Newnham St Peter's Church of England Primary School

Newnham St Peter's Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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115694 Unique Reference Number Gloucestershire Local Authority 326250 Inspection number 14 May 2009 Inspection date Peter Clifton 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 aided School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 90 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 J Stephenson Chair Colin Doctor Headteacher 24 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 Station Road School address Newnham GL14 1AT 01594 516208 Telephone number 01594 516208 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 14 May 2009 Inspection date 326250 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: Newnham St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 14 May 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 smaller than average school. Most children attend from the immediate locality. Nearly all pupils are of White British origin. An average proportion of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities, mostly with literacy needs. The school has links with partner schools in England, Ireland, Denmark, Poland and Germany. Early Years Foundation Stage provision is made in the Reception Class.

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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: Newnham St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 14 May 2009

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school. Pupils' achievement is satisfactory and standards are broadly average. The headteacher is moving the school in the right direction. Pupils are now making satisfactory progress in year groups across the school. Standards have risen and pupils at the end of Year 6 do particularly well in science and mathematics. English is a weaker area but action taken to improve pupils' progress in writing is beginning to have a positive impact on standards in this subject. Pupils' good personal development and well-being are a strength of the school. They have positive attitudes to learning and behave considerately towards each other. Pupils are confident and feel safe because they know any concerns will be dealt with quickly. The good curriculum ensures that pupils' personal and social needs are effectively developed and provides some very memorable experiences for the pupils. Children in the

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Grade: 3

Reception Year make a strong start because provision to meet their needs is good. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Leaders know what needs to be improved and the capacity to improve is satisfactory. However, development is hampered because monitoring and evaluation are not sufficiently sharp. As a result, pupils are not always challenged to do as well as possible in lessons and the success of changes made is not fully evaluated in terms of the effect they have on pupils' progress. The views of parents provide a mixed picture. A majority of parents comment positively about the changes being made and say the teachers are helpful and friendly. Even though the school sends home regular newsletters, a minority of parents do not feel welcomed nor think that their views are listened to. Pupils express their opinions with confidence and clarity. They think school is a 'good place' and the pupils are very friendly. They say that they have to work hard

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Grade: 3

and most comment that learning is fun. Pupils have a clear understanding of why they should eat healthily and take regular exercise. Pupils' spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is good, underpinned by the school's Christian ethos. The pupils socialise together well and have a strong sense of right and wrong. However, pupils' cultural development, though satisfactory, is the weaker area. Their understanding of Britain as a culturally diverse community is not fully developed. Satisfactory teaching creates a positive atmosphere and activities have clear objectives to promote learning. However, in a few lessons, activities do not move on at a sufficiently brisk pace and the pupils become restless. Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. Pastoral care is the stronger element. Guidance to help pupils understand how well they are doing, or to decide on goals for themselves, is not sufficiently well developed.

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Grade: 2

Children come into school with skills and knowledge that are in line with expectations; their social skills are good. They make good progress across all areas of learning. By the time they enter Year 1, nearly all meet the goals expected and a good proportion exceed these. The children behave well and form good relationships. They are well cared for and feel safe. They support each other well, confidently taking part in whole-school assemblies. Good provision ensures the children develop positive attitudes to learning and work is well matched to their needs. However, activities do not always promote their independence well enough. While the outside area is used regularly, the activities provided are not always sufficiently well structured. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Newnham St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 14 May 2009 Good guidance and support through the use of targets encourages children to understand what

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Grade: 2

they need to do to improve. Links with parents and communication through 'learning journals' are good. The Early Years Foundation Stage leader evaluates the effectiveness of the provision well and ensures that it is adjusted to meet children's needs. The children are well prepared for the transition to Year 1.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Sharpen monitoring and evaluation to ensure that pupils are consistently challenged in lessons and that the impact of changes is measured more effectively in terms of how these help pupils to learn. ■ Improve the use of targets so that pupils have a clearer understanding of how well they are doing and have more involvement in setting goals for themselves. ■ Strengthen pupils' understanding of the range of cultures and lifestyles within the modern Britain. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage to reach above average standards by the time they enter Year 1. However, this good start has not always been built on successfully in Years 1 and 2. Over the past three years, standards at the end of Year 2 have fallen sharply. In 2008, the results were significantly below average, with those in writing being much weaker than in reading or mathematics. While this group contained a higher than usual number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, the standards reached were not high enough. These pupils who are now in Year 3 are making stronger progress, making up some of the lost ground. The school's most recent assessments in Year 2 in reading and mathematics show a sharp improvement on those in 2008. Although assessments in writing are not yet completed, they are also predicted to be considerably better. Results of national tests

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Grade: 3

at the end of Year 6 in 2008 were above average. They were strongest in science where a high proportion of pupils reached the higher Level 5. Over the past three years, standards in mathematics have improved steadily; however, those in English fell; they were average in 2008. The school's predicted outcomes for Year 6 in 2009 indicate broadly similar standards in science and mathematics and higher standards in English. This is the result of a range of initiatives to improve achievement in writing. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve similarly to other pupils.

