Osbournby Primary School

Osbournby Primary School Inspection report

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120386 Unique Reference Number LINCOLNSHIRE LA Local Authority 313599 Inspection number 1 °2 October 2007 Inspection dates Keith Edwards 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 103 School The governing body Appropriate authority Rev Charlie Robertson Chair Mrs Bridgette Burn Headteacher 4 March 2003 Date of previous school inspection London Road School address Osbournby Sleaford Lincolnshire NG34 0DG 01529455375 Telephone number 01529455375 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 1 °2 October 2007 Inspection dates 313599 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.

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Description of the school

The school serves the village of Osbournby and surrounding area. Although many pupils live locally, an increasing number are drawn from further afield. Almost all of them are of white British heritage. Attainment on entry broadly matches what is usually found for the age group. Pupil mobility is above average. The proportion entitled to a free school meal and the proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are below average. A small number of pupils have a statement of special educational need.

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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: Osbournby Primary School, 1 °2 October 2007

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory education within the context of a caring environment. Parents are growing in confidence in the school's work. A typical comment was, 'My child is very happy at school and the teachers are very friendly and approachable if there is a problem.' Standards are broadly average and recent assessment results in Key Stage 1 show encouraging signs of improvement. In both key stages, reading and mathematics are relative strengths but pupils could do better with their writing, particularly in Years 3 to 6. Apart from the occasional hiccough, standards in Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics are rising year-on-year. This is because children are given a secure start to their learning by good provision in the Reception class, and teaching in Years 1 and 2 builds on this soundly. The pupils continue to make satisfactory gains in their learning in Key Stage 2 because the quality of teaching and the curriculum are satisfactory. Teachers maintain good levels of

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Grade: 3

discipline within the classrooms and use new technology well to support learning. However, the use of assessment data to match the work set to different groups of pupils lacks rigour. Although the teachers plan well for the different activities for pupils in each lesson, they are less focused on the role of the support staff to make the most of their expertise. Pupils' personal development is good. The Reception staff are particularly successful in settling new children into school routines. The school provides a safe and secure environment where the pupils feel valued. The ethos and the range of opportunities available support personal development well and keep pupils interested. As a result, they enjoy school and attendance rates are good. Pupils behave well and they are committed to achieving their best. This good attitude is mirrored in the school's much improved and trusting partnership with parents, which

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Grade: 3

results in their children's progress being nurtured more strongly. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The school's view of itself is broadly accurate and its strategy for strengthening its effectiveness is gaining momentum. The headteacher is committed to teamwork and ensuring that all pupils benefit from high quality resourcing. The governors' contribution is satisfactory. They are beginning to hold the school to account while providing invaluable support. They recognise that greater rigour is required, particularly in the work of subject leaders, so that evaluation of learning experiences leads to heightened expectations of what pupils can achieve in each year. The school's capacity for further improvement is satisfactory. Currently, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

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Grade: 2

Children in the Reception class make good progress, particularly in their personal and social development and in communication and mathematical skills. This is because the school is very successful in enabling children to settle quickly and start learning. Furthermore, the staff place great emphasis on encouraging the children to work together across the full range of activities and on developing their speaking and listening skills. The quality of teamwork amongst the Foundation Stage staff, their effective teaching and the enriched curriculum ensure that children are well prepared for further learning. Furthermore, accurate uses of assessment and imaginative reporting of progress to parents strengthens the home/school partnership 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Osbournby Primary School, 1 °2 October 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the fluency and accuracy of writing in the junior classes.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve pupils' learning through better use of assessment data in planning activities and the more effective deployment of teaching assistants. ■ Develop the role of the subject leaders in monitoring their subjects, with a clear focus on raising standards. 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

Achievement and standards are satisfactory. Children achieve well in the Foundation Stage and reach standards that are above expected goals. This is because the quality of teaching is good and because the school makes a priority of working closely with parents. National assessments for pupils in Year 2 have shown a steady improvement in reading, writing and mathematics over recent years. Standards in Year 6 are broadly average in English and mathematics. However, standards in reading are stronger than in writing. This is because pupils have too few opportunities to practise their writing in a range of contexts and are let down by a lack of accuracy in spelling and grammar. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) have risen through improved resources and training for staff.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. There has been good progress in enabling pupils to understand a range of cultures and faiths from around the world. The pupils care for each other, mix well and take their responsibilities seriously. Through the activities of the school council, pupils successfully raise money for school equipment and work very well in groups to support charities. Pupils' academic progress combined with their well developed social skills provide a secure base for the next stage of their education. They are confident learners who work well together. The staff, with parents' support have maintained the good attendance rates that were evident at the last inspection. Pupils arrive at school punctually. Their behaviour is good around the school and in lessons. They report that incidents of poor behaviour are rare and they trust the staff to deal with any problems that

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Grade: 2

might occur. Pupils are courteous, polite and helpful. They welcome the school's recent initiatives to promote a healthy lifestyle and know how to keep safe. They enjoy the range of sporting and musical activities that the school has to offer and are pleased to contribute to the local community.

