Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery

Gosforth C of E School Inspection report

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112294 Unique Reference Number Cumbria Local Authority 310840 Inspection number 22 February 2008 Inspection date David Earley 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 Voluntary controlled School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 111 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Andrew Pratt Chair Mr John Corran Headteacher 1 June 2004 Date of previous school inspection Wasdale Road School address Gosforth Seascale Cumbria CA20 1AZ 01946 725244 Telephone number 01946 725244 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 22 February 2008 Inspection date 310840 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 one Additional Inspector. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: the effectiveness of strategies to raise the standards of higher ability pupils; the consistency of teaching throughout the school; the effectiveness of assessment and tracking in helping to raise standards. Evidence was gathered from the observations of lessons, discussions with staff, pupils and governors; examining pupils’ work, school assessment data and documentation including the school’s self-evaluation. Other aspects of the school’s work were not investigated in detail, but the inspector found no evidence that the school’s own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in the report.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average sized school in the village of Gosforth in rural Cumbria. Pupils are taught in five classes with two mixed age classes. Reception and Year 1 pupils are taught together as are Years 4 and 5. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is below average. Most pupils are of White British origin. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Gosforth C of E School, 22 February 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school which gives good value for money. A significant factor in the good progress made by all pupils, whatever their background or ability, is that each pupil is well known and relationships are very good so that pupils usually approach their learning confidently. This is enhanced by the good leadership of the headteacher, well supported by staff and governors, who share a commitment to raise standards and improve provision. Children get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage and by the time they enter Year 1 most have reached and many exceeded the level expected for their age. Pupils make good progress throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, usually reaching above average standards at the end of each key stage. The results of national assessments vary because of the small numbers in each year group. Results of teacher assessments and national tests at the end of Years 2 and 6 in 2007 were broadly average. School’s records show these results represented good

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Grade: 2

achievement for most pupils from their differing starting points and also taking into consideration the ability of the groups were less strong than usual. The pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because the school identifies their needs well and offers effective support. The school’s own data, confirmed by inspection evidence, indicates that pupils currently in Years 2 and 6 are on track to reach above average standards in national tests. Personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Although a small minority of parents expressed concerns about behaviour, evidence gathered during the inspection indicates that behaviour is good. Most pupils have very positive attitudes to learning which helps them to achieve well. The school provides lots of opportunities for pupils to take physical exercise and most pupils know the value of keeping fit and maintaining

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Grade: 2

a healthy diet. This emphasis on healthy lifestyles is reflected in the school’s achievement of the Sport Activemark and Healthy Schools Award. The school fosters a very strong sense of community with many opportunities for pupils to take on responsibility and show initiative, for example, as trained play leaders or school councillors. Pupils say that they enjoy coming to school and this is evidenced by their above average attendance. There are strong links with local churches and the school plays an important role in the life of the local community. Good basic skills and the increasing maturity and self-confidence of pupils prepare them well for the next stage in their education. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good. Teachers make good use of assessment to plan work well suited to the different groups within the mixed age classes. Pupils are increasingly involved in setting their own targets for improvement, which gives them a good

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Grade: 2

understanding of how well they are learning but the quality of marking is inconsistent so that pupils are not always clear on what they need to do in order to improve. Teaching assistants play an important role in lessons, particularly in support of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities helping to ensure they make good progress. Lessons are typically interesting and briskly paced. Teachers have good subject knowledge which helps them to give clear explanations and ask challenging questions. The curriculum is good. It is enriched by a wide range of visits, visitors and extra- curricular activities. Pupils extend their personal and social skills when they go on residential visits and deepen their understanding when they work with artists and theatre groups. The school is successful in providing a range of strategies to challenge higher ability pupils so that they make 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Gosforth C of E School, 22 February 2008

