Wrenbury Primary School

Wrenbury Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 12–13 January 2012 Inspection number 378226 Unique Reference Number 111078 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 378226 Inspection dates 12–13 January 2012 Lead inspector Sarah Drake

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 134 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ed Forshaw Headteacher Justine Joule Date of previous school inspection 16 March 2009 School address Nantwich Road Wrenbury Nantwich CW5 8EN Telephone number 01270 780368 Fax number 01270 780074 Email address wrenburyprimaryhead@cheshireeast.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspector observed seven lessons taught by six different teachers plus a series of sessions promoting pupils’ understanding of the links between letters and sounds. She also heard five pupils read individually. The inspector held meetings with school staff, pupils, and members of the governing body. She observed the school’s work and scrutinised documentation relating to pupils’ attainment and progress, as well as leadership and management. In planning the inspection, the inspector found no responses made by parents and carers to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View). The inspector took into account questionnaires returned by pupils, members of staff and 61 parents and carers.

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Information about the school

The school is around half the size of an average primary school. It serves a rural community to the south-west of Nantwich. The overwhelming majority of pupils are of White British heritage and none speaks English as an additional language. A small proportion of pupils belongs to the Traveller community. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is also around average. A small number of pupils has disabilities. A greater proportion of pupils than is usual joins or leaves the school partway through their education. The school exceeds the current floor standard set by the government, which determines the minimum expectations for attainment and progress. The school holds Healthy School status and the Activemark and Artsmark Gold awards, as well as the Inclusion and Basic Skills Quality Marks.

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Information about the school

A privately-run pre-school and out-of-school provision operates on the school site. This did not form part of this inspection but a report of its quality can be found on the Ofsted website. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key Findings

 This is a good school. Pupils describe it as ‘friendly, welcoming and kind’; parents and carers praise the ‘strong culture of support and respect’. Excellent provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage means that children now make outstanding progress during their Reception Year. Overall, all groups of pupils achieve well and their attainment is often above average, although the small numbers in each year group mean that overall levels fluctuate. Attainment in reading for pupils in Key Stage 1 is broadly average. Pupils make good progress overall but they are capable of even more at both Key Stages.

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Key Findings

 Pupils behave well and have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They are outgoing, polite and collaborate well in lessons. Any rare instances of unkindness are tackled effectively because staff know pupils very well as individuals and are alert to their needs. Attendance levels are high.

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Key Findings

 Teaching of good quality ensures that pupils enjoy lessons and develop good attitudes towards, and skills to support, their learning. Warm relationships, interesting activities and good questioning are evident in every classroom, underpinning pupils’ good progress. Teachers share with pupils the focus of lessons but seldom clarify their expectations of what different groups should learn. Marking does not consistently provide clear pointers for improvement and teachers’ expectations of the presentation of pupils’ work are not high enough.

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Key Findings

 Good quality leadership and management have ensured that the school has built well on the strengths already established at the time of the previous inspection. A relentless drive for improvement combined with skilful management have, for example, resolved staffing issues and improved the systems to track pupils’ progress. Members of the governing body play a prominent part in school life. The lively curriculum promotes pupils’ personal development successfully. Strong partnerships with parents and carers and the wider community, enrich and enhance the overall provision.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in reading in Key Stage 1 to above average by improving the quality of sessions that promote pupils’ understanding of the links between letters and sounds.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise levels of achievement and increase the rate of pupils’ progress even further, by: - identifying in lesson plans and sharing with pupils, clear suitably challenging, expectations of what those of different ability, particularly the more-able, should achieve - ensuring that marking provides pupils with clear pointers for improvement - having higher expectations of the presentation of pupils’ work.

