Fawkham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Fawkham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Inspection report

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118592 Unique Reference Number Kent Local Authority 313005 Inspection number 2 July 2008 Inspection date Timothy Feast 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 105 School The governing body Appropriate authority Fay Parkin Chair Dorinda Perry Headteacher 21 June 2004 Date of previous school inspection Valley Road School address Fawkham Longfield DA3 8NA 01474 702312 Telephone number 01474 709594 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 2 July 2008 Inspection date 313005 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

This is a small school that serves the village of Fawkham, surrounding villages and nearby towns. Numbers in each year group are small and the results of a single pupil in national tests can have a significant impact on the school's overall results. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD) is below average. Since the previous inspection, there have been several changes of teaching staff, including the headteacher and deputy headteacher.

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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: Fawkham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2 July 2008

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Grade: 2

Fawkham Primary is a good school, where children develop well, both academically and personally. The school's capacity to improve further is good, because school leaders and governors know from their thorough and accurate self-evaluation what needs to be done. The headteacher provides clear direction with a relentless focus on raising standards Children make a good start in the Reception Year and standards at the end of the year are above those expected nationally. Standards in English, mathematics and science for the current Year 6 are above those found nationally. Pupils in Year 6 have made good progress towards meeting their challenging targets, particularly in science. Achievement is good, with the rate of progress accelerating this year in all classes, although there is some variation in pupils' progress. It is often better in English than in mathematics. Teacher assessments show that the current Year 2 pupils have made good progress this year, particularly in writing, and standards

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Grade: 2

are above the national average. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good, as a result of the good care, guidance and support they receive. Pupils are very happy and really enjoy coming to school. As a result, their attendance is outstanding, being significantly above national figures. They are particularly pleased with the range of facilities the school has to offer and which, through the school council, they have been involved in helping to develop. Behaviour is good. Pupils feel safe in school and say that they can always find someone to give them help and support. Pastoral care in the school is outstanding. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Relationships between staff and pupils are very good. There is good use of specialist teaching in areas such as science, music and modern foreign languages. Teachers plan well to meet the challenge posed by teaching mixed age classes. Work is marked regularly and praise given. However, guidance given in the marking is

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Grade: 2

not always good enough to enable pupils to know what they need to do to improve. The curriculum is broad and enriched well with clubs, sporting and cultural activities and a wide range of visits. The school has developed its tracking systems this year and pupils know their academic targets well. Teachers do not always make enough use of what pupils know and can do to secure good progress towards the next steps in learning. Leadership and management are good. Leaders have had a good impact on improving attainment in science and writing this year. School leaders have introduced a number of new systems, for example to track pupils' progress, but this information is not yet being used equally well in all subjects. The school's leaders have been successful in driving up standards without losing the breadth of curriculum opportunities and the strong focus on personal development that parents and pupils value highly.

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage. Attainment on entry to the Reception class is broadly in line with expectations. When they leave the Reception class, children's skills are above those found nationally. Progress is particularly good in reading, calculation and writing and in aspects of personal development. An exciting but purposeful learning environment is being created in which children respond very well to well-ordered routines. The curriculum 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Fawkham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2 July 2008 is good at meeting the needs of the children. Teaching is well planned and makes good use of the facilities, both inside and outside the classroom.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the use of assessment information to ensure that pupils make progress at a consistently rapid rate in all subjects. ■ Improve the quality of marking so that pupils are given good guidance on what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

Standards in the Year 6 national tests in 2007 improved in English and mathematics, but declined in science to bring the results down to being broadly average overall. Current Year 6 pupils have maintained attainment above that expected nationally in English and mathematics and have improved significantly in science so that their current attainment in this subject is above national expectations. This represents good achievement for these pupils and good progress towards exceeding the challenging targets set by the school. Standards in science have risen this year because of the adoption of a new scheme of work, the use of a specialist teacher in Years 3 to 6 and access to a range of new resources that have raised pupils' enthusiasm for the subject. The standards achieved in Year 2 tests in 2007 were above the national average in reading and mathematics, but broadly in line in writing. Results in reading improved greatly. Current Year

