Storrington Primary School

Storrington First School Inspection report

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125874 Unique Reference Number West Sussex Local Authority 315336 Inspection number 3–4 December 2008 Inspection dates Robert Ellis HMI 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 Community School category 5–10 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 292 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 Peter Surtees Chair Garry Smart Headteacher 25 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 Spierbridge Road School address Storrington Pulborough RH20 4PG 01903 742047 Telephone number 01903 745853 Fax number

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5–10 Age group 3–4 December 2008 Inspection dates 315336 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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Storrington First School, 3–4 December 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two of Her Majesty's Inspectors and one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Storrington First School is a larger than average primary school serving a local community where the majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well below the national average and very few pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is just below the national average, with the greatest percentage of these pupils in Years 4 and 5. Most pupils with additional needs are identified as having speech and communication difficulties. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average. Pupils begin their time at the school in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in Reception but complete the final stage of their primary education at Rydon Community College, which is a partner middle school. The school has Healthy School status and has achieved Sportsmark and

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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: Storrington First School, 3–4 December 2008

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Grade: 2

Storrington is a good school that provides well for its pupils and is a place where every pupil is valued. Pupils' achievement and their personal development are good because of the good care and support they receive. Pupils say that they enjoy school very much and they are enthusiastic about their learning because teachers make learning enjoyable. This is reflected in their good behaviour, punctuality and attendance. Parents find the school very welcoming; most feel very well informed about their children's learning and the vast majority of parents have nothing but praise for the school. As one typically commented, 'I have been really impressed with the standard of education offered to my child at Storrington School. They have an ability to treat children as individuals.' Standards have improved significantly over the last few years and are now above average. Most children enter the school with skills and knowledge that are below the levels expected for their

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Grade: 2

age. They get off to a good start in the EYFS and from then on, pupils make good progress because of their own positive attitudes to learning and teaching that is consistently good. Pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities are supported well. Good liaison with parents and outside agencies supports learning, including some outstanding opportunities for parents to learn with their children. Consequently, all pupils in the school achieve equally well. Teaching engages pupils, and motivating work is underpinned by a high-quality curriculum, which is enriched by a good range of visits, visitors and additional activities, such as the excellent choir and orchestra. There is a strong focus on developing learning through the arts and this is central to the distinctive ethos of the school. The school has made creative use of the outside space to develop a good environment for learning. There are many stimulating displays in the

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Grade: 2

classrooms and corridors, which either celebrate pupils' achievements or support their learning. The pupils' personal skills are good and pupils are polite and considerate. They say that they feel very safe and extremely well cared for and that there are adults that they can approach if they have a problem. They demonstrate that they are developing effectively the personal qualities and skills that they will need in the next stage of their education. Pupils make a positive contribution to the wider community and they are engaged in a variety of charitable and other ventures. They make a positive contribution to their own community through membership of the school council and by doing so help to care for their school and think about ways to improve it further. The school is at the heart of its community. The trialling of family learning has received positive feedback from parents and new initiatives to develop provision with the local community are

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Grade: 2

enriching this extended provision. Links with a local Christian charity contribute to pupils' spiritual development and foster mutual respect throughout the school community. Assessment information is beginning to be used effectively to match tasks and activities to pupils' precise needs. However, the school has identified that systems for tracking progress and for setting challenging targets require further development and refinement. Pupils are not always sufficiently involved in evaluating their own work. They do not always get the information they need to know exactly what they should to do to improve or develop their work. Teachers do not consistently include sufficient time in lessons for pupils to reflect or discuss the progress that they make toward their learning objectives. The headteacher and his team are clearly focused on developing high standards for pupils in both their work and personal development. They work effectively together and monitoring of

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Grade: 2

4 of 11 Inspection Report: Storrington First School, 3–4 December 2008 the school's work is good. The leadership team has a very accurate picture of the school's strengths and areas for development. Measures to safeguard pupils meet current requirements. The governing body provides an excellent balance of support and challenge. As a result, there has been continuing improvement since the last inspection and those responsible for leading and managing the school demonstrate a good capacity for further improvement

