Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School

Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School Inspection report

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111930 Unique Reference Number Cornwall Local Authority 325497 Inspection number 18 March 2009 Inspection date Ian Hancock 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 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 85 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 Margaret Gomez Chair Jane Adams Headteacher 23 November 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Kilkhampton School address Bude EX23 9QU 01288 321259 Telephone number

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4–11 Age group 18 March 2009 Inspection date 325497 Inspection number 01288 321936 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 18 March 2009 Inspection date 325497 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. 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School, 18 March 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school is much smaller than average and serves the village and surrounding area of Kilkhampton. Children start school during the academic year in which they are five as part of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They join a class with pupils from Year 1. Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds. There is a pre-school building on site and a large drama and sports community hall shared with the school. The school has achieved the Activemark, Artsmark Gold, Football Development School and the Healthy School Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School, 18 March 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. The headteacher, staff and governors are dedicated to continuous school improvement. Through the headteacher's clear vision, she has established a harmonious and inclusive school, where there is good community cohesion. Leadership and management are good overall and continue to develop. The school's self-evaluation is thorough. Recently, reading and writing have been successfully targeted and have brought about improvements that have raised standards. Through whole-school planning has appropriately identified that there is a need to improve achievement in mathematics in Years 1 and 2, particularly for higher attainers. The school is a central part of its community and is highly valued by parents. They are justifiably proud of their school. This is illustrated by comments such as, There is a strong culture of caring, good behaviour, attention to detail, creativity and fun learning. It contributes

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Grade: 2

immensely to the well-being of the children, our village and the community.' Pupils achieve well because of good teaching and a broad and well-enriched curriculum. By the time pupils leave Year 6, standards are above average in English, mathematics and science. Teaching and the curriculum stimulate pupils' interest and lead to enjoyment of learning. Children make good progress overall in all areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage and are well prepared for Year 1, but the limited outdoor facilities and resources restrict children's opportunities for free choice independent play. The school provides good care and support for pupils. It has created a caring, safe environment where everyone feels valued. Much is done to promote pupils' good personal development and well-being. This includes good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, with particular strengths in moral and social

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Grade: 2

development. As a result, pupils behave well, feel extremely safe and show great respect for each other. They have an excellent understanding of the importance of leading healthy lifestyles and appreciate the numerous sporting opportunities offered to them. The school is having a very positive effect on pupils' growth towards being well-rounded young people. It is well placed to build on its many successes and has a good capacity to move forward positively.

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Grade: 2

Children's skills when they start school are below the levels expected for their age. In particular, many children have weak language and personal and social skills. Smooth induction arrangements, with good links with the pre-school, help children to settle well, learn routines quickly and grow in confidence. High priority is given to the development of children's personal, social and emotional needs by the patient approach of the staff, so that children feel safe and well looked after in this caring environment. Good leadership and teaching, together with an interesting range of well-planned activities, ensure children make good progress in all areas of learning. There are more adult-led activities than those that the children choose for themselves, which prevents children using their own initiative. The outside area has very limited space and lacks resources and equipment. This restricts opportunities for children to play and learn

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Grade: 2

independently, by exploring and extending their skills. Children are supported well by teaching assistants, who take an active part in promoting learning and help teachers to carefully monitor the progress they make. Parents are made very welcome and encouraged to be actively involved with children's learning, which is greatly appreciated and reflected in many complimentary comments. Records show that, by the end of the Reception year, most children achieve average standards and many exceed them, except in communication, language and literacy. 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School, 18 March 2009

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise achievement for higher attaining pupils in mathematics in Year 1 and 2, and make regular checks to ensure that the strategies for improvement are having the required impact. ■ Improve outdoor facilities and resources for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage to enable more opportunities for free choice independent play.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well and make good progress during their time at the school. In Years 1 and 2, pupils make good progress in reading and writing, which has been a key whole-school focus for improvement recently. However, in mathematics, higher attaining pupils are not always given work matched to their abilities and they are capable of achieving more. In Years 3 to 6, pupils achieve well. As a result, standards are above average in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. The school sets challenging targets and pupils work hard to achieve them. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because their needs are clearly identified and targets are matched well to their particular needs. Because great emphasis is placed on teaching art and physical education, pupils achieve well in these subjects and standards are high.

