Lane End Primary School

Lane End Primary School Inspection report

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110320 Unique Reference Number Buckinghamshire Local Authority 325130 Inspection number 26–27 November 2008 Inspection dates Peter Sudworth 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 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 145 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 Mr Malcolm Peckham Chair Mrs Denise Starr Headteacher 13 October 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Edmonds Road School address Lane End High Wycombe HP14 3EJ 01494 881169 Telephone number 01494 883640 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 26–27 November 2008 Inspection dates 325130 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: Lane End Primary School, 26–27 November 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This primary school is smaller than average and has lower numbers in year groups than usually seen. The proportion of pupils who find difficulties learning the basic skills and/or who have emotional problems is approximately double the national average. The number of pupils entitled to free school meals and who join or leave the school at times other than the usual ones is above the national average. Children join the Nursery at the start of the term or half-term after their third birthday and attend part-time in the mornings.

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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: Lane End Primary School, 26–27 November 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. It has developed well under the good leadership of its headteacher. The school has risen to the challenge caused by the high turnover of staff. The good skills of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are being used very well to develop the new staff. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, improving well and examples of very effective teaching were seen. Although pupils are making steady progress in some classes, taken overall, pupils achieve well because teaching has been good over time. Standards are currently broadly average due to the much higher proportion of pupils than in most schools who have difficulty learning basic skills. Nevertheless, results have sometimes been above the national average and generally improve as pupils go through the school. Able children reach their potential because the work they are given matches their needs. A well-established and interesting curriculum appeals to pupils' interests. Pupils look forward

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Grade: 2

to special visitors, such as theatre groups. However, the learning environment and provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is not sufficiently stimulating for this age group. Across the school, the provision for pupils who find learning difficult is well managed and assists these pupils' good progress. The school works hard to engage parents in their children's learning, and parents' comments are largely supportive of the school. A few express concerns about the recently extended curriculum time to accommodate more sport, which has resulted in a shorter lunchtime. The school's reasons to increase levels of exercise and to offset midday supervision difficulties are well founded. It has promised to evaluate the arrangements after a trial period. Parents' responses to the questionnaire reflect the good progress that the school has made in the past few years. One parent writes, 'Lane End is a great school. I'm very happy with the progress my

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Grade: 2

two children are making. The teachers are absolutely amazing.' The staff track pupils' progress carefully across the school but the paper-based system they use to do this is very time-consuming and does not enable staff to analyse specific data readily. Pupils' personal development is good. Most enjoy school and know how to conduct themselves safely and with due regard for their own health, such as their regular engagement in exercise. They understand and take part in projects to support others and by so doing learn how fortunate they are in comparison to the world's poorest people. The very good care that the pupils receive from staff supports their feeling of security. Pupils are happy in school and enjoy the friendships made. Given the wide range of abilities, pupils are prepared well for their future education. Given the good leadership of senior staff, the effective monitoring arrangements, the keenness

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Grade: 2

of the staff and the good support of a knowledgeable governing body, the school shows a good capacity for further improvement and has a good track record to build on.

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Grade: 3

Changes to staffing mean teaching is currently satisfactory and the children are making sound progress. The children's skills and knowledge are below those expected when they begin the Nursery. The school's assessments show that, in previous years, children have made good progress and often reached broadly average standards by the end of the Reception class. Staff keep careful records of children's progress but they do not yet use this information well enough to plan activities to meet the children's needs. Staff give a good emphasis to literacy 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Lane End Primary School, 26–27 November 2008 and numeracy in taught sessions, but this teaching does not sufficiently recognise the wide range of abilities. Staff create good relationships with the children. They ensure that children experience a range of activities inside and outside the classrooms, which helps them to work and learn together.

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Grade: 3

The children develop good levels of independence, but the learning environment does not stimulate the children's learning well enough. For example, not enough use is made of computers, and resources are not set out attractively to capture the children's attention and to deepen their experiences. The staff are keen to learn and develop and they have an openness to new ideas. Leadership of the provision is satisfactory and duties are currently being shared amongst the EYFS staff because of staffing difficulties.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the learning environment in the EYFS so that it develops the children's skills more effectively. ■ Adopt a more efficient system to track pupils' progress and to make it easier to extract information. ■ Provide opportunities for professional development to improve the quality of teaching and learning based on past good practice.

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Grade: 2

Over time, achievement has been consistently good. Standards across the school are broadly average, and not as high as they have been because of the significant numbers of pupils who have difficulty with basic skills. Year 2 results were above the national average in the four years prior to 2008 when they fell due to a much larger number of pupils with learning or emotional difficulties. Provisional results show pupils' attainment in Year 6 to be above the national average in 2008. All the pupils reached the expected level or above in mathematics and science, and a high proportion also reached the expected level or above in English. Rates of progress from Year 2 to Year 6 in the last four years have twice been in the top ten per cent of schools in the country. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress. This is linked to the high priority the school gives to meeting their needs to acquire basic skills and

