Fiskerton Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Fiskerton Church of England Primary School

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120570 Unique Reference Number LINCOLNSHIRE Local Authority 300308 Inspection number 13 February 2007 Inspection date Roger Fry 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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Ferry Road School address Primary Type of school Fiskerton, Lincoln Voluntary controlled School category Lincolnshire LN3 4HU 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01522 751049 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01522 751049 Fax number 30 Number on roll (school) Mrs Maralyn Papworth Headteacher The local authority Appropriate authority 8 February 2005 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 300308 13 February 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 over one day.

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Description of the school

Fiskerton is a very small school. It serves the village of Fiskerton and surrounding area. Nearly all the pupils are of White British heritage and all pupils speak English as their first language. Children's standards on entry to the school vary from year to year but overall are typical of children in most schools. The proportions of pupils identified as having learning difficulties or disabilities and with statements of special educational need are higher than average. A high proportion of pupils joins and leaves the school other than at the usual times of the year. At the time of the previous inspection the school was judged to have serious weaknesses.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Fiskerton Church of England Primary School, 13 February 2007

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Grade: 3

Fiskerton Church of England Primary provides a satisfactory and improving education for its pupils. The school's previous designation as having serious weaknesses no longer applies. Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. Children make a sound start in Reception and most reach the expected goals by the beginning of Year 1. The number of pupils in each year is very small, which leads to some variation in results year on year. At the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils usually reach average standards, though in English, standards are more often lower because pupils find some aspects of writing, such as stories, difficult. Pupils' progress between Years 3 and 6 is generally improving because the teaching is well organised and pupils' targets give them a tight focus on what they are trying to achieve. The care, guidance and support the school offers are good. Parents appreciate the very generous adult to pupil ratio. Pupils receive much individual support which helps

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Grade: 3

them make consistent progress with their work in lessons. Pupils in both classes have helpful targets which assist their progress and teachers mark their work with great care. This level of care has meant that pupils' standard of presentation in their books is good. Their personal development is satisfactory. Pupils enjoy school because each has opportunities to help in the school community, but the attitudes of a few younger pupils are not always positive to one another. Pupils have a good understanding of the importance of looking after themselves because the school teaches them about good health. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. As a result of the efforts the school has made to plan lessons better, pupils have a much clearer idea of the skills and knowledge they are to learn. The pace of teaching has improved and pupils are productive in both classes, equally so with the effective teaching assistants. Reception children have many

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Grade: 3

more opportunities to choose activities and work outside. Teachers establish good links between subjects to make lessons more interesting, and this has improved pupils' interest in their work and their progress. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher, governors and staff have worked constructively with the local authority to improve the school over the last four years. Pupils' achievement is improving because the school is better organised. The sharing of good practice and expertise with a local school, though a recent development, has already led to positive developments in the teaching of mathematics. The school improvement plan is not one document and is too long. Nevertheless, it shows the school knows many of its strengths and weaknesses but there is scope for further analysis of trends in pupils' work to help guide future planning. The governors make a satisfactory contribution to school improvement and are taking an increasingly

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Grade: 3

active part in the school's strategic management. The school gives satisfactory value for money and has a similar capacity to make further improvements. 2 Inspection Report: Fiskerton Church of England Primary School, 13 February 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in English by improving pupils' story writing skills. • Improve forward planning by simplifying the written plans and responding in more detail to the trends in pupils' progress. • Improve the range of resources and expertise available to the school by developing links with local schools.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. Children make a sound start in Reception and most reach the goals expected nationally by the end of the year. At the end of Year 2 pupils reach broadly average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Last year pupils' attainment in mathematics and science at the end of Year 6 was average and slightly below average in English. Standards in science have improved particularly well since 2005. The school has improved pupils' achievement. Pupils' progress between Years 3 and 6 last year was by far the best for some time. This year pupils in Year 6 are on course to reach their targets, which are challenging for this group. All pupils, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, and those who join the school at different times, make satisfactory progress. Pupils present their work to a good standard. The school's detailed records of pupils' progress show that aspects of their writing

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Grade: 3

skills are weaker. Pupils have greater difficulty writing about sequences of events, such as when writing a story. They also lack mental agility when using the four rules of number to make calculations.

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Grade: 3

Pupils said how much they enjoy school. Several letters from parents say that their children benefit from the close adult attention to their children's needs and the positive atmosphere in school. Pupils have a good understanding of the importance of looking after their bodies through eating healthily and exercising frequently. The school council has had a hand in the reintroduction of hot nutritious lunches. Pupils are enthusiastic monitors and helpers and, for example, look after the grounds well. Pupils feel safe and know that members of staff are ready to listen to any concerns that they have. Attendance has improved this school year and is now average. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. Behaviour in lessons and around school is satisfactory. Most pupils have good attitudes to work and are positive towards one another. A few younger pupils are not always as kind to

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Grade: 3

their classmates as they might be. Pupils join their secondary schools adequately prepared academically and socially. 3 Inspection Report: Fiskerton Church of England Primary School, 13 February 2007

