Landscore Primary School

Age group 4−11 Inspection date(s) 17−18 June 2009 Inspection number 325756 Landscore Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 113117 Local Authority Devon Inspection number 325756 Inspection dates 17−18 June 2009 Reporting inspector Jonathan Palk HMI

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 under pilot arrangements; it was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act .

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number on roll School (total) 281 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Smith Headteacher Gary Read Date of previous school inspection June 2006 School address Threshers Crediton EX17 3JH Telephone number 01363 772018 Fax number 01363 777732 Email address admin@landscore-primary.devon.sch.uk Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk 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.

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Introduction

This pilot inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and two additional inspectors. The inspectors visited 21 lessons, and held meetings with governors, staff and pupils. They observed the school’s work and looked at documentation, including the school improvement plan, pupil surveys, the tracking of pupils’ progress, examples of pupils’ work, individual education plans (IEPs) of a proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, documents relating to community cohesion, minutes of governors’ meetings and 97 parental questionnaires.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following:

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Introduction

 the impact of the school’s work to improve provision in writing, particularly for those pupils who were lower attainers at the end of Key Stage 1  the quality of pupils’ learning and their progress in science in Years 3 to 6  the impact of the school’s work to reduce inconsistencies in teaching since the last inspection  how well assessment is used in the classroom to improve pupils’ understanding of how they can improve their work  the impact of leaders and managers at all levels (including governors) on improving the school.

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Information about the school

Landscore Primary School is slightly larger than average and admits up to 46 pupils each year. The pupils are very largely from White British backgrounds, and a few pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities has increased and is now above average for a school of this type. The headteacher has been in post since summer term 2005. This followed an unsettled period in the school’s history. The majority of senior leaders have now been in post for one year.

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Inspection judgements

Grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Main findings

What is immediately obvious to visitors to Landscore Primary School is the complete involvement of all pupils in their work. The environment is stimulating, both indoors and outside, and characterised by lively displays of pupils’ work and a strong focus on the core skills of learning letters and sounds, writing and mathematics in its widest sense. Artwork and construction are given a high priority, as are the opportunities for pupils to discuss and share their views with each other and the adults that work with them. Pupils are always busy, and the level of collaborative working is impressive across all ages. The pupils never seem to be at a loss as to what they can do. Even during the wet lunchtimes they can be seen reading play scripts to each other or working on improving their stories on the computers. In this environment it is not surprising that all pupils achieve well and develop into well-

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Main findings

rounded individuals who have an enthusiasm for learning.

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Main findings

The school knows itself well and the headteacher, along with senior staff, has managed change skilfully, ensuring that all staff are on board. The school has built a good capacity for sustained development. The creation of teaching and learning teams has had the benefit of distributing leadership and management evenly through the school and has brought with it a keen sense of interest in school improvement amongst all staff. Developments to improve the quality of teaching and learning have been measured and based on careful evaluation of what is and what is not working. Much work has been undertaken through in-service training, school-based action research and building partnerships with other schools and colleges to improve the provision. The result is that teaching, in the round, is good, and pupils are enthusiastic and motivated by their learning. While lessons are generally strong, teachers do not always probe pupils’ understanding sufficiently through a range of

