Necton VA Primary School

Necton VA Primary School Inspection report

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134043 Unique Reference Number Norfolk Local Authority 328809 Inspection number 11–12 June 2009 Inspection dates Glynn Storer 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 163 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 Debbie Smith Chair Mr Graham Steel Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection School Road School address Necton Swaffham Norfolk PE37 8HT 01760 722975 Telephone number 01760 720992 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 11–12 June 2009 Inspection dates 328809 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: Necton VA Primary School, 11–12 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Necton Voluntary Aided Primary School is smaller than the average primary school. It opened in September 2007, replacing the former first and middle schools. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is similar to that in schools nationally. Almost all pupils have White British backgrounds and of the very few with minority ethnic heritage, none speaks English as an additional language. There is Early Years Foundation Stage provision in the Reception class. Children start school with wide ranging knowledge and skills but for many, attainment on entry is below that normally expected for their age. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those with a statement of special educational need, is about average. The majority of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties and in some year groups, the numbers of such pupils are quite high. The school experiences a considerable

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Description of the school

turnover of pupils in any given year. The school has the Healthy Schools award and the Activemark. A privately managed pre-school setting, the Little Oaks Playgroup, operates from the school site.

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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: Necton VA Primary School, 11–12 June 2009

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Grade: 2

Necton Voluntary Aided Primary is a good school. It has improved rapidly since its opening in 2007 and continues to go from strength to strength. It already receives strong approval from parents who commented, 'The school benefits from strong leadership and dedicated staff....Enthusiasm in school is infectious.' Standards are rising throughout the school. From relatively low starting points, children get a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. New approaches to teaching and learning are improving children's progress, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development and in their communication and early literacy skills. Nevertheless, standards on transfer to Year 1 remain below national expectations. Standards in Key Stage 1 were exceptionally low in 2008 but pupils currently approaching the end of Year 2 have made good progress. Positive attitudes and self-esteem established in Reception, along with measures to improve learning and boost

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Grade: 2

basic skills, are already paying off. Consequently, standards have risen enormously year on year. Most pupils in Year 2 are now attaining or exceeding standards normally expected of seven-year-olds in reading, writing and mathematics. Current standards in Year 6 remain below average because many pupils are still making up for historic underachievement. However, pupils' achievement since this school opened has been good. Most, including several who face difficulties in their learning, have surpassed the expected rate of progress during the last two years. Furthermore, there is clear evidence of increasing numbers of pupils attaining standards in line with national expectations as initiatives to improve teaching embed and accelerating progress, already evident in Key Stage 1 and lower Key Stage 2, feed through. Teaching and learning are good. Teachers' expectations of pupils' behaviour and of their capacity

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Grade: 2

to cope with demanding work are high. As a result, lessons are challenging, yet calm and purposeful. Much teaching is lively and engaging and teachers readily channel pupils' enthusiasm into productive work. Staff have strengthened assessment procedures and generally use assessment information to match work to pupils' prior attainments. Consequently, most work meets the needs of pupils across the ability range and there is well-targeted support for pupils who find learning difficult. In this respect, teaching assistants do a particularly good job. An outstanding curriculum provides regular high quality learning experiences that motivates pupils and brings the best out of them. It gives pupils frequent opportunities to make up lost ground by reinforcing basic literacy and numeracy skills through exciting work in other subjects. Strong moral values and a determination to promote community cohesion underpin all curriculum

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Grade: 2

planning and result in consistently good outcomes in relation to pupils' personal development and well-being. Care guidance and support are good overall. The school's fundamental values reflect in its caring ethos and in pupils' good personal development and well-being. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Behaviour and relationships at all levels are excellent. Pupils know how to live safely and healthily and they make a positive contribution to school and the wider community. Their improving progress in the development of basic skills and positive attitudes are a sound preparation for their future lives. Academic guidance is satisfactory, although marking is inconsistent in setting individual targets and showing pupils how to improve. Rapid improvement results from the vision and determination of the headteacher. In just two years, this outstanding leader has introduced measures that have created the conditions in

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Grade: 2

4 of 11 Inspection Report: Necton VA Primary School, 11–12 June 2009 which effective learning can take place. He has also built a strong staff team and has put in place rigorous monitoring procedures that have been instrumental in improving teaching, learning and the curriculum. Because school self-evaluation is accurate and targets are challenging, the school has a good capacity to improve further. However, leadership roles are currently restricted to a small number of staff. This places a heavy burden of responsibility on them and limits the extent to which the whole staff contribute to aspects of school management.

