Bassetts Farm Primary School

Inspection Report Bassetts Farm Primary School

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113120 Unique Reference Number Devon Local Authority 289515 Inspection number 10 °11 January 2007 Inspection dates Geoff Burgess 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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St John's Road School address Primary Type of school Exmouth Community School category EX8 4GB 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01395 275968 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01395 274522 Fax number 318 Number on roll (school) Shirley Cope Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Christine Jones Headteacher 5 November 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 289515 10 °11 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a large primary school which caters for children who come mainly from the housing estates on the eastern edge of Exmouth. Almost all of its pupils are White British. Numbers on roll have been steady over the years but pupil mobility is a little higher than usual. Almost all pupils speak English as their first language. Relatively few pupils claim free school meals. An above average number of pupils have learning difficulties or disabilities; three have statements of special need. Children's attainment when they start school is usually broadly average but varies year on year.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Bassetts Farm Primary School, 10 °11 January 2007

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school. Leadership and management are satisfactory and improving. Improvements in the quality of education resulting from recent developments and appointments are beginning to impact on pupils' progress. The school has the desire and the capacity to build on these improvements. Pupils and their parents are very happy with the care and support the school provides. One parent comments that it is 'crystal clear that each student is valued and supported as an individual'. The emotional well-being of pupils is a key priority for the school and much effort is put into supporting pupils and their parents to achieve this end. Much improved arrangements for monitoring and tracking pupils' progress contribute to good care, support and guidance. Information from this tracking could be used more effectively to show pupils what they need to do to improve their work. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Staff have worked hard to

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Grade: 3

ensure that behaviour is good and in many situations, such as in assemblies, it is outstanding. Health and fitness have a high profile, with the school's kitchens providing a very good model by providing wholesome, locally sourced food. The whole ethos of the school is based on ensuring pupils' safety and security. Pupils appreciate the fact that 'lots of people care for us and look after us'. Their involvement in the local and wider community is good. Pupils' enjoyment of school, enthusiastically endorsed by parents and pupils, is made evident by good attendance and punctuality. Standards are broadly average overall and pupils' achievement is satisfactory but pupils in Year 6 this year are operating at a much higher level. Improved monitoring and tracking of pupils' progress have led to much more challenging targets for this year group and strong teaching means that Year 6 pupils are well on the way to achieving

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Grade: 3

these targets. Targets for Years 4 and 5 are also challenging, and the school is working to ensure that the teaching in these years is consistently good to ensure that the targets are met. Standards in Year 2 have been inconsistent, ranging from well above to well below average. The new special needs coordinator has overseen many improvements to the way pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are identified and supported and as a result, they make satisfactory progress towards their targets. Teaching overall is satisfactory but inconsistent, ranging from satisfactory to very good. Good classroom management is a feature of all lessons, but in several classes, pupils' learning is not as good as it could be because they have too few opportunities to take initiatives and find things out for themselves. Satisfactory provision in the Foundation Stage means that children make sound progress; use of the new

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Grade: 3

conservatory will provide scope for a better range of activities. The curriculum is satisfactory and activities such as the annual residential trip to France and 'One World Week' add much to pupils' personal development. In general, though, the curriculum does not ensure that pupils learn how subjects link together or that they learn in a variety of ways. 2 Inspection Report: Bassetts Farm Primary School, 10 °11 January 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve achievement by setting challenging targets for all year groups and by ensuring all teaching is consistently good throughout the school. • Develop and enrich the curriculum by providing a wider range of activities and making links between subjects so that pupils can learn more effectively. • Involve pupils more in their own learning by giving them more responsibility and information about what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory overall. Recent national test results have indicated that achievement was below average each year from 2003 to 2006 except for 2005 where it was satisfactory. An analysis of the school's records and pupils' work shows that achievement is improving in most classes. This is notably so in Year 6 where the school's highest ever targets have been set for national tests and records show that pupils are on track to achieve them. Foundation Stage children make satisfactory progress across all areas of learning and most should achieve the early learning goals by the end of the year. Standards are broadly average. Results in the national tests at the end of Year 6 improved from below average in 2002 to average in 2005. Results in the Year 2 tests have varied. In 2006 the results of tests in Years 2 and 6 fell, but the decline may be attributed to a greater proportion of pupils in each cohort with learning difficulties.

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Grade: 3

The school analyses results thoroughly and has taken appropriate action to remedy identified weaknesses. For example, action taken to narrow the gap between girls' and boys' performance is proving successful. The school also focused on improving pupils' writing, which has been a relative weakness, and standards are getting better, especially among boys. Over the years, science had been the weakest subject but with a new coordinator and science a priority, it became the strongest subject in 2006.

