Harvington CofE First School

Inspection Report - Amended Harvington CofE First School

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116819 Unique Reference Number Worcestershire Local Authority 300772 Inspection number 5 °6 February 2007 Inspection dates Gerald Griffin 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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Village Street School address First Type of school Harvington Community School category Evesham WR11 8NQ 3 °10 Age range of pupils 01386 870412 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01386 871579 Fax number 168 Number on roll (school) Brian Tarling Chair The governing body Appropriate authority M Palmer Headteacher 4 October 2004 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 300772 5 °6 February 2007 3°10

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Amended Report Addendum

Report amended due to factual inaccuracy

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Amended Report Addendum

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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Amended Report Addendum

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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Harvington is a small, rural first school. Most pupils are of White British heritage. There are a small number of traveller children. Although there are variations within each group, most children enter the school with skills and experiences that are below the levels expected for their age. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Harvington CofE First School, 5 °6 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Harvington is a good school. The recent history of underachievement and low standards in Years 3 to 5 has been successfully redressed through detailed planning and improvement strategies. As a result, the school has made good progress since the last inspection and has rectified its serious weaknesses. The headteacher's very good leadership, which provides clear drive and direction, underpins the improvements. Standards are above average, which represents good achievement from pupils' starting points. The good provision in the Nursery and Reception classes ensures children make good progress and that most achieve the expected levels by the start of Year 1. Progress is good in English and in science because of the good opportunities provided for pupils to develop their skills. Progress in mathematics is good overall but slower in the aspects of solving mathematical problems and interpreting statistics because pupils have not

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Grade: 2

had enough opportunities to practise these skills. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities make good progress because of the good personal guidance and support they are given. Good teaching ensures classes are well organised and relationships are positive. As a result, pupils behave extremely well and are keen to learn. The academic targets that the school sets for pupils are challenging, but teachers do not always provide pupils with sufficient information about what they need to do to improve their work and reach their targets. This means the rate of learning sometimes slows. Pupils' personal development is outstanding and they flourish in the school's happy Christian atmosphere. Pupils report that they feel very safe and that they really enjoy school. Pupils' outstanding community involvement is seen in the enthusiastic work of the school council and their sterling support for charities. They have an outstanding

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Grade: 2

commitment to a healthy lifestyle. The curriculum is good and supports pupils' personal development through activities such as regular educational visits and out-of-school clubs. Parents say they are very happy with the quality of pastoral care the school provides. Typically they say, 'My child is very happy at school. The staff are sympathetic and supportive'. Care, guidance and support are good. For example, the support for travellers' children ensures they make good progress. There are effective strategies to help pupils who fall behind in their work. Self-evaluation by the school's good leadership and management ensures that there is a good understanding of strengths and weaknesses. Many weaknesses, such as underachievement in writing and poor development of pupils' computer skills, have been effectively rectified. The recent improvements show the school has good capacity to make further gains.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve pupils' progress in mathematics by giving greater emphasis to developing their skills of problem solving and interpreting statistics. 2 Inspection Report: Harvington CofE First School, 5 °6 February 2007 • Ensure pupils know what they need to do to further improve their work.

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress in the Nursery and Reception. Most enter Year 1 having reached the expected levels for their age, and a significant number exceed these. Children make best progress in their personal, social and emotional development because of many opportunities to play and work together and with adults. Progress in communication is good overall, although there is scope for children to make an earlier start with writing in the Nursery. In Years 1 to 5, achievement is good. Those with learning difficulties and disabilities achieve well because of the effective specialist support they receive that ensures they often exceed their targets. Pupils from traveller families make good progress because of the good academic and pastoral guidance provided. By the end of Year 5, standards are above average and there are many signs that these have improved. In English, pupils read a wide variety of texts fluently and have a very

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Grade: 2

clear grasp of their meaning. Writing standards are now similar to those in reading because of improvements in pupils' use of vocabulary to develop and 'add colour' to their work, and in the accuracy of their punctuation. In mathematics, the school's successful drive to sharpen pupils' skills in mental calculation and their understanding of number has raised standards significantly. However, pupils' use of mathematical knowledge to solve problems and drawing conclusions from statistical data are weaker elements because they have not had enough time to fully develop these skills.

