Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School

Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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113762 Unique Reference Number Dorset Local Authority 325878 Inspection number 14 January 2009 Inspection date Deborah Zachary 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 Voluntary controlled School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 130 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 Gillian Smith Chair Matthew Atkinson Headteacher 1 May 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Chilfrome Lane School address Maiden Newton Dorchester DT2 0AX 01300 320644 Telephone number

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4–11 Age group 14 January 2009 Inspection date 325878 Inspection number 01300 320644 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 14 January 2009 Inspection date 325878 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 11 Inspection Report: Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School, 14 January 2009

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Introduction

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

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Introduction

■ how well pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 are making progress

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Introduction

■ whether pupils' personal development is exceptional enough to be outstanding

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Introduction

■ the quality of leadership and management.

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Introduction

Evidence was gathered from: discussions with staff, pupils and governors; analysis of the school's data on pupils' progress; scrutiny of pupils' work and other documentation; observations of lessons, assembly and playtime; and analysis of questionnaires returned by parents. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

This is a small rural school which draws almost all its pupils from the local community. Because year groups are small, attainment on entry can vary from year to year. In the school as a whole, the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is broadly average. Almost all pupils are of White British backgrounds. Almost all speak English as their first language. The school provides for pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in class 1. The four other classes all contain a mix of two year groups. In the last academic year a series of temporary teachers had to be used to cover staff illness in the class for Year 4/5 pupils.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School, 14 January 2009

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good education for its pupils. It has some outstanding features. Children make outstanding progress in the EYFS, as do pupils in Key Stage 1. However, the progress of some year groups in Key Stage 2 has been only satisfactory in the recent past and, as a result, achievement in the school is good overall. The slower progress suggests that teaching quality dropped in the middle years of Key Stage 2 for pupils now in Years 5 and 6, at a time when there were significant periods of teacher illness. Teaching is now outstanding throughout the school and pupils are making excellent progress in lessons, but some of the current Year 5 and 6 pupils have much ground to make up to match the achievement of others in the school. Despite this, standards overall in the school are very high. One of the school's exceptional strengths is in the provision it makes for pupils' personal development and the dividends this pays in terms of pupils' excellent spiritual development,

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Grade: 2

social awareness and behaviour. Pupils display great sensitivity to each other's needs, and are tremendously keen that no-one, whatever their ability, should be left out in lessons or at break time. Some act very effectively as playground activity leaders. It makes the school a particularly welcoming, inclusive community. This does not happen by chance. The school has a detailed understanding of the nature and make-up of the pupil community and has established a range of strategies to meet pupils' differing needs. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 take part in a residential trip to one of Britain's multicultural cities as part of a series of events to broaden their understanding of their own country. A particular effort is made to involve parents from minority social or ethnic backgrounds. There are very strong links with the church and local schools. Teachers present lessons that are highly stimulating, very well structured and which involve

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Grade: 2

pupils closely in their learning. For example, pupils are told what it is that they are trying to learn and often provide advice to each other on how well they have reached that objective. This helps the one being advised, but also helps the advisor to understand better too. In one extremely successful lesson pupils did this by ticking a chart of success criteria for the activity, provided by the teacher and varied for different pupils according to the stage they had reached. In another very effective lesson, pupils showed immense maturity in discussing the feelings of a grandfather preparing for his death by writing a letter to his grandson. The lesson also formed a context for expanding pupils' knowledge of northern England, in terms of dialect words and culture. The curriculum makes a major contribution to pupils' great enjoyment of school. It ensures an excellent experience of creative subjects, with a wide range of visitors, projects,

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Grade: 2

visits and performances. One parent wrote that 'the standard of drama productions is outstanding' – a comment typical of many – and these performances contribute to the strong links with the local community. A wide range of opportunities are also provided in sport. The curriculum is up to date with what is happening in the world. For example, books show reflective work following the terrorist attack in Mumbai, and younger pupils have done project work in which they each focus on a different world city, imagining what it would be like to live there now. The pupils are well aware of what they need to do to stay healthy and they have a strong voice in the school. They have helped to interview staff and suggest ideas through the school council. Members of the council recently suggested ideas for upgrading toilets and, with governor help, obtained estimates for the work they wanted to be done. Pupils feel safe and secure. Parents

