Alburgh with Denton Church of England Primary School

Alburgh with Denton CofE Primary School Inspection report

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121025 Unique Reference Number NORFOLK LA Local Authority 313843 Inspection number 12 °13 March 2008 Inspection dates Jill Bavin 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 88 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Claire Valori Chair Mr Ben Moulton Headteacher 16 September 2002 Date of previous school inspection School Road School address Alburgh Harleston Norfolk IP20 0BW 01986 788678 Telephone number 01986 788678 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 12 °13 March 2008 Inspection dates 313843 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

This is a much smaller than average primary school, serving a very rural area. At the time of the previous inspection it was a small first school. It has been a primary school for three years. All pupils are of White British background. Far fewer pupils than usual are eligible for free school meals. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties is a little higher than average. Children most commonly join the school with the skills, knowledge and understanding expected for their age. The current headteacher was appointed 18 months ago when only one group of Year 6 pupils had left the school. His appointment followed an unsettled period for the school and two terms with an acting headteacher. More than half the teachers have been in the school for less than two years. No governor has served for longer than three years.

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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: Alburgh with Denton CofE Primary School, 12 °13 March 2008

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school where the pupils personal development is good. The headteacher provides good leadership and is well supported by the chair of governors. This effective leadership has resulted in several valuable initiatives. They include the introduction of regular assessments and logging the results so that staff can readily see how well each pupil is doing. Expectations of senior staff and subject leaders have increased and they make appropriate contributions to school improvement. However, they are not fully involved in analysing or using assessment information to accelerate the learning of different groups. Governance is satisfactory. Leadership and management are satisfactory and the school has a satisfactory capacity for further improvement. The quality of teaching is satisfactory and so is pupil progress throughout the school. Falling standards over the last three years, and recent examples of under-achievement in reading by

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Grade: 3

the end of Year 2, have been causing some parents understandable concern. However, these have been reversed. Current Year 2 pupils are now on track to reach average standards in reading, writing and mathematics this year. Rates of progress in Key Stage 2 are improving. Current Year 6 pupils are on track to reach just above average standards in English and science and broadly average standards in mathematics this year. This represents satisfactory achievement in English and science for these pupils given their starting points. Around a half of pupils in Year 4, who joined Year 3 as the school reorganisation began, are making good progress in English and mathematics. Good pastoral care, described by one parent as 'unsurpassed', contributes to pupils' good personal development. Pupils feel very safe in school and enjoy being there. They say 'everyone looks after each other.' Systems to keep pupils safe are robust and day-to-day care is very

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Grade: 3

good. Academic guidance is satisfactory although, reflecting the school's recent priority, teachers share precise individual targets with pupils only for writing. At this stage, the school is not using special events or specific programmes of work designed to challenge the most able pupils. The headteacher introduced a system that has successfully ensured pupils receive the curriculum they should. Work is securely planned following national guidance. This ensures that each year's work builds appropriately on the previous year and the curriculum is satisfactory. The school is using suitable programmes to support pupils with learning difficulties in English. Occasionally, however, although improving, work in other areas is not always sufficiently adapted.

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Grade: 3

Satisfactory teaching and suitable activities mean that children make steady progress during their Reception Year. Staff work well together to establish consistent routines and expectations which help children to settle quickly. This is much appreciated by parents. Staff manage children's behaviour sensitively and positively and successfully foster children's confidence and self-esteem. They have a good understanding of the value of young children's learning through their imaginations and practical experience, both in the classroom and outside. Nevertheless, on occasion, children are kept too long as a whole class and opportunities to challenge the most able children are missed. Staff have worked hard and successfully to ensure that plans cover all the required areas through interesting 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Alburgh with Denton CofE Primary School, 12 °13 March 2008 topics, such as 'patterns'. They are currently developing effective and manageable systems for

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Grade: 3

keeping a close record of each child's progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Develop further the analysis of how well pupils are doing in order to trigger intervention designed to accelerate learning. ■ Extend resources and activities specifically designed to increase challenge for the most able pupils and ensure that planning meets the needs of pupils with learning difficulties. ■ Increase pupils' access to individual targets and their involvement in assessing their own learning. ■ Ensure that senior colleagues and subject leaders play a full part in evaluating the school's work and driving improvements. A small proportion of 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 is satisfactory and improving. Pupils' abilities do vary within groups and from year to year. The 2006 and 2007 national assessments at the end of Year 2 show pupils reaching just below average standards in writing and mathematics and below average standards in reading. This indicates a recent pattern of underachievement in reading that has now been halted. National assessments for Year 6 indicate improved standards in English, mathematics and science between 2006 and 2007. This reflects improvements in class organisation and improved teaching. The oldest pupils make satisfactory progress in English and science, although previous weaknesses in teaching mean there is still some underachievement in mathematics. Children with learning difficulties make satisfactory progress given their starting points.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good. They behave well and enjoy school. Attendance is currently above the national figure. Pupils develop effective social skills. They show concern for each other, courtesy to visitors and a good level of interest in their work. They increasingly appreciate that they can make choices, including decisions about what they eat and what they do. They are more willing to embrace physical exercise than healthy eating. This reflects the school's work which has improved sports facilities before focusing as strongly on healthy foods. Pupils willingly accept responsibilities, such as being a school councillor, prefect or play leader; when given the opportunity they assess their own work seriously. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. They have a strong sense of justice and reflect on serious issues, such as voting rights for prisoners, sensibly. Many develop tolerant attitudes

