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INSPECTION REPORT ON |
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Vita et |
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Full Name of the School |
Vita et |
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DfES Number |
308/6056 |
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Registered Charity Number |
1524865 |
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Address |
6a
Priory Close, |
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Telephone Number |
020
8449 8336 |
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Fax Number |
020
8440 0483 |
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Email Address |
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Headteacher |
Mrs
M O’Connor |
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Chair of Governors |
Mrs
E Herschan |
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3
- 11 years |
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Gender |
Co-educational |
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Inspection Dates |
21st
– 24th 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
Vita et
1.2
The school aims to be “a small
school with a strong family atmosphere, working in close partnership with
parents and children to provide a happy and well-balanced place of learning, in
which everyone is included, valued and cared for.” Its mission statement states that: “Vita et
· develop pupils’ moral conscience and values;
· develop pupils’ commitment to learning;
· develop pupils’ self respect and self knowledge;
· develop pupils’ successful independence;
· develop pupils’ sense of community and social responsibility.”
1.3 The pupils come from predominantly professional and small business families, with high aspirations for their children, and from a range of ethnic backgrounds, including Black British, South and East Asian British and a substantial number of Greek and Cypriot British, representing a corresponding diversity of faiths and denominations, Orthodox, Anglican, Muslim and Hindu, in addition to Catholic.
1.4 The school has selective entry, on principles clearly set out in its admissions policy, available to parents. On the basis of the school’s standardised tests, their average ability is well above the national average for all children, and the roll includes many pupils of well above and far above average ability. If the pupils are achieving according to their abilities, then the results in the national tests will be well above the national average for all maintained primary schools. Pupils are entered for the national tests at the end of Year 6. They are no longer entered at the end of Year 2.
1.5 At the time of the inspection, the school had 173 pupils on roll, including 98 boys and 75 girls. A total of 28 full-time and 8 part-time pupils attended the Foundation Stage and 145 attended the main school from Years 1 to 6. This is broadly the same as in 2001.
1.6 Seven children speak English as an additional language, of whom one receives specific support. The school has sixteen pupils on its register of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD), of whom three are on Action Plus. Two of these are hearing impaired. Of the rest, the majority have some degree of dyslexia. No pupil has a statement of special educational need.
1.7 Around the time of the inspection, the school had three key teachers on maternity leave. This included both the key stage coordinators, amounting to half the senior management team, and the mathematics coordinator, although one of the key stage coordinators had returned shortly before the inspection on a part-time basis.
1.8 National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school.
The Educational Experience Provided
2.1 The school provides a satisfactory educational experience with more good features than weaknesses. The school meets its aims for the curriculum in most respects. Many improvements have been made since the last inspection. The school has lengthened the school day, introduced specialist teaching into Years 4 to 6 and in music throughout the school to very good effect. The provision for information and communication technology (ICT) has been improved and with it the skills of pupils at the school.
2.2 Children under five enjoy a broad and stimulating programme of activities. All six Early Learning Goals are covered in a systematic and balanced way through the national scheme, implemented in a way that pays due regard to the development of early language, reading, writing and number. The children’s experience is enhanced by a high quality experience of French, though the length of session is slightly too long for children of this age. Due emphasis is given to the spiritual aspects of the school’s mission. Teachers in Nursery and Reception follow the published guidelines for the Early Learning Goals, though the detailed implementation is uneven.
2.3 For those over the age of five, the formal provision places strong emphasis on religious education (RE) and on the spiritual development of the pupils, side by side with the mastery of the essential skills of literacy and numeracy, mindful of the needs of the pupils to qualify for the schools of their choice. Within literacy, the development of speaking and listening is given its proper weight alongside reading and writing. At the same time, due attention is paid to the core and foundation subjects of the National Curriculum, together with French for all pupils. The balance between academic and aesthetic development is good and has recently been strengthened through the introduction of specialist teaching. Physical education (PE), an important element in the school’s curricular aims, is taught for sufficient time throughout Years 1 to 6, when games in Years 2 to 6 and dance in Year 1 are taken into account. A number of aspects of personal, social and health education (PSHE) are taught, partly through a formally planned scheme and partly by infusion through other subjects. Up to the end of Year 2, pupils have a timetabled lesson, but thereafter PSHE lacks continuity and coherence. Some aspects, such as drugs education, are touched on only briefly, while others, such as sex education, happen once and late in the pupils’ time at school.
