St Barnabas CofE Primary School, Barnetby

St Barnabas CofE Primary School, Barnetby Inspection report

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118004 Unique Reference Number North Lincolnshire Local Authority 290995 Inspection number 13 March 2007 Inspection date Carole Cressey 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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Primary Type of school Voluntary controlled School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 157 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Larraine Guest Chair Mrs Rachel Barker (Acting Headteacher) Headteacher 1 September 2001 Date of previous school inspection St Barnabas Road School address Barnetby-Le-Wold DN38 6JD

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01652 688248 Telephone number 01652 681704 Fax number

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4 °11 Age group 13 March 2007 Inspection date 290995 Inspection number .

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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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average school serving a number of villages. Most children come from White British backgrounds; a very few are from minority ethnic backgrounds and learn English as an additional language; a significant number of pupils are from Traveller families. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is below average; the percentage with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well above average. Pupils’ mobility is higher than that found nationally, with more children leaving or joining the school outside the usual starting or ending dates. At the time of the inspection, the headteacher was seconded to a neighbouring school, and this school was led by the deputy headteacher.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: St Barnabas CofE Primary School, Barnetby, 13 March 2007

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Grade: 1

The school’s Christian symbol displayed in the entrance is a beautiful soaring dove of peace. This certainly encapsulates this school’s ambition for all its pupils. Children do soar in this outstanding school which is exceptionally well led and managed. The school has a very accurate insight into its strengths and weaknesses. Everyone connected to St Barnabas, whether they are teachers, assistants, dinner ladies, caretakers, cooks, volunteers or governors, works as a team to create an exceptionally strong Christian ethos where the care, wellbeing, enjoyment and achievement of every pupil are central to its work. The Bishop of Lincoln was so moved by the school’s Easter service last year that he spoke of it in his Easter message in the Cathedral. During the secondment of the headteacher to a neighbouring school, the parents’ confidence has never wavered. Parents are delighted that the acting headteacher

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Grade: 1

has ensured that their children have continued to be happy and successful learners who reach their potential whatever their starting points. Pupils enter the school with below average standards. They make consistently good progress and leave the school having worked hard, done their best and achieved the standards of which they are capable. By the end of Year 6, standards are well above average. Standards have improved year-on-year and the school usually meets and often exceeds its challenging targets. This is a very caring school that treats every child as a special individual. This is particularly apparent in the way the school welcomes and supports children and their families from the Traveller Community and those learning English as an additional language. Parents of children with disabilities and learning difficulties are delighted that this school goes the extra mile to ensure that their children get the support they need.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development is outstanding. All activities, whether they are before the start of the school day, during lessons, at break time or after school, develop pupils’ love of learning and an understanding of how they can stay healthy, keep themselves and others safe and become caring, responsible members of their school, and the local and global community. Most pupils are regular and punctual attenders, and the school works very effectively with families to improve attendance. Throughout the school, including the Foundation Stage, teaching and the curriculum are of a consistently high standard. Parents of the youngest children in the Reception class say they are amazed with what their children learn and are thrilled how quickly they become confident readers, writers and mathematicians. The school modestly judges itself as good but this is an outstanding school in all aspects of its work. It gives excellent value for money and is extremely well placed to continue to be successful.

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What the school should do to improve further

• There are no significant areas for improvement.

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Grade: 1

Standards are well above average and pupils achieve exceptionally well because teaching is consistently good or better throughout the school. Children’s attainment when they first start school is usually below that expected for their age. They make very good strides in learning, 4 of 11 Inspection Report: St Barnabas CofE Primary School, Barnetby, 13 March 2007 and by the time they move into Year 1 the majority are achieving the learning goals expected for their ages. Pupils continue to achieve well in the infant classes. In Years 1 and 2, the majority of pupils reach the expected level for their ages in reading, writing and mathematics and over half achieve the higher levels. In Key Stage 2, progress accelerates further due to well-planned intervention strategies so that standards by the end of Year 6 are well above average. In the 2006 tests, standards were at least well above average in all subjects and exceptionally high in science.

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Grade: 1

This represents very good progress as this class had high mobility, and a high proportion of the pupils had additional learning needs. The excellent support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who are gifted and talented enables them all to reach their potential. The very few pupils learning English as an additional language soon catch up with their classmates because of the individual support they receive. The school provides good support for Traveller pupils and as a result they achieve well during their time in the school.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is very successful. Whether they are involved in the daily ‘wake up and shake’, working in lessons or small groups, meeting a newcomer at the school gates or being involved in one of the many after school clubs, pupils show a remarkable exuberance for learning. They say that they “just love school”. Being friendly, polite, well behaved and caring is the norm for pupils in this strong Christian community. Dining at a special table adorned with a tablecloth, balloons and bright red goblets or having your name in the ‘Golden Book’ at least once during your time in the school is a much valued reward for good behaviour. A wide range of activities encourages a healthy and safe lifestyle, which promotes confidence and self-worth. The pupils take their responsibilities for each other, their local village and the wider global community very seriously.

