Pauntley Church of England Primary School

Pauntley Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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115643 Unique Reference Number Gloucestershire Local Authority 312011 Inspection number 8 October 2008 Inspection date John English Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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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 50 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Steve Morris Chair Mary Francis Headteacher 15 November 2004 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Pool Hill School address Newent GL18 1LL 01531 820053 Telephone number 01531 820053 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 8 October 2008 Inspection date 312011 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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Pauntley Church of England Primary School, 8 October 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a very small school set in a sparsely populated rural area. There are two classes, one for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) together with Years 1 and 2, and the second with Years 3 to 6. A number of pupils outside the traditional catchment area attend the school. The proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities or a statement of special educational needs is below the national average. However, because the school traditionally admits a significant number of pupils into Years 3 to 6, including a number with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, this proportion is higher in the older class. Most of the pupils are White British, and the proportion eligible for free school meals is well below average.

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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: Pauntley Church of England Primary School, 8 October 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. It is very happy and lively and has a number of outstanding features. Its particular strengths lie in the care given to all pupils' welfare, and subsequently their outstanding personal development and well-being. For a small school, there is a remarkable range of extra-curricular activities which enhance the curriculum. The headteacher and governors have a very clear vision for the school which focuses on the development of the whole child, and helping pupils to be self-reliant young people. The school is well led and managed, and makes a good contribution to local community cohesion through the way parents are involved and supported. The majority of parents wholeheartedly support the school. They make comments such as, 'the school is a gem' and 'my daughter has come on in leaps and bounds and never wants a day off school'. There are very few dissenters from these views, although a few parents are concerned

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Grade: 2

about the effectiveness of senior leadership. Inspectors found that leadership tasks are shared sensibly across a very small staff and that this works well for the school. The pupils really enjoy school. They are fit and healthy, and they feel very safe and well looked after in lessons and at playtimes. Their behaviour is exemplary, and older pupils show a strong sense of care towards the younger ones. They take up many responsibilities around the school and feel a real part of its management, as their views are listened to and often action is taken in line with their suggestions. Although pupils study the cultures of many groups from around the world in the curriculum, they lack a clear understanding of the diversity of those that make up modern Britain. In all other respects the curriculum is good with some strong features, particularly the way it promotes personal development. Pupils achieve well throughout the school. With very small year groups, there is variation in

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Grade: 2

attainment on entry from year to year. In most years, children enter with standards at the level expected overall. By the end of Year 2, standards are above average. Because a number of pupils join the school during the course of Years 3 to 6, many with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, standards overall by the end of Year 6 are in line with national averages. However, internal records show that most pupils meet challenging targets and many exceed them, which demonstrates that they make good progress overall. The pastoral care for the pupils is exceptional, especially for those with learning, social or emotional problems. All the adults know the children and their parents well. However, the guidance given to pupils on how to improve their work lacks sharpness. Although pupils are given useful feedback on how well they are doing with their work, they are not told precisely enough how to improve it.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Lessons are well prepared and tasks set which help pupils develop their understanding, knowledge, social and work-related skills. While there are plans for a new building, the present poor accommodation of the school has a detrimental effect on learning, particularly in the EYFS and in physical education, which is restricted by the lack of an indoor exercise area.

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Grade: 2

The children quickly settle into school, assisted by the older pupils, and feel confident and safe. Staff know the children's needs well because of close liaison with parents. Personal development 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Pauntley Church of England Primary School, 8 October 2008 is outstanding. Children behave very well, working and cooperating together very effectively. Planning ensures activities are well matched to individual needs. Weaknesses in the accommodation mean children have limited access to learning outside. Children's welfare is promoted very positively and all safeguarding procedures are robust. Leadership and management are good, with the teaching assistant providing quality support.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that pupils are given clear guidance on what they have to do to improve their work.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Provide better opportunities for pupils to gain understanding of the religious and cultural backgrounds of the citizens of modern Britain. ■ Explore means of providing opportunities for indoor physical education and for children in the EYFS to learn more through outdoor activities.

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Grade: 2

Children start school with skills that are typical for their age. They make good progress. By the end of the Reception year, most meet or exceed the standards expected for their age. By the end of Year 2, standards are above average. By the end of Year 6, many pupils have achieved standards that are above average, but overall, standards when year groups are taken as a whole are in line with the national average. However, in such a small school, comparisons with national averages provide an inaccurate picture of the pupils' progress, because the movement of even one pupil in or out of the school can make a significant difference to overall figures. A significant number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities join the school during Years 3 to 6, because of its good reputation for the care and guidance of such pupils. The school keeps very precise records of all the pupils' levels of attainment throughout the school, from which

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Grade: 2

it is possible to form an accurate picture of their achievement. All pupils are set challenging targets, aimed to meet the national expectations for progress through the National Curriculum, and most achieve them, with a significant number going well beyond, showing overall good achievement.

