Taddington and Priestcliffe School

Taddington and Priestcliffe CE Primary School Inspection report

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112892 Unique Reference Number DERBYSHIRE Local Authority 289454 Inspection number 14 °15 March 2007 Inspection dates Keith Edwards 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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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 59 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs J Skidmore Chair Mrs S Kelcey Headteacher 2 July 2002 Date of previous school inspection School Lane School address Taddington Buxton Derbyshire SK17 9TW

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01298 85278 Telephone number 01298 85278 Fax number

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4 °11 Age group 14 °15 March 2007 Inspection dates 289454 Inspection number .

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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 serves the villages of Taddington and Priestcliffe in the Peak District. Although many of the children live locally, an increasing number are drawn from further afield. Inward pupil mobility is high, particularly in Key Stage 2. Almost all of the pupils are of White British heritage. Attainment on entry is broadly average. The proportion of children entitled to a free school meal and the proportion with learning difficulties are both below average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Taddington and Priestcliffe CE Primary School, 14 °15 March 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. It has some outstanding features. It has improved significantly since the last inspection and is well set to maintain this momentum. One parent commented, 'I think Taddington and Priestcliffe School is a wonderful, efficient, effective, caring and nurturing school.' The school makes a significant contribution to the community that it serves and works well with other schools. The personal development of the pupils is outstanding. They are keen to learn and older pupils are mindful of the younger ones. The pupils work extremely well together and have a very good understanding of how to stay fit and healthy. Standards are above average in Key Stage 2, in all subjects including the performing arts. The pupils achieve well here because they feel safe and secure and the quality of teaching is good. Because they are well supported, those pupils who find learning difficult make good progress.

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Grade: 2

The school makes good arrangements for the brighter pupils to make sure that they are suitably challenged and enabled to reach their potential. Standards are also above average at the end of the Foundation Stage and at the end of Key Stage 1. Current standards in English and mathematics are above average. The school's tracking data shows that pupils make good progress, particularly those who spend all of their primary education at the school. Achievement in writing lags a little behind the other basic skills in the junior classes because their work is marred by spelling and grammatical errors. However, there are signs that this is an improving situation. This is because the pupils now have a much clearer idea of what they need to do to improve and the teaching is putting much more emphasis on accuracy in writing. Furthermore, the pupils are being given more opportunities to record their ideas, develop their vocabulary

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Grade: 2

and practise their skills in a variety of contexts. The school makes outstanding provision for the care and welfare of its pupils. Each member of staff knows each of the pupils and the family atmosphere strengthens relationships and promotes outstanding behaviour. The ethos and the excellent and exciting range of opportunities available to the pupils strongly support their personal development and keep them interested. As a result, the pupils are very keen to come to school and attendance rates are good. The school checks the pupils' progress carefully. Assessment procedures provide an accurate picture of the pupils' starting points and are used well to sharpen the quality of teaching. Leadership and management are good. The staff form a cohesive team with an effective distribution of responsibilities. The school's view of itself is broadly accurate and has resulted in a clear strategy for continuing improvement. The quality of governance is good and has

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Grade: 2

improved since the last inspection as governors have developed a range of strategies to gauge the school's effectiveness and to measure its performance. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in writing in Years 3 to 6.

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Grade: 2

The children achieve well in the Foundation Stage and reach standards that are above average. This is because the quality of teaching is good and because the school makes a priority of working closely with the parents for the benefit of their children. This close partnership with 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Taddington and Priestcliffe CE Primary School, 14 °15 March 2007 the parents provides the basis for the pupils' continuing good progress throughout the school. Test results for pupils in Year 2 have shown a marked improvement in reading, writing and mathematics, particularly over the last two years. A key factor in the dip in 2006 test results for Year 6 pupils was the significant inward mobility of pupils into the junior classes. Current standards are above average in English and mathematics. However, standards in reading are stronger than standards in writing. The pupils use a good range of vocabulary but are let down

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Grade: 2

by a lack of accuracy in spelling and grammar. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) have risen through improved resources and training for staff. Standards in music are above average and strongly support the pupils' personal development.

