Camelsdale Primary School

Camelsdale First School Inspection report

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125821 Unique Reference Number West Sussex Local Authority 293367 Inspection number 16 °17 May 2007 Inspection dates Kathryn Taylor 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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First Type of school Community School category 4 °10 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 192 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority N Mitchell Chair S Palmer Headteacher 14 January 2002 Date of previous school inspection School Road School address Camelsdale Haslemere GU27 3RN

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01428 642177 Telephone number 01428 641481 Fax number

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4 °10 Age group 16 °17 May 2007 Inspection dates 293367 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

In this smaller than average-sized first school, the proportion of pupils identified as having learning difficulties and disabilities is well below average. The school has gained a number of awards, including the Basic Skills Award, Artsmark Gold and Healthy Schools Award.

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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: Camelsdale First School, 16 °17 May 2007

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Grade: 2

Camelsdale is a good school with several outstanding features and special qualities. It has a very strong, welcoming, family ethos, is an integral part of village life and works exceptionally well with parents, carers, the local community and other schools. Children quickly settle into Reception and make good progress because of the effective induction arrangements and good Foundation Stage provision. Pupils throughout the school achieve well, so that standards are above average. Standards in reading and writing are exceptionally high. The outstanding curriculum is very well planned to take account of pupils' interests and abilities. It promotes their health, fitness and enjoyment particularly well. Teaching and learning are good. Staff have high expectations of pupils and teach them how to become effective learners. They do not all make best use of assessment information, however, to track pupils' progress

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Grade: 2

and pinpoint any weaknesses. Pupils' personal development and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are outstanding. Pupils' behaviour, relationships with one another, and attitudes to school and learning, are exemplary. Care, guidance and support are good overall and pastoral care is outstanding. Consequently, pupils feel safe and well cared for. Parents make an excellent contribution to the school and to their children's education and most have very positive views of it. Typical comments include: 'My children have made excellent progress and have developed a positive attitude to learning, both in class and at home' and 'We could not be happier with this well run and happy school.' Good leadership and management have enabled the school to move from strength to strength since the last inspection. This, together with the school's constant strive for excellence, provides it with a good capacity for further improvement. School self-evaluation is good. It draws well

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Grade: 2

on staff, pupils' and parents' views, as well as external validation. This leads to an extremely clear picture about how well the many improvements have impacted on pupils' personal development and enjoyment. What the school has not done so effectively is evaluating how well new initiatives impact on standards and pupils' progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Give greater attention to evaluating the impact of any new initiatives on improving standards and progress. • Make better use of data and assessments to track pupils' progress, pinpoint any areas of weakness and consistently match work to pupils' ability.

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Grade: 2

From a relatively good starting point, children in Reception achieve well, so that standards on entry to Key Stage 1 are above average, particularly in personal, social, physical and communication, language and literacy skills. At the end of Year 2, standards in mathematics are usually above average, while standards in reading and writing are consistently high. The school sets challenging targets for pupils, and most pupils meet them. As pupils transfer to middle school at the end of Year 5, there are no national test results or progress measures for pupils in Key Stage 2. The school's assessments and test results show 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Camelsdale First School, 16 °17 May 2007 that standards at the end of Year 5 are above average in mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT). Standards are exceptionally high in reading and writing. Pupils of all capabilities make good progress during their time at this school, including pupils

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Grade: 2

with particular talents and those with learning difficulties and disabilities. Some pupils' progress in mathematics, although satisfactory, is slower than that in English. The school is working to address this, in particular by developing pupils' skills in applying mathematical knowledge to problem-solving activities. There are clear signs that the school's actions are proving effective. Consequently, many of the pupils currently in Years 4 and 5 show a good approach to solving fairly complex problems. Pupils are making good progress and reaching above average standards in several other subjects such as history, art and design, design and technology and music. The standard of singing is outstanding.

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Grade: 1

The school's above average attendance rates are testament to pupils' enjoyment of school. Behaviour is outstanding. Pupils are polite, friendly, respectful and trustworthy. They respond enthusiastically to school and learning and make a very good contribution to decision-making and helping the school run smoothly. Pupils in all year groups carry out jobs responsibly, such as bell ringing, gardening and acting as 'eco warriors' and 'traffic wardens'. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Their cultural development is supported very well through strong links and exchange visits with international schools, and pupils' excellent participation in the local and wider communities. Pupils demonstrate a sensitive approach to moral issues and show respect for others' religious beliefs and cultural traditions. Their very good understanding of healthy lifestyles is reflected in their energetic participation

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Grade: 1

in physical exercise, their choice of snacks and the contents of packed lunch boxes. Playtimes are very happy, sociable occasions and pupils are not afraid to take measured risks. Pupils' very good work habits, social skills and basic skills mean they are very well prepared for future education.

