Stratton Primary School

Stratton Primary School Inspection report

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111983 Unique Reference Number Cornwall Local Authority 310750 Inspection number 23 °24 October 2007 Inspection dates Christine Huard 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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Primary Type of school Community School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 198 School The governing body Appropriate authority Chris Nichols Chair Ian Alexander Headteacher 3 December 2002 Date of previous school inspection New Road School address Stratton Bude EX23 9AP 01288 353196 Telephone number 01288359424 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 23 °24 October 2007 Inspection dates 310750 Inspection number .

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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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Nearly all pupils are of White British descent and no pupil from a minority ethnic background is at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is broadly average, as is the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals. Attainment on entry into Reception varies from year to year but is generally below expectations for 4-year-olds although attainment in early writing skills is well below that expected.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Stratton Primary School, 23 °24 October 2007

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Grade: 4

In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could reasonably be expected to perform. The school is therefore given a Notice to Improve. Significant improvement is required in the way the curriculum develops pupils' achievement in writing and science, and in the use of assessment to plan pupils' next steps in learning. Although the school has many positive features, its overall effectiveness is inadequate and pupils' achievement is unsatisfactory. Relationships between adults and pupils are good. Consequently, pupils feel valued and secure. Parents particularly appreciate the strengths in pastoral care and they strongly support the school. However, there are weaknesses in the curriculum which mean that pupils have too few

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Grade: 4

opportunities to practise their basic skills in writing, and to experiment and investigate for themselves in science in order to consolidate their knowledge and understanding. As a result, standards are too low and pupils do not achieve as well as they should in English and science. The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. The stimulating and exciting curriculum contributes much to the good progress that children make in the Reception Year. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 generally make satisfactory progress although there are weaknesses in how well they move on in writing. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 do not achieve well enough because, until recently, there had been too much unsatisfactory teaching. Assessment procedures were inadequate which meant teachers were not pitching work at the correct level for all the pupils. There has been significant improvement in teaching and assessment which are now satisfactory,

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Grade: 4

although assessment information is used more effectively in some classes than others. Pupils are making up ground but the progress in different year groups is still inconsistent. This is because, although teaching is consistently good in some classes, it is not the case throughout the school. Pupils enjoy school and attendance is steadily improving. They have good attitudes towards their work and respond enthusiastically in class. They show a good understanding of the necessity for a healthy lifestyle and the need to stay safe. The school council is an active body and pupils' views are listened to and respected. The provision for pupils' personal, social and emotional development is good. The headteacher and deputy monitor and evaluate the school's performance carefully and have a sound awareness of the school's strengths and weaknesses. The roles of other senior staff and the governors have been developed appropriately over the last year, with the result that

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Grade: 4

their understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses in standards and subjects is more precise. As a result, governors are able to challenge the school as to its performance and contribute to its strategic development more effectively. The school has shown its capacity to improve through its success in improving the quality of teaching and learning, standards in mathematics and the provision for pupils with learning difficulties. It is now prepared to increase the momentum of improvement and tackle the remaining weaknesses in English, science and assessment.

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Grade: 2

Children in the Reception class make good progress. The majority join Year 1 having reached the standards expected for their age in most areas of learning, although their writing skills remain at a lower level despite good progress having been made in developing these. Teaching 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Stratton Primary School, 23 °24 October 2007 is lively and interesting. There is a good balance between those activities led by the teacher and those that children choose for themselves. Visits and visitors, as well as lively and interesting themes, make the curriculum and learning relevant and exciting. The care and attention given to children's welfare is good. The leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are good. More emphasis is being paid to the development of writing skills as a result of the whole school focus on this area, although it is too soon to see the result of the actions being taken.

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Grade: 2

The attention paid to developing social skills is preparing children well for future learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Plan and provide more opportunities for pupils to develop and practise their literacy skills, especially spelling and punctuation, in all subjects in order to improve pupils' progress and the standards they attain in writing. ■ Provide pupils with more opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding through investigation and experimentation in order to raise standards in science. ■ Make more effective and consistent use of assessment information to set targets and to plan and teach pupils' next steps in learning.

