Cheriton Fitzpaine Primary School

Cheriton Fitzpaine Primary School Inspection report

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113064 Unique Reference Number Devon Local Authority 325749 Inspection number 8 July 2009 Inspection date Martin Kerly 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 78 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 Alice McShane Chair Wendy Harris Headteacher 21 June 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Cheriton Fitzpaine School address Crediton EX17 4JD 01363 866456 Telephone number 01363 866822 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 8 July 2009 Inspection date 325749 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: Cheriton Fitzpaine Primary School, 8 July 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a small primary school. Numbers have declined slightly and the school recently reduced from four to three classes. All pupils are taught in classes of more than one year group. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in a class with pupils in Year 1. Almost all pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above the national average. The accommodation is on two sites: one building is a converted workhouse, the other is a house some 200 metres away along a narrow street where Years 4, 5 and 6 have their classroom on the first floor. The school uses the village hall, parish church and village recreation field to supplement the school accommodation. Plans for a new school on a site about a mile from the current school are well advanced, with a proposed opening date of October 2010.

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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: Cheriton Fitzpaine Primary School, 8 July 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. The staff and governors work with commitment and ingenuity to overcome the inadequate accommodation and minimise the impact it has on the pupils' education. Pupils are exceptionally positive about school and clearly enjoy their time in school very much. They achieve well and their personal development and well-being are good. The entire staff team takes good care of them and all pupils are supported and guided well. The overwhelming majority of parents who replied to the inspectors' survey appreciated the school's many qualities. Views such as, 'My son loves school' and 'The head and staff do a great job in difficult premises', were common strands in the comments received. The checks it carries out on its work are effective, giving the school an accurate view of its performance and what it needs to do to improve further. It has made good progress in addressing issues identified in the previous

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Grade: 2

inspection, especially in terms of increasing the rate of pupils' learning and steps towards acquiring a new school. Within the constraints of the existing building, it is well placed to improve further over the coming year, and the headteacher already has many ideas about how the proposed new building will accelerate this rate of improvement in subsequent years. Pupils achieve well. The attainment of children on entry to the school is exceptionally varied and fluctuates from year to year, but overall it is below national expectations for their age. Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and this is maintained in Years 1 to 6. Standards are rising and are average by the end of Year 6. Teaching is good, and teachers are very thoughtful about setting expectations and work that is different for various groups in their mixed-age classes. However, at times the match of work is not sufficiently finely

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Grade: 2

tuned, particularly in mathematics, for the exceptionally wide range of abilities, and expectations of the most able pupils are not always high enough. This results in a few of these pupils not making maximum progress. Within the satisfactory curriculum there are many good features. Very limited outdoor facilities restrict the opportunities for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage to learn independently by moving freely in and out of doors. Whilst the school has made improvements in the provision of computers, access to these, especially by pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6, remains difficult and teachers are not enabling pupils to make full use of computers across the curriculum. The good leadership and management are mainly reliant on the headteacher as other teachers, although keen to support her, have full-time teaching commitments. Governors are effective. The chair of governors has an exceptionally clear grasp

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Grade: 2

Provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Very carefully managed induction programmes involving parents and pre-school settings help children to settle quickly on arrival into a class where older pupils have already established a calm learning environment with established routines. The children make good progress, often from low starting points on entry, in all six areas of learning. Recent changes to the way children learn about letters and sounds have increased their rate of progress in language and communication skills. High quality support promotes children's welfare well. Children show good development of their personal skills and take plenty of responsibility, not only by becoming increasingly independent in their learning in the classroom, but also by showing care and responsibility towards others. They benefit from the support from the Year 5 and 6 mediators. The teaching is good but the learning