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Grade: 2

Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school and attendance is above average. One pupil said, 'Our school is amazing.' Strong emphasis is placed on developing pupils' moral and social development and as a result, pupils show great respect and support for each other. The school recognises the need to improve pupils' understanding of living in a multicultural society and has begun to increase their awareness by visits outside the area, such as to Bristol. The comprehensive personal, social and health education programme ensures that pupils have positive attitudes to learning and behaviour is good. Relationships are strong and pupils find great enjoyment in helping one another, as seen by the Captains and Vice-Captains at lunchtime. Pupils are enthusiastic about taking on responsibility and excel in raising funds for the school and numerous charities. They are actively involved in the village community and National Trust

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Grade: 2

Guardianship scheme. The school has achieved the Activemark and Healthy School Awards and pupils demonstrate an excellent understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles and how to keep safe. They greatly appreciate the daily 'wake and shake' and numerous sporting opportunities offered to them, making full use of the excellent accommodation in the sports hall. Pupils' good personal development and good progress in their academic skills prepare them well for the next stage of schooling and for the future.

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Grade: 2

Good teaching is typical throughout the school and has improved since the last inspection through regular monitoring by the headteacher. This ensures most pupils make good progress. Teachers use a variety of teaching styles that enthuse and motivate pupils. For example, older pupils express their emotions when discussing the moral issues of destroying the rainforest, 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School, 18 March 2009 and younger children delighted in showing off their full-size sea monster. However, higher attainers in Years 1 and 2 are not always given sufficient challenge in mathematics, so they do not reach their full potential. Teachers develop very good relationships with their pupils and manage their classes well. This all contributes to pupils' good personal development. Teaching assistants are fully involved in teaching activities and provide effective support to small groups

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Grade: 2

of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum provides pupils with a wide range of interesting activities, whilst ensuring all statutory requirements are met. Teachers are beginning to link work across subjects, which helps pupils to make better sense of their learning. Opportunities to gain additional experience are wide and various. For example, pupils are involved in hedge laying, mapping the river, beach cleaning and building sculptures and shelters as well as a residential trip to Bristol. All this has a good impact on their learning. Pupils have frequent opportunities to develop their self-esteem and social skills through music, physical education and art, where standards are high, and excellent use is made of the community hall facilities. However, the school has not adapted its planning sufficiently well to ensure that challenging tasks are consistently provided for higher attaining pupils in mathematics in Years 1 and 2.

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Grade: 2

Children are well cared for in the safe and supportive environment. Pupils feel they are listened to and parents know that staff take good care of their children at all times. Child protection, health and safety and safeguarding procedures are all robust. Pupils with specific social, emotional or educational needs are supported sensitively, with external agencies consulted where necessary. The tracking of pupils' progress is developing well because assessments are being used to set appropriately challenging targets, apart from mathematics in Years 1 and 2. Older pupils are beginning to be more involved in assessing their own work, which is having a positive impact on raising standards.

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Grade: 2

The strong leadership qualities of the headteacher drive the work of the school. She has created a good team spirit and strong ethos among the staff. She has high expectations to ensure all pupils receive a stimulating experience in school, achieve their best and feel happy and safe. The headteacher continually explores new ways to improve the quality of education and receives good support from the whole staff. The quality of the school's self-evaluation is good. It clearly identifies areas for improvement, including raising standards in mathematics in Years 1 and 2. The vast majority of parents are very positive about the school and appreciate the efforts made by the staff. One comment, typical of many, was, 'We are lucky to have such a friendly approachable staff in our school.' Governors are hardworking and supportive. They have a satisfactory understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. Many are reliant on the

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Grade: 2

headteacher for direction but are beginning to be more involved in the school's progress by attending training. There is a strong commitment to community cohesion, both within the local 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School, 18 March 2009 community and beyond, with developing links with Africa. The school plays an integral part in the life of Kilkhampton. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School, 18 March 2009 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School, 18 March 2009

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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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School, 18 March 2009

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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 1 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 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School, 18 March 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

19 March 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School, Kilkhampton EX23 9QU Thank you for the very warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school. We were impressed with how polite and friendly you all were. You are right to be proud of your good school. These are some of the good things we found.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You behave well, work hard and achieve high standards.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy coming to school and teachers provide you with interesting lessons and activities.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have an excellent understanding of the importance of eating healthily and taking regular exercise. ■ You are well looked after and this helps you feel extremely safe.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You get on well together, show respect to everyone and know how important it is to help and look after others. ■ There are plenty of things to do outside lessons and many of you join clubs and other activities, which is good. ■ The headteacher leads the school well and is well supported by all the staff and governors.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

These are the things we have asked the school to do to make it even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ We have asked the teachers in Years 1 and 2 to make lessons more challenging in mathematics for those who might be able to achieve at higher levels. ■ Improve the outside play area for children in the Reception class so that younger children have more opportunity for independent play. You can help by continuing to behave well, working hard and listening carefully to your teachers. Best wishes for the future. Yours faithfully, Ian Hancock Lead Inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School, 18 March 2009

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