Leven Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Leven Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Inspection report

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117981 Unique Reference Number East Riding of Yorkshire Local Authority 326729 Inspection number 6–7 May 2009 Inspection dates Ruth McFarlane Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Voluntary controlled School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 168 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 Mr Graham McDonald Chair Mr Andrew Dolman Headteacher 25 May 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection South Street School address Leven Beverley HU17 5NX 01964 542474 Telephone number

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4–11 Age group 6–7 May 2009 Inspection dates 326729 Inspection number 01964 544305 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 6–7 May 2009 Inspection dates 326729 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 12 Inspection Report: Leven Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 6–7 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 smaller than average school serves a village community. Almost all the pupils are of White British heritage. Movement of the pupil population is much lower than average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is much lower than average. Very few are learning English as an additional language and none is at an early stage. The school has received several awards for its provision including Healthy Schools and Basic Skills Quality Mark. The Early Years Foundation Stage children, aged four to five years, are accommodated in a joint Reception/Year 1 class.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Leven Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 6–7 May 2009

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Grade: 3

Leven Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School provides a satisfactory education for its pupils. The headteacher and staff create a caring Christian ethos and they are developing a vibrant curriculum that is reflected in the improvement in pupils’ personal development since the last inspection. Parents are largely supportive. As one commented, typically, ‘My child is very happy at school. I cannot praise teachers’ nurture and care highly enough.’ Achievement is satisfactory. Children enter the school with typical skills and abilities for their age and make satisfactory progress to reach broadly average standards when they leave. Results of national assessments in 2008 in Year 2 and Year 6 were average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress because they receive suitable support. However, throughout

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Grade: 3

the school fewer pupils than average attain the higher levels in English and mathematics and these pupils are not making enough progress. There are two key reasons for this. First, though teaching is satisfactory, tasks for the more able are often not challenging enough. Second, teaching does not develop pupils’ independent learning skills sufficiently, so that, for instance, they are not habitually guided to find things out for themselves. This sometimes slows progress down, particularly for the more able. Some good lessons were seen. A strength of the best lessons is the skilful management of teaching assistants to lead small groups of pupils in a successful strategy for improving the speed of learning. Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. A range of systems is in place for assessing ability, logging performance data, measuring progress and setting targets for improvement. However, the information gained is not always used effectively by managers and teachers. Targets are

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Grade: 3

not consistently shared with pupils, or reviewed regularly enough, so that pupils sometimes find it hard to understand how to make progress. This is a further reason why a number of the 2008 Year 6 pupils did not make the progress that was expected of them during their years in the school. Pastoral care is good throughout the school. It is this which underpins pupils’ good personal development and well-being. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Behaviour is good. They know how to stay healthy, and they take part in the good opportunities for exercise which are provided at school. They particularly value the good relationships they have with adults and fellow pupils that help them to feel safe. They are self-confident learners, keen to participate in the clubs and activities offered. The curriculum resonates with good opportunities to learn. Cross-curricular projects are included. Links with the community, such as visits to the local

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Grade: 3

church to take part in role-play weddings and baptisms, impact positively on pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The experienced and able headteacher has been a catalyst for the development of detailed monitoring information systems. He is well supported by the senior team, but subject leaders and other staff make a variable contribution to school improvement, depending on their experience and understanding of their roles. Governance is good. Taking this into account, along with the appropriate action which has been taken to deal with the issues of the last inspection, the school has satisfactory capacity to improve. 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Leven Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 6–7 May 2009

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress in Reception. Standards have improved so that Reception children are now on course to reach above average standards by the time they enter Year 1. Creative and physical skills have been less well developed in recent years, but inspection evidence shows that children are now making good progress in these areas. This is because the newly developed area linking Reception with Year 1 provides a very stimulating learning environment that invigorates children’s experiences. Already, the sharing of areas with Year 1 pupils encourages Reception children to admire and aspire to Year 1 pupils’ skills. Assessment is ongoing, meeting individual needs well. A kaleidoscope of indoor and outdoor activities, and opportunities during adult-led and child-initiated activities, reinforces and extends children’s learning in relevant and meaningful ways. Good teaching assists the children to learn and develop well. For instance,

