Ann Cam Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Ann Cam Church of England Primary School

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115683 Unique Reference Number Gloucestershire Local Authority 290300 Inspection number 19 October 2006 Inspection date Graeme Bassett 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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Bayfield Gardens School address Primary Type of school Dymock Voluntary aided School category GL18 2BH 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01531 890424 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01531 890424 Fax number 106 Number on roll (school) Anthony Reefe Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Hilary Orme Headteacher 7 May 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 290300 19 October 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 village primary school and the number on roll is falling. There are two year groups in each of the four classes. The school serves mainly the villages of Dymock and Kempley but also accepts an increasing number of pupils from further away. Nearly all pupils are White British. Currently, half the pupils in Year 6 joined the school towards the end of Year 4 and this significantly increased the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties in this year group. The school has received Investors in People and Silver Arts Mark awards, and has achieved the Healthy Schools standard.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Ann Cam Church of England Primary School, 19 October 2006

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Grade: 2

On entering the school, the enthusiasm for learning is immediately evident. The friendly, welcoming environment creates a purposeful atmosphere where staff and children make obvious their very positive attitudes. Pupils are fully involved in all that the school does. The overall effectiveness of the school is good with many features that are outstanding, because it is given excellent leadership and management by the headteacher, senior teachers and the governing body. The school has significantly improved since the last inspection and there is an extremely good understanding amongst staff and governors of how it needs to move forward further. Responsibilities are accepted willingly by staff and pupils and everyone follows conscientiously the very clear and precise guidelines for setting challenging targets for each pupil in order to raise standards and achievement. Teaching is good and often of a high quality and

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Grade: 2

ensures that all pupils make good progress. The good teaching in the older age range is especially successful in supporting the progress of the pupils with learning difficulties. Teachers stimulate pupils' interests with very effective use of visual images through interactive whiteboards. However, there are times when they do not combine this with practical experiences and listening activities to ensure that pupils learn in the best way they can. The curriculum is nonetheless planned effectively to ensure that activities in lessons are exciting, and because of this, pupils enjoy coming to school. This also has a significant impact upon their personal development and well-being which are excellent. Pupils' outstanding behaviour ensures that they learn well and work together safely. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. The school has gained a strong reputation because staff provide pupils with excellent care, support

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Grade: 2

and guidance. Consequently, pupils from outside the school's immediate catchment, including many with learning difficulties, have recently joined the school. One parent commented that the impact of starting school for her child was 'as if lights had been turned on'. Good provision in the Foundation Stage ensures that children settle in quickly and most make good progress by the time they enter Year 1 to achieve targets set for them. The school's national test results at the end of Year 6 vary between average and above average, reflecting the substantially varying proportions of pupils with learning difficulties in each small year group. Standards in Year 6 are currently broadly average in English, mathematics and science due to the recent big increase in the number of pupils with learning difficulties. Nevertheless, achievement is good with all pupils, especially the more able, making good progress. Long- term assessment

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Grade: 2

procedures and whole-school tracking and prediction of pupil's progress are excellent and used very effectively. However, pupils are not always involved enough in assessing what they understand and what they need to do to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Vary teaching styles to match the different ways pupils learn best by combining more practical hands-on experiences and activities based upon listening with the visual methods already in use. • Enable pupils to make their own assessments about what they can do and understand and what they need to learn next. 2 Inspection Report: Ann Cam Church of England Primary School, 19 October 2006

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Grade: 2

Pupils' achievement is good. Children enter the Foundation Stage with attainment below average. They settle quickly, grow in confidence and consolidate their skills, especially in their personal, social and emotional development. Most achieve the standards expected for children of this age by the time they enter Year 1. Pupils continue to make good progress throughout Years 1 to 6 because of the good teaching. As a result the trend in standards in Year 6 has been consistently above average and in 2005 the pupils' achievement was significantly higher than average. Standards in most year groups are above average. However, the unconfirmed results for Year 6 in 2006 and standards in the current Year 6 are broadly average reflecting the rise in the number of pupils with learning difficulties recently admitted to these two year groups. Although these new pupils make good progress they have not yet had sufficient time

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Grade: 2

to catch up with the other pupils who reach above average standards. This has inevitably lowered the school's current performance to average overall even though many pupils in the year group achieve the higher Level 5 and make particularly good progress since joining the school in the Foundation Stage.

