Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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108011 Unique Reference Number Leeds Local Authority 287996 Inspection number 20 June 2007 Inspection date Heather Richardson HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 5 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 209 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Valerie Masterton Chair Mrs Briony Robertson Headteacher 5 November 2002 Date of previous school inspection Linton Road School address Collingham Wetherby West Yorkshire LS22 5BS

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01937 573117 Telephone number 01937 574147 Fax number

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5 °11 Age group 20 June 2007 Inspection date 287996 Inspection number .

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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. 20 June 2007

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings CE Primary School has more children than when it was last inspected and there is a waiting list of children wanting to attend the school. It is of average size for a primary school. Most children live locally and the proportion entitled to free school meals is much lower than the national average. Fewer children have a minority ethnic heritage than the national average and a lower proportion still are learning English as an additional language. Although there is a similar number of boys and girls in the school, there are marked differences in some classes. When they join the school, most children have abilities and skills which are typical of their age and some have acquired more advanced skills. The proportion of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is higher than the national average, as is the proportion of children with statements of special educational need. The school has been

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Description of the school

successful in achieving several national awards, including the Healthy Schools Award, ActiveMark and Investors in People. The school has new leadership. The headteacher joined the school in September 2006 and the deputy headteacher in January 2007. There is an out-of-school club at the school. This was inspected by Ofsted on 24 January 2007.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, 20 June 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school and some aspects are outstanding, notably children's personal development and well-being. Children enjoy school and they speak enthusiastically about the opportunities they have and the ways in which their teachers and other adults help them. By the time they leave, they have developed into confident and articulate young people who are well equipped for the next stage of their education. They reach high standards in their learning; results in the Key Stage 2 national tests have been significantly above average for the last five years. They make good progress at Key Stage 2. Standards reached at the end of Key Stage 1 are at least in line with national averages, and are above average in some years. Most children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve well. Children are eager to learn and this contributes to their success, as does their excellent attendance. Teaching is good overall. Some teaching is

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Grade: 2

outstanding; skilful teachers plan interesting and challenging lessons which engage children and enable them to achieve highly. However, a small proportion of teaching does not match the high quality of the rest and children's behaviour slips from its usual excellent standard. The best lessons set out what children are expected to achieve, but this is not yet consistent in all classes. The school provides a good curriculum, which is enriched by a wide range of visits and extra-school clubs for all children. Very good attention is paid to children's personal development as well as their academic achievement. For example, opportunities are planned for pupils to take responsibility and to develop their understanding of keeping healthy and staying safe. This underpins their outstanding personal development; children are very clear about how to stay safe and keep healthy. Very good provision is made to develop children's basic skills and

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Grade: 2

the school's review of the curriculum is rightly focused on improving the links between the subjects children study. The school's Christian ethos is reflected in the high quality of care which children receive. Teachers know the children well and children feel secure. Those children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive very good care and, for the most part, are enabled to achieve well. The monitoring of their progress is not always sufficiently robust. The school has recently improved its monitoring of the progress of all children by the introduction of a tracking system. This is providing teachers and the school's leaders with a clearer picture of children's rates of progress. The school has continued to develop since its previous inspection and taken on additional challenges to meet higher expectations. The Foundation Stage has been a focus for improvement, including the assessment of children's progress. Assessments are now accurate. The local

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Grade: 2

authority's analysis shows improvements in the rate at which children are developing knowledge, skills and understanding effectively across all areas of learning. Most children reach the national early learning goals by the end of their Reception year and a small number exceed them. Children enjoy a wide range of interesting activities, both in the classroom and in a well-equipped outdoor area. Good care is taken to help children to settle into school from a wide range of pre-school experiences and to develop good links with parents and carers. The changes in the school's leadership have been well managed. The new headteacher has quickly acquired a good understanding of the school's strengths and how it could improve. Together with the new deputy headteacher, she has implemented key systems to move the school forward and secure its continued success. There is a clear vision and sense of purpose. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School,

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Grade: 2

20 June 2007 This is reflected in the changes in the roles and responsibilities of middle leaders, although these are too recent to have made a full impact. The school continues to work well with its partners and it enjoys strong support from most of its parents. There is strong commitment to further improvement and good capacity to achieve this has already been demonstrated by the new leadership. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Eradicate inconsistencies so that all teaching is good or better. • Ensure that the provision for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and the monitoring of their progress, consistently matches the highest quality which the school provides.

