Carisbrooke Church of England Controlled Primary School

Carisbrooke CofE Controlled Primary School Inspection report

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118183 Unique Reference Number Isle of Wight Local Authority 291044 Inspection number 15 °16 May 2007 Inspection dates Michael Pye 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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First Type of school Voluntary controlled School category 4 °9 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 232 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Jo Dare Chair Mrs Wendy Gibbins Headteacher 26 November 2001 Date of previous school inspection Wellington Road School address Carisbrooke Newport PO30 5QT

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01983 522348 Telephone number 01983 537336 Fax number

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4 °9 Age group 15 °16 May 2007 Inspection dates 291044 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The pupils in this average-sized primary school are predominantly from a White British background, with well below the expected numbers of ethnic minority pupils. There are two pupils for whom English is an additional language. The number of pupils entitled to free school meals is slightly below average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is well below average; two pupils have a statement of special educational need. The school has been awarded the Activemark, and the Healthy School and Basic Skills awards.

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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: Carisbrooke CofE Controlled Primary School, 15 °16 May 2007

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good education for the pupils and there are some areas of real strength. A parent accurately wrote, 'Everyone is valued, and great emphasis is placed on the young person's development, not just academically.' Academic standards are above average and pupils achieve well. The pupils make good use of the many excellent opportunities they have that enhance their education, and talk enthusiastically of how much they enjoy school. Their contribution to the community is outstanding. One parent summed up the feeling of the great majority of parents: 'My daughter loves going to school and would go seven days a week if she could'. Children enter Reception with weaknesses in literacy and numeracy and communication. Good teaching and a motivating curriculum contribute to the children's good progress, and most meet or exceed the goals expected of them by the end of Reception. By the end of Year 2 and

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Grade: 2

Year 4 standards are above average and pupils achieve well. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural education of pupils is good and contributes effectively to the personal development and well-being of pupils. Particular strengths include the pupils' spiritual and social education, together with the outstanding contribution they make to the community, both inside and outside of the school. Such activities contribute to pupils' excellent economic awareness and their preparation for later life. Pupils behave well and respond positively to good teaching and their teachers' high expectations. In some lessons, particularly in numeracy, there are missed opportunities for pupils to fully explain and share their methods of calculation with others. The pupils' needs are well met by the good curriculum. Pupils tell of feeling safe and well cared for, and that they can approach adults for help. The more effective recording of some aspects of pastoral care would allow the

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Grade: 2

school to track and review the impact of its provision better. The very effective headteacher is ably assisted by senior managers who share a clear vision for school development. The school is seeking to distribute responsibility more widely and recognises that further development is required if all managers are to have a clearer whole-school view of their subject and are more able to track pupil performance. The governors' involvement in school monitoring is outstanding. They have an excellent understanding of the school as a result of their commitment to visiting the school, and receiving on-going reports from school leaders. It challenges where necessary. Along with other managers they have overseen the improvements to standards and achievement as well as implementing a detailed and ambitious programme designed to extend the school's links with the community; these partnerships are outstanding. The school strives for improvement and there is no

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Grade: 2

complacency; reflecting a good capacity to continue to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that pupils are given sufficient opportunities to explain and share their answers with others. • Ensure that all subject leaders have sufficient opportunities to develop their whole school role and analyse their subject and pupils' performance. • Ensure more rigorous recording of aspects of pastoral care provision. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Carisbrooke CofE Controlled Primary School, 15 °16 May 2007

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Grade: 2

Upon entry to Reception, children have below the expected levels of skills and knowledge. They progress well and most meet or exceed the expected levels for their age. The 2006 national tests at the end of Year 2 show that pupils made good progress and attained standards that are significantly above average in writing and reading, and average in mathematics. Numerous strategies have been introduced in writing that have successfully closed the gap between the performance of boys and girls. Current Year 2 pupils are on track to attain above average standards in reading and writing. More rigorous monitoring of pupils in mathematics has resulted in improved standards. The good progress of pupils continues and by the end of Year 4 the majority of pupils achieve well and match or exceed the expected levels for their age. Good tracking and well targeted support by teaching assistants results in pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities progressing

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral and social development, are good. Pupils develop an excellent understanding of spirituality through assemblies, circle-time and other subjects. In history older pupils thought deeply about the feelings of Roman soldiers in captivity. Whilst pupils welcome the opportunity to relate to children from other countries, for example a Ugandan school, their understanding of living in a multicultural Britain is limited. Social development is excellent with pupils responding very well to the caring ethos of the school. Pupils behave well and adopt positive attitudes. In Reception the children develop self-confidence and independence as a result of the well thought out curriculum and good teaching. Pupils have an excellent enjoyment of school, with one pupil commenting, 'The school is fun and like our logo says, in Carisbrooke everyone is valued'. Their

