Abbotskerswell Primary School

Inspection Report Abbotskerswell Primary School

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113183 Unique Reference Number Devon Local Authority 289538 Inspection number 12 February 2007 Inspection date Janet Simms 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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Abbotskerswell School address Primary Type of school Newton Abbot Community School category TQ12 5NS 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01626 353605 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01626 353605 Fax number 97 Number on roll (school) Kevin Henman Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Viv Clare Headteacher 26 November 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 289538 12 February 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This small primary school located in the centre the village of Abbotskerswell has four mixed age classes. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is above average and is particularly high in some years. Socio-economic backgrounds are generally favourable, although the percentage of families claiming free school meals is rising. Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds with English as their first language.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Abbotskerswell Primary School, 12 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Abbotskerswell is a good school. It provides a good quality of education for pupils in Years 1 to 6 and gets children in the Reception Year off to a satisfactory start. Achievement is good in the school as a whole, and standards are above average because the overall quality of teaching is good. Children's skills on entry are very similar to those found nationally at this age. Their progress in Reception is broadly as expected, but they make slower progress in the key areas of writing and phonics than in other areas. As they move into the next class, pupils' rate of progress speeds up significantly. Pupils currently in Year 2 are attaining above average standards. Good progress continues in Years 3 to 6. As a result, pupils in Year 6 are also on track to achieve the high targets set for them in English, mathematics and science. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. They enjoy their education,

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Grade: 2

including the many opportunities to make decisions about school life. Pupils are well involved with village activities. They know how to stay fit and healthy. A relatively less well developed aspect of pupils' personal development is their understanding of the cultural diversity of modern society. Facilities for Reception children have improved since the last inspection, but teaching is not as effective in meeting the children's needs as it was then, particularly in early reading and writing. Elsewhere in the school, good teaching promotes steady progress and a good sense of enjoyment. Assessment has improved significantly since the last inspection and now gives pupils a clear picture of how well they are doing. The curriculum is satisfactory. Enrichment of daily lessons is extensive, and support for lower-attaining pupils is good. However, the curriculum for Reception children requires improvement to create proper excitement and challenge. Care, guidance and support

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Grade: 2

are good throughout the school. Leadership and management are good. Senior staff manage the school well and have created notable improvements recently, particularly in monitoring pupils' progress and ensuring that work matches needs. The school's review of its effectiveness has resulted in procedural changes to improve communication, especially with parents. Self-evaluation is good and largely accurate. The school recognises the need to improve provision for the Reception Year to make it as good as in other year groups. Strong teamwork has created good improvement since the last inspection. Governance is effective and the school has good capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• improve the range of learning opportunities and the quality of teaching in the Reception Year to make provision as effective as in other years • provide more opportunities for pupils to learn about the diversity of cultural backgrounds of people living in Britain today. 2 Inspection Report: Abbotskerswell Primary School, 12 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Attainment when children enter the Reception class varies from year to year, although most children have the skills expected for their age. Children make satisfactory progress in Reception and good progress throughout the rest of the school. Present standards are above average in English, mathematics and science in Year 6. In the school as a whole, achievement is good and standards are above average. Progress in the Reception class is no better than satisfactory because there are shortcomings in the variety of the curriculum and in the closeness with which work is matched to needs, particularly in early reading and writing. When children join the next class, their progress improves dramatically because teaching builds skills systematically and ensures pupils are well supported in their learning. By the end of Year 2, standards are above average. During Years 3 to 6, progress continues to be good and pupils reach the challenging

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Grade: 2

targets set for them. Pupils with learning difficulties also make good progress. Work is well matched to these pupils' needs and they receive effective support from teachers and teaching assistants.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good. A satisfactory start is made in this area in the Reception Year although there is room for improvement, particularly in the development of independence and teamwork. Skills in working independently and in groups develop well by Year 6. Pupils enjoy school activities and speak confidently about their many contributions to school life, through the School Council for instance. Pupils' spiritual, moral and social development is good, with many participating actively in village life. In this relatively mono-cultural community, pupils' understanding of cultural diversity is satisfactory but is a less well developed aspect of their personal development. Pupils understand how to stay healthy and fit, enjoying sports and physical education. They are aware of safety issues such as the need to use antiseptic hand-gel before eating lunch. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and behave well.

