All Saints Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Winfarthing

Winfarthing, All Saints CoE Primary School Inspection report

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121128 Unique Reference Number NORFOLK LA Local Authority 313887 Inspection number 21 °22 February 2008 Inspection dates Colin Henderson 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 aided School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 93 School The governing body Appropriate authority Rev David Mills Chair Mrs Louise Norgate Headteacher 2 July 2002 Date of previous school inspection Mill Road School address Winfarthing Diss Norfolk IP22 2DZ 01379642767 Telephone number 01379642767 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 21 °22 February 2008 Inspection dates 313887 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

Pupils come from the local village and other villages in the surrounding area. All speak English as their first language. The numbers of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities and those with statements of educational need are above the national average. The attainment of children who start in Class 1 varies from year-to-year, although it broadly meets national expectations.

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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: Winfarthing, All Saints CoE Primary School, 21 °22 February 2008

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Grade: 3

Following a period in which standards of attainment dipped, this school is now improving. It provides a satisfactory education for its pupils. Parents value highly the very good personal care and support given to pupils. Many sang the school's praises because of its family atmosphere, the approachability of the headteacher and her staff and its Christian ethos. One commented, 'I am very pleased that my children attend this school.' Staff know the pupils well and the caring, supportive approach is clearly reflected in the way that the older pupils look after the younger ones. Current academic performance is satisfactory. It is improving because of pupils' desire to learn, some good teaching and increasingly effective support for individuals and groups of pupils. As a result, pupils achieve satisfactorily overall and attain average standards. The school has developed a more rigorous focus on improving weaknesses in pupils' writing that is beginning

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Grade: 3

to increase their skills. Detailed tracking procedures have been introduced that identify pupils who are not on target to attain their expected level by the end of the year. Support is then specifically given to help these pupils get back on track. The leadership of the new headteacher provides a strong impetus to improving the school that is reflected in the positive comments by many parents such as, 'The school has improved enormously since her arrival!' She sets a clear and purposeful direction, focused strongly on raising standards. With effective support from the local authority, she quickly identified concerns in the quality of teaching and learning and worked hard to improve them. They are now satisfactory overall. There is some good teaching, although teachers' expectations of what pupils achieve in lessons are still not consistently high enough. They do not always ensure that the pace of lessons is challenging enough. As a result, pupils do not consistently achieve as

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Grade: 3

well as they should. Pupils' personal development is good. They enjoy school and listen attentively in lessons. Their behaviour is outstanding. They have an excellent understanding of healthy and safe lifestyles and participate enthusiastically in a good curriculum that is enhanced by a broad range of sporting activities. Year 6 pupils take on responsibilities willingly to help the school and wider communities; for example, by looking after the composting and paper bins. Teaching provides good opportunities for pupils to share ideas and help each other to improve their work, for example, through 'Two stars and a wish'. Teachers are also beginning to use learning targets and marking effectively to let pupils know how they can make their work better, although this is not yet established consistently. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher has increased the opportunities for other key staff to improve their understanding of how well the pupils are doing and to focus

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Grade: 3

on what needs improving in their areas of responsibility. However, because of staffing changes, this is still in the early stages of development and is not sufficiently established to enable leadership and management to be fully effective. Governors are well informed about how the school is doing and they are increasingly involved in working with the school to check on the education it provides. The school is adequately placed to address pupils' academic performance more effectively. The school informs parents fully about how well their children are doing; for example through an extra parents' evening and 'fantastic newsletters.' Parents are encouraged to support their children's learning and this contributes positively to their achievement. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Winfarthing, All Saints CoE Primary School, 21 °22 February 2008

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Grade: 3

Children settle happily and make satisfactory progress overall. This helps them to meet the goals expected by the time they move into Year 1. A more consistent focus on children's early reading and writing is improving standards and some are likely to exceed expected levels in their language and literacy skills. Their achievement early in the school year was affected by the school's own assessment data not always being as secure as it could have been although the headteacher worked hard to improve this. Children's progress more recently has been good because of a well-organised and challenging programme of learning activities. Staff provide a strong focus in morning sessions on improving children's basic skills. For example, good teaching of phonics and children's frequent use of the 'writing table' is helping them to make good progress in their reading and early writing skills. The afternoon programme provides a broader

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Grade: 3

range of activities covering all areas of learning, although limited facilities restrict opportunities for children to enhance their learning outdoors. The successful use of an 'Activity Board' helps both staff and children to check carefully that all learners are fully involved in the full range of activities. Teaching and support staff are beginning to use ongoing assessment effectively to monitor and record each child's progress closely and inform future teaching.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve pupils' achievement by raising teachers' expectations to a consistently high level in each class. ■ Increase the involvement of other key staff in checking how well pupils are achieving and in identifying areas for school improvement. ■ Further improve procedures that help pupils know how well they are achieving and what they need to do next to raise the standard of their work. 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

Pupils' achievement is satisfactory overall. It is good in some lessons where teaching is good, although this is not consistently effective to ensure that pupils progress well throughout the school. Although test results vary as the numbers of pupils in each year are small, standards at both Year 2 and Year 6 have dipped over the last three years to below average levels. Assessments show that current standards are improving and the number of pupils attaining above average standards is increasing, for example in writing, as teachers begin to use new practices more effectively. Experienced and knowledgeable support staff help pupils who find learning difficult to make good progress towards their specific targets. For example, those with multiple learning difficulties are included successfully in most learning activities and these are adjusted where appropriate to meet their differing needs.

