Stanion Church of England (Aided) Primary School

Stanion Church of England (Aided) Primary School Inspection report

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122112 Unique Reference Number Northamptonshire Local Authority 292323 Inspection number 19 March 2007 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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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 97 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Jane Tyler Chair John Walton Headteacher 1 October 2002 Date of previous school inspection Cardigan Road School address Stanion Kettering NN14 1BY

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01536 204896 Telephone number 01536 264270 Fax number

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4 °11 Age group 19 March 2007 Inspection date 292323 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.

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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 some pupils from the local village but most from surrounding areas. The number of pupils identified as having learning difficulties is very low. Children's attainment when they start school in the Reception class is slightly above average in most years.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Stanion Church of England (Aided) Primary School, 19 March 2007

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Grade: 2

It is easy to see why this good school is so popular with parents and pupils as its success is attributable to many things. The school is well led and managed and all members of staff consistently put the interests of the pupils first. Pupils are keen to learn and parents give them good support at home. Good teaching means that pupils learn quickly throughout the school. Teachers make work fun and use resources well to motivate and engage pupils. Pupils' achievement is good. Children get a good start in the Reception Year and, by the start of Year 1, most are comfortably working at or beyond the expected levels. This good rate of progress is mirrored in Years 1 to 6. Standards are consistently well above average in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6. In science, pupils' good factual knowledge is reflected in their well above average test scores. However, investigational skills are comparatively weak

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Grade: 2

and do not improve quickly enough in Years 3 to 6, especially for more able pupils. This is because teachers do not always expect enough of pupils and give them too few opportunities to apply their scientific knowledge to practical work. Speaking skills are very good, with the high quality of 'choral speaking' especially noteworthy by the time pupils reach Year 6. Parents are right when they say that their children learn good values. Members of staff provide good quality care, guidance and support to all pupils and ensure that their personal development is good. Consequently, pupils are very happy and get on well together. They behave well and work hard, developing into confident, responsible and articulate members of the school community. Pupils enjoy learning because the good curriculum is interesting and exciting. As one pupil said, 'Every day is different!' A good number of visits and visitors make a positive

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Grade: 2

contribution to pupils' development by giving them opportunities to learn and practise new skills such as tennis and African drumming. Members of staff work well as a team and share the headteacher's commitment to ensuring that pupils fulfil their potential. There are good procedures for monitoring the performance of the school, although systems for tracking individual pupils' progress from year to year are less well established in the Reception Year and Years 1 and 2 than in Years 3 to 6. Members of staff do not yet make enough use of available test data to set targets and to identify and deal with any minor dips in achievement as soon as they arise. Parents are overwhelmingly happy with the work of the school. One parent summed up the views of many, 'I am pleased with the education both my sons received. They left here well equipped for the next stage of their life and with very good memories of this school.'

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve pupils' skills in science, by raising expectations of what they can achieve when carrying out and recording investigations. • Develop sharper systems for tracking pupils' progress from year to year so that members of staff are able to identify and tackle any minor dips in achievement as soon as they arise.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' achievement is good. Throughout the school, pupils make good progress from their starting points. Children get a good start in the Reception Year and standards are above those found nationally by the end of the year. Children in the Reception class listen and speak especially well and quickly develop good social skills. Standards are well above average by the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science. Good teaching means that the school is very successful at ensuring that almost all pupils, including those with learning difficulties, 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Stanion Church of England (Aided) Primary School, 19 March 2007 reach nationally expected levels by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. A high proportion of pupils reach the higher levels in national tests in English and mathematics. In science, pupils' high test scores are not always reflected in their everyday work. Some of this work lacks challenge

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Grade: 2

and does not do enough to develop investigative skills, especially for older, more able pupils.

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Grade: 2

Children settle quickly in the Reception class and cooperate well with each other. In all classes, pupils' outstanding enjoyment of school is evident in their excellent attendance and their enthusiasm in lessons. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 thoroughly enjoyed demonstrating their dramatic rendition of 'The Charge of the Light Brigade'. Most pupils behave well and are attentive. At playtime, pupils of all ages play together amicably and especially enjoy the new play facilities. Pupils contribute well to the community through an active school council, by being 'buddies' at playtime and by taking part in local competitions and arts festivals. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. There is a good understanding of the importance of showing consideration for those in need and supporting each other. One pupil expressed the views of many by saying, 'everyone is good friends here' and 'we have to work

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Grade: 2

as a team'. Pupils know how to stay safe and are developing an understanding of healthy lifestyles, although their knowledge is not always reflected in their choice of playtime snacks. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. They develop good basic skills and learn about managing budgets through activities such as making biscuits to sell on Red Nose Day.

