Stogursey Church of England Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 13–14 March 2012 Inspection number 380744 Stogursey Church of England Primary School Inspection report

p.1

Unique reference number 123839 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 380744 Inspection dates 13–14 March 2012 Lead inspector Peter Clifton

p.1

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

p.1

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 53 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Peter Farmery Headteacher Cara Lynch–Blosse Date of previous school inspection 16 June 2009 School address Tower Hill Stogursey Bridgewater TA5 1PR Telephone number 01278 732389 Fax number 01278 732378 Email address office@stogursey.somerset.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

p.1

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’.

p.2

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.

p.2

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

p.2

Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Ten lessons were visited and five teachers observed teaching. Meetings were held with staff, members of the governing body and groups of pupils. The inspector took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at documents including the school improvement plan, the school’s information on pupils’ progress, samples of pupils’ work and information sent home to parents and carers. The responses to questionnaires returned by 38 parents and carers, 12 members of staff and 32 pupils were taken into account

p.3

Information about the school

This is a much smaller-than-average size primary school with pupils attending from the local area. There are three mixed-age classes and some year groups are very small. Nearly all pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs is broadly average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in a combined Reception and Year 1 class. Numbers of pupils attending the school have fallen since the previous inspection. There is an early morning club, run by the governing body. The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. The school has gained National Healthy Schools Plus status and Activemark.

p.3

Information about the school

In September 2011, the school opened a Pre-school which is accommodated within the building and shares the outside learning area with children from the Reception class. The Pre-school is currently taking children aged from two years nine months (deemed to be rising threes and not requiring registration). Numbers of children have increased markedly since opening and there are currently 11 children on roll. 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

p.3

Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school. The standards attained and the behaviour and attitudes of pupils have improved since the previous inspection. The headteacher and all her staff are making improvements which have the very strong backing of parents and carers. However, the school is not yet good because teaching is not consistently good and pupils’ achievement is no more than satisfactory.

p.4

Key findings

 Standards of attainment by the end of Year 6 are broadly average and pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stages 1 and 2. Classroom initiatives such as the use of talk to promote writing, daily reading lessons and the school’s new calculation policy are well established. These, together with a comprehensive programme of individual support for pupils to boost basic skills, are the main reasons why pupils’ progress is strengthening and attainment is rising. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress from their starting points, although access to the outside area is limited.

p.4

Key findings

 Although some effective teaching was seen during the inspection it remains inconsistent and its impact on learning over time is satisfactory. Relationships are strong across the school. Questioning and discussion are used well to promote thinking. However, in some lessons the pace of learning is too slow and pupils are not challenged consistently well in all of the time available.

p.4

Key findings

 Pupils’ behaviour is good over time and disruption to lessons is rare. Cooperative working is strong in all classes. Independence is promoted well from pre-school onwards. Attendance is above average.

p.4

Key findings

 The leadership of teaching and the management of performance are satisfactory. The monitoring of teaching has led to some improvements but has not yet been sufficiently robust to secure uniformly good teaching. Pupils’ progress is comprehensively tracked and additional support accurately targeted to improve basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics. 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

p.4

Key findings

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

p.5

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By the end of the spring term 2013, move the quality of teaching from satisfactory to good in order to raise attainment and accelerate progress by:  ensuring that planning and delivery in lessons consistently meet the needs of different groups of pupils  maintaining a brisk pace in lessons through more flexible use of individual, group and whole-class work.

p.5

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the impact of leadership and management by:  providing more opportunities to model effective teaching in mixed-age classes  making more robust checks on the quality of teaching to ensure that changes introduced are embedded.

p.5

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve access to the outside area for Reception children in order to enhance their learning.

