Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School

Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School Inspection report

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116363 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 326372 Inspection number 24–25 March 2009 Inspection dates John Earish 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 89 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Gail Fearon Chair Ms Ann Smyth Headteacher 30 November 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Butts Green School address Lockerley Romsey SO51 0JG 01794 340485 Telephone number

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4–11 Age group 24–25 March 2009 Inspection dates 326372 Inspection number 01794 340485 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 24–25 March 2009 Inspection dates 326372 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 13 Inspection Report: Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School, 24–25 March 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This small primary school is situated in an attractive rural village near Romsey. Most pupils are of White British heritage with a very small number from different minority ethnic groups. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties, mostly relating to reading and writing, is broadly similar to that found nationally. A very small number has a statement of special educational need. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is broadly average. The school has achieved the Sport England Activemark and the Enhanced Healthy Schools Award. The school has been through a lengthy period of considerable disruption due to extended and unavoidable absence of staff, including those in senior leadership roles.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 13 Inspection Report: Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School, 24–25 March 2009

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory and improving school. The staffing issues have now been resolved and the school is rapidly becoming more effective. A strong Christian ethos underpins all that the school does. The school has a number of strengths, relating to pupils' personal development and care, which are of good quality. The overwhelming majority of parents fully support the school and say, 'Staff are friendly, caring and professional at all times. The headteacher runs a very happy school' Achievement is satisfactory and pupils are attaining broadly average standards overall. Pupils who have difficulty with reading and writing are making good progress in relation to their starting points. The school has made considerable recent progress in raising pupils' achievement. A strong focus on key skills and closer monitoring of learning by the headteacher and the local authority is resulting in an improving trend for all groups of pupils. For example, pupils in Year

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Grade: 3

2 made good progress in reading and writing last year. The school's own data confirm the inspection findings that pupils in the current Year 6 are on track to achieve better standards this year and are making at least satisfactory, and often good, progress in lessons. This is because staff disruption is no longer a concern and the number of good lessons is increasing. Although the amount of good teaching is increasing, it is not yet consistently good across all classes. This results in some uneven progress. The systems for tracking pupils' performance are of good quality and allow teachers to identify and deal with any underachievement quickly. Nonetheless, some more able pupils could do even better, especially in science. This is because some lessons do not challenge the more able pupils sufficiently, with the result that their learning is not moved on quickly enough. The school is not complacent and realises that it must

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Grade: 3

increase the proportion of good or better teaching to accelerate pupils' progress and further raise standards. The satisfactory curriculum provides well for pupils' personal, social and health education and makes a positive contribution to their good personal development. It is enhanced by a good range of additional activities. Through their active participation in a wide range of sporting activities, and through the work based around the national awards, pupils develop an excellent understanding of the benefits of exercise and other aspects of healthy living. Links between subjects make learning more interesting and challenging and adds much to the enjoyment of school. However, curriculum planning does not yet ensure that there are enough opportunities for pupils to work independently, test their own ideas and use their initiative in order to sustain rapid progress. Pastoral care is of outstanding quality and pupils feel safe and secure. They behave exceptionally

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Grade: 3

well and help and support each other. A system for marking pupils' work and setting individual targets for them to achieve has been introduced in English and mathematics. Pupils say that they find this very helpful because 'It is fun to collect achievement stickers and the targets do make you think clearly about what you must do to improve your work'. However, this is not yet as effective in other subjects, particularly science. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The purposeful leadership of the well-respected headteacher is providing clear educational direction to deal with the effects of the disruption in staffing so that pupils make better progress in all subjects. Recently appointed subject coordinators have implemented changes which have already had a positive impact on pupils' learning. However, they do not yet have sufficient experience of judging the quality of 5 of 13 Inspection Report: Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School, 24–25 March 2009

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Grade: 3

lessons to ensure consistently good or better progress in all classes. The school's self-evaluation is of good quality and results in well-targeted actions that are already starting to raise levels of achievement across all classes. This confirms the school's good capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 2

