Peterchurch Primary School

Peterchurch Primary School Inspection report - amended

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116718 Unique Reference Number Herefordshire Local Authority 326433 Inspection number 23 June 2009 Inspection date Michael Smith HMI 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 Community School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 68 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 Karen Usher Chair Candyce Garlick Headteacher 6 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 Peterchurch School address Hereford HR2 0RP 01981 550230 Telephone number 01981 550230 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 23 June 2009 Inspection date 326433 Inspection number

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Amended Report Addendum

Report amended due to factual inaccuracy

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Amended Report Addendum

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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Amended Report Addendum

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: Peterchurch Primary School, 23 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and an additional inspector.

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Description of the school

The school serves the rural village of Peterchurch and surrounding villages. While many indicators highlight positive social and economic factors, there are elements of rural disadvantage within the area. Most pupils are of White British heritage and the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average. Children and pupils are taught in three mixed-age classes. The school has won a number of awards including Activemark, Healthy Schools, Eco Green Flag and Headstart. The Golden Valley pre-school nursery is an independent nursery on the school site. This provision was inspected separately.

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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: Peterchurch Primary School, 23 June 2009

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Grade: 2

The strong family atmosphere and supportive staff ensure that the school is good and is rightly very highly regarded by parents. Their responses to the questionnaire were far more positive than those usually seen. Many commented upon how their children really enjoyed school and how disappointed their children were if they were ill and missed a day. This enjoyment is evident. Pupils achieve well and reach above average standards. They make good progress because they enjoy a rich and engaging curriculum, good pastoral and academic support and for some, good and challenging teaching. Teaching is judged satisfactory overall because it is not consistently good and some lessons are less challenging when the pace is slower. Also, in these lessons, the quality of marking falls below the very high standard set elsewhere and it does not inform pupils how well they are doing or how to improve. Pupils make a good contribution to the local community and have a good understanding of

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Grade: 2

moral and eco issues. The pupil-led eco committee works closely with the school and local community and has been influential in bringing about changes within school. Pupils have a good understanding of culture, especially art and music, including that from other countries. But they do not have as good an understanding of what it is like growing up in different parts of multicultural Britain. Pupils are very safety conscious and like to keep fit. As one pupil said, they could do both of these at the same time when they learn to swim in their own pool, an activity which many pupils commented was one of their favourites. Pupils are aware of how to eat healthily and use their own produce at meal times. It was good to observe them eating garlic bread which they had made from their very own garlic that they had grown in the vegetable plot. Other vegetables were growing well and pupils looked forward to trying these.

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Grade: 2

Pupils have a good all-round education because many topics are covered in a cross-curricular way and pupils are able to use skills, including good information and communication technology (ICT) skills, in relevant and interesting topics. Work is celebrated so that, for example, pictures of the 'pretend' wedding which pupils organised are displayed and pupils are proud to show visitors. There is a rich variety of extra-curricular activities and these are enjoyed by pupils. Play time is also a happy occasion with pupils playing well together and many taking additional exercise by playing football. Governors are highly influential within the school and work well alongside the headteacher to ensure an improving school. The effective headteacher has ensured good progress has been made since the previous inspection and the effective and accurate systems to evaluate the school's provision and standards mean the school has a good capacity to carry on improving.

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Grade: 2

The school uses its resources well to ensure all pupils are able to succeed well, and most do.

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Grade: 2

Children start school with skills that are broadly typical for their age, although their communication, language and literacy skills are less well developed. Good induction systems, together with the good links with the pre-school settings, ensure that children settle quickly into school routines. Good teaching and a well-planned range of practical activities, effectively enriched by visits and visitors to the school, capture children's interest so that they make good progress in all areas of learning. There is a good balance between adult-led activities and those 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Peterchurch Primary School, 23 June 2009 that children organise themselves. Children were observed using a variety of media and construction resources to support their learning in the 'Where the wild things are' topic. The school recognises that the outdoor area requires further development in order to extend children's learning experiences throughout the day and has plans in place to carry out this

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Grade: 2

improvement. Personal, social and emotional development is promoted particularly well so children quickly gain in confidence and independence and make choices in their learning. Relationships are good; children are well cared for in a safe, secure environment and all welfare requirements are met. Children work and play happily together, sensibly taking turns and sharing equipment. Leadership and management are good. Staff work well together as a team, planning and assessment systems are good, although ongoing assessments need to be done more frequently in order to build accurately on what children already know and can do. As children enter Year 1 they are working within the expected goals and some exceed them.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure the quality of teaching is consistent with best practice in the school and that marking constantly identifies how well pupils are doing and what they could do to improve. ■ Ensure pupils have a better understanding of what it means to be growing up in different parts of multicultural Britain.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy school, as shown by above average attendance and good behaviour. Their good social development means they get on well together with very few problems. The strong support for the eco issues shows a good moral understanding of worldly issues as well as good spiritual awareness. Art and music give a strong support for pupils' cultural development, and includes input from performers from a range of backgrounds and disabilities which broaden pupils' experiences and understanding of life. Pupils also learn about cultures in different countries, including France and Egypt. However, they have less understanding of issues in a multicultural Britain. Pupils know how to keep safe and many were vocal on how much they enjoyed the opportunity to learn to swim in the school's own pool. The very good enterprise and explore days, along with good team working and good numeracy, literacy and ICT skills, helps prepare pupils

