Loxley CofE Community Primary School

Inspection Report - Amended Loxley Community CofE Primary School

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125639 Unique Reference Number Warwickshire Local Authority 293315 Inspection number 27 September 2006 Inspection date Clive Lewis 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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Loxley School address Primary Type of school Warwick Community School category CV35 9JT 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01789 840211 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01789 840211 Fax number 35 Number on roll (school) C Wall Chair The governing body Appropriate authority D Holt Headteacher 29 October 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 293315 27 September 2006 4 °11

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Amended Report Addendum

Report updated to resolve formatting inconsistency

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Amended Report Addendum

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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Amended Report Addendum

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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school is much smaller than average and pupils are taught in two classes with three or more age groups in each class. No pupils take free school meals.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Loxley Community CofE Primary School, 27 September 2006

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Grade: 2

The school rightly judges that it provides its pupils with a good standard of education. Parents agree, one of whom describes the school as 'a wonderfully unique place'. Pupils also have very positive views of the school, one older pupil saying, 'It's a good school; because it's small I guess we know everyone, and it's friendly; if you've got any worries the teachers will always sort them out'. Although the small numbers of children in each age group causes wide variation year on year, children achieve well in the Foundation Stage/infant class and continue to do well as they move through the school. Overall achievement in writing is good but progress in writing needs to be improved in Years 1 and 2. Teaching is very well planned and this leads to interesting and effective lessons. Provision for pupils' personal development is good. As a result pupils behave well and are eager to learn. They develop their independence from an early age and have a

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Grade: 2

clear understanding of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle which they use in making choices about exercising and eating. The curriculum is broad and balanced and pupils benefit from a wide range of interesting experiences such as whole school French, Spanish, Indian and African days, visits to a science and technology festival and to the local high school where pupils work in the information and communication (ICT) suite and science laboratories. Care and guidance are outstanding ° parents are overwhelming in their praise of the school and pupils praise their teachers for the very good support that they provide. Assessment systems are very rigorous, although older pupils are not made sufficiently aware of their targets for improvement. Leadership, management and governance are good. The headteacher and subject leaders have good insight and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school well. Improvements needed since the last inspection have been tackled successfully.

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Grade: 2

Very good links with local schools and organisations are used well to provide a wide range of curricular opportunities and promote pupils' well-being. Developments are managed efficiently and the school is well placed to make further improvements.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve writing in Key Stage 1 • Strengthen systems for setting targets, particularly for older pupils

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well. The information the school maintains shows clearly that individual pupils within each cohort achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. Children make good progress in the Reception Year and this continues steadily through Key Stages 1 and 2. This reflects teachers' high expectations and the very good response from the pupils. Attainment on entry to the school is typically average although it varies significantly from year to year because of the very small year groups and the 2 Inspection Report: Loxley Community CofE Primary School, 27 September 2006 varying number of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities in each year. The school sets and meets challenging targets. By the time they reach Year 6, more able pupils achieve higher levels in the core subjects although some are not made sufficiently aware of how they might improve further. Pupils with special educational needs make

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Grade: 2

much better than expected progress. The richness of the curriculum ensures that all pupils make good progress in their knowledge, understanding and skills, although standards in writing in Years 1 and 2 need to be improved to match the higher standards achieved in reading and mathematics.

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Grade: 2

The personal development and well-being of pupils are good. Parents appreciate the welcoming family atmosphere of the school and say that their children enjoy coming to school. Pupils agree and say their school is good. As a result of the school's success and rigorous systems, attendance is good, as is punctuality. A strong moral code is implicit within the school's ethos and this is reflected in pupils' good behaviour; they are polite and respectful and willingly take on responsibilities. Pupils of all ages are used to working together and older pupils act responsibly as mentors to younger children. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Cultural development is effectively promoted through the curriculum and a good range of additional activities such as visits to the theatre and participation in local cultural events. Daily assemblies successfully develop a strong sense of self-worth and

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Grade: 2

encourage feelings of spirituality through music and moments of reflection and prayer. Pupils have a good understanding of the consequences of lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet and know the importance of keeping themselves safe. They willingly set about raising funds for charities. Their good social skills, together with their competence in the core skills, contribute well to their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good. Planning is very good; teachers set appropriate work for each age group and, where necessary, for individual pupils within each age group. In the infant class, teachers plan work related to the Early Learning Goals for the reception children alongside the Key Stage 1 curriculum. Teachers know the pupils very well and assess their progress thoroughly. They expect pupils to work hard and behave well. There is strong teamwork between teachers and teaching assistants and this plays a very important part in shaping learning activities so that they are suitable for the different individual needs of pupils and secure good progress. Pupils are provided with well focused individual support. In most instances teachers give clear explanations and use questions effectively to draw out what pupils know and to challenge them further. 3 Inspection Report: Loxley Community CofE Primary School, 27 September 2006

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Grade: 2

The needs of higher attaining pupils and pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are considered well and attended to sensitively.

