St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School

Inspection Report St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School

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122752 Unique Reference Number NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Local Authority 292500 Inspection number 21 November 2006 Inspection date Raymond Jardine 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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Main Street School address Primary Type of school Calverton, Nottingham Voluntary controlled School category Nottinghamshire NG14 6FG 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01159652775 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01159652775 Fax number 211 Number on roll (school) Mr Dean Titterton Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Ian Bullock Headteacher 4 March 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 292500 21 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 one Additional Inspector over a period of one day.

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Description of the school

The school is about average in size and serves the village of Calverton and the surrounding area. Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds. None are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties or disabilities is average. Since 2004 the school has had several changes to its leadership, including two temporary headteachers. The current headteacher is permanent and was appointed in April 2006. Attainment on entry to the Reception class varies and has fallen in recent years from a little above average to currently about average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School, 21 November 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school that provides good value for money. The experienced staff work well together to provide a stimulating and encouraging environment for learning. Pupils very much enjoy school and consequently do well, both in their personal development and academically. Parents are very pleased with the school's work. The new headteacher is leading the school well and addressing relative weaknesses in the school's management that have caused the momentum of improvement in standards to slip. He has earned the confidence of parents, staff and governors. Children entering the Reception class are provided with a stimulating and well planned curriculum, led by an experienced specialist teacher. Children grow in confidence and make good progress as a result. This good progress continues in later years and, by Year 6, standards are considerably above average in English, mathematics and science, although the 2006 results were lower than the very high standards of the previous

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Grade: 2

year. Pupils achieve well, especially in mathematics and science. A key reason is the good teaching provided by the experienced and committed staff. Lessons are challenging and fun and pupils speak highly of their teaching. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are regularly assessed and their needs planned for well. As a result they make good progress. The school's Christian ethos promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well and relationships are very good. Pupils' behaviour in lessons and around school is excellent. The many extra-curricular activities and clubs are very popular and the memorable residential visits that they experience do much to help pupils grow in confidence and to mature. Pupils acquire a good understanding of how to live healthy and safe lives. They readily take responsibility and work constructively in groups to solve problems and learn independently, preparing them well for their

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Grade: 2

future lives. Leadership, management and governance are sound. The school's ability to judge its own performance and its capacity to improve are currently satisfactory. However, the new headteacher has acted promptly to address lapses in the rigour with which the school monitors its performance. The revised systems currently being introduced have the potential to make self-review more rigorous, systematic and responsive to weaknesses. A key aim is to develop the role of subject leaders and governors further. The school's improvement plan is soundly based but currently only extends over one year because the school's longer term ambitions are not clear. The headteacher, with the chair of governors, has begun a debate on the school's longer term goals to provide a sound basis for its strategic direction.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Develop the school's systems for monitoring and reviewing its performance to make them more systematic, rigorous and embedded in the school's work, particularly in relation to the role of subject leaders and governors. 2 Inspection Report: St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School, 21 November 2006 • Consult with governors and parents to provide a clear and widely shared vision about the school's longer term goals to guide its strategic planning and so extend the scope of its improvement plan.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' standards in Year 2 assessments have fallen since 2004 from above average in reading, writing and mathematics to broadly average. The fall mainly reflects changes in the attainment of these more recent intakes entering the school which had considerably more pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities. In Year 6 standards were exceptionally high in 2005 in English, mathematics and science. High proportions of pupils achieved above the nationally expected level in all these subjects, especially in science. The 2006 results were lower, although still above average and the school met its challenging targets for both English and mathematics. Provision for children in Reception is good, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development and in language skills, and they make good progress. This good progress continues in Years 1 and 2 so that most pupils achieve or exceed, the challenging targets set for them. In Years 3 to 6, pupils' progress was considerably

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Grade: 2

above that of other schools nationally in 2005, particularly in mathematics and science. In 2006, their progress was mainly good but not as high as in the previous year. Pupils' progress seen in lessons is also good and they are achieving well in a range of subjects, for example, acquiring good information and communication technology (ICT) skills. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities are supported and guided effectively and achieve well as a result.

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Grade: 2

The school is a harmonious community where pupils say they feel safe and secure. Pupils enjoy excellent relationships with each other and with adults. Their behaviour is very good and they greatly enjoy coming to school. Attendance is above average. Pupils gain a lot from the very good range of additional activities, such as visiting places of interest or meeting visitors with specific expertise. Pupils speak very highly of their experiences on residential trips out of school. Their involvement in school performances and local community and church events also helps them to mature and relate well to one another. Through their active school council pupils influence school life and they think of others less fortunate through their considerable efforts to raise funds for various charities. Pupils are developing a good understanding of the importance of diet and exercise to their well-being and learn how to stay safe.

