Monkton Park Primary School

Monkton Park Primary School Inspection report

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126188 Unique Reference Number Wiltshire Local Authority 315434 Inspection number 13 °14 May 2008 Inspection dates Joanna Pike 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 Community School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 193 School The governing body Appropriate authority Justin Purkis Chair Lisa Tudor Headteacher 22 November 2004 Date of previous school inspection Sadlers Mead School address Chippenham SN15 3PN 01249 652395 Telephone number 01249 445200 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 13 °14 May 2008 Inspection dates 315434 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Monkton Park is smaller than most primary schools. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is less than that of most schools, as is the number of pupils eligible for free school meals. Almost all pupils are of White British origin. The school has gained Healthy School Status, Basic Skills Quality Mark and Sports Activemark. There is a pre-school on the site which is not managed by the school.

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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: Monkton Park Primary School, 13 °14 May 2008

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Grade: 2

Monkton Park is a good school. There are some outstanding features which are reflected in the many positive comments from parents. One typical parent commented that this is 'a fantastic school that is well run and which has helped my daughter thrive'. Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding as a result of the excellent pastoral care and support they receive. Their thorough enjoyment of school is reflected in their very good attitudes, exemplary behaviour and above average attendance. Children feel valued and know that adults have their best interests at heart. Opportunities to contribute to the school and local community are relished by pupils. In the last two years, as a result of the school's drive to raise achievement, Year 6 results improved dramatically and in 2007 were significantly above average, and pupils' achievement was much better than in most other schools. Standards continue to be above average in Year

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Grade: 2

6 and pupils' achievement is good. Children make good progress in the Reception class. In Key Stage 1 over recent years standards have been broadly average and pupils have made satisfactory progress. This is still the case. However, the school has put in place appropriate strategies to raise standards and achievement and this is beginning to have a positive impact, especially in writing and particularly in Year 2. Teaching is good overall. In Key Stage 2 teaching is consistently good, whereas there is more variation in Key Stage 1, and this slightly restricts pupils' progress, especially for the more able. Teachers share with pupils what they are going to learn and provide a checklist of the steps they need to make to reach the aims of the lesson. This is particularly successful when pupils use this checklist to evaluate their own or others' work. Teachers use questions well to challenge pupils' thinking, but sometimes teachers do not intervene enough so the pace slows and

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Grade: 2

opportunities are missed to extend pupils' learning to its fullest possible extent. The good curriculum has an appropriate emphasis on literacy and numeracy. Provision for information and communication technology (ICT) has greatly improved since the previous inspection and pupils' skills are effectively developed by using computers in different subjects. The curriculum is well enriched by a wide range of trips, visits and visitors. There are excellent opportunities for pupils to achieve well in music and physical education. Pupils feel safe and well cared for and parents are justifiably confident that their children are well looked after. As one parent said, 'The staff are really caring and do all they can to help the children.' Academic support and guidance are good. Pupils know their targets and these help them to focus on their next steps in learning. The leadership of the headteacher is outstanding. She has built a clear vision for the school in

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Grade: 2

which all share. Her high expectations, effective analytical skills and her ability to develop a strong staff team have enabled the school to build good capacity to improve. This is reflected in the dramatic rise in standards and achievement in Key Stage 2 over the last two years. Senior and middle leaders have clearly defined roles and contribute effectively to the school's good self-evaluation and its overall success.

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Grade: 2

As a result of effective leadership and management, provision in the Foundation Stage is good. When children enter the Reception class their skills, knowledge and understanding are broadly 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Monkton Park Primary School, 13 °14 May 2008 in line with expectations, though the current group were weak in writing. Over the year, because of the good teaching they receive, they are making good progress so that all will reach, and many will exceed, the expected levels. Progress in writing has been rapid so that children have caught up. Children really enjoy the exciting range of activities they are offered, and gain good independent skills from the frequent opportunities they have to make their own choices. However, sometimes adults do not intervene enough to extend children's learning. Children benefit from the good range of resources including the outdoor area. Adults keep careful

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Grade: 2

records of children's achievements so that next steps can be planned successfully.

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What the school should do to improve further

Raise standards and achievement in Key Stage 1 by ensuring that all teaching challenges all pupils to extend their learning and reach their full potential.

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Grade: 2

Standards are above average and achievement is good. Results of Year 6 pupils in 2007 for all subjects were significantly above average, especially in science. More pupils reached the higher level than nationally in all subjects. Current Year 6 pupils are not as strong a group, but nonetheless, as a result of the continuing effective teaching and good additional support, they have made good progress and standards are above average. Pupils in Years 3 to 5 also make good progress and reach above average standards. In Years 1 and 2 standards are average and pupils make satisfactory progress. Appropriate strategies to improve progress have been put in place. These are beginning to have an impact and achievement in writing has improved so that standards are above average. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress similar to that of other pupils because of the good support they receive.

