Osgodby Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 27–28 February 2012 Inspection number 380034 Osgodby Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 120471 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 380034 Inspection dates 27–28 February 2012 Lead inspector Georgina Beasley

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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 88 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joanne Trafford Headteacher Jill Fincham Date of previous school inspection 13 September 2006 School address Main Street Osgodby Lincolnshire LN8 3TA Telephone number 01673 828323 Fax number 01673 828913 Email address enquiries@osgodby.lincs.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 scho ol 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 eight lessons taught by three teachers. Meetings were held with staff, pupils and representatives of the governing body. 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 planning and assessment documents, pupils’ work, monitoring reports, safeguarding procedures and the school’s improvement plan. The inspector received and analysed 63 questionnaires from parents and carers, 16 from staff and 52 from pupils.

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Information about the school

The school is smaller than most other primary schools. Almost all pupils who attend this small rural school are of White British heritage. No pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below the national average but varies in different year groups due to small numbers. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is low. There are four classes, Reception, Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4, and Years 5 and 6. Children start in the Reception class in the September following their fourth birthday. More pupils than average join the school intermittently throughout the year. Nearly all staff are new since the previous inspection. The school has bronze Healthy Food for Life Partnership and foundation International School awards. The school meets the current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about the school

Pegasus private child care which operates on site and provides before- and after- school care was inspected and reported separately.

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Key findings

 Osgodby is a good school. Inspection findings endorse the positive views of the overwhelming majority of parents and carers that the quality of education the school provides leads to pupils’ good progress and achievement. The school is not outstanding because boys’ progress in writing is not above satisfactory. Occasionally, teachers’ planning of learning does not engage all pupils fully and some lose concentration. Assessment information is not always used to focus monitoring activities to check that interventions and support are quickly improving the achievement of those pupils involved.

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Key findings

 Good progress in reading and mathematics results in above-average overall attainment. Pupils enjoy the practical, first-hand activities that enable them to research and investigate collaboratively in these subjects. Fewer boys reach the expected Level 4 in writing than they do in reading and mathematics because some boys start with lower skills in writing than in reading and, occasionally, lack motivation to write. Pupils do not always refer to their learning targets when checking their work.

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Key findings

 Teachers ask questions that support pupils’ independent thinking well. Challenge in learning is good and pupils usually achieve well.

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Key findings

 Pupils’ positive attitudes support their learning well. Effective promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development gives them excellent understanding of the circumstances surrounding different kinds of bullying. Pupils confirm that incidents are extremely rare. Consequently, all feel safe in school.

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Key findings

 There is a clear vision for improvement and involves all staff and the governing body in its implementation. Teaching and school performance are managed well. Staff attend relevant training to improve their skills and effectiveness. Support is put into place if termly checks of pupils’ progress note that anyone is falling behind.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise boys’ attainment in writing by the end of Year 6 by ensuring teachers consistently:  give them varied, interesting and real purposes to write  ensure that they refer to their learning targets and expected outcomes when checking their work.  Ensure teachers consistently plan activities and tasks that actively engage all pupils throughout lessons.  Use assessment information to focus monitoring activities to ensure that interventions and support are always working as effectively as they should.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils enjoy their learning and are keen to do well. They work diligently together in lessons to share and extend ideas. They help each other to work out the answers to problems in mathematics and to talk about what the author’s meaning is in reading. For example, when trying to find the four numbers in a grid that made the highest total, one boy asked, ‘How did you get that answer?’ The other pupil explained the process clearly to help him understand what to do. Pupils talk articulately about their learning. The inspection endorses the views of the overwhelming majority of parents and carers that their children make good progress.

