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Agenda Item 8 Committee: Education Standards Panel

Date: 7 February 2011

Title of Report: Ofsted Inspection Reports received in the Autumn 2010 term

By: Director of Children’s Services

Purpose of Report: To present the findings of the inspection of schools to a national framework by independent teams under contract to OFSTED.

RECOMMENDATION: The Panel is asked to receive the Inspection Reports attached at Appendix 1 and to request any further information it requires on standards and attainment in the schools referred to. 1. Supporting Information

1.1 The Inspection Reports attached at Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 relate to seventeen Primary schools and one Secondary school. 1.2 The Panel is asked to note the Inspection Reports.

MATT DUNKLEY Director of Children’s Services

Contact Officer: Primary: Nina Siddall, Head of Standards and Learning Effectiveness (0-11) Tel: 01273 336 915 Secondary: Fiona Wright, Head of Standards and Learning Effectiveness (11-19) Tel: 01273 481 231 Special: Catherine Dooley, Senior Standards and Learning Effectiveness Manager: Pupil Wellbeing and Vulnerable Groups. Tel: 01323 466 891

Local Members: Barnes Hurst Green CE Primary

Bennett Chiddingly Primary Belsey Oakwood School Elkin The Haven Freeman Cradle Hill Community Primary Seaford Primary Jones Salehurst CE Primary Staplecross Methodist Primary Kenward Pebsham Lock Blacklands Primary O’Keeffe Pells CE Primary Southover CE Primary Rogers Southdown Primary Shing/Shing Polegate Primary St Pierre Hamsey Community Primary Ringmer Community College Tutt Roselands Infant Waite West St Leonards Primary Background Documents: None

APPENDIX 1

OFSTED INSPECTION REPORTS

Primary Schools Blacklands Primary Chiddingly Primary Cradle Hill Community Primary Hamsey Community Primary Hurst Green CE Primary Oakwood School Pebsham Community Primary Polegate Primary Roselands Infant Salehurst CE Primary Seaford Primary Southdown Primary Southover CE Primary Staplecross Methodist Primary The Haven CE/Methodist Primary West St Leonards Primary Secondary Schools Ringmer Community College Special Schools None

Age group 4−11

Inspection date(s) 3−4 November 2010

Inspection number 357543

Blacklands Primary School Inspection report

Unique Reference Number 114456

Local Authority East Sussex


Inspection dates 3−4 November 2010

Reporting inspector David Shepherd

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

Type of school Primary

School category Community

Age range of pupils 4−11

Gender of pupils Mixed

Number of pupils on the school roll 521

Appropriate authority The governing body

Chair Margaret O’Connor

Headteacher Allison Baines

Date of previous school inspection 12−13 September 2007

School address Osborne Close

Freshwater Avenue

Hastings

TN34 2HU

Telephone number 01424 429279

Fax number 01424 719277

Email address [email protected]

Inspection report: Blacklands Primary School, 3−4 November 2010 2 of 14

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of

all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and

Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based

learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and

other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after

children, safeguarding and child protection.

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.

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

telephone 08456 404045, or email [email protected].

You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you

give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

Royal Exchange Buildings

St Ann's Square

Manchester M2 7LA

T: 08456 404045

Textphone: 0161 618 8524

E: [email protected]

W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

© Crown copyright 2010


Introduction

This inspection was carried out by four additional inspectors. Inspectors observed 21 lessons and 20 teachers were seen. Meetings were held with all staff, two groups of pupils and the Chair and vice-chair of the Governing Body. Inspectors observed the school’s work, looked at safeguarding documentation and the school’s analysis of its 2010 data. Questionnaires from 194 parents and carers were received and analysed. Questionnaires from 99 pupils and 33 staff were also received and analysed. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following. � To what extent has attainment risen in Key Stage 1? � What progress are boys making in all subjects, especially in reading and writing

in Key Stages 1 and 2? � How effective are assessment practices in Key Stage 2? � What impact have the leadership team and middle leaders had in raising

attainment and accelerating progress in their areas of responsibility?

Information about the school

This is a very large primary school. Most pupils are White British. Relatively few pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, some of whom speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is average. The needs of these pupils mainly relate to moderate learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties and speech, language and communication. A higher than average number of pupils has a statement of special educational needs. The Early Years Foundation Stage is made up of three Reception classes. The school has achieved the Artsmark and Activemark.


Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness: how good is the school? 2

The school’s capacity for sustained improvement 2

Main findings

The school has improved significantly since being judged satisfactory in its previous inspection. It now provides a good quality of education and pupils’ achievement is good. A major factor is the determination and drive of the headteacher, ably supported by the leadership team and staff. This is appreciated by most parents and carers, who are very supportive of the school. As one parent wrote: ‘The school provides a stimulating and supportive environment in which my children learn.’ Children join the Reception classes with skills that are below those expected for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and attain the levels expected for their age in most areas of learning by the time they join Year 1. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall in Years 1 and 2 and this is why attainment in Key Stage 1 has not risen during the past three years. Pupils make good progress in Years 3 to 6. Their attainment in reading and mathematics at the end of Year 6 has risen during the past three years and is now above average. Attainment in writing is average. Overall, this reflects good achievement given pupils’ below average starting points. This is explained by good teaching, especially in Key Stage 2, which means that pupils make good progress in lessons. Occasionally, when teaching is not as good as this, the pace of learning is not as quick as it should be and some pupils, especially boys, become easily distracted from their learning. This partly explains why boys do not reach the same levels of attainment as girls. Another reason is because there are more boys with special educational needs and/or disabilities than girls. However, boys make good progress overall and reach similar levels to their peers nationally in reading and writing by the end of Year 6. Teachers provide pupils with encouraging feedback about their work. However, sometimes, they do not provide pupils with enough guidance about the next steps in their learning or give them time to correct their misunderstandings. A further significant factor in pupils’ success is the outstanding quality of support and guidance given by senior leaders and effective, high-quality intervention programmes mainly provided by teaching assistants. The systematic tracking of pupils’ progress means that any dips in performance are identified quickly, and well-targeted support is provided. This accelerates progress made by pupils in these groups so that the achievement of all groups of pupils is good. The school is a harmonious community. Pupils work and play well together. They make an outstanding contribution to the smooth running of the school. The lunch-time buddy system where pupils in Year 5 look after younger pupils helps to create a family ethos in school. The school has good links with its local community. It also works very effectively with a range of




partners and agencies to promote the well-being of pupils. Consequently, this is a happy school where pupils feel safe, enjoy their work and attend regularly. The school has developed a good curriculum for its pupils. Planning includes different activities for pupils at different levels of ability. However, it does not include what pupils at each ability level are expected to learn. The impact of this is that pupils are not always challenged as much as they should be. The curriculum is enriched by a wide range of activities, particularly in art, music and physical education. The school knows its strengths and weaknesses well. Staff work hard and are keen to do well and improve provision. However, the leadership team and middle leaders have not concentrated enough on the impact of their work on pupils’ progress and attainment in their areas of responsibility. Partnerships with other local schools make an outstanding contribution in extending pupils’ learning and promoting their well-being. Combined with its track record of good improvement since the last inspection, the school has a good capacity to improve further.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

� Raise the quality of teaching so that at least 80% is good by ensuring:

− the pace of learning is accelerated, especially in Key Stage 1 − marking indicates to pupils the next steps in their learning − pupils are given time to act on these next steps

− lesson plans indicate what different ability groups are expected to learn. � Ensure the leadership team and middle leaders monitor and evaluate the

impact on learning of their work in different areas of responsibility by analysing:

− pupils’ work as appropriate to ensure consistency of provision between classes and of feedback to pupils

− the monitoring of lessons and taking steps to correct any weaknesses that emerge from this.

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils listen attentively, work hard and respond readily to their teachers. For example, pupils in Year 6 listened to a piece of music from the ‘War of the Worlds’ while sketching their thoughts about its meaning to them. They listened to each other’s thoughts and feelings about the music in a sensible and mature fashion. They discussed their ideas with their partners, made good progress and developed their ideas into their own piece of music. Pupils in Year 5 were highly motivated and made good progress as they collected data from each other so that they could analyse it to find the mean, median and mode. Pupils’ progress in reading and mathematics is particularly rapid. Their progress in writing is satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive well-targeted, effective support. Consequently, they make better than expected progress in acquiring reading, writing and numeracy skills in line with their different abilities. The few pupils who speak




English as an additional language receive good support too and they make the same progress as their peers. There are no significant differences between the achievements of different ethnic groups. Behaviour is good in lessons, around the school and at lunchtimes. A small number of pupils who have specific behavioural, emotional and social difficulties are managed extremely well by staff so as not to disrupt the smooth running of the school. Pupils are happy that any instances of bullying are dealt with fairly and effectively. They know about healthy foods and the importance of exercise. They enjoy physical activity in lessons as well as at playtimes and lunchtimes, and many take part in the extra-curricular clubs on offer, such as football and karate. Pupils enjoy assemblies and embrace the positive ethos of the school. They think about the moods created by composers and listen to a wide variety of music. They make an outstanding contribution to the school. They are proud of the contributions they have made to the equipment for the playground from their annual budget. The basketball hoop and books for wet lunchtimes are examples of this. They engage maturely with teachers and teaching assistants about aspects of school life. They demonstrate good social skills by sharing equipment and materials and by working well in groups. They have a good sense of what is right and wrong. They raise funds for local, national and international charities on an annual basis. They learn about the beliefs, values and ways of life of people who think differently from themselves.

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes

2

3

2

Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning

Taking into account:

Pupils’ attainment1

The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress

The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress 2

The extent to which pupils feel safe 2

Pupils’ behaviour 2

The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 2

The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 1

3 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will

contribute to their future economic well-being


Pupils’ attendance1 2

The extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average;

and 4 is low




A strength of the teaching is the way teachers use the school’s many resources to add variety to learning. Teachers ask searching questions that help identify what pupils know and what they need to learn next. Strong relationships and respect between pupils and adults are significant features in all classes and these help create a busy and positive learning environment. Support by teaching assistants is of good quality and encourages pupils to think for themselves. In a few lessons, teachers talk too long before settling pupils down to their tasks. On these occasions, some pupils, particularly in Key Stage 1, lose their concentration and their learning is not as rapid as it should be. This is why progress is not as good in Key Stage 1 as it is in Key Stage 2. Pupils are set learning targets in the front of their literacy and mathematics books and these provide good guidance for pupils on the next steps in their learning. Teachers provide good guidance to pupils during lessons. They mark pupils’ books systematically and often include a comment about what pupils could do to improve. However, overall there are not enough of these comments to guide pupils in their learning. In addition, pupils are not given enough opportunities to act on the guidance teachers have written in their books. During the inspection, music was the theme selected to teach a variety of subjects, such as speaking, listening, writing and art. Pupils’ books indicate that good links are being made between different subjects. This produces significant variety in provision that includes practical activities, problem solving and outdoor activities. Provision to promote pupils’ personal development is included effectively throughout the curriculum. Extra-curricular provision is extensive. Many of these activities are of a sporting nature and reflect the awarding of the Activemark. Enrichment activities are varied and include an extensive range of instrumental tuition, visits and visitors to the school. Support for pupils is very effective and this is a reason why pupils and their parents have every confidence in the school and its teachers. As one parent wrote: ‘The school has provided fantastic support for my son and family. They have dealt with some unique tricky situations.’ Intervention groups are held for those with both learning and physical needs. Nearly all pupils comment in their questionnaire that they receive good support and care from the staff and this helps them in their work. Procedures for maintaining good attendance are effective. Transition arrangements between Reception and Year 1 and on transfer to secondary education are excellent.

These are the grades for the quality of provision

2 The quality of teaching


The use of assessment to support learning 2

The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships

2

The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 1

How effective are leadership and management?




The headteacher provides strong leadership for a well-motivated and enthusiastic staff. Together, they demonstrate a sense of responsibility, ambition and a commitment to continuing to improve provision for pupils. The results of this are clearly evident in the improvements in outcomes since the last inspection. School data are analysed well and information from this is used effectively to help pupils in their learning. The regular monitoring and evaluation of teaching has led to improvement in recent years. The governing body is supportive and encouraging to the school. However, it is not as influential as it might be in determining the strategic direction of the school and in evaluating its work. The school has outstanding relationships with parents and carers and responds positively to their suggestions. An example is the attractively presented curriculum information for each year groups. Outstanding partnerships have been forged with local schools that enrich the curriculum. Equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination are promoted well within all the school’s work and have resulted in good progress being made by individual pupils, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and the more able. The small number of minority ethnic pupils integrate well into school. School leaders and governors have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and the school adopts effective practices across all areas of its work. Pupils are aware of some of the possible dangers they face, for example on the internet, on the roads and from strangers. The school makes effective use of its local community. The link with Sierra Leone is proving a useful resource for developing pupils’ understanding of a different culture than their own. National links are not as well developed as they are for the local and international communities.

These are the grades for leadership and management

2 The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement


The leadership and management of teaching and learning 2

The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the

school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met

3

The effectiveness of the school’s engagement with parents and carers 1

The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 1

The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and

tackles discrimination 2

The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2

The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 3

The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for

money 2




Early Years Foundation Stage

Children make a good start to their schooling. When they start school, their attainment is lowest in linking sounds and letters, reading, writing and calculation. They make good progress in all areas of learning. In 2010, they left Reception with average attainment overall. In personal, social and emotional development, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development children’s attainment was above that expected. Attainment was lowest in writing. Children feel well looked after. They are confident when working indoors or outdoors. They enjoy the fresh air and chat to adults about what they are doing. Behaviour is good and children get on well with each other and adults. Provision is very well organised indoors and gives children a rich range of stimulating experiences. Provision outdoors is not as stimulating or as well prepared as it might be and not enough outdoor activities are provided for children. Staff work exceptionally well as a team because leadership and management are good. Adults plan together effectively to provide a good balance between the different areas of learning. There is a good balance of activities that are teacher led and those designed to help children work independently. Links with parents and carers are outstanding. Induction procedures are effective and children quickly settle into school routines.

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

2

2

2

Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage


Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage

The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation

Stage 2

Views of parents and carers

Almost all parents and carers who completed the questionnaire are very supportive of the school. Parents and carers are very happy with their children’s overall experience at the school. However, they are less positive about how the school deals with unacceptable behaviour. Inspectors found that a few pupils exhibit challenging behaviour at times but that, on these occasions during the inspection, it was dealt with effectively. A large number of written comments from parents and carers were very supportive of the school. They find the staff approachable and hard working. Comments such as the following were typical of those received: ‘The school has been fantastic and extremely supportive’, ‘The leadership team stand out – approachable and available, friendly and effective at addressing issues’ and ‘Excellent head. Always greets children in the morning. Addresses concerns without delay.’ The proportion of parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire was high.


Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Blacklands Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.

In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school.

The inspection team received 194 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In

total, there are 521 pupils registered at the school.

Statements Strongly agree

Agree Disagree Strongly disagree

Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 121 62 69 36 4 2 0 0

The school keeps my child

safe 116 60 68 35 8 4 1 1

The school informs me about

my child’s progress 79 41 108 56 6 3 1 1

My child is making enough

progress at this school 92 47 87 45 11 6 1 1

The teaching is good at this

school 89 46 98 51 5 3 0 0

The school helps me to

support my child’s learning 80 41 103 53 7 4 1 1

The school helps my child to

have a healthy lifestyle 86 44 99 51 8 4 0 0

The school makes sure that

my child is well prepared for

the future (for example changing year group,

changing school, and for children who are finishing

school, entering further or higher education, or entering

employment)

87 45 98 51 3 2 0 0

The school meets my child’s

particular needs 98 51 85 44 9 5 0 0

The school deals effectively

with unacceptable behaviour 70 36 97 50 21 11 1 1

The school takes account of

my suggestions and

concerns

78 40 96 49 12 6 0 0

The school is led and

managed effectively 118 61 66 34 8 4 0 0

Overall, I am happy with my

child’s experience at this school

124 64 60 31 7 4 0 0

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The

percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular

question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

Inspection report: Blacklands Primary School, 3−4 November 2010, 11 of 14

Glossary

What inspection judgements mean

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs.

Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well.

Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils.

Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

Overall effectiveness of schools

Overall effectiveness judgement (percentage of schools)

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 58 36 4 2

Primary schools 8 43 40 9

Secondary schools

10 35 42 13

Sixth forms 13 39 45 3

Special schools 33 42 20 4

Pupil referral units

18 40 29 12

All schools 11 42 38 9

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously.

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2009 to 31 March 2010 and are the most

recently published data available (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). Please note that the sample of schools inspected during the autumn and spring terms 2009/10 was not representative of all schools

nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Secondary school figures include

those that have sixth forms, and sixth form figures include only the data specifically for sixth form

inspection judgements.


Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and

examination results and in lessons. Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue

improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities,

not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their

understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

� The school’s capacity for sustained improvement.

� Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.

� The quality of teaching. � The extent to which the curriculum meets

pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.

� The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and

over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.


This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school. 5 November 2010 Dear Pupils Inspection of Blacklands Primary School, Hastings, TN34 2HU Thank you for making inspectors so welcome when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed meeting and talking to you about how you feel the school is preparing you for the future. You go to a good school. There are a number of good things about your school that we liked. � You enjoy school and work hard. � You do especially well in learning how to read and calculate with numbers. � Your behaviour is good, although a few of you find behaving well very difficult

to achieve. � You get on well with each other. � The Reception classes give you a good start to your schooling. � You like the way adults in school look after you and you think they are doing a

good job. � You like your teachers and teaching assistants and try your best to please

them. We have asked your headteacher, teachers and the governing body to do two things to make your school even better. These are to: � improve the teaching by making sure you begin your activities quicker than you

do now and giving you time to practise what your teachers have asked you to do in their marking.

� judge how well you learn in each subject by monitoring lessons and using this information to improve the teaching and your learning.

Keep working hard. Yours sincerely David Shepherd Lead inspector


Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the

procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available

from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy

of the guidance, please telephone 08456 404045, or email [email protected].

Age group 4–11

Inspection date(s) 5–6 October 2010


Chiddingly Primary School Inspection report




Inspection dates 5–6 October 2010

Reporting inspector Eileen Chadwick




Age range of pupils 4–11




Chair Alan Brundle

Headteacher Jennie Macfadyen (Acting)

Date of previous school inspection 3 October 2007

School address Muddles Green

Chiddingly

Lewes

BN8 6HN


Fax number 01825 872682


Inspection report: Chiddingly Primary School, 5–6 October 2010 2 of 15






other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

after children, safeguarding and child protection.





telephone 0300 1234 234, or email [email protected].



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St Ann's Square

Manchester

M2 7LA

T: 0300 1234 234

Textphone: 0161 618 8524





Introduction

This inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors. They visited seven lessons and four teachers were observed. Inspectors also held meetings with pupils, staff with key responsibilities, representatives of the governing body and a local authority officer. In addition to observing the school’s work and evaluating documentation such as policies, the school improvement plan, pupils’ work and records of their learning and progress, inspectors examined 47 completed questionnaires from parents and carers, 46 from pupils and 11 from members of staff. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following: � how consistently well pupils develop their key literacy and numeracy skills from

the Early Years Foundation Stage through to Year 6 � the steps taken to improve attainment for Year 2 and Year 6 pupils and the

impact of these on raising achievement � whether teaching and the curriculum consistently meet the learning needs of

different groups in mixed-age classes � how effectively leaders at all levels check the quality of the school’s work and

use the information for future improvements.


Chiddingly Primary is smaller than the average-sized primary school. It draws its pupils from the local village and from further afield. Most pupils are White British and the proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average although the proportion with statements of special educational needs is above average. These pupils mainly have emotional and behavioural or speech and communication difficulties. The acting headteacher, who was the previous deputy headteacher, has led the school since September 2009 during the absence of the substantive headteacher who has now left.

The Early Years Foundation Stage has one Reception class where children are taught in a single-age class. All other classes include mixed-aged pupils. The school has the Active and Healthy School awards.







Main findings

In accordance with section 13(3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvements. Pupils’ achievement is inadequate. Since the last inspection, pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2 has been falling and is low. Children get off to a good start in Reception and, by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, their literacy and numeracy skills are above that normally expected for their age. However, the school does not build upon this, resulting in pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics at the end of Year 2 being average. Pupils make inadequate progress over time in Years 1 to 4, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is because the quality of teaching is inconsistent and inadequate overall.

Although teachers are enthusiastic and can engage pupils in their learning through providing interesting activities, they are given insufficient support and guidance to improve their teaching and assessment. As a result, teachers do not consistently plan activities that meet the needs of the range of abilities in mixed-age classes. Additionally, the curriculum is not sufficiently structured to meet the needs of different aged pupils taught in the same class.

Pupils receive satisfactory care, guidance and support. Their behaviour is satisfactory and pupils say they feel very safe in school. A high priority is given to providing support for pupils whose circumstances have made them vulnerable. Pupils make a good contribution to the school and wider community. Many are active in the after-school clubs and have a good understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle. Their spiritual, moral and social development is good. Pupils show respect for others and for cultural differences. However, overall attendance is inadequate because too many families take their children out of school for holidays or occasional days.

The school’s capacity for sustained improvement is inadequate because pupils are not making enough progress and leaders and managers have not brought about the necessary improvements since the last inspection. Self-evaluation systems are weak.




While a more rigorous system to record pupils’ achievements has recently been introduced to check pupils’ progress, this has not impacted on pupils’ achievement. Prompt action is not taken to address inadequate teaching in order to improve pupils’ progress. Assessment data are not used well enough to set challenging targets for individuals and groups of pupils. The school improvement plan is not well focused on raising attainment or ensuring that rigorous monitoring and evaluation arrangements are in place. Senior and subject leaders’ roles are underdeveloped and the new deputy headteacher has insufficient time to develop her leadership responsibilities. Governors are supportive of the school but lack the expertise to robustly challenge and hold the school to account for its performance.


� Raise achievement by:

− improving attainment and accelerating pupils’ progress in Key Stages 1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics

− improving the attendance of pupils who do not attend as regularly as they should.

� Improve the quality of teaching and learning by:

− eliminating inadequate teaching as a matter of urgency and ensuring the majority of lessons are good by improving the use of assessment to inform planning

− providing a curriculum which clearly sets out the steps for teaching the basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics in mixed-age classes

− ensuring all work is carefully matched to all pupils’ capabilities and builds on their existing skills.

� Improve the effectiveness of leaders at all levels by:

− developing robust procedures and processes for self-evaluation and taking swift action to address underachievement

− setting demanding targets and ensuring school improvement planning focuses on raising achievement

− ensuring that senior and subject leaders have the skills, support and opportunities to improve the quality of teaching and learning

− ensuring that the governing body develops the skills to robustly challenge and hold the school to account.


Children’s attainment at the end of Reception is not used to set demanding targets for Year 2 pupils in reading, writing and mathematics. In Year 1, teachers do not build effectively on the skills pupils have learned in Reception. This is because work provided is often either too hard or easy in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ skills in sounds and letters (phonics) are particularly weak in Key Stage 1 and this




subsequently limits the quality of their writing. Although pupils make satisfactory progress in lessons in Years 5 and 6, this is not enough to address previous underachievement. In the 2010 tests for Year 6, boys’ attainment was particularly low, especially in mathematics. Overall, girls did better but, like the boys, very few attained higher levels in writing and mathematics. Pupils of all abilities make inadequate progress throughout the school. Literacy tasks for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are often not matched to their skills and the work provided is a simplified version of the main lesson rather tailored to their needs. For example, in one lesson, pupils with weak literacy skills, when asked to write sentences, were given key words to help them, but they could not read the key words. A minority of pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 are receiving extra teaching because of their previous underachievement in literacy and numeracy. The booster sessions used with Year 6 pupils are beginning to make a difference to them making slightly better progress. However, this is not yet the case in other year groups. Pupils’ spiritual development is promoted well in assemblies and through regular links with the local church. Pupils make a valuable contribution to the school community through their involvement in the school council, charity events and work on improving the environment. They also participate very well in village and church activities. Pupils of all ages cooperate well together and enjoy the school’s family atmosphere. Pupils enjoy eating healthily at lunchtimes. Their good understanding of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle is recognised through national awards and shown by their enthusiasm in taking part in sporting activities. Pupils are polite and well-mannered. They say they feel very safe and are considerate towards others. However, their enjoyment of learning is constrained by the weaknesses in teaching. Pupils in Year 6 are responsible and behave well and are good examples for younger pupils. While others often behave well, even when teaching is inadequate, a minority lose concentration and become distracted when work is not well matched to their needs. The school has recently stepped up its procedures for encouraging good attendance. However, a minority of pupils from all backgrounds and abilities do not attend as regularly as they should. Pupils are not helped enough to develop their competencies in literacy and numeracy so preparation for life ahead is inadequate.


4

4



Pupils’ attainment1 4


and 4 is low





The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

4











Teachers’ planning does not provide the basis for matching work to the spread of ability. Although, in many lessons, teachers’ enthusiasm is evident and good relationships between adults and pupils ensure lessons are calm, too often the same task is given to pupils of differing abilities resulting in pupils making inadequate progress. Teachers’ use of assessment is weak and often inaccurate. In Key Stage 1 and Years 3 and 4, too little account is taken of pupils’ reading and phonics skills when they are set writing tasks. In mathematics sessions, too much time is sometimes spent on writing. The quality of the support given by teaching assistants varies and they are not always trained well enough to help adequately the few pupils who are receiving extra support or have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The curriculum does not enable teachers to plan for mixed-age classes. Although writing, speaking and listening and reading schemes are in place, their use is inconsistent in the different classes. School leaders do not make enough checks to ensure that there is a robust approach in each class. This results in a lack of continuity and slows the progress of pupils. The school is a pleasant and friendly place. Satisfactory pastoral care supports the majority of pupils so that they feel confident and secure in school. The school works closely with outside specialists to support pupils with complex learning difficulties, such as in speech and communication, and those with emotional and behavioural difficulties so they adapt to school.








The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where

relevant, through partnerships 4



The governing body and senior staff do not have a clear understanding of the reasons for pupils’ declining achievement and, therefore, have not been effective in improving their progress. Senior leaders have ensured that the school runs smoothly on a daily basis. However, the leadership team is inexperienced and the procedures and systems to manage and secure improvement are weak. Leaders are not effective in tackling the continuing underachievement and improving provision. Insufficient action is being taken to deal with inadequate teaching and to support teachers. Key subject leaders are new to their roles and are not involved in monitoring and evaluating the work of the school. Only the acting headteacher monitors lesson planning and teaching and learning. Assessment practices are improving but the use of data to analyse pupils’ performance and identify areas of underachievement is not embedded in the work of the school. Given the weaknesses in leadership and management at all levels, the school has inadequate capacity for further improvement. Safeguarding procedures are in place and meet requirements. The school is diligent about risk assessments and child protection. Discriminatory practices are tackled actively and effectively, but many pupils are not doing as well as they should so the school does not adequately promote equality of opportunity. Community cohesion is satisfactory; the school actively promotes cohesion in its own community and has accurately evaluated that further work is needed to reach out more fully beyond this, including extending its global provision.