2.4
The formal curriculum is
enriched by a good variety of visits to museums and other sites of interest
both within the
2.5 The after school club is a friendly way of having pupils wait for their parents, doing homework and playing games or reading in the meantime, but is entirely informal and does not offer pupils any form of refreshment other than what they bring themselves.
2.6 The schemes of work for Years 1 to 6 are very detailed and helpful, being flexibly based on the guidelines issued by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). The headteacher is right to believe that their implementation does not provide for sufficiently systematic development of the key skills of geography and history. Although the schemes cater for the use of ICT across the curriculum, its use is not yet integrated into pupils’ routine experience. The planning allows for a wide variety of different approaches and experiences for the pupils. The implementation of schemes is normally monitored by the two key stage coordinators, whose roles were being carried out by the headteacher and director of studies at the time of the inspection. Evidence of discussion before the inspection and of the work scrutiny they and other senior management carry out indicated that they were effective in this.
2.7 Most of the pupils are able and many are very able indeed. Provision for these pupils has been improved through the introduction of specialist teaching and grouping by ability. The director of studies co-ordinates an appropriate written policy for gifted and talented pupils, which recognises the wide range of aptitudes present in the school and expects provision within ordinary classes to provide appropriate challenges. Expectation is generally observed, with the exception of teachers’ response to their pupils’ written work. The planning caters well and sensitively for pupils with LDD, who are carefully assessed through a learning support teacher, who prepares guidance for teachers and provides for individual help for pupils as necessary. Teachers are aware of and guided by suitable individualised education plans.
2.8 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the curriculum [Standard 1].
Pupils’ Learning and Achievements
2.9 Pupils of all abilities and needs, including the ablest, leave Vita et Pax with good and in some respects high levels of achievement in relation to their potential, in accordance with the school’s aims. The standards achieved in speaking and listening, in reading, writing and number are particularly high, so that they proceed to their chosen secondary schools with completely secure foundations in these essential skills, several with entry awards. Their most rapid progress is evident in the Nursery and in Years 3 to 6. Pupils throughout the school are hard-working and enthusiastic. They have good levels of knowledge and understanding across almost all their subjects. When given the opportunity, they can research and write well-produced projects. This shows some progress since the last inspection. However, their independence as learners is not as strong as other aspects of their achievement.
2.10 The school has in most respects sustained and in some respects improved its standards since 2001. The standards achieved in science, for example and in music are good and are improving, and pupils now show sound levels of skill in ICT and use it competently when they are called upon to do so. The progress made by the more able is now on a par with that of other pupils in the school. The progress made by children under five years of age is more uneven than it was in 2004, when Ofsted last inspected it, as the school is aware. Pupils’ average results in the national tests at the end of Year 6 are high. Not only are they far above the national average for all maintained primary schools, but in mathematics almost every pupil achieved the higher Level 5. The achievements of boys are much closer to those of girls than is the case in maintained primary schools nationally.
2.11 In addition to their academic achievements, pupils have been able to participate and compete successfully in a variety of ways, including sporting fixtures with local schools. The school has done well for its size in a variety of local and regional cross-country competitions. Many pupils are entered for national music and drama qualifications and a substantial number achieve merit or distinction. As the school’s music and singing develops, pupils are taking part in local competitions. The infant choir came second in a recent local competition, while the senior choir was commended.
