Boxted St Peter's Church of England School

Inspection Report Boxted St Peter's Church of England School

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115072 Unique Reference Number ESSEX Local Authority 290119 Inspection number 14 °15 September 2006 Inspection dates Mr. Paul Missin 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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Carters Hill School address Primary Type of school Boxted Voluntary controlled School category Boxted CO4 5YN 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01206 272239 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01206 271598 Fax number 119 Number on roll (school) Mr.Steve Sims Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. Patricia Derry Headteacher 21 May 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 290119 14 °15 September 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Smaller than most, this village school moved to new buildings in a new location in September 2005. Pupils' attainment on admission is average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is average but a below average proportion are eligible for free school meals. Almost all pupils have White British heritage and none is at an early stage of learning English.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Boxted St Peter's Church of England School, 14 °15 September 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school which successfully combines high academic standards with outstanding promotion of pupils' personal development. This is a strength that parents recognise. One wrote, 'Everyone is encouraged to do the best they can and be the best that they can be'. This encourages the strong sense of community within the school and prepares pupils well for their further education and work. Young children who had just started school at the time of the inspection are introduced sensitively and effectively to school routines and expectations. Older pupils have very good attitudes to school and to each other and make sensible choices about the importance of exercise and staying healthy. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. All pupils, including those with learning difficulties, are well cared for and their needs are met well. Pupils report that they feel safe and valued at school and enjoy what the school provides.

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Grade: 2

They are very enthusiastic about the opportunities, especially for sports and games, that are possible now the school is in new buildings. Older pupils are involved well in the life of the school and take responsibilities such as school councillor or playground buddy very seriously. The good curriculum is enhanced by plenty of clubs and activities outside normal lessons that contribute to pupils' enjoyment of school. Across the school all pupils, including those with learning difficulties, achieve well and make good progress in their learning. The well planned and effective curriculum in the Foundation Stage enables most children to reach standards that are above average by the beginning of Year 1. Standards in Year 2 have been rising since 2003 and were above average in the 2006 pupil assessments. The good progress continues in Years 3 to 6 and all-round standards are also above average by the time pupils leave. Pupils make good progress

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Grade: 2

in their learning because the quality of teaching is good. Teachers show good subject knowledge, manage pupils well and record and use assessment data effectively. However, there are some inconsistencies in approach which occasionally limit the effectiveness of teaching in individual lessons and prevent teaching from being even better. The collections of examples of pupils' work in English, mathematics and science are particularly well managed. From them, teachers gain a clear understanding of where each pupil is, and what they must do to improve. Good leadership and management mean that the school has an accurate view of its effectiveness. The headteacher is instrumental in shaping and promoting the school's positive ethos and is skilled at encouraging others' commitment to it. The move to the new school building and location has been managed well. Senior staff have been given useful opportunities to

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Grade: 2

monitor aspects of the school's work, but the lack of regular and systematic monitoring of the effectiveness of teaching has not identified the inconsistencies in classroom practices. Governors support the school satisfactorily. However, they are not yet sufficiently involved with the formation of the school development plan or of monitoring the progress of its implementation to give them a clear view of the school's effectiveness. The election of a new chair and several newly appointed governors provides opportunity for them to revise and review these procedures. The school provides good value for money. 2 Inspection Report: Boxted St Peter's Church of England School, 14 °15 September 2006

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What the school should do to improve further

- Raise the quality of teaching and learning even further by ensuring that monitoring is evaluative and is able to identify and spread the best practice. - Improve governors' role in judging school effectiveness by developing more rigorous procedures for overseeing school development planning.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well and make good progress in their learning, as at the time of the last inspection. When they first enter the school, children are attaining standards that are broadly average, but with lower communication and language skills than are expected for their age. The well-managed provision in the Foundation Stage enables children to make good progress to reach standards which are above average by the beginning of Year 1. Standards in Year 2 have been broadly average since 2001 but the upward trend evident since 2003 has been continued. Preliminary indications are that standards in reading, writing and mathematics were above the national average in the 2006 assessments of this age group. Pupils make good progress in Years 3 to 6 and attain standards which are above average by the time they leave the school. Pupils with learning difficulties also make good progress towards meeting their own individual

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development is outstanding. The way that every individual is valued and the successful promotion of the school's Christian foundation is an important part of the shared ethos. Pupils enjoy school. This is reflected in their consistently good attendance and the way that they enjoy contributing to school life. One commented, 'I like all that the school offers'. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Behaviour in class and around the school is outstanding. Pupils are very polite to visitors and treat each other with great respect. They say that bullying is exceptionally rare. Pupils' strong cultural awareness is developed through, for example, the school's support for a pupil in Kenya. They also learn about other faiths and have a good appreciation of other cultural lifestyles. Pupils have an extremely good understanding of safety and healthy lifestyles. They make a very strong contribution

