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INSPECTION REPORT ON |
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Vernon Lodge Preparatory School |
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Full Name of the School |
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DfES Number |
860/6021 |
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Registered Charity Number |
N/A |
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Address |
School
Lane, Stretton, Staffordshire, ST19 9LJ. |
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Telephone Number |
01902
850568 |
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Fax Number |
01902
850568 |
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Email Address |
info@vernonlodge.co.uk |
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Headteacher |
Mrs
P Sills |
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Proprietor |
Mrs
P Lodge |
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2
to 11 years |
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Gender |
Co-Educational |
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Inspection Dates |
30th
April to 3rd May 2007 |
This inspection report follows the framework laid down by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). The inspection was carried out under the arrangements of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Associations for the maintenance and improvement of the quality of their membership. It was also carried out under Section 162A(1)(b) of the Education Act 2002, as amended by the Education Act 2005, under the provisions of which the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has accredited ISI as the body approved for the purpose of inspecting schools belonging to ISC Associations and reporting on compliance with the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003.
The inspection does not examine the financial viability of the school or investigate its accounting procedures. The inspectors check the school’s health and safety procedures and comment on any significant hazards they encounter: they do not carry out an exhaustive health and safety examination. Their inspection of the premises is from an educational perspective and does not include in-depth examination of the structural condition of the school, its services or other physical features.
1.1
1.2 As in 2001, the school is privately owned. As principal, the proprietor plays a key financial and administrative role in the school, leaving the headteacher authority to operate all educational and pastoral matters. The proprietor and the headmistress are the same as at the time of the last inspection in 2001.
1.3 Information for parents describes the school as “a small, caring family school in which everyone works together: staff with pupils and older with younger pupils. Children are nurtured and happy, and can thrive no matter what their abilities and needs.” The aims set out in the prospectus are:-
· “To provide a secure and stimulating environment in which pupils are encouraged and challenged to fulfil their potential both academically and physically, so that they gain an appreciation of the world in which they live;
· “To ensure the school atmosphere is such that pupils learn to live amicably together, gaining a keen awareness of others, their feelings and needs, so that they begin to build a reasoned set of attitudes, values and beliefs, based on Christian principles;
· “To respect each pupil as a valued individual and to imbue feelings of confidence, independence and self-esteem;
· “To promote kindness and courtesy and to make second nature the social graces, manners and standards of behaviour which create a favourable impression on others;
· “To liaise with parents, enlisting their co-operation and interest, in order to create a happy partnership together in trust;
· “To prepare each pupil for the next stage in education, taking into careful consideration individual abilities, aptitudes, personalities and needs;
· “A committed and enthusiastic staff of qualified teachers ensures that each child receives maximum individual attention.”
1.4
At the school there are 79
full-time and 14 part-time pupils, 13 full-time and 14 part-time under 5 years
of age and 66 from
1.5 The school is not selective, beyond interviewing pupils to ascertain their ability to access the curriculum. From the standardised tests used by the school the range of ability and its distribution fluctuates from year to year. Overall, it is regularly above the national average, including some very able pupils and some in need of support. The school has two pupils with statements of special educational need (SEN), and a further 7, identified as having learning difficulties or disabilities (LDD). If pupils fulfil their potential, the school’s National Curriculum test results will be above the average for all maintained primary schools. Pupils can be expected to go on to a range of secondary schools, including local maintained and independent selective schools with selective entry.
1.6 National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school. The year group nomenclature used by the school and its National Curriculum (NC) equivalence are shown in the following table.
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School |
NC name |
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Kindergarten |
Nursery |
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Lower Prep |
Reception |
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Class 1 to 6 |
Years 1 to 6 |
The Educational Experience Provided
2.1
The school provides its pupils
with a good all-round education, which meets its aim of developing “the whole
chi
2.2 The Foundation Stage is taught in accordance with the six Early Learning Goals. The academic curriculum for pupils over five follows a broad and balanced outline of the National Curriculum, together with religious education (RE), French and personal, social and health education (PSHE), including the TOPS course. It gives special weight to literacy and numeracy, which take up most of each morning, and places strong emphasis on physical education (PE) and especially on competitive sports. Some opportunities for design technology are provided within the art programme but with varying attention in different years. The school has already recognised this and is considering how to develop this area of the curriculum further. ICT now has separately timetabled lessons in every year.
