INSPECTION REPORT TARVIN PRIMARY SCHOOL Tarvin, Chester LEA area: Cheshire Unique reference number: 111110 Headteacher: Mrs Jean Nield Reporting inspector: Mr J. P. Kirkland 4483 Dates of inspection: 24th – 25th September 2001 Inspection number: 195085 Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 © Crown copyright 2001 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Type of school: Infant and Junior School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 to 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed School address: Heath Drive Tarvin Chester Cheshire Postcode: CH3 8LS Telephone number: 01829 740399 Fax number: 01829 740853 Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mrs J. Trowell Date of previous inspection: 19th May 1997 Tarvin Primary School - 3 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM Team members 4483 J. P. Kirkland Registered inspector 9928 R. F. A. Dobson Lay inspector 18143 B. Magson Team inspector The inspection contractor was: Power House Inspections Grasshoppers 1 Anglesey Close Chasetown Burntwood Staffordshire WS7 8XA Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to: The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division The Office for Standards in Education Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Tarvin Primary School - 4 REPORT CONTENTS Page PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school PART B: COMMENTARY WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10 WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 14 WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 14 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 15 Tarvin Primary School - 5 PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Tarvin Primary School has 217 pupils on roll with almost equal numbers of boys and girls. The school serves the village of Tarvin and surrounding areas, and most pupils come from owner occupied houses. All the pupils are of white United Kingdom heritage. Pupils entitled to free school meals number approximately sixteen per cent, and below the national average. Twenty per cent of pupils are on the school’s register of special educational need, a figure similar to the national average for all primary schools. A significant minority of pupils is currently involved with outside specialists for additional support for specific learning difficulties, as well as moderate and multiple learning problems. The proportion of pupils with statements of special educational need is broadly in line with the national picture. Attainment on entry to the school is average. A significant minority of pupils enters and leaves the school at times other than the usual beginning and leaving points. There have been major changes in the staffing during the past year. The headteacher is new to the school since the previous inspection. HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS This is a very good effective school. Pupils enter with average levels of attainment, and leave at age eleven with standards that are well above average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils’ very good progress is as a result of very good teaching, a good curriculum and strong leadership and management. Given the standards achieved and the progress made set against average costs per pupil, the school provides very good value for money. What the school does well · Enables its pupils aged 11 to attain standards which are well above average in English, mathematics and science, as well as in art and design and music; · Ensures pupils make very good progress due to high quality teaching; · Provides very good levels of leadership and management; · Fosters very positive attitudes to work and very good behaviour and enables staff and pupils to work very effectively together; · Provides a very stimulating environment for its pupils who learn very well. What could be improved · The standards and quality of learning in information and communication technology (ICT). The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION The school has made very good progress since the previous inspection in 1997. All the key issues raised then have been successfully addressed. There is now a secure fenced area for children in the Foundation Stage; the marking of pupils’ work is of a very high standard and information is used well in planning the next stages of learning; there are now many and frequent opportunities for pupils to be involved in Tarvin Primary School - 6 the organisation and running of the school, with further initiatives planned. Standards have risen so that in English, mathematics and science pupils’ attainments are well above the national average. Standards of work in art and design and music have also improved. The quality of teaching has improved and is currently very good. The school now has good links with industry, which help to raise standards in science. With sustained good leadership and management, the school is in a very favourable position to make further improvements in the future. STANDARDS The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. compared with Performance in: all schools similar Key schools 1998 1999 2000 2000 English A A* A A well above average A above average B mathematics A* A* A A average C below average D science A A B B well below average E Similar schools are those with between 8% and 20% of their pupils entitled to free school meals. Pupils’ standards are well above average for pupils aged 11. The Year 2000 national tests confirmed this for standards in English and mathematics, with above average standards in science. At age eleven, when a comparison is made to pupils with similar backgrounds, standards are well above average in English and mathematics, and above average in science. The Year 2001 national tests showed similarly very good results, and inspectors found that standards have been rising in science and are currently also well above average for 11-year-olds. Pupils’ work over the past six months confirms these very good standards. Pupils also reach well above average standards in art and design, and in music, and above average in geography. This is the result of very good progress from the age of seven onwards. Children enter the school with standards that are broadly average. By age seven, they make good progress and reached above average standards in reading and mathematics, and satisfactory progress results in average standards in writing in the national tests and in teacher assessments in science in 2000. There was some improvement in the standards in writing and mathematics in the national tests for seven-year-olds in 2001, with other areas remaining the broadly similar. Inspectors confirm these findings. When compared to schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, standards are average in writing and mathematics for seven-year- olds, and above average for reading. PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES Aspect Comment Tarvin Primary School - 7 Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils like coming to school – they enjoy their lessons and work hard. Behaviour, in and out of Very good in all areas of the school. Last year, there were two classrooms temporary exclusions of pupils who have now left. Personal development and Very good and a significant strength of the school, leading to very relationships good levels of learning in classrooms. Attendance Good and above the national average; however, there are too many instances of pupils taking holidays during term time. TEACHING AND LEARNING Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6 Quality of teaching Good Very good Very good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. Teaching is very good overall, leading to high levels of learning, especially in English, mathematics and science. Basic skills in these subjects are taught well. Staff in reception ensure that pupils make good progress in their early learning by providing them with a good start and focusing well on basic skills. All pupils learn the skills of independent work well in subjects such as science and mathematics as they experiment and investigate effectively. The teaching of ICT skills is not consistent across the whole curriculum, although currently, the school is re- assessing the situation in the light of the recent appointment of a new co-ordinator and classroom assistant. Teachers manage their classes very well so that pupils learn in a calm and productive atmosphere. Teachers have very good subject knowledge, especially in English, mathematics, science and music, and pupils learn a very good level of technical language in subjects across the curriculum. There are very good working relationships between pupils and staff in all classrooms. Lessons are made exciting and stimulating. This enhances learning significantly.