Stamford Green Primary School and Nursery

Inspection Report Stamford Green Primary School

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125066 Unique Reference Number Surrey Local Authority 293184 Inspection number 12 °13 September 2006 Inspection dates David Marshall 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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Christ Church Mount School address Primary Type of school Epsom Community School category KT19 8LU 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01372 725383 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01372 739598 Fax number 411 Number on roll (school) Mr C Goldie Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Victoria Humphries Headteacher 19 March 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 293184 12 °13 September 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Stamford Green is a larger than average school. Many pupils come from favourable socio-economic backgrounds and the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average. Although there are fewer pupils than average with learning difficulties, there are five pupils with statements of special educational needs. There are four pupils from Traveller backgrounds.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Stamford Green Primary School, 12 °13 September 2006

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Grade: 2

Stamford Green Primary School provides a good education for all its pupils. Pupils make good academic progress and have outstanding personal qualities. Achievement is good and academic standards are well above average by the time pupils leave the school. The quality of provision in the Foundation Stage is outstanding. One particularly striking aspect is the initial care from both teachers through their home visits and very close liaison with the local nurseries. This means that all children make a very positive start to their education and really enjoy their time at school. As one parent said, 'She already really enjoys every minute she is at school and would like to be there everyday'. Teaching and learning are good overall, and teachers throughout the school create a very relaxed and purposeful atmosphere for learning. Through the improved assessment procedures, teachers are clear about how to ensure that learning is productive for

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Grade: 2

every pupil. Lessons are well planned and teachers aim to make learning fun. Although pupils succeed in most lessons, on a few occasions the pace is too slow and teachers allow the more able pupils to dominate discussions. Pupils and teachers enjoy excellent relationships. As one boy observed, 'Everybody really tries to help everybody else'. The very supportive atmosphere contributes very well to pupils' excellent personal development. Pupils' behaviour is outstanding and they all make an effective contribution to the school community. Pupils are cared for very well and all of them, including the most vulnerable, feel safe and secure. The curriculum covers all subjects well and is enhanced by a very good range of additional activities. Use of the new computers in the suite and the interactive whiteboards in every class has already been incorporated into the curriculum plans and has made learning even more exciting for all pupils.

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Grade: 2

The school enjoys a good relationship with most parents who really appreciate all the school does for their children. A few feel they would make a better contribution both to the school and to their children's education if they were kept better informed. As one parent wrote, 'Communication between school and parents is a bit hit and miss. We don't always know what is going on'. Leadership and management of the school are good. Strengths and weaknesses are identified well because the school has good systems for monitoring its work. The headteacher manages the school very well and she is very ably supported by all staff. Teamwork is excellent and developments are now being driven forward at a good pace. The school's capacity to improve further is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Use the school's systems to monitor the pace of lessons and to ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to share their ideas. • Ensure parents are well informed on management and curriculum decisions so that they can work more effectively to help their children. 2 Inspection Report: Stamford Green Primary School, 12 °13 September 2006

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Grade: 2

Standards of attainment of the pupils currently in school are above those expected for their ages and their achievement is good as they rise to the ambitious challenges set for them. Both boys and girls attain impressive results in English, mathematics and science in the national tests at the end of Year 6 and standards are consistently well above average. Most pupils enter the school with above average attainment. All children in Reception settle down very well, and most exceed the levels expected for their age by the time they enter Year 1. Standards at the end of Year 2 are significantly above average and the more able pupils do especially well. Much of the pupils' success in reading and writing is due to the school's strong emphasis on developing speaking and listening skills. Staff strive hard at all times to maximise the progress of pupils of all abilities. Carefully tracking of the progress of those with learning difficulties ensures they receive good

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Grade: 2

help, especially from teaching assistants, enabling them to make significant strides in meeting their targets. As a result those few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, including the Traveller children, or those at an early stage of learning English, achieve very well. Pupils with special gifts or talents also make very good progress.

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Grade: 1

The personal development and well-being of the pupils are outstanding. Attendance levels are good as pupils love coming to school and this view is endorsed by the parents. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is excellent. Pupils draft their own rules and respond very positively to the rewards for good behaviour. Right from an early age pupils are sociable, out-going and very supportive of each other. Pupils' outstanding spirituality shows in the thrill they have in learning and their pride in their individual talents. They thoroughly enjoy music and the arts and have a good knowledge about the backgrounds of fellow pupils from other countries. Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to lead healthy lives. They eat sensibly and take plenty of physical exercise; many cycle or walk to school. Pupils are also extremely clear about how to keep safe. Community involvement is impressive as

