Gaywood Community Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 7 Mar 2007

Inspection Report Gaywood Community Primary School

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133402 Unique Reference Number NORFOLK Local Authority 294090 Inspection number 7 March 2007 Inspection date George Knights 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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Field Lane School address Primary Type of school King's Lynn Community School category Norfolk PE30 4AY 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01553 774147 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01553 774147 Fax number 410 Number on roll (school) Mrs Elizabeth Pitcher Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Paul Holbrook Headteacher 11 November 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 294090 7 March 2007 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 in one day.

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Description of the school

Gaywood is a larger than average primary school, serving an area of mixed housing to the east of King's Lynn. Pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds and most of them live within one mile of the school. The proportion with learning difficulties or disabilities is broadly average, though the proportion with statements of special educational need is above average. A small number of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and even fewer do not have English as their first language. When children enter the school their attainment is below that typically found nationally.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Gaywood Community Primary School, 7 March 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school that successfully meets its aims and this judgement confirms the school's own evaluation of its current effectiveness. Children make a good start during their first year in school, particularly in improving their communication and creative skills. Hence, by the time they enter Year 1, children are confident and enthusiastic learners who are working at standards typical of five year olds. Results in recent national assessments show that pupils consolidate this early good progress and reach average standards by the end of Year 2. Older pupils make good progress and reach above average standards in national tests at the end of Year 6. Recently, results have been better in mathematics and science than in English, with girls doing better than boys. Effective action is being taken to improve standards in reading and writing, particularly for boys, so that pupils currently in school are achieving

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Grade: 2

well in all subjects. The school met its targets last year and has set challenging targets for 2007. Pupils' personal development is good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and they take part enthusiastically in all aspects of school life. Absence or lateness to school interrupts learning for a small number of pupils. The school consistently seeks the support of parents as it attempts to improve attendance and punctuality. Pupils form good relationships with adults and other pupils and they take great care to ensure that all pupils, including those with physical disabilities, are fully included in all activities. Behaviour is good. Pupils feel very safe and well cared for and have a good awareness of the need to adopt healthy lifestyles. They make a good contribution to the community, not least in the support they give to local senior citizens groups and in charity fund raising. In all these ways pupils are prepared well for adult life. Parents

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Grade: 2

appreciate the good care, guidance and support given to their children in a secure environment. Pupils achieve well because teaching is good. Improvements in assessment since the previous inspection mean that most teachers have a good understanding of the needs of each individual and hence make sure that activities are challenging for their pupils. Classrooms are lively and stimulating, with teachers and teaching assistants providing good support for all. Teachers ensure that pupils know how they can improve their work and pupils respond positively to the targets set for them. The curriculum has improved considerably since the school was last inspected and exciting plans are being implemented to make stronger links between subjects. Classroom activities are enriched through visits, visitors to the school and special events, such as the book week taking place at the time of the inspection. Pupils take part enthusiastically in the wide range

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Grade: 2

of out of school clubs and activities provided for them. Effective leadership and management are the reasons for good levels of provision and pupil achievement in the school. The headteacher gives a strong, clear lead in shaping the direction of the school. He shares leadership and management roles very effectively with subject leaders and this has created an excellent sense of teamwork throughout the school. Governors are actively involved and fulfil their roles and responsibilities 2 Inspection Report: Gaywood Community Primary School, 7 March 2007 well. Accurate evaluation has enabled big improvement to be made, particularly in the achievement of boys and in on going improvements in standards in English. The school uses its resources well and gives good value for money. Issues raised in the previous inspection report have been dealt with well and the capacity for further improvement in the school is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in English, particularly by further improving boys' writing and reading. • Improve levels of attendance and work with parents to reduce lateness to school.

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Grade: 2

The good progress made by children during the Foundation Stage is consolidated in the next two years. Results in national assessments at the end of Year 2 have, in recent years, been average. Older pupils make good progress and this has been reflected in recent national tests at the end of Year 6. For the past two years, pupils have reached above average standards overall, doing better in mathematics and science than in English. Girls have done better than boys, reflecting a pattern of higher girls' attainment from the time they join the school. In response to the lower performance of boys, especially in English, teachers have modified activities and provided new materials which have helped improve boys' standards in reading and writing. Pupils currently in the school are achieving well, with clear indications that steps to improve English and boys' overall attainment are being successful. Good steps are taken to ensure that

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Grade: 2

pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities, and those from minority ethnic groups, make similar levels of progress to other pupils.

