Camms CofE (Aided) Primary School

Inspection Report Camms CofE (Aided) Primary School

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112882 Unique Reference Number DERBYSHIRE Local Authority 289451 Inspection number 18 °19 September 2006 Inspection dates Mr. Martin Newell 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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Camms Close School address Primary Type of school Castle Hill, Castle Hill Voluntary aided School category Sheffield, South Yorkshire S21 4AU 3 °11 Age range of pupils

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01246432829 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01246432829 Fax number 234 Number on roll (school) Mrs.Cath Hartley Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. Angela Caulton Headteacher 26 February 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 289451 18 °19 September 2006 3°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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is an average sized primary and nursery school serving Eckington and surrounding areas. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals and of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is close to the national average. The percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational need is above the national average. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and a small percentage of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. A small number are at an early stage of acquiring English. Some year groups have relatively high levels of pupil mobility.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Camms CofE (Aided) Primary School, 18 °19 September 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school which has a strong capacity to improve further. The school's successes owe much to how well the school is led and managed and the good teaching which together ensure that all pupils achieve well. The school knows itself well and the inspection fully endorses the school's judgement of its own effectiveness. The school provides good value for money. Attainment when children start school is below average in key areas such as communication and mathematical skills. By the time that pupils leave school standards are above average overall. However, writing standards are average and need to improve. Nevertheless, the overall picture painted is one of good progress and achievement which is directly linked to the successful teaching and learning pupils experience from the Foundation Stage through to Year 6. Teaching is often challenging but fun and good relationships and high expectations help to create

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Grade: 2

an atmosphere conducive to effective learning. However, teaching does not capitalise enough on opportunities to develop pupils' writing skills in different subjects. The curriculum offered to pupils is good. Staff go the extra mile in helping to bring learning to life by providing a wide array of enrichment opportunities through trips out, visitors and after school clubs which adds to pupils' enjoyment of learning. The school has put a lot of effort into developing robust procedures for assessing and tracking pupils' progress and for setting challenging targets. These have proved successful in raising standards and improving achievement. Teachers are quick to identify any pupil who has not made the progress expected of them and importantly do something about it. The weakness is that pupils themselves are not always aware or involved enough in the target setting process. Pupils' personal development and well-being is good. Pupils

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Grade: 2

make a significant contribution to the school community. They are well behaved, enthusiastic and keen to do well. They are more than ready to take on responsibilities around the school. Pupils have a good awareness of what is needed to keep fit and healthy and are always ready to take part in events in the local community. Pupils are eager to point out that all adults in the school respect what they have to say and that, 'There is always someone to talk to if you are worried.' The good levels of care and welfare that wrap around the school help pupils to feel safe and to bolster their confidence and self-esteem. All staff and governors work well together and share a strong commitment to helping pupils to achieve well. The leadership and management of the headteacher are very good. She has a very clear and accurate grasp of where the school is and leads the drive to tackle weaknesses in a rigorous manner but always

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Grade: 2

brings the staff and governors with her. Parents are very supportive and appreciative of all that Camms School offers. A comment expressed in the questionnaires was, 'All the staff give 100% for the pupils.'

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What the school should do to improve further

- improve standards in writing by providing well planned opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills in different subjects of the curriculum - ensure that pupils are aware of what targets they are working towards and that they play an active role in setting and reviewing their own targets. 2 Inspection Report: Camms CofE (Aided) Primary School, 18 °19 September 2006

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Grade: 2

Children start at the school with attainment levels that are below average in key areas such as communication and mathematical skills and their knowledge of the wider world. All children make good progress and achieve well in the Foundation Stage and by the end of the Reception year standards are close to national expectations. Pupils build well on this good start as they move through Years 1 to 6. The good achievement of all pupils, regardless of ability or ethnicity, is reflected in standards which are securely in line with national averages in most subjects by the end of Year 2 and above average by the end of Year 6. Writing standards are below average at Year 2 and average by the end of Year 6. Test and assessment data and the school's challenging and accurate target setting procedures indicate that standards are set to rise again in 2007 and 2008. This owes much to the good quality teaching and the leadership and management

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Grade: 2

of the school which is both focused and determined in its quest for excellence.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good and contributes much to how well pupils achieve. Pupils are well behaved and most put a lot of effort into their work. They enjoy their lessons and school because teachers 'make learning fun' and because 'staff always make us feel safe.' Attendance is satisfactory. Good opportunities are provided for older pupils to shoulder responsibility through activities such as 'playground friends,' and the successful school council where pupils say, 'we have a real voice.' Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. Pupils are thoughtful and show a genuine concern for others in school and beyond. Whilst pupils have a good awareness of their own culture, their awareness of the richness of other cultures is patchy. Pupils' knowledge of what is needed to keep fit and healthy is strong and they are ready to go the extra mile to take part in events and activities in the

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Grade: 2

community. Whilst basic skills are taught well more could be done to broaden pupils' horizons regarding the world of work.

