Swavesey Primary School

Inspection Report Swavesey Primary School

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110620 Unique Reference Number CAMBRIDGESHIRE Local Authority 288724 Inspection number 31 October 2006 Inspection date Jackie Cousins 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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Middle Watch School address Primary Type of school Swavesey, Swavesey Foundation School category Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB24 4RN 4 °11 Age range of pupils

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01954 273312 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01954 273312 Fax number 220 Number on roll (school) Dr Christopher Murray Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr David Major Headteacher 10 June 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 288724 31 October 2006 4 °11 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Swavesey Primary is an average sized village school near Cambridge. Nearly all pupils are from White British backgrounds and several are from minority ethnic groups. No pupils are in the early stages of learning to speak English as an additional language. Most children start school with knowledge and understanding that is typical of children nationally. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is considerably below average. The percentage of pupils who are entitled to claim free school meals is also significantly below average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Swavesey Primary School, 31 October 2006

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Grade: 1

Swavesey Primary is an outstanding school and gives excellent value for money. From broadly average starting points, pupils make excellent progress and standards are exceptionally high by the end of Year 6. Pupils' achievement is outstanding. Pupils are prepared extremely well for their future lives because of the very high level of skills they have in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT). Pupils get a super start to their education in the Reception class because provision is really good. A significant strength of the school is pupils' personal development, which is outstanding. Pupils' personal development reflects the excellent care, guidance and support the school provides. Pupils' enjoyment in their learning is exemplary. The pupils talk incredibly enthusiastically about their favourite school activities. One pupil said she really enjoyed literacy because, 'You can use your own experiences'. Pupils

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Grade: 1

behave very well as a result of adults' effective management of behaviour and pupils' sense of self discipline. Extremely strong leadership and management mean that pupils make an excellent contribution to the community. Pupils take part in many sporting and drama activities and are very keen to raise money for various charities. The school council successfully helped to buy more playground equipment this year, which allows pupils to play more active games at break times. Teaching and learning are excellent because teachers have very high expectations of pupils. Outstanding teaching methods mean that pupils learn to link and apply their knowledge learnt in different subjects. Most teachers use resources well to make lessons interesting. Pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities are supported most effectively and so they make extremely good progress. Teachers use assessments of pupils' progress well. Pupils' achievement is tracked effectively in the Reception

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Grade: 1

class and in Years 3 to 6. In Years 1 and 2 pupils' progress is not effectively tracked. An excellent curriculum means that pupils learn about many subjects in depth, including history and geography. A very broad selection of clubs and enrichment activities are on offer. Outstanding leadership and management have brought about extremely good progress since the last inspection. Standards are even higher and nearly seven out of ten pupils attain the higher than expected Level 5 in national tests in English, mathematics and science in Year 6. Teachers' marking shows pupils more effectively how they can improve their work. As a result of these and other improvements, the school has an excellent capacity to improve in the future. Excellent leadership of the headteacher and senior management team mean that the school uses self-evaluation exceptionally well. A first rate partnership with parents, other agencies and local primary and

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Grade: 1

secondary schools is in place. The strong partnership with the local secondary school offers many sporting and language activities. One parent said, 'Swavesey Primary is an excellent school, in all respects'. 2 Inspection Report: Swavesey Primary School, 31 October 2006

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What the school should do to improve further

• Develop a system for tracking pupils' progress in Years 1 and 2.

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Grade: 1

Children make good progress in the Reception class and so their standards are slightly higher than expected by the start of Year 1. A systematic approach to teaching writing and reading develops pupils' basic skills well. Resources in play areas are not particularly exciting and do not give pupils high quality opportunities to improve their imaginative skills. In Year 2 standards are above average. Pupils achieve well because, for example, teachers make very effective use of pupils' literacy skills in other subjects. Pupils' achievement in Years 3 to 6 is extremely good and so standards are exceptionally high by the end of Year 6. Challenging targets were met in 2006. In the last two years the progress that pupils made between Years 3 to 6 has been in the top 15% of all primary schools. Over the last five years the school has maintained consistently high standards. Gifted and talented pupils are provided for well and the school has a

