Red Barn Community Primary School

Red Barn Community Primary School Inspection report

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116079 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 331568 Inspection number 1–2 July 2009 Inspection dates David Marshall 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 170 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 Ms Joy Preston Chair Mrs Rena Randall Headteacher 12 March 2008 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Linden Lea School address Portchester Fareham PO16 8HJ

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4–11 Age group 1–2 July 2009 Inspection dates 331568 Inspection number 01329 288011 Telephone number 01329 822486 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 1–2 July 2009 Inspection dates 331568 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 12 Inspection Report: Red Barn Community Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Red Barn is a one-form entry, smaller than average primary school. It is located on the slopes of Portsdown Hill close to the border between the Hampshire local authority and the Portsmouth unitary authority. It serves the immediate Red Barn council estate and the satellite catchment village of Southwick three miles away. The number of pupils who join or leave the school other than at the usual time is above average. There are very few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average, most of which are moderate behavioural, communication or specific learning difficulties. After the inspection in March 2008, the school was given a Notice to Improve as it required significant improvement in relation to pupils' achievement in writing and mathematics, the quality of teaching, the tracking and monitoring of pupils' progress and the impact of leadership

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Red Barn Community Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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Grade: 3

Red Barn is a satisfactory school. It is improving rapidly and now has good elements. All the adults involved with the school, led by the enthusiastic and committed headteacher, have improved the quality of education a great deal in the last year. However, as they acknowledge, there is still more to be done to raise standards and accelerate achievement even further. In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement. Outstanding leadership by the headteacher, together with the highly effective assistant headteacher, has steered the school forward very effectively. The local authority has supported improvement very well. The school's capacity for continued development is good. One parent's comment was typical of many, 'I feel this school has come a long way over the last year. There is a different feel about the school. Pupils appear more involved and really care about their

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Grade: 3

school.' The highly effective senior leadership ensures that all staff work tirelessly to identify and tackle the many areas identified for moving the school forward. There is a genuine feeling of teamwork; leaders and managers are enthusiastic and have a good grasp of what needs to improve. However, subject leaders have not fully developed their roles and responsibilities to enhance the quality of provision and accelerate pupils' progress further. Careful monitoring by the headteacher, senior leadership team and local authority staff has enabled the quality of teaching to improve. Teaching and learning are good and, occasionally, outstanding. Expectations of pupils' work and behaviour have been raised and agreed. Observations and assessments of what the pupils know and can do are now understood better and are beginning to be shared well across the school. The information gained from assessments, while still new and not fully consistent, is starting to be used effectively to provide pupils with

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Grade: 3

individual targets for the next stage in their learning and to focus on enhancing progress through the composition of intervention groups. This greater consistency in teaching means that pupils are catching up on the ground lost in previous years. Pupils are now making good progress because information gained from the new, effective systems of assessing pupils' work is used very well. In addition, very specific training, based on careful analysis of the teaching, has helped staff to better meet the needs of all pupils. Children make good progress in the Reception class and this good start is being built on well across the school. Standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 have improved this year but the full impact of improved progress now being made in lessons has yet to be reflected in standards that are still not as high as they should be. Overall achievement is satisfactory. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Pupils have a good understanding of

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Grade: 3

how to make safe and healthy choices and contribute well to the school and the wider community. Attendance has improved and is satisfactory. Pupils' behaviour and moral, social and cultural development are good. They clearly enjoy school very much and are keen to learn. The school uses a good range of external expertise to develop pupils' skills in many areas and there are many additional activities which enliven the curriculum. Day-to-day planning has improved significantly and the school's review has improved many aspects of the curriculum. Teachers have worked on ways of linking all areas of learning to ensure that lessons are as relevant as they can make them. The school has spacious and mature grounds, which are now being used exceptionally well. The very effective curriculum leader for information and communication technology (ICT) has written a good action plan which, if it is well implemented,

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Grade: 3

5 of 12 Inspection Report: Red Barn Community Primary School, 1–2 July 2009 will go along way to ensuring much more effective use of ICT. The curriculum has begun to support pupils' understanding of their community well. Pupils have a keen sense of their place in the school and their local community and have good links with schools in other countries. However, their understanding of the national community is less well developed.

