St James CofE Aided Primary School

St James CofE Aided Primary School Inspection report

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125176 Unique Reference Number Surrey Local Authority 328309 Inspection number 23 June 2009 Inspection date Derek Watts 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 aided School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 201 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 Rev William Lang Chair Mrs Ann Tann Headteacher 18 May 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Thursley Road School address Elstead Godalming GU8 6DH

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4–11 Age group 23 June 2009 Inspection date 328309 Inspection number 01252 703248 Telephone number 01252 702945 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 23 June 2009 Inspection date 328309 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 James CofE Aided Primary School, 23 June 2009

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Introduction

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

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Introduction

■ how well leaders and managers are improving provision and pupils' progress in writing

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Introduction

■ the quality of provision for children in Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

Evidence was gathered from lesson observations and scrutiny of pupils' work and school documentation. Parents' questionnaires and discussions with pupils, governors and staff also contributed to the judgements. 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

St James CofE is smaller than the average primary school. Most of the pupil population are from a White British background. Other pupils come from a range of ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and/ or disabilities is above average. These difficulties lie mainly in the areas of dyslexia, emotional, language, speech and communication difficulties. The school has provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage through the Reception class and has steadily increased in numbers during the past four years. The proportion of pupils who join and leave at other than the normal starting and leaving points is higher than average.

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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 James CofE Aided Primary School, 23 June 2009

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Grade: 2

St James CofE Primary is a good school. There are outstanding aspects to its work. Children in Reception get off to a good start because of the good provision. In the rest of the school, pupils achieve well because of good teaching and an outstanding curriculum. By the end of Year 6, standards are above average. Effective care, guidance and support, and a positive school atmosphere lead to outstanding personal development and well-being for pupils. Good leadership and management contribute considerably to the quality of provision and to the positive outcomes for pupils. The headteacher provides good leadership and educational direction. With her staff, she has created a positive climate for pupils to learn in. The deputy headteacher and leaders of English, mathematics and special educational needs are effective in their roles. Senior teaching assistants are used well to coordinate support assistants. School

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Grade: 2

performance is systematically monitored and evaluated by key staff. As a result, the school has a clear understanding of what it does well and takes effective action to bring about improvement. For example, considerable improvements are being made in writing and to the curriculum. Governors are actively involved in checking the school's performance and their good understanding enables them to offer constructive challenge as well as strong support. The school demonstrates a good capacity to improve further. Community cohesion is promoted well. There are strong partnerships with parents, the church and the local community. Pupils participate well in a range of local community events such as the village 'Paper Boat Race'. As one parent commented, 'The school is an integral part of and an asset to the community'. Different cultures and faiths are promoted well through the school's curriculum. Most parents are pleased with the care and education provided for their children.

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Grade: 2

Care, support and teaching receive considerable praise. Typical comments from the parents' questionnaires were: 'Brilliant SEN support', 'St James is a caring and friendly school where both my children have progressed well', and 'The quality of teaching and pastoral care are good'. National test results and pupils' work show that standards are above average in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. Improving provision and pupils' performance in writing is a whole-school priority. Good progress is being made in this area. Speaking and listening activities are used well to develop writing. Visual stimuli, poetry and visits are used effectively to inspire pupils' writing. Teachers use modelling effectively to demonstrate to pupils how to create interesting sentences or how to improve them. Pupils write for different purposes and in a variety of styles. There are good opportunities for pupils to apply and develop

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Grade: 2

their writing skills in other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 6 used laptops to produce interesting news reports of their recent residential visit to Marchants Hill. They drafted and edited their work in columns and imported useful photographs. The school is not fully exploiting opportunities to celebrate and display pupils' written work. Good teaching is a key factor contributing to pupils' good progress. Elements of outstanding practice were seen during the inspection. Teachers make the purpose of the lesson clear so pupils know what they are expected to learn. Pupils are keen learners and respond well to their teachers' informative explanations and instructions. Questioning is used skilfully by teachers to challenge pupils' thinking and to check their knowledge and understanding. Pupils make good progress in speaking and listening because of the opportunities provided for them to discuss their ideas and express opinions. Assessment information is usually used well to plan

