Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery

Inspection Report - Amended Rudyard Kipling Primary School

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114486 Unique Reference Number Brighton and Hove Local Authority 289933 Inspection number 20 °21 September 2006 Inspection dates Steffi Penny HMI 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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Chalkland Rise School address Primary Type of school Woodingdean Community School category Brighton BN2 6RH 3 °11 Age range of pupils 01273 303328 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01273 304597 Fax number 360 Number on roll (school) Anthony Harris Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Barbara Shackell Headteacher 3 June 2003 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 289933 20 °21 September 2006 3°11

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Amended Report Addendum

Report updated to resolve formatting inconsistency

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Amended Report Addendum

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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Amended Report Addendum

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 of Her Majesty's Inspectors and two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a larger than average sized school located on the outskirts of Brighton that draws its pupils mainly from the local mixed housing estate. Most pupils are of White British heritage and an above average number are entitled to free school meals. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is more than the national average as is the percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational need. There is a nursery as part of the Foundation Stage provision and a registered day care provider in the school grounds.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Rudyard Kipling Primary School, 20 °21 September 2006

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Grade: 3

The overall effectiveness of the school is satisfactory. When pupils start school they have skills and knowledge that are below those typical of the same age group. In the Foundation Stage a significant number of children start school with particular weaknesses in language skills. As a result of the expert targeted support, they make good progress through the Foundation Stage so that the majority meet all the expected goals for learning and are ready for the start of Year 1. This rapid progress is not sustained and is slower in other year groups but overall achievement is satisfactory. Recently there has been a significant number of older pupils leaving and joining the school throughout the school year, and this turbulence, coupled with satisfactory but inconsistent teaching, explains why standards in the rest of the school are below average. The school has started to use targets to help pupils to learn and to give them an

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Grade: 3

understanding of their progress. This is beginning to be effective, but the absence of a more refined use of targets in the past has hindered the progress individual pupils have been able to make in Years 1 to 6. Assessment is not yet used sufficiently effectively by all class teachers to provide accurate data on the current and future performance of individual pupils, groups of pupils and overall school performance. As a result, and partly also because of limited expertise, the governors are not yet able to fulfil their role as critical friends of the school. Expectations of behaviour and concentration are high and pupils respond positively. Pupils enjoy learning and take a pride in their achievements. In some lessons, interactive whiteboards are used well as a teaching tool to demonstrate key teaching points. Pupils said that they enjoyed going to the front of the class to use them and demonstrate their skills. Learning support assistants and volunteers work seamlessly

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Grade: 3

with teachers and are highly effective in reinforcing learning. Staff work hard to create a safe and well ordered environment both in lessons and at break times. Incidents of bullying are unusual and dealt with rapidly. Pupils care for each other and demonstrate good habits of consideration and courtesy both towards each other and towards adults. Vulnerable children in the school receive good support, both from staff and from their fellow pupils. Pupils' spiritual, moral and social development is satisfactory but they have limited awareness of the diversity of cultures in Britain today. This is because the school does not take full advantage of the more culturally diverse communities that are nearby, for example in Brighton. Pupils have a sound awareness of their responsibilities for each other in the school and the wider community and contribute well to fund raising activities. Pupils are gradually acquiring some of the numeracy, literacy and computer

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Grade: 3

skills necessary to prepare them for the next stage of learning. Pupils have a good understanding of how best to keep safe, fit and healthy and are being encouraged to think things out for themselves and to share their views. The school council is gradually bringing the ideas of pupils together and promoting their decision making skills. Older pupils particularly are recognising that their opinions 2 Inspection Report: Rudyard Kipling Primary School, 20 °21 September 2006 matter and as one pupil said, 'Now that they've done a good job to improve the toilets, I hope they stay like that!' The views of parents are also genuinely sought and acted upon, for example the purchase of a new carpet for a Year 2 class. Although in the past parents have been reluctant to return questionnaires, more than half did so for this inspection and the vast majority hold the school in high regard.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure all teaching staff use data confidently to understand accurately the standards that pupils have reached, and to set challenging targets to improve overall achievement, thereby raising standards. • Develop the ability of governors to challenge the school where necessary, to hold it to account and to ensure that all statutory requirements are met. • Ensure the quality of teaching and learning has greater consistency and builds upon the good practice in the Foundation Stage. • Ensure that monitoring arrangements involve all staff, and that the impact of the initiatives to improve standards is evaluated with regards to specific learning targets.

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Grade: 3

Children enter the school with well below average abilities. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage and the majority start Year 1 with the level of skills expected nationally. Throughout the rest of the school, although progress is satisfactory, standards are below the national average. Reading is a weakness, as are some aspects of mathematical skills. This is in part because the school has not conducted a sufficiently rigorous analysis in the past to identify the problems as priorities and provide focused teaching to tackle them. Pupils in, 'The Nest', for those within the autistic spectrum, make the same progress as other groups of pupils. This is because their work is monitored well and they have carefully matched additional support alongside their classmates. Other pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities also make satisfactory progress.