4



The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination

4







money 4


Children settle quickly into the Early Years Foundation Stage because of good induction processes. Their attainment on entry is broadly at the level expected although this includes a few who enter higher than this. Children make good progress as a result of good teaching and learning. By the end of Reception, children’s attainment is consistently above that expected in all areas of learning. Children make good progress in sounds and letters and learning to read. Systems for teaching these skills help staff to match work to the learning needs of all children. Adults make extremely good use of assessment to ensure tasks build on children’s previous learning. Practical tasks, such as bread making for harvest, are used well to develop children’s knowledge, language, practical and mathematical skills. Children have good opportunities to choose different activities. These include role play, painting, creating and building using small and large construction kits. Planning covers all areas of learning and there is a good balance of activities that are adult led and purposeful play. The school has recently improved the outdoor area and there is now a spacious covered area as well as a safe, enclosed garden. The Early Years Foundation Stage staff have identified and prioritised the outdoor provision as an area for development and work to develop this is planned. Good levels of care and welfare ensure children’s well-being. The leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good with close and effective teamwork between all staff. Assessment is rigorous and analysed thoroughly to check the impact of provision on children’s learning in order to accelerate their progress and make improvements to provision.


2

2

2






Stage 2


Inspectors analysed 47 questionnaires from parents and carers. During inspection, their responses were generally positive. They agree that the school environment is welcoming and their children are kept safe. The inspection evidence confirms these views. However, a minority are concerned that pupils do not always behave as well




as they should. The school has acknowledged that a minority of pupils misbehaved last year. During inspection, inspectors found that pupils often behave well around the school, in the playground and in most lessons. However, they do not concentrate well when teaching does not fully match their learning needs. A minority of parents expressed unease about the lack of a permanent headteacher. Inspection evidence confirms that the governing body is actively taking positive steps to appoint a headteacher.



Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Chiddingly Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.









safe 30 64 16 34 1 2 0 0






school 22 47 25 53 0 0 0 0










employment)

20 43 21 45 2 4 0 0






my suggestions and

concerns

20 43 25 53 1 2 1 2





23 49 21 45 3 6 0 0





Glossary












Secondary schools

10 35 42 13




18 40 29 12



















Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall

effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.









This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school. 7 October 2010 Dear Pupils Inspection of Chiddingly Primary School, Chiddingly, Lewes BN8 6HN Thank you for helping us when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking with you and looking at your work. You will know the reason for our visit was to decide how good an education you are receiving. As well as watching your lessons and looking at your books, we looked at the information that the school has on your progress. We found out the school is not doing as well as it should and needs some extra help. As a result, we have said that it needs ‘special measures’. This means that other inspectors will be visiting your school regularly to check on its progress. You told us that you particularly enjoyed all the sports and opportunities for after-school clubs. We are pleased to see you take responsibility for improving your environment through recycling. We really enjoyed seeing how well the children in Reception are learning. We have judged that many of you are not making enough progress or reaching high enough standards. We have asked your headteacher and the governing body to concentrate on making sure that: � you make better progress and reach higher standards in reading, writing and

mathematics � there is good teaching throughout the school and your work always builds on

what you already know � you all attend school as often as you should, particularly those who are usually

absent. You can help your families to realise how important this is for your learning and future

� all those with special responsibility for ensuring you do your best, keep a careful eye on how well you are doing and help you to always learn well.

Please always try to work as hard as you can. Thank you for being so helpful and friendly. Yours sincerely Eileen Chadwick Lead inspector





of the guidance, please telephone 0300 1234 234, or email [email protected].

Age group 4–11



Cradle Hill Community Primary School Inspection report





Reporting inspector Robin Gaff








Chair Anne Rollings

Headteacher Gianni Bianchi

Date of previous school inspection 20 September 2007

School address Lexden Road

Seaford

East Sussex

BN25 3BA


Fax number 01323 898084


Inspection report: Cradle Hill Community Primary School, 21–22 October 2010 2 of 14


















St Ann's Square

Manchester

M2 7LA

T: 0300 1234 234

Textphone: 0161 618 8524





Introduction

This inspection was carried out by four additional inspectors. They visited 20 lessons, observing all 15 teachers present in the school during the inspection at least once. Inspectors held meetings with staff, pupils, members of the governing body, and parents and carers. They observed the school’s work and looked at planning and evaluation documents. They scrutinised the school’s own analysis of pupils’ attainment and progress. A total of 134 questionnaires completed by parents and carers were received and analysed, as were questionnaires completed by pupils and staff. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following. � How effective are measures taken by the school to improve pupils’ progress,

particularly for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities? � What impact is the developing curriculum having on the achievement and

personal development of all groups of pupils? � How accurate is the school’s evaluation of teaching and assessment? � To what extent are partnerships having a positive impact on pupils’ learning

and well-being?


Cradle Hill is much larger than the average primary school. The number of pupils on role has risen significantly since the last inspection. Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who are learning English as an additional language is smaller than that found nationally. An average but increasing proportion of pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities. These cover a wide range of additional needs. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The school has recently gained the International Schools award.







Main findings

Cradle Hill is a good and highly inclusive school which has built on the strengths that were identified by the last inspection. Its growing reputation has led to an increase in the number of pupils who come from outside its immediate locality and the school has coped well with this expansion. Many parents and carers comment on how happy their children are and how much they enjoy coming to school. One parent, whose remarks were typical, said both her children ‘like Cradle Hill so much they would happily come in the holidays!’ Children make an excellent start to their education in the Early Years Foundation Stage because staff provide them with a very wide range of interesting and exciting activities which fire their imagination and make them want to learn. Pupils feel extremely safe in school because they are valued and made to feel welcome and know who to approach if they have any concerns. They show an excellent understanding of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle through their enthusiastic participation in a wide range of sporting activities and through their contribution to improving the quality of what they eat and drink at lunchtime. The school cares for its pupils exceptionally well, particularly those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work closely together, as well as with parents and carers and a very wide range of outside agencies, to ensure that pupils’ individual needs are clearly identified and appropriate support is provided. The school has identified and firmly addressed the causes of the overall dip in pupils’ achievement represented by their results in the 2009 national tests. It has strengthened its procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress, ensuring that those who are at risk of underachieving receive the additional support they need. As a result, pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are once again making good progress and their levels of attainment, which are broadly in line with national averages, are rising. The quality of teaching is good and there is outstanding practice in both the lower and upper parts of the school. Teachers know their subjects well and establish a good environment for learning in their classrooms. They give pupils regular and detailed feedback so that they know how well they are doing and what they need to do to meet their targets. Occasionally, the pace of learning slows because teachers do not check pupils’ progress often enough during lessons so that they can vary activities if necessary. The school has extensively developed its curriculum so that it now provides an excellent match to pupils’ interests and abilities. Trips, visits and special events enrich pupils’ experience by enabling them to make links between different




areas of learning such as history and information and communication technology (ICT). The headteacher and staff have worked extremely effectively to engage with all groups of parents and carers. Good partnerships with other providers have enabled pupils to make smooth transitions between different stages of their education and benefit from the expertise of staff in other institutions. Pupils develop their understanding of life elsewhere in the world through the strong relationships that have been established with schools in Africa and elsewhere in Europe. They have fewer opportunities at present to learn about different lifestyles in other parts of the United Kingdom. The headteacher and senior staff rigorously and accurately evaluate the school’s performance, and their development planning represents a clear vision for future improvement. They recognise the need to increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by giving teachers more opportunities to observe one another’s lessons. The governing body knows the school well and is prepared to hold leaders robustly to account, for example, with regard to the achievement of and provision for different groups of pupils. These factors, together with the positive outcomes of initiatives that leaders and managers have implemented since the last inspection, confirm the school’s good capacity for further improvement.


� Raise pupils’ attainment and accelerate their progress by ensuring that all teachers: - check pupils’ progress sufficiently during lessons in order to vary the pace

and range of activities where necessary - have more opportunities to observe outstanding practice within the school.

� Give pupils more chances to learn about life in other parts of the United

Kingdom.


Pupils join the school in the Reception class with skill levels that are lower than age-related expectations. Their attainment, as represented by the results of national tests taken at the end of Year 6, is broadly average and rising. Although pupils’ progress dipped in 2009, especially in English, the school has successfully addressed the factors that caused this temporary decline, and all groups of pupils now make good progress. Pupils show positive attitudes to learning in the classroom and relate well to their teachers and to one another. They enjoy working in pairs and in groups and develop good cooperative and problem-solving skills which will serve them well in the future. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because of the high quality support they receive in mainstream classes and in small group and one-to-one sessions from teaching assistants and specialist teachers. Pupils’ good behaviour in lessons contributes well to their learning. On the few




occasions when they become distracted and do not work as hard as they could, this is usually because the activities they have been given are insufficiently challenging. Around the school, they behave sensibly and very safely, and are courteous and helpful to one another as well as to visitors. Pupils make a good contribution to the local community by, for example, taking an active interest in local environmental issues. They raise money for a range of charities, and help to support pupils in a school in Ethiopia. Pupils develop a sound understanding of the different cultures represented in the United Kingdom. In their considerate behaviour, and the way they respect and value those who have different background or abilities, pupils show that they have taken to heart the school’s motto, ‘Be kind’.


2

3

2





The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities

and their progress 2





2 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being





Teachers ensure pupils know at the start of lessons what they are going to learn as well as what they are going to do. They make use of a good range of resources, such as interactive whiteboards, to enhance pupils’ learning. Teachers show good expertise in different subject areas. For example, in a Year 3 science lesson on light, pupils gained an excellent understanding of the difference between ‘transparent’ and ‘translucent’ because of the teacher’s clear and confident explanation and illustration of these characteristics. Most lessons provide pupils with an appropriate level of challenge but, on a few occasions, teachers do not take sufficient account of pupils’ varying responses to modify activities so that all pupils make at least good progress. Pupils benefit from an extremely broad and well-balanced curriculum which meets


and 4 is low2




the needs of different groups, including those of pupils who have been identified as gifted and talented, as well as the small number who are learning English as an additional language. Their understanding of different cultures around the world is successfully fostered by the school’s links with different countries in Europe and Africa, and by the opportunity enjoyed by pupils throughout the school to learn Spanish. Pupils benefit from practical activities in lessons, such as going outside during mathematics lessons to measure playground objects and areas. Enrichment events, such as ‘Creativity Week,’ develop pupils’ ICT skills extremely effectively by enabling them to record and broadcast their own radio programmes. An exceptionally wide variety of well-attended after-school clubs promotes pupils’ cultural, social and physical development by catering, for example, for their musical, artistic and sporting interests. The school ensures that pupils, including those who join the school at other than the normal time for transfer, settle in quickly. It implements very effective arrangements when pupils move up to the next year group by making sure that their new class teachers are well aware of their interests and different stages of development. The school ensures that parents and carers are kept well informed of pupils’ progress as well as of any difficulties they may encounter. Many parents and carers compliment staff on their approachability and helpfulness, as well as on the way teachers and other staff know their children as individuals and understand their needs. The support the school gives to potentially vulnerable pupils such as looked-after children, who are helped to overcome the barriers they face and make good progress from their starting points, is exceptional.









The headteacher and his senior staff are passionately committed to improving outcomes for all groups of pupils. They continually monitor pupils’ progress and modify the provision, for example, by supporting individuals and groups themselves, where appropriate. The governing body includes a good range of experience and expertise and has established strong links with parents and carers and the local community. It rigorously evaluates its own performance as well as that of school leaders. The school works well with a range of local organisations, including community groups, early years settings, other local primary schools and the secondary school to which most of the pupils transfer. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils, including vetting the appointment of new staff and carrying out




regular risk assessments, are robust. The school’s commitment to and success in promoting equality of opportunity are demonstrated by its strong focus on the performance of groups within the school and the good achievement of potentially vulnerable pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The rarity of racist incidents and the school’s firm and effective response when they do occur illustrate its determination to tackle discrimination. The school is a happy and harmonious community. Its successful development of pupils’ understanding of cultures elsewhere in the world has been recognised by its achievement of the International Schools award. It is currently implementing plans to broaden pupils’ awareness of ways of life in other areas of the United Kingdom.







2




2



The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

2


Children’s attainment by the time they complete the Early Years Foundation Stage has risen in recent years and is now above average. This represents excellent progress from their starting points in terms of their development of a wide range of skills. Staff visit children’s homes and the pre-school settings they attend and give parents and carers, as well as the children, many opportunities to get to know the school. This enables them to ensure that children settle in very quickly and happily when they join the Reception class. Children benefit from an excellent blend of adult-led and child-initiated as well as indoor and outdoor activities. Their behaviour and ability to play safely together are outstanding. They learn to cooperate with one another and enjoy developing their practical skills by, for example, taking turns to use wheeled toys on the ramp which they have built themselves. Children make excellent progress in linking letters and sounds as staff make very good use of resources such as puppets to engage their attention and maintain their interest. Staff make sure all children are included in activities by using techniques such as ‘whisper




to your partner’ in pair work. They assess children’s work frequently and use their observations to plan activities which correspond very well to children’s interests and their levels of attainment. Leaders show an exceptionally good understanding of Early Years Foundation Stage requirements, for example, in their development of assessment systems for the full range of children’s skills and knowledge. They ensure that all the adults in the setting work extremely well together for the benefit of the children.


1

1

1






Stage 1


The proportion of parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire was broadly in line with that found nationally. The overwhelming majority of parents and carers are happy with their children’s experience at the school. None expressed any concerns about the ways in which it keeps their children safe, and almost all reported that their children were happy and that the school helped them to be healthy. Many parents and carers commented positively on the way the school cares for and supports their children, and on the quality and frequency of communication from the school, including concerning their children’s progress. Almost all believe the school is well led and managed. Most parents and carers believe that teaching is good and that their children are making enough progress. A very small minority of the questionnaires received included critical comments. Many parents who responded took the time to express in detail their approval of and support for the school.



Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Cradle Hill Community

Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.


The inspection team received 134 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 422 pupils registered at the school.






safe 112 84 22 16 0 0 0 0






school 94 70 36 27 2 1 0 0






my child is well prepared for the future (for example

changing year group, changing school, and for

children who are finishing


employment)

79 59 44 33 1 1 1 1






my suggestions and concerns

62 46 65 49 4 3 0 0




child’s experience at this

school

103 77 28 21 2 1 0 0

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number

of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular



Glossary












Secondary schools

10 35 42 13




18 40 29 12










This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school. 25 October 2010 Dear Pupils Inspection of Cradle Hill Community Primary School, Seaford BN25 3BA Thank you for the warm welcome you gave the inspectors when we visited your school recently. We all enjoyed meeting you and hearing what you had to tell us. We think yours is a good school which makes all its pupils feel welcome and looks after them extremely well. Pupils in Reception get off to a great start to their education because the staff know them very well and give them interesting and exciting things to do. Many of you say how much you enjoy coming to school. You feel very safe there because you know who to turn to if you need help. You behave well and you really do know what to do to keep healthy. Well done! You reach the levels expected of you in your work and you make good progress, including those of you who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is because teachers usually give you work which is well suited to you and they make sure you know what to do to reach your targets. Special events like ‘Creativity Week’ give you an excellent chance to learn in new ways and you can choose from an extremely good range of out-of-school activities. The skills you learn will stand you in good stead later in life. You get on well with one another and you learn a lot about different ways of life in other countries. The headteacher and all his staff, as well as the governors, are working hard to make the school even better. To help them to do this we have asked them to do the following things: � Help you to do even better by making sure all the teachers check your progress

regularly during lessons and by giving them more chances to watch one another teach.

� Give you more opportunities to learn about life in other parts of this country. We wish you all the very best for the future. Yours sincerely Robin Gaff Lead inspector

Age group 4–11

Inspection date(s) 24–25 November 2010


Hamsey Community Primary School Inspection report




Inspection dates 24–25 November 2010

Reporting inspector David Marshall








Chair Derek Bastide

Headteacher Michael Hirst

Date of previous school inspection 27 March 2008

School address Cooksbridge

Lewes

East Sussex

BN8 4SJ


Fax number 01273 400370


Inspection report: Hamsey Community Primary School, 24–25 November 2010 2 of 14


















St Ann's Square

Manchester

M2 7LA

T: 0300 1234 234

Textphone: 0161 618 8524





Introduction

This inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors. During the inspection, 10 lessons and five teachers were observed. Discussions were held with staff, members of the governing body, parents and carers and pupils. Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at documentation including the school’s improvement plan, the tracking of pupils’ progress, provision for those pupils identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities and minutes of governing body meetings. In addition, questionnaires from 57 parents and carers, and others from staff and pupils were analysed. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following. � How effectively are the school’s strategies for assessment enabling planned

modifications in provision to raise attainment in Key Stage 2? � How successfully are the school’s measures enhancing pupils’ personal and

spiritual, moral, social and cultural development? � To what extent have the school’s monitoring procedures succeeded in

improving the quality of teaching in order to raise achievement? � How effectively are leaders and managers at all levels, including the governing

body, enabling the planned improvements?


Hamsey Community Primary School is a very small village school, in a small rural community. There are four classes with mixed age groups, with some year groups having very few children. Most pupils are of White British heritage and come from both rural and urban settings, with many choosing to come to the school from some distance away. A higher than average percentage of pupils join the school other than at the usual time, and a few have experienced alternative educational settings. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly average. A larger than average number of pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities. These needs include behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. The percentage of pupils with statements of special educational needs is above average. There are very few pupils who speak English as an additional language. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in a mixed Year 1/Reception class.







Main findings

Hamsey Community Primary is a good school. It has improved significantly in many aspects since the previous inspection. Its self-evaluation is accurate. The headteacher and the governing body have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and, with all staff, they have carefully identified priorities and have systematically tackled them. Consequently, the school has become more popular with parents since the last inspection and the number of pupils on roll has almost doubled. The shared commitment to make the school the best it can be and its strong track record of performance mean it is well placed to build on its strengths and has a good capacity to sustain its improvement. As one parent observed, ‘I hope the school will continue to grow from strength to strength, and that adequate provision will be made to cope with its increasing size. Hamsey school has a lovely, welcoming atmosphere and we are lucky to have it on our doorstep.’ When children start school, they immediately begin to make good progress in the Reception class. In the rest of the school, progress, while good overall, varies because of inconsistencies in teaching. In most lessons, teachers provide appropriately challenging activities, move the lesson along at a good pace and have high expectations and clear aims for the learning, which all pupils understand. As a result, progress in these lessons is good. In a very few lessons, the pace drops as pupils are not clear about what they are aiming to achieve or whether they have been successful. Assessment procedures have improved significantly and teachers’ use of this information on a day-to-day basis is generally good. However, very occasionally work is not sufficiently challenging. The number of pupils in each year group is small. The many pupils joining in Key Stage 2 often have lower attainment from that of those already in the school. However, effective teaching, through the careful focus on the needs of these incoming pupils, enables all learners to make good progress, and attainment by the end of Year 6 is above average. The revised curriculum, based on the staff’s shared planning, covers all subjects well and is enhanced by a good range of additional activities, visits and visitors. As the pupils testified, there are now many exciting activities that lead to them enjoying their learning. Pupils’ behaviour is excellent and they are enthusiastic and well motivated. There is purposeful collaboration in lessons. The provision for those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is good and leads to them making good progress. Pupils benefit from tailored individual or small-group sessions that




successfully help to plug the gaps in their reading and writing skills. There are strongly conflicting views among the parents and carers. A very large majority hold the school in high regard. They commented on the openness of staff, their children’s enjoyment of learning, the way the school welcomes all children and the care shown by all staff. Many parents and carers agreed with the sentiments of one who wrote, ‘a lovely, friendly and helpful school’. Inspection evidence supports these views. A very few parents and carers have serious misgivings about the school and the way that it deals with allegations of bullying. Despite the efforts of the headteacher and governing body, they feel there are issues still to be resolved and they have concerns for their children. This is an issue that the school agrees it must resolve with real urgency.


� Use the school’s current monitoring systems to make all teaching at least good by September 2011, by focusing on:

− implementing the plans to extend opportunities for staff to observe the best practice in the school

− improving the pace of learning in some classes − ensuring day-to-day assessment and marking give pupils clear guidance

on how to improve during all lessons.

� Make strenuous efforts to resolve the lack of confidence of the few parents who have concerns about how the school deals with bullying and how well their children are supported and cared for.


Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and understanding that vary, but are generally as expected for their age. Throughout the school, most pupils achieve well and enjoy their learning. All groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who enter the school after the normal starting time, make good progress by the time they leave. Attainment at the end of Year 6 is generally above average and the recent, thorough attention paid to writing in Key Stage 2 has ensured that pupils are now making good progress and achieving well in this discipline. Most lessons observed were good or better learning experiences. Pupils were very attentive, worked together well and enjoyed activities. In an excellent mathematics lesson for the Years 4/5 class, pupils successfully plotted coordinates well linked to their history topic on Elizabethan explorers. The teacher carefully chose different pupils to respond, and the others all appreciated why. Two good lessons for the Year 6 pupils illustrated their confidence in interactions and relationships. The vibrant school displays are testament to how well pupils achieve in art, and the whole-school singing assembly showed pupils’ musical development is good.




Pupils have a well-developed sense of right and wrong. They respect others and socialise very well. Pupils enjoy school and say they feel very safe within it, as they know that adults are very mindful of any concerns. Attendance has improved. The school successfully instils in the pupils a good spiritual, social and moral understanding, which accounts for their excellent behaviour and positive attitudes to school. Pupils acquire a good understanding of healthy living and a good awareness of how to keep themselves and others safe.The school council is active in influencing provision of play equipment and fund-raising events. The peer mediators are proud of their role and know how they can help to resolve problems. Pupils spoke about how the peer mediators had resolved the very few incidents of playground disagreements this year. The good standards reached by pupils in English, mathematics and science, combined with their keen appetite for teamwork and their interest in learning, prepare them well for their transition to the next stage of their education.


2

2

2
















Teaching and learning are good. In almost all lessons, there are strong elements that help pupils of all abilities to make good progress, but as the school recognises it could be even better. In the large majority of cases, teachers set out clear objectives and sessions are well managed. Pupils experience a good mix of listening to the teacher, responding to questions and opportunities to discuss their work among themselves. This experience, along with good strategies to manage pupils’


and 4 is low




behaviour, means that pupils are attentive and display good attitudes to learning. The curriculum has been very carefully developed since the last inspection to improve pupils’ learning by adding extra relevance and enjoyment. There are now many aspects, such as the themed topics and those which focus on pupils’ interests, which are effective and fully enjoyed. However, pupils’ progress slows occasionally as not all teachers harness this innovative planning to the same degree. The school has a very strong commitment to caring and support. Every pupil is known and treated as an individual. Vulnerable pupils, often coming in from other schools, are extremely well supported and the school works very effectively in partnership with a wide range of agencies to meet their needs. The work of the ‘Every Child a Reader’ teacher is particularly well organised and very effective in raising both pupils’ self-esteem and their basic skills.









The headteacher provides a clear educational direction for the school and works closely with a wide range of other agencies and partners to achieve success and enhance provision. Teamwork has developed well and staff share the headteacher’s vision for improvement, and are clearly excited by the changes since the last inspection and the possibilities that their enhanced curriculum offers to pupils. The staff and members of the governing body have worked hard to develop a corporate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development based on an accurate diagnosis of its work. Very effective monitoring and self-evaluation have led to improvements in teaching, and the school has plans to share best practice to continue to tackle the few remaining inconsistencies in quality. The governing body is fully involved in developing these strategies and members bring a wide range of skills to bear as they challenge decisions and request explanations where they judge this to be necessary. The school is successful in its efforts to promote equality of opportunity and tackle discrimination. Everyone is valued and supported to achieve their best, irrespective of their social, faith or ethnic group.The school exercises well its duty to promote equal opportunities and is effective in this. Procedures to safeguard pupils’ well-being, safety and health are thorough and members of staff are well trained. Health




and safety routines and risk assessments are carried out regularly The school does much to promote its place in the local community and works effectively with many local nurseries, playgroups and businesses. The contribution of the Parent Teacher Association is good, as is the work of a range of local community helpers. The audit of community cohesion undertaken by the school is underpinned by a careful analysis of its context. The links with a school in an inner-London borough are especially effective in preparing pupils for living and working in a culturally diverse United Kingdom.





The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities

met

2








money 2


Children make a good start to their schooling in the Reception/Year 1 class and achieve well. They settle happily into school because of good links with parents and carers and because of the strongly nurturing environment. Staff make every effort to make all children feel welcome. As one parent observed, summing up the comments of many, ‘Our little boy is so happy in Reception – we are so impressed with the way he is being taught and how much he is enjoying learning, playing and being in school.’ The good parental relationships are maintained on a daily basis and through meetings, so parents and carers understand how their children learn. Children make good progress and achieve well, especially in communication, language and literacy, and in their personal, social and emotional development. The Early Years Foundation Stage is managed well and clear priorities are set for improvement. The enhancements in provision and outcomes since the last inspection are considerable and clear, and are testament to the effective leadership of the headteacher and the coordinator and the good teaching.




Planning of activities is generally good because careful account is taken of the regular, ongoing assessments of children’s progress. Effective teamwork provides good routines, high expectations of behaviour and achievement and excellent relationships. Consequently, children develop well personally and engage effectively with their learning. Stimulating and interesting activities are provided and there is a suitable mix of teacher-directed and child-initiated activities. Children’s language skills are being developed well with a clear focus on vocabulary. The small, but impressive, outdoor area is used effectively to support learning.


2

2

2





The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2


The return of questionnaires from parents and carers was well above the national average. Most of these responses and the large majority of parents and carers who spoke to the inspection team were happy with the school. They consider that the school is well led and managed and has a dedicated team of staff. They agree that the school has a warm, supportive and friendly atmosphere and most feel their children make good progress. Inspection evidence shows that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are making good progress. Although the large majority of parents and carers feel the school deals well with any unacceptable behaviour and looks after their children well, a very small minority have serious concerns over how their children are cared for. Evidence shows the school continues to work hard at communicating that it takes good care of pupils. Inspectors judge that pupils are well looked after.



Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Hamsey Community Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.









safe 39 68 17 30 1 2 0 0






school 40 70 16 28 1 2 0 0










employment)

29 51 18 32 1 2 0 0






my suggestions and

concerns

26 46 22 39 5 9 0 0





37 65 18 32 1 2 0 0





Glossary












Secondary schools

10 35 42 13




18 40 29 12




recently published data available (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). Please note that the sample of schools inspected during the autumn and spring term 2009/10 was not representative of all schools nationally,

as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.





