Collingbourne Church of England Primary School

Collingbourne Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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126320 Unique Reference Number Wiltshire Local Authority 315492 Inspection number 15 October 2008 Inspection date Liz Kounnou 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 Voluntary controlled School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 107 School (total) 20 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 Mary Edwards Chair Jeff Mason Headteacher 31 January 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Chicks Lane School address Marlborough SN8 3UH 01264 850346 Telephone number 01264 850674 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 15 October 2008 Inspection date 315492 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: Collingbourne Church of England Primary School, 15 October 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Children and pupils from age four to eleven are taught in four mixed-age classes. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) are taught with some pupils from Year 1. The school is much smaller than the typical primary school and serves an area with an exceptionally wide spread of both social advantage and deprivation. When children start school their attainment varies very widely. Very few pupils are from minority ethnic groups or are learning to speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is lower than average. Many more pupils leave or join the school during each year than is typical. The school gained a Healthy School Award and an Activemark in 2008; it is also recognised as an Eco 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: Collingbourne Church of England Primary School, 15 October 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. Standards are average overall and pupils' achievement is good. There has been a significant improvement in the rate of pupils' progress in Key Stage 2 since the last inspection. Good leadership and management mean that pupils in this phase reach the challenging targets they are set and achieve well overall. Children in the EYFS achieve well because the provision for them is good and well managed. There is good capacity to bring about further improvement in Key Stage 1, where pupils' progress is more variable, and in writing standards throughout the school. Whilst pupils do very well in mathematics, science and reading in Key Stage 2, they make satisfactory progress in developing writing skills. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. Those whose children have particular learning difficulties and/or disabilities are especially appreciative of the support their children receive.

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Grade: 2

One wrote, 'I am very pleased with the constructive ways that the teachers have helped my child to overcome some of his problems.' Another commented, 'My daughter has made significant progress thanks to the dedication, care and professionalism of the teacher and teaching assistant.' Care, guidance and support for pupils are good. The strong family ethos is a strength of the school, provides a good environment for learning and ensures that pupils feel safe at school. The school is developing systems to involve pupils more effectively in assessing their own learning. Pupils are informed about what they will learn in lessons, set personal targets for themselves, and are given information about what they need to do to succeed in lessons. Currently, these systems are not fully effective because links between each of the strategies are unclear. Consequently, pupils do not always know how to reach the next steps in their

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Grade: 2

learning. Teaching and learning are good. Pupils enjoy school, behave well and have good attitudes to their work because lessons are often interesting and fun. Where pupils make slower progress, particularly in developing their writing skills, it is because lessons are not tailored sharply enough to help pupils of all abilities build on their skills at a good rate. Nonetheless, pupils develop appropriate skills to help them in the next stage of their education. The good curriculum ensures that pupils develop good personal skills. Pupils thoroughly enjoy all the extra sports activities that help them to keep fit and healthy. There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to contribute to both the school and the wider community. A link with a school in Slovakia has been established, and other global links are in hand, so that the school is well placed to further develop links with pupils from other cultures. School leaders and governors

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Grade: 2

know the school well because they carry out a range of checks. A lot of information is gathered about the standards that pupils reach and about the quality of teaching and learning. Currently, school leaders are not making the best use of this information to help them bring about change in some aspects of the school's provision and ensure that pupils make consistently good progress throughout the school, especially in developing their writing skills.

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Grade: 2

Good leadership and management have ensured that all aspects of the new guidance for EYFS have been introduced smoothly. Children are safe and secure; particularly good systems ensure that parents and children have a strong relationship with their key worker. The Reception classroom is a happy, lively environment where children achieve well, so that by the time they leave the class the majority reach average standards in the early learning goals. Overall their attainment on entry is below average. The outdoor area is used throughout the day as an exciting area for play and learning. Adults carefully assess children's skills and frequently work 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Collingbourne Church of England Primary School, 15 October 2008 with them in very small groups to ensure that children of all abilities learn and develop at a good rate. Children concentrate very well when they work in these situations, and try really

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Grade: 2

hard to follow the guidance they are given. There is plenty of laughter throughout the day. Children learning how to recognise numbers together were delighted to jump up if they held the number card that matched the number the teacher called out. They tried really hard to clap their hands the correct number of times, and giggled happily together if they got it wrong before trying again with the teacher. Children have settled into the class very well, and parents praise the arrangements that were put in place to ensure that their children felt confident to start school. Consequently, children readily organise themselves and select their own activities to learn and play together. They share equipment well and frequently help one another. They love to explain to visitors about all the exciting work on the classroom walls.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that the information gained from assessment is used effectively to enable pupils of all abilities to increase their skills, especially in writing, across the curriculum. ■ Ensure that all pupils know how to reach the next steps in their learning, and how to succeed in their lessons. ■ Ensure that information gathered about the rate of pupils' progress is used effectively to bring about changes in the quality of provision, to accelerate pupils' progress further in all classes.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good overall. As there are very few pupils in each cohort, standards vary considerably from year to year. Currently standards are average overall. In Year 6, pupils reach above average standards in mathematics and science. Pupils make significant progress in these subjects in Key Stage 2. In English, pupils do well in reading but are not doing as well in building on their writing skills. As a result, standards in English are average. This is because teachers do not always plan as effectively for pupils to build on their prior attainment in writing. Opportunities for pupils to extend their writing skills across the curriculum are often missed. In Key Stage 1, pupils reach average standards and make satisfactory progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This has been the pattern since the last inspection. Pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve well throughout the school because of good

