OFSTED INSPECTION - 2ND AND 3RD OCTOBER 2008 - FULL REPORT BELOW THE INTRODUCTION
We welcomed five inspectors to our school for the first time in three years to inspect the teaching and learning as well as the Leadership and Management of the school. I am pleased to report that it went very well. They were very experienced inspectors who have inspected hundreds of schools - they know what they are talking about! They watched every class and they interviewed staff, governors and pupils as well as reading all the parent questionnaires that you returned. We had a very tough team and other Ofsted Inspectors have told us that another team would have graded us higher in 'standards', 'care, support and guidance' and 'Leadership and Management.'
What did the Ofsted Inspectors like about our school? What did they say?
1. They saw no misbehaviour, bullying or racism at all.
2. They said that the number of extra-curricular clubs is outstanding.
3. They had never seen anything like our corridor and classroom displays—they really liked them!
4. The Governors of the school are good.
5. The school is a happy, secure place that children like to come to.
6. Relationships between children (and children and adults) are good.
7. Children genuinely care for eachother.
8. The school is richly resourced.
9. Children are happy and enjoy coming to school.
10. There is good team work—everyone works hard together to make the school a success.
11. There is a lovely ethos and a feel good factor when you come into the school.
12. Our Nursery Classes and Reception classes are very good.
13. The curriculum is good and very exciting.
14. Children are polite and show concern for each other.
15. The children are delightful.
16. They liked our themed weeks and our school trips including our residential trips.
17. The provision in our Little Gems (0-3 years) is outstanding.
What can we do to be even better?
1. Raise standards and achievement in English and Mathematics in Year 1 and Year 2.
2. Make sure that the work the children are doing is matched to the ability of the children - it must not be too easy.
3. When lessons are being monitored to see how good they are, we must focus on what the children are learning, not what the teachers are teaching - there is a difference.
4. They want the children to learn as much as they can as fast as they can.
Inspection report
Unique Reference Number 134461
Local Authority
Inspection number 328904
Inspection dates 2–3 October 2008
Reporting inspector Linda Killman HMI
This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the
Childcare Act 2006.
Type of school Primary
School category Community
Age range of pupils 0–11
Gender of pupils Mixed
Number on roll
School (total) 681
Childcare provision for children aged 0
to under 3 years
Appropriate authority The governing body
Chair Helen Bath
Headteacher
Iain Erskine
Date of previous school inspection 13–14 October 2005
Date of previous childcare inspection 26 March 2007
School address
PE1 3JQ
Telephone number 01733 566990
Fax number 01733 319403
© Crown copyright 2008
Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk
This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes,
provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of
publication are stated.
Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school
must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not
exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.
Introduction
The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and three
Additional Inspectors.
Description of the school
This is a large primary school in an area of significant social and economic
disadvantage. A significant proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic groups and
the largest groups are Pakistani and Eastern European. About two thirds of the pupils
come from a diverse range of minority ethnic backgrounds. Almost half of the pupils
have a home language or languages other than English; a third are at an early stage
of learning English. Some pupils leave or join the school mid-year. The proportion of
children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. The school has
achieved several awards including Artsmark, Activemark,
Equality. There is a Children’s Centre on site that opened in May 2008. This is
inspected and reported on separately.
Key for inspection grades
Grade 1 Outstanding
Grade 2 Good
Grade 3 Satisfactory
Grade 4 Inadequate
This school provides a satisfactory standard of education and care for its pupils with
some good features. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are good and the
school is proud of the high levels of racial harmony within it. Most parents have high
regard for all that the school provides for their children. Several parents describe it
as one of the ‘best schools in town’ because their children find school ‘fun and
inspiring’. Leadership and management provide the school with a satisfactory
capacity to secure improvement and to ensure that the school continues to head in
the right direction.
Since the school’s last inspection in 2005, the school has moved forward in some
areas. For example, the school’s strategies to raise attendance to the national
average have borne fruit. Nonetheless, improvement in raising standards has been
slow. Following a sharp dip in standards in 2007, the headteacher and governors
took decisive action to restructure the leadership team with clearer strategic roles
and responsibilities and to hold teachers to account for pupils’ achievement. These
well chosen actions have contributed to significant gains in English, mathematics and
science in Key Stage 2. The school’s data shows that although standards are below
national averages they are rising and most pupils in middle and upper school are
now making adequate progress. The school is energetically tackling a legacy of
underachievement. However, the same improvement is not apparent in lower school
where standards remain well below average. The school is not evaluating new
approaches used in teaching in Key Stage 1 rigorously enough to ensure that they
are working and making a difference to pupils’ learning.