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Grade: 2

Curricular provision is good. The curriculum meets all statutory requirements. National strategies and guidelines are used appropriately to ensure that learning is built upon year on year and pupils have the opportunities to undertake a broad range of interesting work. The Foundation Stage curriculum, linked clearly to the Early Learning Goals, meets the needs of children appropriately. This is a significant improvement, and the new outdoor area adjacent to the classroom is a further improvement in facilities, allowing the teachers to plan an appropriate outdoor curriculum. Currently, the school offers a satisfactory range of lunchtime clubs and after-school activities. The school makes use of very good links with a range of local schools and community facilities to ensure pupils receive a wide range of interesting and exciting opportunities. The new involvement with the local Sports Cluster initiative means the school will be able to

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Grade: 2

offer a wider range of after school sports activities in partnership with other local small schools. Pupils in Key Stage 2 are taught French. Spanish and French days effectively enrich the Key Stage 1 curriculum. A good range of visits and visitors further enhances and enriches the basic curriculum. These make a good contribution to the pupils' enjoyment and achievement.

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Grade: 1

Provision for care, guidance and support is outstanding. Parents are overwhelmingly confident that their children are safe and well cared for. The very good relationships reflect the very good pastoral support and this contributes significantly to pupils' eagerness to learn. Pupils say they are well looked after and safe, are not bullied, and feel able to talk with staff if they have any problems. Very good support is provided for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. The importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is promoted well. Systems for tracking pupils' academic progress have improved significantly and are now well embedded in the school's systems. These ensure that pupils needing additional support are identified early and that pupils making better than average progress are given appropriately challenging work. The school is working to involve all the pupils more actively in their learning but, currently, some of the older pupils are not

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Grade: 1

sufficiently aware of their targets for improvement.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher and governors are clearly focused on raising standards and determined that all pupils succeed. The governors 4 Inspection Report: Loxley Community CofE Primary School, 27 September 2006 are hard working and use their good understanding of the school effectively to hold it to account. The methods for evaluating the school's work, the effectiveness of decisions and the areas to be improved are rigorous. Consequently, the school knows itself well. Limited resources are used very well, to keep the adult to pupil ratio high, to improve provision for the Foundation Stage and currently, to modify the building so as to enable better before and after school provision. Through the analysis of test results, the school has a very good and accurate view of the relative strength of subjects. The evaluation of lessons, conducted by the headteacher and subject leaders, gives a good view of the quality of teaching, with

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Grade: 2

points given for improvement, and support provided where weaknesses are found. However, although standards in writing by Year 6 are good, the initiatives introduced to improve writing in Key Stage 1 need to be applied with more consistency to raise standards in this skill. The school works very hard to overcome the limitations of its cramped accommodation, particularly the lack of a hall or playing field for physical education, by utilising its very good links with local schools and community facilities. The school is rightly proud of its reputation as a very inclusive school. The school has a good capacity to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Loxley Community CofE Primary School, 27 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: Loxley Community CofE Primary School, 27 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? 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 2 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?

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: Loxley Community CofE Primary School, 27 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: Loxley Community CofE Primary School, 27 September 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming me to your school. I enjoyed visiting the school and seeing you at work and play. You gave me lots of comments that helped me to form a good picture of your school. I think your school is a good school. This is what I found out: • Your teachers and other adults in the school help you to learn well. • You behave well and you know how to tell right from wrong. • You clearly enjoy coming to school because there are lots of interesting activities for you to take part in. • I was impressed that the school is helping you to stay healthy by encouraging you to eat healthy foods and take regular exercise. • I also liked the way that you get on very well together and support each other. There are two things I have asked your teachers to do that would make it even better: • Work hard to help you improve your writing in Years 1 and 2. • Make sure that you all have a good idea of what you have to do to improve your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I think that your school is one of which you should be proud. I am confident that, with your help, the school will improve still further. Good luck to you all in the future. 9 Inspection Report: Loxley Community CofE Primary School, 27 September 2006

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