Luckington Community School

Inspection Report Luckington Community School

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126200 Unique Reference Number Wiltshire Local Authority 293491 Inspection number 7 November 2006 Inspection date Denise Morris 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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The Green School address Primary Type of school Luckington Community School category Chippenham SN14 6NU 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01666 840297 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01666 840297 Fax number 42 Number on roll (school) Lesley Bennett Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Alistair Ponsford Headteacher 9 October 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 293491 7 November 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a small rural village school. Pupils are taught in two classes and there is a private Montessori pre-school on site. There are slightly more boys than girls. All pupils are White British and English is all pupils' first language. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is below average. Because numbers are small, the attainment levels of pupils joining each year vary widely, but they are generally just above those found nationally. The school is currently improving the facilities through undergoing a building programme.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Luckington Community School, 7 November 2006

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Grade: 3

The school rightly judges its effectiveness as satisfactory and its key strength is the good personal development of the pupils. This has been achieved through the good programme of personal, social and health education, which promotes the positive relationships that permeate all areas of the school. Pupils behave well and are kind to each other and they work and play well together. They enjoy school and attend regularly. They take part with enthusiasm in all that the school has to offer. The curriculum is satisfactory but it does not always meet the needs of all the different ability groups in the school. Pupils are well cared for. Procedures for safeguarding pupils are satisfactory. They feel safe and know that there is always someone to talk to. They adopt safe practices well in all aspects of their school life. The support and guidance that they receive in relation to their academic studies is satisfactory. They

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Grade: 3

know what their targets are but they do not always know what they need to do next to improve, and their progress is slowed as a result. This is because assessment is not focused clearly enough on raising standards. Standards are above average. During their time at the school, pupils achieve satisfactorily and make satisfactory progress in their lessons. In the Foundation Stage, children also make satisfactory gains in learning. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities achieve as well as most other pupils but higher- attaining pupils do not always achieve as well as they could. Teaching is satisfactory overall and sometimes good. Lessons are well organised and managed. Tasks are not always sufficiently focused on enabling pupils of different abilities to work at their own level. Consequently, a few pupils underachieve, particularly in mathematics at Key Stage 2. Leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. Leaders are working hard

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Grade: 3

to improve provision further and to raise standards. In the two years since he was appointed, the headteacher has radically improved the accommodation and has stabilised staffing. He is linking closely with other local schools to raise standards in mathematics. Writing is improving in Key Stage 1. Self-evaluation is satisfactory. The school recognises the areas for improvement that this inspection has highlighted and has already identified the need to raise standards in mathematics and to monitor teaching and learning more closely. The recent initiatives to achieve these ends are too new to have had any effects. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. The school has satisfactory capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in mathematics at Key Stage 2 by improving the quality of teaching, ensuring that higher-attaining pupils in particular achieve their potential. • Improve assessment, including day-to-day marking, across the school so that pupils know what they have to do to improve. • Improve monitoring of teaching and learning so that they clearly focus on raising standards. 2 Inspection Report: Luckington Community School, 7 November 2006

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory across the school. Children enter the Foundation Stage with just-above-average levels of achievement. During their time in the Reception class they make satisfactory gains in learning so that they enter Year 1 already above average in literacy and numeracy. Pupils in Key Stage 1 continue to make satisfactory progress so that, by the end of Year 2, their standards in reading and mathematics are just above average, although standards in writing are average. Standards in writing in Years 1 and 2 are improving owing to more clearly focused teaching. By the time pupils reach Year 6, they reach above-average standards in English and science and average standards in mathematics. More able pupils do not achieve as well as they could, particularly in mathematics. This is because expectations are not high enough. Boys and girls achieve equally well. Pupils meet their targets but are not always sufficiently

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Grade: 3

challenged by them. Good new procedures have recently been introduced to improve standards further but it is too early to say what effects these are likely to have.

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being are good. The school's clear values of care, co-operation and respect are practised consistently by staff and pupils alike. When they come to school in the Reception class, children behave satisfactorily. Behaviour improves because of the good personal, social and health education programme so that, by Year 1 and thereafter, behaviour is good, and relationships are very positive. Pupils' social and moral development is good and their spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory. More could be done to improve pupils' awareness of other cultures. Pupils say they are happy at school. 'We have lots of fun,' they say and, 'There are lots of exciting things to do.' Consequently they come to school regularly and attendance is above average. Pupils make a good, positive contribution to the community, regularly raising funds for charity and taking part in many local events. Older pupils help younger ones. Pupils

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Grade: 2

themselves feel that this is very important, helping younger pupils to feel secure and to learn from their older peers. Pupils are developing satisfactory workplace skills. They undertake simple responsibilities around the school with pride and willingness. They have a good awareness of the importance of healthy eating and exercise and benefit from the many physical activities provided by the school. 3 Inspection Report: Luckington Community School, 7 November 2006

