Inspection Report

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector.

Description of the school

This is a small school set in a pleasant location and drawing pupils from a wide geographical area. The vast majority of the pupils come from a white British background. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. The school holds Basic Skills Quality Mark status and is a healthy eating school.

Key for inspection grades

1 Outstanding

2 Good

3 Satisfactory

4 Inadequate

Overall effectiveness of the school

Luddendenfoot is a good and steadily improving school that provides good value for money and has a good capacity to improve even further. This generally matches the school's view and reflects the accuracy of the school's knowledge of itself. However, inspectors judge that pupils' personal development and the care, support and guidance they receive is good, not outstanding as assessed by the school.

Quality and standards in the Foundation Stage are satisfactory and the school is working to bring achievement in this area up to that of the rest of the school. Pupils make good progress by the time they leave in Year 6, having reached average standards from a below average starting point. This is because of good teaching and care for their personal development. Standards have improved continually since 2003 due to a sharp focus from the leadership team on raising standards and achievement. There has been good improvement since the previous inspection. Parents value the school, although some expressed worries about staffing instability in the mixed Reception and Year 1 class. The school is aware of this and is managing it effectively. The headteacher and governors are committed to driving up standards and are supported in this goal by equally committed and dedicated staff. The pupils are well cared for and are able to take advantage of a wide range of extra activities that they enjoy hugely. They are welcoming and polite to visitors and care for each other with respect and tolerance. Not all pupils are aware of how they are doing in their work or what to do about improving it; although the tracking of individual pupils' progress is much improved, there are some inconsistencies between classes.

Grade: 2

What the school should do to improve further

Improve the progress made by children in the Foundation Stage to that of the achievement made by pupils in the rest of the school.

Use assessment data to track individual pupils' progress more consistently in classes and share that information with pupils so they are aware of how they are doing in their work and what they need to do in order to improve it.

Achievement and standards

Achievement and standards are good overall. Children enter the school with below average standards and they progress satisfactorily in the Foundation Stage, though standards are still below average when children enter Year 1. Standards improve to slightly above average by the time pupils reach the end of Year 2 and Year 6, and their achievement is good. The school and the parents are conscious that there has been a period of turbulence in the Foundation Stage because of staffing instability and children have lost some continuity in their learning. This has been managed effectively and consequently children make expected gains in their learning but not the good progress seen in the rest of the school. Pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities are effectively supported at this early stage and make similar progress to that of the other children.

Pupils make good progress in English, mathematics and science because of the good teaching and care that they receive. Standards overall reflect steady improvement over the past three years. Although broadly average, pupils' standards in mathematics are not quite as high as those in reading and writing. However, pupils' progress is a significant strength because their skills in numeracy were not as strong as those in literacy when pupils entered the school. Pupils who have particular learning difficulties and/or disabilities also make good progress because they are well supported and challenged. Pupils are on course to meet this year's challenging targets.

Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Pupils say they like the school and their teachers. Their behaviour and attitudes are good and they enjoy lessons. Members of the school council take their responsibilities seriously and they have been responsible for the recent order of extra playground equipment. Pupils and staff act as befrienders so that all pupils feel cared for and involved. They know how to keep healthy and safe and who to turn to if there is a need. Pupils' attendance is in line with the national average and the school works closely with parents and external agencies to promote this. Parents and pupils are keen to attend the outstanding assemblies. The skills demonstrated at one assembly by the Reception and Year 1 class, linked to a visit to the circus, were met with supportive and genuine applause from the pupils and parents. The pupils' spirituality is very well developed as they reflect and think during the daily act of collective worship. Among other things, international links, outside visits, circle and golden time, provide good opportunities for social, cultural and moral development. Pupils are prolific fundraisers and make a good contribution to the community.

Grade: 2

Quality of provision

Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good and leads to pupils making good progress. Relationships between teachers and pupils are positive and caring. The pupils' attitudes and behaviour are good because they are respected and encouraged. Lessons are well planned and supported to meet the needs of the pupils with a range of attainment. The teachers are keen and knowledgeable and pupils respond enthusiastically. In a mathematics lesson in class 4, for example, pupils worked with gusto, they knew exactly what they were doing and why, and they explained what they had learned with pride. This was because the lesson was well planned, the content related to the pupils and there was ample opportunity for them to be involved in a variety of interesting activities. Occasionally, pupils are not secure about what they are supposed to do, because it is insufficiently explained and they become frustrated. When this happens the pupils are less attentive and focused on work. Learning support staff provide good support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities who generally make good progress. Overall, work is regularly marked and celebrated, although some pupils are not aware of how they are doing and what they need to do in order to improve their work. There are some gaps in learning and record keeping in the mixed Reception and Year 1 class.