2.12 Children get off to a flying start in the Nursery, because of the combination of loving care, thorough planning across all the learning goals and the sheer fun that they enjoy throughout the school day. Constant attention is paid to the development of language and to listening, speaking and social skills. For example, on a sunny afternoon, their snack took the form of a tea party, where, sheltered under a linen pergola, they discussed what they were doing with their teachers and each other, using well-developed vocabulary, listening carefully and showing evident pleasure. They make rapid progress in early literacy and numeracy. In the Reception class, this rate of progress slows: They make sound progress in reading, writing, numeracy and in their knowledge and understanding of the world and have achieved the learning goals in these areas well before they enter Year 1; in the other areas of learning, particularly in their personal and social development and their speaking and listening skills, many were achieving less well than they should because of weaknesses in planning and class management. This is an issue of which the school was already aware and seeking to resolve.
2.13 The quantity, quality, accuracy and presentation of pupils’ writing throughout the school are excellent. Pupils of all ages and abilities take an evident pride in what they do. They write effectively for a wide variety of purposes, including not only comprehension, stories and poetry, but also notes written up from scientific experiments and from their music lessons, and book reviews, with intelligent comment on the quality and significance as well as the content of their reading. Examples of dramatic writing, diaries and news reporting were also in evidence. In their writing, their vocabulary is wide and their control of syntax assured, so that, for example, even the least able pupils’ work showed accurate use of relative clauses in oblique cases from Year 4. They write extended as well as short pieces and their writing is often vivid. There were examples of sensitive and observant poetry.
2.14 Pupils read fluently and with understanding and enjoyment. They speak and listen as well as they write. In the best examples, they listen carefully to one another as well as to their teachers. One example of this was observed at the end of a day, when individual pupils in Year 2 were telling the class some pieces of information. Each pupil spoke to the class without preparation and then invited questions. Each of the pupils spoke confidently and clearly and the other pupils asked thoughtful and intelligent questions. One girl asked a boy who had described how a baby had been born in the family: “did you cry with emotion, when you saw the baby?” Pupils readily ask questions in class to secure their understanding, although those of high ability rarely challenge their teachers.
2.15 Their grasp and use of number and use of mathematics are very assured, both in their lessons and in their work-books. They apply these in a variety of contexts, including science and geography, in which they use charts and graphs to good effect, especially the older pupils. When given the opportunity, they show a capacity for investigation, which, however, was not frequently called upon during the inspection itself. The scheme of work provides for mathematical investigation and the coordinator, though absent, had already identified this weakness and drawn up plans to integrate it more fully. They also acquire facility with computers and control technology through their ICT lessons. Although occasionally they use computers in their project work, they do not sufficiently exercise and consolidate the full range of skills they acquire.
2.16 Aesthetically and physically they develop well in many respects. There are however areas for improvement. In music, pupils of all ages have good pitch and intonation in their singing and are developing a good knowledge of a range of composers as well as composing themselves and learning the rudiments of music theory. In their art, standards vary. They respond excellently to the study of important painters, such as Matisse and Monet, from whose paintings they produced excellent and imaginative versions of their own. However, there are relatively few examples of their producing work from observation or launching out on their own. Moreover, their drawing skills are, by contrast with their writing, immature.
2.17 The pupils’ progress in knowledge, understanding and skill is the strongest feature of their learning. This is strongly evident in the work they do in RE and science. They are better as learners than at the last inspection and from Year 3 they produce informative projects on a wide range of topics. However, with the exception of the work they do in science, there is room for further improvement. Much of the research that pupils carry out as they get older is highly prescribed by their teachers and, for example, in their humanities topics, they tend to amass large quantities of largely factual information without any theme, analysis or explanation. As a consequence, with the exception of science, pupils’ grasp of the characteristics of evidence and their ability to explain and analyse cause and effect are not as developed as they could be and pupils tend not to take charge of projects from conception to completion. The headteacher had already identified this as an area for improvement in her pre-inspection self-evaluation.
