Coleby Church of England (Controlled) Primary School

Inspection Report Coleby Church of England (Controlled) Primary School

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120517 Unique Reference Number LINCOLNSHIRE Local Authority 291765 Inspection number 10 °11 October 2006 Inspection dates Sue Hall 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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Rectory Road School address Primary Type of school Coleby, Coleby Voluntary controlled School category Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN5 0AJ 4 °11 Age range of pupils

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01522 810627 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01522 811785 Fax number 59 Number on roll (school) Mrs Lianne Tapson Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Karen Espin Headteacher 1 May 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 291765 10 °11 October 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a very small school in an attractive village in rural Lincolnshire. Pupils attend from a wide area. The pupils are from White British and European backgrounds. No pupils are currently eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is broadly in line with the national picture. However, in some year groups this can be much higher. Although there is a very wide range of attainment on entry to the school, levels of skills,knowledge and understanding at this stage are average overall. The school has recently become part of a Primary Learning Network, working with four other small schools.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Coleby Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 10 °11 October 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school which has some outstanding features. Parents are very pleased with the quality of education offered, as one commented, 'We feel very fortunate to have such a lovely school in our area'. All this is because the headteacher provides well considered and effective leadership of the small team of staff. They work well together and try hard to improve what is provided for the pupils. Inspection judgements are generally above those of the school. This is because the staff are modest in recognising the many strengths in what they do. The personal development of the pupils is excellent. Behaviour is outstanding. Pupils are very happy in school and become confident and willing learners. They readily take on responsibilities around school. The accommodation is extremely attractive and has a very positive impact on learning, including the way pupils care for their surroundings and each other. The

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Grade: 2

school helps pupils to develop healthy lifestyles through activities including swimming lessons from Reception onwards. The school provides well for all pupils including those with learning difficulties or disabilities and because of this families from a wide area come to this school. This, and the very small number of pupils in some year groups have a dramatic impact on national test results, which have varied widely in recent years. Foundation Stage pupils achieve well and enter Year 1 having met or exceeded the targets expected for their age. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 make good progress as they move through the school and by the age of 11 standards are slightly above average. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good. Staff plan carefully to meet the needs of the range of attainment in mixed age and ability groups. Because there are very good relationships in school, pupils want to do well and they try hard. The

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Grade: 2

pastoral care of pupils is outstanding and widely recognised as a strength by parents. The headteacher, as assessment coordinator, has worked effectively with colleagues to extend the way they check and track the progress pupils make. Staff use the information gained to ensure a consistently good level of challenge. The curriculum is effective and there is a good range of activities that enrich learning well. The leadership and management of the school including governance are good. The headteacher approaches school improvement in a quiet but determined way. The quality of the learning environment has improved markedly and has a positive effect on pupils' learning. There has been a lack of opportunity for subject leaders to check on the quality of teaching. In addition, pupils' progress has not always been tracked with sufficient rigour. The staff's roles have recently extended in order to help them

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Grade: 2

to become more effective in the way they monitor the work of the school. There are strong links with parents including the informative weekly newsletter. The school provides good value for money and has a good capacity to continue to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Extend the ways in which staff monitor pupils' progress and the work of the school in order to identify where further improvements can be made. 2 Inspection Report: Coleby Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 10 °11 October 2006

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Grade: 2

Overall pupils of all abilities make good progress. They settle quickly in the Foundation Stage and make good progress. When they enter Year 1 have met or exceeded the targets expected. While results of national tests and assessments at the end of Years 2 and 6 vary, often because of the small numbers of pupils, they represent good achievement by pupils of all abilities across the school. Individuals progress well, relative to their own starting points. In recent years the school recognised that pupils had not achieved as well in writing as in other subjects. A lot of effort was put into improving planning in this area to good effect. A similar positive focus on mathematics is at an earlier stage and has not yet had time to make such an impact. Standards for the Year 6 pupils are currently slightly above average. This represents good achievement from their particular starting points.

