Wincle CofE Primary School

Inspection Report Wincle CofE Primary School

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111326 Unique Reference Number Cheshire Local Authority 288928 Inspection number 20 September 2006 Inspection date Joe Peacock 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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Wincle School address Primary Type of school Macclesfield Voluntary aided School category Cheshire SK11 0QH 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01260 227252 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01260 227308 Fax number 45 Number on roll (school) Mr Ian Burns Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Sheila Loughlin Headteacher 24 June 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 288928 20 September 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school is in a picturesque rural setting to the south of Macclesfield, within the Peak District National Park. It is much smaller than average but has more than doubled in size since 2001 due to its excellent reputation. Some parents travel considerable distances to bring their children to the school. Almost all of the children are from White British families. Both the proportion of children entitled to free school meals and the number with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well below average. The attainment of most children when they enter the school is usually above average. There are strong links with the church next to the school.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Wincle CofE Primary School, 20 September 2006

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Grade: 1

Wincle is a highly effective school and its reputation as a centre of excellence has spread over a wide area. The increased numbers have put pressure on the available accommodation and there are plans to extend this. Staff, governors, parents and pupils are rightly proud of the education the school offers. The headteacher has brought stability to the school and has succeeded in welding together a staff who work exceptionally well as a team. All of them, including the cook and site manager, are proud to be associated with the school. Their hard work and dedication is recognised by parents who say that they 'go the extra mile' for the benefit of the children. The school's judgement that the improvement since the last inspection has been outstanding is fully supported by the inspector. Parents and governors believe that the headteacher has been too modest in her evaluation of the quality of provision. Inspection evidence

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Grade: 1

clearly shows that this is an outstanding rather than good school in virtually all respects. Standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are well above the national average in reading, writing, mathematics and science. All children, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the more able ones make very good progress throughout the school and meet the challenging targets set for them. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the exceptional quality of education and the very effective way that the school promotes the well-being of all children. The inspection confirms their judgement. Virtually every family responded to the inspection questionnaire and nearly all included additional supportive comments showing how much they appreciate what the school is doing for their children. Foundation Stage children in the Reception class make very good progress because of the quality of teaching and close adult support they receive; 'The best start in life possible' according

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Grade: 1

to one parent. Children are happy at the school. Parents say that this is because they are not just educated but genuinely cared for and safeguarded by all staff. Attendance figures are below the national average but this is due to some children with medical problems having to spend time in hospital. There is no unauthorised absence at the school. A key strength is the relationships between older and younger children and between children and staff. It is very obvious that all staff enjoy working at the school and children enjoy learning. The inconsistency in the quality of teaching, reported previously, has been successfully eliminated and the job share arrangement for each of the two classes is working well because of the close cooperation between the members of staff and their meticulous planning. Curriculum planning is a very strong feature and ensures that the needs of all children are fully met, whatever their age or

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Grade: 1

ability. A delightful outdoor area has been created for Reception children and good use is made of the pond and picturesque rural area to enhance curriculum provision. The quality of the curriculum, as a result, is outstanding. All statutory requirements are met and in addition, children learn French and German and enjoy a good range of after school clubs. The high quality academic support and guidance that is provided for all children and the outstanding leadership and management, contribute to the very positive ethos 2 Inspection Report: Wincle CofE Primary School, 20 September 2006 for learning and strong community spirit which is evident. It ensures that the school has an excellent capacity to improve further. Overall, taking account of the high costs per pupil in a small school like this, the school is providing good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Deliver the planned changes to the accommodation.

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Grade: 1

The few children in Reception are particularly well provided for in the mixed age Key Stage 1 class, often being taught as a separate group by a highly skilled and enthusiastic teaching assistant. As a result, they make very good progress and reach high levels in all their areas of learning. Their personal, social and emotional development is a particular strength as they benefit from being with older children and gain confidence feeding back to the whole class on what they have been doing. They really enjoyed looking at seeds through magnifying lenses and singing in the harvest festival. The high quality of teaching and exceptionally detailed curriculum planning ensures that children throughout the school make very good progress. The standards achieved by children in Year 2 and Year 6 are well above average. In English for example, Year 6 children were suitably challenged to produce a play script to show all the emotions

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Grade: 1

of evacuees and their parents during the Second World War. The standard of their writing was well beyond that expected for their age as they tried to meet the demanding targets set for them such as including embedded clauses. Overall, children's level of achievement is excellent, being in the top 10% nationally for English, mathematics and science.

