Bow Community Primary School

Age group 5–11 Inspection date(s) 22–23 February 2012 Inspection number 378636 Bow Community Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 113060 Local authority Devon Inspection number 378636 Inspection dates 22–23 February 2012 Lead inspector Jill Bavin

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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 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 113 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rachel Stanbury Headteacher Lesley Hodgson Date of previous school inspection 24–25 March 2009 School address Station Road Bow Crediton EX17 6HU Telephone number 01363 82319 Fax number 01363 82642 Email address admin@bowcps.devon.sch.uk 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

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.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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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspector observed nine lessons taught by five teachers, listened to pupils read and examined work in pupils’ books and on display. Additionally the inspector met with pupils, members of staff and members of the governing body. A variety of documentation related to safeguarding, data about pupils’ progress, monitoring and evaluation records, and school development plans were scrutinised. The inspector took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. Questionnaire responses from pupils, staff and 69 parents and carers were analysed during the inspection.

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Information about the school

This is a smaller than average-sized primary school where all pupils, including children in the Reception Year, are taught in mixed-age classes. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language and the proportion known to be eligible for free school meals are both below average. The percentage of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is slightly below average. A higher proportion of pupils join the school after the Reception Year and leave before Year 6 than is typical nationally.

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Information about the school

The inspection follows a period of significant disruption to staffing. The headteacher has been in post since January 2011, following a 15 month period of temporary leadership. Most members of the governing body have joined since the appointment of the current headteacher.

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Information about the school

The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school. It is well led and managed. The headteacher provides perceptive and strategic leadership. She is ably supported by staff and members of the governing body. Under her leadership, previous weaknesses in the quality of teaching and learning have been eradicated. Expectations of staff and pupils have been raised significantly.  Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. During the period of temporary leadership, pupils’ attainment declined and the progress made by all groups of pupils was rarely better than satisfactory. In some instances it was inadequate. Those pupils who had not attained age-expected levels did not catch up. In spite of this legacy, achievement in English and mathematics is now improving consistently. Most pupils are on track to make at least expected levels of progress. An increasing number are making more than expected progress. Attainment is rising in reading, writing and mathematics throughout the school,

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Key findings

although it remains broadly average by the end of Year 6.  Teaching is satisfactory because it has resulted in satisfactory achievement for pupils in the recent past. The proportion of good quality teaching has improved significantly over the last three and a half terms. This arises from far more consistent use of assessment to plan to meet pupils’ varying needs. That said, opportunities to accelerate learning for higher attaining pupils are missed when they work alongside their classmates for too long.  Pupils routinely behave well. Their attitudes make a positive contribution to good rates of learning in lessons. They feel safe in school and have a good understanding of safety issues. They are welcoming of newcomers and respectful of diversity within their school and beyond. Attendance is above average.

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Key findings

Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment and improve progress in English and mathematics by:  giving pupils more consistent opportunities to develop their ideas in writing over extended periods of time  keeping more detailed records of pupils’ improving reading skills on a weekly basis, so that books are always sufficiently challenging for all pupils  making more systematic use of pupils’ individual learning targets in lessons and in marking to identify the next steps for learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate learning for higher attaining pupils by giving them a more consistent level of challenge and independence sooner in lessons.

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Achievement of pupils

Typically children enter the Reception Year with skills and abilities at levels similar to those expected for their age and they enter Year 1 with broadly expected levels of attainment. Achievement over time is satisfactory because pupils have not made better than satisfactory progress until recently. This year, they are making good progress as a result of improvements to teaching. Rates of progress are similar in English and mathematics. Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is typically broadly average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils currently in Year 2 are making good progress and on track to reach above average attainment in reading. Pupils in Year 6 are making good progress and are on track for their attainment to be broadly average overall and slightly above average in English. Nevertheless, the development of pupils’ reading skills is not recorded on a weekly basis, and so opportunities to maintain the highest possible level of challenge with reading material

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Achievement of pupils

An intense focus on developing pupils’ key literacy and mathematics skills is successfully raising attainment and accelerating progress. This has a positive impact on gains in pupils’ confidence and skills, which is evident in their books, displayed work and in every lesson seen. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 developed their use of language successfully to capture the style of Allen Ahlberg’s poem, ‘Dog in the Playground’, with their own renditions, for example ‘Girl under the Sea’. However, there are too few opportunities for pupils to use these skills in extended pieces of writing. Pupils’ mathematical understanding is deepened through routine opportunities to discuss their strategies for solving mathematical problems related, for example, to measurement conversion or different methods of subtraction.