This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school. 26 November 2010 Dear Pupils Inspection of Hamsey Community Primary School, Cooksbridge, BN8 4SJ I am writing to thank you for your help when we inspected your school and to let you know what we found out. Yours is a good school. We enjoyed our time spent in your lessons and talking to some of you. We also looked at the work of the school and talked to the staff and members of the governing body. We were interested in what your parents and carers think of your school, and we particularly enjoyed listening to what you had to say. These are some of the things your school does particularly well. � You all make good progress and enjoy your learning. � The staff at the school work hard and the headteacher is doing a good job. � The way you behave is excellent and you work and play well together. � You feel safe at school and you know how to be healthy. � You help your school to be a happy and better place to play and learn. � You have a good understanding of right and wrong and look after each other. We have agreed with your school that there are some things that will help it to improve. We have asked the headteacher to make sure that teaching in every lesson is the best it can be and you are all given the best opportunities to learn. We know your teachers are all working hard to be the best they can be and we want them to learn from each other as well. Although most of your parents and carers are pleased with the school, a few have said they are very concerned about how you are looked after and treated. I have asked the headteacher and all staff to talk to your parents and carers to make sure everyone is pleased with the school and understands how well it is treating you.

Finally, I would like to thank you once again for all your help. I wish you well in the future. Yours sincerely David Marshall Lead inspector

10 November 2010 Mr N McDonough

Hurst Green Church of England Primary School

Hurst Green

Etchingham

East Sussex

TN19 7PN

Dear Mr McDonough

Special measures: monitoring inspection of Hurst Green Church of England

Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 20–21 October 2010, I write on behalf of Her

Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the

inspection findings.

The inspection was the first monitoring inspection since the school became subject

to special measures following the inspection which took place in May 2010. The full

list of the areas for improvement which were identified during that inspection is set

out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached and the

main judgements are set out below.

Progress since being subject to special measures – satisfactory.

One Newly Qualified Teacher may be appointed to work with any year group.

This letter and monitoring inspection report will be posted on the Ofsted website. I am copying this letter and the monitoring inspection report to the Secretary of State. the chair of the governing Body, the Director of Children’s Services for East Sussex and the Director of Education for the Diocese of Chichester.

Yours sincerely

Patricia Metham

Her Majesty’s Inspector

Tribal

1–4 Portland Square BRISTOL

BS2 8RR

T 0300 123 1231

Text Phone: 0161 6188524 [email protected]

www.ofsted.gov.uk

Direct T 0845 123 6001

Direct F 0117 315 0430 Direct email:[email protected]

Annex The areas for improvement identified during the inspection which took place in May 2010

�� Improve the quality of teaching and learning and raise achievement by:

- embedding the use of assessment information to set accurate,

understandable and challenging targets for all pupils - giving pupils clear guidance during lessons and through marking of

work so that they know how to improve.

�� Improve opportunities for learning by all pupils by:

- creating a common and shared understanding of the school’s curriculum, ensuring lesson plans are always focused on what pupils need to learn next

- taking pupils’ interests into account and adapting teachers’ medium-term and daily planning accordingly.

�� Ensure that leaders and managers accelerate change by:

- evaluating the school’s performance with greater rigour and planning carefully for improvement

- monitoring and evaluating all initiatives so that effective practice becomes embedded and inconsistencies are eliminated

- giving subject leaders opportunities to develop teaching and learning in their subjects so they can provide targeted support for staff.

�� Ensure that all safeguarding procedures fully meet requirements

and that safety testing records are immediately updated.

Special measures: monitoring of Hurst Green Church of England Primary

School

Report from the first monitoring inspection on 20–21 October 2010 Evidence

The inspector observed seven lessons, scrutinised documents and samples of pupils’

work, had discussions with teachers and pupils and met with the acting headteacher,

the chair of the governing body, the School Improvement Partner and a

representative from the Diocese of Chichester.

Context

Since the Ofsted inspection on 12 and 13 May 2010, an acting headteacher has been

appointed and there have been changes in the membership and structure of the

governing body. Over the October break, the school will be moving into new

buildings on an adjacent site, re-opening on 3 November.


Provisional results for pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 in 2010 were higher than

county and national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. Provisional

results for tests in English and mathematics, at the end of Key Stage 2, fell below

the predictions expected. Attainment is now beginning to rise. The school’s analysis

of data shows that progress in English and mathematics across each key stage is

now satisfactory.

Training of governors and staff in how to use information about pupils’ attainment

and progress has led to the setting of more realistic and challenging targets for

pupils and a clearer view of patterns of progress. The acting headteacher has played

a key role in this, strongly supported by the local authority Effectiveness Manager,

who is also the School Improvement Partner. Teachers understand how to use

assessment to promote learning but good practice is not yet thoroughly embedded.

Pupils are keen to meet expectations, enjoy learning and support each other happily

through partner and group work. They welcome opportunities to take responsibility

for their own learning through activities in class and through their response to the

questions and guidance that are increasingly a feature of teachers’ marking of work.

Judgement

Progress since the last section 5 inspection in the areas for improvement:

� improving teaching and learning, and raising achievement – satisfactory.

Other relevant pupil outcomes

These aspects were not an inspection focus; however, behaviour in class and around

the school was always good and pupils listed ‘feeling safe’ as a key feature of their

Hurst Green experience. They develop skills that will serve them well in later life.

The effectiveness of provision

Previous lack of coherence and progression in the curriculum is being tackled

positively, with vigorous support from the local authority. While topics much enjoyed

by pupils have been maintained, these are now more securely supported by a

framework that ensures a better coverage of the National Curriculum and the

progressive development of key skills. Alongside this is the development of more

systematic analysis and use of information about pupils’ attainment and progress.

Teachers and support staff have responded well to recent training but best practice

is not yet securely embedded. Teachers have good questioning skills that encourage

pupils to think more critically and independently, but there is a tendency to fall back

on simple ‘Yes/No’ approaches if open questions do not immediately prompt the

hoped-for response. Teaching assistants make a significant contribution to pupils’

learning, working especially well with those who need additional support, including

those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The most able pupils are not

consistently challenged, although good examples were observed of these pupils

taking the lead for parts of their class’s learning. They value such opportunities.

Lesson plans are sensibly structured to lead pupils from one step of learning to the

next, and set out clearly what it is intended pupils should learn. Opportunities to

check and consolidate learning are routinely built in. While this combination of

structure and practice is strengthening provision, teachers do not always have the

confidence to adjust their lesson planning to match the pace and security of their

pupils’ learning. Well-planned cross-curricular work reinforces pupils’ literacy and

problem-solving skills.

Judgement

Progress since the last section 5 inspection on the areas for improvement:

� improving opportunities for learning by all pupils – satisfactory.

The effectiveness of leadership and management

Since the last section 5 inspection, there has been rigorous and realistic self-

evaluation by the strengthened and effectively led governing body and by the acting

headteacher. There is firm and sustained support from the local authority and the

diocese. An ambitious but manageable three-strand action plan is in place and being

effectively implemented. This includes curriculum planning, training of all staff and

governors in how to interpret and apply data, productive monitoring of teaching and

learning and targeted coaching for teachers and support staff. The impact can be

seen in rising attainment, more effective teaching strategies, a well-constructed

curriculum and coordinated care, guidance and support. The confidence of parents

and carers is being rebuilt, partly through regular communication. This is evident in

the weekly newsletters and the daily presence of the acting headteacher in the

playground, when parents and carers deliver or collect their children.

Supported by the School Improvement Partner and local authority consultants, as

well as by the acting headteacher, subject coordinators are developing stronger

leadership skills. They recognise that more remains to be done to ensure that

teachers have the knowledge and confidence to work with all curriculum strands

confidently and effectively.

Over recent months, all safeguarding and health and safety provision has been

reviewed and updated. Training for governors and all staff has been put in place.

A detailed programme of review, renewal and repair has followed an external audit

of health and safety. All policies relating to safeguarding – including anti-bullying,

equalities, child protection and attendance – have been updated. At the time of this

monitoring visit, these policies were still being reviewed by governors, with full

implementation planned for early November.

Judgement

Progress since the last section 5 inspection in the areas for improvement:

� ensuring that leaders and managers accelerate change – satisfactory � ensuring that all safeguarding procedures fully meet requirements and

that safety testing records are immediately updated – satisfactory.

External support

The local authority statement of action is very well constructed, with appropriate and

manageable action points, realistic time targets and outstanding clarity about roles,

lines of accountability and resources.

Guidance from the School Improvement Partner and local authority consultants has

had a major and constructive impact on teaching, curriculum development and the

capacity of senior and middle leaders to tackle issues identified at the last inspection.

Further support has come from the diocese, especially in shaping and embedding a

strong and positive ethos.

Priorities for further improvement

� The key issues identified in the May 2010 Ofsted report continue to be priorities for further improvement.

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 19–20 October 2010 Inspection number 338372

Oakwood School

Inspection report

Unique Reference Number 114472 Local Authority East Sussex Inspection number 338372 Inspection dates 19–20 October 2010 Reporting inspector David Marshall This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 310 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Barbara Goodall Headteacher Anne Rabbetts Date of previous school inspection 13−14 May 2008 School address Magnolia Drive Eastbourne East Sussex BN22 0SS Telephone number 01323 501251 Fax number 01323 506698 Email address [email protected]

Inspection report: Oakwood School, 19–20 October 2010 2 of 14

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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.

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 1234 234, or email [email protected].

You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA T: 0300 1234 234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: [email protected] W: www.ofsted.gov.uk



Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. During the inspection, 20 lessons and 13 teachers were observed. Discussions were held with the headteacher and two assistant headteachers, teaching and support staff, members of the governing body, parents and carers, and pupils. Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at documentation, including the school improvement plan, the tracking of pupils’ progress, provision for those pupils identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities, and minutes of governing body meetings. In addition, questionnaires from 41 parents and carers, 20 staff and 147 pupils were analysed. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following. The standards and level of achievement of the current pupils, especially in

English and mathematics. How rigorous the school’s reorganised assessment and tracking procedures are

and what they say about pupils’ progress in all classes. The impact of the school’s provision on pupils’ personal development,

attendance and their behaviour. Whether the school’s intended more rigorous monitoring procedures have

enabled teaching to be more effective and enhanced learning for all pupils. In the light of the recent changes, how effectively the leaders and managers at

all levels, including the governors, are enabling the necessary improvements.


Oakwood School serves an area of low cost, mainly rented accommodation in a relatively new development to the north of Eastbourne town centre. A much larger than average proportion of pupils is known to be eligible for free school meals. There is a high level of pupil movement in and out of the school other than at the usual time and a high number of casual admissions. For example, over a third of Year 6 pupils were not registered at Oakwood at the beginning of Year 3. The school is permanently undersubscribed, resulting in organisational changes each year. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is much higher than the national average. The wide range of special needs includes learning, behavioural, language and emotional difficulties.The number of pupils from minority ethnic groups or who speak English as an additional language is very small. There has been a purpose-built Children's Centre on site since September 2006. The work of the school's nursery class, to afford ‘wrap around’ care and other services inside the school building, was reviewed as part of this inspection. The previous headteacher retired in July 2008 and the deputy headteacher was initially appointed acting head, followed by her appointment as substantive headteacher in May 2009.


Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms




Main findings

Oakwood is a satisfactory school. The school has a positive, happy and supportive learning environment that increasingly reflects the school’s statement of its strategic priority that ‘Children live what they learn.’ The headteacher and staff ensure that their focus on pupils feeling valued and well supported is progressively contributing to the school’s good work with parents and carers. There are some particularly effective features, such as the before and after-school clubs, the link with the Children’s Centre and the courses for parents. As one parent stated, ‘Oakwood is an extremely caring school. My children feel safe and happy. They seem to be getting better at understanding what an individual child needs to progress further.’ Over the last two years, the headteacher and two assistant headteachers have developed increasingly effective leadership and management. They are ambitious to ensure all pupils achieve to the best of their ability. Self-evaluation is accurate, is based on appropriate monitoring and evaluation of strengths and weaknesses and is leading to improvements in learning for all groups of pupils. However, there is more to do to lift the overall quality of teaching and learning from satisfactory to good. In some lessons, teachers provide appropriately challenging activities, move the lesson along at a good pace and have high expectations of all their pupils. As a result, progress made by pupils in these lessons is good. As yet, this is not consistent throughout the school and work is not always sufficiently challenging, particularly for the more able pupils. The higher than average number of pupils joining in Years 4, 5 and 6 has had an impact on pupils’ results in national tests by the time they leave the school. However, the school very effectively focuses on the needs of these incoming pupils and enables them settle down and make sound progress. Attainment by the end of Year 6 has now improved from that of previous years. The staff have sought to provide an innovative and exciting approach to their whole-school curriculum in order to inspire pupils to learn. As the pupils testified, there are many exciting activities that lead to them enjoying their learning. However, the effectiveness of this approach is limited at the moment due to the teachers’ planning not always being focused on what pupils need to learn next or ensuring that pupils understand their next steps. Despite this, through the improved assessment systems pupils are being helped to catch up on any past slow progress, and attainment is rising. This is particularly true throughout the school for all pupils in mathematics, which has been the school’s main focus. While some of the necessary changes have taken time to implement, the zeal, patience and understanding of the whole staff are now focused on the identified and shared priorities. The school has made satisfactory



progress since the time of its last inspection and continues to demonstrate that it has satisfactory capacity to improve. The headteacher and all staff know the pupils, and their families, very well and positive relationships contribute to pupils’ attitudes and behaviour and their wider personal development. The recently re-formed and hugely enthusiastic Friends of the School Association is working hard for the school, and links with the local community are good. The audit of community cohesion undertaken by the headteacher, staff and governors is a careful analysis. While links with the local community are good, pupils’ awareness of and preparation for living and working in a culturally diverse United Kingdom and global community are not developed sufficiently well.


Use the school’s current monitoring systems to improve the percentage of good teaching by focusing on:

improving the pace of lessons in some classes further strengthening day-to-day assessment and marking extending opportunities for staff to observe the best practice in the

school. Ensure that by July 2011 changes in the curriculum are embedded so that:

pupils, especially the more able, are given the maximum opportunities to consolidate and extend their skills and learning in English and mathematics the exciting and relevant activities that are linked across subject areas are present in all lessons.

Enhance pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse United Kingdom and global community, and extend the provision for community cohesion by:

building on the findings of the recent analysis of community cohesion implementing the plans for twinning with schools in other localities.

About 40% of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit from an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.


Pupils generally join the school with standards that are low and they are all now making at least satisfactory progress. Progress is not yet consistently good because there is unevenness in the rate of pupils’ progress when work in lessons is not sufficiently challenging. Nonetheless, rates of progress of all groups of pupils are improving, particularly in mathematics. Pupils’ good behaviour and confidence lay a sound foundation for their learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because of the effective support from teaching assistants and the carefully tailored activities provided for them.



In the lessons observed that were good or better, pupils were very attentive in class, worked together well, made good progress and enjoyed activities. An outstanding English lesson in a Year 3/4 class also showed what the pupils could achieve when they were well challenged and highly motivated. Their writing in stories based on the Spiderwick fantasy tales was engrossing. One girl was justifiably proud of her description of ‘glamorous, dainty rose-pink, fuchsia slippers to stop thorns poking her feet’. Pupils achieve well in other subjects such as music and art. Improved academic grounding, combined with pupils’ growing confidence, prepares them satisfactorily for their next school. The school successfully promotes good spiritual, social and moral understanding. Pupils know there is always someone they can turn to in moments of difficulty.Throughout the school, inspectors were impressed by the consistently good standards of behaviour, good attitudes and social skills of all pupils. Pupils have a well-developed sense of right and wrong. They respect others and socialise well. Pupils enjoy school and love the large amount of space outside which ensures high levels of physical activity and facilitates their good understanding of health lifestyles. Pupils say they feel safe within the school, as they know that adults are very mindful of any concerns.


3

3

3

Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils’ attainment1 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress 3





3 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils’ attendance1 3


How effective is the provision? 1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low



In most lessons observed, pupils were well motivated by the ideas and resources presented and were keen to please their teachers and other adults. The school curriculum is planned in detail to promote pupils’ enjoyment of learning. It has been revised to encourage creativity and practical learning experiences. These approaches are not yet fully developed to ensure that pupils’ skills in English and mathematics are properly covered. The higher expectations of pupils’ progress held by staff are reflected in the more challenging targets now being set for individuals and year groups. However, teachers do not yet always take the chance to reinforce pupils’ targets during lessons or when marking pupils’ work. Opportunities are also sometimes missed in lessons to guide pupils in what they need to do to improve their skills. In the most effective lessons, this does not occur and these lessons are very challenging and fun. This was clear in an English lesson in Year 5/6 on instructional writing. The pupils were enthusiastic and sensible as they considered the ‘handy hints’ and ‘top tips’ to help them to link sentences in interesting ways. However, these effective aspects of teaching and learning are not yet consistently seen throughout the school. Throughout the school, positive relationships between staff and pupils contribute to the supportive ethos for study. Good use of praise encourages pupils’ attentiveness and hard work. The impact of the school’s support, guidance and care is evident in the pupils’ good standards of behaviour and social skills.


3 The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning 3

The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships 3



As the senior leaders are aware, until recently the rate of improvement for the school has been too slow. However, there is now a common sense of purpose, clear drive and ambition to improve among leaders, staff and governors. The partnership between the headteacher and the two assistant headteachers and school bursar, with the very effective support of another local school, has begun to move the school forward at an improved pace. There is a clearer understanding of the strengths of the school and the areas that need more development. The school’s self-evaluation is satisfactory because of a more rigorous approach. This has resulted in a comprehensive, and fully shared, improvement plan with very challenging targets and clear guidance for raising standards and eliminating the inconsistencies in practice that are still apparent. Good teamwork is playing a valuable part in moving



the school forward. The school administrators are considerable assets to the school and help to ensure the smooth running of the school from day to day. The supportive governors hold the school to account by challenging decisions and requesting explanations about the outcomes for pupils. Staff and governors ensure that discrimination in any form is not tolerated, and the school takes seriously its duty to improve the satisfactory level of equal opportunities. Procedures to safeguard pupils’ well-being, safety and health are secure. Staff are well trained, show good care for pupils and work closely with a range of organisations to ensure pupils are safe and secure. The contribution the school makes to community cohesion is satisfactory and pupils are beginning to have a wider understanding of different faiths and cultures. A recent audit has identified the need to expand awareness about national and global perspectives.


3 The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning 3

The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met

3



The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination 3



The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money 3


Provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage is satisfactory. Data show that children’s attainment when they enter the Early Years Foundation Stage is usually low when compared with expectations for their age. Children settle happily into the nursery classes because of good links with parents and carers, and good liaison with local playgroups and the Children’s Centre. Children play together well and are very well behaved. They enjoy their learning. Both inside and outside, children can access a varied and stimulating range of activities that support their personal development as well as their communication and language skills, creative development and knowledge and understanding of the world. Construction toys are



used sensibly. Overall, children make good progress in the nursery. As one parent observed, ‘We are extremely happy with the progress of our daughter in her class and our son loves being part of the morning nursery.’ This really good start is currently not being built on effectively enough in the reception classes where provision overall is satisfactory. The outdoor area in the nursery is well laid out to promote children’s physical development and children respond well to the opportunities it affords. However, these same aspects are satisfactory in the reception classes. Although adults generally support children well in the reception classes, there are missed opportunities and children are not always encouraged to move from one activity to another at the most appropriate and effective times. As the school has acknowledged, staff in reception do not always monitor child-initiated activities carefully enough to ensure the best possible use of the child’s time and resources. However, their recent careful focus on early letters and sounds (phonics) is appropriate as children often start with low levels of development in this area. Overall, the Early Years area is led and managed satisfactorily, and the school has identified and begun to implement clear priorities for improvement. All staff are now involved in planning and in the assessment of children’s learning and are keen to see their provision improve.


3

3

3

Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage 3


Only a small number of parents and carers returned the questionnaire. The majority of those who did, or who spoke to the inspection team, were happy with the school. They consider that the school has a dedicated team of staff and that it has a very warm, supportive and friendly atmosphere. The majority feel their children make good progress. Inspection evidence confirms that most pupils are now making at least satisfactory, and sometimes good, progress. Parents and carers are pleased with the pastoral support their children receive. Inspectors endorse these views. Inspectors do not agree with the small number of criticisms about the help parents and carers are given to assist their children’s learning or how they are kept informed of their children’s progress. These and all other comments were shared and discussed with the headteacher.


Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Oakwood School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school.


Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly

disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 20 49 19 46 2 5 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 18 44 21 51 0 0 1 2

The school informs me about my child’s progress 12 29 23 56 6 15 0 0

My child is making enough progress at this school 13 32 21 51 7 17 0 0

The teaching is good at this school 17 41 23 56 0 0 1 2

The school helps me to support my child’s learning 14 34 21 51 5 12 0 0

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 10 24 28 68 2 5 0 0

The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment)

11 27 25 61 3 7 1 2

The school meets my child’s particular needs 10 24 25 61 6 15 0 0

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 8 20 25 61 4 10 2 5

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns

6 15 22 54 10 24 0 0

The school is led and managed effectively 10 24 25 61 5 12 1 2

Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school

14 34 22 54 4 10 1 2

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.


Glossary


Grade Judgement Description Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding

school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school

that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory

school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An

inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.


Overall effectiveness judgement (percentage of schools) Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate Nursery schools 58 36 4 2 Primary schools 8 43 40 9 Secondary schools

10 35 42 13

Sixth forms 13 39 45 3 Special schools 33 42 20 4 Pupil referral units

18 40 29 12


New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2009 to 31 March 2010 and are the most recently published data available (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). Please note that the sample of schools inspected during the autumn and spring terms 2009/10 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Secondary school figures include those that have sixth forms, and sixth form figures include only the data specifically for sixth form inspection judgements.












The school’s capacity for sustained improvement.

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.

The quality of teaching. The extent to which the curriculum meets


The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.




This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school. 21 October 2010 Dear Pupils Inspection of Oakwood School, Eastbourne BN22 0SS Thank you so much for welcoming us into your school when we visited you recently. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with you and would now like to tell you what we found out about your school. The staff at the school work hard and the work of the school is satisfactory; these are some of the things it does particularly well. Most of you make satisfactory progress, but those of you in the Nursery make

better progress. The way the school works with parents is good. The way you behave is good and you work and play well together. You feel safe at school and you have a good understanding of how to keep

healthy. You help your school to be a happy and better place to play and learn. You have a good understanding of right and wrong and look after each other

well. We have agreed with your school that there are a number of things that will help it to become better. We have asked the headteacher and staff to do the following: Make sure that you are all given the best opportunities to learn no matter which

class you are in. We know your teachers are all working hard to be the best they can be and we want them to learn from each other as well.

Look at how they plan, carry out, and link the subjects in your lessons to make sure they are as interesting as they can be.

Make sure you are given the chance to look at and understand about how children and adults live in places that are different from where you live.

You can help by continuing to listen carefully and take note of what they say. Yours sincerely David Marshall Lead inspector


Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 1234 234, or email [email protected].

Age group 4–11

Inspection date(s) 8–9 December 2010


Pebsham Community Primary School Inspection report




Inspection dates 8–9 December 2010

Reporting inspector Peter Thrussell








Chair John Hoy

Headteacher Pat Strickson

Date of previous school inspection 19–20 March 2008

School address School Place

Hastings Road

Bexhill-on-Sea

TN40 2PU


Fax number 01424 736077


Inspection report: Pebsham Community Primary School, 8–9 December 2010 2 of 15


















St Ann's Square

Manchester

M2 7LA

T: 0300 1234 234

Textphone: 0161 618 8524





Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. Eight different teachers were observed, teaching 13 lessons. The inspectors held informal discussions with pupils and their parents and carers, and also held meetings with the executive headteacher, deputy headteacher, members of the governing body, staff and groups of pupils. They observed the school’s work and looked at documents including the school development plan, data on pupils’ progress, policies and procedures relating to safeguarding, and the results of questionnaires returned by staff, pupils and 61 parents and carers. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following. � How successful are the measures being taken to stem the decline in attainment

in Key Stage 1, to raise attainment and progress at Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics, and to address differences in the achievement of different genders.

� How effectively is assessment being used to identify and support

underachievement, to plan the next steps in pupils’ learning, and to involve pupils in their learning?

� Is the care, guidance and support of pupils as good as the school indicates,

particularly for those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are potentially vulnerable, and those who are late joiners to the school?

� The impact of the formation of a federation with another local school and recent developments in leadership and management in sustaining and driving improvements.


This is an average size, one-form-entry primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is average. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils identified with special educational needs and/or disabilities is average. More pupils join or leave the school beyond the usual starting points than would normally be expected. There have been significant staff and leadership changes over the last two years. In 2009/2010, the headteacher was seconded to another local primary school, and at the start of the current school year became the executive headteacher of both schools in a federation. During this time, the deputy headteacher has had a full-time leadership role. There is an on-site Children’s Centre and Nursery, which are run independently of the school and are not part of this inspection. A Reception class at the school caters for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The school has a number of awards including Healthy Schools and Activemark awards. It runs a breakfast club before school.







Main findings

This is a satisfactory school. Excellent links with parents and carers, combined with the school’s outstanding quality of care, guidance and support for pupils, mean that pupils feel safe, enjoy their time in school, behave well and have excellent attendance. They particularly enjoy the opportunities provided through a well-enriched curriculum. The excellent care and support extends to all groups, including those with personal and social needs, those who have learning difficulties, and those who join the school beyond the normal starting points, demonstrating the school’s inclusive nature and effectiveness in promoting equal opportunities. One parent summarises the views of many, saying that, ‘Pebsham school provides a very caring, happy and positive learning environment.’ Despite these strong features and children making good progress in Reception, pupils’ learning and progress are satisfactory overall. Attainment by Year 6 in English and mathematics is average, and has remained at this level since the last inspection. The good progress, reported at the previous inspection, has faltered due to some staff changes and weaknesses in the quality of teaching and learning. This was reflected in a significant dip in attainment at Key Stage 1 in 2010. Although the school has gone some way to eliminating weaker teaching, it recognises that there is still more to do to bring this up to the level of consistently good teaching seen in some classes. The school has good procedures for tracking pupils’ progress. It uses this information to identify pupils who are underachieving. Effective additional support enables them to make up lost ground. It also enables pupils with learning difficulties to make similar progress to others. Not enough use is made of this information, however, to quickly identify the larger group that is making satisfactory progress, and to give them the ‘push’ required to make good progress and reach their challenging end-of-year targets. The school’s monitoring of teaching and learning has not been consistent or regular enough to identify fully where individual teachers need to improve their practice. With its School Improvement Partner, areas for overall improvement in teaching have been identified, mirroring those observed during the inspection. Although teachers have the skills for assessing pupils’ work, they do not always use this information well enough to plan the next steps in pupils’ learning. Consequently, work often lacks challenge, especially for more-able pupils. Older pupils, particularly, respond well to their individual targets. They appreciate the guidance provided by them along with the constructive marking of their work. However, this practice is inconsistent. Teachers plan lessons with clear learning intentions and criteria for measuring their




success, however, these are not always shared well enough with pupils. , Sometimes there is too little use of open questioning and discussion to speed up the pace of learning and enable pupils to gain a greater understanding of what the lesson is about, and to evaluate how well they are doing. Actions to improve the quality of teaching and learning form part of the school’s current development plan. Its actions are clearly set out, but do not show how their success is to be monitored and evaluated in relation to raising attainment and progress. Their appropriateness, nevertheless, demonstrates the school’s satisfactory capacity for further improvement.