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Grade: 2

Leadership of the EYFS is good because it is clearly focused upon every child. Planning allows for an appropriate mix of activities led by adults and activities chosen by the children. As a result, children develop their independence and enjoy learning. The learning environment is stimulating and safe. The welfare and well-being of children are carefully monitored and children are guided to eat well. All children are taught about 'stranger danger' and the need to be safe indoors and outdoors. The school's EYFS assessment information is accurate and shows that most children make good progress. Although most make good progress in the EYFS, the knowledge, skills and understanding of a minority remain below average by the start of Year 1. Improved moderation processes have helped to increase the accuracy of assessment and tighten the planning for next steps for learning. Regular team meetings keep staff well informed

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Engage pupils actively in assessing their own progress and ensure they receive clear information about how well they are doing and what they need to do next to improve their work. ■ Use assessment information effectively to ensure that lessons provide appropriate challenge for all pupils.

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Grade: 2

Children arrive at school with the skills, knowledge and understanding below the levels typically found for this age group. They build on the good start made in the EYFS so that by the end of Year 2, standards are above average. Standards for this age group have been above average in English and mathematics for the last two years. This demonstrates the impact of a sharper focus on developing pupils' literacy skills and improvements in teaching. Pupils transfer to the middle school at the end of Year 5 and the school's assessment information and scrutiny of pupils work show that their achievement during their time at Storrington is at least satisfactory and, more often, good. Standards are generally in line with those expected for the pupils' ages by the time they leave the school. Learning is good in all subjects and pupils particularly enjoy work which combines different subjects and gives them good opportunities to develop a project-

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Grade: 2

based approach to learning. All pupils, regardless of their backgrounds or ability, make similar progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils thoroughly enjoy their learning and their positive attitudes and the creative and stimulating environment are central to the school's success. Behaviour is good because pupils understand what is expected of them. On the few occasions where low-level disruption occurs, 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Storrington First School, 3–4 December 2008 pupils are quickly reminded of the importance of good behaviour for purposeful learning. Pupils say they feel safe and understand who to talk to if they have any concerns. Attendance is good and the concerns about lateness raised in the last inspection have been addressed, resulting in a significant increase in the number of pupils arriving punctually to school. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and is well supported through units of study which integrate religious education and arts-based learning. Pupils have a good understanding of why it is important to be healthy. The good range of sporting activities and

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Grade: 2

good playground facilities enable pupils to stay fit. The school council is an active voice for all pupils, and its members help new pupils to develop friendship groups in the play area. The 'buddy bench' is a good way of making sure everyone is included in lunchtime activities. The arts take centre stage in the life of the school and the majority of pupils take advantage of this, joining clubs such as art club, choir and orchestra. Many pupils learn to play a musical instrument and regular performance opportunities in the school hall and on the outdoor stage enable pupils to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Pupils are prepared well for their future though good opportunities to develop core skills including in information and communication technology (ICT) and team working. Enterprise activities enable the pupils to support a school in Sierra Leone. Pupils are engaged with their local community, for example,

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress and show positive attitudes to learning as a result of good teaching. Pupils respond well to the broad range of good, interesting tasks and activities prepared for them. Teachers make learning objectives clear and the pace of lessons is brisk. Most lessons provide good opportunities for pupils to develop their independence and take responsibility for their learning. Tasks are generally well matched to pupils' needs, although the level of challenge is not always sufficient to ensure that the most able extend their learning and have opportunities to use their initiative. Those who have additional needs receive good support from adults in the classroom or through work done in small groups elsewhere. Good visual prompts in all classrooms encourage pupils to use a broader range of vocabulary in their speaking and writing. Teachers use questioning well to gauge understanding and very good use is made