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory because, while pupils make good progress during their time in school, this progress is not consistent across all years as the quality of teaching is too variable. When teaching is good, lessons are well planned to meet the interests and needs of the pupils with clear learning intentions to ensure that pupils know what they are expected to learn. Teaching is lively and engaging with good use of time and resources that 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Peterchurch Primary School, 23 June 2009 effectively engages pupils' interest and promotes enjoyment. Good relationships ensure classrooms are happy and harmonious environments, where pupils behave well and are keen and enthusiastic about their learning. However, evidence from pupils' books and the school's analysis of lessons shows that on occasions pupils are not sufficiently challenged, the pace of learning is slow with some pupils

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Grade: 3

becoming restless and not achieving as well as they can. Marking is good in some books with pupils being shown how well they are doing and given clear advice on how to improve. However, this is also inconsistent and in some other books marking fails to adequately inform pupils how to improve or if the work is up to the expected standard.

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Grade: 2

A well-planned and interesting curriculum which is relevant to pupils' needs and interests ensures that they make good progress. There is a strong emphasis on developing pupils' literacy, numeracy and ICT skills which are used well to support learning in other subjects. Subjects are carefully linked together, making learning more relevant, exciting and fun. Attractive displays of pupils' work around the school celebrate their successes and boost their self-esteem. Art work is particularly impressive including photos of pupils taking part in a wedding which they organised. A good programme of personal, social and health education and citizenship develops pupils' good understanding of staying safe, fit and healthy. French, which is taught in Years 3 to 6, and special themed days extend pupils' knowledge of other cultures, although these do not always include the wide-ranging cultures within British society.

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Grade: 2

An extensive range of school clubs, visits and visitors effectively extends pupils' learning experiences and helps them develop their skills and talents. The 'explore days' which are organised by governors and enterprise days give pupils a good understanding of the value of money and the challenges in the world of work.

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Grade: 2

Provision for pupils' personal and pastoral care is good. Staff know pupils very well and are able to ensure they are well supported towards meeting demanding targets. Pupils' personal, physical and emotional needs are identified and staff provide good support and help them in learning to deal with their emotions. There are good links with outside agencies and pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported by the 'shared' special educational needs coordinator. This also makes transfer for these pupils to secondary school easier. Safeguarding procedures comply with present requirements. Academic support and guidance is good with effective induction procedures for children when they arrive at school and support for pupils when they transfer to secondary school. The tracking of pupils' attainment and progress is analysed well to evaluate levels of achievement and to identify those who are underachieving whatever their levels of ability. Additional support is

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Grade: 2

used effectively to remedy any gaps in pupils' knowledge. Marking of pupils' work is generally good but does not always support pupils' academic guidance. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Peterchurch Primary School, 23 June 2009

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Grade: 2

The effective headteacher, well supported by governors and senior staff, gives a strong steer on what is needed to be done to bring about sustained improvements. The headteacher has been particularly successful in ensuring staff remain focused and the school carries on improving during the uncertainty while the local authority considered possible changes to schools within the area. Monitoring the work of the school has accurately identified strengths and weaknesses, which are being tackled, and used to formulate a suitable improvement plan which incorporates clear success criteria. Pupils are given a strong and influential voice in helping to shape school practice, for example their work with eco issues. The school works well in the local community and governors are influential in ensuring they have a good understanding of relevant community issues. For example, the school works with local elderly residents and in removing litter from a local open area, although as yet governors

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Grade: 2

have not set up systems which enable them to evaluate the impact of their actions. Governors hold the school to account well and identify how to carry on improving. They plan and deliver well-received 'explore' days which give pupils a better understanding of local business and enterprise. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Peterchurch Primary School, 23 June 2009 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Peterchurch Primary School, 23 June 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? 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

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 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: Peterchurch Primary School, 23 June 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 2 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 2 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: Peterchurch Primary School, 23 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

24 June 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Peterchurch Primary School, Peterchurch, HR2 0RP I visited your school recently with my colleague, met some of you at lunchtime and talked to others during lessons and at break. We were very impressed with your friendliness and helpfulness and how proud you are of your school. I thought the art work displayed around the school and the pictures of the wedding were very good. We worked very closely with your headteacher and governors and we agree that you attend a good school. Your teachers and the other adults in school take good care of you. Many of you enjoy a variety of good lessons, although we feel that more could be done to make sure all lessons are good and that marking always helps you to improve. We have asked the school to see how they can make this area better. You make good progress and this year's Year 6 look like reaching better results in their tests than last year. You study a variety of subjects and the work is extended

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

with some good visits and clubs. I particularly enjoyed the garlic bread you had made and how proud you were that it was made with the garlic you had grown. You have a very good understanding of what you need to do to become healthy and many of you take part in a variety of sports. You must be congratulated on your good attendance and behaviour which shows how much you enjoy school. You work well in the local community. The eco committee is very influential in school and you enjoy studying many different cultures, including France and Egypt. We feel that the school could do more for you to have a better understanding of what it is like for pupils of your age living in different parts of Britain. Your school is well led and managed and your headteacher makes sure things continue to get better. The views of yourselves and your parents are taken into account to see how it can improve further and your parents were very impressed with the work of the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We wish you well in this good and supportive school. Thank you again for your cooperation. Michael Smith Her Majesty's Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Peterchurch Primary School, 23 June 2009

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