� Raise attainment and progress in English and mathematics, especially at Key Stage 1, by improving the quality and consistency of teaching, ensuring that:

− teachers make the fullest use of assessment information to plan the next steps in pupils’ learning, so that all are appropriately challenged

− lessons proceed at a faster pace and provide more opportunities for pupils to respond to questions and to discuss what they learning

− pupils’ targets and the marking of their work are used to show them how they can do better.

� Improve leadership and management by:

− regularly observing lessons and ensuring that any development points are followed up

− regularly analysing assessment data to readily identify pupils who are not making enough progress towards the challenging targets set for them

− monitoring and evaluating the impact of the school’s actions to bring about improvements in relation to raising attainment and progress.

About 40% of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.


All groups of pupils and both boys and girls achieve satisfactorily. In 2009, Year 2 and Year 6 each contained about a third of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Although these pupils made similar progress to others, it meant that overall attainment fell a little at the end of Key Stage 2, but significantly at the end of Key Stage 1, where low attainment continued in 2010 due to some weak teaching. Lessons observed during the inspection showed that, where pupils are challenged and understand what they are learning, enjoyment is evident and good progress is made. This was seen for example, in a Key Stage 2 science lesson where pupils were studying materials. Good questioning about ‘silly statements’, such as




‘why aren’t windows made of wood?’, made learning fun, and enabled pupils to consider and draw conclusions about the materials used to make different objects, such as umbrellas and saucepans. On the other hand, in a Key Stage 1 mathematics lesson, the introduction was too long and did not cater for different abilities, so that some became a little restless. The main activity was not explained well enough and pupils were unsure what to do, making little progress in doubling the ingredients for a recipe, which for some proved difficult to read. However,the support for less-able pupils, with an activity tailored to their particular needs and the guidance of a teaching assistant, enabled them to make good progress. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. A singing assembly was thoroughly enjoyed, with pupils listening to each other and spontaneously applauding tuneful and well-presented performances. Pupils think about people throughout the world who have different lives from their own. The school’s ‘Global Ambassadors’ proudly discussed their important role. They attended an event where they learned about fair trade. ‘Farmers don’t get enough money and very young children work in the fields, and this shouldn’t happen.’ ‘Town Councillors’ were pleased to have been able to contribute to a discussion on the growing problem of graffiti in Bexhill. The school council makes a positive contribution to school improvement, and pupils take on important roles such as ‘buddying’ new pupils to the school and helping them to settle in. Pupils have a good understanding of healthy lifestyles, recognised in national awards. The school also provides workshops and facilities to encourage parents and carers to think more about healthy eating. Given their good personal development and satisfactory acquisition of core skills, pupils are adequately prepared for their future life and learning.


3

3

3















and 4 is low






Lessons are generally well managed and good relationships ensure that pupils quickly settle to work. In a few lessons where introductions are overlong and pupils are not fully engaged in learning, behaviour slips a little and there is a slight interruption to pupils’ learning. Although pupils are encouraged to talk with partners about their learning, lessons do not always set aside sufficient time, especially at the end, for them to discuss and evaluate their work so as to develop greater understanding. Teachers use assessment information to group pupils by ability, but do not always plan activities that meet the learning needs and aptitudes of these different groups. Learning journeys provide pupils with an interesting and purposeful approach to learning that links different subjects, draws on core skills, and takes pupils’ suggestions into account. Information and communication technology is used confidently by pupils, as seen in a Year 6 lesson where pupils quickly researched Christmas traditions from the internet. Although writing opportunities are provided in this approach, the school recognises that these are not being used sufficiently to develop pupils’ writing skills. The curriculum is very well enriched with visits and visitors, including residential visits to places at home and abroad, and a good range of clubs that pupils particularly appreciate. Strong involvement with the Bexhill consortium of schools provides further effective learning opportunities, for example in arts, music, sport and science. Pastoral care is a strength of the school. Good links with outside specialists, excellent engagement with parents and carers, and very well organised and managed support within school, ensure that the specific needs of pupils, including those who are vulnerable, are very well met. Transition arrangements for pupils when moving on to secondary school are good, ensuring that they quickly settle and integrate into their new schools. A rigorous approach to attendance means that the rate of attendance has steadily improved and is now excellent. The breakfast club provides additional, welcoming support for the pupils who attend.






2






Senior leaders, staff and members of the governing body work well together as a team, with a shared purpose of bringing about school improvement. However, planned improvements do not have a sharp enough focus on attainment and progress, and how actions to improve these are to be monitored and evaluated, so restricting the school’s and governing body’s monitoring role. English and mathematics coordinators have identified where improvements in their subjects are required in order to raise attainment and progress. The new mathematics coordinator has quickly identified that mental mathematics and reasoning skills are areas to focus on. However, these priorities are fairly recent and have yet to show any measureable impact. The governing body is supportive of the work of the school and ensures that good safeguarding procedures are in place. Careful checks are made on staff and that their training in safeguarding is up-to-date. The governing body recognises why attainment and progress have faltered since the last inspection and has challenged the school on this. This headteacher’s secondment to a local school and the recent federation have provided shared opportunities for development. Joint training and planning for staff, with local authority support, and learning opportunities for pupils are proving beneficial, but have yet to have a full impact on the school’s performance. Teachers are now accountable for pupils’ progress and have regular meetings to discuss this with senior leaders. Excellent engagement with parents and carers, for example through regular meetings and workshops, enable them to play the fullest part in their children’s learning and personal development. The school promotes equal opportunities and pupils’ understanding and respect for different communities well. There are particularly strong links with the local community and pupils vividly recall their involvement with a school in Gambia. Despite efforts to establish national links, these have yet to come to fruition.


3 The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and

driving improvement




school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities

met

3








3





Children enter Reception with knowledge and skills below those expected at this age, particularly in communication, language and literacy. Very good links with parents and carers and the on-site Nursery and Children’s Centre mean that staff quickly establish starting points for children’s learning journeys. The warm, safe and welcoming environment of Reception ensures that children quickly adapt to routines and settle. They form good relationships with staff and each other, behaving well and quickly learning to think of others and take turns. Consequently, they make good progress in all of the areas of learning. Pupils’ attainment is generally as expected when they enter Year 1, with writing remaining a weaker area. A strong focus on linking sounds and letters means that children make especially good progress in this aspect of literacy. Planning shows that there is a good balance between teacher- directed and child-initiated activities. The classroom is well set out for children to explore independently and take part in different activities that reflect all of the areas of learning. They were seen making good use of the writing table when writing Christmas cards to each other. Staff interact well with pupils, helping them to develop their ideas, but without taking over. Although improvements have been made to the outside area, this lacks shelter to enable it to be fully used throughout the year, and does not yet fully reflect all aspects of learning. Careful observations and assessments are made of children’s learning so that staff can plan effectively for the next steps in individual children’s learning. The leader has a clear action plan for developments, based on an accurate analysis of current provision and outcomes.


2

2

2






Stage 2


Just under one third of parents and carers returned questionnaires. Their views of the school are very positive. They are pleased with their children’s experiences of school, knowing that they are happy and safe. A few are concerned about behaviour, but the inspection finds this to be good, and that any difficult behaviour is managed well so that learning is not disrupted. A few individual comments were discussed confidentially with the school, but in no way reflected any general pattern of concern.



Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Pebsham Community Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.









safe 46 75 15 25 0 0 0 0






school 41 67 17 28 3 5 0 0










employment)

32 52 21 34 1 2 1 2






my suggestions and

concerns

33 54 22 36 3 5 0 0





41 67 18 30 2 3 0 0





Glossary












Secondary schools

10 35 42 13




18 40 29 12










This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school. 10 December 2010 Dear Pupils Inspection of Pebsham Community Primary School, Bexhill-on Sea TN20 2PU Thank you for taking part in the inspection. We spoke with some of you during our visit and found you interesting to talk to, and very polite and helpful. We find that Pebsham is a satisfactory school, which means that some things are good or outstanding, and some things need to be improved. These are some of the things that the school does well. � Children get off to a good start in Reception. � The school looks after you extremely well and ensures that you all have the

same opportunities to learn and develop. � Your behaviour is good and you always look out for each other. � You have many exciting things to do in school. � You have a good understanding of how to keep healthy and fit. � The school encourages your parents and carers to support you in your learning. You need to do better in English and mathematics. The following things will help. � Teachers should use the information they have on how well you are doing to

plan work that is just right for each one of you, neither too easy nor too hard. � Lessons should involve everyone and some need to proceed more quickly,

providing time for you to discuss the work you are doing. � Teachers should show you how to improve your work through better marking

linked to the individual targets that you all have. � Leaders should check regularly that lessons are of the best quality and identify

where you need to be making better progress. � The school has plans to help you do better, but needs to check that these are

working as well as possible. Thank you again for your help. You can do your bit by always paying full attention in lessons and working as hard as you can.

Yours sincerely Peter Thrussell Lead inspector

Age group 4–11

Inspection date(s) 30 November–1 December 2010


Polegate Primary School Inspection report




Inspection dates 30 November–1 December 2010

Reporting inspector Alison Cartlidge








Chair Paul Jenkins

Headteacher Clive Hale

Date of previous school inspection 14–15 June 2007

School address Oakleaf Drive

Polegate

East Sussex

BN26 6PT


Fax number 01323 482404


Inspection report: Polegate Primary School, 30 November–1 December 2010 2 of 14


















St Ann's Square

Manchester

M2 7LA

T: 0300 1234 234

Textphone: 0161 618 8524





Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. The inspection team observed 14 lessons taught by 14 teachers. Meetings were held with members of the governing body, parents and carers, staff and pupils. The inspection team observed the school’s work, and looked at pupils’ books, information on pupils’ progress, safeguarding policies and other documents. Questionnaires from 101 parents and carers, 83 pupils and 32 members of staff were scrutinised. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following. � Pupils’ progress in writing in Years 1 and 2 and boys’ in reading. � How effectively pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are

supported. � How well leaders are using assessment information to raise attainment in the

Early Years Foundation Stage. � How well the creative curriculum and information and communication

technology are motivating pupils to learn.


This is a larger than average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly average. The school has an average number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These pupils have a wide range of needs, including moderate learning, speech and language, and specific learning difficulties. The school has received several awards including the ICT Mark and the Healthy School Silver Award. The Children’s Centre with after-school club situated in the school’s grounds is run separately and was not part of this inspection. The school has formed an association working with other schools in the area.







Main findings

An interesting curriculum and the good use of information and communication technology (ICT) ensure pupils are keen to learn at this good school. Two parents spoke for others by saying, ‘Learning with topics makes school more fun and interesting’ and ‘The deep learning experience lights up the whole school.’ Above average rates of attendance and pupils’ smiling faces show how much they enjoy learning. Children make a good start to their education in the Reception classes. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are supported well and make good progress between Years 1 and 6. There are a few lessons when progress is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2. On these occasions teachers do not expect enough of the pupils, particularly in listening carefully or by writing quickly with a clear purpose. Attainment is broadly average by the end of Year 6 and is rising swiftly because the more-able pupils are now performing better and enjoying the improved challenge of the revised curriculum. Boys do as well as girls in most subjects. Leaders have recognised the need to improve the range of reading books to engage the interest of boys and improve their reading. They aim to involve parents and carers and visitors more in inspiring and supporting boys in this subject. Pupils keep extremely healthy and their outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is reflected in their willingness and excellent involvement in helping others in school and the local community. For example, pupils appreciate the opportunity to communicate with their peers using the ‘Polegate Pulse’ school radio station. School councillors are proud of the way they work with the town council and class councils to improve provision at the school. There are good procedures for self-evaluation that enable the experienced and enthusiastic senior leaders to have an accurate understanding of what needs to be done next to improve the school further. Leaders, including the governing body, have been successful in improving several aspects of the school’s work, including the progress of more-able pupils, demonstrating the school’s good capacity to improve further.


� Ensure provision and progress are consistently good in Years 1 and 2, by:

− raising teachers’ expectations of pupils, especially for good listening and




writing

− making sure tasks are always purposeful, clearly explained and move learning forward swiftly.

� Improve the rate of progress of boys in reading by:

− ensuring that books match boys’ interest and levels of maturity − increasing the involvement of parents and carers and other role models in

supporting reading at home and in school.


The majority of children are working within the expected levels when they join the Reception classes. Pupils enjoy the recently revised curriculum very much, cooperate with each other well and learn quickly. For example, in a good mathematics lesson in Year 4, pupils thoroughly enjoyed taking part in a treasure hunt around the school that required them to use their knowledge of co-ordinates. In another good lesson in Year 2, pupils enjoyed solving word problems by using strategies such as counting each other in twos. Pupils’ achievement is good. Attainment is broadly average and rising. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress, but progress is not quite as strong in Years 1 and 2, particularly in developing pupils’ listening and writing skills. The school is aware that boys across the school could learn to read faster and boys tell us that they learn more quickly when they are also helped at home. Behaviour is good, with examples of exemplary behaviour during whole-school events such as times of collective worship. Pupils behave sensibly around school and are polite and friendly. Occasionally, a few pupils in Years 1 and 2 are inattentive and do not work as quickly or as well as they could. Pupils’ good attendance, good personal development and rapid progress in developing literacy, numeracy and ICT skills prepare them well for the next stage of education and later life. Most pupils say that they feel safe at school. They have a clear understanding about how to stay safe and healthy. For example, they know not to play in coned off areas of the playground during icy weather and they appreciate the Tutti Fruity tuck shop. Pupils’ ability to take responsibility is excellent and they are very proud of the part they play in improving their school by being buddies or play leaders. They have a clear understanding of the importance of good personal values and show sensitivity towards cultural diversity. For example, in one assembly for Years 1 and 2, pupils read blessings with great feeling and showed great respect for the cultural differences discussed.





2

3

2
















Teachers form good relationships with the pupils and make good use of ICT and a range of activities to support learning. As a result, pupils enjoy taking part in lessons and nearly always learn quickly. For example, pupils in Year 3 were enthusiastic about acting out some verbs for other pupils to guess and more-able pupils in Year 2 enjoyed writing letters pretending to be Inuit children. Marking has been a recent whole-school focus and is being used well to involve pupils and help them to know what to do next. Lesson planning shows what various groups of pupils are expected to do and in most lessons, pupils learn quickly and try their best. However, in a few lessons in Years 1 and 2, teachers do not explain clearly what they expect pupils to learn, or make sure that they listen carefully or do their very best when writing. When this happens, learning is not as fast as it is in the rest of the school. Teaching assistants provide good support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, teachers do not consistently ensure that targets in individual education plans are being supported by the work provided to ensure pupils’ progress is constant. The curriculum is taught through interesting topics, and literacy and ICT are used well to support learning in other subjects. Some opportunities are missed to extend numeracy fully and reading books do not inspire all the boys to learn quickly. Pupils enjoy the good range of additional activities, including clubs, visits and visitors. There are very good opportunities for pupils to learn about healthy lifestyles, demonstrating why the school has the Healthy School award. Pupils are cared for, guided and supported well, including in the breakfast club,


and 4 is low




enabling them to feel safe and to stay safe. They know that any worries will be dealt with quickly. The school has innovative arrangements to ease the pupils’ transfer to secondary school, with a shared coordinator working between the schools. Leaders are aware that transition from the Reception classes to Year 1 requires further attention to ensure that good progress continues when children change classes.






2



Senior leaders and the governing body embed ambition and drive improvement well because they have a thorough knowledge about what the school does well and are ensuring that it continues to develop rapidly. Consequently, attainment is rising, particularly in Years 3 to 6. Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage, and progress for more-able pupils in mathematics and science, have improved in the past year. Provision and progress are monitored rigorously by senior leaders and new subject leaders are developing their involvement in this process. The governing body supports the school well and asks challenging questions. More governors are becoming involved in checking up on how well the school is doing. Leaders promote equal opportunities and tackle discrimination well. Any inequalities between girls and boys, and in progress in Years 1 and 2, have been identified and are being tackled swiftly. At the time of the inspection, the school’s safeguarding arrangements were found to be good and parents and carers are happy with the way their children are kept safe at school. Pupils with emotional difficulties are supported well. The partnerships between the school, parents and carers, and external agencies are good, enabling leaders and pupils to benefit from sharing ideas, particularly with other schools in the area. The school has good activities for pupils to learn about life in other countries and the local area, and community cohesion is being strengthened further by recent links with a contrasting school in the United Kingdom.





The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the 2




school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities

met




2




2


Children make good progress and most now enter Year 1 with skills and abilities at or above the levels expected for their age. Members of staff make good use of information from the children’s learning journals to assess how well they are doing and to plan work that builds on what they already know. Children make particularly good progress in personal development because members of staff have close relationships with parents and carers, are welcoming and enable children to settle quickly. Recent improvements in the curriculum provide good opportunities for children to make choices in their learning and to extend their basic literacy and numeracy skills through a variety of interesting topics. Leaders are aware that there is currently better choice indoors than outside. Children behave well and listen carefully because members of staff are good role models in taking turns and helping and respecting others. Children develop good levels of independence and are kept safe and happy. Leaders ensure that there is good teamwork and are working to strengthen the transition from the Early Years Foundation Stage to Year 1. Communication, language and literacy have been correctly identified for development and children are receiving greater opportunities to develop this area of learning. For example, during the inspection, a small group of children enjoyed using masks to act out and record their version of the story of ‘The Three Little Pigs’ and other children wrote letters to the wolf.


2

2

2






Stage 2





Most parents and carers who responded to the Ofsted questionnaire are pleased with the school, especially that their children are kept safe, healthy and happy, and that they are kept well informed about their child’s progress. The inspection team also found this to be the case. A few parents and carers expressed concerns over the way behaviour is dealt with and the way the school takes account of suggestions. During the inspection behaviour was good at the school, and evidence during the inspection showed that the school seeks the views of parents and carers and responds well to their concerns and suggestions.



Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Polegate Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.









safe 70 69 31 31 0 0 0 0






school 69 68 31 31 1 1 0 0










employment)

67 66 33 33 0 0 0 0






my suggestions and

concerns

53 52 43 43 5 5 0 0





71 70 29 29 1 1 0 0





Glossary












Secondary schools

10 35 42 13




18 40 29 12










This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school. 2 December 2010 Dear Children Inspection of Polegate Primary School, Polegate BN26 6PT We enjoyed coming to see your good school. Thank you for being so welcoming during our visit. These are the best things about your school � You make a good start to your education in the Reception classes and learn

quickly during your time at the school. � You are excellent at taking responsibility and enjoy the interesting activities

provided. � Well done for keeping exceptionally healthy and for being thoughtful, polite and

respectful. � We agree with you when you say that teachers look after you well. � The headteacher and other leaders know what needs to be done to make the

school better. These are the things we have asked your school to do next to make it better. � Help the teachers in Years 1 and 2 to always expect you to do your best

listening and writing, explain clearly what they want you to do and to give you work that will help you learn quickly.

� Increase the progress of boys in reading by providing books that interest them and involve their parents, carers and other adults in helping them to want to read more.

Thank you once again for telling us about your school and letting us see your work. You could all help your teachers by always listening carefully in class and doing your best writing. Yours sincerely Alison Cartlidge Lead inspector

Age group 4–7



Roselands Infant School Inspection report





Reporting inspector Helen Hutchings

Type of school Infant






Chair Mark Gurney

Headteacher Christine Rendle

Date of previous school inspection 11 July 2008

School address Woodgate Road

Eastbourne

East Sussex

BN22 8PD


Fax number 01323 730883


Inspection report: Roselands Infant School, 21–22 October 2010 2 of 14


















St Ann's Square

Manchester

M2 7LA

T: 0300 1234 234

Textphone: 0161 618 8524





Introduction

This inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors. Inspectors visited 15 lessons involving nine teachers, and held meetings with representatives of the governing body, staff and a group of pupils. They observed the school’s work, attended an assembly, and looked at planning documents, assessment information and pupils’ work. In addition, inspectors received and analysed questionnaires from 67 parents and carers, and 16 staff. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following. � How well the curriculum impacts on pupils’ enthusiasm for and enjoyment of

learning and their achievement. � How effective the school’s arrangements are for supporting pupils with special

educational needs and/or disabilities. � The impact of the school’s promotion of attendance. � How effectively the school has addressed the issues identified in the last report.


Roselands Infant School is larger than most primary schools. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds, and a range of other ethnic backgrounds are represented in small numbers. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average. Pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in three Reception classes. During the last academic year, the local authority proposed an amalgamation with a junior school some distance from the school. Following consultation with the governing bodies and parents of both schools, the proposed amalgamation did not take place. The school has a number of awards, including Quality Mark, Healthy School and Eco Status awards.







Main findings

Roselands Infant School is an outstanding school which has gone from strength to strength since its last inspection when it was judged to be good. It has a nurturing and caring ethos, with children’s best interests at the very heart of its work. Staff are very accessible and give pupils and their parents or carers a warm welcome each morning. As a result of the school’s ‘open door’ policy, any concerns are raised and addressed at the earliest possible stage. Parents and carers are positive and appreciative of how the school is led, for example praising the strength of governing body’s leadership during the recent proposal to amalgamate the school with a local junior school. Under the determined and skilled leadership of the headteacher and leadership team, pupils achieve exceptionally well. The areas for improvement identified in the last inspection have been addressed robustly, and the school’s assessment of pupils’ work and achievement is now a significant strength. The school’s monitoring of its effectiveness is detailed and precise, securing absolute consistency in the implementation of school policy. This is the key to the school’s record of improvement, and shows an excellent capacity for continuing development. The clear focus in Reception on building children’s independence and social development, alongside their literacy and numeracy skills, gives them an excellent start to school. This is extended extremely well through the school. From children’s starting points, which are broadly typical for their age when they join the school, their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is well above that found nationally by the time they leave. Teaching is consistently strong and makes learning stimulating and enjoyable. Teachers have high expectations that all pupils will reach nationally expected levels. They use their thorough understanding of each child’s next steps to plan work which takes learning forward quickly, so that all groups of pupils make outstanding progress. The size of the outdoor area for children in the Reception classes is limited, and although children have regular opportunities to work and play outdoors, this is restricted to specific times for each class. Consequently, children do not have a free choice to play outside as often as they might wish. The school has appropriate plans in place to address areas it rightly identifies could make an even greater impact on children’s experiences. These include further development of the school site as an outside classroom for all age groups and to involve pupils more in initiating aspects of learning for themselves. Outstanding care, guidance and support make sure that pupils develop strong personal qualities which fit them well for the next stage of their education. Behaviour is exemplary throughout the school. Pupils are consistently thoughtful towards each




other and the relationships between them and staff show respect and trust, fostering pupils’ interest in learning and their desire to achieve.


� Develop and implement the areas identified by the school to: − make greater use of the school site as an outdoor classroom − give pupils more opportunities to initiate aspects of their own learning,

including more activities for children in the Reception classes to choose their own play both indoors and outside.


Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and are excited about their work. The school system of sharing success criteria with pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, ensures that all are absolutely clear about what they have to do to be successful. Because pupils strive to do their best, they achieve exceptionally well. For example, in a lesson where pupils were writing sentences linked to their study of autumn, work was set at a number of different levels. An interestingly decorated framework for their writing made learning particularly appealing, so that all pupils made progress and achieved the learning intention. Pupils’ attainment by the end of Year 2 has been well above national averages for the last three years. Teachers give pupils frequent, relevant opportunities for pupils to use their literacy, numeracy and computer skills across the curriculum; for example, pupils consolidated their writing skills when recording their predictions for a science investigation. Consequently, pupils’ achievement in writing is even stronger than in reading, in contrast to the national attainment pattern where reading is better than writing. Pupils have an excellent understanding about how to stay safe in school and in the playground, and know whom to go to at times of need because all staff are available and supportive. The school council and eco-helpers have produced pamphlets and posters to encourage healthy lunchboxes, reinforcing other activities to promote healthy lifestyles, such as growing and packaging vegetables from the garden. The success of these activities is reflected in the school’s Healthy School and Eco-Status awards. They enjoy opportunities for exercise, for example at playtime and using scooters to travel to and from school. Given pupils’ ages, their contribution to the immediate community, shown most recently in the harvest festival service, is excellent. Pupils socialise and collaborate well. This means that group work in class is highly productive, with pupils learning from one another and contributing to a strong sense of purpose in all lessons. Pupils are aware of their cultural heritage through a number of their topics. The school is extending the range of opportunities for pupils to understand diversity, such as developing a link for video conferencing with a school in a multi-cultural area in London.





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Teaching is consistently good or better so that it has an excellent impact on pupils’ achievements. The curriculum is planned very carefully. This ensures that there are strong links between subjects which makes learning coherent for pupils and it gives teachers very effective guidance on the progressive development of pupils’ skills. As a result, teachers’ planning for topics and for individual lessons is exemplary. They set activities which challenge and motivate pupils, and use a range of activities and pace them expertly so that not a moment is wasted. Effective use is made of using pupils’ evaluation at the end of a topic to amend the curriculum for the following year. Planning is in place so that pupils can have a say at the beginning of a topic about some of the aspects which interest them most and so have an even greater impact on their learning. Teachers use the local area and the school grounds effectively to give a context for learning, such as a Year 2 walk to study housing and understand street plans. The whole site is being developed gradually, for example with the new sensory garden, to make even greater use of it as an outdoor classroom for all age groups. Teachers make highly effective use of special events such as science, art, topic or book weeks to give pupils in-depth opportunities for extended learning. A range of visits and visitors to the school are planned as integral elements of each unit of learning. Assessment systems which required some improvement when the school was last inspected are now outstanding. Teachers know their pupils well and monitor their progress regularly to ensure that action is taken to give pupils the help they need


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when they find learning difficult. Teaching assistants have had good training and make an important contribution in helping pupils, particularly for those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Targets are identified for pupils and reviewed with them, giving them a strong understanding of their next steps in learning. Marking is formative and constructive and pupils show significant skill in reviewing their own success against the success criteria for the lesson. Pupils are known as individuals and staff build strong relationships with parents and carers which contribute to pupils’ progress. Every child is known and valued. Those whose circumstances make them vulnerable or just going through a ‘difficult patch’ find that class teachers and teaching assistants offer much personal and emotional support. When expertise is needed beyond that available in the school, staff tap into a range of external professional support. The school’s robust approaches to challenging absence and supporting families when difficult circumstances have arisen ensure ongoing good attendance. Transition arrangements into each year group are highly effective and reduce pupils’ anxieties. Similarly, links with the local junior school continue to be strengthened with a unit of work bridging pupils’ transition into their new school. Pupils with special gifts and talents are supported exceptionally well with additional activities, often working with pupils from other schools. Year 2 pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular clubs which help to develop new interests beyond the classroom.









