West Butterwick C of E Primary School

West Butterwick CofE Primary School Inspection report

p.1

118018 Unique Reference Number North Lincolnshire Local Authority 312784 Inspection number 19 June 2008 Inspection date Tony Anderson 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 Voluntary controlled School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 52 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Bunty Harris Chair Miss Jo Pitchforth Headteacher 1 May 2005 Date of previous school inspection School Lane School address West Butterwick Scunthorpe DN17 3LB 01724 783244 Telephone number 01724 783244 Fax number

p.1

3-11 Age group 19 June 2008 Inspection date 312784 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 Additional Inspector. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues:

p.3

Introduction

■ the attainment on entry of pupils and pupils’ standards and progress in English, mathematics and science ■ the quality of teaching and learning and the impact of the curriculum on achievement and standards ■ the care, guidance and support provided to pupils and the link with their personal development and well-being ■ the quality of leadership and management.

p.3

Introduction

Evidence was gathered from national data, the school’s self-evaluation, the previous report, and a number of discussions with staff, members of the governing body and pupils. Additionally, school documentation was sampled and a range of pupils’ books were examined. Pupils were observed in classrooms and around the school to determine their attitudes and behaviour. Parental questionnaire returns were analysed. The inspector concluded that the school’s self-evaluation was mostly accurate and references to these judgements are made in this report.

p.3

Description of the school

The school is much smaller than average and is situated in a semi-rural area of North Lincolnshire. It has recently formed a confederation with another local school and the headteacher’s time is shared between the two schools. The Foundation Stage location is split between the village hall and the main school which are about one mile apart. An average percentage of pupils are entitled to free school meals and a below average number have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. All the pupils are of White British heritage.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: West Butterwick CofE Primary School, 19 June 2008

p.3

Grade: 2

West Butterwick Church of England primary school provides a good quality of education for its pupils and their personal development and well-being is outstanding. Its key strengths are the leadership of the headteacher, the high and improving levels of progress made by most pupils, and the very high levels of pastoral care. Pupils’ excellent attitudes and behaviour, and good attendance provide them with a very strong platform for learning. They say that learning is fun and this is clearly reflected in their enjoyment in lessons and in the playground. Pupils have a very good understanding of how to stay safe and an excellent appreciation of how to lead healthy lifestyles. They participate fully in physical education and sporting activities both in lessons and as part of a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Members of the school council take their responsibilities seriously and have recently been very active in arranging for

p.4

Grade: 2

benches and a shelter to be installed in the playground. Pupils have an excellent understanding of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The vibrant music of Vivaldi and a brightly lit candle created a very spiritual atmosphere for a whole school assembly. The excellent social and moral theme was enhanced by the exceptional behaviour of the pupils and their very powerful singing. The level of pastoral care and welfare is outstanding and pupils are confident to approach staff with any problems. Child protection procedures have recently been updated and meet the latest national guidelines. Academic guidance is good; the advice given to pupils informing them how to improve is often very good and they have individual improvement targets. Achievement is good. Children enter the Foundation Stage with skills which are broadly in line with those typical for their age and leave school with above average standards. Progress from

p.4

Grade: 2

Year 1 to Year 6 is good. Standards at the end of Year 2 are broadly in line with the national average. There is evidence of underachievement by a very small number of higher attaining pupils, particularly in writing and mathematics, which is already being addressed by the school. Progress is good in Key Stage 2 and, by the end of Year 6, standards are above the national average in English, mathematics and science, and are predicted to be even higher in 2008. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Pace and challenge are in evidence in many lessons, although the more able in Key Stage 1 could be more challenged in writing and mathematics. Good use is made of learning objectives and teachers explain clearly how pupils can be successful. As a result, pupils understand what is expected of them and this supports them in their learning and progress. However, the summary time at the end of the lesson is not always used effectively

p.4

Grade: 2

to ensure that pupils fully understand the extent and effectiveness of their learning. The curriculum is good and used well by staff to maintain a focus on basic skills whilst offering many opportunities for pupils to apply their learning in practical activities. Good use is made of personal, social and health education to further support pupils’ development. A wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities, in addition to many visits and visitors, provides enrichment to pupils’ learning. Leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher provides strong and determined leadership, ably supported by the senior leadership team and governing body. The recently formed confederation with another local school is beginning to have a positive impact on shared resources and strategic planning. Self- evaluation is good. It identifies correctly the next steps and the school is actively working on a number of initiatives for further development

p.4

Grade: 2

such as, the new computerised assessment and pupil tracking system. All the areas identified for improvement at the last inspection have been tackled. Good use is made of challenging 4 of 9 Inspection Report: West Butterwick CofE Primary School, 19 June 2008 targets to accelerate progress and raise achievement, especially for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities who make good progress. Governance is good and the governing body provides consistent and meaningful support to the headteacher and the senior leadership team. The vast majority of parents are very supportive of the school as reflected in the questionnaire comment, ‘my child likes school and is making good progress’. The school provides good value for money and demonstrates a good capacity for further improvement.

p.4

Grade: 2

Children enter the Foundation Stage with skills typical for their age. They make good progress, despite the difficulties of the split site. There is a wide range of activities for them to choose and some which are planned and directed by adults to meet particular learning needs. The children settle well, develop independence and learn how to co-operate with each other. Despite making good progress overall, occasionally the outdoor facilities are not used as well as they might to promote and extend different aspects of children’s learning. Regular and accurate measurement of children’s progress is a good feature and the information is used well to plan activities that best meet the needs of individual children. The staff work hard to overcome the difficulties of children being on different sites and there is a very effective transition between the two learning environments. By the time children leave the Foundation Stage most have

p.5

Grade: 2

met or exceeded the expectations for their age.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ Provide greater challenge for higher attaining pupils, particularly in writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1. ■ Improve the outdoor provision in the Foundation Stage so that children have more opportunities to extend their learning to the outside. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: West Butterwick CofE Primary School, 19 June 2008 .

p.5

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. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: West Butterwick CofE Primary School, 19 June 2008

p.6

Inspection judgements

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

p.7

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.7

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

p.7

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

p.7

and interests of learners?

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

p.7

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. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: West Butterwick CofE Primary School, 19 June 2008

p.7

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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: West Butterwick CofE Primary School, 19 June 2008

p.8

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

20 June 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of West Butterwick CofE Primary School, North Lincolnshire, DN17 3LB Thank you all so much for the very warm and friendly welcome I received during my recent inspection of your lovely school. You certainly enjoy your learning and play activities, and your friendship with other children and with your teachers and other staff is excellent. Your attitudes and behaviour in a whole school assembly were wonderful to see and your singing was very good. I think that your school is good with some outstanding features and one of these is your own personal development. You show an eager willingness to learn and you are clearly making good progress. You also told me that you are very happy in school and that you feel safe and secure. You are proud of the excellent work of your school council and you enjoy the many outside visits arranged by your school to extend your learning opportunities.

p.9

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I feel that there are two main areas where the school can help you even more with your learning and enjoyment:

p.9

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ for some pupils in Years 1 and 2 to receive more help with their learning in writing and mathematics ■ for the school to provide more opportunities for Nursery and Reception children to play and learn outside. Thank you again for making my visit to your school so enjoyable. Tony Anderson Lead inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: West Butterwick CofE Primary School, 19 June 2008

p.9