Otley Primary School

124602 Unique Reference Number Suffolk Local Authority 328176 Inspection number 22 October 2008 Inspection date Gulshanbir Kayembe 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 49 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 2 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Ian Liddell Chair Mrs Jan Hubbard Headteacher 17 October 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Chapel Road School address Otley Ipswich Suffolk IP6 9NT 01473 890302 Telephone number 01473 890953 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 22 October 2008 Inspection date 328176 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: Otley Primary School, 22 October 2008

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Introduction

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

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Introduction

■ the impact of the school's leadership and subject leaders on pupils' learning and progress

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Introduction

■ the extent to which the curriculum is tailored to pupils' needs, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) ■ the effectiveness of academic guidance and support for pupils so that they are clear about what they need to do to improve their work. Evidence was gathered by: observing lessons; talking to pupils, governors and staff; checking the school's self-evaluation records and pupil progress records; looking at pupils' books and analysing the results of questionnaires returned by parents. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspection 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

The school draws most of its pupils from the local village. Occasionally the school has a pupil from a minority ethnic background but currently all are white British. The proportion eligible for a free school meal is above average and this reflects the wide range of pupils' social and economic backgrounds. A high proportion of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Most of these relate to reading and writing but some pupils have difficulty with numbers or have specific learning needs which require specialised support. A small number have significant behavioural needs. There is an on-site nursery which is not run by the school but children from this setting usually transfer to the school at the appropriate time. Currently there are only two children in the EYFS at the school. Staffing, though now stable, has undergone considerable change over the last couple of years. Pupil mobility is also high with about half the pupils

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Description of the school

currently in Year 6 having joined the school after the start of their Reception year. The school has a formal agreement, described as a 'soft' federation, to share a headteacher with a school about three miles away. Two members of support staff work at both schools.

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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: Otley Primary School, 22 October 2008

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Grade: 2

Otley Primary School provides a good education for its pupils. Good teaching enables pupils to make good progress and achieve well. Children in the EYFS get a good start to their education. A positive ethos and strong sense of community contribute to pupils' good personal development and sense of well-being. Pupils become increasingly confident and self-assured as they move through the school. They are thoughtful individuals who make sharply observed comments about all aspects of their studies and particularly the world around them. Pupils' social skills are excellent; even where pupils have behavioural difficulties they are pleasant and engaging when in small groups or having a one-to-one discussion. The success of the school is down to good leadership and management. The headteacher provides a very clear direction for development and pupils' learning is central to the school's vision for the future. Good tracking of progress ensures that pupils meet challenging targets.

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Grade: 2

Pupils having difficulty in any area are identified at a very early stage and are well supported to help them improve. Attainment fluctuates from year to year reflecting the small size of the school, the wide variations in attainment on entry and high levels of mobility. Attainment on entry varies from being very low to above average. More usually, it is in line with expectations or a bit below. The 2007 results of national assessments and tests were broadly in line with national averages by the end of Years 2 and 6. In Year 6, though, a high proportion of pupils reached the higher levels in English, mathematics and science. In 2008, even more pupils gained a higher level in English though fewer did so in mathematics. Though lower in 2008, the results of pupils in Year 2 represent good progress from their very low starting points. Pupils currently in Year 6 are on track to attain results that are in line with national expectations. Their progress, in relation to

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Grade: 2

their starting points, is good. Those that joined the school at a later stage also make good progress. In lessons, learning objectives are clear and shared with pupils so that they know what they are expected to learn. Good questioning and interesting activities engage pupils' attention. Teaching assistants are used to good effect and make a strong contribution to pupils' learning, especially those who have behavioural or additional learning needs. Behaviour is managed effectively by teachers. Pupils' attitudes to learning are good as a result, and behaviour both in lessons and around the school is good overall. The school has worked extremely effectively with a local pupil referral unit to support pupils with behavioural difficulties enabling them to become, and feel, a part of the school community. For most pupils, behaviour is excellent. Good attendance reflects pupils' enjoyment of school and their keenness to participate in all it has

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Grade: 2

to offer. The contribution made by pupils to the school community is excellent and their involvement in the local village is very good. There is an active school council and pupils help out in all sorts of ways around the school such as by being 'buddies' to someone new or looking after younger pupils at playtime. Pupils are encouraged to, and are good at, taking the initiative in extra-curricular and curriculum enrichment activities. They are actively involved in business enterprise projects, which help to develop such skills. Together with good progress in literacy and numeracy, these ensure that pupils are well prepared for their next step in education. The school's leadership promotes community cohesion well overall and exceptionally well in terms of the school and local village community. Pupils make satisfactory progress in learning about the wider UK and global communities through subjects such as religious education and

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Grade: 2

4 of 10 Inspection Report: Otley Primary School, 22 October 2008 geography. Through their work in raising funds for good causes, they learn about important issues such as fair trade. However, the school recognises that there are few first hand opportunities, through visits and visitors and links with schools abroad, for pupils to develop a wider understanding about people from different parts of the world. The school curriculum, which has improved considerably since the last inspection, is largely well matched to pupils' needs. Issues in accommodation, such as the lack of a hall, present difficulties which the school overcomes but which nonetheless mean that staff and pupils are working in far from ideal circumstances. The school has made good progress in implementing the new literacy and numeracy frameworks and a topic-based approach has enabled good links to be made between different subjects. For example, a literacy lesson successfully used a science

