Kingsacre Primary School

Kingsacre Community School Inspection report

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113179 Unique Reference Number Devon Local Authority 311139 Inspection number 31 October 2007 Inspection date Andrew Redpath HMI 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 215 School The governing body Appropriate authority John Martin Chair Mark Elson Headteacher 27 January 2003 Date of previous school inspection Greenacre School address Braunton EX33 1BQ 01271 815485 Telephone number 01271 815485 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 31 October 2007 Inspection date 311139 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 of Her Majesty’s Inspectors, who evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated: pupils’ progress, with a particular focus on the Foundation Stage and the improvement between Years 2 to 6; the quality of teaching and learning and its impact on pupils’ progress; and the role of leadership and management in improving standards. Evidence was gathered from the school’s self-evaluation, policies and other documents, national published assessment data and the school’s assessment records, lesson observations, discussions with pupils, staff and governors, and views expressed in parental questionnaires. Other aspects of the school’s work were not investigated in detail but the inspector found no evidence to suggest that the school’s own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this

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Description of the school

Kingsacre Primary School is of an average size. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage and their home language is English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below the national average and the proportion entitled to free school meals is much lower than average. Three new teachers, including the deputy headteacher, joined the school in September 2007.

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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: Kingsacre Community School, 31 October 2007

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Grade: 2

Kingsacre School provides a good education with outstanding features. It is a very happy school where pupils' personal development and behaviour are outstanding. As one pupil commented, 'This is a lively school with lots of laughter'. At the heart of the school's success is the outstanding leadership of the headteacher. Parents quite rightly hold him in very high regard and appreciate his openness and personal knowledge of each pupil. He is supported by a dedicated staff team committed to fostering pupils' self-esteem and encouraging all to join in the life of the school. In the words of one parent, 'I am pleased with the way the school nurtures confidence, tolerance and a sense of community amongst its pupils.' Pupils' attendance is good and they really enjoy taking part in the extensive range of after-school clubs and activities which enrich the excellent curriculum. The school has a strong tradition of providing high quality art and music and has gained the Artsmark Award

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Grade: 2

in recognition. Excellent links with the community include a local secondary school providing French language teaching to Year 6 pupils. Parents are proud of their school and regularly raise funds to support its work. Pupils achieve well and make good progress. Pupils get off to a very good start in the Reception class and by the end of Year 2, they achieve standards which are well above the national average in reading and writing. The systematic approach to teaching literacy in the Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes ensures that virtually all pupils are confident readers and writers by the time they move up to Year 3. By the end of Year 6, standards are above average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils' achievement and progress in mathematics has been less marked and the school has targeted this as an area for improvement. As a result of the school's action, standards show an upward trend. The school is particularly successful in raising the performance of underachieving pupils.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' progress is checked regularly by the school, and those at risk of falling behind are identified quickly. Carefully targeted literacy and numeracy programmes help these pupils and those with learning difficulties to make good progress. Some more capable pupils make satisfactory rather than good progress and do not achieve the highest levels in national tests at the end of Year 6. The school is currently developing activities to provide them with greater challenge. The school's caring ethos ensures that pupils thrive. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils learn to care for each other and for their school environment. Some act as 'playground buddies', helping anyone who may feel left out. Their self-esteem is raised when they gain recognition for effort and achievement in weekly assemblies. Pupils learn to take responsibility and make a very good contribution to their community, for example when

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Grade: 2

they take part in the school council or raise funds for charities. The provision of nutritious food and a very wide range of sporting clubs and activities ensures pupils lead very healthy lifestyles. In recognition of this work, the school has gained the Healthy Schools Award and the Sport England Active Gold Award. Good teaching is underpinned by warm and cheerful relationships which ensure pupils feel valued. Attractive displays and interesting resources create a positive environment for learning. Pupils really enjoy their work and behave extremely well. The quality of teaching at Key Stage 2 has varied in the past and has recently been strengthened. This improvement has been noted by parents. Assessment information is used extremely well to plan in some classes but it is not 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Kingsacre Community School, 31 October 2007 used consistently across the school. Consequently, some lessons do not provide sufficient