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Grade: 2

levels of support. For example, Year 5 and 6 pupils are grouped into a smaller set in the mornings, with the support of an additional teacher. They work at tasks that are well matched to their needs in this group.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Children enjoy coming to school and their attendance is good. Lively teaching provides plenty of opportunities for pupils to work together to solve problems. Pupils in Year 5 and 6 were completely engrossed in trying to work out how to make a set of light bulbs light up in the same pattern as a set of traffic lights. They started from scratch with wires, bulbs and other equipment, and quickly began to test out each other's ideas. Although they have a lot of opportunities to work independently and in small groups, their satisfactory writing and information and communication technology skills limit pupils' preparation for the next stage of their education. The school council rightly want to 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Collingbourne Church of England Primary School, 15 October 2008 make more decisions about how to improve the school, but are proud to decide which charities

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Grade: 2

the school will support. Pupils are knowledgeable about healthy eating to help them keep fit. Pupils say everyone is friendly, including the teachers, and this helps them to feel safe at school. They think behaviour is good and has improved over the last few years.

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Grade: 2

Good teaching and learning have ensured that pupils make better progress than they did at the time of the last inspection. This is particularly so in Key Stage 2 mathematics and science lessons, where pupils are challenged well and often work things out for themselves. Pupils' attitudes to learning are good because they are interested in the lessons. For example, Year 3 and 4 pupils were engrossed in designing a computer model of their Quest Myths, bursting full of ideas for how to improve their models. Despite this high level of engagement with learning, pupils do not always make the best possible progress. Learning objectives and success criteria are shared with pupils at the beginning of lessons. However, this good practice is not fully effective because teachers do not ensure that the activities are designed to help pupils of all abilities build on their prior attainment, especially in writing.

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Grade: 2

Good involvement in the wider community, such as with the Avonvalley School Sports Partnership, enables this small school to provide a wide range of extra activities. Pupils say these are among the best features of the school, along with 'great science lessons' where 'you get to use a lot of equipment'. The high standards reached in science are testament to the best aspects of the good curriculum. The curriculum is designed to capture pupils' interests. In Key Stage 1, pupils were buzzing as they talked about the story of Cinderella. However, the curriculum has not been designed to ensure that pupils in the mixed-age classes successfully build on their skills from year to year. As a result, pupils' progress is uneven across the school. The curriculum promotes the development of pupils' personal skills well.

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Grade: 2

The good care, guidance and support ensure that most pupils make good progress. Governors have ensured that an additional teacher has been employed to support children in Years 5 and 6 who have learning difficulties. The good procedures to improve attendance have resulted in a remarkable improvement since the last inspection. Good management procedures ensure that heath and safety issues are attended to diligently. A lot of information is gathered about pupils' standards, but currently this is not used as effectively as it could be to ensure that pupils make consistently good or better progress in all year groups. For example, although teachers mark pupils' work regularly, they do not always provide pupils with the guidance they need to help them improve their work. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Collingbourne Church of England Primary School, 15 October 2008

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Grade: 2

Good leadership and management ensure that the school is improving at a good rate and is well placed to bring about further improvements. There is a good team spirit in the school, and a determination to drive up standards. Governors are very supportive and involved in school life. The school has developed good links with the local community, and particularly good links with the local church. Global links are beginning to be established to help pupils understand what it means to be a citizen of the world. School leaders make accurate judgments about the school's effectiveness. Nonetheless, they have not yet succeeded in ensuring that pupils make consistently good progress from year to year and in all subjects. This is because information about pupils' progress is not linked well enough to plans for school improvement. As a result, although the school is fully aware that pupils' progress in writing needs to improve, the plans

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Grade: 2

to bring about improvement are too general and not focused on the most important aspects of provision that need to change to achieve higher standards. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Collingbourne Church of England Primary School, 15 October 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: Collingbourne Church of England Primary School, 15 October 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? 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/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: Collingbourne Church of England Primary School, 15 October 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 2 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 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 3 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: Collingbourne Church of England Primary School, 15 October 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

16 October 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Collingbourne CE Controlled Primary School, Marlborough SN8 3UH Thank you all for making us so welcome and helping us when we visited your school. The teaching helps most of you to make good progress in your learning. Most of you reach at least average standards by the time you leave the school. The headteacher, staff and governors work hard together to ensure that the school is led and managed well. Your parents think this is a good school and we agree. Here are the things that are best about your school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Key Stage 2 pupils really enjoy science lessons and reach higher than average standards in both science and mathematics. ■ Children in the Reception class have a lot of fun and settle into school very well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The family atmosphere helps you to feel safe and you all behave well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your attendance is good because you enjoy coming to school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You particularly enjoy the sports clubs that help you to keep healthy by taking lots of exercise.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy most of your lessons and have good attitudes to your work because you are often interested in the topics you learn. We have asked the school to improve a few things:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ To make sure that lessons are set at the right level to help all of you to make good progress in your learning, especially in your writing. ■ To make sure that you know what you need to do in your lessons to succeed, and how to reach the next steps in your learning. ■ To use all the information available to make sure that the school gets even better and all of you make good progress. You can help by continuing to work hard and doing your best, particularly in your writing. Thank you again for being so helpful and friendly when we came to see you. Yours sincerely Liz Kounnou Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Collingbourne Church of England Primary School, 15 October 2008

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