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Grade: 1

The pupils' personal development and well being are outstanding. Their behaviour is exemplary around the school and in lessons. The pupils report that incidents of poor behaviour are rare and they trust the staff to deal with any problems that might occur. There have been no exclusions. Pupils are courteous, polite and helpful. They welcome the school's recent initiatives to promote a healthy lifestyle and enjoy the full range of sporting and musical activities that the school has to offer. The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. The school's close church links strongly support moral and spiritual development and the pupils understand and respect the culture and customs of a range of faiths. The performances of the school's band and a range of concerts involving all of the pupils make a very positive contribution to the local community. The pupils care for each other, mix well and

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Grade: 1

take their responsibilities seriously. Pupils successfully raise money for school equipment and work very well in groups to support charities. The pupils' good academic progress combined with their highly developed social skills provides a very secure base for the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. The pupils' progress benefits considerably from the broad range of the staff's skills and expertise. Parents speak warmly of the teaching staff and one comments, 'They are all experienced, enthusiastic, caring, helpful and encouraging. Each child is treated as an individual and made to feel special.' Indeed, a common factor in all classes is the warmth of the relationships that promotes outstanding behaviour and encourages the pupils to try hard. Teaching assistants provide very valuable support throughout the school. In most lessons, the work set is closely matched to the range of ability in each class, and this enables the pupils to make good progress. The quality of feedback is good but it does not consistently help pupils eliminate errors in their writing. Interactive whiteboards are used successfully to demonstrate new techniques and in most lessons the pace is good.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is excellent and strongly supports the pupils' personal development and achievements. From the outset in the Foundation Stage, there is very good provision for the children's personal, social and health education. Pupils with learning difficulties are catered 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Taddington and Priestcliffe CE Primary School, 14 °15 March 2007 for well and brighter pupils are given every opportunity to flourish. All pupils are reaping the benefit of the enhanced opportunities from the recently improved accommodation. Furthermore, the school has markedly improved its provision for ICT since the last inspection. The range and quality of extra-curricular activities are outstanding and together with a wide array of visits, visitors and residential visits bring a very exciting edge to the quality of learning. A high percentage of pupils take part in the different activities; they and their parents are very

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Grade: 1

appreciative of what the school offers. The numerous sporting and musical activities do much to promote enjoyment of school and the importance of keeping fit and healthy.

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Grade: 1

The pupils benefit from outstanding care, guidance and support. The family atmosphere of the school, underpinned by its Christian values, strongly supports the welfare of the pupils. The safety of the children is at the heart of school policies, and child protection arrangements are clearly understood by all staff. Risk assessments are carefully attended to. Pupils are confident that they can talk to an adult if they are at all concerned. The school provides an excellent range of cooked meals that are much appreciated by both the pupils and by senior members of the local community who are invited to lunch on a weekly basis. The pupils have a very good understanding of what they need to do to improve their work and how to achieve their best. The sharing of targets and the next steps in the pupils' progress are having a positive effect on their achievement. Productive links with other schools and very

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Grade: 1

effective transfer arrangements help pupils settle quickly on entry and move on confidently to the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher has successfully cultivated a strong team spirit that underpins the work of the school and which has led to a doubling of pupil numbers over recent years. She has effectively ensured that the culture of continuing school improvement has gained momentum. Good use has been made of local and national strategies to raise achievement and to ensure that the needs of all learners are identified and met. The school has a very good understanding of its strengths and energetically seeks to redress any areas of weakness. Consequently, there has been good progress since the last inspection. The issues have been fully resolved, standards have risen and the accommodation is much improved. Such improvements show that the school has what it takes to get better still. The governing body is increasingly involved in strategic development and is becoming more confident of its ability to hold the school to account,

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Grade: 2

particularly in terms of monitoring standards. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Taddington and Priestcliffe CE Primary School, 14 °15 March 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Taddington and Priestcliffe CE Primary School, 14 °15 March 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? 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Taddington and Priestcliffe CE Primary School, 14 °15 March 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Taddington and Priestcliffe CE Primary School, 14 °15 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

15 March 2007 Dear Pupils, Taddington and Priestcliffe CE Primary School, School Lane, Taddington, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 9TW I really enjoyed my visit to your school earlier this month because everybody was so helpful and friendly. I was very pleased to be able to work with you in your classrooms, join in with your morning assemblies, listen to your singing and watch you playing games outside. I can understand why you enjoy your school so much as there are so many things that make your school very special. Here are some of them. • You clearly want to do your best to learn in lessons and are prepared to work hard. • Everybody understands the school rules and your behaviour is wonderful. • Everybody tries to be friendly, thoughtful and helpful. Well done! • All of your teachers work hard to make your lessons interesting and fun. • The school provides an excellent range of activities and visits to keep you interested.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• All of the staff are very caring. • The school meals are excellent. You are very fortunate to be able to attend your school. Yours is a good school because your headteacher and the staff really understand how to make learning fun and work very hard to help you. It is really important that you remember to thank them and continue to work hard. I know that those of you in the junior classes can do even better with your writing with a bit more care and I am asking your teachers to help you. I would like to wish you all the very best for the future. Yours sincerely Keith Edwards Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Taddington and Priestcliffe CE Primary School, 14 °15 March 2007

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