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What have been our successes this year?

 

• Children’s Voice, using buddy forums with children arranged into groups that take into account siblings.
  
• Extended  schools-breakfast club
  
• Continued development of the Outdoor classroom
  
  • sculpture
    
  • children trained as play leaders
  
  
• Social and Emotional Literacy (SEAL) – first year of the scheme.
  
• Primary Learning Network, a joint venture with the 7 partner primary schools focussed on problem solving in mathematics.
  
• We actively tracked the progress of our leavers between years 5 and 6.
  
• New programs in place to support the teaching of Phonics aimed at helping with writing.
  
• Modern Foreign Languages, improved teaching with active support from the local Secondary school
  
• Improved music provision

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What are we trying to improve?

What are we trying to improve?

• Mathematics

• Writing
• Helping Children with learning to learn
• Our Outdoor Environment
• We are working to gain the “Healthy Schools” status
• Our Performance Management Systems

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How much progress do pupils make between age 7 and 11?

Our school

Confidence interval

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How well do pupils achieve at age 11?

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How have our results changed over time?

How have our results changed over time?
• As a small school we find our performance figures as indicated by the KS1 and KS2 result show a wide variation. 
• Averaging the results over a number of years show no discernable upward or downward trend.  The results are consistently above the local and national averages for Primary Schools.

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How are we making sure that every child gets teaching to meet their individual needs?

How are we meeting the learning needs of individuals?

Personalisation

• We aim to provide teaching and learning strategies that develop every child’s confidence and competence
• We try hard to know the strengths and weaknesses of all children. We believe that assessment for learning helps with this, both talking with children and using their work as evidence
• As a school we have flexibility to develop and enrich the curriculum in a creative way
• The way by which we give teachers their planning, preparation and assessment time ensures children have access to expertise from other practioners
• Our work involving the Every Child Matters agenda continues to be developed. Whilst our links with the community are strong the aim for the future is to develop family learning

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How are we working with parents and the community?

How are we working with parents and the community?

The staff and governors feel the school is well supported by the community. 

• the local churches support classes in the school
• we have many parents and local members of the community helping on a voluntary basis in class
• the friends are very active raising money and in the process provide social events for parents and children

Reaching out

• the school opens its lunch hall to the older members of the community
• there are very strong links between the school the 7 other primary schools and the local secondary school in the area
• we share facilities with Foxton pre-school

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What have pupils told us about the school, and what have we done as a result?

What pupils have told us about the school and what we have done about it?

Our children told us that they felt the original School Council was not particularly successful because too few children were involved.  After a rethink Buddy Forums were introduced this academic year, which has given us a way of every child having a regular opportunity to express their views.

They have also told us how much they enjoy showing off their school to visitors. 

In addition children have played a vital role with staff recruitment, both by giving guided tours to candidates and by being part of an interview panel working with a Teaching Assistant.

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How do we make sure our pupils are healthy, safe and well-supported?

How do we make sure our pupils are healthy, safe and supported?

• Healthy Lifestyles mentors
  

• School meals
  

• Cabmag, a partnership of 26 local school working closely together to provide child and teacher support.
• Children’s Questionnaire

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How do our absence rates compare with other schools?

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What activities and options are available to pupils?

What activities are available to pupils?

The school offers a range of activities. 

• School journeys and trips
• Enrichment activities e.g. Young Enterprise, Maths challenges, Music days
• Lunchtime clubs e.g. French.
• Sports activities
• Outdoor play facilities
• Opportunities to work with children of differing ages

Some clubs incur a cost to parents; some are run by teachers and others by volunteers.  The sporting activities held at 8.00am are particularly popular with older Key Stage 2 children

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What do our pupils do after leaving this school?

 

The vast majority of our children spend seven years with us before transferring to Melbourn Village College. There is a small minority who choose to attend other schools either independent schools or other village collages.

We know from contact with past pupils and their families that many then continue into higher education.