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Grade: 3

The teaching has improved and so has pupils' progress, particularly in Key Stage 2. As a result of the efforts the school has made to plan lessons better in both key stages, pupils have a much clearer idea of the skills and knowledge they are to learn. Teachers and support staff then evaluate whether these goals have been reached, a feature that is stronger in Key Stage 2. The pace of teaching has improved and pupils are productive in lessons. Teachers include each child by teaching a common theme, such as the Ancient Greeks, yet each pupil has work set that matches their age and ability. The school has correctly identified that the teaching of story writing is a priority. The teaching of Reception children has improved and they have many more opportunities to choose activities and work outside, which they enjoy. The very good adult to pupil ratio has many benefits, but also creates some distracting

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Grade: 3

noise in classrooms, as different years have alternative lessons in the same room, led by support staff. There is scope for the school to make better use of the shared areas outside classrooms for catch up programmes. Occasionally, staff in Key Stage 1 are not firm enough when pupils misbehave.

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Grade: 2

Teachers establish good links between subjects to make lessons more enjoyable, and this feature has improved pupils' interest in their work and their progress. Because there are few pupils, individuals have many opportunities to contribute to the school and wider community. For example, pupils have enjoyed helping to develop the Fiskerton Fen Nature Reserve and they have a good knowledge of how important it is to protect the environment. The curriculum for Reception children is broader and more interesting. There are satisfactory opportunities for pupils to take part in additional activities, including clubs. The school has made effective changes to the way that the curriculum is organised. The teaching now focuses more on key skills, such as those that are needed in all subjects to retrieve information from books. This work is ongoing and is not yet complete in all subjects.

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Grade: 2

The school has a very generous adult to pupil ratio, hence pupils are very well looked after. Pupils receive much individual support which helps them make progress. The great majority of parents think that the school provides well for their children. Typical of their comments are, 'They have created an environment where the children are happy, safe and willing to learn.' The good partnership with parents and outside 4 Inspection Report: Fiskerton Church of England Primary School, 13 February 2007 agencies ensures that the wider needs of pupils are met increasingly well. The staff provide pupils with a supportive place to learn and nurturing is strong. Pupils grow in confidence, but teachers are well aware of the need for those in Year 6 in particular to become as independent as possible so that they are ready to join much bigger secondary schools. The school has a good system for monitoring pupils' academic progress as soon as

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Grade: 2

they arrive in school. Pupils have helpful targets which assist their progress and teachers mark their work with great care. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive plentiful support so that they are able to make the progress of which they are capable. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils are well established and meet requirements.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher, governors and staff have worked positively in partnership with the local authority to improve the provision which the school makes for pupils. Pupils' achievement is improving because the school is better organised. Good teamwork has helped the process of change. Because there are so few members of staff, the school has started to link up with a nearby primary school. This sharing of good practice and expertise is at an early stage, but is an extremely worthwhile project. The headteacher has made helpful checks on the teaching and the school's work based on the well planned subject review timetable. The teachers' collection and analysis of data is accurate and shows how well pupils are getting on. But there is scope for the school to look more closely for patterns and trends in pupils' work, such as by year group, to accelerate their progress further. The school improvement plan is more than one document and is too long, but nevertheless

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Grade: 3

shows that the school knows its strengths and weaknesses. It is being put into action consistently. The governors make a satisfactory contribution to school improvement and are taking an increasingly active part in the school's strategic management. They have appropriate aspirations and ask questions of the school. Governors have a clear understanding of what still needs to be done to take the school forward. 5 Inspection Report: Fiskerton Church of England Primary School, 13 February 2007 .

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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: Fiskerton Church of England Primary School, 13 February 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? 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? 3 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?

3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 The behaviour of learners 3 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?

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: Fiskerton Church of England Primary School, 13 February 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: Fiskerton Church of England Primary School, 13 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 February 2007 Dear Children Fiskerton Church of England Primary School, Ferry Road, Fiskerton, Lincolnshire, LN3 4HU It was good to meet you all and to listen to your views. Special thanks go to the school council and to those of you I joined at lunchtime. This letter is to give you a flavour of what is in my full report. Here are some of the good features of your school. • You make steady and improving progress with your work. • Your work is often neat and teachers and teaching assistants mark it carefully. • You enjoy school because teachers and other adults care for you well and help you to learn. • Some of the work you do is particularly exciting, such as your projects about the Ancient Greeks and the outside environment. • You work hard and most get on well with one another. • The school council is working well. • Many of you make the most of what the school offers you. Your teachers and I have noticed that there are some things that the school can do to improve.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I have asked teachers to: • raise standards in English by improving your story writing skills • look more closely at how you are getting on in English, mathematics and science and adjust plans accordingly • share information and ideas with other local schools. I hope that you will all keep on working hard, particularly in English, behave well and complete your personal targets successfully. Roger Fry Lead inspector 9 Inspection Report: Fiskerton Church of England Primary School, 13 February 2007

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