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Achievement of pupils

Well-planned curriculum projects help pupils to develop good speaking, reading, mathematics and computer skills in a range of subjects. Writing skills are average, overall, but improving. Girls’ writing is ahead of that of boys. Attainment in writing is above average at the end of Year 2 and Year 4. Writing for a purpose is beginning to better motivate boys to write. For example, Year 3 and 4 boys’ written newspaper reports about the dens they had built were interesting, and spelling and grammar were accurate. In Years 5 and 6, fewer boys reach average or higher levels in writing than the girls, and than they do, themselves, in reading and mathematics.

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Achievement of pupils

Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive well-focused support to help them make good progress, especially in their social development. Pupils are supported well in reading and mathematics, and are closing the gap with their peers at a faster rate than typically found. Pupils with a statement of their special educational needs are involved extremely well in all aspects of school life including musical and dramatic performances and team sports. The school assesses the attainment of pupils who start at the school intermittently throughout the year quickly and accurately and puts relevant support into place to help them make progress in line with that of other pupils.

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Achievement of pupils

Children in the Reception class make good progress from their starting points and they all reach the early learning goals in all areas of learning. A good number exceed these. Attainment in reading and mathematics is above average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 use their phonics skills well to read, and successfully spell unfamiliar words. More-able pupils make good progress and a higher proportion than usual reach above-average levels at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 in all subjects.

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Quality of teaching

The inspection endorses the view expressed by all pupils and all parents and carers who returned a questionnaire that teaching is good. Teachers have high expectations for pupils’ personal and academic development and are constantly looking for different ways to help them reach their full potential in these areas. They assess learning regularly to help them build an accurate and detailed knowledge of each pupil’s progress and next-learning steps. They use the information well to target questions and support in many lessons. Teachers ask questions that encourage pupils to think for themselves the best strategy to use to investigate and solve problems in mathematics. As a result, pupils are confident to investigate and solve increasingly more challenging problems, which helps them to reach above-average standards. Pupils particularly enjoy practical activities because these help them to concentrate on their learning. Sometimes teacher-led activities do not encourage the

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Quality of teaching

active participation of every pupil in whole-class and some group activities. Pupils spend too long waiting to take their turn and they start to lose concentration. Teachers often plan relevant and interesting topics for pupils to write about which help girls and some boys to make good progress. However, teachers’ planning of writing is inconsistent, and many older boys lack the motivation to write because topics do not interest them.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs benefit from targeted support from teaching assistants to build their confidence and so help them try new things for themselves. A well-planned curriculum gives good opportunity for pupils to use computers to research projects and present their work. Many activities require pupils to work collaboratively, such as planning stalls to run at the school fete, or deciding the most interesting way to present a group project. Pupils are encouraged to develop independence from an early age. One child was helped to print a picture when the teacher asked, ‘Can you see a picture on the screen that looks a little bit like a printer?’ The child subsequently found the picture and managed to click through the screens to print the picture independently.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils enjoy school and attendance is above average. The inspection endorses the views of pupils, and parents and carers that behaviour is good for most of the time and that incidents of bullying are extremely rare. Pupils from different backgrounds get on noticeably well together, and they look out for each other when playing outside. Older pupils help younger ones and pupils from all backgrounds and abilities are welcomed into the school’s ‘family’. The curriculum gives pupils regular and frequent opportunity to reflect on behaviour and in particular what constitutes bullying. As a result, pupils have an astute understanding of all forms of bullying. Pupils know what to do if they have a concern and are confident that, should any incident occur, the school will sort it out rapidly and effectively. All staff have completed relevant training and follow safeguarding procedures consistently. Parents are particularly pleased with the ‘school’s family atmosphere’ and the extremely