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Grade: 2

4 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheriton Fitzpaine Primary School, 8 July 2009 environment is satisfactory rather than good. This is because the classroom, although large, is needed for lunch and school assemblies, and is a through-way to other rooms. This restricts the scope for setting up equipment in different areas of the room. The opportunities for children to move freely in and out of doors are limited. The outside space has to serve as the school playground and, although secure, does not offer the wide range of experiences expected within the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. Leadership is good. The teacher is proactive in linking with other schools and has a good understanding of the needs of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. He plans carefully, based on perceptive observations of the children, and deploys the teaching assistant well.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the use of computers to support pupils' learning across the curriculum.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Develop the facilities and improve arrangements for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage to move freely in and out of doors and learn independently through outdoor play. ■ Ensure work is always carefully matched to the wide range of pupils' abilities in order to extend and challenge the more able pupils, particularly in mathematics.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well throughout the school, often from low starting points. Their progress has accelerated, especially in Years 1 and 2, where it had been slower in the past. Although standards are average overall, they are rising in several important aspects, notably in English by the end of Year 6, where they are above average, and in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2. Progress in mathematics in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory rather than good, being less consistent than in other subjects, with fewer pupils exceeding their own targets or the standards expected for their age than in other core subjects. Pupils have a sound understanding of calculation skills but are less confident in using their knowledge to solve mathematical problems. The school sets challenging targets for pupils of all ages, and shares these with the pupils. This is helping to increase pupils' understanding about their potential and their learning, and to

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Grade: 2

raise standards. The progress by pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is good, and in some instances excellent, following early identification of their needs and effective additional support from teachers and teaching assistants.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' enjoyment of school is excellent, as is their understanding about the importance of healthy lifestyles, in terms of both diet and exercise. The school has Healthy School and Activemark awards in recognition of its good work in these aspects, the latter being particularly commendable, reflecting the way the school strives to overcome problems of a cramped site. Pupils are very positive and enthusiastic about all the activities and experiences in school, within and beyond the classroom. Attendance is above average and pupils arrive in good time. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Social development is very strong and they make very good friendships between age groups. They respect those whose lives and cultures are different to their own but they have few opportunities for making links with communities in Britain beyond rural Devon. They behave well in lessons and around the school.

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Grade: 2

They clearly know how to keep themselves safe and are very sensible when moving through the village from one part of the school to the other. They make a good contribution to the 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheriton Fitzpaine Primary School, 8 July 2009 school and wider community, showing considerable responsibility towards their various roles, including being peer mediators, school and eco councillors and librarians, or collecting gifts for 'Oxfam unwrapped' and other charities. Their strong ability to work successfully in teams along with a sound level of basic skills equips them well for the next stage of education and adult life.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are consistently good. Good relationships between the staff and pupils and the pupils' readiness to work in small groups or teams support effective learning with a sense of fun in a 'can do' atmosphere. Teachers plan interesting activities that motivate the pupils, for example investigating pitch in science by vigorously testing a range of musical instruments. They help pupils to be clear about precisely what it is they are learning and how they can improve, and pupils, especially the older ones, are becoming confident in assessing their own learning and supporting one another. The skilled teaching assistants are used effectively, frequently supporting small groups, and confidently contribute to whole- class reviews at the end of lessons, for example when leading a discussion on cost implications of a family visit to a castle, during a mathematics lesson. Teachers are very conscious of the

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Grade: 2

exceptionally wide range of ability in their classes. They usually set work at different levels to reflect pupils' varying stages of understanding and this leads to good learning by all abilities. However, at times, particularly in mathematics, the match of work is not always fine tuned and the pace of learning by more able pupils slows, for example, during lengthy whole-class explanations or reviews of work covered. Teachers make satisfactory use of computers to support teaching and learning, but older pupils in particular are unable to make frequent or impromptu use of the computer suite in the main building.

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Grade: 3

The school is largely successful in its determination to overcome the constraints imposed by the cramped, scattered and inadequate accommodation. It succeeds in providing a curriculum with many good features, including imaginative materials to promote pupils' personal and social development, imaginative links between subjects and excellent opportunities to learn to play a musical instrument. There are many enriching activities beyond the classroom such as concerts, sporting events, long- term environmental studies and a residential visit. Nevertheless, the quality of the curriculum is limited. Valuable time is taken up in moving between the two buildings and around the village. The inevitable lack of flexibility makes it difficult for teachers to respond quickly to pupils' interests and restricts pupils' opportunities to work independently. The school struggles to provide a few aspects of physical education, and whole-school assemblies