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Grade: 2

and respect for diverse cultures. Their key academic skills combined with the opportunities they have to work co-operatively, provide a sound basis for their future development. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Alburgh with Denton CofE Primary School, 12 °13 March 2008

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory throughout the school. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive, so pupils are well motivated. Improvements to the curriculum mean that teachers have good subject knowledge. Teachers routinely use accurate information to modify tasks for most pupils within lessons. Teaching assistants make a positive contribution to learning, especially by supporting those who find learning difficult. The effectiveness of planning for the most able pupils varies because expectations are not consistently high enough for these pupils. Teachers are increasingly empowering pupils by sharing learning intentions, success criteria and writing targets with pupils. These strategies are already contributing to pupils' improved achievement but are still at an early stage of development.

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Grade: 3

The quality and range of learning activities are satisfactory. Curricular plans ensure a suitable balance between subjects. The improved emphasis on core skills in reading at Key Stage 1 means there is now a consistent focus on meeting pupils' basic needs throughout the school. Popular developments are the school's improved provision for information and communication technology, and sports. These are now good. For example, in addition to plenty of opportunities to use computer software to research and present work, there is an interesting and engaging interactive school website. This offers good opportunities for pupils to check and submit their homework, as well as keeping in touch with each other during the holidays. Pupils appreciate the wide variety of sports and choice of clubs on offer. Enrichment through visits and visitors is satisfactory and makes a suitable contribution to pupils' cultural development.

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Grade: 3

Pastoral care and support are good. Teachers go the extra mile to support those pupils who are most vulnerable socially and emotionally. This includes forging good links with other professionals. The impact is evident in the successful inclusion of these pupils into the life of the school. As a result of the headteacher establishing policies and procedures when he joined the school, systems for safeguarding pupils are robust. Recently improved understanding of pupils' strengths and needs is helping staff to give pupils useful, individual feedback, both verbally and through marking. Teachers have made a sound start to involving pupils in assessing their own learning but they have just touched the 'tip of the iceberg' of possibilities. Teachers are increasingly using assessment information to modify tasks for different groups of pupils, and this is now satisfactory. Time spent reviewing learning at the end of a lesson, or during the lesson, is not used consistently well to clarify who has

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Grade: 3

achieved what, and determine the next steps. The new special educational needs coordinator has made a sound start to ensuring that pupils with learning difficulties are suitably supported and that work is better adapted. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Alburgh with Denton CofE Primary School, 12 °13 March 2008

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Grade: 3

Recent improvements in the school are down to the headteacher, ably supported by the chair of governors. They have an accurate view of the school's strengths and needs. There are adequate systems for reviewing pupils' progress and setting suitably challenging targets to raise standards and improve achievement. This process, combined with improvements to teaching and the curriculum, accounts for the green shoots of improvement evident in pupils' achievement in the school. Senior staff and subject leaders have recently begun to increase their involvement in improving their subjects and so contributing to whole-school improvement. They have a satisfactory understanding of whole-school issues and how to contribute to whole-school development. The governing body has made a sound start to getting to know the school's strengths and priorities for improvement. Some are still undertaking training and so are yet to make full use

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Grade: 3

of systems to help them check how well the school is doing. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Alburgh with Denton CofE Primary School, 12 °13 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: Alburgh with Denton CofE Primary School, 12 °13 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? 3 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 3 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 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: Alburgh with Denton CofE Primary School, 12 °13 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 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Alburgh with Denton CofE Primary School, 12 °13 March 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 March 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Alburgh with Denton Church of England Primary School, Alburgh, Norfolk, IP20 0BW Thank you for being so friendly and polite when I visited your school recently. I really enjoyed meeting all of you. A special thank you goes to the children who met me in the library and showed me their work and shared their ideas. Here are some of the good things I found about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy school a lot and are good at taking care of each other.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You work hard and behave well in lessons and around the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are sensible when you have jobs to do or have positions of responsibility.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You feel safe in school and know the adults in school care about you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have plenty of opportunities to use computers and digital cameras.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ There are lots of sporting activities to help keep you fit.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Mr Moulton is doing a good job of making your school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Here are the things I have asked Mr Moulton, the governors and teachers to do to make your school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ To find more activities to make sure work is always challenging for those of you who find learning quite easy. ■ To find more special work to help those of you who find learning quite difficult.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ To use targets, like your targets for writing, in more subjects; and to give you more ways of sharing how you feel you are doing. ■ To make sure that all the teachers help Mr Moulton check how well you are doing and come up with ideas about how to help you even more. Thank you again for being so welcoming. I wish you every success in the future. Jill Bavin Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Alburgh with Denton CofE Primary School, 12 °13 March 2008

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