Leckhampton Church of England Primary School

Leckhampton Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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115667 Unique Reference Number Gloucestershire Local Authority 312020 Inspection number 11 March 2008 Inspection date Tom Simpson 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 414 School The governing body Appropriate authority A Gale Chair P G Gardner Headteacher 17 November 2003 Date of previous school inspection Hall Road School address Leckhampton Cheltenham GL53 0HP 01242 524062 Telephone number 01242 524067 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 11 March 2008 Inspection date 312020 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, who evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: standards and achievement in the Foundation Stage achievement throughout the school, particularly in writing and for more able pupils the use of assessment and tracking procedures and their impact on academic guidance and pupils' achievement the quality and extent of pupils' spiritual and cultural development. Evidence was gathered from lesson observations, analysis of the school's tracking and assessment data and discussions with the headteacher, senior leadership team, governors and pupils. The views of parents were gathered from the returns of Ofsted's questionnaire. 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 form, were not justified, and

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Introduction

these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

This is a large school serving a largely urban area. Most of the pupils are from a White British background and only a very small number are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. The main needs of these pupils relate to specific learning difficulties. The school has received the Healthy Schools Award, the Activemark Award, the Bronze Eco-Award and the Bristol Standard Quality Mark for the Foundation Stage.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Leckhampton Church of England Primary School, 11 March 2008

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Grade: 1

This popular school provides an outstanding education for its pupils. It has many significant strengths, including the high expectations of staff and the very positive attitudes displayed by the pupils themselves. On entering the school, visitors are instantly impressed by the strong ethos for learning, the very happy atmosphere and the high quality of relationships at all levels. Good academic standards and excellent personal development are very effectively supported through the provision of a broad and exciting curriculum and high quality pastoral care. The vast majority of parents who responded to a questionnaire sent out by inspectors are satisfied or very satisfied with the provision the school makes for their children. Typical of the many positive observations written on the questionnaires was the comment: 'Leckhampton is an excellent school with strong community links. Leadership and teaching are of a high standard

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Grade: 1

and pastoral care is very good. We believe that our children are very well cared for in a well-rounded learning environment.' A major reason for the school's success is the outstanding level of leadership and management. The headteacher has a high level of commitment to maintaining and further raising academic standards while also being passionate about enabling the pupils to succeed in all other aspects of their development. He is very effectively supported by a senior leadership team whose members make exceptionally strong individual and corporate contributions to all aspects of school provision and improvement. Staff at all levels work very well together as a team and are equally committed to school improvement. Senior leaders receive excellent support from the well-informed and proactive governing body. Governors are fully involved in monitoring activities and school development, working closely with senior management and other staff. They have

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Grade: 1

developed their role as 'critical friends' very well. There are exceptionally strong strategies for self-evaluation at the school, and staff are very clear about the school's strengths and areas for development. Rigorous systems are in place to assess and track pupils' progress as they proceed through the school. Data gained from these are used effectively to identify any areas of under- performance and take swift action to change teaching tactics or provide extra support to individuals or groups of pupils. For example, highly skilled and well- qualified teaching assistants provide very effective support to pupils with a range of specific learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Achievement is outstanding overall. The children enter the school with a level of skills that is generally above that expected for children of this age. They get off to an exceptionally good start to their education when they enter the Reception classes and make outstanding progress.

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Grade: 1

By the time they reach Year 1, they are very well prepared for the rest of their education. Pupils continue to make high rates of progress in Years 1 and 2 and reach standards which are significantly above average overall. By the time pupils leave the school, results are significantly, and consistently, above average in all key areas. There are particular strengths in the standards being reached in mathematics and reading. In these areas, pupils' progress is often outstanding. On the other hand, standards in writing, particularly for more able pupils, are a relative weakness for this school. This has been recognised and a number of strategies for improvement, including greater use of writing across the curriculum, have been put in place. These are already resulting in higher standards, although their full impact has yet to be felt. Pupils have very positive attitudes towards their work and love coming to school. This is reflected

