Paull Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 28 Jun 2006

117862 Unique Reference Number LEA 294775 Inspection number 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Penny Parrish Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Main Street School address Primary Type of school Paull Community School category Hull, HU12 8AW 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01482 898352 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01482 898352 Fax number 58 Number on roll Mr Graham Shaw Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Susan PikeMr Paul Johnston Headteacher 1 April 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 294775 27 June 2006 - 3 to 11 28 June 2006 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

Paull Primary School is a small village school, east of Hull. Pupils are arranged in two classes, one for pupils aged up to seven, and the other for those aged from seven to eleven. Children’s attainments on entry to the Nursery vary but are average overall. Year groups vary widely in number from year to year. Very few pupils in the school are entitled to free school meals. Only a small number have learning difficulties and/or disabilities, but an average proportion has a statement of special educational need. The great majority are of White British heritage; a small number of pupils have a minority ethnic background and are in the early stages of learning English. The school has come through an unsettled time since the last inspection, with frequent changes in leadership, a proposal for closure and then major building works to refurbish and extend the school. The acting headteacher has led the school since January 2006

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Description of the school

due to the temporary absence of the permanent headteacher, who returns in July. Both headteachers contributed to the inspection evidence.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Paull Primary School, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school that has improved well since its last inspection, confirming the school’s own self-evaluation. The permanent headteacher has shown outstanding leadership and management in bringing the school from the brink of closure in 2002 to a thriving and successful school with a rising number on roll and impressive new buildings and facilities. Parents are very pleased with the school’s provision and support for the school within the local community is strong. Pupils are happy and achieve well, overall. Standards in Key Stage 2 are above average. In Key Stage 1, pupils make good progress in speaking, listening and personal development; in reading, writing and mathematics, standards in Year 2 are broadly average and achievement is only satisfactory. Pupils capable of higher attainment do not achieve all they might. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are above average throughout the school. Personal development is good; pupils

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Grade: 2

are very friendly, polite, confident and interested in learning. Teaching is good, overall, but strongest in Key Stage 2 where the rate of progress for all pupils, including those capable of higher attainment, gains pace. The small number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve well because they are supported well, as are those in the early stages of learning English. Lively learning opportunities and frequent enrichment activities ensure a good curriculum. Explicit planning, good assessment systems and close monitoring by the headteacher mean that the school has a clear understanding of pupils’ needs. However, pupils are not given enough guidance, through their targets and in the marking of their work, to understand what they do well and what they need to improve. The school provides good value for money. The acting headteacher has worked closely with the permanent headteacher and combined the efforts of staff, governors and parents to

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Grade: 2

maintain and promote the school’s good capacity for further improvement. The return of the permanent headteacher in July will further strengthen the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the rate of progress of those pupils in Key Stage 1 who are capable of higher attainment. • Ensure that the school’s marking policy is put fully into practice so that pupils have a clear understanding of their successes and their next steps forward.

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Grade: 2

By the time pupils leave school at the end of Year 6, standards are generally above average in English, mathematics and science. Sometimes, however, as is the case this year, a very small cohort in Year 6 includes a majority of pupils with specific learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Because of this, overall results in national tests are likely to be lower than average this year, despite good achievement and progress for all 2 Inspection Report: Paull Primary School, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 pupils, including those with special gifts and talents, those with specific learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with English as an additional language. Challenging targets set are largely met by Year 6. In the Foundation Stage, most children achieve the learning goals set nationally and exceed them for personal, social and emotional development. Although there are examples of good achievement in

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Grade: 2

Key Stage 1 in speaking, listening and personal development, achievement is satisfactory overall and standards are broadly average. Higher attainers in Key Stage 1 are capable of more; their pace of learning is slowed by insufficient challenge and expectation. Targets set for Year 2 are not generally met because not enough pupils achieve at higher levels. Progress becomes notably quicker in Key Stage 2, and throughout the school standards in ICT are high.

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being are good. In this friendly school, pupils enjoy learning, relationships are good and pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development gives pupils a mature outlook and in Years 5 and 6, pupils present their views confidently on their work and on school issues, such as whether grass seed or turf would be the best investment for the new school field. Attendance is good and the pupils’ safety is never in question. They all feel secure within school and outside. The school’s emphasis on learning through discovery and experiment, together with frequent visits and visitors, leads to a confident and enthusiastic approach to learning. Pupils understand the requirements of a healthy lifestyle. Their future economic well-being is promoted through good personal skills, above average standards of work, good attendance and good punctuality. The school

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Grade: 2

council’s hard work to improve the school’s facilities was rewarded recently with a donation of £4,000 after spurring parents, friends and neighbours to collect tokens from a local paper.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good overall but strongest in Key Stage 2 where they produce generally rapid progress. Although examples of good teaching were seen during the inspection in the class for younger pupils, a review of pupils’ past work indicates that teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 are satisfactory overall. In Key Stage 1, teaching is good in ICT and satisfactory in reading, writing and mathematics, where attainment is rarely better than average. Good teaching and learning in Key Stage 2 is linked to the teacher’s good subject knowledge, imaginative routes to learning and a strong enthusiasm for the pupils to succeed well. It benefits strongly from the school’s focus on discovery and enjoyment. The mixed-age classes are organised well, generally, to help pupils to work at an appropriate level and to learn from each other. However, their work is not always marked well enough to make

