Tunstead Primary School

Tunstead Primary School Inspection report

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120863 Unique Reference Number Norfolk Local Authority 327380 Inspection number 25 February 2009 Inspection date Alan Lemon 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 84 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 Bradley Hatch Chair Mr John Weston Headteacher 13 March 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Market Street School address Tunstead Norwich Norfolk NR12 8AH 01603 737395 Telephone number 01603 738317 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 25 February 2009 Inspection date 327380 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: Tunstead Primary School, 25 February 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. The inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues.

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Introduction

■ Does the school's data show pupils of average and above average ability making good progress? ■ Is there evidence of the steps taken by the school to improve the standard of pupils' writing succeeding? ■ Is teaching throughout the school consistent in promoting effective learning?

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Introduction

■ Are leadership and management across the school leading to improvement?

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Introduction

Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but where inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, these have been included where appropriate in this report. Evidence was gathered from the observation of lessons. In addition, discussions were held with the headteacher, the chair of governors, the special educational needs coordinator, the subject leader for mathematics, teachers and pupils. Other evidence considered included school data on standards and progress and parents' questionnaires.

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Description of the school

This is a very small village school. Its pupils come from Tunstead and the surrounding area. All of the pupils are White British and, as part of a rural community, they live in varied economic and social circumstances. Most remain in the school until they are due to leave in Year 6. Their attainment on entry is broadly average. Only a small number of children start each year. There is a wide range of ability and a much higher than average proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. These relate mainly to literacy, behaviour and autism, and children's language and communication skills on starting school are sometimes lower than expected. There are currently 11 children in the Reception Year receiving Early Years Foundation Stage provision. Pupils are taught in four mixed-year-group classes, which are made up of Reception, Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4, and Years 5 and 6. The school has the Activemark award for sports and is recognised as a Bird Friendly School by

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Description of the school

the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. As the result of an illness, the headteacher was away from school between January and September 2007, returning on a part time basis until the recommencement of full-time duties in September 2008. He is about to retire and the governing body are in the process of recruiting a new headteacher.

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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: Tunstead Primary School, 25 February 2009

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Grade: 2

Tunstead is a good school whose overall effectiveness has benefited from fulfilling its mission of being a 'caring and sharing school'. This gives it a positive ethos through which its pupils are nurtured, thrive and develop as the well-rounded individuals the school seeks. Their personal development and well-being are good. The school's contribution to community cohesion is good. It is closely involved in its community, drawing upon its good will and support, and also by contributing in many ways to village life. This teaches pupils the importance of the links between the school and its community. Through the curriculum, pupils learn much about Britain and the different peoples and cultures of the wider world, all of which promotes good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The majority of parents are wholly supportive and pleased with the school. They are attracted by the school's positive and caring attitude towards their children and the approaches used in

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Grade: 2

their education. This is especially so for pupils who find learning more difficult. The provision for them is well led and managed and is good. A minority of parents have expressed some concerns such as the frequent use of temporary teachers and the school keeping up good communication with them. Much of this is related to the impact on this small school of the unavoidably long absence of the headteacher. This has also impacted on implementing the accurately identified strategies for moving the school forward. While there have clearly been improvements since the last inspection, the pace of improvement on for example, raising standards in writing, has been slower than anticipated. A reduced amount of monitoring, particularly of teaching and learning, because of the headteacher's absence, has hindered a timely and thorough evaluation of classroom initiatives on writing. At present, the school's self-evaluation and its capacity to improve are satisfactory. However, this belies the good

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Grade: 2

leadership and management the school has enjoyed over time that has been responsible for pupils' good standards and achievement, much good educational provision and teaching and strong links with the community. Governors have made good progress in clarifying their strategic role and have a systematic approach to evaluating the work of the school. They have a clear view on the direction of the school and a convincing determination to build on the school's existing accomplishments. The standard of pupils' work at the end of Key Stage 1 varies depending on children's starting points when they enter school, but is never less than average. The important factor is that pupils make good progress and achieve well. This continues in Key Stage 2 and by the time pupils leave school standards are above average. This has been consistently the picture over several years. Current work in lessons clearly indicates that a picture of good achievement

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Grade: 2

across the school is continuing. In Key Stage 2, in most years, standards are well above average in science. The subject is well led resulting in a very effective investigative, experimental approach to teaching which boosts pupils' curiosity and enthusiasm. In some years, standards in English and mathematics have been well above average by the end of Key Stage 2. However, in English, while the standard of reading is often high, pupils' writing is at an average standard at both key stages. The school has introduced initiatives such as using drama to help further stimulate pupils' imagination and ideas and shoots of success are appearing. However, the impact has not yet been reflected in pupils' statutory test results. Nevertheless, pupils make good progress overall and are prepared well for the next stage of their education. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and pupils who find learning more difficult also make good