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Grade: 1

Pupils really enjoy learning and their behaviour is excellent. They say that they feel very secure and they fully understand the importance of healthy eating and exercise. Attendance is above average. Pupils' relationships with each other and with adults in school are very good. Pupils have a strong sense of responsibility for the welfare of others and have a clear understanding of the school's ethos of agreeing together, being tolerant and caring. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, although within that pupils' moral and social development is excellent. Their cultural development has many strengths through established links with schools in other countries, but pupils' understanding of the multicultural nature of modern Britain is limited. Pupils make an outstanding contribution to their community because they feel they can take initiatives. This leads to projects like developing a school pond, and to older

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Grade: 1

pupils taking responsibilities for helping younger ones. Pupils develop teamworking and leadership skills that prepare them well for their future lives. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Pauntley Church of England Primary School, 8 October 2008

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Grade: 2

Pupils find the lessons interesting and demanding, because the curriculum has been designed to enable them to develop their interests and work at a level that is challenging for them personally. Lessons take place in a calm and orderly atmosphere. The teachers are very well organised, and prepare materials that are appropriate for the needs of all pupils. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with gifts and talents are equally well provided for. Specialist teaching in mathematics, physical education and music provides well for the pupils. Pupils are fully involved in assessing their work and in judging their progress and this impacts positively on standards. However, the lack of clear guidance telling pupils how to improve their standards prevents them from doing even better.

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Grade: 2

A strength of the curriculum is the way in which it combines delivery of the National Curriculum with opportunities for personal and social development. Learning is made more interesting and relevant for pupils through an innovative approach to planning and following lines of enquiry, many suggested by pupils. There is a strong focus on developing basic skills in literacy and numeracy. Provision for information and communication technology is good. Although the study of backgrounds and religious beliefs of people around the world is well developed, the curriculum fails to link this to an understanding of the composition of society in modern Britain. The pupils enjoy 'hands on' experiences in the form of trips, visits and visitors, bringing topics to life. An excellent selection of after-school clubs is well supported. Health education is very good, except for the limits imposed by poor accommodation for physical education in poor

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Grade: 2

weather. Similarly, the opportunities for children in the EYFS to learn outdoors are restricted by the accommodation.

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Grade: 2

The strong partnerships with parents and external agencies ensure that pupils, including those who are vulnerable, are exceptionally well cared for. Staff know every pupil very well. Child protection procedures, risk assessments and health and safety procedures are robust and enable pupils to feel safe. Individual education plans for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are used well to target additional support. Assessment and monitoring of progress are thorough and inform planning. However, pupils are given insufficiently precise information on exactly what they have to do to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The school is well led by the headteacher, who with the governors has created a clear vision for the school, based around provision for the needs of each pupil and the development of the whole child. The provision of a wide range of enhancement activities attests to the strong support for the school by the adults who work in it. The way the school supports and brings 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Pauntley Church of England Primary School, 8 October 2008 together members of the local community makes a good contribution to community cohesion. Key procedures to manage the school effectively and ensure the progress of the pupils are effectively shared by the three teachers and are well coordinated by the headteacher. Governors are well informed and monitor the work of the school well enough to have a good understanding of its strengths and to support actions to tackle weaknesses. The school continually looks for

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Grade: 2

ways to improve, for example the introduction of the Primary International Baccalaureate, which demonstrates its good capacity to develop further. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Pauntley Church of England Primary School, 8 October 2008 .

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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: Pauntley Church of England Primary School, 8 October 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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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 capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 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 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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: Pauntley Church of England Primary School, 8 October 2008

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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 The extent to which 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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: Pauntley Church of England Primary School, 8 October 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils Inspection of Pauntley C of E Primary School, Newent GL18 1LL Thank you very much for your welcome when we visited your school, especially those of you who missed some of your lunch break to talk to us. We were very impressed with much of what we saw, in particular the way you are developing as independent young people. This is because of the good teaching you get and the way you are involved in the school, contributing your own ideas about ways of improving it. You behave very well in lessons, and this contributes to the good progress you make throughout your time at school. Yours is a good school, and it has some outstanding features. Amongst these are the way the adults look after you. Although they help you a lot with your work, we think the adults could be more precise about telling you exactly what you can do to improve it. You can help by taking particular notice of this advice and doing your best to follow it. We know that there are plans

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

for a new building, but we have had to comment on the poor design of the present accommodation, which does not help the teachers or you to do your best. So, we have asked the school to find ways of giving you more opportunities for indoor exercise and for the Reception children to learn outdoors while you are waiting for the new building. Your curriculum is good, and helps you learn as well as develop social skills. You have an excellent range of activities in addition to your daily lessons, such as clubs, visits and visitors to talk to you. All these activities make learning more exciting. Although the curriculum includes a lot of information about people around the world with different backgrounds, it does not help you enough to understand the wide range of different groups of people that make up modern Britain. Well done to you and all your teachers and adults in the school and good luck for the future.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

With best wishes John English Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Pauntley Church of England Primary School, 8 October 2008

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