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Main findings

well-considered questions. The school has strengthened its arrangements for the regular and routine checking of pupils’ progress and the information gained from this source is used more routinely through the school. However, the analysis of this data is often generous and targets for pupils are not helping raise expectations sufficiently for a significant minority of pupils of average ability. A more thorough approach to teacher assessment through good moderating procedures combined with better access to the progress journey is helping close the gap between where pupils are and where they need to be. This is helping to iron out inconsistencies in the rate at which pupils make progress year on year.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Extend the core of good teaching and learning by:  ensuring that the effective use of probing questions which challenge pupils’ understanding and raise their expectations is a consistent feature in 95% of lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the school’s assessment systems by:  ensuring that for each pupil, there is a clear identification of challenging targets to be reached at the end of Reception, Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Very strong relationships have been established with all the adults in the school and pupils are treated with respect. They know that their views are valued and that they can receive the support and extra help whenever they need it. In lessons, pupils think and learn for themselves. There is a high level of interest shown in all they do at school and pupils of all ages show responsibility and initiative. They really enjoy learning and the opportunity to learn with each other. When pupils are asked to work together, they do so very effectively, challenging each other and offering well meant praise. Projects and thematic work are well planned to develop their skills and build on their interests. The chance to meet and work with people outside of the school adds a further stimulus for good learning.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils show resilience when asked to work independently, and respond well to teachers’ questions, particularly where these really probe their thinking and understanding. Most groups of pupils now achieve good outcomes at this school. In 2008, national test results show that pupils attained standards which were broadly average. Pupils have generally achieved better in mathematics than in English. This is because pupils’ achievements in writing in Years 3 to 6 have not been as strong as in other aspects. Pupils’ good progress in writing, evidenced during inspection, shows how effective the school has been at turning around a decline in attainment in this area of their work. A systematic approach to the craft of writing and a strong emphasis on speaking and listening skills through discussion, drama and role-play have helped pupils to develop their ideas, language and vocabulary. There is good emphasis given to learning investigative skills in science through practical work. The

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

school has rightly identified that communicating findings is a weaker aspect of pupils’ work and has taken the necessary steps to address this. Overall, the inconsistencies in pupils’ academic achievements as they move through the school have been ironed out because of the well-focused action taken by the school to match work more precisely to where it will have most effect. Well-considered use is made of intervention material to boost pupils’ learning and strengthen key skills.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils feel secure and appreciated because they are treated as individuals. They told inspectors that the very few incidents of bullying are dealt with effectively. Vulnerable pupils feel special at this school. Adults’ judicious use of praise makes pupils feel that their skills and talents are acknowledged and genuinely valued. Behaviour is excellent. Those that admit to having difficulties managing their behaviour are given every encouragement to stay on task, work cooperatively with others and improve.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils have an extremely positive view about how to stay healthy and particularly enjoy the wide range of sports on offer. Whilst many stay for after-school sport, music or environmental clubs there is only limited provision available for younger pupils. The school council takes its role seriously knowing that it helps make the school a better place. For example, it has harnessed pupils’ enthusiasm for healthy activity through their work to improve the adventure playground, and encouraged an impressive commitment to walking to school. Pupils frequently add suggestions on how school meals can be healthier and these are taken seriously.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils take responsibility in school. The school garden, chicken run and composting facility are well established and used as a resource for much learning. Pupils’ understanding of the contribution they make to the local community is very strong. They are well on the journey towards a greater understanding of young people’s lives in other parts of England and Europe through their links with other schools. Their understanding of more global issues is less well developed.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Attendance is average after a dip last year. There are some good procedures in place to improve attendance. The school is working with the local school community to gain much needed consensus with regard to authorising holidays in term-time.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The secure standards reached by pupils in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology, combined with their keen appetite for teamwork and their enthusiasm for learning, prepare them well for their transition to the next stage of their education.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes Pupils’ attainment 1 3 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress 2 The quality of learning for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and their progress How well do pupils achieve and enjoy their learning? 2 To what extent do pupils feel safe? 2 How well do pupils behave? 1 To what extent do pupils adopt healthy lifestyles? 2 To what extent do pupils contribute to the school and wider community? 2 Pupils’ attendance 1 3 How well do pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being? What is the extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development? 2

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low.

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How effective is the provision?

Work by senior leaders to improve teaching and learning has been successful. As a result, the quality and use of assessment is much less variable than was the case at the previous inspection. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour and manage pupils well. Pupils are engaged because teachers have good subject knowledge and they teach in a lively and enthusiastic way. Planning is thorough and pupils are very clear about what they are to learn and the success criteria for the lesson. They know their targets well. Marking is especially good in writing and informs pupils, involves them in the improvement of their work and clearly identifies the next steps. It is weaker in science because there is not enough direction given to pupils to explain their findings or how these might relate to everyday experiences.