The headteacher’s outstanding leadership ensures that there is a consistent strategic approach to all school initiatives. All members of the leadership team provide exemplary role models for staff and pupils, and their commitment inspires all to provide an exceptionally high quality of education for pupils, shown in the improvement in teaching since the last inspection. Professional development is relevant; for example, the training during the inspection was well focused to enable staff to use computer technology to enhance pupils’ experiences further and to give parents and carers more regular information about pupils’ progress. Teamwork is very strong so that individuals feel supported and their contribution valued. Since the last inspection, the governing body has engaged in more training and reorganised its committee structure so that governance is now good. With its growing experience, it provides effective strategic leadership and challenge for the school’s work. The school meets the requirements for safeguarding children and has good systems to




ensure the health and safety of pupils and staff. Strong links with external agencies, such as the police, are used to develop children’s safety consciousness. The school’s engagement with parents and carers is a real strength of this excellent school and reflects the ethos of care and involvement with the local community. Parents appreciate the information they have about the curriculum and the useful websites which can be used to complement classroom activity. Some parents and carers share their experiences to add interest to the curriculum; for example, a builder visited to enhance pupils’ understanding of houses and buildings. Providing equal opportunities and tackling discrimination lies at the heart of the school’s work. As a result of comprehensive monitoring and evaluation leading to focused action, there are no significant differences in the performance of different groups of pupils. The school’s warm ethos is highly effective in promoting a cohesive school community. Fundraising for a school in Uganda develops pupils’ awareness of a different way of life. However, the school recognises that the range of opportunities for pupils to understand diversity is more limited, and is developing a link for video conferencing with a school in a multi-cultural area in London.







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Pupils make outstanding progress across all areas of their learning because of the happy, friendly atmosphere which allows children to develop confidence and independence. Excellent planning and teaching ensure that children enjoy their learning and achieve because of the range of motivating experiences. Although children’s achievement in literacy and numeracy are slightly lower than in other aspects of their learning, their attainment is still well above national and local averages. Children are encouraged to choose activities which extend their learning




well, for example role-play following a teacher introduction when children found words or items that began with the letter of the day. Behaviour is extremely positive, with children knowing how they should behave and caring about their own and others’ safety. Leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage are very strong and all staff work as a team with a clear direction for the future. All welfare requirements are in place to promote children’s health and well-being. Children’s progress is tracked rigorously and immediate support given if a child is not making the expected progress. The outdoor area is small for the number of children in the Reception classes. However, careful planning and good organisation ensure that children receive adequate outdoor access during the week, although their opportunity to go outdoors when they choose is restricted.


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All parents and carers responding to the questionnaire are happy with their child’s experience at the school, with an overwhelming majority being positive about all aspects of the school’s work. They express a high level of appreciation for, and trust in, the leadership and management of the school. There were isolated concerns across five of the 13 questions, but this did not form a significant pattern of dissatisfaction. These were strongly counterbalanced by the very positive responses from the vast majority of parents and carers.



Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Roselands Infants' School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.









safe 55 82 12 18 0 0 0 0






school 51 76 15 22 0 0 0 0










employment)

43 64 15 22 0 0 1 1






my suggestions and

concerns

40 60 21 31 1 1 1 1





56 84 9 13 0 0 0 0





Glossary












Secondary schools

10 35 42 13




18 40 29 12










This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school. 24 October 2010 Dear Pupils Inspection of Roselands Infant School, Eastbourne BN22 9PD Thank you for your help and welcome when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed talking to you and seeing you at work and play. You will be pleased to know that we were impressed by the work you were doing. Your school provides you with an outstanding quality of education. I would like to tell you about some of the many positive things we found out about your school. � The staff look after you exceptionally well and help you to make exceptional

progress in your learning. � Your behaviour is exemplary and this helps to make the school a really happy

place for you to work and play together. � You know how to stay safe and healthy and keep fit, such as when you ride

scooters to and from school. � You care very much about others in the community and do things to help them. � Your parents and carers think very highly of the school. � Your headteacher and staff take excellent care of you and know exactly what to

do to make the school even better. We agree with them that these are the most important things to do next: � Make more changes to the school grounds so that you can use them more as

an outdoor classroom. � Ask for your views about the things you study more often and give children in

the Reception classes more opportunities to choose their own play. You can help by making sure that you ask if there is anything you do not understand. Please thank your parents or carers for returning the questionnaires. It was very helpful for us to know their views. We are sure that you will continue to work hard and we wish you every success for the future. Yours sincerely Helen Hutchings Lead inspector

Age group 4–11



Salehurst Church of England Primary School Inspection report





Reporting inspector Alison Cartlidge



School category Voluntary controlled





Chair Melanie Powell

Headteacher Andrew McGregor

Date of previous school inspection 31 October–1 November 2007

School address George Hill

Robertsbridge

East Sussex

TN32 5BU


Fax number 01580 881455


Inspection report: Salehurst Church of England Primary School, 9–10 November 2010 2 of 15


















St Ann's Square

Manchester

M2 7LA

T: 0300 1234 234

Textphone: 0161 618 8524





Introduction

This inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors. The inspection team observed seven lessons taught by five teachers. Meetings were held with governors, parents, staff and pupils. The inspection team observed the school’s work, and looked at pupils’ books, information on pupils’ progress, safeguarding policies and other documents. Questionnaires from 61 parents and carers, 77 pupils and 13 members of staff were scrutinised. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following. � Pupils’ progress in mathematics and science, including the more able. � How and where teaching needs to develop to become consistently good or

better. � The impact of the governing body and subject leaders on making provision and

progress more consistent. � How well interesting activities are used to support pupils’ enjoyment of school.


This is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The school has an average number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, although these pupils are not evenly distributed across the school. They have a wide range of needs, including moderate learning and speech and language difficulties. The school has received several awards including Dyslexia Friendly Level 2 and the Healthy School Silver Award. The school is smaller than it was at the time of the last inspection and has recently changed from single-age classes to mixed-age classes.







Main findings

This happy and friendly school provides pupils with a sound education. One parent spoke for others by saying, ‘There is a happy and supportive atmosphere around the school.’ Above average rates of attendance demonstrate the pupils’ enthusiasm for coming to school and they greatly appreciate the interesting activities planned by members of staff. Children make a good start to their education in the Reception class. Pupils make satisfactory progress between Years 1 and 6, with the best progress being made towards the end of Key Stage 2. Attainment is broadly average by the end of Year 6 and pupils learn best in English. In mathematics and science, teachers do not consistently use marking and target setting to help them provide work that matches pupils’ differing needs. Consequently, progress is uneven across the school and learning in these subjects is not always quick enough, particularly for the more-able pupils when carrying out investigations. Pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school, underpinned by good care, guidance and support and some exemplary health and safety procedures. Members of staff work closely with external agencies and parents and carers to support pupils who are finding life difficult and are in need of additional emotional support. Pupils enjoy helping each other in school, are considerate towards others and are proud that they grow vegetables to sell in the local community. They are enthusiastic about learning new things and talk positively about their links with a school in Malawi. Pupils appreciate the opportunities they have to learn about art and music but have a limited awareness of life in multicultural Britain. Leaders have sound plans to enhance learning in this area by forging links with a school in a contrasting part of the United Kingdom. Satisfactory procedures for self-evaluation enable the strongly committed senior leaders to have an accurate understanding of what needs to be done next to improve the school. Leaders, including the governing body, have worked well to close the gap between pupils’ progress in reading and writing. They are aware that the monitoring of progress has not been rigorous enough to prevent a dip in performance in mathematics and science. Clear plans to improve marking and target setting in these subjects and improvements since the last inspection in the provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage demonstrate the school’s satisfactory capacity to improve further.





� Ensure that teaching is consistently good in mathematics and science, by:

− making sure that planned work meets the needs of all learners, particularly the more able in investigative work

− fully engaging the interest of all pupils in whole class work so that their learning moves forward quickly

− using marking and target setting in all classes to move learning on and to help pupils to know how to improve their work.

� Increase the rigour of monitoring by all leaders, including the governing body,

so that dips in performance are identified and rectified swiftly. � Increase opportunities for pupils to learn about multicultural Britain. Up to 40% of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.


Most children are working within the expected levels when they join the Reception class. Pupils enjoy school and cooperate with each other well. For example, in an outstanding lesson in Years 5 and 6, pupils supported each other very well as they ordered equivalent fractions and in a good lesson in Years 4 and 5 pupils were enthusiastic about competing with each other over a shape recognition game. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Attainment varies from year to year and is broadly average overall. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make satisfactory progress, but progress is uneven between classes and subjects. A recent improvement in the way writing is being taught has resulted in good progress being made in English. In mathematics and science, pupils do not consistently learn at the rate at which they are capable. This is particularly true of the more-able pupils who do not always demonstrate above average investigative skills and have limited opportunity to take the initiative in how they record what they have learnt. Behaviour is good because pupils are polite and move around the school sensibly. They understand what it means to be a good friend. Occasionally a few pupils become quietly inattentive when activities provide insufficient challenge. Pupils’ enjoyment of their education is shown by their enthusiasm in taking part in all activities on offer, including after-school clubs. Pupils’ sound progress in developing basic skills and good personal development prepare them satisfactorily for the next stage of education and later life.




Most pupils say that they feel safe at school because there is very little unpleasant behaviour and their concerns are dealt with swiftly. They have a clear understanding about how to stay safe. For example, they know what to do if there is a fire. Pupils take responsibility well and are proud that they ‘raise money to make school a better place’. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is good. They reflect thoughtfully during times of prayer and worship, raise funds for charity and are keen to look after the environment. They are respectful of other beliefs and cultures, and, while their awareness is limited, pupils are developing a greater understanding of what it is like to live in multicultural Britain. Pupils enjoy keeping active at playtime and enjoy the healthy tuck shop.


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Teachers are caring, have good relationships with the pupils and use resources and fun activities to bring topics to life. As a result pupils are keen to learn. For example, pupils in Years 4 and 5 were very enthusiastic about the song they had learnt to help them remember the properties of different types of triangle. Target setting and marking is used well to plan for English lessons, but assessment information is not used consistently in mathematics and science. In these subjects teachers are not always planning work to meet pupils’ differing needs, or enabling the more-able pupils to take the initiative during investigative work. In addition, in some lessons whole class sessions do not involve all pupils well enough so that they can all learn quickly. For example, in one lesson in mathematics, the lesson plan did not show what pupils of differing ability were expected to learn and consequently all pupils


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completed the same tasks at the same rate. Teaching assistants provide some good support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, teachers do not always plan sufficiently to meet the differing needs of these pupils to ensure that they make consistently good progress. Marking provides helpful guidance to move learning forward in English, but less so in mathematics and science. Pupils told us that they appreciate the targets and marking in English and said; ‘We like to keep track of how well we are doing’ and ‘It’s so that we can work hard.’ The curriculum enables pupils to use literacy skills in other subjects, although this good practice has not yet been fully extended in science. Pupils appreciate the good range of enrichment opportunities including visits and clubs. Good opportunities for pupils to learn about healthy lifestyles demonstrate why the school has the Healthy School award. The school has recently gained Dyslexia Friendly status but new strategies to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are yet to be evaluated to demonstrate an improvement in progress. Pupils are cared for, guided and supported well enabling them to feel safe and valued. They are confident that their concerns will be dealt with swiftly. Pupils are known as individuals and feel the strong influence of agreed class and school values. Members of staff have now started to meet frequently to discuss any pupils at risk of falling behind in their learning, so that additional support can be provided as soon as it is needed.






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Senior leaders embed ambition and drive improvement satisfactorily because they have a thorough knowledge about what the school does well and how it should be improved. There is a strong determination to make the necessary changes following a recent dip in performance. Provision in writing has already been improved and work is under way to increase progress in mathematics and science. They have managed the change in class organisation smoothly so that there has been minimum disruption to pupils. Leaders are starting to monitor progress with greater frequency and rigour so that concerns are identified and rectified more quickly. The governing body has recently been strengthened so that committees are better organised and more governors are involved in checking on how well the school is doing. The governing body is good at seeking and acting on the views of parents and keen to help monitor the school’s work more rigorously. Leaders promote equal opportunities




and tackle discrimination satisfactorily. All pupils are included well socially, and the school is working on improving the progress of more-able pupils in mathematics and science. At the time of the inspection, the school’s safeguarding arrangements were found to be good and parents agree that pupils are kept safe at school. Pupils with personal difficulties in their lives are supported well. The partnership between the school and external agencies is good, enabling leaders and pupils to benefit from advice and support from various sources. The school has good activities for pupils to learn about life in other countries and the local area, and there are clear plans to promote community cohesion further by forging links with a contrasting school in the United Kingdom.



driving improvement




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Children make good progress and enter Year 1 with skills and abilities slightly above the levels expected for their age. Children make particularly good progress in writing and number work because these skills are promoted especially well throughout the day. For example, children were excited about going on a number hunt with their clipboards and enjoyed making books and diaries about their teddies. Children behave well and work together sensibly on tasks they have chosen for themselves or when working in a group with an adult. They enjoy helping the teacher to explain tasks to other children although, occasionally, a few less-mature children lose concentration when expected to sit and listen for too long. Members of staff work together well, planning and assessing learning thoroughly and providing an interesting and varied curriculum. Clear instructions and close links




between the home and school enable children to settle into school routines swiftly and to enjoy learning. Leaders work closely with other early years providers to constantly develop provision. Leaders are working on enhancing activities outside so that they provide the same wide range of activities as indoors. Children are independent but are not always expected to plan activities that build on what they already know or can do.


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There was a positive response to the inspection questionnaire. Most parents and carers are pleased with the school, especially that their children are kept safe and that the school provides a friendly welcome. The inspection team also found this to be the case. A few parents and carers would like more information on their children’s progress, and feel that progress could be greater. The inspection team found that the school provides parents and carers with sound information about pupils’ progress and are always happy to respond to requests for further information. Pupils make satisfactory progress over time, although progress is not always fast enough in mathematics and science, particularly for more-able pupils.



Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Salehurst Church of England Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.









safe 31 51 30 49 0 0 0 0






school 21 34 35 57 0 0 0 0










employment)

21 34 33 54 0 0 0 0






my suggestions and

concerns

18 30 39 64 1 2 0 0





27 44 33 54 1 2 0 0





Glossary












Secondary schools

10 35 42 13




18 40 29 12










This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school. 11 November 2010 Dear Pupils Inspection of Salehurst Church of England Primary School, Robertsbridge, TN32 5BU We enjoyed coming to see your happy school. Thank you for being so helpful during our visit. Your school provides you with a sound standard of education. These are the best things about your school. � You learn quickly in English and in the Reception class. � You are polite and friendly and enjoy coming to school. � You feel safe at school, and well done for attending regularly and keeping

healthy! � We agree with you when you say that teachers are kind and look after you well. � The headteacher and other leaders know what needs to be done to make the

school better. These are the things we have asked your school to do next to make it better. � Help your teachers to always give you work that is just right for you in

mathematics and science so that you all learn quickly during investigative work. � Make sure that you are given clear information on how you can improve your

work in mathematics and science. � Make sure leaders check how well you are doing often enough so that they can

spot and put right dips in performance as soon as they happen. � Give you greater opportunities to learn about multicultural Britain.

Thank you once again for telling us about your school and letting us see your work. You could all help your teachers by always listening carefully in class and trying hard in mathematics and science. Yours sincerely Alison Cartlidge Lead inspector


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Age group 4–11

Inspection date(s) 30 November–1 December

2010


Seaford Primary School Inspection report




Inspection dates 30 November–1 December 2010

Reporting inspector David Shepherd








Chair Andy Steer

Headteacher Jon Reynard

Date of previous school inspection 16–17 January 2008

School address Wilkinson Way

Seaford

BN25 2JF


Fax number 01323 898594


Inspection report: Seaford Primary School, 30 November–1 December 2010 2 of 14






other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after

children, safeguarding and child protection.





telephone 08456 404045, or email [email protected].




St Ann's Square

Manchester M2 7LA

T: 08456 404045

Textphone: 0161 618 8524





Introduction

This inspection was carried out by four additional inspectors. Inspectors observed 14 lessons and 14 teachers were seen. Meetings were held with senior staff, all staff in the Early Years Foundation Stage, a group of pupils and the Chair of the Governing Body and Vice Chair. Inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at safeguarding documentation and the school’s analysis of its latest data. Questionnaires from 107 parents and carers, 101 pupils and 19 staff were received and analysed. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas. � The reason why pupils do not make expected progress in Key Stage 2. � The reason why girls in Year 6 do not reach similar levels to boys as well as

their peers in other schools. � The consistency of teaching and assessment practices throughout the school,

especially in Key Stage 2. � The impact of the senior and middle leaders on accelerating progress and on

raising levels of attainment.


This is a large primary school. Most pupils are White British. Relatively few pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, some of whom speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average. The needs of these pupils relate mainly to moderate learning difficulties and specific learning difficulties. A lower than average number of pupils have a statement of special educational needs. The Early Years Foundation Stage is made up of two Reception classes. The school provides breakfast and after-school clubs which are managed by the governing body and are therefore inspected with the school. The school has achieved a Healthy Schools award and Activemark.







Main findings

Seaford Primary is a satisfactory school which is rapidly improving under the guidance of the newly formed senior leadership team. The new leadership team has energy and drive and is beginning to make an impact on accelerating progress, particularly in Key Stage 2. Self-evaluation is accurate and incisive. Senior staff and governors have a good understanding of how the school is doing and what needs to be done next. The headteacher provides a clear sense of purpose for staff and governors. Most senior staff have only taken up their posts recently. However, the evident improvements in pupils’ learning and progress this term indicate that the schools’ capacity to improve and build upon these significant positive changes is satisfactory. However, senior and middle managers have not had the opportunities to be involved in monitoring and evaluating the impact of their work on pupils’ progress and attainment. Parents are supportive of the school. As one parent wrote, ‘I am extremely happy with all aspects of Seaford Primary School. My children enjoy school and feel safe.’ This view was typical of many others. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage get off to a good start making good progress from broadly average starting points and this continues in Key Stage 1. For a number of years progress in Key Stage 2 has been significantly below average because teaching has not always focused enough on pupils’ outcomes. This is being addressed now and ways of accelerating progress in reading, writing and mathematics are being implemented to good effect. Current work reflects an improving picture. Pupils’ progress is now satisfactory overall and their accelerated progress is contributing to improving attainment. Attainment has been significantly above average for the past few years at the end of Key Stage 1 and average at the end of Key Stage 2 in national tests. The attainment of boys and girls is similar. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress. Teaching is satisfactory overall and has a number of strengths. Occasionally, more-able pupils are given work that is too easy for them and teachers do not always give pupils enough guidance about how well they are doing in their work. Where this good practice does occur pupils are sometimes not given enough time to act on teachers’ suggestions. Pupils’ books show that there is insufficient attention given to encouraging them to present their work tidily. This is a friendly school where pupils are happy. Their enjoyment of school is reflected in their above average attendance. Pupils make a good contribution to the smooth running of the school and speak enthusiastically about their participation in




events, including singing in the choir at the O2 Arena. The satisfactory curriculum is enriched by a wide range of additional activities. Music is a particular strength of the school. However, there are not enough problem solving and investigative activities provided in mathematics and science, and opportunities to write at length throughout the curriculum are at times limited. The breakfast and after-school clubs provide pupils with good opportunities to develop their social skills.


� Accelerate progress and raise attainment in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 2 by July 2011 by:

− increasing the amount of problem solving and investigative activities in mathematics and science

− providing more opportunities for extended writing in literacy and across the curriculum.

� Improve the consistency of teaching through the school in the coming academic

year so that at least 80% is at least good by:

− indicating to pupils how they might improve their work in all subjects and providing time for pupils to act on these suggestions

− ensuring pupils’ work is well presented.

− providing more challenging work for more-able pupils.

� Develop the role of senior and middle managers to enable them to monitor and evaluate the impact of their work on pupils’ progress and attainment.

Up to 40% of the schools whose overall performance is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.


Pupils respond readily to their teachers and settle down quickly to their work. For example, pupils in Year 6 were enthusiastic and fully committed to developing their ideas before they began writing their play scripts. They discussed what they were planning to do with each other and adults. More-able pupils included the appropriate stage directions that preceded what characters said. Pupils in Year 3 worked eagerly and methodically through problems as they learnt to partition numbers when multiplying by tens and units. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with English as an additional language receive well-targeted support and they make satisfactory progress in line with their different abilities. There are no significant differences between the achievement of different minority ethnic groups. However, sometimes more-able pupils do not always make the progress of which they are capable because the work set for them is not sufficiently challenging. Pupils know about healthy foods. Pupils enjoy physical activities in lessons as well as




at playtimes and lunchtimes. Many take part in a range of out of school sports clubs and inter-school competitions. This is reflective of the school being awarded the Activemark. Pupils make a good contribution to the school. For example, Year 6 pupils run a dance club for younger pupils and Year 5 pupils assist younger ones during lunchtimes. They are proud that some of their ideas were acted on in relation to the trim trail and computer suite. Behaviour is satisfactory. It was good during the inspection, but evidence suggests that this is not always the case. Pupils learn about aspects of other cultures and this helps them to understand the world around them. They do much to raise funds for a range of charities.


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Strong relationships and respect between pupils and adults are a significant feature in all classes and these help create a busy and positive learning environment. A strength of teaching is the use of practical apparatus and materials to enable pupils to understand what is being taught. Teachers draw groups of pupils together to clarify their understanding on particular aspects of their work. This additional teaching helps them to make progress in their learning. Pupils share their ideas with each other in a responsible manner. They are used to formulating their ideas and discussing them with each other. This helps them develop their ideas further. Teachers ask searching questions that identify what pupils already know and what they need to do next to improve. Support by teaching assistants encourages pupils to think for themselves and become independent. In the best lessons, teachers provide good guidance to pupils. In marking pupils’ books, teachers sometimes


and 4 is low




include a comment about what pupils could do to improve although pupils are not always given enough time to practise what they need to do next to improve. The good practice of supporting pupils in understanding how to improve their work is not yet consistent across the school. On occasions teachers do not challenge work that is not well presented and as a result pupils’ work is sometimes untidy. Recent improvements are enabling the curriculum to be more relevant to the needs of the pupils. However the school recognises that there are still not enough opportunities to solve problems or investigate in mathematics and science. The school is taking action to improve opportunities for pupils to write at length in literacy lessons and across the curriculum in order to extend their skills in writing further. Provision to promote pupils’ personal development is included effectively throughout the curriculum. Enrichment activities are varied and include a wide variety of visits, visitors to the school and extra-curricular music and sports clubs. Both pupils and their parents comment about how they value the many opportunities pupils have to be involved in sports activities. Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. There are a number of strengths particularly in the care provided by staff. However the behaviour of pupils, while often good, has been an area for concern. The new senior management team has taken quick action to address this and systems are now in place to promote the good behaviour of pupils. There are good strategies to help pupils joining the school settle quickly. As one parent wrote, ‘My son is extremely happy and making superb progress. He was reluctant before but is now very keen. All the staff are welcoming and friendly.’ Intervention groups are held for those with both learning and physical needs. Nearly all pupils comment in their questionnaire that they receive good support and care from the staff and this helps them in their work. Procedures for maintaining attendance are effective. Transition arrangements between Reception and Year 1 and on transfer to secondary education are good.









The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The senior leadership team knows the school’s strengths and weaknesses well and has diagnosed where improvements are needed. School data are analysed well and the resulting information is now being used to help pupils in their learning. However, some of the senior and middle managers have recently taken up their roles and have not yet had




time to be trained in monitoring the impact of their work on accelerating pupils’ progress and raising attainment. The governing body is supportive and encouraging to the school. It is involved in evaluating the school’s work and is becoming more challenging in holding the school to account. Assessment and tracking systems are now enabling staff to identify quickly any pupil or groups of pupils that need additional support or help. However, this has not yet ensured that more-able pupils are sufficiently challenged. For this reason, the promotion of equality of opportunity is satisfactory rather than good. School leaders and governors monitor safeguarding arrangements appropriately, and at the time of the inspection these were satisfactory. Procedures for checking the suitability of staff are rigorous. The school’s engagement with parents is satisfactory. There is a strong parents’ association that makes a good contribution to the school. Good partnerships that enrich the curriculum, especially in sporting events, have been forged with local schools and contribute well to pupils’ learning experiences. Good links are established with agencies that provide guidance for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Good links have been forged with local churches and other organisations. Visitors from these organisations come into school and help in assemblies and classrooms. The school’s promotion of community cohesion is satisfactory. Good links exist within the local community. Wider links are developed through educational visits, as are cultural links and experiences. Pupils’ understanding of the different backgrounds represented in areas much further from the school, while increasing, is not always secure.



driving improvement





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Children receive a good start to their schooling. When they start in the Reception




classes, children’s attainment is at expected levels in all areas of learning except in communication, language and literacy where it is below those levels. Children make good progress. In 2010, they left Reception with attainment in all areas above those levels expected for their age. Children are looked after well although they are sometimes left for too long during child-initiated activities when some lose their concentration on what they are doing. Overall, they are given good opportunities to chat to adults about what they are doing, practise the sounds letters make, count, sing nursery rhymes and play with toys and other equipment. They develop their keyboard skills on computers effectively. Behaviour is good and children get on well with each other and adults. The learning environment is very well organised indoors and outdoors. It provides children with an enjoyable range of activities. The Early Years Foundation Stage leader is working well with her team and ensuring that new staff are developing their skills effectively. Staff plan together effectively to provide a good balance between the different areas of learning. Links with parents and carers are good. Induction procedures are effective and children quickly settle into school routines.