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress in all areas of learning and in their personal development. They make particularly good progress in their social skills, learning sounds and letters, and understanding of the world around them. Leadership and management are good. Consequently, children enjoy learning through an exciting range of activities linked to themes which meet their interests well. For example, as part of their learning about life in Africa they visited a zoo to learn about animals, they learnt to play African drums and compared the games children may play in Africa with the games they play in their own school. Children are very well behaved and develop good attitudes to learning. They like coming to school, and especially enjoy working with older pupils, for example during Multicultural Week. This helps them to feel part of the school's community. Adults care about pupils' welfare and assess their progress so that they

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Grade: 2

can plan the next stages in their learning accurately. Writing has been identified as an area for improvement. Pupils have limited opportunities to develop their independent writing, reading and problem solving skills in the outdoor area, which is not as well-resourced as the indoor area.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that pupils understand their individual targets and that teachers' marking shows pupils clearly how to improve their work. ■ Give more staff a role in leading aspects of the school's work so that management responsibilities are distributed more evenly.

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Grade: 2

Standards are rising and pupils' progress is improving rapidly. Challenging but realistic targets have effectively underpinned year-on-year increases in the numbers of pupils attaining or exceeding standards expected for their age in all year groups. In the 2008 Year 2 national assessments, standards were significantly below the national average and in writing were exceptionally low. There was evidence that some pupils had not made the progress that they should. Staff analysed the causes for this and instituted a raft of measures to improve pupils' learning and achievement that have yielded impressive success. This year, the proportion of Year 2 pupils attaining the nationally expected level for their age has increased considerably in all core subjects and in writing it has doubled. Overall standards are broadly average. Virtually all pupils have made at least satisfactory progress and, for many, progress from their starting

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Grade: 2

points in Year 1 has been good. Standards in Year 6 remain below average. This is a combination of historic underachievement and of the fact that, in this cohort, over half face difficulties with their learning. Nevertheless, the proportion of above average Level 5 scores is higher and for most pupils, including those from vulnerable groups and the many with additional needs, 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Necton VA Primary School, 11–12 June 2009 achievement is now good. Most have exceeded the expected rate of progress in the two years since the school opened.

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress in their personal development because they enjoy school enormously and say their lessons are always fun. Attendance is good. Pupils feel safe and well cared for. A broad range of exciting opportunities - for example clubs, sports activities and good links with the church and local community, enable pupils to develop a good awareness of their place in society. The school promotes community cohesion by fostering citizenship based strong moral values. Pupils learn about healthy lifestyles and their personal safety. They are consulted about school decisions, and they are aware of the needs of people who are less fortunate. Behaviour is outstanding and pupils show a real concern for one another. Pupils are polite and take great pride in their school. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. One pupil said, 'We all look forward to the next day and we come in smiling'.

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Grade: 2

Lively teaching, high expectations and effective pupil management draw an extremely positive response from pupils in most lessons. Pupils rise to the challenge to do their best because learning is fun. Enrichment activities, such as the recent educational visit to York or the highly popular Multicultural Week, promote high levels of enjoyment and effective learning. Planning is thorough and ensures that teaching assistants play an effective role in supporting pupils' learning. Teaching is generally effective in meeting the needs of pupils with different abilities. There are, however, times when all do the same work, which does not always promote best progress across the ability range. A strong focus on developing pupils' understanding of letters and sounds is also strengthening the teaching of reading and writing skills throughout school and has been instrumental in raising standards. Occasionally, teachers' monitoring of work in

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Grade: 2

progress is not sharp enough to ensure that all pupils make the best possible gains.

