Bishopton Redmarshall CofE Primary School

Bishopton Redmarshall CofE Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 18–19 January 2012 Inspection number 385565 Unique Reference Number 137021 Local authority Darlington Inspection number 385565 Inspection dates 18–19 January 2012 Lead inspector Margaret Armstrong

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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 Academy Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 109 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Chambers Headteacher Neil Parker Date of previous school inspection 11 October 2006 School address Cobby Castle Lane Bishopton TS21 1HD Telephone number 01740 630339 Fax number 01740 630339 Email address headteacher@brandh.darlington.sch.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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspector observed five teachers teaching eight lessons. Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and school staff, including senior leaders. The inspector took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. She observed the school’s work, and looked at a range of documentation including assessment and tracking information, the school development plan, and the school’s monitoring records. She also looked at documentation relating to safeguarding procedures and analysed 32 parental and carers’ questionnaires and others completed by pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

The academy is smaller than the average-sized primary academy. Almost all pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. A below-average proportion of pupils have special educational needs, some of which are complex. In some year groups, more pupils than average join or leave the academy other than at the start of the academic year. The academy has achieved Healthy School status and the Artsmark.

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Information about the school

Bishop Redmarshall acquired academy status in September 2011, having formed a hard federation with Heighington CofE Primary School in September 2007. Since then, the two schools have had an executive headteacher, shared leadership team and a single governing body. The academy meets the current floor standard.

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Information about the school

The school hosts private day care and an after-school club, which are managed independently of the school and did not form part of this inspection. Separate reports for this provision 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 academy. It provides a caring, supportive learning environment in which every child is valued as an individual. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the work of the academy and speak highly of the ‘unique, caring and special community’ where pupils enjoy learning.

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Key Findings

 Attainment is above average overall by the end of Year 6 and pupils make good progress from their starting points. Attainment in mathematics is not as high as that in English and progress in mathematics is less rapid because the pace of learning for the more able pupils is not always fast enough. Pupils who have special educational needs make good progress because of the good quality, individual support they receive.

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Key Findings

 Teaching is good. Teachers have high expectations of all pupils. They use their subject knowledge well to plan interesting activities which engage and motivate pupils. Mostly, teachers’ assessments are accurate and support learning well. However, teachers occasionally do not make effective use of assessment information to plan sufficient challenge for the more able pupils, particularly in mathematics. Although there is some good practice, marking does not always provide constructive comments to help pupils improve their work.

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Key Findings

 Pupils enjoy school and have excellent attitudes to learning. This is reflected in their high levels of attendance. In the words of one pupil, ‘I love coming to school because I get lots of chances to learn new things’. Exemplary relationships ensure that pupils behave exceptionally well and are motivated to learn. Pupils say they feel very safe and know who to turn to if they have a problem. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding.

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Key Findings

 The dedicated headteacher leads an enthusiastic team who make good use of a range of monitoring activities to improve teaching. However, monitoring has not been rigorous enough to ensure the most able pupils progress as quickly as they should.  The curriculum has been developed well to enhance pupils’ motivation to learn. However, it does not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to develop their numeracy skills in problem-solving activities.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment and accelerate progress in mathematics by: - ensuring that teachers make better use of assessment information to plan a higher level of challenge for the more able - broadening the range of curriculum opportunities to enable pupils of all abilities to apply their mathematical skills to solve problems - giving pupils clearer indications of how to improve their work through feedback in lessons and marking.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the monitoring and evaluation role of senior leaders by providing them with more training to enable them to be more rigorous when observing lessons and evaluating pupils’ work.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils say that they enjoy learning. In lessons, most pupils are well motivated, have high levels of concentration and are keen to succeed. Nearly all pupils work enthusiastically with a partner and this is helping them become confident, mature learners. It also helps them develop strong cooperation and leadership skills. Pupils are keen to practise the skills they have learnt. In lessons they tackle new challenges with energy and interest. As a result, achievement is good.