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

positive relationships between staff and pupils that ensure the school is a safe place to be.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and, when able to, are engaged fully in lessons. Pupils show they understand how well they have done in their learning sometimes by giving thumbs up or down or checking their work against the expected learning outcomes. They all know their targets and strive to get all the stickers needed to show that they have reached the next level. Some boys do not always refer to these targets and lesson outcomes to help them check their written work independently and act upon the advice and guidance given by teachers to make sure they always do their best.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are fully involved in decision making and are particularly proud of the role they played in the refurbishments to the toilets and the recently installed trim trail. They look forward eagerly to growing fruit and vegetables to extend the healthy food partnership. Pupils raise considerable amounts for charity and learn about life in other countries through a well-planned curriculum. This has resulted in the foundation level International Schools award. When asked what they would improve, pupils said they wanted nothing more than ‘a hall and brick built classrooms’. ‘I like it here,’ one pupil said.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher has established a shared vision across the school that, ‘Each child is special.’ To fulfil this key aim, there is a strong and successful drive to provide equal opportunity for all pupils. Leaders monitor school performance well to ensure pupils’ good achievement. While boys still lag behind in writing, there are signs of improvement in younger year groups. There is no discrimination throughout the school. All staff are highly supportive of what the school is trying to achieve. There are very positive and supportive relationships with each other, with parents and carers and with the pupils. Parents and carers correctly recognise that the school meets their children’s particular needs well. They feel well informed, and that the school is approachable and takes notice of any concerns. The curriculum is good and promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Numerous

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Leadership and management

opportunities for pupils to take part in team sporting competitions and community events promote good social skills and a positive respect for others. Visits and special events give pupils some opportunity to learn about life in Britain today.

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Leadership and management

The school has good capacity to improve. Its self-evaluation is accurate in identifying priorities for further improvement. Strong performance since the previous inspection has been sustained in achievement, teaching and pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning. Subject leadership has improved and is good due to well-planned professional development and a commitment from all staff to improve pupils’ achievement. Leaders of subjects and special educational needs say they ‘feel empowered to make improvements’. A range of monitoring activities give them an accurate view of pupils’ achievement and include lesson observations, looking at pupils’ work and holding regular meetings to discuss pupils’ progress. Assessment is not always used to focus subsequent monitoring when checking whether improvement to pupils’ progress arising from special interventions and support is sufficiently rapid.

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Leadership and management

The governing body gives good support to what the school is trying to achieve through careful financial management and ensuring pupils’ safety. It is fully involved in evaluating the school’s performance and planning for further improvement. As more information about pupils’ progress is shared, it is asking the school challenging questions to hold it to account for its decisions. All safeguarding requirements are met and monitored monthly to ensure consistent and effective implementation.

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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 publis hed 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 Osgodby Primary School, Osgodby, LN8 3TA

Thank you for your welcome when I visited your school recently and for telling me so much about it. I was impressed with how well you all get along together and how you involve each other in your games. You told me that you feel safe because behaviour is good and that incidents of bullying are extremely rare. You join in enthusiastically with the varied and numerous projects, events and extra-curricular activities organised by the school. You particularly like the fairness with which you are selected to take part.

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Inspection of Osgodby Primary School, Osgodby, LN8 3TA

Osgodby is a good school. Your regular attendance shows that you enjoy school and that you want to achieve well. You make good progress because teaching is good and because you try hard in lessons. You have good communication, reading, mathematics and computer skills to support you well when you move to secondary school. Everyone in your school wants you to do well. Teachers ask you questions that help you work out how to do things by yourselves. Their good practice helps you to understand what you are learning. I have asked the teachers to make sure that every one of you is engaged in activities and tasks all the time in all lessons.

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Inspection of Osgodby Primary School, Osgodby, LN8 3TA

I have asked your school to help the boys, in particular, to achieve as well in writing as they do in reading and mathematics by giving them varied and interesting topics to write about. I also want your school to use assessment information when checking that any special support you are receiving is helping you to make faster progress. You can help by telling the teachers what you like to write about and checking your writing against your targets and lesson outcomes to make sure that you are always doing the best that you can.

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Inspection of Osgodby Primary School, Osgodby, LN8 3TA

I hope you continue to enjoy school as much as you do now.

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Inspection of Osgodby Primary School, Osgodby, LN8 3TA

Georgina Beasley 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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