range of extra-curricular activities to extend the school day, including good support from local football, rugby and cricket clubs. Talented pupils have additional opportunities through

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Grade: 3

links with the local theatre to make good progress in subjects such as music and drama.

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory overall. The school cares well for its pupils. Close links with external agencies are used effectively to support the pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak languages other than English at home. The school makes great efforts to ensure that pupils learn and play in a safe and healthy environment. Thorough systems enable teachers to identify risks 4 Inspection Report: St Herbert's CE VA Primary School, 15 June 2006 to 16 June 2006 and remedy dangers. Child protection arrangements are thorough and regularly reviewed. The teachers assess pupils’ progress satisfactorily in English, mathematics and ICT, but this does not extend to other subjects. This means that teachers do not have the full information needed to plan lessons and to set work for the wide range of ability in the mixed-age classes. However, the staff make good use of their assessment of

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Grade: 3

the progress of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language to ensure that they play a full part in all aspects of school life.

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Grade: 3

The overall quality of leadership and management is satisfactory. The headteacher has built an effective staff team, eager to raise standards. A major success has been managing the completion of the new building so the school is now on one site. This has had a significant impact on the community spirit of the school. The school’s self-evaluation of its effectiveness is generally accurate. However, the staff are not yet familiar with the school’s procedures for monitoring lessons, pupils’ progress and standards. For that reason, the work of the subject leaders and the management of the Foundation Stage are not yet fully effective. Although teachers regularly review individual pupils’ work, the school does not pay enough attention to the monitoring of overall standards to gain a full picture of the school’s performance. This weakness can be seen in the school’s improvement plan. Although it sets out priorities and action plans for improvement, the planned actions are not always linked

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Grade: 3

to raising standards. Governance is satisfactory. The governors are supportive and have played an important part in recruiting new staff. The school has been awarded the Investors in People Award. This recognises the importance of the school’s staff training which has helped so much to bring the staff together as a team. Although this school is too new to have a record of past improvement, the school’s effective management convinces the inspectors that the school has the capacity to improve. 5 Inspection Report: St Herbert's CE VA Primary School, 15 June 2006 to 16 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: St Herbert's CE VA Primary School, 15 June 2006 to 16 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 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA NA Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 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 3 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 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

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 To the pupils of: St Herbert's CE VA Primary School Trinity Way Keswick Cumbria CA12 4HZ 19 June 2006 Dear Pupils Many thanks for the warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school. Your new school has got off to a good start and it was a pleasure to see how happy you are. We appreciated everything you told us about your school, which helped us to write this report. We agree that yours is a friendly community and it is very clear that you all help each other. You raise an amazing amount of money for charity, which shows how you care for other people. You said you feel safe and it was also good to see how energetic you are at playtime. We have asked Mrs Miller and the governors to make sure you are all set hard enough work so that all of you can make even better progress and reach higher standards when you are in Year

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

6. At the moment, you do not have enough resources for ICT. As yours is a new school many new procedures are being put in place to guide your teachers. The teachers are working to improve the systems they use to track your progress and monitor what is happening in your school. We enjoyed our visit and think you are very lucky to learn in such a beautiful part of the country. We wish you well for the future. Yours sincerely Mrs J E Platt, Mr A Stafford and Mr K Oglesby

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