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Grade: 2

of discussion partners to help pupils clarify and develop their thinking. Good use is made of a range of resources to support learning, including the use of ICT. For example, Year 2 pupils successfully used their ICT skills to produce storyboards to develop what they had learnt about the great fire of London. Teaching assistants provide good support for pupils during individual and group work but are sometimes underused in whole-class activities. Pupils frequently commented that teachers made learning fun, which added to their enjoyment of lessons.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is broad and balanced and meets the needs of the pupils. There is a strong focus on the arts, and creative activities are used to support learning in a variety of subjects, including literacy and numeracy. Good provision helps pupils to develop an understanding of other cultures and beliefs, and this understanding is enhanced by a twinning arrangement with a school in Sierra Leone. Music is a particular strength and singing in the choir and participating 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Storrington First School, 3–4 December 2008 in the orchestra have improved pupils' confidence and self-esteem. The choir and orchestra demonstrated pupils' enjoyment of music in a good assembly, which included performances by both groups. Good use is made of the local environment to support learning, and the school further enriches the curriculum through the use of visits and visitors and a wide range of well-attended after-school activities. The school also promotes family learning and parents

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Grade: 2

have good opportunities to come in to school and work with their children and attend workshops to find out how they can support their child's learning.

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Grade: 2

Pupils and parents value the school's caring ethos and pupils are well cared for. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils are robust and effective. All staff show a strong commitment to ensuring that pupils enjoy learning and have opportunities to achieve as well as they can. Most marking of pupils' work provides good feedback on strengths and weaknesses, with some targets for future development. However, this is not consistent across all classes and subjects. Evaluation of pupils' learning at the end of lessons tends to be led by the teacher and does not engage pupils sufficiently in evaluating their own progress toward their learning objective. Assessment information is accurate and, although the school systems to track the progress that pupils make are at an early stage of development, sufficient information is available to identify the progress that pupils make. Consequently, teachers have an increasing understanding of pupils' strengths

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Grade: 2

and weaknesses and are better able to identify the next steps in their learning and match tasks and support to pupils' specific needs. However, the school recognises that this remains an area for further development.

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Grade: 2

The senior leadership works closely with the governing body to ensure that the school's self-evaluation clearly identifies strengths and targets for whole-school improvement. Middle leaders have been given increased ownership of key areas of school development and leaders at all levels contribute to the evaluation of the school's work. Central to school improvement is a sharp focus upon working with others to improve pupils' learning opportunities and teaching staff are encouraged to work together to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Lesson observations by senior leaders are helping to raise the quality of teaching and learning, with good support provided for newly qualified teachers. The system for setting and reviewing challenging targets for all pupils is at an early stage of development and the full impact of more rigorous target setting in raising standards and achievement has yet to emerge.

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Grade: 2

The work of the governing body is outstanding in holding the school to account for raising standards and achievement and effective deployment of resources. The governing body is ably led by a well-informed chair of governors, whose passion for school improvement steers its work to monitor and evaluate the progress of the school against whole-school targets. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Storrington First School, 3–4 December 2008 .

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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: Storrington First School, 3–4 December 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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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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Storrington First School, 3–4 December 2008

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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 1 The extent to which 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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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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Storrington First School, 3–4 December 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

5 December 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Storrington First School, Pulborough RH20 4PG Thank you for contributing to the inspection and making us feel welcome. We enjoyed talking with you, looking at your work, and seeing your lessons. We saw how well you get on together and how well you look after your school. Many of you told us how much you enjoy school. I particularly liked listening to the choir and the orchestra. Your school is a good school and the adults in charge know it well and have some good ideas about how it can be made even better. We saw that standards are rising and you make good progress. We really enjoyed our visit and look forward to hearing about your future success. Here are some of the things we liked most.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You understand about the importance of being healthy and keeping safe.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You like coming to school and attend regularly.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Teachers make lessons interesting and exciting so that you enjoy them.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school provides lots of extra activities to help you with your learning, including opportunities for you to learn with your parents. ■ The leadership team, staff, governors and other adults are working hard together to improve the school. These are some of the things we have asked the school to improve.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Find out exactly what you know and can do so that teachers can set work that is always at just the right level for you. ■ Involve you in working out how well you are doing so that you can take more responsibility for your own learning. You can help in all these things by continuing to work hard and taking an active part in making your school even better. Yours faithfully Robert Ellis Her Majesty's Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Storrington First School, 3–4 December 2008

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