2.18 The pupils work very hard. They are attentive to their teachers and indeed to each other. Where needed, they move between classes briskly and sensibly. Pupils concentrate quietly when they are working on their own, wait their turns in PE and games and are able to work together productively in pairs or larger groups, planning and discussing their work.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of Pupils
2.19 The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils, an area of strength at the last inspection, is now outstanding. The pupils’ personal development is an integral element of their formal education. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are exemplary. The quality of their relationships with staff and each other enables them to flourish in “an environment of love and tolerance, moral conscience and values, self respect and self knowledge and sense of community and social responsibility”. In this it fully accords with the school’s aims and ethos.
2.20 The pupils’ outstanding spiritual development is apparent from their strong awareness and respect for themselves and for others. Pupils of whatever faith or denomination pray thoughtfully at lunch and after school each day and in assemblies. It is regularly pupils who suggest the prayers they say in class and in school assemblies. At the end of a hymn practice for pupils from Reception to Year 2, for example, two pupils stood beside their teacher and suggested things they should pray for. The prayers were directed to the needs of others and were followed by the whole class in an uplifting moment. The little ‘prayer box’ for slips of paper with short prayers was full at the end of most days. Pupils fully involve themselves in assemblies, including those in which distinctions are announced not only academically but also for sport, for trying hard or simply for being a useful or helpful person. In this way they learn to value others equally.
2.21 Pupils’ moral development is equally strong. They are quite clear about what constitutes right and wrong behaviour. They have a healthy respect for the school rules and classroom guidelines, some of which they have devised themselves. They respond reflectively in the RE lessons, in which both their knowledge and their understanding of Catholic and other beliefs and values are deepened. For example, in an outstanding RE lesson, pupils in Year 6 reflected intelligently on the loyalty of Jesus to his apostles, ranging in their discussions through the difficulties in choosing friends and the qualities of friendship to weaknesses in friends such as the apostles Thomas and Peter. The school council discuss school rules and pupils develop good moral sense from lessons and from the guidance of teachers. Year 6 ‘buddies’ provide support for younger pupils and support good behaviour across the school. A ‘bus stop’, where pupils who have no one to play with can be recognised and supported by an older pupil, is a positive extension of this.
2.22 Pupil’s social development is encouraged by a variety of responsibilities, such as making their own choices about charities. Apart from the prefects, who help pupils and set a good example to others, four Year 6 pupils in rotation act as ‘buddies’ in helping support pupils who may be unhappy or have no one to play with. All those concerned took this responsibility seriously and many of the pupils interviewed said that if they had a problem or worry, they would choose to go to a ‘buddy’. The social development of pupils is particularly good in the Nursery. Due to the integrated quality of the planning, pupils make rapid progress in their social development. In several classes at the end of the Harvest Festival, pupils chose how they would support charities and their ideas ranged from puppet shows to sponsored ‘laps’ of the playground. Even though PSHE is still not a structured aspect of the curriculum in Years 3 to 6, pupils understand aspects of citizenship and Year 3 could identify the Prime Minister and define his role. The Club4You allows pupils to take charge of activities such as chess, widely played in the school.
2.23
A wide variety of opportunities
allow pupils to develop their cultural awareness and understanding. In RE, pupils concentrate on the Catholic
faith but become aware and tolerant of other faiths, both from parents who
visit the school and from visits to a Hindu temple and other religious
shrines. They take an interest in the
arts and become well informed for their ages about music and art. Their studies encourage them to learn about
and understand cultures, values and faiths different from their own. In a Year 1 assembly, pupils, who had been
studying a topic on
2.24 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils [Standard 2].
The Quality of Teaching (Including Assessment)
2.25 The overall quality of the teaching is good, some is outstanding and most of the rest is satisfactory. It is effective in helping the school to meet its aim of “developing fully the potential of each child”. The parents’ responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire show that a high proportion of them are very happy with the quality of teaching that their child receives, and the inspection findings corroborate the parents’ views. Teachers and their assistants help pupils to achieve well, particularly by motivating them to work hard, establishing rock solid foundations in English and mathematics and in preparing their pupils for successful entry into senior schools. The quality of teaching has been maintained since the last inspection, with additional improvements made to its assessment procedures and to its use of specialist staff.
