Bredon Hancock's Endowed CofE First School

Inspection Report The Bredon Hancock's Endowed First School

p.1

116868 Unique Reference Number Worcestershire Local Authority 290660 Inspection number 20 °21 September 2006 Inspection dates Andrew Watters HMI Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Church Street School address First Type of school Bredon Voluntary aided School category Tewkesbury GL20 7LA 4 °10 Age range of pupils 01684 772254 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01684 772254 Fax number 144 Number on roll (school) M Baynes Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Helen Wallace Headteacher 27 January 2003 Date of previous school inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 290660 20 °21 September 2006 4°10 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI).

p.3

Description of the school

The school is located in the village of Bredon, about three miles to the north of the market town of Tewkesbury. Most pupils come from the village, with some living just outside the immediate area. The school's social and economic context is generally very favourable. Few pupils are eligible for free school meals and most live in privately owned homes. The proportion of pupils who are on the school's register of special educational needs is above the national average and there is one pupil who has a Statement of Special Educational Need. Nearly all pupils are of White British origin.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: The Bredon Hancock's Endowed First School, 20 °21 September 2006

p.3

Grade: 2

This is a good school where most pupils achieve well and, by the end of Key Stage 1 and Year 5, standards are above average. Significant success has been achieved in raising standards in writing and accelerating the progress made by the more able pupils, much of which has been exceptional. In Years 3 and 4 the pupils' progress in mathematics is too slow and standards are only average. The pupils in the Foundation Stage receive a very good start to their life in school and make good progress. The pupils are well cared for in a safe, secure and welcoming school community that successfully promotes the school's Christian and church foundation. The headteacher is right to describe the school as having a 'distinctive happy, caring ethos which promotes a supportive and challenging environment'. The pupils' personal, social and emotional development and well-being are given a high priority and are good. Academic

p.4

Grade: 2

guidance is generally good, particularly in writing, but is weaker in mathematics. The pupils' behaviour and attitudes are very good. They are enthusiastic, respectful and well mannered. They greatly appreciate their school and have confidence in the adults who work with them. One pupil said: 'whenever there is a problem it gets sorted quickly.' As a result they work hard and enjoy coming to school. Pupils know about healthy eating and the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Some of them reported that their diet has improved because of what they have learned in school! Arrangements for safeguarding pupils are good and are currently being updated in line with recent national requirements. Risk assessments, however, are not recorded and reviewed sufficiently regularly and frequently. Almost 50% of parents returned inspection questionnaires and the majority are overwhelmingly positive. One parent said: 'both my children are making excellent

p.4

Grade: 2

progress and enjoy school very much'. A small proportion of parents expressed concern about the impact of mixed-age classes on their children's learning. The inspection found no evidence to suggest that class organisation is having a detrimental effect on the pupils' education. Where pupils' progress is slower it is directly related to relative weaknesses in the quality of teaching, such as in Years 3 and 4. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall but the pupils' work is not always matched closely enough to their prior attainment levels. There is good provision for the pupils who are on the school's register of special educational needs and this area of work is well led and managed. Collective leadership and management, which includes the headteacher, subject leaders and governors, is good. The headteacher has a clear vision for improvement and a sound understanding of the school's most pressing priorities. Whole-school

p.4

Grade: 2

self-evaluation is good, although the outcomes of monitoring the quality of teaching do not always result in the identification of clear targets for improvement or show the links between good teaching and effective learning. The headteacher is successfully developing and improving the use of assessment information to check the pupils' progress towards achieving their targets, which are usually challenging. 2 Inspection Report: The Bredon Hancock's Endowed First School, 20 °21 September 2006 The quality of strategic planning is good. The school improvement plan provides a good framework for further development and has been reviewed recently to set new and relevant priorities for the coming year. The governors keep a watchful eye on the school and carry out their statutory duties effectively. The school gives good value for money, has made good improvement since the previous inspection and has a good

p.4

Grade: 2

capacity to improve further. The headteacher asserts that the school is 'well led, with a clear vision, sense of purpose and high aspirations, motivating pupils to learn very successfully'. This is undoubtedly accurate. The exciting challenge for the school is to build on its success, improve further and become an outstanding school community. It is well placed to do so.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

• Increase the rate of pupils' progress in mathematics, particularly in Years 3 and 4. • Improve the quality of teaching and learning further by eliminating relative weaknesses. • Ensure that the outcomes of monitoring the quality of teaching focus more directly on the pupils' achievement and progress and lead to clear targets for improvement. • Establish more robust and rigorous arrangements for carrying out risk assessments.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils enter the school with good academic and social skills and their attainment is above average. In the Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and by the end of Year 5, standards are generally high and above the national average. The pupils make good progress and achieve well. Many of the more able pupils make exceptional progress. This picture of good achievement is somewhat offset, however, by the slower rate of progress made by the pupils in Years 3 and 4 in mathematics. As a result, standards in mathematics in these year groups are only average. Nevertheless by the end of Year 5 the pupils' progress accelerates and standards in mathematics rise above the level expected for ten-year-olds. The school's results in the national tests for seven-year-olds fell slightly in 2006 but have been consistently above what is expected for the pupils' ages, with many pupils reaching the higher levels.