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Grade: 2

Attendance remains above average. Pupils' competence in the basic skills of literacy and numeracy is above average, preparing them well for the next phase of education and for the world of work.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good overall but the school recognises that it is not as effective in Reception as in other years, particularly in developing children's literacy skills. In most classes, 3 Inspection Report: Abbotskerswell Primary School, 12 February 2007 careful planning for the range of ages and abilities is good and leads to interesting, enjoyable lessons. Teachers are confident about judging their pupils' standards and know how to support or challenge them to reach high targets. A new, refreshingly simple system of marking with different coloured 'spots' helps pupils to understand how well they are doing in their work. They say they now know when they 'haven't got the idea' and need to develop their skills and understanding further. Effective additional support helps less able pupils to improve their reading so they often catch up with their classmates. Teachers have improved their teaching of writing, which has helped to narrow the gap between reading and writing standards.

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Grade: 2

Developments in teaching writing have improved pupils' ability to write at length, especially boys'.

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Grade: 3

Pupils enjoy the good balance of activities provided in lessons and elsewhere. When asked, they quote a wide range of subjects as 'favourites', including their work in literacy and mathematics. Curriculum planning ensures that subjects satisfactorily operate in a way that avoids repetition of content in the mixed age classes. As a result, the interest of the different year groups in classes is maintained. Resources and accommodation are used well, with recent refurbishment improving the condition of temporary classrooms. Such improvement has largely resolved the issue about the Reception provision from the previous inspection. For example, children now have access to a secure outdoor area. However, the use of resources for this class does not stimulate pupils enough. Planning for the Reception Year requires improvement, in particular to develop children's independence, fire their enthusiasm and promote more effective development of early reading and writing.

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Grade: 2

Assessment procedures and the guidance pupils receive through information about their standards and achievement have improved well since the last inspection and are now good. Pupils who need support or extra challenge are identified early because staff take time to get to know all pupils well. Adults check carefully to safeguard pupils' best interests and are mindful of the combination of factors which could adversely influence individuals' progress. Staff are approachable and ensure that pupils are provided with good pastoral care.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher's clear and purposeful leadership has enabled the school to improve significantly over recent years. She has high expectations of pupils' academic progress, which are fully shared by governors and staff. The school has good procedures to 4 Inspection Report: Abbotskerswell Primary School, 12 February 2007 check on the quality of its work. The school recognises that there are weaknesses in the Reception Year provision which need to be rectified to make it as good as that in other years. The school improvement plan accurately identifies the priorities for further development and shows a strong commitment to ensuring each pupil gets the most from school life. Governors understand the school well, fulfill their statutory duties and make a good contribution to effective management. They manage the finances very well and ask critical questions that help the school to improve. The views of all

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Grade: 2

members of the school community, including parents and pupils, are sought and acted upon. Governors and the headteacher know that some parents felt that communication over the school organisation was not handled well last year and have since reviewed procedures accordingly. 5 Inspection Report: Abbotskerswell Primary School, 12 February 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: Abbotskerswell Primary School, 12 February 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 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 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: Abbotskerswell Primary School, 12 February 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: Abbotskerswell Primary School, 12 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I am writing to thank you for welcoming us into your school when we visited recently and to explain what we found out. We had an enjoyable day and were very pleased to see your work, to be in your lessons, and to talk with your teachers and some of you. We found some really good things about your school, and a few things that we have asked the staff to work on to make your learning even better. Yours is a good school. Most of you make good progress and we agree with most of your parents who think the same. By the time you reach the end of the school, you are well prepared for going to secondary school. Your attitudes and behaviour are good and you enjoy your lessons and other activities. Most of you learn well because the teachers do a good job and make sure you are doing work which suits your needs. Some of you told us how much they like the new 'coloured spots' marking which tells you about how well you are doing ° this marking is really

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

useful for you. Staff care a lot about your well-being. They take time to understand all the things about you that might affect your progress and enjoyment of school. Things we have asked staff to improve are: • making sure children in the Reception year have more exciting things to do so they can make progress which is as good as that of older pupils, especially in starting to write and read • making sure you have lots of opportunities to learn about how different people live in other parts of this country and abroad. Thank you again for your welcome. We hope you have had a good half-term holiday. 9 Inspection Report: Abbotskerswell Primary School, 12 February 2007

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