Yeoford Community Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 31 Oct 2007

Yeoford Community Primary School Inspection report

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113115 Unique Reference Number Devon Local Authority 311112 Inspection number 31 October 2007 Inspection date Diane Wilkinson 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 38 School The governing body Appropriate authority David Lucking Chair Jane Edwards Headteacher 1 January 0001 Date of previous school inspection Yeoford School address Crediton EX17 5HZ 01363 84234 Telephone number 01363 85170 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 31 October 2007 Inspection date 311112 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.

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Description of the school

Yeoford is a small village primary school of two mixed-age classes. Its popularity has led to an increase in roll by nearly a quarter. The very small numbers in each year group result in attainment varying from year to year. Attainment on entry to Reception is currently above that usually found, but an above-average proportion of pupils join after the Reception year. A small number are from minority ethnic groups, some of whom arrive speaking no English. The headteacher took up her post in September 2005.

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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: Yeoford Community Primary School, 31 October 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good and improving school, which children love coming to and where they want to do their best. Parents recognise the school's success and one put the views of many when writing, 'This is a brilliantly run, lovely primary school.' Under the inspirational leadership of the headteacher, the effective team of staff and governors is successfully working to drive up standards. They are determined that pupils will do their very best and staff and governors set aspirational targets, which the team is working very hard to achieve. The information gained from effective monitoring of the school's work and pupils' progress is used well to adapt provision and improve progress. These strengths in leadership mean that the school's capacity to improve further is good. Outstanding partnerships have been forged with other schools and agencies, particularly the Crediton Learning Community, which benefit pupils in this small

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Grade: 2

school exceptionally well, including through specialist teaching and joint projects. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good and the arrangements to help children settle into school are excellent so they enjoy their learning from the start. Most Reception children exceed the standards expected for their age by the time they enter Year 1 and by the end of Year 2, standards are well above the national average. In Years 3 to 6, progress has much improved over the past two years and standards have risen considerably. By the time pupils leave the school, standards are significantly above the national average, particularly in English, where they are exceptionally high. Pupils achieve well because of the effective curriculum and good quality teaching and learning. A particularly strong feature of the school is the way that individual pupils' strengths are celebrated and supported. For example, gifted and talented

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Grade: 2

pupils take part in special activities to extend their learning. Both the curriculum and teaching have improved since the last inspection. A major reason for this is the re-organisation of the curriculum to provide pupils with relevant and interesting activities which enthuse and motivate them. The school recognises that more needs to be done to link subjects so that pupils have further opportunities to practise their literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills. Teachers plan lessons carefully to ensure activities provide well for the wide range of ages and abilities of their pupils. Pupils say, 'Teachers make learning fun', and they especially like the maths games which help to make this subject interesting. Teaching assistants support different groups well, particularly those pupils who have learning difficulties or who speak English as an additional language. Personal development is good. Pupils' great enthusiasm for school is evident in their enjoyment

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Grade: 2

of lessons and their hard work. Behaviour is good as the small number of pupils who have specific behavioural needs receive good support. Pupils' contribution to the school, village and wider community is excellent. For example, they enthusiastically take part in village events and host a garden party for villagers each summer. They are vigilant eco monitors, constantly reminding staff to 'switch off that light'. The caring, family atmosphere means relationships throughout the school are very good. Pupils receive good support and guidance in both their personal and academic development. New developments to involve pupils more in checking on how well they are doing are already helping to inspire them to do even better. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Yeoford Community Primary School, 31 October 2007

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Grade: 2

The provision is well managed and effective arrangements have been made to ensure that the Reception children are catered for well in the youngest class. They make good progress and standards are well above those expected for their age by the time they start in Year 1. A good range of activities is provided across all areas of learning, ensuring children take part in both group work, supervised by adults, and activities when they can explore things for themselves. Use of the outdoor area to support learning in many aspects is very good. Teaching is good and classroom assistants provide valuable support. However, occasionally children spend too long working with the whole class rather than on activities best suited to their specific needs. Links with the local playgroup are outstanding and the arrangements for regular visits by playgroup children ensure they settle into school exceptionally well. Adults know children very

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Grade: 2

well and this, together with regular assessment of how well they are doing, helps staff to plan well for their next steps in learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards in English, mathematics and science by developing more links between subjects in order to provide greater opportunities for pupils to practise their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills in a range of different situations.

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Grade: 2

Small numbers in each year group and the differing proportions of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make it difficult to make comparisons of standards from year to year. The good start made in the Reception year is built on well and the school's tracking records show that good progress continues through Years 1 to 6. By Year 2, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are generally well above the national average, although they were lower in the national tests last year owing to the higher number of pupils with specific learning needs. Standards by the end of Year 6 have risen well and are significantly above average overall, being very high in English. All pupils who have spent more than a short time in the school reach the challenging targets set for them. This means they are well prepared for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and Reception pupils make good progress in their personal development. A particularly notable feature is pupils' good understanding of other cultures, including those present in Britain today. For example, pupils very much enjoyed learning about the culture of the Pacific Islands when some pupils from this area spent a short time at the school. Pupils love coming to school, enjoy lessons very much and work hard. Behaviour is good despite there being a number of pupils who find it difficult to conform. Pupils are mature and thoughtful and relationships throughout the school are very good. The quality of collaborative work in lessons is very good. A new system for involving older pupils more in checking on how well they are doing is helping them to take more responsibility for their own learning, although the full effect has yet to be seen. Pupils have a

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Grade: 2

good understanding of the importance of exercise and healthy eating and enjoy the many 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Yeoford Community Primary School, 31 October 2007 sports activities on offer. They are very aware of how to keep themselves safe and feel well looked after and safe in school. Pupils take their responsibilities around school very seriously and make an exceptional contribution to school life, for example, through their work as school councillors and eco monitors. Pupils' support for a range of charities such as 'Water Aid' is very good.