2.3
The curriculum is enhanced by a
good range of activities for such a small school. A high proportion of pupils are involved in
competitive sports or in the performing arts clubs on offer. Chess is played seriously and competitively
by many of the pupils. All pupils
benefit from the option of a residential visit in Years 4, 5 and 6 and may go
on a residential visit to
2.4 The school takes great care to advise parents of schools suited to the aptitudes and temperaments of each individual pupil and conscientiously prepares its pupils to secure success in their applications to senior schools. The curriculum equips its pupils very effectively with the skills and attitudes needed for secondary study.
2.5
The planning for the Foundation
Stage is meticulous and that for English, mathematics, ICT and PE are
good. For all subjects the content and
progression are clearly outlined and all teachers have to submit their weekly
plans to the
2.6 The curriculum is well differentiated and provides access to pupils of all aptitudes and abilities. Many of the schemes of work, though not yet all, provide for the separate identification of activities for pupils of high, middle and lower ability. The simultaneous timetabling of literacy and numeracy has permitted flexible grouping of pupils, including, occasionally, moving a struggling pupil to a lower year group for one or both of these subjects. The school provides for equality of access through its policy for SEN and LDD. Pupils are carefully assessed and class teachers are provided with guidance and training in how to support individuals by the headteacher, as special needs co-ordinator. Parents can obtain and pay for private individual tuition through the school. Otherwise, the system is informal and works effectively because, in the small classes, teachers are sensitive to the individual needs of their children and cater for them well. The one pupil who does not speak English at home is similarly being helped effectively in the early years department.
2.7 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the curriculum [Standard 1].
Pupils’ Learning and Achievements
2.8 The children of Vernon Lodge Prep leave the school as well educated and well rounded young people, ready to take full advantage of their secondary schooling. Children of all abilities achieve well, in line with the school’s aims and with the standards reported in 2001. It is an engaging characteristic of this school that it ensures that every child, of whatever ability academically, achieves something worthy of note, whether through sport, through the performing arts or simply by being, in one case, an exceptionally useful and helpful member of the community. Talent, whatever form it takes, is recognised and encouraged.
2.9
Foundation Stage pupils make
rapid progress in all the Early Learning Goals and are well into Level 1 of the
National Curriculum programmes of study by the end of this stage. Their learning benefits from first-hand
experiences, as when chi
2.10 In the best lessons, pupils deepened their understanding through reflection or analysis and thought for themselves. Pupils in Year 6, having showed their recollection of Blake’s poem ‘The School Boy’, by reconstructing it, went on to show understanding and originality by composing versions of their own. In the satisfactory lessons, they do not have the same opportunity to demonstrate their creative and critical powers and the work they produce, while appropriate for the various abilities, lacks penetration and flair. In sport many show both well developed skills and tactical sense. Some bring with them skills acquired at local sports clubs, but the teachers have the skills to help them to hone and develop them.
2.11 As at the last inspection, less able pupils and LDD pupils, with support from their teachers, make as good progress for their abilities as their peers. For example, in the lesson on circles already mentioned, five pupils had been identified in the teacher’s plans for special support and were helped to make good progress. In the Foundation Stage a pupil with English as an additional language was helped to make choices by having a choice board in his home tongue. SEN pupils were making good progress and were gaining in confidence, because of the well-informed individual attention they received from their teachers.
2.12 Results in National Curriculum tests over the past three years have been well above the national average for all maintained primary schools and are therefore good in relation to these pupils’ abilities. Girls are outperforming boys by significantly more than the national average, suggesting that there is room for further improvement for the boys, even though there was no evidence in the lessons observed or in the work examined of a significant difference in this respect.
2.13
Their achievements are
complemented by a wide range of other successes. These include gold, silver and bronze awards
in the Primary Maths Challenge, success for sports teams against local schools,
often with more pupils to choose from than Vernon Lodge, and with individual
achievements at the
2.14 The pupils throughout the school are excellent students. They work hard and enthusiastically. They listen to the teachers and wait patiently for turns. They show confidence in their willingness to ask questions, though they rarely go so far as to challenge their teachers or each other in debate. They discuss their work with other pupils with maturity and co-operate and help each other well in groups.
