St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School

St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School Inspection report

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123110 Unique Reference Number Oxfordshire Local Authority 327850 Inspection number 13 July 2009 Inspection date Steven Hill 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 88 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 A Feilden Chair Mr R Alder Headteacher 13 July 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Wenrisc Drive School address Minster Lovell Witney OX29 0SP 01993 775394 Telephone number

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4–11 Age group 13 July 2009 Inspection date 327850 Inspection number 01993 775394 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 13 July 2009 Inspection date 327850 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 11 Inspection Report: St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School, 13 July 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

■ the extent to which the school has dealt with the weaknesses in information and communication technology (ICT) identified at the last inspection ■ how well the school is promoting community cohesion, particularly beyond the local area

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■ the effectiveness of subject leaders in developing provision in their areas of responsibility.

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Introduction

■ observations of lessons and break-times, and examples of pupils' work

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Introduction

■ discussions with staff, pupils and governors

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■ examination of the school's documentation, particularly the tracking of pupils' progress

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■ parents' views, as expressed in questionnaires.

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Introduction

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

This is a small village primary school, which provides for Reception-aged children in the Early Years Foundation Stage in a dedicated class, and for older pupils in three mixed-age classes. The vast majority of pupils are of White British origin and all speak English as their mother tongue. There is a considerable minority of pupils of Traveller heritage on roll at any one time. Mobility is low, apart from within the Traveller community. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average. Their most common problems are moderate learning or speech and language difficulties. There is a playgroup on site which is managed privately. This was inspected and reported upon separately.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 11 Inspection Report: St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School, 13 July 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school where pupils thoroughly enjoy learning. Children get off to an excellent start in the Reception class, and build on this well throughout the school. Pupils' achievement is good and their personal development is outstanding. Children's standards when they start in Reception are variable, but are generally average or a little below average. Progress across the school is good and standards by the end of Key Stage 2 are consistently above and, sometimes, well above average. Pupils who have learning difficulties do exceptionally well, so that almost all pupils reach the nationally expected standards by the end of Year 6. As is often the case with small cohorts, there are variations in standards from year to year. For example, in 2008, standards were particularly high in English. In 2009, national assessment results are highest in mathematics, but overall results remain well above average

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Grade: 2

year on year. Progress in reading is exceptionally good, with consistently high standards achieved. Pupils get on extremely well with each other and their behaviour is excellent, both in lessons and around the school. They report that there is 'very little bullying and everyone gets on well with most people'. They are very confident that any issues that arise will be dealt with by staff, and that anything serious will be sorted out extremely quickly by the headteacher. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. Boys and girls play and work together happily regardless of their background. Their very positive attitudes make a major contribution to the school as a thriving, harmonious community. They have a very good understanding of right and wrong, and are sensitive to the feelings and beliefs of others. The Traveller pupils are extremely well integrated into the school socially, and make the same good

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Grade: 2

progress in lessons as their classmates. Pupils understand about a wide range of cultures, and this is exemplified by some high-quality art work based on African themes. However, some opportunities to celebrate the culture of the Traveller pupils on roll are missed. Pupils have a very thorough understanding of keeping themselves safe and healthy. They work extremely hard, are keen to succeed and take pride in working independently when required. Their very good basic skills and excellent social skills mean that they are outstandingly well prepared for their future lives, in school and beyond. A key to the school's success is the outstanding care, support and guidance provided to pupils as individuals. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the work of the school and how their children are cared for. The very thorough tracking of pupils' progress means that any individual who starts to fall behind is quickly identified and given extra help. This process is supported

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Grade: 2

by teachers' extremely thorough understanding of pupils' social and emotional needs, and by close liaison with their parents and carers. The result is that the extra help provided is very effective in making sure that all pupils achieve well. The skilled support staff make a strong contribution to the progress of pupils with learning difficulties, who, as a result, do particularly well. Pupils are very clear about how they are doing academically, and teachers make sure they know what they need to do to succeed. This is exemplified by the high quality of marking seen in the books of older pupils. The tracking of progress now extends to ICT, an improvement since the last inspection. Consistently good teaching underpins pupils' positive attitudes and good progress. Pupils explained that the best things about the school included 'nice teachers' who 'encourage you to get on with your work'. Teachers make lessons interesting, often enhancing explanations

