|
|
1. Introduction to the Organisation Compton and Up Marden School is located in an idyllic setting, the surrounding countryside being designated an area of outstanding natural beauty. It is a small school where both formal and informal processes for communication can be effective and the headteacher is both visible and supportive, as noted by OFSTED in November 2005 – ‘The headteacher has a good understanding of the needs of the school. She is a good leader, with high aspirations for all in the school.’ Its setting could be somewhat isolating and the school both actively engages with activities run within its cluster group of schools and encourages visitors to exchange good practice. Staff strive to maintain high standards and, during the interview process, presented as being loyal and recognising the need to be flexible in order to provide the best learning opportunities for the pupils. Strong team working and co-operative working practices were described, such as – ‘People pull together – very supportive of one another.’ This was also noted in their OFSTED inspection report – ‘They have forged a strong sense of teamwork amongst the staff. Consequently, there is a shared commitment to raising standards and enabling all pupils to achieve to their full capability.’ Acknowledgements The assessor would like to thank all those who participated in the interviews and specifically Kate Phillips for all her assistance in terms of co-ordinating information for the assessment process. 2. Summary of good practice The following points are representative of some good practice observed whilst at the school – the list is not meant to be exhaustive – indicator references to the Standard are given for your information. Commitment to learning and development activities to improve performance at the school – using coaching, in-house expertise and membership of the cluster group to aid cost effectiveness. Culture and environment encouraging sharing of information and expertise, strong team working approach and helping one another to develop. Encouraging ownership through the programme of monitoring visits by members of the Governing Body reporting back specifically against what the school is trying to achieve. Congratulations to Compton and Up Marden Primary School on achieving the IIP standard. The report was a delight to read. It was itself comprehensive, and it also painted a clear picture of a small, happy school entirely focussed on improving itself so as to improve the outcomes for the children and the staff. The collaborative and supportive nature of the school comes through in the report. The Head Teacher is a great role model and is clearly dedicated to maintaining and improving standards for the staff and pupils alike. There are good examples of how staff are taking advantage of varied development opportunities and applying their learning for the benefit of their own performance as well as that of their colleagues.
|