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Grade: 2

2 pupils have made outstanding progress in writing this year primarily as a result of the adoption of the new national literacy framework. Their current attainment is above that expected nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. This represents good achievement for these pupils. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress in all years.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and is a strength of the school. Pupils respond very well to the wide range of opportunities presented to them, for example to participate in local music festivals. Pupils are welcoming, friendly and polite and they say they feel safe and know how to take good care of each other. They have very positive attitudes to work and to the school's facilities and take on responsibility well, for example, helping younger pupils at meal times. Pupils are confident and articulate. In discussion, pupils demonstrated a good understanding of healthy living. The school council provides a good vehicle for pupils to gain experience of decision making, for example in helping to improve the toilet facilities. The pupils contribute well to the life of the church and the local village and their fundraising work has an international flavour. The good progress pupils make in both their personal and academic

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Grade: 2

skills prepares them well for the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 2

Lessons are well planned and proceed at a good pace. Teachers make effective use of competitive activities such as speed races for basic calculation skills to get lessons off to a good start. Good 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Fawkham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2 July 2008 use is made of interactive whiteboards to promote pupils' interests and increase their involvement in what they are learning. Pupils respond well to teachers' probing questioning, and teaching assistants are well deployed to support pupils' learning. Teachers' planning takes good account of the mixed age classes so that progress in all classes is good. Teachers make particularly good use of assessment information in English to plan the next steps of learning. This has helped to accelerate the progress in writing this year. Assessments are not yet used as effectively in mathematics and science. Marking of pupils' work is regular and celebrates

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Grade: 2

success but does not always provide clear guidance for improvement.

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Grade: 2

Pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum which meets their needs well and which results in them making good progress. The curriculum makes full use of the opportunities to be found, both on the school site and wider afield, to make learning enjoyable. As one parent put it, 'They go into school with a smile and come out with one.' There is good provision for pupils to develop information and communication technology (ICT) skills, to learn a modern foreign language, and to develop their musical talents. The science curriculum has been improved and the school has rightly identified the need for further practical work in the subject. Homework is routinely set and marked and enhances pupils' learning well. Pupils and parents value the range of clubs and special events, one parent commenting that 'the range of extra-curricular activities available was pleasantly surprising.'

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Grade: 2

Care for individual pupils is a particular strength, enabling them to make good progress in their personal development. One parent commented, 'The staff are most helpful, supportive and very caring and have one's child's interests in mind at all times.' The effective pastoral support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities enables them to make good progress and they are well included in all that the school offers. New pupils and their parents comment on how well they settle and quickly adapt to new school routines and expectations. The school's arrangements for safeguarding children meet requirements. Good health and safety routines and risk assessments are in place. New target-setting and tracking procedures have been introduced throughout the school. Nearly all pupils are clear about their personal targets and how well they are doing, but some are not so sure what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher has established a new staff team that works well together and is focused on raising standards and improving achievement. School leaders have a good vision for the school, evident in the development of an inspirational learning environment, achieved through effective use of the budget. The headteacher, with good support from subject leaders, has taken effective action this year to raise attainment in science and in writing. Attendance has improved this year from a figure already well above the national average. The school has successfully recruited staff that offer a good range of expertise. Governors are very supportive of the school and are developing good strategies to check on the quality of the school's work. The school works well in partnership with other schools and local agencies to enhance provision. For example, students 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Fawkham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2 July 2008

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Grade: 2

from the University of Greenwich contributed to the development of the high quality outdoor learning environment for the Reception class. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Fawkham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2 July 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: Fawkham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2 July 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?

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 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 2 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?

2 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: Fawkham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2 July 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Fawkham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2 July 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

7 July 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Fawkham Church of England Primary School, Fawkham DA3 8NA Thank you for helping us with the inspection and making us feel so welcome in your school. We enjoyed talking with you and finding out how much you like school and all that it has to offer you. We think your school gives you a good education. You are making good progress with your studies, particularly this year with your writing and with your work in science. To help you keep up this good progress, we have asked the school to make more use of information from tests and assessments to help you to improve. You told us that you really enjoy coming to school and this is obvious from your outstanding attendance. You told us you liked all the clubs, sports and visits that you do while you are at Fawkham. Your behaviour and attitudes in class and around the school are good. You like being given opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as looking after younger children at

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

lunchtime, and you respond really well. You told us you feel safe and happy, and about all the things you do to have a healthy life. You are prepared well for secondary school. Adults take very good care of you and you told us there was always someone to talk to if you had a problem. You were able to tell us what your targets are and how well you are doing. We have asked your school to make sure that when your work is marked it is clearly explained to you what you need to do next to improve. We are sure that you will continue to enjoy your time at Fawkham. We wish you all success and happiness this year and in the future. With best wishes Tim Feast Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Fawkham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2 July 2008

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