The quality of education in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Most children start in the Reception class with skills and abilities that are similar to those expected for their age group. They make good progress because teaching and learning are of a consistently good quality. The vast majority of children achieve, and a good number exceed, the levels expected by the start of Year 1. They behave exceptionally well and are cared for extremely well. As a consequence, they thoroughly enjoy the variety of learning opportunities organised for them. Adults ensure there is a good balance between activities chosen by the children and those planned for them by the teacher. This includes a good range of structured opportunities to develop children's knowledge and skills. Good use is made of the outdoor environment to increase opportunities for children to become independent, learn to take turns and share

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Grade: 2

resources. The good curriculum ensures that there are many opportunities for children to play and learn individually as well as in groups of various sizes.The emphasis on linking sounds to letters and naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet enables children to make good progress in communication, language and literacy. Observations and assessments of the children as they work are very detailed and helpful but do not always show clearly what the next steps in learning will be.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase the proportion of good or better teaching, particularly in science, to accelerate pupils' progress and further raise standards. ■ Make the provision for higher-attaining pupils more consistent across the school by increasing the opportunities for them to work independently, test their own ideas and use their initiative, especially in science. ■ Increase the impact of subject coordinators on the quality of teaching and learning by developing their skills at observing and evaluating lessons. 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

Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are building well on the good start to their education in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Standards reached at the age of seven are improving over time and were above average in reading and writing last year. However, over the last three years, there has been considerable variation in the standards achieved by the age of 11. These variations reflect the effect of some small cohorts whose results do not always give a complete picture when they are compared to national data. The scrutiny of results over a period of time provides a more reliable measure of the school's success. This shows that standards are average overall. It also shows that, given their starting point in Year 3, pupils achieve satisfactorily and make satisfactory progress overall. The best progress is made in English and the least progress is made in science. Although many pupils reach the expected Level 4 in these subjects, some more

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Grade: 3

6 of 13 Inspection Report: Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School, 24–25 March 2009 able pupils do not reach the higher Level 5, especially in science. This is because teaching has previously not always been challenging enough, especially for the higher attainers, and consequently progress slows. Teaching assistants provide very good support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, with the result that this group makes good progress in relation to their individual targets.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are inquisitive and confident with staff and visitors alike. They really enjoy school, and are keen to learn. Attendance is good, which is further evidence that pupils are happy at school. Spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is good. Pupils respect the feelings of others and have a good awareness of their beliefs. They have excellent relationships with teachers and other adults. Pupils say that any bullying or misbehaviour is dealt with quickly by the adults. They make an outstanding contribution to the community. For example, pupils successfully made and sold bird boxes to local residents in order to raise funds to develop a pond and conservation area. The older pupils organise tea parties for senior citizens and the choir entertains residents of a local retirement home. The school council also take their responsibilities very seriously and know that these make a very positive contribution to the running of the

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Grade: 2

school. Pupils have an outstanding awareness of the benefits of choosing healthy food and enjoy the good range of clubs and activities organised for them. This has been recognised through the Sport England Activemark and the Enhanced Healthy Schools Award. They understand the value of exercise and are highly competitive members of the local netball and soccer leagues. The pupils' ability to work together cooperatively means that they leave the school as very well-rounded, confident individuals and well prepared for the future. However, the very well developed social skills of some of the more able pupils are not yet matched by a similarly well developed academic performance.

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Grade: 3

A significant proportion of good teaching was seen during the inspection. Its impact was seen in the good learning and the interest and enjoyment shown by pupils in these lessons. This is because the teachers are successfully planning tasks that match the wide range of abilities within the mixed-age classes. For example, older higher-attaining pupils were exploring problems using fractions. They were able to test their ideas and plot the outcomes of their investigation as a curved line graph using a commercial software package. They found this work challenging and enjoyable because the teacher helped them learn from their mistakes by asking well-framed questions. However, there are inconsistencies which, over time, slow pupils' achievement. There are still too many occasions when teachers' introductions are overlong and they fail to exploit fully the pupils' ability to work independently or their skills in exploring ideas for themselves.