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Grade: 2

challenge for the most capable pupils. The school is currently reviewing its use of assessment and developing strategies to raise the achievement of higher-attaining pupils. The highly skilled teaching assistants provide a very high standard of support. Their work is planned thoroughly with teachers and they make a significant contribution to provision for pupils with learning difficulties, helping to keep records of their progress. Safeguarding procedures are robust and staff have received appropriate training in child protection. Parents and pupils are very appreciative of the way staff always have time to discuss a problem or concern and any difficulties are resolved quickly. The school keeps comprehensive data which enable the progress of each pupil to be checked and sets ambitious targets for improvement. Pupils particularly appreciate the individual 'target cards' used in some classes which set out

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Grade: 2

areas for improvement. The school has made good progress in tackling areas for improvement since the time of the last inspection. The school has an accurate view of its strengths and areas for further development. Some leaders are relatively new in post and are still developing their roles and responsibilities, for example in monitoring teaching and learning. However, they are enthusiastic and have good plans for taking the school forward. The well-organised governing body provides excellent support for the school. Statutory requirements are met fully and governors visit the school regularly to review its work. The school's track record and its strength of leadership demonstrate good capacity for further improvement.

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Grade: 1

Excellent induction arrangements based on a close working relationship with parents ensure children settle quickly into school. One parent described 'the warm, friendly and intimate' atmosphere which helps children feel accepted and confident to explore and learn. Excellent teaching ensures children make very good progress in literacy and numeracy and across other areas of learning. By the time they begin Year 1, nearly all exceed the standards expected of them. The curriculum is well planned and stimulating and provides a good balance between focused teaching and learning through play. Children's progress is checked thoroughly and annotated examples of their work demonstrate clearly their achievements.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Provide greater challenge for higher achieving pupils at Key Stage 2 to ensure more gain the highest levels in national tests. ■ Develop the roles of staff who have assumed new responsibilities to help them monitor teaching and learning more effectively and check new strategies are successful in raising standards. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Kingsacre Community School, 31 October 2007 .

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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: Kingsacre Community 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? 1 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?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 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?

1 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: Kingsacre Community 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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Kingsacre Community School, 31 October 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils Inspection of Kingsacre Community Primary School, Braunton EX33 1BN Thank you for making me so welcome when I visited your school recently. I enjoyed talking to some of you, looking at your work and visiting different classes. I also talked to your teachers and was given comments from your parents which tell me about the school. I am writing to let you know how well I think your school is doing. Firstly, you should know that you go to a good school and some aspects of its work are excellent. Both you and your parents are rightly proud of the work of the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you make good progress with your work and behave extremely well

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ those of you in the Reception class make an excellent start to school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your headteacher runs the school very well and is helped by the governors and staff, who all work together to make the school so successful ■ you really enjoy coming to school because there are lots of exciting things to do; you particularly like the very good range of after-school clubs and activities ■ you become more confident at school and learn to work and play very well together

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ teaching is good and you enjoy lessons

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ adults look after you extremely well and give you very good help if you are falling behind with your work. I have asked the school to do two things to make it even better:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ give some of you who are older harder work so you achieve higher levels. You can help by always trying your best ■ check more closely how well you are getting on in lessons.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Best wishes Andrew Redpath Her Majesty's Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Kingsacre Community School, 31 October 2007

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Annex B

Inspection of Kingsacre Community Primary School, Braunton EX33 1BN

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Annex B

Thank you for making me so welcome when I visited your school recently. I enjoyed talking to some of you, looking at your work and visiting different classes. I also talked to your teachers and was given comments from your parents which tell me about the school. I am writing to let you know how well I think your school is doing.

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Annex B

Firstly, you should know that you go to a good school and some aspects of its work are excellent. Both you and your parents are rightly proud of the work of the school.

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Annex B

• you make good progress with your work and behave extremely well • those of you in the Reception class make an excellent start to school • your headteacher runs the school very well and is helped by the governors and staff, who all work together to make the school so successful • you really enjoy coming to school because there are lots of exciting things to do; you particularly like the very good range of after-school clubs and activities • you become more confident at school and learn to work and play very well together • teaching is good and you enjoy lessons • adults look after you extremely well and give you very good help if you are falling behind with your work.

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Annex B

I have asked the school to do two things to make it even better:

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Annex B

• give some of you who are older harder work so you achieve higher levels. You can help by always trying your best • check more closely how well you are getting on in lessons.

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