National Association for Small Schools

National Association for Small Schools

Mervyn Benford Information Officer

Cloudshill, High Street, Shutford, BANBURY OX15 6PQ Tel: 01295780225 (Fax: 01295 780308)

Chairman: Bill Goodhand Tel: 01400 272623 Secretary: Barbara Taylor Tel: 0845 2235029

The Very Small School

Scottish Government evidence from a national survey in 2006 shows the smaller the school the better.

Ofsted evidence in 2007 showed sour smallest schools obtaining better teaching grades than larger small schools and those were better than the rest of the nation.

When the Scilly Isles schools were federated under unitary management the secondary school (200+ pupils) was in Osfted “special measures,” the larger primary (70+ pupils) was “causing concern” but the two island schools of St. Martin’s and St. Agnes were receiving their second successive glowing Ofsted report. After several difficult years and different headteachers one eventually arrived who worked wonders by first helping everyone to respect the worth of these smaller places. He created a genuine sense of community.

For many decades children in Canada, Australia, Tasmania, living far from a school, have been educated till 1elevent at home using distance learning mediated by their parents. There is no evidence they later fail and become second-class citizens.

A study by Dijon University in France of a rural area that had 22 of 50 schools closed found that ten years later the costs of transport alone were reaching levels that would have kept all the schools open and as 50 schools they had better results.

Some typical UK small school reports showing what is possible:

VERY SMALL....and EFFECTIVE!

Hollinsclough Primary School in the Peak District currently has just five registered pupils, making it the smallest in the country. The children, aged between five and 11, are taught in a single group for some lessons but are split into separate classes for English and Maths.

Janette Mountford-Lees, the head teacher, said: "We've got five pupils using the space of 50. When people walk in they think the school is filled with children because there is so much work on the walls, but it is all done by these five, they have no choice.

"If they are enjoying something we spend a lot of time on it, but if they aren't bothered we just go on to something else. We get to go on lots of school trips because we can just jump in the car."

In addition to the head teacher, the school employs one full-time teacher, two specialist teachers who come in for a lesson a week, three part-time teaching assistants and an administrative worker to help in the office.

The full-time teacher has been put on redundancy notice in an attempt to balance the books, but Mrs Mountford-Lees is confident about the school's long-term future, claiming that the decline in numbers is cyclical.

Note: Other schools are now recruiting from home educating families on the same part-time basis that also brings resources for the school budget

OFSTED Report on Brockdish VC Primary School: March 2010

Number of pupils 19 Head Peter Lacey-Hastings.

Two mixed age Classes

Above average free school meals Below average SEN

Above average levels of pupil and family mobility

School has Active Mark award, Foundation level of International Schools Award and Silver Eco-schools Award. It was also judged outstanding in the Church report on the school.

In all but one of the measured performance categories the school rated 1 (= outstanding)

Teaching, curriculum, leadership and management were outstanding.

Brockdish Primary School is an exciting place to learn. It provides an outstanding quality of education. Classrooms and the school grounds are full of interesting and challenging activities that capitalise on pupils’ enthusiasm for learning. Pupils are full of praise for the education they receive. One commented, “Our teachers are kind and helpful; they make me feel confident and happy.” Parents and carers are similarly impressed, “This is the best school I have known. The staff are excellent.” and “The care and attention my children receive are outstanding.”

Pupils’ outstanding academic and personal progress are the result of some excellent teaching and highly effective management and leadership. The school is well-placed to continue its improvement in the future, based on a track record of rising standards and improvements in provision as well as accurate self-evaluation. Pupils, including those with special needs, achieve outstandingly well and make excellent progress.

There is a very active School Council but all pupils are well placed to influence the school’s development and their contribution to the community is exemplary. Pupils are very knowledgeable about the beliefs and cultures of other groups in the United Kingdom and abroad. They are prepared exceptionally well for the next stages of their education which is illustrated by their ability to apply the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and information technology with confidence in a range of contexts.

Lessons are imaginative, vibrant and fill of pace. Discussion and the effective promotion of speaking and listening feature prominently. The contribution made by teachers’ marking is remarkable. The curriculum is equally effective at meeting pupils’ needs. All subjects are covered in depth and helpful links are made across subjects. Additional provision for French, Spanish, specialist-led musical and sporting activities add to the quality. For such a small school the range of additional activities is fantastic. Participation levels are high, including the youngest. The response to any pupil showing the slightest sign of falling behind is prompt and effective.

Under the very effective leadership of the headteacher the school has flourished and attainment has risen year on year. Central to this improvement is an excellent programme of staff nurture and development in which each member is enabled to take responsibility and expand their range of skills. Governors also make a major contribution to the school’s record of improvement. Parents and carers are hugely supportive of the school. Liaison with parents and carers is exemplary. The promotion of community cohesion at local, national and international level is also outstanding. Pupils have taken part in video conferencing with pupils in the Lake District, Pakistan and Poland. The wide use of resources, supplemented by those provided by parents and the community, mean the school provides excellent value for money.

NASS Comment: “Fantastic” is not a word much evident in OFSTED vocabulary. The striking factor is that Peter is a part-time Headteacher, three days a week. The school had been a failing federated pair and governors accepted Peter offered them for three days more than they had had from the shared Head of the federation.

GILSLAND C of E Primary School - 23 pupils June 2011 - Overall Achievement Grade 1:

Pupil Outcome Grades 9 x 1 : 2 x 2 Capacity for sustained improvement Grade 1:

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is high- in some year groups as high as 100 per cent. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is also high.

This is an outstanding school. Pupils' achievement is outstanding as a result of outstanding provision and the vibrant and warm environment created for their learning. Staff nurture successfully an ethos of self-esteem and respect for others, which is central to the school's harmonious learning community. At the heart of the school's work are outstanding levels of care and support and a very creative, stimulating curriculum, which is supported by outstanding partnerships and engagement with parents and carers. The school's work in safeguarding pupils is excellent. Consequently, pupils feel very safe, know how to adopt healthy lifestyles, behave impeccably and have outstanding attitudes to school. Pupils have developed a deep understanding of how they can contribute to cohesion within their school, the local community and the wider world. They are exceptionally well prepared for the next stages of their education.

Throughout the school teaching is never less than good. Much is outstanding. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make an excellent start due to outstanding planning, in which children play an active part. Teaching and support staff work together exceptionally well. In targeted areas, such as writing, pupils make outstanding progress. Teachers provide pupils with a real purpose for their work and every opportunity is taken to put the knowledge and skills gained into action. Although good, progress in mathematics is not yet as rapid. The school has identified that older pupils do not always use their basic skills, for example place value, well enough in new learning. Teachers are beginning to use the lessons learned from the improved provision for writing to increase the rate of pupils' progress in mathematics.

High mobility and very small pupil numbers make comparisons with national averages difficult but inspection evidence indicates that attainment at the end of Year 6 is generally above average and overall progress is outstanding. A strength of the school is how well pupils, whenever they arrive, are integrated into the school family. They rapidly gain in self-confidence and make very fast progress because teachers use assessment of pupils' individual abilities exceptionally well to ensure they are provided with a curriculum tailored to their individual needs. As one recently admitted pupil commented, 'I feel like I have been here for years'. The school is highly effective in ensuring that all pupils have equal opportunities for success. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities also make outstanding progress.

Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and their achievement is outstanding. Children generally enter the Reception class with attainment levels below those expected overall, although attainment in personal, social and emotional development is increasingly higher. Throughout the school all pupils take great pride in their work and generally present it well. Pupils of all abilities have an excellent understanding of how to work independently. They respond exceptionally well to opportunities to direct their own learning. They sensibly reflect whether or not they have met their objectives within lessons and, with support from staff, set targets for their next steps in order to progress as well as they can. This moderation of their own work is particularly effective in contributing to their outstanding progress in writing. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make outstanding progress from their starting points. As a result, many attain the expected level for their age by the time they leave the school in most aspects of their learning.

Pupils have a strong voice in the life of the school and develop skills which prepare them exceptionally well for the future. They make very good use of information and communication technology to research, investigate and present their ideas and relish the opportunities provided to engage in enterprise activities, such as how they will generate a profit on 'funds day'. Pupils feel very safe and have a well-developed understanding of how to avoid unsafe situations. They have an excellent understanding of the importance of a healthy diet and are keen to participate in sporting opportunities, for example, those available through the sports partnership. Pupils' behaviour is outstanding and their contribution to the school and local community is extremely good. They have a deep sense of fairness and an astute understanding of their own and others' place in the world. They express themselves maturely and confidently when they talk about social and moral issues. They relish the opportunities to explore the natural world provided through the locality of their school and develop a deep understanding of their responsibility to sustain this beauty and its resources for others.

Under the exceptional leadership of the headteacher all staff have developed a shared philosophy and desire to provide each pupil with the best possible chance to succeed. As a result of rigorous and accurate self-evaluation, improvement strategies have been highly effective in bringing about rapid improvement in every aspect of the school's work. This demonstrates the school's outstanding capacity for sustained improvement.