Stock Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Stock Church of England Primary School

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115120 Unique Reference Number ESSEX Local Authority 290139 Inspection number 9 February 2007 Inspection date Keith Sadler 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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Swan Lane School address Primary Type of school Stock, Ingatestone Voluntary controlled School category Essex CM4 9BQ 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01277 840265 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01277 840587 Fax number 195 Number on roll (school) Mr R Swanston Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr G J Slide Headteacher 24 September 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 290139 9 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 an Additional Inspector in one day.

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Description of the school

This is a below average size village primary school. About half the pupils come from the village, with others coming from surrounding towns, mainly Billericay. The majority of pupils are from White British. No pupils are at an early stage of learning English. Pupils are from a mix of economic backgrounds and the number entitled to free school meals is low. The proportion with learning difficulties or disabilities is about one third of the national average, though increasing each year. Children's attainment on entry is slightly above the standards expected, particularly in the area of personal, social and emotional development.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Stock Church of England Primary School, 9 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Stock C of E Primary School has gone through a turbulent time in the past few years due to a number of changes in headship. Since his appointment in 2005, the headteacher has brought stability and a clear vision to maintain and build on the school's many successes. His leadership and management are good. Working in partnership with the local authority and governors he has, for example, effectively restructured the school's leadership organisation. This is effective because it focuses on different age groups of pupils. The school has good capacity for further improvement. Teachers take their responsibilities seriously, although some are hampered by having too little opportunity to check pupils' progress across the school. As a result, there are some inconsistencies in teaching and learning, particularly in teachers' planning. However, both teaching and learning and the curriculum are good and make a positive contribution to the pupils' achievement. Overall, the school has

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Grade: 2

good systems in place for monitoring how well it is doing and it has an accurate understanding of where improvements need to be made. The school is effective and provides good value for money. There is a positive atmosphere of support and care that leads parents to suggest rightly that the school provides a safe environment in which their children learn. More than this, the strong teamwork amongst all the adults, including governors, leads to a calm and purposeful ethos in which pupils make good progress both academically and socially. As one parent stated, 'The teachers have created a climate that is stretching and still supportive.' Another said, 'The school has a wonderful family atmosphere.' The inspection confirms these views. Pupils' personal development is outstanding. From a good start in the Foundation Stage class, children settle well, learn happily together, enjoy school and develop confidence. By the time that they enter Year 1,

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Grade: 2

almost all pupils meet the expected goals and a majority significantly exceed them. Behaviour, both in lessons and around the school, is excellent. The pupils love school and have very positive attitudes to learning. This is reflected in the good levels of attendance. Pupils also make good progress in their academic development because the curriculum is good. Achievement is good throughout the school. As a result, in four of the past five years, standards have been significantly above average in English, mathematics and science in the national tests for 11 year olds. In the 2006 national tests for Year 6 pupils, standards were only slightly above average. These results were anticipated because that year group had a higher than usual number of pupils with special educational needs. The current Year 6 pupils are on course to attain standards that are well above average in English and mathematics, and most already meet the expected

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Grade: 2

Level 4 for pupils at the end of Year 6, with almost a third achieving the higher Level 5. In science, pupils' progress is slightly less speedy because, as yet, teachers do not systematically check the pupils' progress in their science skills as they move through the school. Nonetheless, Year 6 pupils are on course to reach above average standards in science. 2 Inspection Report: Stock Church of England Primary School, 9 February 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the consistency in teachers' planning by providing more opportunities for teachers to check provision in the areas for which they are responsible. • Quicken progress in science by ensuring that pupils' progress is monitored and pupils are provided with clear guidance for improvement.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well throughout the school. Provision in the Foundation Stage is effective and children make good progress. They continue to progress well in Key Stage 1, where the standards attained have been above average or better over a long period of time. This good progress continues through the four junior years. Results in Key Stage 2 national tests have been significantly above the national average in four of the past five years. The 2006 results were limited by the smaller than usual number of pupils that gained the higher Level 5. The school has successfully put support into place to address this, particularly in mathematics. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities make good progress towards their targets because of the good quality provision.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development is outstanding. Their behaviour is outstanding and pupils are happy and view their school as a place for learning and enjoyment. One pupil commented, 'It's fun to learn and meet our friends.' Parents rightly have confidence in the school's ability to care for their children and help them develop socially and emotionally, as well as academically. Pupils accept and benefit from the increasing diversity of abilities and backgrounds in school, and are respectful towards each other and to adults. The school is a harmonious community and the promotion of respect and tolerance amongst its pupils reflects the strong Christian ethos of the school. This also supports the pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, which is good. Pupils have a strong appreciation of their own well-being, having a clear understanding of how to stay safe and healthy. They thrive because of the many

