Charlwood Village Primary School

Charlwood Village Infant School Inspection report

p.1

124946 Unique Reference Number Surrey Local Authority 315094 Inspection number 10 °11 December 2007 Inspection dates Derek Watts Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Infant Type of school Community School category 4 °7 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 61 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Martin James Chair Mr John Mell Headteacher 27 April 2004 Date of previous school inspection Chapel Road School address Charlwood Horley RH6 0DA 01293 862302 Telephone number 01293 863460 Fax number

p.1

4-7 Age group 10 °11 December 2007 Inspection dates 315094 Inspection number .

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

Charlwood Village Infant is a smaller than average school. The school provides education for pupils from Charlwood and surrounding villages. A significant number come from outside the normal catchment area. Most pupils come from a White British background. The remainder come from a range of ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average, although none of these pupils is at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is about average.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Charlwood Village Infant School, 10 °11 December 2007

p.3

Grade: 2

Charlwood Village Infant is a good school with outstanding aspects to its work. Pupils achieve well because of good teaching and a well planned curriculum. Excellent care and an extremely positive school atmosphere give rise to pupils' outstanding personal development. The school's partnership with parents is very strong. Many parents choose to send their children to Charlwood from considerable distances. Parents hold very positive views about the school and are extremely pleased with both the care and education provided for their children. In return, parents give the school considerable support. Typical of parents' comments are: 'The school has an extremely warm and welcoming atmosphere', 'Although there were more local infant schools, we chose Charlwood' and, 'My children enjoy school and are making good progress'. Good leadership and management are key features contributing to the school's effectiveness.

p.4

Grade: 2

The experienced headteacher provides clear leadership and direction. He is well supported by other staff. In this small school, leadership responsibilities are shared effectively among the few members of staff. Teamwork is good and all are working together for the benefit of pupils. Effective monitoring of performance means that the school has an accurate view of what it does well and what it needs to do to improve. Governors are committed and provide considerable support and constructive challenge. Care, guidance and support are good. Pastoral care and support are outstanding. The headteacher, with his staff, has created an extremely caring and positive climate for pupils to learn and staff to work. This positive atmosphere is much appreciated by pupils and their parents. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and this is reflected by their keen participation in activities and good attendance. Pupils' behaviour is often exemplary because of high

p.4

Grade: 2

expectations by all staff and the very good relationships between adults and pupils. Pupils adopt healthy lifestyles and show an excellent understanding of the importance of good diets, regular exercise and keeping safe. They take on additional responsibilities, which contribute well to the school and to the wider community. Good assessment and monitoring of pupils' attainment mean that the school has a clear overview of how well each pupil is doing. However, individual learning targets are not always sharp enough to inform pupils about what they need to do next. Children in Reception get off to a good start and make good progress because of effective provision. This good progress continues in Years 1 and 2 because of good teaching. Pupils respond very positively to their teachers' clear instructions, explanations and questioning. Activities and tasks are usually well matched to pupils' abilities and needs so they are challenged

p.4

Grade: 2

and make good gains in their learning. At times, there is an overuse of worksheets, which are not always sufficiently challenging for all. These can impede pupils' ability to plan and organise their own work. By the end of Year 2, standards are above average, but attainment and progress are less consistent in writing than in reading and mathematics. Improving writing is a school priority but there is scope to raise the profile further by providing an even wider range of writing opportunities. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Charlwood Village Infant School, 10 °11 December 2007

p.4

Grade: 2

Most year groups enter Reception with knowledge and skills expected for their age. Good teaching and an interesting range of learning activities enable children to make good gains in all areas of learning. Children benefit from teachers' clear instructions and explanations. They are keen to participate and express their ideas clearly. Occasionally, over-directed work can restrict children's opportunities to explore and work independently. Children enjoy their learning and relate extremely well with adults and their peers. Since the last inspection, the school has improved the outdoor facilities and the addition of a covered area has extended the classroom.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise achievement and standards in writing by providing a wider range of challenging writing opportunities. ■ Sharpen individual learning targets, particularly in writing, so that pupils know what they need to do to improve.

p.5

Grade: 2

Achievement is good and pupils attain above average standards by the time they leave. Achievement and standards are not as high in writing as they are in reading and mathematics. In particular, fewer pupils reach the higher levels in this area of English. The school is aware of the need to increase the range of writing opportunities. Effective strategies for the teaching of reading contribute to pupils' good progress in this area. In mathematics, pupils make good gains in their learning through well-focused teaching and good opportunities to solve problems. Standards in Year 2 in 2007 were broadly average and were lower than previous years, but their progress was good because this year group had lower than usual starting points. Pupils with learning difficulties make good progress because of the well-targeted support they receive.

