Ramsden Primary School

Ramsden Primary School Inspection report

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122627 Unique Reference Number Nottinghamshire Local Authority 327769 Inspection number 23–24 March 2009 Inspection dates Ann Taylor 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 177 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 Mrs Karen Preston Chair Mrs Anita Ashley Headteacher 14 February 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection High Road School address Carlton-in-Lindrick Worksop Nottinghamshire S81 9DY 01909730408 Telephone number 01909730408 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 23–24 March 2009 Inspection dates 327769 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 11 Inspection Report: Ramsden Primary School, 23–24 March 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school is smaller than most and serves the village of Carlton-in-Lindrick and surrounding areas. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, although rising, is below average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is rising and is broadly average. These difficulties are mostly connected with speech, language and communication. There are no pupils with a statement of special educational needs. The number of pupils who have a considerable degree of learning difficulty, receiving adult support, are high. The school has the following awards: Activemark and Financial Management Standards in Schools.

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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: Ramsden Primary School, 23–24 March 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school where pupils make good progress in both their personal and academic development. Leadership and management are good and the school has an accurate view of how well it is doing. The school has a good capacity to improve further based upon its current track record. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and governors all work together well with a shared sense of purpose. The school has made good progress since the last inspection, especially in establishing a system to track how well individual pupils are doing. Nevertheless, leaders, managers and governors lack a clear analytical overview of the standards in each class and how well each group is progressing, relative to pupils' widely differing starting points. For the last three years, the results of national assessments at Key Stage 1 show that standards have been consistently above average. Writing is especially strong. At the end of Key Stage 2,

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Grade: 2

current standards are broadly average, apart from reading, which is much stronger. This demonstrates good progress when compared with Year 6 pupils' below average Key Stage 1 results. Good progress across the school is because of good teaching and learning. Teaching is lively and stimulating, often with good use made of interactive white boards, such as when pupils completed a 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' style road safety quiz. Highly skilled teaching assistants make a positive contribution to pupils' learning. Occasionally, teaching does not provide enough challenge or give pupils opportunities to learn for themselves. Pupils learn well because their behaviour is good, they enjoy school and work hard. They have an excellent knowledge of how to keep healthy and safe. Their knowledge about people from different areas, cultures, faiths and countries is underdeveloped. Their care, guidance and support are

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Grade: 2

good and relationships between staff and pupils are positive and friendly. Pupils have a good understanding of their own personal targets, which is helping them to improve their work. A good curriculum provides extra opportunities for sports and to learn an instrument. Pupils enjoy a good number of visits and special themed days, which help bring their lessons to life, but they do not benefit from the chance to stay away from home.

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Grade: 2

When children start school, their attainment is below that expected for their age, especially in speaking and listening skills. They are stronger in knowing how to count. They make good progress because of consistently good and sometimes outstanding teaching, including skilled input from teaching assistants. Children leave the Early Years Foundation Stage with broadly average standards. By the time they go into Year 1, they have made excellent progress in their personal development. This is because staff successfully encourage children's independence and good behaviour. For example, one boy, who pointed out that the teacher had missed playtime off the pictorial timetable, was asked to alter it himself, which he conscientiously did. There is a very strong emphasis placed on giving children lots of encouragement and varied opportunities to develop their language. Phonics, the way letters and sounds blend together,

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Grade: 2

is expertly taught and, as a result, children make considerable gains in their learning. Rewards really motivate children and are eagerly sought after. Occasionally, phonics lessons are interrupted by the process of inking and stamping charts, which means that children miss vital parts of the lesson. Successful weekly sessions, where parents read with their child, help to build relationships with the school. They also offer an enjoyable way for parents to come in 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Ramsden Primary School, 23–24 March 2009 and see what is happening. The outside area is well used and there are appropriate plans in place to build a covered area so children can go out in all weathers.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Make more incisive use of data and sharpen analysis, in order to provide a clearer picture of standards and differing rates of progress in each year group. ■ Improve pupils' understanding of the lives and shared values of their peers from different backgrounds, both nationally and internationally, and evaluate the impact of this work on the school population.

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, entering Key Stage 1 with standards that are broadly average. They continue to make at least good progress and at the end of Key Stage 1 standards have been consistently above average for the last three years, especially in writing. This trend is set to continue for 2009. In Key Stage 2, pupils also make good progress. There are variations in the standards pupils attain by the end of this key stage. In the past, the results of national tests for pupils in Year 6 have been above average, but have been average for the last two years, reflecting variations in the characteristics of the different year groups. Last year, the provisional results of national tests indicated that reading was above average and that writing, mathematics and science were broadly average. Current assessment data showing the progress of individual pupils, supported

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Grade: 2

by inspection evidence, confirms that Year 6 pupils are on track to reach broadly average standards, confirming their good progress from starting points that were below average in Key Stage 1. In recent years the school has had mixed success in meeting its statutory targets. However, this year it is on track to exceed its challenging target in English and meet its target in mathematics. Pupils who find learning difficult make the same good rate of progress as others. Those with complex learning difficulties make good progress in relation to the targets in their individual education plans. The good progress made is as a result of the good teaching in the school.