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Grade: 2

Almost all pupils are self-assured, well motivated and enjoy school. Their social and moral development is very good. Boys and girls have good manners and relate well to their schoolmates and the adults who help them. As one pupil wrote, 'Bassets is a good place to be because there are lots of lovely children to make friends with.' Pupils have a sound understanding of other cultures and faiths but limited knowledge of life in urban areas of Britain. Pupils in Year 6 are very proud of the help they give to their less well off peers in Gambia, especially the pencils! Pupils' spiritual development is satisfactory. Pupils are made aware of dangers and risks inside and out of school especially on the beach and in water. They show a good awareness of healthy lifestyles appreciating the importance of regular exercise. Pupils develop a good sense of citizenship by 3 Inspection Report: Bassetts Farm Primary School, 10 °11 January 2007

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Grade: 2

contributing to school life. Their involvement in the wider community, such as by fund-raising, is good. Pupils' skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology develop securely to give them a sound basis for future education and work. However, with limited opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning, many pupils lack the confidence to become independent learners.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, resulting in pupils' sound progress, and the school is correct in its evaluation that they are improving. Actions taken by the school have been particularly effective in Year 6, where consistently good teaching is resulting in pupils making good progress. Teaching is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage. In other classes there are examples of good teaching, but it is not yet consistently good. Strong features of teaching throughout the school include very good behaviour management, very effective teaching assistants (TAs) and good use of interactive whiteboards. TAs provide good support for teachers and pupils, notably those pupils who need extra help. Lessons are usually pitched at a level that matches the needs of most pupils, but pupils sometimes find some activities mundane and lose interest so that progress is slower than it might be.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum meets national requirements but does not always meet the needs of all pupils. A good range of experiences, such as theme days and weeks, visits and visitors, supports learning. Music and art continue to have a high priority in the curriculum. New ways of teaching science have made it a favourite subject for many pupils and have resulted in higher standards. However, some other lessons have become routine and do not concentrate the energies of some very lively minds. In particular, pupils have few opportunities to use their initiative, organise their own learning and find things out for themselves. A satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities supports the curriculum but parents are disappointed about the limited number of clubs available for pupils after school. Opportunities for children in the Foundation Stage are limited by the accommodation, which restricts the range of physical and

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Grade: 2

As one parent writes, the good quality of care 'ensures that children feel confident and secure, and know what is expected of them'. Staff know their pupils well and pupils are happy that they have someone to talk to if they have a problem. Child protection and health and safety arrangements are good. Parents of new entrants are 4 Inspection Report: Bassetts Farm Primary School, 10 °11 January 2007 pleased that good arrangements result in children 'having a happy and confident start to their schooling'. Year 6 praise the support they are given which makes them feel confident about their move to secondary school. Following a recent review, much improved academic guidance is already having an impact but many pupils still do not understand how they can make their work better and reach their targets.

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Grade: 3

Consistently solid standards, a contented school community and an obviously well run school with a very caring ethos, have led governors, staff, pupils and parents to regard their school as good. However, with pupils' progress no better than sound for some time, the school's effectiveness is currently satisfactory. This is reflected in the judgements that leadership and management and improvement since the last inspection are both satisfactory. Recent new appointments have strengthened the leadership team. New ways of working mean that the team is now much more effective in identifying what needs to be done to improve academic standards. The school is now well placed to improve further. In all this, the school has been well led by the leadership team and well backed up by the governing body. Improved monitoring, tracking and target setting arrangements mean that much more challenging targets are now being

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Grade: 3

set in Years 4, 5 and 6 and that specific areas for improvement in teaching and learning are being identified. The actions taken to remedy weaknesses are beginning to make an impact. Teaching and learning are improving, particularly in Year 6 and the transformation of the way science is taught and perceived by pupils has resulted in higher standards and better achievement. 5 Inspection Report: Bassetts Farm Primary School, 10 °11 January 2007 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Bassetts Farm Primary School, 10 °11 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? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 3 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

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 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 2 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: Bassetts Farm Primary School, 10 °11 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: Bassetts Farm Primary School, 10 °11 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We really enjoyed our two days at your school and would like to say thank you for being so welcoming and friendly. You all look very smart and were very polite and helpful. We think your school is satisfactory right now but has everything in place to get better. This is what we liked most about your school: • Everybody gets on well together and enjoys school. • You behave really well and do your best in class. • You understand how important it is to have a healthy lifestyle and stay safe. We particularly enjoyed sharing the lovely food made in your kitchens. • The adults in the school look after you really well and make sure you are safe. • The school runs like clockwork. Everything is sorted out and the buildings and grounds are spick and span. • Your headteacher and all the other teachers and helpers are working hard to make sure your time in school is happy and positive. These are the things that we think would make your school even better:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• If all lessons could be as good as the best and you were all set really tough targets, we know you would meet the challenge. • The things you do in class could be made more interesting by working and looking at things in different ways. Maybe you have some ideas about how to do this. • We think you would enjoy taking more responsibility for what you learn and how you learn if given the chance. What is you favourite way of learning? We hope you enjoy the rest of this term. 9 Inspection Report: Bassetts Farm Primary School, 10 °11 January 2007

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