West Haddon Endowed Church of England Primary School

West Haddon Endowed Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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122002 Unique Reference Number Northamptonshire Local Authority 314185 Inspection number 10 March 2009 Inspection date Alison Cartlidge 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 Voluntary controlled School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 161 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 Joe Vaughan Chair Jamie Nairn Headteacher 18 April 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection The Green School address West Haddon Northampton NN6 7AN 01788 510318 Telephone number

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4–11 Age group 10 March 2009 Inspection date 314185 Inspection number 01788 510318 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 10 March 2009 Inspection date 314185 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. 3 of 10 Inspection Report: West Haddon Endowed Church of England Primary School, 10 March 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors, who evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following:

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Introduction

■ provision and progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Introduction

■ how well leaders monitor and evaluate provision

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Introduction

■ the impact of pastoral care on pupils' development of healthy lifestyles.

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Introduction

Evidence was gathered from: discussions with pupils, members of staff and governors; observations of teaching and learning; views of parents; scrutiny of pupils' work and school documentation. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

Pupils come to this smaller than average primary school from the village of West Haddon and the surrounding area. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below average. The school has an above average proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Most of these pupils have specific or moderate learning difficulties. There have been several changes in teaching staff over the last two years including a new headteacher. The breakfast and after-school club run by an outside provider was not part of this inspection.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 10 Inspection Report: West Haddon Endowed Church of England Primary School, 10 March 2009

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Grade: 2

Pupils thoroughly enjoy attending this good school and achieve well. Their outstanding personal development is a tribute to the excellent pastoral care and support provided by all members of staff. Children make a good start to their education in the Reception class. In Years 1 to 6, good teaching ensures that pupils build on what they have already learnt. As a result, most pupils make good progress, and standards by the end of Year 6 are above average overall in English, mathematics and science. Standards in writing are not always as good as they could be because sometimes teachers do not expect pupils to produce their best work. The school is working well to provide more purposeful and exciting writing opportunities across the curriculum. This is already encouraging greater enthusiasm from the boys in topics such as 'Pirates', although this good practice is not consistent enough. Academic guidance is good because the school uses information on pupils' progress well to

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Grade: 2

track their progress. As a result, good additional support for pupils at risk of falling behind their peers is instigated. Extra help is available for all pupils, including the more able and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and is similarly effective. The school sets, and mostly achieves, challenging targets. During lessons, teachers involve pupils well in their learning by explaining the key teaching points clearly and referring back to them as pupils work. Consequently pupils understand why they are doing the work and are able to get on with their tasks quickly. However, teachers do not always provide clear enough guidance through their marking for pupils to know how they could improve next time. In addition, where helpful comments have been made, pupils do not always respond to them quickly enough. Pupils behave exceptionally well and are very polite and friendly. Their spiritual, moral, social

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Grade: 2

and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils' thorough understanding of the school's shared values enables them to respect the views of others and to be very kind and helpful. Pupils contribute to the community exceptionally well. They take responsibility very seriously and the school and eco councils are very proud of their achievements; for example, they identify the 'naughty' taps that drip and waste water. Pupils' exceptionally good personal development and good basic skills prepare them extremely well for the next stage of their education and later life. Teachers' enthusiasm and good humour are infectious and praise is used well to encourage pupils and help them to gain confidence. Probing questions are asked to ensure that pupils are thinking carefully, although occasionally, during whole-class discussions, opportunities are missed to involve more pupils in sharing their ideas. At these times, some pupils are not fully

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Grade: 2

involved. Teachers and teaching assistants provide good support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, enabling them to make good progress towards their individual targets. Pupils know that they can approach any member of staff if they have a worry and consequently they feel safe at school. They have a very thorough awareness of the dangers that face us in life. Procedures for safeguarding pupils are fully in place. The school works closely with external agencies, including parents, other schools and the church, to support the well-being of all of its pupils. The good curriculum provides a wealth of interesting, practical activities that help pupils to learn quickly and to achieve well; for example, pupils in Year 6 enjoyed calculating the area of tent bases as part of a topic on Kilimanjaro. Pupils' personal development is catered for exceptionally well and helps pupils to lead very safe and healthy lifestyles. For example,