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Achievement of pupils

Lesson observations confirmed parents’ and carers’ positive views about their children’s current achievements. In lessons, boys and girls, including those who join the school after the Reception Year, those known to be eligible for free school meals and those from minority ethnic backgrounds, make similarly good progress. Assessment information is used effectively to provide well-pitched support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. As a result, these pupils make good progress in lessons. This was exemplified when well-chosen resources and skilful support from a teaching assistant enabled pupils with special educational needs to make good progress in reading imperative or ‘bossy’ verbs. This current good progress has not been sustained for long enough to result in overall good achievement for all groups of pupils, particularly those capable of reaching above average levels of attainment.

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Quality of teaching

Parents and carers were unanimous in agreeing that the school successfully promotes communication, reading, writing and mathematics skills. Most agree that teaching is good, as do most pupils. This was reflected in the teaching seen during the inspection, which was never less than good. However, teaching is judged satisfactory overall because, until recently, it has not led to consistently good progress for pupils across the school. This is because expectations were not always high enough and weaknesses in teachers’ subject knowledge hindered learning, especially in mathematics. A key to recent improvements is the consistency of good planning to clear objectives, with modifications for different groups of pupils. The provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs has also improved and they are now given tasks that are accelerating their progress. Learning intentions are shared with pupils, as are success criteria, so they know what they are

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Quality of teaching

aiming for within the lesson. That said, pupils are not consistently reminded of their individual learning targets as they begin independent work, or in marking. As a result, pupils do not always recall and address their medium-term targets while working independently.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching reading skills is effective because it is well structured and systematic. Pupils in Reception and Years 1 and 2 are grouped according to their abilities, so sessions are focused on meeting their needs. Typically teachers adjust their questions to meet the varying needs within their group or class skilfully, so individual needs are met, even when the class is learning together. This was illustrated in a mental mathematics warm up when quick-fire questions about percentages and decimals were adjusted to enable higher attaining pupils to explain their sophisticated strategies, while lower attaining pupils had good opportunities to increase their accuracy in interpreting place value. While a good pace to teaching and learning is usually maintained overall, this is not always the case for higher attaining pupils who do not make sufficiently rapid progress in some lessons.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers’ typical teaching strategies and the way curriculum topics are planned successfully support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Positive relationships between staff and pupils routinely underpin positive behaviour management and contribute to pupils’ resilience and pride in tackling challenging tasks. Subjects such as Buddhism add cultural interest and knowledge for pupils. Pupils have regular opportunities to work cooperatively and collaboratively through well-planned, paired or small group work. Interesting tasks, such as designing burglar-proof door mats result in pupils using scientific knowledge and technology skills while reinforcing their understanding of right and wrong. Reception-aged children learn imaginatively in response to a puppet and express wonder at the discovery of letter shapes in the environment, or at tiny, repeated, colourful patterns.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils, including children of reception age, respond well to this. Most parents and carers and pupils agree that behaviour is good in school. Pupils report, through questionnaires and discussion, that while there are squabbles between pupils and shifts in friendship groups, there is very rarely bullying of any sort. They feel safe, entirely confident that they have an adult to turn to if necessary. The school’s approach, in addressing rapidly and sensitively any disagreements to prevent an escalation to more serious or bullying behaviour, is effective. Those pupils who have difficulty in managing their behaviour are supported skilfully. They become increasingly self-aware and use taught strategies to begin to exercise self-control. There have been no permanent or fixed- term exclusions in recent years.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils demonstrate a mature understanding of racism for their age and do not believe there is any racist behaviour in their school. Pupils new to the school from other parts of Europe describe the school as very ‘welcoming’. Special events and programmes such as cycling proficiency training, road awareness training and ‘stranger danger’ sessions, contribute to pupils’ good understanding of safety issues and how to keep themselves safe.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils embrace the good level of challenge they experience in lessons. They remain commendably focused on learning when working independently or in small groups. On occasion their behaviour in lessons is exemplary. This was illustrated during the inspection when a child in the Reception Year, keen to demonstrate newly acquired skills, told an adult, ‘I do it on my own.’ Similarly impressive was the exemplary attitude to learning of a group of pupils with special educational needs who sustained impressive levels of concentration and control during a challenging literacy task.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher, staff and members of the governing body share high ambitions for the school. Under the headteacher’s leadership, priorities for school improvement have been well chosen. The resulting action has been very effective. Most importantly, inadequate teaching has been eradicated. Systematic, planned targets to increase the proportion of good teaching term by term have been exceeded. For example, the target of 75% good teaching by the end of this term was met in December 2011, and 100% good or better teaching was achieved during the inspection. This arises from a structured approach to staff development, both from the headteacher within school and from trainers external to the school. The headteacher and subject coordinators conducted an analysis of previous gaps in pupils’ learning which identified particular weaknesses in numeracy for pupils at Key Stage 1 and relative weaknesses for boys in writing at Key Stage 2. They adjusted