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Grade: 2

4 of 10 Inspection Report: Tunstead Primary School, 25 February 2009 progress. In both these areas of the school's work, the success reflects the good leadership and management of those responsible. Pupils' progress is helped by their positive attitude to school and good behaviour. They enjoy school and attend well, which is made more likely by a good curriculum which offers a wide range of interesting work and activities. It is planned effectively to engage pupils, especially those who find learning more difficult. Pupils appreciate the opportunities to learn outside the classroom, growing fruit and vegetables or investigating the wild life in the dipping pond. This forms a significant part of the school's contribution to pupils' developing healthy lifestyles and they learn the key messages about a good diet and keeping fit. Physical education is promoted well and sports are strongly encouraged. Pupils are keen participants in games during and after

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Grade: 2

school. The active school council have been impressed by the success of their anti-bullying campaign, which they say has all but eliminated incidents. From time to time some pupils' behaviour presents the school with challenges but it is managed effectively and to the ultimate benefit of the pupils concerned. Pupils feel safe and show good consideration towards the needs of others. In particular, they enthusiastically raise money for a number of charities and also contribute well by being helpful around school. Teaching and learning are good. Lessons are very often lively, and work is interesting and challenging. Pupils' contributions are encouraged by good questioning, which allows them to exercise their strong speaking and listening skills. However, lessons are just occasionally too teacher focused and miss opportunities to challenge pupils further by using their initiative and working independently. Lessons are planned carefully to ensure pupils who find learning more

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Grade: 2

difficult stay involved. Teaching assistants work effectively with these pupils to support their learning. While pupils are well cared for and safeguarded appropriately, the academic guidance they receive to help them improve their progress in English and mathematics is restrained by them not having personal targets to achieve and not knowing exactly what they need to do to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The Early Years Foundation Stage provision is good and is led and managed effectively. The strong emphasis on continuous assessment ensures that the needs of each child are well understood. As a result, good teaching provides all of the children with the right level of support and promotes learning effectively. Activities and resources are well planned and provide a good range of experiences in the classroom and the well-equipped, secure outdoor space. The provision to meet the needs of children with autism is expert and effective. Special means of communication, such as using symbols, contribute positively towards autistic children interacting with others and learning. There is a good partnership with specialists outside the school ensuring the correct approaches are used. All children make good progress in each area of learning from their varied starting points. This is reflected in the varying attainment levels, with some children

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Grade: 2

completing the Reception Year with standards above the levels expected. They quickly gain in self-confidence and respond enthusiastically to all of the activities on offer. They engage happily in work, using good independence and imagination when playing both on their own and with others. Good relationships with each other are encouraged with the result that behaviour and personal and social development are good. Children listen to each other, contribute to conversations and share their toys with partners. The development of language and number skills is built effectively into children's work and good progress in these respects means they make a positive start to learning in Year 1. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Tunstead Primary School, 25 February 2009

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase the frequency with which teaching is monitored giving particular attention to how effectively new initiatives improve the quality of learning and raise standards, particularly in writing. ■ Set individual English and mathematics targets for pupils that provide a clear steer as to what they need to do to improve and actively involve them in making progress. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Tunstead Primary School, 25 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: Tunstead Primary School, 25 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? 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? 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: Tunstead Primary School, 25 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 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? 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 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: Tunstead Primary School, 25 February 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

26 February 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Tunstead Primary School, Tunstead, NR12 8AH Thank you for contributing to the inspection of your school. My meeting with the members of the school council was very helpful to me in finding out more about your school. Having spent a pleasant day in your school, made all the more enjoyable by your friendliness, I concluded Tunstead Primary is a good school. This agrees with the views of your teachers and the school council. Your school is good because lessons are helping you all to learn and make progress. No matter how able you are, you all get good results by the time you are ready to leave. While there is nothing wrong with your writing, it is not as good as your reading. Your science results are always very impressive. The school staff look after you well, so features like a healthy lifestyle and staying safe are at the forefront of your minds. You are confident,

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

well-motivated pupils and you show good concern for each other and people around the world who are less fortunate than yourselves. Your headteacher and his staff have done well in providing you with a wide choice of interesting work and activities. The school council mentioned sports, music and other practical activities as the things that they most enjoy. The vegetable garden, fruit trees and dipping pond are additional features that I think make your school work exciting and fun. I have asked your headteacher to check your lessons regularly to make sure that your teachers' ideas, including those for improving writing are working well. I have also said that you should have targets to aim for in English and mathematics because these will improve your progress. I wish you all the best for the future. Alan Lemon Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Tunstead Primary School, 25 February 2009

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