2.26 In almost all the lessons observed, teachers were effective in motivating their pupils, developing in them habits of concentration and hard work. The sole exception to this, on which management had already been taking steps, involved the unevenness of experience in the management of some of the younger children. In most lessons the teachers’ high expectations are evident in the large, and in English and mathematics prodigious, quantity of carefully and accurately presented work. Teachers create a climate in which pupils enjoy what they are doing, a point emphasised by the pupils in their discussions with inspectors.
2.27 Almost all the lessons observed were thoroughly and effectively planned, with clear objectives and effective organisation and management. In their planning, teachers are strongly mindful of the importance of secure foundations and of inculcating essential knowledge, skills and understanding. At times, the teaching is too narrowly focussed on these necessary objectives and does not sufficiently challenge pupils to think and study creatively, critically and independently. In the outstanding and some of the good lessons observed, not only was the planning meticulously detailed but the teaching was inspiring and stimulating. This was true, for example, of a science lesson for Year 6, both rigorous and fascinating in its approach, in which pupils were finding out for themselves the abstract and mathematical relationship between the size of a suction cup and the force it can apply. Such lessons prompted pupils of all abilities to think, to question and to learn for themselves.
2.28 Teachers provide varied activities, including exposition, question and answer and individual and group work. The best lessons were imaginative and exciting. In a French lesson in Year 1, the skilful blending of carefully planned progression and repetition of key vocabulary with acting, singing and dancing generated excitement and confidence in the pupils, while securing knowledge apparent in the high standard of written French in Years 5 and 6. Teachers make efficient use of time and in most respects of the ample classroom resources available to them. Good use is made of library and ICT lessons in the improved facilities. Outside these lessons these resources are not as integrated into pupils’ study and research as they could be.
2.29 Teachers have a good understanding of the subject matter they are teaching and this is an especially consistent strength in relation to mathematics and English. Specialist teaching in particular enables pupils to go into deeper and more complex aspects of subjects. In music, for example, the planning ensures a balance in pupils’ development between singing, composing and listening. In the case of art, the absence of specialist teaching or guidance for non-specialist teachers is a key reason for the lack of consistent progress in the pupils’ draughtsmanship and an over-concentration on imitating the works of famous painters, well and sensitively as pupils do this.
2.30 The least consistently good feature of the teaching lies in the tendency to stay within the boundaries of established knowledge and skills, at the expense of deeper or more adventurous ideas. In history and geography, for example, much of the well-produced and researched work of the pupils was confined to the collection and attractive presentation of information, without venturing into the exploration, for example, of reasons and causes or the investigation of evidence. By contrast, the approach to the study of the Egyptians included making models related to the process of mummification in a way that had fascinated the pupils and enabled them to understand an aspect of ancient technology.
2.31 Staff know their pupils very well. Pupils stressed the good understanding that their teachers had of them, even though the unexpected absence of three staff had been an unavoidably unsettling experience for some pupils. Sensitive help is given, particularly for those pupils needing support in their learning. In a Year 2 lesson, for example, the class assistant worked very effectively with the pupils of more modest ability. Relationships are strong between pupils and teachers. This gives pupils good confidence, encourages them to ‘ have a go’, and to express their ideas and opinions. In almost all teaching pupils are encouraged to behave in a highly responsible and appropriate manner.