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress because they are taught well. In the Reception class, children are given interesting practical activities that engage their interest, enabling them to develop good concentration. Speaking and listening are encouraged and especially successful because children are expected to speak clearly and listen carefully at all times. Throughout the school, teachers have good relationships with the pupils. They use interactive whiteboards effectively to introduce new skills and to reinforce learning. Meaningful activities are carefully chosen to make learning purposeful. In Year 2, pupils' differing needs are met especially well because they are being taught in a small single age class. In other classes, where two year groups are taught together, there are some missed opportunities to extend the learning of more able pupils in particular, especially in science. Teaching assistants provide valuable support by working with groups of

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Grade: 2

pupils, including those with learning difficulties, to help them to make good progress.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum provides a wealth of interesting activities that support learning well. Pupils especially appreciate the numerous opportunities that they have to work creatively in music and art. The recent introduction of French lessons is popular. As one pupil said, 'it helps us when we go to secondary school'. In the Reception class, children are provided with a good range of activities across all areas of learning. Basic skills in literacy and numeracy are given a high priority throughout the school. Scientific skills are promoted less effectively because pupils 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Stanion Church of England (Aided) Primary School, 19 March 2007 in Years 3 to 6 are given too few opportunities to apply their good scientific knowledge to practical work. The school provides a good range of clubs, visits and visitors that help to make learning purposeful. Close links with other schools and local industry enable pupils to take part

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Grade: 2

in a wide range of sports and competitions and to learn new skills. For example, pupils in Year 2 have been learning tennis skills and recently competed successfully in a local tournament.

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Grade: 2

All members of staff are committed to the care of their pupils. Their high quality personal support makes this a happy school where pupils are keen to do their best. The school works well with outside agencies and parents to safeguard children. One member of the school council demonstrated the faith that pupils show in their teachers by saying, 'on the playground we have helpers we can go to if we have a worry'. Academic support is good. Pupils' learning is carefully assessed and teachers keep detailed records of each pupil's progress. Teachers are beginning to give targets to pupils to help them understand how to improve their work, but this is still in the early stages of development and is not yet done consistently across the school.

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Grade: 2

The long-serving headteacher is respected by parents who rightly identify his good leadership as a key factor in the success of the school. He works well with the school community, and his high aspirations for the pupils are shared by all members of staff. The school has successfully demonstrated its good capacity to improve further in the way that it has maintained high standards and improved provision in information and communication technology (ICT). Systems for finding out how well the school is doing are good. Although many of these systems are informal, due to the size of the school they are largely effective. The school has a good amount of information about standards but systems for showing pupils' progress from year to year do not include younger pupils. Where there is more detailed information in Years 3 to 6, it is not yet used with sufficient rigour. This makes it difficult for senior managers to check that good

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Grade: 2

progress is being maintained by all pupils right through the school. Governance is good. Governors are supportive and fully involved in school life. They take an especially good part in financial planning but know that they need to do more to find out for themselves how well the school is performing. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Stanion Church of England (Aided) Primary School, 19 March 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. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Stanion Church of England (Aided) Primary School, 19 March 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? 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 1 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 3 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Stanion Church of England (Aided) Primary School, 19 March 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Stanion Church of England (Aided) Primary School, 19 March 2007

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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 are very pleased that you come to such a good school. Some other things that we found out about you and your school. • Good teaching helps you to learn new things quickly and to do well, especially in English and mathematics. • Your behaviour is good and you are keen to take responsibility. The well organised school council helps you to contribute successfully to school life. • There is a good curriculum that provides lots of exciting things for you to do in and out of lessons. We especially enjoyed the super choral speaking that we heard in assembly. We hope that your performance at the Oundle Festival goes well. • All adults in school are very kind and caring and they give you good support to help you to learn. • Your headteacher and teachers lead the school well and are working hard to make it even

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

better. What we have asked your school to do now. • Make sure that teachers expect more of you in science, especially when carrying out investigations in Years 3 to 6. • Develop better systems for checking on your progress from year to year. We thoroughly enjoyed talking to you about your work and watching you learn and we wish you all well for the future. We hope you continue to help your teachers by working hard and trying your best. 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Stanion Church of England (Aided) Primary School, 19 March 2007

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