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Grade: 2

The personal development and well-being of all pupils are good. Pupils enjoy coming to school, where they work and play well together and form good relationships with adults and with one another. Their behaviour is good, both in classrooms and around the school. Attendance and punctuality are satisfactory but the absences of a small number of pupils slow their progress. Children quickly become confident and enthusiastic learners in the Foundation Stage and retain this pleasure in learning as they move through the school. Pupils are proud of their school and talk engagingly about current projects they are involved in, such as the development of a pond and environmental area. They feel very safe and are confident that staff will look after their needs. They understand the need to adopt healthy lifestyles and to take regular exercise. The school effectively promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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Grade: 2

development, both through the curriculum and the many additional activities that make up school life. Pupils contribute well to both the school and wider community. The school council provides a valuable means of ensuring that pupils influence aspects 3 Inspection Report: Gaywood Community Primary School, 7 March 2007 of school life. They successfully acquire the essential skills that will equip them well for the next stages of education and for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

Pupils learn well because teaching is good. Teachers ensure that the needs of all pupils are met equally well, with tasks matched to individual needs. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together, ensuring that all, including pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities, make good progress. Teachers vary activities in order to hold pupils' interest and attention. However, they do not always ask the kind of questions that extend and challenge pupils' thinking or give pupils the chance to explain their ideas. Pupils organise themselves well and stay on task when asked to work individually or in groups. Considerable improvement has been made in the assessment of pupils' work since the previous inspection and further improvements are currently being made. Assessment information is now used well to guide teachers' planning. Through marking and discussion with individuals, teachers ensure that pupils know how well they are

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Grade: 2

doing and how they can improve their work.

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Grade: 2

Curriculum provision is good. Considerable improvements have been made since the previous inspection, with a much better balance of time devoted to each subject. Making links between subjects is a priority area for development in the school. Whilst good work is taking place, teachers do not always identify where, for instance, they can develop pupils' speaking and listening skills in subjects other than English. Good progress has been made in improving standards in pupils' creative writing by identifying opportunities for writing in subjects other than English. Lessons are enriched by a wide range of trips and visits, by visitors to the school and by special events. The range of extra curricular activities provided is good.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. Arrangements to ensure that pupils are safe are applied carefully by all staff and taken seriously by pupils. Parents are confident that their children are well cared for whilst in school. The school aims to work closely with parents and one parent remarked, 'I found the school responsive and respectful of our concerns'. Steps to safeguard learners are fully in place. Good care is taken to ensure that each pupil is included fully in all aspects of school life. The tracking of pupils' progress has improved considerably and the analysis of pupils' performance is beginning to be used well to guide pupils in their work. However, this good practice is not used 4 Inspection Report: Gaywood Community Primary School, 7 March 2007 consistently by all teachers. Members of the school council are proud to represent their classmates and they take their responsibilities very seriously.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher provides a very strong, clear lead in setting the direction and tone of the school. Most impressively he has, by sharing responsibility for leadership and management, created a very strong staff team, and all are fully committed to further improvement in the school. Middle managers are increasingly effective in supporting colleagues and are beginning to analyse strengths and weaknesses in their subjects or areas of responsibility. The analysis of pupil performance is thorough and is used to set challenging targets. Good evaluation is at the heart of detailed and comprehensive plans for further school development. Governors fulfil their roles well and provide focused and challenging support for the headteacher and his staff. Resources are managed well and used effectively, for instance in the recent enhancement of books designed to promote

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Grade: 2

better interest in reading for boys. 5 Inspection Report: Gaywood Community Primary School, 7 March 2007 .

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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: Gaywood Community Primary School, 7 March 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 3 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. 7 Inspection Report: Gaywood Community Primary School, 7 March 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? 8 Inspection Report: Gaywood Community Primary School, 7 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

8 March 2007 Dear Children Gaywood Community Primary School, Field Lane, King's Lynn, PE30 4AY I would like to thank you all very much for making me feel so welcome when I came to inspect your school recently. I really enjoyed coming to your lessons, joining you in assembly and watching you play together. Thank you for talking to me about your work and helping me to find my way around. Because you told me how much you enjoyed it, you will not be surprised that I think yours is a good school. Your teachers and the teaching assistants help you to get off to a good start and ensure that you continue to make good progress when you are further up the school. They have done well to improve your reading and writing and I have asked your teachers to continue this work as well as asking them to continue to help boys to do as well as girls. You clearly enjoy learning and being together and I'm sure that this is because your teachers make

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

lessons interesting. They let you know how well you are doing and they set you challenging targets which you work hard to achieve. I was pleased to see how much you value the contribution that visitors make and you were clearly enjoying book week when I visited the school. I was also pleased to see how you helped one another, both in lessons and when you were playing. You obviously feel very safe in school and this is because your teachers and other members of staff get to know you well, care for you and make sure that you get the support you need. Most of you attend well and arrive at school promptly in the mornings, but I have asked your teachers to work with some of you and your parents to improve your attendance and punctuality still further. Your school is well run. The staff and governors work very well together to do their best for you. Your headteacher and other members of staff have exciting plans to make your school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

even better. My very best wishes to you. I hope that you all do very well in the future. Yours sincerely George Knights Lead inspector 9 Inspection Report: Gaywood Community Primary School, 7 March 2007

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