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Grade: 2

good progress. There is a good focus on the skills of literacy and numeracy, but there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to extend these skills by using them in other subjects. The curriculum is further extended by the good use the school makes of specialist teaching of German and music and by using the expertise of other staff. There are good links with outside agencies, including local schools and industries and bodies such as the National Trust. Care, guidance and support are good. This is a very close knit community where pupils and their families are well known by the school. A strong family feeling within the school helps pupils feel safe and secure. Many parents commented that their children feel happy at the school and one parent commented that, ‘All staff are friendly and helpful both with the children and parents.’ The Christian values of the school help to provide firm foundations of care and

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Grade: 2

respect for each individual. This helps pupils to develop high self-esteem and has a positive impact on their learning. Child protection and health and safety arrangements are in place and government recommendations for safeguarding pupils are carefully followed. Systems for assessing progress are good and are enabling the school to set clear targets for improvement. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has been instrumental in creating a caring and inclusive community in which there is a commitment to provide the best for each pupil. His clear vision for improvement is shared by staff and governors, leading to above average standards and good personal development. Self-evaluation is accurate and leads to a realistic development plan. However, leaders at all levels have insufficient opportunities to monitor teaching and learning to gain an insight into how to improve the quality of teaching

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Grade: 2

still further. Governors play an important role in the school. They are very supportive but also conscientious in holding the school to account for its performance. Issues from the previous inspection have been successfully resolved. Good evaluation of performance and a shared commitment to raise standards and improve provision give the school good capacity to improve.

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Grade: 2

Provision in the Foundation Stage is good and it is well managed. Children make good progress and most reach the level expected for their age by the end of the Reception year and an increasing number exceed this level. Because relationships are very good and children and parents are made to feel very welcome children settle in very quickly. Teaching is good. Teachers have a good understanding of the needs of their children and keep careful check on their progress so that tasks are well suited to their abilities. The curriculum is stimulating so that children want to learn and do their best. The atmosphere is happy and challenging and pupils grow in confidence so that they work equally well independently and in teacher-directed activities. Because Reception children share the same classroom as Year 1 pupils, there are close curriculum links between the different age groups which help to enhance continuity of

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Provide more opportunities for leaders to monitor lessons so that they have a clearer understanding of how to further improve the quality of teaching and learning. ■ Improve the quality of marking so that pupils know clearly what they need to do in order to improve. ■ Provide more opportunities for pupils to extend their literacy and numeracy skills through their use in other subjects. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Gosforth C of E School, 22 February 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Gosforth C of E School, 22 February 2008

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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? Yes 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 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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 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 2 The attendance of learners 2 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?

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 of 9 Inspection Report: Gosforth C of E School, 22 February 2008

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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Gosforth C of E School, 22 February 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils Inspection of Gosforth C of E School, Cumbria, CA20 1AZ Thank you for your warm welcome when I came to visit. Yours is a good school. I really enjoyed my visit because you were so kind and helpful. I was very impressed by your understanding of how to take plenty of exercise and eat healthily in order to keep fit. I was also impressed by the way play leaders help others and by the way the school council helps to make the school a better place. I think your idea of the camcorder in the bird box and your plans to collect cans to help the environment are really useful and exciting. These are some of the things your school does well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Teaching is good and teachers make learning interesting so that you make good progress.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your school is a very caring place, like a big family, so that you all feel safe and well looked after. ■ You go on lots of interesting visits, have visitors into school and enjoy after school clubs and this helps your learning. ■ You are well prepared for when you move on to secondary school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher, teachers and governors work well together in order to improve the school and help you to improve your learning. Here are some of the things that the school is going to do to get even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Teachers are going to visit classrooms more often to see how lessons can be improved even further. ■ Better marking of your work will show you more clearly how to improve.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You will have more opportunities to improve your literacy and numeracy skills by using them in different subjects. Thank you again for your warm welcome. I hope birds decide to nest in your box this spring so that you can watch them on the cam-recorder. Yours sincerely David Earley Lead inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Gosforth C of E School, 22 February 2008

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