Deer Park Primary School

Deer Park Primary School Inspection report

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112651 Unique Reference Number Derbyshire Local Authority 325654 Inspection number 12 February 2009 Inspection date Roger Brown 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 331 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 Mrs Linda Du-Roe Chair Mr Tim Soar Headteacher 14 March 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection New Road School address Wingerworth Chesterfield Derbyshire S42 6TD 01246 232696 Telephone number 01246 232696 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 12 February 2009 Inspection date 325654 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 10 Inspection Report: Deer Park Primary School, 12 February 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. Inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues:

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Introduction

■ how well teachers promote pupils' investigative, research and problem-solving skills

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Introduction

■ how effective the school's tracking system is in identifying and supporting the progress and development of the pupils ■ how effectively information and communication technology (ICT) is supporting cross-curricular working while fostering the pupils' independent learning. Inspectors gathered evidence from lesson observations, a scrutiny of pupils' work, teachers' planning and records, discussions with pupils, governors, the headteacher and staff, a scrutiny of school policies and documentation, and an analysis of parents' responses to the inspection questionnaire.

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Description of the school

The school serves the village of Wingerworth and the surrounding area. It is a larger than average primary school. Over one third of the pupils come from outside the school's catchment area. Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage twice a year in the terms following their fourth birthdays. Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds and no pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average, as is the proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs. The school holds the Activemark and Basic Skills awards. It has recently been commended at regional level for its work in promoting opportunities for music by being given the Derbyshire Music Quality Mark.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Deer Park Primary School, 12 February 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school where pupils are well motivated, keen to work and happy. Aspects of the school's work, particularly in relation to pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Their personal skills are evident in their excellent behaviour in class and around school. They are polite, thoughtful and considerate. The quality of relationships between all members of the school community is exceptional. Pupils apply themselves diligently to their work and take an active part in the life of the school, especially in sports and the arts. The staff place a strong focus on fostering and nurturing pupils and giving them a good range of experiences. As a result, pupils thrive and are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Pupils achieve well. In the Early Years Foundation Stage children make good progress, with most exceeding the early learning goals by the end of their Reception Year. Pupils maintain

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Grade: 2

the impetus through Key Stage 1, reaching standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 that are consistently above average. The good progress continues in Key Stage 2, so that at the end of Year 6, pupils' overall attainment in the end of year assessments is above average. In some years results are exceptionally high, but the outcomes over the last two years have fallen short of the very high levels previously achieved, as the proportions of pupils reaching higher than average standards have fallen. The school's current targets are ambitious, and if met, are likely to take the results back to the exceptionally high standards gained previously. Throughout the school, pupils with learning difficulties make good progress in relation to their starting points. This is because of the good quality support they receive in addressing their individual needs. Pupils with exceptional gifts and talents are challenged effectively and

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Grade: 2

consequently they too make good progress, achieving high standards in the subjects and areas where they excel. The quality of music at the school is high and many pupils take the opportunity not just to start to learn a musical instrument, but to continue building up their skills as they move through the school. Teachers display pupils' artwork, which is of high quality, attractively in classrooms and around school. Teaching and learning are good and promote pupils' learning habits effectively. Lessons are conducted at a brisk pace, with pupils fully aware from the start of what they are going to learn. Staff make skilled use of questioning to draw out pupils' previous knowledge and understanding, and help them adapt and extend their skills in new situations. Teaching assistants give valuable support, especially to those at risk of falling behind. The classrooms are attractively set out with good access to a range of resources. The teachers are very positive, which gives

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Grade: 2

pupils the confidence to ask questions and share their ideas. Pupils' work is regularly marked, and pupils are encouraged to assess their own understanding of how well they are achieving. As a result of this, and discussions in lessons, pupils have a good understanding of their next steps in learning. Procedures for checking and tracking pupils' progress are in place and evolving. They are not developed enough to allow staff to consistently identify rapidly those pupils who need additional support. The curriculum and other activities meet pupils' needs and interests well in most respects. Pupils say that they really like the lessons where teachers integrate aspects of different subjects together, for instance, when they are applying their literacy skills creatively in subjects such as history. They particularly enjoy using the improved provision for ICT to research and solve problems. They would like even more opportunities for investigative work, as they recognise

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Grade: 2

4 of 10 Inspection Report: Deer Park Primary School, 12 February 2009 that this makes their learning more relevant. They say when they are given these opportunities they try harder and are more interested. One pupil commented, 'It even makes homework fun, and it is much better than worksheets.' Pupils also say that when they conduct science experiments for themselves they understand much more, rather than as they say usually happens, the teachers conduct the experiments while they watch and then write about it. The provision of extra-curricular activities, including a range of sports, is good and pupils say they really enjoy these opportunities. Pupils' excellent personal development and well-being is in part the result of the improvements since the last inspection. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is now excellent. Staff have worked effectively to improve pupils' cultural understanding by running events such

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Grade: 2

as Africa week. During this week, children from an African school visited and performed songs from their culture; both sets of pupils mixed together to talk and share their experiences. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep safe and say they have no hesitation in turning to an adult for help. They are proud of their involvement, through the school council, in decision-making and organising fund-raising for charities. Pupils are actively involved in the local community and take part in a number of sporting events with other schools in the area. Pupils continue to have a good understanding of keeping healthy and know the importance of eating a balanced diet. Their level of attendance is good, although a very small number of children have a high level of persistent absence, which the school monitors carefully. The care guidance and support for pupils is good. The pastoral care they receive is excellent.