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Grade: 2

knowledge of how to stay healthy and keep safe is good. Pupils make an excellent contribution to the local and wider communities through the effective school council, fundraising activities, and taking part in carnival and church events. Their good achievement in core skills and their excellent enterprise skills through, for example, the innovative ways in which they raise funds, prepare them very well for their future life.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Teachers have high expectations of pupils. They plan well, and pupils know what they have to do because there are clear learning objectives. There is a strong emphasis on practical involvement and pupils speak of lessons, 'being fun', and where, 'we get to learn lots'. The effective use of interactive white boards helps maintain a brisk pace which motivates pupils and they concentrate well. Teachers' questions are well focused. However, there are inconsistencies in the extent to which they ask pupils in mathematics to explain their answers fully and share this with others. This limits pupils' opportunities to learn about different ways of finding solutions to problems as well as learning from one another. Pupils' work is 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Carisbrooke CofE Controlled Primary School, 15 °16 May 2007 marked regularly with many supportive comments, but they do not always tell pupils what they

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Grade: 2

need to do to further improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and the opportunities offered to pupils through other activities are outstanding. New books, the use of extension work and an emphasis on motivating boys, has contributed effectively to the school improving writing standards. Some excellent provision for information and communication technology has resulted, for example, in pupils being able to share views through a 'blog' site. Theme weeks, such as the 'Saxon Challenge', and improved links between subjects are helping to ensure that pupils have a sense of purpose to their learning, and are able to be more imaginative. The high quality of artwork around the school reflects the skills and positive attitudes of pupils. The curriculum is enriched by an excellent array of extra activities, clubs, visits and visitors. The Reception curriculum offers a wide range of experiences that stimulate children. The pupils' knowledge of healthy living and how to stay

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Grade: 2

safe is effectively reinforced through the personal, health, social education programme, as well as subjects such as science.

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. Pupils tell of feeling safe and secure, and are, consequently, able to concentrate on their work. Pupils say the teachers know them well. One parent wrote, `My son is positive about the school because staff take time to know and understand what turns him on in his learning, which can be only good for his future.' In various questionnaires and in conversations, pupils and an overwhelming majority of parents believe behaviour is good. A small number of parents have concerns over aspects of behaviour, but during the inspection pupils behaved well. The pupils are clear about whom they should go to if they have a concern and they feel that the school listens to them. The school has systems for recording such concerns. However, they are insufficiently rigorous to allow for an effective review of the impact of school strategies in, for example, the tracking of pupils' behaviour.

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Grade: 3

Health and safety policies, child protection and risk assessments procedures are regularly reviewed. There is good provision for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, although some of their personal targets are insufficiently focused. The school's recent focus on developing pupils' critical skills is now enabling them to self-evaluate with more confidence.

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Grade: 2

The school's leadership and management are good. The headteacher has effectively shared with all staff a very clear vision for the school. Strong team work exists. This has resulted in improving standards and achievement, good personal development and well-being of pupils, and the establishment of some very good links with parents, that include various on-site family learning activities. The key to the school's academic improvement has been the development of effective monitoring, self-evaluation and development planning. Increasingly these are providing the necessary information for effective strategic planning; the school now has a three year 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Carisbrooke CofE Controlled Primary School, 15 °16 May 2007 development plan. In areas such as literacy and numeracy the subject leaders have introduced strategies which have positively impacted on standards. The school has identified the need for

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Grade: 2

all subject leaders to be more involved in the tracking and analysis of pupils' achievement and long-term planning. The monitoring of teaching has helped improve standards and teachers receive some valuable feedback, which would benefit from a sharper focus on pupils' learning. Effective links exist between the professional development needs of staff, performance management targets and school improvement. The extent of governors' involvement and their impact on the school are outstanding. They are heavily involved in self-evaluation, and have their own governor's development plan. Ably directed by the chair of governors the monitoring of the school is very effectively carried out. Regular visits, annual written reports from subject leaders, as well as analysis of results, all combine to ensure that they have an excellent understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Carisbrooke CofE Controlled Primary School, 15 °16 May 2007

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Carisbrooke CofE Controlled Primary School, 15 °16 May 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 2 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 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?

3 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: Carisbrooke CofE Controlled Primary School, 15 °16 May 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: Carisbrooke CofE Controlled Primary School, 15 °16 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

29 May 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Carisbrooke CofE Controlled Primary School,Newport,PO30 5QT Thank you for welcoming us to your school. We listened carefully to what you had to say. Thank you. We are very pleased that you enjoy your school so much, and agree that your school is good. We believe it does some things very well indeed. The opportunities you have to take part in school activities and in the local area, as well as the way you are prepared for the next stage in your education, are extremely good. You are keen to learn, and this together with the good teaching you get, results in you making good progress in your work. You do particularly well in writing and reading, and your numeracy is improving. We have asked your teachers to give you more chance to explain how you work out your answers in mathematics. You can help your teachers by listening carefully when this happens. You make use of a very good choice of activities outside the classroom, such as art, choir and

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

sport. You told us how you feel safe in the school, that the adults care for you well and that you know who to go to for help. You said that behaviour is good. We agree, although a small number of your parents felt you do not always behave well. The school is going to look at how it records your concerns and how effectively it deals with them. The school is well led by your headteacher and her staff. For example, you benefit well from the extremely good links made with people outside the school. We have asked the school to give more responsibility to some managers. The school's governing body is very good. Through visiting the school regularly and speaking to you, they know your views and the school well. I wish you well for the future. Yours sincerely, Michael Pye Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Carisbrooke CofE Controlled Primary School, 15 °16 May 2007

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