Longparish Church of England Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 10–11 February 2009 Inspection number 326373 Longparish CE (Aided) Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 116364 Local Authority Hampshire Inspection number 326373 Inspection dates 10–11 February 2009 Reporting inspector Charalambos Loizou

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number on roll School (total) 105 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Helen Mehaffey Headteacher Mrs Alex Foggo Date of previous school inspection 18–19 October 2005 School address Longparish Andover Hampshire SP11 6PB Telephone number 01264 720317 Fax number 01264 720731 Email address adminoffice@longparish.hants.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 an Additional Inspector. The inspector visited five lessons, as well as observing pupils at other times and discussing their work with them. Meetings were held with the headteacher, the vice-chair of governors, staff and pupils. The inspector looked at a range of evidence, including the school’s assessments and tracking systems for monitoring the progress of pupils, the pupils’ work in their books and in displays, school policies and supporting documentation, and 45 parental questionnaires.

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Introduction

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

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Introduction

 the achievement of pupils in writing and mathematics, particularly those of higher ability  the quality and consistency of the teaching and of the demands that it places on the pupils, as well as children in the Early Years Foundation Stage  the extent to which pupils reflect on and assess their own learning, and how well the school acts on their views  the impact of senior staff and governors on sustaining improvements to the teaching, and its effect on pupils’ academic and personal development.

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Information about the school

Longparish is a small primary school situated in a rural village, but most of the pupils come from outside the immediate area. The large majority of Reception children join the school each September full time, having attended a privately run pre-school playgroup situated on the school site. The pre-school is not part of this inspection. There are currently 16 four-year-olds in the Early Years Foundation Stage and they are taught alongside a small number of Year 1 pupils. All four classes in the school are of mixed age. The vast majority of pupils are White British. A very small proportion come from minority ethnic backgrounds and are learning English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is low compared with most schools. Most of these pupils receive additional support in lessons and have moderate learning or emotional and social difficulties,

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Information about the school

and a small number have a specific physical disability. There are close links with the local parish church and community. There has been a high turnover of teaching and support staff in the last eighteen months.

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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

Longparish is a good school that is well led and managed. Pupils achieve well and enjoy learning, which is reflected in their good attendance. They reach above average standards by the end of Years 2 and 6, and in some subjects reach high standards. Teachers and support staff are very committed to pupils’ all-round development. This underpins the school’s success and is reflected in the high standard of care and support pupils receive. The headteacher provides a strong lead and has worked effectively with staff and governors to improve the consistency of good teaching and the curriculum. Changes to staffing have strengthened the teaching. Pupils thrive on the stimulating activities provided in lessons, which are enhanced by visits and visitors, and opportunities to learn to speak French, as well as a wide range of extra-curricular clubs, sport, music, art and drama.

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Main findings

Pupils do particularly well in reading and science to reach high standards. Mathematics and writing standards are above average, but there is some variation in the rate of pupils’ progress across year groups. In writing, for example, the proportion of more-able pupils reaching the higher Level 3 by the end of Year 2 does not match the typically high proportion that do so in reading. In mathematics, pupils in Years 3 to 6 do not always get enough time to apply their number skills to problem-solving tasks, so their progress slows. Teachers have begun to address these shortcomings. As a result, some outstanding teaching in Key Stage 1 enables the pupils to practise their writing more often.

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Main findings

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage achieve well, reflecting a considerable improvement since the school’s last inspection. Reception children receive a stimulating programme of indoor and outdoor activities. Regular opportunities for the children to practise learning letter sounds help to develop their skills in communication, language and literacy. However, there is room for improvement in identifying the most capable Reception children and in encouraging them to write independently.

