Mayfield Primary School

Inspection Report Mayfield Primary School

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110666 Unique Reference Number CAMBRIDGESHIRE Local Authority 288734 Inspection number 23 °24 January 2007 Inspection dates David Herbert 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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Warwick Road School address Primary Type of school Cambridge Community School category CB4 3HN 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01223 712127 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01223 712129 Fax number 372 Number on roll (school) Mr N Boulter Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Ms JK Hill Headteacher 17 January 2007 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 288734 23 °24 January 2007 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 three Additional Inspectors over two days.

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Description of the school

Mayfield is larger than most primary schools. Attainment on entry to school is typical of children nationally. Up to a quarter of pupils join or leave the school at times other than the usual transfer points. About 80% of pupils have a White British heritage with 20% coming from a wide range of minority backgrounds. Just over half of the pupils live outside the school's catchment area. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is above average. The school has a unit that gives specialist support to pupils from across the county who have hearing impairments. The school suffered major fire damage in 2004 and has experienced considerable disturbance as a result.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Mayfield Primary School, 23 °24 January 2007

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Grade: 2

Mayfield School provides a good standard of education, despite suffering very significant disruption after a fire in 2004, and moving back into its new building only three months ago. Strong leadership by the headteacher and very caring staff and governors have combined to support the children well through this difficult period. As a result pupils have continued to progress well in their work and have come through the experience successfully. They say they are now excited by the opportunities of the new building. Parents recognise the efforts the school has made and the success it has achieved. The school lost nearly all of its resources, documentation and planning in the fire, which placed huge demands on staff. Good leadership and management has maintained morale and ensured that systems have been re-established as quickly as possible. Over the last two years vital assessment information has been collected again, enabling

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Grade: 2

leaders to make accurate evaluations of the school's strengths and needs. The pace of improvement work has not slowed, and leaders at all levels know how they need to take their subjects forward. Leadership and provision in the Foundation Stage are good. The school has made good progress since the last inspection and has good capacity to improve further. Achievement across the school is good. In the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2 pupils make good progress. At the end of Year 2 they reach standards that are above the national average, particularly in mathematics where they achieve very well. Standards reached in writing are better than those achieved in reading. By Year 6 standards are similar to those nationally. However, by Year 6 up to a quarter of pupils have not started their education at Mayfield and some have not spent long at the school. The progress that all pupils make, relative to their attainment when they started

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Grade: 2

at the school, is good, and those who spend longer at the school achieve particularly well. Good teaching ensures that pupils enjoy their work. Some younger pupils are quite boisterous in their early years in the school, but they are helped to settle and their application in lessons becomes good as they get older. They can work well individually or together creating a calm and focused atmosphere. Teachers use resources, questioning and instruction well to help pupils understand the points that are made. Teaching assistants are knowledgeable and deployed effectively to provide good support. All this contributes to the good progress that different groups make. The pastoral care of pupils is good and promotes their good personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This provision was a high priority after the fire and has had a positive impact. Pupils contribute well to their

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Grade: 2

own school community and to the wider community beyond the school. They know about healthy and safe living because the curriculum teaches this well. The school assesses pupils well and teachers are beginning to use this information to identify targets with pupils to help them improve their work. At present, target setting with pupils is not sufficiently consistent between subjects or classes to be fully effective. 2 Inspection Report: Mayfield Primary School, 23 °24 January 2007 Leaders know that this support for pupils' academic progress is at an early stage of development and have plans to extend it. The overall care and guidance of pupils is therefore satisfactory. The curriculum is good, with most resources being recently replaced. Good enrichment includes the teaching of two foreign languages, and a wide range of extra curricular activities that enhance learning for the large number of pupils who take part.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve standards in reading in Key Stage 1. • Ensure that information from assessments of pupils progress is used to set challenging targets for pupils, and they are reviewed regularly with pupils. • When marking pupils' work, ensure that pupils know what they need to do next to improve.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' achievement is good. Pupils make good progress in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2. Standards in Year 2 improved to above the national average in 2006. Despite this improvement pupils overall and girls in particular, do better in their writing than their reading. Standards achieved in Year 6 are average, but a significant number of pupils join or leave the school during these years and therefore have disruptions to their learning. Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 2, and those who spend longer at the school achieve particularly well by the time they leave. Those who find learning difficult make good progress, and more able pupils often achieve very well. Pupils with hearing impairment are fully included in the life of the school as well as receiving effective specialist support and make good progress. The main reasons for the good achievement across the school are the good quality of teaching combined

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Grade: 2

with good support for pupils from teaching assistants and other helpers.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good, including their spiritual, social, moral and cultural development. They enjoy coming to school because it is friendly and welcoming and the staff have supported them well during the aftermath of the fire. Attendance and behaviour are satisfactory. Behaviour in the dining hall and when pupils are less closely supervised is not as good as in lessons. Pupils feel confident that they can talk to staff about concerns and know well how to stay safe. They have a good understanding of healthy lifestyles. They take part enthusiastically in lunchtime activities, physical education lessons and sports and know how to eat healthily. They really appreciate the new hall which allows them to take part in gymnastics again. The school and class councils have a significant influence, such as when they decide on equipment for pupils to use at lunchtimes. Pupils are involved well in the wider community. They raise money

