Ivegill CofE School

112303 Unique Reference Number Cumbria Local Authority 289242 Inspection number 16 °17 January 2007 Inspection dates Arthur Allison 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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Ivegill School address Primary Type of school Carlisle, Cumbria Voluntary aided School category CA4 0PA 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01697 473397 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01697 473397 Fax number 68 Number on roll (school) Mr Steve Pinguey Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Sue Stainton Headteacher 1 June 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 289242 16 °17 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a small primary school serving a rural area. The children are taught in three mixed-age classes, one of which includes all children in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is lower than most schools. The proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is higher than most schools. There are very few looked after children. The majority of children have pre-school experience in an independent Nursery. Attainment on entry to the Reception class fluctuates from broadly typical to well below that of children of their age. More pupils join or leave the school at other than the normal times than is usual. The school is emerging from a period of staff changes.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Ivegill C of E School, 16 °17 January 2007

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Grade: 2

Ivegill is a good school with some outstanding features. It provides good value for money. The vast majority of parents have every confidence in the school. One wrote, ‘My children are extremely happy at school. They feel proud to be a part of the team.’ Children make rapid progress in the Reception class and good progress thereafter to reach standards that are above average at the end of Year 6. This is due to strong leadership and consistently good teaching that focuses acutely on what individual pupils need to do to meet the realistic but challenging targets that are set for them. The school keeps parents well informed of what it is doing and why. Consequently, the whole school community works together as a team. The good curriculum is excellently enriched and contributes enormously to pupils’ achievement and enjoyment. Teachers use the interactive whiteboards very well to make lessons interesting but

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Grade: 2

pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to use computers for themselves to support learning across all subjects. Learning is more purposeful when subjects are linked together through a theme, such as in ‘Light Week’. This is not yet a consistent feature of the school’s work. The very high level of pastoral care and support is distinctive in the way it encourages pupils to give of their best and make them feel valued for their contribution to school life. Excellent personal development and good basic skills prepare pupils well for the next stage of their education and beyond. Pupils are very polite, extremely well behaved and know how to stay safe. They thoroughly enjoy coming to school because they know that all staff want to help them do their best. They have an excellent grasp of the need for a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Pupils make an outstanding contribution to the school and wider communities through the school council and in

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Grade: 2

raising money for charities. Older pupils take on and fulfil responsibilities with confidence. They are very mature for their age in evaluating their own learning. Particularly impressive is the way that they make a note on their written work when they think that a literacy target has been achieved. Leadership and management are good though, until recently, the heavy teaching commitment of the headteacher limited opportunities to monitor the work of the school. The school’s self-evaluation is very clear about what staff should do in the drive to raise standards further. Given the strong leadership, the improvement in standards and the sharp focus on priorities in the school’s development plan, it is clear that the school has good capacity for further improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Provide more opportunities for pupils to use information and communication technology (ICT) to support learning in other subjects. • Link subjects together at the planning stage to make learning more purposeful. 2 Inspection Report: Ivegill C of E School, 16 °17 January 2007

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Grade: 2

Pupils of all abilities and backgrounds achieve well. They make good progress throughout the school to reach standards that are above average at the end of Key Stage 2. Children’s attainment on entry to the Reception class varies from year to year. They make excellent progress from their different starting points in response to high quality provision. By the end of the Reception year, standards are typical of those of children of their age. Those who joined the school in 2006 are on track to attain or exceed the early learning goals. Standards are broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1. This is reflected in end of key stage assessments. Numbers in the year groups are small so overall performance fluctuates a little from year to year according to the make up of the year group. All pupils make good progress from their starting points in Year 1. Pupils’ results in end of key stage tests taken in Year 6 are compatible with

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Grade: 2

the above average standards seen during the inspection in English, mathematics and science. Pupils did marginally better in 2006 than in 2005. This was largely because a higher proportion exceeded the nationally expected level in English and science. The school did well to reach its challenging targets. Looked after pupils and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make similar progress to other pupils because their learning and pastoral needs are identified and supported effectively from an early stage.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development and behaviour are excellent, as is their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are adamant that there is no bullying of any kind. They thoroughly enjoy coming to school, which is reflected in their consistently good attendance. Pupils are very well aware of how to stay safe. One said, ‘This is a good school when it comes to knowing about strangers. When we are out on visits we stay together.’ They know there is always an adult to turn to when needed. Their understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles is exceptional. They have been instrumental in improving lunchtime menus and value the opportunities for physical exercise. Pupils have excellent attitudes to work. Their literacy, numerical and technical skills are developing well and provide a very good basis for pupils’ future well-being. Pupils make a wonderful contribution to the school and wider communities. There are

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Grade: 1

many examples of this, including the sensory garden, the buddy system and, because they have a very mature concern for those less fortunate than themselves, the money they raise for charities. Pupils are proud to serve on the school council and show deep concern for their peers and the wider community; they were particularly keen to explain why they wanted a memorial to a former member of the school staff. 3 Inspection Report: Ivegill C of E School, 16 °17 January 2007

