Setting

Mr R Foale Headteacher Exminster Primary School Exminster Devon EX6 8AJ

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2006/07

Thank you for your hospitality and co-operation, and that of your staff, during my visit on 28 February 2007 to evaluate the impact of your extended services.

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2006/07

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the names of the contributing institutions but individual institutions will not be identified in the main text. All feedback letters will be published on the Ofsted website at the end of each half-term.

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2006/07

The evidence used to inform the judgements made included: interviews with staff, pupils and parents, scrutiny of documentation, analysis of pupils’ work and observation of a sample of the extended services provided by the school.

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2006/07

The overall effectiveness of the extended services in your school was judged to be good.

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Achievement & standards

These are good overall. Standards of personal development are particularly good, with many pupils acquiring strong social skills and confidence, partly because of the school’s extended services. Academic standards and achievement have improved, having suffered a brief period of decline. This is especially so for the older pupils, while pupils in Years 3 and 4 still have more scope for improvement. Progress of vulnerable groups and individuals, remained good throughout. This reflects Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 404045 F 020 7421 6855 www.ofsted.gov.uk continuing good support from learning support assistants and highly effective help from visiting professionals. The major factors in these changes include multiple staff changes and a tripling of the school roll in recent years, but a big part has also been played by Extended Services. For instance:

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Achievement & standards

 pupils and parents confirm the school’s view that high attendance and positive attitudes have been sustained through this period because of the motivating influence of the full range of additional activities and support offered by the school  the services collectively offer enormous scope for pupils’ enjoyment of school and their awareness of personal safety and health issues. They also give pupils many chances to contribute to the school and wider community and pupils respond by showing a strong desire to support one another in play and in learning  the diagnosis of specific educational impairments has been speeded up by the school’s close links with external agencies. Subsequent progress has been good because of the good quality of help  pupils who were making little or no progress elsewhere - prior to being excluded - have settled quickly in this school because of the maturity of their peers and the additional activities provided by staff.

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Quality of provision

The quality of extended services is good. The school provides much of the core offer effectively.

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Quality of provision

 Its range of additional activities is wide and includes many sporting and musical options as well booster classes and visits to a nearby university for gifted or talented pupils.  Child care provision is made off site and the school liaises well with its partners.  Referral to specialist services is excellent: the number of professionals in close contact with the school is very high. They see the school using their services well and make themselves readily available as a result. The quality of support for the pupil is high and the training provided to staff and parents is good.  Pupils with moderate learning difficulties and those with profound medical and social issues such as cerebral palsy or Down’s syndrome and their carers receive very high quality support as do their families and they make very good personal and academic progress.  Looked after children are carefully targeted for support and also gain in

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Quality of provision

personal skills and the ability to interact with others confidently.  Parenting support is largely focussed on parents whose children require particular help. The quality is extremely good. There is scope for wider involvement of parents, for instance in understanding the curriculum more fully.

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Leadership and management of the extended services

The leadership and management of extended services are good.

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Leadership and management of the extended services

 The headteacher demonstrates a very inclusive approach, welcoming all children and parents who wish to attend the school and has helped establish a very caring ethos.  Extended services are efficiently managed. Activities are evaluated regularly, though pupil data does not yet identify the impact of extended services on their progress.  Much well directed effort has been put into building up first rate relationships with external agencies. As a result the school has access to a great wealth of specialist support and makes very good use of it.  With overall standards and achievement slipping for two years the leadership and management of the school realise their obligation to ensure extended services contribute to restoring high standards for all pupils.  Some aspects of provision, while satisfactory, are capable of further development, for instance gaining wider community use of the school and developing ongoing projects for gifted and talented pupils.

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Leadership and management of the extended services

 Governors show a particularly high commitment to the daily life of the school and carry out their strategic role well. They support and challenge the way extended provision develops.

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Inclusion

The provision for inclusion is good, with some outstanding features.

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Inclusion

 The identification of pupils’ needs is very accurate and made early.  Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities (LDD) are supported by a strong team of well qualified support assistants who offer many specific educational and therapeutic services beyond those seen as standard.  Families in greatest need are made a focus for support, and vulnerable pupils make good progress.

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Areas for improvement

To raise the quality of extended services further the school should:

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Areas for improvement

 use data to show the progress made by different pupil groups and the impact of extended services  focus additional support activities on year groups where scope for further improvement in standards is greatest, notably Years 3 and 4  increase the provision for gifted and talented pupils.

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Areas for improvement

I hope these observations are useful as you continue to implement extended services.

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Areas for improvement

As I explained in my previous letter, a copy of this letter will be sent to your local authority and will be published on Ofsted’s website. It will also be available to the team for your next institutional inspection.

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