One of the school’s strengths is teamwork. Staff are committed to improvement,
hard working and responsive to change. Teaching is satisfactory, with some good
features. The best teaching generates a sense of urgency with a variety of well chosen,
challenging activities that engage pupils and encourage productivity. As a
result, in these lessons, pupils make good progress. An underlying weakness in some
teaching is that information about pupils’ prior learning is not being used accurately
enough to plan the next steps. As a result, the pupils often work on tasks that are
well within their capabilities.
The curriculum meets most pupils’ individual needs and is impressively enriched. The
pupils have much to look forward to and enjoy in school and out of hours. The
school celebrates cultural diversity and promotes community cohesion effectively
with an excellent programme of extra-curricular activities that promote pupils’ good
cultural development. One parent commented that ‘learning to play Bhangara
instruments gives my son an opportunity to learn about his culture’. Staff work hard
to make the building’s interior and outdoor play spaces attractive and inviting and to
make learning exciting.
Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage Grade: 2
The school cares for children aged from six weeks to three years old in the ‘Little
Gems Nursery’, from where they move into Fulbridge Gems and on into Reception
classes. Staff hold appropriate early years qualifications and all welfare requirements
are met. Good induction arrangements ensure children and their parents are well
prepared for their first days in school. All children enjoy learning through play
indoors and outside where they participate in a variety of exciting activities.
Relationships are very positive and this is a key factor in helping the children to settle
so happily and learn routines quickly. Children behave well and, because teaching is
supportive and encouraging, they develop as confident and independent learners.
Staff have a good understanding of how young children learn and use this knowledge
well to plan an exciting curriculum, covering all areas of learning through a good
balance of teacher led and child selected activities. Leadership and management are
good and close attention is given to observing and assessing children in order to plan
the next steps in learning. The school acknowledges that there is a need to
strengthen links as children progress from one class to the next. Children make good
progress so that by the end of the Reception year their attainment is close to that
typically found for this age in all areas of learning, except in communication,
language and literacy where it is below.
What the school should do to improve further
_ Raise achievement and standards in reading, writing and mathematics in Key
Stage 1.
_ In curriculum planning, ensure that pupils’ prior learning is fully taken into
account so that their learning builds successfully on what they already know
and can do.
_ Ensure that self-evaluations, especially of new approaches used in teaching,
focus on the impact that provision has on learning.
A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory
but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an
Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.
Achievement and standards Grade: 3
Pupils’ overall achievement is satisfactory but the progress they make is uneven from
their starting points, which are well below expectations when they start in Reception.
There is a careful analysis of attainment and progress of specific groups of pupils in
order to promote pupils’ achievement. This approach has been effective in
identifying, for example, that White British boys’ achievement is significantly lower
than all other groups. The school has responded appropriately by introducing specific
ways of working to improve boys’ engagement in lessons for example by extending
their access to computers and making tasks more stimulating and interesting. As a
result, the gap is closing. Pupils who find learning more difficult receive adequate
support to ensure their satisfactory progress. Work seen in pupils’ English books
shows that, in some classes, practice in writing is not regular enough and marking
does not always direct pupils well enough towards achieving their targets.
Personal development and well-being Grade: 2
Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They are keen to
learn and pupils usually participate well in lessons, with a confidence that grows
steadily as they get older. The pupils know how to stay safe and be healthy, and
where to seek support from adults if they need it. They are polite and show a
genuine concern for each other. Pupils make a valuable contribution to the
community through their involvement in community projects, such as visiting senior
citizens during the year and organising and managing the school fete. They value
and respect the work of the school council, confident that their representatives have
influence in decision-making processes. Pupils thoughtfully express their views about
the curriculum and the school responds to them, for example, by extending the
school visits programme. Although their skills in literacy and numeracy are
underdeveloped, the good speaking and listening skills and their demonstrable
capacity for teamwork equips them with valuable skills for later life.
Quality of provision
Teaching and learning Grade: 3
Teachers plan conscientiously and in the best lessons provide pupils with activities
that are lively, challenge their thinking and accelerate their learning. Relationships
are strong creating a positive climate for learning. The staff manage their classes
well ensuring that no time is wasted but some are inclined to overly direct the pupils
and, in doing so, they restrict opportunities for pupils to think for themselves. Most
teaching assistants and the learning mentors play a positive part in supporting
learning, especially for pupils needing extra help. When learning and therefore
progress is less effective, activities in the lesson do not challenge and engage all
pupils especially the most able. This occurs when teachers do not use assessment
information well enough to ensure that learning builds effectively on what pupils
already know and can do. Marking is used satisfactorily by some teachers to move
learning forward, but less so by others.
Curriculum and other activities Grade: 3
The balanced, rounded curriculum meets all requirements and there is an
appropriate focus on the development of pupils’ basic skills in literacy, numeracy,
science, and information and communication technology (ICT). Cross-curricular links
are strong. For example, pupils practise their reading, writing and investigative skills
when learning about topics such as the Ancient Greeks and the Second World War.
