Kendall Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Kendall Church of England Primary School

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115064 Unique Reference Number ESSEX Local Authority 290117 Inspection number 7 °8 November 2006 Inspection dates John Francis 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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Recreation Road School address Primary Type of school Colchester Voluntary controlled School category Essex CO1 2HH 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01206 794634 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01206 790545 Fax number 135 Number on roll (school) Mr J Oliver Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr C Holmes Headteacher 26 March 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 290117 7 °8 November 2006 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 is a smaller than average primary school with a falling roll. It serves an area with higher than average levels of deprivation. More pupils than average are entitled to a free school meal. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic families is broadly average: most of those being of Bangladeshi or Black African heritage with small numbers of other groups. The number of children with learning difficulties or disabilities is broadly average. The standards for children starting school are below average. The substantive headteacher is absent and an acting headteacher took up the post at the beginning of September.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Kendall Church of England Primary School, 7 °8 November 2006

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Grade: 4

In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could be reasonably expected to perform. The school is therefore given a Notice to Improve. Significant improvement is required in relation to: pupils' achievement, the quality of teaching and learning and aspects of leadership and management. The acting headteacher's evaluation of the school is accurate and clearly identifies the most important things the school needs to do to move forward. However, in spite of her very strong leadership and clear direction, leadership and management are inadequate overall. Governance has been weak and not all of those with additional or subject responsibilities have made any impact on driving forward the pace of change. A sharper focus on raising teachers' and pupils' expectations has led to some

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Grade: 4

improvement in standards more recently. However, pupils do not make enough progress. They make good progress in Reception to achieve average standards by the time they move into Year 1. This progress continues through Year 1 but is not built on sufficiently well as pupils move through the rest of the school and by the end of Years 2 and 6 there is substantial underachievement, particularly by the more capable pupils. Teaching and learning are inadequate because too much of the teaching is uninspiring and there are not enough well-planned lessons to drive up standards. Too little of the work is matched closely enough to the needs of the pupils, and teachers' marking does not give pupils clear guidance on what they need to do to improve their work. The recent, rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning has identified areas for development and the actions taken are speeding up the rate of improvement. Pupils'

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Grade: 4

personal development is satisfactory as is the curriculum. The care provided for pupils is satisfactory and a well organised and consistent approach to assessment is now providing secure information to allow pupils' progress to be tracked more accurately. Given the rate of progress since the start of term, the school does demonstrate a satisfactory capacity for further improvement. However, with the low levels of achievement and other weaknesses, it does not give satisfactory value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards for all pupils, and particularly for those who are more able • Improve teachers' planning to provide a more accurate match of the work to pupils' needs • Use marking more effectively to identify the regular, common errors in pupils' work which are creating barriers to progress • Ensure that subject leaders have a clear understanding of what they need to do to improve achievement and standards in their subjects. 2 Inspection Report: Kendall Church of England Primary School, 7 °8 November 2006

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Grade: 4

When children come into school their speaking and listening skills and their personal development are below those normally found for children of this age. They make good progress in the Reception class because they are settled in carefully, close attention is given to developing their social skills and work is well matched to their individual need. At the end of Year 2, however, standards are very low and have been for the last four years. Few pupils attain the higher level 3 and boys' performance is very weak. The very low standards in writing are of particular concern. Pupils fail to make adequate progress as they move through the school and by Year 6 standards in English and mathematics are below the national average. Again, at Year 6, too few pupils attain higher levels in the national tests. Pupils with learning difficulties also underachieve and do not make the progress expected. Pupils make inadequate progress because

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Grade: 4

not enough is asked of them. Although there are recent signs of improvement, the trend over the past four years has been downward. The school has not been successful in meeting the targets set for the pupils in national tests, even when targets have been revised downward mid-year.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is satisfactory. They know right from wrong and get on with each other well. Pupils' behaviour is satisfactory and it is rare for lessons to be disrupted by inappropriate behaviour. However, where lessons are uninspiring and the pace is slow, pupils lose concentration and become inattentive. Nevertheless, pupils enjoy coming to school, especially for practical lessons. As one pupil said, 'I really look forward to art lessons.' Attendance has been low for several years but has improved more recently through the revised systems now in place. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and who to turn to for help if they have any concerns. Pupils lead acceptably healthy lifestyles and they eat plenty of fruit and vegetables from the wide range on offer at lunchtime. The contribution of pupils to the school community and beyond is satisfactory. Elected

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Grade: 3

pupils are proud to be part of the revived school council but there is further scope for the older pupils to be given greater responsibilities. The preparation of pupils for life beyond school is restricted by low standards in writing, mathematics and information and communication technology. 3 Inspection Report: Kendall Church of England Primary School, 7 °8 November 2006

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Grade: 4

Teaching is inadequate overall and as a result, pupils are not achieving what they are capable of. Good teaching seen in Reception and Year 1 was lively and learning was well planned to meet the individual needs of all pupils. These lessons had a good pace and pupils were responsive and keen to learn. However, in too many lessons further up the school this pace was lacking and work did not fire the pupils' imagination. Learning and progress slip further because the work is pitched at the wrong level and is undemanding, particularly for the more able pupils. This results in limited progress and underachievement. In spite of this, pupils do settle down to their work and are generally attentive to their teacher. For those pupils who have learning difficulties, teaching is not substantially different from the teaching of all other pupils. All work is regularly marked and often involves pupils. What it lacks is good quality

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Grade: 4

guidance on what pupils have done well and why, or what they need to do to further improve their work. Much fails to identify the regular errors that are proving to be a barrier to the pupils' faster progress.