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Grade: 1

Pupils love coming to school where, as one said, 'There are nice surroundings and lots of colourful displays.' Attendance is above average. Pupils appreciate how well their teachers care for them. In lessons, they are alert and interested. They tackle tasks eagerly and confidently and the older pupils enjoy responsibilities such as being prefects and playground 'buddies'. They look after younger pupils very well and relationships throughout the school are outstanding. Pupils feel confident in approaching staff if they have problems or concerns. Pupils feel safe and secure in school and, when questioned about any incidents of bullying, one pupil said: 'This is not that sort of school.' They understand that any incidents would be regarded seriously by the school and dealt with successfully. Pupils are very aware of the need to adopt a healthy lifestyle and take part eagerly in a good range of out of lesson activities. They make an outstanding contribution to the school

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Grade: 1

and wider community through involvement in local environmental projects, and through church activities such as the very good English work about Rupert Brooke on display in the church. Their understanding of the customs and traditions of other people are outstanding and are enhanced very well through the links with a school in Kenya. They develop good skills for economic well-being through their competence in basic skills and through their strong personal development. 3 Inspection Report: Ann Cam Church of England Primary School, 19 October 2006

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are strong throughout the school. In the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2, the children make good progress because of the purposeful tasks set and the stimulating environment. The good teaching in the older age range is especially successful in supporting the progress of the pupils with learning difficulties who joined the school recently. Interactive whiteboards are used exceptionally well across the school to support and to generate enjoyment in learning. Through very good questioning, teachers effectively encourage pupils to explain their thinking. However, the teachers do not always use a varied enough approach to take account of the different ways pupils learn best. For example, they often use visual activities, such as the use of the interactive whiteboards, but do not combine this method with practical experiences or hands-on methods to underpin pupils' understanding.

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Grade: 2

Teachers' day-to-day marking of work is effective and pupils respond willingly to the teachers' comments by completing additional tasks, such as spelling corrections or by making further explanations in their books. However, pupils are not sufficiently involved in assessing their own work to help them understand what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum has been significantly improved since the last inspection. The Foundation Stage curriculum provides a stimulating start to children's education. It focuses well upon the development of children's personal and social skills and successfully builds their self-confidence. Cross-subject links are developing pupils' understanding well and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) is particularly strong in helping pupils to develop their independent research skills. The creative aspect of the curriculum develops pupils' interests and talents, especially in art, such as the recent involvement in the Cheltenham Dance Festival. There is a good range of out of lesson activities, including drama, gardening and sports. Together with residential visits for pupils in Years 5 and 6 and visits to places such as the Victorian village, Roman fort and Gloucester cathedral, these enhance pupils' enjoyment of learning effectively.

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Grade: 1

The outstanding quality of care, guidance and support has a powerful impact upon ensuring that pupils' personal development and well-being are excellent. There are very good links with parents and most take an active part in their children's education. The school also makes very good use of expertise from out of school agencies and 4 Inspection Report: Ann Cam Church of England Primary School, 19 October 2006 friends of the school to ensure that pupils, including those new to the school and with learning difficulties, learn new skills and make good progress. Outstanding relationships between staff and pupils mean that pupils feel safe and behave exceptionally well. Staff and governors ensure a safe and stimulating environment where pupils are able to develop confidence and broaden their horizons. Many additional opportunities for pupils' care are provided through the efforts of parents. For example, two shelters were erected for shade last summer. Regular tracking

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Grade: 1

and review of pupils' progress is of a high quality and enables the school to intervene very swiftly if pupils show signs of underachievement.

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Grade: 1

The headteacher has an exceptionally good understanding of what needs to be done to raise standards. She leads and manages the school outstandingly and has built an extremely enthusiastic outlook amongst the staff and governors. This very accomplished team has an astounding impact upon maintaining the above average standards more able pupils as well as improving the achievement of the new comers with learning difficulties. Under the very good guidance of the headteacher, the subject leaders for literacy and mathematics have developed excellent monitoring skills and they monitor and evaluate accurately the progress being made by pupils in their subjects. The governors are extremely knowledgeable and give the school exceptional support. They organise their responsibilities excellently and work very closely with the headteacher and staff to monitor the work of the school. The school's evaluation is very thorough and is agreed between staff and governors. The school's leadership and

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Grade: 1

management has been severely tested recently because several pupils with learning difficulties have joined the older year groups but this situation has been handled extremely well ensuring that all the new comers achieve well. Achievement has improved considerably since the last inspection and pupils' personal development is now excellent. The school has an excellent capacity for improvement. 5 Inspection Report: Ann Cam Church of England Primary School, 19 October 2006 .

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Grade: 1

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Ann Cam Church of England Primary School, 19 October 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 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA 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? 3 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 1 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?

1 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: Ann Cam Church of England Primary School, 19 October 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: Ann Cam Church of England Primary School, 19 October 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for making us so welcome when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking with you and looking at your work. We particularly liked the way you all get on together. We found your school to be a happy place. It is providing you with a good education. These are the things that are particularly good: • Your headteacher leads and manages your school excellently. • The teaching is good. Your teachers help you by explaining things to you in interesting ways so that you enjoy your learning. • Your behaviour and the care you have for each other are outstanding. • Your teachers care for you and support you extremely well. Even though your school is good, there are still some ways in which we would like it to improve even more and have asked your headteacher and governors to: • Help you learn as best you can, by ensuring that the teachers combine practical experiences and listening activities along with the visual ways they already use to teach you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• Help you to decide what you understand, what you do well and what you need to learn next. 9 Inspection Report: Ann Cam Church of England Primary School, 19 October 2006

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