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Grade: 1

Providing an excellent curriculum has been a key factor in the drive to raise standards. The creative linking of subjects reinforces basic skills effectively and an outstanding range of enrichment activities, including residential visits, visitors, special events and out-of-school activities add enormously to pupils' enjoyment. Themes such as safe and healthy lifestyles permeate the curriculum. Staff integrate the use of information and communication technology into pupils' learning in all subjects. Provision for modern foreign language learning includes Spanish, German and French and exceeds that currently found in many primary schools. The headteacher and governors place a high priority on a curriculum that puts the school at the heart of the community and enables pupils to make a positive contribution. Topics that focus on aspects of local history, geography, ecology and culture give a purpose to pupils' learning

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Grade: 1

and foster a thorough understanding of issues that affect the community. The curriculum also gives pupils a wider perspective by focusing on other countries, languages, global issues and world faiths as a regular part of their learning. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Necton VA Primary School, 11–12 June 2009

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Grade: 2

Pastoral care is strong and parents particularly value the way that older pupils care for and support their younger schoolmates. Rigorous safeguarding procedures protect pupils and eliminate risk. The school works well with parents and other agencies to provide effective support for pupils who find learning difficult, so that they make good progress. Support staff are used well to assess and help pupils in lessons. The school sets challenging targets for pupils' achievement. While some pupils understand exactly what they need to do to improve, others are less sure because there is inconsistency in the way teachers indicate the next steps in their learning. For example, marking usually shows pupils what they have achieved or done well, but not all tells them how their work could be improved.

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Grade: 2

Effective leadership, management and governance, along with a strong commitment to its fundamental values, are the cornerstones of the school's success. The headteacher's enormous drive, passion and enthusiasm for all aspects of the school's work are an inspiration for staff and have quickly gained him the respect of parents and the wider community. His outstanding leadership has united staff from the two former schools and quickly secured a strong sense of teamwork and a vibrant atmosphere throughout the school. The school promotes community cohesion effectively by taking a considered and evaluative approach to structuring the curriculum for maximum impact in this regard. The setting of challenging targets and raising achievement by providing pupils with high quality learning experiences and equality of opportunity have been successful in the drive to raise standards. Self-evaluation is accurate and governors are

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Grade: 2

rigorous in holding the school to account for the targets that it sets itself. The school has come a long way in the two years since its opening. Its performance to date represents good value for money. Staff with leadership roles do a good job. The deputy headteacher provides a model of good practice in the classroom and as a leader of two major subjects. However, there is now considerable scope to distribute leadership and management roles more widely throughout the organisation and, in doing so, to spread the workload and responsibility more evenly. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Necton VA Primary School, 11–12 June 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: Necton VA Primary School, 11–12 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? 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: Necton VA Primary School, 11–12 June 2009

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learners?

1 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 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 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 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: Necton VA Primary School, 11–12 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

15 June 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Necton Voluntary Aided Primary School, Swaffham PE37 8HT You may remember that I visited your school a little while ago, along with my colleague, Mrs Walley. Thank you for making us so welcome and for taking time to talk to us and to answer our questions. We enjoyed talking to you because what you told us showed how highly you rate your school and how proud you are of all that goes on there. We particularly enjoyed your celebration assembly on Friday afternoon, and it was great fun for us to join in the drumming with your teachers and the other adults. I thought that you would like to hear what we found out about your school. There are many good things happening in your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Children in Reception get a good start to their time in school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Most of you are making good progress in English, mathematics and science and standards are rising rapidly. ■ You enjoy school because teachers make learning interesting. You think that school is so good that 'lessons are always fun.' ■ You get on exceptionally well with one another and your behaviour is excellent.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Older pupils look after the 'little ones' and help them with their work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The headteacher, the staff, governors and pupils work hard to improve the school and the adults give you a real say in what goes on. Because everybody wants Necton Voluntary Aided Primary to be as good as it can possibly be, I have made a few suggestions that should help it to improve further. I have asked staff to give you really clear advice on how to improve your work and to make sure that you really understand the targets that they set for you. You can help by remembering your targets and trying really hard to follow the advice that teachers and other adults give you. I have also asked the headteacher to give other members of staff opportunities to lead and manage aspects of the school's work, so the school continues to get better and better. I hope that you will all continue to work hard and enjoy your time at Necton Voluntary Aided Primary School. Yours faithfully, Glynn Storer Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Necton VA Primary School, 11–12 June 2009

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