p.5

Achievement of pupils

Nearly all parents and carers feel that their children make good progress, and are helped to develop skills in reading, writing and mathematics. The lessons observed and pupils’ work seen show that, although some pupils make good progress, overall, progress and achievement are satisfactory. Children start school with skills, knowledge and understanding that are typically below those expected for their age. Children in Reception are now making good progress and close the gaps significantly to reach average levels of attainment when they enter Year 1. The current Reception children use letter sounds effectively to help them to make simple words. They choose activities and play together very confidently in the spacious outside area, although the access to it is not straightforward, and limits the opportunities for free- flow activities. When appropriate, the more-able children are challenged well by working with Year 1 pupils, for example to sound out different words. In the pre-

p.5

Achievement of pupils

school, the children use computers for mark-making and to write their names. Speaking and listening are successfully promoted, for example, when playing on the telephone.

p.5

Achievement of pupils

Small numbers of pupils mean there is fluctuation in attainment in each year group. Attainment in reading by the end of Year 2 is below average but rising, as in recent years these pupils started from a lower base at the end of Reception than is now the case. However, in most year groups, attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is in line with expectations and broadly average when pupils leave in Year 6. The 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

p.5

Achievement of pupils

school has successfully fostered a good deal of enjoyment in reading. Many older pupils expressed pride that they were ‘reading bugs’, having good reading habits, with a strong appreciation of books.

p.6

Achievement of pupils

The great majority of pupils in Years 1 to 6, including those of different abilities, make the progress expected from their different starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. This is an improvement compared to the previous year. The programme of individual support is boosting progress for targeted pupils so that they are catching up and gaps in achievement are closing. Additional support, often for less able pupils and those who are disabled or have special educational needs, enables these pupils to make progress similar to other pupils in the class. Pupils who are working well below the levels expected are making good progress. In Years 5 and 6, most pupils are writing at the levels expected and there are examples of pupils’ writing which show attainment above that expected. The ‘fantasy’ stories and writing in science about the ‘mission to Mars’ show good levels of imagination and creativity. In mathematics, pupils use a range of written methods confidently to help

p.6

Achievement of pupils

with calculation, and they apply these satisfactorily to help them to solve problems. However, their mental mathematics skills are less secure.

p.6

Quality of teaching

Almost all parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire think that teaching is good. The inspection judged teaching to be satisfactory and that it promoted at least satisfactory and sometimes better achievement. Relationships in all lessons are positive; teachers promote good social and moral development through the way they interact with pupils. Pupils are keen to show what they know and understand through answering teachers’ questions and discussing their ideas with each other. Learning in groups was a strength in lessons observed. Across the Early Years Foundation Stage, staff have high expectations that children do things for themselves. In the pre-school, children were given clearing-up jobs so that the next activity could be started quickly. At snack time, they were encouraged to spread jam on their pieces of toast. In Reception, the teacher set tasks, for example to build a shelter, which required the children to work together. The planned curriculum

p.6

Quality of teaching

includes opportunities to promote other cultures through learning French and German. Activities such as designing a Mars shelter promote good spiritual development and link together work in science and design and technology.

p.6

Quality of teaching

While planning typically meets the wide range of needs of pupils, there are occasions when learning slows. Examples of these include overlong explanations by the teacher, asking pupils to complete too many similar sums and unchallenging reviews of work at the end of lessons. The use of targets in lessons and through marking is satisfactory. Marking in English and mathematics acknowledges achievement and sets goals for improvement; pupils are given information to help them to understand what they need to include in different types of writing. Lessons have clear objectives which are shared with pupils. However, these are too general to enable pupils of different ability to assess their own progress accurately. This was confirmed by about one quarter of the pupils who indicated in the questionnaires that they only 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

p.6

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Around the school pupils are courteous and polite, and older pupils express pride in being members of a close-knit school community. The attitudes and engagement of pupils in most lessons observed was good and sometimes outstanding, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Pupils demonstrated excellent attitudes to their learning when, for example, they picked out interesting or unusual words in texts during guided reading and then wrote out their own sentences. Pupils commented that behaviour in lessons is nearly always good and that they learnt a lot. Nearly all parents and carers agree with these views.