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Grade: 4

Children join Year 1 from the Reception class having got off to a good start and having met most of the expected goals for learning except in communication, language and literacy. Pupils make generally satisfactory progress across Years 1 and 2 although they do not move on well enough in writing. However, progress across Years 3 to 6 has been too patchy with the result that, although standards in mathematics are broadly average, those in both English and science are too low. Mathematics standards have improved significantly over the last year because there was a concerted drive to improve teaching and learning in this subject, which has proved to be effective. In English, pupils' progress and standards in writing require significant improvement particularly in the application of basic skills such as spelling and punctuation. In science, pupils' skills in planning and carrying out investigations and experiments for themselves

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Grade: 4

are particularly underdeveloped. This has a knock on effect in terms of the depth to which pupils develop their scientific knowledge and understanding. Although the school did not meet its targets for either English or mathematics last summer, the targets set for this year are appropriately challenging. Pupils with learning difficulties make satisfactory progress, because the quality of the support they receive is appropriately matched to their needs.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are thoughtful and reflective in assembly and enthusiastic and responsive in class. They are considerate and respectful to each other and appreciate the care adults provide for them. They have good attitudes towards learning and each other, which helps to create a calm and effective learning environment. While the majority of pupils behave well in class, parents and pupils are concerned about the behaviour of a few pupils, although the school is taking good action to address this. Pupils feel safe in school because they know they can talk to adults if they have a problem. They have a good understanding of how to keep safe themselves and, for example, show this in their sensible movement about the school. Pupils willingly take on responsibilities and older pupils are 'buddies' to younger pupils in the Reception Year to Year 2. They recognise that they have a responsibility to those less fortunate than themselves and

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Grade: 2

5 of 11 Inspection Report: Stratton Primary School, 23 °24 October 2007 enthusiastically carry out fund raising for local, national and international charities. Pupils' preparation for their future life is satisfactory because, although standards are too low in English, those in mathematics and information and communication technology are broadly average. In addition, the school provides good opportunities for building self-esteem and learning to work as a team.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching has improved considerably over the last few months and it is now satisfactory. Some of the teaching observed during the inspection was good but this good teaching is not sufficiently widespread to ensure that all pupils make the best progress possible. The most frequent weakness is that the pace of some lessons is too slow because teachers talk for too long. This means that too little time is available for pupils to carry out tasks and consolidate their learning. This is particularly evident in written tasks where pupils do not always have time to complete their work and consequently have too few opportunities to practise basic writing skills. Pupils generally know what they are going to learn and why. Explanations are mostly clear and teachers make good use of questions to challenge pupils and assess their level of learning. Work is usually appropriately matched to pupils' individual needs. Most

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Grade: 3

teachers use resources such as interactive whiteboards confidently, and pupils appreciate this and say it makes lessons more interesting. In many lessons, pupils have good opportunities to talk together and develop their ideas and they respond enthusiastically to questions. The use of assessment has improved. In some classes, teachers use the information well to adapt their planning to meet pupils' needs, but there are still some classes where assessment is not used effectively enough. Pupils are beginning to assess their own level of learning, but this does not happen in all classes.

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Grade: 4

The curriculum covers all the required subjects and good provision is made for all aspects of pupils' personal development. However, there are too few opportunities for pupils to consolidate knowledge gained in science. In particular, pupils have too few chances to develop the depth of their scientific knowledge and understanding through practical exploration and enquiry. In addition, there has been too little emphasis on the consolidation of basic skills in English with the result that spelling and punctuation are not good enough. In order to make learning more relevant for pupils the school is working on the 'Engaging children in their own learning project', but this is still at a developmental stage. The school plans satisfactorily to ensure that the needs of those with learning difficulties are met appropriately. Pupils enjoy the sound range of activities provided after school, such as clubs. A satisfactory range of visits and visitors linked

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Grade: 4

to themes studied broadens pupils' learning experiences.