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Ofsted's view of our school

Foxton Primary is a good school that is highly valued by its pupils and their parents. It has some important outstanding features and few areas for further improvement. Since its last inspection in 2003, the staff and governors have continued to help pupils achieve well in their work and to reach high standards in their personal development. The key to the school's success is its very able and experienced headteacher. She continues to provide expertise, stability, vision and support for teachers and learners so that, in spite of staffing changes, standards are maintained. Pupils achieve well academically. By Year 2, they reach standards that are often significantly above average, with particular strengths in reading and mathematics. Their reading is supported by carefully planned activities, including those that help them link sounds to letters from an early age. Writing standards, while good, are not quite as high and continue to be a priority for further improvement. Pupils continue to do well through Key Stage 2. By the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6, they are articulate and independent learners. Their standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average. Some recent year groups, most notably in 2006, have reached exceptionally high standards. Again in this key stage, writing standards are not as high as other aspects of English and the school is striving to raise them. This has resulted in an encouraging improvement in boys' achievement, which had often previously lagged behind that of the girls. A push for better handwriting is well under way. The teachers are now rightly working on plans to improve spelling. They are extending the use of purposeful activities aimed at motivating pupils to write independently, and to write at length. There is good provision for pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities and for those who show particular gifts or talents. This is implemented well by the teachers and the team of teaching assistants, enabling these groups of learners to make good progress. Pupils' outstanding personal development is a testament to the priority that staff place on providing an all-round education. The school promotes spiritual, moral, social and cultural development extremely effectively. Pastoral care is of high quality. Pupils feel safe and say they have adults and friends to turn to if needed. They enjoy school enormously and all age groups mix well. The older ones care for the younger pupils. This was very evident during the inspection when Class 4 pupils served food to their younger 'family group' at lunchtime and encouraged good manners and healthy attitudes to eating. Such activities typify pupils' excellent appreciation of healthy lifestyles. Behaviour is often exemplary, both in lessons and other activities. Pupils of all ages, including the youngest, were seen listening carefully to the adults and children leading an assembly, creating an atmosphere of participation and reflection. Pupils feel their views are valued. All take part in 'buddy forums' and regularly contribute their ideas for how the school can develop further. Attendance rates are mostly high, although the school is working to eliminate a small amount of unnecessary absence. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education and future lives by their very good academic skills and experience of activities such as business enterprise projects. Teaching is good and is based on a broad and interesting curriculum. In recent years, while maintaining its attention to pupils' basic skills, the school has extended its work well in areas such as foreign language teaching, music and physical education. The outdoor areas have been developed to a high standard to enhance learning. Pupils learn efficiently because the staff work closely together and implement agreed approaches when delivering lessons. Very good relationships between staff and pupils underpin activities. Since the last inspection, the ways teachers use assessment information have developed significantly. Class teachers are more involved in the close checking and tracking of individual progress. They use this information to set and share targets for all individuals, groups and whole classes. Academic support and guidance are of high quality. Pupils know their targets well and value the feedback they get from adults. The next stage for pupils' development is for them to be even more independent in acting on the guidance they are given by teachers, for example as provided for them when books are marked or targets reviewed. The headteacher's leadership is supported well by the senior staff and governors. All evaluate the school rigorously and accurately, monitoring standards and provision well. They ensure it continues to succeed and gives good value for money. Great efforts are made to involve staff, governors, parents and pupils in the plans for continuing development. Governors are active and questioning. They are knowledgeable about the school and help to forge valuable links with the local community, including parents and other local schools. Careful attention to the budget has enabled the school to enhance its resources and to decorate the building to a high standard. The current team of staff and governors, combined with the track record of recent years, show a good capacity for the school to continue to thrive.

Date of last inspection: 11-Sep-2007

Ofsted graded our school as good

Inspectors made judgements on a scale: outstanding (grade 1); good (2); satisfactory (3); inadequate (4).

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What have we done in response to Ofsted?

Our last Ofsted inspection was in December 2003 and we carefully considered all the points raised and included the issues in our 2005/2008 Strategic Management Plan. 

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More Information

If you would like more information about school policies, including our policies on special educational needs and disability, admissions, finance, school food and our complaints procedure, please contact us:

By telephone: 01223 712447

Our website: http://www.foxton.cambs.sch.uk

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