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Grade: 2

The school values its pupils and places much emphasis on encouraging their personal development and well-being. Pupils enjoy their learning and this is evident in lessons, where they participate eagerly and take pride in their work. They come to school regularly and their attendance is high; their attitudes to work are very positive and they always rise to the challenges set for them. They behave well in lessons and on the playground. They have good personal qualities and show respect for one another. Pupils' spiritual, moral, and social development is good overall. Their understanding of the traditions, faiths and lives of people from different cultures is underdeveloped. Pupils have an excellent understanding of safety issues, both in and around school, including personal safety when going to and from home. Although a rare occurrence, they are aware of how to combat and deal with bullying if they experience it. They show an excellent understanding

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Grade: 2

of how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, by enthusiastically participating in sporting activities 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Ramsden Primary School, 23–24 March 2009 and showing they are knowledgeable about the quality and variety of the food they eat. This awareness is reinforced with good cooked lunches setting a healthy example. Beyond the school, pupils have a good awareness of their role in the community and make a positive contribution, including raising money for a range of charities. They participate in Bassetlaw Spring Clean to raise environmental awareness and link in with local churches throughout the year. Pupils' workplace skills, such as taking responsibility and teamwork, and the standards they attain, prepare them well for the next stages of their education.

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Grade: 2

Teachers ensure that classrooms have good displays of pupils' work and activities are stimulating and purposeful. In most lessons, activities are carefully adapted to meet the needs of all pupils and what they are to learn is made clear. Pupils know their learning targets and marking is constructive, often with points for further development. Teaching assistants make a good contribution to pupils' learning, particularly when they are working in groups with lower attaining pupils. In better lessons, relationships are outstanding, bringing out the resourceful nature of pupils' own contributions. Teachers encourage pupils to make very good use of small white boards, such as when working out answers in mathematics. Teachers also make good use of questions to develop thinking skills, for example in a literacy lesson where pupils were required to analyse a piece of narrative poetry. Neat and tidy work habits are encouraged and work

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Grade: 2

folders are well organised with care taken over presentation. In the few cases where teaching is less effective, lessons do not ensure that all pupils are sufficiently challenged. They are not always provided with enough independence to explore or investigate as part of their learning.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy an interesting curriculum, which provides them with good opportunities for sports and learning a musical instrument. There is focussed teaching of 'thinking skills', part of an initiative through strong links with the family of local schools. This is having a beneficial impact on pupils' work, for example, helping their ability to substantiate a point of view in their writing. Pupils enthusiastically remember Pirate Day and thoroughly enjoyed dressing up and working on a range of pirate-related tasks, in many different subject areas. The school is continually revising the curriculum, in order to ensure that pupils are able to take full advantage by learning basic skills, in subjects such as history and geography. They take part in a range of outdoor activities on day visits. For example, they visited Bestwood Country Park during the inspection.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' welfare is given high priority. Careful attention is given to all aspects of health and safety. Child protection procedures are clear and training has been provided for staff. Relationships with outside agencies are well established. Pupils who find learning difficult are provided with good levels of support. Their needs are identified and the coordinator liaises with parents to review progress. Pupils' progress is carefully tracked and there is a wide range of data to underpin this. Pupils know their targets and these are shared with parents half-way 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Ramsden Primary School, 23–24 March 2009 through the school year. However, targets are not used sufficiently to ensure that all pupils are challenged enough, especially in mathematics.

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Grade: 2

Good leadership by the headteacher, ably supported by the deputy headteacher, is ensuring that children are achieving well, both academically and in their personal development. A strong team of coordinators has a clear understanding of how their subjects are developing. The school has successfully installed its own tracking system since the previous inspection. As a result, they are now able to carefully monitor how well individual children are progressing in English and mathematics. Standards have continued to fluctuate because of significant variations in the characteristics of successive year groups. There is no incisive analysis of data to give a clear overview of the rate of each class's progress throughout the year. Governors provide good support and are fully involved in several aspects of school life. While there is informal debate about how well children are doing, headteacher's reports do not provide a clear view of standards

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Grade: 2

and progress as a focus for governors to discuss and challenge. Partnerships with others are strong, particularly with the local family of schools which guides and supports many aspects of the school's development. This is an especially inclusive school. Pupils with a wide range of learning difficulties are fully involved in all aspects of school life. The school's links with the local village community are strong and well established. The school acknowledges that its strategies for contacts with other communities, both nationally and internationally, are underdeveloped. As a start to broadening pupils' horizons, a special multicultural day has been planned. Parents are largely supportive of the school. The school's recent questionnaire to find out parents' views about provision, had a totally positive response. However, some parents spoken to in the playground, who had not returned the inspection questionnaire, had some concerns

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Grade: 2

about the level of communication between school and home. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Ramsden Primary School, 23–24 March 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: Ramsden Primary School, 23–24 March 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? 3 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: Ramsden Primary School, 23–24 March 2009

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learners?

2 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 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: Ramsden Primary School, 23–24 March 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

25th March 2009 Dear Children Inspection of Ramsden Primary school, Carlton-in-Lindrick, Worksop, S81 9DY Thank you for welcoming us when we visited you recently. You were polite and friendly and we enjoyed talking to you. This letter is to tell you what we found out during our time at your school. You go to a good school where your teachers teach you well and where you make good progress in your lessons. You are well behaved and enjoy coming to school because what you learn is interesting. We saw a lot of your work and thought you took care to make it neat and tidy. Very well done for all those things. The Pirate Day pictures we saw looked great fun and we were pleased because things like this make learning exciting for you. To make your school even better, we have asked Mrs Ashley and everyone to work on the following things. We would like you to learn more about how others live, both in our country

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and in different countries abroad. We would also like Mrs Ashley, staff who help her manage the school and governors, to take a closer look at each class in order to see more clearly how much progress you make. We hope you will continue to enjoy your time at Ramsden Primary School and that you will carry on working hard. With best wishes Ann Taylor Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Ramsden Primary School, 23–24 March 2009

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