Staveley CofE School

112264 Unique Reference Number Cumbria Local Authority 289226 Inspection number 14 °15 September 2006 Inspection dates Michael Onyon 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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Brow Lane School address Primary Type of school Staveley, Kendal Voluntary controlled School category Cumbria, LA8 9PH 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01539 821218 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01539 821218 Fax number 145 Number on roll (school) Mr Iain Johnston Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Mike Prince Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 289226 14 °15 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

Staveley Church of England Primary School is smaller than average. Almost all pupils are White British and all speak English as their first language. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below average. The overall proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with statements of need is below average. There are high levels of inward pupil mobility. The school is a member of three network learning communities and has gained the Healthy Schools award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Staveley CofE School, 14 °15 September 2006

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Grade: 2

Staveley Church of England Primary is a good school and provides good value for money. Parents and pupils are rightly proud of their school, for example saying, ‘When I asked my daughter what she thinks about Staveley School she shouted, “It’s great!” She loves school and is doing well. We have no concerns.’ Parents appreciate the information they receive about their children’s progress. Pupils’ personal development and the care the school provides are good and there is a strong Christian ethos. The headteacher is improving provision by involving staff in the monitoring of teaching and learning and by encouraging pupils to evaluate the quality of their work. This is leading to improvement, which is seen in improved standards in Key Stage 2. Children join the school with attainment that is broadly typical of four-year olds. They make satisfactory progress in the Foundation Stage because of the satisfactory

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Grade: 2

educational provision and the secure environment in which they learn. Teachers’ assessment of their abilities, when children join the school is not accurate enough to ensure that they know how well they progress through the Foundation Stage. By the time they enter Year 1, children have reached the goals set for their learning and some exceed them. Pupils make satisfactory progress through Years 1 and 2 and reach average standards. In the Year 6 national tests in 2005, standards in English and mathematics were average. Standards in science were better and above average. The school took action to improve standards in English and mathematics with the result that a greater number of pupils reached higher standards in the national tests in 2006. Pupils achieved well. The quality of teaching and learning is good, and in some instances it is outstanding. Teachers regularly watch teaching in other classes and a programme of professional

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Grade: 2

development offers opportunities to see lessons taught by leading and advanced skills teachers in others schools, enabling the best practice to be identified and shared and any necessary improvements to be made. Where teaching is at its best it is dynamic, teaching assistants are actively involved, information and communication technology (ICT) is used well and teachers have a good knowledge of their pupils’ strengths and weaknesses. The curriculum is good, having been reviewed to ensure a good balance and an appropriate allocation of time not only for English, mathematics and science but for other creative subjects. Overall, leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides good leadership with a clear sense of purpose and direction. He has made improvements that have helped to raise standards, especially in Key Stage 2, and improved the quality of teaching and learning. Despite this, the priorities to raise standards and achievement

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Grade: 2

do not have measurable targets for success, which prevents the school from recognising which are the most effective methods in its drive to raise standards. The school has made good progress since the previous inspection and is well placed to make further improvements. 2 Inspection Report: Staveley CofE School, 14 °15 September 2006

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve assessment systems for children entering the school to provide a more accurate basis from which to measure their achievement in later years. • Provide measurable targets for raising standards in the school’s improvement plan, so that the school is aware of what works best for different groups of children.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good and standards by Year 6 are above average. Results in the national tests in 2006 were better than the previous year’s, with a high proportion of pupils exceeding the targets set for them. Close to half reached the higher level in English, mathematics and science. This was a result of the school’s response to a slight dip in performance in 2005, when results were average. Children in the Foundation Stage make satisfactory progress and by Year 1 the vast majority meet, or exceed, the goals expected of them. Pupils continue to make satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2 and by the end of Year 2 standards are average with some strengths in the basic skills in reading, writing and number. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 make good progress and standards in Year 6 are above average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and gifted and talented pupils are well supported and

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Grade: 2

make good progress. As a result, some pupils with learning difficulties reach average standards in national tests in Year 6.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good overall. Pupils gain in maturity as they move up the school. This provides a strong basis for their learning. Pupils' personal development is built on good relationships with the staff and ‘family groups’ to which the pupils belong. Staff provide activities, which develop effectively pupils' confidence, self-esteem and a caring approach to each other. They know how to make healthy and safe choices, and have confidence that adults will keep them safe in school and respond to their concerns. They make good progress in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, much of which is well supported by the school's strong Christian ethos and the day-to-day example set by adults in the school. Attendance is outstanding. Pupils report that they enjoy school and speak of, ‘respect, enjoyment and fair treatment for all’. Their attitudes to school are good and their behaviour