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Grade: 2

At the core of how well pupils achieve lies the good quality teaching. Most lessons seen moved along at a fast pace, kept the pupils enthused and set high expectations. Good humour and harmonious relationships were evident throughout. The school offers good opportunities for pupils to learn through problem solving and investigative tasks. Effective use of the interactive whiteboards helps to bring learning to life as well as maintaining the interest of the pupils. Teaching assistants across the school make a significant contribution to the quality of pupils' learning. Writing skills are 3 Inspection Report: Camms CofE (Aided) Primary School, 18 °19 September 2006 currently taught well but there are too few opportunities to use or test them in other subjects of the curriculum. Assessment procedures are robust and the information is used well to set challenging targets for all pupils. However, pupils are not sufficiently

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Grade: 2

aware of what they themselves need to do to attain a higher level. They are not sufficiently involved in setting and reviewing their own academic targets.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and enhances the quality of pupils' learning well. The Foundation Stage provides a wide range of exciting learning activities which capture children's imagination. Good coverage of different subjects is on offer in Years 1 to 6 and learning is enhanced by the information and communication technology (ICT) provision which is much improved since the last inspection. Pupils with learning difficulties and the very small number of pupils who are at an early stage of acquiring English are well supported. The school has identified a small number of gifted and talented pupils but does not provide enough innovative and exciting learning experiences to test out those pupils who have particular academic talents. The school provides a wide array of enrichment opportunities through trips out, visitors, the teaching of foreign languages, and a plethora of after school clubs, which include music, sport, drama, art and computers. Well established links with the community

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Grade: 2

and the school's commitment to helping pupils learn about healthy living embellish pupils' learning experiences still further.

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Grade: 2

This aspect of school life is good and both parents and pupils appreciate the extra effort the school makes in ensuring pupils feel safe, secure and valued. Rigorous health and safety and risk assessment procedures are embedded in school practice and child protection procedures are known and followed by all staff. Pupils say, ' There is always someone to turn to if you are worried,' and the very good links that the school has forged with outside agencies means support can quickly be called on if any pupil is experiencing learning, social or emotional difficulties. Pupils' academic development is tracked well and regularly but it is not made clear enough to pupils themselves what targets they are aiming for next.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher leads the school very well and has played a pivotal role in the drive to improve standards. The school's self-evaluation is both accurate and effective and the school's capacity for continued improvement is good. The headteacher has been successful in building a strong team spirit geared towards moving the school to its next level and this lies at the heart of the good quality education provided for all pupils. The rigorous monitoring of teaching and analyses of test data, mainly by the 4 Inspection Report: Camms CofE (Aided) Primary School, 18 °19 September 2006 headteacher, has seen improvements in teaching and pupils' achievement. The headteacher is well supported by a recently appointed new senior management team who are beginning to play a more influential role in shaping an agenda for improvement, tackling weaknesses and monitoring the school's performance. Governors are great

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Grade: 2

supporters of the school and are equally effective at monitoring its work and performance. The regular surgeries governors organise enable them to gain a good understanding of how well parents think the school is doing. 5 Inspection Report: Camms CofE (Aided) Primary School, 18 °19 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: Camms CofE (Aided) Primary School, 18 °19 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? 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? 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 2 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?

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: Camms CofE (Aided) Primary School, 18 °19 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: Camms CofE (Aided) Primary School, 18 °19 September 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

20 September 2006 Dear Children Camms CE Primary School, Camms Close, Castle Hill, Eckington, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S21 4AU. You may remember that we visited your school not too long ago and I am now writing to let you know what we found out. Before I do, I would just like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all of you for making us feel so welcome. Wherever we went in school, children were polite and helpful and always had a smile on their faces. We managed to talk to lots of you and it was good to hear how much you enjoy school, the after-school clubs, the visits, that bullying is not a problem and that there is always someone to talk to if you are worried about anything. We found lots of good things about your school and we feel that just like you said and just like Mrs Caulton said... you are right... this is a GOOD SCHOOL!! Teachers and other staff make learning fun and enjoyable and help you to achieve

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

well. The school does a good job in the way that it helps you to learn about the importance of keeping fit, healthy and safe and works hard at making sure you are cared for and looked after well. Another strength is the way in which your headteacher runs the school. An important strength of the school is ......YOU. Your good behaviour, enthusiasm and readiness to help one another impressed us and you really add something to the life of the school. I have talked to your teachers about how they can help make the school even better. They are going to help you improve your writing skills and to tell you more clearly what your targets are and also to ask how you think you could do better. The headteacher and all the staff want the school to continue to improve. Having met you, I am sure you will play your part as well. I wish you every success in your futures. It was a pleasure and privilege to meet you. Martin Newell Lead Inspector

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

9 Inspection Report: Camms CofE (Aided) Primary School, 18 °19 September 2006

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