2.15
Pupils are highly articulate
and express themselves effectively both orally and in writing. Their writing is at times vivid, as when one
pupil wrote of an evidently somnolent grandparent that: “she thinks that her chair is a sleeping
machine.” For example, they demonstrate
a good scientific vocabulary and the ability to apply it in their written
work. They produce an appropriate
quantity of written work, although there are relatively few examples of
extended or sustained writing either in English or in humanities or
science. In some years, presentation and
handwriting are not as good as they shou
2.16 The extent to which pupils carry out independent study varies from year to year. In Year 2, pupils had produced interesting and well-organised projects at home, based on their reading of Roald Dahl. In discussion, pupils can argue and reason, though little evidence of formal argumentation was found in their writing. In the TOPS programme, for example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 were able to argue the merits and demerits of proposed laws about the welfare of children to good effect, drawing upon a good general knowledge of current issues about the safety of children.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of Pupils
2.17 The personal development of the pupils is an outstanding feature of the school and represents an improvement since the last inspection. This is because the staff of the school are devoted to the school’s stated aims, “…to imbue feelings of confidence, independence and self esteem” and “to ensure that the school atmosphere is such that pupils learn to live amicably together gaining an awareness of others, their feelings and needs, so that they begin to build a reasoned set of attitudes, values and beliefs based on Christian principles.”
2.18 Pupils demonstrate an outstanding spiritual awareness. The school has a Christian ethos and welcomes all faiths. Pupils pray thoughtfully in assemblies and at the end of the school day. Through the celebration of different religious festivals and the teaching of various religions in RE, their writing shows an appreciation in of belief. Every aspect of school life enables pupils to develop an appreciation of their own and others’ feelings and needs. The pupils at Vernon Lodge show themselves to be considerate members of their community. Coupled with this, assemblies that involve performances make a significant contribution to the pupils’ self-esteem and self-confidence. This was so effectively shown during the inspection when Year 6 and some friends took to the stage to present an assembly on “The 1960’s”. The strong sense of community spirit was tangible at this assembly.
2.19
Pupils develop a strong moral
sense, in their ability to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the
law. Parents indicated strong approval
of the values and attitudes promoted by the school. Pupils’ moral development is outstanding and
they are imbued with a strong sense of what is right and wrong from the
teaching and from the example set by their teachers. They show effective self-control and
tolerance of others. They freely express
their views about what is fair and unfair and have a respect for the feelings
of others. Expectations are made clear
and behaviour is excellent; this is rewarded along with courtesy and good
manners and such acknowledgement urges pupils to emulate best practice. The o
2.20 The outstanding social development of the pupils is evident from the lively and orderly life of the school. Pupils respond well to opportunities to accept responsibility. The older pupils act as house captains and there are monitors throughout the school. Virtually every pupil has some responsibility, however small, and takes a pride in carrying it out conscientiously. Pupils who hold important posts of responsibility, such as prefects and house or team captains, are diligent and seek to improve the school environment for all those concerned. Pupils are keen to help each other. Older pupils regularly support those lower down the school. The pupils show awareness of the need to care for their environment. The co-operation of the pupils during lesson times was exemplary. On many occasions the more able were seen to help the less able pupils and pupils discussed work, where appropriate, with a neighbour without the need to be supervised. On the sports field also, they show the capacity to listen patiently to instruction, pass the ball to others and wait their turns. The strong links with the local church and the village community help the pupils to see how they can make a valuable contribution to community life. Above all, the pupils are excellent ambassadors for the school in their confidence and in their unfailing good manners and courtesy. “I’m sorry to interrupt,” said one Year 2 pupil, after knocking at the school office door and putting his head in, “but my teacher asked me to give you this piece of work”.
2.21 Pupils show a well-developed cultural awareness. At a class level some pupils were able to look closely into Chinese life. The pupils studied cultural, geographical and artistic aspects as well as the country’s wildlife when working through their topic, and even the technology of flight by constructing Chinese kites. Pupils are also made aware of aspects of Christian celebration by the observance of key events throughout the school year, such as the celebration of harvest in the village and the Easter service. They understand the diversity of culture and faith through learning about and celebrating important festivals from other world religions, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish. Indeed in one class pupils were exploring the arts and beliefs of aboriginal Australians. Pupils are aware of and interested in each other’s backgrounds. The prominence that the school gives to celebrating cultural events from different religions helps to deepen the pupils’ understanding of the world in which they live. Their participation in local festivals and competitions of music and drama, as well as their opportunities within the school, enable them to develop a good cultural understanding.