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Grade: 2

The school's caring, Christian approach is reflected in the high priority given to pupils' personal development, which is good. This helps them to enjoy school, get on very well together and 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Winfarthing, All Saints CoE Primary School, 21 °22 February 2008 contribute effectively to the school and wider communities, for example through strong links with the local church. School councillors talk proudly about their work and contribute well by organising various fund-raising events and helping those less fortunate than themselves. Pupils' behaviour in lessons and around school is excellent. Their attendance is good. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is also good. Pupils' knowledge and understanding of other cultures is promoted well through links with other schools with international status and such curriculum initiatives as 'Africa Day.' They have a detailed understanding of healthy and safe

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Grade: 2

lifestyles, as evident in the healthy lunch awards and their enthusiastic participation in a good range of sports. Pupils develop their key skills satisfactorily to prepare for the world of work.

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Grade: 3

Competent and encouraging teaching underpins the school's warm and caring atmosphere. Taking account of lesson observations, pupils' work and results and discussion with them, teaching and learning are satisfactory. It is improving because of lesson observations by the headteacher and local authority advisory staff, which give clear pointers for development that teachers are very ready to take on board. Typically, lessons are well planned and structured and teachers manage their classes effectively to ensure that pupils stay focused on their work. The pace of lessons is not always brisk enough, however, and teachers' expectations of what pupils can achieve in the lesson are not consistently high enough. This limits the achievement of pupils, especially higher attainers, in some lessons.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is relevant to pupils' needs, with a strong emphasis on developing their writing skills. New planning initiatives help pupils apply these skills in a broad range of subjects. The curriculum includes introductory programmes in Spanish, German and French linked to the work of the local high school. It is enriched well by themed days and weeks such as 'Maths Week', some interesting educational visits, and an extensive range of clubs that are enthusiastically attended, especially the after school sports clubs. The good range of activities is reflected in the school receiving Artsmark and Physical Awards, gaining a grant to extend its range of musical activities, such as African drumming, and including more drama in response to parental and pupil views. Some activities are restricted by the size of the hall and the lack of a covered outdoor area for Reception children.

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Grade: 3

The high quality personal care and support helps pupils to become increasingly self-confident and be happy in school. There are very secure systems for ensuring pupils' safety and encouraging healthy lifestyles. Pupils are confident that they can approach any adult to share any concerns that they may have. The effective support given to pupils with disabilities helps them to feel valued and included successfully in activities that are appropriate to their needs. Most pupils are aware of their targets to help them improve their work in literacy and numeracy. Many are beginning to benefit from helpful guidance from teachers through discussions and 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Winfarthing, All Saints CoE Primary School, 21 °22 February 2008 some effective marking, although these are not established consistently to ensure that all pupils know what they need to do next to raise their standards.

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Grade: 3

The good leadership of the headteacher provides the school with a clear direction to its work, which is beginning to raise standards. Shortly after taking up her post, she quickly identified weaknesses in pupils' writing and in the quality of teaching and learning. Procedures have been developed that are improving these aspects. In addition, new systems are in place to track pupils' achievements accurately and to set realistic targets for year-on-year improvement. The satisfactory procedures for checking how well the school is doing are more rigorous. Governors and other key staff are now more effectively involved in evaluating standards of teaching and learning, although this is in its early stages of development. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Winfarthing, All Saints CoE Primary School, 21 °22 February 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: Winfarthing, All Saints CoE Primary School, 21 °22 February 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 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 1 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 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: Winfarthing, All Saints CoE Primary School, 21 °22 February 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: Winfarthing, All Saints CoE Primary School, 21 °22 February 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

23 February 2008 Dear Children Inspection of Winfarthing, All Saints CoE Primary, Diss, IP22 2DZ Thank you for making me feel so welcome when I visited your school recently. I enjoyed talking to you about what you do in school, looking at your work and watching you learn. You clearly enjoy school and, together with most of your parents, you think that it is a happy and friendly school - and I agree. I was pleased to see how well you get on together. Your behaviour is excellent and this means that teachers can get on with the job of helping you to learn. It was interesting to talk to school councillors about how they are helping to improve the school and support others less fortunate than themselves. They clearly have some good ideas, especially when raising money for different charities. You told me that you enjoy your work, especially the different visits and the musical activities. I think that many of you learn well and Mrs. Norgate and her staff are working hard

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to try to help you to learn as well as possible. Many of you enjoy the good teaching in some of your lessons and I have asked your teachers to try to help you learn even better by making more of your lessons interesting and challenging. Some of you are getting a better understanding of how to improve your work and are keen to achieve your learning targets. I have asked the teachers to help all of you to understand what you need to do to improve your work. I have also asked your school to provide more opportunities for teachers who are responsible for particular subjects to see where they can help you achieve even better. Thank you again for helping me to find out about your school and I hope that you will continue to be happy and to work hard. Colin Henderson Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Winfarthing, All Saints CoE Primary School, 21 °22 February 2008

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