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Grade: 1

Pupils really enjoy their time in school and as a result, their attendance is good. Their excellent behaviour has a very positive impact on the strong relationships that develop among them as seen in the older pupils' responses to a presentation by the 'experts of the week'. There is a very good range of opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and develop high levels of self-confidence. One parent rightly notes 'The children in this school have a very strong sense of community and are proud of their school'. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent with particularly strong features in their social and moral development. The very positive emphasis on sport is reflected in pupils' enthusiasm for activities, including both those organised by the school and by the sports outreach team. Pupils' enthusiasm for healthy lifestyles is seen in their positive responses to a survey of their preferences

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Grade: 1

concerning travel to school and their school meals.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is consistently good in all classes and enables pupils to learn well as they move through the school. As parents note 'The school ... has exceeded our expectations with regard to the academic progress of the pupils'. Teachers plan carefully to provide a good level of challenge to meet the needs of pupils in mixed age and mixed ability classes. This includes opportunities for those recognised as gifted and talented or with learning difficulties to work with pupils of other ages, to support their learning effectively. Activities providing scope for pupils to develop their own solutions are a strong feature of recent work in mathematics. This praiseworthy feature does much to encourage pupils' problem solving skills. However, occasionally staff do not provide 3 Inspection Report: Coleby Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 10 °11 October 2006 enough opportunities for pupils to discuss their ideas with others. This means that

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Grade: 2

some quieter pupils do not always take a full part in activities. There is a good range of ways of assessing pupils' learning and staff use the information well to plan future activities.

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Grade: 2

Curriculum planning is good. Improvement in facilities for information and communication technology (ICT) since the last inspection has had a positive impact on learning across other subjects. The school has prioritised the development of basic skills in literacy which, alongside the development of ICT skills, equips pupils well for their later life. The recent focus on extending problem solving skills in mathematics is a further positive development. The school provides a good range of activities that enrich pupils' learning including visits to places of educational interest, although a small number of parents would like more after school activities.

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Grade: 2

The care, guidance and support of pupils are good overall. The pastoral care of pupils is outstanding. Staff know and care for pupils very well, recognising quickly when they need extra help. The support for pupils with learning difficulties is very good, as it is for those recognised as gifted and talented. There is a strong and effective focus on what pupils need to do to keep themselves safe. The ways in which staff check and track pupils' progress have been extended recently; pupils and parents now know the targets for further improvement. The headteacher analyses the good range of information available and staff generally use this well to provide an appropriate level of challenge to help pupils to progress. However, the school rightly recognises in its self-evaluation that further familiarity with the wide range of information available and its use will enable teachers to set even more challenging targets.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management of the school are good. The staff and pupils are justifiably pleased with the outstanding learning environment provided and the way in which everyone cares for this, each other and the local community. The headteacher provides a very good steer to school improvement, working well with the small but enthusiastic staff team to identify where improvements are needed. These areas are then pursued with careful consideration and quiet determination. The school has developed the role of subject leaders in evaluating the work of the school. However, their monitoring has not always identified the small steps which can contribute to further improvement. 4 Inspection Report: Coleby Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 10 °11 October 2006 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 5 Inspection Report: Coleby Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 10 °11 October 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? 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?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 2 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 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. 6 Inspection Report: Coleby Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 10 °11 October 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? 7 Inspection Report: Coleby Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 10 °11 October 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

12 October 2006 Dear Children Coleby Church of England Primary School, Rectory Road, Coleby, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN5 0AJ Thank you very much for looking after me when I visited your school recently. I enjoyed speaking to several of you in lessons, at lunchtime, in the playground and in group discussions, including with the school council. I was very pleased to hear that you feel proud of your school and really enjoy your time there. These are the things that I found are best about your school: - your behaviour is excellent and you get on very well with everyone - the school building and grounds are lovely and you all look after them very well - the staff take really good care of you and give you extra help if you need it - teaching is good and helps you to make good progress. This is what I think could be even better: - to help you make even more progress, your teachers need more opportunities to look at lessons, your work and your

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

achievements. They also need to check on other aspects of the work of the school to help improve further. Thank you again for being so helpful and friendly when I came to see you. Remember that you can do a lot to help your school improve even more by trying really hard all the time. Yours sincerely Sue Hall Lead inspector 8 Inspection Report: Coleby Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 10 °11 October 2006

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