Roydon Primary School

120848 Unique Reference Number NORFOLK Local Authority 291879 Inspection number 28 °29 November 2006 Inspection dates Ann Taylor 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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Manor Road School address Primary Type of school Roydon, Roydon Community School category Diss, Norfolk IP22 5PG 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01379 642628 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01379 652178 Fax number 261 Number on roll (school) Mrs A Ross Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr A Parris Headteacher 10 September 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 291879 28 °29 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Roydon Primary is an average-sized school serving the village and surrounding areas. An average proportion of pupils have learning difficulties or disabilities. A small number of pupils have statements of special educational need. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. Children's attainment on entry varies; this year they entered the school with knowledge and skills typical of children nationally. Virtually all are White British and their first language is English.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Roydon Primary School, 28 °29 November 2006

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Grade: 2

This is an enterprising school which provides a consistently good standard of education. The school gives good value for money. Everyone benefits from a strong bedrock of tried and tested procedures and practices within an environment which supports and encourages new ideas. This results in exciting teaching because what is being taught is relevant and often innovative. There are outstanding areas in the care, guidance and support for pupils, innovative aspects of the curriculum, pupils' understanding of healthy lifestyles and their contribution to the community. The school is very well led by the experienced headteacher who has high expectations of both staff and pupils. Teachers with management responsibilities have a good understanding of what the school does well and where it needs to improve. However, the school's view of pupils' knowledge and skills assessed when they first arrive into the Foundation Stage does not fully capture how capable they are. This has implications

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Grade: 2

for how accurately their progress is judged. The successful, longstanding partnership between the experienced chair of governors and headteacher is a contributory factor for the school success. Pupils in all stages of their education in the Foundation Stage, Key Stages 1 and 2 achieve well here. The fact that what they are learning is linked to real life is crucial to this. For example, in a mathematics lesson, older pupils were using supermarket money-off leaflets to calculate discounts. This consistently good progress is in the main due to the school's positive atmosphere. There is good teaching with outstanding features and an exciting curriculum where learning is fun. The work teachers are doing using the 'Mantle of the Expert' as their inspiration, is outstanding. The 'Mantle of the Expert' is a particular style of teaching where pupils and teacher use drama and role play to learn together. They learn for a reason, undertaking shared research to

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Grade: 2

become 'experts' in their own right. Teaching assistants provide good additional support for pupils. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. In the words of one parent, 'I think the school is excellent, with good facilities, staff, helpers and a good team of Friends'. The school has a deservedly good reputation and is a popular choice. Standards in Year 6 are above average. There were particular strengths in pupils' writing skills, where results indicate that standards should be well above that seen nationally. Writing is a success story because pupils have many opportunities to write at some depth, revealing both their passion and interest. Often, creative and thoughtful teaching enables them to step into someone else's shoes, through exciting and sometimes innovative use of scene-setting and role-play. The school has accurately diagnosed the need for Key Stage 2 pupils to develop advanced reading skills.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good and pupils are happy in school as a result. They often skip from lesson to lesson! There is a very positive atmosphere in the school where pupils are praised and their contributions valued. They are given lots of encouragement to be good citizens and raise large amounts for local charities. Their community involvement is outstanding. They have an impressive knowledge about foods and how to keep healthy. Pupils speak confidently about their targets for English 2 Inspection Report: Roydon Primary School, 28 °29 November 2006 and mathematics and are given every help to improve their work. Stunning displays and some helpful marking make a powerful contribution to the guidance they receive. Good leadership and management are at the heart of the schools' success. The headteacher has a very clear vision; he gives staff the encouragement to run with their ideas, whilst keeping an overview to ensure the quality of education is not compromised.

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Grade: 2

The school knows itself well and so has a good capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Build on good practice in Key Stage 1 by providing more opportunities for Key Stage 2 pupils to develop advanced reading skills. • Ensure that assessments of children's starting points in the Foundation Stage allows them sufficient settling in time, in order to reflect their full range of abilities.

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Grade: 2

Pupils of all abilities make good progress throughout the school and achieve well. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress because of the skilled, sensitive support they receive in the additional learning base. This year, children started in the Reception classes with broadly average attainment, compared to national expectations. They make good progress and achieve well in their time in the Foundation Stage and into Years 1 and 2. The school has a consistent record of good progress achieved over the last five years. This was especially so in 2005 when pupils achieved extremely high standards. Current standards in Year 6 are above average in mathematics and English. 2006 writing results indicate standards were well above the national average. The school has exceeded its targets by a large margin over the last two years. Reading is an area that the school has highlighted for development; fewer pupils are

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Grade: 2

reaching the higher-than-average level 5 in their reading tests. This is contrary to the picture in Key Stage 1 where pupils' reading skills were above average in 2006. Pupils continue to make good progress in lessons. They occasionally make excellent progress in Key Stages 1 and 2.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy school and as a result, attendance is above average. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is generally good and pupils apply themselves to their work well. They are sensible and mature and carry out responsibilities eagerly. Pupils acquire the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) quickly and they are well prepared for work at their next schools. The school provides well for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It ensures that pupils are aware of the beliefs and traditions of people from different cultural backgrounds through sensitive reference to pupils' own birthplaces. 3 Inspection Report: Roydon Primary School, 28 °29 November 2006 There is a strong programme of personal, social and health education and pupils know well how to be safe and to take care of themselves. The school provides outstanding opportunities for pupils to take exercise and they are highly aware of the need to eat

