Anstey First School

117218 Unique Reference Number HERTFORDSHIRE Local Authority 290757 Inspection number 14 November 2006 Inspection date Georgina Beasley Reporting inspector

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

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Anstey Education Centre address First Type of school

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Buntingford Community School category Hertfordshire SG9 0BY 4 °9 Age range of pupils 01763 848346 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01763 849377 Fax number 16 Number on roll (education Centre) Mr Wilfred Dimsdale Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Claire Logan Headteacher 17 September 2001 Date of previous education Centre inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 290757 14 November 2006 4 °9 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 education Centre. Under the Education Act 2005, the education Centre 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 education Centre

All pupils who attend this very small village school are from White British or other White European backgrounds. All pupils speak English fluently. A very small proportion is eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is about the same as other schools of a similar size. Attainment on entry to the school is similar overall to national expectations. The headteacher has been in post since September.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Anstey First School, 14 November 2006

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Grade: 3

Anstey First School gives pupils a satisfactory education. There has been satisfactory progress overall since the previous inspection, although this has accelerated considerably under the new headteacher's good leadership and clear vision. Consequently, there is a renewed enthusiasm and commitment from staff, parents, governors and pupils to make this a more successful school and there is good capacity to improve. The school works closely with parents, who are already impressed and have confidence that things are getting better. One parent commented, 'The school has a fantastic atmosphere and is very exciting at the moment' describes well the school's increasing drive to make learning more interesting and relevant. On entry visitors are made to feel welcome by the smiles from staff and pupils, and the thoughtful displays of pupils' work. The school's vision 'Learning is at the heart of all we do' is displayed prominently for all to embrace.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' personal development is good. Their excellent attitudes, impeccable behaviour and very high attendance have been maintained, owing to the very good relationships and strong family atmosphere. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are keen to do well. They are confident to offer ideas and views and like the many opportunities they are given to contribute to school and village life. Achievement is satisfactory. All pupils make satisfactory progress in reading, writing and mathematics from the end of Reception until they leave the school. There are signs that the decline in achievement and standards over the last two years has stopped. The quality of teaching and learning, while satisfactory, is improving and is resulting in good progress and higher standards in some lessons. Teachers use the interactive whiteboard effectively to engage learners. They ask a good range of questions and give pupils time to think things through for themselves. Careful consideration is given

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Grade: 3

to how activities can best support pupils' different abilities, with some success. There is still too much whole class teaching with pupils often doing the same work, especially in writing, and so there is not always enough challenge for the more able pupils. Teachers generally give clear feedback to pupils about what they have learned in lessons. However, pupils are not involved enough in assessing their own work and so are not yet able to identify for themselves how they can make their work better. Measures to make sure the school is doing as well as it should are ensuring that there is sufficient information to help the school put together a plan to ensure its development. Rigorous checks are resulting in the school's having an accurate picture of how well it is doing. Short-term targets are helping the school move forward quickly but a more detailed plan is not in yet place to ensure that the school's long-term vision

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What the education Centre should do to improve further

• Provide more challenge for the more able pupils, especially in writing. • Involve pupils more in assessing their work to help them evaluate how well they are doing and know what they need to do to improve. 2 Inspection Report: Anstey First School, 14 November 2006 • Fully establish the more rigorous systems for checking how well the school is doing and use the information to implement a long-term strategic plan for the school's development.

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Grade: 3

Owing to the very small numbers in each year group, attainment can vary considerably from year to year. Children start school with attainment that is generally typical for schools of a similar size, with a small number of more able pupils and a small number with learning difficulties. Progress is satisfactory and pupils reach the levels they are expected to reach by the end of Reception. Standards are average at the end of Year 2 and Year 4 in English and mathematics. However, achievement, although satisfactory, has declined in the last two years. Signs of improvement are emerging. There is good achievement in some lessons in reading and mathematics because some work pupils are asked to do when working in groups is designed to meet their different needs. This provides support for those pupils who need it and additional challenge for the more able pupils. Parents are informed about how their children are doing and so are able to help at home. Challenge is not

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Grade: 3

so evident in writing because pupils often do the same work, with higher attainers expected to do more and those with learning difficulties being given more support.