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Main findings

Pupils are well behaved, polite and courteous. They show initiative and feel safe, knowing that the staff will listen to and respect their views. Older pupils act as peer mentors and good role models to support younger children. The school council is very successful and active on behalf of all pupils. The pupils say they love coming to school because, as one explained, ‘There’s so much to do, you make friends easily and it’s great fun.’ The headteacher and leadership team worked closely with governors to minimise any disruption during a period of considerable staff turnover. They accurately assessed the work of the school. Their sharp evaluations of pupils’ performance are securely based on a systematic programme of assessment and review. Consequently, priorities for development are clear, focused, and articulated well in the school’s improvement plan. Governors are a real asset and are well focused on supporting,

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Main findings

guiding and challenging the school. Rising standards and consistently effective teaching demonstrate that the school has good capacity to improve further.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the progress that pupils make in mathematics in Years 3 to 6, and provide more opportunities for them to apply their number skills to challenging problem-solving tasks.  Raise achievement in writing:  particularly for more-able children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, by regularly checking their progress in communication, language and literacy  so as to increase the proportion of pupils reaching the higher Level 3 in writing by the end of Year 2 in this year’s national assessments, and sustain this for future years.

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Children join the Reception year with skills and abilities that are broadly in line with those expected of four-year-olds. Throughout the school, pupils enjoy their lessons and, despite a little variation in aspects of writing and mathematics, they make good progress overall. Teachers have started to address these relative weaknesses. For example, pupils in Years 3 to 6 increasingly tackle complex algebra and calculation work so that they are on course to reach more challenging mathematics targets. Some pupils rely on the support of staff when trying to solve problems, reflecting inconsistencies in the time provided for pupils to practise number skills independently. Despite this, there are good opportunities for pupils to share ideas and reflect on their learning. Pupils with learning difficulties make good progress because they understand each step towards their learning targets. Writing standards

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are improving in Key Stage 1, because of the good foundations now laid in the Reception year and also because opportunities to write independently have improved. Assessments and test results show that reading standards are typically high at the end of Years 2 and 6, and pupils across the school attain high standards in science and in information and communication technology (ICT). The proportion of pupils reaching the higher Level 5 in mathematics has typically been lower compared with English and science in the Key Stage 2 national tests for Year 6 pupils. There are signs that more pupils are on course to do better in mathematics this year. The small number of pupils learning English as an additional language achieve well and receive appropriate support in lessons. Pupils feel very safe, and many have stated that they trust that adults will deal effectively with any rare incidents of bullying or misbehaviour. They have an

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excellent understanding of how to eat healthily, and many participate in the outstanding range of sports and activities provided after school. Pupils enjoy balanced school meals and eat fruit daily. School councillors are very mature and often take the lead when organising charitable fund-raising. Pupils thrive on the many opportunities to contribute to their local community, including through excellent links with a primary school in Uganda. The pupils have a very strong sense of their own community, and their spiritual, moral and social development is excellent. Special topics and events provide good opportunities for pupils to learn about other cultures and customs, so contributing to their good understanding and appreciation of the diversity of other cultures and faiths.

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These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes Pupils’ attainment 1 2 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? 1 How well do pupils behave? 2 To what extent do pupils adopt healthy lifestyles? 1 To what extent do pupils contribute to the school and wider community? 2 Pupils’ attendance 2 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? 1

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The quality of the school’s work

Teachers plan lessons well to meet the wide-ranging abilities of the pupils and to encourage them to share ideas with talk partners. The quality of teaching is typically good. Teaching assistants are skilled in supporting those needing one-to-one or group support. Teachers are particularly good at asking the pupils to reflect on their learning. The objectives of lessons and tasks are made clear to the pupils, but teachers, particularly in Years 3 to 6, sometimes leave too little time for more- focused independent work, because class discussions are sometimes too long. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 have good opportunities to reinforce their reading skills, and are increasingly gaining confidence when writing independently.

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The quality of the school’s work

Teachers have devised good assessment systems, and parents are pleased with the reports they receive about their children’s progress. The staff are becoming

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The quality of the school’s work

1 Grades for attainment are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; 4 is low increasingly robust in checking pupils’ progress. They mark pupils’ work diligently to check that everyone is on course to reach their targets. Learning targets are clear, and pupils have a good understanding of the steps needed to reach them. Older pupils explained, ‘You start with your red targets then work across to your yellow and green ones – this way you know how close you are to achieving each target.’