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory and some good teaching was seen during the inspection. Previous staffing difficulties, which hampered pupils' learning and progress, have been resolved. Strengths in teaching include very positive relationships and secure management of behaviour which lead to harmonious lessons. A favourable ratio of teachers to pupils and the Higher Level Teaching assistant ensures that pupils benefit from good levels of attention. The marking of pupils' work is satisfactory but it does not always tell pupils what they need to do to improve. Sometimes there are not enough examples given to pupils, particularly in mathematics, to help them know how to complete tasks. At these times, expectations are not high enough and there is too little attention paid to pupils' individual abilities. Some good new initiatives have been introduced. For example, pupils of different abilities are taught in separate groups

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Grade: 3

and there has been a focus on solving problems, which the school recognises as the main weakness in mathematics. However, it is too soon to know what effect these initiatives will have on standards and achievement.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory for all pupils. In the Reception class, activities are closely linked to the nationally recognised Early Learning Goals. The personal, social and health education programme is a particular strength, helping pupils to achieve good levels of behaviour and personal development. The curriculum does not always meet the needs of the most able pupils in the school. This results in too few attaining the highest levels in Year 6. The curriculum does offer some exciting additional experiences for all pupils, which they value highly. For example, they talked animatedly about the special annual theme weeks in which they undertake a range of activities, such as working with real artists and with pupils from other schools. Year 6 pupils particularly value the friendships they make during their residential experiences, which they share with another local school. The school has developed good links with other providers,

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Grade: 3

such as sports coaches, which extend its provision. Almost all pupils attend the good range of after-school clubs.

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Grade: 3

The care, guidance and support given to pupils are satisfactory. The good personal care provided by the school is evident in all aspects of its work. Pupils say that they are well cared for and that they feel safe at school. They know that there is always someone that they can go to for support or to listen to their problems. Procedures for protecting pupils and keeping them safe are satisfactory. Advice and support from 4 Inspection Report: Luckington Community School, 7 November 2006 external agencies are used well. Good relationships with parents help to maximise the support for pupils through a joint approach. The assessment and monitoring of pupils' academic performance are satisfactory. Information is collated regularly but it is not always shared well enough with pupils, and pupils do not always know what they need to do to achieve higher standards. This results in some, particularly the highest-attaining pupils, not achieving their potential.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. In the two years since his appointment the headteacher, along with the governors, has worked hard and successfully to stabilise staffing and to improve the accommodation. New initiatives have been introduced to try to raise standards. For example, the school is working closely with local partnerships to improve pupils' abilities to solve problems and develop resilience so that they are empowered to make the most of their abilities. New setting procedures have been introduced across the school to enable pupils to benefit from smaller groups and to work with pupils of similar ability to themselves. As yet it is not possible to say whether these initiatives are helping to raise standards. Monitoring of the school's performance is satisfactory. It has resulted in improvement in writing at Key Stage 1. Previous lack of rigour in the monitoring of teaching and learning is being addressed and this work is now helping the school to identify what

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Grade: 3

it needs to do to improve. The governing body is supportive of the school and is very aware of the need to improve standards further. Governors are working closely with the headteacher and staff to do this. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. The settled staffing, the new accommodation and initiatives to improve achievement all demonstrate that the school has a satisfactory capacity to improve further. The school's own improvement plan already identifies the need to improve standards across the school and particularly in mathematics at Key Stage 2. 5 Inspection Report: Luckington Community School, 7 November 2006 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Luckington Community School, 7 November 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? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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

3 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 3 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 3 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?

3 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: Luckington Community School, 7 November 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: Luckington Community School, 7 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for you for welcoming me to your school recently. I enjoyed my day with you talking about your school and the things you enjoy doing. You were very helpful to the inspection. Your school is doing a satisfactory job and the headteacher and governors are planning to make it even better. The school helps you develop into thoughtful, responsible young people. You are well cared for and your teachers make sure that you are happy and safe. Most of you make satisfactory progress, although some of you could do better. You behave well in lessons, come to school regularly and enjoy taking part in the range of activities available. Although the teaching in lessons is satisfactory and sometimes better, you are not always given enough information about how to improve and your work is not always marked as well as it could be. I am asking the school to do a few things to help it improve. • Make sure that everyone in Key Stage 2 does as well as possible in mathematics, especially

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

those of you who are capable of reaching the highest grades. • Improve the assessment and marking of your work so that you all know what to do to improve. • Enable teachers to explore new ways to help you make good progress. I hope you will help your teachers to do these things. Thank you once again and best wishes for the future. 9 Inspection Report: Luckington Community School, 7 November 2006

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