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Achievement of pupils

Changes in demography and provision in the local area mean that most children’s skills on entry to Reception are now below those expected for their age. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, creative, highly skilful teaching, plus an exceptional amount of voluntary support from members of the governing body and others, ensures that children make rapid progress and achieve outstandingly well. Children have great fun in Base 1, for example, independently negotiating over their imaginative play in the jungle area or using props and actions to sequence the events in a story. The great majority joins Year 1 with good levels of development for their age. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 develop average reading skills but do not always use sounds and letters sufficiently well to assist the accuracy and fluency of their reading. Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 varies due to the small

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Achievement of pupils

numbers of pupils involved, but it is typically above average.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils of all ages and abilities build well on their positive first experiences. The above average numbers who join the school partway through their education also make good progress as do those who belong to the Traveller community, pupils who have special educational needs and pupils with disabilities. This is due to careful assessment of individuals’ skills and well-focussed provision to support their needs. In addition, the welcoming environment created by staff and pupils alike encourages all pupils to grow in self-confidence, to volunteer their ideas and to build on those of others. Pupils listen well to adults and each other and they ably use their developing literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills across a range of subjects. They are enthusiastic learners, generally sustain their concentration well and think hard about the content of their work but they do not

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Achievement of pupils

always take enough care with its presentation.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils’ achievement in subjects beyond English and mathematics is also good. High quality artwork, ranging from three-dimensional masks of characters in the Greek myths, to collages based on celebrations of the Hindu festival of Holi, or in the style of Karel Appell, enhances the learning environment. Pupils’ facility with French led to their presenting this year’s nativity play in that language. Typical of parents’ and carers' comments is that, ‘children make good progress and enjoy their time in school.’

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Quality of teaching

Good quality relationships, thorough planning, clarity about the purpose and content of lessons, and a variety of different activities typify the good quality teaching which fires pupils’ enthusiasm for learning throughout the school. For example, older pupils greatly enjoyed planning a newspaper report about the discovery of an extra winning ticket for a visit to Charlie’s Chocolate Factory, and pupils in Key Stage 1 keenly conducted an experiment about floating and sinking with remarkably little spillage of water. Teachers use interactive whiteboards effectively for a range of purposes, lessons move at a good pace and expert management of pupils means that adults pre-empt potential disruption. They use praise regularly and to good effect, creating a climate which builds pupils’ self-esteem and in which everyone’s efforts are valued. Precise use of subject-specific language and regular, purposeful homework promote

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Quality of teaching

pupils’ knowledge and understanding well in different areas. Teachers ask probing questions which they adapt well to pupils’ different abilities but they do not always make clear enough, either in their planning or to the pupils, their expectations of what those of different ability should learn or achieve by the end of the lesson. Although the vast majority of parents and carers agrees that the overall quality of teaching is good, some rightly identify that the level of challenge is not always great enough, especially for those who are more-able, to spur pupils on to make even better progress.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching of the links between letters and sounds is well organised so that minimal time is wasted when pupils move into groups. However, in Key Stage 1 the range of ability in some groups is too great, the conduct of activities is not always smooth enough and sometimes the adults’ articulation of the sound is insufficiently precise to assist pupils’ understanding. Throughout the school, teaching assistants provide good quality, discreet support which ensures that, in particular, pupils with special educational needs and pupils with disabilities are fully included and sustain their concentration. Pupils evaluate their own and others’ work to identify areas for development. Teachers’ marking is supportive but it does not provide enough clear pointers for improvement. Some comments draw attention to untidy presentation but there is little evidence of these leading to improvement. Inspirational teaching of

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Quality of teaching

French ensures that pupils learn with great enjoyment and at impressive speed both the language and about the culture of France.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The school typically operates as a very orderly, highly cohesive community in which pupils are typically polite, well-behaved and show respect for others. In lessons they work well in pairs or small groups and they fully understand the fairness of taking turns. A very small minority of pupils in each key Stage demonstrates less awareness of others’ needs and, as noted by some pupils, parents and carers, this occasionally has an impact on the smooth running of lessons. Observations and school records confirm the success with which staff identify individuals’ difficulties and, through consistent expectations and actions, help them to grow in self-awareness and self- discipline.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Playtimes are happy occasions during which pupils of different ages play well together, for example, on the high-quality balancing equipment, and behave sensibly. Pupils are generous fund-raisers for charity and, through the active school council, make a good contribution to school improvement and to awareness-raising about ecological issues. The overwhelming majority of pupils states that they enjoy school and that they feel safe there. They comment on the friendliness and kindness of other pupils as well as staff. Instances of bullying are rare and this is confirmed by the views of pupils, parents and carers. Pupils understand the risks posed by different situations, including access to the Internet, and they sensibly follow adults’ guidance on how to keep themselves safe.

