Shipton Bellinger Primary School

Shipton Bellinger Primary School Inspection report

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115947 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 312119 Inspection number 28 March 2008 Inspection date Derek Watts 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 204 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Siobhan MacMillan Chair Mr Derek Atkinson Headteacher 24 November 2003 Date of previous school inspection 3 Parkhouse Road School address Shipton Bellinger Tidworth SP9 7TW 01980 843369 Telephone number 01980 843369 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 28 March 2008 Inspection date 312119 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 an Additional Inspector. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following aspects: the development of pupils' writing skills and how well information and communication technology (ICT) is used to support teaching and learning. Evidence was gathered from lesson observations and a scrutiny of pupils' work and school documentation. Parents' questionnaires and discussions with pupils, governors and staff also contributed to the judgements. 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 these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

Shipton Bellinger is a slightly smaller than average primary school. Most pupils are from a White British background and there are no pupils who speak English as an additional language. The school attracts about a third of its pupils from outside the normal catchment area. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and /or disabilities is about average. About half of the pupils have parents serving in the army. Many soldiers are on periods of active duty in Afghanistan or Iraq. A significant number of pupils join or leave the school other than at the normal leaving and starting points.

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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: Shipton Bellinger Primary School, 28 March 2008

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Grade: 2

Shipton Bellinger Primary is a good school. There are outstanding aspects to its work. Pupils achieve well because of the good start in the Reception class, good teaching and an interesting curriculum. Highly effective care, guidance and support and a very positive school atmosphere lead to pupils' outstanding personal development and well-being. Good leadership and management contribute significantly to the school's success. The established and experienced headteacher provides good educational direction. He has formed a strong partnership with the deputy headteacher over a number of years and their combined skills have contributed to continuous improvements. With his staff, the headteacher has created a very positive climate for pupils to learn and staff to work. There is good teamwork among the staff and a positive commitment to growth and improvement. Effective selection and induction programmes mean that newly qualified teachers settle quickly to become effective

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Grade: 2

members of the organisation. There have been changes to subject leadership recently. Leaders are developing their areas of responsibility well particularly in terms of monitoring and evaluation. Governors are actively involved in the life of the school and have a good understanding of the school's performance. They provide both support and constructive challenge. Most parents are very happy with both the care and education provided for their children. Approachability, care and pupil progress come in for particular praise. The range of parents' views included, 'Very pleased with Shipton Bellinger', 'Seeing children through a range of schools, this is one of the finest', 'My child is happy and is progressing well' and 'Staff are all approachable, supportive and very caring'. Parents give the school good support. Teachers establish very good relationships with their pupils. They make the purpose of the

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Grade: 2

lessons clear so pupils know what they are expected to learn. Skilful questioning by teachers challenges the pupils and checks their understanding. Interactive whiteboards are used well by teachers and pupils to illustrate key learning points. Assessment is used effectively to match activities and tasks to pupils' abilities and needs. As a result, pupils are challenged well; their interest is maintained and they make good gains in their learning. Although good planning means learning maintains a good pace in most lessons, this is not consistent. Occasionally the pace of the lesson slows and pupils' rate of learning declines. Teaching assistants are effectively deployed and make a valuable contribution to learning, particularly for those pupils who need extra support. Standards vary by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 because numbers in each year group can be relatively small and a significant number of pupils join or leave the school at other than expected

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Grade: 2

times. Only a small proportion of pupils stay at the school from Reception through to the end of Year 6. However, school assessments and national data show that pupils make good progress from their various starting points. Progress in writing is not as good as other areas but improving provision and raising achievement in writing is a school priority. Standards by the end of Year 6 are above average in English, mathematics and science. The curriculum promotes good progress for pupils and makes a very good contribution to their personal development. Good links between subjects add meaning, relevance and enjoyment to pupils' learning. For example, in Year 2, art and design, writing and historical knowledge and understanding were all skilfully woven into the work on the Great Fire of London. Opportunities for pupils to apply and develop their writing skills to other subjects are improving but the school

