Chudleigh Church of England Community Primary School

Chudleigh Church of England Community Primary School Inspection report

p.1

113392 Unique Reference Number Devon Local Authority 311248 Inspection number 30 °31 January 2008 Inspection dates Mark Lindfield HMI Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Primary Type of school Community School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 347 School The governing body Appropriate authority Robin Tanner Chair Michael Tudor Headteacher 1 February 2004 Date of previous school inspection Lawn Drive School address Chudleigh Newton Abbot TQ13 0LS 01626 852147 Telephone number 01626 854032 Fax number

p.1

4-11 Age group 30 °31 January 2008 Inspection dates 311248 Inspection number .

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools and two Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

Chudleigh Church of England Primary School is larger than most primary schools. It has a below-average percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities but an above-average number of pupils with a statement of special educational need. Few pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds. Few pupils speak English as a language other than their first language. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. Attainment on entry to the school is a little above the level expected.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Chudleigh Church of England Community Primary School, 30 °31 January 2008

p.3

Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school. It has many strengths, most notable of which is the warm and welcoming ethos conveyed by all members of the school community. Parents are very appreciative of the school and recognise its strengths and particular qualities. One parent noted that, 'All staff at the school show interest and genuine care for the well-being of the whole child.' The personal development and well-being of pupils are excellent and they flourish in the school's supportive environment. Their polite manners and their kindness and consideration towards each other set the tone of the school and are evident from the moment you step inside the door. Their positive attitude in lessons is a major contributory factor to their excellent academic progress. They clearly enjoy school and many of them are enthusiastic about the good curriculum and the wide range of extra-curricular activities that is on offer. The headteacher

p.4

Grade: 1

has given unstinting service to the school for over two decades. He has been particularly effective in building a committed and united group of staff who each make valuable contributions to the life of the school. Subject leaders are highly effective and, proceeding with determination, they set a clear educational direction focused on improvement. Pupils make outstanding progress across the school. They arrive in the school with standards slightly above nationally expected levels. At the end of Year 2, standards are significantly above average in many areas. The school successfully encourages progress in reading by a careful and systematic approach to basic phonic skills with younger pupils. This approach helps to raise standards of reading in the first few years of school to extremely high levels. By the time pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6, standards are exceptionally high in mathematics and science. In

p.4

Grade: 1

contrast, the progress pupils make across the school in writing is less rapid. The school has introduced a range of initiatives such as setting writing targets and increasing opportunities for speaking and listening. However, these initiatives are inconsistently applied. The school is starting to confirm which strategies work best for their learners by using data to track progress, but this is not fully embedded. Teachers are encouraged to teach to their strengths in subjects through careful setting by ability of older pupils, and this is having a marked impact on pupils' progress. Highly qualified teaching assistants support pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, who appreciate their help and make outstanding progress as a result. Staff know the pupils well and provide outstanding care and guidance. Even so, teaching staff sometimes underestimate the standards that some pupils can achieve and do not always set sufficiently

p.4

Grade: 1

challenging activities for all groups of learners, particularly those of middle ability. The school has improved at a good rate since its last inspection. It is well placed to build even further on its significant strengths.

p.4

Grade: 2

Attainment on entry is variable but in the main is slightly above the expected level. Thorough assessment on entry enables early identification of children's knowledge and skills. The school provides daily, a suitable range of activities led by an adult and also allows children to choose activities for themselves. This balance of activities encourages children to become independent learners, fully engaged in a range of activities. The excellent daily phonics lessons promote early reading and writing skills well. Consequently, progress is good. The majority of children meet the national expectations by the end of the year and many exceed them. Families are kept well informed about the progress of their children and are involved in their children's learning; the school shares reading books and key words to learn with parents as soon as children 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Chudleigh Church of England Community Primary School, 30 °31 January 2008

p.4

Grade: 2

start school. Children develop a good understanding of how to keep healthy and clearly enjoy school. The school rightly intends to make improvements to the outdoor area to make it more stimulating and to encourage imaginative play and exploration.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve pupils' progress in writing by applying and evaluating improvement strategies consistently. ■ Ensure that expectations of pupils are always high enough, particularly for middle-ability pupils, by setting them sufficiently challenging work.