2.22 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils [Standard 2].
The Quality of Teaching (Including Assessment)
2.23 As at the last inspection, the quality of teaching is good. Teachers without exception cater well for individual needs. They plan their lessons thoroughly, building in plans for the needs of pupils of different levels of ability. They organise their pupils in a variety of ways and use time and resources effectively, with the exception of ICT, which is yet to be used as fully as it could as part of pupils’ studies outside the specialist lessons themselves. Teachers engage and motivate their pupils and ensure that pupils are able to enjoy as well as apply themselves. They are very effective at preparing their pupils for the entrance examinations they take for their secondary schools, being familiar with the requirements and careful to make sure that their pupils do as well as they can.
2.24
Good use is made of specialist
teaching for o
2.25
In the good lessons chi
2.26 Teachers know their pupils well. They are aware of their potential and difficulties and cater individually for these, adjusting their plans accordingly, as both pupils and parents agree in their responses to the pre-inspection survey. They mark and correct pupils’ work and assess it carefully, usually in accordance with school policy, though in some books comments were sketchy or superficial. Targets are set and evaluated for all pupils across all subjects. These are included in pupils’ homework diaries, so that their parents can see them. Pupils are aware of what they are and find them helpful, although those for academically strong pupils are not always as challenging or interesting as they could be. In the best cases, teachers suggested further reading or a higher challenge, a practice which other teachers could usefully emulate.
2.27 Since the last inspection the school has established good arrangements for regular assessment of children through Stepping Stones and then the National Curriculum tests. They also use standardised reading, spelling and intelligence tests to evaluate and track potential and achievement. However, insufficient attention is paid to improving the quality of handwriting.
2.28
The support and encouragement
provided for pupils with SEN and LDD is a strong feature of the teaching, as it
was at the last inspection. This system
is informal and rests on careful assessment and guidance from the
2.29 The school meets the regulatory requirements for teaching [Standard 1].
3. THE QUALITY OF CARE AND RELATIONSHIPS
The Quality of Pastoral Care, and the Welfare, Health and Safety of Pupils
3.1 The quality of pastoral care is outstanding and is even better than it was in 2001. The school’s measures for health and safety are also outstanding and those to reduce risk are good. The arrangements to secure the welfare of pupils are adequate. In most respects the arrangements for the welfare, health and safety of the children in the school are as good as they were at the last inspection, with the exception that the school has not fully kept pace with developments in guidance since 2004.
3.2 The support and consideration that all teaching and non-teaching staff devote to the children, are a strong feature of the school. The high quality of relationships and the caring and friendly atmosphere that prevail throughout the school, are fully in keeping with its aim of providing an atmosphere in which pupils learn to live amicably together. Pupils get on well with each other as well as with adults.
3.3 The pastoral arrangements are straightforward and effective, relying on clear principles and depending in the first place on the class teachers, under the oversight of the headteacher. Pupils show confidence in the staff and overwhelmingly indicated, in their responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire, their belief that staff cared if they were happy. Teachers and the headteacher are readily accessible to pupils. Pupils are encouraged to come to see the headteacher at break times if they wish. As a result of their approachability, staff know their pupils very well and communicate well with their parents. They are supported in this by clear procedures and policies which provide guidance for pupils and parents.
3.4 Pupils of all ages mix well together, showing respect for one another and for staff. This is evident both in the way they work together in class and in their play. They take an evident pride in their school and in one another’s achievements. This was evident during the achievement assembly. They take a pride also in the successes of their two houses, Robins and Nightingales, and in the opportunities they afford to work together in competitive spirit. The policy for minimising bullying is appropriate and effective. Pupils said they were confident that the occurrence is rare and that it is dealt with effectively by staff.
3.5 Measures to promote good discipline and behaviour are clear and understood, relying on simple principles and the example of the staff. Reward is the main spur to good conduct and pupils are keen to accumulate house points and enjoy being entered into the Golden Book, in which kindness and courtesy are applauded no less than hard work or academic success. Sanctions for misdemeanours are by comparison little used but are reasonable and pupils feel they are fairly applied. Entry into the Disappointing Book is rare and exclusion has not taken place for some time. Perhaps for this reason the school has not written down its policy for dealing with serious misdemeanours.