2.32 Good, effective assessment procedures have been established since 2001, and assessment is now of a high quality. It is thorough, comprehensive and frequent. Results from a wide range of assessments are recorded very efficiently, and discussed regularly. A new tracking system is in place to clearly view pupils’ progress over time. Information gained from these assessments is effectively used to identify pupils who require additional support or challenges within their learning. During lessons teachers regularly assess work by pertinent questioning of the class and individual pupils. This is well used to inform teachers’ immediate planning. Marking is of a sound quality; it is thorough and positive. In the best marking seen, particularly in English, clear written indication is given for improvement. Targets are given in English and mathematics, but these are often not reviewed regularly enough.
2.33 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 individual pastoral care is outstanding, improving on the quality noted in the inspection of 2001. The school achieves for its community the family atmosphere, in which an atmosphere of “love and tolerance” prevails, at which it aims. The arrangements for health and safety are good and those for pupil welfare and for risk management are satisfactory. Some issues noted in that last inspection report have not been fully addressed.
3.2 Staff are devoted to their pupils in a way that renders education, ethos and pastoral care part of a single continuum, in which all staff work together for their pupils’ well-being and development. This is evident in the way in which the Every Child Matters agenda has been re-interpreted under the acronym SHEEP, denoting Jesus, the good shepherd: Safety; Health; Emotional well-being; Educational opportunity; Pastoral care. In discussions with inspectors, pupils warmly appreciated the care that staff devote to them. They enjoy being part of the school, and said that the teachers took time to help them.
3.3 The system for pastoral care is clear and simple. Class teachers are responsible for the pastoral care of pupils. Their deep knowledge of their pupils shows that they carry out this role with dedication and skill. The headteacher and the director of studies have oversight of this provision and also have an excellent knowledge of the pupils. Pastoral issues are regularly discussed at senior management and staff meetings and careful records are maintained.
3.4 Strong relationships, based on mutual respect, prevail between staff and pupils and among the pupils themselves. Most of the pupils responding to the pre-inspection questionnaire and all those interviewed during the inspection expressed confidence that they could approach teachers in the expectation that a problem would be sensitively and positively sorted out. Some made particular mention of the Club2Talk in this context, while others also felt that the Year 6 ‘buddies’ would be approachable and sympathetic. The pupils in turn show the kindness and consideration with which they are themselves treated.
3.5 Behaviour as observed in class and around the school is almost without exception very good. The pupils are spirited and biddable. Occasional excesses are easily and gently checked. This is the product of an approach that relies chiefly on the encouragement of good behaviour rather than the correction of misdemeanour. The system of rewards and sanctions honours this positive principle. It is clearly explained and is understood and respected by pupils. House points reinforce the school’s positive ethos. Pupils strive to earn the Good Mannered Person Award and the headteacher’s Golden Awards, which therefore function well as spurs to good conduct and good relationships and attitudes. Sanctions are well understood and moderate.
3.6 Procedures to guard against bullying and harassment are working well. Each term teachers remind their pupils of the school’s anti-bullying rules, to which the pupils themselves have contributed. Pupils told inspectors that they had confidence in the school’s procedures and that any instances of bullying were dealt with promptly and effectively.
3.7 Arrangements for child protection are in place and any concerns are automatically discussed with the governors, one of whom is the named child protection governor. The designated child protection officer and the named governor have received enhanced training and all staff have received appropriate training. However, the school’s policy lacks detailed guidance to staff in relation to such matters as grounds for concern and appropriate professional conduct towards pupils. The annual review prepared in the run-up to the inspection does not provide a detailed account of the effectiveness with which the school policies have been carried out and monitored, even though in practice the headteacher and Council keep a close eye on this.
3.8 The provision for pupils’ health and safety is effective in most respects, in that few obvious hazards were noted. During the inspection, however, potentially hazardous equipment was left out and accessible in the art and science room. The school has a suitable number of qualified first-aiders, and all staff are alerted to the needs of pupils with medical conditions. Any who fall ill during the school day are ably cared for before being collected by parents. The school makes careful records of any accident or injury and keeps parents informed. Attendance and admissions registers are completed appropriately and good procedures are in place for the following up of absences. Attendance and punctuality are good.