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Leadership and management

Guided by the analytical, reflective and highly supportive leadership of the headteacher, the school has improved well since the previous inspection and has good capacity to improve further. Staff describe Wrenbury as ‘a very happy place to work where there is a strong team and everyone works hard.’ Numbers on roll have increased so that there are now five classes. Middle leaders are now fully involved in school development. The deputy headteacher supports the headteacher well in the tracking of pupils’ progress, as well as taking responsibility for ensuring the good progress of pupils with special educational needs and those with disabilities. Through personal contact and an efficient committee structure, members of the governing body are well-informed about the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and provide it with a good balance of support and challenge. School self-evaluation is accurate. Development planning provides a clear sense of direction and an ambitious

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Leadership and management

The school benefits from its strong partnerships with others in the local network of schools. For example, staff have good access to further training. This and the increased rigour with which pupils’ attainment and progress are assessed, lead to early identification of, and swift actions to prevent, any falling behind. This evidences leaders' good promotion of equal opportunity and their effective tackling of any discrimination. The school is very inclusive and leaders are exceptionally persistent in gaining access for pupils and their families to any necessary outside support. Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements. The curriculum is reviewed annually to ensure that pupils in the mixed-age classes develop their skills sequentially. A range of visitors, visits, including residentials, and themes, such as Chocolate, the Tudors or Fairytales, brings pupils’ learning to life and encourages

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Leadership and management

them to hone their skills across a range of subjects. The curriculum provides good opportunities for pupils to increase their knowledge of other cultures and to reflect on spiritual, moral and social issues. All staff act as positive role models that promote well pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Leadership and management

Good quality management ensures that the school runs smoothly and is well- organised and well-maintained. Parents and carers are very supportive of the school and involve themselves well in their children’s education. They support homework activities and raise impressive funds, including through the annual scarecrow trail, which involves the whole village. Typical of their positive views is that, ‘this is a great school where children are happy, secure and stimulated.’

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its children. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school's efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils' punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the children' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils' freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Wrenbury Primary School, Nantwich, CW5 8EN

Thank you for the warm welcome that you gave me when I inspected your school recently. Particular thanks to those of you who gave up some of your lunch period to talk with me. Your views, as well as those of your parents and carers, helped me to build a picture of what it is like to be a pupil at Wrenbury. You told me that it is a friendly school where you feel safe. I am glad that you feel this way and have judged it to be a good school. This is because:

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Inspection of Wrenbury Primary School, Nantwich, CW5 8EN

 pupils make good overall progress in Key Stages 1 and 2, and children in reception achieve outstandingly well  attendance levels are high, behaviour is good, you understand how to keep yourselves safe, and you enjoy learning  the adults know you very well as individuals and are good at helping you to understand things that you find hard including, for a few pupils, how to behave well  your teachers make sure that lessons are interesting, varied and encourage you to be active learners.

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Inspection of Wrenbury Primary School, Nantwich, CW5 8EN

The school’s leaders look carefully at how much progress you are making and use this information well to identify and guide school improvement. To help you achieve even better I have asked them to make sure that:

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Inspection of Wrenbury Primary School, Nantwich, CW5 8EN

 pupils in Bases 1 and 2 develop a really good understanding of the links between letters and sounds so that their reading levels improve  teachers make clear to you not just what you need to do in lessons but what they expect pupils of different abilities to achieve  marking gives you clear points on how to improve your work.

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Inspection of Wrenbury Primary School, Nantwich, CW5 8EN

I have also asked your teachers to make sure that you take more care with the presentation of your work. I’m sure you can do this. Best wishes for the future.

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Inspection of Wrenbury Primary School, Nantwich, CW5 8EN

Sarah Drake Lead Inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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