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The quality of the school’s work

The curriculum is effectively planned and has improved well since the last inspection. There is now a broad range of topics for pupils to study that draw together a variety of subjects, including high-quality ICT work. Pupils have developed very sophisticated ICT skills and even had the confidence to film the inspector using digital video cameras linked to computer screens without the inspector knowing! Topics incorporate an excellent range of visits to places of interest, so pupils can combine their study of, for example, geography, history and science, as when pupils visited the Mary Rose museum and became ‘archaeologists’. Pupils develop a good range of skills in all subjects of the National Curriculum that prepares them well for the next stage of their education.

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The quality of the school’s work

These are the grades for the quality of provision High quality teaching and purposeful learning 2 Effective assessment 2 An appropriate curriculum which meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, provision through partnership with other organisations Support, guidance and care 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher, phase leaders and governors work as an effective team. They have identified the right priorities for improvement since the last inspection, and incorporate the views of pupils, parents and staff. The staff observe each other teaching, or carry out joint scrutinies of pupils’ workbooks, which enhances the school’s knowledge of its effectiveness. These activities also account for the uniformity in teachers’ marking and planning, and more consistently good teaching since the last inspection. The evaluations made by staff are accurate, and the inspection agrees with their assessments of pupils’ attainment and progress.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Innovative and improved resources are used very well to encourage all pupils to read widely, and this accounts for the high reading standards attained by both boys and girls. Those with learning difficulties are doing well and are included in all lessons, with special sessions organised for them to focus on key areas of learning where they need most help. Assessment is used particularly well to track the progress of all pupils, and the headteacher is taking an active lead on this work in order to continue to raise standards and monitor the performance of different groups.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Governors hold the school to account well. There are effective systems in place to ensure that they monitor the school’s performance. Governors and staff have forged highly effective relationships with parents, who contribute greatly to the life of the school. There are excellent links established with other schools, businesses and organisations, as well as the local parish, the community and the pre-school playgroup. Both staff and governors play an active role in developing these still further for the benefit of the whole community. The vast majority of parents who returned questionnaires paid tribute to the efforts of the staff and governors; ‘Longparish is a unique school; there are great local links’, was one typical comment.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school provides strong pastoral support and care. The staff have established good systems to ensure that the pupils are safeguarded. Very good attention is paid to child protection and to systematic risk assessments of activities and resources. Although some parents raised concerns about the supervision of older pupils at the end of the school day, the staff are vigilant when supervising pupils. Health and safety checks are robust and systematic, and both governors and staff comply fully with their statutory responsibilities. The school has a good understanding of its own community. Staff and governors are increasingly developing links beyond the local area, which are helping to build a cohesive community that respects all faiths and customs represented in wider society.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management Communicating ambition and driving improvement 2 Promoting equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination 2 Ensuring that safeguarding procedures are effective 1 Ensuring that the governing body provides effective challenge and support so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities are met Promoting the school’s relationship with parents and carers, including their involvement in decision-making about matters relating to learning and well-being Developing partnerships with other providers, organisations and services 1 Ensuring the school contributes to community cohesion 2 Deploying resources to achieve value for money 2

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Reception children improve their language and communication skills well when learning letter sounds to recognise their own names, or when sounding out and writing letters. Role play, stories, nursery rhymes and songs are used very well to improve the children’s confidence in speaking and listening. Children successfully learn to explore numbers, shapes and large spaces in the well-resourced and stimulating outdoor area. They make good progress developing early language skills in the role-play area, especially when dressing up as characters in stories. The children explore the world around them with curiosity and interest, gaining confidence as they experiment with the consistency of sand mixed with water when making sandcastles. The staff are good at extending the children’s language and learning as the children describe changes to textures and shapes. The staff are vigilant and supportive, and keep good records of children’s progress and

