Ingoldisthorpe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Ingoldisthorpe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Inspection report

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121134 Unique Reference Number NORFOLK Local Authority 292025 Inspection number 11 °12 June 2007 Inspection dates Helen Ranger 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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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 86 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Peter Roberts Chair Mr Keith Twaites Headteacher 15 October 2001 Date of previous school inspection Shernborne Road School address Ingoldisthorpe King's Lynn Norfolk PE31 6PE

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01485 541402 Telephone number 01485 544915 Fax number

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4 °11 Age group 11 °12 June 2007 Inspection dates 292025 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. Inspection Report: Ingoldisthorpe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 11 °12 June 2007

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This small school mainly serves Ingoldisthorpe, although a significant number of pupils come from further afield, about a third from nearby Dersingham. Pupils are all from White British backgrounds and come from a wide range of social and economic circumstances. The proportion who have learning difficulties or disabilities is above average and particularly high in some year groups. There is a higher than average number of pupils with statements of special educational need. The school has recently changed from being a first school to a primary and has Year 6 pupils for the first time this year. When they join the Reception class, pupils' skills vary widely but are overall, below the levels expected nationally for four-year-olds.

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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: Ingoldisthorpe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 11 °12 June 2007

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Grade: 2

At the time of its last inspection, Ingoldisthorpe was judged to be a satisfactory and improving school. Improvements have continued so that its effectiveness is now good and it gives good value for money. This is because of the secure leadership and management provided by the staff and governors, under the clear direction of the headteacher. The school is very popular with parents. Their views are overwhelmingly positive and summed up by the one who wrote, 'My child enjoys school and feels safe and supported.' From the early stages in Reception, good teaching based on an interesting curriculum ensures that pupils achieve well. By Year 2, most reach average academic standards. The school now has a Year 6 group for the first time. They have reached average standards overall in mathematics and science and above average standards in English. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. They enjoy school, behave well and are building a good understanding of how to

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Grade: 2

lead safe and healthy lifestyles. They make an outstanding contribution to the life of their school and to the local community. Pupils' overall spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, although they have a rather limited awareness for their age of the diversity of modern British culture and how it is changing. One of the main reasons for the school's popularity with parents is the good quality of care, guidance and support offered to pupils. Pastoral care is strong and much appreciated by pupils and their families. Academic guidance has developed well in recent years and gives staff a clear picture of the progress of each pupil. Any who need extra support or who are at risk of underachieving are identified and catered for well. Staff have embarked on initiatives to involve all pupils more closely in understanding how well they are doing. These have been successful so far, especially in ensuring pupils know the main targets that are set for them. The school is

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Grade: 2

now consolidating these systems so that teachers and subject leaders can check that marking and feedback involve pupils even more effectively in reviewing and extending their own learning. Staff teamwork is strong and responsibilities delegated well. The governors are active, supportive and well informed. The school has grown rapidly, both because of its popularity and the addition of pupils in Years 5 and 6. Governors have been particularly active in improving the accommodation to meet current needs and this work continues. The school evaluates its work effectively and is aware of its strengths and weaknesses. Its record over the past few years and the plans for the future show its good capacity to continue to thrive.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Give pupils further information and opportunities for them to reflect on and improve their own learning. • Ensure that teachers, including in their roles as subject leaders, check that the systems for pupils to assess and review their work are effective in practice. • Raise pupils' awareness of the diversity of race, religion and culture in their local region and in Britain as a whole. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingoldisthorpe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 11 °12 June 2007

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Grade: 2

Pupils from all backgrounds achieve well. The school provides well for the considerable number who need extra support with learning. It also takes care to ensure that the most capable pupils are stretched, including those with particular gifts or talents. From starting points that are often below the levels expected nationally, pupils make good progress in Reception. Their skill levels are currently similar to those typically seen in most schools at this point of the Foundation Stage. Good progress continues through Key Stage 1. Since the last inspection, performance in the end of year assessments in Year 2 has been broadly average in most years. Last year, standards were above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Standards are below average this year and very few pupils are likely to reach Level 3 in English or mathematics. These year-on-year differences are mostly because of wide variations in the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities in each intake.

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Grade: 2

The school's first group of Year 6 pupils has done well to reach at least average standards, as many had quite low attainment when they started school. Their reading skills are particularly strong. In line with the national picture, girls in this age group perform better overall than boys in English, while boys are stronger in mathematics. The school is aware of these variations and has acted to equalise performance, for example, by planning topics designed to appeal to both genders.

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Grade: 2

Pupils have good attitudes to learning and make the most of all the school offers. They are particularly keen about the increased range of physical activities that is available. They conduct their work and play in ways that are safe for themselves and others. They are extremely effective in their contributions to their school and the wider community through features such as the school council and strong links with the parish. Groups meet the headteacher to give their opinions on topics such as science lessons and the overall curriculum, and know their ideas are valued. They speak enthusiastically about their annual participation in the Sandringham Flower Show. Their commitment to healthy lifestyles is typified by their vegetable-growing activities and by how proud they are of their organic school meals. Their sound academic skills are enhanced by their good personal development. This combination prepares them well for the

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Grade: 2

next stage of their education. Year 6 pupils say how much they have benefited from their time at Ingoldisthorpe and feel confident and well prepared for their move to high school next term. The school's considerable efforts to improve attendance are bearing fruit. After years of below average attendance, the past year has seen an improvement to levels that are in line with the national average. The staff and governors continue to work to ensure that absence is kept to a minimum.