In order to raise achievement and create flexible, independent and confident
learners, the school is keen to provide a more creative curriculum. To this end, the
school is participating in several initiatives, such as the Oasis project investigating
the impact on learning when pupils move in and out of the school mid-year. Although
it is still early days, the impact of these projects is starting to be reflected in rising
standards in Year 6 and improving achievement in Key Stage 2. However, there is
more to be done regarding provision for the most able and the transition curriculum
as children move from Reception to Year 1.
Take up is high for the many clubs on offer such as the popular school choir, rock
music club, dance and drama. Themed weeks such as ‘Shine’ week and residential
trips contribute to pupils’ good enjoyment of the curriculum.
Care, guidance and support Grade: 3
Procedures for safeguarding, including child protection, are fully in place and the
school promotes pupils’ health and safety. The school provides a high level of
pastoral care, so that pupils feel secure and happy in their relationships with staff.
This is especially true for the high number of pupils moving into the school, many of
whom are new arrivals in
new tracking system has been established which efficiently analyses how quickly
pupils are moving towards their academic targets. Teachers are more aware of any
pupil at risk of underachieving so that they can take remedial action quickly. The
tracking system is also beginning to give staff an indication of how far any extra
support given to pupils is being effective. There are good systems in place to monitor
and follow up absences.
Leadership and management Grade: 3
The headteacher is appropriately focused on improvement. The leadership team has
raised awareness of the benefit of analysing and using data to improve performance.
This is work in progress and there has not been sufficient time to embed systems
fully and consistently into practice across the school. However, there is clear
evidence to show that this is having an impact in raising achievement in Key Stage 2.
The school’s systems for setting realistic and challenging targets are now grounded
in detailed, regular analysis and tracking of pupils’ attainment and progress. Senior
managers and middle leaders regularly observe colleagues teaching and provide
support to help those who need to improve. They have an overview of the
effectiveness of teaching, but do not always focus rigorously enough how effectively
pupils are learning. The leadership team has a reasonably accurate understanding of
the school’s strengths and weaknesses to inform strategic planning. The governing
body fulfil their role as critical friend well; governance is good. Pupils benefit from
the school’s good partnership working with other schools and agencies.
Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the
procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available
from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.
Inspection report:
Inspection judgements
Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory,
and grade 4 inadequate.
Overall effectiveness
How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated
care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners?
3
Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the
last inspection
Yes
How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote
learners’ well-being?
2
The capacity to make any necessary improvements 3
Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage
How effective is the provision in meeting the needs of children in the EYFS? 2
How well do children in the EYFS achieve? 2
How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2
How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2
How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2
How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed? 2
Achievement and standards
How well do learners achieve? 3
The standards1 reached by learners 4
How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between
groups of learners
3
How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress 3
1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none
significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.
Inspection report:
Personal development and well-being
How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the learners? 2
The extent of learners’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2
The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2
The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2
How well learners enjoy their education 2
The attendance of learners 3
The behaviour of learners 2
The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community 2
How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future
economic well-being
3
The quality of provision
How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of learners’
needs?
3
How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and
interests of learners?
3
How well are learners cared for, guided and supported? 3
Leadership and management
How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and
supporting all learners?
3
How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading
to improvement and promote high quality of care and education
3
How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise
standards
3
The effectiveness of the school’s self-evaluation 3
How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 3
How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 2
How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for
money
3
The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their
responsibilities
2
Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? Yes
Does this school require special measures? No
Does this school require a notice to improve? No
Inspection report:
Dear Pupils
Inspection of
PE1 3JQ
Earlier this week I visited your school for two days with three other inspectors. We
met many of you and watched you learning in class. We also looked at your work
and talked to your teachers. You were very polite and well mannered. Thank you so
much.
You and your parents told us that you enjoy school and we are pleased that you all
now come to school regularly unless you are ill. We agree that Fulbridge teachers
and pupils are happy people. We have thought carefully about all that we saw and I
would like to highlight the school’s good features as well as those that need to be
improved.
_ Your school makes sure that you learn about and respect different cultures and
traditions.
_ You behave well in class and around the school. It was a pleasure watching you
playing so happily outside and the kindness you show to one another.
_ You know how to stay safe and be healthy.
_ There is something for everyone to enjoy at Fulbridge with so many clubs and
visits to look forward to.
_ Your learning gets off to a flying start in Nursery and Reception.
_ The governors make sure that the school provides you with all that you need to
be successful learners.
To make the school even better we have asked the governors and your teachers to:
_ make sure that when you move from Reception you continue to make good
progress in literacy and numeracy
_ plan your work carefully so that it is not too easy or too difficult
_ check to see if new ways of working are helping you to learn even better.
The best thing about your school is you. Keep working hard to make sure that you
learn all that you can before you leave Fulbridge.
Yours sincerely
Linda Killman
Her Majesty’s Inspector