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Grade: 1

in well above average attendance. Behaviour is outstanding throughout the school. The pupils 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Leckhampton Church of England Primary School, 11 March 2008 thoroughly enjoy being able to contribute to school life and the wider community. Members of the school council, for example, are proud of their role in helping establish 'friendship benches' at playtimes and pupils enjoy contributing to charities by, for instance, sponsoring children in the Dominican Republic. There is a strong Christian ethos at the school, which is reflected very well in the positive attitudes displayed by the pupils towards others and by their very good levels of self-esteem. They are successfully developing their awareness of other cultures through visits, visitors and several areas of the curriculum. During the inspection, Year 2 pupils role-played Masai children during an English lesson related to a whole-school World

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Grade: 1

Awareness day. Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to lead healthy lifestyles and confirm that they feel very safe at school. They are confident learners who are gaining skills which are preparing them exceedingly well for their future lives and learning. Teaching and learning are good overall and there are examples of outstanding teaching. Pupils learn rapidly in lessons because their teachers have high expectations and set work which is interesting and well matched to their individual needs. The pupils are managed in a very positive way and their views are respected. Rigorous assessment strategies are used to provide very effective academic guidance. As a result, the pupils are very clear about the standards they are reaching. However, their involvement in self-assessment is still relatively new and has not yet had time to have a full impact on their achievement. Previous weaknesses in the teaching of

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Grade: 1

writing are now well on the way to being resolved. One of the strengths of the excellent curriculum is the way in which it is made exciting for the pupils. Wherever possible, for instance, subjects are linked together to make them more meaningful. The curriculum is effectively enhanced by special activities such as a World History day and a wide range of out-of school-visits. A very good range of clubs caters for a broad range of interests. Very good links with local partners, such as support for modern foreign language teaching and information and communication technology, also contribute greatly to the quality of learning activities provided. Care, guidance and support are excellent, with pastoral care being a strength of the school. Academic target-setting is being used effectively to raise standards, such as those in writing. Vulnerable pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, receive

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Grade: 1

outstanding support from school staff and through excellent links with external agencies such as the Special Needs Support Service. Rigorous procedures are in place to safeguard pupils and ensure safe staff recruitment.

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Grade: 1

The children get off to an exceptionally good start when they enter the very well managed Reception classes. Teaching and learning are good overall, and sometimes outstanding, and the children are exceptionally well cared for. The work provided for the children is both interesting and very well matched to their individual needs. During the day of the inspection, for example, they were exploring, and thoroughly enjoying, a topic relating to a train journey to Scotland through various different media, including language, large-scale apparatus and role play. There is an attractive and well-equipped outside play area which is used well to promote the children's interest in their learning and to support, among other areas, their physical and creative development. The children make outstanding progress during their time in the Foundation Stage and by the time they reach Year 1, they have reached significantly above

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Grade: 1

average standards in all the areas of learning. There are particular strengths in their mathematical development and in their knowledge and understanding of the world. The children themselves have very positive attitudes towards school and relationships are excellent at all levels. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Leckhampton Church of England Primary School, 11 March 2008

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the achievement of more able pupils in writing throughout the school. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Leckhampton Church of England Primary School, 11 March 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. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Leckhampton Church of England Primary School, 11 March 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? 1 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

1 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 1 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Leckhampton Church of England Primary School, 11 March 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 1 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Leckhampton Church of England Primary School, 11 March 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

11 March 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Leckhampton CE Primary School, Cheltenham GL53 0HP Thank you for making me so welcome at your school. I really enjoyed meeting you and hearing about your work. I want particularly to thank those members of the school council who gave up part of their lunch break to speak to me. I found that your school is excellent. Here are some of the things that I found to be particularly good:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The staff who run the school do an excellent job in making sure you have an outstanding education. ■ You make outstanding progress in most of your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are exceptionally well cared for by the adults at the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Lessons are good and the activities the staff plan for you are excellent, which is why you enjoy school so much. ■ Your personal development is outstanding; for example, you are exceptionally well behaved.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Here is what I have suggested the school does now:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Ensure that all of you, but especially those of you who are quick to learn, do as well as you can in writing. Thank you again for your help. Leckhampton provides an excellent education and you can all help to keep it that way by working as hard as you possibly can while you are there. With best wishes Tom Simpson Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Leckhampton Church of England Primary School, 11 March 2008

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