Ranby CofE Primary School

Ranby CofE Primary School Inspection report

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122749 Unique Reference Number NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Local Authority 292498 Inspection number 1 °2 May 2007 Inspection dates Roger Fry 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 controlled School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 69 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs G Mellish Chair Mrs C Mackinder Headteacher 18 June 2002 Date of previous school inspection Blyth Road School address Ranby Nottinghamshire DN22 8HZ

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01777703736 Telephone number 01777710929 Fax number

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4 °11 Age group 1 °2 May 2007 Inspection dates 292498 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 one Additional Inspector over two days.

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Description of the school

Ranby Church of England Primary School serves the village and surrounding area. Virtually all pupils are from White British backgrounds and all speak English. Very few children have free school meals. The school has an average proportion of children with learning difficulties. When children join the school, their knowledge and skills are similar to those of children nationally, though children's communication skills are lower in some years. A high proportion of pupils join the school at different times during the year. The school is an 'Investor in People' and gained the 'Healthy Schools' Gold Award in 2007. In June 2006 fire destroyed the school building. The school is housed in temporary classrooms on an adjacent site.

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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: Ranby CofE Primary School, 1 °2 May 2007

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory and improving education for pupils and gives satisfactory value for money. Everyone connected with the school successfully helped to re-establish it in 2006 and made a really good job of ensuring that pupils were well looked after. As one parent explained, 'It should be commented upon how well the staff maintained the education and mental and physical well-being of the children after the devastation of the fire.' Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. In spite of a lack of some facilities, children make sound progress in the Foundation Stage because there is a settled and purposeful working atmosphere in class. Interesting lessons soon have children wanting to come to school. Attainment at the end of Years 2 and 6 has varied from above to below average since the last inspection because numbers in each year are small and pupils' skills and knowledge on entry differ greatly. However,

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Grade: 3

since 2005 pupils' standards have improved. They make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1 and standards of work are broadly average by the end of Year 2. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress because their needs are clearly identified and met. Pupils continue to make satisfactory progress in Years 3 to 6. They are on course to reach slightly below average standards in English and above average standards in mathematics this year. Writing standards are the weakest area across the school because pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length. The fire interrupted most pupils' education, yet there are clear signs of improving progress as a result of changes made by the headteacher and staff. For example, pupils over the last two terms are making faster progress in English at Key Stage 1 and mathematics at Key Stage 2 as a result of initiatives to raise standards.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' personal development is good because adults plan activities carefully to raise their esteem and give them a good grounding in, for example, how to stay safe and healthy. Pupils like school very much because relationships in classes are of a high order and they find the good curriculum interesting. Their growing confidence is reflected in their outstanding behaviour. Teaching is satisfactory with some good features. Teachers make good use of interesting resources in lessons, but lesson planning is not always well focussed on what pupils will learn by the end of each lesson. Pupils do not always have a good understanding of their targets and what to do to improve their work. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher leads the school well. Her knowledge of its strengths and weaknesses is accurate. She works closely with a group of local schools and shared ideas have helped to improve the school. The school has a good capacity

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Grade: 3

to improve because pupils' rate of progress is increasing. The effects of the fire have been minimised, teachers' knowledge of pupils' progress is much more advanced than it was and whole school planning is realistic and thorough. The headteacher has made rigorous checks on the quality of the school's work together with the governors. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of under performance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve pupils' standards of writing by giving them more opportunities to write at length. • Improve teachers' lesson planning by referring clearly to what pupils will learn by the end of each lesson. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Ranby CofE Primary School, 1 °2 May 2007 • Develop pupils' understanding of their targets so that they know more clearly how to improve their work.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. Children make a sound start in the Reception year. They reach the goals expected for their age, but standards vary in communication skills year on year. At the end of Year 2 in 2006, pupils reached broadly average standards in reading and mathematics. Pupils' writing standards were below average. This year, pupils are on course to reach broadly average standards in all three subjects. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress. Last year pupils' attainment at the end of Year 6 was well above average in English and slightly above average in mathematics. Standards in science were average. Their targets are lower in English than mathematics this year, but they are sufficiently challenging. Pupils are on course to reach slightly below average standards in English and above average standards in mathematics. There are clear signs of pupils' improving progress from their starting points as a result of

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Grade: 3

changes made by the headteacher and staff. For example, pupils over the last two terms are making faster progress in English at Key Stage 1 and mathematics at Key Stage 2.

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Grade: 2

As a result of the 'Healthy Schools' award, pupils understand the importance of looking after their bodies well. Parents confirm that their children feel safe and know that members of staff are ready to listen to any concerns they have. Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe, for example, from work they have completed about road and fire safety. Pupils' attitudes towards work are positive and they enjoy school very much. Consequently, behaviour and concentration in lessons is outstanding. Attendance last year was affected by the closure of the school immediately after the fire, but is average. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They know right from wrong, have a thirst for knowledge and a love of school. They work very well in pairs and teams and respect one another's differences. Several letters from parents say that their children develop into well rounded individuals because of the positive atmosphere in school. Pupils are

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Grade: 2

enthusiastic about contributing to the school's development through the school council, as monitors and helpers. The council has contributed to the plans for the new school. Pupils have a well developed sense that there are some less fortunate than themselves. They start secondary school sufficiently prepared academically and well prepared personally to cope with the change.

