Rogate CofE Primary School

Rogate CofE Primary School Inspection report

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125991 Unique Reference Number West Sussex Local Authority 315385 Inspection number 27 September 2007 Inspection date Linda Kelsey HMI 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 °10 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 35 School The governing body Appropriate authority Paul Hardwick Chair Jennifer Chapman Headteacher 3 February 2003 Date of previous school inspection Rogate School address Petersfield GU31 5HH 01730 821329 Telephone number 01730 821957 Fax number

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4-10 Age group 27 September 2007 Inspection date 315385 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 of Her Majesty’s Inspectors. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues; is this a good school with good standards and good teaching and curriculum, and have leadership and management identified the correct priorities for further improvement? Evidence was gathered from lesson observations, interviews with the headteacher and governors, and discussions with pupils, teaching staff, teaching assistants and parents. Other aspects of the school’s work were not investigated in detail, but no evidence was found to suggest that the school’s own self-assessment as given in its self-evaluation was not justified, and this has been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

This is a very small school although the number of pupils joining the school varies widely from year to year. For instance, eight children started in Reception Year this September 2007, which is a higher number than usual. In contrast, there are currently just two pupils in Year 1. The school is organised into three classes of mixed age. Mobility is high because many parents move their children to other schools in an effort to secure places at popular secondary schools. Numbers overall at the school are falling year by year. Pupils' attainment on entry is at expected levels for their age, with average numbers of pupils identified as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities. With small cohorts this too varies from year to year. Over the last two years, although the management of the school has remained the same there has been turbulence in the teaching staff due to promotion of teachers and high incidences of

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Description of the school

maternity leave. This has meant the school has had a significant number of temporary staff.

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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: Rogate CofE Primary School, 27 September 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school where standards are above average and pupils of all abilities make good progress. This is because they are taught well. The headteacher, together with the staff at the school, has identified the correct areas to improve standards. Good systems are in place to support this development. School self-evaluation is generally accurate and honest and identifies where there is work still to do, although the school is better than it thinks it is. Governors and parents fully support the school. As one parent said, 'It is a fantastic school with a very caring, nurturing attitude. All the staff are very dedicated and conscientious, and we have every confidence in them.' Pupils say there is nothing it could do to be better. One volunteered that 'there is absolutely no bullying in this school and that all children and teachers are our friends'. Teaching is good. Lesson planning is of a high quality, identifying the needs of different groups

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Grade: 2

and individuals within the class and with good detail about how teachers will deliver the content of their lessons. Teaching assistants are well directed by the teaching staff and provide good support to pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. They also assist with assessing how well pupils do in the lesson, focusing on particular children as identified by the teacher. Teachers have good subject knowledge and prepare their lessons well with appropriate resources, including information and communication technology (ICT). This enables pupils to use their skills whenever possible through first-hand experiences. This preparation is based on good ongoing assessment of pupils at an individual level and good quality marking of their work so teachers can monitor their progress. As a result, pupils develop good basic skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT, preparing them well for the future. The curriculum, which covers a two-year topic cycle, is lively and interesting and aimed at

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Grade: 2

meeting the needs of the pupils at the school. During the inspection, the oldest pupils enjoyed learning about space and the movement of the planets around our solar system while the younger children designed and made a fruit salad from a selection of fresh fruit brought into the school. Other pupils were learning about adding two and three digit numbers, improving their skills in numeracy. The personal development and well-being of pupils are good and pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They are a credit to their parents and the school. Attendance is significantly above average. All safeguarding procedures are in place. Children say they feel very safe at the school and that they enjoy the wonderful and very extensive grounds. These have been landscaped and equipped to make them exciting places to spend break and lunchtimes. The outside areas also provide additional spaces for learning about the environment, taking exercise or being involved in

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Grade: 2

purposeful play activities. Pupils have adopted and have an exceptionally clear understanding of what it means to eat healthily because the school has worked hard at teaching them this. The newly elected school council is able to make suggestions. These are often based on their own research through visits to nearby schools to see how things are done differently. Pupils are involved with the local community. Through the school's links with the Church, a harvest assembly was organised to collect for the local charity and pupils sang enthusiastically. Pupils have a good understanding of their place in society, their own culture, and the beliefs and traditions of other people. The good leadership and management have put in place effective structures to improve the teaching, the assessment of pupils' achievement and the quality of the curriculum. Teaching is checked by the headteacher through regular classroom observation and scrutiny of work.

