St Anne's CofE (VC) Primary School

St Anne's CofE (VC) Primary School Inspection report

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124238 Unique Reference Number Staffordshire Local Authority 314855 Inspection number 7 May 2008 Inspection date Mike Capper 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 179 School The governing body Appropriate authority Valerie McMahon Chair Valerie Hall Headteacher 16 March 2005 Date of previous school inspection St Anne's Vale School address Brown Edge Stoke-on-Trent ST6 8TA 01782 503102 Telephone number 01782 503102 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 7 May 2008 Inspection date 314855 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 one Additional Inspector. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues. • The consistency of progress across the school and the effectiveness of teaching at meeting pupils’ differing needs. • Enrichment of the curriculum and how successfully it fosters pupils’ enjoyment of school and responsibility taking. • The role of subject leaders and the impact of the headteacher in moving the school forward. Evidence was gathered from observations of pupils at work and play, discussion with staff, governors and pupils, scrutiny of documentation and an analysis of parents’ views. Other aspects of the school’s work were not investigated in detail, but the inspector 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

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Description of the school

This average-sized primary school takes pupils from the village of Brown Edge and from other nearby communities. The proportion of pupils identified as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average, as is the proportion eligible for free school meals. The headteacher took up post in September 2007.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: St Anne's CofE (VC) Primary School, 7 May 2008

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Grade: 3

This satisfactory school is moving forward quickly under the clear direction of the new headteacher. There have been many recent improvements and these are already having a positive impact on the work of the school. Senior managers know that whilst pupils' achievement is satisfactory overall, progress is still uneven across the school because of variability in the quality of teaching. Children get a good start in the Foundation Stage, where provision and teaching is good. In the rest of the school, where teaching is satisfactory, pupils make satisfactory progress. Standards are broadly average by the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science and pupils are prepared satisfactorily for the next stage of their education and later life. There are good features to teaching across the school. Teachers have good relationships with their pupils and manage behaviour well. A recent focus on using information about what pupils

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Grade: 3

know in order to plan what they need to learn next is helping to enhance the effectiveness of teaching. Where this has been most effective and teaching is good, pupils make good progress. However, there are still occasions when work is not pitched at the right level for all pupils. When this happens, work is either too hard or too easy for some pupils and the pace of learning slows. Teaching assistants give good support to pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, enabling them to make good progress. Teachers are starting to use marking and targets to help pupils know how to improve their work, although this practice is not yet consistently good across the school. Pupils are well cared for, ensuring that they feel safe and secure. As one pupil noted, 'Teachers look after us well and help us when we have a problem.' Members of staff know the pupils well. They are particularly successful at supporting pupils' good personal development, helping them

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Grade: 3

to become responsible young citizens. Pupils behave well and are polite and courteous. They happily take responsibility and make a good contribution to the community. This is clearly seen in the conscientious way in which the school council carries out its role and helps to give pupils a voice. Pupils take a good part in village activities such as the annual well dressing. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school, especially the wide range of activities that successfully enrich the otherwise satisfactory curriculum. Visits and visitors support learning well and help pupils to gain many new skills in sport and the arts. Annual camps are greatly appreciated by older pupils and they also like being able to learn French as it 'helps to get us ready for secondary school.' Pupils enthusiastically embrace healthy lifestyles. They enjoy the 'huff and puff' activities at lunchtime and make sensible choices about playtime snacks. Activities such as a

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Grade: 3

recent Key Stage 2 project on the impact of traffic on the community help pupils to develop a good awareness of how to stay safe. The new headteacher has a clear vision for the sort of school she wants and there is a strong drive to ensure that all pupils fulfil their potential. Senior managers are already doing the right things to improve provision. For example, they are making more effective use of information about pupils' progress to identify and tackle any potential underachievement. There is a strong sense of teamwork across the school and subject leaders are enthusiastic. The headteacher is enabling them to strengthen their roles although they have too few opportunities to check on the quality of teaching and learning for themselves. This makes it difficult for them to get a clear picture of what is going well and what needs improving in their subjects. 4 of 9 Inspection Report: St Anne's CofE (VC) Primary School, 7 May 2008

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Grade: 3

Senior managers have a clear understanding of the next steps that they need to take to improve provision although this is not reflected sharply enough in written development planning. The school development plan does not have easily measurable criteria for judging success and it is not linked closely enough to the available budget. This makes it difficult for staff and governors to check that initiatives are having the desired effect or to plan strategically for future development. Senior managers have rightly identified the need to set aside money to improve the state of the school building because it is looking very tired and is in need of refurbishment. Nevertheless, the positive effect of recent developments on provision in the Foundation Stage and on teaching and learning demonstrate that the school has satisfactory capacity for further improvement. Members of staff have forged a strong partnership with parents, with other local schools and

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Grade: 3

with outside agencies. Parents are supportive of the school and many rightly commented on the positive impact of the new headteacher. One parent summed up the views of many by noting that, 'I think that St Anne's is a very caring school with a good Christian background.' This comment accurately captures the essence of this improving school which has made a good start to achieving its aim of 'Making learning a lifelong friend.'

