Lime Walk Primary School

Lime Walk Primary School Inspection report

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117333 Unique Reference Number HERTFORDSHIRE LA Local Authority 312575 Inspection number 10 °11 April 2008 Inspection dates Stephen Walker 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 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 196 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr David Piper Chair Mrs Angela Belgrove Headteacher 15 September 2003 Date of previous school inspection Lime Walk School address Bennetts End Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire HP3 9LN 01442 262341 Telephone number 01442 211218 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 10 °11 April 2008 Inspection dates 312575 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 two Additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Lime Walk Primary School is average in size compared to other primary schools. It is situated in the Bennetts End area of Hemel Hempstead. Although the majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds, there are a significant number from minority ethnic groups, particularly from the Asian community. Most pupils start at school with levels of knowledge and understanding that are below average for their age. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above the national average. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is also above the national average. The school has recently been awarded the Healthy School and the Activemark awards.

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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: Lime Walk Primary School, 10 °11 April 2008

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Grade: 3

Lime Walk Primary is a satisfactory school with some good features. It is undergoing a period of considerable change to support improvements in the achievement and personal development of the pupils. The headteacher provides committed and collaborative leadership so that there is a clear plan for development. Parents praise the positive atmosphere in the school and the dedication of the teachers. One parent wrote, 'The school is very welcoming and well organised. My children are doing well and enjoy going to school.' Pupils make satisfactory progress; they enter the school with skills below those expected for children of that age and leave with slightly below-average standards. Targeted support for pupils who require additional help with their work is beginning to raise levels of achievement. The greater emphasis on developing pupils' reading and writing skills is also raising standards across the school in other subjects. The school acknowledges the need to raise further standards

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Grade: 3

and rates of progress in English, mathematics and science. Good pastoral care and guidance from teachers and teaching assistants is supporting improvements in the school. Pupils behave well, with the exception of a few, and greatly enjoy coming to school. Bullying and incidents of misbehaviour are effectively dealt with. Minority ethnic pupils integrate well, and pupils generally demonstrate considerable respect for cultures and religions different from their own. The system of rewards and commendations is having a positive effect on the behaviour, work and confidence of the pupils. Teaching is satisfactory with some examples of good practice. There is a good system for using assessment information to track pupils' progress in order to identify underachievement. However, teachers are not fully using assessment data in their lessons so that they can address more specifically the individual learning needs of all pupils. The school recognises the need to identify

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Grade: 3

and share good practice in order to improve the overall quality of teaching and learning and to improve pupils' rates of progress. The curriculum is sound and has a clear framework, but it is not yet fully effective in raising standards across the school. Self-evaluation is accurate, but actions to remedy weaknesses have not had time to be fully effective. Leaders are introducing new strategies that are beginning to improve pupils' progress. The school has good partnerships with the immediate community, external services, the local authority and the local secondary school. It manages the budget well, and outcomes indicate satisfactory value for money. Governors are supportive but are not yet fully involved in the monitoring and strategic planning of whole-school development. The new systems of tracking pupil progress, the more structured approach to reading and writing and the strong team spirit of the staff indicate that the school has a good capacity to improve.

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Grade: 2

Provision in the Foundation Stage is good. The coordinator provides very effective leadership and receives good support from a strong team of staff. They know the children well and use this knowledge very effectively to plan for children's next steps in learning. Great emphasis is placed upon the personal care of the child alongside a clear focus upon achievement, which leads to rigorous planning of learning activities. There is a good balance of child-initiated and adult-directed activities, both indoors and outdoors. Children are encouraged to be independent with opportunities for imaginative and structured play. Staff monitor progress very carefully 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Lime Walk Primary School, 10 °11 April 2008 so that they know exactly the key skills of each child. Most children make good progress by the end of Reception and this reflects teachers' high expectations for them. Good links with

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Grade: 2

parents ensure that they are well informed about their children's personal development and learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise pupils' levels of attainment and rates of progress, particularly in English, mathematics and science. ■ Ensure that best practice in teaching and learning is identified and shared effectively across the school. ■ Use assessment information more rigorously to inform planning and teaching to meet the learning needs of each pupil. ■ Develop the role of governors to involve them more in the planning and monitoring of whole-school improvement. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make good progress to reach average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Achievement in Key Stage 1 is better than in Key Stage 2. Over the last three years, the Key Stage 2 national test results have been broadly average, although they were below average in 2007 following considerable staff and pupil mobility that adversely affected overall performance. The newly introduced tracking system identifies underachieving pupils who gain good support from a range of intervention strategies. The more structured approach to reading and writing is currently improving pupils' standards. The school is effectively implementing plans to improve the achievement of boys in English and mathematics. Minority ethnic pupils make progress in line with that of others. Additional support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities ensures that they make satisfactory progress. Evidence

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Grade: 3

of pupils' work during the inspection shows that most classes are making at least satisfactory progress.