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Grade: 1

Through one of their many successful financial efforts, they are providing money to pay for the education of a girl in Ethiopia. Even this little girl’s birthday from so far away was celebrated by these caring children. Parents are delighted that their children are so very well prepared for the next stage of learning.

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Grade: 1

Outstanding teaching enables all pupils to achieve well and reach the highest standard they can. This is no easy task, especially when there are high levels of mobility with some pupils staying in the school for short periods of time. Lessons are characterised with good humour, warm and relaxed relationships and a very strong work ethic. All teachers in this school expect every single pupil, no matter what their background, disability, language or aptitude, to do their best and they provide them with the support they need to do this. Pupils respond well to their teachers’ high expectations of them. They say, “Even though it’s really hard when you learn something new, it gets easier when you are used to it”. Pupils who do not make the progress expected of them or those who learn at a faster rate are very quickly identified and programmes are put in place to accelerate their learning. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: St Barnabas CofE Primary School, Barnetby, 13 March 2007

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Grade: 1

A significant strength of the teaching is the way support staff are used to provide high quality help to these pupils in small groups. Regular assessments inform teachers of the level of understanding and progress of each pupil. They are used very effectively to ensure that lessons are well planned to meet the needs of pupils of different ages and abilities. Pupils are very clear about what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 1

The outstanding curriculum, including in the Foundation Stage, is very responsive to the needs of the school’s constantly changing intake. Every available space in this vibrant learning environment is filled with the pupils’ high quality work reflecting an exciting and creative curriculum. After school clubs, sports events, visits and visitors are all planned exceptionally well to deepen and enrich pupils’ learning. A specialist linguist enables the school to offer French to the pupils and high quality provision in music ensures that the school’s choir is always asked to sing at the annual Holocaust service held in the nearby town. There is a very strong emphasis on developing pupils’ literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology skills. Along with an excellent programme of social and health education, this provides the pupils with the necessary tools to develop personal safety, care and healthy living

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Grade: 1

and prepares them well for life in the 21st century.

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Grade: 1

Pupils in this school achieve well because of the outstanding level of care, guidance and support they receive. Required child protection, safeguarding and risk assessment procedures are in place. The staff work selflessly to support children with additional learning needs. For example, the isolated location of the village made it difficult for any parents to travel to speech therapy appointments. This enterprising school solved this by setting up a weekly session in the school, through the support of the local authority special needs officer and the Speech and Language Unit agreeing to hold clinics on site. Support staff are exceptionally well trained to meet the needs of pupils with learning or behavioural difficulties and those who are only in school for short periods of time. The school carefully tracks the progress of all pupils and groups and uses the information very skilfully to set challenging but realistic targets for the pupils.

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Grade: 1

The forward thinking headteacher leads and manages the school with outstanding flair and vision resulting in excellence in all aspects of its work. The weaknesses identified at the last inspection have been eradicated. The leadership’s Christian ethos underpins all of the school’s work. This includes its success in creating an outstanding environment for learning and working with other schools to share good practice. The excellent team spirit has meant that the acting headteacher and deputy headteacher and governing body have all worked together to maintain the high standards set during the secondment of the headteacher. This is central to the school’s success in ensuring that all pupils achieve as well as they can and become caring and confident individuals. All staff, including support staff, are exceptionally well trained and qualified to ensure that the school can meet the particular needs of a constantly changing community. The

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Grade: 1

rigorous and regular evaluation of national and school based test results and of teaching and 6 of 11 Inspection Report: St Barnabas CofE Primary School, Barnetby, 13 March 2007 learning enables strengths and weaknesses to be quickly and accurately identified. Strategies are quickly put in place to address these and improvements are rapid. The fact that standards in mathematics were not as high as in other subjects galvanised senior management to think radically about how standards could be improved. As a result, progress is accelerating and standards are rising. The parents’ confidence in the leadership and management of the school is very well placed. This is an outstanding school that has outstanding capacity to improve. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: St Barnabas CofE Primary School, Barnetby, 13 March 2007 .

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Grade: 1

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: St Barnabas CofE Primary School, Barnetby, 13 March 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? 1 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 Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 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 3 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: St Barnabas CofE Primary School, Barnetby, 13 March 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: St Barnabas CofE Primary School, Barnetby, 13 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

St Barnabas C of E Primary School, Barnetby St Barnabas Road Barnetby -Le-Wold DN38 6JD 14 March 2007 Dear Pupils, Thank you so much for being so friendly and welcoming when I visited your school a short while ago. You are all very successful and enthusiastic learners who work really hard and behave well. Your work is a lot better than it is in most schools so you should feel very proud of yourselves! Keep up the good work! I was particularly pleased to see how very kind and welcoming you are to each other. What a good idea for one of you to meet new children at the gate and show them all round the school. You are very proud of the school council and it was good to know that you think it helps to make your school a better place. Don’t forget to talk with your teachers about one of you becoming the secretary and one the treasurer. You go to an excellent school where all the adults work so hard to make lessons interesting

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and help you learn such a lot. I hope you will continue to enjoy school as much as you do now and that it will help you to become happy and successful adults. Yours sincerely Carole Cressey Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: St Barnabas CofE Primary School, Barnetby, 13 March 2007

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