Easebourne CofE Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 9 May 2007

Easebourne CofE Primary School Inspection report

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126003 Unique Reference Number West Sussex Local Authority 293431 Inspection number 9 May 2007 Inspection date Derek Watts 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 °10 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 167 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Phil Luxton Chair Arthur Bain Headteacher 4 March 2002 Date of previous school inspection Easebourne Street School address Midhurst GU29 0BD

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01730 813266 Telephone number 01730 817232 Fax number

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4 °10 Age group 9 May 2007 Inspection date 293431 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Easebourne CE is a smaller-than-average primary school providing education for pupils between the ages of four and ten. Most pupils are from a White British background. There are very few pupils who speak English as an additional language but none of these is at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is about average and the proportion eligible for free school meals is below average. Children's attainment on entry to Reception is in line with national expectations.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Easebourne CofE Primary School, 9 May 2007

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Grade: 2

Easebourne CE Primary is a good school. Pupils achieve well and their personal development is good. Parents hold positive views about the school and are pleased with the education and care provided. In return, they give the school strong support. Good leadership and management contribute significantly to the school's effectiveness and to the good improvements since the last inspection. An experienced headteacher with his staff has created a positive school atmosphere which is much appreciated by pupils and their parents. The school has a clear view of its performance and has taken effective action to raise standards and improve provision in most areas. However, while improving writing has been a priority, and much has been achieved, the progress has not been consistent across the school. This is because in some lessons, particularly in Year 2, pupils have not had sufficient stimulating and varied opportunities to develop their writing skills. Effective systems for assessing and tracking pupils'

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Grade: 2

attainment and progress have been implemented and the school now has a clear picture of how well each individual pupil is doing. Provision in the Foundation Stage is effective and this means that children in Reception get off to a good start. Good teaching and learning and an interesting curriculum enable pupils from Year 1 to Year 5 to make good progress overall. Teachers' explanations and instructions are clear and informative. Pupils make good progress when they are challenged and tasks are well matched to their abilities. However, this good practice is not always consistent. In a few lessons, pace and challenge are not as high and the rate of learning slows. By Year 5, standards are above average overall and pupils have progressed well from their prior attainment in Year 2, particularly in writing. A wide range of additional activities enriches the school's good curriculum and contributes to pupils' enjoyment and interests.

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Grade: 2

Provision for art and design is strong and displays of pupils' work are varied and of a good quality. Good care, guidance and support contribute significantly to pupils' academic and personal development. Pupils thoroughly enjoy being at school and this is reflected by their very good attendance. There are good systems to ensure that pupils are safe and secure in school. Positive relationships between pupils and staff lead to good behaviour. Pupils show a clear understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles and how to keep safe. Assessment is usually used well to plan pupils' learning and to set individual learning targets in English and mathematics. Pupils therefore have a clear understanding of what they need to do to improve in these subjects. Easebourne prepares its pupils well for the next stage of their education.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise achievement in writing by ensuring that there are varied and stimulating writing opportunities in all lessons, particularly those in Year 2. • Ensure that all lessons have suitable levels of challenge and that learning maintains a brisk pace.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well overall. Children in Reception make good gains in all areas of learning and reach above expected standards. Standards in 2006 in national assessments for Year 2 were above average overall. Although standards during the last two years have improved from average to above average, they have been better in reading and mathematics than in writing. Whilst 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Easebourne CofE Primary School, 9 May 2007 most pupils at the end of Year 2 produce correctly formed letters of consistent size, some higher attainers have not started to use joined handwriting and this impedes their ability to write fluently and at length. In Year 5, standards are above average in English, mathematics and science and these pupils have made good progress from their average attainment in Year 2. Those with learning difficulties make good progress because of the effective support provided. Pupils are well prepared for their future economic well-being because by the time they leave,

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Grade: 2

they possess competent skills in literacy and numeracy. In addition to this, their personal and social skills are well developed.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are enthusiastic about school and this is reflected by their well above average attendance and their keen participation in school activities. One parent wrote, 'My children come home and report back with excitement on all activities'. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. However, pupils' awareness and understanding of cultural diversity is less strong. Pupils have positive relationships with staff and amongst themselves. Behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. Pupils adopt healthy lifestyles. They demonstrate a good understanding of the importance of healthy diets and take regular exercise through physical education and through their involvement in the school's additional sporting activities. Those on the school council represent their fellow pupils well. Pupils make a positive contribution to the wider community by raising funds for well-known charities.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning contribute significantly to pupils' good achievement. Across the school, teachers effectively share learning intentions with the class so pupils know what they are expected to learn. Teachers establish positive relationships with their pupils and manage them well. Teachers' instructions and explanations are clear and informative. Pupils are attentive and respond well to teachers' questioning. There are good opportunities for pupils to discuss their work and, as a result, speaking and listening skills are well developed. The teaching of handwriting skills is not consistent enough in promoting fluent and joined writing. When teachers use assessment information effectively, tasks are well matched to pupils' needs. As a result, pupils are challenged well and make good gains in their learning. In a few lessons, the level of challenge is not appropriate and the rate of learning slows. Not all lessons are stimulating