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Grade: 2

excellent. Pupils are aware of the needs of others in the local and wider community, and are articulate and very comfortable in expressing their views to adults. For example, a pupil described her feelings about the school by saying, 'Everybody is very friendly and really looks after you'. 3 Inspection Report: Staveley CofE School, 14 °15 September 2006

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good, which contributes to the good progress pupils make by the time they leave the school. The needs of all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are met. Teachers and classroom assistants know their pupils well. Relationships are positive. Pupils enjoy learning, contribute readily to question and answer sessions, stay on task and behave very well. In the best lessons, they rise eagerly to the challenging tasks set for them. They are engaged and increasingly inquisitive. They work hard. The teachers' high expectation of what pupils can achieve drives the learning forward. Learning is less successful, particularly in Key Stage 1, where teachers do too much of the work themselves. In these lessons, there is little to stretch the most able pupils. Pupils' achievement is regularly assessed. They are set clear targets to improve in English and mathematics and effectively encouraged

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Grade: 2

to assess their own work and to consider how it can be improved.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is enriched well by the contribution of visitors and the many opportunities for visits that pupils have. The school has been successful in improving opportunities to use English, especially writing, and mathematics skills in other subjects, and in improving pupils' progress. It has rightly recognised the benefit of planning work that develops links between subjects to give pupils the opportunity to practise the skills they learn in one subject in another. All Key Stage 2 pupils have chance to learn French. The personal, social and health education programme deals successfully with a range of skills and is particularly successful in helping pupils to understand their emotions. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Curricular links with the local high school smoothes the transition. The curriculum is enhanced through the opportunities provided for pupils to visit,

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Grade: 2

study and work in the local environment and to take part in a range of extra-curricular activities. Good residential opportunities that positively develop pupils' social skills are provided for all pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6.

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Grade: 2

The overwhelming majority of those parents who returned questionnaires agree that the quality of care, support and guidance provided for their children is good. Pupils say they feel safe and secure and that there is always an adult they can turn to for help or advice. Vulnerable pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, are well supported. Consequently, they make good progress. Child protection procedures are in place and understood by all staff. Appropriate health and safety and risk assessment systems are in place. All staff are checked for their suitability 4 Inspection Report: Staveley CofE School, 14 °15 September 2006 to work with children and their effectiveness is monitored well. Pupils know how well they are doing and how to improve. They have written literacy and numeracy targets which are regularly reviewed and they are well equipped to understand their progress.

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Grade: 2

Consequently, they have a good understanding of what they need to do to improve. Assessment of children’s attainment on entry to the Foundation stage is not accurate enough to enable the school to measure progress by the time they start Year 1.

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Grade: 2

The school's evaluation of its overall effectiveness is too modest and it is better than it believes to be the case. Leadership and management are good. After the dip in results at both key stages in 2005, the school successfully improved standards, particularly in English and mathematics. It is an inclusive school, where provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is good and sensitively managed. All individuals are valued. The headteacher provides good leadership and the capacity for further improvement is good. He is effectively supported by the two other members of the leadership team and they have successfully identified areas for improvement. The school improvement plan does not indicate how actions to raise standards will be measured to judge their effectiveness. This prevents the school from having a sharp picture of what works well to raise standards and meet targets. Governors support the

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Grade: 2

headteacher and the school well, and the chair has a good understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development. There is a genuine collegiate approach to improvement. Parents' and pupils' views are sought and both groups think highly about the school. Document reference number: HMI 2507 1 September 2006Inspection Report:Staveley CofE School, 14-15 September 20066Document reference number: HMI 2507 1 September 2006

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Grade: 2

procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 5 Inspection Report: Staveley CofE School, 14 °15 September 2006 .

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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: Staveley CofE School, 14 °15 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? 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?

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

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. 7 Inspection Report: Staveley CofE School, 14 °15 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: Staveley CofE School, 14 °15 September 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

16 September 2006 Staveley CofE School Brow Lane Staveley Kendal Cumbria LA8 9PH Dear Pupils Thank you for making me feel so welcome in your school and for being so helpful when I asked you questions. I enjoyed talking with you, looking at your work, watching your lessons and finding out about the things you like to do. I am pleased to tell you that yours is a good school. Some of its strengths are: • your standards in English, mathematics and science by the time you leave school • the good curriculum, offering you lots of opportunities to learn • the way in which you think about your work and try to improve it • your excellent behaviour and the way that you willingly take responsibility and help others • the good quality of the teaching and learning • the way your teachers and headteacher are trying to make the school even better. We have asked your school to check the progress you are making even better by measuring

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

exactly what you can do when you first arrive at school. The school also needs to show, in its planning, how much you have improved. You can help your teachers by continuing to do your best work and to try to do even better. Thank you once again for helping to make my visit so enjoyable. Michael Onyon Lead inspector 9 Inspection Report: Staveley CofE School, 14 °15 September 2006

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