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Grade: 2

3 Inspection Report: Paull Primary School, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 sure that the pupils can promote their own learning well. Specialist staff, visitors and volunteers supplement the work of teachers well to ensure pupils’ good progress, especially in science at Key Stage 2 and in ICT throughout the school.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good, overall. Good planning makes sure that pupils experience a broad and balanced curriculum, without unnecessary gaps or repetition due to the four years spent in the same class. Provision for ICT is particularly good and very well resourced with laptops and digital cameras as well as desktop machines. The particular skills of the staff are utilised well to benefit pupils’ learning, and their expertise is supplemented by good training and the regular support of other specialists and/or volunteers to make sure resources are put to good use and well integrated across the curriculum. The curriculum is enriched by a good range of activities arranged outside lessons including occasional residential visits and, sometimes, Saturday morning booster classes for pupils in Years 5 and 6. Good links with other small schools locally extend the range of opportunities for sporting and other extra activities. The curriculum for

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Grade: 2

children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. Nursery nurses, with the support of the teacher in Key Stage 1, make sure the provision for these pupils follows national guidance, although adaptations are needed for the recently admitted three year olds. The new outdoor space is under development but has limited facilities as yet for a full, outdoor curriculum.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. Specialist expertise on the governing body ensures very thorough attention to all safety matters. This has been particularly rigorous in meeting the challenge of the recently extended building works. Staff check closely the progress and well-being of vulnerable or needy pupils. Good assessment and recording systems enable the staff and the headteacher to track the progress of the pupils well. However, only limited guidance is provided for pupils, overall, through the marking of their work and by links with learning objectives to guide them clearly and consistently on the next steps for learning. Sensible school rules, close attention to characters in stories in Key Stage 2, with individual targets for personal development, make sure pupils receive strong guidance for social, moral and personal issues. Such is the staff’s determination to provide well for pupils that when the school council

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Grade: 2

discovered difficulties for some pupils with a teacher’s explanations, the member of staff arranged for a colleague to observe a lesson and provide suggestions for improvement. 4 Inspection Report: Paull Primary School, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The success of the permanent headteacher in turning the school around, from the point at which it was proposed for closure, is evident in the above average standards of attainment and personal development now established in the school. She faced a formidable challenge in achieving improvements in issues identified by the last inspection because of subsequent staffing difficulties. Strong determination, outstanding expertise and a tireless focus on improvement has ensured success. She has enabled the local residents and governors to achieve their strongly expressed wish for the continuance of the school, attended by many previous generations in the village. The current acting headteacher has liaised closely with the permanent headteacher, promoting good continuity for the school while sharing his expertise to the benefit of further staff development. With guidance and very good

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Grade: 2

information from both headteachers, the governing body has improved its contribution to the effectiveness of the school since the last inspection and is now good. Governors carry out their agreed roles conscientiously and well. Performance management is used constructively and extensively to improve the quality of teaching and, therefore, standards in the school. Good headway has been made towards resolving inconsistencies in the quality of provision between the two classes. Self-evaluation is thorough, realistic and sensitive. It results in the right action towards the continuous improvement of the school. Both headteachers and the staff have worked strenuously to ensure that the major building works did not disrupt the pupils’ education or compromise their health and safety. Improvement since the last inspection has been good overall and, after a dip in 2002, improvement has been outstanding. The school has supplemented

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Grade: 2

its staffing considerably since the last inspection. Expenditure is relatively high but the school is good at attracting extra funding from local industry and the community. It provides good value for money and has a good capacity for further improvement. 5 Inspection Report: Paull Primary School, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 .

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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: Paull Primary School, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006

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Inspection judgements

16-19 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

NA 2 How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 3 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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Personal development and well-being

NA 2 How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners? NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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The quality of provision

NA 2 How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs? NA 2 How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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The quality of provision

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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Leadership and management

NA 2 How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners? NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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Leadership and management

The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them The extent to which learners make a positive contribution Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the

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Leadership and management

wider community The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 The Pupils of Paull Primary School Main Street Paull Hull HU12 8AW 28 June 2006 Dear Pupils Thank you for the warm welcome you gave me when I visited your school. I was very pleased to talk with so many of you, as well as to both of your headteachers, the governors and the staff. I was very impressed by your excellent behaviour, your good manners and the help I received from everyone at Paull School. I found that Paull is a very friendly and happy school where pupils and staff work hard to make sure that standards keep getting higher. The pupils in Class 2 do especially well, making good progress with many things, but those in Class 1 try very hard too, concentrating well and trying to get better at their work. I especially liked the lines for poems that pupils in Class 1 wrote on their laptops, adding interesting sounds and moving pictures. You are all good at speaking and

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

giving your own views. I think this is helped by the friendly atmosphere in your school, where you all seem to be like one big family. You make especially good progress with ICT. You work well with computer programs and digital cameras. I think it helps that you have the chance to work with older pupils and expert adults who can help to show you what to do. Your school has become much better over the past three years and your new buildings and grounds are making the school quite exciting for you. To help your school to get even better, I have asked the teachers to help the pupils in Class 1, who are already good at their work, to move along a little more quickly and to get just a bit better at reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2. Teachers are also going to help pupils in both the classes to understand more about what you need to do to keep improving your work. This should help you to take a

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

little more responsibility for your own learning and to get on a little more quickly. You will have to do your very best to work with the teachers on this. Good luck! Yours sincerely Mrs Penny Parrish School Inspector

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