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Early Years Foundation Stage

development. Many children are ready to start the early stages of the National Curriculum, particularly in language and literacy. There is scope to improve the way that staff check the children’s progress in early reading and writing to see if the most capable children are ready to write independently. There are signs of improvement as children are developing early writing skills, but opportunities to write need to be more prominent in the work they do across all areas of learning so that they start Year 1 at a higher level.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The children are very well behaved and attentive at all times. They respect each other’s views and listen carefully during whole-group discussions. They willingly support and cooperate with others, and the staff offer the right level of challenge for all the children. The children are enthralled and excited about school and learning. They are also very sensitive to each other’s dispositions, and this is clearly seen when the children spontaneously help and support children with severe learning difficulties and/or disabilities. In the short time since her appointment, the Reception teacher has transformed the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and resources.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

How good are the outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage? 2 What is the quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage? 2 How effectively is the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage led and managed? Overall effectiveness: how well does the setting/school meet the needs of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

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Views of parents and carers

The vast majority of the 45 questionnaires were positive, and parents believe that this is a caring and supportive school. There is universal agreement that the school is at the heart of the community. Most parents are pleased with the progress their children are making in their studies, and many expressed very positive comments about the quality of provision made for pupils with learning difficulties. The small number of concerns raised were usually written in a constructive tone, and in some cases parents also stated that they were satisfied that the school will deal with any issues they raise. A few parents raised concerns about the supervision arrangements for pupils after school. The inspector noted these comments and pursued them with senior staff. It was noted that the school has a clear rota of supervision for older pupils at the end of the school day.

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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: an overall measure of the pupils’ success in their academic learning. The term combines attainment and progress. Pupils might make good progress, for example, but if their attainment remains low, inspectors may judge that their achievement is only satisfactory.

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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. 26 February 2009

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Inspection of Longparish CE (Aided) Primary School, Andover, SP11 6PB

You were all so welcoming when I visited. I really enjoyed talking to many of you during your inspection. I agree with your parents, who say that you go to a good school, and I can see why you love going to school so much.

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Inspection of Longparish CE (Aided) Primary School, Andover, SP11 6PB

Well done to you and all the staff and governors. You are so lucky to have such caring people to look after you. I was very pleased with your good behaviour and the way you all play and work together so well. Children in the Reception year are doing well, and I was so pleased to see that the outdoor area for the children has improved so much since the last inspection. The children are good at recognising their letter sounds, and this is helping them to learn to read and write. This good work carries on into Years 1 and 2. I have asked your teachers to try and find out sooner which children are capable of writing independently, and to give those children more time to do this so that they can do even better with their writing. The teachers have made a really good start already, and I was so pleased to see the writing that Reception children did when planning their designs for their model homes. I was also delighted

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Inspection of Longparish CE (Aided) Primary School, Andover, SP11 6PB

to read those lovely letters of thanks, written by pupils in Years 1 and 2, to the fire officers who visited your school recently.

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Inspection of Longparish CE (Aided) Primary School, Andover, SP11 6PB

You are doing extremely well with your science and ICT work; I even got caught out by some clever pupils who decided to film me when I was talking to your headteacher – well done! I have found that you are all doing well in mathematics, but would like to see more of you in Years 3 to 6 reach higher levels. I have asked your teachers to give you more work like those ‘challenge cards’ I saw you using to extend your thinking and problem-solving skills even more.

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Inspection of Longparish CE (Aided) Primary School, Andover, SP11 6PB

I would like you all to keep working hard, because your teachers are providing you with good challenges, and I can see from your test results that you are all doing well and that standards are improving. All the staff and governors are doing a really good job, especially in helping the school to grow and develop still further. They have some very good plans which they have shared with parents about further improvements to the school. You can all help too, by carrying on trying hard and coming to school every day.

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Inspection of Longparish CE (Aided) Primary School, Andover, SP11 6PB

I wish you and your parents the very best and I am so pleased to have met you all. You were all great!

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Inspection of Longparish CE (Aided) Primary School, Andover, SP11 6PB

Charalambos Loizou Lead 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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