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Grade: 2

a ‘guess the smell’ activity encouraged a range of learning. Here, children used their sense of smell to great effect, identifying and labelling various smells and numerically evaluating their appeal after animated debate. Leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage are good. Understanding of the new framework is still developing, so that the implementation of some of the welfare requirements, such as the role of the key person, is at an early stage. Staff do pay suitable attention to the children’s welfare overall, and help them to understand the need for good hygiene and healthy eating. Staff enjoy good partnerships with parents and other groups, and they are enthusiastic and caring. As a result, children enjoy their happy and secure environment.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Provide more challenge in lessons to accelerate progress in writing and mathematics and include more opportunities to investigate and extend knowledge independently. ■ Use data on pupils’ progress, in the classroom, to identify the next steps for improvement, and share these more frequently and consistently with pupils. ■ Develop the skills and abilities of subject leaders to increase their effectiveness in promoting school improvement. 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

Achievement is satisfactory and standards are broadly average. The pupils currently in Key Stages 1 and 2 entered Year 1 with average skills and abilities. In 2008 teachers’ assessments in Year 2 showed standards in reading, writing and mathematics were average, representing satisfactory progress. However, the number of pupils achieving the higher levels was below average in writing and some pupils did not do as well as expected in mathematics. Pupils in Year 6 achieved satisfactorily and reached average standards in the 2008 national tests in English, mathematics and science. Not enough higher levels were achieved in English, particularly in writing, or in mathematics. A number of pupils did not make the expected progress because of weaknesses in teaching. Inspection evidence confirms that standards are broadly average. Pupils throughout the school are making satisfactory progress although the more able do not

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Grade: 3

always make enough progress in writing and mathematics. Pupils with English as an additional 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Leven Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 6–7 May 2009 language and those with learning needs and/or disabilities are well supported and make satisfactory progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils develop within the school’s Christian ethos into mature and confident individuals who are proud of their school community. They enjoy taking part in exciting curricular opportunities that link up with the community, such as work with the local theatre, and this gives a real boost to their social and cultural skills. As a result, their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good, an improvement since the last inspection. Attendance is average. Pupils are happy and enjoy school; talking proudly of the influence their school council has in decision making. Pupils feel safe, and describe the school as a friendly place. They say bullying is not an issue and are confident that if they have a problem, staff will help. Behaviour is good and pupils say the guidance offered through the ‘Golden Rules’ and the school’s reward system work effectively. Pupils form good relationships with each other and show care and consideration for everyone

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Grade: 2

including adults. They talk knowledgeably of the need for a healthy diet and they enjoy the many sporting activities offered. Steady progress in numeracy, literacy and information and communication technology (ICT), alongside their good personal skills, prepares pupils satisfactorily for their futures.

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Grade: 3

Teachers plan their lessons carefully. They provide patient support and encouragement which encourages confidence and contributes to pupils’ good personal development. In the best lessons, teaching assistants are used well, and the variety of tasks, combining individual, paired and group work, invigorates learning. The pace of lessons is generally good, though, occasionally, explanations of learning objectives are rushed, leaving pupils unsure about what to do. Most teachers show good subject knowledge and, where this is the case, they make best use of resources. A good example of this was in a mixed Year 5/6 ICT lesson, where the teacher’s expertise was used to good effect to support learning. In some lessons progress is slow because pupils are offered insufficient challenge or opportunity to investigate answers and extend learning through their own research. Teachers’ use of assessment information to support and

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Grade: 3

accelerate pupils’ learning is patchy. Teachers’ marking has improved since the last inspection but it is variable. The best is positive and explains to pupils how to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

Awards the school has achieved for its provision reflect a developing curriculum which serves pupils well. It makes a good contribution to their enjoyment of school and their personal development, as well as to their academic achievement. The programme of personal, social and health education, currently a focus of staff training, helps prepare pupils for making choices for their own safety and well-being. The needs of the more able are not always met. On the other hand effective planning for pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities enables them to receive appropriate support from teaching assistants who are effectively deployed. Sporting and musical activities enrich pupils’ experiences and themed and cross-curricular 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Leven Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 6–7 May 2009 projects make learning more meaningful. Support from the local theatre company helps cement

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Grade: 2

community links and enhances pupils’ cultural development. Clubs and visits support the curriculum well.