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Grade: 2

4 of 9 Inspection Report: Rogate CofE Primary School, 27 September 2007 More recently, the school has not progressed as fast as it would have liked because of the constant staff changes. Nevertheless, the headteacher has maintained a momentum to school improvement, which is evident in the vast amount of detailed documentation available. The headteacher knows how good the teaching is but was reticent about stating this within the self-evaluation because of the many recent changes of staff. Targets for school improvement are closely linked to the school improvement plan and governors are well informed about developments. Their role as a critical friend to the school is more evident than at the time of the last inspection. It has not evolved to a level of them having their own monitoring procedures. In particular, risk assessments of the building and site are overdue. The school can demonstrate that it adds value to pupils' learning through its recording and

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Grade: 2

tracking of progress from the Foundation Stage to Year 5 and through its access to data about the pupils who have moved on to their next school. In 2007, these pupils achieved standards above the national average. The school works very well with local schools. This enables them to share expertise, training and support through an agreed programme and common local issues.

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Grade: 2

An effective, well organised curriculum is delivered to the Foundation Stage children at the school. They have a large classroom and open access to an outside area to extend their learning. Teaching is good. Lessons are well planned and aimed at developing children's understanding of the world as well as their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills. There are good opportunities for creative and physical development through linked topic work and access to equipment. The classroom is very well resourced. Occasionally the teaching is too adult directed, inhibiting children from learning at their own pace. Children's abilities are well known to staff because of the good assessment data and work is planned to meet their individual needs.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ ■ Ensure that governors take an active role in providing monitoring and challenge to the school so that self-evaluation becomes more accurate in its assessment of the school. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Rogate CofE Primary School, 27 September 2007 .

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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: Rogate CofE Primary School, 27 September 2007

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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 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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 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 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 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?

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: Rogate CofE Primary School, 27 September 2007

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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 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: Rogate CofE Primary School, 27 September 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Children, Inspection of Rogate CofE Primary School, Rogate, GU31 5HH Thank you so much for making me feel so welcome at your school. I enjoyed watching you in class and eating with you at lunchtime. I was impressed with how many of you eat healthy food, prepared by your parents. You have obviously taken notice of all the information the school has given to you about how to keep healthy. You will not be surprised to know that you have a good school because you told me so and also told me how happy you are at the school. You tell me that the teachers are kind and helpful and I agree they are good at knowing what to do to interest you in lessons so that you work hard. You are doing well at the school, and that includes those of you who do find work a little more difficult. This is because the headteacher has worked hard to ensure that your curriculum is interesting and lively and that you enjoy coming to school. She has also made sure that the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

assessments teachers make of your work ensure that the work set for you is at the right level. I know you have had lots of different teachers lately, but you have done well despite these changes. You behave very well indeed and clearly care for each other and your school. I hope you will help your teachers continue the good work that they do. I have, however, suggested that your governors help in the school by coming in to see all your good work more often and ensuring that the school rightly celebrates all that is good about itself. I wish you all the best of luck and continued happiness for the future. Best wishes Linda Kelsey HMI 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Rogate CofE Primary School, 27 September 2007

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Annex B

Inspection of Rogate CofE Primary School, Rogate, GU31 5HH

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Annex B

Thank you so much for making me feel so welcome at your school. I enjoyed watching you in class and eating with you at lunchtime. I was impressed with how many of you eat healthy food, prepared by your parents. You have obviously taken notice of all the information the school has given to you about how to keep healthy.

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Annex B

You will not be surprised to know that you have a good school because you told me so and also told me how happy you are at the school. You tell me that the teachers are kind and helpful and I agree they are good at knowing what to do to interest you in lessons so that you work hard. You are doing well at the school, and that includes those of you who do find work a little more difficult. This is because the headteacher has worked hard to ensure that your curriculum is interesting and lively and that you enjoy coming to school. She has also made sure that the assessments teachers make of your work ensure that the work set for you is at the right level.

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Annex B

I know you have had lots of different teachers lately, but you have done well despite these changes. You behave very well indeed and clearly care for each other and your school. I hope you will help your teachers continue the good work that they do. I have, however, suggested that your governors help in the school by coming in to see all your good work more often and ensuring that the school rightly celebrates all that is good about itself.

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Annex B

I wish you all the best of luck and continued happiness for the future.

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