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Grade: 3

Consequently, the rate of progress dips, particularly for the pupils who work quickly.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is broad and balanced. It is currently being adapted to make it challenging, relevant and more exciting by linking subjects together thematically to increase the pupils' 7 of 13 Inspection Report: Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School, 24–25 March 2009 enjoyment of their learning. This is having a positive effect on progress. However, senior managers recognise that there is still more to do. Provision for information and communication technology supports learning well across the curriculum. Recent improvements to the planning mean that teachers are much better at matching tasks to the wide range of abilities within the mixed-age classes. This too is accelerating the rate at which they make progress. However, the school recognises that there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to work independently, test their own ideas and use their initiative, especially in science. To complement this, they are

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Grade: 3

in the process of increasing the opportunities for pupils to apply their skills to investigative work and problem solving across the curriculum. Pupils confirm this and say it is an exciting and challenging way to learn. French is taught across the school and contributes to pupils' good cultural development. The good range of extra-curricular activities, given the small size of the school, supports other aspects of pupils' personal development well.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a safe, secure environment in which pupils feel happy and well cared for. Child-protection procedures are thorough and risk assessments are of a good quality. Parents fully appreciate the outstanding level of pastoral care their children receive. Much improved procedures for monitoring academic progress are enabling staff to identify quickly those who are falling behind or having difficulties. This information is used well to do something about it and to set challenging targets for improvement. This underpins much of the recent successes at accelerating the rate at which pupils make progress, particularly in Years 3 to 6. The use of marking and target setting is developing well in English and mathematics to guide pupils' academic development. Pupils say they would like to see this extended to other subjects, such as science, as it would help them understand what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher and the new leadership team are working with determination to accelerate pupils' achievement. They are using challenging targets well to raise standards. The headteacher has a detailed and accurate knowledge of the school's strengths and weaknesses based on detailed and accurate self-evaluation. Subject coordinators are already making an impact on improving children's learning, but are not yet as effective at influencing the quality of learning across the school to ensure consistently good or better progress in all classes. This is because many are new in post and do not yet have sufficient experience of judging the quality of lessons. One of the outcomes of the extended and unavoidable staff absences is that some teachers have not had time to develop a clear overview of the school's provision. This is being addressed by establishing partnerships among staff to share responsibilities and experience. This initiative

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Grade: 3

is in its early stages, but is enabling new staff to contribute to school improvement. Community cohesion is of good quality. The school has increased its engagement with the wider community and is building well on its relationships with parents and carers. The pupils have, for example, contrasted their village with South Rwenzori in Uganda. They are very aware of the inequalities between the two communities and are sponsoring a child's education. They are also busily raising money for chalk and chalk boards so that all the children in that village can learn to write. Governors support the school well on financial and premises projects and take good 8 of 13 Inspection Report: Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School, 24–25 March 2009 account of parental views. They want the pupils to perform well, and are increasingly effective at holding the school to account for its performance. 9 of 13 Inspection Report: Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School, 24–25 March 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. 10 of 13 Inspection Report: Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School, 24–25 March 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? 1 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 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. 11 of 13 Inspection Report: Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School, 24–25 March 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 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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? 12 of 13 Inspection Report: Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School, 24–25 March 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

20 April 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School,Romsey,SO51 0JG Thank you very much for making me so welcome and for being so friendly when I visited your school recently. I did enjoy my visit. I was very pleased to hear how much you enjoyed school and to see how well you worked in lessons. I judged that you go to a satisfactory and improving school. I could see that it is getting better and this will not surprise you, as many of you think the same. There are many things that are special about your school but I would like to single out your teachers and helpers who encourage and support you in lessons, at breaks, and in the interesting clubs and visits. You say the adults are always willing to listen if you have a problem. You enjoy fresh fruit, vegetables and know how to choose healthy, appetising meals. I especially like the way you are developing into responsible young people and have good levels of attendance.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You told me that you particularly like the clubs and outings, and I was not surprised by this. Your headteacher and the other teachers know what needs to be done to improve the school, and have already started to do this. You can all help by continuing to work hard and by listening to your teachers' advice. There are three things to do next.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your teachers need to give all of you, especially those of you who learn quickly, even more opportunities to use your own initiative and test your own ideas, especially in science. You told me that you enjoy working this way and that it helps you succeed. ■ There are many good lessons and I am asking your teachers to try to improve on this and make more of your lessons good or better. This will help all of you make even better progress. ■ I would also like the teachers in charge of subjects to find out more about the different ways they can check how well you are learning during lessons. This will help them to make your work even better than it is. Yours faithfully John Earish Lead Inspector 13 of 13 Inspection Report: Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School, 24–25 March 2009

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