Kelsey Primary School

120469 Unique Reference Number Lincolnshire Local Authority 313629 Inspection number 25–26 September 2008 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. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 78 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Dr Alan Tennant Chair Mr Mark Burton Headteacher 22 November 2004 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Chapel Street School address North Kelsey Lincoln Lincolnshire LN7 6EJ 01652678387 Telephone number 01652678559 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 25–26 September 2008 Inspection dates 313629 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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Kelsey Primary School, 25–26 September 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This small primary school serves the rural community of North and South Kelsey. The number on roll has declined since the last inspection. The school has Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision in the Reception class. Almost all of the pupils are from White British backgrounds and all come from homes where English is the first language. Although there is a wide range of ability in each class, children often start school with speech and language skills that are below expectations. Pupils are taught in mixed-age classes. The proportion of pupils entitled to a free school meal is below average.

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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: Kelsey Primary School, 25–26 September 2008

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory education within the context of a caring environment. It is improving all the time and parents are growing in confidence with the school's work under the careful stewardship of the headteacher. The school's capacity for future improvement is good because the headteacher makes a good analysis of the school's strengths and weaknesses that leads to effective action. A typical parental comment was, 'We hope that the school will go from strength to strength after a few challenging years.' Standards are broadly average and recent assessment results show encouraging signs of improvement. In both key stages, reading and mathematics remain a relative strength but pupils could do better with their writing. 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

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Grade: 3

the satisfactory teaching in Years 1 and 2 successfully builds on this. Pupils continue to make satisfactory gains in their learning in Key Stage 2 because the quality of teaching is sound and the curriculum has been carefully structured to motivate the pupils. Mathematics is the most improved subject because staff have refined the way that it is taught after a series of disappointing results. Teachers maintain good levels of discipline within the classrooms and use new technology well to support learning. However, not enough lessons generate an excitement for learning, particularly for the higher attaining pupils. Furthermore, the quality of teacher's marking lacks consistency and so pupils do not always have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. This is particularly evident in pupils' writing. Pupils' personal development is good. Staff provide good role models and are particularly successful in settling new children into school routines. Kelsey provides a safe and secure

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Grade: 3

environment where pupils feel valued, and trusting relationships are nurtured. The ethos and range of opportunities available supports personal development well and keeps pupils interested. As a result, they enjoy school and attendance rates are well above average. Pupils behave well and they are committed to achieving their best. This good attitude is mirrored in a much improved and trusting partnership with parents. Pupils develop a good understanding of how to adopt a healthy lifestyle and have a good grasp of local transport issues. They make a meaningful contribution to the school community in regular meetings of the school council. They have a good understanding of their own rural traditions and a growing awareness of cultural diversity in contemporary society. The school's involvement in its community helps to bring it together in positive ways. By the time they leave, most pupils have acquired good social

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Grade: 3

and sound academic skills to assist their future economic well-being. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The headteacher, with a clear focus on standards, is the catalyst for school improvement. He has forged a strong partnership with the senior teacher and is developing accountability amongst all staff. The priorities detailed in the school improvement plan, based on a clear evaluation of its contribution to the broader community, are entirely appropriate. The quality of governance is good and governors have both the skills and strategies to gauge the school's effectiveness and to measure its performance.

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Grade: 2

The EYFS is well led and organised. The welcoming staff work well together as a team to ensure children are quickly settled into a caring and supportive environment. Children play happily 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Kelsey Primary School, 25–26 September 2008 alongside each other and enjoy a wide variety of activities, both inside, and, to a lesser extent, outdoors. Although the outdoor area is directly accessible from the classroom, further work is required to provide for the full range of the curriculum. The quality of teaching is good and promotes the children's growing independence and social skills well. Learning is fun. Activities are exciting and challenging, ensuring a good balance between independent and adult-led learning. Systems for recording children's attainments and tracking progress are effective. Information is used accurately to ensure children engage in activities that are well matched to

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Grade: 2

their abilities and needs. Good links have been established with parents. Consequently children make good progress towards meeting the age-related expectations for their year group and are well prepared for further learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Develop the quality of teaching and learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Plan more effectively to raise achievement in writing, particularly for the higher attaining pupils, 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 EYFS and, reach standards that are edging 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 and mathematics. However, very few pupils achieve the higher standards in writing. Standards in Year 6 are broadly average in English, mathematics and science. Again, standards in reading are stronger than in writing. This is because pupils have too few opportunities to practise their writing across the curriculum and are let down by a lack of accuracy in spelling and presentation that is not consistently monitored by staff. Standards in mathematics have risen because the school has modified its approach and provided good opportunities for pupils to apply their skills in a range of contexts.

