Quadring Cowley & Brown's Primary School

The Quadring Cowley and Brown's Primary School Inspection report

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120552 Unique Reference Number LINCOLNSHIRE LA Local Authority 313667 Inspection number 17 °18 March 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.

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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 109 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Melanie Prince Chair Mrs Nicola Wilkinson Headteacher 21 May 2002 Date of previous school inspection Church End School address Donington Spalding Lincolnshire PE11 4SQ 01775 820302 Telephone number 01775 820302 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 17 °18 March 2008 Inspection dates 313667 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 Quadring. Although most of the children live locally, an increasing number come from further afield. Almost all pupils are of White British backgrounds and all come from homes where English is the first language. Attainment on entry to the school is broadly average, although each intake reflects a wide range of ability. The range of socio-economic circumstances is broad. The proportion of children who find learning difficult is below that of most schools. The headteacher was appointed from within the staff to serve as acting headteacher in January 2007. The period of acting headship was later extended until she was appointed the substantive headteacher immediately prior to the inspection. Two of the four classes are taught by newly qualified teachers.

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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: The Quadring Cowley and Brown's Primary School, 17 °18 March 2008

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory education for its pupils. Senior staff accurately evaluate its performance. It has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection and has sound capacity to improve further. The headteacher has successfully guided the school through an unsettled period of staffing difficulties and marked fluctuation in standards. She remains resolutely determined to bring about improvement and this is now evident in pupils' work. Current standards in English and mathematics in Year 6 are above average and show significant improvement on those of 2007. Throughout this unsettled period, the headteacher has built the confidence of most parents and of the local community. One appreciative parent, whose views are echoed by many others, commented, 'We have been very pleased with the changes made by the new headteacher.' Standards in Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics have risen since 2005. Children get a

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Grade: 3

good start to learning in the Reception class and the teaching in Years 1 and 2 successfully builds on this. Current standards are broadly average in Key Stage 1. Achievement in Key Stage 2 has been less consistent because of a lack of formal assessment to gauge pupils' progress. There has been insufficient emphasis on matching work to the needs of pupils of different abilities and this has led to some underachievement. Standards in Year 6 are now above average because teachers match work more accurately to each pupil's level of ability. Achievement in science is more secure because an emphasis on practical work is challenging pupils' thinking. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. They greatly enjoy coming to school and attendance rates are above average. Staff respect and value the pupils, who, consequently, develop self-confidence, self-esteem and self-discipline. Pupils' behaviour is outstanding. They

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Grade: 3

know how to keep themselves safe. They respond well to the school's initiatives to encourage them to adopt healthy lifestyles, particularly by taking part in sport and eating a balanced diet. They work hard and play well together. Pupils willingly take on extra responsibilities, for example as members of the school council. They make a good contribution to village life, particularly through links with the church. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, with clear examples of good practice in every class. The senior leadership team is carefully developing the quality of education, and the new teaching team is being nurtured to grow into an effective force. The curriculum is good, with exciting opportunities to motivate the pupils. Procedures to track pupils' progress closely are in their infancy. However, the use of assessment to guide teachers' planning of lessons is beginning to improve pupils' rates of learning and provide appropriate challenge for all, although

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Grade: 3

the school recognises there is still more to do yet. The provision for care and guidance is satisfactory. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The newly appointed headteacher and her senior colleague are a strong team and have a clear vision to bring about further improvement. The leadership skills of newly appointed staff are not yet fully developed. The governors lack clarity in their roles and responsibilities, and lack a coherent approach to leading and supporting the school. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: The Quadring Cowley and Brown's Primary School, 17 °18 March 2008

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Grade: 2

The Foundation Stage is well led and managed. Children make good progress, particularly in their personal and social development and in their communication skills. This is because the school has forged good relationships with parents and is very successful in enabling the children to settle quickly into routines. The school places great emphasis on reading, writing and the development of the children's speaking and listening skills. Staff explain class activities in words the children readily understand, and use questions effectively to ensure they do so. The good ratio of adults to children ensures that those in most need feel secure, and all benefit from timely individual attention. Staff work well as a team and the curriculum provides a clear structure for learning. The quality of teaching is good. Most children attain above national expectations by the time they move into Year 1 from the careful nurturing they receive.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise achievement by improving the quality of teaching and learning and the rigorous use of assessment to ensure that all learners are well challenged. ■ Clarify governors' roles and responsibilities so that they can make informed decisions and take responsibility for the school's strategic development. ■ Enhance the leadership skills of newly appointed members of staff.

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What the school should do to improve further

A small proportion of schools whose overall effectiveness is judged to be 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

In Key Stage 1, pupils make satisfactory progress. Current standards in reading, writing and mathematics are average. Standards in English and mathematics in Year 6 are above average. These are in line with these pupils' starting points and represent satisfactory progress. Standards are rising again in Years 3 to 6 because the school is improving its assessment procedures and the work set is beginning to challenge higher attaining pupils. Ambitious targets have been set for the oldest pupils and they are clear about how to reach them. Pupils with learning difficulties receive sensitive support, which enables them to make progress in line with that of others. Boys and girls achieve equally, following a period of some underachievement. Written work is improving because pupils are encouraged to write in different styles. Standards in science are rising because pupils now benefit from practical investigations. Standards in

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Grade: 3

information and communication technology (ICT) are satisfactory.