p.5

Grade: 2

The pupils are welcoming, good humoured and very engaging in conversations. Their confidence and enjoyment of school are evident. They know that their opinions and views will be listened to and acted on. Many show a maturity beyond their years and are well-rounded young people who are keen to succeed and do well. Attendance is very good and at 96% is above the national average for primary schools. In recent years there have been no exclusions and very few incidences of bullying. The provision for the pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils are 3 Inspection Report: The Bredon Hancock's Endowed First School, 20 °21 September 2006 encouraged to express their feelings and understand the values and beliefs of cultures that are different from their own.

p.5

Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good and is having a positive impact on the pupils' learning. This is shown by the successful initiative to raise standards in writing, which has led to the pupils' achievement levels increasing significantly. The hallmarks of this success have been: accurately matching the pupils' work to their level of attainment; setting clear and challenging targets for improvement; raising expectations of what the pupils might achieve; analysing the pupils' written work and sharing the findings with them. Some relative weaknesses relate to teaching and learning in mathematics in Years 3 and 4. Here the pupils' work is not matched well enough to their different learning needs, the pace of learning is too slow and important strategies for calculating are not always explained sufficiently well.

p.6

Grade: 2

The curriculum is generally planned well to meet the pupils' different learning needs. The headteacher and all teachers ensure that class organisation does not impede the pupils' statutory rights to a broad and balanced curriculum. Important initiatives which have been introduced recently include a forest school project, which successfully encourages learning through the environment, and a diocesan project called 'Godly Play,' which is enhancing the religious education curriculum. Learning French has recently been introduced for the Year 5 pupils, who enjoy the challenge of speaking another language. Residential visits to the Malvern Outdoor Centre provide opportunities for the pupils to develop their independence and sense of teamwork. A satisfactory range of extra-curricular clubs is well attended and the pupils are prepared well for the world of work. Pupils greatly enjoy and appreciate the opportunity to take

p.6

Grade: 2

part in community and fundraising events, for example, those organised by the church and local and national charities.

p.6

Grade: 2

The pupils receive a good level of care, support and guidance. This helps them achieve well and is shown clearly in their very positive attitudes and good personal development. The headteacher is diligently implementing the most recent national requirements for safeguarding children and is well on the way to producing a single central record for checking all staff and adults who work with children in the school. However, arrangements for carrying out risk assessments are not sufficiently robust and the records of many assessments are out of date. Pupils receive good academic guidance 4 Inspection Report: The Bredon Hancock's Endowed First School, 20 °21 September 2006 in English, which helps them achieve well in reading and writing and reach their challenging targets. Academic guidance in mathematics is less well developed. There are strong links with other agencies, particularly through the school's work with pupils

p.6

Grade: 2

who have learning difficulties, and good links with parents.

p.7

Grade: 2

The headteacher provides clear and positive leadership. She has high aspirations and is determined to continue developing and improving the quality of education offered by the school. She is well supported by subject leaders, particularly the English coordinator, who is also a very good role model for other teachers. The school's performance is monitored and evaluated effectively and the analysis of assessment information is increasingly playing a central role in this process. Governors are very supportive and are developing their role in holding the school to account for the standards achieved by the pupils. They monitor the headteacher's performance management and are involved in setting academic targets for whole-school improvement. There is a common sense of purpose among staff and the school runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis. The school's collective leadership makes a positive contribution to raising achievement for all pupils.

p.7

Grade: 2

5 Inspection Report: The Bredon Hancock's Endowed First School, 20 °21 September 2006 .

p.7

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: The Bredon Hancock's Endowed First School, 20 °21 September 2006

p.8

Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 2 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

p.9

and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

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: The Bredon Hancock's Endowed First School, 20 °21 September 2006

p.9

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: The Bredon Hancock's Endowed First School, 20 °21 September 2006

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming me to your school. I have really enjoyed talking with you and visiting your lessons. You are all very friendly, cheerful and polite and have made sure that for the two days I have been with you I have felt a part of your school. Thank you for sharing your work with me. I can see that you try hard to do your best and help each other. Well done! Many of you told me that you really appreciate your school and feel very safe and secure. You are looking forward to getting the school council up and running so that you can contribute even more to what happens in your school. I think this is a really good idea. I am pleased to tell you that you go to a good school that does really well in making sure you are happy and confident and do very well in your work. I had a good time talking to your teachers and it was good to see how well they and you get on together. Most of you really know what you are expected to learn

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and how you can achieve even more. Your teachers, the headteacher and all the other adults in school work hard to make sure that you enjoy your work and learn lots of new things. I have asked Mrs Wallace to continue with all the good things that are happening in your school, to make sure that you do as well in mathematics as you do in reading and writing, and to check lessons carefully to make sure that your work always helps you learn as well as you can. Although you are very safe in school and looked after well, some of the checks that the headteacher and governors carry out are not always recorded carefully enough. I have asked the Reverend Baynes and Mrs Wallace to sort this out as soon as possible. I shall take away lots of good memories about your school and have really enjoyed the time I have spent with you. Thank you again for being so helpful and friendly. 9 Inspection Report: The Bredon Hancock's Endowed First School, 20 °21 September 2006

p.11