p.5

Grade: 1

Pupils make considerable progress across the first years of their school life so that by the time they reach Year 2 they reach standards that are significantly above average. Year 2 standards in mathematics have been significantly above average for the last three years. The school successfully teaches basic reading skills and then builds on these skills so that reading standards reach exceptionally high levels. Progress across Years 3 to 6 is outstanding, so much so that, by the time pupils leave the school, they are achieving results that are in the top 10% nationally. The school has achieved these standards regularly; standards in both science and mathematics have been exceptionally high for the last three years. English standards in Year 6 were exceptional in 2005 and 2006. Although the English results dipped slightly last year, they were still significantly above the national average but not as good in writing as in reading. Pupils

p.5

Grade: 1

with additional learning needs also make outstanding progress because of the good levels of support provided and the regular monitoring of their progress.

p.5

Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Their moral and social development is good, while cultural development is less well developed. The Christian ethos of the school is evident through displays and collective worship and the pupils' spiritual development is outstanding. Pupils talk articulately and enthusiastically about the school. They are polite and courteous, greeting visitors and opening doors to assist them. Behaviour in lessons is very good and pupils' positive attitudes help them to make outstanding progress. Pupils clearly enjoy school tremendously and appreciate the wide range of opportunities provided for them. Take-up of clubs to extend pupils' learning before, during and after school is high. It is no wonder that the attendance rate is above the national average. Pupils reported that they 'definitely' felt safe in school. Bullying incidents are rare and the school's actions in

p.5

Grade: 1

recording and reviewing all incidents ensures that pupils' concerns are resolved. Parents are quick to recognise this aspect and were effusive in their praise for the work of the school in promoting pupils' feeling of safety. Both older and younger pupils appreciate opportunities to work with each other, reporting that 'this makes us closer together'. Pupils particularly enjoy working together as 'reading buddies' and in country dancing. Members of the school council are proud of their contributions to some of the school's developments. These include the introduction of healthy snacks at playtime on four days of the week. As a result, pupils' understanding of healthy choices is very good; they speak knowledgably of the importance of healthy eating, access to water and take-up of exercise. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Chudleigh Church of England Community Primary School, 30 °31 January 2008

p.5

Grade: 2

Teaching is successfully focused on promoting good learning. Pupils enjoy lessons and their positive attitudes help them to build on the effective teaching and make outstanding progress. The pace of learning can be exceptionally rapid in some lessons, especially in the excellent teaching of phonics to promote early reading and writing. Pupils with additional learning needs are given work that matches their needs closely. They are set suitable challenges based on high expectations of what they can achieve. While the more able pupils are usually extended well, in some lessons teachers do not sufficiently challenge middle-ability learners to produce their best work. Teachers have applied a range of ideas to improve the standards of writing but these are having a varied impact and are not consistently established and effective across the school. Teachers mark pupils' work regularly giving helpful feedback. Older pupils are encouraged to

p.6

Grade: 2

assess their own work, taking responsibility for their own learning, and this contributes much to their progress.

p.6

Grade: 2

Provision for the children in the Reception classes is good and ensures that they gain an enthusiasm for learning from the moment they join the school. There is good provision for literacy and numeracy in all years. The use of information and communication technology (ICT) is a strength of the school both in lessons and in the additional opportunities outside lessons. For example, pupils make a good contribution to the school website, leading one pupil to comment, 'Everybody gets to know about our school, they don't have to come here'. Given their excellent attitudes and thoughtful approach, pupils' contributions are underdeveloped and the responsibilities they are given are limited. The provision of ICT enhances other subjects well. For example, in history, pupils are motivated to research topics using the Internet and produce powerful written accounts as a result. There are good links with other local providers,

p.6

Grade: 2

especially the secondary schools which specialise in science and sports, increasing the opportunities available to pupils in these areas. The curriculum throughout the school is enriched by excellent provision for music and sport, and activities in these areas have a high take-up and are greatly enjoyed. The singing during hymn practice was outstanding. A wide variety of lunchtime and after-school clubs supports learning across the curriculum and enhances pupils' personal development.

p.6

Grade: 1

Provision for pupils' care, guidance and support is highly effective. The school brings out the best in all pupils by establishing a caring and supportive environment. This is evident in the confidence of pupils and in the outstanding progress made by pupils over their time in the school. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are strongly supported and information and communication technology is used imaginatively where appropriate to enable them to fully access the curriculum. The school knows its pupils well and in turn pupils report that they knew how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve. For example, pupils use 'marking ladders' to assess their work and talk about their progress. Targets are used effectively when 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Chudleigh Church of England Community Primary School, 30 °31 January 2008 there is a clearly communicated objective to work towards, for example, improving handwriting

p.6

Grade: 1

to gain a 'pen certificate'. The school has thorough procedures for keeping pupils safe.

