Gomeldon Primary School

Inspection Report Gomeldon Primary School

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126195 Unique Reference Number Wiltshire Local Authority 293489 Inspection number 6 December 2006 Inspection date Peter Griffiths HMI 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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Gomeldon School address Primary Type of school Salisbury Community School category SP4 6JZ 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01980 611370 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01980 611370 Fax number 143 Number on roll (school) Alison Herod Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Jane Greenaway Headteacher 5 November 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 293489 6 December 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 two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Gomeldon is a smaller-than-average rural primary school. It is a popular school; more than half the pupils come from outside the school's immediate area. The socio-economic characteristics of the intake reflect a degree of advantage. The school has a below-average number of pupils with learning difficulties.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Gomeldon Primary School, 6 December 2006

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Grade: 1

Gomeldon is an outstanding school; the staff, pupils and parents think so and the inspection team agrees. The leadership and management of the school are excellent. The senior management team (SMT) and the governors have a very good understanding of the school's effectiveness and what needs to be done in order to continue to improve. The school has implemented an effective range of strategies that have ensured that pupils of all abilities continue to make very good progress and achieve exceptionally well. This is a school where every child matters and is valued. By a variety of means, not least through the good contribution made by its personal, social, health and citizenship education programme, it ensures that the personal development of the pupils is good. Pupils are responsible, highly articulate and confident, able to express their feelings and are supportive of each other. They know about healthy eating but the low quality

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Grade: 1

of the school lunch and the inappropriate contents of some of their lunchboxes do not allow all of them to make use of this knowledge by making healthy choices. Pupils feel safe and well cared for. They are extremely well behaved, attentive and eager to learn and participate in lessons. The excellent teaching ensures that pupils show positive attitudes to their work and make very good progress. The teachers' good subject knowledge and detailed planning lend confidence to their teaching styles which readily engage pupils. The curriculum is well matched to the pupils' needs so all can succeed. The school has clearly demonstrated that it has a strong capacity to improve. It has successfully addressed all the weaknesses identified at the time of the last inspection. This has been accomplished alongside the drive to further improve teaching and learning and to continue to raise achievement. The school has formed good working

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Grade: 1

partnerships that have contributed to the achievement and well-being of the pupils. The school provides very good value for money. Its careful budgeting has enabled the school to improve the learning environment. However, accommodation for the Reception class and for pupils in Key Stage 1 is cramped and the outside play area is not covered.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Work with parents and the caterers to ensure pupils have access to healthier meals at lunch time. • Work with the local authority to seek solutions to the inadequacies in the accommodation for the Reception class.

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Grade: 1

On entry to the school, pupils' achievements are broadly in line with expectations. The high quality of the teaching and the stimulating learning environment ensure that 2 Inspection Report: Gomeldon Primary School, 6 December 2006 pupils make very good progress towards the Early Learning Goals (ELG). By the time they transfer to Year 1, the majority have achieved the ELGs. In 2006, standards were outstanding. At Key Stage 1, the standards attained by pupils in the statutory assessments for reading, writing and mathematics were well above the national averages. At Key Stage 2, the standards attained by pupils in English, mathematics and science were well above the national average. The positive impact of whole-school developments was apparent in science, where three out of four pupils attained standards above those expected. At both key stages, pupils made excellent progress. Most also made very good progress

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Grade: 1

in information and communication technology (ICT) and use it very effectively to support their learning in other subjects. At neither key stage was there any significant difference between the achievements of different groups of pupils. Even at Key Stage 2 where there were significantly more boys than girls, very effective learning strategies ensured that all achieved equally well. The gifted and talented pupils and those pupils with learning difficulties made particularly good progress, achieving high standards in relation to their starting points. Excellent use is made of data to inform pupils, their teachers and parents of their progress against challenging targets. Pupils know how well they are progressing and what they need to do to improve further.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy coming to school, are well motivated and eager to learn. This is reflected in their good levels of attendance. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils are welcoming to visitors and are extremely courteous. They are aware of the 'golden rules' and behave extremely well, both within lessons and around the school site. Children in Reception settle in quickly and soon become confident members of the school community. Pupils have opportunities to take on responsibilities, for example, prefects and positive play leaders take care of the younger ones. Membership of the school council offers some opportunities for pupils to have a say in improving the school. For example, the council has been influential in the development of the quiet area. Relationships within the school are very good. Pupils generally feel safe and well cared for and feel they are able to express any concerns

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Grade: 2

or worries. Pupils understand the importance of taking exercise and drinking water regularly. All pupils eat fruit at break times. However, the hot meal available at lunchtime was of low quality and many pupils had high fat and high sugar contents in their lunchboxes. They enjoy physical education lessons and have the opportunity to participate in a range of after-school and lunchtime sporting activities. The school regularly celebrates the achievements of pupils, for example, the lunchtime time support staff nominate pupils that have been kind or have behaved particularly 3 Inspection Report: Gomeldon Primary School, 6 December 2006 well. There is a good level of involvement in charity fundraising, helping both national and local charities.