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Grade: 3

The range of work and activities that pupils undertake is satisfactory. The curriculum is good in the Foundation Stage. Here, the areas of learning are linked together well in a way that stimulates the children, something not found in all classes throughout the school. However, the lack of open access to the outdoor area and suitable climbing equipment restrict some aspects of their physical development. There is a satisfactory range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities in which pupils take part enthusiastically. They particularly enjoy art and the success of this can be seen in the wide range of good quality displays around school. Good use is made of the expertise of outside individuals. For example, links with the local football and cricket clubs add significantly to pupils' experiences and help encourage an active and healthy lifestyle as well as developing their social skills. Visits out of school and visitors to the school

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Grade: 3

At a personal level staff know their pupils and develop good relationships with them. However, academic achievement is not promoted as highly and is reflected in the low standards. Secure child protection procedures are in place and understood by all. The arrangements to promote good behaviour and improve attendance are proving effective. Incidents of misbehaviour and bullying are taken seriously and followed up. Recently introduced procedures for tracking academic progress are sound overall but not enough information has yet been generated for them to be fully effective. Pupils are not yet 4 Inspection Report: Kendall Church of England Primary School, 7 °8 November 2006 sufficiently well involved in the evaluation of their own work and there is some inconsistency in setting and using targets across the school. Better support during class lessons is needed for those pupils who have learning difficulties or have English

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Grade: 3

as an additional language. A small minority of parents do not feel well informed about their child's progress.

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Grade: 4

Since the last inspection standards have steadily fallen without enough remedial action from the school's leadership. Evaluation of performance has not been good enough and there has been insufficient direction and purpose to halt this decline. Senior leaders have failed to identify the weaknesses and have not clearly established the main reasons for low standards or devised plans to address these successfully. Standards and achievement in subjects have suffered because leaders have not consistently monitored the quality of teaching or checked how pupils are doing. Expectations have been too low and this is reflected in the results over several years. Issues from the last inspection have still not been tackled effectively. Governors have been supportive but ineffective in preventing this decline. Since the recent arrival of the acting headteacher and the appointment of a new chair of governors, there is much more urgency about the school. Better quality information

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Grade: 4

is available and governors are much more actively involved in evaluating the work of the school. Monitoring and assessment systems are more rigorous and governors are clearer about what needs to be done. While the new leadership team have a good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses, evaluating and monitoring performance at all levels of management is at an early stage of development. Subject leadership remains weak, although developments in English and information and communication technology are making a positive impact. Standards are starting to rise and a number of parents report they are happy with the changes for the better. The school is now satisfactorily placed to build on these improvements. 5 Inspection Report: Kendall Church of England Primary School, 7 °8 November 2006 .

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Grade: 4

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Kendall Church of England Primary School, 7 °8 November 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 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements No Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

4 How well do learners achieve? 4 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 4 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 3 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 3 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?

3 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: Kendall Church of England Primary School, 7 °8 November 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 Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? Yes Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Kendall Church of England Primary School, 7 °8 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

9 November 2006 Kendall CE Primary School, Recreation Road, Colchester, Essex, CO1 2HH Dear Pupils Thank you for making us welcome in your school. We enjoyed meeting you and were pleased that you wanted to share your ideas and views about your school. This letter is to tell you what I think of your school and how it can be even better. You told us you enjoy school and particularly liked practical lessons such as art. We can see how good you are at that by the displays of your work around school. We also saw that you listen carefully to your teachers and do all that is asked of you. You say that everyone in school cares for each other and we could see this through your behaviour in school, in the dining hall and the way you play together sensibly. However, you also told us that sometimes boys get a little boisterous in the playground which can result in children falling over and scraping their elbows and knees. We are pleased that you enjoy other things about school such as the visits,

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

clubs, sports and music. These give you good opportunities to have a wide education. To make the school even better we have asked the teachers to do four things. First, we have asked them to make sure that you are doing your best at all times so that standards can be improved. Secondly, that the teachers plan your work carefully so it matches more closely what you are capable of doing. Thirdly, we have asked them to be clearer in telling you what you do well and what you need to do to get better when they mark your work. Finally, we have asked that those teachers whose job it is to look after different subjects across the school to find out more about what is needed to make them better. Your acting headteacher knows what needs to be done to improve your school and I am sure that Mrs Sadler will continue her work to make your school interesting and exciting. You can do your bit by keeping up your positive attitudes, working even harder and enjoying all you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

do. Mr Francis (Lead inspector) 9 Inspection Report: Kendall Church of England Primary School, 7 °8 November 2006

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