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Grade: 2

'In the Reception class, the children's needs are seen as paramount and my child is making good progress but is not put under any pressure.' These comments from a parent are typical of the positive view that parents have of the Foundation Stage. The headteacher and class teacher have worked together successfully to improve provision. The good curriculum includes extensive use of the newly developed outdoor area to support learning. This has been a key factor in recent improvements in children's progress as it has helped to make learning more purposeful. Consequently, children who start school with levels of skills and capabilities that are lower than those found nationally are now making good progress in all areas of learning and are on track to reach broadly average standards by the start of Year 1. Adults have good expectations of what the children should learn. The 'Go for Green' awards encourage children

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Grade: 2

to always do their best and there is a purposeful buzz in lessons as they go happily about their work. Children receive good support, especially when working with an adult. They show good independence when choosing where to work, although there are occasional missed opportunities to extend learning at these times. Provision is well managed and members of staff work together closely to assess children's learning and to check that all are doing well enough.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that teachers always pitch work at the right level for all pupils.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Give subject leaders more opportunities to check on the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects. ■ Sharpen written development planning so that it is more closely linked to the budget and shows how success is to be measured. 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. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: St Anne's CofE (VC) Primary School, 7 May 2008 .

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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. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: St Anne's CofE (VC) Primary School, 7 May 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? 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 2 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?

2 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. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: St Anne's CofE (VC) Primary School, 7 May 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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: St Anne's CofE (VC) Primary School, 7 May 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

8 May 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of St Anne's Church of England (VC) Primary School, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 8TA Thank you for welcoming me to your school and for showing me your work. I enjoyed talking to you about what you do in school and what you think about it. I found some good things in the school and also other aspects that could be improved. Overall, you are getting a satisfactory education. Some of the things we found out about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You get a good start in the Reception class where you are given good help by your teacher; satisfactory teaching means that you make steady progress as you move through the rest of the school. ■ You are happy at school, are keen to learn and behave well; you readily take responsibility and the school council does a good job in representing your views. ■ All adults in school are kind and caring and they provide you with many exciting things to do outside lessons. ■ You have a clear understanding of how to stay fit and healthy; the toast and crumpets you can buy at playtime look delicious! ■ Most of your parents and carers are pleased that you come to this school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The leaders of your school know what needs improving and they are doing the right things to make sure that you learn even more quickly. 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 the work that you get in lessons is not too easy or too hard for any of you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Give teachers who are in charge of different subjects more time to check how well you are being taught so that they can find out what to do next to improve your work. ■ Make sure that the written plans for the development of the school show the cost of projects and indicate how the headteacher and governors are going to check that things are going as intended. I wish you well for the future. I hope your school camp goes well and that you continue to help your teachers by working hard all of the time. Yours sincerely Mr M Capper Lead inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: St Anne's CofE (VC) Primary School, 7 May 2008

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Annex B

Inspection of St Anne’s Church of England (VC) Primary School, Stoke-on- Trent, ST6 8TA

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Annex B

Thank you for welcoming me to your school and for showing me your work. I enjoyed talking to you about what you do in school and what you think about it. I found some good things in the school and also other aspects that could be improved. Overall, you are getting a satisfactory education.

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Annex B

Some of the things we found out about your school.

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Annex B

• You get a good start in the Reception class where you are given good help by your teacher; satisfactory teaching means that you make steady progress as you move through the rest of the school. • You are happy at school, are keen to learn and behave well; you readily take responsibility and the school council does a good job in representing your views. • All adults in school are kind and caring and they provide you with many exciting things to do outside lessons. • You have a clear understanding of how to stay fit and healthy; the toast and crumpets you can buy at playtime look delicious! • Most of your parents and carers are pleased that you come to this school. • The leaders of your school know what needs improving and they are doing the right things to make sure that you learn even more quickly.

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Annex B

What we have asked your school to do now.

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Annex B

• Make sure that the work that you get in lessons is not too easy or too hard for any of you. • Give teachers who are in charge of different subjects more time to check how well you are being taught so that they can find out what to do next to improve your work. • Make sure that the written plans for the development of the school show the cost of projects and indicate how the headteacher and governors are going to check that things are going as intended.

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Annex B

I wish you well for the future. I hope your school camp goes well and that you continue to help your teachers by working hard all of the time.

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