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Grade: 3

Teachers make learning interesting and lessons move at the right pace. Teachers know their subjects well and use this knowledge to help pupils learn. They make good use of new technologies, such as laptop computers and interactive whiteboards, to stimulate pupils' learning. Exciting resources, such as an extract from the film 'Goodnight Mr Tom' in Years 5 and 6, are used well to help pupils develop their understanding of evacuation during World War Two. The 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Ranby CofE Primary School, 1 °2 May 2007 teaching is improving as a result of the efforts the school has made to monitor its work. The pace of teaching has improved, pupils are productive in lessons and standards are rising. Each pupil has work set that broadly matches their age and abilities in the mixed age classes. Insufficient time is given for pupils to write at length and build on these important skills. In some lessons what pupils will learn by the end of the session is not clear in teachers' planning,

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Grade: 3

which makes some lessons less effective than they might be.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is well organised and good use is made of the limited outdoor facilities. Health education is good, as are the opportunities for pupils to take part in a good range of additional activities including clubs and a residential visit. The curriculum has been a significant ingredient in the improvement in standards since 2005. Pupils with learning difficulties make good progress because they receive helpful support in class, based on well written individual education plans. Adults have worked very effectively to make good the almost total loss of lesson resources since the fire. Teachers now link several subjects into topics that make learning more interesting for pupils, so that they make better progress. Work is often practically based and involves enquiring or investigating into things. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 enjoyed finding out about why plants grow better in some places than others in a science lesson. Opportunities for

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Grade: 2

physical education are limited by the temporary accommodation.

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Grade: 2

Staff know pupils and their families well. The school nurtures pupils effectively, which is recognised by many parents and results in the school attracting additional pupils during the year. The good provision for personal and social education helps pupils to learn to look after themselves and to gain confidence and a sense of self worth. The staff have helped pupils to deal with the results of the fire very well. Pupils are getting on with school life and are looking forward to their new school. The procedures to ensure pupils' protection, safety and well-being meet requirements. The school has developed good procedures to measure pupils' progress and to identify their individual needs. Pupils' various needs are well identified and programmes are in place to help them make increasing progress. Gifted and talented pupils are identified through the progress tracking system and work set meets their needs. All pupils have individual targets for English

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Grade: 2

and mathematics, but not all pupils are familiar with their targets and what they have to do to reach them.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher, staff, governors, parents and local authority have worked very effectively to put the school back on an even keel after the fire. Since joining the school in 2005, the headteacher has worked effectively to improve provision and to raise standards. There is clear evidence that pupils are making faster progress this year. The headteacher directs and challenges 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Ranby CofE Primary School, 1 °2 May 2007 staff to bring about the improvements needed. She has the gift of being able to take colleagues with her as changes are considered and made. All involved in the school appreciate the benefits that the changes, such as to the curriculum, bring for pupils. The satisfactory work of teachers with subject responsibilities is developing. Areas for attention are identified through helpful evaluations, which the school responds to honestly. The school's self evaluation is coherent and shows it knows its strengths and weaknesses. Time

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Grade: 3

is needed for the many new initiatives to embed and become a normal part of school routine. The governors make a good contribution to school improvement and take an active part in the school's strategic management. Governors have a clear understanding of what needs to be done to improve the school. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Ranby CofE Primary School, 1 °2 May 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Ranby CofE Primary School, 1 °2 May 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? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 3 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

3 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 1 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 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Ranby CofE Primary School, 1 °2 May 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: Ranby CofE Primary School, 1 °2 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

3 May 2007 Dear Children Inspection of Ranby CofE Primary School, Blyth Road, Ranby, Nottinghamshire, DN22 8HZ I am sure that you remember my visit to your school a little while ago. Thank you for making my visit so worthwhile and for taking time to talk to me and to answer my questions. Here are some good things about your school. • You have coped very well with the loss of the old school building. • You are beginning to make faster progress in lessons. • You enjoy school very much because teachers make lessons interesting. • You work hard, get on very well with one another and are growing up into responsible young people. • The school council is working well. You had some interesting ideas for the new building. • Your behaviour is outstandingly good. • If you have difficulty learning things, the school helps you. There are some things that could be even better. I have asked your teachers to: • give you more opportunities to write longer pieces of work

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• improve lesson planning so that what you are expected to learn in every lesson is clear • make sure you know what your targets are and how you can improve your work. Please continue working hard and trying your best. With best wishes Roger Fry (Lead Inspector) 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Ranby CofE Primary School, 1 °2 May 2007

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