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Grade: 2

or donate gifts and have helped provide classrooms for children in Africa. Pupils are 3 Inspection Report: Mayfield Primary School, 23 °24 January 2007 developing good workplace skills by working cooperatively together and older pupils support younger children as book buddies, rangers and sports leaders.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good at all stages and is also good for pupils with hearing impairment. Planning is often detailed and includes provision for those with different learning needs and abilities. Pupils concentrate and listen effectively, which contributes to their good learning. Good management of classrooms means that pupils work harmoniously in groups, spinning ideas off each other, and contributing to each other's progress. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, including those with social and emotional difficulties are supported particularly well. Their individualised targets are precise and are followed closely. Marking is carried out promptly and accurately. While it often encourages pupils strongly, it does not consistently offer clear statements about what they should do to improve, and only infrequently requires a response. Nevertheless, in lessons, teachers and assistants are always actively working alongside

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is well planned. It contains all subjects in the National Curriculum and follows the required areas of learning in the Foundation Stage. Following the loss of nearly all its planning documents, the school has rewritten its policies and schemes remarkably quickly, minimising adverse effects on pupils' learning. Adaptations to take account of different needs, such as pupils with impaired hearing or other learning difficulties are effective. The curriculum is enhanced well by visits to places of interest and the use of expert visitors. Subject teaching is enriched through the use of resources and the links between subjects are often strong. For example, during lessons historical texts were observed as the basis for learning how to take and use effective notes. Despite the loss of much equipment, information and communication technology is frequently used to seek further information and to record work. Nevertheless, in for

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Grade: 2

example physical education, it has not yet been possible to replace all fire damaged equipment.

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. Provision for pupils' safety and well-being is thorough and procedures for child protection are clear. Pupils say that they feel safe and are prepared to approach staff with their concerns. Adults create a happy atmosphere based on positive relationships, praising pupils appropriately and using the school's good awards system effectively. Pupils with learning difficulties and 4 Inspection Report: Mayfield Primary School, 23 °24 January 2007 disabilities, including those with hearing impairment or with behaviour difficulties are carefully assessed and effective support is provided for them, so they make good progress. Owing to fire damage, much of the school's assessment records and information on pupils' progress was lost. While considerable work has gone into rebuilding records, their use is still at an early stage. Senior leaders acknowledge that there is more to be done to make target setting fully effective in supporting pupils'

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Grade: 2

The leadership of the school has overcome the very significant disturbance caused by the fire, the subsequent relocation and rebuilding of the school and the loss of nearly all resources and records. Throughout this period their focus on teaching and learning has not wavered. Raising standards remained the priority and improvement work continued with good effect. One parent wrote, 'The disruption to the children was minimal, largely due to the strong hands on leadership and positive, encouraging attitude of the staff'. Having moved back into the new building, good routines and systems have been quickly re-established. Subject leaders monitor and evaluate their subjects well, creating focused action plans for further development. A close working partnership between school staff and specialist teachers in the hearing impairment unit brings benefits of shared expertise to both groups and enhances teaching for all pupils. The governors provide good

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Grade: 2

strategic leadership. They are well informed about the school and use this knowledge to ask appropriate questions and make relevant decisions. The school provides good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Mayfield Primary School, 23 °24 January 2007 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Mayfield Primary School, 23 °24 January 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? 2 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? 3 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?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 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?

3 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: Mayfield Primary School, 23 °24 January 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 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: Mayfield Primary School, 23 °24 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

25 January 2007 Dear Children Mayfield Primary School, Warwick Road, Cambridge, CB4 3HN This letter is to thank you for your welcome when Mrs Bosworth, Mr Paull and I visited you. We thought that you would also like to know what we found out about your school. These are some of the good things about your school: • you said that you enjoy school because everyone is friendly and helpful and we agree. • the headteacher and all of the staff look after you well and care about you a lot. • your parents said that you all coped with moving out of the school and back into it very well, and we agree with them. • we can see that you like the new building and enjoy the extra things that you can do in it. • you have well planned activities and good support to help you succeed. • your teachers make sure you work hard and make good progress. • you behave well in lessons, paying attention and listening carefully. There are three ways that could make things even better:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• we want the school to help you to do even better in your reading. • we have asked the teachers to discuss your targets with you more so that you know when you are achieving them. • when teachers mark your work we want them to let you know how you can make your work better the next time. Keep enjoying all the good things that Mayfield School offers you. Best wishes to you all. Yours sincerely David Herbert (Lead Inspector) 9 Inspection Report: Mayfield Primary School, 23 °24 January 2007

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