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good; some is outstanding. This is a significant factor in pupils’ good progress and learning. Children benefit from excellent teaching in the Foundation Stage. Outstanding teaching was also observed in the Year 5/6 class when, in a literacy lesson, pupils used ICT to extend their knowledge and understanding of history. The room was a hive of purposeful activity. Teachers have good subject knowledge and expertise; they ensure that pupils understand what they have learnt by the end of the lesson. Information gained from thoughtful questioning is used very effectively to check on learning and to plan challenging tasks that are well matched to pupils’ needs and ability. Interactive whiteboards are used very well to arouse interest and extend learning but, overall, there is insufficient use of ICT by pupils to support learning in other subjects. Marking makes clear to pupils what they have

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Grade: 2

achieved and, particularly with older pupils, indicates what they need to do to improve. Occasionally, the initial brisk pace of the lesson drops and slows the pace of learning.

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Grade: 2

The good curriculum is underpinned by an emphasis on personal and social education that, from the day they start in Reception, provides all pupils with the skills and attributes that help them to become good learners. Basic skills are consolidated and reading and writing are used well to support learning in other subjects. The curriculum is extensively enriched. Day visits, such as those to places of worship of different faiths, and the residential experience for older pupils, were recounted enthusiastically by pupils. The range of sports, some in conjunction with secondary schools, musical opportunities and French lessons add considerably to the wealth of learning experiences. Pupils think highly of topic weeks when all learning is planned around a theme that links several subjects. One said, ‘I think health week is fab because you can overcome things and learn things that you would probably not learn in a normal

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Grade: 2

school day’. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is outstanding. Children make rapid progress because of coherent planning and the excellent use that is made of the recent improvements in indoor and outdoor provision.

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Grade: 1

Provision for care, guidance and support is excellent. Guidance and support for looked after pupils and those who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities are outstanding so they make similar progress to other pupils. Pupils who may be gifted or talented are similarly identified and supported. There are excellent procedures for monitoring the progress of individual pupils against challenging targets and providing additional support as soon as a need is identified. A striking feature is the way older pupils 4 Inspection Report: Ivegill C of E School, 16 °17 January 2007 confidently take responsibility for evaluating their own progress; for example, when they put a ‘T’ underneath their writing, regardless of subject, if they believe they have attained a literacy target. Procedures and practices for child protection and all aspects of health and safety are robust. Parents and pupils agree that the school is a safe and

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Grade: 1

secure place. Arrangements for children starting Reception are very good because of the very strong links with the on-site Nursery and the strong links forged with parents. As a result, children settle quickly into school routines.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides very good, charismatic leadership. She has the full support of all staff in her drive to raise standards further in a caring environment in which every child thrives. The school’s development plan accurately identifies what needs to be done to improve further though, until recently, the headteacher’s heavy teaching load had limited opportunities for her to monitor the work of the school. The school has a good understanding of how well it is doing; this triggers action where weaknesses are identified. There has been good improvement since the previous inspection, particularly in pupils’ achievement and in tracking procedures to ensure that every pupil works to their full potential. Teachers and teaching assistants are deployed well. Support is notably directed to the exact level of pupils’ needs, promoting progress and encouraging independence. Resources are

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Grade: 2

well used though the limited storage space restricts the use of the hall. The views of parents and pupils are sought and acted on appropriately, such as the parents’ suggestion for a ‘New Starters handbook’. The governors fulfil their responsibilities well; they are knowledgeable about the school’s performance and provide a judicious balance between support and challenge. 5 Inspection Report: Ivegill C of E School, 16 °17 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: Ivegill C of E School, 16 °17 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? 1 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 1 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 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: Ivegill C of E School, 16 °17 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: Ivegill C of E School, 16 °17 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Ivegill CofE School Ivegill Carlisle Cumbria CA4 0PA 18 January 2007 Dear Children What a lovely school you attend! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit, particularly talking to you and seeing you work so hard in class. I shall long remember the hive of activity I found when I went into the Year 5/6 literacy lesson on Wednesday. From what I saw and what you said to me I know you are very proud of your school and really enjoy coming because: • your behaviour is excellent and helps you to make good progress in your learning • you work hard in lessons because the teachers give you interesting, but challenging, work to do • you really appreciate what you learn from the many interesting visitors and visits arranged by the school, such as the visit to a Hindu temple and the exciting residential visit to Coniston • you are very confident about taking on responsibilities, such as being buddies or as members of the school council; I was amazed at some of the things you have suggested to make the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

school better • you know how well the school cares for each and every one of you and knows what needs to be done to help you to do your best. As a result of what I saw and what you said to me, I think that: • you could use ICT more to help with your learning in different subjects • you would find lessons even more interesting if subjects were linked more closely as they are in the special weeks such as ‘Light Week’. It was a pleasure to visit your school. Keep working hard so that you continue to do well. Yours sincerely Mr Allison The Inspector 9 Inspection Report: Ivegill C of E School, 16 °17 January 2007

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