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Grade: 2

5 of 11 Inspection Report: St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School, 13 July 2009 by using the interactive whiteboards. Work is carefully matched to pupils' different needs, so that they get tasks that are appropriately challenging. Very positive relationships, clear expectations and well-established routines mean that lessons are orderly and pupils learn at a good pace. Pupils listen carefully and patiently to their teachers and to each other, and show very high levels of concentration. The school provides a good curriculum, with some outstanding elements. Excellent use of the locality, such as visits around the village, and a wide range of visitors to school greatly enhance pupils' enjoyment and achievement. ICT is now a major strength of the curriculum, and is used well to enhance learning in a wide variety of subjects. The regular, routine use of word processing for writing is particularly strong. Pupils have very good opportunities to undertake individual

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Grade: 2

research projects, which they greatly enjoy, such as Year 6 pupils' investigations of individual cities as part of their study of settlements. The school has made a sound start this year in introducing the teaching of French at Key Stage 2. However, the headteacher has identified that pupils are not yet making consistently good progress, as sessions are sometimes missed. Similarly, staff have identified that there is an imbalance in science work for older pupils, with not enough time given to investigative work. Good leadership and management have driven the school's improvement since the last inspection. It has consolidated and built on its strengths and addressed weaknesses well. The excellent educational direction provided by the headteacher is backed up by strong teamwork from all staff. Outstanding systems are in place to monitor outcomes for pupils individually and as groups, and to tackle issues. Very challenging targets are set, and the staff work hard to help

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Grade: 2

pupils meet them. For example, clear plans are in place to address a relative weakness that has been identified in the writing skills of the current Year 5 pupils. Regular and rigorous monitoring of teaching has enabled clear feedback to be given to colleagues to help them refine their practice, ensuring greater consistency in pupils' progress. The school assesses its performance well in order to improve provision. The influence of the subject leaders has been increased over the past year. A greater involvement in monitoring has enabled them to support colleagues better and to make improvements in provision. The promotion of community cohesion is good. However, staff have identified that, despite excellent provision within the school and the village, there are gaps in how this is addressed in the context of the variety of communities in the wider United Kingdom and globally. Governors support the school enthusiastically, have a good understanding of its strengths and weaknesses,

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Grade: 2

and are well able to hold it to account for its performance.

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Grade: 1

Children thoroughly enjoy their time in Reception, and close links with the play group help ensure that they settle quickly and happily into school. The adults are skilled in ensuring that all children, including those from the Traveller community and those with learning difficulties, are fully involved in all aspects of learning. Excellent provision to support children's welfare means that their personal development and well-being are outstanding. Adults seize on any opportunities to enhance children's social development. For example, the story of The Rainbow Fish was used sensitively to encourage them to think about friendship and caring about others. Children make good progress in their learning because of good teaching and the provision of an exciting and stimulating range of activities. A wide range of visits and visitors contribute to children's enjoyment and understanding. Good use is made of the high-quality outdoor area.

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Grade: 1

The provision is extremely well led and managed, with adults working as a very effective team 6 of 11 Inspection Report: St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School, 13 July 2009 in making high-quality assessments of children's needs and planning work that challenges, interests and enthuses them. The Reception class prepares children exceptionally well for their future education.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the curriculum by consolidating the teaching of French and by giving older pupils more opportunities for investigative work in science. ■ Extend pupils' understanding of the wide range of communities nationally and internationally, including celebration of the culture of its own pupils of Traveller heritage. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School, 13 July 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. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School, 13 July 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? 1 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 1 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: St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School, 13 July 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 1 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School, 13 July 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

02 September 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School,Witney,OX29 0SP Thank you for all your help when we visited your school. You told us that you really enjoy being there, and we could see why. You are right in saying that St Kenelm's is a good school. You are all making good progress because your teachers are good at helping you to learn. By the end of Year 6, you reach standards that are better than those in most other primary schools. You do particularly well in reading. The adults are particularly good at keeping an eye on how everyone is getting on and making sure that anyone who needs extra help gets it. You have lots of interesting things to do, which means that you all enjoy learning. In particular, you get many more chances to use ICT than you used to. You have made a good start in learning French, and we have agreed with the staff that they are going to build on this next year so that

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you do well in the subject. The teachers have also suggested that the older pupils should have the chance to do more investigations in science, and we agree with this. One of the best things about the school is the way you are all growing up into sensible, caring and thoughtful young people. Your behaviour is excellent and you all get on really well together. The school is a very happy community, and you know a lot about the local area, particularly the village. The school is well organised by the adults and they are always keen to make things even better. For example, they think that you ought to learn more about all the different kinds of communities in this country and abroad. We agree that this is a good idea. Thank you again for all your help and we hope you carry on enjoying school as much as you do now. Yours faithfully Steven Hill Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School, 13 July 2009

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