Grade: 2

Curriculum and other activities

The curriculum is good; it is well matched to the needs of the pupils and meets national requirements. The school has accurately identified the need for a strong emphasis on the core subjects and this has contributed to the steady improvement in standards in English and mathematics. More opportunities for problem-solving in mathematics are in place and current progress indicates further improvement in standards. The school is effectively managing the curriculum in the Foundation Stage so that it is flexible enough to be adapted for temporary staff. Improved resources have contributed to good provision for the development of information and communication technology (ICT) skills. The school holds the basic skills quality mark and is recognised as a healthy eating school. Themed weeks, for instance arts week, promote healthy lifestyles and develop self-esteem. A good range of extra-curricular experiences including sport, the arts, visits and booster classes enriches pupils' learning.

Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support

Care, guidance and support for the pupils are good. This is a caring school that provides a happy and secure environment. A good level of care is reflected in the thoroughness of the health and safety checks. Risk assessments are in place and all staff understand child protection procedures. Vulnerable pupils are quickly identified and supported and the school works successfully with outside agencies to help them. Pupils are confident that there is always an adult on hand to ease any problem or anxiety which they may have. Parents agree that this is a safe place for their children to be. Staff know the pupils well and academic and social development is generally monitored effectively and supports good progress. Nevertheless, there is some inconsistency between classes in the use made of assessments and some pupils are not as clear about how they are doing in their work or what they need to do in order to advance to the next stage in their learning.

Grade: 2

Leadership and management

Leadership and management are good and help the pupils to make good progress. The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide strong, clear leadership that has been successful in improving the school. Much work has been put into improving the overall quality of teaching and learning, particularly by a rigorous system of monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning. This has succeeded in driving up standards year on year for the past three years. However, some parents have concerns about their children's progress in the mixed Reception and Year 1 class because of periods of temporary staffing. This is recognised by the school and is a focus for improvement. Considerable work has been done to improve pupils' ICT skills through careful planning and improved resources, and pupils are very appreciative of the new laptops and the large plasma screen. Parents are involved in their children's learning and responses to questionnaires show strong support for the school. Good use is made of links with other agencies to enhance the school's provision. The senior leadership team and the governing body have a good grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Self-evaluation is firmly based on systematic monitoring of quality and performance in all aspects of the school's work. However, the use made of assessments by teachers to help pupils improve varies in quality. The school improvement plan focuses sharply on pupils' needs and sets a clear direction for the school's continued improvement. Governance is good: governors are well informed and able to hold the school rigorously to account for its performance. Consequently, there is good capacity to improve even further.

Grade: 2

Annex A

Inspection judgements

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate School Overall 16-19 Overall effectiveness Achievement and standards Personal development and well-being The quality of provision Leadership and management

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners?	2	NA
How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being?	2	NA
The quality and standards in foundation stage	3	NA
The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation	2	NA
The capacity to make any necessary improvements	Yes	NA
Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection	Yes	NA
How well do learners achieve?	2	NA
The standards1 reached by learners	2	NA
How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners	2	NA
How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress	2	NA
1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.
How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners?	2	NA
The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development	2	NA
The behaviour of learners	2	NA
The attendance of learners	3	NA
How well learners enjoy their education	2	NA
The extent to which learners adopt safe practices	2	NA
The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles	2	NA
The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community	2	NA
How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being	2	NA
How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs?	2	NA
How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners?	2	NA
How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?	2	NA
How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners?	2	NA
How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education	2	NA
How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review	2	NA
How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can	2	NA
How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money	2	NA
The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities	2	NA
The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected	Yes	NA

The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe The extent to which learners make a positive contribution The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily	Yes
Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise	Yes
Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse	Yes
Learners are educated about sexual health	Yes
Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements	Yes
Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place	Yes
Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism	Yes
Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them	Yes
Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships	Yes
Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them	Yes
Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community	Yes
There is provision to promote learners' basic skills	Yes
Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams	Yes
Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form	NA
Education for all learners aged 14-19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy	NA

Annex B

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming me to your school, you were very friendly and looked after me well. I would like to share with you what I thought of your school.

- You really like being at Luddendenfoot and your parents and people in the community value the school highly.

- You work hard and make good progress.

- I think your behaviour and attitudes are good because of the way you look after each other, work so hard in lessons and care about people.

- I think that you act very responsibly and your teachers act upon your suggestions, for example ordering new playground equipment.

- You enjoy your lessons and you learn well because teaching is good.

- Your headteacher, teachers and support staff work very hard and want to make the school even better.

I have asked your school to:

- improve the progress made by children in the Foundation Stage so that it matches the good progress made by pupils in the other classes.

- improve the marking and recording of your work so that you know how you are getting on and what you should do to make it better.