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Grade: 1

to the school and the wider community. Older pupils, for example, represent their peers on the school council and act as 'friendship buddies' in the playground. Pupils' personal qualities, including their strong basic skills in literacy and numeracy and their ability to concentrate and apply themselves, equip them very well for their future life within the world of work. 3 Inspection Report: Boxted St Peter's Church of England School, 14 °15 September 2006

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Strengths in teaching have a very positive impact on pupils' willingness to learn and encourage their outstanding behaviour. These include the very positive way in which pupils are managed, teachers' enthusiasm and where pupils are encouraged to have fun in their lessons. A further strength is the way classroom assistants intervene expertly to support and encourage pupils in their work. However, some inconsistencies, particularly in teachers' planning and their management of pupils in parts of some lessons, limit the effectiveness of teaching and are a reason why teaching is not even better. Assessment is good. Regular assessments of children's work in the Foundation Stage inform the end of year records so that teachers can check achievement. In Years 1 to 6 very good records are maintained in literacy, mathematics and science. Work is regularly assessed according to National Curriculum

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Grade: 2

criteria. Data are used to set useful targets for pupils to reach. Pupils confirm that these targets help them to understand what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It fully meets statutory requirements and appropriate emphasis is placed on the provision of basic literacy and numeracy skills. Weaknesses in the provision for physical education identified at the last inspection have been addressed since the school's move to its new building. Pupils with learning difficulties are supported well by activities and make similar progress to that of their peers. The parent of one wrote, 'My son is included in all aspects of the curriculum. He has achieved so much since joining the school.' The curriculum includes a useful element on personal, social and health education and is appropriately planned on a two-year cycle which meets the needs of the mixed age classes well. The provision of extra-curricular activities is good and good use is also made of visits to places of local interest.

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Grade: 2

The good level of care, guidance and support provided by the school is an important strength which many parents recognise. One wrote, 'Staff have helped, nurtured and supported my child very well'. There are effective procedures for child protectio, health and safety and there are close links with external agencies when these are required. The pupils confirm that they enjoy school and feel safe there. Pupils are supported well by the targets which they have in reading, writing and mathematics. They acknowledge that these targets are helpful in showing them how to make their work better. The needs of pupils with learning difficulties are quickly assessed. These pupils are fully involved in all class activities and are supported well with useful individual 4 Inspection Report: Boxted St Peter's Church of England School, 14 °15 September 2006 learning plans. The needs of more able pupils are met well across the school. They are

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Grade: 2

especially well challenged in Years 5 and 6.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good and promote pupils' good achievements. This is also the school's view of its own effectiveness and the view of most parents. The headteacher leads the school well and involves all the staff in how it develops. She has ensured that her vision for the new school is shared effectively with others in the school community. School improvement planning is detailed and relevant priorities are identified. However, parents and governors are not sufficiently involved in the process of devising the improvement plan. The school has a clear view of its overall strengths and areas for development, although the pattern of rigorous and systematic monitoring of teaching and learning has yet to be re-established after the move to the new school. Governance is satisfactory. Governors have been very active in supporting the school's move to the new building and individual governors support

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Grade: 2

the school very well. For example, one runs a very popular and well attended computer club. Governors have a good view of much of the school's work but they are insufficiently involved with devising and monitoring school improvement planning. In spite of this, the overall strengths in leadership and management mean that the school is well placed to make further improvement. 5 Inspection Report: Boxted St Peter's Church of England School, 14 °15 September 2006 .

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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: Boxted St Peter's Church of England School, 14 °15 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 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 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 1 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: Boxted St Peter's Church of England School, 14 °15 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 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: Boxted St Peter's Church of England School, 14 °15 September 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Boxted St Peter's CofE Primary School, Carter's Hill, Boxted, Colchester. Essex. CO4 5YN Thank you for your welcome when I visited your school recently to see how well you were doing. I was very impressed by your behaviour and with the way you all get on so well together. You told me how much you liked your new school. You certainly have a fabulous new hall and so much space and so many things to do at playtime. Some of you felt very proud to be part of the school council and to help others as friendship buddies. The way that the youngest children in the school were being made to feel very welcome when they had just started school is an example of how well all the adults care for you. Your teachers make lessons interesting and fun and most of you achieve well and make good progress in your learning. I saw how many of the older children were getting very excited about some number problems which they were

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

trying to solve. However, parts of some lessons are not as successful as they could be. The headteacher needs to ensure that all teachers know clearly how to make their lessons as good as possible. Your headteacher leads the school well and she has worked very hard to help you settle quickly into the new school. She has good ideas for the school's further development. Some of your school governors are new. They need to keep a closer check on how well your school is doing in order to judge how good it is and how it should get even better. I wish you all well for the future. 9 Inspection Report: Boxted St Peter's Church of England School, 14 °15 September 2006

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