Newbold Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Newbold CofE Primary School

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120149 Unique Reference Number Leicestershire Local Authority 291648 Inspection number 20 November 2006 Inspection date Mike Capper 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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School Lane School address Primary Type of school Newbold Coleorton Voluntary controlled School category Coalville LE67 8PF 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01530 222318 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01530 222318 Fax number 36 Number on roll (school) Vacant Position Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Lesley Brewer Headteacher 21 May 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 291648 20 November 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 small rural primary school takes pupils from the local village as well as surrounding areas. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. The number of pupils identified as having learning difficulties is slightly above average. The number on roll has fallen from 62 to 36 in the last 18 months and pupils are now taught in three classes in the morning and two classes in the afternoon.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Newbold CofE Primary School, 20 November 2006

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school where adults know the pupils well and ensure that they are well cared for. As a result, pupils feel happy and secure and their personal development is good. They take responsibility especially well and make a good contribution to the community by taking part in local events and performing to villagers. Pupils particularly enjoy the good number of activities outside lessons which enrich the satisfactory curriculum. As one pupil said, 'Even though we are a small school, we are able to do lots of exciting things and go on lots of interesting trips'. Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. Teaching and learning is satisfactory overall, with good teaching seen with the oldest pupils. In the Foundation Stage, pupils make satisfactory progress from their well below average starting points. Standards remain lower than those found nationally by the end of the Reception year. In the rest of the school,

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Grade: 3

teachers are successfully tackling a backlog of underachievement caused by a high level of staff turbulence in the last few years. Progress is improving, although standards at the end of Year 2 continue to be well below average. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 1 to 4, though the pace of learning is sometimes too slow because teachers do not always take enough account of the differing needs in their classes. Progress picks up significantly in Years 5 and 6 and is good. This is because the relatively new teacher demands more of the pupils and provides good levels of challenge in lessons. Consequently, standards have risen significantly in the past year and, by the end of Year 6, are now below average overall. Throughout the school, pupils do better in reading than in writing. Pupils make good progress in reading because they are encouraged to read at home, and newly purchased resources support learning well.

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Grade: 3

Whilst writing has improved, it is still not as good as reading. This is because opportunities are lost to reinforce writing skills across other subjects. Pupils are given satisfactory academic support. Throughout the school, teachers are beginning to set targets for pupils to reach at the end of each year although these vary in quality and are not always challenging enough. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher has a clear picture of what needs improving. Members of staff are aware that standards are still not high enough, especially in writing, and they are working together well to tackle the underlying causes. The impact of recent initiatives is already evident in better test results in Year 6 in 2006. In a short time, the school has gathered much data about pupils' progress but this is not yet used rigorously enough to spot when learning slows and to respond quickly to areas of concern as soon as they arise.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that teachers, especially in Years 1 to 4, consistently match work to the differing needs of pupils. • Further improve standards in writing by providing opportunities for pupils to write purposefully across the subjects of the curriculum. • Make better use of information about how well pupils are doing to set challenging targets and to tackle any underachievement as soon as it arises. 2 Inspection Report: Newbold CofE Primary School, 20 November 2006

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Grade: 3

Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. Children make satisfactory progress from their different starting points in the Reception Year, including those with learning difficulties or disabilities. They settle quickly, though standards continue to be well below average by the end of the year. The satisfactory progress seen in much of the school lifts as pupils enter the Year 5/6 class because teaching is better and they have a clearer understanding of how to improve. Consequently, standards have improved in the last year and are now below average by the end of Year 6. Throughout the school, pupils make better progress in reading than in writing. They enjoy reading at home and in school because they like using the new library and respond enthusiastically to reading competitions. Writing is slower to develop because some of the basic skills in punctuation and spelling are not reinforced across subjects other than English. Pupils struggle to improve quickly enough due to the lack of these

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Grade: 2

Pupils' enjoyment of school is evident in their good attendance. Reception children settle into school life quickly and become friendly and confident. Throughout the school, pupils play together amicably and share their views sensibly during paired discussions in class. They behave well most of the time, although occasionally they become inattentive when work is not closely matched to their needs. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils know that healthy food and exercise will help to keep them fit and well and how to stay safe in school. They know that the school's 'working together' agreement helps them to know their rights. Older pupils are enthusiastic about the special duties that involve them in the life of the school and local community. For example, playground peacemakers sensibly resolved a dispute at playtime over who was to be goalkeeper. School council members take a