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Grade: 1

Children quickly settle in the Nursery and Reception class and are confident and keen to share their experiences. By the time they start in Year 1, they work and play together very well. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils show each other respect and value the world around them. Pupils' clear understanding of right and wrong underpins their outstanding behaviour. They are very polite to each other and to adults. Their good cultural development is especially seen in pupils' understanding of their place in a multicultural society. Pupils feel safe because they are very confident that the rare incidences of bullying are effectively resolved and they know their concerns will be quickly dealt with by staff. Pupils are very clear about the pitfalls of a poor diet and choose to eat healthy food at school and home. They fully understand the value of exercise and are extremely

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Grade: 1

committed to keeping fit. They show this by enthusiastically taking part in a wide range of physical activities such as dance, swimming and sport. Pupils really enjoy all 3 Inspection Report: Harvington CofE First School, 5 °6 February 2007 school activities and when asked could think of nothing that would make the school better. Pupils are very ready to help others and their community. They actively support many different charities and the hard-working school council that has helped, for example, to provide more playground apparatus and to plan new music facilities. Pupils' standards in literacy and numeracy prepare them well for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good in the Nursery and Reception class. Teachers use assessment information effectively to plan activities that are well matched to the children's needs. Teachers use information and communication technology (ICT) resources well to engage pupils. Teachers' good subject knowledge ensures that explanations are clear and that lessons are interesting. Discussions are lively and accelerate pupils' progress through challenging questions. Because of this, pupils work hard and are keen to learn. Improvements in teachers' planning to meet the needs of all pupils and provide different styles of learning have been very effective in promoting good progress. For example, teachers provided good opportunities for pupils to review and extend their ideas with their 'talk partners'. While work is marked regularly, this and other feedback does not always explain how pupils can improve their work. This means the pace of learning

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Grade: 2

sometimes slows. Well-informed teaching assistants ensure that pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities participate fully in lessons and make good progress.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum supports pupils' personal development well. The good balance of child-led and adult-led activities in the Nursery and Reception meets the needs of children well and accelerates their progress. Science, physical education and personal, social and health education lessons develop pupils' outstanding understanding of the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Pupils' good efforts to keep fit are supported by swimming and sports clubs and by physical education lessons. Pupils' creative development and their appreciation of beauty are well developed through art, drama and music. Regular educational visits, such as to the theatre, widen pupils' experience and raise their aspirations. Changes to the English and mathematics curriculum have improved standards and achievement, although there is room to give pupils more opportunity to improve weaker aspects of mathematics. 4 Inspection Report: Harvington CofE First School, 5 °6 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Parents appreciate the effective induction programme that ensures children settle quickly into the Nursery and Reception. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities benefit from sensitive personal support and care which enables them to participate fully in lessons and make good progress. The liaison with traveller families is very productive and supports their children's good progress. The school makes good use of specialists and external agencies to promote pupils' welfare when the need arises. Child protection procedures and health and safety arrangements are secure. The school is using effective measures, such as providing appropriate support for vulnerable families, to improve the above-average level of attendance. Procedures to assess pupils' work and track their progress are good. Most pupils are now meeting the challenging targets set for them, although they are not always clear as to what they need to do to reach them. The school provides very effective additional

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Grade: 2

support for individual pupils who fall behind in their work, for example, through individual tuition and booster classes, and this is helping to raise standards.

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Grade: 2

The very clear leadership of the headteacher ensures that pupils make good progress in their academic work and personal development. She has ensured the underachievement in English and mathematics has been addressed and, as a consequence, standards have significantly improved. She is well supported by subject leaders and other staff, who enthusiastically implement improvement strategies. The systematic checking of its performance by the headteacher and subject leaders provides the school with an accurate view of its strengths and areas for improvement. Weaknesses have been resolved well. The strategies to improve teachers' planning to take account of different learning styles have improved pupils' understanding and accelerated their progress. When the school recognised that standards of writing were too low, well-judged action was taken to improve punctuation and broaden the vocabulary used in written work. As a result, standards in writing have risen.

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Grade: 2

The enthusiastic governing body provides the headteacher with good support. Governors are asking searching questions about standards, the progress of pupils and the quality of teaching. While the school provides them with accurate data, it is not always in the form that allows governors to readily evaluate progress in Years 3 to 5. The record of improvements since the last inspection and clear strategic planning that is identifying the right priorities show that the school has good capacity to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Harvington CofE First School, 5 °6 February 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: Harvington CofE First School, 5 °6 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? 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 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 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: Harvington CofE First School, 5 °6 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: Harvington CofE First School, 5 °6 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming us to your school and being so friendly. You clearly enjoy being in a school where you get on with each other very well. We enjoyed our conversations with you about your work and the other things that you do at school. The school provides you with a good education. Here are some of the 'highlights' • You are making good progress. • Those of you who need extra help with your learning make good progress. • Children make a good start in the Nursery and Reception. • You work hard in your lessons. • Your behaviour is good. • Your many charity collections and the hard work of the school council show your very good community spirit. • You have an outstanding commitment to being healthy. • You have a very interesting range of clubs which most of you attend. • All the staff care for you very well. • The headteacher, staff and governors are working together well to make the school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

What we have asked your school to do now • Improve your mathematics by making sure you have more practice at problem solving and using statistics. • Help you to better understand how you can improve your work. Best wishes for your future and the future of the school. 9 Inspection Report: Harvington CofE First School, 5 °6 February 2007

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