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Grade: 3

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 a strong emphasis on enabling pupils to understand a range of cultures and faiths from around the world that has excited and motivated them to find out more. They care for each other, mix well and take their responsibilities seriously. Through activities instigated by the school council, pupils successfully raise money for school equipment and work very well in groups for a range of charities. Pupils' academic progress combined with their well-developed social skills provide a secure base for the next stage of their education. Practical, investigative events such as a recent 'Enterprise Day' have given them an insight into the world of work. Pupils behave well. They report that incidents of poor behaviour are rare and they trust the staff to deal with any problems that might occur. Attendance rates are outstanding because the school has worked hard with

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Grade: 2

families to stress the importance of regular attendance. Pupils arrive punctually. They are polite 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Kelsey Primary School, 25–26 September 2008 and courteous. The uptake on an impressive range of out-of-school activities is high. A strong personal, social and health education programme supports the strong relationships and enables pupils to develop a secure understanding of healthy lifestyles.

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Grade: 3

Lessons are at least satisfactory, and teaching and learning in the Reception class are often good. Relationships between teachers, teaching assistants and pupils are good and help to promote positive attitudes to learning and good discipline. Although the school has yet to adopt a common format for planning, lesson planning is detailed and pupils understand the purpose of their lessons and what is expected of them. However, on occasions, the work given does not offer the right degree of challenge to pupils, particularly the higher-attaining ones, and opportunities to learn more are lost. This results in pupils making less progress than they should. The quality of marking is variable across the school. At its best, it gives pupils clear guidance on what they should do to improve their work, but at times it merely consists of brief comments or ticks. New technology is used well by teachers, particularly in the class for the

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Grade: 3

older pupils where the computer suite is used frequently to support learning in different subjects.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is structured effectively to support learning in the mixed-age classes. There is an appropriate focus on literacy and numeracy. ICT is used effectively to promote learning across a range of subjects. The curriculum strongly encourages the pupils' personal development with many valuable opportunities to promote their well-being. A key strength of the curriculum are the strong roots in the school's rural traditions and the links with the community. A further strength is the programme of well-chosen visits, visiting speakers and the range of activities beyond the school day that are much appreciated and supported by pupils.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are cared for well. Arrangements for safeguarding children meet current requirements and all staff are aware of the child protection procedures and what they should do if they have concerns over any child. Risk assessments are undertaken effectively for all activities. Pupils report that they feel safe in school and they are confident that should they have a problem there is always an adult who will treat their concerns seriously and deal with the issue effectively. Pupils' academic guidance is developing well and is now good. The staff undertake systematic assessments of pupils' progress and the results are used to set targets and to plan work for different groups of pupils within each class. However, although this leads to work that is well matched to those pupils who find learning difficult, this does not always lead to appropriate challenge for the higher attaining pupils. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Kelsey Primary School, 25–26 September 2008

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Grade: 3

The headteacher has resolutely set about bringing about an upturn in school performance after a period of underachievement. Good links have been forged with other agencies and schools to ensure a smooth transfer for children at the ages of 4 and 11. Parental confidence in the school's capacity to continue to improve is strong. Standards are improving because the curriculum has been developed to motivate pupils and there is greater rigour in monitoring pupils' progress. The headteacher knows his school well and the school's priorities are clear and appropriate. He is successfully building an effective team that is committed to improvement and recognises that issues related to the quality of teaching and learning are key priorities. Staff are developing their roles and responsibilities satisfactorily in evaluating achievement, but there remains much to be done in ensuring all members of staff are fully accountable.

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Grade: 3

Governors provide good support. They have a good awareness of school performance and are closely involved in its strategic development. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Kelsey Primary School, 25–26 September 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: Kelsey Primary School, 25–26 September 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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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 capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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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/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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: Kelsey Primary School, 25–26 September 2008

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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 The extent to which 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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: Kelsey Primary School, 25–26 September 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

28 September 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Kelsey Primary School, Lincolnshire, LN7 6EJ I really enjoyed my recent visit to your school because everybody was so helpful and friendly. I particularly enjoyed my discussions with you and hearing your views. It was also delightful to be able to work with you in your classrooms, take part in your assemblies, meet members of the school council and see you playing games outside. I can understand why you are proud of your school as there are many things that make it special. Here are some of them:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your work is improving and you reach satisfactory standards.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The work of the Reception class is of a good standard.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have a good attitude towards your work and you behave well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school is very mindful of the need to keep you safe and happy.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school provides a wide range of activities to keep you interested.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Mr Burton is determined to make sure the school gets better and better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make good use of computers to help you with your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You are fortunate to be able to attend such a friendly school. It is really important that you continue to work hard and make the most of the opportunities the school provides. I have found one or two matters that should help the school to become even better when they have been attended to. Firstly, there are one or two ways that I have suggested to improve the quality of lessons, particularly to help you improve your writing. Also, the school should find more ways to challenge you, especially those of you who find the work a little easy at times. I would like to wish you all the very best for the future. Keith Edwards Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Kelsey Primary School, 25–26 September 2008

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