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Grade: 2

and proceed at a brisk pace. Teaching assistants are well directed and contribute significantly to pupils' learning, particularly those with learning difficulties. The marking of pupils' work is usually helpful and constructive.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum promotes pupils' personal development well and enables them to make good academic progress. While writing is a priority for improvement, pupils in Year 2 do not have sufficient opportunities to write extended pieces. By contrast, opportunities for writing in other year groups are often stimulating and varied. The school has attractive and spacious grounds which are fully utilised. A well-resourced conservation area and gardening facilities add interest 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Easebourne CofE Primary School, 9 May 2007 to scientific study. For example, a web cam positioned in a great tit's nesting box enabled pupils and staff to observe the development of the eggs and chicks on a computer screen inside the school. Provision for art and design is a strength and pupils have good opportunities to work with a range of materials and in different styles. French for Years 3, 4 and 5 provides an

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Grade: 2

interesting dimension to pupils' learning and to their cultural development. There is a good range of additional activities which contribute to pupils' enjoyment, including cricket, football, music, tennis, gardening and longball. Day visits and a residential trip for Years 4 and 5 extend pupils' experience and horizons. The Foundation Stage curriculum promotes good progress. Since the last inspection there have been good improvements to the outdoor learning areas and the partnership between the pre-school group through to Year 1.

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Grade: 2

Good pastoral care and support contribute well to pupils' personal development. Procedures to ensure pupils' protection and safety are effective so pupils are safe and secure at school. Staff know the pupils well and have established good relationships with them and their parents. As parents commented, 'My children are known as individuals' and 'The headteacher and staff always make time to see you if you have any concerns'. Systems for assessing and tracking pupils' attainment and progress have been recently implemented and are effective. Assessment information is generally used well to set suitably challenging individual learning targets in English and mathematics but there are minor inconsistencies in this good practice. Nevertheless, most pupils know what they are working towards in these subjects.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management effectively promote good provision and this leads to pupils' good achievement and good personal development. The headteacher provides clear direction and the new deputy headteacher has settled in well. Subject leadership is appropriately shared among the staff and there is a collaborative approach to leading and managing the curriculum. Leadership roles are currently being developed particularly in terms of monitoring performance. School self-evaluation is generally accurate and, as a result, the school has a clear overview of its strengths and areas for development. A productive relationship has been formed with the school improvement partner and this is contributing to sharper evaluations. The school has rightly identified improving writing as a priority and this has been effective in most year groups. The governors are committed and supportive and have a clear understanding of the school's

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Grade: 2

performance. Since the last inspection, pupils' personal development has improved from satisfactory to good and standards in Year 2 have improved from average to above average. The school has demonstrated a good capacity to improve. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Easebourne CofE Primary School, 9 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. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Easebourne CofE Primary School, 9 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?

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?

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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Easebourne CofE Primary School, 9 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Easebourne CofE Primary School, 9 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

10 May 2007 Dear Pupils Easebourne CE Primary School, Midhurst, West Sussex GU29 0BD Thank you so much for welcoming me into your school and showing me your work. I enjoyed my visit and would like to tell you what I found out. Easebourne CE is a good school. These things are strengths of the school • You clearly enjoy school and this is shown by your very good attendance and your keen involvement in school activities. • Those of you in Reception get off to a good start. • Teaching is mainly good, which is why you learn so much. • You are making good progress and standards by Year 5 are above average. • Your behaviour is good and you get on well with others. • The school offers interesting learning activities and a good range of additional clubs and visits. • Your art work on display is of good quality. • The staff know you well and you receive good care and support from them. • The school is well led by your headteacher and other senior staff.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

There are a few things the school has been asked to improve • Some of you could make more progress in writing, particularly in Year 2. • Sometimes your teachers could challenge you more and this would help you to make more progress. Finally, thank you once again for all your help. I wish you all the best for the future. With kind regards Derek Watts Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Easebourne CofE Primary School, 9 May 2007

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