3.9 However, some significant gaps exist in health and safety procedure. The governing body treats this area with importance, overseeing and reviewing the school’s procedures and policies. Health and safety is a standing item at board meetings but there is currently no school health and safety committee. Measures taken to reduce the risks from fire and all other hazards within the school are sound. Regular fire practices are held and suitable records kept. The caretaker plays an important role in keeping an eye on any potential hazards, or wear and tear of equipment as well as the fabric of the school. However, whilst staff reconnoitre visits before educational trips outside school and identify potential hazards, the risk assessments they draw up are superficial and do not indicate either the full range of probable hazards or the steps to avert or minimise these. Nor are staff expected routinely to draw up risk assessments for their own classrooms or subjects, even though staff are assiduous in emphasising safety and hygiene rules to pupils, as was apparent in the care taken in science, when pupils were using food dye, and in the Nursery, when staff made sure children washed their hands before making dough.
3.10 Pupils are aware of the need to eat healthily. Lunch is not served at school and pupils eat packed lunches in their classrooms. This is an orderly occasion. Pupils are closely supervised in classrooms, around the school and outside in the playground.
3.11 The school meets almost all of the regulatory requirements for the welfare, health and safety of pupils [Standard 3]. In order to meet all the requirements, the school must:
(a) conduct an annual review of the effectiveness of the child protection policy [Regulation 3.(2)(b)];
(b) review the system for risk assessment, making sure that all risk assessment forms fully account for the risks, and provide detailed measures to avert or minimise each one, ensuring that each form is adequate before being signed off [Regulation 3.(2)(c)];
(c) establish a health and safety committee and ensure that any potentially hazardous equipment is securely stored [Regulation 3.(4)].
The Quality of Links with Parents and the Community
3.12 The school has good links with its parents and the wider community. As it says in its prospectus, the school works “in close partnership with parents”. The school has improved the procedures for reporting to parents and developed further its links with the community.
3.13 Parents think highly of the school. In their responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire, the majority expressed support for almost all aspects of their children’s education. Every parent who responded approved of the attitudes and values the school promotes. The overwhelming majority was satisfied with the range of subjects offered, the encouragement to parents to be involved, the help and guidance provided and the teaching and standards of behaviour at the school. The least approval concerned three areas. A small minority did not agree with the amount of work that pupils do at home. Inspectors considered the homework being set and found that the quantity, though considerable, is appropriate. Another issue was the way in which concerns are handled. The inspectors found that these are given due consideration but that at times correspondence dealing with concerns about pupils has an unnecessarily official tone. Lack of opportunity to discuss their children at the beginning and end of the day was a third area of concern to some. Inspectors found that the parents are welcome to come into school, although the physical layout of the school and the organisation of the beginning of the day render informal contact with class teachers much easier for parents of children in the Nursery and in Years 1 and 2 than it is in relation to other years.
3.14 Parents enjoy many opportunities to become involved in the life of the school and attend assemblies and various school functions. Many contribute to the teaching and learning by helping with reading or by coming in to talk to pupils about their various denominations and faiths. Parent helpers receive careful induction from the director of studies. During the inspection visit, many parents attended a school assembly about life in an African village, which was performed by their pupils in Year 1. Their enthusiastic presence and the informal invitation for them to stay on for a while with their children were striking illustrations of the “strong family atmosphere” promoted by the school.
3.15 The Parents’ Association is an active feature of school life and enhances the ethos of the school. Many functions, including an annual ball and a Christmas fair allow parents and teachers to come together in an informal and mutually supportive way. The Italian and Greek evenings celebrate the school’s diversity. Parents also support the many charities in which the school is involved.
3.16 The flow of information between the school and parents is efficient and includes a half-termly newsletter, as well as full information about the school’s ethos, provision and policies. The parents are provided with a detailed and informative report on their children’s progress once a year. These are supplemented by parents’ consultation evenings twice a year, together with an academic evening, which parents may attend at the end of the school year.