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Grade: 1

Throughout the school, teaching and learning are always good and often outstanding. In the Foundation Stage, the class teacher and teaching assistant use observations and assessments to identify learning priorities and plan relevant, stimulating learning experiences for all pupils. Teachers employ a wide range of teaching styles to deliver very effective lessons which are carefully planned and extremely well executed. Lessons proceed at a cracking pace, providing pupils with challenging, interesting and enjoyable learning experiences. Teaching assistants are well briefed and make very valuable contributions to supporting teaching and helping pupils to learn. Interactive whiteboards are used extremely effectively by teachers. Pupils are also very competent in the use of the whiteboards and the other ICT equipment in the school. Pupils are regularly assessed. Teachers make very good use of questioning and discussion to determine pupils' understanding.

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Grade: 1

The special needs coordinator and assessment coordinator identify pupils who are not making satisfactory progress and plan and implement appropriate recovery programmes. The high quality of the feedback to pupils has ensured that they understand how to make further progress.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum well matched to the needs of the pupils. The quality of collaborative planning by the teachers is good. For example, all staff have recently reviewed the curriculum map to ensure that topics and learning targets are relevant to the needs of each year group whether they are taught as a single- or split-age class. Subject coordinators have benefited from having dedicated release time and this has allowed them to focus on their curriculum area and plan improvements. For example, the subject coordinator has successfully developed the ICT curriculum and resources. As a result, ICT is enhancing learning opportunities and making a positive contribution to the school's drive to continue to raise pupils' achievement. The quality of the personal, social, health and citizenship education programme is good, with key aspects, such as adopting healthy lifestyles, drug education and learning

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Grade: 2

to keep safe, successfully promoted. The school provides a variety of extra activities, such as the wide range of music tuition, which contributes to pupils' experience and enjoyment. Teachers organise and run 4 Inspection Report: Gomeldon Primary School, 6 December 2006 after-school clubs that include a range of sports, ICT and choir. During their school career, pupils also have the opportunity to participate in residential experiences.

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Grade: 2

Good care, guidance and support underpin the school's mission statement. It lies at the heart of pupils' excellent achievement and good personal development. Parents are impressed by the school's ethos of encouraging the older pupils to care for the younger ones. The partnership with parents is strong. One parent expressed the view of many when commenting that 'communication between school and home is excellent'. Parents state that staff are approachable and always available to discuss any issues. Pupils report that there is little bullying within the school and that they know they can approach teachers for support. The high quality of guidance on pastoral and academic matters has contributed to pupils having high expectations. As one pupil stated, 'This school is giving me a very good start'. Procedures to ensure staff are properly vetted are robust and secure.

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Grade: 1

The quality of leadership and management throughout the school is outstanding. The headteacher has achieved a common sense of purpose in all staff. She has ensured that Gomeldon is an inclusive school where pupils can achieve exceptionally high standards and where their well-being and that of the staff is assured. All staff support the pupils, each other and the whole-school community. The special needs coordinator provides excellent support for those pupils with learning difficulties so that they make good progress. She provides good professional development for the teaching assistants and ensures their very effective deployment. The SMT and governors have a clear and accurate view of the school's strengths and weaknesses. Monitoring and evaluation procedures are outstanding. The SMT and subject coordinators regularly carry out lesson observations to ensure that teaching is relevant and purposeful and that each pupil receives the right level of support and

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Grade: 1

challenge. The focus for observations is agreed before visits take place and teachers are given detailed feedback afterwards. Governors are hard-working and committed to the school, and are focused on raising achievement. In part through their regular visits to lessons, they provide a good balance of challenge and support and act productively as critical friends. There have been considerable improvements since the last inspection and the school is very well placed to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Gomeldon Primary School, 6 December 2006 The school is able to recruit and retain high-calibre staff. All teachers are responsible for at least two curriculum areas and receive appropriate training opportunities to enable them to be very effective leaders of their subject areas. The school provides very good value for money. Careful budgeting has enabled the school to improve the learning environment. For example, the new computer suite

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Grade: 1

with 15 computers linked to the Internet reflects the school's determination to meet the needs of the pupils. However, accommodation for the Reception class is cramped and the outside play area is not covered. 6 Inspection Report: Gomeldon Primary School, 6 December 2006 .

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Grade: 1

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Gomeldon Primary School, 6 December 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 1 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

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 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 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 Inspection Report: Gomeldon Primary School, 6 December 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? 9 Inspection Report: Gomeldon Primary School, 6 December 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming us so warmly when we visited your school. We thought you would like to know what we liked about your school and how we thought it could get even better. • What we liked about your school • You, and your parents and carers, are right in thinking that you go to an outstanding school. • The standards you achieve are extremely high. • Your teachers and teaching assistants work very hard to make sure that you all get the right sort of help you need to help you learn. • You enjoy coming to school, are happy and eager to do well. • Your behaviour is very good. You work and play nicely with your friends and speak very politely and with enthusiasm to your teachers and visitors. • You enjoy taking part in the wide range of activities in and outside school. • You are well cared for and feel safe. • You help to make the school welcoming and look after it, keeping it clean and tidy. • Your headteacher and staff run the school extremely well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

What we have asked your school to do now to make it even better • Work with parents and the caterers to ensure that you all have access to healthy meals at lunchtime. • Work with the local authority to find ways of overcoming the cramped conditions in the Reception classroom. 10 Inspection Report: Gomeldon Primary School, 6 December 2006

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