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Grade: 2

Most children join the school with skills which are typical for their age. Some have already achieved more and, in some years, there is an above-average proportion of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Children make progress which is at least satisfactory, and sometimes good, in Reception and Key Stage 1. The standards they reach at the end of Key Stage 1 are at least similar to the national average; in some years they are above average. Children's progress in English, mathematics and science accelerates during Key Stage 2 and they achieve highly. Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are consistently above the national average. Key Stage 2 children benefit from the school's decision to create smaller groups for literacy and numeracy, with additional teachers. Most children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, especially those who have additional support, achieve well and make more progress

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Grade: 1

Children's personal development is outstanding. As they go through the school children gain confidence and develop very good social skills, collaborating well with other children and enjoying good relationships with teachers and other adults. Their social development is outstanding. Children's spiritual, moral, and cultural development is also outstanding. Children are reflective, thoughtful and show sensitivity. They have a very good grasp of what is right and wrong, fair and unfair. They are increasingly well informed about cultures other than their own. They take on responsibilities eagerly, contributing well to many aspects of school life and to the wider community. For example, children are enthusiastic about the new house system and the school council representatives explain how they are helping to make the school better still. Children attend school very well and their behaviour is usually very good. They have an

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Grade: 1

excellent understanding of how to stay healthy. Extra sporting activities and the wide range of lunchtime games and activities are very popular, as are the healthy lunches. Children feel safe and they know who to turn to for help. They recognise various ways in which the school helps them to stay safe, such as the anti-bullying week and the playground rules. The outstanding personal qualities which children develop and the high standards they reach in basic skills mean they are well prepared for their futures. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, 20 June 2007

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Grade: 2

Children are eager to learn and respond well, taking care with the presentation of their work and seeking to reach high standards. The best teaching, often outstanding, is characterised by good subject knowledge and understanding of children's learning. Teachers plan activities which engage and challenge children and help them to make good progress. A small proportion of teaching, albeit satisfactory, does not match the quality of most teaching or engage children so effectively. The new 'traffic lights' marking system is well understood by children and gives them a clearer view of how well they are progressing. Additional comments on some work also provide clear feedback and targets for improvement.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a broad curriculum which is enriched by the teaching of French for all Key Stage 2 children and a good range of visits and extra-school clubs for all children. Additional opportunities for children in music and physical education are strengths of the school and a high number of children participate. There is a clear emphasis on developing children's basic skills in literacy and numeracy, and activities are also planned to develop their personal and social skills and to give them opportunities to take responsibilities or to represent the school. The school's review of its curriculum, to strengthen links between subjects, is timely and has the potential to raise achievement further.

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Grade: 2

The school has a strong caring ethos which underpins the outstanding care children receive and which they and their parents value highly. Teachers know the children well and seek to meet individual needs, working well with other agencies and partners as required. Good care is taken to help children to settle in well when they join the school and also to transfer smoothly to secondary education. Risk assessments are undertaken and staff receive appropriate training. The school's new tracking system is helping to ensure that children's academic progress is monitored more robustly as they move through the school. As a result, the school's leaders now have a better view of most children's progress, so any underachievement can be more readily identified and action taken. Those children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive very good care and, for the most part, are enabled to achieve well. The monitoring of

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Grade: 2

their progress is not yet as thorough as it could be.

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Grade: 2

The new headteacher has a clear vision for the school and promotes a very positive, caring ethos. Supported by the deputy headteacher, she has quickly and accurately identified the school's strengths and areas for development through increasingly effective self-evaluation. Good steps have been taken to implement key strategies and systems, such as the system for tracking children's progress, to move the school forward and promote continued improvement 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, 20 June 2007 from the previous inspection. The staffing structure has been revised, on well-considered principles. Middle managers, including subject leaders, are new to their roles. Although they are clear about what they want to achieve, their work is at a relatively early stage. The governing body supports the school well. It is providing increasingly effective challenge and the current

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Grade: 2

surplus of funds is accounted for carefully. The school has ensured that safeguarding checks on staff have been carried out properly. It has recognised that the checks on helpers, including parent helpers, have not been completed by the required deadline, but now has the matter firmly in hand. The overwhelming majority of parents who returned the questionnaire for the inspection were very positive about the school. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, 20 June 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, 20 June 2007

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 1 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, 20 June 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities No Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, 20 June 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for being so helpful when I visited your school recently. I was pleased that so many of you came to tell me about all the things you like about your school. I enjoyed talking to you, visiting your classrooms and the assembly, and seeing some of your work. You go to a good school and by the time you leave you have reached high standards in the subjects you study. You make such good progress in your personal development that it is outstanding. This includes your attendance, how well you work and how helpful you are to others. I noticed that a lot of you take on responsibilities to help others, such as being a 'buddy' or house captain, helping with lunches and assembly, and leading the exercises in the lively 'wake up shake up' sessions at the start of the day. Well done! You are also very knowledgeable about how to stay healthy and you know how to get help if you are worried or unhappy. Most

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

of you behave very well, but behaviour occasionally slips below your usual high standards in a few lessons. I have asked your teachers to try to make sure this does not happen by making all lessons as good as those you enjoy almost all of the time. You can help by doing your best at all times. I have also asked your teachers to provide even better help for children who find learning more difficult. I know that you enjoy all the extra activities and visits which the school provides. You have lots of interesting activities in the playground at break and lunchtime. Some of you told me how much you enjoy sport. I was disappointed that I was not able to hear your orchestra play, as your teachers had told me how much you enjoy it. Your teachers are eager to help you and that is one reason why the care they provide for you is so good. Your headteacher is leading the school well and working with the staff to make it even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I hope you continue to enjoy your time at this school and I wish you every success in the future. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, 20 June 2007

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