p.7

Grade: 1

The leadership of the school sets a clear educational direction. Senior leaders and subject managers are focused on improvement whilst maintaining a warm, inclusive approach and a desire to develop the whole child. The school is clear about maintaining its current high standards and raising them further. Self-evaluation involves all levels of the school's leadership and provides an accurate diagnosis of the school's strengths and weaknesses. Actions to remedy any issues are well directed and have a discernible impact on raising standards, although the school recognises that strategies to improve writing need to be monitored more closely. Subject leaders are highly effective and have been active in monitoring teaching and learning and raising standards. Improved procedures to track pupils' progress are sharper and allow a more detailed analysis of individual progress. The school is aware that targets need to be used even

p.7

Grade: 1

more sharply to challenge all pupils, including those of 'middle ability'. Improvements since the last inspection are good. Governors are fully supportive of the school and fulfil their roles effectively. They are rightly proud of the good reputation that the school holds within the local community. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Chudleigh Church of England Community Primary School, 30 °31 January 2008 .

p.7

Grade: 1

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Chudleigh Church of England Community Primary School, 30 °31 January 2008

p.8

Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

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

p.9

Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

2 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 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

p.9

and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

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: Chudleigh Church of England Community Primary School, 30 °31 January 2008

p.9

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 1 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: Chudleigh Church of England Community Primary School, 30 °31 January 2008

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

31 January 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Chudleigh C of E Primary School, Chudleigh, Newton Abbot TQ13 0LS I would like to thank you for the warmth of your welcome when we visited your school. I was bowled over by your kindness and the way in which you all got on with each other. I found out that you enjoy school and particularly like the clubs and school camps. You have a very good attitude to schoolwork, pay attention in lessons and work hard: congratulations. Your school council are quite rightly proud of the changes they have made to help you to eat healthy snacks and to understand about staying healthy. You are fortunate to have staff who care about you a great deal and who are prepared to do their very best to make your life at school a happy and fulfilling time. They all work very well together as a team, sharing their good ideas, and this helps to make your school so special. Your headteacher has worked hard

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

over many years and, with the deputy head and subject leaders, has made several changes to the school that have made it better. Your results in the national tests have been excellent for the last three years. Not only are these test results impressive but so is the standard of your work in other subjects. You are very confident in using computers, your reading skills are excellent, you speak well and your singing is some of the best I have heard. Your school is excellent but there are a couple of areas that could be even better. Your writing work across the whole school could be improved. Your teachers have a number of different ideas on how you can do this. I have asked them to make sure that all the teachers take the same approaches to improving your writing. The other area that could be better is that the work teachers set for some of you could be harder. You told us that some of you would enjoy doing work that is

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

more difficult. I hope you give your headteacher a good send off. Well done Chudleigh and thank you! Mark Lindfield 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Chudleigh Church of England Community Primary School, 30 °31 January 2008

p.11

Annex B

Inspection of Chudleigh C of E Primary School, Chudleigh, Newton Abbot TQ13 0LS

p.12

Annex B

I would like to thank you for the warmth of your welcome when we visited your school. I was bowled over by your kindness and the way in which you all got on with each other. I found out that you enjoy school and particularly like the clubs and school camps. You have a very good attitude to schoolwork, pay attention in lessons and work hard: congratulations. Your school council are quite rightly proud of the changes they have made to help you to eat healthy snacks and to understand about staying healthy.

p.12

Annex B

You are fortunate to have staff who care about you a great deal and who are prepared to do their very best to make your life at school a happy and fulfilling time. They all work very well together as a team, sharing their good ideas, and this helps to make your school so special. Your headteacher has worked hard over many years and, with the deputy head and subject leaders, has made several changes to the school that have made it better.

p.12

Annex B

Your results in the national tests have been excellent for the last three years. Not only are these test results impressive but so is the standard of your work in other subjects. You are very confident in using computers, your reading skills are excellent, you speak well and your singing is some of the best I have heard.

p.12

Annex B

Your school is excellent but there are a couple of areas that could be even better. Your writing work across the whole school could be improved. Your teachers have a number of different ideas on how you can do this. I have asked them to make sure that all the teachers take the same approaches to improving your writing. The other area that could be better is that the work teachers set for some of you could be harder. You told us that some of you would enjoy doing work that is more difficult.

p.12

Annex B

I hope you give your headteacher a good send off.

p.12