Little Melton Primary School

Little Melton Primary School Inspection report

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120827 Unique Reference Number Norfolk Local Authority 327374 Inspection number 2 February 2009 Inspection date Judith Dawson 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 4–10 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 77 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 Mick House Chair Mrs Joan Hughes Headteacher 10 January 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection School Lane School address Little Melton Norwich Norfolk NR9 3AD 01603 811446 Telephone number 01603 813242 Fax number

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4–10 Age group 2 February 2009 Inspection date 327374 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. 2 of 10 Inspection Report: Little Melton Primary School, 2 February 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. Inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: pupils' achievement, teaching and learning and provision for older pupils. They gathered evidence from the school's documents and records of progress, lesson observations, discussions with pupils, analysis of their work and curriculum planning. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

Little Melton is a small village school that is growing each year to accommodate the full primary age range by September 2009. About half the pupils come from outside the catchment area of the school. Fewer pupils than average have learning difficulties and/or disabilities or statements of special educational needs. Almost all pupils come from White British backgrounds and no pupils are in the early stages of learning English. Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with knowledge and skills that are typical for their age. The school holds the National Healthy Schools Award, the Active Mark and the Bronze Eco Schools Award. It is working towards renewing the Gold Arts Mark awarded in 2005. The school manages an after-school care club for its pupils.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Little Melton Primary School, 2 February 2009

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Grade: 2

Parental comments about Little Melton Primary school include, 'This is a happy and friendly school where all the children are welcomed and respected individually.' The inspection findings endorse this view. The school's family atmosphere and the care provided for each pupil generate a good climate for learning. It is inclusive, providing well for pupils who have learning difficulties or medical needs and enabling some high achieving pupils to work with older pupils for English and mathematics. Community cohesion is promoted well and there are strong links with parents, local schools and the community. Pupils learn French or Spanish and they are knowledgeable about major faiths and cultures. Visiting students from other countries who are studying at the hospital or university in Norwich are welcome visitors. This is a good school where pupils are well prepared for their future lives. The school is led and managed well and leaders have a good understanding of the school's

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Grade: 2

strengths and areas for development. The headteacher, who joined the school a year ago, has introduced some changes that have had a positive impact on teachers' understanding of pupils' standards and their progress. A new tracking system has been introduced which gives an accurate measure of standards and ultimately aims to provide a very clear picture of pupils' progress throughout the school. This addresses an issue for improvement identified at the time of the last inspection. Teachers have recently worked together to ensure they measure pupils' performance precisely. They assess pupils' writing skills based on a clear understanding of the criteria for the detail of each level of the National Curriculum. Governors know the school's strengths and needs well, and, with the assistance of the pupils, have appointed new staff for Key Stage 2. Performance management for teachers, teaching assistants and office staff has

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Grade: 2

been introduced, with targets effectively linked to the school's plans for improvement. Pupils enjoy school, as their high attendance levels demonstrate. Their behaviour is outstanding. They care for each other and respect each other's views. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and they take their many responsibilities very seriously. The work of the school council has had a significant impact on the life of the school, even to the extent of being involved in interviewing the candidates for the post of headteacher. Pupils voted for the school motto, and ensure that the school maintains its Eco credentials from day to day. They have a good understanding of healthy eating and most packed lunches reflect this. The many sporting opportunities are very popular and pupils are very clear about the benefits of exercise. Each day starts with physical exercise in the classes which benefits learning. Almost all pupils worked

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Grade: 2

extremely hard on inspection day to produce snowmen on the school field. They even obeyed the 'no snowballs' rule! Pupils feel safe in school and are confident that adults will listen and respond to any concerns. Older pupils also take responsibility for befriending and caring for younger pupils. Pupils are developing good skills to prepare them for their futures, and work hard in lessons. However, although they take great care over their good artwork and computer generated work, they often do not take enough care over their handwriting and the presentation of their written work. Pupils' work and their progress in lessons show that they are achieving well. Standards by the end of Year 2 are consistently above average, although there was a dip in the number of pupils attaining the higher level for writing in the 2008 Key Stage 1 national assessments. Year 2 pupils' books show that the more able amongst them do not always have sufficient challenge

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Grade: 2

to enable them to excel, especially in writing. All pupils make good progress throughout Key Stage 2 and the oldest pupils' work indicates that standards are above average, with several 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Little Melton Primary School, 2 February 2009 pupils in Year 5 already working at the levels expected for Year 6 in English and mathematics. Pupils who find learning difficult also make good progress towards their targets because they are supported well. Teaching and learning are good. Excellent relationships between teachers and their pupils ensure that lessons are lively and pupils want to do well. Pupils delight in demonstrating their skills and improving their performance. In a mathematics lesson, for example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 were thrilled when they knocked a minute off the time they took to halve numbers up to 100. Good questioning by all adults encourages pupils to think and tests their understanding.