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Grade: 2

good lead in improving aspects of the school such as playtime resources. Pupils are good at raising funds for charity, although their writing skills are not good enough to prepare them more than satisfactorily for the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 3

Teachers make good use of valuable resources such as teaching assistants and interactive whiteboards to support learning and add interest. Teaching is good in Years 5 and 6; tasks are matched well to pupils' needs and clear expectations and instruction enable pupils to work quickly. One pupil in Year 6 summed up the view of others by saying, 'Our teacher makes every lesson fun'. In Years 1 to 4, there are occasions when 3 Inspection Report: Newbold CofE Primary School, 20 November 2006 work is not sufficiently adapted to pupils' differing needs. At these times, the pace of learning slows, with some pupils waiting for others to catch up. Whilst teachers use writing resources more imaginatively and distinct improvement in writing was seen in the recent work of Year 5 and 6 pupils, teachers do not always make the best use of other subjects to promote writing skills. Reception children are given good support in

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Grade: 3

their personal development, although there are occasions when activities are allowed to go on for too long to maintain their interest. All teachers make good use of praise to encourage pupils and increase their confidence.

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Grade: 3

The balance of different subjects is satisfactory. Whilst there is an appropriate emphasis on teaching basic skills in reading and mathematics, there are missed opportunities for pupils to extend their writing skills when learning about other subjects. Good resources are used well to make the curriculum more interesting. A small outdoor area is used well to provide practical activities for younger pupils. The curriculum is enriched by a good range of out-of-school clubs, particularly sporting activities. Visitors such as 'Sven the Viking' are used well to increase learning experiences and bring topics to life. Good links with other small schools enhance pupils' learning, for example by allowing them to go on a residential trip.

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Grade: 3

A strong feature is the successful way in which all adults support the pastoral needs of each pupil in this small and friendly school community. As a result, pupils are well cared for and they know whom to turn to if worried. Methods of assessing and checking pupils' progress are satisfactory. Priority is given to English and mathematics, with targets for improvement set for each pupil based on their prior attainment. However, the targets set for each year are not always challenging enough. Teachers identify pupils with learning difficulties and set clear targets for their improvement.

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Grade: 3

The school is moving in the right direction, though the pace of change has been slowed by staffing issues which have now largely been resolved. Senior managers are rebuilding the trust of parents after a period of instability which resulted in children being moved to other schools. This fall in numbers has been managed well and the impact of recent initiatives is already evident in improved progress in reading across the school and higher test results at the end of Year 6. This track record of recent development demonstrates a sound capacity for further improvement. There are satisfactory systems for finding out how well the school is doing. Consequently, the school is aware that standards need to be higher and more needs 4 Inspection Report: Newbold CofE Primary School, 20 November 2006 to be done to improve teaching. Senior managers have gathered good information about pupils' progress. This information is beginning to be used to identify and respond

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Grade: 3

to dips in progress as soon as they arise, though this is in the early stages of development and is not yet rigorous enough. Governors are enthusiastic and take an interest in the school. Whilst they have some understanding of where it needs to improve, they are over-cautious about challenging the school. 5 Inspection Report: Newbold CofE Primary School, 20 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: Newbold CofE Primary School, 20 November 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? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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 3 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

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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. 7 Inspection Report: Newbold CofE Primary School, 20 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 school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Newbold CofE Primary School, 20 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming us to your school and for showing us your work. You were very polite and friendly. We found some good things in the school and also some things that need improving. Some more inspectors may visit you in about a year's time to make sure that things are improving quickly enough. What your school does best • You make good progress in Years 5 and 6 and in reading throughout the school. • You enjoy school and are especially good at taking responsibilities. We especially like the way that you take care of each other at playtime through your playtime leaders and peacemakers. • There are lots of interesting visits and visitors and you take a very active part in local events. • Your teachers are very kind and caring and they look after you well. • You have a clear understanding of the importance of staying healthy and safe. • Members of staff are working very hard to make sure that you learn more quickly.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• Most of your parents and carers are pleased that you come to this school. What we have asked your school to do now • Make sure that teachers give you work that always meets your needs and is not too hard or too easy for you. • Help you do better in writing by giving you more opportunities to practise in different subjects. • Use information about how well you are learning to set you challenging targets and to check that you are all doing well enough. We thoroughly enjoyed talking to you about your work and watching you learn. We wish you all well for the future. You can help your teachers by continuing to work hard and trying to always concentrate in lessons. 9 Inspection Report: Newbold CofE Primary School, 20 November 2006

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