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Grade: 2

Lessons are planned well to contain a range of practical activities that are relevant to pupils' lives and interests so that they are enthused, well motivated and work hard. This is particularly evident in mathematics in the older class where pupils enjoy the fun approach and many games activities, which are also being introduced into the younger class. Teachers ensure that the wide range of ages and abilities in each class is catered for well, with teaching assistants providing good support for groups. This is particularly effective in ensuring Reception children's needs are met well. Effective assessment of pupils' work means new activities are well planned to meet individual needs. However, in a few instances, whole-class activities do not meet the needs of all year groups and staff occasionally miss opportunities to move the most able pupils on quickly enough to harder work. Relationships are very good and there is an atmosphere of

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Grade: 2

mutual respect where pupils are willing to take risks and push themselves further. Good arrangements have been made to employ part-time specialist staff to support learning in creative and practical subjects such as music and design and technology.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum has improved especially well since the last inspection. It provides pupils with a broad range of interesting and challenging activities which enthuses them greatly and encourages good progress. Good attention has been given to ensuring that the differing needs of the wide age range in each class are met well. The range of after-school clubs, visits and visitors to school is very good and special activities such as 'International Week' and 'Water Day' are effective in helping pupils learn about relevant topics. Outstanding links with other schools and colleges also enhance pupils' learning in subjects such as physical education. The effective programme for personal, social and health education encourages pupils' good personal development. The school recognises that links between subjects need strengthening to ensure pupils have more opportunities to practise their skills in different situations.

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Grade: 2

Good attention is paid to pupils' welfare through regular and rigorous safety checks and effective child protection procedures. Pupils receive good guidance and support in both their personal and academic development. The family atmosphere and caring ethos ensure that pupils receive effective guidance in their personal development. Staff know pupils well and are very sensitive to their needs. Those who have specific learning or behavioural difficulties are well supported. Academic progress is monitored well and pupils are set challenging targets which encourage them to improve. A very effective system to allow pupils to monitor their own progress and set 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Yeoford Community Primary School, 31 October 2007 new goals has recently been introduced into the older class. It is already beginning to inspire pupils to do even better, but is not yet having a major effect on raising standards.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher's inspirational leadership has ensured that all staff and governors are working effectively towards a common goal of providing the very best quality of education for each pupil, whatever their needs or talents. This has resulted in the rate of progress of school improvement accelerating over the last two years. However, to avoid overload of the small number of staff, development areas have had to be prioritised and the school recognises that still more needs to be done. Self-evaluation, through effective systems for monitoring the quality of provision and pupils' progress, is good. Careful analysis means weaknesses are quickly identified and speedily addressed. Targets for improvement are aspirational and the progress towards achieving them is good, giving confidence that the school is well placed to improve further. The school has forged excellent relationships with parents, other schools and agencies which

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Grade: 2

benefit pupils' education and well-being especially well. In particular, this has helped ensure that pupils have access to a rich and interesting curriculum and that staff development is supported well. Governors fulfil their duties effectively. They are fully involved in monitoring and development and support the school well in a variety of ways. Resources are used effectively to improve the learning ethos. For example, the outdoor theatre has greatly enhanced pupils' enthusiasm for drama and their progress in English. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Yeoford Community Primary School, 31 October 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Yeoford Community Primary School, 31 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? 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 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Yeoford Community Primary School, 31 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 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Yeoford Community Primary School, 31 October 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

1 November 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Yeoford Community Primary School, Yeoford, Crediton, Devon EX17 5HZ Thank you for welcoming me to your school. I was very impressed by how friendly and helpful you are. I particularly want to thank the school council, who gave up their lunchtime to talk to me. You and your parents think your school is good. I agree with you and think that it is improving all the time.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ This is what I thought was good about your school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make good progress, and by Year 6, standards are much better than in most schools, especially in English. ■ You love coming to school, think lessons are fun and work hard.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You behave well, get on very well with each other and are excellent at helping your school to improve and getting involved in local events and fund raising. ■ You are taught well and staff plan interesting and challenging activities that help you to do well. You particularly like the special events, such as 'International Week'. ■ You get lots of good advice on how to improve and older pupils are getting good at setting and monitoring their own targets. ■ Your headteacher, staff and governors are working well together to help your school get even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ What I have asked your school to do now:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Help you reach even higher standards than you do now by giving you more opportunities to use your literacy, numeracy and ICT skills in other subjects. ■ You can help by thinking how you can use these to help your work in subjects like history or geography. Thank you again for all your help and good luck for the future. Yours sincerely D Wilkinson Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Yeoford Community Primary School, 31 October 2007

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