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Grade: 2

topic to help children learn how to extract factual information from science texts and relevant internet sources. Consequently, pupils improved their skills and knowledge in literacy, information and communication technology and science. The improvements to the curriculum have made a good contribution to pupils' learning. Progress is particularly good in reading and handling numbers. Writing standards are continually improving with greater opportunities for writing in different subjects. There is a particularly good focus on boys' writing and presentation. However, pupils' skills in investigation work in mathematics and science, such as more complex problem-solving, interpreting data and results are not always as strong and some pupils find mathematics and science difficult. This is because the curriculum is not fully exploiting opportunities for investigative work to enable pupils to become even more confident and

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Grade: 2

independent in working things out for themselves. In addition, in lessons, there are occasional missed opportunities for pupils to work on their own or with others to develop their ideas and thinking. A good programme for personal, social and health education contributes well to pupils' personal development. They develop a good understanding of healthy lifestyles and do their best to adopt these. They are particularly good at exercising and being active both in school and out. Pupils are exceptionally well cared for and supported and this adds to their sense of safety. Safeguarding requirements are met. Excellent links with external agencies and organisations make a strong contribution to pupils' well being particularly for the more vulnerable. Parents are extremely positive about the school and appreciate what it does for their children. Guidance for academic development is sound. Good systems for assessing progress are in place and used

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Grade: 2

to identify how well pupils are doing and to inform planning. Their work is regularly marked and errors corrected. However, pupils do not receive clear guidance on how to improve their work consistently enough. Consequently, they are not always sure about how to make their work better. A stable team and good teamwork amongst staff provides a good backdrop for further improvement. The headteacher and deputy headteacher work very well together communicating daily with one another to ensure smooth day-to-day running. Subject leaders provide sound leadership and management of their areas and are clear about the strengths and weaknesses of their subjects. Through very effective support from the headteacher and deputy headteacher, they are making good progress in developing their roles further especially in relation to monitoring teaching. Consequently, they have an even sharper view of how well their subject

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Grade: 2

is taught. Governors provide good oversight of the work of the school and demonstrate good strategic thinking in their approach to finance and the federation. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have a strong grasp of where the school is; they have identified and are acting upon the right priorities. Successful developments, such as the improvements to the curriculum 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Otley Primary School, 22 October 2008 and development of links to the local village community, reinforce the school's good capacity to improve.

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Grade: 2

Children's current attainment is broadly in line with age related expectations and they make good progress in relation to their starting points. The care, safety and well-being of children are paramount in everything staff do and contributes to a very positive atmosphere. This helps children to feel safe and secure. They quickly gain confidence and thoroughly enjoy the stimulating and varied activities offered. Staff know their children well. They recognise each child as an individual and tailor their teaching to ensure children make good progress given their very varied abilities and starting points. The school works very closely with the pre-school setting to ensure a very smooth transfer to Reception. One parent wrote, 'My daughter settled into school life exceptionally well'. Good teaching ensures that all children are encouraged to participate. The more articulate children are asked to explain their reasoning while those who generally reply with a single word

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Grade: 2

are given the encouragement to give fuller answers. Staff waste no opportunity to develop dialogue and discussion and encourage children to talk. Children quickly build relationships with others in their class and with older children who work with them on special events such as 'healthy eating day'. They learn to work as part of a group. Given the constraints of the site, a good range of activities is planned to include all areas of learning and ensure children are purposefully engaged. The small outside area is used well but has limited opportunities to provide a full outdoor curriculum. Plans to extend it are advanced. Tasks are well planned using quality resources that stimulate and engage children. There are good opportunities for practical work though occasionally work is more formal because it is targeted more towards older pupils in the class. Nonetheless, the school manages the constraints

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Grade: 2

of a mixed age class well and provides a good EYFS curriculum. Overall, the EYFS is well led and managed.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Make sure that pupils are given clear guidance on how to improve their work and that this practice is consistent across the school. ■ Develop further opportunities in the curriculum for investigative work to help develop pupils' skills in thinking through problems and ideas for themselves. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Otley Primary School, 22 October 2008 .

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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: Otley Primary School, 22 October 2008

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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? 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Otley Primary School, 22 October 2008

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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 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? 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: Otley Primary School, 22 October 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

23 October 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Otley Primary School, Chapel Road, Otley, IP6 9NT We enjoyed visiting your school, and particularly enjoyed talking to you and visiting your lessons. We would like to thank you for making us feel so welcome. The school gives you a good education and prepares you well for your next school. These are some of the best things about the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You develop good personal skills and qualities and become confident and self-assured by the time you are in Year 6. ■ Children in Reception get a good start to their education.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make good progress and achieve well during your time here and that is down to good teaching and your good attitudes to learning. ■ You make an outstanding contribution to the school community through the school council, the jobs you do around the school and how you care for others. ■ Staff take excellent care of you and work with others to help meet your individual needs.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher works well with the deputy headteacher and other staff to make sure your school is as good as it can be. I have asked your headteacher to make two improvements so that your school becomes even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure that you are given clear guidance and advice on how to improve your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Provide you with more opportunities to develop your skills in investigative work in science and mathematics and develop greater confidence in these subjects. It was very nice to meet you and I wish you well for the future. Yours truly Gulshan Kayembe Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Otley Primary School, 22 October 2008

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