3.6
The arrangements for promoting
and safeguarding the welfare, health and safety are in most respects thorough
and effective. The school has in place
most of the required chi
3.7 Measures to ensure the health and safety of the pupils are meticulous. All necessary measures have been taken to minimise the risk of fire. Fire drills are regularly carried out and thoroughly recorded. Any shortcomings are noted and followed up on the next occasion. Activities both within and away from the school are carefully assessed for risk and appropriately reviewed. The health and safety committee, consisting of the proprietor and the site manager, pays due attention to all aspects of safety and has improved measures since the last inspection. Pupils are properly and effectively supervised.
3.8 The school has a suitable number of trained first–aiders. The first aid policy is clear but provides only limited guidance to staff. Records are kept accurately. The school does not provide cooked meals. Pupils bring their own packed lunches to eat in their classrooms. Satisfactory supervision is provided for this. The meals themselves are civilised occasions.
3.9 The school maintains appropriate records of admissions and attendance. Attendance is good, with no unauthorised absence. The small number of deficiencies noted during pre-inspection visiting had been corrected by the week of the inspection. The school also complies with its duties under the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act. There are ramps to most classes, and in the event of a child with impaired mobility being in the Year 6 classroom upstairs, the school has relocated the classes.
3.10 The school meets most of the regulatory requirements for the welfare, health and safety of pupils [Standard 3]. In order to meet all the requirements, school must:
(a)
include in the chi
(b) include in the policy on behaviour, procedures for dealing with serious misdemeanours and maintain a record of any that occur [Regulation 3.(2)(d) and Regulation 3.(8)];
(c) provide more detailed guidance to staff on first-aid procedures [Regulation 3.(6)].
The Quality of Links with Parents and the Community
3.11 The links with parents and the community at Vernon Lodge are strong and pupils benefit from these. In this respect, the good quality recognised at the previous inspection has been sustained and supports the school’s aims: “to liaise with parents, enlisting their co-operation and interest, in order to create a happy partnership working together in trust,” so that the pupils can, “gain an appreciation of the world in which they live.”
3.12 Parents are satisfied with the education and support provided for their children, many strongly so. The responses to the questionnaires show that they think highly of the school, its headteacher and teachers. They are particularly appreciative of the help given to their children, the range of subjects offered, the information they receive and the help and guidance their children receive. Almost all agree, many strongly, that the school promotes worthwhile attitudes and values. A small minority felt that the school did not provide a good range of extra curricular activities. The inspection team felt that the range and quality of activities in relation to its size and its pupil numbers were good, even though the range is inevitably not as great as might be expected in a significantly larger school.
3.13
Parents have ample
opportunities to be involved in activities in the school and in the work and
progress of their chi
3.14 Parents are provided with satisfactory information about the school in most respects and receive clear and useful reports about their children’s work and progress. School publications are of a good standard and project an accurate and positive image of the school. Monthly newsletters and a useful website help to keep parents informed. School reports, which are sent twice each year, are informative and the constructive comments enable parents to know what has been learnt and where areas for improvement exist. Parents’ evenings take place each term.
3.15 The school provides parents with a range of information about the school, its ethos, its staff and curriculum. Parents are not yet provided with information about the school’s policies for safer recruitment or for handling serious misdemeanours by pupils. Since the pre-inspection visit, the school has reviewed the information sent to parents and a new class welcome letter will begin in September, together with full information about school policies. Notice boards around the school also provide a source of additional information about events which parents may attend or to which they may wish to contribute.
3.16 The school handles the concerns of parents with due care. It follows a suitable complaints policy and procedure. Parents are now aware of the appropriate policy and associated procedures, which have never been invoked.