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Grade: 2

Pupils say it is a 'happy school' and that poor behaviour is rare and quickly dealt with. Older pupils comment that behaviour in the school has improved in recent years. At playtimes, football is a favourite, especially for boys, and the playground buzzes with activity. At the end of their break, pupils return sensibly and quietly to lessons ready to work. They show a good level of concern for each other in the playground and around the school. In assemblies, pupils show the ability to reflect on values such as helping each other and appreciating others' achievements. Pupils regularly raise money for charity to help those less fortunate than themselves. Although 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Newnham St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 14 May 2009 there is a school council for pupils to share their views, a few pupils think that their views do not make much difference. The pupils say they like the many opportunities they have to learn

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Grade: 2

outside lessons, for example trips within the locality and to the Natural History Museum. They value the wide range of after school activities and attend these regularly. Pupils use information and communication technology (ICT) confidently. Satisfactory basic literacy and numeracy skills ensure they are securely placed to face future challenges.

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Grade: 3

Teachers promote positive relationships and manage pupils effectively. As a result, pupils' motivation is strong and they respond quickly to instructions. They cooperate well with each other in group work. In whole-class teaching, teachers only rarely need to intervene to gain the attention of the pupils. ICT is used well, for example in a mathematics lesson to help pupils describe the features of different shapes. Teaching assistants give sensitive additional support to pupils with specific needs. In a few lessons, teachers talk for too long and pupils have insufficient opportunities to contribute through discussion. This slows the pace of learning and limits the opportunities to assess in depth what is being learnt. Planning does not always take enough account of the needs of different groups of pupils, particularly the more able. As a result, there are occasions when pupils do not make as much progress as they could.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum contributes well to pupils' overall good enjoyment. The development of new topics, such as 'the seaside and dinosaurs', is helping pupils to develop their ideas for writing. Other projects, for example, enable them to develop film-making skills. Assemblies are used well to promote pupils' spiritual development. Pupils regularly use ICT in their work. The many additional clubs, visits and trips help to extend their experiences. For example, pupils develop their understanding of environmental issues through working in the wildlife areas. The school's pastoral curriculum provides strong support for pupils to work together as a community. Good links with partner schools extend opportunities for the pupils to learn about life in other countries. Despite this, pupils' understanding of the diversity of cultures within Britain is limited.

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Grade: 3

The school provides a safe and secure environment in which to learn. Child protection and safeguarding arrangements meet current government requirements. The school promotes good attendance and follows up reasons for absences by contacting parents where necessary. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are identified early and their progress is very regularly reviewed. Additional support is helping some Year 3 pupils who did not do well enough at the end of Year 2 to make good progress. Pupils have appropriate targets for literacy and numeracy. However, these are not being used regularly enough in lessons to help with learning or support pupils in making decisions about what they need to do to improve. As a result, several pupils cannot recall these. Marking to help pupils understand how to improve is inconsistent. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Newnham St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 14 May 2009

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Grade: 3

Subject leaders are beginning to develop their role to monitor and evaluate the standards and provision in their areas of responsibility. A system to track standards across the school is securely in place. However, the use of this information to determine the progress in different year groups is at an earlier stage of development. Therefore, this information is not yet used to its full potential, for example to set challenging targets for all year groups. Teaching is not evaluated on a regular enough basis to ensure lessons consistently meet the needs of different groups of pupils. Steady progress has been made in improving writing since the previous inspection and the school is now tackling other outstanding issues. The school promotes community cohesion satisfactorily and is building on its links with schools overseas to improve this aspect of its work and give pupils greater insights into cultures wider afield in Britain and overseas.

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Grade: 3

Governors are committed and supportive of the school. They are aware of what needs to be improved and suitably involved in the satisfactory self-evaluation of the school's provision. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Newnham St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 14 May 2009 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Newnham St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 14 May 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? 3 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

3 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 3 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: Newnham St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 14 May 2009

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learners?

2 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 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 3 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? 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 3 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: Newnham St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 14 May 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

15 May 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Newnham St Peter's Church of England Primary School, Newnham, GL14 1AT Thank you for the warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking with you and were impressed with your friendliness. Your views are important to us and the information you gave us was a great help. Your school provides you with a satisfactory education and you are making satisfactory progress. What your school does particularly well:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Those of you in Reception get off to a good start.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You behave well and are credit to the school, helping to make it a happy place.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You express your views confidently and care about each other.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ New topics are helping you develop more exciting ideas for writing.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Most of you enjoy school a good deal, particularly the good range of extra activities and trips, which are helping you to learn. ■ You all get on well with each other and with your teachers.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You get involved in some very interesting projects, and work with pupils from other schools in this and other countries. ■ The headteacher is helping the school to improve with the help of other staff.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked your headteacher and the other adults to do these things:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Check whether the changes that are being made are helping you to learn better in all of your lessons. ■ Improve the use of targets so that you have a better understanding of how well you are doing, and give you more opportunities to set yourselves learning goals. ■ Help you improve your understanding of the variety of cultures and lifestyles found in Britain today. With your hard work, you can help your school to improve further. Best wishes Peter Clifton Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Newnham St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 14 May 2009

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