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Grade: 3

are difficult. The use of computers and technology is satisfactory but computers are not used extensively across the curriculum. The curriculum is adapted well to meet the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and increasingly so for the more able, with some excellent opportunities for the gifted and talented pupils to join pupils in other schools. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheriton Fitzpaine Primary School, 8 July 2009

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Grade: 2

The care and support for pupils are strong features within the school. Staff know all the pupils particularly well and this helps them quickly spot when any individuals have a problem or concern. Those pupils with specific or complex problems receive high quality care and their parents appreciate how well they are informed and involved. A parent of one such pupil commented, 'We have received an enormous amount of help and support to encourage him to work through his difficulties.' The school implements all the required procedures designed to safeguard pupils and there is ongoing training for all staff. Fluorescent bibs are worn at all times when moving between the two buildings and pupils feel very safe in school. The school is developing good systems for ensuring good academic guidance. Teachers frequently provide detailed and clear feedback in pupils' books. Careful assessments are used to set challenging

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Grade: 2

targets, usually carefully matched to pupils' abilities, and most, but not all, of these are reviewed and updated frequently.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher ensures a balanced focus on promoting both academic achievement and pupils' personal development. She leads the small staff team effectively. She has maintained a commitment to work towards acquiring a new school and has clear ideas of the improved opportunities this will offer the pupils and wider community. Governors have been instrumental in supporting her in the campaign for the new school and, in the meantime, continuing the programme to upgrade the present accommodation. They are well informed about the school through, for example, the excellent reports from the headteacher and their own useful focused visits. The school has the Investors in People award in recognition, in part, of its work to promote the professional development of staff, and although all the teachers have heavy teaching commitments they also willingly share in leading developments across the school. The school

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Grade: 2

uses formal and informal methods to check its performance. Whilst it accurately identifies those areas that need to improve, such as the use of computers, it does not always record the findings. This makes it more difficult to follow up when the next round of checks takes place. The school works effectively to promote community cohesion. It has a very clear understanding of the needs of the local community and regularly reflects on its success in helping to meet those needs. It also has a substantial involvement at international level and is reviewing how pupils learn about this country's diverse society. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheriton Fitzpaine Primary School, 8 July 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. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheriton Fitzpaine Primary School, 8 July 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? 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: Cheriton Fitzpaine Primary School, 8 July 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 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheriton Fitzpaine Primary School, 8 July 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 July 2009 Dear Children, Inspection of Cheriton Fitzpaine Primary School, Crediton EX17 4JD Thank you for the way you made us feel very welcome when we visited your school recently. We thoroughly enjoyed talking with some of you and visiting all of your classrooms. You were right to tell us that Cheriton Fitzpaine is a good school and we were pleased to see how very much you all like school and the many interesting things on offer. Here are some of the highlights we found during our visit.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You work hard in lessons, cooperate well in small groups and concentrate. This helps you to make good progress with your work. ■ Your teachers are good at helping you to be clear about exactly what it is you are learning. They think of interesting things for you to do in class and do their best to give you lots of activities, even though your school buildings are cramped and not very suitable. ■ You behave well and are very good at caring for one another, a bit like being in a big family. Lots of you take on responsibilities such as being peer mediators or councillors and we were impressed by the work you have done for 'Oxfam unwrapped'. ■ You are experts about keeping yourselves fit by eating healthily and taking lots of exercise. We could see how keen you were to get to Jack's Acre at lunchtime. ■ Your parents are pleased that you go to this school and about the way the staff take very good care of you all, especially those of you who from time to time have a problem.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

The headteacher, staff and governors have worked hard to persuade the authorities to build you a new school next year. In the meantime we have asked them to work together on three things to make the school even better now.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Find ways for you to make better use of the computers in school to help with your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Improve the area outside Class 1 so that the children in the Early Years Foundation Stage can go in and out more freely and have more things they can choose to do when they are outside. ■ Make sure that you all get work that is challenging and makes you think hard, especially those of you who sometimes find work a bit easy in mathematics. We know you will want to talk to your school councillors about your own ideas of how to improve the school and, of course, will have lots of suggestions about the new school as it gets closer. Yours faithfully, Martin Kerly Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheriton Fitzpaine Primary School, 8 July 2009

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