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Leadership and management

teaching and curriculum planning to address these issues, which as a result, now promote key skills far more consistently. The impact is already evident in improved achievement in lessons throughout the school.

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Leadership and management

Safeguarding arrangements continue to meet requirements. Strengths in personal, social and health education and curriculum enrichment activities contribute to effective safeguarding by informing pupils. The school’s commitment to tackling discrimination successfully promotes pupils’ interest in communities that differ from their own. Links with London schools and with Rwanda contribute to supporting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. The school successfully promotes equality within school because it has eliminated underachievement and ensures that all groups of pupils make similarly good rates of progress. The impact of the school’s work, including special programmes for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, is far more rigorously monitored and evaluated than previously. Although the school’s effectiveness declined after the previous inspection, the impact of the new headteacher, with the

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Leadership and management

involvement of the staff team and members of the governing body, has produced rapid and sustained improvement over a three and a half term period. The evaluation of the school’s effectiveness is far more accurate, shared and rigorous than previously. This is a key contributory factor in the increased accountability for staff and members of the governing body. This track record of sustained and successful improvement indicates the school’s good capacity for further development.

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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. 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). 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. 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 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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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Bow Community Primary School, Crediton EX17 6HU

Thank you for being so welcoming and friendly when I visited your school recently. A special thank you goes to those pupils who filled in questionnaires, those who read to me, and to those who shared their ideas about learning and behaviour in the school so sensibly with me. I found your school to be satisfactory. It is doing some things well and has improved a lot over the last year, but it is still working to improve other things. Here are some of the good things happening in your school.

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Inspection of Bow Community Primary School, Crediton EX17 6HU

 You enjoy school and attend more regularly than most pupils of your age.  You are making the steady progress that is expected of you in English and mathematics, but more of you are beginning to make better progress in these subjects because you make good progress in lessons.  Teaching has improved. I agree with you that teaching and learning in lessons are now good.  You behave well in lessons and enjoy challenging work. This helps everyone to feel safe and is also helping you to learn well.  You are kind to each other and welcoming of pupils who are new to the school.

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Inspection of Bow Community Primary School, Crediton EX17 6HU

The governing body, headteacher and staff want to keep making the school even better. These are the most important priorities for everyone to address now.  That you have enough time to develop your ideas on paper and extend your writing.  For teachers to keep more regular and detailed notes about how your reading skills are developing, so reading books always challenge you fully.  That you use your individual learning targets more often when you are working independently.  For those of you who have the most challenging work to get started on it sooner in lessons.

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Inspection of Bow Community Primary School, Crediton EX17 6HU

You can help by sensibly letting your teachers know when your reading book is a little too easy and by writing as fully as possible whenever you have the opportunity.

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Inspection of Bow Community Primary School, Crediton EX17 6HU

Jill Bavin 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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