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Achievement of pupils

Children start in the Reception class with skills which are broadly in line with those expected for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and achieve well. This is because adults are attentive, listen to the children and create conditions in which children feel welcomed, safe and secure. Inspection evidence indicates that the current attainment of the Year 6 pupils is above average in reading and writing. Learning and progress in English, for all groups, is good and often outstanding. This is because teachers ensure that tasks and activities are very closely tailored to pupils’ abilities and they give good opportunities to enhance their reading and writing skills in other subjects. Attainment is average in mathematics because the more able pupils are not always challenged sufficiently. In addition, pupils do not have enough opportunities to solve problems in a range of contexts. All

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Achievement of pupils

pupil groups, including those who join the school part way through the year, make good progress because of the good quality teaching they receive. The academy is taking effective action to narrow the gap in attainment between English and mathematics.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils with special educational needs make good progress as a result of effective support. The consistent approach to the teaching of sounds and letters, to develop pupils’ reading and writing skills, and the effective use of intervention programmes ensure pupils make good progress in developing these skills. Consequently, attainment in reading is above average by the end of Year 1. Most parents and carers feel their children are making good progress. Generally their views are accurate although the more able pupils do not always achieve as well as they could.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers set high expectations for pupils. They understand how pupils learn best and in lessons provide a good balance of teacher input and pupil activity. Consequently, pupils have regular opportunities to learn independently or take the lead in learning. Pupils are eager to learn because teachers use a range of exciting activities and resources. For example, they use information and communication technology expertly to reinforce key teaching points. As a result, lessons have good pace and pupils engage well. This was seen in an outstanding history lesson in Year 6, where the carefully planned use of a wide range of source material enabled pupils to quickly evaluate evidence and form views and opinions when researching ‘The Princes in the Tower’. Most parents and carers feel their children are taught well and commented positively on how this helps children develop confidence in their learning. These views are accurate and mirror the findings of the inspection.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers are skilled at intervening when pupils need individual support. They are quick to pick up any misconceptions in pupils’ learning and provide clear guidance to enable pupils to achieve well. Teaching assistants are well trained and provide good support for individuals and groups. The impact of the planned curriculum on teaching is good in English but more limited in mathematics, because there are not enough planned opportunities for pupils to develop their numeracy skills in other subjects. Generally, teachers make good use of their knowledge of pupils’ prior learning to ensure tasks are smartly tailored to pupils’ needs. For example, in a good lesson in Year 2 the teacher used questioning skilfully to help less-able pupils express their opinions concerning the main ideas in a range of texts about dinosaurs. Occasionally, teachers do not use this information effectively enough to ensure the needs of the

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Quality of teaching

more-able are fully met, particularly in mathematics. Teaching promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well. There are ample opportunities for pupils to learn by working together collaboratively and taking responsibility for their actions.

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Quality of teaching

The pupils’ work is marked frequently and regularly. Although there are examples of informative marking, with indicators for improvement that help pupils to progress and to meet their targets, this is not consistent across subjects or year groups. In particular, marking and feedback in mathematics does not provide pupils with sufficient information on what they need to do to move onto the next steps in learning.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The pupils say overwhelmingly that they feel safe in the academy and that adults are very approachable if they have any concerns. Pupils have an excellent understanding of the risks to which they may be exposed, both within and outside of the academy. They feel the academy helps them learn how to stay safe through the organisation of an extensive range of safety events including the ‘Safety Carousel’. Attendance is well above the national average and pupils arrive punctually to the academy and to lessons. The importance of excellent attendance is promoted very well through the very effective use of rewards which motivate pupils to attend regularly. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. All pupils are keen to help and support each other. This has a positive impact on their enthusiasm and enjoyment of learning. Pupils manage their own behaviour very well in the classroom and around the academy. This is because clear boundaries have been set for behaviour and pupils know exactly what