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Stage 2


Although the response rate was low, about half of the questionnaires returned included written comments, most of which were supportive of the school. In these comments, parents and carers pointed out their children are very happy at the school and that teachers care about them. They reported that individual issues are handled well. They praised the after-school club, sports clubs and music clubs. One parent wrote, ‘I am very pleased with the education and care my children receive and would like to express my appreciation of the caring and dedicated teaching.’ The main concerns parents and carers expressed were in relation to bullying and the management of bad behaviour. These concerns were also reflected in the pupils’ questionnaire and in conversations with pupils during the inspection. Behaviour during the inspection was good. However, evidence shows that is not always the case and behaviour overall was judged satisfactory.



Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Seaford Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.









safe 84 79 19 18 1 1 3 3






school 71 66 31 29 4 4 1 1










employment)

60 56 34 32 5 5 1 1






my suggestions and

concerns

57 53 34 32 11 10 2 2





73 68 27 25 4 4 3 3





Glossary












Secondary schools

10 35 42 13




18 40 29 12










This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school. 2 December 2010 Dear Pupils Inspection of Seaford Primary School, Seaford BN25 2JF Thank you for making inspectors so welcome when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed meeting and talking to you about how you feel the school is preparing you for the future. You go to a satisfactory school. There are a number of good things about your school which we liked. � You enjoy school and get on well with each other. � Your Year 5 pupils do a good job at lunchtimes helping younger pupils with

their lunches. � You are working hard now and making satisfactory progress. � You like the way adults in school look after you and you think they are doing a

good job. � You like your teachers and teaching assistants and try your best to please

them. We have asked your headteacher, teachers and the governing body to do three things to make your school better. These are to: � help you to read, write and calculate better by making sure you write more than

you do and work out more problems in your mathematics and science lessons � improve teaching by letting you know how to improve your work and giving you

time to carry out your corrections � help all the leaders in the school check on the progress you are making in all

lessons.

All of you can help by continuing to work hard and keeping your work tidy. Yours sincerely David Shepherd Lead inspector





of the guidance, please telephone 08456 404045, or email [email protected].

Age group 7–11

Inspection date(s) 30 November – 1

December 2010


Southdown Junior School

Inspection report




Inspection dates 30 November – 1 December 2010

Reporting inspector Mike Capper


Type of school Junior






Chair Stuart Ford

Headteacher Jane Reed

Date of previous school inspection 5–6 February 2008

School address Church Hill

Newhaven

East Sussex

BN9 9LX


Fax number 01273 612308


Inspection report: Southdown Junior School, 30 November – 1 December 2010 2 of 14


















St Ann's Square

Manchester

M2 7LA

T: 0300 123 4234

Textphone: 0161 618 8524





Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. Inspectors observed 15 lessons taught by eight teachers. Meetings were held with parents and carers, members of the governing body, staff and groups of pupils. The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at school documentation, including teachers’ planning, assessment information, safeguarding polices and samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors analysed 62 questionnaires from parents and carers, 24 from staff and 96 from pupils. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at four key questions. � Are pupils making enough progress in English? � How well do pupils take responsibility, develop cultural awareness and apply

basic skills across the curriculum? � How effective is teaching in providing the right level of challenge so that all

pupils do well enough? � How successfully have leaders at all levels, including subject leaders and the

governing body, raised attainment and ensured that there has been sustained improvement since the last inspection?

Information about the school This is an average-sized junior school. Most pupils come from the local community. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. The majority of pupils are from White British families. The proportion of pupils identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average. These pupils have a diverse range of needs including moderate learning difficulties, and behavioural, emotional and social difficulty. There are before- and after-school clubs which are managed by the governing body. The school has several awards including Activemark for its work in physical education and Healthy School accreditation.







Main findings

In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. Pupils’ achievement is inadequate and their attainment by the end of Year 6 is too low. Pupils make inadequate progress, especially in Years 3 and 4, where there is significant underachievement. Progress is uneven across the school in both English and mathematics. While there are pockets of good teaching, too much of the teaching does not meet pupils’ differing needs well enough. Teachers do not always make sufficient use of assessment information to plan for the pupils’ next stage of learning. This means that they do not always expect enough of pupils. There is some good practice in target setting, particularly in Year 6, where there are clear targets in English and marking gives suitable guidance much of the time. However, this practice is not consistent across the school, and too few pupils are aware of how they can improve their work. The school engages well with parents and carers to support pupils; partnerships with outside agencies such as social services and health services have a positive effect on pupils’ personal development. Most pupils are polite, courteous and enjoy school. However, on occasion gentle prompting is required in lessons to help a small minority of pupils to behave as well as they should, but not all teachers do this consistently well. Pupils particularly enjoy the good number of clubs and visits which enhance the otherwise satisfactory curriculum. These enrichment activities reflect the willingness of staff to go the extra mile to make school exciting. Pupils produce high quality artwork such as the superb sculptures that are currently displayed in the entrance hall. Pupils keenly adopt healthy lifestyles. They benefit from a wide range of sporting activities and eat healthily at playtime and lunchtime. The school’s good work in this area is reflected in its well-deserved Activemark and Healthy School accreditation. Leaders at all levels have not been successful in moving the school forward since the




last inspection. There have been some helpful initiatives and these have had a positive effect in some areas, but the impact is not always sustained beyond one year. For example, improvements in mathematics in the last year are not being maintained in the current year, and pupils’ numeracy skills are weak across the school. Subject leaders are keen and enthusiastic but they have too few opportunities to influence and shape improvements to teaching and learning, for example by visiting lessons, or to check that initiatives are having the desired effect over time. Leaders have a vast amount of information on pupils’ attainment but do not always use this well enough to tackle underachievement as soon as it arises. The governing body is supportive but does not play a strong part in helping the school to progress. The school’s systems for self-evaluation are inadequate because leaders do not have a clear enough picture of how well the school is doing, although they know that attainment is low. This makes it difficult for them to drive school improvement. The school is less effective than at the time of the last inspection, especially in terms of the quality of teaching, where guidance from leaders has not had sufficient effect on improving pupils’ learning. Consequently, the school has not demonstrated that it has the capacity to improve.


In order to raise pupils’ attainment and improve their learning and progress, the school should do the following.

� Build the school’s capacity to improve by: − strengthening senior leadership and governance so that they have a greater

effect on school improvement and more accurately evaluate school’s effectiveness

− involving leaders at all levels in monitoring so that inconsistencies can be tackled more quickly and initiatives checked to see if they are having the desired effect

− using data more rigorously to check the progress of individual pupils and groups of pupils so that dips in performance are identified and can be tackled more quickly.

� Improve the quality of teaching and learning by:

− raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve − giving teachers more guidance about how they can improve pupils’ learning − ensuring that all teachers make better use of day-to-day assessment

information to provide the right level of challenge for all pupils − making the use of marking and the setting of targets consistently strong

across the school so that pupils know the next steps in their learning − ensuring that the behaviour is consistently well managed in all lessons.





Most pupils say that they enjoy school; however, their slow rates of progress mean that their achievement is inadequate. In lessons, activities set do not always build well enough on pupils’ below average starting points. Most pupils are keen and enthusiastic but their progress in lessons is rarely better than satisfactory and it is sometimes inadequate. There is good learning in some lessons; in a Spanish lesson, pupils improved their skills quickly because the teacher had planned an interesting activity that motivated and engaged pupils and gave them good opportunities to practise their linguistic skills. However, too often in lessons, progress is slow. In a literacy lesson, pupils made little progress in improving their writing skills because they did not listen well enough to the teacher. This meant that they were unclear about what they had to do when they started their work. In an information and communication technology (ICT) lesson, pupils were not given enough guidance and found the work too hard as they looked for information about castles, with some unable to read the web pages that they had found. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make the same patchy progress as others in lessons because their needs are not always met well enough. On the few occasions where learning for these pupils is good, work set by staff takes good account of the pupils’ starting points. For example, two pupils with statements of special educational needs made good progress in a literacy lesson where role play was combined successfully with a writing activity and learning was supported discreetly by a teaching assistant. Most pupils show good concern for the needs of others by organising fund-raising events and they are sociable and friendly. They played together sensibly during an indoor lunchtime on one of the snowy days during the inspection, but they do not always work hard enough in lessons. Pupils keenly take responsibility through the school council or by being monitors or prefects. They respect each other’s beliefs and are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about cultures other than their own. Pupils feel safe but they are not prepared well enough for the next stage of their education. This is because too many leave school with weak literacy and numeracy skills and not all have developed good attitudes towards learning.





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Teachers are hard working and enthusiastic. They make good use of ICT in lessons to bring subjects alive, but there are too many occasions when they do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve. Consequently, pupils do not make the progress they should over time. Teachers assess learning carefully but do not always use this information well to plan the next stages in learning. This means that, too frequently, work is not pitched at the right level for all pupils. Teaching assistants make a good contribution to learning, particularly when working in lessons with small groups of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities but weaknesses in other aspects of provision mean that overall the progress made by this group is inadequate. The curriculum is broad and balanced and is enriched by clubs and visits. For example, older pupils speak very positively about the opportunities they get to try outdoor pursuits on an annual residential trip. The curriculum focuses well on fostering healthy lifestyles and there are strong partnerships with outside providers who provide additional sporting activities. Leaders have attempted to be innovative in curriculum design by focusing strongly on linking different subjects together. The school knows that this has not been entirely effective. Younger pupils find it hard to apply their basic skills in different subjects and leaders are now rightly reviewing the curriculum to ensure that it more closely reflects the needs of all pupils.


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Adults are kind, caring and work hard to make school a safe and happy place. This has a positive effect on school life and contributes well to pupils’ enjoyment of school. The school gives good support to pupils who have emotional and social difficulty and employs additional staff solely for this purpose. These adults play a valuable role in aiding pupils’ learning and development although this support is not always sufficient to ensure that the learning of others is not disturbed. Before- and after-school clubs are well managed and give pupils a good start or end to each day.






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Leaders ensure that the school runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis and they are highly committed to meeting the needs of the whole school community. This is reflected in the good engagement with parents. There are some well-considered partnerships with outside groups and agencies and despite weaknesses in progress across the school, these have a positive impact on pupils’ personal development. For example, pupils benefit from the services of a play therapist and a counsellor who work effectively with those who are finding home and school life difficult. As part of the ‘Local Partnership for Children’, leaders work closely with a local university and this is helping to raise the aspirations of pupils and their families. However, leaders have not taken effective steps to remedy weaknesses and have an overgenerous picture of how well the school is doing. As a result, the drive and ambition of senior leaders to improve the school rapidly have not been effective. Although there have been some potentially helpful initiatives, such as attempting single-gender numeracy lessons in Year 6, they are too recent to have had a sustained impact on pupils’ attainment. The governing body is supportive but has been over-reliant on information supplied by the school, rather than developing their own strategies for identifying strengths and weaknesses. The school does not promote equality effectively because progress is too uneven across the school. However, there is no discrimination because pupils learn to respect different beliefs, reflecting the school’s good contribution to community cohesion. Leaders are responsive to local needs and pupils are developing a strong awareness of their place in the world. The school has satisfactory safeguarding procedures and does the right things to ensure that pupils are kept safe. Vetting procedures and checks on staff are




implemented with care, although the school recognises that more could be done to monitor minor accidents that sometimes occur at break times.



driving improvement




met

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Most parents and carers are happy with the school. Typical comments included, ‘Members of staff really go out of their way to make things good for the children’ and ‘I am pleased with how my child is getting on.’ Some concerns were expressed in comments such as, ‘I do not think my child is reaching his full potential academically.’ Some parents and carers feel that unacceptable behaviour is not tackled well enough. During the inspection, the inspection team found that while there are occasions when pupils do not behave as well as they should, these incidences are uncommon.



Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Southdown Junior School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.









safe 40 65 20 32 2 3 0 0






school 37 60 22 35 3 5 0 0










employment)

33 53 28 45 1 2 0 0






my suggestions and

concerns

29 47 30 48 2 3 0 0





36 58 24 39 2 3 0 0





Glossary












Secondary schools

10 35 42 13




18 40 29 12










This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school. 2 December 2010 Dear Pupils Inspection of Southdown Junior School, Newhaven BN9 9LX Thank you for being so welcoming and for completing the questionnaire. We found some good things about your school, but there are also some very important things that it needs to improve. The school has been put into ‘special measures’ because it needs help so that it can improve quickly.

These are some of the things we found out about your school.

� You are good at taking responsibility and develop a good understanding of how to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Well done to the pupils who helped the school win the award for best vegetable garden in a recent competition.

� Adults help keep you safe and provide a good number of activities outside lessons to help to make school enjoyable.

� You all get on well together and play together happily at playtimes but there are occasions when some of you do not pay attention in lessons.

� Adults in the school are caring and they help you if you have a worry, but they do not always help you to understand how to improve your work.

� Senior leaders and governors know that they need to do more to improve things more quickly.

� Most of your parents and carers are pleased that you come to this school.

This is what we have asked your school to do now: � make sure that teachers always plan work that is not too hard or too easy and

give you help in understanding the next steps in learning � improve the pace at which things improve by making sure that school leaders,

managers and governors check what they are doing very carefully so that they know it is having the desired effect

� make more use of information about your learning to check that you are all doing well enough.

You can also all help the school by working hard and making sure that you always behave well in lessons. Yours sincerely Mike Capper Lead inspector

Age group 4–11



Southover Church of England Primary School

Inspection report





Reporting inspector Mike Capper








Chair Carol Taplin

Headteacher Steve Elliott

Date of previous school inspection 1 November 2007

School address Potters Lane

Lewes

East Sussex

BN7 1JP


Fax number 01273 487212


Inspection report: Southover Church of England Primary School, 8–9 November 2010 2 of 14


















St Ann's Square

Manchester

M2 7LA

T: 0300 1234 234

Textphone: 0161 618 8524





Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. Inspectors observed 19 lessons, with 12 teachers being seen. Meetings were held with parents and carers, members of the governing body, staff and groups of pupils. The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at school documentation including teachers’ planning, assessment information, safeguarding polices and samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors analysed 138 questionnaires from parents and carers, 20 from staff and 99 from pupils in Key Stage 2. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following. � How well pupils progress in mathematics, especially in Key Stage 2, and in

writing in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1. � How well pupils know about and consider life beyond Lewes. � The effectiveness of teaching at providing the right level of challenge. � The role subject leaders play in self-evaluation and driving improvement.


Most pupils come to this larger than average sized primary school from the local community. The proportion of pupils identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities is broadly average. Most, but not all, of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in two Reception classes. The school has a number of awards, including Healthy School accreditation and an Activemark for its work in sport.







Main findings

Pupils are rightly proud of this good school where they flourish both socially and academically. Pupils’ achievement is outstanding because teaching is good and they are cared for and supported extremely well. Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage and then build on this well in the rest of the school. Consequently, pupils’ attainment is high by the end of Year 6. Steps taken by leaders to tackle a slight downward trend in attainment in mathematics have been effective and pupils’ progress in this subject is now good across the school. Recent projects such as ‘Talk for Writing’, and a focus on ensuring that there is a more structured approach to introducing letter sounds, have ensured that good progress in writing is being maintained. Pupils quickly acquire new skills in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. Pupils feel very safe. They very keenly take on responsibilities and make an excellent contribution to the school and wider community. For example, school councillors have made a highly impressive contribution to environmental awareness by helping the school to recycle in a more cost-effective way. Most pupils greatly enjoy school, especially the very large number of clubs. These reflect the willingness of staff to go the extra mile to make learning exciting. The curriculum fosters creativity very imaginatively. Pupils produce high quality artwork and take part in a very wide range of musical activities such as singing in the ‘Big Sing’ Christmas concert. In Key Stage 1, good links are made between different subjects, and teaching consistently meets differing needs. This is also the case in most lessons in Key Stage 2 but, in a small number of classes, especially in science and history, work sometimes lacks challenge because pupils do the same thing whatever their ability. There are good systems for evaluating school effectiveness. This means that senior leaders are able to identify and tackle weaknesses quickly, which gives the school a good capacity for further improvement. Leaders have demonstrated this in the way that they have improved attainment and achievement since the last inspection and have effectively tackled small dips in progress in mathematics and writing over the last year. Subject leaders are keen and enthusiastic. They play a good part in driving school improvement but are given too few opportunities to visit lessons. The school already has plans in place to tackle this so that subject leaders are able to contribute fully to self-evaluation and to improving teaching and learning and ironing out




inconsistencies in the curriculum. Leaders have established very effective partnerships with others to support learning and to maintain high quality care for pupils who need additional help. The school engages extremely well with parents and carers. They are regularly consulted and are kept well informed about how they can help their children. This helps them to make a very positive contribution to their children’s learning.


� Ensure that work always provides the right level of challenge for all pupils, especially in subjects such as science and history in Key Stage 2.

� Strengthen self-evaluation by giving subject leaders more opportunities to visit lessons to monitor teaching and learning.


Pupils’ achievement and their enjoyment of school are both excellent. This means that they are very well prepared for the next stage of their education. Pupils’ enthusiasm and positive attitudes to learning contribute significantly to the good and sometimes outstanding progress that is seen in most lessons. In a good literacy lesson, pupils were fully engaged and made good progress as they learnt how to use similes to bring their poems alive. They worked enthusiastically and responded well to the high expectations of the teacher. In a good numeracy lesson, pupils worked hard and cooperated sensibly as they explored different types of graphs. Pupils were fully engaged and acquired new skills quickly because learning was made purposeful as they looked at line graphs that showed how noise levels in school changed according to the time of day. On the few occasions where progress in lessons is slower, it is because work does not provide the right level of challenge for all. For example, in one mathematics lesson, the most able pupils spent too long consolidating knowledge rather than moving on in their learning.

Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. They are given good support both in and out of lessons and participate enthusiastically in all activities. Pupils become good young citizens. They behave well and are polite and courteous. They develop a good knowledge of life beyond Lewes. For example, they show good consideration for the needs of others by organising fundraising activities and are respectful of different lifestyles. Pupils are very appreciative of the wide range of sporting opportunities provided in lessons and clubs and they often make sensible choices about what they are going to eat at lunchtimes. The school has a well-deserved Activemark award as well as Healthy School accreditation for its work in fostering healthy lifestyles.





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The school provides very high quality care and support to all pupils. Adults know every pupil and treat them all as part of the ‘school family’. Pupils who are finding work difficult are quickly given extra help to get them back on track and there is very effective liaison with outside agencies when it is needed. There are good transition arrangements and older pupils feel that they are being well prepared for their move to secondary school. Teachers plan and prepare very thoroughly for lessons. There is a good pace to learning in most lessons and teachers use interactive whiteboards and other resources to bring subjects alive and engage pupils. Teachers have good systems for assessing pupils’ learning. Good use is made of this information to plan the next stages in learning, although there are still a few occasions when work is not pitched at the right level for groups of differing abilities, especially in history and science in some Key Stage 2 classes. Teachers give pupils regular feedback in lessons about how well they are doing. Marking and the use of targets are most effective in English, where they give a clear picture of next steps in learning. This is less well established in other subjects. The curriculum provides pupils with many exciting experiences. For example, pupils speak very positively about a recent international week which they say helped them to learn about other cultures. Clubs support pupils’ personal development extremely well, and give them opportunities to try different activities such as fencing and


and 4 is low




learning to speak Spanish. Links between subjects are developing well but are not yet consistently strong across the school. They are better in Key Stage 1, where there are many opportunities for pupils to apply their skills in different subjects. In Key Stage 2, there is good practice in most classes but occasionally an overuse of uninspiring worksheets or copy writing restricts pupils’ opportunities to write purposefully or to work independently.









The calm and purposeful leadership of the headteacher and deputy headteacher set a clear direction for school improvement. Their good ambitions and drive for improvement are firmly embedded because teamwork is very strong. There is a good understanding of remaining priorities, including the need to let subject leaders observe more lessons so that they can take a greater part in leading and managing teaching and learning. The governing body provides good challenge to the school and is clear about what leaders need to do next to improve provision further. The school promotes equality and tackles discrimination successfully. Senior leaders make good use of data to check the progress of different groups and they are doing the right things to ensure that all pupils in Key Stage 2 have access to the same high quality curriculum all of the time. There is no discrimination, because pupils learn to respect and understand different beliefs. This helps the school to make a good contribution to community cohesion. Leaders are very responsive to local needs and work very closely with parents. Following a recent audit, leaders are now establishing links with a school in Brighton to strengthen provision in this area even further. The school has good safeguarding procedures. Leaders ensure that pupils and adults are able to work in a safe and secure environment.



driving improvement




school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities 2




met








money 2


Good teaching means that children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Although there is some variation from year to year, most children are working at the levels expected for their age when they start school. Children build well on this and in most years their attainment is above average by the end of the Reception Year. Children are very well cared for and this helps them to settle quickly when they first start school. There is a delightful atmosphere in lessons, with children working together happily and sensibly selecting for themselves where they are going to work. This means that children quickly develop high levels of confidence and independence. Adults have good expectations and teachers’ planning takes good account of differing needs in lessons. Basic skills in literacy and numeracy are taught well and children learn especially quickly when being taught as a group, or, for example, when practising number recognition. Adults provide good challenge at these times. When children are working independently, there are a few occasions when there are missed opportunities to move learning on more quickly. Leaders monitor progress closely and any comparative areas of weakness, such as a recent dip in attainment in writing, are tackled rigorously so that children quickly get back on track. Work to improve outdoor learning is beginning to have a positive effect. However, the location of the larger of the two outdoor areas means that it is not yet used well enough to support work in all of the areas of learning.


2

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2






Stage 2





There was a relatively high return of questionnaires. Most parents and carers are very pleased with the work of the school. Positive comments included, ‘My children have been challenged and have been made to feel safe and happy’ and ‘Our children skip to school, enjoy their time there and thrive.’ Some parents and carers are concerned about how well differing needs are met, especially for pupils identified as being gifted and talented. Inspectors found that whilst there is good challenge in most lessons, support beyond the classroom for gifted and talented pupils is still being developed. The school has also identified this and further improvements in provision for these pupils already appear on the current year’s development plan as a priority.



Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Southover CE Junior School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers

were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school.



Statements Strongly

agree Agree Disagree

Strongly

disagree




safe 82 59 52 38 3 2 0 0






school 79 57 52 38 3 2 0 0







the future (for example


children who are finishing school, entering further or

higher education, or entering employment)

68 49 55 40 6 4 0 0

The school meets my child’s particular needs

59 43 63 46 12 9 1 1

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour

54 39 71 51 2 1 1 1

The school takes account of my suggestions and

concerns

49 36 71 51 5 4 1 1





school

86 62 43 31 7 5 0 0


of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.


Glossary












Secondary schools

10 35 42 13




18 40 29 12










This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school. 10 November 2010 Dear Pupils Inspection of Southover CE Primary School, Lewes BN7 1JP Thank you for welcoming us to your school and for talking to us about your work. You were very polite and friendly. We agree with you that your school is good and that you learn new things quickly.

Here are some of the things we found out about your school.

� Children in the Reception classes have settled very quickly and are making good

progress. � You are taught well in Years 1 to 6 and this helps you to make good progress. � You feel very safe and are very happy at school. It is great that you are able to

take part in so many fun things outside lessons. � You have a good understanding of how to stay healthy and you make an

excellent contribution to the community. We are particularly impressed by the efforts of the school council.

� All of the adults in the school look after you well. They give you effective help when you are struggling with your work.

� The school is well led and managed, and all of the adults are working very hard to make the school even better.

This is what we have now asked your school to do next. � It should make sure that there is always enough challenge for you in all lessons,

especially in science and history in Years 3 to 6. � It should give teachers who are in charge of subjects more opportunities to visit

lessons so that they can see how well you are doing. We wish you all well for the future. You can help your teachers by continuing to work hard all of the time.

Yours sincerely Mike Capper Lead inspector

Age group 4–11

Inspection date(s) 1 and 6 December 2010


Staplecross Methodist Primary School Inspection report




Inspection dates 1 and 6 December 2010

Reporting inspector Kevin Hodge








Chair Catherine Platten

Headteacher Liz Avard

Date of previous school inspection 12 December 2007

School address Bodiam Road

Staplecross

Robertsbridge East Sussex

TN32 5QD


Fax number 01580 830256


Inspection report: Staplecross Methodist Primary School, 1 and 6 December 2010 2 of 14


















St Ann's Square

Manchester

M2 7LA

T: 0300 1234 234

Textphone: 0161 618 8524





Introduction

This inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors. Very heavy snowfall at the end of the first day of the inspection caused the school to close for two days. The second day of the inspection took place as soon as the school reopened. The inspectors observed eight lessons or parts of lessons, taught by three teachers and a higher level teaching assistant. They held meetings with groups of pupils, staff and the chair of the governing body. They observed the school’s work, and looked at work in pupils’ books, tracking data showing pupils’ attainment and the progress they are making and the school’s development plans. They also considered the 29 responses to the questionnaire received from parents and carers, and the 33 questionnaires completed by pupils. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following. � The pupils’ attainment and progress in mathematics. � The way the curriculum caters for the mixed-age classes of pupils and for those

pupils with special educational needs and/disabilities. � How well the pupils’ understanding of others from contrasting localities much

further from the school is fostered.


This is a smaller than average size school. The five Early Years Foundation Stage children are taught alongside Year 1 pupils in one class. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is near to average, but the proportion of pupils with a statement of educational needs is above average. There are no pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds. Few pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals . The school has achieved Healthy School status.







Main findings

This is a good school. Parents and carers particularly value the good level of care, guidance and support provided for their children in a family atmosphere. Parents’ and carers’ good involvement and appreciation were typified by a comment, ‘I am very happy with the school…it has a very friendly atmosphere like an extended family.’ At the heart of the school is good team work, guided and fostered well by the headteacher and governing body. This teamwork, which has been harnessed to good effect despite some staff changes, is one of the reasons that the school’s effectiveness has improved. Pupils’ good understanding of how to stay safe was evident during the snowy weather, given that they played sensibly and realised this was a fun way to stay fit and healthy. Excellent behaviour only dips occasionally according to the pupils. These positive qualities promote very good attitudes to learning throughout the whole school community. Not surprisingly, pupils enjoy attending.