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Grade: 2

Staff are regularly trained and updated on child protection procedures and arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet current requirements. The academic guidance is good overall, but some of the assessments made in the Early Years Foundation Stage are over cautious. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides a clear direction for the work of the school. The staff team work very well together, with individual roles and responsibilities clearly defined and understood by all. The quality of the school's self-evaluation is excellent in places, for example, where staff record the impact of the school's work on pupils' achievements. However, it is weaker when the leadership does not rigorously apply criteria and guidance in making their judgements. The staff have carefully audited the school's provision for promoting community cohesion as a part of their continuing self-evaluation process. This

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Grade: 2

highlights many strengths, particularly the links with the local community. However, they recognise that their pupils are relatively sheltered from the wider world and that they need to do more to develop pupils' understanding of the national and global dimensions. The school has set itself challenging targets and staff are focused on maintaining and further improving pupils' standards and progress. The governing body holds the school to account, challenging and questioning the impact of decisions on pupils' achievement. Links with outside agencies and other schools are good. The staff dealt effectively with the issues for development identified at the last inspection and the current priorities for development are accurate. Therefore, the school has a good capacity for further improvement.

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Grade: 2

The school's Early Years Foundation Stage gives children a good start to their full-time education. When they join the Reception class, children's skills and experiences are similar to those expected for their age. The children quickly settle into daily routines and make good progress in the calm and purposeful setting. Children's personal development is promoted extremely well. This 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Deer Park Primary School, 12 February 2009 ensures that children develop their love of school and learning. They place high levels of trust in the adults who care for them and learn to interact with other children extremely well. Good planning provides children with a wide range of activities, which span all the areas of learning. There is a good balance between activities that are adult led, those which are chosen by the children and whole-class activities. Learning resources are of high quality and readily available.

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Grade: 2

Good use is made of the outside area. The staff team work well together and they have a clear understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. Staff assess and record children's attainment and progress carefully, but some of their judgements are overcautious, especially those about the children's starting points. This leads them to underestimate the initial rate of progress that the children can make. Nevertheless, children do make good progress. By the time they leave this stage, most are reaching standards that are higher than those expected nationally. The good teamwork and effective teaching give good support to the leadership, whose overall impact is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Sharpen and refine assessment and tracking procedures at all stages.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase pupils' understanding of national and global perspectives by developing links with different communities. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Deer Park Primary School, 12 February 2009 .

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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. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Deer Park Primary School, 12 February 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Deer Park Primary School, 12 February 2009

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learners?

1 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 1 The extent to which 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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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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Deer Park Primary School, 12 February 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

13 February 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Deer Park Primary School, Chesterfield, S42 6TD Thank you very much for making us so welcome when we visited your school. We really enjoyed talking to you about your work and everything that goes on in school. Your behaviour is excellent and we are very impressed by your confidence in asking questions and joining in discussions. You are very polite, care especially well for each other, and respect what other people say, even if you do not always agree with them. These strengths prepare you well for when you move on to your next schools. They are clearly some of the reasons why you enjoy being at your school. We saw that you quickly got down to your tasks in lessons and the work you were doing was of good quality. You told us how much you enjoy finding out and writing about the past. Your artwork is very eye catching and your ICT skills are developing well. We could see in your lessons

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and from looking at your books that the staff have a good understanding of what you need to do next to improve your work. They explain what you are going to learn clearly and ensure that the work you do is very well matched to build on what you already know and can do. This means that you make good progress and achieve high standards. The staff mark your work regularly and, in lessons, they discuss with you how you are getting on. This helps you to improve your work and leads you to the next steps in learning. However, we would like your teachers to continue to work on the systems they use to assess and record your progress. We think that if these were improved they would allow your teachers to accelerate your progress at an even greater rate. All the staff and governors work very hard to make the school a happy and exciting place for you to enjoy and where you can achieve well. They are always looking to see what they can do

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to improve their teaching and your learning. A great deal of work has been done to involve everyone in the school and the local community in working together. You already know quite a lot about people in different countries. We agree with the staff that the next step is for them to establish close links with other schools and communities in this country and elsewhere in the world. Yours sincerely Roger Brown Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Deer Park Primary School, 12 February 2009

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