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

is expected of them. Pupils fully understand the Christian principles which underpin the highly positive ethos of respect and consideration for others.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The academy has very effective systems in place to manage the behaviour of a small number of pupils who have complex behavioural difficulties. Academy records show that pupils who find it difficult to manage their own behaviour are supported very well. As a result, they make outstanding progress in their personal development and play a full and active part in the life of the academy. Incidents of bullying are extremely rare and most parents, carers and pupils express confidence in the academy’s systems for dealing with such occurrences. In the words of one pupil, ‘Bullying is not allowed in our school!’ A very small number of parents and carers raised concerns that the ‘Traffic Light System’ for managing behaviour was ineffective. This was not confirmed by the pupils who reported that this approach ensured they knew exactly what the consequences of inappropriate behaviour would be.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher provides strong, astute and determined leadership. His success in communicating high expectations is demonstrated in the good team spirit which pervades the school. This can be seen in the work of the Federated Management Team which has ensured that all who work in the academy are committed to continuous improvement. Currently, the collection and analysis of assessment data feature strongly in the academy’s monitoring. This contributes to the setting of challenging targets for individual pupils and fulfils the school’s commitment to ensuring all pupils achieve well. However, monitoring has not been rigorous enough in ensuring the more-able pupils achieve as well as they could in mathematics.

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Leadership and management

The academy’s positive reputation in the community and the good outcomes for pupils is due to the effective support of staff and the governing body who share the headteacher’s values and ambitions. The clarity of direction, well-planned professional development and good partnership work with parents, carers and external agencies have contributed well to the improving outcomes for pupils. The school leaders have demonstrated their ability to bring about improvement and parents and carers and pupils acknowledge this. Self-evaluation is comprehensive and reflects the high expectations which have been set for the work of the academy. Consequently, the academy has a good capacity to improve further,

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Leadership and management

The impact of the curriculum on pupils’ outcomes is good. The curriculum is currently being carefully adapted to ensure the needs of all pupils are fully met through an ‘enquiry based’ approach to learning. There is a consistent approach to teaching literacy, numeracy and other key skills across the curriculum. However, the curriculum does not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to practise and develop their numeracy skills in problem-solving activities. The curriculum promotes pupils’ personal development very well. Pupils benefit from an extensive range of experiences outside of school. They talked excitedly, for example, about visits to Carlton Lodge Residential Centre where they have opportunities to explore their own interests and take on leadership roles. As a result, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding.

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Leadership and management

The governing body holds the academy to account well and challenges senior leaders about the achievement of pupils to ensure a strong impetus on improving the attainment and progress of different groups. This maintains a firm commitment to equal opportunities. The governing body’s role in strategic development is good. It ensures that safeguarding procedures are met and that the well-being of staff and pupils is a priority for the academy.

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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 pupils. 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

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 pupils' 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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1HD

Thank you very much for making my recent visit to your academy so enjoyable. I was made to feel very welcome and you looked after me very well indeed. I enjoyed talking to you and especially liked the way in which you care for each other and your academy. I know the adults in your academy make sure you are well looked after and I know you feel very safe. You should be very proud because you are polite, respectful and your behaviour is excellent. Yours is a good academy and I found it to be a happy place where people get on very well and work closely together. Your teachers know each one of you very well and find lots of interesting ways to help you learn and develop. As a result, you make good progress and achieve well. Well done!

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1HD

The headteacher, staff and governors have your best interests at heart and they are dedicated to making sure you do well. It is clear you have many interesting experiences at the academy but I have asked the headteacher and governors to help you even more by checking more carefully in lessons how well you are doing. I have asked them to plan more challenging work for those of you who are working at the higher level, particularly in mathematics. I also think you need more opportunities to develop your numeracy skills in problem-solving activities. In addition, the teachers could help you more by giving you clearer guidance on what you need to do to improve further.

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1HD

You can continue to help by coming to school regularly, working as hard as you can and by helping each other in and around the academy. Thank you again for welcoming me to your academy. I wish you every success in the future.

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1HD

Margaret Armstrong 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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