p.5

Grade: 1

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils show a good understanding of different religious festivals and appreciate different stories from around the world. They are enthusiastic about school and show very positive attitudes to learning. They are friendly, polite and considerate to others. As they said, 'We enjoy our work and we can play with our friends'. Attendance is above average. Pupils possess an excellent understanding of the importance of healthy diets and taking regular exercise. The raising of funds for well-known charities such as 'Listening Books', 'Jeans for Genes', and NSPCC contributes well to the wider community. Pupils are well prepared for the future because they have extremely well-developed personal and social skills. In addition, they make good progress in speaking, listening, reading and numeracy. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Charlwood Village Infant School, 10 °11 December 2007

p.5

Grade: 2

Teachers have established very good relationships with the pupils in their class. The purpose of the lesson is made clear to the class so pupils know what they are expected to learn. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to discuss their work, particularly in pairs, and this contributes well to their speaking and listening. Effective strategies are used to teach reading. Pupils' ability to work collaboratively is a strong feature. Activities and tasks are usually well tailored to pupils' ability and needs. As a result, pupils are challenged and motivated to make good progress. Just occasionally, challenge and scope can be restricted by an over reliance on worksheets. These can hinder pupils' skills to plan and organise their own work. Furthermore, they can restrict pupils' opportunities for extended writing. Teaching assistants provide effective support for pupils who need it. The marking of pupils' work is positive and constructive.

p.6

Grade: 2

The curriculum enables pupils to make good progress and makes an outstanding contribution to their personal development. Strong emphasis is placed on basic skills of speaking and listening, reading and numeracy. An attractive and well-resourced library containing a wide range of books inspires pupils to read. The school is taking action to raise achievement in writing but there are too few opportunities to develop pupils' writing skills in other subjects. The school benefits from its participation in the Horley Learning Partnership where local schools share their ideas and expertise. For example, 'Art in the Environment' was an exciting joint project. Pupils made interesting sculptures from natural materials. Charlwood's contribution was an impressive large fluffy owl inspired by the book, 'The owl who was afraid of the dark'. Themed weeks such as book week, maths week and technology week add interest and enjoyment to

p.6

Grade: 2

learning. Visits and visitors also enrich the topics studied. A recent visit to 'The Florence Nightingale Museum' enhanced pupils' knowledge and understanding of times in the Crimean War. Health and safety education are promoted well particularly in science topics such as 'Healthy Eating' and 'Ourselves'. Regular swimming lessons in Dorking contribute well to pupils' physical exercise, safely awareness and swimming skills.

p.6

Grade: 2

There are highly effective procedures to ensure the pupils are protected, safe and secure at school. Pastoral care is excellent. All staff know the pupils extremely well and have established very good relationships with them and their families. Parents commented, 'There is a good calm and caring atmosphere at the school' and, 'We have been very happy with the teachers' willingness to discuss any problems promptly'. Pupils with learning difficulties receive effective support and this enables them to make good progress. Systems for assessing and monitoring pupils' attainment and progress are good. Assessment information is usually used well to plan teaching. However, individual targets are not always sharp enough to guide pupils onto the next stage of their learning, particularly in writing. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Charlwood Village Infant School, 10 °11 December 2007

p.6

Grade: 2

Good leadership and management promote effective educational provision and care, which enables pupils to achieve well. The headteacher provides good leadership and other staff all make a valuable contribution to the school's effectiveness. Teachers have increased their leadership skills through participation in initiatives such as the Primary Leadership Programme. Leaders have been particularly effective in building strong relationships with the parents. The governors are enthusiastic and actively involved in the life of the school. They have a good understanding of the school's performance. Good self-evaluation means that the school knows what it does well and takes effective action to bring about improvements. Leaders and governors are aware that there is more to do to raise pupils' achievement in writing and to sharpen individual target setting. Challenging targets are set for each year group as part of the drive to raise achievement. Improvements to

p.7

Grade: 2

assessment, teaching and to the monitoring of performance demonstrate the school's good capacity to improve. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Charlwood Village Infant School, 10 °11 December 2007 .

p.7

Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Charlwood Village Infant School, 10 °11 December 2007

p.8

Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

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 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

p.9

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 disabilities make progress

p.9

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 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

p.9

and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

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: Charlwood Village Infant School, 10 °11 December 2007

p.9

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 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: Charlwood Village Infant School, 10 °11 December 2007

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

19 December 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Charlwood Village Infant School,Horley,RH6 0DA Thank you so much for welcoming me into your school and showing me your work. I enjoyed my visit and would like to tell you what I found out. Charlwood Village Infant is a good school. Some areas of the school are outstanding. These are strengths of the school.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You clearly enjoy school and take part in activities with enthusiasm.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school is an extremely friendly and pleasant place.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Children in Reception get off to a good start.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Teaching is good, which is why you are making good progress.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Teachers provide an interesting range of learning activities for you.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are friendly, polite and get on extremely well with other pupils and adults.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your behaviour is outstanding in lessons and around the school.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are keeping yourselves extremely fit and healthy.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher leads the school well and receives good support from other staff.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Staff know you very well; they take extremely good care of you and give you excellent support. ■ Your parents are delighted with the care and education provided.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

There are two things the school has been asked to improve.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Some of you could make even more progress in writing and your teachers are working to make this happen. ■ Your teachers are going to set you clear individual learning targets, particularly in writing, so that you know what to do to improve. Finally, thank you once again for all your help. I wish you all the best for the future. With kind regards, Derek Watts Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Charlwood Village Infant School, 10 °11 December 2007

p.11