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Grade: 1

elected pupils are proud to be school councillors and know that their suggestions are taken seriously. Pupils are especially well prepared for life beyond school because not only do they have high standards in literacy and numeracy, but they are also sensible, mature and willing to take the initiative for their own learning. 3 Inspection Report: Stamford Green Primary School, 12 °13 September 2006

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are effective, although there is some variation in quality across the school. In all classes, teachers manage their pupils very positively. This results in excellent relationships which encourage pupils to learn and succeed. Pupils respond very promptly to teachers' instructions and they concentrate well when asked to work on their own and with others. All teachers have clear learning objectives for lessons and make good use of on-going assessment to check how much pupils know and understand. They then use this information to identify the next steps in the lesson. Teachers work well with support staff and this makes a good contribution to the way pupils with learning difficulties make progress. On occasions, some opportunities to contribute to class discussions are dominated by a few pupils, usually the more able, and this slows down the lesson and means that other pupils are not sufficiently involved. In the reception classes, early attainment

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Grade: 2

information is used very effectively to plan work for the children so that the teaching provided is outstanding.

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Grade: 2

The range of learning experiences provided for pupils is good. Very good use is made of visits and visitors to the school, as well as role play to dramatise events to bring the curriculum alive. Pupils talk excitedly about their enjoyment of their science-related trips and the insights they gained from being treated as evacuees when studying World War 2. There is a very good range of well attended clubs. Pupils have good opportunities to learn some elements of three European languages. Pupils' personal and social development is enhanced through projects such as caring for the environment. Links between subjects to consolidate learning are developing well, for example in Year 6, but this is inconsistent between year groups. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is outstanding. Children's needs are met on an individual basis so that they make very good progress.

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Grade: 1

The care, guidance and support of the pupils are excellent. The school successfully puts the happiness and achievement of each individual pupil at the heart of everything it does. As one father of a pupil with learning difficulties said, 'Putting our child into Stamford Green was the best decision her Mum ever made for her'. Teachers are quick to notice if pupils are not achieving as well as they should because they have robust systems to assess academic progress. Those falling behind are given special attention and are soon back on track. The school works particularly well to 4 Inspection Report: Stamford Green Primary School, 12 °13 September 2006 help Traveller pupils and their families to make the most of school. Systems to ensure the protection and health and safety of the pupils are very well organised and effective. Pupils and their parents are very confident that Stamford Green is a safe place to be.

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Grade: 1

The resulting good achievement and advanced personal development of pupils are due much to the school's emphasis on individual care.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. There are many examples of how well the headteacher leads the school. Under her highly perceptive leadership, she has established a high performing team of staff and governors who contribute substantially to the pupils' success. Management at all levels is good with effective systems in place to monitor pupils' progress and the quality of teaching and learning. There is a clear understanding of the strengths of the school and areas that need more development. The school's self evaluation is detailed, accurate and effective. The school's long term plans provide clear guidance on relevant issues for raising standards and take into account support and initiatives from a wide range of providers. Governors make a very good contribution to the school. They bring a wide range of skills to support the school very well, challenging decisions and requesting explanations where necessary.

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Grade: 2

The school has acknowledged the need to refocus the considerable efforts they already make to ensure that parents are kept involved and up-to-date with all developments and requirements. The school has good links with a range of other schools and organisations, such as local music school, to promote an even higher quality of education. With new members of staff already settled, and success in promoting good standards and achievement the school is well placed to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Stamford Green Primary School, 12 °13 September 2006 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Stamford Green Primary School, 12 °13 September 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? 1 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?

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 1 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: Stamford Green Primary School, 12 °13 September 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: Stamford Green Primary School, 12 °13 September 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I am sure you will remember when three inspectors visited your school recently. We came to see how you were getting on and whether there was anything we could suggest that would make the school even better. You made us very welcome and we enjoyed meeting you. Thank you and well done! Although we were only with you for two days, it was long enough for us to realise that Stamford Green is a good school. One of the reasons is that you all make very good progress in learning. You get lots of opportunities to try new things and work hard. You also get on very well with each other. We particularly enjoyed visiting you in the classrooms and seeing the good work you were doing. Many of you told us how much you enjoy being at school, and how proud you are of what you can do. The headteacher, and all other adults, are constantly trying to find ways of improving the school. We have asked the headteacher to check up regularly so that teachers give you all the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

opportunity to take part in class discussions. We have also asked the school to make sure your parents know what is happening so that they too can help you make the most of your time there. There are lots of things we really liked about your school: • the school feels happy because everyone looks after everyone else • you take responsibility for your own behaviour which is excellent • all the different people working at the school do their best to look after you • you are independent and take responsibility for your own actions • everyone tries to do their best. Best wishes David Marshall Lead Inspector 9 Inspection Report: Stamford Green Primary School, 12 °13 September 2006

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