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Grade: 2

Children get off to a good start when they join the Reception class, due to the outstanding teaching. Many of the positive aspects found in the rest of the school have grown from the work in the Early Years Foundation Stage, including effective teaching and excellent provision to support children's welfare. It is not only the staff, but also older pupils in their own class and beyond, who contribute to the children's sense of safety and happiness when they start school. The allocation of 'buddies' from the oldest class to support younger children is a good example of this. Children make good progress and do particularly well in their personal, social and emotional development. Their early writing skills, however, are relatively weak when they start school, and remain weak when they move on to Year 1. The adults are skilled at helping pupils to learn when they work directly with them in the class. Excellent relationships and clear

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Grade: 2

planning underpin children's learning and enjoyment. There is a good balance between such directed activities and opportunities for pupils to choose activities for themselves. Assessments of children's progress in adult-directed activities are good, and are used well to plan further work. Children thoroughly enjoy learning in the outside area, but activities there could be enhanced by the use of richer language, such as signs and questions, which is common in the indoor areas.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise pupils' level of achievement, and standards overall, by further use of assessment and so build on the progress already made. ■ Improve the use of ICT across the curriculum by implementing the well-made plans.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Extend the role of subject leaders so they take more responsibility for accelerating the rate of improvement. A small proportion of schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Pupils enter the school with standards below, often well below, expectations for their age. Effective organisation and very careful assessments are now enabling pupils to make good progress and earlier underachievement is being eroded. However, standards are not yet as high as they should be. Achievement is satisfactory throughout the school because of assessment systems which carefully track the progress each pupil makes and identify where additional teaching will be most beneficial. More able pupils are challenged well through a good range of additional activities. As a result, they also make good progress. Pupils do well in art, music and physical education because the carefully planned curriculum gives them many opportunities to develop their individual talents. Pupils with special educational needs receive very good support from the experienced teaching assistants and access to a tailored curriculum. As a

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Grade: 3

result, these pupils are making good progress overall and are achieving well. 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Red Barn Community Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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Grade: 2

Pupils are enthusiastic about many aspects of school life. They enjoy lessons and the extra-curricular activities, trips and visits that contribute well to their learning and social development. Behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. The response of older pupils during an exciting music lesson, where they really wanted to help each other and revelled in each other's success, showed the strength of their personal development. Pupils willingly follow the rules that are displayed in classrooms, and say that rare incidents of bullying or poor behaviour are dealt with very well. They say that there is always someone who will listen to them. Attendance is satisfactory and improving because most pupils really want to come to school. The school council has been responsible for a variety of important health and safety initiatives. Pupils' contribution to the local community is good, particularly in their support for

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Grade: 2

a range of charities and local events. However, as the school acknowledges, their understanding of their place in the national, multicultural, society is less well developed. Pupils take on real responsibilities in the school, for example as 'playground buddies', and cooperate and work effectively together, which prepares them well for the future. As one parent observed, 'I like the way that each year group gets involved in other years' projects, which helps the children to get to know each other and this seems to ease any problems and helps with building children's confidence.'

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Grade: 2

The headteacher monitors teaching and learning thoroughly and inspection findings confirm that inadequate teaching has been eliminated and a large majority of lessons are good. Many lessons show clear strengths in planning, appropriate challenge for the range of pupils in the class and an emphasis on enjoyment of learning. In the best lessons, the pace was brisk, the tasks challenging and the pupils involved throughout, with many opportunities to reflect on their work to improve it further. Progress in these lessons is exceptional because of high levels of concentration and participation and the use of paired work and practical activities to ensure a high quality of learning. In occasional lessons, the pace slowed for short periods and, as a consequence, some pupils were not always engaged or doing as well as they could have been. Pupils respond very well to challenge, and provision is good for those with learning difficulties

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Grade: 2

and/or disabilities, higher-attaining pupils and those with identified gifts and talents. The school has a clear focus on assessment. Marking is a real strength, as it is thorough, and there are good opportunities for pupils to assess their own and others' work. Teachers have very high expectations of their pupils and are good at encouraging their independence and research skills. Homework is set regularly and parents are encouraged to support learning wherever possible.