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Grade: 2

Pupils pay excellent attention in lessons, listening to the teachers' and each other's views and contributions sensitively. Playtimes before and during school are always amicable. Pupils new to the school are quickly made to feel welcome and so they settle well into the family atmosphere the pupils help to create. Good provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development ensures that pupils are developing a good awareness of their own and others' feelings and beliefs. The school has successfully widened opportunities to improve pupils' developing awareness of different cultures. Pupils take their responsibilities seriously, for example ensuring that younger pupils are given the help they need to be happy in school. They contribute to the local and wider community through several fund raising efforts, many of which they organise themselves.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching is improving, owing to the headteacher's clear direction and the commitment of all teaching staff to try to ensure that all pupils achieve well. Good 3 Inspection Report: Anstey First School, 14 November 2006 use of discussion and questioning is enabling all pupils to give their views and ideas and so all are confident to ask questions to clarify their learning. Targets for literacy and numeracy are used well to let pupils know what is expected of them in lessons. However, there is inconsistency between classes in the way these are utilised to challenge the more able and to identify what still needs to be learned to reach the next level. Good support is provided for pupils with learning difficulties to enable them to succeed.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. The school has reviewed and reorganised its curriculum for pupils in Years 1 and 2 to include more links between subjects and so make learning more purposeful and relevant to their needs. The curriculum for pupils in Years 3 and 4 is currently under review to complete the same task and ensure that it is just as interesting. A good range of visits and visitors enriches the curriculum well and brings learning to life. Personal, social and health education, physical education and science lessons give pupils good opportunity to consider how to stay safe and keep healthy. Since September, there has been an emphasis on pupils taking part in a wide range of sporting activities, enhanced through strong links with the local sports partnership. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and all areas of learning are covered. Nevertheless, opportunities for children to choose to learn outside

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Grade: 3

are still limited. Access to the outdoor area is not easy from the younger pupils' class and working separately in the designated area to facilitate this is not always possible.

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Grade: 2

The school makes sure that pupils are cared for well while in school and government regulations concerning the employment of staff are followed. Health and safety and child protection procedures are fully in place and all staff who were in post last year have completed recent training tp ensure that they are well-informed about these areas. All staff provide very good role models and pupils respond accordingly, with excellent manners. Relationships are very good and so pupils are confident to ask for help when they need it. New assessment systems have been introduced in September and are being used effectively to check how well pupils are learning and whether they are making enough progress. New arrangements in the Foundation Stage are helping the school to monitor exactly how much progress individual children are making in all areas of learning. Teachers' written comments when marking work point out what pupils have learned

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Grade: 2

and whether they have reached their individual targets for literacy and numeracy. Insufficient guidance is given on what pupils need to do to reach their next target. 4 Inspection Report: Anstey First School, 14 November 2006

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. Good leadership of the new headteacher provides clear direction for the work of the school. Strategies put into place to improve how well pupils' work is assessed are starting to result in focused learning. Resources have been sorted out. Leadership of subjects is satisfactory. Staff are enthusiastic and work well as a team to put new initiatives into place. Improvements to the Foundation Stage are satisfactory, although the outdoor area still lacks imagination and is not used as often as it could be to support learning for self-initiated learning activities and imaginative play. The governing body ensures that it meets its responsibilities soundly and has supported the school well through recent years. It is provided with good information to help ask the school challenging questions about why it is doing what it is. The budget forecast looks adequate for the school's needs but does not yet fully support school

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Grade: 3

improvement planning because clear links between the two have not been identified. The school provides satisfactory value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Anstey First School, 14 November 2006 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Anstey First School, 14 November 2006

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Inspection judgements

Education Centre 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 education Centre work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of the education Centre'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

3 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 3 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 1 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

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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: Anstey First School, 14 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 education Centre require special measures? No Does this education Centre require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Anstey First School, 14 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

15 November 2006 Dear Children Anstey First School, Anstey, Buntingford, Hertfordshire, SG9 0BY Thank you all very much for making me feel so welcome when I visited your school recently. I am writing to let you know that the school is doing a satisfactory job but I want to mention a few special things. I was impressed with your excellent behaviour and how you all get along so well. You are all very polite and thoughtful and are growing into responsible young people. Well done. Your excellent attitudes are helping you to learn and your teachers to teach. Consequently, I can see that you are beginning to learn more in lessons, especially in your maths and reading. I have asked your teachers to make sure that the tasks they plan for you to do will help you even more to reach your targets, especially in writing and for those of you who are capable of harder work. I have also asked them to make sure that when they are marking

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

your work or discussing with you how well you have done, that you also talk about how you can get even better. You can help by knowing what your targets are and by remembering to check your work to see whether you are reaching them. Ms Logan is a good headteacher. She has worked hard with all the adults to make sure that you are doing what you should to achieve even better in your work. I have asked her and all the adults who work in your school to plan how they will make Anstey a more successful school, something I know you all want to happen. I know you will help to do this because the school is one big family where you all work together to make it a happy place to be. Please have a very special Christmas and enjoy the rest of your time at the school. Yours sincerely, Mrs Beasley (Lead inspector) 9 Inspection Report: Anstey First School, 14 November 2006

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