Bovey Tracey Primary School

Inspection Report Bovey Tracey Primary School

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113187 Unique Reference Number Devon Local Authority 289541 Inspection number 6 °7 February 2007 Inspection dates Rowena Onions 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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Abbey Road School address Primary Type of school Bovey Tracey Community School category Newton Abbot TQ13 9HZ 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01626 833257 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01626 835482 Fax number 293 Number on roll (school) J Midgley Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Max Quick Headteacher 1 June 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 289541 6 °7 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This larger than average size primary school serves the town of Bovey Tracey and the surrounding district. Almost all pupils are of White British origin and for all, English is their first language. Few pupils have free school meals. A below- average proportion of pupils have learning difficulties and disabilities, and an average number have statements of special educational needs. Attainment on entry to the school is broadly average. There is an after-school club on the school site which is not managed by the school and was, therefore, inspected separately.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Bovey Tracey Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Bovey Tracey Primary is a good school that very successfully produces young people who work hard, are keen to learn, know how to keep themselves happy, healthy and safe and learn to enjoy what they do. These key skills assist them to make good progress and provide them with attitudes to learning that will stand them in very good stead in their future lives. Pupils and parents alike value what the school provides. Pupils enter the school with broadly average attainment, they make good progress in the Reception class. In the main school pupils are now making good progress in English, mathematics and science. School data shows that the current Year 6 are on target to attain standards in English and mathematics that are above national average. A recent dip in standards in mathematics has been successfully halted through well-judged improvements in teaching and learning of problem solving skills. There have been

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Grade: 2

similarly successful improvements made in the teaching of writing and of skills in investigation in science. Standards in physical education are high, reflecting the importance placed by the school on physical fitness. Teaching and learning are good overall. Teachers use a wide variety of teaching techniques to help pupils progress, motivate them to learn and develop a love of learning. There are, however, too few opportunities for pupils to develop independent learning and self-assessment skills. Overall, pupils' personal development is good, their behaviour is exemplary and their social, moral, spiritual and cultural development outstanding. This strong personal development is due to a combination of the way pupils are managed in class, the breadth and enrichment provided by a good curriculum, high quality provision for personal, social and health education and strong personal care. The support, care and guidance provided for pupils is good. Personal guidance

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Grade: 2

is outstanding, but academic guidance is an area for further development. Good work has begun in English to provide pupils with clear information about the way to best improve their work, but this is not consistent through the school and has not yet been developed in mathematics or science. Overall, leadership and management are good, with particular strengths in the way the staff, governors and the community work together as a team and the way middle managers, for example, subject coordinators, are enabled to review and develop their areas of responsibility. School self-evaluation is accurate but lacks some precision. The school holds a range of assessment information about pupils' academic progress and has made suitable use of this information in identifying areas for improvement and for planning additional support for individual pupils, particularly those with learning difficulties or disabilities. There has, however, been less use made of the data to set

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Grade: 2

targets for pupils or to track the progress of classes or groups as they move through the school, and some inconsistencies in pupils' progress, particularly in mathematics, have not been identified and followed up.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Make better use of available data to set targets for pupils and to track the progress of different classes and groups. 2 Inspection Report: Bovey Tracey Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007 • Provide pupils with the skills and information that will enable them to know how best to improve their work in each lesson and over time. • Give pupils more opportunity to develop independent learning skills.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' achievement is good. They make good progress over their time in the school, meeting the targets set by the school. Although staff aspire for pupils to do well, this aspiration is not always reflected in these targets, which could be set higher. Children in the Reception class and pupils in Years 1 and 2 do well overall, both in relation to their starting points and to national standards. Pupils throughout Key Stage 2 make good progress in English and, by the end of Year 6, attain above average standards. They read and write fluently and accurately and are very articulate young people. In mathematics, pupils' problem solving skills have been improved. School data shows that progress in Years 5 and 6 is good, whilst that in Years 3 and 4, although improved, is only satisfactory. Standards in science are currently average, but a recent focus on investigation within science has accelerated progress, which is now good. Pupils with

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Grade: 2

learning difficulties achieve well and most leave the school both literate and numerate. The most able pupils also do well, both academically and in a range of sporting and musical activities.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well being are good overall, with their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development being outstanding. Pupils respect and value each other and the world around them. As one parent commented, 'There is a pride in their school environment and the pupils are involved at every level'. Pupils' outstanding behaviour comes from a clear understanding of right and wrong and from the model of respect for others set by the staff. Their wide cultural development is especially seen in music and art and in the knowledge and respect the pupils show for the cultures of others in the wider world and within the British Isles. Pupils enjoy coming to school and attendance levels are above the national average. Pupils contribute well to the school community. They are very keen to help others and show good personal initiative, for example, in the way older pupils act as play leaders,