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Grade: 2

Pupils behave well and show good attitudes to their work; this supports their good progress. They live safely and healthily. Pupils talk knowingly about 'stranger danger' and take part regularly in sport. The past year's attendance was well below average because of the poor attendance of a small number of pupils who have since left the school. It is now improving. Pupils link in well with the community. They sing to groups of older people and raise money in conjunction with others to support needy people overseas. They contribute well to their own school community, suggesting school rules and helping with specific duties, such as preparing the music for assembly. Some are developing in their roles as peer mediators to help resolve minor disputes. The school council is developing well and recently met the governors to share their ideas for the school. Pupils are reverent in assemblies, join in well and their singing is a

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Grade: 2

joy. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Lane End Primary School, 26–27 November 2008

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Grade: 3

Staff manage pupils well and create a good atmosphere for learning. A mixed Year 4 and 5 class did well when writing persuasively about the attractions of 'their hotel', doing so in candlelight and to soft background music. Good teaching over time has resulted in good achievement. However, most lessons seen were satisfactory. Although new staff are enthusiastic they have yet to fully embed the school's good classroom practice into their teaching. Teachers prepare lessons thoroughly and effectively question pupils. They share learning objectives well with pupils but they do not always make sufficiently explicit the qualities that they expect to see in their completed work. In some lessons, introductions to the work do not ensure that all pupils are thinking and it is possible for pupils to sit back and let others do the work. Modern technology is used confidently to present lessons visually, which helps the smooth flow of

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Grade: 3

lessons. However, they have not yet sensed the full potential of this medium to present their lessons in a way that really grips the pupils.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is thoughtful and blends different subjects effectively and meaningfully. Studies of Lane End incorporate historical time lines, mapping skills and purposeful use of literacy as pupils write letters to invite speakers into the school. A 'pirates' theme includes personal, social and health education content effectively. Pupils, for example, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of rules, and research into why certain pirates are famous, justifying their choices. Mathematics is used to record results in science but pupils' graphs are not always accurate enough and can adversely affect their conclusions. French is well established. The school's links with a French town have resulted in a visit from the French mayor and deputy with plans for possible exchange visits. Extra-curricular activities are satisfactory but physical education features prominently in the recently extended curriculum time and supports pupils' healthy life

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Grade: 2

styles effectively. Extra group work provides good support for pupils who find work less easy.

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Grade: 2

Staff take very good care of the pupils and are familiar with child protection issues. Guidance to staff about safeguarding matters is thorough and most helpful. Very warm relationships with staff enable pupils to share any worries or concerns they may have. Very good links with external agencies and other institutions, for example a school for pupils with emotional problems, support the staff well in dealing with pupils who have learning and/or emotional difficulties. The school tracks pupils' progress well over time, but it is not easy for staff to plot and analyse the performance of different groups quickly from the current paper-based system. Pupils' individual learning targets are generally better in English than in mathematics because they are more specific and easier to measure. The school has just instigated new 'personalised learning programme' target sheets to improve the current pupil target system but it is still too

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Grade: 2

early to judge their success. Marking is very thorough and supports pupils' learning very well. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Lane End Primary School, 26–27 November 2008

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Grade: 2

The headteacher leads the school well and has the good support of the newly appointed deputy headteacher. Their combined monitoring of teaching and learning is perceptive and is already leading to improvements in the practice of the new staff. The school rightly recognises the need to implement plans for staff professional development so that staff can develop their expertise and replicate previous good quality teaching in the school. The school has made good strides forward during the past four years under the headteacher's leadership. She is caring, compassionate, and passionate about further improvements. Weekly staff meetings are planned well in advance. The school works well with the local community, such as the church, and raises pupils' awareness of the global community. The governing body is well led and has good professional expertise among its membership enabling governors not only to support the school, but also to advise and assist, for example

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Grade: 2

in planned help for the new staff. Members keep abreast of developments, and suggest, question, and work in harmony with senior staff. Good financial management systems are in place and the school is managing well an approved deficit budget to ensure it can return to balance quickly. Despite difficulties in subject leadership arrangements various strategies have ensured that rigorous monitoring has taken place leading to sustained improvements. Interim arrangements ensure that these continue, and that subject action plans continue to be tackled well. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Lane End Primary School, 26–27 November 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: Lane End Primary School, 26–27 November 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? 3 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 3 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: Lane End Primary School, 26–27 November 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 3 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: Lane End Primary School, 26–27 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

09 December 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Lane End Primary School,High Wycombe,HP14 3EJ Thank you for talking to me about your school when I visited and for telling me about the things that you do. You work hard to keep healthy through regular exercise and I was impressed with your knowledge of how to keep yourselves safe when you are out of school. I was very interested to see your work. Most of you seem to enjoy school and you clearly like your teachers. They take very good care of you and want to do the best for you. You attend a good school and you make good progress over time. Mrs Starr has worked hard with the staff over recent years to improve your school. Many of you have a teacher who is new to the school this year. The new staff are settling in well and they need, and are getting, support as they do so. I have asked Mrs Starr to continue to help all of the staff. I have also asked staff in the Nursery and Reception classes, to make

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

these particular classrooms more interesting to help the children's learning. The school keeps a record of your progress as you go through the school but this does not work as well as it might. We have asked the staff to look afresh at the system that they have in order to improve it. Thank you once again for helping me when I visited. I hope that you will continue to work hard and do your best. Yours sincerely, Peter Sudworth Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Lane End Primary School, 26–27 November 2008

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