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Grade: 3

Pupils enjoy their experience of school and become friendly and confident young people. Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school although there is some misbehaviour, predominantly by boys. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils show respect for the varied cultures and religions in the school. Attendance is average and there are effective systems to monitor absences. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and healthy, both through eating sensibly and taking exercise. The school council is involving itself in improving the school environment. Pupils take part in fund raising for charities, such as Barnardo's. They are developing links with the community including inviting the local elderly to school events. Pupils are taking on responsibilities within the school, for instance as peer mediators and monitors. Pupils are prepared well, socially, for secondary school.

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Grade: 3

Their preparation for learning at the next stage of education is satisfactory. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Lime Walk Primary School, 10 °11 April 2008

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Grade: 3

Teaching is generally satisfactory, and some lessons are well taught. Most pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning and work well together. In the best lessons, teachers give pupils a measure of responsibility for their own learning. In a Year 5 mathematics lesson, pupils said how important is was to learn from their mistakes - 'you have to try things out'. Learning thrives in classes where teachers encourage this approach. In less effective lessons, the pace is too slow and work is not closely matched to pupils' needs. As a result, learning slows and pupils' progress is hampered. In general, the school does not identify the elements of good practice seen in many lessons and then share best practice so that all lessons lead to good progress. Teachers do not consistently use assessment information to plan lessons to meet the learning needs of each pupil. The quality of marking and advice to pupils is inconsistent and does not

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Grade: 3

always inform them how to improve their work. The high quality of display work in classrooms provides a stimulating environment for learning. Teaching assistants make a very positive contribution to pupils' learning. Parents are fully encouraged to become engaged in the learning process.

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Grade: 3

The well-planned curriculum ensures a smooth transition between the key stages. The school is concentrating on improving provision in literacy and numeracy. Each class is now using effective schemes of work to support reading, speaking and writing. The school is beginning to add enrichment through the introduction of modern foreign languages, occasional themed days and visitors into school. There is evidence of some creative and cross-curricular development, although this is at an early stage of development. Pupils are encouraged to explore a range of beliefs and cultures in religious education. This assists their knowledge and understanding of diverse cultures. Information and communication technology is increasingly used as a tool for teaching and learning. A range of after-school activities helps to develop pupils' interest in sport and drama. Pupils' experience of school is enriched by visits to local

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Grade: 3

places of interest, as well as residential experiences on the Isle of Wight and at Cuffley Camp.

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Grade: 3

The school provides a secure and safe environment that is valued by pupils and parents. All the checks required to secure the safeguarding of pupils are fully carried out. Pupils are confident that teachers deal with any bullying effectively. Pupils take on responsibility for dealing with minor disputes through the peer-mediator scheme. Assemblies and personal and social education encourage pupils to think about their relationships, health and safety. Improvements in assessment procedures identify pupils who are underachieving and leads to intervention and support. Pupils have targets for improvement, but they are not always involved enough in the process of setting these targets. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Lime Walk Primary School, 10 °11 April 2008

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Grade: 3

The headteacher has managed the school well during a period of instability in staffing. Parents, teachers and governors support plans for improvement. The leadership team gives vigorous support to developments across the school. New policies and practices are beginning to improve pupils' attitudes to learning and are raising the standards achieved. The school's development plan correctly identifies priorities with the action intended and clear monitoring and evaluation arrangements. Subject leaders are increasingly effective in their planning, supporting and monitoring roles. Support staff are greatly valued by pupils and teachers and are well deployed. Governors are well informed of the school's progress and areas for development. However, they are not involved enough in the monitoring or planning of whole-school improvement. The school has taken effective steps to ensure improvement, which is now showing through in rising

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Grade: 3

standards. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Lime Walk Primary School, 10 °11 April 2008 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Lime Walk Primary School, 10 °11 April 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

3 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 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 3 The behaviour of learners 3 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?

3 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Lime Walk Primary School, 10 °11 April 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 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: Lime Walk Primary School, 10 °11 April 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 April 2008 Dear Pupils, Lime Walk Primary School, Hemel Hempstead, HP3 9LN Thank you for making us so welcome and talking to us during the inspection. We really enjoyed meeting you and seeing you working and playing together. It was good to hear you singing in the assembly. Lime Walk is a satisfactory school with some good features. It is making some good improvements. Some of the positive things about your school are:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you try hard and make sound progress in your work

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you show respect for the all the cultures and religions in your school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ there are many visits and after-school activities

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the school is tidy and the classrooms are attractive

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your headteacher and staff are working hard to improve the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked your headteacher, the staff and the governors to do the following things to make the school better:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ help you gain better results in English, mathematics and science

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ encourage teachers to share their best ideas so that all teaching and learning are very good

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ ensure that teachers use the information about how well you are doing effectively so they can help you achieve your best ■ make sure that the governors are fully involved in planning improvements.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

The inspectors would like you to work hard and continue to enjoy learning at Lime Walk Primary School. We wish you every success in your future education. With very best wishes Stephen Walker Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Lime Walk Primary School, 10 °11 April 2008

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