Blisworth Community Primary School

Blisworth Community Primary School Inspection report

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121794 Unique Reference Number Northamptonshire Local Authority 327570 Inspection number 14–15 January 2009 Inspection dates David Mankelow 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 213 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 Piers Massey Chair Ceilia Irwin 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 Courteenhall Road School address Blisworth Northampton NN7 3DD

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4–11 Age group 14–15 January 2009 Inspection dates 327570 Inspection number 01604 858414 Telephone number 01604 858532 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 14–15 January 2009 Inspection dates 327570 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: Blisworth Community Primary School, 14–15 January 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Blisworth Community is an average sized primary school. The proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals, from minority ethnic groups and with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well below average. The school provides Early Years Foundation Provision (EYFS) in a Reception class. There is an after school club on site that is managed by a private provider. The school has received a number of national awards, including Healthy School, Activemark and Eco Award.

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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: Blisworth Community Primary School, 14–15 January 2009

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Grade: 2

Blisworth Community Primary is a good school. Most children enter the Reception class with skills that are above the levels expected for their age. They make good progress in Reception and most exceed the goals expected of them by the time they enter Year 1. They continue to make good progress as they move through the school, reaching standards that are significantly above average by the time they move on to their secondary schools. This is because the teaching is good overall and some is outstanding. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school, particularly appreciating the family atmosphere and the excellent care, guidance and support that staff provide. A parent typically commented, 'The school provides a caring and joyful environment in which my son can progress and learn, supported at all times by a highly motivated team.' Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school because they are so well cared for and because

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Grade: 2

they are given interesting work to do. As a result, most pupils have excellent attitudes towards their work, trying their best at all times. The outstanding curriculum is enriched by a wide range of lunchtime and after-school clubs that make a considerable contribution to pupils' enjoyment and to them adopting excellent healthy lifestyles. Attendance is above average and the school provides good support for the very few families whose children have unnecessary absences. Teaching is characterised by excellent relationships. Teachers have good subject knowledge so provide clear explanations. Marking is exemplary. Teachers' comments tell pupils precisely how well they have done and what their next steps need to be. At the beginning of lessons teachers usually give pupils time to act on the advice given, which consolidates their previous learning. Teachers mostly set work that is well matched to pupils' prior knowledge but on occasions,

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Grade: 2

more able pupils are not sufficiently challenged and this slows their progress in a minority of lessons. There are also occasions when lessons do not move at a sufficiently brisk pace which also restricts progress. Leadership and management are good. Dynamic leadership by the headteacher has ensured that all staff and governors work together as a cohesive team, striving for excellence. Governors make an excellent contribution to the leadership of the school. They have a detailed and accurate understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses because they are well informed by reports from the headteacher, by links with subject leaders and because they join staff for an annual 'standards meeting'. There have been recent improvements to the school's procedures for assessing and tracking pupils' progress. Assessments are more regular and results are now used to identify the minority of pupils who are not making as much progress as they should

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Grade: 2

be. There are plans to support these pupils but they have not yet been implemented so their impact cannot be judged. High standards, pupils' outstanding personal development and well-being and the excellent care, guidance and support and curriculum provided demonstrate that the school has a good capacity for further improvement.

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Grade: 2

Overall provision in the EYFS is good. The Reception class staff provide excellent pastoral care and have consistent, high expectations of children's behaviour. As a result, children's personal development is outstanding. A typical comment from the parent of a reception child was, 'The children's welfare is very important to the school and this comes across to the parent.' Excellent induction procedures help children settle quickly and happily into school. Children make good progress in all other areas of learning because teaching is effective and there is a good balance 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Blisworth Community Primary School, 14–15 January 2009 between adult-led and child-inspired activities. For example, children delighted in deciding to explore the different sounds made by a variety of beaters when banging the 'saucepan xylophone' in the outside area. A teaching assistant intervened briefly to channel the children's

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Grade: 2

discussions about why beaters made from different materials made different sounds. This made a good contribution to children's developing knowledge and understanding of the world. On occasions, introductions to activities are too long which reduces the time children have to complete them, which slows their progress. Leadership and management of the EYFS are good. The staff work together well as a team and all are involved in making regular assessments of children's development. This information is then used by the team to plan future activities that are well matched to children's skill levels.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that the quality of teaching is consistently high by always providing work that is sufficiently challenging for more able pupils and by making sure that lessons always move at a brisk pace. ■ Provide additional support to pupils who have been identified as underachieving by the new assessment and tracking procedures.

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Grade: 2

Most pupils enter Year 1 with skill levels that are higher than those expected of five-year-olds. All groups of pupils make good progress in Years 1 to 6 and results in national tests at the end of Years 2 and 6 have been significantly above average for a number of years. The school recognised that achievement in writing in Years 3 to 6 had not been as strong as in other subjects and has taken appropriate action to overcome this. Pupils are now given daily writing activities and more opportunities to do extended pieces of writing. Standards of writing in pupils' books are now above those expected for their ages. Standards in science have been a particular strength. For the last two years, two-thirds of Year 6 pupils have reached above the expected level in the science national tests.