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Grade: 1

The school is a happy and harmonious community where pupils get on well together. Relationships between children and adults are excellent. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils work together amicably and have a very well developed sense of fair play. They respond positively when given responsibility, for example as members of the school council or as friends to those who need support at break times. Right from the start in Reception, pupils are successfully encouraged to use their initiative and make decisions in lessons. This contributes significantly to their progress. Pupils are safety conscious and are greatly concerned for the welfare of others. They participate enthusiastically in a good range of physical activities and have a very good understanding of the importance of healthy eating. The school's achievement of Activemark gold and Healthy Schools status has contributed

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Grade: 1

well to these strengths in personal development. Pupils have a very strong social and community awareness and are keen fund-raisers for many good causes. Their ability to work constructively with others, and their good academic progress, help them to be well prepared for their future. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Monkton Park Primary School, 13 °14 May 2008

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Grade: 2

Teachers make very good use of resources to support learning, especially ways of encouraging pupils to be more independent. Learning is also effectively promoted by the excellent relationships and positive way that teachers manage their classrooms. Pupils are keen to contribute and achieve well and, as a consequence, work hard. Teaching assistants provide good support and this ensures that those pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve as well as others. Displays enhance classrooms and give good guidance to pupils by providing models of good work and hints on how to be successful. Occasionally opportunities are missed to extend more able pupils, especially in Years 1 and 2. Teachers mark work regularly and provide useful feedback telling pupils where they have been successful. The best marking gives clear advice on what to improve.

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Grade: 2

Pupils across the school from the Reception class to Year 6 greatly enjoy coming to school because of the opportunities provided by the rich curriculum, including visits and other activities. For example, after reflecting on a recent trip to Swindon Railway Museum, as part of their work on World War II, one pupil commented very sensitively, ' We dressed as evacuees and realised just how sad it would have been to have left your parents.' Provision for literacy and numeracy is good though work in Key Stage 1 is not always sufficiently accurately matched to pupils' needs, especially for the more able. Teaching assistants are well trained to support the curriculum and careful tracking of pupils' progress contributes significantly to the good help teaching assistants are able to provide.

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Grade: 2

The school is vigilant in ensuring children's safety and well-being. All adults in the school know the pupils very well and pupils are confident in approaching them for help. The school works effectively with external agencies and organisations to provide good support for pupils when this is required. Thorough and effective procedures help children to settle in quickly whenever they join the school, and similarly when they move on to secondary school. The school's tracking system is being used well to identify pupils who are not making sufficient progress and to put in place strategies to help them. In most lessons pupils are given well judged support to enable them to make good progress. However, in Key Stage 1 work is not always well matched to their needs and adults do not always challenge the more able pupils enough.

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Grade: 2

The outstanding strengths in the school and the improvements in standards and achievement have come about because of the headteacher's ability to get everyone working together towards her vision. Staff share her high expectations and drive to raise achievement. Governors and parents hold the headteacher in high regard. She has developed effective ways of monitoring 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Monkton Park Primary School, 13 °14 May 2008 pupils' progress and the quality of teaching. Senior and subject leaders have benefited from the astute guidance of the headteacher and are now monitoring provision well and contributing to raising standards and achievement. These strategies have led to improvements in pupils' achievement particularly in Key Stage 2. In Key Stage 1 sensible actions have been taken to accelerate pupils' progress, but there is still work to be done to rectify variations in the quality

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Grade: 2

of teaching. Governance is good. Governors know the school's strengths and weaknesses. They are increasingly challenging the school by asking searching questions. They feel quite rightly that they need to further develop their role as critical friends to help the school to continue to improve. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Monkton Park Primary School, 13 °14 May 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: Monkton Park Primary School, 13 °14 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 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?

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 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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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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Monkton Park Primary School, 13 °14 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 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: Monkton Park Primary School, 13 °14 May 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

15 May 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Monkton Park Primary School, Chippenham SN15 3PN It was good to come and see you at your school! Thank you for making us so welcome, talking to us and helping us during the school's inspection. We especially enjoyed the good discussions we had with some of you. We learned a lot. Currently, your school is giving you a good education and has some outstanding features. Here are some of the most important bits of the inspection report that I thought you might like to know about.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You work hard in lessons and make good progress; you reach above average standards.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your personal development is outstanding; you really enjoy your time in school. You have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe and keep healthy. Your behaviour is outstanding; you look after each other extremely well. ■ Your teachers provide good teaching and help you to be more independent in your learning.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your teachers work hard to give you a good curriculum, which is full of exciting events such as trips out. ■ The school does a good job to make sure that you all feel safe, settled and secure; most of you know how well you are doing and how to improve. ■ Your headteacher is doing an outstanding job and, with the staff and governors, is working hard so that you all do even better. To improve further, the school should now:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ help you to achieve even better in Years 1 and 2 by making sure that your learning is good in all lessons. Thank you again for all your help. Yours sincerely Joanna Pike Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Monkton Park Primary School, 13 °14 May 2008

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