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Grade: 2

5 of 11 Inspection Report: St James CofE Aided Primary School, 23 June 2009 teaching and to match activities and tasks to pupils' abilities and needs. As a result, pupils are challenged well and make good progress. Just occasionally, tasks are not sufficiently well adapted for different ability groups, particularly the more able. Teaching assistants are well deployed and make a valuable contribution to pupils' learning, particularly for those who need additional help with literacy. Pupils are set specific learning targets in literacy and numeracy so they know what to do to improve. Individual target setting has improved since the last inspection but targets tend to be sharper for the older pupils. The ends of lessons are used well for pupils to review their own and others' learning. Pupils' confidence and skills are developing well in this area. The curriculum promotes good academic progress for pupils and makes an exceptionally good

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Grade: 2

contribution to their personal development. Provision for English, mathematics and science is effective and contributes to pupils' good progress in these subjects. The teaching of French and Spanish contributes well to pupils' language and cultural development. Health and safety education is promoted extremely well throughout the curriculum. The school offers a good range of additional activities such as clubs and visits. These are thoroughly enjoyed by the pupils and appreciated by the parents. The 'school nutrition action group' (SNAG) project is an impressive initiative that provides excellent opportunities for pupils to grow fruit and vegetables. They prepare and cook the produce they grow. The attractive grounds with woodlands and a pond are used well to support learning. Successful residential visits for Years 5 and Year 6 provide exciting outdoor activities and contribute well to pupils' geographical and

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Grade: 2

team-building skills. Pastoral care is very good and there are effective procedures to safeguard pupils. As a result, pupils feel safe and well cared for at school. They are also confident that there is always a grown-up they can turn to if they are upset or have a problem. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and this is shown by their enthusiastic participation in activities and their good attendance. Clear expectations by staff and the positive relationships between adults and pupils lead to good behaviour in class and around the school. There are a few pupils with challenging behaviour but these are managed and supported well. Pupils adopt healthy lifestyles and show an excellent understanding of the importance of healthy eating and exercising regularly. Pupils thrive on the additional responsibilities they are given and make exceptionally good contributions to the school and to

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Grade: 2

the wider community. Members of the school council have contributed to improvements to playground games and equipment. The Green Team successfully promotes recycling and protecting the environment. A parent remarked, 'The school council and Green Team are great'. Pupils raise funds for a range of well-known charities. At St James', pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. By the time they leave, they have good literacy and numeracy skills and their personal and social skills are very well developed.

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Grade: 2

The overall attainment of year groups on entry to the school can vary from year to year. The knowledge and skills of those currently in Reception were broadly as expected for their age. By the end of Reception, children reach above-average standards in all areas of learning. The Early Years Foundation Stage is led and managed well. Good teamwork among the staff contributes to the effective provision. Good attention to children's welfare, effective teaching and an interesting range of learning activities enable children to make good progress. Children make good gains in their personal and social development because of the positive relationships 6 of 11 Inspection Report: St James CofE Aided Primary School, 23 June 2009 established between adults and children. Children thoroughly enjoy their learning and possess positive attitudes. They are confident and well motivated and readily share learning resources

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Grade: 2

and support each other. Exciting themes such as 'Travel and Journeys' are well planned and successfully incorporate the six required areas of learning. The school is improving the range of outdoor learning activities and linking these more closely to the main topic or theme.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that all lessons are suitably challenging, particularly for the more able pupils.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Reinforce the school's improvement drive on writing by celebrating and displaying pupils' written work more widely. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: St James CofE Aided Primary School, 23 June 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 James CofE Aided Primary School, 23 June 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? 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: St James CofE Aided Primary School, 23 June 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 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: St James CofE Aided Primary School, 23 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

06 July 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of St James CofE Aided Primary School,Godalming,GU8 6DH Thank you so much for welcoming us into your school and showing us your work. We enjoyed our visit and would like to tell you what we found. Yours is a good school. It has some outstanding features. These are the main strengths of the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You really enjoy school and the activities provided.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your school is a friendly and pleasant place to learn in.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are making good progress because of the good teaching you receive.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ There is an outstanding range of learning activities, including good clubs and visits.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Behaviour is good in lessons and around the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have an excellent understanding of how to keep healthy and fit.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The 'school nutrition action group' is an excellent project.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Staff take good care of you and provide strong support.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Pupils make an outstanding contribution to the school and wider community.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school is well led by your headteacher and she receives strong support from other senior staff. ■ The school has good partnerships with parents and the community.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

There are two areas we have asked the school to improve.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ On occasions, tasks could be more challenging, particularly for the most able.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your written work could be celebrated and displayed more widely across the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Finally, thank you once again for all your help. We wish you all the very best for the future. Yours faithfully Derek Watts Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: St James CofE Aided Primary School, 23 June 2009

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