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How effective is the provision?

Teaching assistants are very well deployed and pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities or who are vulnerable to falling behind are very well included and supported. Resources are mostly well used and of good quality although opportunities are occasionally missed to make use of interactive whiteboards to enrich the experience for more visual learners. Occasionally the pace of lessons and learning is slow. This is because teachers’ questioning is not always challenging enough and does not offer sufficient feedback to pupils. Some presentation of work is not always of a high enough standard and does not encourage pupils to develop a pride in their work.

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum is imaginative and stimulating and good links have been created across subjects through an emphasis on skills. Literacy, numeracy and science are well planned and there is an emphasis on using basic skills to help pupils achieve well. Good attention is given to thinking and reasoning skills in science and problem solving in mathematics. High-quality opportunities in learning outdoors and in the arts, especially music, are a strength of the school. The strong emphasis on pupils’ involvement is helping to develop sustained concentration, perseverance and the ability of pupils to evaluate their own work. Pupils say ‘learning is fun’. Good opportunities exist for gifted and talented pupils, particularly in mathematics, science and physical education courses. Pupils are involved in responding to the evaluation of the curriculum through questionnaires. Occasionally there is insufficient challenge in

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How effective is the provision?

the planning of the curriculum to raise the achievement of middle-ability pupils and those in mixed-age classes.

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How effective is the provision?

Staff know pupils very well and parents are appreciative of the level of care offered by the school. There is exceptionally sensitive support for those who are particularly vulnerable and those with specific social, emotional and physical needs. There is good liaison with the secondary school and developing links with local pre-schools.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching 2 The use of assessment to support learning 2 The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher provides tremendous inspiration and motivation for all the school community. This has ensured that good progress has been made in improving the quality of teaching and learning and promoting equality since the last inspection. As a result, pupils now make more even progress through the school. At the same time, the high quality of pupils’ personal development and well-being has been sustained. This improvement has been possible because change is handled extremely well. Shared responsibility for development is embedded deep into the culture of the school and sustained by the sharing of best practice and innovative approaches to professional development.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school shows a strong commitment to promoting cohesion within and outside the school community. Pupils show pride in their school in the way they work and play together. The school has a good understanding of its own community through its strong links within the town and local schools. It has recently invested in the school grounds as a resource for the community, whilst its promotion of green technologies and ‘Fair Trade’ acts as a beacon for sustainable development. It has been quick to extend the opportunities for the largely monocultural experiences of pupils by establishing links with more diverse communities.

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How effective are leadership and management?

There is plenty of good quality monitoring of teaching and learning. Lesson observations are very well focused on agreed areas of school improvement. Weaknesses in teaching are identified and support given, helping to continually improve the quality of learning. The use of data is developing well and used to pinpoint where the main emphasis for support is targeted. However, there are some areas where the school lags behind others in the use of data to secure the very best possible outcomes for all children. For example, attendance data are not analysed systematically to show which pupils are most vulnerable to slower learning because of absence. Nor are measurable targets widely used as success criteria in the school’s improvement planning. The school makes good use of surveys to capture pupils’ and parents’ views.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Safeguarding of pupils and child protection procedures meet requirements. There is good management of health and safety but governors have not maintained a rigorous oversight of requirements for the safeguarding of pupils. Governors are knowledgeable, enthusiastic and work well with the school. They are not yet fully involved at a strategic level. They actively seek feedback from parents and expenditure has been well managed to push forward the school’s priorities.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in communicating ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 3 The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school’s engagement with parents and carers 2 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 2 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children start school with skills and abilities that are below those levels expected for their age, especially in early literacy skills. Based on their starting points, outcomes for children are good. By the time they start Year 1, they reach average standards in the six areas of learning, except in communication, language and literacy which are below average. This year has seen significant improvement in the standards reached over 2008, including communication, language and literacy. Children are happy, confident and enthusiastic learners. They enjoy being in a class with their Year 1 peers and are very much part of the school family. Progress in key skills is good because of effective teaching. Class teachers and skilled teaching assistants work as a very effective team to meet children’s needs. Planning fully embraces the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Children receive a very