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Grade: 2

4 of 10 Inspection Report: Shipton Bellinger Primary School, 28 March 2008 recognises that there is scope to extend this and to celebrate pupils' writing more widely. Provision for information and communication technology (ICT) has improved and is now good. The school has invested wisely in equipment and staff training. ICT is used effectively to support teaching and learning in a range of areas. For example, pupils in Year 6 produce multimedia presentations of famous people from the twentieth century and use the Internet well for independent research on topics such as mountains. Provision for art and design has also improved since the previous inspection with good examples of pupils' work on display. A good range of clubs, visits and visitors enrich pupils' learning. A residential visit for Year 5 to the New Forest, develops science and geographical skills. For Year 6, a successful week in Bude provides a range

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Grade: 2

of outdoor activities and builds team skills. Health and safety education are promoted well across the curriculum. Pastoral care and support is outstanding. The school is particularly good at helping new arrivals settle quickly. As parents wrote, 'Shipton provides an environment that provides encouragement and support for children and parents' and 'We recently moved to SB and the school was very helpful to my children in helping them form new friendships and settle in'. There are good systems to assess and track pupils' attainment and progress. Pupils have clear individual learning targets in reading, writing and mathematics so they know how to improve. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. In assemblies, pupils celebrate the achievement of others. Through themes such as India Day in Year 4, they gain an appreciation and knowledge of different cultures and faiths from around the world. Pupils thoroughly enjoy

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Grade: 2

school and this is reflected by their good attendance and enthusiastic participation in activities. Behaviour is often exemplary because of the high expectations of staff and the very positive relationships. Pupils adopt healthy lifestyles and show an excellent understanding of the importance of healthy eating, exercising regularly and keeping safe. Good contributions are made to the local and wider community. Older pupils serve as junior leaders and support the younger ones. Pupils raise funds for well known charities. The recent performance of pupils in a production of 'Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat' made a valuable contribution to the school community. At Shipton Bellinger, pupils are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education. The school has demonstrated a good capacity to improve. Senior staff systematically review the school's performance and the findings are used well to plan for necessary improvements.

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Grade: 2

Positive action has been taken to improve assessment, art and design and ICT since the previous inspection. Pupils' good achievement has been maintained.

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Grade: 2

Children's overall attainment on entry to the school varies but is usually typical for their age. In some year groups, children's communication and language skills are lower than expected. Good teaching and a wide range of interesting activities enable children to make good progress in all areas of learning. The teacher and assistant provide an effective blend of adult-led tasks and opportunities for children to explore, be creative and work independently. The school has focused on improving the transition from Reception to Year 1. By the end of Reception, children acquire good levels of knowledge and skills, which prepares them well for the next stage of their learning. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Shipton Bellinger Primary School, 28 March 2008

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise pupils' achievement in writing by increasing the range of opportunities to use their skills and by celebrating their writing more widely. ■ Ensure that learning in all lessons proceeds at a good pace. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Shipton Bellinger Primary School, 28 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: Shipton Bellinger Primary School, 28 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? 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?

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 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

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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: Shipton Bellinger Primary School, 28 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 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Shipton Bellinger Primary School, 28 March 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

07 April 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Shipton Bellinger Primary School,Tidworth,SP9 7TW Thank you so much for welcoming me into your school and showing me your work. I enjoyed my visit and would like to tell you what I have found. Yours is a good school. It has some outstanding features. These are strengths of the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Children in Reception have a good start to their education.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You all thoroughly enjoy school and your attendance is good.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school is an extremely friendly, caring and pleasant place to be.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Behaviour is often outstanding in lessons and around the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Teaching is good, which is why you are learning so well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ A good range of learning activities is provided for you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You show an excellent understanding of healthy lifestyles and keeping safe.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school is well led and managed by your headteacher and senior staff.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You show considerable care and respect for other pupils and adults.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Staff take excellent care of you and give you outstanding support.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your parents support the school well and are pleased with the care and education provided.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

There are two points that would make the school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ More progress could be made in writing by extending the range of writing opportunities for you and celebrating your work more widely. ■ The school should ensure that all lessons move on at a good pace.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Finally, thank you once again for all your help. I wish you all the very best for the future. With kind regards Derek Watts Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Shipton Bellinger Primary School, 28 March 2008

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