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Grade: 2

helping younger ones to enjoy break times. This personal initiative is, however, less evident in more academic areas of their learning where they have less opportunity to plan for themselves or to reflect upon the quality of their work. In most aspects, pupils are well prepared for the future world of work, developing secure basic skills in English and mathematics. They have adequate skills in the use of information and communication technology (ICT). 3 Inspection Report: Bovey Tracey Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good overall. Key features that successfully promote an ethos where learning is enjoyed and valued are the very positive relationships that are developed between pupils and their teachers. It is also reflected in the way teachers try hard to make lessons interesting and stimulating and pitched at the right level. New concepts are taught clearly and good opportunity is provided for pupils to practise what they have learned. In the Reception class, teaching is good and successfully extends children's learning through a wide variety of activities. The work begun to develop pupils' ability to think at a higher level and to solve problems has already had an impact on learning in mathematics. There remains, however, a tendency on the part of teachers, particularly in lower years, to over-direct some activities and thus reduce the opportunities for pupils to develop these independent thinking skills.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good, being well balanced and tailored to meet the needs of the pupils. Children in the Reception class are well served by the opportunities they have to learn through first hand experiences. The curriculum is particularly strong in providing for personal and social education. The provision of a very good range of activities, specialist teachers, visits and visitors and out-of-class clubs broadens pupils' personal experiences and learning, especially in relation to sport, music and drama. Provision for ICT is adequate, but pupils have limited opportunities to use their skills in other subjects, such as using ICT to produce graphs in science. Opportunities for pupils to develop independence in relation to learning skills and to use their initiative are also limited.

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Grade: 2

The quality of care, guidance and support provided by the school is good, with many outstanding features. The pupils feel safe, knowing any worries will be listened to and assistance provided as necessary. They feel valued and say there are many opportunities to discuss with staff their ideas for the improvement of the school. Academic guidance is less strong. Pupils are not yet fully involved in target setting, in evaluating how well they are doing and in understanding what they need to do next to improve their work. Teaching assistants and liaison with outside agencies are used successfully to support the well-being and development of the pupils, including those with learning difficulties or disabilities. Those pupils who are gifted and talented have the chance to participate in workshops with pupils from other schools. Health and safety are successfully promoted and monitored. 4 Inspection Report: Bovey Tracey Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007

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Grade: 2

The school's leaders and managers work together well to promote good standards and very successful personal development in the pupils. The establishment of effective teamwork between all leaders and managers, members of staff, governors, parents and the local community is key to this success. Members of staff with leadership and management responsibilities are clearly focused on improvement and they effectively check work in their areas of responsibility. As a result, they have a good understanding of strengths and areas for development and can contribute well to school improvement. The English coordinator has, for example, identified areas of weakness in writing and taken action that has brought about current good standards. The success of these improvements shows that the school has good capacity to further improve. The school improvement plan identifies appropriate areas for school development but it lacks

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Grade: 2

clear criteria for judging the success of improvement work in relation to pupils' achievements. There are good procedures to check the quality of teaching and learning. Data is carefully collated to show the progress made by the pupils. Outcomes of this monitoring are not, however, always used sufficiently precisely to ensure consistency throughout the school. Monitoring has not, for example, ensured consistency in marking or systematically identified differences in progress related, for example, to groups or classes. Governors meet their legal responsibilities well and give good support and challenge to the school. Financial resources are planned and used effectively, in line with school development priorities. The school provides good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Bovey Tracey Primary School, 6 °7 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: Bovey Tracey Primary School, 6 °7 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? 2 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

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 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 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?

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: Bovey Tracey Primary School, 6 °7 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: Bovey Tracey Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Mr Vipond, Mr Barnard and I really enjoyed our vist to your school and would like to thank you for the friendly and polite way in which you helped and talked to us. We agree with you that yours is a good school. The things we particularly liked were: • The very sensible way you behave and the way that you help and support each other. • The good teaching that you get, particularly the way that your teachers make your work interesting. • The standards you reach in reading, writing and mathematics. • The way that all adults and children work together to make your school even better. • The wide variety of activities that are available to help you learn and for you to enjoy. • The care that adults take of you that helps you to be very self-confident. • The importance you and your teachers and helpers give to eating healthy food and to taking lots of exercise. We have asked your teachers to help you make even better progress by:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• Using what the school knows about you to make sure that all of you make equally good progress. • Helping you to improve your work by giving you very clear advice about how to do this. • Giving you more opportunity to learn to work things out for yourselves. Once again, thank you. We know that you will carry on helping all the adults to make sure your school continues to be a happy, thriving place. 9 Inspection Report: Bovey Tracey Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007

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