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Grade: 2

Behaviour is outstanding. Pupils report that incidents of poor behaviour are very rare and they trust staff to deal with any problems. Attendance rates are good and pupils arrive punctually. They are polite and courteous and the large majority willingly participates in extra-curricular activities. Relationships are warm. Pupils develop a secure understanding of how to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Pupils value the care shown to them and feel increasingly involved in making decisions. They make a meaningful contribution to the school community in regular meetings of the school council. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They have 5 of 11 Inspection Report: The Quadring Cowley and Brown's Primary School, 17 °18 March 2008 a good understanding of their own rural traditions and a growing awareness of cultural diversity in contemporary society. By the time they leave, most pupils have acquired secure social and

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Grade: 2

academic skills to assist their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall, with some that is good, particularly for the oldest and youngest children. Relationships are good and help to promote enjoyment and positive attitudes to learning. Lesson planning is detailed with a good emphasis on practical activities designed to make pupils think. Pupils understand the purpose of their lessons. The school has developed a good system to assess the progress pupils are making. This information is not yet used consistently to help pupils improve their skills so that occasionally some make less progress than they could. Pupils enjoy learning with computers and the newly installed interactive whiteboards are used well. Teaching assistants provide valuable support, particularly for those pupils who find learning difficult.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is well structured to support learning in the mixed-age classes. There is a good focus on promoting literacy, particularly speaking and listening, and numeracy. The curriculum strongly supports pupils' personal development with many valuable opportunities to build pupils' confidence and promote their well-being. The exciting range of activities offered to pupils encourages them to develop their thinking skills and to learn through practical investigations. A key strength of the curriculum is its strong roots in the school's rural traditions and links with the local community. A further strength is the programme of well-chosen visits, visiting speakers and the range of activities beyond the school day. Although the curriculum provides many opportunities for investigative work, particularly in science, there is scope for the further development of ICT to support learning in different subjects.

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Grade: 3

Pastoral support for pupils is good. Parents and pupils appreciate the efforts made to ensure that all feel safe, secure and valued. Procedures for health and safety and risk assessment are secure. Child protection procedures are known and followed by all staff. Pupils are happy in school, and know there is always someone they can turn to if they are in any difficulty. Recent strategies to improve pupils' behaviour and attitudes, such as the introduction of a house system and team points, are very effective and contribute to pupils' good personal development. The school's assessment procedures are satisfactory. There are appropriate procedures to track pupils' progress, but the information is not yet used consistently to match work to pupils' differing abilities, particularly those of the more able. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: The Quadring Cowley and Brown's Primary School, 17 °18 March 2008

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Grade: 3

The headteacher has forged a strong partnership with the senior teacher and remains determined to improve the quality of education despite staffing difficulties. Standards are improving because of increasing rigour in monitoring pupils' progress. The headteacher knows the school well. She is successfully building an effective team committed to improvement. The school's priorities are clear and appropriate. Staff are developing their roles and responsibilities satisfactorily in evaluating achievement, but there remains much to be done in developing the roles of full and part-time members of staff and making them fully accountable. Although the governing body is properly representative of the community, it is deeply divided and individual governors lack understanding of their roles and responsibilities. This limits their effectiveness to support the school and ensure the well-being of pupils. The governing body

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Grade: 3

lacks understanding of the school's performance, relying upon the headteacher's clarity of understanding. Consequently, the strategic direction given by governors is inadequate. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: The Quadring Cowley and Brown's Primary School, 17 °18 March 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: The Quadring Cowley and Brown's Primary School, 17 °18 March 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 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

3 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 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 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

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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: The Quadring Cowley and Brown's Primary School, 17 °18 March 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 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: The Quadring Cowley and Brown's Primary School, 17 °18 March 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

19 March 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Quadring Brown's and Cowley Primary School, Spalding I really enjoyed my visit to your school because everybody was so polite, helpful and friendly. I was very pleased to be able to work with you in your classrooms, join in your assemblies and listen to your comments about Quadring. I am sorry that I missed your Science Day. I can understand why you enjoy your school so much 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

■ Everyone understands the school rules and your behaviour is excellent.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Everyone tries to be friendly, thoughtful and helpful - so well done!

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are trying very hard with your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The staff care for you well and the teachers are making lessons more interesting.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ There is a wide range of activities and visits to help you enjoy learning.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Even though there are many good things about your school, your headteacher is constantly thinking about how it could be even better. Some things can be improved.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Teachers should set work at the right level for each one of you so that everyone can achieve more. ■ The governors should work better together to help the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ I want your headteacher to help all the staff become as good a leader as she is herself.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I would like to wish you all the very best for the future. Yours sincerely Keith Edwards Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: The Quadring Cowley and Brown's Primary School, 17 °18 March 2008

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