Stoke Holy Cross Primary School

Inspection Report Stoke Holy Cross Primary School

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120910 Unique Reference Number NORFOLK Local Authority 291907 Inspection number 23 January 2007 Inspection date Tricia Pritchard HMI 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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Long Lane School address Primary Type of school Stoke Holy Cross, Stoke Holy Cross Community School category

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Norwich NR14 8LY 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01508493132 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01508493132 Fax number 204 Number on roll (school) Mr Andrew White Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Mick Webb Headteacher 7 May 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 291907 23 January 2007 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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools.

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Description of the school

Stoke Holy Cross Primary School is a village school situated about five miles from Norwich. The school consists of a main brick building and four mobile classrooms. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals and the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities are below the national average. There are no pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds but one speaks English as an additional language. Attainment on entry is average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Stoke Holy Cross Primary School, 23 January 2007

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Grade: 1

Stoke Holy Cross Primary School provides an excellent education. 'I believe my children are being given an excellent grounding for the future, both academically and also as rounded individuals.' This comment from a parent reflects the views of many. As a result of the outstanding teaching in the Foundation Stage, pupils make excellent progress, particularly in developing their social skills, which are often weak when they start school. Pupils continue to sustain this rate of progress in all classes. They consistently attain standards in English, mathematics and science which are above, and often well above, the national average. All pupils do so well because their teachers are highly skilled at tracking their progress, identifying their needs and setting challenging targets. The teachers make excellent provision for all groups of pupils. Those with additional learning needs and disabilities are supported very effectively

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Grade: 1

by highly experienced teaching assistants. The pupils' excellent attitudes to learning also help them to succeed. Pupils take a pride in their work, show interest and communicate an infectious enthusiasm for learning. They live and learn in a calm working environment which is conducive to promoting a good work ethic. Relationships between adults and pupils are excellent. Pupils are not afraid to make mistakes and they learn from them. The curriculum is well balanced. However, there is scope for giving pupils in Key Stage 2 more opportunities to use information and communication technology (ICT) to support their studies and develop their skills. The leadership and management of the school are outstanding. The headteacher, senior management team, subject leaders and governors form a highly effective team as they work together to promote high standards and plan for the future. The school is extremely well placed to improve further because they possess an excellent

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Grade: 1

understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development, and are totally committed to promoting the well-being of all pupils. This is summed up well by a parent who wrote: 'An excellent school with strong leadership, inspired teaching and a caring supportive team, including the secretary and the lollipop lady.'

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve ICT provision for pupils in Key Stage 2 so that they have more opportunities to develop their skills and use them to support their learning.

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Grade: 1

Pupils make outstanding progress throughout the school. Standards in English, mathematics and science are consistently above average by Year 2 and well above the average by Year 6. Attainment on entry is average but by the end of the Foundation Stage many pupils exceed national expectations in all areas of learning. They continue to maintain this momentum as they progress through the school. 2 Inspection Report: Stoke Holy Cross Primary School, 23 January 2007 In national assessments for pupils in Year 2 in 2006, the school's performance was particularly good in reading and mathematics although there was a slight dip in writing scores in comparison with the previous two years. This was attributable to fewer pupils gaining high levels for writing that year. In the national tests for pupils in 2006, over half of the pupils attained Level 5, which is well above the national average. Consequently, the school was placed in the top nine per cent of schools nationally for

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Grade: 1

the progress made by Year 6 pupils in English. In mathematics and science, too, the proportion of higher attaining pupils was above the national average. Pupils with additional learning needs and disabilities make very good progress in all classes. In contrast to the national trend, boys do particularly well, especially in mathematics. In 2006, their progress, in relation to their starting points and prior attainment, was significantly better than the progress made by boys attending schools in similar contexts.

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Grade: 1

Stoke Holy Cross is a happy and welcoming school. Attendance is above the national average. The pupils make very good progress in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They are highly articulate, perceptive and demonstrate a very good awareness of how to contribute to society and learn from it. This is expressed pertinently by one parent who wrote, 'The children have a strong sense of right and wrong. They care for others and the community around them.' The pupils' attitudes to learning and their behaviour in lessons and in the playground are excellent. They understand the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle and demonstrate their keenness to protect the environment by recycling and composting. Pupils enjoy school a lot and they enjoy taking responsibility. Members of the school council represent the views of their peers very well. They are acquiring good expertise in managing a budget to develop the school grounds as they scrutinise catalogues to