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Grade: 2

Within the breadth and balance of the curriculum, there is an emphasis on providing pupils with varied experiences that they thoroughly enjoy. There is a good range of lunchtime and after-school activities that are very popular with pupils. Pupils also very much appreciate the 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Red Barn Community Primary School, 1–2 July 2009 opportunities to extend their learning through the provision of themed days and special events. The work of the 'museum curators' from Year 6, after their visit, was exceptional. The Wider Opportunities Project, through the local authority is providing weekly stringed-instrument afternoons for Year 4 this term, and the enthusiasm seen was remarkable. The addition of African drumming has also enhanced the curriculum and very effectively raised many pupils' self-confidence. The good displays in all parts of the school provide a rich learning environment,

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Grade: 2

through an effective blend that both raises pupils' understanding of how to improve and gives stimulating examples of what they have already achieved. The school has yet to implement the effective use of ICT fully, in order to provide further opportunities for pupils to develop these skills across a range of subjects, as was requested following the recent monitoring visit.

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Grade: 3

The quality of pastoral support is strong. The school has efficient procedures in place to safeguard pupils. All adults have pupils' interests at heart and everybody works hard to ensure that their diverse needs are speedily identified and met. There are strong links with a range of outside agencies and the school is now working to ensure that its links with parents and carers, already good, are enhanced by providing more specific support and guidance to families that need it. The quality of the academic guidance given to pupils has improved immensely, but has yet to become completely embedded in the work of the school. Pupils are very aware of the importance of their targets in enhancing their progress and refer to them confidently. The quality of marking, the setting of targets and the provision of advice set up a fruitful dialogue between pupils and teachers.

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Grade: 2

The outstanding headteacher's open-door approach involves all adults in moving the school forward. She gives an exemplary lead in relating effectively with pupils, parents and the local community. She is given good support by the knowledgeable and hard-working team of managers and subject leaders. Teamwork is of the highest quality. Many coordinators are new to their roles but management at all levels is good, due to the staff's enthusiasm and the developing systems that are in place to monitor pupils' progress and the quality of teaching and learning. The administrative team, site manager and lunchtime supervisors are considerable assets to the school and are very much appreciated by all concerned. There is a clear understanding of the school's strengths and of the areas that need more development. The school's self-evaluation is effective. Resources are now satisfactorily deployed for the benefit of pupils, to promote

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Grade: 2

high quality and achieve value for money. The work of the reorganised governing body is improving. Many became involved with the governance of the school at a difficult time. They now provide a good mix of constructive challenge, support and guidance. Performance monitoring is improving. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Red Barn Community Primary School, 1–2 July 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. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Red Barn Community Primary School, 1–2 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? 2 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

3 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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Red Barn Community Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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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 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 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? 3 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Red Barn Community Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

16 July 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Red Barn Community Primary School,Fareham,PO16 8HJ This letter is to tell you about the findings of the recent inspection and to thank you for taking the time to talk to us about your school and your work. A year ago, the school was told it had to make some important improvements. We think it has managed this well and that it now provides you with a satisfactory education. We agree with what you told us - it is getting better and better. The headteacher and teachers have created a caring school community where you all really enjoy learning and feel safe. You behave well in lessons and like to concentrate on your work. You also enjoy and benefit from the range of opportunities the school provides in clubs and visits to interesting places. By the end of Year 6, standards are now around average, but some of you in some parts of the school could achieve more, and we want the staff to build on what they have already done to

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

make this happen. We have asked them to make sure that their plans to improve your skills in ICT are implemented as soon as possible. The headteacher is keen to keep improving the school and, with the staff, knows exactly what to do to make the school even better. We have asked the subject leaders to speed up the changes they are planning to give you even more opportunities to learn. You must continue to listen carefully and take note of what they say. Finally, we would like to thank you once again for all your help. We wish you well in the future. Yours faithfully David Marshall Lead Inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Red Barn Community Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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