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Grade: 1

comprehensive list of those who have particular areas where they excel. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds achieve as well as other pupils.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are excellent. Pupils' enjoyment of their school work is exceptionally strong. This has a very positive effect on their attitudes to learning new skills, the progress they make and attendance at school. They like creating project folders on various topics, which use their advanced literacy skills. Many pupils really enjoy art sessions. One pupil said, 'I like painting and drawing a lot'. Pupils' independent study skills are really well developed, such as when older pupils research individual projects linked to their school work. Pupils adopt safe ways of working extremely effectively. They know very clearly about the dangers of medicines, drugs and vehicles on the move. Healthy lifestyles are important to pupils. Significant numbers attend sports clubs after school and all pupils can swim well before they leave the school. A couple of pupils felt that more could be done to encourage

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Grade: 1

them to eat good quality fruit and vegetables. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils learn effectively about their own and others' cultures through a variety of subjects. 3 Inspection Report: Swavesey Primary School, 31 October 2006

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Grade: 1

Very high expectations of teachers coupled with sessions which organise pupils' learning very well allow pupils to attain very high levels of expertise in key skills. For example, pupils' use of individual white boards to record work ensures that they have understood the basic ideas before they go on to more independent work. Excellent use of questioning by teachers ensures that pupils think deeply about their learning. The particularly good use of open ended questioning means that pupils learn to vocalise their thinking. Some questioning challenges more able pupils effectively whilst the teacher assesses the level of their understanding. Most teachers discuss what pupils are expected to accomplish by the end of the lesson. This aspect of teaching is not as consistently well done as other aspects of teaching. On occasions, pupils do not have as many opportunities to improve their self-evaluation skills in lessons as they might.

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Grade: 1

Another considerable strength of the school is the excellent range of subjects and activities that pupils study. Planning for English, mathematics and science enables pupils to make exceptional progress. The school places great emphasis on pupils learning many subjects in detail, including ICT. By Year 6 pupils create complex presentations using computers. Links between subjects are extremely strong and mean that pupils learn about a topic which covers several subjects. The curriculum makes a highly significant contribution to pupils' excellent personal development.

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Grade: 1

Most pupils say they are extremely well guided and cared for because teachers and staff are readily available to support them. Another pupil said, 'Teachers do loads of things to help you with your work'. Comprehensive individual educational plans for pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities contain specific and measurable targets for them to reach. The school carries out all legal checks to ensure that pupils are safe in school. The high quality of the school's work in this area means that pupils make excellent progress academically and personally.

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Grade: 1

Extremely successful leadership and management have ensured that this school has made exceptional improvement since the last inspection. The school evaluates its provision exceptionally well and is always looking for ways to improve. The school 4 Inspection Report: Swavesey Primary School, 31 October 2006 development plan is effectively driving improvement but the plan does not consistently record ways in which success can be measured. The leadership and management of pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities are exceptionally effective. Pupils who experience some difficulties in their studies are very carefully assessed and monitored. Programmes of work support these pupils really well. Subject coordinators for literacy and mathematics monitor pupils' progress really effectively in Years 3 to 6, but this is not the case for those in Years 1 and 2. There is no formal system in place to track the pupils' progress in these year groups.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' progress in the Foundation Stage is well monitored. Good governance manages improvement in the school effectively. The governors monitor standards very carefully and they are well involved in the school's self-evaluation process. Finances are thoughtfully spent so that the school gives exceptionally good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Swavesey Primary School, 31 October 2006 .

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Grade: 1

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Swavesey Primary School, 31 October 2006

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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? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 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

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

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 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?

1 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. 7 Inspection Report: Swavesey Primary School, 31 October 2006

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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 Yes 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? 8 Inspection Report: Swavesey Primary School, 31 October 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

1 November 2006 Dear Pupils Swavesey Primary School, Middle Watch, Swavesey, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB4 5RZ Thank you for helping me find out about your school. I enjoyed watching lessons and talking to you. It was interesting to talk to your teachers and watch one singing assembly. I really enjoyed your singing of 'Shine Jesus Shine'. You go to such a wonderful school. The best things about your school include: • you do amazingly well in Year 6 tests • you learn about many subjects in detail • you work extremely hard in lessons • your behaviour is really good • your headteacher and senior teachers have excellent ideas about ways to improve the school • teachers work extremely hard to make lessons interesting and challenging teachers and staff care for you outstandingly well • a terrific partnership with your local secondary school allows you to learn a lot about sports and languages. I have asked your school to look at how they can make things even better. I hope that you will

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

help teachers by listening to them carefully. The most important thing is: • improving the ways that teachers keep track of your progress in Years 1 and 2. Keep working hard and enjoying the many things you do at Swavesey Primary School. Yours sincerely Mrs Jackie Cousins (Lead inspector) 9 Inspection Report: Swavesey Primary School, 31 October 2006

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