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Grade: 3

Pupils make satisfactory progress in their personal development because of the secure and happy environment that the school promotes. Pupils in all year groups behave well. From low starting points, they learn to listen carefully and to be considerate towards each other. Teachers work diligently to develop good social skills and as a consequence pupils work and play well together. This adds to their enjoyment of school. A number of strategies have been employed to improve the below average attendance levels, but as yet these have had limited impact. This is due to a small number of families who do not ensure that their children attend school regularly or arrive on time. 3 Inspection Report: Rudyard Kipling Primary School, 20 °21 September 2006

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are good in the Foundation Stage and satisfactory elsewhere. In the best lessons teachers are creative in finding new, interesting and active ways to help learners develop their skills and understanding. Pupils say that lessons are more interesting when they have opportunities to work in varied ways, for example in groups and in practical activities. The good relationships between staff and pupils are a strong feature of teaching and learning. Teachers encourage and praise pupils to good effect and help them to gain confidence. However, in some lessons, the level of the pupils' understanding is not checked consistently; in question and answer sessions, not all pupils are actively involved and insufficient time is given at the end of lessons to check and reflect on learning.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory with some good features. The Foundation Stage curriculum is good because it is very lively and exciting. Pupils are highly motivated to become involved in their learning. In English and mathematics, the subject leaders have recently identified weaknesses in the development of some key skills such as reading comprehension throughout the school, and they are beginning to rectify these weaknesses. Some teachers have also recognised that links could be made between some subjects to make the learning more purposeful. For example, in one year group, pupils have effectively written newspaper articles about the beheading of Ann Boleyn, linking history with writing. The school provides a range of extra-curricular activities for music and sports in addition to being part of the successful Longhill Sports Partnership. A large majority of pupils attend additional activities. A range of visits in the locality and further afield is now

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Grade: 3

offered and this adds to pupils' enjoyment. The youngest pupils have enjoyed a 'discovery trip' throughout school, spotting objects placed at appropriate points while following a simple plan. This opportunity to familiarise themselves with routes around the school is an example of the more relevant learning that teachers are now introducing regularly into the curriculum.

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Grade: 4

The quality of care, guidance and support is unsatisfactory because recently introduced systems to track pupil progress have not been in place for long enough to ensure that targets are sufficiently challenging. Current initiatives to tackle this shortcoming are founded on a sound database showing how pupils are doing to inform future practice. Nevertheless this data is not yet understood well enough or used consistently by all 4 Inspection Report: Rudyard Kipling Primary School, 20 °21 September 2006 teachers to diagnose pupils' progress in order to give them the advice they need to reach their potential. Child protection procedures are generally in place, risk assessments made, and staff vetted on appointment. The school has satisfactory links to outside agencies such as social workers and children's organisations. Pastoral care is good as demonstrated by the effective links to the main partner school which are well established, so that pupils

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Grade: 4

benefit from suitable preparation and guidance before they move on to the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. Sound systems are now in place to check on the effectiveness of the school, but they are at early stages. The capacity for improvement is satisfactory. The school has sought and taken advantage of support from the local authority. This and other partnerships have been developed by the school to support improvement. The information from national tests is analysed and used to identify areas for development, and this has been helpful in targeting the need to improve pupils' skills in some aspects of their written work and mathematics. Information on pupils' progress year by year is used well to pick up those who may need extra help but not always to check whether all pupils, particularly the more able, are making progress at a consistent rate. The school does not yet record clearly enough what has been successfully done to bring about improvements and what amount of

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Grade: 3

impact they have had. The governing body is very supportive of many aspects of school life and governors have an active involvement in many areas. However, they have not been challenging enough in relation to the achievements of pupils and the progress they have been making. This is because they are not sufficiently involved in evaluating the school's results data. In the past the induction and support for new governors have not been satisfactory. During the last year the use of self-evaluation has identified areas of weakness and this support has improved. Some governors need more focused training and expert guidance to enable them to meet all statutory requirements and help the school improve its standards. 5 Inspection Report: Rudyard Kipling Primary School, 20 °21 September 2006 .

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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: Rudyard Kipling Primary School, 20 °21 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 4 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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?

3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 4 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 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?

4 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: Rudyard Kipling Primary School, 20 °21 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 No 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: Rudyard Kipling Primary School, 20 °21 September 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Following our visit to inspect your school we would like to thank you for welcoming us. We enjoyed talking to you and listened carefully to what you, your parents and teachers said. This letter is to let you know what your school does well and how you can help your school to be even better. Here are some of the good things we noticed during our inspection visit: • You all behave very well in and around the school and are very keen to learn. • You enjoy and appreciate the different activities that are provided during the school day and after school hours. • Your school provides a good start to children's education when they first start school. • The school has worked hard to make sure that you are at school on time and there is much you can do to meet your class attendance targets. • Your work and achievements are celebrated in the displays and in the assemblies. We felt that you and your school can do even better. We have found four ways in which your

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

school can improve, and you can help with these improvements. These are: • You make sound progress in lots of your work but some of you could make faster progress. We have asked the teachers to improve the way they look at how well you are doing. • The governors in your school need to know how they can be more helpful and guide your teachers like a good friend. • We have asked the teachers to improve lessons to make sure you do as well in the older year groups as you do when you first start school. You can help by telling the teacher when you are finding the work too easy or too slow. • The school needs to involve you and all your teachers to see what is going well, as well as what can be done to make the school even better. Thank you again for helping us and we wish you a happy and successful future. 9 Inspection Report: Rudyard Kipling Primary School, 20 °21 September 2006

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