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Grade: 2

healthily. Pupils are exceptionally sensitive to the needs of those less fortunate in the community. This is evident in the generosity they show to local charities and national appeals.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Relationships between teachers, teaching assistants and pupils are good and help pupils to become increasingly confident learners. Although lesson planning does not consistently show what pupils will know, understand and can do by the end of lessons, teachers usually have high expectations of pupils and consequently the latter make good progress. They challenge pupils of all abilities with work that is matched well to their needs. Pupils do particularly well when they work in groups of similar ability in Years 6 and 5. They make very rapid progress when they take part in role play lessons, because they are inspired to listen, speak and write. Teachers provide pupils with good opportunities to discuss their work and to answer relevant, interesting, thought-provoking questions and problems. They also enable pupils to develop their writing skills effectively by providing them with tasks that

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Grade: 2

encourage them to communicate for a real reason, such as sending each other postcards about their holidays. In many lessons teachers make good use of interactive whiteboards, which show key ideas pupils need to learn very clearly. Occasionally, teaching for the youngest pupils is directed too much.

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Grade: 1

In some classes there is outstanding practice, especially the degree of creativity and originality in what is being taught. Good, imaginative use of cross-curricular activities is beginning to ensure that pupils have opportunities to practise their skills as well as develop good levels of knowledge and understanding. For example, Year 5 and 6 teachers link report writing with a history topic about the Second World War. Since the last inspection there have been great improvements in ICT provision and this is used effectively to support learning. The creative elements shine through in the way teachers and pupils step into role play - forming production companies to stage certain events, for example, when given the task of producing some new material for a reading book manufacturer. What is being taught is lively, hands on and very relevant to daily life. This really captivates pupils' interest. Much work involves practical problem solving, for example, how to make

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Grade: 1

bulbs light up in science. Pupils enjoy an impressive range of clubs and activities such 4 Inspection Report: Roydon Primary School, 28 °29 November 2006 as a junior business day and two residential visits. They take part in many sporting activities, including those with other schools and achieve a good deal of success.

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Grade: 1

The care, guidance and support of pupils are outstanding. A particular strength is the way in which individual pupils are cared for in this very happy, friendly school. Child protection procedures are firmly in place. Pupils know that adults will listen to any concerns they might have. The level of care and consideration pupils show each other is very good. For example, older pupils enjoy helping younger pupils at playtime. Health and safety checks are made regularly. The school works very successfully with outside agencies and there are very productive links with other schools in the area. Pupils with learning needs and disabilities are well supported and they make good progress because of strong systems and an effective combination of class and individual support. The school has clear systems for tracking pupils' progress and this information is used well to set specific targets. Marking of work is helpful and constructive. Pupils have

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Grade: 1

a good understanding of what they need to do to improve their learning still further.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher's strong, experienced leadership ensures that pupils make good progress in relation to their starting points. This is a school at a mature stage of its development. The headteacher has ensured there is a raft of good systems and structures in place, providing a strong platform which enables teachers to develop their own styles and interests. Part of the reason why pupils do well here is because of the creativity and innovation in lessons. Good systems for monitoring teaching help ensure consistently good quality. Inspection evidence shows the school's very early assessment of children's attainment in the Foundation Stage, within the first few days, does not capture fully their knowledge and skills. A strong and very effective working partnership between headteacher and experienced chair has been established over a considerable number of years. There is work to do in getting other governors more

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Grade: 2

involved. The school deserves its good reputation in the community and it is a popular choice for parents who are overwhelmingly complimentary about all it offers. 5 Inspection Report: Roydon Primary School, 28 °29 November 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. 6 Inspection Report: Roydon Primary School, 28 °29 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? 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 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 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. 7 Inspection Report: Roydon Primary School, 28 °29 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: Roydon Primary School, 28 °29 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

30 November 2006 Dear Children Roydon Primary School, Manor Road, Roydon, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 5PG On behalf of Mrs Davies and Mr Fry, I would like to thank you all for the welcome you gave us when we visited. You were very friendly and polite. Do you remember Mr Parris told you in assembly that I would be writing to you? Well, here are the good things we noticed: • You really enjoy your work because your teachers make it fun. We really like the 'Mantle of the Expert' work some of you are doing. • You work hard and do well in English, mathematics and science. • You have a clear idea about how you are getting on and really want to do your best. • You are happy in school because the adults look after you well. • all of the staff are doing a really good job. There are two areas where we feel the school could improve. We have asked Mr Parris and your teachers to: • Help those of you in Key Stage 2 to improve and become even better readers.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• Take another look at how teachers check what the new children already know and can do when they start in Reception. I wish you lots of success for your future. Yours sincerely Mrs A Taylor Lead Inspector 9 Inspection Report: Roydon Primary School, 28 °29 November 2006

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