Children have a good start to school life and, although sharing the class with older pupils, those in the Early Years Foundation Stage enjoy learning and feel secure as their welfare needs are catered for effectively. Since the last inspection attainment in English has been above average, and pupils’ current quality of writing, their reading skill and general level of speaking skills all reflect these levels. This is the result of a clear focus on teaching these aspects. Pupils’ attainment in mathematics, particularly in their investigative understanding, has not been quite at the same level. Although improving, planning does not always ensure that pupils follow in-depth and challenging investigations to help them apply their skills. The school realises that, on occasions, more able pupils are not always challenged in their thinking or work rate. In other subjects, including music, art, and information and communication technology (ICT), pupils often achieve levels above those expected. Consistently good and sometimes outstanding teaching, combined with a curriculum which takes good account of mixed-age classes, is increasingly engaging the interests of pupils. These are significant factors in ensuring most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress and achieve well by the time they leave the school. Systematic improvements in the use of target setting help pupils to know and understanding how well they are doing. Their progress is monitored well, ensuring that appropriate support is in place for those identified as in danger of falling behind. The school has an accurate view of its strengths and weakness. Efforts to broaden the pupils’ understanding of others from differing backgrounds have been partly




successful, such as the school’s links with a partner school in Malawi. However pupils’ understanding of others in the United Kingdom from differing backgrounds is not developed sufficiently well. Despite having only a small number of staff, there is a clear drive and ambition to improve pupils’ attainment and progress further, while maintaining a broad range of experiences. As a result, improvements in English are now very secure and appropriate actions in relatively weaker areas, such as mathematics, are already planned. These factors all indicate that the school has a good capacity for further improvement.


� Improve pupils’ investigative skills in mathematics in Years 1 to 6 in the coming academic year by ensuring that:

− more relevant ‘real life’ activities are planned within mathematics to help them apply and develop their problem-solving abilities

− more able pupils are regularly given particular tasks which are more challenging

− ensure that planning regularly incorporates opportunities for pupils to use ICT to support their work.

� Improve the school’s promotion of community cohesion in the coming academic

year by:

− developing the relationship with the school in Birmingham − seeking to exchange simple information about the school, its pupils and

the area each serves for the benefit of all pupils at Staplecross.


Pupils’ excellent behaviour and willingness to engage with each other and staff contribute to their enjoyment of school and improving levels of attainment. The school’s good promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is the key factor for these outcomes. Pupils’ enthusiasm is a feature of most lessons. In a well-taught lesson in the Year 4, 5 and 6 class pupils really enjoyed devising their own phrases into poems as they imagined they were the real vegetables and fruits they had in front of them! In another lesson, excellent teaching of observational sketching resulted in pupils learning new skills quickly and they could talk about their ‘inspiration’ for their chosen approach. In mathematical work, pupils’ secure number and calculation work is evident in all classes, but problem-solving activities are not always planned to best effect to really stretch pupils’ thinking or to apply their number skills. From starting points on entry into the Early Years Foundation Stage that are often below those expected for the age range, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 has risen and is average overall, and above average in English. In their day-to-day work, boys and girls achieve equally well. Good support from teaching assistants, aided by specifically planned activities, helps those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make the same good progress as their classmates.




The school council enjoys its role and has pushed through simple suggestions such as napkins at lunchtimes and wanting more hot water in the toilets. Although all pupils are helpful and willing to contribute to the school’s success, they say sometimes they would like more formal responsibilities, such as collecting recyclables or turning off lights to save energy. Their links with village activities are good and awareness of local historical towns such as Battle help widen their horizons, as does their link with a school in Malawi. That said, the pupils’ understanding of others’ backgrounds and beliefs found in this country is not fully secure. Pupils’ understanding of how to stay healthy is good, and most know what foods are good for you and which should be eaten more occasionally. Some admit, however, that putting theory into practice is more difficult. The extra-curricular sporting clubs aid the pupils’ level of fitness, as does the simple, but effective, ‘trim trail’ on the playground.


2

3

2

















Despite the small number of pupils and staff, the school provides a good range of activities for pupils to enjoy. Work with an artist in a local town, science investigations in local woodland, annual residential trips, musical tuition and learning to speak French are typical features of the curriculum. Basic skills are well catered for, particularly in English work, where teachers’ concentration on developing pupils’ writing has paid dividends as the pupils are enthusiastic writers. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from well-briefed teaching assistants,


and 4 is low




who skilfully guide pupils’ learning to good effect. Mathematical activities are planned with some skill, although these do not always capitalise enough upon the pupils’ abilities to investigate problems which have a ‘real world’ flavour or application. Teachers in all classes make good use of interactive whiteboards to help enliven learning. Introductions are kept short and the aims of lessons are clear and shared with pupils. Questioning is usually pitched right for most, although more able pupils are not always stretched in their thinking by more challenging questions. Classroom displays are well conceived in that they not only present pupils’ work to good effect, they entice pupils to find out more about the subject. The new ICT suite enables pupils to hone their computer skills although, in day-to-day work, opportunities are sometimes missed to incorporate ICT skills into activities. Pupils know their next steps in learning through the use of simple target setting. Teachers’ marking usually provides pointers for improvement as well as praise. The school provides good levels of care, guidance and support in that pupils are mature and feel well cared for. They say that the school promotes a family feel and atmosphere which they appreciate. Pupils are honest enough to say that upsets do occur but, when they do, the school is quick to try and resolve difficulties quickly. The school’s provision for potentially vulnerable children is good, given they are supported sensitively, but also encouraged to feel part of the school either in their learning or their involvement in sporting or musical activities. Links with outside professionals and local schools to help prepare pupils for their next schools are well established.









Effective teamwork, against the backdrop of staff changes since the last inspection, has provided the good impetus for improvement and the capacity to maintain it. A rise in pupils’ attainment and progress in some subjects has ensured that the pupils’ academic progress is keeping pace with their personal development. The drive and ambition of staff are most apparent in the way the staff spot areas to improve, such as pupils’ writing skills, and then remedy them to good effect. Much of the school’s self-evaluation is accurate, if occasionally too modest. The headteacher monitors teaching regularly, which has led to improvement. Observations are usually perceptive, although more attention is given to the quality of teaching than pupils’ learning. Adults at all levels are good at promoting equal opportunities and eliminating discrimination. Teachers are vigilant about ensuring pupils have equal




opportunities to attend clubs and have access to resources. Good monitoring of pupils’ progress means that any groups under achieving are quickly spotted and helped. The governing body is keen to support this desire for improvement. Governors’ regular visits to observe the progress of school improvement priorities provide good levels of information to aid the process of holding the school to account. The governing body ensures that safeguarding, including the vetting of staff appointments and health and safety routines, are carried out well. Parents and carers voice their appreciation of the school and the links with them are good so pupils feel the benefit. The school has developed strong links with a school overseas to help promote community cohesion and broaden pupils’ understanding of those from a different country. Regular activity weeks include an international theme and pupils’ involvement in local events is good. Pupils’ understanding of others’ backgrounds and beliefs in the United Kingdom are not as well developed, although the proposed links with a school in Birmingham sound promising in boosting pupils’ awareness of these issues.



driving improvement




met

2








2


Children in Reception year fit in well with their older Year 1 classmates. They settle in well and feel secure as the relatively small number means they can be given individual attention. Activities are well planned and the teaching takes good account of the differing ages, making sure the younger children have full access to activities which stretch their learning. Their basic knowledge of letter sounds develops well,




sometimes aided by simple activities on the audiovisual whiteboard, as are basic number skills. The very heavy snow fall during the inspection reduced the number of outside activities taking place, but groups of children were very excited to see just how much snow remained and why. Snowy-based pictures were also very popular, and these reflected good levels of both imagination and skill in using simple painting techniques. Children are confident speakers and are extremely well behaved, listening intently to the teachers or helpers when working in a group. Children work well independently, using construction toys to make trains or in eventually venturing outside to look at the sand tray to see if the ice had melted. Staff plan for these activities carefully, but occasionally children work alone for too long before they are given a bit more help to redirect their learning. All staff ensure that children mix together well, take careful note of their emerging progress and the children’s learning journey books reflect the good progress children make. This means that all children, including those in Year 1, are well prepared for their next class.


2

2

2






Stage 2


About half the questionnaires were returned by parents and carers. A smaller proportion of these contained comments. The vast majority were positive, citing the friendly nature of the school, the quality of the care, the helpfulness of staff and range of activities on offer. The very small number of concerns were followed up with the headteacher during the visit, but followed no particular pattern.



Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Staplecross Methodist Primary to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.









safe 17 59 11 38 0 0 0 0






school 14 48 13 45 0 0 0 0










employment)

14 48 11 38 0 0 0 0






my suggestions and

concerns

12 41 13 45 2 7 0 0





16 55 11 38 0 0 0 0





Glossary












Secondary schools

10 35 42 13




18 40 29 12










This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school. 7 December 2010 Dear Children Inspection of Staplecross Primary School, Robertsbridge TN32 5QD Many thanks for making us feel welcome when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed looking and hearing about what you like doing. Thank you for coping so well in the snowy conditions. Yours is a good school that has got even better since the last time it was inspected. Here are some of the things we found out � The Reception children make good progress and enjoy all of the activities that

take place, sometimes with the Year 1 pupils. � You reach above the expected standards in English, with mathematics not far

behind. You achieve well in most aspects of your work. � You are good at keeping active at playtimes, despite the snow, and I know

most of your try to eat healthily. � You behave brilliantly and work very hard in lessons. � You all said you feel extremely safe as the school cares for you so well. � The range of things you do, such as music, film club and sports, sound good. � The school helps those of you who sometimes find work difficult or have a

particular physical difficulty to achieve well. � The staff teach you well and the school involves your parents or carers in the

life of the school effectively to help it become even better. We have asked the school to do two things to help it improve further � Give those of you in Years 1 to 6 more investigative activities in mathematics

that will really make you think hard and apply your skills to solve problems. � Help you learn more about others from different places and cultures through

your links with the school in Birmingham. You can help the school to improve by continuing to behave exceptionally well. Yours sincerely Kevin Hodge Lead inspector

PROTECT – INSPECTION

Age group 4–11

Inspection date(s) 8−9 December 2010


The Haven Voluntary Aided Church of England/Methodist Primary School Inspection report




Inspection dates 8−9 December 2010




School category Voluntary aided





Chair Vaughan Schulze

Headteacher Wendy Bray

Date of previous school inspection 1−2 November 2007

School address Atlantic Drive

Sovereign Harbour South

Eastbourne

BN23 5SW


Fax number 01323 471796


Inspection report: The Haven Voluntary Aided Church of England/Methodist Primary School, 8−9 December

2010

2 of 14


















St Ann's Square

Manchester

M2 7LA

T: 0300 1234 234

Textphone: 0161 618 8524





2010

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. During the inspection, 18 lessons and 10 teachers were observed. Discussions were held with staff, members of the governing body, parents and carers and pupils. Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at documentation including: the school’s development plan; the tracking of pupils’ progress; provision for those pupils identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities; and minutes of governing body meetings. In addition, questionnaires from 64 parents and carers, and others from staff and pupils were analysed. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following. � The effectiveness of the school’s strategies for assessment and its impact upon

the level of achievement of current pupils. � The effectiveness of the school’s measures to enhance pupils’ spiritual, moral,

social and cultural development. � Whether the school’s monitoring procedures are effective in enabling teaching

and learning consistently to meet the needs of all groups of pupils. � The effectiveness of leaders and managers at all levels, including the governing

body, in securing continuity and sustained improvement.


The Haven School is of broadly average size and heavily oversubscribed. Due to the high level of demand for places in the area, the school took an additional class from September 2010. The school is currently undergoing joint consultation with the local authority to investigate the possibility of expanding to two-form entry from September 2012. The school serves a diverse area. The very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is similar to most other schools. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those with statements of special educational needs, has increased over the past three years and is now above the national average. The needs of these pupils include behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in two Reception classes.


2010

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Main findings

The Haven is a good school with a number of considerable strengths. The pastoral support, guidance and care provided for every pupil are outstanding. As a result, by the time pupils leave the school, they are mature and very thoughtful young people who make a very good contribution to the school and the local community. One parent summed up the views of many by writing, ‘As a family, we are extremely pleased with The Haven school and how it is run. We feel extremely fortunate that our children have a place at this school, and I always recommend it to friends. The head and deputy run this school excellently and seem to work together as a leadership team.’ This positive reputation in the community and the improved pupil outcomes reflect the headteacher’s high aspirations for the school. The wide range of systems and strategies put into place to address the school's well-identified priorities has been successful and, consequently, the school’s overall effectiveness has risen from satisfactory at the time of the previous inspection to good. There has been marked improvement in the raising of attendance rates and in the development of the leadership skills of senior staff. Older pupils are now making much better progress in writing, a particular focus for the school this year. Given its track record of improvement and innovation in many areas together with its detailed and accurate self-evaluation, the school’s capacity for sustained improvement is excellent. Over the last two years, staff have successfully provided an innovative and more exciting approach to the curriculum to inspire pupils to learn better. This method is based on the good use of assessment and a more refined analysis of what skills pupils need and how best they can be acquired. The drive and determination of the headteacher and senior leaders have ensured that, within these changes, teaching and learning have been improved. Although outstanding teaching and learning using these approaches are evident in some classes, these methods are not yet adopted consistently throughout the school. In addition, there is not yet consistently enough challenge for all pupils, including in English and in mathematics, and so pupils’ skills are not always consolidated and extended as far as they could be. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school and feel very safe, reflecting staff’s high expectations and their extremely effective level of care and moral guidance. Pupils acquire a good awareness of how to live a healthy lifestyle. One particularly notable aspect of the school’s care for individual pupils is the work of the


2010

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special educational needs team. The very effective teaching assistants ensure that those pupils with specific learning needs are very well supported through identifying their needs early so they make consistently good progress. The school does much to promote its place in the local community and works very effectively with many local pre-school providers, local schools, and the local residents association. An audit of the promotion of community cohesion, undertaken by governors and staff, is underpinned by a careful analysis of the school’s context. The school’s links with the local community are excellent, and pupils’ awareness of, and preparation for, living and working in a culturally diverse United Kingdom are being developed extremely well.


� Ensure that by July 2011, changes in the curriculum are embedded so that the exciting and relevant activities that are linked across subject areas are present in all lessons.

� Ensure that by July 2011, teaching improves so that pupils are always given the

necessary challenge in all lessons in order to consolidate and extend their skills more fully, particularly in English and in mathematics.


Throughout the school, pupils achieve well and enjoy their learning. All groups of pupils, including the most able, pupils with special educational needs and/or difficulties and those whose circumstances render them vulnerable, make good progress. Pupils enter the school with skills and understanding that vary but are usually below those expected for their age. Effective organisation and careful assessments enable pupils to begin to make good progress immediately. Attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is above average. Much of the pupils’ consistent success in reading is due to the school’s emphasis on developing their speaking and listening skills. This was evident in an excellent Year 1 lesson where the teacher skilfully drew pupils’ attention to where this lesson fitted into their topic by making them listen carefully to each other’s ideas on the work they had already completed. The excellent celebration afternoon observed in the Year 6 class during the inspection showed the variety of activities and the opportunities for pupils to make their own, well-defined choices on the topic of Islam. This resulted in a memorable experience that pulled together all that the pupils had learned and which was enjoyed by the many parents who attended. Such lessons also make a significant contribution to pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.


2010

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Pupils are enthusiastic about many aspects of its life such as the extra-curricular activities, trips and visits that contribute well to their learning. This good range of experiences makes a significant contribution to pupils’ good behaviour and their high self-esteem. Attendance is above average because pupils are keen to come to school. Pupils’ contribution to the local community is good. The school council has been responsible for important initiatives, such as the promotion of better sporting activities. These efforts have ensured that pupils have a good understanding of healthy lifestyles. Pupils assert that the rare incidents of bullying or poor behaviour are dealt with very well and they feel very safe in school. They say that there is always someone who will listen to them. Pupils’ well-developed basic skills in literacy, numeracy, science and information and communication technology, combined with their keen appetite for teamwork and their zest for learning, prepare them well for their transition to the next stage of their education.


2

2

2
















Teaching and learning are good. In almost all lessons, there are strong elements that help pupils of all abilities to make good progress. Teachers are a keen and enthusiastic team who strongly encourage pupils in their learning. They use a good range of techniques and resources, such as effective use of interactive whiteboards, to make lessons enjoyable. Most teachers keep up a brisk pace and help pupils to


and 4 is low


2010

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meet their high expectations by asking questions that encourage them to think hard. In a very successful Year 6 mathematics lesson, both the teacher and the teaching assistant gave high quality feedback to test pupils’ understanding, introduce extra challenges and used praise effectively to raise pupils’ expectations of what they were capable of achieving. In this lesson, pupils assessed their own and each other’s work, identifying what to do next. This helped them to understand what they needed to do to improve. Staff’s high expectations of pupils’ progress are reflected in the challenging targets set for individuals and year groups. The range of opportunities that pupils are given through the curriculum, known as the ‘Learning Journey’, is good. Pupils are encouraged to be independent and are highly motivated. Pupils know they have to work hard to be given this independence, and they do. In the most effective lessons, this careful planning is implemented with enthusiasm and care and pupils are encouraged to assess their own and others’ work. The curriculum overall is good, even though its best features are not yet applied consistently in all classes. The impact of the school’s outstanding support, guidance and care is evident in the pupils’ good standards of behaviour and social skills and the positive relationships between staff and pupils. As a result, the atmosphere for learning created by the whole staff is exceptionally caring. The overwhelming majority of parents and carers are very positive about the concerted efforts the school takes to make school life as trouble free as possible for pupils who are more vulnerable or who find behaving well more difficult.









The headteacher and deputy headteacher give outstanding direction to the work of the school and their initiatives are improving the quality of teaching and learning securely and rapidly. Management at all levels is good and strongly committed to the continuing professional development of staff. The work of the recently introduced phase leaders has enabled the progress of the outcomes in teaching to be accelerated considerably. The school knows itself very well and all subject leaders are closely involved in monitoring the school’s work. Documentation is impressive in range and the evaluation of the school’s work is honest and accurate.


2010

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The governing body is fully involved in the process of self-evaluation, challenging decisions and requesting explanations where necessary. Hence, the school is extremely well placed to improve further. Their current involvement in the consultation over moving to a two-form entry school is both rigorous and caring. The school is zealous in its efforts to promote equality and tackle discrimination. Everyone is valued and supported to achieve their best, irrespective of their social, faith or ethnic group and all groups of pupils achieve equally well. Procedures to safeguard pupils’ well-being, safety and health are good and all members of staff are well trained in these matters. The contribution the school makes to community cohesion is good. A plan and clear actions are in place that promote pupils’ understanding from a local perspective extremely well. Links with other local schools and agencies are harnessed effectively. The school has taken the need to expand its links to provide national and global perspectives very seriously and these aspects are also good.



driving improvement




met

2








money 2


Children make a good start to their schooling in the Reception classes and achieve well. They settle happily into school because of good links with parents and because of the strong nurturing environment. Staff make every effort to ensure all children feel welcome. The good parental relationships are maintained on a daily basis as staff make a concerted effort to talk to parents to enable them to understand how their children learn. One parent wrote: ‘I was lucky enough to get a place from the school waiting list …. I am so pleased we got into Haven. It is an excellent school. The staff are friendly and professional. My daughter has come on in leaps and


2010

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bounds with reading, signing and her independence. An excellent start all round.’ The Early Years Foundation Stage is managed well and clear priorities are set for improvement. The enhancements in provision and outcomes since the previous inspection are testament both to the effective leadership of the coordinator and the good teaching. Planning is good because careful account is taken of the regular, ongoing assessments of children’s progress. Effective teamwork provides good routines, high expectations of behaviour and achievement, and very good relationships. Consequently, children develop well personally and engage well with their learning. Staff make good use of the facilities and also of the outside area to extend children’s learning, particularly their climbing, clambering and physical skills. There is a good balance between child-initiated and adult-led activities. Children’s language skills are being developed well with a clear focus on vocabulary. Children thoroughly enjoy learning but there are occasional missed opportunities, as activities are not fully enhanced by the use of richer language, such as signs and questions, and by linking the tasks carefully to what children already know.


2

2

2





The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2


The response rate of questionnaires from parents and carers was below the national average. The overwhelming majority of these parents and carers, and those who spoke to the inspection team, were very happy with the school. Evidence from this inspection supports parents’ positive views. The small number of parental concerns, for example about pupils’ progress and how the school deals with any disruptive behaviour, were followed up during the inspection as part of the general gathering of evidence and discussed with the headteacher. Inspectors judge that the school deals with any disruptive behaviour well.


2010

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Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at The Haven Voluntary Aided Church of England/Methodist Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the

school.

In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13

statements about the school.


Statements Strongly

agree Agree Disagree

Strongly

disagree




safe 45 70 17 27 2 3 0 0






school 38 59 21 33 4 6 1 2






my child is well prepared for the future (for example


children who are finishing school, entering further or

higher education, or entering

employment)

27 42 26 41 4 6 2 3






my suggestions and concerns

28 44 29 45 3 5 3 5





school

36 56 23 36 3 5 1 2


of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.


2010

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Glossary












Secondary schools

10 35 42 13




18 40 29 12




recently published data available (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). Please note that the sample of schools inspected during the autumn and spring term 2009/10 was not representative of all schools nationally,

as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.





2010

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2010

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This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school. 10 December 2010 Dear Pupils Inspection of The Haven Voluntary Aided Church of England/Methodist Primary School, Eastbourne, BN23 5SW I am writing to thank you all for making us so welcome when we came to inspect the school recently. We did enjoy our visit. Yours is a good school with many strengths, and we agree with what you told us – it is a really fun place to learn. Here is a list of some of the things that we think are really good. � The school looks after you extremely well. � You make good progress in your learning. � Children in the Reception classes get off to a good start at the school. � The headteacher and staff manage the school very well. � You behave very well, get along with each other well and feel safe in school. � You have a good understanding of how to live healthily. � You really enjoy school because there are lots of exciting things for you to do

both in school and on visits and in clubs. Even in good schools, there are some things that could be better. We have agreed with your school that it must make sure that you are all given the best opportunities to learn no matter which class you are in. We know your teachers are all working hard to be the best they can be and we want them to look at how they plan, carry out, and link the subjects in your lessons to make sure they are as exciting and as interesting as they can be. You can help by continuing to listen carefully and take note of what they say. Yours sincerely David Marshall Lead inspector


2010

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Age group 4–11



West St Leonards Primary School Inspection report













Chair Dennis Smith

Headteacher Frances Robinson

Date of previous school inspection 29–30 April 2008

School address Harley Shute Road

St Leonards-on-Sea

East Sussex

TN38 8BX


Fax number 01424 465670


Inspection report: West St Leonards Primary School, 3–4 November 2010 2 of 13

Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. During the inspection, 25 lessons and 17 different teachers were observed. Discussions were held with the headteacher and the two assistant headteachers, teaching and support staff, members of the governing body, parents and carers, and pupils. Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at documentation, including the school improvement plan, the tracking of pupils’ progress, provision for those pupils identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities, and minutes of governing body meetings. In addition, questionnaires from 104 parents and carers, 33 staff and 97 pupils were analysed. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following. � What do the school’s strategies for assessment, their tracking and analysis of

progress, show about the level of achievement of the current pupils, especially in Key Stage 2?

� The impact of school’s provision for guidance and support on pupils’ personal development, attendance and their behaviour overall.

� Have the school’s intended more rigorous monitoring procedures enabled them to ‘provide high quality teaching and learning’ as they planned, and enhanced outcomes for all pupils and therefore raised achievement?

� In the light of the recent changes, how effectively are leaders and managers at all levels, including the governing body, enabling the planned improvements?

Information about the school West St Leonards is a larger-than-average primary school. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well above average. The school has two special classes, known as The Facility classes, for pupils with complex or profound and multiple learning difficulties. Therefore, the number of learners on roll with statements of special educational needs is well above the national average. The wide range of special needs includes academic, behavioural, language and emotional difficulties.The number of pupils from minority ethnic groups or who speak English as an additional language is very small. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in two Reception classes.







Main findings

West St Leonards is a good school. It has a number of considerable strengths. The pastoral support, guidance and care provided for every child are outstanding. As a result, by the time pupils leave the mainstream classes in the school, they are mature and very thoughtful young adults who make a very good contribution to the school and the local community. One parent summed up the views of many by writing, ‘I feel happy that the school is supporting all three of my children. The school has developed lots in the last couple of years.’ This positive reputation in the community, and the rapidly improving pupil outcomes, are due to the hard work of all staff and the governing body who share the headteacher’s values and aspirations for the school. They have a burning ambition to turn what they know to be a good school into an outstanding one. Accurate self-evaluation has led to continual improvement, for example the raising of attendance rates. In addition, the quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage and for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities has been enhanced since the last inspection. Older pupils with language difficulties are now making much better progress in reading, a particular focus for the school. Given the school’s track record of improvements and innovations in many areas and detailed self-analysis, the school’s capacity to improve further is good. Over the last year, staff have sought to provide an innovative and more exciting approach to their whole-school curriculum, to inspire pupils to learn. This method is based on a detailed analysis of what skills pupils need and how best they can be acquired. The drive and determination of the headteacher and assistant headteachers have ensured that, within this new approach to planning, teaching and learning are good. Although there is extremely effective teaching and learning in most classes, this quality is not yet found consistently throughout the school. There is more still to do to ensure that pupils in all years are provided with activities that consistently challenge them, and allow them to practice their skills and learning at their own level. A very supportive atmosphere for learning exists that ensures most pupils make good progress, thoroughly enjoy their learning and achieve well. From well below average starting points, pupils at the end of Year 6 are now reaching broadly average standards. Staff have a wealth of information about the individual performance of pupils, and this is now in a format that can be easily used by teachers to fine-tune their planning to accelerate learning further. Day-to-day assessment has also




improved since the last inspection, but it is not yet consistently used. Where assessment and pupils’ knowledge and understanding of their own progress are well established, group work in lessons is much more closely matched to pupils’ individual needs and is therefore more effective. One notable aspect of the school’s outstanding care for individual pupils is the work in The Facility classes for pupils with severe learning difficulties. The zeal, patience and understanding the teachers and all staff show to vulnerable pupils results in them achieving exceptionally well and is an inspiration to all others in the school. The contribution the school makes to community cohesion is good. Well planned actions are in place to effectively promote pupils’ understanding about their local community and links with other local schools and agencies are harnessed very effectively. The school has taken the need to expand its links to extend national and global perspectives very seriously and these aspects are improving rapidly.


� Ensure over the next year that all teaching is as good as the best by:

− consistently giving pupils clear guidance during lessons and through the marking of their work so they know how to improve

− ensuring the exciting and relevant activities that are linked across subject areas are present in all lessons

− giving pupils the best possible opportunities to practise and reinforce their skills and learning in English and mathematics.


The school’s own monitoring confirms inspection findings that, although there are many strengths, outcomes are good rather than outstanding. In all lessons observed pupils made at least satisfactory progress, and in many they made good progress. Pupils are generally well motivated by the ideas and resources presented and are keen to please their teachers and other adults. This is a reflection of the strong moral code of the school that encourages good behaviour, attentiveness and hard work, and enables all pupils to make good progress as they move through the school. For example, in an outstanding Year 6 mathematics lesson, pupils listened carefully to the teacher’s effective opening, and appreciated the great deal of freedom they were given to find their own level of working and at their own pace. This led to excellent progress in adding decimals to two places that they all understood. The provision for vulnerable pupils, or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, is excellent and leads to these pupils making outstanding progress. All involved acknowledge the role of the outstanding teaching assistants in supporting pupils in the school. Pupils benefit from tailored individual or small group sessions that successfully help to develop their writing skills. Activities that involve them using all of their senses to learn letter sounds and clusters of sounds aid their confidence in reading. This has a positive effect on their learning in all other subjects.