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Grade: 3

Most lessons are satisfactory, and teaching in the Reception class is often good. Lesson planning is detailed and pupils understand the purpose of their lessons and what is expected of them. However, sometimes the work given does not offer the right amount of challenge to pupils 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Osbournby Primary School, 1 °2 October 2007 and opportunities are lost to consolidate learning. This results in pupils making less progress than they should. The school has a good system to assess the progress pupils are making but this information is not used consistently to help the children to improve their skills. Relationships between teachers and pupils are good and help to promote positive attitudes to learning. New technology is used well by teachers. The teaching assistants provide valuable support for the youngest children and those pupils who find learning difficult, but often their skills are not

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory range of activities to help pupils to learn. In the Reception class, the areas of learning are well planned, enabling the children to make good gains in their communication and social skills. Throughout the school, there is good provision for the pupils' personal, social and health education. The staff provide good role models and strongly support and promote healthy eating and active lifestyles. The school's planning links subjects well, so pupils find lessons interesting. However, writing skills are insufficiently emphasised. The staff ensure that the curriculum is enriched by an appropriate range of visitors, such as weekly visits by the local priest, and by visits to places of interest.

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Grade: 3

The school provides satisfactory care, guidance and support. Pupils feel happy and secure. Arrangements to ensure their safety and well-being are in place. Children starting school are able to settle to learning quickly because of very good arrangements that prepare them well. However, the good pastoral care provided is not consistently matched by the quality of academic guidance available to pupils. While knowledgeable staff support those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities effectively, procedures to monitor the progress of other groups of pupils are not yet sharp enough. Nevertheless, improvement is under way and, where it is in place, it is helping pupils to improve their own understanding of what to do to increase rates of progress.

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Grade: 3

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. Equal opportunities for all are at the heart of the school's work and the staff function well as a team. The headteacher is steadfast in her determination to improve the quality of education and has worked hard to resolve the issues from the last inspection. Standards are beginning to improve. Although the quality of learning is uneven across the school, the headteacher has correctly identified those classes that are most successful and is beginning to provide the necessary professional guidance to improve the quality of teaching and learning. However, there remains considerable variance in expertise between staff in their leadership roles. They are developing their roles and responsibilities in evaluating achievement but there is still much to be done. The governing body is increasingly involved in strategic development and the school has now

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Grade: 3

a secure financial footing. Governors are becoming more confident of their ability to hold the school to account, particularly in terms of monitoring standards. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Osbournby Primary School, 1 °2 October 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Osbournby Primary School, 1 °2 October 2007

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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 3 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 2 The attendance of learners 2 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Osbournby Primary School, 1 °2 October 2007

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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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Osbournby Primary School, 1 °2 October 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

8 October 2007. Dear Pupils Inspection of Osbournby Primary School, Osbournby, NG34 0DG I really enjoyed my visit to your school because everybody was so helpful and friendly. I was very pleased to be able to work with you in your classrooms, join in with your assemblies and meet with the school council. I also learned a lot from your Safety Week activities. I can understand why you enjoy your school so much, as there are many things that make your school special. Here are some of them.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You clearly want to do your best to learn in lessons and are prepared to work hard.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Everybody understands the school rules and you behave well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Everybody tries to be friendly, thoughtful and helpful. Well done!

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ All of the teachers want you to enjoy school and to do well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your teachers provide a good range of activities and visits to keep you interested.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

However, of course, as in all schools, some things can be even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Firstly I know that you can do even better with your work, particularly with your writing, and I am asking your teachers to keep on trying to improve your lessons so that they are all good and you can become more skilful. ■ I also want all of the teachers to keep a more careful eye on what works well in the school and what needs further improvement. Although there is much work to be done to make your school even better, you must never forget that Mrs Burn and the staff work very hard to help you to learn and you must try to remember to thank them. I would like to wish you all the very best for the future. Yours sincerely Keith Edwards Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Osbournby Primary School, 1 °2 October 2007

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