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Grade: 2

5 of 10 Inspection Report: West Haddon Endowed Church of England Primary School, 10 March 2009 pupils take frequent exercise, eat healthily and know how to prepare their brains for learning. They improve their knowledge of other cultures well by celebrating festivals such as the Chinese New Year. The creative arts are promoted effectively, with a good proportion of pupils learning musical instruments and contributing towards the attractive displays of work. Good leadership and management ensure that all leaders follow the headteacher's steer on concentrating on standards. As a result, standards have risen across the school in the last two years, demonstrating the school's good capacity to improve further. Systems for self-evaluation are good, enabling leaders to pinpoint what needs to be improved next. Changes in staffing have been managed well so that pupils' progress has not been hindered. New leaders are already

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Grade: 2

having a positive impact on provision in the subjects they coordinate. Governors are supportive and knowledgeable and are aware that they could become even more proactive in the self-evaluation process. The school's contribution towards community cohesion is good. Pupils develop a good understanding of cultures other than their own. For example, pupils in Year 3 have been learning about fair trade through their project on 'Chocolate' and pupils in Year 6 have a good understanding of life in Kenya from their links with a school in this country. The school's good work avoids stereotyping. Most parents are very pleased with the work of the school. Several parents summed up the positive views of others by writing comments such as, 'the school is a happy one and is clearly improving and developing in many respects' and 'a thriving, friendly school that has a real sense of community'. These comments demonstrate what the school does particularly well.

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Grade: 2

Attainment on entry to the Reception Year varies. In 2008, most children were working within the expected levels in personal development but were working slightly below them in literacy and numeracy. Children make good progress from their differing starting points and, when they start in Year 1, standards are slightly above average overall. Good induction arrangements and very enthusiastic members of staff enable children to settle into school routines quickly. Adults work together well, planning interesting activities linked to a common theme; for example, children enjoyed joining in with the story of the enormous turnip and planting seeds. Adults focus especially well on developing speaking and listening through careful questioning and, as a result, children become confident and keen to contribute their ideas. Children's personal development is good. They become independent, play together happily and make sensible

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Grade: 2

choices about their work. Members of staff are good at promoting the children's welfare and they assess the children's learning rigorously. Leadership and management are good. Senior members of staff have clear plans to make provision even better; for example, they have successfully improved children's writing and are working on developing the children's ability to carry out mathematical calculations.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that expectations for pupils' writing are consistently high and that pupils are inspired to do their best writing across the curriculum. ■ Make sure that teachers' marking shows pupils how to improve and that pupils are given the opportunity to reflect and to respond to written comments. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: West Haddon Endowed Church of England Primary School, 10 March 2009 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: West Haddon Endowed Church of England Primary School, 10 March 2009

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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

2 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 2 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: West Haddon Endowed Church of England Primary School, 10 March 2009

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: West Haddon Endowed Church of England Primary School, 10 March 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

11 March 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of West Haddon Endowed Church of England Primary School, Northampton, NN6 7AN Thank you for welcoming us to your school and for sharing your work with us. We are pleased that you thoroughly enjoy coming to this good school. Here are some good points about your school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make good progress in reading, mathematics and science.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You behave exceptionally well and take responsibility well - we hope you manage to fix the leaking taps! ■ You have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe and healthy.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Teaching is good and your teachers help you to enjoy school by making lessons fun.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You study a good range of interesting topics.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Adults in school are kind and caring and look after you well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher, teachers and governors know how to make the school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your parents and carers are very pleased that you come to this school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

What we have asked your school to do now

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure that you are always keen to do your best writing in all subjects.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Write comments that help you to improve and give you time to read them and do better work. What you can do to help your teachers

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Read the teachers' comments about your work and use them so that you can do better work next time. We thoroughly enjoyed talking with you about your school and wish you well for the future. Yours sincerely Alison Cartlidge Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: West Haddon Endowed Church of England Primary School, 10 March 2009

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