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Grade: 2

3 Inspection Report: St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School, 21 November 2006

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Grade: 2

Lessons successfully capture pupils' interest and enthusiasm. They enjoy the many opportunities teachers provide for them to discuss and work together on shared tasks. Lessons are well-planned and challenging so that pupils of different abilities progress well. The experienced teachers' good subject knowledge is evident in their probing questions that encourage pupils to think and explain their reasoning. ICT is used well to help pupils to learn, as when Year 6 pupils examined an on-line newspaper article for its bias and redrafted it in a more balanced manner. Teaching assistants are well briefed so that the support they provide to targeted pupils, including those with learning difficulties, is effective. Pupils have targets for their next steps in English and mathematics and use them well to review their progress and understanding. Marking varies considerably in quality; some is very good, such as in Year 4. But some marking

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Grade: 2

gives pupils' little insight into how they can achieve their next steps in learning.

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Grade: 2

The good curriculum is planned well to meet the needs of the great majority of pupils. They acquire good skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT and in making decisions for themselves which prepare them well for their future lives. There is good provision for those children in Reception. The very useful weekly letters sent to parents guide them on how they can build on their children's learning at home. The many visits and visitors enrich pupils' experiences and help bring their learning to life, for example when learning about the Romans in Britain from a residential visit to Northumberland and Hadrian's Wall. Parents rightly see this as one of the school's strengths. There is also a very wide range of clubs and additional activities that are very popular, ranging from gardening to sport and drama. The school is currently developing its provision for personal, social and health education to place more

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Grade: 2

emphasis on social and emotional aspects of learning to help improve pupils' attitudes and relationships further.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. The staff promote a secure, positive and caring environment for learning which helps pupils to mature and develop well. Induction arrangements for Reception children are very effective. The school has appropriate systems for ensuring pupils' safety and welfare, including child protection arrangements. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is well managed and effective. Good use is made of a range of expert advice where necessary. Pupils are regularly assessed in their academic progress towards targets in English and mathematics. These reviews help to target support, such as additional small group 4 Inspection Report: St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School, 21 November 2006 sessions, to where it is most needed. Recent improvements to the school's assessment systems introduced by the new headteacher are helping staff to use assessment outcomes more productively to guide their work.

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Grade: 3

The new headteacher is providing good leadership and clear direction for the school following a period when the momentum of improvement had slowed. He has a good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses and is rightly focussing attention on improving the school's management. Parents are very supportive and staff and governors have confidence in his leadership. The school has a lot of assessment information and sets challenging targets for every pupil. But, until recently, such data was not easy to use or rigorously analysed for patterns and trends in pupils' performance. As a result the data was not used fully to help guide and focus the school's improvement work. While teaching is monitored by senior managers, subject leaders are less experienced in monitoring teaching and the methods used to analyse pupils' work are inconsistent. The new headteacher is introducing revised and potentially more systematic and robust methods for monitoring

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Grade: 3

the school's work and involving subject leaders more centrally in its self-review. But these developments are recent and have not yet been fully implemented. The school is also unclear about its longer term strategic direction and is consulting widely about it to include parents. For this reason, the school's improvement plan, though soundly based, only extends over one year. Governors are influential in shaping the school's work and are reasonably well informed. However, they are not provided with enough information about pupils' achievements to fully enable them to challenge the school in its priorities. This is an area in which the chair of governors is rightly keen to involve governors more fully so that they become central to new systems for monitoring and improving the school's performance. 5 Inspection Report: St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School, 21 November 2006 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School, 21 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 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 1 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. 7 Inspection Report: St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School, 21 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: St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School, 21 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

22 November 2006 Dear Pupils St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School, Main Street, Calverton, Nottingham, NG14 6FG Thank you for making me so welcome when I visited your school recently. I spoke with many of you in lessons, the playground and in discussions. What you told me helped to confirm what your parents, the staff and governors had to say about the quality of education that you receive. You are obviously very proud of your school and enjoy school life. I was impressed with: • The very good relationships that you enjoy with other pupils and your excellent behaviour • Your enthusiasm for learning and involvement in lessons that helps you to make good progress, especially in mathematics and science • Your good understanding of how to live healthy and safe lives • The benefits you gain from the many additional activities, clubs and visits that you told me you enjoy so much. I think that you go to a good school. The staff look after you well. They work hard to make

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

your lessons challenging and fun, while at the same time ensuring that you learn a lot. You are acquiring a lot of good skills, such as in literacy and numeracy, and you use computers really well. You also told me how much you enjoy working together on shared tasks with other pupils. You know your targets for English and mathematics, so help your teachers by checking how well you are working towards them regularly and asking for help when you need to. Mr Bullock is keen to ensure that the school becomes even better. I agree with him when he says he wants to get the staff and governors even more involved in reviewing the school's work to see where it can be improved. The school is also thinking about its longer term future to see how it can best serve young people such as yourselves and their parents so that it can better plan for it. With all good wishes for your future at St Wilfrid's CofE Primary school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Raymond Jardine Lead Inspector 9 Inspection Report: St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School, 21 November 2006

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