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Grade: 3

Pastoral care is good. Staff foster an ethos of consideration and respect in keeping with the school’s Christian foundation and, in consequence, pupils feel safe and happy in school. The school meets requirements for safeguarding pupils’ welfare, for example through its arrangements for child protection, health and safety and recruitment. Pupils are taught about the importance of healthy living and know how to care for themselves. Academic guidance is satisfactory overall. Information on pupil’s performance is in some cases not sufficiently detailed, and it is not used consistently by managers and teachers. Pupils are not always clear how to improve their work because the process of setting targets is not well established.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher offers clear direction and has correctly identified the underlying reasons for the school’s satisfactory performance. He promotes and sustains the Christian ethos and a lively curriculum which underpin pupils’ good personal development and their enjoyment of school. He is ably supported by the other senior managers who have helped formulate the school’s accurate self-evaluation and develop some useful strategies to raise standards. Targets are challenging, but they are not yet used to the full because not all subject leaders or teachers understand fully how they can contribute to school improvement. The use of resources, including staff and ICT has improved and is now good. This is especially true in the Early Years Foundation Stage where imaginative use of resources has resulted in an improvement in standards. Each individual pupil is included in everything on offer, and the headteacher has carefully assessed

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Grade: 3

the impact of the school’s effective efforts to promote community cohesion. This is well developed so that links have been made across schools in other localities in the United Kingdom and abroad. Governance is effective. Governors manage finances efficiently and provide good support for the work of the staff. Parents are mostly supportive though a small number indicated some dissatisfaction. However, school records show it has acted properly in dealing with their concerns. Satisfactory progress has been made since the last inspection, in that the school has a better understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. In view of this, and the increasing willingness of staff to work together, the school demonstrates satisfactory capacity to improve further. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Leven Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 6–7 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. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Leven Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 6–7 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? 3 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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Leven Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 6–7 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 3 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? 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 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Leven Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 6–7 May 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

10 May 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Leven Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU17 3NX The inspectors who visited your school recently want to thank all of you for your friendly welcome. We really enjoyed the days we spent with you. You go to a satisfactory school. This means that some things are good and other things need to improve. Your parents are pleased with the way all the adults in your school look after you and how well behaved you are. We agree that this is good. We were glad to see that you enjoy school. We especially liked the way you get on with each other and with the adults. You have a sensible attitude to school and to your work. You pay attention in lessons and try hard. All of this is helping you to make progress. All of you are making at least satisfactory progress now, and most of you are doing as well as pupils in the rest of the country by the time

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you leave. The teachers play their part. They give you help and encouragement. The work they give you is helping all of you to learn. You enjoy the after-school clubs that help you learn more and let you get plenty of exercise. The play is exciting, isn’t it? Those new theatre lights in the hall will make A Midsummer Night’s Dream look great! The adults in charge of the school are helping you in lots of ways to have the sort of education you need. We have identified some ways in which the school could be even better. Those who have managing responsibilities in your school are getting to grips with their jobs. We have asked the school to give some of them a bit more training to help them. We have asked the school to make sure that they help you to make as much progress as possible in writing and mathematics, because those are the skills you need for your future lives. Some of the ways they can do this is by telling you what you need to do to improve, and by asking you to think

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

a bit more in your work and find out more things for yourself. We have asked for all the adults to help you as much as they can. I hope you will play your part by continuing to try your hardest, so that you do as well as you possibly can. Yours faithfully Ruth McFarlane Lead inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Leven Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 6–7 May 2009

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