3.17
The school promotes positive
links with the wider community and has strong links with local churches. They pay due regard to their local
diocese. Links with other faiths are
good and include, for example, the local synagogue and the neighbouring Hindu
temple, to which pupils make regular visits.
The choir recently sang at a meeting of local Christians and Jews, and
support a local charity by singing at
3.18 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the provision of information and the manner in which complaints are to be handled [Standards 6 and 7].
4. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
4.1 The school continues to be well governed by its Council of Management. Governors play an active part in setting and maintaining the school’s aims and ethos. In most respects the Council provides effective oversight and guidance in relation to education and care. They meet regularly and the meetings are properly recorded. They are aware of their legal responsibilities in relation to most of the recent legislation.
4.2 The Council offers a broad range of expertise. Its members have well-defined roles to which they show a high level of commitment. All have had connections with the school and two are current parents. The governors are committed and supportive. They have good links with the school; the chair has weekly meetings with the headteacher and governors attend parents’ evenings, ‘just to be on hand’. They attend the academic evening and support all functions. They have a good relationship with the staff. The governors have attended training, most recently on child protection, and are due to undergo training in safer recruitment. The Council effectively oversees the quality of education, staffing, care of pupils and ethos of the school. They had not spotted the gap in health and safety arrangements. They are very supportive of the headteacher and of the financial management of the school.
The Quality of Leadership and Management
4.3 As at the last inspection, the school is in most respects effectively led and managed. It has several points of strength, evident from the standards achieved and the quality of relationships between pupils, staff and parents, and some aspects that could be improved. Owing to the effectiveness and commitment of leadership and management, the school is able to meet its aims to a substantial degree. In the time leading up to the inspection, management was severely tested by the unexpected absence of three key members of staff, including half the senior management team, and has withstood that pressure well. Senior management have improved the education and the standards, and sustained the already good quality of personal development and pastoral care.
4.4 Since the last inspection, the management has been restructured and is now well suited to the needs of this small school. The senior management team is strongly led by the headteacher, supported by a director of studies and two key stage coordinators. The evidence of minutes and records, together with interviews with the key stage co-ordinators before the inspection, show that this team have worked well together in establishing, implementing and in most respects, monitoring the effectiveness of priorities and policies for the school. The headteacher and the senior management have in most respects a good knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, as was apparent from the accuracy of the school’s self-evaluation. They have not missed much. The school development plan is a well-produced and rigorous reflection of that insight.
4.5 Policies are clear, consistently relate to the school’s mission statement, and have been drawn up in consultation with staff. Some of the policies, such as that for child protection, though adequate, do not provide sufficient supportive guidance to staff, while that for risk assessment has not been monitored with sufficient rigour.
4.6 The school has been able to recruit and retain good quality staff, suitably deployed. Management makes careful checks on staff and volunteers before appointing them. The school has a sound induction process for newly qualified teachers (NQTs), but the records of stage and other meetings were not detailed enough.
4.7 The school secretary and bursar provide sterling support for senior management in ensuring the efficient administration of the school. Financial resources are managed very effectively with good support from governors. This has made possible many important improvements to both the buildings and resources since the last inspection. These include the building of four extra classrooms, making substantial improvement to the library and ICT rooms and for specialist accommodation for music, art and science. The playground areas have also been substantially improved, so that the Foundation Stage has its own excellent area and the main playground is surrounded with a pergola and planted border, used effectively by one class, for example, in the study of plants. The space in the school office provided for children who are ill has a sink and is reasonably close to a toilet but is too small for an older child to lie down in comfort. The school buildings are meticulously and diligently maintained by the school caretaker. Consequently, they are in excellent order and provide an attractive and high quality environment for the pupils and staff.
4.8 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the suitability of proprietors and staff [Standard 4].
4.9 The school meets almost all of the regulatory requirements for premises and accommodation [Standard 5]. In order to meet all the requirements, the school must: