Setting

Miss F Cowell Headteacher Woore Primary School London Road Woore Crewe CW3 9SQ

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Primary School

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 7 July 2011, for the time you gave to our telephone discussions and for the information which you provided before and during the inspection. Please pass on my thanks to the staff, pupils, parents and representatives from the governing body for the time they gave to meet with me.

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Primary School

Since the last inspection, the acting headteacher was confirmed in post in October 2010. A new teacher joined the staff in January 2011. There is a new Chair of the Governing Body and three new governors have been appointed.

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Primary School

As a result of the inspection on 1 February 2010, the school was asked to address the most important areas for improvement which are set out in the annex to this letter.

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Primary School

Having considered all the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time the school has made good progress in making improvements and good progress in demonstrating a better capacity for sustained improvement.

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Primary School

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is broadly in line with national averages. Attainment on entry to the school varies significantly from year to year and this, together with the very small numbers of pupils in each year group, around eight per year, makes year-on-year comparisons unreliable. Standards in mathematics have improved. The vast majority of pupils achieved Level 4 or above in reading, writing and mathematics, in the school’s most recent data. Results in writing indicate this is a weaker area and the school has already begun to address this issue. The school takes advantage of the very small class size to ensure it has detailed knowledge of every pupil. While it is difficult to analyse trends, the school gathers a wide range of Serco Inspections Cedar House 21 William Street Edgbaston Birmingham B15 1LH Ofsted T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Serco

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Primary School

Direct T 0121 683 3888 data and tracks every pupil rigorously. This ensures that interventions can be put in place quickly and support is well matched to individual need. The school has begun to address the differences in boys’ and girls’ achievement to ensure that learning engages and interests all pupils. Teaching assistants are highly effective in working with individual pupils and in leading small groups. Higher attaining pupils are effectively challenged in lessons. Gifted and talented pupils have the opportunity to visit a nearby secondary school and work on projects to engage and enhance their mathematical understanding.

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Primary School

The majority of the teaching observed was good. Teachers have improved their planning. Mixed-aged classes are effectively taught and work is carefully matched to pupils’ understanding and levels of maturity. This enables all pupils to make good progress. Challenge for pupils in Key Stage 2 is now appropriate. Occasionally, teachers talk too much in their introductions and pupils lose concentration. Pupils are encouraged to set their own success criteria in lessons and enjoy working independently. Resources in mathematics are well chosen both by pupils and staff to help solve problems and address weaknesses in understanding. Thus, pupils are able to explain what they are doing and how they arrived at their answers. Marking has greatly improved, although the school recognises that it is not always used effectively by teachers. In particular, opportunities are sometimes missed for pupils to practise key skills after their work has been marked. Pupils are increasingly

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Primary School

confident in accurately assessing what they can do and what they need to do in order to improve. Behaviour both in lessons and around the school is exemplary, with older pupils routinely helping younger ones.

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Primary School

The headteacher has worked determinedly to improve teaching and learning and has made a significant impact on improving the ethos of the school. She has used the good quality support provided by the local authority to improve both teaching and learning and the use of assessment. The headteacher has developed links with two other primary schools and this has helped improve the quality of teachers’ planning and use of assessment. The improved confidence of the staff in their leadership roles has also greatly improved the school’s capacity for improvement. Under the good leadership of the new Chair of the Governing Body, governors have risen to the challenge of writing the community cohesion policy. They have actively supported opportunities for pupils to engage with people and activities from other ethnic groups. The school has plans to build upon this successful work next term.

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Primary School

I hope that you have found the inspection helpful in promoting improvement in your school. This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website.

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place in February 2010

 Improve standards in mathematics by giving pupils better opportunities to explain their reasoning and practise their skills in solving practical problems.

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place in February 2010

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning by: - matching the work more precisely to challenge the more-able pupils across the school - ensuring that better use is made of marking in Key Stage 2 to show pupils the standards they have reached and how they can improve their work.

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place in February 2010

 Develop and implement a suitable action plan for community cohesion by December 2010 and in so doing: - enhance pupils’ cultural awareness by providing them with first-hand experiences of pupils’ of a different national and/or ethnic background.

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