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Grade: 1

Behaviour is excellent in lessons and around the school. The very small minority of pupils with the potential to demonstrate challenging behaviour are extremely well supported and managed. Pupils' spiritual, moral and social development is outstanding. Pupils demonstrate high levels of concern for others in taking responsibilities in daily activities, such as using their first aid training when looking after younger pupils. Pupils have many opportunities to demonstrate spirituality in lessons. For example, Year 6 pupils showed great empathy for a family under threat, when preparing to write diary extracts in an English lesson. Cultural development is good and is very well promoted through the school's outstanding art and music curriculum. However, pupils' understanding of Britain as a diverse society is less well developed. Pupils make an outstanding contribution to the school and local communities. All pupils feel

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Grade: 1

that they have a voice in the school's affairs because school councillors consult regularly with class councils about changes they would like to see. From Reception upwards pupils develop their independence and take responsibilities as monitors in their classrooms. Older pupils take on additional responsibilities, such as being a librarian. Pupils take part in many events in the 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Blisworth Community Primary School, 14–15 January 2009 village and wider community. A particular favourite for the pupils and the local community is the weekly visit to school by elderly residents for lunch. Pupils also make an outstanding contribution to the global community through their support of the Kodai Kanal School in India. Pupils are proud of the fact that their fund raising has enabled a new toilet block to be built there and has provided a wide range of resources, such as musical instruments, that Blisworth

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Grade: 1

teachers have used in lessons when they visited the Indian school for themselves.

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Grade: 2

Teachers make excellent use of their interactive whiteboards and this makes a major contribution to pupils showing high levels of interest in their work. Lessons are generally well planned with clear learning intentions and work is generally accurately matched to pupils' prior learning. However, in a small minority of lessons, the work planned for more able pupils is not sufficiently challenging. Also a small minority of lessons do not move at a sufficiently brisk pace and this results in pupils not having sufficient time to complete the work that is planned for them. In both of these situations pupils do not achieve as highly as they should. The talented team of teaching assistants are well deployed to support pupils with learning and with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. As a result, these pupils concentrate well and make the same good progress as their classmates.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum makes an outstanding contribution to pupils' personal development. Pupils from Reception upwards have opportunities to deposit money in a national bank through school. Pupils have a highly developed understanding of the world of work through visits from fire fighters, police officers and nurses. There are excellent opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively, as was seen when Year 1 pupils were discussing what attributes would be needed for their fictional animal, combining a bat with a snake. One commented, 'The batsnake will have to have wings strong enough to take it up into the air.' Along with high standards in basic skills, pupils are exceptionally well prepared for their future lives. Pupils are given excellent opportunities to practise literacy and mathematical skills in other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 2 develop their handling data skills when recording their friends' favourite foods in

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Grade: 1

The school's outstanding pastoral care results in most pupils feeling extremely safe and secure. The latest safeguarding requirements are fully met. When pupils were asked what they would do if they were worried about anything a typical response was, 'We go to our friends and if they can't help we go to any adult and know they will listen to us.' When asked about bullying they rapidly responded, 'There isn't much and if it happens the headteacher quickly sorts it out!' Staff ensure that pupils feel highly valued by celebrating successes that pupils have both in and out of school. Academic guidance is outstanding. Teachers' excellent marking and their verbal comments are used to set short-term targets that pupils understand clearly. This makes an important contribution to pupils' good achievement 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Blisworth Community Primary School, 14–15 January 2009

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Grade: 2

Since September 2008 teachers have carried out termly assessments of pupils' standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This information has been used to identify a small number of pupils who are not making the progress expected of them. These pupils come from a range of different groups and are not specific to gender, ethnic group or ability level. There are plans to support these pupils, involving the headteacher, but the impact cannot be judged because the support has not yet begun. The role of subject leaders has developed well since the last inspection. They now contribute to the school's self-evaluation procedures but some are new to their roles so their evaluations have not yet had time to make an impact on raising standards further. This is particularly so in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. The school makes a good contribution to promoting community cohesion and is aware of the need to do more to develop pupils'

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Grade: 2

understanding of the wider United Kingdom community. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Blisworth Community Primary School, 14–15 January 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. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Blisworth Community Primary School, 14–15 January 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? 1 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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Blisworth Community Primary School, 14–15 January 2009

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 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? 1 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Blisworth Community Primary School, 14–15 January 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

16 January 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Blisworth Community Primary School, Northampton NN7 3DD You may remember that I visited your school a couple of weeks ago with another inspector. Thank you very much for telling us all about your school and for making us feel so welcome. I am writing now to tell you what we found. You and your parents and carers believe that you go to a good school and we agree. This is because the headteacher leads the school well. We were really impressed by your excellent behaviour and by the way the staff look after you and how you look after each other. Most of you really enjoy coming to school because you are given interesting work to do. You also enjoy the wide range of clubs that the staff provide for you. You make good progress as you move through the school and many of you reach standards that are higher than most eleven-year-olds reach when you move to your secondary schools.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

This is because the teaching is good and some of your lessons are outstanding. Teachers spend hours marking your work carefully so you know clearly how well you are doing and what you need to do next. This really helps you to improve your work. We have asked your headteacher and teachers to do two things to make your school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure that pupils who generally find work easy are always given work that is hard enough and that you never spend too long listening to the teachers before getting on with your work. ■ Give extra help to the few pupils who are not doing as well as they should be.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You can help your teachers a lot by continuing to work hard and behave well. I wish you all the very best for the future. Yours faithfully David Mankelow Lead inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Blisworth Community Primary School, 14–15 January 2009

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