There are good displays of pupils’ work that show just how successful the school is working to raise pupils’ expectations in all aspects of their learning. The pupils’ good attendance and the happy faces in many lessons and around the school are also a testament to how successful this approach is being. The school successfully instils in the pupils a strong spiritual, social and moral understanding that accounts for their consistently good behaviour and positive attitudes to school. Pupils say they feel very safe within the school, as they know that adults are very mindful of any concerns they might have. The school council is active in influencing decisions such as changes in playground and equipment and after-school clubs. The peer mediation system is appreciated and is enjoyed by all involved. The standards reached by pupils in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology, combined with their keen appetite for teamwork, and their interest in learning, prepare them well for their transition to the next stage of their education.


2

3

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Teaching and learning are good. In many lessons, there are strong elements that help pupils of all abilities to make good progress, but this is not yet consistent. In the large majority of cases, teachers set out clear objectives and sessions are well managed. Pupils experience a good mix of listening to the teacher, responding to questions and opportunities to discuss their work among themselves. This, along with good strategies to manage pupils’ behaviour, means that pupils are generally attentive and display good attitudes to learning.


and 4 is low




The curriculum has been very carefully developed since the last inspection to improve pupils' learning by adding extra relevance and enjoyment. There are now many aspects, such as the themed topics and the focus on pupils’ interests, that are effective and fully enjoyed. The Year 5 lessons observed that were based around the theme of Robin Hood and becoming ‘Robin’s Recruits’ are a good example of where this approach is inspiring pupils to try even harder and make better progress. The arrival of the ‘Dragon’ in a Year 4 English lesson was also exciting. However, pupils’ progress slows occasionally as not all teachers harness this innovative planning to the same degree. For example, the provision in Year 1 has been reorganised to reflect pupils’ levels of achievement after the Reception classes. The planning now reflects the transition from child-initiated activities to more formal learning, but has still to be adopted effectively and consistently by all staff at all times. Those pupils with special gifts or talents are given opportunities in extra-curricular activities, and in some classes, but not all, they are given individual challenges in class or through homework. The wide range of clubs and activities organised after school, such as rugby, sports and musical theatre, is enjoyed and adds significantly to pupils’ development and appreciation of school. The school has a very strong commitment to caring and support. Every pupil is known and treated as an individual. Pupils say they feel very safe and confident to approach an adult if they have a problem. Vulnerable pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are extremely well supported and the school works very effectively in partnership with a wide range of agencies to meet their needs. The work of the Every Child Counts and Every Child a Reader staff are particularly well organised and very effective in raising both pupils’ self-esteem and their basic skills.






2



The headteacher’s outstanding leadership is very effective. She and the two assistant headteachers, with their complementary skills, make an impressive team. All staff follow their lead and teamwork is an aspect stressed by all in the school. One way in which everyone follows their exemplary lead is to relate extremely effectively with all pupils, parents and the local community. Partnerships, such as those with artists (Creative Partners, East Sussex Music Service, East Sussex Road Safety, Radiator




Arts and Active Hastings) are outstanding. Management at all levels is good and strongly committed to the continuing professional development of staff. This is reflected in the desire to improve the consistency of teaching, recognising that planning related to the new curriculum needs to be further refined to ensure that all lessons meet the needs of individual pupils. There is a clear understanding of strengths and weaknesses of the school. The school’s self-evaluation is very effective. The school improvement plan provides very clear guidance on relevant issues for raising standards and takes into consideration support and initiatives from all sources. The governing body is fully involved in this process and the governors bring a wide range of skills to bear as they act as critical friends, challenging decisions and requesting explanations where this is judged to be necessary. The school takes its duty to promote equal opportunities seriously. It values the opinions of parents and pupils and acts upon these to ensure all are treated fairly. Procedures to safeguard pupils’ well-being, safety and health are rigorous and all members of staff are well trained in child protection routines. The contribution the school makes to community cohesion is good. A plan and clear actions are in place for promoting pupils' understanding from a local perspective. Links with other schools and agencies are harnessed very well. The school has begun to expand its links to provide national and global perspectives very well.



driving improvement





2




2




2


Children make a good start to their schooling in the Reception classes and achieve well. They settle happily into school because of good links with parents and because of the strong nurturing environment. Staff make every effort to ensure all children feel welcome. The good parental relationships are maintained on a daily basis as




staff make a concerted effort to talk to parents to enable them to understand how their children learn. As one parent wrote, reflecting the views of many, ‘West St Leonards and the Reception team have given my son a fantastic and fun introduction to his learning journey. The caring, professional attitudes of all the staff have ensured that my son not only learns but feels safe and enjoys every aspect of his school life.’ The Early Years Foundation Stage is managed well and clear priorities are set for improvement. The enhancements in provision and outcomes since the previous inspection, particularly in the outside environment, are testament both to the effective leadership of the coordinator and the good teaching. Planning is generally good because careful account is taken of the regular, ongoing assessments of children’s progress. Effective teamwork provides good routines, high expectations of behaviour and achievement and excellent relationships. Consequently, children develop well personally and engage well with their learning. Stimulating and interesting activities are provided and there is a suitable mix of teacher-directed and child-initiated activities. Children’s language skills are being developed well with a clear focus on vocabulary. Children thoroughly enjoy learning but there are occasional missed opportunities as activities are not fully enhanced by the use of richer language, such as signs and questions, and by linking the tasks more carefully to what children already know.


2

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Stage 2


The majority of parents and carers who returned questionnaires or who spoke to the inspection team are happy with the school. They consider that the school has a dedicated team of staff and that the school has a very warm, supportive and friendly atmosphere. Inspectors fully endorse these views. The majority, but not all, believe their children make good progress. Some parents and carers expressed concern over their ability to be involved in their own children’s learning and how their suggestions and anxieties are considered by the senior staff. These, and a relatively small number of other concerns expressed, were shared and discussed with the headteacher.



Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at West St Leonards Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.









safe 67 64 35 34 2 2 0 0






school 46 44 47 45 6 5 1 1










employment)

38 37 48 46 8 8 1 1






my suggestions and

concerns

28 27 60 58 7 7 2 2





55 53 37 36 8 8 0 0





Glossary












Secondary schools

10 35 42 13




18 40 29 12










This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school. 5 November 2010 Dear Pupils Inspection of West St Leonards Primary School, St Leonards TN 38 8BX I am writing to thank you for your help when we inspected your school and to let you know what we found out. We spent time in some of your lessons and talked to some of you. We also looked at the work of the school and talked to many of the staff and some of the school governors. We were interested in what your parents and carers think of your school, and we enjoyed listening to what you had to say. The headteacher and staff at the school work hard to help you learn and enjoy school. The work of the school is good. These are some of the things it does particularly well. � The school looks after you very well and most of you are making good progress

in your learning. � Children in the Reception classes get off to a good start at school. � The way the school works with parents and carers is good. � The way you behave is good and you work and play well together. � You feel very safe at school and you know how to be healthy. � You have a good understanding of right and wrong, look after each other well

and help your school to be a happy and better place to play and learn. � The school provides you with lots of different, and exciting, things to do. Even in a good school, some things could be better. We have asked your teachers to make sure that, no matter which class you are in, all your lessons are not just good but better if possible. In addition, we have asked them to look at how they plan, carry out, and link the subjects in all your lessons to make sure they are as interesting as they can be. We also want them to learn from each other about how to make all of your lessons even better. In turn, you must all carry on listening carefully and take note of what your teachers say. Then you will all continue to make good progress in your learning. Yours sincerely David Marshall Lead inspector

APPENDIX 2

DIOCESE INSPECTION REPORTS

Primary Schools Southover CE Primary Salehurst CE Primary Staplecross Methodist Primary

Southover CE Primary School, Lewes

Diocese of Chichester Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools Inspection Report

Date of inspection: 11 November 2010 Name of inspector: Derek Bastide NS inspector’s number: 418 School address:

Potter’s Lane Lewes East Sussex BN7 1JP

Unique reference number: 114510 Status: Voluntary Controlled Number on roll: 317 Age range of pupils: 4 -11 LA: East Sussex Name of chair of governors: Carol Taplin Name of headteacher: Stephen Elliott Date of previous inspection: November 2007

The inspection of denominational education and collective worship in the school was carried out in accordance with Section 48 of the Education Act 2005

Summary judgement The distinctiveness and effectiveness of Southover CE Primary School, Lewes as a Church of England school are good. The school has long had a good reputation with parents for producing confident and well rounded pupils. Academic standards are high, pupils find their work exciting and standards of pupil behaviour are good. The report of the last Section 48 inspection found that, while all this is true, the school needed to re-establish its distinctive identity as a Church of England school. The impact of this report was considerable. Senior school leaders and governors looked again at the school’s Christian foundation. The result has been, to quote the foundation governors, a ‘seed change in relationships both within and with the church which has led to a shift in attitude.’ Grade: 2

Established strengths • A well established, close and productive relationship with the parish church • Excellent relationships across the school based on Christian values • Good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Focus for development • Review the mission and vision statement • Seek pupils’ views on Collective Worship • Consider establishing a mechanism such as an ethos subcommittee of the

governing body for overseeing those aspects of school life which relate directly to its Christian foundation

The school meets the statutory requirement for Collective Worship

Yes

Description of the school Southover CE Primary School is located in a prosperous residential area of Lewes, the county town of East Sussex. The pupils are mainly of white British origin though there are small numbers from ethnic minority and mixed race groups. Many of the pupils come from families with a high socio-economic background. Parents have high academic expectations of their children. In 1993, the school moved from its Victorian buildings into a building which had originally been the Girls’ Grammar school which it shares with a totally separate community school. The headteacher, for whom it is his second headship, has been in post for eighteen months.

The school, through its distinctive Christian character is good at meeting the needs of all its learners. Staff, governors, parents and pupils all agree that distinctive Christian values lie at the heart of the school’s life and these naturally have a strong impact upon the whole school community. The school prospectus highlights the uniqueness and preciousness of each individual. Parents praise the work of the staff. As one parent put it, ‘They love them for good or ill and look for every redeeming feature.’ Pupils too speak of caring, friendly teachers who have high expectations of them. Parents like the balance the school strikes between the academic and moral aspects of schooling. Pupils call it a happy school in which older pupils look out for younger pupils and where there is no bullying. Relationships at all levels throughout the school are very good, based on Christian values. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC) is good. Spiritual development is fostered not only in its traditional areas of Religious Education (RE) and Collective Worship but across the curriculum. Pupils, for example, described a lesson on autumn leaves which engendered for them excitement, delight and awe. Social and cultural awareness and good citizenship is enriched by a developing contact with two schools, one in England and the other in France. A contact with a third school, this one in Rwanda, is being established. RE contributes strongly here both in SMSC and also in preparing pupils for a multi-faith society. Governors are reviewing the school’s mission and vision statements to ensure that they express more accurately the situation in the school as it continues to embed its Christian values. Grade: 2 The impact of Collective Worship on the school community is good. Collective Worship is a very important part of the life of the school and an expression of the school’s basic Christian values. The daily act of worship follows weekly themes which largely focus on distinctive Christian values. The content and focus of Collective Worship is devised and developed by a planning team consisting of the headteacher, the rector, the curate and the youth minister; their expertise has considerably improved the quality of the pupils’ experience of Collective Worship. Furthermore all members of the planning team lead worship and this has broadened the pupils’ experience of different styles and types of worship. This is further enhanced by visitors who lead worship from time to time. Most pupils respond warmly to Collective Worship. They enter the hall calmly, listen intently and sing well. They appreciate the diversity of styles: ‘Every one has their favourite but they’re all good’ (Pupil). They like too the wider range of hymns and songs which has been introduced. Collective Worship is a very important vehicle for both spiritual and moral development (Focus point from the previous inspection). In two very different acts of worship observed, both on ‘Remembering’, one for Key Stage 1 and the other for Key Stage 2, there was a very strong spiritual element in each which provided a strong basis for reflection. Pupils were visibly moved by the occasion. Collective Worship is monitored by the Headteacher and Foundation Governors and pupils complete a centrally held ‘Collective Worship Review’ booklet on a weekly basis. Although the school does seek pupil attitudes formally on various issues, Collective Worship has not yet been one. Grade: 2

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the school as a church school is good. School leaders and governors have a clear view of how distinctive Christian values influence school life. School staff and governors all noted that these values had become increasingly strong since the last inspection and pointed to the Headteacher’s important role in this. Governors have worked closely with the Headteacher using the diocesan toolkit to evaluate the school as a church school with the intention of strengthening its role. (Focus point from the previous inspection). Support for this came from parents: in response to the question ’I would welcome a stronger Christian influence in the life of the school’ 92% of those who responded agreed. Parents noted approvingly the strengthening of the school as a church school. ‘Many of the parents did not choose the school because it is a church school. Now most are very pleased that it is because of the strength of its Christian values which certainly do have an impact on the children.’ (Parent) The previous inspection report suggested that the governors might set up an ethos subcommittee which would oversee and keep under review those aspects of the school which deal particularly with its church foundation. This recommendation is repeated here. There are very strong links with Southover Church. The clergy and the youth minister are very well known figures in the school. Key services throughout the year, such as Harvest and Christingle, are held in the church and on a number of Sundays in the year the school choir and orchestra lead worship in the church. These are supported very well by both pupils and parents. Pupils are also active in many charitable undertakings. The Headteacher and Governors are committed to the continuous professional development of all staff. Members of staff feel valued with their skills being recognised and used. The school has a very good track record of developing future leaders and headteachers in both Church and community schools. Grade: 2

Salehurst CE Primary School

Diocese of Chichester Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools Inspection Report

Date of inspection: 23 November 2010 Name of inspector: Allison Goodfellow NS inspector’s number: 504

George Hill Robertsbridge East Sussex TN32 5BJ

Unique reference number: 114521 Status: Voluntary Controlled Number on roll: 136 Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 LA: East Sussex Name of chair of governors: Melanie Powell Name of headteacher: Andrew McGregor Date of previous inspection: 31 October 2007


Salehurst CE Primary School: SIAS Inspection Report 2

Summary judgement The distinctiveness and effectiveness of Salehurst CE Primary School as a Church of England school are outstanding. There is a strong Christian ethos of care that is reflected in all areas of school life. The staff team, with very good support from the parish church and clergy, provide a relevant and appropriate education for all the pupils based on Christian principles. The headteacher, leadership team and governors have a strong Christian vision for school development and ensure that distinctive Christian values underpin every aspect of school life. The school’s commitment to its partnership school in Malawi and many other local, national and international appeals is outstanding and makes a very positive contribution to the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development of the pupils. Grade: 1 Established strengths • The commitment of the headteacher, staff and governors to a culture of on-going

improvement as a church school • The children’s understanding of Christian teaching and its relevance to their lives • The care and nurture of children as individuals and the Christian principles which

underpin relationships between children, staff and the wider community • The children’s understanding of Christian values globally through the work with

Katitima School in Malawi Focus for development • Enhance the school grounds so that they become a resource for the spiritual

development of the children The school meets the statutory requirement for Collective Worship Yes

Description of the school The school moved to its current site in Robertsbridge in 1988. The building includes seven classrooms, a library, hall, ICT suite and open, shared activity areas. The grounds are attractive and extensive with an environmental area, trim trails, raised beds for vegetables and other produce and facilities for sport throughout the year. The school is some distance from the parish church but pupils visit formally for special services and RE.


The school, through its distinctive Christian character is outstanding at meeting the needs of all its learners. A very strong spiritual ethos based on Christian values permeates the school, enabling all children to achieve well and to be nurtured in their individual gifts, regardless of their ability. The care, guidance and support given to pupils are outstanding. One parent said. ‘This is a caring school where the children learn to care for each other’. Differentiated teaching for children with special educational needs is thoughtfully and sensitively managed. Special arrangements for the more able pupils include master classes available from the cluster of local schools. Many children take advantage of the extra-curricular activities organised at the school. Consequently, the children enjoy school and feel that their achievements are valued. Christian displays in classrooms and around the school provide a focus for prayer and a celebration of achievement and special occasions. One child said, ‘Prayer is very important here.’ The children’s knowledge of Bible stories is also commendable.As a result, the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development of the children is outstanding and their behaviour is exemplary; they are kind and considerate to each other and unfailingly polite and confident when speaking to visitors. They feel safe and secure. Special children act as buddies at breaktimes, playing with lonely children or mediating in minor disputes; the children know that reconciliation and forgiveness are very important. Older children mentor the new entrant children before they start school which helps them to settle into school quickly. Staff know the children well. Excellent relationships are a strong feature of the school and contribute hugely to the Christian ethos of care and concern for others. The children have a very good understanding of our multi-ethnic world as a result of the school’s close links with their partner school in Katitima, Malawi. This has resulted in written friendships and enthusiastic fund-raising to build a teacher’s house. The children have also responded very positively to many other appeals.

Grade: 1 The impact of Collective Worship on the school community is outstanding. Collective Worship is central to the life and work of the school. Its place, at the start of the day, signifies its importance in influencing behaviour and attitudes. Worship is well planned and inclusive. The cycle for Collective Worship is regularly reviewed and revised. Often linked to the church’s calendar, special events and to a programme of Christian values, themes are developed effectively and sometimes over several weeks. Collective Worship, PSCHE and RE are sometimes linked so that the spiritual development and understanding of the children is deepened through work in a variety of settings. The children are able to describe ways in which worship has enabled them to make good decisions - about friendship issues for example - and to share these with trusted adults in school and at home. One child said, ‘we all get along’. The children, staff, governors and worship leaders are encouraged to evaluate worship through discussion and in written responses. Views are respected and ideas, wherever possible, are incorporated into the worship programme. The children enjoy worship when other children are involved. They are enthusiastic about learning new songs and sing well. They particularly enjoy the school’s puppet ministry. The children are learning a range of prayers, affirmations and responses from the Anglican tradition, which enhance worship in school and reinforce links between the school and the parish church. These links are strong and positive; the children know the local priest well and are familiar with the parish church of St Mary, which is used twice a year for special, child-focused worship. Grade: 1


The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the school as a church school is outstanding. The leadership and management of this church school are outstanding. The headteacher, leadership team and governors have a strong Christian vision for school development and ensure that distinctive Christian values underpin every aspect of school life. The headteacher has been unremitting in his intention to involve all stakeholders in the development of the school’s Christian ethos and practice. The establishment of a Spiritual Development Committee, consisting of foundation governors and clergy, the headteacher and members of staff, has unified the focus of the school and the parish. All stakeholders were involved in devising, reviewing and evaluating the school’s vision statement ‘Learning with God at our side’ - which strongly reflects the Christian ethos and the commitment of the staff and governors to lifelong learning. Governors know the school well. Tasks are shared between governors and the leadership team so that all feel involved and knowledgeable about school related matters; all contributions are valued. As a result, the leadership of this church school is strategic and forward-looking. Parents are keen to support aspects of the school’s work and many volunteer to help. Parents comment that the school has a special quality that enables all children to flourish. There is a strong pupil voice. Pupils are regularly consulted and their views valued and often acted upon. Consequently, children develop into confident individuals willing and able to contribute to school life. Recent improvements to the grounds, arising from suggestions from the children, are child-friendly and much appreciated by the pupils. Overall, the high quality of leadership and management provided by the headteacher, leadership team and governing body contributes significantly to the success of this church school. Grade: 1

Diocese of Chichester

Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools

Inspection Report

Name of school: Staplecross Methodist Primary School Address: Bodiam Road

Staplecross Robertsbridge East Sussex TN32 5QD

Name of inspector: Pat Lock NS inspector’s number: 194 Date of inspection: 9 December 2010


Staplecross Methodist Primary School: SIAS Inspection Report 2


Key for inspection grades

Type of school: Primary Unique reference number: 114531 Status: Voluntary Controlled Number on roll: 58 Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed LEA: East Sussex Name of chair of governors: Cathy Platten Name of headteacher: Liz Avard Date of previous inspection: December 2008 Description of the school Staplecross Methodist Primary School is a small village school which has 3 mixed age classes . It is a popular school and some pupils are drawn from a wider catchment area. The school is set in a quiet rural area and enjoys strong community links with the village and St Mark’s church. The school has recently added a new Early Years classroom and outdoor area. This has given them the opportunity to develop a well equipped ICT room and a much needed school hall. The buildings include a food technology area and library. Cross-curricular teaching is in place and enhanced by full use of the local area e.g. Woodlands topic, and the wider area which includes visits to places of educational interest. There are currently 10 pupils with special needs on the register.

1 Outstanding 2 Good 3 Satisfactory 4 Inadequate


Summary judgement Staplecross is an outstanding church school with a very strong Christian ethos that permeates all areas of school life. This has created an inclusive and nurturing environment in which all children thrive because they are valued and respected as an individual. Established strengths • The excellent quality of relationships between pupils, staff, governors and the local

community. • The excellent care, support and nurture that are given to all pupils which enables

them to flourish as learners. • The excellent Christian ethos that permeates throughout all school life, activities and

the curriculum. Focus for development • To develop a greater depth of understanding of other faiths. • To establish areas of reflection in the school that are appropriate to the Methodist

foundation of the school.


How well does the school, through its distinctive Christian character, meet the needs of all its learners? The school makes excellent provision for all the pupils. They are valued as individuals which gives them both confidence and raises self-esteem which makes a significant contribution to the success of all learners. Pupils and parents speak of a safe and secure environment where pupils are nurtured and cared for. For example, parents appreciate that worries or concerns are addressed immediately by the staff. Parents see the school as a large family and speak very highly of the Christian ethos that is seen through action and daily living within the school day. There is an excellent standard of behaviour from pupils who are keen to help and support each other. The older pupils enjoy being given some areas of responsibility and demonstrate a caring attitude to the younger pupils. Pupils are rewarded in class and in assembly with certificates and stars for the week. Golden Rules are displayed around the school as well as posters promoting respect. The pupils are polite, considerate and caring towards others. This is shown in the playground where there is a Buddy system and in the hall at lunchtime where monitors encourage good manners and courtesy. The excellent Christian character of the school is reflected through displays, for example, a display about a Christingle and its meaning. Understandably, there is not overt Christian symbolism around the building in accordance with the Methodist tradition, however, this should not prevent the school from developing some appropriate reflection areas inside the building. The RE syllabus has been adapted to include work on the Methodist Church in KS2 and pupils in the top class had recently completed work from a visit to Battle where they compared four churches of different denominations, including a Methodist building. This was an exemplary piece of work that encouraged the pupils to look for the meaning behind the different features found within each church. This has undoubtedly contributed to the pupil’s understanding of the school’s own Christian foundation. Pupils, on questioning, had little experience of children from other faiths or ethnic backgrounds and their knowledge of other faiths was limited. The school has excellent links with the local community and pupils are encouraged to consider the needs of others locally as well as further afield, such as supporting Water Aid, purchasing chickens for Cambodian families and linking to Mchepa School through Starfish Malawi. The School Council represents their peers well acts with both responsibility and confidence and are assured that the pupil voice counts. Grade: 1 What is the impact of Collective Worship on the school community? Daily Christian worship is at the heart of the school day and both inspires and challenges the pupils. It has been enhanced recently by having the use of a school hall. This has given an opportunity for parents to attend class assemblies and to share and participate with the pupils. Pupils are engaged in worship and there are high expectations of behaviour that provide a calm and reflective atmosphere. A pupil stated that all the staff know the names of all the children, and in worship this enables a friendly interaction to take place that is inclusive. The pupils listen well to music and they participate with enthusiasm in a range of songs and hymns that embrace both traditional and modern. Planning for Collective Worship is thorough with set themes for each term. This allows space to include major Festivals and events of the church calendar. Teaching staff regularly lead the worship and each class leads once a term when parents are invited to attend. There is an excellent system of evaluation in place which includes staff, pupils and governors. This informs future planning and has led to more creative worship. The


development of evaluations has addressed a key issue in the school’s previous report and now contributes significantly to the standard and variety of Collective Worship provided. There is not a Methodist Church in the village so the school’s links are through the local Methodist circuit. However, there are strong links with St Mark’s CE Church in the village and the pupils have services in St Mark’s at special times in the year. Both the circuit Superintendent minister and the local vicar lead Collective Worship regularly in school. This support from both clergy helps to maintain the Methodist foundation whilst enhancing the spiritual development of the pupils through a wider knowledge of the Christian church. This is managed by the headteacher with both sensitivity and respect. The Nativity Service is a seasonal highlight and the whole community is invited to attend. This is held in the village hall as it is the only building large enough to accommodate the numbers. The visit of a theatre group to the school was hugely successful when the Easter Story was performed. Pupils in the top class spoke of how this had helped them to understand the events leading up to the cross. Younger pupils spoke of how this had made them feel and how uncomfortable it was to be one of the crowd. Pupils are proud to write their own prayers for lunchtime and to use a different prayer for Grace each day. Grade: 1 How effective are the leadership and management of the school as a Church school? The leadership and management of the school as a Church school is excellent. The headteacher demonstrates excellent leadership skills and has developed a staff team that feel valued and respected whatever their role in the school community. Parents spoke warmly of her nurturing personality and how they are made to feel welcome in the school. They also spoke of pupils having a very strong sense of belonging to both the school and the village community. The headteacher has a strong vision for the school which is shared with all stakeholders and embeds school life within Christian values. The school vision statement is displayed in all school areas and is regularly discussed with governors, parents and pupils. The governors have a very good overview of the school and there is a strong commitment to the school. Foundation governors are strongly involved with the school and visit regularly. The standard of monitoring by governors is excellent and they are effective in monitoring the distinctiveness and effectiveness of the Christian ethos and Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development. The Methodist Superintendent minister has responsibility for monitoring Collective Worship and reporting to governors. Recent monitoring involved observation of worship and speaking to the pupils. Parents are given questionnaires regularly and their views taken into account. Recent changes in staffing have given the school the opportunity to improve and to set a consistent standard and vision for the school which is inclusive. Staff are confident in developing the school’s Christian ethos and they work as a very effective, friendly team. This has contributed to the excellent relationships found at all levels within the school community. The continued improvement of the Christian ethos of the school is part of the School Development Plan and the school’s self-evaluation through the Toolkit identifies areas for improvement in line with the findings of this inspection. Grade: 1 The school meets the statutory requirement for Collective Worship Yes

Admissions to schools in 2009/10 - Meetings, agendas, and ...

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