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Grade: 1

The quality of teaching is outstanding. It is exemplary in the Foundation Stage and in Year 6. All teachers know the pupils very well. A key strength is their skill at diagnosing pupils' individual needs. They use the outcomes of assessment very effectively to target their questioning during whole class teaching sessions and to plan tasks which are well matched to individual needs and interests. Consequently, pupils make excellent progress in lessons. Expectations are high. In Years 1 and 2, phonics are taught very well. Pupils learn to read quickly and they continue to enjoy reading as they progress through the school. Teachers' subject knowledge is excellent. Teachers know how to 3 Inspection Report: Stoke Holy Cross Primary School, 23 January 2007 help pupils to improve the quality of their writing and they provide plenty of opportunities for pupils to consolidate their writing skills across the curriculum. In

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Grade: 1

Years 1 and 2, teachers make very good use of interactive whiteboards to support their teaching. There are no interactive whiteboards in Years 3 to 6 so such support is limited. Parents are very supportive and help their children to succeed.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is very well balanced and organised. An exemplary feature is the attention given to teaching the foundation subjects while retaining a firm focus on developing pupils' literacy, numeracy and scientific skills. This is achieved through careful timetabling and efficient organisation. The curriculum is very well matched to pupils' learning needs. Intervention programmes are highly successful at raising the achievement of pupils with additional learning needs. The curriculum is enhanced by an extensive range of clubs and extra-curricular activities and many pupils participate. For example, there is a computer club and this helps to compensate for the limited opportunities older pupils have during lesson times to develop their ICT skills. Personal, social and health education has a high profile. It is sensitively taught. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on their lives, express themselves clearly and listen to others.

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Grade: 1

In the Foundation Stage, pupils have access to a well planned activity-based curriculum, which prepares them well to enter Year 1.

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Grade: 1

The pastoral and academic support of pupils is outstanding. The school is very well staffed with highly skilled teaching assistants who work closely with teachers to support targeted groups of pupils and individuals. Support for individual pupils and special needs provision is extremely well coordinated. Pupils working one-to-one with the special needs assistant feel secure and so they gain confidence and make very good progress towards becoming independent learners. The premises have been very well adapted to meet the needs of pupils with disabilities. This is a key strength of the provision. The school is constantly reviewing ways of ensuring that the site is secure. The pupils are well supervised at lunchtime and playtime and they say that they feel safe.

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Grade: 1

The headteacher, senior management team and governing body provide very strong leadership. They are highly effective at setting the strategic direction of the school and determining the priorities for future development. A key to their success is the strong emphasis placed on tracking pupils' progress and attainment, and on identifying areas for development. A good example of this is the successful drive to raise standards of writing following a detailed analysis of pupils' performance. Self evaluation is 4 Inspection Report: Stoke Holy Cross Primary School, 23 January 2007 thorough. Subject leaders are very well informed about standards and the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects. They monitor provision carefully. Governors have also undertaken a comprehensive and honest self review. The school is truly inclusive. All pupils are encouraged and helped to succeed. It has tackled the issues

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Grade: 1

identified during the last inspection and demonstrates outstanding capacity to sustain improvement. The school offers excellent value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Stoke Holy Cross Primary School, 23 January 2007 .

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Grade: 1

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Stoke Holy Cross Primary School, 23 January 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 2 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 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?

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: Stoke Holy Cross Primary School, 23 January 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? 8 Inspection Report: Stoke Holy Cross Primary School, 23 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

24 January 2006 Dear Pupils, The Pupils, Stoke Holy Cross Primary School, Long Lane, Stoke Holy Cross, Norwich, NR14 8LY Thank you very much for welcoming me to your school when I visited on 23rd January. I enjoyed meeting you very much. Your school is an excellent school. It was so good to see you all enjoying your learning and wanting to learn more. You are taught by excellent teachers who want you to achieve high standards and be happy at school. They are very successful at doing just that! You are to be congratulated on the excellent progress you make and the high standards you achieve, particularly in English, mathematics and science. Those of you who find some elements of learning a bit difficult are extremely well supported by teaching assistants. Your behaviour is excellent both in lessons and in the playground. All the staff and governors take good care of you and you are also good at caring for them and for each other.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Stoke Holy Cross Primary School is an exciting place in which to learn. You have so many opportunities to participate in after-school clubs and I am pleased that so many of you join in. Some of you told me at lunchtime how keen you are to take part in physical exercise and to eat healthily. Well done for taking such a keen interest in re-cycling and composting! Another reason why your school is so good is that it is extremely well led and managed by your headteacher, in collaboration with the senior management team and governors. They have lots of plans to make this an even better school than it already is. At present, pupils in Key Stage 2 do not have sufficient opportunities to use computers and interactive whiteboards to support their learning. We discussed this during my visit. Your parents are rightly pleased that you attend such a good school. I enjoyed my visit and thank you for talking to me.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Good luck for the future! Best wishes Tricia Pritchard Her Majesty's Inspector 9 Inspection Report: Stoke Holy Cross Primary School, 23 January 2007

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