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Grade: 2

Particular strengths include the staff's very good relationships with pupils and high expectations of them. Teachers plan interesting and exciting activities that capture pupils' attention and ensure lots of hands-on experiences, outdoor learning opportunities, independent tasks and group work. Consequently, pupils become good learners and are keen to contribute. Teachers' subject knowledge and questioning skills are good. Both staff and pupils are making increasingly good use of ICT to enhance teaching and learning. Well trained teaching assistants make a very good contribution to pupils' learning. Although most of the teaching is at least good, and some is outstanding, a relative weakness is that assessments could sometimes be better used to set work more closely matched to all pupils' abilities. Teachers involve pupils in assessing their own work and learning, and marking is regular and informative.

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Grade: 2

5 of 11 Inspection Report: Camelsdale First School, 16 °17 May 2007

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Grade: 1

Reception provision has improved well since the last inspection and is now good, so that children enjoy a wide range of experiences, and a good mix of independent and adult-led activities. In the rest of the school, the excellent curriculum meets pupils' interests and academic needs very well, gives good attention to all subjects, and includes French, Spanish and specialist music teaching. Careful planning links subjects together effectively as part of 'learning journeys'. This ensures that the basic skills are covered well, without unduly narrowing the curriculum, and also helps make learning exciting and fun. Very good use of the excellent outdoor facilities, themed events, the local community, visits and visitors to school, all help to enrich the curriculum and maximise pupils' enjoyment. The wide range of after-school and lunchtime clubs and activities, including residential trips, are much appreciated by the pupils and very well attended.

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Grade: 2

This is good rather than outstanding because of some relative weaknesses in academic guidance, but pastoral support for pupils is excellent. The close, trusting relationships between adults and pupils are at the heart of the school. Pupils are safe and well cared for and risk assessments are robust. Pupils are therefore confident that adults will listen to their problems and help them. Support for vulnerable pupils is very good thanks to the well established links with parents and external agencies. The school tracks pupils' personal development exceptionally well. Pupils are fully involved in this process, and also in reviewing their academic progress. Teachers, however, do not always make consistent use of assessments to keep an overview of pupils' progress, pinpoint precisely any areas of weakness, and identify whether some pupils' academic progress might be even better.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides very clear educational direction and a passionate commitment to continual improvement. She is well supported by senior leaders and a strong staff team who are very innovative and constantly seek to improve provision and develop their own skills. Weaknesses found at the last inspection have been tackled assiduously. Many other improvements have been made, especially to the curriculum, pupils' personal development and their involvement in local and wider communities. The school runs very smoothly on a day-to-day basis in a very calm, purposeful and happy environment. Senior leaders regularly monitor teaching and learning. Data analysis and tracking, however, are not yet robust enough to ensure that weaknesses in pupil progress are picked up promptly, and that any trends in attainment and progress can easily be explained. The fairly recent introduction of an ICT package offers the potential to improve this. Subject leaders, and those

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Grade: 2

with other responsibilities, make a good contribution to developing provision and work in their subjects. However, not all are sufficiently involved in monitoring the impact of developments on standards and pupils' finished work and progress. Governors have a good understanding of 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Camelsdale First School, 16 °17 May 2007 the school's strengths and weaknesses and are fully involved in strategic planning. They use their considerable expertise, as for example in ICT, very effectively, to benefit the school. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Camelsdale First School, 16 °17 May 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. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Camelsdale First School, 16 °17 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? 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?

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?

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: Camelsdale First School, 16 °17 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: Camelsdale First School, 16 °17 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils, Camelsdale First School, Haslemere, Surrey GU27 3RN We really enjoyed our visit to your school. Thank you very much for making us so welcome. We think that Camelsdale First School is a good school, with some outstanding features. These are the things that work especially well in your school: • Your teachers help you to progress well and reach good standards. We saw many examples of the good work you have produced, in your books and on display around the school. We also noticed that your singing is excellent and that your understanding of French and Spanish is developing well. • You are exceptionally friendly, well behaved and polite. You get on very well together and take good care of each other. We noticed that you take a real pride in your work. We learned that your parents and teachers are very proud of you and of your school. • The staff take very good care of you. They listen to your views, involve you fully in making

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

decisions about the school, and encourage you to do well. • The curriculum in all year groups is outstanding. We saw from your work how much this helps you enjoy lessons. Children in Reception were really enjoying their time 'on safari', including hunting for mini-beasts and pond dipping. You take part in lots of trips, clubs and other activities. These help you to develop your talents and to stay fit and healthy. • The headteacher and senior leaders lead the school well. The headteacher and staff are always thinking of ways to make your school even better. This is what we have asked the staff to do next: • To make better use of test results and assessments to check your progress, to see where any improvements might be made, and ensure that work set is not too hard or too easy. • To find out how the changes they make help to improve your progress and standards. You can help too by continuing to work hard and do your best.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you once again for making our visit enjoyable, and we wish you lots of success in the future. With very best wishes, Kathryn Taylor Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Camelsdale First School, 16 °17 May 2007

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