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Grade: 2

wrote of the excellent support they and their children receive. They are extremely well looked 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School, 14 January 2009 after and statutory safeguarding requirements are fully met. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are very well supported. Outside professional advice is very effectively sought and training for staff arranged where needed. As a result, some individual pupils have made excellent progress. Overall the progress of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is good, not outstanding, because some have had a period of slower progress in class like their peers in Key Stage 2. Pupils receive good guidance. Their involvement is exceptional in lessons, and books are well marked. They know their targets, and in some classes these are used very well. However, a few pupils do not think targets are updated frequently enough so they lose

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Grade: 2

their sharpness. The headteacher's effective leadership has established a very clear vision and direction for staff and pupils, and its impact is evident in the pupils' outstanding personal qualities and exceptionally high standards in most year groups. The school's self-evaluation is good, though some of the school's judgements are over-modest. The school is rightly refining its assessment and tracking system to ensure more frequent tracking. Pupils' standards in reading, writing and mathematics, though not in science, have been recorded centrally twice yearly, and this enables senior managers to identify when progress slows and put in extra support. Reliance on this twice-yearly check could mean that intervention was slow, but the current quality of teaching means that in practice standards are continually assessed and the teachers themselves ensure pupils' needs are quickly met across the curriculum. The school sets long-term targets

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Grade: 2

for pupils based on their standards at the start of each key stage, but these are not always sufficiently challenging. For example, the current Year 6 are on track to meet their targets and reach high standards overall. However, this was a high attaining year group at the end of Key Stage 1, and reaching their targets will only represent satisfactory progress, particularly in mathematics. Governance is good and the governors contribute effectively to the school's strong strategic direction. They know the school well and development planning is effective. The school has a good capacity to improve further. Almost all parents are highly satisfied, and very few made any suggestions for improvement in questionnaires returned.

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Grade: 1

The children receive an excellent start to their education, with outstanding provision in the EYFS. Their progress is exceptional. Last year the children's attainment on entry was broadly in line with national expectations, but their attainment by the end of the summer was well above the national average. There are very strong links with the village playgroup, whose children visit the school regularly. This means many children are familiar with the school before they start. They are extremely well looked after, settle very quickly and receive excellent teaching from the adults, who plan work closely together and structure lessons in such a way that all children are challenged very well. In a physical education session led by the teacher, for example, activities were extremely well graduated and targeted to make sure all children made rapid progress. The lesson was particularly well linked to previous work and pupils loved demonstrating

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Grade: 1

ideas they had learnt before, for example how to lunge, balance and crouch. There is a strong emphasis on healthy lifestyles, for example through discussing lunchboxes. Questioning is challenging and answers in full sentences are required. The children show very good listening skills and clap in response to each other's answers. There is a good balance between adult-led activities and occasions where children learn through guided play, and the classroom is carefully laid out with a rich range of resources to encourage this style of learning. The children 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School, 14 January 2009 themselves have been involved in planning improvements to the outdoor area, which is already good.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the way tracking is used, and ensure that pupils' targets are more challenging.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ In the short term, give particular attention to raising standards in mathematics for the current Year 6 so that they make up ground lost in earlier years. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School, 14 January 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. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School, 14 January 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?

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 1 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 1 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 1 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: Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School, 14 January 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? 1 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 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: Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School, 14 January 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

15 January 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School, Dorchester DT2 0AX We really enjoyed our visit to your school yesterday. Thank you very much for welcoming us so well and giving us your opinions on the school. We think you are getting a good education. The youngest children get an excellent start and you all told us how much you enjoy lessons and the activities you can do, such as the many performances. We were not surprised that you enjoy lessons, because the teaching in the school is outstanding. Some of the older pupils had to have lots of different teachers last year and the year before, and this slowed down their learning, but you are certainly catching up now. We have asked the school to focus on helping you to reach really high standards in maths in Year 6, to make up for a bit of slower learning earlier. We were really impressed by your behaviour, and by the way you look after each other and are

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

so sensitive to each other's feelings. Even though you live in a fairly small village, you are very well aware of what the wider world is like. You make a really good contribution to the success of the school. You use targets to help you improve your work. If you think you have reached these targets you can help by asking your teacher for some new ones. Your teachers also check how well you are doing by thinking about where they want you to be a few years ahead. We have asked them to make these targets a bit harder, so that they start off by expecting you to make really fast progress. Thank you again for helping us with the inspection. We wish you all the best for the future. Yours faithfully Deborah Zachary Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School, 14 January 2009

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