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Grade: 2

Teaching at upper Key Stage 2 sets challenging targets for pupils, and marking refers to these and gives advice about how each pupil can improve his or her work. The school's plans for improvement rightly identify the need to ensure that this happens throughout the school, so that pupils can take more responsibility for improving their own learning. All pupils in Key Stage 2 are given written advice to help them improve their work, but this is rare in Key Stage 1, where pupils cannot see how they are improving over time. Teachers give pupils useful oral guidance in lessons and the school has already identified the need to ensure that the exemplary written guidance and target-setting systems for the oldest pupils are adopted throughout the school. Pupils know the aims of each lesson and most teachers ensure that they plan work that challenges pupils of all abilities. There is a good curriculum, often planned through themes, such as 'Growth' or 'World War

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Grade: 2

Two'. Teachers use national guidance carefully for teaching English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology, ensuring that pupils acquire the skills they need. Pupils then confidently apply these skills within other subjects. Because the headteacher and staff have a good knowledge of the Key Stage 2 curriculum, the school is well placed to extend the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils up to the end of the Key Stage. Pupils have access to a wide range of additional activities, from 'Egyptian Dance' sessions to the joint running of the 'May Fayre'. They often price the cost of visits themselves and have organised a 'Jam Buster Week' as part of the Eco project. They also join the village in the annual toad watch. Every pupil in Year 3 learns to play the violin and older pupils enjoy residential visits to residential activity centres. These activities give pupils opportunities to take responsibility and work

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Grade: 2

together as well as developing good community links and an understanding of the wider world. The popular after school club provides interesting activities and is well run. The school takes very good care of the pupils, meeting all statutory requirements for safeguarding them and promoting their welfare. There are good procedures for ensuring medical needs are met and parents are informed if their child has an accident in school. All adults have the welfare of the pupils as their primary concern. The curriculum for personal, social and health education gives pupils very clear guidance for the way to live their lives, so that pupils know their rights and responsibilities. This a school that is constantly seeking to improve pupils' education. The good leadership and enthusiastic staff ensure there is good potential for further improvement.

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Grade: 2

Children in the Reception class settle quickly because of the caring environment and well-established routines. Personal development and well-being are good. Children show respect towards one another and select and use resources carefully. The teaching is good and takes account of children's individual needs well because assessment is rigorous and effective. Learning and development is assured because the vibrant curriculum excites and interests children, 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Little Melton Primary School, 2 February 2009 successfully linking all the areas of learning to a common theme, such as 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. For example, children enjoy playing in the 'Giant's Castle' and planting their own beanstalks to see how tall they grow, completing plant diaries to show their progress. Children have good opportunities to become more independent inside, using 'job boards' to set out their tasks for

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Grade: 2

the day. Outside, there is no designated area for the children, which means they cannot play and explore freely, but have to go elsewhere in a supervised group with an adult. This restricts the extent to which they can pursue their interests and make free choices. The leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage are good, with a strong team of staff working effectively together to ensure that children make good progress from their starting points. Most children reach the early learning goals by the time they enter Year 1, and a good proportion exceed them.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise teachers' expectations of what the more able pupils can achieve in Key Stage 1, especially in writing. ■ Ensure teachers give their pupils written advice when appropriate about how to improve their work and that pupils know what they need to do to excel. ■ Work to provide a designated outdoor learning area for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Little Melton Primary School, 2 February 2009 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Little Melton Primary School, 2 February 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Little Melton Primary School, 2 February 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 1 The attendance of learners 1 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 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Little Melton Primary School, 2 February 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

3 February 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Little Melton Primary School, Little Melton, NR9 3AD We really enjoyed our visit to your school. Thank you all very much for your friendliness and help. It was very good to talk to you and hear your views. We were both very impressed by your excellent behaviour and hard work. We thought you made some good snowmen as well! You and your parents told us that you feel very safe in school and we agree that the grown-ups look after you very well. You take care of yourselves and each other and respect the views of others. You all carry out your responsibilities well. Those of you who helped select your new teachers did a good job. We can see how well you take care of your school and do your best for the environment. I am sure the toads would thank you if they could! You make good progress because you are taught well. By the time you leave school, many of you are working at higher than average levels for your age. Well done, you know your targets

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and work hard towards them. We know you appreciate the advice that teachers give you when they mark your work. We have asked all teachers to make sure you each know exactly what you need to do to make your work even better. Make sure you take their advice, won't you? We also think that some of you do not always have the challenge you need and so we have asked your teachers to make sure that you have plenty of work to extend your knowledge and skills. Now I have something that you can do yourselves. When we looked at your books, although we were impressed by the content of your work, I am sure you will agree that it could be neater. Please will you make a real effort to improve it so that you can take pride in all your work. You all have a good start to school. You have plenty of interesting and exciting things to learn about and play with in the classroom. Your teachers give you plenty of help when you need it

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

but make sure that you also have lots of opportunities to decide things for yourselves. We want the school to try to provide a special outdoor space for the children in Reception so that you can learn and play both inside and out. You have a good school because it is led and managed well and everyone works together. You have lots of interesting things to learn and, because you are well-taught, you use your skills in lots of different ways. We know that you and your teachers will work hard to do the things we have asked. We wish you all the very best for the future. Yours truly, Judy Dawson Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Little Melton Primary School, 2 February 2009

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