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Grade: 1

opportunities to take responsibility in the school and in class councils. Pupils help younger children by being play leaders and acting as house and sports captains. In addition, they are proud of their money-making efforts for local and national charities. Pupils are well equipped with the skills needed for the next stage of their education. 3 Inspection Report: Stock Church of England Primary School, 9 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Staff and pupils treat each other with respect and consideration. The teachers' good relationships and positive behaviour management supports pupils' good achievement. Pupils respond well to teachers' high expectations and skilled guidance. Generally, teachers provide interesting and challenging activities that provide the opportunity for all to achieve well. There are some inconsistencies in teachers' planning. On occasion, some planned activities are too broad and do not match the differing learning needs of all pupils. This limits pupils' progress, particularly in science. Pupils work hard and use the opportunities for small group work well, often discussing issues in a thoughtful manner. For example, in a good Year 6 lesson in which pupils were learning about persuasive writing, pupils identified some key aspects of the style being studied after seeing a clip from the previous evening's television debate. Pupils

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Grade: 2

showed a mature appreciation of different views and had good understanding of points expressed. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities make good progress due to the careful assessments made and the provision of suitably adapted learning materials combined with the support by skilled support staff.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good: it meets all requirements and the needs of the full range of pupils. A good start has been made on placing more emphasis on developing English and information and communication technology (ICT) skills within other subjects. This contributes well to pupils' enjoyment of lessons. Staff also ensure that pupils have many opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills. This helps to make topics studied more relevant and meaningful. In addition, the curriculum is enlivened by focus opportunities, such as the healthy minds and bodies theme of last term, which the pupils said they thoroughly enjoyed. A wide range of activities enriches the curriculum, as do the links with the local community. Visits to places of interest and the frequent visitors to the school help pupils to develop their understanding of the wider world. The pupils' enthusiasm is seen in their commitment to activities outside

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Grade: 2

lessons, mainly focusing on sports and the arts.

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Grade: 2

The school has made very considerable improvements in pupils' care, guidance and support since the previous inspection, and they are now good. The school provides excellent care and support for pupils. Regular health and safety checks help to ensure pupils are safe and secure, and child protection arrangements are robust. The school's improvement focus to develop pupils' independence in learning is paying dividends. 4 Inspection Report: Stock Church of England Primary School, 9 February 2007 Pupils receive clear guidance in English and mathematics. They know their targets well and how to improve in most subjects, although this is not the case in science. Here, teachers do not check pupils' progress in science skills sufficiently well to enable pupils to make good progress throughout the school. Marking of pupils' work provides clear guidance on how well they have succeeded and in most cases, informs them how to

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. Since his appointment, the headteacher has steered the school skilfully through all the necessary changes. Consequently, there has been good improvement since the previous inspection. There is a strong sense of teamwork that is an important factor in the school's success. The headteacher ensures that all staff are included in the important decisions about improvement projects and all have an opportunity to contribute to the good quality development plan. Governors too play an important role. There were significant weaknesses in governance at the time of the previous inspection. Governors are directly involved in the strategic leadership of the school and ensure that all statutory requirements are met. Although the school has good arrangements in place to check how well it is doing, some teachers with responsibilities are not given enough opportunity to monitor the quality of

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Grade: 2

teaching and learning in their subjects. In consequence, there are some inconsistencies in teachers' planning. 5 Inspection Report: Stock Church of England Primary School, 9 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: Stock Church of England Primary School, 9 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 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 1 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: Stock Church of England Primary School, 9 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: Stock Church of England Primary School, 9 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

15 February 2007 Dear Pupils Stock Church of England Primary School, Swan Lane, Stock, Ingatestone, Essex, CM4 9BQ Thank you very much for welcoming me to your school. I enjoyed meeting you all. You told me how much you enjoy school, love lessons and learning and that you think that yours is a good school. I agree! Here are some of the main things that I found. • Your teachers work hard to make sure that your lessons are fun and that you learn well. • You make good progress in all classes and achieve well. • The adults make sure that there are many interesting things to do in addition to your normal lessons, such as after school clubs and lots of visitors and visits outside school. • Your behaviour is excellent and I was impressed by the way that you take responsibility and care for each other. • Mr Slide is a good headteacher. He makes sure that the school runs smoothly and that everyone works together to make your school successful.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I have asked the staff to do two things. • Quicken your progress in science by ensuring that it is checked and you are provided with clear guidance for improvement. • Make sure that your teachers' lesson plans are consistently good, by giving teachers who are responsible for subjects more opportunities to see other lessons. You can help to make the school continue to be successful by working hard and meeting the targets set for you. With best wishes Keith Sadler Lead Inspector 9 Inspection Report: Stock Church of England Primary School, 9 February 2007

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