3.17
The school promotes positive
links with the wider community. The
school is justifiably proud of its links with the village community of
Stretton. It regularly uses the parish church
for its services. Pupils have also
visited Stretton Hall for pond dipping and historical study. Pupils also enter the
3.18
The pupils make good use of the
wider community with visits to places of interest in connection with their
topic work. They also take part in music
and choral speaking festivals as well as competing in sporting events, making
good use of the provision provided by the
3.19 The school meets almost all of the regulatory requirements for the provision of information [Standard 6] and for the manner in which complaints are to be handled [Standard 7]. In order to meet all the requirements, the school must:
(a)
provide parents with particulars
of the school’s policies for chi
4. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
4.1 The governance of Vernon Lodge has some strengths and some weaknesses. As at the last inspection, the respective roles of proprietor and headteacher are clearly delineated and the proprietor strikes a good balance between support, challenge and oversight. The proprietor has an excellent knowledge of the school and of its staff, working in the school on at least one day and often more every week. Consequently, she knows the staff very well and is able to work closely with the headteacher, to whom, nevertheless, she leaves full academic and pastoral authority. The proprietor plays a strong role in constructing the development plan and was instrumental in the introduction of the successful TOPS course.
4.2
Formal meetings are he
4.3 Moreover, the absence of outside individuals able to bring diverse expertise and objectivity to discussions, coupled with the lack of a senior management tier within the school itself, has meant that the headteacher and proprietor have come to constitute the de facto senior management team. This in turn blurs the distinction between governance and management, where the proprietor needs to be able to stand back and oversee, without direct executive involvement.
The Quality of Leadership and Management
4.4 As with governance, so the leadership and management have both strengths and weaknesses. Essentially, the school is led and managed by the headteacher, with support from a senior teacher. The headteacher delegates subject co-ordination roles to a variety of staff, of whom some have responsibility for as many as three subjects. The lack of a senior management team places the task of education and pastoral leadership and management almost entirely on the headteacher alone. The headteacher’s style of leadership and management is informal and personal, involving herself directly with pupils, staff and parents. This style is a key factor in the strengths the school has and especially in the ethos and relationships and in the school’s ability to cater for each individual. However, some of the more formal aspects of management, such as the setting and monitoring of programmes of study, are fully covered, while others, such as appraisal, are by comparison under-represented.
4.5 As reported in 2001, leadership continues to be effective in supporting staff and in maintaining and developing the ethos and educational standards. The head, with the help of all staff, has maintained the strong confidence of parents and indeed of the children, upon whose needs the management is entirely focussed. Many educational improvements have been made since 2001. These include, for example, better standards and planning in ICT and PE, improvements in the assessment of pupils, further development of the high quality provision for the Foundation Stage and planned provision for the more able.
4.6 Relationships with staff at all levels are good. Responsibilities are not clearly defined in formal job descriptions and, though there have been appraisals, these have consisted of self-assessment and interviews, the outcomes of which are unrecorded. Many teachers do their best to co-ordinate their subjects, and much is achieved through personal contact and the flexible use of time. However, in areas such as welfare, health and safety, mentioned already, there has been insufficient attention to detail and insufficient guidance for staff.
4.7 The school has been able to recruit and retain good quality staff in numbers that allow children very personal attention, just as the prospectus claims. The headteacher has embarked upon the required on-line course in safer recruitment and has begun to implement the DfES guidance. All staff and volunteers appointed since 2003 have been subject to a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check and since the pre-inspection visit all staff have made a medical declaration. The school is beginning to compile a central record of information about staff, including supplementary checks. However, records, even of recent appointments, are thin. References have been taken up orally, but the detail not recorded, while evidence of identity and of qualifications has not been kept.
4.8 A development plan is in place, to which staff have had some opportunity to contribute. The plan shows a clear appreciation of the school’s strengths and needs. However, they constitute a list of tasks, appropriate in themselves but without a rigorous delineation of priority and strategy, linked to finance, and do not indicate when they will be completed or how their success will be checked. Subject co-ordinators have drawn up their own subject development plans, helpful in themselves but unrelated to the school development plan.
4.9 In many of the most important areas of school life, policies and practices are well known and adhered to. This is true, for example, of the improvement to assessment since the last inspection. However, these are uneven in the amount of guidance they provide, especially in relation to regulatory matters. Moreover, the drawing up and particularly the storage, access and review of school policies are uneven and render the establishment, change to and monitoring of practice more difficult than it should be.
4.10 The school has come to rely too heavily on personal relationships, vital though these are, and has not been able to respond systematically enough to the regulatory changes of recent years. There needs to be more rigorous attention to detail and this cannot happen without more management support for the headteacher. The improvement needed is administrative as much as it is managerial. It needs to be much easier than it has proved to be to keep track of and to review school documentation.
4.11