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Grade: 3

Pastoral care is good and staff have good relationships with pupils. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils are rigorous and robust and, as a result, pupils work in a safe and secure environment. Governors and staff carry out thorough risk assessments and health and safety 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Stratton Primary School, 23 °24 October 2007 checks, and ensure that the procedures are reviewed regularly. The support and guidance for pupils' academic development are satisfactory. Sound systems are in place to monitor pupils' progress. However, some of the targets set for pupils are rather broad and not sufficiently precise.

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Grade: 3

The leaders have successfully tackled some significant issues and worked tirelessly to improve the quality of teaching and learning. The evidence shows that the turn around was slow to start, but it has now gathered momentum. Although there has been insufficient improvement since the last inspection, there have been some successful developments more recently that show that the school has the necessary capacity to improve. A well considered decision was taken this term for the headteacher and the deputy to take the main responsibility for science and English leadership in order to deal with the problems identified in those subjects. This has enabled other staff to concentrate on improving the quality of teaching and learning in their classes. The governors are now monitoring the school effectively and challenging it to do better. Clear and challenging targets have been set for improvement. The school knows how it is doing

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Grade: 3

and is now making reasonable use of data to identify where improvements need to be made. It is working constructively with the local authority to bring these improvements about. Most significantly, the quality of teaching and learning is showing improvement in Years 3 to 6. Although this has not yet had a sufficient impact on standards in writing and science, standards in mathematics have improved, as has the provision for pupils with learning difficulties. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Stratton Primary School, 23 °24 October 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Stratton Primary School, 23 °24 October 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? No Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

4 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?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 3 The behaviour of learners 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?

3 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Stratton Primary School, 23 °24 October 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Stratton Primary School, 23 °24 October 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils Inspection of Stratton Primary School, Bude EX23 9AP Thank you for the warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school. Your willingness to help and your politeness to visitors are a credit to you, your families and the school. This is what we found out about your school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The children in the Reception class get a good start.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are responsive in lessons and keen to learn.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You take very seriously the importance of eating healthily and taking physical exercise.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy the visits and visitors, which bring learning alive for you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Everyone who works at the school makes sure you are safe and happy.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ If you need help there is always someone you can turn to.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher and governors understand what must be done to make your school better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

However, there are some significant areas that need improving to help you make much better progress with your learning. We have asked the school to:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ improve your progress and the standards you reach in writing

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ help you to do better in science and, in particular, give you more opportunities to learn through practical investigations in this subject ■ make sure the targets teachers set you will really help you learn effectively.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

There are things some of you could do yourselves, particularly the few of you who need to think more carefully about the way you behave. We hope you will continue to work hard. Very best wishes Mrs Christine Huard Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Stratton Primary School, 23 °24 October 2007

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Annex B

Inspection of Stratton Primary School, Bude EX23 9AP

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Annex B

Thank you for the warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school. Your willingness to help and your politeness to visitors are a credit to you, your families and the school.

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Annex B

This is what we found out about your school:

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Annex B

• The children in the Reception class get a good start. • You are responsive in lessons and keen to learn. • You take very seriously the importance of eating healthily and taking physical exercise. • You enjoy the visits and visitors, which bring learning alive for you. • Everyone who works at the school makes sure you are safe and happy. • If you need help there is always someone you can turn to. • Your headteacher and governors understand what must be done to make your school better.

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Annex B

However, there are some significant areas that need improving to help you make much better progress with your learning. We have asked the school to:

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Annex B

• improve your progress and the standards you reach in writing • help you to do better in science and, in particular, give you more opportunities to learn through practical investigations in this subject • make sure the targets teachers set you will really help you learn effectively.

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Annex B

There are things some of you could do yourselves, particularly the few of you who need to think more carefully about the way you behave. We hope you will continue to work hard.

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