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Grade: 1

'This is not just a school but a whole community which excels in caring.' 'Children have something special to look forward to each week.' These comments from parents reinforce what a vibrant and welcoming school this is, where children enjoy learning. Pupils show high levels of respect for one another and their behaviour is exemplary. Relationships between staff and children are based on mutual trust. Every child in school has a voice and there are excellent opportunities for staff to listen to the views of everyone. Overall, children make excellent progress in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Their social skills are particularly well developed as children of all ages work and play together. Assemblies and special lessons called 'circle time' successfully raise children's self-esteem as they think about 'why it is good to be me' and discuss 'what makes me special'. Good efforts are made by the school to promote children's

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Grade: 1

cultural development but this aspect is not quite as strong as the others. Nevertheless, children have a good knowledge of other religions and awareness of life in multicultural 3 Inspection Report: Wincle CofE Primary School, 20 September 2006 Britain. All know the benefits of adopting a healthy lifestyle and enjoy a high level of community involvement. There are good links with the church and children recently introduced a recycling scheme for the whole community.

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Grade: 1

It is hard to fault the commitment, energy and expertise of the teaching staff. They are supported exceptionally well by very capable teaching assistants. The high quality of teaching and children's response to it is responsible for the upward trend in standards and very high levels of achievement. A good example to illustrate the quality of lesson planning and teachers' willingness 'to go the extra mile' was evident in a literacy/history lesson on the Second World War. Many children, as well as their teacher, arrived at school dressed in 1940's style clothing. The space in the hall was used to seat groups of evacuees in 'railway carriages' and they shared their feelings about leaving home. History was brought to life for them and this session gave them many ideas for the writing exercise when they prepared a play script. All staff use modern technology effectively to enhance children's learning and children of all ages have good access

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Grade: 1

to computers. Children's progress is assessed regularly and teachers use the information well to set further challenging targets. These are clearly displayed at the front of children's exercise books.

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Grade: 1

Curriculum planning and organisation are outstanding strengths. From the Foundation Stage onwards, children have access to a broad, balanced and creative curriculum which is highly enjoyable and very well planned to meet their individual needs. The curriculum is enriched significantly by specialist teaching of French and German as well as a very good range of extra-curricular activities. Children enjoy a wild life club and coaching for various sports and games. Personal, social and health education and citizenship has a high profile and an increasing emphasis is placed on promoting a healthy lifestyle. The school has achieved a Healthy School Award.

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Grade: 1

Pupils are very well supported both pastorally and academically. The attention paid to supporting children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is exemplary and this accounts for their very good progress. Staff know each child really well and are highly committed to enabling them to gain the maximum enjoyment from their learning. Highly effective systems are in place to track children's progress and their personal development. Vulnerable children are quickly identified and extremely well supported. The school ensures that all children are very well safeguarded. Teaching assistants are 4 Inspection Report: Wincle CofE Primary School, 20 September 2006 deployed very effectively and provide excellent support to all, especially those in Key Stage 2 who help children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Children learn happily in a calm, safe and well ordered environment, which is a credit to the dedicated

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Grade: 1

The headteacher's vision and total dedication to the school ensures that leadership and management are outstanding. The high quality of teamwork is reflected in the school gaining the Investors in People award. All the issues from the previous inspection have been tackled successfully by a school team determined to meet parents' high expectations and give children the best possible start in life. The rising school population and upward trend in standards shows that the team is doing very well. Governors are very supportive of the headteacher and staff and are fully involved with them in monitoring all aspects of the school's performance, helping to identify strengths and areas for future development. Financial resources are well matched to the priorities in the school improvement plan. The plan is detailed and identifies the correct priorities for the school. The school is very well staffed and resourced. The very favourable ratio

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Grade: 1

of children to each adult ensures the best possible level of attention for pupils and is a major factor helping children to do well. A new live website has just been launched for parents and necessary expansion plans are well in hand to help the school to cope with its popularity. The school demonstrates an outstanding capacity to build on its many strengths. 5 Inspection Report: Wincle CofE Primary School, 20 September 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: Wincle CofE Primary School, 20 September 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? 1 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?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 3 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?

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: Wincle CofE Primary School, 20 September 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: Wincle CofE Primary School, 20 September 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for your warm welcome when I visited your school. I really enjoyed talking to everyone and looking at your work. The things that were particularly good were: • how well you all get on with each other and your excellent behaviour in lessons and around school. You all seem to enjoy coming to school so much and I am not surprised after meeting your headteacher and staff and seeing how well they care for you • how much progress you all make from starting in Reception up to Year 6. The play scripts written by Year 6 were very impressive • the very good start that you all have in your Reception class. I thought that some of the things that you had to do like using the magnifying lenses to examine the seeds were interesting and fun • the excellent things that your teachers plan for you to do each day like pretending to be wartime evacuees and learning to speak French and German • how highly your parents value the school and all that it does for you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I did not find anything that needed to be improved. I gather that the governors are trying their best to get more space for the juniors and I hope that they manage this soon. It is good to see that your attendance is improving. Thank you again for helping me with the inspection. I could tell how proud of your school you are and am sure that you will keep working just as hard to make it even better. 9 Inspection Report: Wincle CofE Primary School, 20 September 2006

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