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Grade: 2

The main reason for the school's progress since its last inspection is that teaching and learning, which were satisfactory then, are now good. Underpinning the effective learning are the good 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingoldisthorpe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 11 °12 June 2007 relationships which prevail in all four classes. Able teaching assistants are deployed well, particularly in supporting pupils who have learning difficulties or disabilities. Pupils comment that they particularly like the practical nature of many activities. Teachers plan lessons that cater well for the very wide range of abilities in each class. Aiding them in this are the systems of pupil assessment and tracking that are used effectively in all classes to establish a clear picture of attainment and progress. The impact of teachers' marking and feedback to pupils is less consistent. There is some very good practice that helps pupils understand clearly how well

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Grade: 2

they are doing and ensures they know what they should aim for next. This needs to be the norm in all classes to support further efficiency in learning.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. The school has worked well to extend its provision to Year 5 and 6 pupils and is ensuring that this is regularly reviewed until it becomes securely established. In addition to the required curriculum, teachers offer pupils a wide range of extra activities. Relevant links are being forged between subjects to add interest to lessons. For the size of the school, there is a good choice of clubs and visits. Visitors to the school, such as a recent performance by an African story teller, are appreciated greatly by the pupils. Provision for the Reception pupils has improved considerably and includes good development of outdoor activities. Staff and governors have worked hard to provide the new classroom for the oldest pupils. Their efforts to improve the premises are continuing because half the pupils are housed in old 'mobile' units and, while the site is extensive and attractive, there is limited hard-surfaced playing space

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Grade: 2

Pastoral care and the links with pupils' families are strong. The school ensures that procedures to safeguard pupils and promote their health and safety are well established. There are effective links with other agencies that help to support pupils with particular learning needs, such as with local special schools and the specialist services of the local authority. Academic guidance and support have improved well in many respects since the last inspection. For instance, pupils are clear about their individual targets and these are reviewed regularly by their teachers. More variable is the extent to which pupils review their own work and know the small steps they need to take to reach their targets. Because of the inconsistencies in how teachers write comments on work and in how they check learning with pupils, guidance in this area is not as successful as it could be.

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Grade: 2

There are significant strengths in the school's caring, 'family' ethos, based on its Christian principles. Effective leadership and management provide the community with a good quality of education for its young people. In his two years in the school, the headteacher has built well on its former achievements. Training and development for staff and governors have a high priority and are used well to benefit pupils. There are effective systems for monitoring standards and provision. Subject leaders are becoming increasingly confident and autonomous in checking how well pupils are doing. The headteacher shows a strong determination to ensure that the 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingoldisthorpe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 11 °12 June 2007 school keeps improving. Governors are active, supportive and questioning. They maintain close links with the staff as a whole. The school's improvement plans describe a clear vision for further

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Grade: 2

development. They are generally precise about how the success of any actions will be checked, although occasionally there is not enough analysis of how staff and governors will know that particular initiatives have had a beneficial impact on the pupils. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingoldisthorpe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 11 °12 June 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: Ingoldisthorpe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 11 °12 June 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? 3 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 3 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 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?

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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingoldisthorpe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 11 °12 June 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: Ingoldisthorpe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 11 °12 June 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

13 June 2007 Dear Children Inspection of Ingoldisthorpe CE Primary School, Ingoldisthorpe, King's Lynn PE31 6PE Thank you for welcoming me to your school. You are lucky that it is in such a lovely setting, although I know your main playground is a bit small when all of you are outside. I enjoyed joining Class 3 squelching through the mud to your pond and was very grateful that Mr Twaites provided me with some wellies! Your parents, the staff and the governors think that your school is good and I agree with them. It is good because everyone works as a big team. Mr Twaites is like a good team captain who makes sure everyone performs well. Your teachers are helping you to make good progress. They do lots of checks on how well you are doing and I was impressed with how well you know your main learning targets. I have asked the teachers to make sure that, when they mark your books and discuss your progress, you are all clear about what you have learned and what you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

are going to do next. You can help with this by letting your teacher know what you understand and if there is anything you need to spend some extra time on. The adults in your school care for you all very well and I was pleased to hear you say they help you to sort out any problems. The teachers plan interesting lessons for you and lots of extra activities. You told me that you particularly like all the sport. I talked to some of you about what you know about the area you live in and about the rest of Britain. You told me plenty of things. I have asked the teachers to make sure that you know a bit more about how the population of Britain keeps on changing and more about people from different backgrounds who are part of our country. It was a pleasure to meet you. Best wishes to you all and in particular to the Year 6 pupils for their move to high school. Yours sincerely Mrs Helen Ranger Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingoldisthorpe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 11 °12 June 2007

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