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Early Years Foundation Stage

good balance of adult-led activities and those they choose for themselves. For example, when choosing their own learning three girls spent 20 minutes in the ‘reading tent’ totally absorbed in sharing books. Similarly, a group of boys spent 15 minutes in the role play area cleaning the ‘Guest House’. Outdoor learning is restricted because of the constraints of the school site. As a result, the school cannot provide the free flow of activities between indoor and outdoor learning that is a regular feature of many early years settings. Day-to-day assessment is good, with planning adapted to meets the needs of children as the result of tracking and monitoring their progress. For example, there are times when children in Reception work with pupils from Year 1 in order to stretch their potential. Leadership and management are good, with strengths in partnerships with parents. The current strong focus on building partnerships with pre-school providers is bearing fruit in

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Early Years Foundation Stage

developing the transition into the Reception classes.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Views of parents and carers

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Landscore Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. If a parent has more than one child at the school, we ask them to record an answer against all the questions, for each of their children. The inspection team received 97 completed questionnaires. In total, there are 273 parents and carers registered at the school. Parents were overwhelmingly supportive of the school. All of them say that they are always/mostly happy with their child’s experiences in school. There is no pattern to the critical comments and the only criticism raised by more than one of the parents was the availability of sweets and sweet things at school events.

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Views of parents and carers

Always Most of the time Occasionally Never Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 80 17 0 0

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. In 2007-8, 15% of schools were judged to be outstanding. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. In 2007-8, 49% of schools were judged good. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. In 2007-8, 32% of schools were judged satisfactory. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves. In 2007-8, 5% of schools were judged inadequate.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, training or development. This may refer to the acquisition of skills, knowledge, understanding or desired attributes. Attributes include qualities or personal competencies which are important to the development of the pupil; for example personal, social, cultural, emotional or health.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school. 19 June 2009

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Inspection of Landscore Primary School, Crediton, EX17 3JH

Thank you for your help when we inspected your school recently. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting and talking with some of you and in particular hearing about the things you are rightly proud of. I particularly enjoyed my stroll around the garden and woodland school. You go to a good school. I know you and your parents agree. Here are some of my other findings.

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Inspection of Landscore Primary School, Crediton, EX17 3JH

Those responsible for leading and running the school do a good job and you tell me your headteacher is an exciting person to have lead your school. You have a rich curriculum with plenty of extras that your teachers make possible; including many clubs, projects, visits and residential journeys. You certainly have a lot of opportunity to perform and sing. I was pleased that all of you have the chance to learn outdoors, although the area for the youngest children is a bit small. It is clear that you really enjoy going to school and you behave exceptionally well in class and at playtime. I know this because you told us how much you respect the adults who work with you. They in turn give you plenty of opportunity to have your say in lessons. The school council is becoming more influential so keep making the suggestions for how the school can be made even better.

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Inspection of Landscore Primary School, Crediton, EX17 3JH

You do well at school and most of you reach the standards expected for your age in reading, writing, mathematics and science. You are fortunate in having such good teaching. You told us that all the adults take very good care of you and they make every effort to help you make the best progress possible. You particularly like the ‘WALT’ and ‘WILF’. Your teachers are now much better at keeping a check on your progress and getting the right support for you. I think they could still do more to judge if you are making as much progress as could be reasonably expected. Whilst in lessons they could ask you harder questions to help them check out just how much you have learnt, so I have asked them to do this.

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Inspection of Landscore Primary School, Crediton, EX17 3JH

You all are developing into responsible young people who have a good understanding of healthy eating and how to care for others and the environment. I know you will continue to work hard and help each other to do your best. I wish you every success for the future.

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Inspection of Landscore Primary School, Crediton, EX17 3JH

Jonathan Palk Her Majesty’s Inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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