p.7

Behaviour and safety of pupils

When asked about bullying, some pupils indicated in the questionnaires that it sometimes occurred. However discussion with individual and groups of pupils confirmed the school’s view that incidents were rare and quickly dealt with by staff. Those who discussed this with the inspector expressed no concerns about various types of bullying they have learned about in anti-bullying days, including through the use of information and communication technology or mobile telephones. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe on the roads. Older pupils have some understanding about the possible dangers of drugs and alcohol.

p.7

Behaviour and safety of pupils

The school is a very harmonious community. Rewards and sanctions are understood by pupils and there is a culture of celebrating achievement and rewarding effort, for example through the cup which is awarded each week for good writing. Pupils confidently express their views and value the school’s suggestion box. The early morning ‘dash’ club is well supported by parents and carers and about half of the pupils in the school attend. This provides an active start to the day and promotes healthy eating. Punctuality is good and attendance is above average.

p.7

Leadership and management

The headteacher has driven through a number of changes since the time of the previous inspection which have improved provision and outcomes. The trend of improvement in standards attained has been marked in Year 2. In Year 6, it has taken longer to achieve with broadly average standards now being reached. Other successes include improvement in attendance and behaviour. The headteacher uses appropriate strategies to improve teaching through support and monitoring. Teachers have, for example, observed good teaching in other schools. The school development plan includes actions to increase the proportion of good and better lessons and to improve pupils’ mental mathematics skills. However, leaders have rightly recognised that these changes are not yet fully embedded. While a few weaknesses remain, the success already evident of action taken shows that the school demonstrates a satisfactory capacity for improvement.

p.7

Leadership and management

The governing body strongly supports the work of the school. Members have a clear understanding of their responsibility for safeguarding and arrangements to promote 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

p.7

Leadership and management

these are comprehensive and meet statutory requirements. Their role as a critical friend is developing appropriately and they monitor initiatives to raise achievement and set challenging targets for improvement. The use of the school’s premises to provide pre-school provision has been well planned. There is a good range of resources within the classroom and the outdoor play areas to provide a stimulating and engaging curriculum. The setting is well managed and staff are deployed effectively to ensure that the children are well cared for and happy. Good records have been established to monitor the children’s progress.

p.8

Leadership and management

The school has recently introduced the international primary curriculum. Highly targeted support for individual pupils is strengthening pupils’ basic literacy and numeracy skills. The promotion of equality to enable individual pupils to reach their full potential is satisfactory; gaps in achievement for different groups are closing. The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. This is demonstrated by the confidence displayed by older pupils and the good relationships in school. Pupils confirm that there is a good offer of extra-curricular activities including choir, gardening, table tennis and dance. The school has an international award for creative work done in film making. Parents and carers feel that they are well informed and nearly all strongly agree that they would recommend the school to other parents and carers. These views are reflected in the very positive comments

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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 o n 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 nationall y, 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.

p.9

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

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

p.10

Common terminology used by inspectors

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

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

p.11

1PR

Thank you for being so welcoming and friendly to me when I visited your school and for your responses to the questionnaire. Stogursey School provides you with a satisfactory education. Your headteacher and others have made improvements since the time you were last visited by inspectors. These changes have helped you to improve you reading, writing and mathematics. Your headteacher has a good understanding about what needs to be done to make further improvements.

p.11

1PR

I visited quite a few of your lessons and was pleased with how well you get on with your teachers and the headteacher. I was also very impressed with how well you worked with each other in your groups, concentrating hard on you work. This is helping you to learn well. However, there are times when your learning is slower, for example when you have to sit and listen for too long and have to wait to be given more challenging tasks. I have asked your headteacher to make sure that this does not happen in the future by checking up more regularly on how you are getting on in lessons. Another thing your teachers can do to help you is to make sure that you are given better information about what you need to achieve in the lesson so that you can judge for yourselves how well you are doing.

p.11

1PR

You get on well together and I agree that behaviour is good. Nearly all of you attend school well and on time. Your headteacher, governing body and all the teachers are keen to help the school improve. You can help by always doing you best work in lessons.

p.11

1PR

Thank you again for all your help and best wishes for the future.

p.11

1PR

Peter Clifton 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 .

p.11